Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 14, 2014

4 


Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 14, 2014 


LOCAL 
GREEN BERET 
KILLED IN 
AFGHANISTAN 

Fire Chief Set to Retire 

By Dean Lee 

 City officials sent out an 
announcement Thursday saying 
that Pasadena Fire Chief Calvin 
Wells plans to retire by the end 
of the year—Wells has been 
with the department for over 32 
years. He became chief in 2011. 

 Wells has served in the capacity 
of Firefighter, Fire Inspector, 
Fire Engineer, Fire Investigator, 
Fire Captain I, Fire Captain II, 
Battalion Chief, Assistant Fire 
Chief, Fire Bureau Chief and 
Deputy Fire Chief. 

 Wells also holds the title of 
Fire Marshal overseeing the 
Prevention, Operations and 
Administration Bureaus. 

 City Manager Michael Beck 
has put up a questionnaire on 
the city’s website to get feedback 
on recruitment and selection 
strategies for a new chief. 

 Questions include, “What 
would you like potential 
candidates to know about our 
community? And, what top 
three priorities would you like 
the new Fire Chief to address 
during his/her first year on the 
job?” 

 The entire survey can be found 
at www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/Fire- 
Chief-Recruitment. 

 Beck, along with the city’s 
Human Resources Department 
will hold two community 
meetings to get input through 
“feedback sessions.” 

 The first meeting will be 
Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the 
Jackie Robinson Community 
Center Auditorium 1020 North 
Fair Oaks Ave. The second 
meeting will be Wednesday at 
1 p.m. in the City Hall Council 
Chambers, 100 North Garfield 
Ave., Second Floor. 

 Wells became chief following 
the retirement of former Chief 
Dennis Downs. 

 
City to hold two 
community meetings 
in preparation for 
the nationwide 
recruitment of a new 
fire chief. 

 Flags flew at half-staff in the 
city Wednesday in honor of a 
Green Beret from Pasadena 
killed Monday, along with 
five other US soldiers, after 
a NATO aircraft may have 
accidentally bombed his unit 
instead of enemy attackers. 

 Scott Studenmund, 24, was 
a graduated from Flintridge 
Preparatory School in La 
Cañada Flintridge. 

 School officials confirmed 
his death on Tuesday. 

 “Scott went on to play 
football for Pitzer College for 
a year before deciding to take 
a leave from college to pursue 
his life’s dream of becoming 
a Special Forces Green 
Beret soldier, Headmaster 
Peter Bachmann said in a 
statement. “He spent two 
years in training, including 
six months of foreign 
language, during which he 
learned to speak Arabic. 
In his class of 38, Scott was 
one of three to complete the 
program and earn the Green 
Beret title. In 2013, Scott 
completed one of the most 
difficult military trainings, 
a seven-week combat dive 
school at Key West.” 

 Studenmund graduated 
in 2008 from Flintridge 
Preparatory School. He was 
deployed to Afghanistan in 
January of 2014. 

 According to a statement 
by The International 
Security Assistance Force 
(ISAF), “We can confirm 
five International Security 
Assistance Force service 
members died in southern 
Afghanistan. The casualties 
occurred during a security 
operation when their unit 
came into contact with 
enemy forces. Tragically, 
there is the possibility that 
fratricide may have been 
involved. The incident is 
under investigation.” 

 Reports suggest that a B-1 
Bomber, called in by ground 
troops, could be responsible 
for the friendly fire. 

Chief Calvin Wells 

Hundreds to 
Amass for 
22nd Annual 
Chalk Fest 

 
The largest of its kind, over 
600 chalk mural artists —using 
over 25,000 sticks of chalk— 
will spend this Father’s Day 
weekend kneeled over squared 
off cement canvases to create 
spectacular art on pavement 
encompassing two city blocks 
of the Paseo Colorado shopping 
center. 

 The event was named the 
world’s largest street painting 
festival by Guinness World 
Record in 2010. 

 Over 100,000 visitors are 
expected to view the chalk 
art in every style imaginable 
from classical to contemporary 
to socially relevant works 
organizers said. 

 The festival will also include 
a Kid’s “Chalkland” area where 
kids can make Father’s Day 
cards for dad. 

 Patricia Hurley Managing 
Director of Light Bringer 
Project said there will also be 
awards and prizes given for 
categories ranging from best 
of show to most humorous to 
people’s choice. The awards 
ceremony starts at 7 p.m. 
Sunday. 

 There will also be a Pasadena 
Police Classic Car Show on 
Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

 The Pasadena Chalk Festival 
benefits the community arts 
programs of the Light Bringer 
Project, a Pasadena-based, nonprofit 
arts organization. 

Mural artist painting, 
Pasadena Chalk Festival 2013, 
Photo D.Lee/MVNews 

Cyclists to 
Gather for 
Tribute 

Ride/Walk 

 Cyclists will gather for a 
Commemorative Ride / Walk 
this Sunday to honor the 
memory of Phillip O’Neill, 
who was killed by a motorist 
while riding his bicycle on Del 
Mar Boulevard, on June 15 
last year. While riding from 
the Huntington Library and 
Botanical Gardens, where he 
volunteered, Phillip was struck 
from behind and died —he 
was 25 years old. 

 Walkers will carry candles 
past a white “ghost bike” that 
was installed at Del Mar and 
Wilson to memorialize the 
accident that killed Phillip. 
Riders will ride past the ghost 
bike and meet the walkers at 
Grant Park. 

 At the gathering, those will 
remember O’Neill and renew 
a pledge to work together to 
make our streets safer for all 
the pedestrians and bicyclists 
in Pasadena organizers said. 
In 2013 alone there were 
3 pedestrian fatalities and 
one other cycling fatality. 
The Pasadena Complete 
Streets Coalition formed in 
reaction to Phillip’s death 
and has been advocating 
for improved pedestrian 
and bicycling infrastructure 
and an ordinance to protect 
vulnerable road users. “We 
want Pasadena to be a place 
where this never happens 
again,” they said. 

 The Pasadena Complete 
Streets Coalition is advocating 
for the City Council to adopt 
a civil ordinance to protect 
vulnerable road users. For 
more information about the 
Pasadena Complete Streets 
Coalition, visit http://www. 
pas-csc.org/. 

 The ride will take place 
Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Bicyclists 
gather at City Hall, 100 N. 
Garfield Avenue, Pasadena. 
7:30 p.m. Walkers gather at 
Grant Park, Cordova Street 
at Michigan, Pasadena. At 
8:00 p.m. Riders and walkers 

NASA Space Observatory to 
Study Carbon Conundrums 

 NASA’s first spacecraft 
dedicated to measuring 
carbon dioxide levels in 
Earth’s atmosphere is in final 
preparations for a July 1 launch 
from Vandenberg Air Force 
Base, California. 

 The Orbiting Carbon 
Observatory-2 (OCO-2) 
mission will provide a more 
complete, global picture of the 
human and natural sources 
of carbon dioxide, as well 
as carbon dioxide’s “sinks,” 
the natural ocean and land 
processes by which carbon 
dioxide is pulled out of Earth’s 
atmosphere and stored. Carbon 
dioxide, a critical component 
of Earth’s carbon cycle, is the 
leading human-produced 
greenhouse gas driving changes 
in Earth’s climate. 

 “Knowing what parts of Earth 
are helping remove carbon 
from our atmosphere will help 
us understand whether they 
will keep doing so in the future,” 
said Michael Gunson, OCO- 
2 project scientist at NASA’s 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 
Pasadena, California. 
“Understanding the processes 
controlling carbon dioxide in 
our atmosphere will help us 
predict how fast it will build up 
in the future.” 

 For more information 
about the Orbiting Carbon 
Observatory-2, visit: http://oco. 
jpl.nasa.gov. 

Safety Urged this 4th of July 


The Pasadena Fire and Police 
Departments warned the public 
that it is illegal to sell, use or 
possess fireworks in Pasadena. 
The city maintains a zero 
tolerance policy for fireworks. 
Violators are subject to arrest; 
impound of vehicles; up to 
one year in jail and fines up to 
$50,000 they said. 

 Officials advised Instead 
to celebrate the 4th of July 
holiday with by attending the 
88th annual “Americafest,” a 
professionally done fireworks 
shows in Southern California at 
the Rose Bowl Stadium. 

 Festivities begin outside the 
Rose Bowl Stadium at 2 p.m. 
Gates open at 7 p.m. 

 Americafest will feature live 
motorcycle stunts; a tribute 
to our military personnel; 
Liverpool Legends, the 
Ultimate Beatles Experience, 
and Southern California’s 
largest fireworks show, Pyro 
Spectaculars by Souza. 

 Officials said Pasadena police 
and fire personnel will staff 
checkpoints around the Rose 
Bowl Stadium to seize all 
fireworks and arrest offenders. 

 In addition to stadium 
checkpoints, multiple units of a 
Fireworks Task Force will patrol 
Pasadena’s streets to confiscate 
fireworks and take appropriate 
enforcement action. Parking 
enforcement officers will ensure 
that vehicles illegally parked in 
Pasadena’s hillside areas on July 
4 are impounded. 

 Nearly 10,000 fireworksrelated 
injuries are treated in 
U.S. emergency rooms every 
year and two of five people 
injured are under 15 years old. 
Statistics from the National 
Fire Protection Association 
show more than 90 percent of 
all fireworks-related injuries 
are caused by so-called “safe 
and sane” fireworks approved 
by federal and state law for 
consumer use. 

 The fire department will also 
begin applying Phos-Chek 
Tuesday, July 1 to brush areas 
surrounding the Rose Bowl 
Stadium. The main ingredients 
of this annual, preventative 
application of fire retardant 
are phosphates and fertilizers 
that help prevent trees and 
grasslands from burning and 
re-vegetate any burned wild 
land areas. 

 Call 911 for all life-threatening 
emergencies. Call (626) 744- 
4241 for all other public safety 
needs. 

 Go to www.rosebowlstadium. 
com for event and ticket 
information. 

Pasadena City College 
Awarded $15 Million Grant 

 All fireworks are 
illegal in Pasadena 
with a zero tolerance 
policy 

 College President Dr. Mark 
Rocha announced recently 
that Pasadena City College is 
the recipient of a $15 million 
dollar grant award from 
the California Department 
of Education. In July 2013, 
the California Legislature 
passed Assembly Bill (AB) 86, 
creating the California Career 
Pathways Trust. The Trust 
established a competitive grant 
program designed to connect 
businesses, K-12 schools, and 
community colleges to develop 
programs that encouraged 
students to stay in school and 
seek careers in high-demand 
fields. Funds in the amount of 
$250 million dollars were made 
available to school districts 
to establish defined career 
pathway programs that would 
connect schools, businesses, 
and community groups. 

 Pasadena City College acted 
as the lead school for the 
Pasadena Area Community 
College District and established 
partnerships with other area 
community college districts 
to design pathways aligned 
with high-growth and 
emerging technical industries. 
“Our focus was to integrate 
academics into Career and 
Technical Education courses. 
Specifically, we identified the 
Information, Communication 
and Technology (ITC) field as 
an area of tremendous growth 
and opportunity. This 
field involves all levels of 
technology – from taking a 
simple photograph, website 
development, film production 
and the creation of apps for 
various media platforms,” 
said Salomon Davila, Dean of 
Career and Technical Education 
at Pasadena City College. “This 
grant will allow PCC to provide 
opportunities for students to 
create and develop technical 
skills that can be readily 
translated into meaningful 
and productive careers. I am 
grateful to Dr. Rocha and PCC 
administrators Dr. Robert Bell 
and Dr. Robert Miller for their 
encouragement and support 
throughout this process” Davila 
said. 

 PCC will receive $15 million 
dollars over a 5-year period 
beginning July 1. 

Pet of the 
Week 


First Armenian 
Rose Float to 
be Unveiled 

 Milo (A356719) is a sixyear-
old Parson Russell 
Terrier. He has lots of 
energy and enjoys playing 
with toys. He even earned 
his Blue Ribbon at Shelter 
School, which means he 
knows his “sit,” “down” and 
“stay” commands. 

 Milo’s adoption fee is $125, 
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. 

 Call the Pasadena 
Humane Society & SPCA at 
626.792.7151 to ask about 
A356719, 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. 

 The American Armenian 
Rose Float Association 
(AARFA) announced 
that it has set a date for 
the unveiling of the first 
American Armenian Rose 
Parade Float. The redcarpet 
event will be held at 
a private venue in Pasadena 
on Saturday, June 21. 

 The theme for the 2015 
Tournament of Roses 
Parade is “Inspiring 
Stories,” and the AARFA is 
set to present the inspiring 
stories of the Armenian 
American community. In 
1915 Armenian American, 
M. S. Pashgian, was chosen 
as the Grand Marshal, The 
AARFA will be inviting the 
Pashgian family as honored 
guests to the unveiling in 
June. 

 AARFA is currently 
finalizing the float design 
with its builder, Phoenix 
Decorating Company. 

 For details and attendance 
information, please contact 
the AARFA at info@aarfa. 
org. 

Learn How to Produce 
Your Own TV Show 

Senior Curriculum Series 

to Explore World of Music 

 With the opening of the new 
Pasadena Media 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 summer term of the 
popular Senior Curriculum 
Series is scheduled from 2 to 
4 p.m. Tuesdays, July 1, 8 and 
15, and Aug. 5, 12 and 19, at 
the Pasadena Senior Center, 
85 E. Holly St. 

 Dr. Alan Chapman, 
composer, weekday morning 
host of KUSC Classical 
Radio and faculty member 
at Colburn Conservatory of 
Music, will take participants 
on the next leg of an ongoing, 
stimulating musical journey, 
this season titled “Let’s Talk 
Music Again.” 

 Participants do not have to 
be members of the Pasadena 
Senior Center to attend the 
series. 

 Tuition is $50 for the 
full six-week term or $10 
for individual sessions. 
A registration form 
is available at www. 
pasadenaseniorcente r. 
org (click on Classes and 
Lectures and then on Senior 
Curriculum). Bring it to the 
welcome desk with payment 
when you arrive for your first 
class. 

 The Senior Curriculum 
Series is designed to increase 
understanding of the arts, 
national and international 
issues, other cultures and 
more. Winter, spring, 
summer and autumn terms 
provide opportunities for 
learning and discussion 
and are taught by university 
faculty members. 

 For more information 
email cynthiar@ 
pasadenaseniorcenter.org or 
call 626-685-6724. 

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

Producers Training 

Monday June 16 at 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm 

Orientation Training 

Monday June 23 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

Introduction to Field Production Training 

Wednesday June 25 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Producers Training 

Monday June 30 at 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm 

Citizen Journalism coming soon 

Digital Film Group coming soon