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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.
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