Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 20, 2014

4

Mountain View News Saturday, September 20, 2014 


Health Dept. 
Confirms 
West Nile 
Virus Cases

Park(ing) Day Used to Show 
Parklet, Parking, Concepts

 Although a plan to create 
permanent but removable 
parklets along Colorado 
Blvd. in the Playhouse 
District is not official by city 
standards, the Playhouse 
District Association used 
national Park(ing) Day 
Friday to demonstrate the 
concept.

 According to the Playhouse 
District Association, “plans 
[would] narrow portions of 
Colorado by as much as two 
lanes and use that space to 
widen sidewalks and create 
tiny parks with seating and 
greenery.”

 On Friday that’s just what 
shoppers saw, a 16’x16’ area 
on Colorado Blvd. to picnic 
as part of Shakespeare in the 
PARK(let). 

 The plan would also use 
reverse angle parking 
something Playhouse 
District officials said could 
create 20 or more parking 
spaces from Madison Ave to 
Hudson Ave. 

 The six to eight parklets 
would be privately funded.

For more information visit: 
playhousedistrict.org. 

 The Pasadena Public Health 
Department announced this 
week that tests have confirmed 
five human cases of West Nile 
Virus (WNV) this month in 
its jurisdiction. The last case 
of WNV previously confirmed 
by the Pasadena Public Health 
Department was in December 
2012.

 WNV is transmitted 
through the bite of an 
infected mosquito. Signs and 
symptoms may include fever, 
body aches, rash, nausea, 
vomiting, and headache. Up 
to about 80 percent of people 
infected have no apparent 
symptoms and can go 
undiagnosed, according to the 
Centers for Disease Control. 
Severe cases, while rare, can 
include brain inflammation, 
paralysis or death.

 The Pasadena Public 
Health Department, 
www.cityofpasadena.net/ 
PublicHealth, recommends 
that anyone exhibiting 
symptoms or who suspects 
they might have WNV should 
seek immediate medical care.

 To protect against WNV, it 
is important that the public 
take the following precautions 
to prevent the breeding of 
mosquitoes and to prevent 
being bitten:

 Empty all standing water in 
containers left outside

Keep swimming pools 
clean with all circulation 
and filtration equipment 
operational and drain water 
from pool covers

 Check for mosquito larvae in 
still water sources such as bird 
baths and ponds

 Wear insect repellants 
containing DEET

 Avoid areas likely to be 
inhabited by mosquitoes at 
dawn and dusk

 Wear long sleeved shirts and 
long pants when outdoors

 Check window and door 
screens for holes

 Report dead birds and 
squirrels to the West Nile 
Virus and Dead Bird Hotline 
at (877) 968-2473 or online at 
http://westnile.ca.gov

 The proportion of mosquitoes 
infected with WNV is at the 
highest level ever detected in 
California, health officials said. 

 Health Department staff 
travel throughout the City 
at least once a week to treat 
gutters, puddles, pools, and 
other free-standing water 
sources water that serve as 
prime breeding grounds 
for mosquitoes. to report 
a green pool or still water 
source, call the Department’s 
Environmental Health 
Division at (626) 744-6004.

City to be Special Olympics Host Town

By Dean Lee 

 City officials, athletes and the 
organizing committee for the 
Special Olympic World Games 
announced Tuesday morning 
that Pasadena will serve as a 
host city, three days prior to 
the games, for more than 7,000 
athletes, competing, from 177 
countries.

 This is a great opportunity for 
Pasadena, it’s a great opportunity 
for Southern California to 
demonstrate to the world a 
commitment and a companion 
for persons with disabilities,” 
Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard 
said. “Pasadena is committed in 
so many ways to the wellbeing 
of persons with disabilities.” 

 During their stay next year, 
the city will introduce the 
athletes to community members 
and officials, familiarize the 
athletes with Pasadena’s cultural 
activities, including the Norton 
Simon Museum, Rose Bowl 
Stadium and Caltech. The 
athletes will also practice and 
rest at city facilities ahead of the 
July 25, Opening Ceremony. 
Pasadena will also celebrate 
the 25th anniversary of the 
Americans with Disabilities 
Act (ADA) next year. The ADA 
was established July 26, 1990.

 Pasadena Police officers 
also worked Tuesday night as 
“Celebrity Servers” at the Urth 
Caffe last in an effort to raise 
money for the Special Olympics. 
In a 4 hour period, Pasadena 
Police officers earned $3,319 
in tips. All of the money was 
donated to the Special Olympics 
a very worthy cause.

 Other local cities declared 
official host towns include 
Arcadia, Burbank, Glendale, 
and West Covina among many 
others.

Pasadena Police “Tip A 
Cop” Special Olympics 
Fundraiser a success.


Report 
Withheld 

in McDade 
Shooting

Colorado Blvd.

ASA Mars Spacecraft 
Ready for Orbit Insertion

City Assures Water is Safe 
Despite Recent Changes

 A judge reinstated an 
injunction Tuesday barring 
the release of the Office 
of Independent Review’s 
findings in the officer-involved 
shooting death of Kendrec 
McDade. 

 Many news organizations 
have filed public records 
requests to obtain a copy of the 
report. 

 The matter was heard before 
Superior Court Judge James 
Chalfant. After renewing the 
Temporary Restraining Order, 
at the request of Pasadena 
Police Officers Association, 
Chalfant ruled to prevent the 
release of even a redacted OIR 
Report that the city intended 
to release. 

 “The City understands and 
appreciates the interest of the 
public and the news media 
in accessing the Office of 
Independent Review’s report 
on the shooting of Kendrec 
McDade,” said Pasadena City 
Manager Michael J. Beck. 
“The City continues to support 
both the principles of open 
government and our officers’ 
privacy rights as guaranteed 
by state law. We believe we 
had the right balance between 
the two and we were prepared 
to issue a redacted report. 
However, as a result of the 
Court’s action this morning, 
the City has been ordered not 
to disclose the report or any 
elements thereof at this time. 
It is important for the City 
to be able to release as much 
information as permissible 
and we look forward to a fair 
resolution of this issue.”

 The matter returns to his 
court on October 14.

 McDade was shot in March 
of 2012 after two Pasadena 
police officers were responding 
to a 9-1-1 armed robbery call.

 
NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and 
Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) 
spacecraft is nearing a scheduled 
insertion into Martian orbit 
Sunday after completing a 
10-month interplanetary 
journey of 442 million miles 
(711 million kilometers).

 The Jet Propulsion Laboratory 
in Pasadena, provided 
navigation and Deep Space 
Network support for the 
mission.

 Flight Controllers at Lockheed 
Martin Space Systems in 
Littleton, Colorado, will be 
responsible for the health 
and safety of the spacecraft 
throughout the process. The 
spacecraft’s mission timeline 
will place the spacecraft in orbit 
at approximately 6:50 p.m. PDT 
(9:50 p.m. EDT).

 “So far, so good with the 
performance of the spacecraft 
and payloads on the cruise to 
Mars,” said David Mitchell, 
MAVEN project manager at 
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight 
Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. 
“The team, the flight system, 
and all ground assets are ready 
for Mars orbit insertion.”

 The orbit-insertion maneuver 
will begin with the brief firing 
of six small thruster engines 
to steady the spacecraft. The 
engines will ignite and burn 
for 33 minutes to slow the craft, 
allowing it to be pulled into an 
elliptical orbit with a period of 
35 hours.

 Following orbit insertion, 
MAVEN will begin a six-week 
commissioning phase that 
includes maneuvering the 
spacecraft into its final orbit 
and testing its instruments and 
science-mapping commands. 
Thereafter, MAVEN will begin 
its one-Earth-year primary 
mission to take measurements 
of the composition, structure 
and escape of gases in Mars’ 
upper atmosphere and its 
interaction with the sun and 
solar wind.

 “The MAVEN science mission 
focuses on answering questions 
about where did the water that 
was present on early Mars go, 
about where did the carbon 
dioxide go,” said Bruce Jakosky, 
MAVEN principal investigator 
from the University of 
Colorado, Boulder’s Laboratory 
for Atmospheric and Space 
Physics. “These are important 
questions for understanding the 
history of Mars, its climate, and 
its potential to support at least 
microbial life.”

 MAVEN launched Nov. 18, 
2013, from Cape Canaveral, 
Florida, carrying three 
instrument packages. It is the 
first spacecraft dedicated to 
exploring the upper atmosphere 
of Mars. 

 To learn more about the 
MAVEN mission, visit: http://
www.nasa.gov/maven

 Pasadena’s Water and Power 
Department (PWP) sent out 
a statement last week assuring 
its customers that all Pasadena 
water continues to be safe to 
drink despite recent changes in 
water characteristics. 

 The statement reads, Due to 
the ongoing California drought 
PWP’s groundwater levels 
are low and PWP is receiving 
more Colorado River water 
from the Metropolitan Water 
District (MWD) to meet the 
City’s demand. The low 
groundwater level has caused a 
cloudy appearance in Pasadena 
water due to air bubbles and the 
additional Colorado River water 
has increased the hardness 
levels in Pasadena water. 

 “Pasadena’s water supply is 
vigilantly monitored around-
the-clock and continually meets 
all state and federal standards 
for drinking water quality,” 
PWP Water Quality Manager 
David Kimbrough said.

 PWP normally serves 
customers a blend of water 
from three sources, including 
local groundwater and water 
imported via the Metropolitan 
Water District (MWD) from 
the Colorado River and the 
State Water Project (SWP) in 
Northern California.

 All tap water contains 
minerals that are beneficial 
to human health, including 
calcium, magnesium and 
iron. Pasadena’s water has 
been noticeably harder in 
recent months because supplies 
from Northern California, 
which have a lower mineral 
content, have been cut off 
resulting in PWP receiving 
more Colorado River water, 
which is significantly harder. 
In some cases, excess minerals 
can cause white spots on glass, 
porcelain and other fixtures, but 
water softeners and descaling 
products are widely available to 
address these issues.

 Pasadena’s groundwater level 
is lower than it has been in 
years, so pumps at PWP’s wells 
naturally draw more air into 
the water causing a cloudy or 
milky-white appearance. The 
water clears in a few moments 
when allowed to settle. PWP 
is completing an Eastside Well 
Collector project this summer 
to transport water from seven 
groundwater wells to Jones 
Reservoir for centralized 
disinfection. The facility is 
expected to be in operation 
later this month.

 Pasadena is one of only a 
few cities in California with its 
own Water Quality Laboratory, 
which conducts more than 
50,000 water quality tests each 
year for more than 180 potential 
contaminants. 


Pet of the 
Week


National 
Voter 
REG Day

Altadena Station Crime Blotter

MAVEN image courtesy of NASA

 A list provided by the Altadena 
Sheriff’s Station shows police 
activity in the Altadena area 
between Sept. 7 and sept. 13. 

 Sunday, September 7th

 11:00 AM – Clayton Nelson was 
arrested for shoplifting at 2408 
N. Lincoln Avenue “Walmart.”

 1:45 PM- Three male adults 
were arrested on the 2900 block 
of Fair Oaks Avenue for auto 
theft.

 11:30 PM- Grand theft from 
a residence occurred on the 
24oo block of Ganesha Avenue. 
Electronics were stolen from 
inside the residence.

 Monday, September 8th

 3:30 PM- A male juvenile 
was arrested for an assault that 
occurred on the 2300 block of 
El Nido Drive.

 Tuesday, September 9th

 9:30 AM- Two vehicle 
burglaries occurred at 2180 
Lincoln Avenue “24 Hour 
Fitness.” The victim’s purse, 
credit cards, and personal 
property were stolen. 

 10:10 PM- Gerardo Gonzalez 
was arrested for possession of 
a controlled substance near 
Crosby Street and Lincoln 
Avenue. 

 Wednesday, September 10th

 2:40 AM- Edgar Castillo 
was arrested for possession 
of a controlled substance 
and possession of narcotics 
paraphernalia near the 800 
block of Fair Oaks Avenue.

 Thursday, September 11th

 12:30 AM- Tomisha Hughes 
was arrested for criminal threats 
on the 3000 block of Glenrose 
Avenue.

 4:00 AM- A residential 
burglary occurred on the 3700 
block of El Sereno Avenue. 
The male suspect entered the 
victim’s residence and he was 
last seen running away from the 
location. 

 2:45 PM- A residential burglary 
occurred on the 100 block of W. 
Altadena Drive. Jewelry was 
stolen from the location. 

 Friday, September 12th

 10:00 PM- Esteve Calvaris was 
arrested for public intoxication 
near the 2100 block of Santa 
Anita Avenue.

 11:00 PM- Victim reported a 
grand theft from their unlocked 
vehicle on the 3400 block of 
Rubio Crest Drive. A wallet, 
watch, and sunglasses were 
stolen.

 Saturday, September 13th

 9:40 AM- Victim reported 
his bicycle stolen from the 100 
block of E. Pine Street. 

 12:33 AM- Montrose Jackson 
was arrested for being under 
the influence of a controlled 
substance near Fair Oaks 
Avenue and Harriet Street.

Learn How to Produce 
Your Own TV Show

 MiMi is a striking two-
year-old brown tabby. She’s 
very sweet and affectionate. 
She enjoys sitting in laps 
and snuggling.

 

 MiMi’s adoption fee is $70, 
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. 

 Call the Pasadena 
Humane Society & SPCA at 
626.792.7151 to ask about 
A364177, 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. 23, is National Voter 
Registration Day, the perfect 
time to register to vote or 
to update voter registration 
information at one of four 
locations in the City where 
volunteers will be ready to 
assist with completion of the 
forms.

 “National Voter Registration 
Day highlights the importance 
of registering to vote or 
updating registration 
information in time for 
Election Day (Nov. 4), as well 
as the upcoming City elections 
in March and April 2015,” 
Pasadena City Clerk Mark 
Jomsky said. “We encourage 
all eligible residents to register 
to vote.”

 Stop by any of the following 
locations from 8:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 23, 
including:

 Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. 
Garfield Ave. 

 Victory Park Community 
Center, 2575 Paloma St.

 Jackie Robinson Community 
Center, 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave.

 Villa-Parke Community 
Center, 363 E. Villa St.

 New Citizen Journalism 
training starts Wednesday 
nights, learn how to report 
news using social media 
skills.

 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.


Class offerings days and nights weekly

Station Schedule 

Citizen Journalism Training

Wednesday Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Orientation & Tour

Wednesday Oct. 1 at 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Studio Camera & Floor Manager

Wednesday Oct. 1 at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Basic Editing - Session 1

Wednesday Oct. 1 at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Intro to Field Production

Thursday Oct. 2 at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.