Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 17, 2010

4

 
Mountain Views News Saturday, July 17, 2010

Input Sought 
On Rose 
Bowl Loop

President Gives 
Highest Honors 
to JPL Scientist 

Bridge Celebration Goes Sour 


Rose Bowl recreation loop 
walkers, bicyclists, runners, 
dog owners, parents with 
strollers, skaters, unicyclists, 
golfers and motorists are 
encouraged to review draft 
plans to improve the loop.

 

A display and copies of 
the preliminary plan will 
be available for review 
and comment at the Rose 
Bowl loop Tuesday, July 
28, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. 
in tents at Brookside 
Golf Club and Lot K. 
Information is also available 
at www.cityofpasadena.net/
rosebowlloop.

 

As recreation in the Rose 
Bowl area continues to 
rise in popularity, the city 
of Pasadena is proposing 
improvements in roadway 
circulation to ensure the 
needs and safety of all users.

 

Preliminary plans for 
the 3.3-mile loop call for 
modification of striping and 
signage to provide a wider 
lane so walkers can travel in 
either direction around the 
course, a suitable lane for 
bicyclists and vehicles, and 
a narrower outside lane for 
vehicles.

 

“This option was chosen 
for its adaptability to future 
changes if needed,” said 
Pasadena Transportation 
Director Fred Dock. “The 
roadways that encircle the 
Rose Bowl Stadium provide a 
unique and valuable resource 
to those who enjoy outdoor 
exercise.”

 

The innermost portion of the 
loop is a dedicated walkway 
that currently is outlined 
with a painted buffer zone 
separating foot traffic from 
adjacent bicycle and vehicular 
traffic.

 

For more information call 
744-4610.

The Colorado Street Bridge Photo D. Lee/MVNews

Local restaurants have 
now called for a Saturday 
“bridge benefit day” after 
hard times led Pasadena 
Heritage to cancel this year’s 
Summer Celebration on 
the Colorado Street Bridge. 
Local participating eateries 
will donate up to 25 percent 
of their profits for the day. 

“This would be the weekend 
that we close the bridge 
and then have 4,000 people 
up there having a fabulous 
time,” said Sue Mossman, 
Executive Director, of 
Pasadena Heritage. “But 
because of the economy we 
are not doing that event this 
year.”

Mossman said the bridge 
party is their biggest 
fundraising event although 
the up front costs were just 
too high this year.

It costs us almost $100,000 to 
put that event on,” She said. 
“So we have to raise $100,000 
to break even.”

Mossman went on to say that 
in normal years the bridge 
party would net in the range 
of $30,000 to $40,000. This 
year they were nervous they 
could lose money she said.

“We decided that to put up 
the money in this economy 
could, in fact, put us in the 
hole,” she explained. “Rather 
than help us raise money.” She 
said they planned a number 
of smaller fundraisers 
including Saturday’s bridge 
benefit day and a formal 
reception in September. 

“We are going to do a smaller 
and more formal reception 
in September,” she said about 
an alternative event planned 
for Sept. 12 honoring 
those that made the bridge 
restoration possible. This 
year marks 20 years since 
its closure in 1989 for four 
years of renovation and 
earthquake improvements. 
This year also marks the 95 
anniversary of the bridge 
opening itself.

She also said, “This is just a 
one year vacation and we do 
plan to be back next year.”

According to the 
Pasadena Heritage website 
participating include Big 
Mama’s Rib Shack 1453 
North Lake Avenue; Cha 
Da Thai Restaurant 29 
East Holly Street; Chandra 
Thai 400 South Arroyo 
Parkway; Los Tacos - 1 
West California Boulevard; 
Robin’s Restaurant 395 
North Rosemead Boulevard.

Mossman also encouraged 
people to support the bridge 
by doing something bridge-
related such as taking a walk 
under the bridge or riding, 
pedaling or walking across it 
this weekend.

“We are just reminding 
people that it’s theirs, it’s 
there for them to enjoy all 
the time,” she said. “We just 
wanted them to think of us 
this summer even though 
we’re not out partying.”

Josh Willis Photo courtesy of NASA

Josh Willis, an 
oceanographer at NASA’s Jet 
Propulsion Laboratory has 
been honored by President 
Barack Obama with the 
2009 Presidential Early 
Career Award for Scientists 
and Engineers. The award is 
the highest honor bestowed 
by the U.S. government 
on young professionals 
in the early stages of their 
independent research 
careers.

 Willis is one of 100 
beginning researchers to 
receive the 2009 award. This 
year’s recipients also include 
three faculty members with 
the California Institute of 
Technology in Pasadena, 
which manages JPL for 
NASA. The honorees will 
receive their awards this fall 
at a White House ceremony.

 A researcher in JPL’s Ocean 
Circulation Group, Willis 
uses satellite data as well 
as data collected at sea to 
study the impact of global 
warming on the ocean. His 
studies of ocean warming 
and sea level rise have been 
widely used by colleagues 
around the world and were 
cited in the 2007 report 
of the Intergovernmental 
Panel on Climate Change. 
That report shared the 2007 
Nobel Peace prize with 
Vice President Al Gore. 
Willis frequently lectures to 
the public and works with 
students t educate them 
about climate change issues 
and their impact on global 
warming.

 Established by President 
Bill Clinton in 1996, the 
Presidential Early Career 
Award for Scientists and 
Engineers annually honors 
researchers whose early 
accomplishments show 
the greatest promise for 
strengthening America’s 
leadership in science 
and technology and 
contributing to the awarding 
agencies’ missions. The 
awards are made to those 
whose innovative work is 
expected to lead to future 
breakthroughs.

 Recipients are selected 
from among nine federal 
departments and agencies 
based on two criteria: 
pursuit of innovative 
research at the frontiers of 
science and technology, 
and a commitment to 
community service as 
demonstrated through 
scientific leadership, public 
education or community 
outreach. Winning scientists 
and engineers receive up 
to a five year research 
grant to further their 
study in support of critical 
government missions.

 “These extraordinarily 
gifted young scientists and 
engineers represent the best 
in our country,” Obama 
said in a White House news 
release. “With their talent, 
creativity and dedication, 
I am confident that they 
will lead their fields in 
new breakthroughs and 
discoveries and help us use 
science and technology to 
lift up our nation and our 
world.” 

 The three Caltech recipients 
are John O. Dabiri, an expert 
in biological propulsion 
who studies mechanics 
and dynamics of biological 
propulsion and fluid 
dynamic energy conversion; 
Beverley J. McKeon, who 
studies experimental 
manipulation of wall 
bounded flows for improved 
flow characteristics; and 
Joel A. Tropp, who is 
developing new algorithms 
for solving inverse 
problems, a basic challenge 
that arises throughout the 
mathematical sciences.

Survey Looks at City Services, Quality of Life


By Dean Lee

 Although the results of a 
new citizen survey released 
Monday really pat the city 
on the back showing overall 
93 percent of residents say 
Pasadena is an excellent to 
pretty good place to live, some 
council members questioned 
the methodology of how the 
analysis was done. 

 The survey also showed 
everything from job rating 
of departments and services 
to the most important things 
residents would like to see 
improved. Police protection 
topped the list and traffic 
came in second. 

 According to Richard 
Bernard, Senior Vice 
President, of Fairbank, 
Maslin, Maullin and 
Associates, 700 Pasadena 
voters were called since May 
31, 100 from each council 
district. Mayor Bill Bogaard 
was quick to point out that 
there were was some concerns 
to who was contacted.

 “I think it’s an understatement 
to say that some of your 
findings are counterintuitive 
to the group around the dais 
this evening,” Bogaard said 
lightheartedly. “So let me 
pose this question, more 
than one person has said 
to me, ‘not a person in my 
experience has come and said 
they have gotten a call about 
this survey,” does that prove 
that the survey number is 
not adequate to get good and 
valid finding?”

 Bernard said he was not 
surprised.

 “I will tell you that over 
time people forget that they 
got a call even though it’s 
an important issue for their 
livelihood or where they live, 
quality of life,” he said. “I 
often find that within a week, 
in the first few days people 
remember but a few days later 
they don’t always remember 
what the topic was, after a 
week they don’t remember 
they were solicited.”

 Bernard assured them they 
did contact 700 residents 
saying that those residents 
that are mad all the time 
are the ones that call city 
hall. “This is a wonderful 
opportunity to hear from 
those folks that are happy 
with what is going on and 
therefore not going to come 
to your meeting and say that 
you are all doing a great job.”

 Councilmember Steve 
Madison was the most 
critical questioning the 
randomness of the survey. 
Bernard then went in detail 
over the sampling process to 
which Madison was still not 
satisfied.

 “If your sample size is 
sufficiently large and it’s truly 
random than it should come 
very close to approximating 
the demographics without 
the need for sort of rigging 
the pool,” he said. 

 Bernard had explained that 
they took the demographics 
of the city, ethnicity, age, 
gender and made sure they 
matched the voters profiles, 
“So it was random and they 
mirrored the voters of the 
city. He also said the samples 
were then stratified to make 
sure there were the right 
percentages. 

 Highlights from the survey 
showed, 92 percent of those 
surveyed knew the state was 
experiencing a large budget 
deficit and 84 percent knew 
that Pasadena would be 
impacted: That 83 percent of 
voters were aware of the water 
shortage and 73 percent knew 
that water rates were being 
planned: That 75 percent 
of the service provided by 
employees is ranked as being 
professional; the overall 
customer service received 74 
percent; and courtesy ranked 
73 percent. 

 Transportation issues drop 
in priority. 

Pet of 
The Week


Outstanding PCC Teacher 
Award Given to TV Instructor

Tigger, an adorable, five 
month old red tabby needs 
a new home. He is sweet, 
friendly, and just look at 
those great stripes! Tigger 
will be neutered before 
going to a new home but 
he is available for adoption 
today!

 

The regular cat adoption 
fee is $70 which includes 
the spay or neuter surgery, 
microchip, vaccinations, 
and a free follow-up health 
check at a participating vet. 
Currently, you can adopt 
two cats or kittens for just 
$85.

 

Please call 626-792-7151 
and ask about A254176 
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


Porreca (right) chats with a Battlestar Galactica producer

 Carmen Porreca, television 
operations instructor at 
Pasadena City College, was 
recently honored with the 
prestigious Risser Outstanding 
Teacher Award. The Risser 
award is the most prestigious 
honor given to a full-time, 
tenure track or tenured faculty 
at PCC. Porreca was chosen for 
the award based on the quality 
of his instruction, inspiration 
to students, fairness in grading 
and evaluation, and loyalty to 
the college and the United States 
of America.

 The recipient of the Risser 
Award is determined solely by 
students. The proposal process 
requires a student-written letter 
of nomination and a petition 
with 50 student signatures. 
It usually takes multiple 
nominations for an instructor 
to receive the award. A panel of 
the five previous Risser winners 
selects the award winner each 
year.

 “When Dr. Paulette Perfumo 
announced that the 2009 Risser 
Award winner was Carmen 
Porreca, it was much bigger than 
I expected. The satisfaction of 
this high honor is unbelievable. 
I have never felt anything like 
this. It is enormous. A career 
capstone,” Porreca said. “What 
could possibly be a greater award 
for any instructor on the planet? 
No politics. No old crony 
stuff. Initiated by a student and 
supported by students.”

PCC Police Lieutenant Certified Terrorism Specialist

 Brad Young, lieutenant 
of Pasadena City College 
Police and Safety Services, 
was recently certified as 
a terrorism specialist by 
the federal government 
after graduating \ from the 
Department of Homeland 
Security’s Academy of 
Counter-Terrorism at \ 
Louisiana State University. 
Young will be certified by 
the California Governor’s 
Office \ this September after 
he completes 172 hours of 
training.

 Young is a 35-year law 
enforcement professional. 
After retiring from the Los 
Angeles Police Department 
in 2000, he was recruited to 
supervise PCC Police and 
Safety Services. 

 “Following the attacks 
of September 11, 2001, I 
became intensely interested 
in the subject of terrorism 
and Middle Eastern studies,” 
Young said. “I chose to 
become a terrorism specialist 
as this field will define the 
face of law enforcement for 
generations to come.” Young 
will be teaching a new course 
at PCC called “Homeland 
Security” this fall.

 For more information, 
contact Police and Safety 
Services at (626) 585-7484.

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