SECESSION PLANS

It seems that secession fever has spread from the San Fernando Valley to Pasadena. Some residents in tony western neighborhoods angry with City Hall are talking about becoming part of neighboring cities.

Residents of the Linda Vista/Annandale area fed up with Pasadena schools and their struggle with the Rose Bowl have bounced around the idea of seceding for a few months.

“It’s now more of a legitimate idea because of the proposal of Assemblywoman Paula Boland to give democracy back to neighborhoods. It’s something we are continuing to explore,” said Nina Chomsky, former president of the Linda Vista/Annandale Assn.

Boland, a Republican candidate for the state Senate, has authored a bill making it easier for the San Fernando Valley to secede from Los Angeles.

The association, as part of a recent informal survey, asked its members what they thought of the idea and a majority responded favorably, Chomsky said.

Mark Alexander, La Canada Flintridge’s acting city manager, said he heard Linda Vista residents have inquired about what is involved in seceding. “It is nice they would like to be part of La Canada Flintridge,” he said. But La Canada Flintridge officials say it is a very difficult and drawn-out process.

Pasadena city spokeswoman Ann Erdman said “there is a process they can go through if they want to secede from Pasadena.”

In the wake of the Pasadena City Council’s reaffirmation of its support for the Long Beach Freeway extension through another west side area, some of its residents are hinting that they would like to be annexed to anti-freeway South Pasadena. Councilwoman Ann-Marie Villicana, who represents the area, supported the freeway, arguing that it is what most of her constituents want.