By Mary O’KEEFE

This Saturday morning leave the car at home and bike to the La Crescenta Library for “Discover Foothill.”
Bike lanes have recently been established along Foothill Boulevard in the unincorporated portion of La Crescenta allowing bikers a safer way to exercise their right to bike. The Glendale annex portion of the area has recently been funded for bike lanes as well.
The Discover Foothill event is to get people onto their bikes to help promote a healthy and safe way of exercise, said Robbyn Battles, one of the organizers of the event and a member of the Crescenta Valley Town Council.
Information booths will be set up in the lower parking lot of La Crescenta Library at Foothill Boulevard and Dyer Street. Montrose Bike Shop will offer free bike safety check-ups and the California Highway Patrol will be on hand to address bike lane safety.  There will be several booths with healthy activities and information on summer programs like local camps and recreational classes.
“There will also be an art display that will feature [the work of] our local kids at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s courtyard,” Battles said.
Local artist Libby Ellis and the CV Arts Council will have an exhibit at the church featuring a variety of art.
“Discover Foothill” is also a way for people to travel Foothill Boulevard to get reacquainted with the businesses along the boulevard.
“Not just bike, but walk up and down Foothill as well,” Battles added.
For the weeks prior to the event Steve Pierce and Paul Rabinov walked up and down Foothill inviting businesses to join in the activities.
“They were really happy to join. They will have balloons and some will have water for those on bikes and walking,” Pierce said.
Pierce is the honorary mayor of La Crescenta and member of the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce. He added that this event is a great way to promote health and to get to know the community.
Some of the participating businesses include OSH that will offer a hydration table; the Crescenta Cañada YMCA will provide volunteers, balloons and flyers for the event; Dominick’s Restaurant will open early at 10 a.m.; Softubs Spas will be open with treats and a bubbling softub; Pedrini Music will have special treats. Look for balloons and open doors of those and other participating businesses.

The Discover Foothill event runs from Briggs to Pennsylvania avenues.
“The reason it ends at Pennsylvania is because that is where the bike lanes end for now,” Rabinov said.
He added that the city of Glendale has a strong biking coalition and is glad the bike lanes will continue through to Lowell Avenue in the future.
“Colin Bogart, who is with the [Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition], is working with Glendale and has been very helpful to us,” Rabinov added.
Saturday’s event will also raise visibility about the many things going on in the foothill community.
“I hear from some people that there is never anything to do in La Crescenta but look what you have to do in one day. There is the bike event and all the businesses joining in. An art exhibit at St. Luke’s, Relay for Life at Clark Magnet High School and Mike Lawler will be leading an historical walk along Foothill Boulevard for the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley,” Battles said.
The Historical Society will begin its walk at 11 a.m. at the library and will end about 1 p.m. Participants will travel east on Foothill Boulevard and go up into some neighborhoods with historical significance to the area.
“We will walk by St. Luke’s and the old hotel,” said Lawler.
The walk will explore Foothill Boulevard’s past and its future. Stuart Byles will be along for the journey. He was on the committee for the Community Standards District and will be talking about the future buildings along the boulevard. John Newcombe, author of “Rancho La Cañada: Then and Now” will also be attending the walk. Afterward, the library will be holding a reception for the participants, Lawler said.
“The library is also having a Korean dance [at 3 p.m.] on Saturday,” Pierce said.
“And that is all happening just in one day,” added Battles.
The Crescenta Valley Town Council and the Crescenta Valley Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition are sponsoring the event. Both will have booths at the library during the day.

  Discover Foothill, La Crescenta