Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 11, 2015

4

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 11, 2015 


NASA to Celebrate Earth 
Day with Social Media

Pasadena 
News Briefs

 
Fire Damages Condo 
Complex

 Four residents and two 
dogs were evacuated Sunday 
night after a fire broke out 
heavily damaging two units 
of a condominium complex 
north of the 210 freeway.

 According to Pasadena 
Fire Spokeswoman Lisa 
Derderian, the fire was first 
reported about 5:15 p.m. 
in the 600 block of North 
Wilson Ave. Streets around 
the area were blocked off 
as about 25 firefighters put 
out the blaze in about 30 
minutes.

 Derderian told reporters 
that a young girl, mother and 
their dog were evacuated 
form one unit alone with a 
couple and their dog form 
another unit. There were no 
injuries she said.

 The fire is still under 
investigation. The local 
The Red Cross was helping 
the displaced residents with 
temporary shelter.

Police Raid Alleged 
Drug Labs

 Two people were arrested 
and twenty four others 
detained Monday as police 
raided two businesses in 
East Pasadena thought to 
be manufacturing hash-oil. 

 According to police 
reports, Mark Piesner of 
Calabasas and Jeffrey Raber 
of Whittier were arrested on 
suspicion of manufacturing 
and processing a controlled 
substance after police found 
500 pounds of marijuana 
and 200 jars of hash oil. 

 Police raided a business 
in the 2500 block of Nina 
Street about 2:30 p.m. 
after being tipped off that 
location was operating 
as hash-oil labs. Another 
business a few blocks away 
was also raided. 

 Hash oil is a form of 
marijuana. Flammable 
solvents used in extraction 
process make it dangerous 
and can lead to explosion 
or fire police said. Other 
businesses in the area were 
not in danger they added. 

 Piesner and Raber were 
both released Monday after 
posting bail. Others at the 
scene were interviewed by 
police and let go.

 This Earth Day, April 22, 
NASA is asking you to share 
pictures and video of your 
favorite places on Earth using 
social media – and tag them 
#NoPlaceLikeHome.

 NASA’s Earth Day 
#NoPlaceLikeHome project 
seeks to get the public 
involved in highlighting the 
great diversity of the places, 
landscapes and ecosystems of 
our home planet. Participants 
are invited to post photos and 
videos that answer a simple 
question: What is your favorite 
place on Earth?

 Images can be shared using the 
hashtag #NoPlaceLikeHome 
on Twitter, Instagram, Vine, 
Facebook, Google+ and Flickr. 
Leading up to Earth Day, NASA 
will participate by posting its 
own images and videos.

 NASA’s mission includes 
exploring beyond Earth and 
using the vantage point of space 
to improve our understanding of 
the most complex planet we’ve 
seen yet. The agency’s Earth-
observing satellites, airborne 
research and field campaigns 
are designed to observe our 
planet’s dynamic systems -- 
oceans, ice sheets, forests and 
atmosphere -- and improve our 
ability to understand how our 
planet is changing and could 
change.

 How can I take part?

 We want you to share with 
NASA and the world views of 
your corner of Earth – your 
favorite place, whether it’s a 
local park, your vacation spot 
or Mt. Everest. Our question 
to you is a simple one: What is 
your favorite place on Earth?

Earth Right Now: Your planet is 
changing. We’re on it.

 NASA uses the vantage 
point of space to increase our 
understanding of our home 
planet, improve lives, and 
safeguard our future. The 
agency freely shares this unique 
knowledge and works with 
institutions around the world to 
gain new insights into how our 
planet is changing.

NASA’s Earth website

 With last year’s Global Selfie, 
we asked for pictures. This year 
we’re opening up the request 
to include Vine and Instagram 
videos. Just be sure to include 
the hashtag #NoPlaceLikeHome 
– no matter what social media 
platform you’re posting on.

 You can also get on board now by 
using our #NoPlaceLikeHome 
emoji as your profile pic. Join 
the Facebook or Google+ 
events and invite your friends to 
participate. Pledge to spend one 
day celebrating the planet that 
over 7 billion people call home. 

 For more information on the 
#NoPlaceLikeHome project, 
visit: http://www.nasa.gov/
likehome

Mayoral 
Candidates 
Square off in 
Final Debate

 
By Dean Lee

 Both mayoral candidates 
Jacque Robinson and Terry 
Tornek took on questions 
Tuesday night ranging from the 
city manager’s job performance 
to police oversight to the 710 
freeway extension during an 
hour and a half debate, the last 
before the run-off election April 
21. 

 The debate was moderated 
by Larry Mantle, the host of 
KPCC’s AirTalk.

 Mantle, early in the night, 
bluntly asking if City Manager 
Michael Beck should be 
fired over the 6.4 million 
embezzlement scandal, that 
rocked city hall, by a former 
public works employee. 

 “I think it’s not just this single 
instance in determining if 
the city manager should be 
fired in the future,” she said. 
“I think’s is going to be a full 
council discussion of not just 
this embezzlement issue but all 
of the issues citywide. The city 
manager is not just responsible 
for finance department and the 
public works department.” 

 Robinson said she agreed on 
Beck’s decision of getting rid of 
the management involved.

 “In this instance I think it 
was the right thing to do to 
release the finance department 
manager and the public works 
department manager,” she said. 

 Both candidates were asked 
about the release of two critical 
independent police audits 
criticizing police tactics.

 “I think this is part of a larger 
national dialog we are having 
about what we expect form our 
police,” Tornek said. “We have a 
very sort of ambiguous, almost 
schizophrenic, attitude about 
our policemen and how they 
should conduct themselves. On 
the one hand we demand that 
they keep us safe and on the 
other hand we expect perfection 
from them, which I don’t think 
is reasonable.”

 Tornek added that the 
officers have bad moral in the 
department and the police 
are dissatisfied with pay and 
understaffing.

 Robinson said she had full 
confidence in Chief of Police 
Phillip Sanchez leading the 
department. She also said there 
should be some oversight of the 
department. 

 “There does need to be some 
kind of bridge that can work 
between the community and the 
police department,” Robinson 
said. “I know that Chief 
Sanchez and myself as the chair 
of the public safety committee 
have implemented a number of 
steps like revising the report the 
public is able to fill out, making 
it more available thought out the 
community.” 

 Tornek said he disagreed on 
a citizen’s commission after 
listening to many groups 
including the ACLU. “I’m 
not persuaded that a citizen’s 
commission is necessarily the 
direction to go,” he said. “I 
think experience indicates that 
in a lot of cities they become 
very politicized and I’m not sure 
it’s a useful undertaking.” 

 He said he would rather see an 
inspector general as an adviser to 
the public safety committee, “I 
think [public safety committee] 
is not able to make the kinds 
of judgements that it should be 
making on an informed basis, 
[an inspector general] might be 
the right step.”

 Both candidates said they 
oppose a tunnel option for the 
710 freeway gap. They also 
said they supported taking the 
issue to the voters with a ballot 
measure. 

 “I think bringing it back to the 
voters is the way, the problem 
is the process and the timing 
would be such that it would 
be of real value,” Tornek said 
anticipating the city suing. 
“Although if Metro does select 
the tunnel alternative, the 
litigation will take it out to so 
long.” 

 Robinson added that she 
had suggested the idea on a 
measure,” I suggested it two 
times, once in front of the city 
council and once when we held 
a meeting here at the convention 
center.” 

 In an awkward moment, 
Tornek threw his hands in the 
air at Mantle after he quoted 
Councilmember Steve Madison, 
describing Tornek as arrogant 
with an autocratic style that 
marginalizing him on the 
council asking if others see him 
that way? “I’m not still beating 
my wife,” Tornek Joked implying 
he can’t answer the question.

 Robinson had her own 
awkward moment as she held 
back tears answering a questing 
related to difficulties of being on 
the city council.

 “One of the hardest things that 
I have had to do as a council 
member and it’s not something 
that I talk about a lot,” she said 
after a long pause. “I’ve been 
to the site, whether its officer 
involved shooting or not, of 
every gun shooting in this city, 
it’s hard.” 

 Tornek and Robinson are in the 
run-off election for Pasadena’s 
Office of Mayor after receiving 
the highest percentage of 
votes in the March 10 primary 
race, with no single candidate 
receiving more than 50 percent 
of the total votes. The winner 
will be the first directly elected 
mayor for Pasadena in 16 years 
and only the second directly 
elected mayor in the City’s 
history. 

 Video of the full debate can be 
seen at pasadenamedia.tv. 

Villa-Parke 
Boxers 
Advance 
as Olympic 
Hopefuls

 Pasadena residents Christian 
Camarena, welter weight, 
and David Mijares, junior 
middle weight, are scheduled 
to compete in the California 
Golden Gloves State 
Championships on Saturday, 
April 11, 2015, in Visalia, 
Calif., after clinching district 
boxing titles at the annual 
Southern California Golden 
Gloves Tournament March 17-
21 in Los Angeles, Calif.

 Camarena, 18, is a senior at 
Pasadena High School, and 
Mijares, 19, is a freshman at 
Santa Monica College. Both 
amateur pugilists have trained 
under the expert guidance 
of Villa-Parke Community 
Center’s boxing coach Fausto 
De La Torre since 2010.

 If Camarena or Mijares 
capture state titles in April, 
they can advance to the 
National Golden Gloves 
Championships May 11-16 in 
Las Vegas, Nev., and will be 
one step closer to their dreams 
of competing at the Summer 
Olympics. A win at the 
national championships would 
qualify the competitors for the 
2016 Summer Olympic trials. 
If they qualify at the Olympic 
trials, they will be eligible to 
compete as part of the U.S. 
Olympic Team.

 The Villa-Parke Community 
Center Boxing Program was 
established in the 1940s and 
has since become a training 
ground for many Olympic 
hopefuls and professional 
boxers. The program is open to 
male and female competitors 
ages 8 and older. Coach De 
La Torre, a former amateur 
boxer and product of the Villa-
Parke Community Center 
Boxing Program, has been the 
program’s head trainer for 18 
years.

Symphony Finishes Season 
With Grieg Piano Concerto

 The Pasadena Symphony 
concludes its exhilarating 
season with a bang on 
Saturday May 2, 2105. Hear 
award-winning Venezuelan 
pianist Gabriela Martinez 
performing the Grieg’s hugely 
popular piano concerto 
and taste the rapture and 
romance of Romeo & Juliet 
as summoned up by one of 
the greatest Russian masters, 
Prokofiev at Ambassador 
Auditorium with matinee 
and evening performances at 
both 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

 The romantic Piano 
Concerto written by Edvard 
Grieg, “the Chopin of 
the North,” explores the 
expressive drama, joy, and 
adulation of Norwegian folk 
dances and festivities, written 
for his beloved wife Clara. 
Romantic programming 
weaves together the evening, 
as Sergei Prokofiev’s dramatic 
tragic interpretation of 
Romeo and Juliet creates 
a virtual retelling of 
Shakespeare’s most famous 
work with excerpts that 
bring the passionate zest of 
the story to life. Christopher 
Rouse’s Rapture, unlocks the 
powerful bombastic strength 
of the entire orchestra 
with as Rouse describes, “a 
progression to an ever more 
blinding ecstasy!” 

 “As we look back, we’re 
inspired by this landmark 
season under the full artistic 
direction of Music Director 
David Lockington and 
Principal Guest Conductor 
Nicholas McGegan,” says 
Lora Unger, CEO of the 
Pasadena Symphony 
Association adding “we’ve 
made a pronounced impact 
on our audience and they’re 
enthusiastically responding 
to it… it sets the stage for 
even greater things to come 
next year as we expand our 
Classics Series to six concert 
weekends.”

 The Ambassador 
Auditorium is located at 
131 South St. John Avenue, 
Pasadena, CA. Ticket prices 
start at $20 and may be 
purchased online at www.
pasadenasymphony-pops.
org or by calling (626) 793-
7172.

Pet of the 
Week


Chamber 
to Hold 
Restaurant 
Week 

 Hank (A374253) is a 
two-year-old male black 
and white Staffordshire 
Bull Terrier mix. Hank 
is really calm, sweet and 
affectionate. He loves going 
for walks and receiving 
attention. Hank is already 
neutered which means 
he can go home with you 
today.

 The regular dog adoption 
fee is $125 which includes 
the spay or neuter surgery, 
microchip, vaccinations, 
and 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 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

 Pasadena’s restaurant 
community opens its doors 
to guests from throughout 
Southern California for the 
third Pasadena Restaurant 
Week. The Pasadena Chamber 
is sponsoring the event which 
takes place from Sunday, April 
26th through Friday, May 1st.

 Return to an old favorite or 
try someplace new. Taste the 
best Pasadena has to offer at 
unbeatable prices. Pasadena 
Restaurant Week is a great 
opportunity to visit Pasadena 
favorites such as Green Street 
Restaurant, The Raymond, 
POP Champagne and Dessert 
Bar, El Cholo. Central Park 
Cafe or Ruth’s Chris Steak 
House. You can also try out 
newly opened Del Frisco’s 
Grille or Magnolia House.

For restaurant listings, 
menus and more, visit www.
pasadenarestauarntweek.com/
restaurants.

 Get the restaurant, 
menu, pricing and cuisine 
information on your iPhone 
or Android smart phone. 
Download the Pasadena 
Restaurant Week mobile 
application at the App Store 
or Google Play. Everyone who 
downloads the app is entered 
for a chance to win delicious 
prizes during Pasadena 
Restaurant Week.

Carol Liu Picks Akila Gibbs 
as Women of the Year

 
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 crew members. 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.

 

 Akila Gibbs, executive director 
of the Pasadena Senior Center, 
was recognized recently as one 
of California Senator Carol Liu’s 
six 25th Senate District Women 
of the Year during a reception at 
Liu’s home.

 She was honored for her 
dedicated leadership of the 
Pasadena Senior Center and her 
work to enhance the quality of 
life in the community. 

 Since 2000 Gibbs has devoted 
herself to issues associated 
with the aging population 
and has served on several 
boards and associations that 
address social services issues, 
including the Villa Esperanza 
Services Council for Excellence, 
Pasadena Senior Commission, 
Pasadena Rotary and Pasadena 
Executive Roundtable, a 
consortium of executive 
directors of local nonprofit 
organizations.

 The Pasadena Senior Center 
is one of only five California 
sites selected as a model for best 
practices in senior care services 
and is the only resource of its 
kind in the San Gabriel Valley 
that provides comprehensive 
services to seniors.

 “I am grateful to Senator Liu for 
honoring me and the five other 
2015 Women of the Year,” said 
Gibbs. “As the Pasadena Senior 
Center prepares to celebrate its 
55th anniversary this year, I am 
committed to continue leading 
this organization as we meet the 
growing needs of seniors in the 
years ahead.” 


Class offerings days and nights weekly

Station Schedule 

Producers Training

Monday April 13, at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Studio Camera & Floor Manager

Tuesday April 14, at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Director Training

Tuesday April 14, at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

OPEN MIC - THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE!

Thursday April 16, at 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Pasadena Media’s Member Meet-Up

Tuesday April 28, at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.