La Cañada Flintridge, California

Infobox Settlement
official_name = City of La Cañada Flintridge
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map_caption = Location of La Cañada Flintridge in Los Angeles County, California
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States of America
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = California
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Los Angeles
subdivision_type3 =
subdivision_name3 =
subdivision_type4 =
subdivision_name4 =
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Stephen A. Del Guercio [cite web | url = http://www.lacanadaflintridge.com/city/council/council.htm | title = City of La Canada Flintridge - City Council | accessdate = 2007-01-18]
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established_title3 = Incorporated (city)
established_date3 = 1976-11-30 [cite web | url = http://www.cacities.org/resource_files/20457.IncorpDateLO.doc | title = Incorporation Dates of California Cities | accessdate = 2007-01-18]
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 22.40
area_total_sq_mi = 8.65
area_land_km2 = 22.40
area_land_sq_mi = 8.65
area_water_km2 = 0.00
area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
area_water_percent = 0.00
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population_as_of = 2000
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population_footnotes = [cite web | url = http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=La%20Canada%20Flintridge&_state=04000US06&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010 | title = La Canada Flintridge city, California - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder | accessdate = 2007-01-18]
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population_total = 20318
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timezone = PST
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
latd = 34
latm = 12
lats = 22
latNS = N
longd = 118
longm = 11
longs = 58
longEW = W
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postal_code_type = ZIP Code
postal_code = 91011, 91012 [cite web | url = http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/zcl_1_results.jsp?visited=1&pagenumber=0&state=ca&city=La%20Canada%20Flintridge | title = USPS - ZIP Code Lookup - Find a ZIP+ 4 Code By City Results | accessdate = 2007-01-18]
area_code = 818 [cite web | url = http://www.nanpa.com/nas/public/npa_city_query_step2.do?method=displayData&cityToNpaModel.stateAbbr=CA&cityToNpaModel.city=La%20Canada%20Flintridge | title = Number Administration System - NPA and City/Town Search Results | accessdate = 2007-01-18]
website = [http://www.lacanadaflintridge.com/ http://www.lacanadaflintridge.com/]
footnotes =

La Cañada Flintridge is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,318 at the 2000 census.

Pronunciation

The name for La Cañada Flintridge comes from the Spanish word "cañada", meaning "gorge, ravine". In Spanish, this has a tilde "(ñ)" and is pronounced|kaˈɲaða; the English pronunciation is IPAEng|kənˈjɑːdə. Roughly, it is pronounced "can yaddah" or "ken yaddah". "Flintridge" is simply pronounced as the two English words "flint" and "ridge", but does not refer to an outcropping ridge of flint (see history section).

Geography

La Cañada Flintridge is located at coor dms|34|12|22|N|118|11|58|W|city (34.206047, -118.199499)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.4 km² (8.6 mi²), all land.

The city is situated in the eastern end of the Crescenta Valley, sometimes referred to as the Crescenta-Cañada Valley. It is nestled between the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest, on the north, and the San Rafael Hills, on the south. Most of the city drains southeastward toward Pasadena to Arroyo Seco, but the western part of the city (generally west of Alta Canyada Road) drains southward toward Glendale via Verdugo Canyon. Both drainages join the Los Angeles River north of downtown Los Angeles.

La Cañada Flintridge varies in elevation from about 970 feet (295 meters) just below Devil's Gate Dam in the Arroyo Seco to about 2400 feet (730 meters) at the highest neighborhood, along the mountain front east of Pickens Canyon, at the upper end of Ocean View Blvd. The city limits extend into the San Gabriel Mountains and reach 3440 feet (1050 meters) along Mount Lukens Road, which follows the crest line well above the developed city.

The city is home to Descanso Gardens and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Weather

The climate of La Cañada Flintridge is typical of a Southern California inland valley, with mild winters and hot summers. Spring often has hazy days, in contrast to the more persistently clear weather of fall. On average, the warmest month is August with high temperatures (F) in the low 90s and lows in the low 60s. December and January are the coolest months with typical highs in the high 60s (F) and lows in the mid-40s. Rainfall occurs mostly during winter, averaging about 22 inches annually. Rainfall is rare in summer. Temperature buffering effects of the ocean (22 miles, 35 km, away) are limited due to the city's location inland from the intervening Santa Monica Mountains and the Verdugo Mountains and San Rafael Hills. Consequently, summers are generally hotter and winters are often cooler than in coastal parts of metropolitan Los Angeles if winds are calm or blowing gently offshore. Occasional strong offshore winds, known as Santa Ana winds, can be particularly hot in summer and fall as air from the deserts crosses the mountains and descends, thus warming further by adiabatic heating. Summer and early fall temperatures are substantially cooler if airflow is persistently onshore. Occasionally during a cold winter storm, the upper elevations of the city may see trace amounts of snow. The small ski resorts Mountain High, Mount Baldy, and Mount Waterman are located about 30 miles to the northeast.

History

During the Spanish era, the area was known as Rancho La Cañada, or the "Ranch of the Gorge".

Prior to the city's incorporation in 1976, the area consisted of two distinct communities, La Cañada and Flintridge (the latter named after developer and United States Senator Frank P. Flint). Flintridge comprises the southern part of the city, covering the northern flank of the San Rafael Hills, but more generally including most areas south of Foothill Blvd. The eastern part of the city, even north of Foothill Blvd., was also originally considered Flintridge and is still home to the Flintridge Riding Club and Flintridge Preparatory School. Reference to the entire city is often shortened to just 'La Cañada' but seldom to just 'Flintridge'. The full city name specifically does not have a hyphen in it, to illustrate unity between the communities that were once separately known as La Cañada and Flintridge.

La Cañada Flintridge had the longest city name in California with 18 letters until the year 2000, when the title was ceded to Rancho Santa Margarita.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 20,318 people, 6,823 households, and 5,690 families residing in the city. The population density was 906.9/km² (2,348.9/mi²). There were 6,989 housing units at an average density of 312.0/km² (808.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.53% White, 0.36% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 31.57% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 3.31% from two or more races. 4.80% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,823 households out of which 44.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.7% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.6% were non-families. 14.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $109,989, and the median income for a family was $122,779. Males had a median income of $92,760 versus $57,321 for females. The per capita income for the city was $52,838. About 3.6% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

La Canada Flintridge has been home to many celebrities over the years, including Mark Geragos, Haley Joel Osment, his sister, Emily Osment, Kevin Costner, Miley Cyrus, and her father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus who have since moved to Toluca Lake. Three of Walt Disney's top animators, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Eric Larson settled here. Currently several prominent animators and TV news personalities make La Canada Flintridge their home. It is also a popular filming location, where movies such as "American Pie", "Date Movie", and "Old School" have been shot. La Canada is also the home of former MLB pitcher Jae Seo.

Education

The La Cañada Unified School District serves most of the city. Three public schools serve grades K-6: La Cañada Elementary, Palm Crest Elementary, and Paradise Canyon Elementary School. The public high school, La Cañada High School, which also serves as a middle school (grades 7-8), is a 2004 Blue Ribbon School and is ranked as one of the top 100 high schools in the country. [ [http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/gold-medal-schools.html Gold Medal Schools - US News and World Report ] ] In addition, a small portion of the city is served by the Glendale Unified School District, with La Cañada Flintridge students attending Mountain Avenue Elementary School (a 2005 Blue Ribbon School), Rosemont Middle School, Clark Magnet High School (a 2005 California Distinguished School), and Crescenta Valley High School (a 2005 California Distinguished School). The city is also home to many private schools including the very highly regarded St. Francis High School, Flintridge-Sacred Heart Academy, and Flintridge Preparatory School.

Media

La Cañada is served by two distinct weekly newspapers: La Cañada Valley Sun, owned by Times Community News, a division of the Los Angeles Times; and La Cañada Outlook, owned by La Cañada News, Inc. Both newspapers publish on Thursdays. The La Cañada Valley Sun has a sister paper, the Crescenta Valley Sun, published Fridays.

City Government

La Cañada Flintridge is governed by the City Council, which has five councilmembers, each elected to overlapping four-year terms. Each year, the City Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and one to serve as Mayor Pro-Tem for terms of one year. The City Council is aided by five commissions and two committees, each with its own area of responsibility. In addition, the City Council appoints the City Manager, City Attorney, City Treasurer, and all members of its advisory bodies. It also serves as the governing board for the Public Improvement Corporation, the Redevelopment Agency, the LCF Local Financing Authority, and Sanitation Districts No. 28 and No. 34.

The Current Members of the City Council are:
* Mayor: Stephen A. Del Guercio
* Mayor Pro-Tem: Laura Olhasso
* Councilmember: Greg Brown
* Councilmember: David Spence
* Councilmember: Donald Voss

The City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the La Cañada Flintridge City Hall.

Politics

In the state legislature La Cañada Flintridge is located in the 21st Senate District, represented by Democrat Jack Scott, and in the 44th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Anthony J. Portantino. Federally, La Cañada Flintridge is located in California's 26th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +4 [cite web | title = Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest? | publisher = Campaign Legal Center Blog | url=http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html | accessdate = 2008-02-10] and is represented by Republican David Dreier.

Community organizations

La Cañada has many clubs, religious and social organizations:
* [http://www.alflintridge.org/ Assistance League of Flintridge]
* Cañada Auxiliary of Professionals of Assistance League of Flintridge
* Crescenta-Cañada Lions Club
* Delta Kappa Gamma, Alpha Upsilon Chapter
* Flintridge Guild of Children's Hospital Friends of La Cañada Flintridge Library
* Girl Scout Association of La Cañada
* [http://www.glendalecommunityfoundation.org/ Glendale Community Foundation]
* [http://www.lcfkiwanisam.org/kiwanis.htm Kiwanis Club of La Cañada AM]
* [http://www.lcepta.org La Cañada Elementary School PTA]
* [http://www.lacanadaflintridge.com La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce and Community Assn]
* La Cañada Flintridge Coordinating Council
* [http://www.lacanadadems.org/index.html La Canada Flintridge Democratic Club]
* [http://www.lcfef.org La Canada Flintridge Educational Foundation]
* La Cañada Flintridge Orthopaedic Guild
* [http://www.lcftra.org/home.php La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses ]
* La Cañada Flintridge Trails Council
* La Cañada Flintridge Women's Club
* [http://www.lchs78.org La Canada High School 7/8 PTA]
* [http://www.lchs912.org La Canada High School 9-12 PTA]
* La Cañada High School Drama Parents Association
* La Cañada High School Music Parents Association
* [http://www.lcjbsa.org La Canada Junior Baseball/Softball Association]
* La Cañada Junior Women's Club
* La Cañada Newcomers Club
* [http://www.lacanadapc.org La Canada Presbyterian Church]
* La Cañada Thursday Club
* La Cañada Valley Beautiful
* La Crescenta Valley Republican Women Federation
* [http://www.lacanadaflintridge.com/comm/directory/lanterman_house.htm Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation]
* Leisure Club of La Cañada Flintridge
* Lions Club Foundation
* Los Altos Auxiliary of the Sycamores
* [http://www.palmcrest.org Palm Crest Elementary School PTA]
* [http://www.pcypta.org Paradise Canyon Elementary School PTA]
* [http://www.cclcf.org Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge]
* Rotary Club of La Cañada Flintridge
* Community Scholarship Foundation of La Cañada Flintridge
* Special Children's League
* St. Bede's Parish Council of Women
* St. Bede's Church Skidettes
* Verdugo Hills Hospital Volunteers
* Wellness Community - Foothills
* Women's Council of Verdugo Hills Hospital & Foundation
* Towne Singers
* The Young Republicans of La Canada Flintridge
* The Young Democrats of La Canada Flintridge
* La Cañada High School Engineering Club

Points of interest

* La Cañada Flintridge is home to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is the primary United States' research and development center for the robotic exploration of the solar system.
* The first disc golf course is located in the Hahamonga Watershed Park (formerly known as Oak Grove Park), right outside of La Cañada Flintridge, across the street from La Cañada High School.
*La Cañada hosts the largest collection of camellia species in North America at Descanso Gardens: http://www.descansogardens.org/site/

References

External links

* [http://www.lacanadaflintridge.com/ Official city website]
* [http://lacdcs.com/station-end-page-12.html LA County Disaster Communications Service ( DCS ) Crescenta Valley Station]
* [http://www.lacanadarealestateblog.net/ Community Information & Links]