Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 10, 2011

4


Mountain Views News Saturday, September 10, 2011


BRIDGE 
HOUSING 
WINS 
HERITAGE 
SQUARE BID

LOCAL MUSLIMS SPEAK 
OUT ON LIFE AFTER 9/11

Tournament 
of Roses 
Executive 
Director 
Resigns


By Dean Lee

 

The long embattled multimillion 
dollar Heritage Square Housing 
Project concluded one last 
hurdle Wednesday night, before 
heading to a full vote of the city 
council, as the city’s Economic 
Development and Technology 
Committee approved 
recommending Bridge Housing 
Corporation for the project.

 The council is set to hear the 
proposal Monday night during 
their regular meeting. 

 “In the actual RFP [request 
for proposal] selection process, 
it was an independent review 
panel that was formed,” said 
Senior Project Manager 
James Wong. “That included 
representatives from the 
Northwest Commission, the 
Fair Oaks PAC, plus housing 
experts, all of whom are 
Pasadena residents.” 

 He added that there were four 
community meetings held from 
July 2009 to October 2010.

 Bridge Housing would build 
a 70-unit senior housing 
project at the 750-790 N. Fair 
Oaks Avenue city-owned site. 
According to Monday’s staff 
report, the project is estimated 
to cost $21.28 million. 

 The report also states that 
the project is subject to the 
City’s First Source local hiring. 
The proposal includes a 
commitment to spend not less 
than 20 percent of the respective 
budgets for local hiring, local 
subcontracting, and local 
purchasing. 

 The city will also enter a 
90 day negotiating period to 
discuss the site disposition, the 
project concept and design, 
financing plan and a schedule 
of performance among other 
things. 

 The multimillion-dollar 
Heritage Square project has had 
a troubled past leading up to 
Century Housing, the Culver 
City nonprofit associated with 
developer Danny Bakewell, 
pulling out of the project in 
2007. Bakewell accused the 
city of unfair practices forming 
the Fair Oaks Project Area 
Committee, to oversee the 
biddings, with little to no input 
from the community. Mayor 
Bill Bogaard’s wife Claire also 
volunteered with Heritage 
Housing Partners, another firm 
that bid for work on the project, 
ultimately the council, at the 
time, voted to scrap the entire 
bidding process.

 The council meets at 6:30 p.m. 
in the city hall council chambers 
100 N. Garfield Ave. 

 
A panel of six Muslims 
including Tahra Goraya, former 
District Director for California 
State Senator Carol Liu, talked 
Wednesday night about 
Muslim life in the United States 
10 years after the 9/11 terrorist 
attacks in New York carried out 
by Islamic extremists.

 Goraya said from her own 
experience Muslims are looked 
at through sensationalized 
media, “The sensationalized 
headlines about the gourd 
zero mosque, or the mosque in 
Temecula that’s not allowed to 
be built, or the woman that’s not 
allowed to keep her job because 
a headscarf.”

 She went on to say that she 
not only witnessed these types 
of situations buy they were also 
the types of questions people 
often asked. 

 “It’s going into a department 
store counter and people 
insisting that I have an accent 
and wondering where it’s from. 
They have difficulty observing 
me because they can’t get 
beyond the physical perception 
or barrier, I think many groups 
can identify with that.

 Goraya added that American 
Muslims women tend to be 
highly educated, working out in 
the community on issues such 
as nonviolence.

 Masood Khan, an attorney in 
Pasadena, said the problem was 
a lack of understanding about 
Islam. He gave a story about 
flying on an airplane.

 “Like when I’m in an airport, 
you have all eyes watching you, 
from the average person in front 
of you to the person setting In 
back, wherever you go. You get 
the sense of scrutiny.” 

 He said one time he was on 
the plane and needed to use the 
restroom when a stewardesses 
got nervous and pounded on 
the door.

 “I hear a voice over the PA 
system saying all passengers 
need to return to their seats, 
including passengers in the 
lavatory. Now I’m worried 
they’re going to tear down 
the door while I’m in a 
compromising position.”

 He said they immediately 
looked in the bathroom telling 
him they though there was a 
medical emergency.

 The panel took questions 
including, one person asking, 
what the Muslim stance was on 
homosexuality.

 Jihad Saafir said they recognize 
homosexuality as a sin, “The 
problem is not sinning, the 
problem is not admitting it’s a 
sin,” he said.

 The panel titled, “Pasadena 
Portraits: Our Muslim 
Neighbors” was hosted by 
the city’s Human Relations 
Committee in conjunction with 
Goraya’s consulting firm.

Tournament of Roses 
President Rick Jackson 
announced Thursday, 
four months before the 
123rd Rose Parade, the 
organizations executive 
director had stepped down. 

“Tournament of Roses 
Executive Director Scott 
McKibben, citing personal 
reasons, has resigned 
his position effective 
today. William Flinn, the 
Tournament’s longstanding 
chief operating officer, will 
assume the role of interim 
executive director.’’

“With our excellent 
volunteers, our very capable 
management committee 
and Tournament of Roses 
staff support, we anticipate 
a smooth transition leading 
to a successful 123rd 
Tournament of Roses 
Parade and 98th Rose Bowl 
Game.’’

The Pasadena Tournament 
of Roses is a volunteer 
organization that annually 
hosts the Rose Parade 
presented by Honda, Rose 
Bowl Game presented 
by VIZIO and various 
associated events. The 
123rd Rose Parade, themed 
Just Imagine, will take 
place Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, 
at 8 a.m. (PST) featuring 
majestic floral floats, high-
stepping equestrian units 
and spirited marching 
bands. Following the 
parade, the 98th Rose Bowl 
Game presented by VIZIO 
will kick off at 2:10 p.m. and 
feature an exciting match-
up between two of the top 
collegiate football teams in 
the nation. 

A long standing tournament 
tradition “never on Sunday,” 
officially moves both the 
parade and Rose Bowl game 
to the following day when 
Jan. 1 falls on a Sunday. 
The move in the early days 
of the parade was to avoid 
conflict with local religious 
services. 

What Pasadena’s Aging Fire Stations Mean 

 The city was recently forced 
to close neighborhood Fire 
Station 39, near Avenue 64 and 
Colorado Boulevard, because 
an independent safety audit 
showed it posed a “significant 
risk of structural failure” in a 
major earthquake. 

 Unfortunately, while Station 39 
is our oldest and most unstable 
fire station, others are also 
vulnerable. According to the 
assessment, seven out of eight of 
our fire stations need significant 
repairs, upgrades or replacement 
in order to withstand a major 
quake. Fire Station 32 in the 
center of town was deemed 
barely habitable and it’s also 
lost major response capacity; 
we were forced to remove vital 
equipment, including the urban 
search and rescue truck, because 
the equipment bay is unstable. 
Another five out of six of our 
small, remaining neighborhood 
fire stations are now operating 
at -- or even over – capacity. 
They’re not able to house 
vital firefighting equipment, 
and aren’t configured for the 
fastest deployment necessary 
for firefighters to respond to 
medical emergencies or fires. 

 The reason for our dilemma 
is simple. Unlike surrounding 
communities, where fire 
stations were mainly built after 
the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, 
most of Pasadena’s stations were 
built decades earlier. Many have 
concrete frames, which seismic 
experts say won’t withstand 
major shaking. 

 In Southern California, the 
question is not “if” there is 
going to be a major quake, but 
“when.” It’s very important 
that our community be able 
to rely on our firefighters for 
quick response. In recent years, 
we’ve seen first-hand how poor 
disaster preparedness has led to 
costly, life-threatening errors at 
all levels of government -- both 
in the U.S. and abroad. 

 As part of our disaster planning, 
it was our responsibility to 
evaluate how our fire stations 
– many of which are beautiful 
and historic, but also old and 
outdated – would perform. Now 
that we have this information, we 
can work together to determine 
the most prudent and fiscally 
responsible solutions.

To Complete A Quick 
Community Survey go to 
www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/Fire/
Community_Survey.

Antonovich Calls for 
Firefighting Reforms

 According to the Riverside 
Press Enterprise, the U.S. Forest 
Service has again missed its 
deadline to complete studies 
needed to shape the agency’s 
future aerial firefighting 
strategy. ”The Federal 
government’s delay puts our 
communities at risk with the 
U.S. Forest Service’s antiquated 
firefighting policies largely 
unchanged,” said Antonovich.

 “It has been two years since 
the Station Fire devastated 
160,000 acres of the Angeles 
National Forest and killed two 
Los Angeles County firefighters 
yet the Federal government 
continues to drag their feet 
in concluding investigations 
and adopting needed reforms,” 
said County Mayor Michael 
D. Antonovich in a letter to 
Senator Feinstein. 

 Within a few months of the 
Station fire, the Los Angeles 
County Fire Department issued 
its report on their investigation 
and recommendations to the 
Forest Service on preventing 
future catastrophes. Approved 
unanimously by the Board 
of Supervisors, it included 
nighttime air attacks, 
procedural changes, tougher 
brush clearance requirements 
and the use of mechanized 
firefighting equipment. 

 Congressional hearings have 
revealed it was the U.S. Forest 
Service, as the lead agency, 
that failed to communicate 
effectively, and forced other 
agencies to stand idly by as the 
boots-on-the-ground waited 
for orders to proceed from its 
command center in Idaho . 
Ineffective at fighting wildfires 
on the urban-wildlife interface, 
their prohibition of night-
flying aircraft prevented early 
containment as County Fire 
pilots waited anxiously on the 
tarmac. 


September 11 
Ceremony

 Public and press are 
cordially invited to join Fire 
Department, Law Enforcement 
and Military agencies for 
a “9/11 Remembrance 
Ceremony” dedicated to those 
who perished on September 
11, 2001. 

Speakers will include Mayor 
Antonio Villaraigosa, Fire 
Chief of the Los Angeles 
Fire Department, Brian L. 
Cummings, Fire Chief of 
the Los Angeles County Fire 
Department, Daryl L. Osby, 
Los Angeles Police Chief, 
Charlie Beck, Los Angeles 
County Assistant Sheriff, 
Marvin O. Cavanaugh, United 
States Coast Guard Captain 
of the Port, Roger LaFerriere, 
U.S. Congresswoman Janice 
Hahn and Former Governor 
Gray Davis. 

 Event includes: Various 
Department static displays, 
fly over, wreath ceremony, bell 
ringing ceremony, rifle volley 
and reception to follow. 

 This location is especially 
noteworthy due to the presence 
of two memorials dedicated to 
the events of September 11, 
2001. The first memorial is 
dedicated to the World Trade 
Center and consists of a 23-
ton, 22-foot tall steel column 
that was originally part of the 
lobby structure. This column 
is believed to be the largest 
remnant of the World Trade 
Center on the West Coast. The 
second memorial is located 
in the lobby of our training 
center and is titled “Towering 
Memories.” The “Towering 
Memories” memorial consists 
of two shapes similar to the 
silhouette of the Twin Towers 
that comprised the World 
Trade Center. Included on the 
memorial is a list of names of 
those who lost their lives at 
the World Trade Center, the 
Pentagon and the Pennsylvania 
plane crash site.

The Frank Hotchkin Memorial 
Training Center is at 1700 
Stadium Way Los Angeles. The 
event is from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 
a.m.

 Fire Station 39, near Avenue 64

PCC Presents ‘First Year 
Experience’ Speaker Series

Citizen Journalism Meet-up

 

 Pasadena City College will 
be hosting a speaker series 
starting this month and going 
through November as part of 
the college’s Pathways First 
Year Experience Program. 
The program is designed 
to increase student success 
and retention for incoming 
students from high school.

 A First Year Experience 
Program designed to 
increase student success 
and retention for incoming 
students from high school. 
Pilot is funded by a Federal 
Title V grant and supported 
by SASI grants. Students 
are recruited from PUSD 
and other in-district high 
schools. 

 The series begins on Sept. 15 
with a presentation from Dr. 
George Boggs on “What We 
Can Do to Increase College 
Completion Rates.” Boggs 
is the president emeritus 
of Palomar College and 
president and CEO emeritus 
of the American Association 
of Community Colleges. The 
event begins at noon in The 
Forum.

 Luis J. Rodriguez, an activist, 
journalist, and author of 
“Always Running,” will be 
speaking on Oct. 14 at 11:30 
a.m. in Harbeson Hall. The 
author will read from and 
discuss his new memoir in a 
talk titled, “It Calls You Back: 
An Odyssey Through Love, 
Addiction, Revolutions, and 
Healing.”

 On Oct. 20, Dr. Chris 
Gurrie, the director of 
speech at the University 
of Tampa, will introduce 
innovative methods for 
engaging all students 
in a presentation titled, 
“Immediate Immediacy: 
Engaging Today’s College 
Student.” Gurrie is an expert 
on the effective use of 
classroom technology. The 
event will take place at noon 
in the Creveling Lounge.

 The fourth and final talk is 
scheduled on Nov. 18 at 3:30 
p.m. in Creveling Lounge. 
Doctors Sampson Davis, 
Rameck Hunt, and George 
Jenkins, bestselling authors 
of “The Pact,” will tell their 
inspiring story of how three 
young men from Newark, 
N.J., persisted to achieve their 
dreams and become doctors. 
The trio will also discuss the 
educational implications of 
their extraordinary lives and 
leadership.

 “The Pact” has also been 
selected for PCC’s “One 
Book, One College” program. 
Sponsored by PCC’s Office 
of Student Affairs, Cross-
Cultural Center, Campus 
Diversity Initiative, Teaching 
and Learning Center, and 
SASI, the program’s goal is 
to supplement the college’s 
ongoing conversations about 
who its students are and how 
it can best serve them.

 For more information, 
please call (626) 585-3046.

 

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 Sept 13. 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

 
Esme’s favorite things in 
life are laps, love, and sunny 
windowsills. It doesn’t take 
much to keep this docile 
sweetheart happy. She is an 
independent, investigative girl 
and is comfortable spending 
time on her own, but she also 
loves to be held and to be put 
on your lap. She is always very 
friendly and enjoys every bit of 
attention she receives.

 The regular cat adoption fee 
is $70 which includes spay/
neuter surgery, a microchip, 
the first set of vaccinations, 
and a free follow-up health 
check at a participating vet.

 Call the Pasadena 
Humane Society & SPCA at 
626.792.7151 to ask about 
A286621, or visit at 361 S. 
Raymond Ave. in Pasadena. 
Adoption hours are 11-4 
Sunday, 9-5 Tuesday –Friday, 
9-4 Saturday. Directions and 
photos of all pets can be found 
at www.pasadenahumane.org.

Northwest Programs Relocates 
to Jackie Robinson Center

 The Northwest Programs 
Office has moved to Jackie 
Robinson Center, 1020 N. 
Fair Oaks Ave., where it 
joins other city programs 
including Neighborhood 
Connections and community-
based organizations that 
provide important services to 
community residents.

 Northwest Programs works 
with residents and businesses to 
address needs in the community 
and improve the delivery 
of city services. Northwest 
Programs staffs the Northwest 
Commission which provides a 
venue for Northwest residents 
and businesses to be heard. The 
commission, which meets the 
second and fourth Thursday 
of the month at JRC, recently 
completed its strategic plan and 
the first phase of a marketing 
campaign, with street pole 
banners touting Northwest as 
the heart and soul of Pasadena.

 In addition, Northwest 
Programs manages the 
Ambassador program, which 
provides work experience 
for more than 50 high school 
youths and is celebrating its 
tenth year in operation. 

 “We help bridge the 
relationship between the city 
and the community in our 
efforts to enhance the quality 
of life in Northwest,” said Lola 
Osborne, Northwest Programs 
manager.

 Office hours remain 
unchanged: Monday through 
Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5:30 
p.m. and alternate Fridays from 
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 For more information call 626-
744-4791 or e-mail northwest@
cityofpasadena.net.