The Angeles National Forest can be described as a collection of rugged mountains, sparkling streams, dark canyons and breathtaking vistas, along with piles of trash, too few rangers, frequent picnic area and campground closures and fragmented access. On Tuesday night, Caltrans began asking the public to weigh in on a forest access proposal that would reopen a 4.4-mile mountain portion of State Highway 39 closed for 46 years by a rockslide. The full-build option would reconnect Highway 39 — the main road into the forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument — with State Highway 2 at Islip ..read more

The city of Glendora has announced Glendora Police Department Capt. Mike Randazzo will become its next chief of police, taking the helm on May 25 the day after current Police Chief Matthew Egan is set to retire. “Mike understands the special relationship between this community and its police department,” City Manager Adam Raymond said in the announcement. “We’re excited to have a long serving leader in public safety take over as the next Chief of Police in Glendora. I am confident he will continue to strengthen  community partnerships and enhance the quality of life for all Glendorans.” A ..read more

It has been 46 years since a landslide damaged a 4.4-mile chunk of State Highway 39, a highway ordered built by President Eisenhower in 1957. But the landslide severed the mountain road’s junction with State Highway 2 and turned Highway 39 into a dead end. After several starts and stops, Caltrans in 2022 announced it was once again considering reopening the two-lane highway that runs from the San Gabriel Valley floor through the Angeles National Forest to its closure about 27 miles north of Azusa and northwest of Crystal Lake. Caltrans held scoping meetings, listened to comments, studied the e ..read more

Every year on Earth Day people are asked to think about nature and our planet and what they can do to help our world. The global environmental movement arrives on April 22 and there are many ways for people to participate, such as volunteering for an outdoor cleanup, or even going to a festival or even a fancy ball and having some fun while trying to help the planet. So with Earth Day coming up, here are 12 things you can do to mark this very important day. Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy is marking Earth Day by asking volunteers to help care for their native garden on April 20. (P ..read more

  Find antiques, vintage clothes, collectibles and vinyl records on April 7 at the Pasadena City College Flea Market. (Google Street View)   Spring has sprung by the looks of things, with a flurry of events happening in our great outdoors as well as indoors. One offers a view of both: Writer and hiker Ash Czarnota talks to author Johanna Flashman about her guide to the best hikes and microbreweries in Southern California, at 5 p.m. Friday, April 5, at RT Rogers Brewing Co., 38 E. Montecito Ave. No. 1, Sierra Madre. Admission is free. “Beer Hiking Southern California” is a full-color ..read more

Glendora Police Chief Matthew Egan has announced his retirement after serving the city for 34 years. Egan, who began his service at the city’s Recreation Department, said it was time to spend more time with family, traveling and reconnecting with friends. “I’m going to miss the people,” he said in a statement. “It has been an honor to serve the Glendora community for over 30  years, and it will continue to be a very special place for me and my family,” commented Chief Egan.  “I have confidence in the people in our department to carry on providing purposeful professional  public ..read more

  Easter services, including sunrise services, are scheduled for March 31, 2024. In the file photo: Kindred Community Church in Anaheim held an Easter sunrise service at the cross on the hill overlooking the 91 Freeway on Sunday, April 9, 2023. (Photo by Contributing Photographer/Michael Goulding)   Easter — March 31 this year — is the holiest day on the Christian calendar. The celebration of Easter is the culmination of Holy Week which began on March 24 with Palm Sunday. Depending on an individual church’s tradition, its congregation may hold services each day after Palm Sunday incl ..read more

  The International Gem and Jewelry Show, March 29-31, is at the Pasadena Convention Center. (Google Street View) Easter celebrations are in the offing, ending the 40-day period of Lent with its prayers and penitence. Cue the egg hunts, parties in the park and general seasonal festivities. Hop to it: Get into the Easter spirit at The Bunny Museum, celebrating its 26th year with an ongoing special exhibit, GOOBA or Gallery of Original Bunny Art. Explore the world’s only museum about bunnies and see more than 45,000 items that made it to the Guinness World Records. Open noon to 6 p.m. Monda ..read more

A Dodger speaks: Dodgers third baseman Ron Cey discusses “Penguin Power: Dodger Blue, Hollywood Lights, and a One-in-a-Million Big League Journey” at 7 p.m. Friday, March 22, at Vroman’s, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Admission is free. Cey will be signing books only. No memorabilia. For more information, call 626-449-5320 or visit vromans.com. The writing experience: Marianne Wiggins, author of “Properties of Thirst,” will talk about her experiences writing the novel at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd. The novel is the selection for the 22nd ..read more

An anti-Armenian hate nonprofit called the Truth And Accountability League, has joined with the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations’ “LA vs. Hate” for multiple new Armenians Against Hate public service announcements that will air locally and online. The PSA launch happened virtually on Thursday, March 14 and included Robin Toma, the executive director of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations. Other guest speakers included Vic Gerami, founder of TAAL, Marc Baarart, director of the L.A. District Attorney’s office, and two victims of anti-Armenian hate. While TAAL and ..read more