Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 11, 2012

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Mountain Views-News Saturday August 11, 2012 


City Supports Sale of State 
Owned Properties Within 
the SR-710 Corridor

Conductor 
Marvin 
Hamlisch 
Suddenly 
Dies

By Dean Lee

 The city council voted Monday 
night taking a proactive side 
supporting the sale of Caltrans 
owned properties in the city 
contingent on a “trigger” event, 
such as the elimination of a 710 
surface freeway gap alternative 
from further consideration of 
the SR-710 North Gap Closure 
Project.

 The council voted unanimously, 
authorizing the Vice Mayor to 
send a letter to state legislators 
in support of SB 204 introduced 
by Senator Carol Liu, with 
Councilmember Terry Tornek 
applauding the decision. 

“A lot of us have been interested 
in this for a long time,” Tornek 
said. “In terms of regaining 
these properties, bringing them 
back on the tax rolls.” 

 Both Mayor Bill Bogaard and 
Councilmember Steve Madison 
recused themselves due to a 
potential conflict of interest 
associated with ownership of 
property.

 According to the city’s 
Transpiration Administrator, 
Bahman Janka, Since the late 
1960’s, Caltrans has owned 
approximately 145 properties 
in Pasadena most of which are 
used for residential, commercial 
and educational purposes. 

 Suzanne Reed, Chief of Staff 
for State Senator Carol Liu said 
at issue could be the properties 
becoming tangled up in 
alternatives of the proposed 710 
Freeway extension.

 “This really does apply to the 
houses that have been owned 
by Caltrans for 40 to 50 years,” 
she said. “If it gets tied up with, 
a decision for a final, preferred 
alternative [to the 710 Freeway 
gap] I think you are just 
looking at many more years of 
having these houses in Caltrans 
ownership.”

 Reed made clear that none 
of the money from the sale 
of the homes can go to the 
construction of a proposed 
tunnel route although could be 
used for projects such as biking 
or walking trails along the 
corridor. 

 “We have also added that any 
current occupants of the non-
residential properties would 
be given first right of refusal 
to purchase the properties 
they currently occupy at a fair 
market value,” Reed said later 
adding that non-residential 
Caltrans properties, such as the 
Ronald McDonald House or 
other non-profit organizations, 
would get first right to buy at 
fair market value.


ULI Recomends New Arroyo Conservancy

By Dean Lee

 In a 25 page report released 
Thursday, the Urban Land 
Institute cautioned against the 
idea of using the Rose Bowl as 
a temporary home to an NFL 
football team instead focusing 
on long term solutions that 
could generate revenue such as 
fee-based parking and a visitors 
program for the stadium.

 “The panel recommends that 
the city not be swayed by the 
offer to temporarily host the 
National Football League,” 
the report reads. “It was the 
panel’s opinion that such an 
effort would be detrimental to 
the ultimate goal of making 
the Central Arroyo Seco a 
sustainable part of the Pasadena 
community.”

 The report recommended 
three ideas, one of which would 
call for the elimination of the 
Rose Bowl Operating Company 
the very body the report was 
presented to.

 “Created and empowered 
by the city of Pasadena, the 
conservancy would be a single 
purpose 501(c)(3) entity with 
operational control of the entire 
Central Arroyo area,” it said. 
“The ROBC would be either 
folded into or replaced by this 
new entity.” The reported noted 
that both Kidspace and the 
Aquatics Center would remain 
independent —effectively 
tenants of the conservancy. 

 The new conservancy would be 
tasked with, creating a physical 
master plan for the area and 
to create a business plan, for 
the Rose Bowl and golf course 
looking at parking and park 
features.

 The study also recommended 
a variety of ways to generate 
revenue though a visitors 
program including, the use of 
the locker room and training 
facilities, historic event location, 
field walk-on, “Catch a Pass” 
in the end zone, “hold your 
Wedding” on the 50-yard line 
and photo ops, as well as, snacks 
and food services.

 The report uses examples such 
as the Empire State Building and 
Yankee Stadium in New York. It 
cites Lambeau Field in Green 
Bay, Wisconsin which regularly 
generates upwards of $800,000.

 The study also suggests that 
parking is an untapped potential 
with different rates for residents, 
nonresidents and commercial 
users. “A decal program is one 
such approach and could be 
implemented rather quickly.”

 The report also looked at 
reorganization of parking and 
playfields including realigning 
the stadium entry road and 
replacing impervious parking 
surfaces. It also suggested 
upgraded lighting and improved 
parking flow. It was also 
suggested that the city look at 
naturalizing the Arroyo stream.

 Marvin Hamlisch, award 
winning composer and 
principal conductor of the 
Pasadena Pops Orchestra, died 
Monday in Los Angeles at the 
age of 68. Hamlisch’s passing 
comes just two after agreeing 
to lead the Pops for another 
two years. 

Publicist Ken Sunshine 
said Hamlisch collapsed on 
Monday and died after a brief 
illness. 

The Pasadena Symphony and 
POPS issued the following 
statement, 

“The Pasadena Symphony 
and POPS are both shocked 
and devastated to learn about 
Marvin Hamlisch’s sudden 
passing. Our thoughts and 
prayers are with his wife Terre, 
his family, and his friends and 
colleagues.”

 The statement continued, 
“During his time in 
Pasadena, he was beloved in 
our community and made 
an enormous impact with 
everyone he encountered. He 
brought a tireless humor and 
enthusiasm to the stage, and 
was loved by our audience, 
musicians, and staff. Marvin 
propelled the Pasadena POPS 
into a new and successful era, 
guided by his contributions to 
the Great American Songbook 
carrying on the legacies of 
Richard Rogers and George 
Gershwin. His was a giant in 
American music and a true 
national treasure.

 Marvin was here when we 
needed him with his vision 
and artistic guidance. He was 
a great friend and his music 
leaves an unforgettable legacy 
to the world. Marvin was a 
remarkable person and an 
incredible talent who will be 
dearly missed.”

Pasadena Symphony and Pops 
CEO Paul Jan Zdunek said 
Tuesday there would be no 
cancellations. The next concert 
on Aug. 18 will go on with 
a guest conductor. Funeral 
service will be held Monday in 
New York where he lived. 

 Study calls for 
creating a Rose Bowl 
visitors program and 
fee-based parking 
program 

 
Caltrans owns approximately 145 properties including those at 
the end of the 710 Freeway near California Boulevard. 

NASA Lands Car-Size 
Rover Curiosity on Mars

Tournament Foundation 
Names New Board Members

 NASA’s most advanced Mars 
rover Curiosity has landed on 
the Red Planet. The one-ton 
rover, hanging by ropes from a 
rocket backpack, touched down 
onto Mars Sunday at 10:32 p.m. 
to end a 36-week flight and 
begin a two-year investigation.

 The Mars Science Laboratory 
(MSL) spacecraft that carried 
Curiosity succeeded in every 
step of the most complex 
landing ever attempted on 
Mars, including the final 
severing of the bridle cords and 
flyaway maneuver of the rocket 
backpack.

 “Today, the wheels of 
Curiosity have begun to blaze 
the trail for human footprints 
on Mars. Curiosity, the most 
sophisticated rover ever built, 
is now on the surface of the 
Red Planet, where it will seek 
to answer age-old questions 
about whether life ever existed 
on Mars -- or if the planet can 
sustain life in the future,” said 
NASA Administrator Charles 
Bolden. 

 Curiosity landed near the 
foot of a mountain three miles 
tall and 96 miles in diameter 
inside Gale Crater. The rover 
will investigate whether the 
region ever offered conditions 
favorable for microbial life.

 “The Seven Minutes of Terror 
has turned into the Seven 
Minutes of Triumph,” said 
NASA Associate Administrator 
for Science John Grunsfeld. 

 Jacqueline Howard, president 
of the Tournament of Roses 
Foundation, announced 
Tuesday the election of Maxine 
Harris and Lance Tibbet to the 
Foundation’s board of directors. 
These new members replace 
outgoing board members 
Wellington Chen and Ira C. 
“Mike” Matthiessen, who 
provided a combined 10 years 
of service to the Foundation 
board.

 Maxine Harris is a long time 
resident of Pasadena. She is a 
vice president and senior trust 
officer with Bank of the West 
in its Wealth Management 
Group. She currently serves on 
the boards of Union Station 
Homeless Services, Friends 
of the Levitt Pavilion, Red 
Cross and the Organization of 
Women Executives. 

 Lance M. Tibbet, a Tournament 
volunteer since 1980, is also a 
member of the Tournament of 
Roses Association’s Executive 
Committee. He will serve as 
the Tournament’s President 
in 2018 providing leadership 
for the 129th Rose Parade and 
104th Rose Bowl Game on 
January 1, 2018. Tibbet serves 
as the current chair of the 
Tournament’s Audit committee 
and vice chair of the Business 
Development committee. He 
has also chaired the Parade 
Operations, Post Parade and, 
Queen& Court committees. 
Professionally, Tibbet is the 
operations manager at Magic 
Growers, Inc. a wholesale 
nursery located in Pasadena 
specializing in growing 
Mediterranean and California 
appropriate plants for the 
professional retail nursery and 
landscape trades. 

 In addition, the following 
Tournament of Roses 
Foundation board members 
were elected to serve as officers 
on the board: Katherine 
Martinez Kleine, vice president; 
Ciran Hadjian, treasurer; and 
Nancy Neal Davis, secretary. 
Members continuing to serve 
on the Foundation Board are 
Leonora Barrón, Dave Davis, 
Mike Hagedorn, Darryl Hallie, 
Tahra Goraya, Brad Ratliff and 
Mike Ward.

PCC to Hold 
Annual 
Welcome Day 

 Pasadena City College will 
help introduce new students 
and their families to college 
life as part of the eighth 
annual “Welcome Day” on 
Aug. 24 from 8:30 to 11:30 
a.m. Festivities will take 
place at the Campus Center 
and Quad. Free Parking will 
be available in any student 
lot.

 Incoming students and 
their families will be able 
to take tours of the campus 
and ask questions of PCC 
students and staff. New 
students will also have the 
opportunity to get a jump 
on the fall semester by 
meeting professors, and 
obtain information on 
where to find classrooms, 
purchase textbooks, I.D. 
cards, and parking permits.

 Campus tours will be 
given to students and 
their families in English, 
Chinese, Spanish, and sign 
language. Information 
on financial aid, transfer 
services, student affairs, 
counseling, and admissions 
will be available.

For more information on 
Welcome Day, visit www.
pasadena.edu/welcomeday 
or call (626) 585-7507.


Citizen 
Journalism 
Meet-up

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

Pet of 
the Week

 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 Aug. 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.


Portantino Bills Advance 
in the State Senate

 Returning from summer 
recess, the State Senate 
Appropriations Committee 
today approved five bills 
authored by Assemblymember 
Anthony Portantino. The 
measures range from increasing 
early detection of breast cancer 
to open government legislation. 
The bills now go to the Senate 
floor before heading to the 
Governor’s desk for signature 
later this month.

 AB 137 – Breast Cancer 
Screenings

 Ensures that more woman 
have access to mammograms 
by eliminating outdated age 
guidelines. The bill allows 
women to have a mammogram 
based on their medical situation.

 AB 1527 - Firearms

 Prohibits open carry of 
unloaded long guns, such 
as rifles and shotguns, in 
incorporated cities, making it 
a misdemeanor to open carry 
punishable by six months in jail 
and $1000 fine. This is a follow-
up to last year’s AB 144, which 
prohibits the open carry of 
unloaded handguns in public 
places.

 AB 1956 - Tattoo Removal

 Allows individuals who have 
been tattooed for the purpose 
of human trafficking or 
prostitution to be eligible for 
free tattoo removal programs. 
Too often, young women are 
tattooed by pimps who turn 
them out as prostitutes. It is a 
perverse form of branding that 
leaves the women marked as 
property.

 AB 2086 - Legislative License 
Plates

 Amends the Vehicle Code 
to require active and retired 
legislators with legislative 
license plates to pay the same 
fees that apply to specialty 
(vanity) license plates. Average 
Californians pay $50 on 
issuance and $35 yearly with 
their registration. Retired 
firefighters and police pay the 
state an annual fee to obtain 
specialty plates that show 
proper respect for their lifetime 
of work. However, current law 
allows legislators to receive 
similar plates without paying 
the state an annual fee. The 
DMV estimates that more 
than 700 such plates have been 
issued. 

 AB 2162 - Political Reform 
Act Financial Reporting

 Updates the various reporting 
categories for Statement of 
Economic Interest forms for 
government officials. Form 700 
must be filed by legislators, 
employees and state and local 
officials to more accurately 
reflect their financial holdings. 
These levels have not been 
changed since the Political 
Reform Act was first passed in 
1974. This bill brings greater 
transparency to the process by 
updating the categories and 
dollar amounts.

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival 
at the Pacific Asia Museum

 Galatea is a sweet one-year-
old brown and white pit bull. 
She’s been out on our Mobile 
Outreach Unit to community 
events and loved all the 
attention she received. She’s 
very mellow, loves belly rubs 
and loves to take naps! 

 Galatea’s regular 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. 
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 
A309932, or visit at 361 S. 
Raymond Ave. in Pasadena. 
Adoption hours are 11-4 
Sunday, 9-5 Tuesday –Friday, 
9-4 Saturday. Pets may not 
be available for adoption and 
cannot be held for potential 
adopters from phone calls or 
email. Directions and photos 
of all pets can be found at 
www.pasadenahumane.org.

PCC Trustees 
Meeting To Be 
Held at CEC

 Pacific Asia Museum presents 
a Mid-Autumn Moon Festival 
in October as the grand finale to 
the 2012 Free Chinese Culture 
Sundays presented by MetLife 
Foundation. This day-long 
event includes performances, 
crafts and activities, and 
complimentary refreshments 
in partnership with the Chinese 
Culture Development Center. 
Admission to Pacific Asia 
Museum is free all day on 
October 7, and all activities are 
included.

 Ongoing activities will include 
family-friendly crafts and 
dress-up photo opportunities. 
Throughout the afternoon 
visitors will enjoy a variety 
of performances, including 
traditional dance, music, 
calligraphy and a tea ceremony. 

 Pacific Asia Museum’s Mid-
Autumn Moon Festival is 2012’s 
final Free Chinese Culture 
Sunday. This new event series 
highlights the rich traditions 
of Chinese cultural heritage 
and will be free and open to the 
public. Previous Free Chinese 
Culture Sundays include “Be A 
Chinese Scholar For A Day” and 
“A Day With Kung Fu Masters,” 
each drawing hundreds of 
visitors. These programs, held 
in the historic Chinese-style 
building and courtyard of 
Pacific Asia Museum, give the 
community an opportunity 
to explore Chinese art and 
culture through workshops, 
performances and presentations 
and the Pacific Asia Museum 
galleries, free of charge. 

 
The Pasadena Area 
Community College 
District Board of Trustees 
invites the community to 
its regular business meeting 
in the Jack Scott Room at 
the Community Education 
Center (3035 E Foothill 
Blvd. Pasadena, CA) on 
August 15.

 The meeting will be led by 
Geoffrey Baum, PACCD 
Board of Trustees President, 
and Dr. Mark Rocha, 
Superintendent-President 
of Pasadena City College.

 Closed session begins at 
6:00 p.m. and the open 
session business meeting 
will commence at 7:00 p.m. 
For more information, go to 
www.pasadena.edu/board 
or call (626) 585-7202.