Dear Members,

As a new year approaches, I thought this would be the perfect time to look back at 2023, one of AH’s most eventful and successful years. Here are the highlights that you – our members – made possible.
Mountain View Mausoleum centennial celebration brought more than 350 Altadenans to our community’s most stunning architectural treasure. Music, dancing, food and drink, historical reenactors, and an art contest brought life into the usually quiet halls of this magnificent mausoleum.

Golden Poppy Awards once again honored gardeners whose front yards “give to the street.” Six gardeners were honored with a plaque and recognition at our Golden Poppy spring gathering held in the elegant backyard of Mark and Carol Forbush. A few days later a bike tour gave cyclists a chance to talk to the gardeners and see the winning front yards up close.

Third Thursday panel presentations continued with a look at the history of the plant-exploring Poponoe family in Altadena. Another panel revealed the beauty that can emerge from fallen or cut lumber when it is salvaged and crafted into stunning furniture by talented artisans and lumber experts.

Altadena was designated an official Tree City, an honor given to communities who plant, promote and protect trees that enhance our environment and our community. It’s a real honor to be named a Tree City.

2023 also included our fourth successful Tree Giveaway. Thanks to a grant from SoCal Edison 43 nursery-grown trees were given away to AH members and non-members alike. Trees mitigate rising temperatures, help clean the air and create a more beautiful environment.

Our semi-annual Newsletter arrived in your mailboxes, continuing AH’s commitment to original local journalism. This year’s themes were the history of land use in Altadena and the history of Mountain View Mausoleum.

Two new interpretive signs will enhance the trail to Owen Brown’s gravesite. One tells about Owen Brown, the last survivor of the raid at Harper’s Ferry and a staunch abolitionist.