Quarterly Lariat
www.upperhastingsranch.org
Winter 2015
President’s Message After seeing former Block Captain Bob Monson’s holiday decorations representing his military service, we wanted to share some stories about our wonderful neighbor. Thanks to Bob and his daughter Tracy for helping to bring you this article. Robert Monson’s service began June 13, 1943. He remembers the day! He knew the draft was coming and wanted to choose the branch of service rather than be assigned. He went into the Army Air Corps (the predecessor of the Air Force) at 19 years old. Bob was sent to Chicago to be processed and sworn in. The building, which was about 10 stories tall, was full of men doing the same. He was sent to Camp Grant in Elgin, IL for a week of “testing and shots,” basic training in Amarillo, TX, then Keesler Field in Biloxi, MS where he was told he couldn’t be a pilot because he had “four eyes.” Instead, he went to Transport School and became a crew chief on a four man team to repair engines on C-46 and C-47 transport planes. On his way to his assignment, he went to Australia via San Francisco. He was stuck in San Francisco for more time than he had planned while fighter crews, which had priority, were shipped out. He spent all his cash in San Francisco so he had to wire his dad for more! In New Guinea (Port Moresby), he joined the 33rd Troop Carrier Squadron. Their emblem is a running turtle. When the military brass asked for a copy of their logo, they were engaged in conflict so they did not submit it in time. As a result of the delay, neither army nor air force recognizes their logo as official. Their decreasing members have tried repeatedly to get it recognized to no avail. Bob spent most of the war in the Philippines, just outside of Manila living in tents in a rice paddy. He saw a Japanese POW camp for women and children in New Guinea freed by the Allied troops. He survived when a palm tree fell on his tent during the night, and he was present when a POW camp was liberated in Bandung, Indonesia.
He flew supplies into Iwo Jima, landing on one end of the runway while the other side was being shelled by the Japanese and flew resupply misisons to Okinawa, including one after the end of the war, unsure if the Japanese soldiers knew the war was over. He slept in the planes overnight after missions, and “boy, were they cold!” The planes had gasoline stoves which would occasionally catch fire! Planes sometimes were lost in the dark, on hillsides, or in dense fog. Planes lost during WWII are still being found. Bob Monson returned to San Francisco December 1945 and was honorably discharged in January 1946. Until a few years ago, Bob edited and published a newsletter for the 33rd Troop Carrier Squadron. It went to children of the original members if the members were no longer alive. The newsletter has been discontinued due to the age and decreased number of surviving veterans. For his 50th wedding anniversary, the whole family went to Hawaii, and Bob saw the Arizona Memorial. It was touching for him. The family took an evening “cruise” on America’s Cup II. Bob was blowing away in the wind, being splashed by waves and shouted to the front of the boat, “This is why I never joined the Navy!” If you see Bob around the neighborhood, give him a salute and thank him for his service. We also thank him for his many years of service as a UHRA block captain. Kathy Gregg UHRA board president
Upper Hastings Ranch Association
Page 2 Dogs in City Parks
Dogs must be kept on a leash and on the trails at all times while in all City of Pasadena Parks with the exception of Alice's Dog Park off-leash area in Vina Vieja Park. According to Pasadena Municipal Code Sections 6.12.010 and 6.12.015: Violation is subject to a $500 fine and/or six months in jail. Why must dogs be kept on leash? Some people are intimidated by dogs, even friendly ones. While keeping a dog leashed prevents discomfort for other park users, it can also save a dog's life from the threat of passing cars. In addition, many parks support a variety of wildlife. Dogs that are not on a leash or stray from the trail can disturb the natural activities of these animals. An encounter with wildlife can also endanger the health and safety of your pet. Please clean up after your pet! Dog waste along trails is a nuisance to encounter and contaminates the local water supply. Park regulations, common courtesy, and good judgment all require that you take special care when bringing your pet to Pasadena natural areas. Thank you for your cooperation! Gene Masuda Don Benito Fundamental is Now a Neighborhood School The PUSD School Board, through Resolution BR14-A, has re-classified Don Benito as a neighborhood school, serving the Upper Hastings Ranch neighborhood. This is great news, as it will mean that students in the newly formed attendance boundary will be able to attend Don Benito without having to go through an open-enrollment lottery. Don Benito offers a high-quality, academically-rigorous curriculum, on par with many of the private schools in the area. The PTA and school community are stronger than they've ever been, and they are excited about a new era of partnership with Upper Hastings Ranch.
A Gift for You - UHRA Magnet with 2015 Event Dates The UHRA board has created a magnet as a gift to all UHRA residents. It includes a list of the 2015 events, how to find us on Facebook, NextDoor, and Instagram, and contact information for the association. We hope that you will put it on your refrigerator as a reminder to join us at these events, and that each time you look at the pictures from around the neighborhood, you’ll think about this great community in which we live. Magnets will be distributed to your block captain soon. They will deliver them to you. We’re looking forward to seeing you at our events in 2015.
Mark Your Calendar We look forward to seeing you at our annual UHRA events! Pancake Breakfast - Saturday, May 2
Annual Meeting - Wednesday, November 4
National Night Out - Tuesday, August 4
Holiday Light Up - Saturday, December 12 - January 1
Movie Night - Saturday, September 19
Snoopy Parade - Friday, December 18
All events are listed on the back of each edition of The Lariat. 2015 DUES REMITTANCE FORM Please include with payment of $20 Mail to: UHRA P.O. Box 5131, Pasadena, CA 91117 Name: Mailing Address: Telephone: E-mail Address: Please mail in dues by the end of April 2015.
The Lariat • Winter 2015
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La Salle Student Helpers Brighten UHRA in More Ways Than We Expected When we asked Dr. Gray, principal, La Salle High School, if students were available to do community service, we expected that they would only help with parkway displays. These students did so much more. The girls' basketball team found out that 10 year-old Alexander's mother was dying of stage 4 cancer. His mom died on December 13, just after the girls helped decorate. The team was so moved that they autographed a basketball as a gift to Alexander, brought tickets to their basketball game for him and his dad, and made Alexander their mascot. They went back again to bring him a Christmas present. They were very sweet to show so much kindness when they were already helping us by doing community service. The team members are Senior Dionna Williams, Junion Jana Ramirez, Sophomores Jennifer Payne, Ravin Rhodes, Eleni Daughters, Brianda Valdez, Arielle Fong, and Kinsley Washington, and Freshman Rebecca Castillo and Julia Macabuhay. UHRA’s Annual Meeting 2014 Wrap Up We had three interesting speakers at the Upper Hastings Ranch Association’s Annual Meeting. Held at Don Benito Fundamental School on Wednesday, November 5th, the meeting began with a presentation from Chief Sanchez and his officers from the Pasadena Police Department who spoke on the crime rate for our area, Hamilton Park safety issues, and the challenges that the Pasadena police department will be facing with the passing of Prop. 47 (reduced penalties for some crimes). We received an update on the traffic speed issues from Joaquin Siques (traffic engineer), Richard Dilluvio (sr. transportation planner), and Lieutenant Pete Hettema. Keynote speaker Ben Green, CEO, American Red Cross San Gabriel Pomona Valley, talked about earthquake disaster preparedness. The final speaker of the evening was District 4 Councilman Gene Masuda who updated us on improvements to East Pasadena area, as well as the owner’s response to Albertson’s leaving the plaza and new businesses possibilities. He answered questions from our residents. Linda Chang, principal of Don Benito, and Scott Harden, executive vice-president of Don Benito’s PTA, (pictured right) informed us that Don Benito has been re-classified as a neighborhood school, serving the neighborhood. This means students in Upper Hastings Ranch will be able to attend Don Benito without having to go through the open-enrollment lottery. UHRA presented Maryanne Gaston with the Resident of the Year Award for her dedication and service to the Ranch as the UHRA Welcome Wagon Chairperson. UHRA made donations to Don Benito, Hastings Branch Library, and Hamilton Park, and gave scholarships to students in the Ranch. The evening closed with a raffle of Rose Parade tickets, a raffle for a chance to purchase Rose Bowl Game tickets, and a 50/50 drawing. Thanks to Gene Masuda for providing us with Rose Parade and Rose Bowl tickets for raffling and Don Benito for providing our meeting space. Thanks to you for taking the time to attend the meeting. If you have a particular topic that you would like addressed at the 2015 Annual Meeting, please contact any board member. Your ideas and suggestions are appreciated. Join us at our family of restaurants! 1 Hour of Free Validated Parking
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Upper Hastings Ranch Association P.O. Box 5131 Pasadena, California 91117
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Upper Hastings Ranch Association THE LARIAT The Lariat is the official publication of the Board of Directors of the Upper Hastings Ranch Association. It is self-supporting, nonprofit, nonpolitical, nonreligious, and devoted to the common interests and mutual advancement of 1,100 Ranch property owners and residents. Contributions for publication in The Lariat are welcome. All contributions are subject to editing. P.O. Box 5131 Pasadena, California 91117
2014 UHRA BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS KATHY GREGG President, Honorary Mayor and Pancake Breakfast Chair 626-351-8281 kaaath74@yahoo.com TIFFANY GARDNER Vice President, The Lariat, Facebook, website, Block Captain Coordinator TiffanyAGardner@gmail.com JOLEAN MATSUMOTO Treasurer, President Emeritus, Pancake Breakfast Chair 626-351-8781 matsumotojl@gmail.com KJELL KLING Block Captain Coordinator 626-351-0068 kjelleaglestar@verizon.net SHERI WHALEN Recording Secretary 626-351-0348 sheriandmark@aol.com
SAM SASSOUNIAN 626-351-8534 ED A. KARIM 626-351-5515 eakarim@aol.com MAS MATSUMOTO 626-351-8781 Ranch Volunteer MARYANNE GASTON Welcome Wagon 626-351-8405 marygf49@gmail.com
MARK YOUR CALENDAR Saturday, May 2 - Pancake Breakfast Tuesday, August 4 - National Night Out Saturday, September 19 - Movie Night Wednesday, November 4 - Annual Meeting December 12 - January 1 - Holiday Light Up Friday, December 18 - Snoopy Parade Phone Numbers You May Need Pasadena Code Enforcement 626-744-4633 Pasadena Police Department 626-744-4550 Pasadena Police NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER 626-744-4241 Neighborhood Connection 626-744-7290
City of Pasadena, District 4 Gene Masuda Council Member BOARD MEETINGS 626-744-4740 Board meetings are held the second e-mail: gmasuda@cityofpasadena.net Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. Noreen Sullivan at Don Benito Fundamental School District 4 Field Representative in the teachers’ lounge. We do not 626-744-4740 meet in July and August. e-mail: All UHRA residents are welcome. nsullivan@cityofpasadena.net
Holiday Light Up and Judges’ Party We had a great Holiday Light Up this year with new parkway displays in the Ranch and residents receiving help from the La Salle sports teams and our Ranch volunteers. All Ranch residents who have signed up for UHRA Google Groups should have received the list of trophy winners, giving you an opportunity to drive around and see what the judges picked for their favorites this year. The annual judges’ party was held on Wednesday, December 17th at the home of Wade and Lynne Wright (Thank you Wade and Lynne!). The judges are members of the commmunity but not residents of the Ranch and are different each year. Our Light Up judges for this year were Father Chinh Nguyen of Don Bosco Tech Institute, Joakim Baage, executive director, Ayzenberg Group, Wes Ferrari, vicepresident, IT, Idealab and his wife Allyson, Dr. Linda Chang, principal, Don Benito Fundamental School, Don Cervantes, captain, Pasadena Fire Department, and Marcus Goodwin, Breanna Mosely, and Angelo Baxter from the U.S. Army. All awards are decided by the judges who are given a list of criteria. As they see each display, they give a score and at the end of their short tour, all sheets are tallied and the winners are chosen. Sometimes there are repeat winners, but new judges have selected them. When the tallied sheets have been collected, those residents who won must have their annual dues paid since this competition is for UHRA members. Annual dues are minimal and help cover all our expenses, most importantly, our liability insurance for social functions and directors’ insurance, as well as trophies, plaques and scholarships. We need your help to cover these expenses. Please help the association by paying your dues. (For your information, the Judges’ Award is the one house in the Ranch that stands out the most and is a unanimous winner. The Mayor’s Award is given by the current UHRA Board President/Honorary Mayor, and it is a subjective choice.) On Friday, December 19 Light Up awards were delivered, and Santa and Mrs. Claus visited the homes of the Snoopy Award winners. The following were the winners: Best Religious – 1375 Riviera, 1250 Daveric, 1105 Coronet Most Creative – 960 Hasting Ranch, 3685 Cartwright, 1215 Tropical Humor and Fantasy – 1145 Tropical, 985 Pepperhill, 1451 Daveric Best Use of Lights – 1135 Tropical, 1360 Coronet, and 1400 Coronet The Judges’ Award - 1545 Riviera The Mayor’s Award - 1130 Riviera Parkway Awards went to the following blocks: Upper Daveric (Top of Daveric) Upper Hastings Ranch (Alegria to Daveric) Upper Medford Upper Valley Lights Upper Coronet Upper Riviera Lower Rexford Lower Leonard Lower Coronet Lower Daveric Lower Pine Bluff Lower Cartwright To all Snoopy Participants, thank you for your hard work and enthusiasm. Your displays bring smiles to all who drive through our neighborhood during Light Up! We appreciate your very special families who encourage and help you! Special thanks to Corner Bakery for giving Kids Meal certificates for every Snoopy Participant. If you’d like to have emails sent to you regarding UHRA special notices, emergencies, and important issues that affect us, please contact Jolean Matsumoto at matsumotojl@gmail.com. Jolean Matsumoto & Kathy Gregg 2014 Christmas Light Up Chairs
The Lariat • January 2015
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In case you missed the grateful comments that happy visitors posted on our Facebook page during Light Up, they are here for you to see along with photos of homes, musicians, La Salle student helpers, and the Snoopy Parade. Thank you for taking the time to decorate your house and parkway and extra thanks to those families who caroled, had bands, asked Santa Claus to make a special visit, and gave away cookies, cider, and hot chocolate to those driving by. You are the reason that our community is a wonderful place to live. Last night I had a true California holiday experience!!! After rolling struffoli with my "pasta sunday" crew, we jumped in my car and went to Upper Hastings Ranch - Pasadena, CA (a neighborhood that has blocks and blocks of homes decorated to the extreme with Christmas lights!). For the full California effect, I put the top down on my convertible, blasted the heat and the Christmas music radio station as we drove around looking at the homes for an hour and a half! We stopped at one house where they were giving away hot cocoa in the driveway and singing Christmas carols....and then Santa Claus showed up!!! We all agreed that this was the start of an amazing holiday tradition for our "pasta sunday" clan, and for me, it was another reminder of how much I love living on the West Coast! Scott Nevins December 22, 2014 Thank you for your community contribution. Your efforts enlightened our Christmas spirit. May God bless you. Peter Jaime December 26, 2014 My daughter loved it. Easy drive and the decorations are really cool. Saul Vazquez
I loved our visit. There was so much to see. The different streets had their own "theme" so you could tell where you had already been. It's a good thing too because it's so big you could easily be making circles and miss half of it. Well worth the drive!! It will be our new goto place every year. Kimmy Eller December 20, 2014
Just wanted to say thank u very much to all the home owners that took their time to decorate their home. My parents always took me here as a kid and today was the first time I got to bring my son and he was soo amazed with all the lights. Their was not as many homes as back in the day but still a good turn out. Again, my family thanks u all for still bringing so much light to the community. We loved it!!!! Savannah B-Escobar I love the new Christmas themes and lights in Upper Hastings Ranch Neighborhood. It is always a place I share with folks moving to Pasadena as a must see. This year WOW. I took a little video of a peek! Definitely a place to check out this holiday season.. Bravo to the Association and the neighborhood!