Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 3, 2010

5

 Mountain Views News Saturday, July 3, 2010

Safety Urged 
During 4th of 
July Activities

County to Look at Total Ban on 
Marijuana Dispensaries 

Gold Line Extension Breaks Ground


By Dean Lee

 Citing concerns that 
more Medical Marijuana 
Dispensaries, MMD, 
will start to move into 
unincorporated areas of 
Los Angeles County —as 
they are banned in nearby 
cities— the County Board 
of Supervisors will conduct 
a public hearing Tuesday 
considering a complete 
ban on the dispensaries 
in unincorporated 
communities.

 A motion set by Supervisor 
Michael Antonovich would 
update the County’s Zoning 
Ordinance which now 
prohibits the opening of an 
MMD within 1,000 feet of 
churches, day-care centers, 
libraries, playgrounds, 
schools, and other sensitive 
uses. 

 The board’s agenda report 
states, “It is entirely unfair for 
our County unincorporated 
residents and business-
owners to shoulder the 
burdens and impacts of 
MMD’s when surrounding 
cities have taken steps to ban 
the use within their borders.”

 Currently Pasadena, 
Arcadia and Monrovia 
have existing MMD bans 
according to the report. The 
city of Los Angeles, also just 
implemented a ban which 
took effect June 7.

 Pasadena Fire Department 
and Pasadena Police 
Department remind 
residents and visitors that 
the best way to celebrate 
the Fourth of July holiday 
with family and friends is 
by attending a professional 
fireworks show.

 The sale and possession 
of all fireworks is illegal in 
Pasadena as well as most 
of Los Angeles County. 
Violators are subject to 
confiscation and impound 
of vehicles, up to one year in 
jail and fines up to $50,000.

 Due to high fire hazards 
associated with record-
low rainfall the past few 
years, Pasadena police 
and fire personnel will 
staff checkpoints to seize 
all illegal fireworks and 
arrest offenders. Parking 
enforcement officers will 
ensure that vehicles illegally 
parked in hillside areas on 
July 4 are impounded. 

 Pasadena’s police and fire 
chiefs stress that the aim 
is to prevent accidents and 
injuries.

 “Even sparklers, which 
most people consider safe, 
can reach temperatures of 
1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 
burn people seriously and 
cause fires,” said Pasadena 
Fire Chief Dennis J. Downs. 
“Adults wouldn’t ordinarily 
allow children to get near 
anything that hot but for 
some reason they think it’s 
acceptable to put sparklers 
in the hands of small 
children on the Fourth of 
July.” 

 Statistics show that nearly 
10,000 fireworks-related 
injuries are treated in U.S. 
hospital emergency rooms 
annually. The highest injury 
rates are for children aged 5 
to 9 and 10 to 14. In 2007, 
more than nine out of 10 
(92 percent) emergency 
room patients with 
fireworks-related injuries 
were injured by fireworks 
that federal regulations 
permit consumers to use. 
Fireworks are the riskiest 
consumer product.

 For more information 
about fireworks safety 
and enforcement, 
contact Pasadena Fire 
Department at (626) 744-
7276 or Pasadena Police 
Department at (626) 744-
4501.


By Dean Lee

 Hundreds of future riders 
came out last Saturday to cheer 
on, the long awaited, at times 
embattled, 11.3 mile Gold Line 
Extension to go from Pasadena 
to Azusa. The groundbreaking 
had Metropolitan Transit 
Authority officials, politicians 
and other local dignitaries all 
holding ceremonial shovels to 
mark the beginning of the $690 
million project.

 The first phase of the extension, 
scheduled to be completed in 
2014, will have passengers able 
to stop in Arcadia, Monrovia, 
Duarte, Irwindale, and Azusa. 
The full 22-mile extension to 
Montclair is currently projected 
to open 2017. Officials hope 
to one day further connect 
the Gold Line to the Ontario 
Airport. 

 “I’m nostalgic enough to 
remember some of the early 
fights over the Gold Line,” 
said Congressman Adam 
Schiff (D-Pasadena, CA) who 
represents California’s 29th 
Congressional District. “The 
time when it was suspended 
indefinitely.” Schiff added that 
he then worked with the state 
legislators to make the Gold 
Line a reality opening July 2003. 

 He added, “The reason this 
has gone ahead is because we 
have had tremendous consensus 
here in the community and 
have worked across party lines, 
across community lines, across 
regional lines to bring us to this 
day.”

 Among the speakers were both 
Congressman David Dreier 
(R-San Dimas, CA) representing 
California’s 26th district and 
State Assemblyman Anthony 
Portantino (D-La Cañada 
Flintridge).

 Portantino had the crowd 
chanting like a rock concert, 
“When you build it, I will use it,”

 He called the Metro Gold Line 
Foothill Extension Construction 
Authority, “A lean mean, 
fighting, construction machine.” 
The construction authority, 
setup up by Schiff, oversee the 
entire project. 

 Dreier also joked with the 
crowd, “I want to welcome you 
all to the centennial celebration 
of the launching of the Metro 
Gold Line Foothills Extension… 
its only been a century since 
we began planning the Metro 
Gold Line Foothills Extension.” 
He then reminisced about 
discussing a rail project with 
then Senator Pete Wilson in 
1990.

 Dreier also expressed, that to 
him, the Gold Line, “Its about job 
creation and economic growth, 
its about improving air quality, 
its about saving energy, about 
reducing traffic congestion, and 
in my perspective… its about 
education.” 

 Los Angeles County Supervisor 
Mike Antonovich said they 
should aim to open the project 
early in 2013 making that a 
lucky year for the MTA. 

 The event took place in 
Newcastle Park, Arcadia.

Americafest at Rose 
Bowl to Honor Heroes

 

 Americafest 2010 at the 
Rose Bowl, will celebrate 
Independence Day with music, 
food and fireworks and by 
honoring those who have given 
their lives in the past year 
during the Iraq and Afghanistan 
conflicts. 

 Heroes of the Year from 
the city of Pasadena Fire and 
Police departments will also be 
recognized at intermission.

 The Fire Department will 
recognize Firefighter and 
Paramedic Jason Hansen, who 
was named the department’s 
Employee of the Year. Aside 
from his day-to-day paramedic 
response lifesaving efforts, 
Hansen was acknowledged 
for helping to save the life of 
a 55-year-old patient who 
suffered cardio-pulmonary 
arrest while at home. 

 “Jason consistently 
demonstrates exceptional 
dedication to duty and 
commitment to the 
community and exemplifies 
the department’s core values 
of accountability, integrity and 
flexibility,” states Fire Chief 
Dennis J. Downs.

 The Pasadena Police 
Department will recognize 
husband and wife team 
Lieutenant Chris Russ and 
Police Supervisor Kathy Russ, 
who were selected not for the 
heroic work they do in their 
professions but for the quiet 
and heroic work they do outside 
of the department as well. 

 Their work in assisting others 
came to the attention of their 
superiors after the Marek and 
Sayer fires in 2008, when the 
couple took on a project a little 
bigger than usual. They took 
in a stranger, helping her with 
required paperwork to find a 
new home and gifts of furniture 
so that she could get back on her 
feet financially and emotionally.

 “A good percentage of the 
department pitched in,” says 
husband, Chris. Kathy Russ 
continues, “This was really one 
small gesture to one person 
out of hundreds in need after 
the fires and we didn’t do it all 
by ourselves. We simply spread 
the word and our peers and 
coworkers really came through.” 

 Pasadena resident Emina 
Darakjy will be honored for 
her dedication in keeping the 
Fourth of July activities going. 
In 2001, the 75th anniversary of 
the event was in jeopardy due to 
lack of funding. Darakjy took on 
the challenge to seek donations 
from her friends and personal 
contacts and every year has 
raised thousands of dollars, this 
year close to $60,000.


Congressman Adam Schiff

Theatre Company Moves to Pasadena

 A Noise Within (ANW), 
the acclaimed classical 
repertory theatre company, 
will break ground July 20, on 
its highly anticipated state-
of-the-art, 300-seat theater 
and permanent new home in 
Pasadena. 

 The company is slated to 
move, Fall 2011, for its 20th 
season.

 ANW Co-Founders/Co-
Artistic Directors Julia 
Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff 
Elliott said this comes after 
years of comprehensive 
planning and unusually 
successful, ongoing 
fundraising efforts, with 
$10.1million of the $13.3 
million goal raised to date. 

 “It’s been an extremely 
complicated process to clear 
the way for a project of this 
scope and magnitude, and 
we are grateful to everyone 
involved in getting us to this 
point,” Rodriguez-Elliott 
said. 

 The new 33,000-square-foot 
facility, which, they say, is 
hailed as an anchor in East

Pasadena’s arts expansion is 
the centerpiece of a mixed-
use development in the 
historic mid-century modern 
Stuart Pharmaceutical 
building at the corner of 
Foothill Blvd. and Sierra 
Madre Villa Ave. next to the 
Gold Line. 

 The groundbreaking 
celebration, fittingly, comes 
complete with dramatic 
flourishes from ANW award-
winning troupe of resident 
actors, who will offer an 
entertaining glimpse into 
the company’s past, present 
and future. Pasadena Mayor 
Bill Bogaard and others will 
take part in the event, which 
will be attended by hundreds 
of friends, fundraisers, and 
special guests from the 
theatre world.

 A Noise Within’s new 
Pasadena home is designed to 
expand artistic possibilities, 
offer a greater scope of 
educational opportunities, 
meet ticket demand and 
allow the company to reach 
its full potential.

 A Noise Within was founded 
in 1992. Since its inception, 
the company has presented 
more than 120 plays from the 
classics of world literature, 
each season producing plays 
from authors ranging from 
Shakespeare and Molière to 
Ibsen, O’Neill and Shaw to 
Miller and Williams.

 For information on, call 
(818) 240-0910 x 1 or visit 
www.ANoiseWithin.org.

Free Mulch Available To 
Pasadena Residents

 Officials say the service 
will have residents uttering, 
“Thank You Very Mulch.”

 Through a partnership 
with Steven’s Tree Experts 
residents can now obtain 
free mulch, a nutrient-rich 
blend of tree trimmings for 
use in home landscaping. 

 “Thank You Very Mulch,” 
the title of the Public 
Works Department’s new 
environmentally-friendly 
service to its residents.

 Mulch benefits gardens and 
landscapes in several ways. 
Mulch:

 Moderates the soil 
temperature and retains 
moisture during dry weather, 
thereby reducing the need 
for watering; Prevents 
germination of many weed 
seeds and reduces the 
need for herbicides; Adds 
organic matter to soil as it 
decomposes; Encourages the 
growth of worms and other 
beneficial soil organisms; 
Can enhance a garden’s 
appearance and helps 
infiltration of the rainfall 
into the garden.

 “Thank You Very Mulch” 
does more than help gardens 
grow.

 “By re-purposing the 
tree trimmings in our 
neighborhoods as mulch we 
reduce trips to the landfill, 
reduce the cost of disposal 
and simultaneously increase 
Pasadena’s diversion rate,” 
said Gabriel Silva, city 
environmental programs 
manager.

 Mulch is subject to 
availability and can only 
be delivered in quantities 
between five and ten cubic 
yards.

 For more information go to 
www.cityofpasadena.net or 
call (626) 744-4721.

Pet of the 
Week

ARTS Route10 
Service 
Extended 
During Bridge 
Celebration

 
Extend the festive occasion 
by taking the ARTS Bus to the 
Bridge Party.

 In support of A Celebration 
on the Colorado Street Bridge, 
an annual event of Pasadena 
Heritage to be held Saturday, 
July 10, the city of Pasadena 
Area Rapid Transit System will 
extend hours along Route 10 
and provide bus service every 
15 minutes. 

 During the bridge party hours 
of 6 to 11 p.m., ARTS Route 10 
buses will serve the crowds 
making their way to and from 
Colorado Street Bridge along 
Colorado and Orange Grove 
boulevards. That corner will 
have a convenient, temporary 
bus stop, and at 11:15 p.m. the 
last bus will leave from there.

 Route 10 will provide service 
along westbound Colorado 
and eastbound Green, between 
St. John and Wilson avenues, 
with an event stop at the 
southeast corner of Colorado 
and Orange Grove boulevards. 
The bus service will connect 
with the Allen Gold Line 
Station, and will be only one 
block away from the Del Mar 
Gold Line Station.

 Fares are 75 cents in each 
direction, with discounts 
for youths K-12 grades and 
seniors.

 For more information on 
this ARTS service and Gold 
Line connections, go to www.
cityofpasadena.net/artsbus.

 Chelsea, a beautiful, four-
year-old, Finnish Spitz mix 
is such a great dog! She is 
active and playful but can 
also be calm and loves to 
cuddle. Chelsea has some 
trouble being alone and 
needs someone who will help 
build her confidence and 
make sure she gets plenty of 
exercise and attention. She is 
already spayed 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 A267438 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

ACTS Thrift Store to Open 


Citizen Journalism Boot Camp 

 
Learn not just how 
to blog but how to 
report the news

 

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. First 
class starts July 6, 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. 

 Twenty ministers from Lake Avenue Church gathered to prepare 
ACTS Thrift Store for its opening July 17. Spiffing up inventory 
are (left) Intergenerational Pastor Albert Tate, Associate Director 
of Worship and the Arts John Stothers (at right), and worship 
leader Jeremy Rose (in back). ACTS Thrift Store (www.actsthrift.
org) is a non-profit business created to generate funding for at-
risk youth, disadvantaged families and the homeless. Programs 
are administered by the Lake Avenue Community Foundation 
(LACF).

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