Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 14, 2012

4


Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 14, 2012 

2012 State 
of the City 
Ready to Go


SCHIFF STILL SOPA PROPONENT 
AS OPPOSITION MOUNTS 


By Dean Lee

 With the threat looming 
that a number of popular 
internet sites —opposed 
to the Stop Online Piracy 
Act (SOPA)— are poised 
Wednesday to “blackout” 
their services, including 
Wikipedia and the user-
generated news link startup 
Reddit, Congressman Adam 
Schiff said Thursday, that he 
not only still supports the 
bill but thinks it necessary 
to stop overseas intellectual 
property theft of American 
goods.

 Schiff is one of 12 original co-
sponsors of the bill, known 
as H.R. 3261, introduced in 
October by Representative 
Lamar Smith of Texas. 

 “These are my constituents 
that are losing jobs because 
of this [pirated movies/TV] 
and a lot of the theft of this 
comes out of L.A. and out of 
our neighborhood,” he said.

 Opponents of the bill 
included CEOs of some 
of the largest technology 
companies on Earth, 
including Google, Twitter, 
Yahoo, PayPal, eBay and 
craigslist. 

 In an open letter authored 
by, Sergey Brin, co-founder 
of Google, Jack Dorsey 
co-founder of Twitter and 
Arianna Huffington co-
founder of the Huffington 
Post among others, says 
SOPA threatens the very 
existence of the internet.

 Their concerns rage from 
the bills requirement that 
file sharing sites and search 
engines must monitor what 
users link to, or upload; to 
implications that it would 
deny website owners the 
right to due process of law 
giving the government, in 
what opponents say, amounts 
to censorship. 

 Schiff, optimistic, said 
he thinks the bill is being 
improved.

 “There have been some 
amendments that have been 
adopted in committee to 
address some of the concerns 
that have been raised,” he 
said. “The goal is really 
focused on these foreign 
websites that are the venue 
for massive amounts of theft 
of American work product.”

 In December The House 
Judiciary Committee held 
three markup sessions, one 
lasting over 10 hours. Schiff 
said the bill was currently 
still in markup and would 
again be heard sometime 
after Tuesday when the 
House convenes. 

 Reports from 
Computerworld.com, at 
the time, said about 20 
amendments designed to 
address SOPA concerns were 
voted down.

 The bills leading supporters 
include the Motion Picture 
Association of America, 
and the Recording Industry 
Association of America. 
Schiff said companies are 
losing billions of dollars and 
thousands of jobs to overseas 
pirating.

 
Pasadena Mayor Bill 
Bogaard’s 2012 State of 
the City event themed 
“Spotlight on Performance” 
is set for Jan. 26, at A Noise 
Within, 3352 E. Foothill 
Blvd. 

 Doors to the theater will 
open at 6:30 p.m. and the 
program will begin at 7 p.m. 
with Vice Mayor Margaret 
McAustin serving as master 
of ceremonies. 

 The Pasadena Police 
Department Honor Guard 
will present the colors, a 
scene from Michael Frayn’s 
classic British farce “Noises 
Off” will be performed 
and accomplishments of 
the past year in Pasadena 
will be presented in a video 
narrated by a community 
leader. 

 During his remarks to 
the community, Bogaard 
will provide updates and 
future plans regarding 
the ongoing weak 
economy, redevelopment, 
environment, arts and 
culture, public safety, 
transportation and more. 

 The event is free and 
open to the public. Spanish 
interpretation will be 
provided. The program will 
be videotaped for future 
broadcast on KPAS and 
via streaming video on the 
Internet. A replay schedule 
will be announced. 

 Transportation on 
the Metro Gold Line is 
encouraged since A Noise 
Within is less than a block 
from the Metro Gold Line 
Sierra Madre Villa Station; 
free self-parking is also 
available at the station’s 
parking structure with 
entrances on northbound 
Sierra Madre Villa Avenue 
and southbound Halstead 
Street. Handicapped 
parking and drop-off will 
be available in front of 
the theater on Foothill 
Boulevard. 

 For more information email 
lnagahiro@cityofpasadena.
net or call (626) 744-4311.

Celebrating the Cheeseburger

By Dean Lee

 Pasadena is known for 
many things, and just as 
American as hometown 
parades and football games, 
the city, it turns out, also goes 
down as the birthplace for 
the classic cheeseburger. In 
that honor, starting Sunday, 
the city officially kicks off 
cheeseburger week. 

 Commemorating, teenaged 
Lionel Sternberger’s, culinary 
experiment in the early 1920s 
at his father’s restaurant The 
Rite Spot 1500 W. Colorado 
Blvd., near the present-day 
Stoney Point Bar & Grill 
was the idea of former City 
Councilman and current 
President of the Pasadena 
Chamber of Commerce Paul 
Little. Cheeseburger Week is 
sponsored by the Chamber 
with support from the City of 
Pasadena and is a California 
Restaurant Month event 
Little said.

 As part of the fun, burger 
lovers are invited to take the 
Cheeseburger Challenge and 
vote for their favorite burger 
pasadenarestaurantweek.
com

 Little said in a press 
statement that there are 
two stories surrounding the 
birth of, at the time called, a 
“cheese hamburger.” 

 “Legend has it that young 
Lionel Sternberger burned a 
hamburger and, to cover his 
error, added a slice of cheese 
to the burger then served it to 
a delighted customer,’ Little 
explained. “Either that or a 
hobo, wanting a little extra 
protein, asked the kid behind 
the counter to add cheese to 
his $0.15 hamburger, the rest 
is culinary history. The Rite 
Spot’s Aristocratic Burger 
was a favorite with customers 
for decades and was priced 
at that same $0.15 for twenty 
years.”

 According to a number 
of historians, Sternberger 
later expanded the Rite Spot 
opening another location 
in Highland Park which the 
famed Bob Wian, who started 
Bob’s Big Boy Hamburgers, 
worked. Until the mid 1980s 
the Bob’s Big Boy in Pasadena 
was legendary for being along 
the Rose Parade route, the 
location is now the Pasadena 
City College Shatford 
Library. An attempt to bring 
Bob’s back to Pasadena failed 
last month with the closing of 
the newly opened restaurant 
on Del Mar Ave near Lake 
Ave,

 Little said a number eateries 
were participating in the 
Cheeseburger Challenge 
including, CREPEstudio, 
Beckham Grill and Crown 
Pub, Lovebirds Café, Soleil at 
the Sheraton, Jersey Mike’s, 
Noir Food and Wine and 
Kings Row Gastropub join Pie 
‘n Burger, a/k/a: an American 
bistro, The Counter, Burger 
Continental, Clearman’s 
Galley, Toro Sushi, Magnolia 
Lounge, Vertical Wine 
Bistro, El Portal, M Local 
Mediterranean Grill and 
many others. Most are offing 
special menus and deals he 
said. Cheeseburger Week is 
January 15th -20th.

Gung Hay 
Fat Choy!

 Join us in celebrating 
Chinese New Year as we 
greet the Year of the Dragon 
with fun stories and crafts 
to take home on Saturday, 
January 21 at 10 a.m. in 
Central Library’s Children’s 
Story Room, 285 E. Walnut 
St. For more information 
call (626) 744-4045.

Portantino’s Whistleblower 
Bill Passes Key Committee


Assemblymember Anthony 
Portantino’s bill to provide 
Legislative staffers with 
the same protections from 
retaliation as other state 
employees, has passed its 
first legislative hurdle.

 AB 1378 was approved 
today by the Assembly 
Judiciary Committee on a 
unanimous vote.

 The bill marks the first 
time legislative employees 
will have legal protection 
from reprisals for reporting 
government wrongdoing 
such as waste or abuse. It’s 
part of Assemblymember 
Portantino’s broader 
efforts to ensure openness, 
transparency and 
accountability in state 
government.

 “This is another self-serving 
protection that the legislature 
enacted that needs to be 
repealed. Workers should 
know that when they do the 
right thing they won’t have to 
face the threat of retaliation. 
Repealing this exemption 
show’s we are serious about 
finding waste and fraud. 
It’s the right thing to do,” 
commented Portantino.

 Each year, thousands of 
Californians do the right 
thing by reporting waste, 
fraud, violations of law, 
and political corruption. 
When they do the right 
thing, they are protected 
from retaliation under the 
California Whistleblower 
Protection Act. In most state 
houses in the nation those 
who witness and report 
these abuses are also covered 
with protection. Not in 
California. Folks who work 
for the State Legislature have 
no such protection. AB 1378 
will change this disparity.

 AB 1378 would require the 
Rules Committees of both 
the Assembly and Senate 
to designate an officer to 
receive written complaints 
and the state Auditor would 
then investigate those 
complaints. Those found 
guilty of retaliation could 
face fines up to $10,000 and 
a year in county jail. 

 The bill now goes to 
Assembly Appropriations 
later this month.

Teddy Bear 
Tea Party

Windstorm Loan Center Reopens 

 

 The federal government 
has reopened a windstorm 
loan outreach center in the 
Pasadena Fire Department 
administration offices at 199 
S. Los Robles Ave., Suite 550 
(northwest corner of Los Robles 
Avenue and Cordova Street). 

 Closed for the holidays, the 
center is open again from 9 a.m. 
to 5:30 p.m. through Jan. 20. 

 Homeowners can apply for up 
to $200,000 to repair or replace 
damaged primary residences. 
Homeowners and renters 
can apply for up to $40,000 
to replace damaged personal 
property, including vehicles. 

 Businesses and non-profits can 
apply for up to $2 million to 
repair or replace damaged real 
estate, machinery, equipment, 
inventory and other assets.

 Call (800) 659-2955 for 
information. 

 Bring your Teddy Bear 
or favorite stuffed animal 
with you for tea and special 
Teddy Bear stories on 
Thursday, Jan. 26, 3:30 p.m. 
at La Pintoresca Branch 
Library, 1355 N. Raymond 
Ave. Call (626) 744-7268 for 
reservations.

Pet of 
the Week

Citizen 
Journalism 
Meet-up

Ever wondered how we got 
here? Out west in California? 
Ben Fitzsimmons of the 
Autry National Center will 
share stories of the pioneers 
and their migration westward 
along with a hands-on 
exhibit of replica artifacts 
on Thursday, January 26 at 
4 p.m. at Hastings Branch 
Library, 3325 E. Orange 
Grove Blvd. For more 
information call (626) 744-
7262.

Westward Ho!


FESTIVAL 
OF WOMEN 
AUTHORS TO 
BE HELD

 
The 4th Annual Pasadena 
Festival of Women Authors 
will be held March 3. This 
prestigious event, featuring 
four award-winning 
Southern California authors 
– Heidi Durrow, Fannie 
Flagg, Michelle Huneven 
and Susan Straight - will take 
place at the Pasadena Senior 
Center, 85 East Holly Street, 
Pasadena, Calif. (9:30AM – 
1:30PM). Elizabeth Forsythe 
Hailey, author of A Woman 
of Independent Means, will 
serve as moderator.

 The Pasadena Festival of 
Women Authors brings 
together a group of diverse 
and well-published Southern 
California female authors 
to discuss their work with a 
group of enthusiastic people 
whose love of literature 
inspired the event. The 
festival provides an intimate 
setting where authors and 
guests will be able to interact 
with each other and authors 
will be available to answer 
questions and sign their 
books for guests.

 Proceeds from the event 
benefit the Pasadena Senior 
Center. In the last three 
years, the Pasadena Festival 
of Women Authors has 
made more than $60,000.00 
in donations to benefit the 
programs and services there. 
Tickets for the festival are 
$85 per person and include 
lunch. Reserved tables of 
10 are $850. Visit www.
Pasadena Festivalof Women 
Authors.org for more 
information.

 Roxy is a one-year-old 
Chihuahua. She has tons 
of puppy energy so an 
attentive, active and loving 
family would be best for her. 

 Roxy’s adoption fee is 
$120, which includes her 
spay surgery, a microchip, 
the first set of vaccinations, 
as well as a free follow-
up health check at a 
participating vet. Also, 
new adopters will receive 
complimentary health and 
wellness exam from VCA 
Animal Hospitals. Ask an 
adoptions counselor for 
more information during 
your visit.

 Call the Pasadena 
Humane Society & SPCA at 
626.792.7151 to ask about 
A287341, 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.

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

Next Steps for Heritage Square 
Senior Housing to be Discussed

 

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 
Jan. 10 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.

 The Pasadena community 
is invited to take part in the 
next step toward creating the 
Heritage Square affordable 
senior housing development 
by attending a public 
meeting Saturday, Jan. 28, 
from 10 a.m. to noon in 
the auditorium at Jackie 
Robinson Center, 1020 N. 
Fair Oaks Ave.

 BRIDGE Housing, selected 
by the city of Pasadena 
to build and lease the 
planned Heritage Square 
development at 750-790 N. 
Fair Oaks Ave., will present 
the required draft local 
benefit plan for community 
input.

 Under the terms of the 
approved development 
and loan agreement with 
BRIDGE Housing, local 
benefit requirements call for 
20 percent local hiring, 20 
percent local subcontracting 
and 20 percent local 
purchasing of materials.

 Pasadena ARTS Bus route 
20 and Metro line 260 
provide direct bus service 
to Jackie Robinson Center. 
ARTS Bus, Metro and other 
route schedules are available 
at www.cityofpasadena.net/
publictransitoptions or by 
calling 5-1-1. 

 For more information 
contact Jim Wong of 
the Pasadena Housing 
Department at jwong@
cityofpasadena.net or (626) 
744-8316.

Heidi Durrow

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