Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 27, 2010

4


MountainViews-News Saturday, November 27, 2010 

Parking 
Fines 

Increase 
Citywide


Rose Parade to See First 
Video Game Themed Float


By Dean Lee

 The yellow dotted icon Pac-
Man will eat his way down 
Colorado Boulevard New 
Year’s Day as the first video 
game character to grace the 
5.5 mile Tournament of Roses 
Parade. His appearance 
commemorates 30 years 
of power pellet eating fun 
according to Namco Bandai 
Games America Inc.

 This is the game 
manufactures first parade 
entry.

 “Pac-Man and his friends 
will be a thrilling addition to 
the 122nd Rose Parade,” said 
Jeffrey L. Throop, president 
of the Tournament of Roses. 
“Every year, thousands of 
families travel to Pasadena 
to celebrate the New Year, 
and millions watch along 
on television. To be able to 
celebrate Pac-Man’s 30th 
anniversary with the world 
on New Year’s Day is a true 
privilege for the Tournament 
of Roses.”

 Pac-Man will leap over 50 
feet into the air as ghosts 
from the game chase after 
him as he holds his birthday 
cake, which will be decorated 
with iconic symbols from the 
game, such as bonus prizes 
like cherries, strawberries 
and lemons. 

 The Pac-Man character 
will be covered in yellow 
mums, yellow strawflower, 
and black onion seed and 
pink and red carnation 
petals according to the float 
builders. The Ghosts that 
chase after Pac-Man will be 
covered in blue, red, pink 
and yellow carnations, blue 
statice, coconut and blue iris 
petals.

 The float’s theme, which 
includes the castle scene 
from one of the levels, is also 
based on newest video game, 
Pac-Man Party released this 
year for the Nintendo Wii.


Getting Rose Ready

 (Pictured above) TV corner is looking, 
well, more like TV corner as the intersection 
of Colorado and Orange Grove Blvds is 
transformed into a media hub that will 
accommodate numerous broadcasters as 
well as 11,000 parade goers. 

 An estimated 1.5 billion viewers will 
watch the parade worldwide according to 
the Tournament of Roses website. 

 (Pictured right) Employees of Mike Brown 
Grandstands started putting up some of 
the 85,000 grandstands this week that will 
line 5.5 miles of Colorado Blvd. Workers 
said they usually finish completely Dec. 
30. 


By Dean Lee

 Before approving upping 
parking ticket fines across the 
city $3 Councilmember Terry 
Tornek suggested earlier this 
month that the council look 
at alternative ways of dealing 
with the parking problem, 
including, issuing more 
warnings and cracking down 
on repeat offenders. The new 
fines take effect next week.

 All of the city’s parking 
restrictions will go up as part 
of a stat mandate. An expired 
meter ticket will go from 
$42.50 to $45.50 staff said. 

 “It’s difficult, for me at least, 
to defend a $45, $50 fee for an 
expired meter,” Tornek said.

 He brought up an idea of 
increasing the fees for repeat 
offenders after reading about it 
in an op-ed article in the Los 
Angeles Time. He asked city 
staff to look into the idea.

 “The whole parking fee 
structure doesn’t make any 
sense,” Tornek said quoting 
Donald Shoup from the 
Times. “What we should be 
doing is discerning between 
repeat offenders and first 
time offenders. It’s really the 
repeat offenders that should be 
getting whacked.”

 He said in certain cities 
first time offenders get only 
a warning. He also said this 
could alleviate some of the 
complaints about unfair 
overnight parking tickets. 

 Fred Dock, director of 
transportation, said the city 
currently does not have the 
capability to track parking 
offenders.

 “We would have to have 
access to a database that would 
tell us in real time if a license 
plate has previously received a 
citation.” Staff said upgrading 
the system would cost upwards 
of $100,000. 

 This is the second year in 
a row that state has mandated 
a parking increase, last year all 
fines went up $4.50.

‘Mubound’ Is 2011 One City, One Story

 
Hillary Jordan’s novel 
“Mudbound,” the story 
of two families and their 
struggles in post-World 
War II Mississippi, was 
unveiled Monday as the 
book selection for Pasadena’s 
ninth One City, One Story. 
Although the reveal was to be 
done by Mayor Bill Bogaard, 
emergency city business had 
the city’s library director, 
Jan Sanders, fill in to do the 
honors. 

 A community dialog with the 
author is scheduled Saturday, 
March 26, at the Pasadena 
Convention Center . Details 
of book discussion groups, 
film series, lectures and other 
events will be announced 
later. All the activities and 
events are scheduled for 
March and April 2011.

 Jordan grew up in Texas and 
Oklahoma . She received 
her Masters in Fine Arts 
Degree in creative writing 
from Columbia University 
and a Bachelor’s Degree in 
English and Political Science 
fromWellesley College . Her 
short fiction has appeared 
in several literary journals, 
including StoryQuarterly 
and The Carolina Quarterly. 
She lives in New York .

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

 Other finalists in the 
selection process for 2011 
were “A Gate at the Stairs” 
by Lorrie Moore, “City of 
Thieves ” by David Benioff, 
“Cutting for Stone” by 
Abraham Verghese, “The 
Lotus Eaters” by Tatjana Soli 
and “Wife of the Gods” by 
Kwei Quartey.

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

Pet Night with Santa

 Pets are invited to pose 
for photos with Santa 
Claus in the One Colorado 
Courtyard, Thursday, 
December 9, from 5:00 P.M. 
to 9:00 P.M. Hundreds of 
dogs, cats and exotic pets 
(and their owners) attend 
this quirky critter event every 
year, which has become a 
holiday photo tradition. One 
Colorado is at the corner 
of Colorado and Fair Oaks 
Blvds. For more information 
go to onecolorado.com or 
call 626-564-1066. 

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. 30 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

County Bans 
Medical 
Marijuana

Castle Green Tours Ring 
in the Holiday Season

Shocknek to be Guest on PCN

 
Well known KCBS morning 
anchor Kent Shocknek will 
be the special guest Tuesday 
on “Conversations with 
Stuart Johnson,” a weekly 
PCN series on Charter 
channel 32, The show airs live 
at 9 p.m. and streaming on-
line at pasadenacommunity 
network.com. 

 Shocknek will share with 
viewers his daily routine, a 
behind the scenes look at 
a television newscast, and 
preparation, and discuss 
how he decided on television 
news as a career. 

 Shockneck is Southern 
California’s longest television 
news and morning anchor, 
now at KCBS Channel 2. 
In addition to anchoring 
the Emmy Award-winning 
newscasts, CBS 2 News 
4:30-7 a.m. and CBS 2 
News at 11 a.m., Shocknek 
helped pioneer the station’s 
growth online at CBS2.com, 
anchoring L.A. television’s 
first-ever live webcasts, 
during Hurricane Katrina. 

 He has had also had cameo 
roles in TV dramas and 
movies, and also hosted 
a nationally syndicated 
entertainment program, and 
narrated a daily commentary 
for radio.

 For more information 
call Stuart Johnson at 
626.794.8585

 The County Board of 
Supervisors unanimously 
approved Tuesday an 
ordinance to ban Medical 
Marijuana Dispensaries in 
all unincorporated county 
areas. 

 Supervisor Michael 
Antonovich had introduced 
a motion in July of this year 
directing staff to prepare an 
ordinance amending the 
County’s Zoning Code to 
prohibit Medical Marijuana 
Dispensaries. The Regional 
Planning Commission, 
after considering a draft 
ordinance and conducting 
a public hearing, 
recommended approval 
of the ban to the Board of 
Supervisors.

 “Attracting crime and other 
nuisances, these facilities 
have a negative impact on 
the communities where 
they’ve operated -- leading 
more than 100 cities and 
9 counties in California to 
pass similar ordinances,” 
said Supervisor Antonovich. 
“Since many municipalities 
in Los Angeles County 
currently have either 
a ban or moratorium, 
adjacent unincorporated 
communities would become 
the obvious location of 
choice for dispensary 
operators -- creating an 
undue burden for residents 
in these areas.”

 After a second reading 
before the Board next week, 
the ordinance will take 
effect 30 days later. 

Pet of the 
Week

 


 The historic Castle Green, 
a blend of Moroccan and 
Victorian architecture, built 
in 1898 as part of the resort 
Hotel Green will open its 
gates and welcome visitors, 
for the annual Holiday Tour 
on Sunday, Dec. 5.

 Once converted to private 
residences in the 1920’s, 
Castle Green attracted many 
designers, musicians, artists 
and collectors to live in the 
building. Those who find an 
interest in history, creative 
interior design, and cultural 
heritage, will see the original 
exterior and interior of this 
unique city landmark, the 
last remaining survivor of 
the hotel period in Pasadena.

 While trained docents will 
be available, you may walk 
at your own pace through 
the original public rooms 
and over 20 individual 
apartments, all differently 
interpreted for the holidays. 
See the Grand Salon, the 
Moorish and Turkish Rooms, 
the Palm Room, Sunroom 
and Veranda, the open cage 
elevator, fireplaces, hand-
carved woodwork, and 
marble staircases, the bridge 
and penthouse, with a 360 
view overlooking Pasadena, 
as well as artist studios. 

 A 12-foot Scotch pine and 
holiday music will welcome 
visitors entering the Grand 
Salon. Exhibits and signage 
will describe particular 
rooms and features, some 
with movie stills from as far 
back as 1918. Also for display 
and sale, in turn-of-the-
century style, hand-blown 
ornaments and glassware by 
artisan Evan Chambers. 

 Tours run 1:00pm to 
5:00pm (rain or shine). The 
cost is $20.00 for adults and 
children under 12 are free. 
All funds raised through 
the tours and merchandise 
sales are dedicated to 
the preservation of this 
landmark building through 
the nonprofit support arm, 
Friends of the Castle Green. 

 Sylvia, a darling, two year 
old, white and tabby cat is 
looking for a new home. 
She has lovely green eyes, 
a sparkling personality and 
previously lived with a dog. 
Sylvia would love to be 
adopted 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.

 Please call 626-792-7151 
and ask about A278818 
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

‘City Beat’ Topics Include 
Hotel Constance Project 

 Topics on the latest edition 
of “City Beat” on KPAS and 
the Internet include a District 
2 update, funding for Rose 
Bowl Stadium renovations, 
local hiring related to the 
renovations, city budget 
issues, the Hotel Constance 
development project funded in 
part by federal stimulus dollars, 
and the IDS Playhouse Plaza 
proposed development project 
that was halted by legal action.

 Moderator Barry Gordon 
is joined by Pasadena City 
Councilwoman Margaret 
McAustin, Mountain Views 
News reporter Dean Lee and 
Crown City News anchor/news 
director Tami DeVine. 

 “City Beat” replays Mondays at 
2 and 6 p.m., Tuesdays at 7:30 
p.m., Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., 
Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 
8:30 p.m., Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. 
and Sundays at 8:30 a.m.

 For more information call 
(626) 794-8585.

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