Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 15, 2012

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 15, 2012 


Authorities 
Asking 
Public’s 
Help in 
Suspicious 
Carport Fire

Altadena Armed 
Robbery Suspect 
Still on the Loose

 
Pasadena Fire personnel 
responded Saturday night 
to a well involved suspicious 
carport fire in an alley 
behind Marengo Ave.

 Firefighters responded to 
the 600 block of Marengo 
Ave. at approximately 2 a.m. 

 According to Pasadena 
Fire spokeswoman Lisa 
Derderian, two vehicles 
were totaled and three 
sustained moderate damage 
in addition to minor 
exposure to an adjacent 
business and carport. 

 She said, approximately 20 
residents were temporarily 
evacuated and estimated 
the damage near $200,000. 

 Approximately 22 fire 
personnel were on-scene 
for over four hours she said, 
“This fire was determined to 
be intentionally set [arson].” 

 The Fire Department 
is urging anyone with 
information who may 
have heard, seen or have 
tips about this incident to 
please call 1-800-222-8477 
(TIPS) or the Pasadena Fire 
Department at 626-744-
4040. 

Steve Madison to hold Forum on 710

 City Councilmember Steve 
Madison is set to hold a meeting 
Tuesday night regarding the 
710 Freeway project in light of 
the council’s decision last moth 
opposing any tunnel, surface, or 
highway routes. 

 Madison said panelists slated 
to appear include a geophysicist, 
a historic preservationist, 
a neurologist and several 
Metro representatives. Short 
statements from panelists will be 
followed by questions collected 
from the audience.

Although Pasadena, its residents 
and businesses will be directly 
impacted if the project is built, 
the project is not under local 
control by the City Madison 
said. 

 “Pasadena continues to closely 
monitor the situation regarding 
Metro’s 710 Freeway project. 
This forum will help answer 
residents’ questions and provide 
important information about 
how the routes may impact our 
quality of life,” Pasadena City 
Councilmember Steve Madison 
said.

 The meeting will be held 
from 7 00 p.m. to 8 45 p.m. 
at the Pasadena Convention 
Center, 300 E. Green Street, in 
the Ballroom, west of the Civic 
Auditorium building.

 The meeting will also be taped 
for later broadcast on KPAS, the 
City’s government access cable 
television station, on Channel 
3, for Charter cable subscribers, 
and on Channel 99 for AT&T 
U-verse subscribers.

 A primary goal of the project 
is to complete the 710 Freeway 
“gap” by building an extension 
through Pasadena that 
connects the freeway with other 
transportation corridors—
including possible connections 
to the I-210 Freeway or Highway 
134. The overall study area is 
bound by State Route 2 and 
the Interstate 10, 210 and 605 
Freeways.

 Madison said, at the Aug. 13 
meeting, the alternatives would 
be like dropping a nuclear 
bomb on southwest Pasadena. 
Councilman Victor Gordo 
added that Metro could not have 
failed more miserably with the 
current proposed alternatives. 

 

 Police are asking for the 
public’s help identifying an 
armed robbery suspect who 
held up an Altadena store last 
month taking an undisclosed 
amount of money at 
gunpoint. Altadena Sheriffs 
released surveillance photos 
of the gunman Thursday. 

 Police say on Aug. 30 around 
4 p.m. a hooded man entered 
the Tobacco House – 1920 
N. Lake Ave. Altadena— 
and demanded money 
at gunpoint. The victim 
retrieved money from the 
cashier and placed it inside 
the suspect’s black bag. After 
obtaining the money, the 
suspect fled the location in 
a green 1990’s model Toyota 
Celica 2-dr. 

 If you have any information 
regarding the identity of the 
above suspect, please contact 
Altadena Sheriff’s Station at 
(626) 798-1131.

PCC Adopts 
Budget For 
2012 2013 
Fiscal Year

Local-Area Young Women 
Compete For Rose Royalty

 The Pasadena Area 
Community College District 
Board of Trustees voted to 
adopt the 2012-13 budget 
proposed by the Pasadena City 
College administration at its 
Sept. 5 meeting.

 The proposed budget reflects 
the deep cuts coming from 
Sacramento, yet it deflects the 
shock of these cuts from the 
classroom - PCC will offer 
more than 4,700 class sections 
during the year.

“We have constructed a fiscally 
conservative and balanced 
budget that deals with the 
fiscal reality of California,” 
said Robert Miller, PCC senior 
vice president and assistant 
superintendent for Business 
and College. “We have done 
our very best to keep cuts 
away from the classroom, yet 
the cuts from Sacramento has 
made that very difficult to do.”

 The PACCD adopted budget 
is a balanced budget without 
borrowing, while preserving 
cash needed to make up for the 
state’s deferrals of payments 
to all community colleges. 
The budget adheres to the 
District’s longstanding policy 
of exceeding state funding 
for enrollment by no more 
than 2%. The budget includes 
a $10.5 million funding 
reduction from the state, 
which includes $1.8 million 
from reserves to mitigate the 
impact on classes to students.

 The adopted budget assumes 
that no additional funding 
from the state is forthcoming. 
If Proposition 30 does not 
pass in November, no further 
cuts will be required, since 
the cuts are already budgeted. 
If Proposition 30 passes, the 
state will defer payment of the 
funds until next June.

 There are also efficiencies 
built into the adopted budget. 
The budget assumes about 
$600,000 in savings from the 
new student calendar that 
moves up the start of spring 
classes to Jan. 7. The budget 
also assumes about $800,000 
in additional revenue from 
international and out-of-state 
students. 

 For more information, go to 
www.pasadena.edu/budget/
budget-facts.cfm/.

 

 

 This week, more than 1,000 
Pasadena-area young women 
will be one step closer to 
becoming the 2013 Rose 
Queen as they participate in the 
Rose Queen and Royal Court 
Tryouts. This is an opportunity 
for young women who live in 
Pasadena and the communities 
surrounding it to represent 
not only their community, 
but also their school and the 
Tournament of Roses. After a 
month-long selection process, 
seven finalists will be named to 
the 2013 Royal Court.

 As ambassadors of the 
Tournament of Roses and the 
city of Pasadena, the 2013 
Rose Queen and Royal Court 
will reign over the 124th Rose 
Parade presented by Honda 
and the 99th Rose Bowl Game 
presented by VIZIO on January 
1, 2013 themed “Oh, the Places 
You’ll Go!”. The New Year 
celebration will be seen by 
millions of people around the 
world. The following schedule 
details the selection process 
from initial tryouts to the 
Coronation.

 Participants can pre-register 
for the 2012-2013 Rose Queen 
and Royal Court Tryouts by 
submitting an application at 
http://bit.ly/OBQexb.

 The Rose Queen & Royal Court 
initial tryouts will take place: 
Saturday, September 15, 2012 
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Monday, 
September 17, 2012 3 p.m. – 5 
p.m. at Tournament House 391 
South Orange Grove Blvd. 

 The Royal Court will be 
announcement October 8, with 
the Rose Queen announcement 
October 16. The Coronation 
Ceremony will be October 25. 

Symphony and POPS to 
hold Concert Celebrating 
Marvin Hamlisch

 More Than 1,000 
Estimated to 
Participate

Villa-Parke 
Bench Press 
Competitors

 
Weightlifters are encouraged 
to sign up today to compete 
in a friendly bench press 
competition at Villa-Parke 
Community Center, 363 E. 
Villa Street, from 1:00 p.m. 
to 3:00 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 
29. Official weigh-in begins 
at Noon. Individuals who can 
bench press 205 pounds or 
more are eligible to compete 
for trophies, prizes and 
bragging rights!

 Applications are available at 
the Villa Parke Community 
Center for participants 18 
years old and over. Entry fee 
is $10 per person. Last year’s 
bench press winner in the 
Super-Heavyweight Division 
was Ricky Pickens, pressing 
565 pounds.

 
The Pasadena Symphony 
and POPS presents its free 
annual concert on the steps 
of Pasadena’s City Hall, Bank 
of America’s Music Under the 
Stars on Saturday, September 
22 with pre-concert activities 
beginning at 5:30pm and 
concert performance at 7:00pm. 

 This year’s concert features 
a special tribute to the late 
Principal Pops Conductor 
Marvin Hamlisch, including 
selection from A Chorus Line, 
They’re Playing Our Song, 
“Nobody Does It Better,” “The 
Way We Were,” “Through the 
Eyes of Love” as well as music 
by the people that inspired 
him: the Gershwin’s, Jule Styne, 
and others. Jason Alexander, 
best known as George from 
television’s Seinfeld, and 
conductor Larry Blank, 
who worked with Hamlisch 
throughout his entire career, 
will co-host the evening.

 “Marvin was a national 
treasure,” explained Paul Jan 
Zdunek, CEO of the Pasadena 
Symphony Association. “His 
passing last month came as a 
sudden shock, and we wanted 
to take this as an opportunity to 
celebrate his life and music for 
our community and his fans.”

 The free concert will feature 
selections from Marvin’s 
long career performed by the 
orchestra and a roster of guest 
artists such as Jason Alexander 
and Broadway stars Lisa 
Vroman and Valerie Perri will 
join the orchestra as soloists, 
and Tony Award winning 
composer Jason Robert Brown 
will perform a piano tribute to 
Hamlisch.

 The concert will be held on 
the steps of Pasadena’s City 
Hall, and guests may sit in the 
courtyard and surrounding 
areas. Chairs will be available 
to rent for $3, or people may 
bring their own low-back 
lawn chairs and blankets. Pre-
concert activities will begin at 
5:30pm, including a musical 
instrument “petting zoo,” family 
entertainment with Jamie 
Shaheen, gourmet food trucks, 
and the Pasadena Humane 
Society Adoption Truck. 

 The concert begins at 7:00pm. 
Music Under the Stars is 
presented with support from 
Bank of America, the City 
of Pasadena, Los Angeles 
Times, and Noor Events. For 
more information, contact 
the Pasadena Symphony 
Association Box Office at 
626.793.7172 or visit online at 
PasadenaSymphony-Pops.org.

Citizen 
Journalism 
Meet-up

Pet of 
the Week

 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 Sep. 25 from 6: 
30 p.m. to 8p.m. at the Pasadena 
Community Network - Studio 
G, 2057 N. Los Robles Ave.

 For more info call 626.794.8585.

 Cyrus is a young tan and 
white shorthair rabbit. 
He enjoys being petted, 
especially on his head. He 
also loves to explore his 
surroundings.

 Cyrus’ adoption fee is $30, 
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, as well 
as a goody bag filled with 
information on how to 
care for your pet. Ask an 
adoptions counselor for 
more information during 
your visit 

 Call the Pasadena 
Humane Society & SPCA at 
626.792.7151 to ask about 
A313799, 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.

Pasadena residents are 
reminded that Tuesday, Sept. 25, 
is National Voter Registration 
Day, the perfect time to register 
to vote or to update voter 
registration information at one 
of 14 locations throughout the 
City where volunteers will be 
ready to assist you with the 
forms.

 To help with the voter 
registration event, the Pasadena 
City Clerk’s Office needs 
additional volunteers, including 
those who speak Spanish or 
other languages. If interested, 
contact the City Clerk’s Office 
at (626) 744-4124 or by email to 
cityclerk@cityofpasadena.net.

 “National Voter Registration 
Day highlights the importance 
of registering to vote or updating 
registration information in 
time for Election Day (Nov. 
6),” Pasadena City Clerk Mark 
Jomsky said. “We encourage all 
eligible residents to register to 
vote.”

 On Sept. 25, stop by Pasadena 
City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., 
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 
at any of the following locations.

 From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 
go to:

 Pasadena City College, Student 
Quad, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. 
Holly St.

Allendale Branch Library, 1130 
S. Marengo Ave.

Hill Avenue Branch Library, 55 
S. Hill Ave.

 La Pintoresca Branch Library, 
1355 N. Raymond Ave.

 Lamanda Park Branch 
Library, 140 S. Altadena Dr.

 Linda Vista Branch Library, 
1281 Bryant St.

 San Rafael Branch Library, 
1240 Nithsdale Rd.

 Santa Catalina Branch Library, 
999 E. Washington Blvd.

 Victory Park Community 
Center, 2575 Paloma St.

 From Noon to 8:00 p.m., you 
can go to the Jackie Robinson 
Community Center, 1020 N. 
Fair Oaks Ave., or the Villa-
Parke Community Center, 363 
E. Villa St.

 Or, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., 
stop by the Pasadena Central 
Library, 285 E. Walnut St.

 The event is organized in 
collaboration with the Los 
Angeles County Registrar of 
Voters, Pasadena Chapter of 
the League of Women Voters, 
Pasadena Senior Center, 
Pasadena City College and 
the American Association of 
Retired Persons (AARP).

National 
Voter 
Registration 
Day Sept 25

6th Annual Festival of California Poets

 Dana Gioia, Douglas Kearney 
and Amy Gerstler will highlight 
this year’s Festival of California 
Poets, reading selections from 
their own works and paying 
tribute to three California poets 
they admire.

The poets’ appearance is a 
featured event of Pasadena Art 
Night on Friday, October 12, 
beginning at 7 p.m. in the Donald 
R. Wright Auditorium of the 
Central Library. Admission is 
free. The 2012 program features 
the diverse talents of:

 Dana Gioia, an internationally 
acclaimed and award-winning 
poet, who has published four 
full-length collections of poetry 
and eight chapbooks. His poetry 
collection, Interrogations at 
Noon, won the 2002 American 
Book Award. Former chairman 
of the National Endowment 
for the Arts, Gioia has served 
as the Judge Widney Professor 
of Poetry and Public Culture 
at the USC since 2011. He will 
discuss Weldon Kees, the multi-
talented poet and artist who 
lived in the San Francisco Bay 
area from 1950 until his 1955 
disappearance.

 Douglas Kearney, whose first 
full-length collection of poems, 
Fear, Some, was published in 
2006. His second manuscript, 
The Black Automaton, was 
chosen by Catherine Wagner for 
the National Poetry Series and 
was a finalist for the PEN Center 
USA Award in 2010. Raised in 
Altadena, Kearney lives in the 
Santa Clarita Valley. He teaches 
at California Institute of the 
Arts and Antioch University. 
Kearney will salute Los Angeles 
native Wanda Coleman, who in 
2008 published a second volume 
of short stories, Jazz and Twelve 
O’Clock Tales.

 Amy Gerstler, whose recent 
books of poetry include Dearest 
Creature, Ghost Girl, Medicine, 
and Crown of Weeds. A Los 
Angeles resident, Gerstler 
teaches in the Masters of 
Professional Writing program 
at USC and the Bennington 
Writing Seminars Program 
at Bennington College in 
Vermont. She will pay tribute to 
Tom Clark, who taught poetics 
for two decades at the New 
College of California before that 
institution closed in 2008. Clark 
was The Paris Review’s poetry 
editor from 1963 to 1973. Best 
known for poems about sports, 
Clark is also a prolific nonfiction 
writer who has authored 
biographies of Jack Kerouac and 
Damon Runyon, among others.