Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 11, 2012

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 11, 2012 


Man Charged with Hacking 
NASA Computers at JPL

Ex TofR 
Director 
Arrested 
for Murder

 A federal grand jury has 
indicted a Romanian citizen for 
hacking into the computers of 
the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration at the Jet 
Propulsion Laboratory in an 
attack that caused more than 
$500,000 in damage.

 Robert Butyka, who used the 
moniker “Iceman,” 25, of Cluj-
Napoca, Romania, was indicted 
yesterday on charges of hacking 
into 25 NASA computers at 
JPL in December 2010. The 
computers were part of the 
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder 
Program, which is used to 
support climate research and 
improve weather forecasting.

 As a result of Butyka’s alleged 
conduct, researchers were 
unable to use the computers for 
more than two months while 
NASA removed the malicious 
code in the machines, restored 
data and took steps to prevent 
further access by hackers. NASA 
sustained more than $500,000 
in damages, which includes the 
costs of completing the work on 
the computers and the time lost 
to scientific researchers.

 NASA worked with Romanian 
authorities to investigate the 
matter. As a result of those 
cooperative efforts, Romania 
prosecuted and convicted 
Butyka. Last month, Butyka 
received a three-year prison 
sentence and seven years of 
probation in Romania for his 
illegal conduct.

 The one-count indictment 
returned by the grand jury 
yesterday charges Butyka with 
unauthorized impairment of 
a protected computer. If he 
is convicted of the computer 
hacking offense, Butyka would 
face a statutory maximum 
sentence of 10 years in a United 
States prison.

 The case was investigated by 
NASA’s Office of the Inspector 
General, Computer Crimes 
Division.

By Dean Lee

 Sheriff’s detectives 
Wednesday arrested, Richard 
Allan Munnecke, a former 
Tournament of Roses 
committee member and 
once director for the alleged 
2004 murder of a 59-year-old 
woman later found suffocated 
and stuffed in the trunk of her 
own car.

 Police said the arrest ended 
an eight year investigation 
into the murder of Donna Lee 
Kelly, whose body was found 
by her daughter, in the trunk 
of her car three weeks after her 
disappearance.

 According to reports a number 
of fellow Tournament of Roses 
officials and friends were 
shocked to hear of Munnecke’s 
arrest saying it was out of line 
with his graceful personality. 
Some went so far as to say they 
might have arrested the wrong 
man.

 Munnecke, 71, was arrested at 
his Alhambra home, pursuant 
to an arrest warrant, and 
booked at Temple Sheriff’s 
Station for Murder. He is being 
held in lieu of $1 million bail 
according to police records.

 Detectives said based on 
their findings, and a DNA 
match, a search warrant for 
Munnecke’s residence, located 
in the 800 block of North 
Almansor Street, Alhambra, 
was obtained and served 
Wednesday morning. 

 During the investigation, 
detectives learned Donna Kelly 
was romantically involved 
with Richard Allan Munnecke, 
who was married.

 Donna Kelly’s daughter, 
Diane, discovered her mother’s 
body on April 15, 2004. She 
was driving her mother’s car 
through Eaton Canyon County 
Park and smelled a foul odor 
emanating from the trunk. 
She looked inside to find a 
decomposed body inside.

 Detectives said it was later 
learned the murder had 
occurred at Donna Kelly’s 
home. 

Eight years later, the same 
Sheriff’s Homicide Detectives, 
Elizabeth Smith and Richard 
Lopez revisited the case and 
gathered new information. 
They obtained the DNA 
sample from Munnecke and, 
in part through a Federal grant 
to fund DNA testing for cold 
cases, were able to get test 
results.

 Investigators are asking that 
anyone with information 
about this case to contact the 
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s 
Department’s Homicide 
Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or 
anonymously at (800) 222-
TIPS (8477). 

Parsons Project to get EIR

By Dean Lee

 The City Council took the first 
steeps Monday night towards 
a possible one million square 
foot project on the Parsons site, 
adjacent to Old Pasadena, which 
could include, retail and office 
or a hotel.

 The council unanimously 
approved authorizing City 
Manager Michael Beck 
to enter into a $455,000 
contract with EPA Consulting 
for the preparation of the 
Environmental Impact Report 
(EIR) for the proposed Parsons 
Planned Development at 100 
West Walnut Street. 

 According to a city staff report, 
“The EIR will include an analysis 
of the main project as well as 
several project alternatives. 
The project will include up to 
one-million square feet of new 
gross building area, including 
residential, retail and office. 
The alternatives will consider 
different options to reduce 
environmental effects and 
will likely include alternative 
program uses such as a hotel 
and a bio-science lab element.”

 A Predevelopment Plan 
Review (PPR) application will 
be presented to the city council 
on February 27.

 The EIR will include a 
comprehensive analysis of all 
required issues and will include 
chapters on Aesthetics, Air 
Quality, Land Use, Noise, Public 
Services, Traffic, and Utilities (a 
Water Supply Assessment will be 
prepared). It is anticipated that 
several technical studies will 
be required including Traffic 
and Parking, Geotechnical/
Seismic, Phase I Environmental 
Assessment, Sewer and Utility 
capacity, and a Water Supply 
Assessment according to staff.

 The full EIR is expected to 
take 18 months which includes 
meetings to allow for public 
review and comment. 

 Parsons Corp. sold the property 
in July to Morgan Stanley Real 
Estate Investing in partnership 
with Dallas-based Lincoln 
Property Co. Parsons will 
continue to occupy the existing 
12-story tower for 15 years. 

 Morgan Stanley and Lincoln 
Property plan to invest $168 
million in the property over the 
next five to 10 years. Any new 
development would not break 
ground for at least three years 
according to the new owners.


Kimono in 
the 20th 
Century 

Grand Marshals Chosen 
for Black History Parade

Author to Discuss Famed 
African American Umpire


In celebration of Black History 
Month, Allendale Branch 
Library will honor Los Angeles 
baseball pioneer Emmett 
Ashford, the first African 
American umpire to officiate in 
both minor and major league 
baseball on Saturday, February 
25 at 3 p.m. Author Adrienne 
Cherie Ashford will discuss her 
father’s extraordinary career 
and legacy; sign copies of her 
book; and show video clips of 
her father umpiring in the 1970 
World Series. Co-sponsored by 
Baseball Reliquary.

 For more information, call 
(626) 744-7260.

 Pasadena’s 30th Annual 
Black History Parade and 
Festival, Saturday, Feb. 18, 
will reach back to its roots to 
feature as its grand marshal 
both noted community 
members and local Southern 
California celebrities. 

 This year’s community 
grand marshals will include 
three of the founders of the 
parade: past Jackie Robinson 
Community Center 
director Gene Stevenson, 
Carolyn Jones and Hamp 
Morris. Joining them will 
be Brandilyn Amie, the 
Pasadena Community 
Access Corporation parade 
announcer, and on-site 
parade announcer Roland 
Bynum. 

 A team of familiar news 
anchors from KTLA channel 
5 and film actor Willard 
Pugh have been chosen as the 
2012 parade’s celebrity grand 
marshals. Former KTLA 
anchor Walter Richards and 
current anchors Michaela 
Pereira and Gayle Anderson 
will join Pugh, familiar to 
many for his roles in the 
movies The Color Purple 
and Air Force One, among 
many others. 

 With the theme “Looking 
Back and Remembering: 
We’ve Come A Mighty 
Long Way,” the parade will 
celebrate the achievements 
and contributions of African 
Americans to American 
society. And in this 30th 
anniversary year, the parade 
and festival will celebrate 
itself and its place among 
Pasadena’s community 
traditions. 

 The parade begins at 10 
a.m. at Charles White Park 
in Altadena, at Ventura 
Street and Fair Oaks Ave., 
and travels south on Fair 
Oaks to Robinson Park, 1081 
N. Fair Oaks Ave., where a 
festival follows until 4 p.m. 
The festival features a youth 
area, entertainment, vendor 
booths, food and more. 

For more information call 
(626) 744-7333. 

 Pacific Asia Museum 
announced its exhibitions 
for the spring and summer 
including Kimono in the 20th 
Century opening in March.

 The 20th century in Japan 
was a time of economic 
prosperity and cultural 
expansion. Elements of 
Art Nouveau and Art Deco 
brought new dimensions to 
traditional Japanese art and 
design, including fashion. 
Pieces in Kimono in the 
20th Century examine these 
changing styles and fabrics, 
demonstrating a strong sense 
of the wearer’s taste, the modes 
of contemporary fashion, or 
requirements of the season in 
which the kimono was worn. 
Kimono in the exhibition 
include formal styles, children’s 
clothing, undergarments and 
light summer wear as well as 
a gift in 2008 from the June 
Tsukamoto-Lyon collection, 
which provided breadth and 
further quality to Pacific Asia 
Museum’s already substantial 
collection. Guest-curated 
by Hollis Goodall, Curator 
of Japanese Art at LACMA. 
Frank and Toshie Mosher 
Gallery of Japanese Art March 
30, 2012 through March 10, 
2013. Image: Kimono, Japan, 
20th c., Silk, Pacific Asia 
Museum Collection, Gift of 
the estate of Joseph Dagnall, 
1994.5.36

Adrienne Cherie Ashford


Citizen 
Journalism 
Meet-up

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

 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. 14 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.

Pet of 
the Week


City Announces Layoffs to 
Maintain Financial Stability

 City Manager Michael Beck 
announced today that 14 staff 
members have been notified 
that their positions are 
being considered for layoff. 
The city has 1,953 full- and 
part-time employees. Those 
affected employees received 
notice that their positions 
may be eliminated in March.

 The effects of the recession, 
which continue to impact 
city revenues despite recent 
improvements in the 
broader economy, growing 
pension costs and the state’s 
dissolution of redevelopment 
agencies, make additional 
staff reductions necessary to 
ensure the city remains on 
track to balance its budget. 

 Since the beginning of 
Pasadena’s five-year budget 
plan in 2009, designed to 
address the effects of the 
recession and a structural 
deficit, the city has cut nearly 
300 positions, most of which 
were achieved through 
voluntary separations and 
the elimination of vacant 
positions. 

 “In order to maintain fiscal 
responsibility and stability, 
additional staffing reductions 
have unfortunately become 
necessary” said Beck. “We 
understand that we’re not 
just talking about numbers 
on a page, but about real 
people, good employees, 
losing jobs.” 

 The elimination of these 
positions, almost all in 
mid-level management, is 
expected to save the city 
approximately $3.9 million 
per year.

Beck also noted that the 
city still must absorb 
approximately $17 million 
in windstorm recovery costs, 
which will not be reimbursed 
with state or federal disaster 
funds. 

 “But we’re hopeful,” 
Beck added, “that the 
difficult work we’ve done 
to make long-term budget 
corrections, along with 
positive economic trends, 
will mean that the worst of 
this is behind us.”

 Damon is a three-year-old 
gray tabby. He loves belly 
rubs and is very sweet. He 
can be vocal sometimes too.

 Damon’s adoption fee 
is $70, which includes 
his neuter surgery, a 
microchip, the first set of 
vaccinations, as well as 
a free follow-up health 
check at a participating vet. 
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 
A301148, 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.

Celebrating Civil Rights 
Movement 50th Anniversary 

 Angeline Butler, singer, 
actress, director, educator, 
social activist and Freedom 
Rider will present a one-
woman show on the Civil 
Rights Movement Thursday, 
February 16, 6 p.m. at La 
Pintoresca Branch Library. 
Special performance by Folk 
Singer Ross Altman. 

 Butler is a contributor to 
“Hands on the Freedom 
Plow, Personal Accounts 
by Women in SNCC,” a 
collection of testimonials 
from fifty-two women – 
northern and southern, 
young and old, urban and 
rural, black, white, and Latina 
who shared their courageous 
personal stories of working 
for the Student Nonviolent 
Coordinating Committee 
(SNCC) on the front lines of 
the Civil Rights Movement. 
An unprecedented women’s 
history of the Civil Rights 
Movement, from sit-ins to 
Black Power. 

 Each story reveals how 
the struggle for social change 
was formed, supported, and 
maintained by the women 
who kept their “hands on 
the freedom plow.” As the 
editors write in the introduction, 
“Though the voices 
are different, they all tell 
the same story--of women 
bursting out of constraints, 
leaving school, leaving their 
hometowns, meeting new 
people, talking into the 
night, laugh¬ing, going to 
jail, being afraid, teaching in 
Freedom Schools, working 
in the field, dancing at the 
Elks Hall, working the WATS 
line to relay horror story after 
horror story, telling the 
press, telling the story, telling 
the word.” 

History of 
African 
Drumming

 In celebration of Black 
History Month Drummer 
Marcus Miller will provide 
a history of African 
drumming followed by a 
drumming demonstration 
and opportunity for those 
in attendance to try their 
skills on Thursday, February 
16, 1 p.m. at Santa Catalina 
Branch Library, 999 E. 
Washington Blvd. and 
3:30 p.m. at La Pintoresca 
Branch Library, 1355 N. 
Raymond Ave. For more 
information call (626) 744-
7268.

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