Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 20, 2010

5

MountainViews-News Saturday, November 20, 2010 


Crash Sends Commuter 
Bus into Wall, Three Injured 

Bill Nye 
Faints on 
Stage

 By Dean Lee

 The driver of a LA 
Commuter Express bus and 
a passenger became tapped 
early Tuesday morning 
after a crash that left the 
bus perched at a 45 angle 
between the sidewalk and an 
apartment building wall. 

 Pasadena Fire Information 
Officer Lisa Derderian said 
the bus had to be stabilized 
before the rescue operation 
could begin. Fire officials 
were dispatched to the scene 
at 7:20 a.m. according to 
Battalion Chief Ray Gordon. 

 The driver and passenger 
were eventually freed from 
the bus after firefighters 
broke out a window. 

 Derderian said the accident 
happened when the bus hit 
a Nissan Maxima, sending 
both vehicles out of control, 
at the intersection of 
Cordova and Madison Ave. 
“As a result the bus swerved 
[ jumping the curb] hitting 
several trees before coming 
to rest.” Derderian said 
the driver of the Maxima 
thought the intersection was 
clear before entering it. 

 She also explained that if 
the bus had hit the building 
in either direction it would 
have gone through an 
apartment, “rude awakening 
for these tenants, definitely, 
but it could have been a lot 
worse.” 

 Three people were injured, 
the driver of the Maxima and 
the two inside the bus. They 
were all treated at the scene 
then taken to Huntington 
Memorial Hospital 
Derderian said.

 Eddie Martin, the building 
superintendent, told 
reporters that there was 
a rumble in the building, 
“When we came out, there 
was all this mess.”

Cordova Street was closed 
from Los Robles Avenue to 
El Molino Avenue as crews 
removed the bus and cleaned 
up the area.

 Police said the crash was 
still under investigation. 


Artist in Mural Mix-up Paints Again

By Dean Lee

 Science funny man Bill Nye 
fainted on stage Tuesday night 
at USC during a speech on 
global warming. The situation 
was no laughing matter.

 Nye, host of the 90s PBS 
television show “Bill Nye the 
Science Guy,” is now acting 
Executive Director of the 
Planetary Society based in 
Pasadena. Nye fainted in front 
of a crowd of hundreds. 

 Witnesses said Nye looked 
disorientated before collapsing 
on the podium. 

 “Bill Nye didn’t trip on 
anything,” said an audience 
member via Twitter. “He 
mumbled ‘change the 
world’ several times before 
collapsing…”

 Another witness said Nye got 
up after being unconscious 
for about 10 seconds. He went 
right back to what he was 
taking about, although paused 
to say “this had also happened 
to him earlier that day.” He 
also asked the crowd how long 
he had been out. 

 Numerous reports said 
paramedics arrived on scene 
about 8:40 p.m. although it 
was unclear if Nye was treated 
or taken to a hospital. 

 After the fall, Nye continued 
his speech, leaning on 
the lectern and his laptop 
humbling the crowd about 
the insignificance of Earth, 
compared to the universe, 
using a metaphor of grains 
of sand on a beach. Nye was 
eventually taken off stage. 

 At press time, neither Nye’s 
official website, .billnye.com, 
nor the Planetary Society 
made any announcement on 
his condition although his 
publicist, Glenn Schwartz, said 
Nye was feeling much better 
Wednesday. 

 Nye made no mention of 
the incident Wednesday 
on his Twitter account 
TheScienceGuy posting only 
that “Al Gore talking about 
math and science education in 
our country.”

 Artist Christian Alderete was 
at it again last weekend painting 
a 170 foot long mural along a 
retaining wall at the Villa-Parke 
Community Center playground 
after the city’s Arts and Culture 
Commission approved $2,500 
for the replacement of a market 
mural by Alderete that had been 
mistakenly removed by the store 
owner last year. 

 A 60-foot Aztec themed city 
sponsored mural Alderete 
pained on the side of ABC 
Nutrition on Fair Oaks in 
November 2009 lasted only 
three months before the store’s 
owner had it painted over in 
a mix-up dealing with several 
code violations. 

 At the time Alderete said, if 
he was asked, he would paint 
another mural. The Arts and 
Culture Commission’s action 
Nov. 10 replaces a $2,500 
grant Alderete had originally 
applied for as part of the city’s 
Neighborhood Enhancement 
Mural Program. 

 Alderete has invited all the 
children in the area to get 
involved. He estimates it 
will take no more than three 
weekends to complete the 
bright orange, yellow and blue 
education themed mural. 


Council to Discuss More City 
Cuts as Part of Planning Retreat 

 The city council will spend 
most of Monday looking at 
budget challenges for the 
next three years as part of a 
Strategic Planning Retreat 
to be held at the Pasadena 
Conference Center starting 
at 8 a.m..

 According to the agenda 
public comment will be held 
at 8:30 a.m.

 City officials have said at 
issue are employee layoffs 
and a continued hiring freeze 
put in place last year. 

 In June, the council adopted 
next year’s budget of $725.4 
million, down $16.2 million 
from the previous year. 
Of that $4 million was 
reductions in city staffing 
including the elimination of 
one police sergeant position 
and 23 other positions 
within the police department 
including 12 sworn officers. 

 According to city documents 
Pasadena is operating with 
a $5.5 million deficit in the 
General Fund with total 
fund revenues of $211.7 
million. The city has already 
implemented temporary 
library branch closures on 
Fridays and Sundays. All 
ARTS Sunday bus service 
had been canceled as well 
as the elimination of ARTS 
Route 70. 

 The council is expected to 
examine issues such as, what 
the city has accomplished 
fiscally in the past year; 
what the city’s internal fiscal 
weaknesses and challenges 
are through 2013; and what 
the external factors/trends 
are that will have a fiscal 
impact on the city through 
that time. 

 They will also identify short 
trem strategic objectives for 
each goal. 

 According to previous 
plans, the city has forecasted 
a future surplus budget, 
although not until 2014. Staff 
has said they are still on track 
to accomplish that. 

 The council is also scheduled 
to hold a closed special 
meeting at 3 p.m. dealing 
with municipal employee 
union labor negotiations. 
The meeting will also be at 
the Pasadena Conference 
Center, 300 East Green 
Street, conference room 
211. Public comment will be 
limited to 15 minutes before 
the closed session according 
to the agenda.

Bus crashes into apartment Tuesday Morning Photo Courtesy of 
Pasadena Fire

Citizen Journalism Meet-up

 

 

 

 The Pasadena Community 
Network and this newspaper 
are holding a workshop on 
Citizen Journalism. 

 This group is the place where 
aspiring journalists can learn 
from trained professionals 
and support their local 
community by covering 
what’s really happening in 
their neighborhoods.

 We will put 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 online social 
media The next meeting will 
be Nov. 23 from 6 to 8p.m. at 
the Pasadena Community 
Network - Studio G, 2057 N. 
Los Robles Ave.

 For more info call 
626.794.8585 or visit 
pasadenan.com.

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

Highway 2 Named After Two 
Firefighters Killed in Station Fire

Foundation 
Introduces 
Online Grants 
System

 
The Tournament of 
Roses Foundation is now 
accepting applications 
from 501(c)(3) non-profit 
agencies/organizations 
based in and serving one 
or more of the following 
communities: Alhambra, 
Altadena, Arcadia, La 
Cañada, Monrovia, 
Pasadena, San Gabriel, San 
Marino, Sierra Madre and 
South Pasadena. 

 Grants will be considered 
in the following categories: 
performing and visual arts; 
sports and recreation; and 
volunteer motivation and 
leadership development.

 This year, The Foundation 
has gone “green” and moved 
to a completely online 
grants system. To submit 
an application, visit the 
Foundation’s “Online Data 
Manager” at: www.ctkodm.
com/ptrf/. Enter “apply” for 
both the “Username” and 
“Password.” The website 
will direct you to a welcome 
page with instructions on 
how to begin the application 
process. 

 Applicants can find 
grant cycle procedures, 
special stipulations and a 
detailed list of frequently 
asked questions on the 
Foundation’s website at 
www.tournamentofroses.
com/aboutus/foundation.
asp. 

 Applications accepted 
now through January 27, 
2011 before 5:00 p.m.

 The Foundation is a 
non-profit public benefit 
corporation established in 
1983 to receive and manage 
charitable contributions on 
behalf of the Tournament 
of Roses Association, its 
supporters and the general 
public.

Less Trash Save Money

 
Pasadena residential customers 
who are recycling more and 
throwing away less can save 
money two ways this month. 

 By downsizing their Pasadena 
trash containers and using 
their recycling and yard waste 
containers more, residents can 
save on their regular trash bills. 

 The city provides two smaller 
alternatives to the standard 
100-gallon trash container, both 
of which cost the resident less to 
have serviced. 

 And during November, which 
is Environmental Awareness 
Month, residents can change 
containers without the normal 
$35 changing fee. 

 “Pay As You Throw will reward 
those who have reduced the 
amount of their weekly trash,” 
said Gabriel Silva, city recycling 
coordinator. 

 For more information call 
Public Works Department’s 
customer service at (626) 744-
4087.

Pet of the 
Week

 Part of the Angeles Forest 
Highway will now be named 
“Captain Ted Hall and 
Engineer Arnie Quinones 
Memorial Highway.” after the 
firefighters, who lost their 
lives fighting the Station Fire 
last year.

 Los Angeles County 
Supervisor Michael 
Antonovich Monday joined 
Fire Chief P. Michael 
Freeman, members of 
the Hall and Quinones 
families, and members of 
the Los Angeles County 
Fire Department in the 
dedication. 

 “Naming this highway 
doesn’t make up for the loss 
the families suffered,” said 
Antonovich. “But it will 
remind future policy and 
decision makers to never 
allow this type of incident to 
repeat itself.”

 Speakers included 
Supervisor Michael 
Antonovich; Dave Anderson, 
Hall Family Friend; Ozzie 
Quinones, Brother of Arnie 
Quinones; Fire Chief P. 
Michael Freeman; and 
Assistant Fire Chief Jim 
Kross.

 
Pepe, a unique looking and 
very affectionate pug mix is 
looking for a new home. He 
weighs about 25lbs, walks well 
on leash and knows several 
basic commands. Pepe needs 
someone who will make sure 
he gets plenty of playtime and 
attention. He is great with 
people but should be the only 
dog in the home. Come visit 
with Pepe 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 A279054 or come 
to the Pasadena Humane 
Society & SPCA, 361 S. 
Raymond Ave , Pasadena 
CA , 91105 . Our adoption 
hours are 11-4 Sunday, 
9-5 Tuesday, Wednesday, 
Thursday, and Friday, and 
9-4 Saturday. Directions and 
photos of all pets updated 
hourly may be found at www.
pasadenahumane.org

Police begin Year-long 
Traffic Enforcement Program

 The Pasadena Police 
Department is beginning 
another year-long Selective 
Traffic Enforcement 
Program aimed at preventing 
deaths and injuries. Traffic 
enforcement measures are 
continuing as a result of a 
$263,000 grant awarded by 
the Office of Traffic Safety to 
the City of Pasadena. 

 “The Pasadena Police 
Department is dedicated 
to safety for all who drive 
in our community by 
providing both enforcement 
and education. Through 
our continued partnership 
with the Office of Traffic 
Safety, we can effectively 
accomplish this important 
goal” said Phillip Sanchez, 
Chief of Police. 

 The Selective Traffic 
Enforcement Program 
(STEP) grant assists in efforts 
to deal with traffic safety 
concerns and reduce the 
number of people killed and 
injured in traffic collisions. 
Grant activities specifically 
target DUI offenders, red 
light running, motorcycle 
safety and distracted driver, 
texting and talking on the 
phone while driving. This 
is done through the use 
of special enforcement 
activities, which may 
include DUI checkpoints, 
saturations, and operations. 
The grant provides funding 
for overtime to conduct 
these special enforcement 
activities. 

 Funding for the grant comes 
from the California Office of 
Traffic Safety through the 
National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration.

City’s New Book Selection 
to be Unveiled Monday

 A community committee 
has chosen the Pasadena 
Public Library’s One City, 
One Story novel although the 
selection will not be unveiled 
until Monday. Mayor Bill 
Bogaard will make the 
announcement at 4:30 p.m. 
in the City Hall Rotunda. 

 This will make the 9th One 
City , One Story book to be 
chosen. Last year’s selection 
was “Gardens of Water” by 
Alan Drew.

 One City, One Story is 
designed to broaden and 
deepen an appreciation 
of reading and literature 
in the community, engage 
participants in dialogue and 
bring Pasadenans together 
by promoting greater 
understanding of differing 
points of view.

 Activities and events will be 
scheduled for March 2010. 
A community dialogue with 
the author is scheduled 
for the weekend of March 
26 & 27 at the Pasadena 
Community Center. Details 
of book discussion groups, 
film series, lectures and other 
events will be announced 
later.

 City Hall is located at 100 N. 
Garfield Ave.

 For more information visit 
www.onecityonestory.com 
or call (626) 744-7270.

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