Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 16, 2011

4

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 16, 2011 

‘Open Carry’ 
of Handguns 
Bill Passes 

Committee

Feds Bar Local Man from 
Issuing Pension Plans 

 


 
A federal court in Los 
Angeles has permanently 
barred a Pasadena business 
owner, and his two 
companies, from selling or 
administering pension plans 
or employee welfare-benefit 
plans, the Justice Department 
announced Thursday. 

 The court’s order, to which 
Alexander and his companies 
Retirement Plan Services 
Inc. and Lyons Pensions Inc. 
consented, also prohibits 
them from preparing federal 
tax returns for others for a 
fee or representing others 
before the Internal Revenue 
Service.

 In August 2010, the Justice 
Department sued Alexander, 
alleging that he promoted 
tax fraud schemes involving 
sham pension plans and 
welfare-benefit plans. 
According to the government 
complaint, Alexander helped 
small business owners create 
bogus pension plans so they 
could re-characterize their 
salaries as pension-plan 
contributions. Alexander 
then allegedly caused the 
sham contributions to be 
refunded to his customers 
through fake loans from 
the plans. According to 
the complaint, Alexander 
advised his customers 
that they could deduct the 
purported contributions in 
order to reduce or eliminate 
their federal income taxes. 
The complaint also alleged 
that Alexander fraudulently 
misrepresented his 
customers’ non-deductible 
personal expenses as 
deductible pension-
plan contributions. The 
government alleged that 
Alexander’s promotion 
of these schemes cost the 
government at least $30 
million.

 The civil injunction order 
also requires Alexander to 
provide copies of the court’s 
order to anyone to whom 
he provided tax advice since 
Jan. 1, 2005, and for whom 
he has or can readily obtain a 
mail or e-mail address.

 Two Local Companies 
Allegedly Promoted Tax 
Schemes that Cost the 
Government at Least 
$30 Million

 A bill to repeal an “open 
carry” loophole in state 
law moved a step closer to 
approval Tuesday as the 
state Assembly Public Safety 
Committee voted in favor of 
Assemblymember Anthony 
Portantino’s AB 144.

The bill would make it 
illegal to carry an unloaded 
handgun in any public place 
or street. Law enforcement 
personnel are exempt as 
are hunters and others 
carrying unloaded weapons 
under specified licensed 
circumstances Portantino 
said in a press release. 

 “This is a sensible gun ban 
that law enforcement asked 
me to carry to make our 
streets and communities 
safer,” explained Portantino. 
“I think most Californians 
would agree that they don’t 
want people walking around 
in parks or in coffee shops 
with a gun strapped to their 
hip. Whether it’s loaded or 
not, it creates some very real 
public safety issues.”

 Despite being passed 
by both houses in the 
legislature, similar legislation 
failed to reach the Governor’s 
desk last year due to a large 
number of controversial 
bills on file at the end of 
session. This means that 
Californians may walk into 
a grocery store carrying an 
unloaded weapon on one 
hip and the bullets on the 
other. After seeing a rise in 
these types of needless public 
displays, law enforcement 
officials sought the ban on 
this open display of firearms. 
Portantino took up the cause 
and has worked with law 
enforcement to re-introduce 
the “open carry” ban. The 
measure is supported by 
the California Police Chiefs 
Association and PORAC – 
rank and file police officers. 
Representatives from both 
groups testified at today’s 
hearing.

 The Los Angeles city council 
recently voted to support 
AB 144 and asked the L.A. 
City Attorney to look into 
writing a similar law banning 
open carry handguns in Los 
Angeles.

 California is one of many 
states that allow so-called 
“open carry” which gives 
gun owners the right to 
display weapons, though 
in California those guns 
must be unloaded. Carrying 
loaded firearms in public 
is already against the law in 
California.

College to Demolish Science Building

By Dean Lee

Schools official’s made the 
first move, earlier this month, 
towards the monumental task 
of vacating and demolition 
of the Armen Sarafian Hall at 
Pasadena City College after an 
engineering study had shown 
the building —which houses the 
health and sciences programs— 
is seismically unfit.

PCC’s Board of Trustees voted 
unanimously April 6 in favor 
of spending $6.2 million to 
setup temporary bungalows for 
science classes in the student 
parking lot at the corner of 
Bonnie Ave and Del Mar Blvd. 
The school’s Health Sciences 
would move off campus to the 
Community Education Center 
said Richard van Pelt, PCC 
Director of Facilities Services. 
He added that, in the parking 
lot, they would need at least 37 
portable buildings.

The news came to no surprise 
to some longtime employees 
in Armen Sarafian Hall, better 
known as the U building. 

“We’ve known about this 
for some time,” said Glenna 
Watterson, secretary for the 
Natural Science Department 
which includes geology. “We 
thought we were going to 
be moved out last semester. 
They held off on making an 
announcement to avoid panic 
over the safety concerns.”

Watterson said she was told 
the building could withstand 
a magnitude 8 earthquake 
although added she was 
glad they were moving. An 
engineering study done four 
years ago showed the building 
did not meet earthquake codes. 

van Pelt said dealing with 
moving the science labs would 
be tricky.

“Every time we move a chemical 
we would have to notify the 
fire department, if we did it on 
campus we wouldn’t” he said 
about the possibility of having 
an off-site location. “Some of the 
architecture we are looking at is 
working with the Pasadena Fire 
Marshal and, very importantly, 
Division of the State Architect.”

He added, “We had to inventory 
all chemicals in the building. 
We were discovering vials from 
1937. They wanted to know 
everything, what the proximity 
was of one chemical to another.”

He explained the process took 
months also working with Dave 
Douglas, the Natural Sciences 
Division Dean. Douglas is also a 
geology instructor at the school. 

The Student Health Center is 
also located in the U Building, 
and at the time, van Pelt said he 
was not sure where they would 
move it to. 

Trustee Berlinda Brown asked 
whether it made sense to lease 
the temporary bungalows or buy 
them outright. Both Douglas 
and van Pelt said they were 
exploring options that included 
looking to other colleges that 
might have extra bungalows. 
van Pelt said if that were the case 
they could get them for $1.

Supervisor Calls on Stadium 
to Stop Half-Price Beer Sales

 In wake of the severe beating at 
Dodger Stadium last week and 
subsequent calls for increased 
security, Los Angeles County 
Mayor Michael 0Antonovich 
expressed concern over 
Dodger plans to provide half-
price alcoholic beverages on 
upcoming “throwback” days on 
April 21, May 4, June 15, June 
22, August 10 and August 31. 

 “To restore the public trust, 
tighter controls -- not half-
price sales on alcohol -- need to 
be implemented,” Antonovich 
said. “After the tragic beating of 
Bryan Stow, the Dodgers need 
to have a zero-tolerance policy 
on those under the influence in 
and outside the stadium. 

 Monday, at a press conference 
at Dodger Stadium, Antonovich 
said the Dodgers were a day-late 
and a dollar-short in promising 
to adopt new security measures 
and called for: employing 
additional security personnel; 
enhancing lighting in the 
parking lot; reducing the size of 
alcohol containers; removing 
intoxicated and bullying 
fans; providing hand stamps 
for those who have already 
purchased alcohol.

City Draws the Line 
on Pedestrian Safety

Pacific Asia 
Museum 
Announces 
Appraisal Day

 The city of Pasadena has 
a simple, clear message for 
drivers: Stop before the Line.

 The city’s Transportation 
Department was awarded a 
public education grant—from 
the California Office of Traffic 
Safety (OTS), through the 
National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration—to remind 
drivers to stop their vehicles 
before the double white, 
crosswalk lines.

 Common knowledge? Perhaps. 
But in 2009, Pasadena ranked 
as second worst in California 
cities its size for pedestrians 
killed and injured, following 
Berkeley .

 Statistics showed that most 
of the collisions happened at 
intersections with traffic signals, 
and more than 80 percent were 
the driver’s fault.

The city’s Transportation staff 
realized they needed to reach 
out to drivers to get them on 
their side. As Traffic Engineer 
Joaquin Siques said, “It is 
not a case of drivers versus 
pedestrians, because the fact 
is, every time motorists step 
out of their cars, they become 
pedestrians. In this fight, 
everyone wins.”

 Traffic engineers agree that 
stopping before the line is 
critical to the safety of Pasadena 
’s pedestrians. Those extra two 
feet make all the difference.

 The Stop Before the Line 
campaign, running through 
May, features Pasadena ’s 
safety mascots Dena the 
pedestrian and Otis the driver. 
In the introductory phase of 
the campaign, Dena and Otis 
exchange tips and ideas online 
via the campaign website www.
cityofpasadena.net/trans/
watch4pedestrians and other 
new media.

 Targeted at motorists and 
pedestrians to help make 
Pasadena a safer place to walk, 
the website is the place to go for 
the public to weigh in and learn 
more.

 There are benefits from 
participating retailers for 
doing so. Supporting outreach 
materials being distributed 
by local merchants include 
stickers, magnetic decals, 
and posters in English and 
Spanish. Other media include 
billboards, public service 
announcements and events, all 
designed to increase awareness 
of pedestrian safety among both 
those who walk and those who 
drive. 

 Previously, the Pasadena 
Police Department obtained a 
Selective Traffic Enforcement 
Program grant from the OTS. 
That grant provides funding 
for enforcement operations 
targeting drunk driving, speed, 
red-light running, and other 
intersection-related violations, 
all in an effort to help combat 
pedestrian-involved auto 
collisions. 

 For more information call 
(626) 744-6900.


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 April 19 from 
6 p.m. to 8p.m. This week 
at the Donald R. Wright 
Auditorium (see below). For 
more info call 626.794.8585 
or visit pasadenan.com.

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

 Celebrating of the museum’s 
40 years of collecting, Pacific 
Asia Museum will be hosting 
an Appraisal Day on Saturday, 
April 16 from 10:00 am to 1:00 
pm to help the community 
with their own collections. 
A variety of appraisers and 
conservation experts will 
be available to help visitors 
identify, appraise, and better 
preserve their own Asian and 
Pacific Island artifacts. To 
ensure all participants enjoy 
sufficient time with the visiting 
experts, attendance is limited. 

 The event is $15 for museum 
members, $30 for non-
members. Pre-registration 
is highly recommended; 
call (626) 449-2742 ext. 31. 
Admission includes three 
consultations, Additional 
consultations $10 each.

Citizen Journalism Speakers 
Series: Former Maxim Sports 
Reporter Diane Hill 

Pet of the 
Week

 The Pasadena Community 
Network and this newspaper 
will hold the 2011 Citizen 
Journalism Speaker Series 
featuring Diane Hill 
Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. This free 
event features local and 
national journalists, telling 
their personal stories and 
adventures in the life of 
journalism and media.

Diane Hill, who now 
practices in the legal arena, 
was an extremely successful 
journalist in the sports arena. 
Diane has worked as a radio 
field reporter for several 
nationally syndicated shows, 
hosted sports shows for Sirius 
satellite radio network, such 
as “The Naked Truth”, and 
was a sports correspondent 
for “The Bower Show”. 
Diane has spent many days 
in the City of Pasadena as 
a regular guest host on the 
live internet show, “The 
Regular Joes”. In Diane’s 
bold and sassy broadcast 
career, she became the first 
woman sports columnist for 
an international publication, 
Maxim magazine.

 Diane known for her go-
getter attitude was best 
remembered for saying, 
“Deep down every athlete is 
just a teenage boy trying to 
impress the hot chick who 
just happens to be writing 
it all down for the sake of 
posterity. Who better than 
me to make them talk?”

 In 1998, Diane received her 
Bachelor of Arts degree in 
Broadcasting from California 
State University and in 2008 
received her Juris Doctorate 
from Southwestern Law 
School. Today, Diane works 
as an Attorney in the Los 
Angeles area, under her 
surname, Diane Hlywiak. 
The speaker series will be 
held at: Donald R. Wright 
Auditorium 285 E. Walnut 
St., Pasadena, CA 91101 
(located in the Pasadena 
Central Library) All Events 
Door Open at 6:00 p.m.


Supervisor 
Announces 
Summer Arts 
Internships

PCC Public Relations Awarded 
Top Honors for Social Media

 King, a gorgeous, year old, 
longhair cat is outgoing and 
loves to play. He is looking 
for a home where he will 
receive plenty of attention. 
He may be a little shy at 
first but once he gets to 
know you he is a fun and 
charming guy. Come visit 
with King 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 A285561 
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

 The Pasadena City College 
Public Relations team 
recently earned top honors 
from the National Counsel 
for Marketing and Public 
Relations (NCMPR) for its 
social marketing campaign. 
PCC was presented with 
a Gold Paragon award for 
excellence in promoting the 
college through social media 
efforts.

 PCC employs a plethora 
of social networking 
tools in order to provide 
students with pertinent 
information and to build a 
strong online community. 
Campus news ranging 
from upcoming events to 
scholarship deadlines are 
delivered several times a 
week through Facebook, 
Twitter, and Lancer Life, the 
college’s official blog. The 
college began employing 
social networking tools in 
November 2009. Students, 
alums, and the community 
have been most receptive 
to the college’s efforts on 
Facebook; the page currently 
has more than 5,000 fans.

 In addition to the Gold 
Paragon award, PCC earned 
a bronze for the “Student 
Success” banners that 
currently line the perimeter 
of the campus as well as 
the Industrial Technologies 
Building.

 NCMPR, which represents 
marketing and public 
relations professionals at 
community and technical 
colleges, has more than 
1,550 members from more 
than 650 colleges across the 
United States, Canada, and 
other countries.

 For more information, please 
contact Juan Gutierrez, PCC 
director of public relations, 
at (626) 585-7264.

 The Los Angeles County 
Arts Commission will 
be offering 74 paid 
summer internships to 
college undergraduates 
this summer, announced 
County Supervisor Mayor 
Michael Antonovich.

 To develop business skills 
that can be put to use in their 
future careers, interns are 
paid $350 per week for a ten-
week program participating 
in educational and arts 
networking activities 
learning about nonprofit 
arts administration and 
the role of the arts in the 
community.

 General information on 
the program is available on 
the Arts Commission’s web 
site at www.lacountyarts.
org/internship.html. 

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