Following controversy over its float's concept, the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association has removed audio from their entry in the Jan. 1 Rose Parade, officials said. The float, Pancake Breakfast, includes a giant fire truck modeled after Sierra Madre's Fire Engine #41. One firefighter part of an entourage of three firefighters and the association's three princesses is spraying syrup from a fire hose onto a giant stack of pancakes.
Oakland's Morcom Rose Garden, a collection of thousands of showy shrubs and vines tucked away in an amphitheater setting in the Grand Lake neighborhood, was recently vandalized by thieves who stole 51 rose bushes. The Oct. 16 theft wasn't the first time plants at the city park have been damaged or stolen. However, according to Nancy Friedman, a volunteer gardener who helps tend and prune the collection, this most recent incident was especially upsetting.
In an update to the Saratoga Village Development Council, Jill Hunter said Hendren volunteered to repaint the sign in Blaney Plaza, which was donated to the city a decade ago. Hunter also thanked Robert Woolsey for washing the sign before Hendren repainted it. We are so fortunate to have residents like Kate and Robert who are working so hard to keep Saratoga beautiful, Hunter said in her update. Many, many thanks to them both.