Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 19, 2011

4

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 19, 2011 


Sudden Closure of Post 
Office Raises Concerns

Man Shot in 
North West 
Pasadena

By Dean Lee

 The United States Postal 
Service went ahead Monday 
with plans to close the only 
Post Office east of Lake Ave 
and north of the 210 freeway, 
serving an area with more than 
65,000 residents according to 
city staff. 

 The Post Office at 1355 North 
Mentor Avenue, became the 
center of an hour long debate 
during the council’s last 
regular meeting Feb 7, with 
postal officials, residents and 
Congressman Adam Schiff’s 
office all taking sides. At issue 
was a lack of any notification 
about the closing. 

 Councilmember Margaret 
McAustin said they needed 
to send a very strong letter to 
Schiff’s office in support of the 
location something the council 
agreed to along with also 
sending a copy to The United 
States Postal Service.

 “To keep us informed as he 
[Schiff] receives information 
back from the postal service 
about the community process 
that apparently was not 
followed,” she said. “And if there 
will yet be an opportunity for 
full public input.”

 Councilmember Chris Holden 
asked that the letter request 
halting the closer something 
that did not happen. There 
was no answer Friday after 
making a call to the location. 
An employee at the Fair Oaks 
office said the station had in fact 
closed Monday. 

 United States Postal Service 
Consumer Affairs Manager 
Alicia Delgadillo said at the 
Feb 7 meeting they were not 
closing any post office, calling 
the process a “relocation” to the 
existing 1100 North Fair Oaks 
Postal Service building. 

“Our lease expired and the 
postal service chose not to go 
ahead and renew the lease and 
move the retail station, which 
includes, P.O. boxes, and retail 
services to our Jackie Robinson 
location, which is an old 
station,” Delgadillo said. 

 “Each and all of the Post Office 
Box customers at Washington 
station were notified.”

 Councilmembers also 
questioned the lease after the 
property owner, identifying 
himself as Stanislavsky, said the 
lease had another 20 plus years 
to go on it.

 “I would like to know where 
she gets her information from,” 
Stanislavsky said. “We signed 
that lease agreement in 1981. 
It’s just as good today as it was 
then.”

 Holden said there needed to be 
an answer as to, who the lease 
was with, if not the property 
owner. Councilmember Victor 
Gordo also said they need to 
know who will control the site 
once it is empty. 

 “If they don’t intend to 
operate it as a post office, I 
think they have a responsibility 
to this community, to the 
neighborhood, to explain to us 
what they intend to do.” Gordo 
said. 

 Concerned residents said it 
would be an inconvenience for 
them to get to Fair Oaks station 
1.5 miles away, also calling the 
area unsafe. Others said it was 
an inconvenience to change zip 
codes having to reprint checks 
and other stationary with 
addresses on them. 

 Schiff’s field representative 
Teresa Lamb Simpson said 
Schiff had asked postal 
representatives to better explain 
“Their erratic haphazard and 
opaque,” process. “So far no 
explanation has been provided,” 
Schiff said in a letter.

 According to police they 
received calls shortly before 
3 p.m. on Friday of shots 
fired in the 1000 block of 
North Los Robles Ave. 
Police located an adult male 
who had been shot, he was 
transported to the hospital 
and is currently in stable 
condition. Suspects were 
described as a male and 
female in a light colored car. 

 The suspects may have fled 
the scene in a white Ford 
Mustang with a tan top 
police said. The vehicle was 
last seen on Los Robles and 
a containment perimeter 
had been setup although 
the suspects got away. 

 Detectives are actively 
investigating this case. 

In related News

 A rash of violence that 
started with the shooting 
death of a John Muir High 
School football player last 
week now has police also 
turning to the public for help. 
Police held a community 
meeting Thursday night, 
after investigators still have 
no leads into the slaying 
which took place in the 300 
block of West Palm Street in 
Altadena. Pasadena police 
Chief Phillip Sanchez said 
a 44-year-old was shot in 
the leg Sunday and more 
shooting were reported 
during the week. Sanchez 
gave no details about the 
other shooting.

Police said they do not 
think Friday’s shooting on 
Los Robles is related to the 
gang related violence in 
Pasadena and Altadena in 
recent weeks. 

 Any information on these 
incidents police are asking 
residents to contact PPD 
626 744-4241

Bookstore’s Last Chapter

By Dean Lee

 In an attempt to reorganize 
through filing bankruptcy, 
Borders Books announced 
Wednesday their intention 
to close hundreds of 
underperforming superstores 
by April, including the Borders 
in Pasadena.

 The retailer last week filed 
Chapter 11 with the U.S. 
Bankruptcy Court in New York.

 According to documents 
released by the company about 
200 stores will close nationwide, 
the highest number of which 
are in California. Throughout 
the state 35 stores will close 
including, Glendale, Sherman 
Oaks, Valencia, Century City, 
Two locations in Long Beach 
and others including Borders 
Pasadena on South Lake 
Avenue.

 Numerous reports said that 
closing stores will be selling off 
their entire inventories at steep 
discounts, up to 40 percent off, 
starting Saturday. 

 In a statement Borders officials 
said none of the closers were 
final.

 “This list is based on currently 
available operating, financial 
and competitive information,” 
the statement read. “. Actual store 
closures may differ depending 
on a variety of factors including, 
but not limited to, risks related 
to finalization of third-party 
agreements, expected cost 
savings, income tax and other 
benefits associated with the 
store closures in the anticipated 
time frame, if at all.”

 The company was careful not to 
blame online booksellers such 
as Amazon and the growing 
popularity of ebook readers 
such as the Kindle or Barnes 
and Noble’s new wildly popular 
Nook Color eReader. 

 “It has become increasingly 
clear that in light of the 
environment of curtailed 
customer spending, our ongoing 
discussions with publishers and 
other vendor related parties, 
and the company’s lack of 
liquidity, Borders Group does 
not have the capital resources it 
needs to be a viable competitor 
and which are essential for it to 
move forward with its business 
strategy to reposition itself 
successfully for the long term,” 
said Mike Edwards, Borders 
Group President.

 He also said as part of the 
bankruptcy, Borders has 
received commitments for $505 
million in Debtor-inPossession 
(DIP) financing led by GE 
Capital, Restructuring Finance.

 “This financing should enable 
Borders to meet its obligations 
going forward so that our stores 
continue to be competitive for 
customers in terms of goods, 
services and the shopping 
experience,” Edwards said. 
“It also affords Borders the 
opportunity to move forward in 
implementing the appropriate 
business strategy designed 
to reposition Borders to be a 
potentially vibrant, national 
retailer of books and other 
products,”

 The company said that during 
the reorganization they are 
serving customers in the normal 
course, including honoring 
its Borders Rewards program, 
gift cards and other customer 
programs. Additionally, the 
company expects to make 
employee payroll and continue 
its benefits programs for 
its employees. Borders is 
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, 
Mich. Online shopping through 
borders.com will not be affected 
they said.


Free Tax 
Preparation 
Day at Library

Free Rain Harvesting Workshop 

 Learn how to harvest 
rainwater during a free 
workshop Saturday, March 
12, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 
the Salvation Army Pasadena 
Tabernacle, 960 E. Walnut St. 

 Rain gardens conserve 
water, replenish 
groundwater supplies and 
create sustainable oases 
around homes. Workshop 
participants will learn 
principles, practices and tips 
for water-harvesting rain 
gardens and earthworks. 

 “Living in a semi-arid 
climate, it is important 
to find a way to capture 
rainwater and put it to 
good use,” said Nancy 
Long, water conservation 
manager at Pasadena Water 
and Power. “Rain gardens 
quickly infiltrate rainfall into 
the soil where less is lost to 
evaporation.” 

 The workshop will be taught 
by rain gardens expert Brad 
Lancaster, who has more 
than 15 years of experience 
in permaculture education 
and design. 

 Examples of rain barrels will 
be displayed at the event. Free 
raffle prizes will include two 
rain barrels and four sets of 
books written by Lancaster. 
Product exhibitors will be at 
the workshop, many offering 
discounts to consumers. 

 Registration is required and 
participants can register at 
www.cityofpasadena.net/
savewater or (626) 744-7926. 

 Sponsors are Pasadena 
Water and Power, Foothill 
Municipal Water District, 
Glendale Water and Power 
and Burbank Water and 
Power.

The Post Office at 1355 North Mentor Avenue closed Monday 
because it was underperforming


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 is Feb. 22 from 6 
p.m. 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


Pet of the 
Week

 City Councilwoman Jacque 
Robinson will co-host a 
day of free tax preparation 
services Saturday, from 
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at La 
Pintoresca Branch Library, 
1355 N. Raymond Ave. 

 The service is provided 
to taxpayers will annual 
incomes of $49,000 
and under through 
the Volunteer Income 
Tax Assistance (VITA) 
Program. 

 Each taxpayer should bring 
a valid photo ID, social 
security card or individual 
taxpayer identification 
number for all family 
members, all W-2s, 1098s 
and 1099s (if any), a copy of 
the prior year’s tax return, 
bank account number 
and routing number for 
direct deposit of refund 
or direct debit of balance 
due, other income/expense 
information, total tuition 
fees and expenses, total 
expenses paid for child/
day care, day care providers’ 
identifying number, and 
landlord’s name, address 
and phone number for the 
California Renter’s Credit. 

 Appointments are required; 
call (626) 796-6870 and 
press zero. Other partners 
in this effort are Women 
at Work, Pasadena Public 
Library and California State 
Controller John Chiang. 

 For more information 
about VITA visit www.sco.
ca.gov or call 

(213) 833-6010.


Councilman Madison to 
Host Town Hall Meeting

Antonovich Congratulates 
New County Fire Chief

 


 

City Councilman Steve 
Madison will host a town hall 
meeting Tuesday, Feb. 22, from 
7 to 9 p.m. in the auditorium 
at San Rafael School, 1090 
Nithsdale Rd. 

 Madison will update 
constituents on District 6 
and citywide issues. Special 
guest speakers will include 
City Manager Michael J. Beck, 
Chief of Police Phillip Sanchez, 
Pasadena Water and Power 
Assistant General Manager 
Shan Kwan and Alyson Beecher, 
the school principal. There will 
be a short program by students. 

From 7 to 7:30 p.m., 
refreshments will be offered 
and Spanish dual immersion 
classrooms will be open. 

 Free parking will be available on 
the street. For more information 
visit www.cityofpasadena.net/
district6 or call (626) 744-4739.

 
Lulu, a beautiful, three 
year old, patch tabby mix 
is very friendly and loves 
attention. She would be a 
great companion for someone 
in an apartment or 
condo that allows pets. Lulu 
loves people but would prefer 
to be the only cat in the 
home. Lulu is spayed and 
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 A282970 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

Council Candidate Looking 
for Interns and Volunteers

The campaign to elect 
Khatchik “Chris” Chahinian 
to the Pasadena City Council 
is looking for interns and 
volunteers, a great opportunity 
to make a difference in 
Pasadena.

 Chahinian said they are 
currently seeking energetic 
and enthusiastic individuals 
to assist with phone banking, 
door-to-door canvassing, and 
office tasks. This is your chance 
to learn about the political 
process first hand, while playing 
a vital role in an important 
election. Hours can be applied 
to certificate of completion or 
community service credit while 
working with your friends and 
neighbors to put Pasadena First.

Contact Lonnée 
Hamilton, Volunteer and 
Resource Coordinator, at 
chrischahinian@gmail.com or 
call (626) 399-1799. 

L.A. County Mayor Michael 
Antonovich congratulated 
new Los Angeles County 
Fire Chief Daryl Osby 
Thursday who was officially 
sworn in by the Executive 
Officer of the Board of 
Supervisors. 

 “We look forward to 
working with Chief Osby 
as he becomes the leader 
of the 4,300 men and 
women of the nation’s 
finest fire department,” said 
Antonovich. “With his 
leadership skills and vast 
experience as a fire-fighting 
professional, I am confident 
he will continue the superb 
legacy of Chief P. Michael 
Freeman.”

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