By Ruth SOWBY

La Crescenta recently celebrated its very own space launch! The playground at Mountain Avenue Elementary School was the launch site. 

The school’s science project built on a previous launch held 12 years ago that resulted in the landing of a helium balloon that carried a tracker, a camera, the school’s phone number and a Barbie toy. It eventually was found in Santa Clarita. 

On Friday, Feb. 28, a large white balloon filled with helium (lighter than air) was ready for launch at the school playground. This time a small figure of Capt. America was added to the tracker and camera. Dad Jansen Lashley-Haynes, with his daughter Morgan, a Pasadena City College student who led the launch 12 years ago when she was a Mountain Avenue student, Jansen’s son Lexington, a fourth grader at Mountain Avenue and mother Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes oversaw the launch.  

Gathered in the school’s playground and leaning over balconies were excited students ready to watch the balloon’s launch into space. Unfortunately, the launch was aborted when the balloon unexpectedly tore from its base. What to do? The Lashley-Haynes family, along with school Principal Elena Rojas, decided to postpone the launch for several hours while the school prepared for its science fair that evening. Luckily, dad Jansen had another balloon at home.   

After a day of much patience many of the students, this time with their parents, returned to the playground. Jansen’s red balloon was on the launch pad. Some time passed as Jansen, an actor (when he’s not launching balloons), had to fill the balloon from the partially depleted helium tank. Viewers were patient for the most part – even the younger kids. A bunch of children sat on the playground close to the balloon. They yelled, “Launch it! Launch it! Launch it!”

All held their breath to see if this time the launch would happen. Jansen tied off the balloon from the tank. A few seconds later, up the balloon went! A collective “Hooray!” was heard. It circled as it rose in the air and flew higher and higher until it was a tiny red dot among the clouds. The kids, parents, teachers and the Lashley-Haynes family all yelled and high-fived each other. None was more excited than Lexington. “I was amazed!” he said.   

Lexington’s mom Elizabeth was a little more forthcoming. 

After catching her breath, she said, “I feel relieved that we got it to launch so the kids could understand that science isn’t perfect, but patience and perseverance often pay off. It was wonderful to hear their screams and see their smiles.”