Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 6, 2013

A4

Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 6, 2013 


Details Emerge Against 
PCC Journalism Instructor

Heat Sends 
Marathon 
Runners to 
Hospital 

 A sexual harassment and 
retaliation claim, released last 
week by Pasadena City College 
officials, details a student 
teacher meeting, in which, 
PCC Journalism facility advisor 
Warren Swil allegedly showed 
nude pictures of himself to a 
student.

 Swil was placed on 
administrative leave, March 28, 
shortly after the complaint was 
filed. 

 Forty nine year-old journalism 
student Raymond Bernal 
filed the complaint stating the 
unwelcome sexual advances led 
to poor grades and rejection to 
publish a story about gay men. 
Both Swil and Bernal are openly 
gay. Bernal is listed on the 
school newspaper website, the 
Courier, as the Opinion Editor.

 According to Bernal’s 
complaint, Swil exposed 
unsolicited naked pictures of 
himself, taken on a boating trip, 
during a closed door meeting 
in January in his office. Bernal 
said Swil smiled as he pointed 
to the pictures asking what he 
thought. Swil then allegedly 
showed a second nude photo, 
to which, Bernal changed 
the subject. Bernal said Swil 
asked that he keep the matters 
between the two men. 

 The claim states Swil retaliated 
against Bernal by giving him 
poor grades and refusing to 
publish a story about gay men 
using the campus restrooms for 
sexual rendezvous.

 The story was eventually 
posted on the Courier’s website 
on April 9, after Swil was placed 
on leave.

 The claim also states that 
Swil’s criticism of Bernal caused 
him to stop attending class, 
seek treatment for anxiety, 
headaches and stress.

 Roger Marheine, president 
of the college’s teachers union, 
said in a statement that Swil was 
unfairly removed from teaching 
and that his civil rights had 
been violated.

 Participants upset 
over not receiving 
medals at the finish 
line

 Six marathon runners were 
taken, in serious condition, 
to a local hospital Sunday for 
heat-related injuries during 
the Pasadena half marathon —
now in its fifth year. 

 According the fire officials, 
15 runners were also treated 
for heat related symptoms. Of 
the most serious, runners fell 
in and out of consciousness, 
stumbled their words, and 
complaining of cramps. 

 Pasadena Fire Public 
Information Officer Lisa 
Derderian told reporters that 
radiant heat from the black 
asphalt contributed to the 
problems something she said 
was impossible for runners to 
train for.

 Organizers had posted on the 
Pasadena Marathon website 
the night before the event, “We 
will be ready for the warm 
weather with extra water and 
iced towels at the support 
stations, but please prepare 
yourself for it as well.” 

 More than 3000 people took 
part in the race.

 Paramedics were stationed 
on bikes along the 13.1 mile 
course. Air-conditioned 
“cooling” buses were also 
available at the finish line in 
front of Pasadena City College

 By midday Sunday, in 
Pasadena, temperatures nearly 
topped 100 degrees. 

 After the race numerous 
runners took to the event’s 
Facebook page complaining 
that organizers ran out of 
medals and ice water. 

 “All I got along the course was 
hot water,” wrote one runner. 
“I also finished the half in 
under 2.5 hours and they 
were already out of medals. 
Ridiculous.”

 Some runners said there was a 
mix-up and the half marathon 
medals were given to the 5K, 
10K and Kids’ run runners.

 Event organizers said 
participants, which did not 
receive a medal, should 
email information@
pasadenamarathon.org with 
your bib number. 

 Ricardo Ramirez, 41, of Sun 
Valley won the race with a 
time of 41:16:39.

Hotel Planned for Vacant Dealership

 The empty Ford dealership 
kitty-corner from Pasadena 
City College, long considered 
an eyesore, may soon become 
retail shops and a hotel after 
the city council, late last 
month, approved a contract 
moving the environmental 
impact report (EIR) for the 
project forward.

 According to city staff, J & 
K Plus Investments, LLC has 
proposed development, at 
the former Ford dealership 
sites, on East Colorado 
Boulevard, to build a seven 
story 400 room hotel. The 
plans also call for 10,000 
square feet of ground floor 
commercial space for shops. 

 Existing building on the 
site, with exception to the 
existing showroom facing 
Colorado Boulevard, would 
be demolished according 
to a city staff report. The 
showroom has historic merit 
the report reads.

 “The building will range in 
height between three to seven 
stories (up to 90 feet high) 
and will measure 371,088 
square feet,” the report states. 
“Two levels of subterranean 
parking are proposed to 
accommodate up to 490 
parking spaces.”

 On the south side of 
Colorado Blvd., a once 
used car dealership, plans 
include an 89,595 square foot 
residential project with 45 to 
100 dwelling units or a 120 
room hotel. There would also 
be two levels of subterranean 
parking with up to 150 
parking spaces.

 The EIR will be prepared 
by COM-Smith consulting 
services. It is expected to look 
at all potential environmental 
impacts including, land use, 
noise and traffic, among other 
things. The report is expected 
to take approximately 9-12 
months.

City Recognized For 
Rideshare Program

Pasadena 
Open-air 
Film Festival

 
The Old Pasadena Film 
Festival, a four-week, free 
movie series, returns July 5 - 
27. With twenty screenings, 
the Old Pasadena Film 
Festival is the largest open-air 
film festival in California. 

 Showings are free and 
open to the public. For 
more information and the 
complete schedule, visit www.
oldpasadena.org/filmfestival 
or download the program.

 Central Park - 8:30pm

275 S. Raymond Avenue, 
Pasadena, CA 91105 

 Sunday, July 7 

Chicago (2002) 113 min 

 Thursday, July 11 

The Haunting (1963) 112 min 

 Saturday, July 13 

Mildred Pierce (1945) 111 
min 

 Saturday, July 20 

The Third Man (1949) 93 min 

 Sunday, July 21 

Men in Black (1997) 98 min 

 Thursday, July 25 

Young Frankenstein (1974) 
106 min 

 Saturday, July 27 

The Night of the Hunter 
(1955) 93 min

 One Colorado 
Courtyard - 8:30pm

41 Hugus Alley, Pasadena, CA 
91105

(Chairs provided; arrive early 
for best seating)

 Friday, July 5 

Annie Hall (1977) 93 min 

 Saturday, July 6 

The Great Gatsby (1977) 144 
min 

 Friday, July 12 

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) 87 
min 

 Saturday, July 13 

Mars Attacks! (1996) 106 min 

 Friday, July 19 

True Grit (1969) 128 min 

 Saturday, July 20 

Ocean’s Eleven (1960) 127 
min 

 Friday, July 26 

Sleeper (1973) 89 min 

 Saturday, July 27 

Groundhog Day (1993) 101 
min

 Distant Lands - 
8:00pm

20 S. Raymond Avenue, 
Pasadena, CA 91105 

(Chairs provided; arrive early 
for best seating)

 Friday, July 5 

The Endless Summer (1966) 
95 min 

 Friday, July 12 

Midnight in Paris (2011) 94 
min 

 Friday, July 19 

White Silk Road (2012) 50 
min / 

The Bus (2012) 60 min 

 Friday, July 26 

180 Degrees South (2010) 85 
min

Rose Bowl Stadium to Host 
Largest Mariachi Serenade

 Pasadena’s employee rideshare 
program that encourages 
carpooling to help protect the 
environment has garnered 
top honors from the Los 
Angeles County Metropolitan 
Transportation Authority 
(Metro), the City’s Department 
of Transportation announced.

 The City of Pasadena received 
Metro’s “Blue Diamond Award” 
for its outstanding employee 
rideshare program known 
as the Prideshare Program. 
Pasadena’s rideshare program 
has been recognized by Metro 
in previous years, but this is the 
first time Pasadena’s program 
won top honors.

 Vice Mayor Jacque Robinson 
attended the special ceremonies 
to accept the award on behalf of 
the City.

 “It was great to see the City 
of Pasadena recognized for 
the successful efforts of our 
employees in ridesharing, which 
reduces the environmental 
impacts of their daily commutes. 
This effort is a great reflection 
of the City’s commitment to 
be a great place to work and to 
be a leader in environmental 
sustainability,” Vice Mayor 
Jacque Robinson said.

 The Prideshare Program is 
funded through fees paid by 
City employees who drive solo 
to work. The program has 
consistently increased employee 
participation over the last few 
years. The City started it ninth 
employee vanpool earlier this 
month and also annually hosts 
a very successful Bike to Work 
Day event that encourages 
employees to bicycle and walk 
to work.

 “The City’s Prideshare Program 
has been very successful in 
encouraging our employees 
to reduce or eliminate their 
solo commute trips by using 
carpooling, vanpooling, riding 
a bike or walking to work. Our 
employees are doing their part 
to achieve the environmental 
standards the City Council has 
set for the City,” Department of 
Transportation Director Fred 
Dock said.

 Another Pasadena employer 
was also received a Diamond 
Award from Metro for 
its outstanding employee 
ridesharing program. Jones-
Lang-LaSalle received the award 
for the most improved rideshare 
program in Los Angeles County. 
Jones-Lang-LaSalle increased 
the number of employees who 
rideshare to its offices by more 
than 40 percent by encouraging 
employees to carpool to work. 
The Metro awards program was 
held May 22.

 

For additional information 
or questions, please contact 
Mark Yamarone at the 
Department of Transportation 
at (626) 744-7474 or via email 
at myamarone@cityofpasadena.
net.

 
Will try to break Guinness 
World Records title at 
inauguration of 2013 
CONCACAF Gold Cup with 
600 Mariachis to Perform at 
Halftime of Mexico vs. Panama 
Soccer Match.

 

 
To celebrate the 2013 
CONCACAF Gold Cup and 
the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium, 
the City of Pasadena and 
stadium officials announce 
that a record-breaking 
attempt of 600 mariachis are 
scheduled to perform at the 
Mexico vs. Panama match 
on Sunday, July 7, as part of 
the tournament’s opening 
doubleheader. Distinguished 
guests include representatives 
from local cities, the Mexican 
and Panamanian consulates 
and celebrities. GUINNESS 
WORLD RECORDS® officials 
will be on hand to confirm the 
new record.

 The current world record (set 
in 2010 by 555 mariachis in 
Tucson, AZ) will be challenged 
at the Rose Bowl Stadium in 
Pasadena–America’s Stadium 
and proud home of the annual 
Rose Bowl Game, UCLA Bruin 
Football and various high-
profile events. Fans and media 
are invited to enjoy the highly-
anticipated matchup between 
two of the region’s best national 
soccer teams as they vie for the 
bi-annual championship, as 
well as the incredible halftime 
mariachi performance. FIFA 
ranks Mexico and Panama 
within the Top 50 in the world, 
representing two of the most 
competitive squads in the 
CONCACAF region.

Pet of the 
Week

 


 
Pacific Asia Museum along 
with the museum’s Pakistan 
Arts Council will welcome 
acclaimed ralli artist Naina 
from July 18 through July 21 as 
an artist-in-residence. Visiting 
from Pakistan’s Sindh region, 
Naina will demonstrate the 
creation of these traditional 
quilted textiles.

 Naina will begin her residency 
on Thursday, July 18 and 
will work in the museum’s 
Auditorium Foyer from 12 p.m. 
to 4 p.m. Visitors may observe 
the artist at work, and enjoy 
completed works and vintage 
pieces on display. Select items 
will be available for purchase. 
Her residency continues on 
Friday, July 19 from 1-4 p.m. 
and during the evening’s Fusion 
Fridays event from 7:30-8:30 
p.m. On Saturday, July 20 she 
will work from 12-4 p.m., and 
on Sunday from 1-4 p.m. All 
visitors may enjoy Naina’s work 
during these scheduled times 
as part of museum general 
admission, with the exception 
of Friday evening’s session, 
which is included with Fusion 
Fridays admission.

 Ralli quilts are made in 
Pakistan and western India 
by women artisans, many of 
whom do not travel out of 
their own village without male 
supervision. Requiring almost 
200 hours to create, patchwork 
ralli quilts are richly patterned 
textiles made of old cloth from 
discarded fabrics. The cloth 
is torn or cut into geometric 
shapes, then stitched together 
on a palm mat using a large 
needle and cotton thread 
with patchwork, applique 
and embroidery techniques. 
Traditionally, ralli quilts were 
used as a form of currency, and 
would be included in a woman’s 
dowry. 

 Naina will come to Pacific 
Asia Museum immediately 
following her appearance 
at the prestigious Santa Fe 
International Folk Art Market, 
the largest international folk 
art market in the world. Born 
and raised in a small village 
in Pakistan, Naina has spent 
decades on her craft alongside 
other women from her village 
through Lila Handicrafts, a 
Pakistani cooperative of women 
from a small village in the Thar 
Desert region of Pakistan, 
Tehsil Diplo. The proceeds of 
their work goes directly back 
to the women and towards 
educational opportunities for 
children in the region. 

 Naina’s residency is made 
possible by Pacific Asia 
Museum’s Pakistan Arts 
Council.

Museum 
Announces 
Pakistani 
Artist-In-
Residence

Innovate Pasadena 

Aims to Promote Tech

 
The city of Pasadena announced 
Innovate Pasadena, this week, 
a concerted effort to advance 
greater Pasadena as a leading 
center of innovation for 
technology and design through 
true collaboration. Innovate 
Pasadena (IP) aims to promote 
local collaboration across 
business and education in order 
to attract and retain companies, 
entrepreneurs, innovators and 
investment capital. 

 What began as an informal 
idea eight months ago with tech 
and business leaders talking 
about what the private sector 
could do to bolster the local 
economy, is now a formalized 
working group led by an 
executive board of directors. 
The board is made up of 
local leaders from Art Center 
College of Design, Caltech, 
City of Pasadena, The Design 
Accelerator, Idealab, Materia, 
Pasadena Angels, Rexter, 
and other companies and co-
chaired by IP founders Andy 
Wilson and Mike Giardello. 
The group will promote local 
opportunities, share resources 
and foster connections between 
local institutions, businesses 
and investors. Those interested 
should visit innovatepasadena.
org to get involved. 

 “As a serial tech entrepreneur 
and resident to Pasadena, I 
couldn’t be more excited to 
help breathe new economic 
life into our city that has a 
rich tech and design legacy,” 
said Andy Wilson, CEO of 
Rexter and Co-Chair of IP. 
“I know Pasadena has the 
infrastructure to become the 
leading innovation community, 
we created Innovate Pasadena 
to get organized and activated.” 

 “As a Caltech spin-off, Materia 
has made Pasadena its home and 
has benefitted from its ongoing 
relationship with Caltech and 
local support from the city of 
Pasadena,” said Mike Giardello, 
CEO of Materia and Co-Chair 
of IP. “Innovate Pasadena 
will provide the additional 
structure and support needed 
to accelerate innovation 
within and between the world-
class institutions in our own 
backyard. We want the world 
to know Pasadena is the place 
for innovation across a number 
of commercially important 
sectors, from IT to design and 
from material science to life 
science.” 

 More information can be 
found at innovatepasadena.org,

 Education, Business, 
Tech Leaders, 
Entrepreneurs, Investors 
and Accelerators Merge 
Strengths to Promote 
Pasadena as a Leading 
Center of Innovation for 
Technology & Design 

 Megan is a two-year-old, 
red and white pit bull. She is 
very affectionate and enjoys 
attention. She would do 
well in an active household. 

 Megan’s adoption fee is 
$125, 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, 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 
A330530, 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.

Ralli artist Naina

Chris Holden 
to Hold 
Block Party

 Assemblyman Chris Holden 
invites you to a community fair 
offering rides, entertainment, 
a car show, state and federal 
informational displays.

 Hot dogs and refreshments 
will be served. 

 This event is free and open 
to the public Saturday, Aug 
3, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 
500 block of Jackson Street 
Pasadena.