Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 5, 2010

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Mountain Views News Saturday, June 5, 2010

College President 
Search Down to Two 

Red Light 
Crackdown

Study look’s 
at ‘Rim of 
the Valley’ 
Federal 
Protection 


“Run a Red Light and 
you will be cited,” 
police warned 

 
About 75 people came out; 
including Congressman Adam 
Schiff, Tuesday kicking off the 
Rim of the Valley Corridor 
Special Resource Study to 
determine what portions of 
the Rim of the Valley might 
be eligible to receive Federal 
assistance or protection. 

 The study will cost about 
$500,000 and includes areas 
of the Southern California 
foothills from the Santa Susanna 
Mountains to the San Gabriel 
Mountains above Pasadena/
Altadena. 

 “California’s wilderness 
lands, including the Southern 
California foothills, are treasures 
that we must continually work 
to preserved for our children 
and our children’s children to 
enjoy.” Schiff said. “The study 
is a locally-driven process to 
develop a plan that balances 
preservation, recreation, and 
the needs and interests of those 
living in and around the area.”

 Schiff was joined by, Woody 
Smeck, Acting Deputy Director, 
National Park Service, Pacific 
West Region and Angels 
National Forest Supervisor Jody 
Noiron. 

 Semeck said the park service 
would hold a series of nine 
community meetings starting in 
August. Key issues for the study 
include protection of wildlife 
habit and linkage between 
major areas of open space and 
protection of rare, threatened, 
or endangered species and rare 
or unusual plant communities 
and habitat. The study is also 
aimed at completion of the Rim 
of the Valley Trail System. It also 
looks at resources and other 
community needs within the 
area. 

 Noiron said it was thankful 
that over 100 years ago someone 
had the wisdom to protect 
the Angeles Forest that now 
provides a higher quality of 
live. She added that Rim of the 
Valley Study would continue 
that tradition. 

 State Assemblyman Anthony 
Portantino also showed support 
for the study which he said took 
nine years in the making.

Smeck (center), Schiff and Portantino (right), Noiron (left) 

Cardoza

Rocha

 Pasadena City College 
could have a new president 
by next week according to 
members of the school’s 
board of trustees. The six 
month hiring process was 
narrowed down to two 
finalists last week. 

 Both finalists Mark Rocha 
and Desdemona Cardoza 
met with faculty and staff 
during separate public 
forums. Both said they had 
long term goals for PCC and 
both said they intended stay 
for at least 10 years. PCC has 
been without a permanent 
leader since former 
President Paulette Perfumo 
left suddenly in summer of 
2009 citing family matters.

 Perfumo is still under 
contract with the school as 
a liaison in Sacramento. She 
makes $183,000 annually 
according to a report issued 
in August 2009 and was 
contracted to report once a 
month. 

 At the board of trustees 
regular meeting Wednesday 
night, a number of speakers 
voiced concern over a lack 
of a third candidate. Board 
member Geoff Baum said 
last week that there were 
three but one dropped out 
at the last minute. He also 
did not rule out the idea that 
a third candidate could be 
added this week.

 Rocha said he wanted 
to continue the legacy of 
former PCC president Jack 
Scott who now serves as 
the Community College 
State Chancellor. Rocha 
is President of West Los 
Angeles College. Cardoza 
is the Provost and Vice 
President for Academic 
Affairs, California State 
University, Los Angeles.

 The Pasadena Police 
Department will conduct a Red 
Light Enforcement Program 
Monday —enforcement detail 
will be deployed throughout 
the city from 6:00 am – 2:00 
pm., officers said. 

 The department is committed 
to reducing the number of 
traffic collisions resulting from 
drivers who run red lights. 
“The ultimate goal is to enforce 
and educate the driving public, 
while reducing serious injuries 
and fatal collisions at the same 
time,” said Interim Chief of 
Police Christopher Vicino. 
“The ticket is expensive, but a 
life saved by safer driving habits 
is invaluable.” 

 Vicino further explained, “a 
red light” means the driver 
must completely stop their 
vehicle at the marked limit 
line. If there is no limit line, 
the vehicle must be stopped 
at the nearest crosswalk line 
or the nearest side of the 
intersection. For right turns at 
red signals, you must first make 
a complete stop and then you 
may turn once the intersection 
is clear of pedestrians and on-
coming traffic. However, if the 
intersection is posted with a 
“No Right Turn on Red” sign, 
you must wait for a green signal 
before any turning movement. 

 Funding for this program 
was provided by a grant from 
the California Office of Traffic 
Safety, through the National 
Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration.

Guerilla Art Sticking Around

By Dean Lee

 There have been many ideas 
floating around on what to 
do with Pasadena’s infamous 
“Fork in the Road,” now that 
the 18 foot wooden structure 
has outlasted its stay —which 
was up Tuesday— right 
where Pasadena and St. John 
avenues divide. 

 The best idea so far, make 
the whole area into an 
artwork park, supporters of 
the guerilla art said. 

 The giant utensil was a gag 
for Bob Stane, owner of the 
Altadena’s Coffee Gallery 
Backstage, 75th birthday. The 
fork was erected in the middle 
of the night last Halloween by 
Stane’s close friends. 

 Stane said Thursday they 
have a contractor ready to 
move the fork, most likely 
the middle of next week, 
although they were still 
working out the details. 

 Right now the most likely 
new spot for it is about 50 
feet north and 60 feet west in 
the same median owned by 
Caltrans he said. 

 “We sort of had a loose 
agreement that it would be 
moved,” he explained. “We 
understood that Caltrans 
problem with the fork was 
not that it was there, but that 
people would come and have 
their picture taken go out 
into traffic and get killed.” 

 He prefaced the comment 
saying, “All of this is just 
rumor.”

 He also said they were in 
agreement with Caltrans 
understanding all of the 
problems surrounding 
the fork. “We want to do 
something and we kind of 
think, or hope at least, it’s the 
same thing Caltrans wants.”

 Stane said the city was 
looking into landscaping 
the median to house more 
art although he added that 
he had not had a formal 
conversation with the city 
about it.

 He said another possibility 
would be to put it at another 
‘fork in the road” in Pasadena 
such as Woodbury Road and 
Marengo Ave or by California 
Ave and Lake Ave.

 He also said that after the 
fork has a permeate location 
they plan to again have food 
drives similar to one they held 
last Thanksgiving weekend. 

 He said the fork would not 
have to be rebuilt as some 
reports have suggested.


NASA Mars Rover Finds 
Carbonate Clue for Life


Armenian 
Identity Harvest

 Scientist said Thursday that 
rocks examined by NASA’s 
Spirit Mars Rover hold 
evidence of a wet, non-acidic 
ancient environment that 
may have been favorable for 
life. Confirming this mineral 
clue took four years of 
analysis by several scientists 
the agency explained. 

 “This is one of the most 
significant findings by the 
rovers,” said Steve Squyres 
of Cornell University in 
Ithaca, N.Y. Squyres is 
principal investigator for 
the Mars twin rovers, Spirit 
and Opportunity, and a co-
author of the new report. “A 
substantial carbonate deposit 
in a Mars outcrop tells us 
that conditions that could 
have been quite favorable for 
life were present at one time 
in that place.”

 NASA’s Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory, Pasadena, 
manages the Mars 
Exploration Rovers for the 
agency’s Science Mission 
Directorate in Washington. 
The findings were published 
online by the journal Science.

 An outcrop Spirit examined 
in late 2005 revealed high 
concentrations of carbonate, 
which originates in wet, 
near-neutral conditions, but 
dissolves in acid. The ancient 
water indicated by this find 
was not acidic.

 NASA’s rovers have found 
other evidence of formerly 
wet Martian environments. 
However, the data for those 
environments indicate 
conditions that may have 
been acidic. In other cases, 
the conditions were definitely 
acidic, and therefore less 
favorable as habitats for life.

 Spirit inspected rock 
outcrops, including an area 
scientists called Comanche, 
along the rover’s route from 
the top of Husband Hill to 
the vicinity of the Home 
Plate plateau that Spirit 
has studied since 2006. 
Magnesium iron carbonate 
makes up about one-fourth 
of the measured volume in 
Comanche. That is a tenfold 
higher concentration than 
any previously identified for 
carbonate in a Martian rock.

 For more information 
about the rovers, visit: http://
www.nasa.gov/rovers. 

 The City of Pasadena will 
co-sponsor the 3rd Annual 
Armenian Identity Harvest, 
an open community event. 
The AIH event will be held 
June 26, 2010 from 12:00pm 
to 8:00pm, located in East 
Pasadena’s Victory Park, 2527 
Paloma Street, Pasadena Ca. 
The free Armenian Identity 
Harvest event is open to all, 
will include live bands, well 
known Armenian vocalists, 
speakers, Armenian food, 
youth activities, kids activities. 

New Look At Fillmore Metro Gold Line Station

 There’s a fresh new look to 
the Fillmore Metro Gold Line 
Station in Pasadena this week.

 The public is invited to the grand 
opening Saturday from 9:30 to 10 
a.m. Light refreshments will be 
served at the free event, hosted 
by Pasadena City Councilman 
Steve Madison and the Pasadena 
Public Works Department. 

 Fillmore Station Plaza, at 
Fillmore Street and South 
Raymond Avenue, now includes 
a radial decorative walkway, 
kiosk, concrete seat walls with 
wood accents, furniture, energy-
saving lighting and drought-
tolerant landscaping, all 
designed to enhance commuters’ 
experiences.

 The new kiosk provides a 
timetable, guide to local interests 
and other information. The 
furniture includes bike racks, 
trash receptacles, pedestals with 
large planter pots and MTA 
station sign pylon.

 The plaza also features colored 
concrete with solar-powered 
recessed lighting, an energy-
saving LED lighting system 
along the walkway and seat 
walls, and a solar-powered 
irrigation system.

 Original concept plans were 
prepared by architectural 
consultant Melendrez and 
Associates under the direction 
of the Pasadena Planning and 
Development Department.

 The project was designed and 
administered by the Engineering 
Division of the Pasadena 
Public Works Department for 
construction and was awarded 
to Pima Corporation, which 
constructed the city’s first off-
leash dog area at Viña Vieja Park 
on Orange Grove Boulevard. 

 The Building Systems Division 
also was involved in the design 
and installation of the intricate 
seat wall lighting.

 The project is part of the 
South Fair Oaks Specific Plan to 
improve access, safety and traffic 
circulation for pedestrian and 
vehicular traffic along the Metro 
Gold Line route and stations. 

 Parking for the event will 
be available on Raymond 
Avenue and in the lot adjacent 
to the station. For more 
information call District 6 Field 
Representative Takako Suzuki at 
(626) 744-4739.


Pet of the 
Week

 
Lewis, an adorable, three-year-
old, Jack Russell Terrier mix is 
such a great dog! He is active 
and playful but can also be 
very calm and loves attention. 
Lewis is already neutered and 
ready for adoption. Come visit 
with this wonderful dog today!

 The regular dog adoption 
fee is $120, which includes 
medical care prior to adoption, 
spaying or neutering, 
vaccinations, and a follow-up 
visit with a participating vet.

 Please call 626-792-7151 
and ask for A269651 or come 
to the Pasadena Humane 
Society & SPCA, 361 S. 
Raymond Ave , Pasadena 
CA , 91105 . Our adoption 
hours are 11-3 Sunday, 
9-4 Tuesday, Wednesday, 
Thursday, and Friday, and 
9-3 Saturday. Directions and 
photos of all pets updated 
hourly may be found at www.
pasadenahumane.org

Citizen Journalism Boot Camp 

 

 
Get hands-on multimedia 
journalism training! What 
makes news? Is it better to 
use a video instead of a still 
photo? How can I get this 
story out?

 Pasadena Community 
Network and this newspaper 
are holding a seminar on 
Citizen Journalism. Putting 
the news in your hands. 
Learn how to find the story, 
the tools needed to capture 
the story and the means to 
tell the story using the power 
of video, audio and print 
along with the internet. Free 
orientation June 29, 11a.m.- 
1p.m. at the PCN studios 
2061 N. Los Robles Ave. 
#109. For more info contact 
Aaron Wheeler (626) 794-
8585. Cost of the six week 
camp is $10 which covers all 
instructional materials and 
equipment. 

Learn Not Just How 
to Blog But How to 
Report the News

Police to Participate in Special Olympic Torch Run

 

 Pasadena Police will receive 
the Special Olympic Torch 
Wednesday from the United 
States Postal Inspectors 
(Pasadena Office) at 1:30 pm. 
The handoff will take place in 
front of the Pasadena police 
department at 207 N Garfield 
Ave. and Pasadena officers will 
run to and hand it off to San 
Marino P.D. in their city.

 This is a fund raiser for 
Special Olympics and the 
department has done well in 
the past averaging about $2,000 
each year. “This not only 
raises money for the Special 
Olympics,” says Interim Chief 
of Police Christopher Vicino, 
“but it also raises awareness. 
Special Olympics improves the 
quality of life for children and 
adults with special needs. From 
a crime prevention perspective, 
people who need and get 
connected to their services are 
less likely become a victim of 
abuse, neglect, or crime. But 
more importantly, from a human 
perspective their far reaching 
efforts have benefited many, even 
some of our own employees, by 
providing activities that make 
our children feel extra ‘special.’ 
We are proud to be a participant 
in the run.”

 Anyone can contribute to this 
effort. The community can 
come cheer on the runners, 
order T-Shirts (at a cost $20) or 
simply make a contribution to: 
Special Olympics of Southern 
California or S.O.S.C. 

The Pasadena Police leg of the 
run will go south on Garfield 
Ave. to Colorado Boulevard. It 
will the turn east and continue 
to Sierra Madre Boulevard 
where it will turn south to 
Huntington Boulevard. At that 
point the Torch will be handed 
off to San Marino Police. All 
cheers are appreciated. For 
more information, contact Janet 
Pope Givens.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com