Mountain Views News          Saturday, December 7, 2013

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Mountain View News Saturday, December 7, 2013 


Anniversary of U.N. 
Human Rights Declaration

Altadena 
Deputies 
Save Man 
From Suicide

 

 The public is invited to join 
Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard 
and the Pasadena/Foothills 
Chapter of the United Nations 
Association (UNA) Tuesday to 
celebrate the 65th anniversary of 
the U.N. Declaration of Human 
Rights during International 
Human Rights Day 

 The event takes place from 
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the 
Pasadena Central Library, 
Donald R. Wright Auditorium 
285 E. Walnut St. The event is 
free and open to the public.

 Mayor Bogaard will provide 
the opening remarks, followed 
by a video featuring several 
Pasadena residents of diverse 
backgrounds, each reciting 
one of the 30 rights in the 
declaration.

 “Pasadena’s commemoration 
of the Declaration of Human 
Rights presents an ideal 
connection with the United 
Nations’ 2014 theme of family 
farming,” Bogaard said. “As 
communities around the world 
grapple with issues of rising 
food prices and the impact of 
hunger on quality of life, there 
is increased attention on the 
importance of community 
gardens. Pasadena is part of 
that global movement.”

 Every year, communities 
throughout the world, 
including Pasadena, celebrate 
the anniversary of the 
Declaration of Human Rights 
adopted by the U.N. General 
Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948. In 
Pasadena, this year’s celebration 
features videos, speakers and 
special exhibitors, all in keeping 
with the 2014 U.N. theme 
“International Year of Family 
Farming.

 Featured Speakers include 
Marco Barrantes, author of 
“Feed Your City: Field Guide 
to Planning for Food Systems” 
(2004, CED, Berkeley) and Dr. 
Eric Walsh, Director, Pasadena 
Public Health Department and 
the City’s Public Health Officer. 
Refreshments will be provided 
in part by Muir Ranch, the John 
Muir High School’s urban farm.

 Exhibitors will be provided by 
Muir Ranch, Pasadena Learning 
Gardens, Pasadena Water and 
Power, Sustainable Projects and 
Transition Pasadena.

 
An Altadena man’s plan to 
hang himself from a light 
pole in Farnsworth Park 
was thwarted Tuesday after 
deputies talked him out of 
it.

 Witnesses said that a man, 
in the late afternoon, was 
attempting to hang himself 
in the tennis courts area of 
the park. Altadena deputies 
arrived and were directed to 
a man clinging to the top of 
30-40 foot light pole with a 
rope around his neck. 

 According to police, the 
man told deputies he was 
tired of being in pain and 
wanted to end his life. It 
was clear to the deputies 
that he was determined to 
take his life as he started to 
lean away from the pole and 
tighten the noose on his 
neck. 

 Deputies Eric Salvato, 
Arin Davidian, and Andres 
Bilbao began to speak to 
the man and were able to 
convince him to remove 
the rope from around his 
neck. After a prolonged 
conversation with the man, 
he eventually climbed down 
from the light pole. After 
descending the light pole, 
he was met by deputies and 
fire personnel and rendered 
first aid.

 Firefighters transported 
the man to a local area 
hospital.

 They said It is unknown 
what prompted the man 
to want to take his life. 
The man was later taken 
to a local hospital for a 
psychiatric evaluation.

Group Calls for SeaWorld Float Boycott

 The animal-rights group, 
People for the Ethical Treatment 
of Animals, took to the streets 
of old Pasadena Wednesday 
dressed as orcas protesting what 
they called misrepresentation 
of whales in the design of 
SeaWorld’s float in this year’s 
Rose Parade.

 Activists dressed in whale 
costumes stood on the corners 
of Fair Oaks Avenue and De 
Lacey Avenue along Colorado 
Boulevard during the noontime 
lunch hour. They held signs 
calling for a boycott of SeaWorld 
and for the Tournament of 
Roses to remove the float from 
the parade.

 “Think that the head of the 
Tournament of Roses parade 
needs to realize, the support 
is on our side, on the side 
of the animals,” said PETA 
spokeswoman Lisa Lange. “A 
family parade like the Rose 
Parade is no place for an 
animal abusing corporation like 
SeaWorld.”

 Lange said they plan to protest 
during the Rose Parade, Jan. 1, 
as they did this year with the 
Macy’s day Parade in New York 
City on Thanksgiving. 

 Although Lange said neither 
SeaWorld nor Tournament of 
Roses had responded, SeaWorld 
officials called PETA an 
extremist organization and their 
actions a publicity stunt.

 SeaWorld’s float depicts 
the whales freely swimming 
together in the open ocean 
something Lange said should be 
more like a fish bowl surrounded 
by chains.

David Dreier elected to the 
Caltech Board of Trustees

 

 
David Dreier, chairman 
of the Annenberg-Dreier 
Commission at Sunnylands, 
has been elected to the Board 
of Trustees of the California 
Institute of Technology.

 Dreier is an entrepreneur, 
a filmmaker, an advocate 
for innovative research and 
STEM (science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics) 
education, and a distinguished 
fellow of the Brookings 
Institution, a public-policy 
think tank.

 Dreier’s career in public 
service includes 32 years in 
the House of Representatives, 
representing a district northeast 
of Los Angeles. He was first 
elected to Congress in 1980 and 
served until January of this year, 
when he decided to continue 
his work in advancing science, 
research, and technology as 
a private citizen. Throughout 
his congressional tenure, he 
championed the work of the 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 
He served as California’s first 
chairman of the House Rules 
Committee. He was also the 
committee’s longest-serving 
chair, holding the gavel from 
1999 until 2007, and then 
again from 2011 until 2013. 
In addition, he was chosen in 
May 2001 by his colleagues to 
chair California’s Republican 
Congressional Delegation.

 The Board of Trustees is the 
governing body of Caltech. The 
Board is led by David L. Lee, 
chair, and vice chair Ronald 
K. Linde, and it currently 
comprises 42 trustees, 16 senior 
trustees, 23 life members, and 
one honorary life member.


Auto Theft 
Suspect 
Arrested & 
Charged

Santa Visits as Part of 
Holiday Tree Lighting

 
Altadena sheriff’s detectives 
recovered numerous stolen 
items while serving a search 
warrant at a location in Sun 
Valley after investigating 
several vehicle burglary 
incidents that occurred in 
the Altadena area they said 
Wednesday. 

 They arrested Raul Penaloza, 
during the search, a resident of 
Sun Valley. 

 Police said the burglary 
incidents occurred between 
Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, after several 
Altadena residents reported 
that their vehicles had been 
broken into where their purses 
and wallets were stolen. 

 Penaloza allegedly used 
several of the victim’s stolen 
credit cards at locations in 
Sun Valley. Detectives were 
able to match surveillance 
video of the suspect, and trace 
the fraudulent credit card 
transactions to a residence in 
Sun Valley.

 Among the stolen items 
recovered were wallets, purses, 
credit cards, checks, laptop 
computers, iPads, iPods, 
iPhones, and other electronic 
items. Also at the location 
was a stolen Dodge Durango, 
which had been taken last 
month from a residence in 
Altadena.

 Penaloza has prior convictions 
for burglary, receiving stolen 
property, vehicle theft, and 
is currently on probation for 
possession of a controlled 
substance. 

 The case was presented to the 
Los Angeles County District 
Attorney’s Office, Monday, 
who filed seven felony 
burglary counts against the 
suspect. He is being held in 
lieu of $185,000 bail. 

 Although city officials were 
not sure why, those that showed 
up at 6 p.m. Thursday to see 
the Mayor officially light the 
Christmas tree in city hall, 
were surprised to find out that 
the event happened more than 
15 minutes early, missing the 
festivities.

 “I don’t know why it happened 
early,” Pasadena Public 
Information Officer William 
Boyer said. “But it happened.”

 Although the tree may have 
been lit early, Boyer said this 
year was bigger than ever 
with more entertainment and 
festivities. 

 Boyer said they moved the 
event out of the rotunda in city 
hall, opting instead, to hold 
everything in the street.

 “Last year we saw how crowded 
everyone was so we moved it 
out here.” 

New this year was a Santa’s 
village complete with two 
artificial snow machines and 
plenty of elves to help out.

 Entertainment included 
performances by Pasadena 
Idol winner Tori Harvey; the 
Blair IB Singers from Blair 
High School; the After School 
Adventures Program Singers; 
the Robinson Park Tiny Tot 
Singers and the Old Fashion 
Carolers; the Wilson Middle 
School Drum Corps; the 
Pasadena City College Brass 
Ensemble; Pasadena Christian 
Church Choir. The emcee 
for the evening was Stephen 
Steward.

 Pasadena Fire also collected 
new, unwrapped toys to donate 
for needy children as part of 
the annual “Spark of Love” Toy 
Drive sponsored by the fire 
department with the local ABC 
television station.

Pet of the 
Week

Special Cops In My Corner 
Boxing Show The Villa-Parke

 The Villa-Parke Boxing 
Program will host its first 
“Cops in My Corner” Boxing 
Show featuring competitors 
from throughout Southern 
California from Noon to 6:00 
p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, 
at the Villa-Parke Community 
Center Gymnasium, 363 E. 
Villa St. The boxing series will 
feature about 20 Olympic-style 
amateur bouts with male and 
female competitors ages 8 and 
older.

 The event is open to the 
public. A voluntary $5 
donation is requested in lieu 
of an admission fee. Children 
under 12 years old may attend 
for free.

 The event highlights the 
relationship between the 
Pasadena Police Department, 
the Police Athletic League 
(PAL) and the South Pasadena 
Police Department, and their 
long-standing support for the 
Villa-Parke Boxing Program 
and our community.

 Chief Sanchez, an 
athlete, bicyclist and avid 
fitness proponent, said the 
City’s boxing program and 
gymnasium has provided PAL 
a unique opportunity to enrich 
the lives of young people at 
a vulnerable stage in their 
upbringing.

 “PAL gives beginning boxers 
training classes, which is a 
fun way for youth to learn the 
fundamentals of boxing and 
fitness while being supported 
by dedicated professionals who 
emphasize sportsmanship and 
respect for others. I believe that 
every kid needs a PAL and a 
‘Cop in their Corner’,” Pasadena 
Police Chief Phillip Sanchez 
said.

 
Lady is a three-year-old 
brown and white pit bull. 
She’s very friendly, mellow 
and easygoing. She loves 
belly rubs too! She has been 
out on our Mobile Unit and 
did well with other people 
and dogs. 

 Lady’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 
A342575, 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.

Learn How to Produce 
Your Own TV Show

Antonovich 
Calls for 
Report on 
Welfare Fraud

Mayor Bill Bogaard

Police Initiate ‘See Something 
Say Something’ Campaign

 In anticipation of Pasadena 
Media opening new studios at 
150 S. Los Robles Ave, they are 
offering free television-training 
programs for producers. Plan 
to attend an orientation to 
discover the right classes for 
you. Producers’ Training 
teaches how to produce shows 
for The Arroyo Channel. Studio 
Production/Equipment training 
is also offered to volunteer 
crewmembers. In addition, 
on-going training will soon be 
available in citizen journalism 
and digital film groups. Call the 
office (626) 794-8585 or go to 
PASADENAMEDIA.ORG and 
explore what Pasadena Media 
has to offer.

 
The Pasadena Police 
Department and Pasadena 
community are working 
together to enhanced safety 
measures in preparation for the 
upcoming 2014 Rose Parade, 
and the Rose Bowl and BCS 
Championship Games. Police 
employees and trained police 
volunteers are going door-to-
door to businesses on Colorado 
Boulevard educating residents 
and visitors on the role they 
play in community safety. 
This proactive approach is an 
extension of the nationwide 
campaign to raise public 
awareness of indicators of 
terrorism and crime prevention 
through the early reporting 
of suspicious activity, known 
as “See Something, Say 
Something”. 

 The Pasadena Police 
Department is improving 
the City’s preparedness to a 
critical event through a two 
prong approach, 1) Intelligence 
gathering from the people 
who live, visit and work in 
Pasadena, and 2) Information 
sharing through enrollment 
in “nixle”, a trusted, nation-
wide alert system managed by 
police and fire departments. 
Individuals are being asked 
to register, free of cost, to 
receive real-time public safety 
messages by text messages, 
e-mail or the web. It only takes 
a few minutes and enrollees 
choose the jurisdictions and 
message types they want to 
receive (community, advisory 
or alert). People who reside 
outside the city but plan to visit 
for New Year’s events are also 
encouraged to enroll. Sign up at 
“nixle.com”. 

 The Tournament of Roses 
is also taking an active role 
in the “See Something, Say 
Something” campaign and 
they are spreading the message 
through parade and game 
literature. Also, look for the 
Police Department’s 2014 
Parade Watch decal.

 Supervisor Michael 
Antonovich directed the 
Los Angeles County Chief 
Executive Office and the 
Department of Public Social 
Services, Tuesday, to report on 
strategies being implemented 
to address ongoing fraudulent 
and improper use of county 
social welfare dollars. 

 The county continues to learn 
of millions of dollars in public 
welfare dollars being spent in 
places outside Los Angeles 
County -- such as Las Vegas, 
Hawaii, Puerto Rico and New 
York City -- on questionable 
expenses including casinos, 
clubs and tattoo parlors.

 “It is vital that public tax 
dollars for welfare programs 
are used for their intended 
purpose,” Antonovich said. 
The Chief Executive Office and 
Department of Public Social 
Services will report back to the 
Board in 30 days. 

Class Offerings 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Nightly

 Producers’ Training

Monday, Dec. 9 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Stage Manager Training

Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Character Generator Training

Wednesday Dec. 11 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm 

Video Tape Op. Training

Thursday Dec. 12 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Studio and Offices Closed

December 22, - Saturday January 4

Citizen Journalism coming soon

Digital Film Group coming soon