At the same time the LAC zoning department is depriving local community businesses of their signs, and during a time when grafitti is an excuse to harass all black men, the monte cedro developers are celebrated for basically placing grafitti on three blocks of fence, just because the images are by children, who BTW are now being taught that grafitti is acceptable.

I don't really understand the major disconnects here. Why is a well lettered sign in front of Webster's a crime, and an ugly poorly done piece of "art" by a child who was conscripted during school hours to work for this developer and then used as a three block long sign and advertisement for this developer celebrated?

I live across the street from this hideous display masquerading as a feel-good public relations ploy. My neighbors and I do not appreciate this eyesore and traffic distraction installed by a developer that will bring more traffic and noise to our neighborhood with its densely-populated, four story luxury apartment complex masquerading as a compassionate "aging in place" facility for seniors. Apparently, Monte Cedro is not required to comply with the county ordinance that prohibits this gaudy and hideous display masquerading as "art."

Facts about Monte Cedro which can be verified by visiting their website: The four story luxury complex will contain 186 apartment units and only 19 assisted living units. Once a senior needs assisted living, he or she will be lucky if there is an opening in one of the only 19 assisted living units in the development. If there is no opening, then he or she will need to hire their own in-home care or move to another facility. Then, once a senior needs skilled nursing care, he or she will have to move out of Monte Cedro because unlike the Scripps Home that the developer closed and demolished, Monte Cedro will have no skilled nursing care. Monte Cedro is running a scam on seniors by advertising that their facility will offer "aging in place." The Scripps Home, which Monte Cedro destroyed, was truly and "aging in place" facility where seniors were cared for until they passed away. Monte Cedro will be nothing more than a luxury apartment complex developed with the help of tax and financing incentives and discounts because it is being marketed to seniors.

Steve Lamb and Lisa Hastings...............SHAME ON YOU! How about taking off your Scrooge hats for a few minutes and take a minute to appreciate the beautiful and joyful art that I saw when I drove up El Molino yesterday. Steve, I am appalled at you for calling their work, "ugly poorly done piece of "art" by a child", grousing about them working on these during school hours (surely you remember ART CLASSES), and then calling it graffiti. Then Lisa, you call it a "hideous display", "eyesore", "gaudy" and "traffic distraction"!! How dare you both be so very mean spirited about work done by children and artists? Who was so harsh with you as children that you would think it okay to unleash your acrimony on them? UNFAIR!! Take your trenchant political agenda somewhere else before you hurt the feelings of artists and children!

Lisa: cur·mudg·eon/kərˈməjən/
Noun: A bad-tempered or surly person
(ker MUJ en) noun A cantankerous person; an ill-tempered and disagreeable person

@ Leslie-Uh, WOW! SO if we call it art, and don't pay children to make it, (and gee I thought that would be child SLAVERY or some kind of Soviet/commie style child propaganda enterprise) our non local not for profit who have destroyed the hope of all of Altadenas not rich to have a decent old age if they fall unable, can violate laws that other local businesses must obey to advertise our business. .. Really? Being against child slavery and abusive conduct makes ME Scrooge and a Curmudgeon? I'll take those from you as badges of honor- thanks.

Leslie-
As a actual real live practicing artist, yes, Child slavery and also an endeavor that teaches people to believe that somehow all artists should work for free. I am so happy your childs work was recognized, I am so sorry you feel it has no actual value. I am also sorry that you approve of conditioning children to place no actual value except a warm fuzzy on art.

As to how to win with me, its really really really easy. apply the rules evenly.

I choose to ignore your unfounded personal insults, so I'm totally fine if you ignore my comments, but I am sure its a vain hope and an empty promise that you will do so.

Mother of Artful Children, If you are opposed to the Monte Cedro development that will eventually take over and overshadow my quiet neighborhood, then you should not have allowed your children to be used as pawns in Monte Cedro's public relations ploy to to USE children and USE art to garner support for their project. The reactions posted on Patch to my complaints--alleging that I dislike children and the community--are totally untrue and play right into the Monte Cedro's plan to gain community support for their project. If you knew anything about ME you would know that the attacks and insults hurled at me on Patch are totally unfounded--that I am indeed a lover of art and children, as I am an occasional artist myself, a mother, grandmother, and staunch advocate for seniors who are victims of financial elder abuse.

Monte Cedro destroyed the Scripps Home that coexisted peacefully in my neighborhood and provided Altadena seniors of all financial means a place to live in dignity during their last days on earth. Monte Cedro will offer nothing of that and will be instead, an overbuilt luxury apartment complex for ambulatory seniors and will not provide the level of care that the Scripps Home provided to seniors during their last days on earth. Aside from all of this, it is grossly unfair for Monte Cedro to be immune from our county's sign ordinances that are being enforced on Lake Avenue against businesses that are already struggling to stay in business. Monte Cedro has already been issued a violation by the county for butchering the protected oak trees on that property. Monte Cedro already has demonstrated that is not a good neighbor by arrogantly operating as if it is immune from the county rules that the rest of us are expected to follow.

Steve, how does an artist himself want to discourage these kid's artistic endeavors? And saying these works TEACH graffiti... ? that is quite the stretch. Artists don't discourage art. I am an artist, my kids are both very into art, and YES they have pieces hanging on the fence. Folks like you and Lisa who are twisting this attempt by our kids and schools to beautify Altadena really sadden me and my neighbors. hope you both can find peace and maybe a different cause to take up.

Mother of Artful children, the banners on that fence serve as a promotion for Monte Cedro, which you refer to as "this dastardly development." Your children posted their art on a fence owned by Monte Cedro, directly or indirectly at the invitation of Monte Cedro as part of their public relations campaign. If you truly believed that the Monte Cedro project was a "dastardly development," then you would have declined the invitation and encouraged other parents and your children's school to do the same.

Dear alleged Mother of Artful children-

Whoever you may really be, I actually am and have been for some thirty years a real live practicing Artist. I happen to believe that these happy fuzzy warm corporate advertising ventures are harmful to kids, communities and artists and guess what? I believe in what I believe in enough to USE MY REAL NAME. And BTW, who are you to say what view I may hold and then declare that if I hold the view that members of my profession should be paid, that somehow I am disqualified from membership therein? I bet YOU get paid at YOUR job. I bet you belong to a professional organization that discourages wage destroying efforts like so called contests involving the free provision of professional services in your profession. Guess what I do too. And guess what, when you equate childrens drawings done for a for profit motive with art, you are cheapening all artistic professions. So EXCUSE ME for not enjoying the exploitation of these children by this greedy corporation and for saying doing so is an injustice to them and all real working artists, aside from also being behavior that the County of Los Angeles will not allow from any other business.

Another FACT about Monte Cedro that can be verified by visiting their website:
The residents of the Scripps Home that Monte Cedro closed and demolished, were moved to the Kensington in Alhambra. Here is the problem: The Scripps Home offered SKILLED NURSING CARE and so does the Kensington. So, those residents who require this care will not be able to move to Monte Cedro because according to Monte Cedro's website (check it out yourself), Monte Cedro will NOT offer skilled nursing care. Another example about how Monte Cedro has failed Altadena seniors. Anyone who supports this art project on the fence is supporting the sham that Monte Cedro has perpetuated on this community.

Monte Cedro PROMISED those former Scripps residents that are now at the Kensington that they could move back to Monte Cedro. This is a FALSE promise for residents who require nursing care.

@ Lisa-Yep. Just another forked tongued developer.

Mother of Artful children, I am not surprised to find out that the Monte Cedro developers cleverly concealed to you the fact that Monte Cedro was behind this children's art project. A good lesson for your children about responsible community behavior would be to send a message to Monte Cedro that you do not approve of their deception and their bad neighbor/corporate behavior in OUR neighborhood by removing your children's art from that fence.

Dan, I agree 100% with Leslie about your instructions to her to stop name-calling. Providing this type of instruction to people only discourages people. Some people like forums where the moderator is constantly managing the posts. That usually happens where people rely on the moderator to silent the opposition. I agree that you should remove posts that are racist or vulgar or otherwise not fit to be printed in a newspaper. But I'm sure that many will agree with me that Patch is a great place to post comments because Patch encourages discussion and does not try to direct the discussion or censor it.