Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 9, 2012

4


Mountain Views-News Saturday June 9, 2012 

Democrats Win Big 
in Local Elections 


Bird Causes 
Power 
Outage, 
Snarls Traffic 

Helicopter Open House

Helicopter Open House

 Local Demarcates won 
across the board during 
Tuesday’s California Primary 
in which the top two winners 
in each race will again face 
each other come November. 

 Pasadena city 
councilmember Chris 
Holden beat out all five 
candidates for the newly 
created 41th Assembly 
District seat getting 34 
percent of the vote. Holden 
will face Tea Party candidate 
Donna Lowe who came in 
second winning 21 percent 
of the vote. The two will face 
off again during the General 
Election Nov. 6.

 Incumbent Adam Schiff 
dominated the race for 
the newly created 28th 
Congressional District seat 
beating Republican Phil 
Jennerjahn with almost 
60 percent of the vote. 
Jennerjahn got 17 percent of 
the votes.

 Other winners include 
incumbent Carol Liu In the 
state 25th Senate District 
race. She will now face 
Gilbert V. Gonzales for the 
seat. Democratic incumbent 
Judy Chu also won big 
getting over 60 percent of 
the vote. She will face Jack 
Orswell in the new 27th 
Congressional District.


By Dean Lee

An estimated 460 residents 
were without power Thursday 
morning after a bird flew into 
critical electrical equipment 
run by the city’s department of 
water and power electrocuting 
the animal instantly. City 
officials said more than 25 
traffic signals were affected 
causing gridlock along North 
Allen Avenue, from Orange 
Grove Boulevard to Colorado 
Boulevard. 

Parts of East Walnut Street 
to Hill Ave were also without 
traffic lights. Part of Pasadena 
City College was also, at 
one point, without power. 
Officials said the outage 
began at 9:40 a.m. lasting 
until midafternoon. Water 
and power crews were still 
repairing equipment at 4 p.m.

It took crews over an hour to 
place temporary stop signs 
at all the major intersections; 
no accidents were reported 
although employees at this 
newspaper saw a number of 
near misses along Allen Ave. 

The bird, reported as a 9-inch-
long crow, flipped a circuit 
affecting an area bound by 
Las Lunas Street, Colorado 
Boulevard, Chester Street and 
Altadena Drive. 

Chris Holden

 
The Pasadena Police Department’s Air 
Operations Team touched down for a free 
Open House event Saturday giving residents 
a close-up look at the helicopters and other 
police equipment. Residents also got a 
chance to learn how Air Operations protects 
and serves the public.

The all-day event attracted hundreds of 
visitors to the city’s Benedict Heliport next to 
the 210 freeway in Altadena 

 On display included motorcycles, an armored 
rescue vehicle, crime scene Investigations 
and a mobile command post. Visitors also 
meet some of the department’s most popular 
officers, the K9s, and their human partners.

 Those interested in a law enforcement career 
also were able to speak with representatives 
from the Pasadena Police Employment 
Services Unit. Police also present a different 
demonstration of techniques involving 
SWAT, K9s and motorcycles.

Donna Lowe

Fourth Annual ‘Juneteenth’ 
Festival and Open House

 Enjoy an afternoon of 
wonderful entertainment, 
games, Pasadena history telling 
and fun for children at the 4th 
Annual Juneteenth Festival 
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 
June 16 at Jackie Robinson 
Community Center, 1020 N. 
Fair Oaks Ave. 

 This special event will 
showcase information about 
Jackie Robinson Community 
Center and the history of 
Juneteenth, with storytelling by 
Pasadena residents. Children 
can also participate in arts and 
crafts activities provided by the 
Amory Center of the Arts. 

 This year’s festivities will 
focus on promoting the Jackie 
Robinson Community Center, 
Neighborhood Connections 
and Northwest Programs and 
the many programs and services 
they offer. 

 “Our Juneteenth Festival 
is a great way for Pasadena 
residents to come together and 
celebrate the Jackie Robinson 
Center’s 38 years of service 
to the community and learn 
how Pasadena’s parks make 
life better,” said Mercy Santoro, 
Pasadena’s Human Services 
and Recreation Department 
Director. 

 On-site entertainment will 
include Anthony Hicks of the 
Chi-Lites; the Bobby Wilkerson 
All Star Band; Rhythms of the 
Village Drum and Dance Circle: 
Calvary C.M.E. Church Gospel 
Choir; Jazz & R&B singer Kim 
Burgin and a Youth Talent 
Showcase. 

 This free and popular event 
is sponsored by the Pasadena 
Human Services and Recreation 
Department and the Jackie 
Robinson Community Center. 

For more information call Jarvis 
Emerson at (626) 744-7300 

Council to 
Consider 
Support of 
Guns Act

Humane Society Announces 
New Animal Care Campus

NASA Invites 
Social Media 
Fans To Event

 
NASA will host a 3-day 
NASA Social for 25 of its 
social media followers 
Aug. 3-5 at the agency’s 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory 
in Pasadena, Calif. The 
NASA Social is scheduled 
to culminate in the landing 
of the Mars Science 
Laboratory’s Curiosity 
rover at Mars’ Gale crater. 
The landing is anticipated 
at approximately 10:31 p.m. 
PDT Aug. 5 (1:31 a.m. EDT 
Aug. 6).

 The event will offer 
people who engage with 
NASA through Twitter, 
Facebook, Google+ and 
other social networks the 
opportunity to tour JPL, 
speak with scientists and 
engineers, participate in 
news conferences and, if all 
goes as planned, be at the 
media site when the first 
signal of the rover’s landing 
is detected by JPL mission 
control. The event also 
will provide participants 
the opportunity to interact 
with fellow tweeps, space 
enthusiasts and members 
of NASA’s social media 
team.

 Pasadena Police Chief Phillip 
Sanchez is recommending that 
the city council express formal 
support for the Prevent Illegal 
Guns Act of 2012 (S81366), a 
bill that would require every 
person, with exceptions, to 
report the theft or loss of 
a firearm to the local law 
enforcement agency within 48 
hours.

In a report, Sanchez said, “a 
requirement to report lost or 
stolen firearms would assist 
in the identification and 
prosecution of “straw buyers, 
individuals who purchase 
guns legally, then sell them 
to people who cannot legally 
purchase firearms such as gang 
members, criminals or minors. 
When crime guns are traced to 
straw buyers, they often claim 
the firearm was lost or stolen.”

The council will take up the 
issue Monday night during 
their regular meeting at city 
hall starting at 6:30 p.m.

 The Pasadena Humane 
Society & SPCA announced 
this week plans of expanding its 
role as a leading animal welfare 
provider in Los Angeles County 
by constructing a new $20 
million Animal Care Campus 
on the corner of Raymond Ave. 
and Del Mar Blvd. The state-
of-the-art facility may open as 
early as January 2014.

 The 35,000 square-foot 
expansion includes, A Wellness 
and Spay/Neuter Facility, 
A Behavior, Training and 
Education Center, An Outdoor 
Enrichment Area, A Larger 
Retail Store, Subterranean 
parking and 36 new kennels. 

 “This is the next step in 
continuing to provide excellent 
programs for the animals,” says 
Steve McNall, President and 
CEO of the Pasadena Humane 
Society & SPCA. “No one 
else is doing this in the area, 
especially during these rough 
economic times. The Animal 
Care Campus will be a viable 
community resource that 
will help us reach our goal of 
zero euthanasia of adoptable 
animals.”

A public groundbreaking 
ceremony will be held on 
Wednesday, June 20 at 11a.m. 
at 361 S. Raymond Ave. For 
more information and to 
make a donation, visit www.
pasadenahumane.org.


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 June 12 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


Proposed Rate Change 

to Go Before the Council

National HIV 
Testing Day – 
Old Pasadena

 

 Residential and commercial 
customers may soon see 
a change to rates for the 
Distribution and Customer 
Charge of their electric bills 
from the City’s Water and Power 
Department. The Pasadena 
City Council will consider 
amending the Light and Power 
Ordinance (P.M.C. 13.04) at its 
next regular meeting, beginning 
6:30 p.m. Monday, June 11. 

 Pasadena Water and Power 
(PWP) is proposing to increase 
the Electric Distribution and 
Customer (D&C) Charge to 
generate an additional $3.75 
million in annual revenue. The 
additional revenue will fund 
capital investments and cover 
increased operational expenses. 

 The City’s electric utility 
identified the need for the 
proposed rate adjustments 
during the Fiscal Year 2013 
budget presentation at the 
May 21 Special Joint Meeting 
of the City Council/Finance 
Committee. 

The City Council last approved 
an increase to the D&C Charge 
about five years ago in October 
2007. If approved, PWP would 
apply the new rate to the first 
bill issued after July 1, 2012. All 
customer groups will be subject 
to the increase. 

 If the new rate is approved by 
the City Council, residential 
customers using about 500 
kilowatt hours per month 
would see their monthly D&C 
charge increase by about $2.52. 
Residential customers using 
about 1,000 kilowatt hours 
(kWh) per month would see 
their monthly D&C charge 
increase by about $4.73. 

 The D&C charge for most 
small commercial customers 
using about 2,000 kWh would 
see a change of about $7.68 
per month; and about $15.36 
per month for customers using 
around 4,000 kWh. 

 The monthly D&C charges 
for commercial customers are 
based on their peak demand 
on the distribution system. 
Distribution rate increase for 
most medium commercial 
customers will average $0.82 
per kilowatt (kW), or $82 per 
month for a 100 kW customer. 
The average distribution 
rate increase for most large 
commercial customers will 
be $0.79 per kW, or $790 per 
month for a 1,000 kW customer. 

 The D&C Charge is one of 
four components of the electric 
rate paid by PWP customers. 
The D&C Charge is for the 
operational costs of distributing 
power to customers, including 
repairs and maintenance to 
poles, cables and vaults, capital 
improvements to improve 
reliability, meter reading, billing 
and customer service. 

 For more information on the 
rate changes please go to PWP 
website at www.PWPweb.com/
YourPower or call Customer 
Service at (626) 744-4005.

JPL June Events Calendar

 Some events subject to 
change

 

 
JUNE 10-14: IT’S THE 
COSMIC VERSION OF 
‘AVENGERS ASSEMBLE’

 The 220th meeting of the 
American Astronomical 
Society will be held in 
Anchorage, Alaska, at 
the Dena’ina Civic and 
Convention Center. 
Astronomers from around 
the globe, including those 
from JPL, will discuss the 
current state of our universe 
in news conferences, science 
talks and poster sessions.

 JUNE 13: NEW BLACK-
HOLE HUNTER 
TELESCOPE TO LAUNCH 
JUNE 13

 NASA’s Nuclear 
Spectroscopic Telescope 
Array, or NuSTAR, is 
scheduled to launch no 
earlier than June 13 from 
Kwajalein Atoll in the 
Marshall Islands. The 
first-of-its-kind telescope, 
with a 33-foot (10-meter) 
deployable mast, will observe 
the highest energy X-ray 
light in the universe with 
the greatest precision to 
date. It will probe everything 
from supermassive black 
holes to shattered stellar 
remains to our own sun. The 
launch will be broadcast on 
Ustream, with a moderated 
chat available, at http://www.
ustream.tv/nasajpl2. 

 JUNE 21-22: 
FREE LECTURE – 
MELTING SNOWS: 
THE THREATENED 
LIFEBLOOD OF THE 
WESTERN U.S.

 Snowmelt from the Sierra 
Nevada and the mountains 
of the Upper Colorado River 
Basin provides the water upon 
which Western society is built. 
In recent years, increases 
in population and drought 
have pushed water demand 
past snowmelt-dominated 
supply. Climate change 
and dust deposited from 
disturbed lands have already 
begun the encroaching on 
this precious resource. JPL 
is developing the Airborne 
Snow Observatory and 
other systems to bolster U.S. 
snow resource monitoring 
capabilities that can anchor 
cutting-edge science and 
water management in an 
uncertain future. Free 
lectures to be held June 21 at 
JPL; June 22 at Pasadena City 
College; both at 7 p.m.

 Join Assemblymember 
Portantino June 23 at noon 
as he and other officials take 
HIV tests.

 Thousands of Californians 
are unaware that they are 
living with HIV - that means 
thousands of people who 
are not getting treatment 
and who are potentially 
infecting others. HIV 
screening is important to 
identify those infected, get 
them into treatment, change 
their behaviors and prevent 
further transmission of 
HIV. 

 Getting tested for HIV is 
easy. The pain-free test will 
be administered by health 
department workers using 
a quick-result swab that 
provides results within 20 
minutes. 

 National HIV Testing 
Day: Saturday, June 23 from 
11am to 3pm

Mercantile Place, Old 
Pasadena Between Fair 
Oaks Ave. & Raymond Ave 
just below Colorado Blvd.

 For further information, 
please contact Office 
of Assemblymember 
Portantino at 626.720-3409

 Coco is a one-year-seven-
month–old long hair black 
cat. She’s aptly named 
as she is very sweet and 
affectionate. She can be 
quite the talker too! She 
loves being petted and will 
sit in your lap all day. 

 Coco’s adoption fee is $70, 
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. 
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 
A304044 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.