Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 25, 2015

4

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 25, 2015 

Pasadena 
News Briefs

Tornek Wins Mayoral Election 

PCC Names Dr. Rajen 
Vurdien New President

 
The Pasadena Area 
Community College District 
Board of Trustees voted 
unanimously Sunday to 
appoint Dr. Rajen Vurdien as 
superintendent-president of 
Pasadena City College.

 “The Board is pleased that 
our selection process worked 
so quickly and so well and 
thanks everyone involved 
for their hard work,” said 
Berlinda Brown, board 
president.

 Brown said she will work 
with counsel to negotiate 
an agreement for Vurdien’s 
contract that will be acted 
on publicly at a future Board 
meeting.

 Vurdien, currently the 
president of Fullerton 
College since May of 2010, 
beat out two other finalists 
– Dr. Robert Miller, interim 
superintendent-president 
of PCC, and Dr. Patricia 
Hsieh, president of Miramar 
College – to become the 15th 
president in PCC’s history.

 “The Board also sincerely 
thanks Dr. Robert Miller 
for his service as interim 
president,” Brown said. “We 
look forward to a new era at 
PCC.”

 Prior to his post at Fullerton 
College, Vurdien served as 
vice president of instruction 
at Saddleback College for 
six years. In the 1980s, 
Vurdien worked for the 
United Nations Development 
Program, where he was 
positioned in China and led 
the U.N. language programs. 
Other positions he has held 
include director of Graduate 
Programs in Education 
and professor of reading at 
Gwynedd Mercy College; 
associate professor and chair 
of reading at Long Island 
University; and instructor 
of reading and later dean of 
Language Arts and Physical 
Education at Long Beach City 
College.

 PCC’s nationwide 
presidential search officially 
began last November, three 
months after the retirement 
of Dr. Mark Rocha. Fifty-
one applied for the top post, 
according to Ralph Andersen 
& Associates, the firm 
PCC hired to coordinate 
the search. All candidates 
were screened through a 
committee consisting of 
campus shared governance 
groups.

Three sentenced for 
Pasadena Murder 

 Three known gang members 
were sentenced Wednesday to 
life without the possibility of 
parole for the 2013 murder of 
a man in Pasadena during a 
drug deal gone wrong.

According to prosecutors 
from the Los Angeles County 
district attorney’s office, Peter 
Parra of Pasadena, Raymond 
Frank Conchas of Covina 
and Kevin Jessie Cabrera of 
North Hollywood were each 
sentenced and given an added 
25 years to life.

Each were found guilty in 
February first-degree murder, 
attempted robbery and 
conspiracy to commit a crime 
with a special circumstance 
that the murder was committed 
during a robbery. A jury also 
agreed that the crime was for 
the benefit of a gang.

According to police, the 
victim Zane Goldstein, 21, of 
Pasadena met with the men 
in an alley near Maple Street 
and Chester Avenue. During a 
drug deal prosecutors said the 
men tried to rob Goldstein and 
then shot him with a shotgun 
as he tried to escape.

Sears Security Guard 
Stabbed 

 A security guard was 
stabbed at the E. Foothill 
Boulevard Sears Monday 
night after trying to detain a 
man suspected of shoplifting. 
Police said a 26-year-old San 
Fernando man was arrested 
shortly after the incident. 
He now faces commercial 
burglary and attempted 
murder charges. 

Police said the security guard 
was stabbed with a bowie 
knife around 8:20 p.m. in the 
parking lot outside Sears. He 
was taken to a local hospital 
and went into surgery on 
Monday night. 

Off Duty Officer Hurt 
in Crash

 A Pasadena motorcycle 
officer had to be airlifted to a 
hospital shortly before 5 p.m. 
Monday after crashing on 
the freeway in Upland. Police 
said the officer was on his way 
home from work when he 
collided with another vehicle 
on the eastbound side of the 
210 Freeway near Campus 
Avenue. 

He was said to be in stable 
condition.

 By Dean Lee 

 Councilmember Terry Tornek 
(pictured far right) beat out 
Vice Mayor Jacque Robinson 
Tuesday night to become the first 
directly elected Pasadena mayor 
in 16 years —after a runoff 
election campaign in which both 
candidates were so confident 
they would win neither said they 
had an alternative plan if they 
lost.

 “There is no plan B, Tornek 
cheerfully said. “Just look at 
those numbers.”

 Although some mail-in ballots 
were still being counted, as of 
Friday, Tornek had received 
7652 votes giving him 55 percent 
of the vote. Robinson got 6134 
votes or 44.4 percent.

 Robinson said Tuesday night, as 
the ballots were being counted, 
that she had no plans to run for 
state senate if she lost something 
she had considered last year.

 “No I’m not running for state 
senate, I closed that committee 
well before I began to run for 
mayor,” she said. 

 Robinson had announced 
running for State Sen. Carol Liu’s 
district 25 seat. 

 To run for mayor, Robinson also 
had to give up her city council 
district 1 seat. 

 Tornek said the first thing he 
wanted to do after, being sworn 
in, was to meet with outgoing 
Mayor Bill Bogaard, “because 
there are a lot of practical 
questions I want to ask him 
about the transition,” he said 
then continued “In terms of 
actual issues, the most important 
thing is we need to restore the 
people’s trust, confidence to the 
city government, that we know 
what we are doing and doing it 
well.”

 City Manager Michael Beck said 
that with a new mayor would 
come a new management style, 
“I think we can all appreciate 
the incredible roll that Mayor 
Bogaard played over the last 16 
years but every individual brings 
their own style to the position so 
regardless of who prevails.”

Museum 
Opens Civil 
War Exhibits

 Pasadena Museum 
of History unveiled, 
Wednesday, two 
accompanying exhibitions 
that explore the profound 
impact Civil War veterans 
had on the city and 
surrounding communities. 
When Johnny Came 
Marching West: How the 
Civil War Shaped Pasadena, 
curated by local historians 
Janet Kadin and Nick Smith, 
and Thaddeus Lowe: Chief 
Aeronaut of the Union 
Army, curated by Michael 
Patris of the Mount Lowe 
Preservation Society 
Collection, bring to light the 
remarkable stories of these 
veterans and the lasting 
impressions they left on the 
region’s financial, political, 
and cultural life.

 This year marks the 150th 
anniversary of the end of the 
Civil War. California played 
a surprisingly important 
role in the conflict, with 
contributions of both men 
and materials, and after 
the war, large numbers of 
veterans, both Union and 
Confederate, emigrated 
West. Both exhibits run 
through Sept. 20.

 Admission to the exhibition 
galleries is $7 per person; 
Museum members and 
children under 12 are free. 

 Pasadena Museum of 
History, 470 West Walnut 
Street Pasadena. For more 
information call (626) 577-
1660. Free parking in the 
Museum lot and on Walnut 
St.

Chalk Festival Announced

MUSEUM ANNOUNCES THE 
PASSING OF ‘PEG’ PALMER

 
USC Pacific Asia Museum 
announced today the passing 
of Mrs. Margaret “Peg” Palmer 
on Sunday evening, April 
12 and expressed its deepest 
gratitude to her family for all her 
contributions to the museum.

 Margaret N. Palmer (born 
Margaret Ann Niedringhaus in 
1915, Pittsburgh, PA) was an 
invaluable patron and leader of 
the museum from its origin as 
the Pacificulture Foundation 
in 1960. Without her inspired 
efforts the museum would not 
be the respected establishment 
it is today. From her earliest 
involvement as the founding 
board President of the 
Pacificulture Foundation from 
1964 - 1971, to her committed 
service and leadership on 
the board of the Pacific Asia 
Museum (founding board 
president 1971 - 1973), Margaret 
was a consistent advocate for 
the intercultural preservation 
and dissemination of art and 
culture. She was an important 
figure in the formative years of 
the museum, a pillar of strength 
and determination, and her 
legacy here will not soon be 
forgotten officials said in a 
statement.

 Longtime museum member, 
volunteer and storyteller Sunny 
Stevenson states, “The museum 
was founded because she felt that 
peace in the world must begin 
with an understanding and 
appreciation of people, customs 
and cultures different from 
our own. If it were not for her 
grace, charm, enthusiasm and 
perseverance, we would not be 
enjoying an exciting place that is 
still growing and developing in 
even greater ways.”

 The Palmer family will hold a 
memorial service for Margaret 
Palmer on Saturday, May 16, 
2015 in the museum’s courtyard 
from 10:30 am - 11:30 am for 
the public. No reservations 
are required, and admission 
to the museum will be free for 
non-members attending the 
memorial. 

 The Palmer family has also 
generously established the 
Margaret N. Palmer Memorial 
Fund for USC Pacific Asia 
Museum. To donate to this fund 
in her memory, please contact 
Sandra Chen Lau at tel. 626-
449-2742 ext. 33 or chenlau@
pam.usc.edu

 
Celebrating its 23rd year, the 
Pasadena Chalk Festival places 
over 25,000 sticks of pastel 
chalks in the hands of hundreds 
of Madonnari (Italian for street 
painter) to spend the weekend 
creating spectacular murals on 
concrete areas throughout the 
center that stretches over three 
city blocks, including across 
Green St. to the historic Pasadena 
Civic Auditorium. In every style 
imaginable, from classical to 
contemporary, whimsical and 
fantastic, to socially relevant,the 
murals are designed and 
created by independent artists 
as well as teams representing 
schools, creative companies, 
cultural organizations, and 
artistic families.The artists are 
an incredibly diverse group, 
representing many ethnicities, 
speaking numerous languages 
and spanning all ages. The 
festival will run over Father’s 
Day Weekend, June 20 - 21 from 
10 a.m. - 7 p.m. 

Pet of the 
Week


Free May Events at the 
Pasadena Senior Center 

 There is something for everyone 
in May at the Pasadena Senior 
Center, 85 E. Holly St. All events 
listed are free.

You do not have to be a member 
to attend. Some events require 
advance reservations as noted.

iPad Basics – Fridays, May 1 
and 15 and June 5 and 19, from 
10 to 11:30 a.m. If you’re new 
to an iPad and its functions, 
you’ll become well-versed 
in touchscreen capabilities, 
navigating the device and 
learning the basics of Internet 
browsing and searching. iPads 
will be provided for in-class use, 
or bring your own.

Friday Movie Matinees’ 
Fridays, May 1, 8 and 15, at 1 
p.m. Great films captivate us 
with imaginary worlds brought 
to life. May 1: Diana(2013, PG-
13) starring Naomi Watts and 
Naveen Andrews. May 8: The 
Imitation Game (2014, PG-13) 
starring Benedict Cumberbatch 
and Keira Knightly. May 15: 
Annie (2014, PG) starring 
Quvenzhané Wallis and Jamie 
Foxx.

Cardmaking Workshop – 
Monday, May 4, from noon 
to 2 p.m. Surprise a special 
someone with a personalized, 
handmade greeting card. 
Whether it’s a happy birthday, 
thank you, thinking of you or 
other sentiment, you’ll create 
a decorative card in your own 
unique style and have fun 
discovering your creativity while 
workshop leaders help you bring 
your ideas to life. All materials 
will be provided.

Memory Loss Education 
Workshops– Tuesdays, May 
5, 12, 19 and 26, from 10 a.m. 
to noon. Join us for this Brain 
Health Series to learn about 
memory loss and what you can 
do to help yourself and those 
you love. May 5: Memory Loss 
and Aging. May 12: The Basics 
of Memory Loss, Dementia 
and Alzheimer’s disease. May 
19: Know the 10 Signs – Early 
Detection Matters. May 26: 
Hypertension, Diabetes and 
Alzheimer’s disease. Registration 
is required by calling 626-685-
6730.

Parkinson’s Education 
Group– Wednesdays, May 6, 
13 and 20, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. 
This education and support 
class will explore diagnosis, 
treatment, maintaining mobility 
and quality of life. Speakers 
will include speech, physical 
and occupational therapists. 
Registration is encouraged 
at the Welcome Desk or by 
calling 626-685-6730. Walk-
ins are welcome. Presented by 
Huntington Hospital Outpatient 
Rehabilitation Department.

Hypertension: The Silent 
Killer– Thursday, May 7, at 10 
a.m. Learn the many ways to 
prevent or manage high blood 
pressure. Kathy Eastwood 
R.N., a Huntington Hospital 
community outreach nurse, will 
lead this informative talk.

Smart Gardening Workshop– 
Saturday, May 9, from 9:30 
to 11 a.m. Improve your lawn 
and garden and reduce waste! 
This beginner class will provide 
hands-on instruction on 
composting, worm composting, 
water-wise gardening and 
grasscycling. Bring your friends 
and neighbors! Presented by the 
City of Los Angeles.

 Oz (A373506) is a 12-year-
old male black and tan 
Miniature Pinscher mix. 
Even though he’s a senior, he 
has the energy of a dog half 
his age! He loves going for 
walks and is very friendly. 
Oz qualifies for the Seniors 
for Seniors program which 
waives the adoption fee for 
adopters age 60 and up. 
The mandatory microchip 
fee of $20 still applies. 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

Memorial 
Day BBQ 
and Dance

 
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.

 Memorial Day is a time to 
honor our nation’s military 
heroes of yesterday, today 
and tomorrow. Monday, 
May 25, a barbecue and 
dance will take place from 
noon to 2 p.m. at the 
Pasadena Senior, 85 E. 
Holly St.

 The barbecue lunch will 
include hamburgers, hot 
dogs, salads, baked beans 
and ice cream. Then kick 
up your heels and dance to 
popular favorites of days 
gone by performed by the 
Great American Swing 
Band.

 The cost is only $8 for 
members and $10 for non-
members of the Pasadena 
Senior Center. Reservations 
must be made no later than 
Thursday, May 21, at the 
Welcome Desk.

For more information 
visit www. 
pasadenaseniorcenter.org 
or call (626) 795-4331.

Class offerings days and nights weekly

Station Schedule 

Pasadena Media’s Member Meet-Up

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

Orientation & Tour

Monday May 4, at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

PCAC Board of Directors Meeting

Tuesday May 5, at 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Producer Training

Wednesday May 6, at 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Intro to Field Production

Thursday May 7, at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.