About Mr. Altadena

Michael R. Manning was born September 2, 1947 at San Gabriel Valley Hospital. Mike's parents first lived on El Sereno near Montana St. until his father could purchase property on Athens St. near Farnsworth park. There Mike and his three brothers and four sisters, all born at St. Luke's Hospital, were raised.

He attended St. Elizabeth Catholic School from kindergarten through eighth grade, attended one year at Eliot Jr. High and graduated from La Salle High School in Pasadena in 1965. During his senior year he started working at Market Basket on the corner of Ventura and Fair Oaks, now Apple Jack's Market. In college he went on to work at Albertson's market on Altadena Drive where Rite-Aid and Cragan Automotive are located today.

He attended Pasadena City College with a major in foreign languages before he was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War. To his proficiency in French and German, his occupational specialty in Military Intelligence sent him to language school where he picked up equal proficiency in Vietnamese. During his service years he married Julie Ann Morgan of Arcadia at St. Elizabeth's Church and she gave birth to their daughter Michelle just two weeks before he was shipped off to Vietnam. He spent his 11 month tour in Saigon and returned home on his daughter's first birthday.

Mike's teenage interest in auto racing and high performance technology led him to take up a career interest in the automotive field. After military service, he enrolled in National Technical Schools in Los Angeles and received an Associate in Science Degree in Automotive Technology and Diesel Engines. During this time his son Christopher was born.

His first employment was with Lawless Detroit Diesel in the City of Industry (CA) where he was an apprentice service line technician and head of automotive fleet service. Finding more interest in working with gasoline operated automobiles, Mike went to Star Lincoln-Mercury in Glendale and worked as a line technician. His ability to work with the customers led him to becoming a Service Representative at Tri City Lincoln-Mercury, Monrovia; Foothill Ford, Glendora, and Foulger Ford, Monrovia.

The late seventies being the hardest of times in the American automotive industry, Mike opened a business of his own in the Industrial Arts and Graphics industry. In 1981 he and his wife Julie established Manning Old Town Press in Pasadena, becoming pioneers of the revitalization of the Old Pasadena District. By 1989 they had progressed into computer graphics and have since established Jam Graphics which continues to operate as an electronic prepress service today.

Mike's work in the community started from his faith community at St. Elizabeth Church in Altadena. In 1969 he joined the church choir as a guitarist working with contemporary music groups. He expanded into the annual church fiesta where he was master of ceremonies handling public address and music.

His adult community service began in 1989 when he was asked to join the Board of Directors of Altadena Heritage, and in 1992 and 1993 served as President of the Christmas Tree Lane Association. He went on to serve on the Altadena Old Fashioned Days Parade committee in 1993 and 1994.

Mike is an aficionado of the Mount Lowe Railway and he does a slide presentation for the speaker's bureau of the Pasadena Historical Society entitled "Mount Lowe the Big Show." He headed the Mount Lowe Railway Centennial Celebration in 1993, which was held July 4th, 100 years to the date of its opening, on the Macpherson Parkway at Mount Lowe Drive. Mike maintains a membership with the Altadena Historical Society and had written several articles as part of their permanent files.

He joined the Friends of the Altadena Sheriff Station (FASS) in 1992. Their name had changed to the Sheriff's Support Group of Altadena (SSGA) in 1995 and Mike served as its President during 2000 and 2001. Mike is emcee and technical director of the Summer Concert series in the Park held at Farnsworth Park each year sponsored by the Altadena Sheriff's Station. He also put 20 hours decorating the Sheriff's float of the 2000 Rose Parade.

Mike is also Commander of the Altadena Post 10560 of the Veteran's of Foreign Wars. Part of his regular community service with the VFW includes his volunteering at the Huntington Memorial Hospital. To his credit he added 14 hours decorating time on the VFW Bob Hope float of the 2001 Rose Parade.

In 1995 Mike was elected to the Altadena Town Council and has been on its executive committee all that time serving the last five years as vice-chair. He was also selected to serve on the community planning committee for the proposed community center to be built by summer of 2003. Mike is the webmaster for the Altadena Town Council web site and the Sheriff's Support Group web site as well as his own site here where he has posted historical articles on Altadena as well as the Mount Lowe Railway. He is currently preparing to open a web site for the Altadena Guild of the Huntington Memorial Hospital of which his wife and mother are both members and past presidents.

In 2002 Mike was honored as Altadena's Outstanding Citizen of the Year and has since assumed the name which most Altadenans acclaim him: Mr. Altadena.