Quick Hits: Council fetes fastpitch team
La Cañada’s City Council chambers became the epicenter of a storm of celebration Tuesday evening, when council members and city officials recognized the recent victory of La Cañada’s girls 14-and-under fastpitch softball team, who won seven straight playoff games to clinch Amateur Softball Association’s “14U B” Western National Championship Tournament in La Habra held on July 31.
The La Cañada team was one of 52, comprised of girls in grades 7-9, who competed nationally for the title. At Tuesday night’s council meeting, 16 athletes received certificates of recognition signed and presented by La Cañada Mayor Jon Curtis, who also congratulated coaches and team manager Chip Peck.
“This is absolutely wonderful,” Curtis said to a packed house of team members and their parents, who took group photos after a brief ceremony. “This is the fun part of being on the city council.”
Peck thanked the city for its support, and shared highlights of the team’s victory.
“We had some pretty good wins,” Peck said. “For them to go 7-0 was a pretty amazing feat and a lot of fun. This is a great group of girls.”
After group photos, team members huddled for a victory cheer as council members looked on with surprise and cheer.
Report made on public safety
At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, public safety officials shared statistics on crime and fire activity calls made throughout July and August. Los Angeles County Fire Department Asst. Chief Greg Hisel reported his department received 114 rescue and emergency medical service calls in July and recorded 134 incidents in July.
Although there was one structure fire, no property loss was reported, and Hisel said numbers for July and August were fairly on par with the number of calls made during the same months in 2015. In August, a total of 121 EMS reports were recorded, with the highest percentage of calls pertaining to trauma and injuries sustained.
Hisel warned residents to remain on high alert for fire danger and possible evacuation notices as dry, hot weather conditions continue and create a higher-than-normal chance for what he called “extreme fire activity.”
“What we’ve seen this year so far is extreme fire behavior,” he said. “It’s been more active-burning, more aggressively than what [I’ve] seen in my 34 years in the department.
The assistant fire chief urged residents to develop a wildfire action plan as Santa Ana winds are forecast to make an appearance this weekend. In windy conditions, fires can spread and change course in a matter of minutes. A link to the department’s Ready! Set! Go! Wildfire Action Plan has been posted to the city’s website, lcf.ca.gov.
Capt. Bill Song of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station also provided a report on reported activity for July and August, stating in July there were two armed robberies, nine incidents of larceny theft and four grand theft auto calls but no residential burglaries, making for the lowest Part I crime reports so far this year.
August, however, saw a 6% increase in Part I crimes compared to the same month last year, with 33 reports, including six residential burglaries, four non-residential burglaries, one assault, a single case of arson and 20 incidents of larceny theft, occurring mainly to unlocked vehicles.
Song updated council members on a burglary-in-progress call Monday on Belair Drive, during which a man under the influence was caught trespassing and attempting to enter a home on the street’s 4500 block. Unsuccessful in his attempt, the man was arrested for trespassing and being under the influence of narcotics.
Gardens to host mulch giveaway
La Cañada’s Descanso Gardens will host a free mulch giveaway Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in its auxiliary parking lot, 1418 Descanso Drive. The event is free and open to members of the public, with a three container maximum.
In addition to free mulch, staff members will be on hand to answer questions about the use and benefits of mulching, which can help residents reduce their outdoor watering by as much as 20% to 30%. The application of mulch also helps retain water and prevent weeds.
The giveaway is made possible by support from the city of La Cañada Flintridge. Participants must bring their own containers. Mulch supply is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Descanso Gardens at (818) 949-4290.
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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com
Twitter: @SaraCardine
