By Julie BUTCHER

A packed parking lot behind the La Crescenta Library belied a routine agenda for the February meeting of the Crescenta Valley Town Council. The meeting room was full for a brisk, full agenda of community happenings.

Youth Council President Alexis Karakas led off with an update on the council’s plans and activities. La Crescenta library’s assistant librarian reported on upcoming events: on Saturday, March 3 a performance of the award-winning Benita Bike’s DanceArt Company at the library at 2 p.m. The innovative modern dance program is open to all and it is free. On Saturday, March 10 an all-day “Girl Empowerment Workshop” will be held at the library from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “focusing on building self-esteem and staying engaged in STEM activities.” The workshop, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is described as fast-paced and highly interactive, designed to give useful and future- looking tools to approximately 30 local girls (and boys) ages 12 to 17. Additional information on all library events can be found on the library’s website http://www.colapublib.org/libs/lacrescenta/.

Prom Plus President Robin Goldsworthy presented an update on the ongoing work of Prom Plus in preparation for this year’s prom season and the organization’s 24th Prom Plus event on May 19. Prom Plus offers an alternative to unchaperoned parties after the prom. Last year more than 400 students participated in activities that ranged from blackjack, roulette, pool, and poker, to a zip line and a mechanical bull, arcade games, dancing, a rock-climbing wall and breakfast in the morning. The yearly event honors the tragic death of CV High School Senior Berlyn Cosman, who was murdered while attending an unsupervised prom party in 1991. To donate or volunteer or for more information, Prom Plus’s website is www.promplus.org.

Goldsworthy also reported on the Fire House, a youth center located at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Rosemont Avenue, which partners with St. Luke’s and St. George’s of La Cañada Episcopal churches to host local students for breakfast every Thursday morning and for homework help and other activities each Tuesday evening. She noted that the Rosemont Middle School PTA recently awarded a Continuing Service Award to Mary O’Keefe, a founder of the Fire House, for her years of work in support of their students.

“All these years, her time, money, food product, everything. The CSA is an honor worthy of all of Mary’s work,” Goldsworthy concluded her report.

GUSD school superintendent Winfred Roberson began by commenting on the tragedy that occurred the day before in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students and staff members where murdered in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“It’s hard to be happy and share with you this positive report about our schools here in your community when there is so much pain happening in another school, anywhere. What happens at a school anywhere happens here, and we mourn with them while we make plans to move forward here.”

Responding to questions from Crescenta Valley Town Council members about school readiness, student support and safety training, Roberson answered, “Our phones have been ringing. It is terrifying to worry about the safety of your child when you send them to school. Above learning, safety is essential. We’re reviewing our protocols and the drills and training we do at every school. There are locks on the doors which can only be opened from inside. We’ve updated our active shooter training, and we have detailed safety plans. Teachers and staff know what to do in any emergency. It is disheartening that this is the 14th event like this of the year, so far, but if we ever, heaven forbid, become a target we know what to do. Our training is thorough, and we drill regularly. Plus, we’ve got aggressive support for kids in need and a strong community to back us up. We’ll be offering added counseling services for students throughout the district, and we’ve sent an email to all our parents with tips about talking to your children about what happened in Florida yesterday.”

Reporting on activities at local GUSD schools, Roberson announced that Mountain Avenue School is having a Culture Day on Feb. 23 “to honor dance, poetry, and music,” a jump rope fundraiser for the American Heart Association on March 8 when they are hoping to top last year’s $10,000 raised; a Founders’ Day event on March 15; and are planning for their foundation’s MACK Night Out on April 20.

Lincoln Elementary had a successful authors and illustrators day on Feb. 2, Roberson reported, hosted by the Assistance League of Glendale (ALG), highlighting four authors: Tao Nyeu, Oliver Chin, Tim Egan and Leslie Margolis. The ALG program was established in 1997 by league member and Dunsmore school librarian Karen Grigg. The day hosts local authors and illustrators who speak to children about the process of writing, illustrating and publishing. The school’s annual “Jogathon” is scheduled for March 2. La Crescenta Elementary is hosting an open house on Feb. 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for parents and families to observe classroom science and engineering projects.

Staff from Rosemont have been traveling to all of the “feeder schools,” the superintendent told the Town Council, to make presentations about the middle school’s electives, clubs, and activities, and they have an open house planned for March 1. Ten Rosemont students were honored by the board at its last meeting, five for making the All-Star Southern California Honor Band and five for making the All-State Band. He recognized Mary Pinola and the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce “and everyone else involved” for helping Rosemont with its new volleyball net and court.

Monte Vista Elementary has qualified for a California Distinguished Schools award.

Finally, the Superintendent reported, Crescenta Valley High School received word last week it has received the highest accreditation, for a six-year term, with no visit required midterm.

“This is a huge validation of our academic program and our staff,” Roberson concluded his report. “The schools in this entire area are branded by their excellence.”

A representative of the Los Angeles Fire Dept. detailed 79 responses from the department in January: 70 medical calls, one structure fire. Newly assigned Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station Community Service Officer Sergeant Darrin Walker introduced himself, encouraged members of the community to stop by to meet him, and reported that in January the LASD responded to service calls about one stolen car, one shoplifting, three residential burglaries, 10 thefts and one rape.

“The good news, if you can call it that,” Walker said, “is that the rape was random and the person responsible was quickly identified and is in custody. As for the thefts, seven of them were from unlocked vehicles. Please, folks, lock your cars.”

In response to a question about the reportedly ended medication drop-off program, sheriff representatives responded that they have moved the receptacles from the front of the station to the back and that they are happy to continue to accept unused or outdated medicine there.

Sharon Weisman, from the Crescenta Valley Community Association (CVCA), provided an update to the Town Council noting that the Glendale Tenants Union has started a signature-gathering drive to qualify a rent control initiative for an upcoming ballot.

“Approximately 67% of the families in Glendale are renters and dozens of families die waiting for Section 8 housing. Either as a renter or as a tenant, this is something that should be of interest to you,” Weisman noted that the CVCA meets at the La Crescenta Library at 7 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month.

Judy Turner of the Crescenta Valley Fire Safe Council urged everyone to consider signing up for one of the organization’s free fire danger assessments. “Our community is only as safe a every neighbor,” she noted, previewing information and upcoming events on the CVFSC website: www.cvfiresafecouncil.com.

The next meeting of the CV Town Council is Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m. at the community room of the La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd.

  Julie BUTCHER