Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 20, 2015

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 20, 2015 
Pasadena 
News Briefs 

 Man Arrested after 
Diching Handgun

 A Pasadena Police Sergeant 
was in old town on foot 
detail Sunday when he was 
approached by a citizen near 
Colorado Blvd. and Arroyo 
Parkway about 1:32 a.m. who 
pointed out a man saying he 
was armed with a gun. 

 According to police, Sergeant 
Peinado kept an eye on the 
man and called for backup. 
Officers De Sylva, Myles 
and Torres responded to the 
area although when the man 
observed the officers he fled 
toward Green Street. Officer 
Torres saw the male suspect 
reach into his waistband area 
and throw something into a 
nearby trashcan. The suspect 
was detained without incident 
and officers recovered a load 
.40 subcompact handgun. 
The suspect was arrested and 

booked at the Pasadena jail.

 Man Shoots Gun into the 
Air, Threatens Suicide

 Pasadena Police officers 
responded to the 2400 block of 
Las Lunas, June 13, at around, 

3:30 p.m. regarding a domestic 
violence investigation. 
According to police, the caller, 
17 year old female, stated 
her father was armed with 
a gun and was pointing it at 
her mother. Officers arrived 
quickly and on arrival they 
were met by the father and 
mother outside the residence. 
The officers learned the father 
had fired a round into the 
ground prior to their arrival 
and was planning to commit 
suicide The man was booked 
at the Pasadena Jail on several 
felony charges.

 Instigators Seize Drugs 
during Bust

 Pasadena Police Department’s 
Special Investigations Unit 
(SIU) conducted a narcotic 
investigation on June 9, in 
South El Monte. SIU was 
assisted by Canine Officer 
Widger and hisK9 partner 
Nico. During the subsequent 
search, Nico located a total of 
15 lbs. of methamphetamine 
that was concealed within the 
residence. 

 Report suspicious activity or 
persons to the Pasadena Police 
Department at 626-744-4241 
or dial 9-1-1 in an emergency. 

Pet of the 
Week 

 
Loretta (A377371) is 
an 11-month-old spayed 
female. This all black beauty 
is extremely affectionate 
and also has a playful side. 
She loves getting petted and 
will purr the whole time she 
is with people. She also likes 
to be held.

 As a long-term resident, 
Loretta’s adoption fee is 
$35, which includes the 
spay surgery, microchip, 
vaccinations and a free 
follow-up health check at a 
participating vet.

 New adopters will receive a 
complimentary health-andwellness 
exam from VCA 
Animal Hospitals, as well 
as a goody bag filled with 
information about how to 
care for your pet.

 Call the Pasadena Humane 
Society & SPCA at (626) 
792-7151 to ask about 
A377371, or visit at 361 S. 
Raymond Ave. in Pasadena. 
Adoption hours are 11 a.m. 
to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. 
to 5 p.m. Tuesday through 
Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
Saturday.

 Pets may not be available 
for adoption and cannot be 
held for potential adopters 
by phone calls or email. 
Directions and photos of 
all pets can be found at 
pasadenahumane.org.

JPL Scientists 
Look to E3 for 
Inspiration 

By Dean Lee

 You would think it would 
be the other way around but 
NASA scientists working 
at JPL attended this year’s 
Electronic Entertainment Expo 
Tuesday looking for video game 
innovations that they might 
apply to the agency’s future 
missions.

 “Video game technologies 
are more applicable to space 
exploration then many people 
would have expected,” said Jeff 
Norris Mission Operations 
Innovation Lead for NASA/
JPL. “It started out with us 
realizing things like, if you need 
a physical device to control a 
robot, you could go and make 
one from scratch or you could 
use a video game controller, 
they already know how to use it 
and it made for this.”

 E3 is the world’s largest annual 
video game conference and 
show. It was held through 
Thursday at the Los Angeles 
Convention Center. 

 With companies like Sony, 
Samsung and Facebook’s 
Oculus getting into the virtual 
reality market a large focus at 
E3 was VR. Both Norris and 
Victor Luo, NASA/JPL deputy 
lead of the Operations (Ops) 
Lab, said the applications for it 
go way beyond video games.

 “For us.., is enabling Mars 
scientists, the people who are 


Safety Urged 4th of July 


(Top) Gamer 
tries a VR 
demo of 
505 Games 
ADRIFT at 
this year’s 
E3. Photo 
by D.Lee/
MVNews 

entrusted with 
controllingour spacecraft 

Jeff Norris (left) and Victor Luo (right), both lead 

on Mars to 

engineer at NASA/JPL, in the press room at this

work on Mars 

year’s E3 conference. Photo by D.Lee/MVNews.

as if they were 

there,” Norris said about VR. “It 
you think about a field geologist, 
they explore places on earth by 
physically going there… but 
when we are exploring things 
on other planets, those same 
geologists spend all this time 
staring at a computer screen. 
So what we’re doing is letting 
them break out of that screen 
and let them walk around as if 
they were there.” 

 This is the second round for 
VR, it was first popular in the 
mid 1990’s.

 “What’s changed this time 
around is, thinking of the 
developers first, making sure 
there is a platform to build 
on top of,” Luo said. “Making 
sure there are applications that 
people can experience so it’s not 
just an arcade to check out.” 

 When asked what games they 
like to play, both Luo and Norris 
gave general categories. Norris 
said he enjoys first person 
shooters that have deep story 
lines and real-time strategy, 
“Especially if they force me to 
think.” Luo said tactical role 
playing games and the multi-
play first person shooters. 


All fireworks Illegal in 

Pasadena

 The Pasadena Fire and Police 
Departments remind the public 
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.

 Instead, celebrate the Fourth 
of July Holiday with family 
and friends by attending the 
89th annual “Americafest,” 
one of the best family-friendly, 
professional fireworks shows 
in Southern California at the 
beautiful Rose Bowl Stadium. 
Go to www.rosebowlstadium. 
com for event and ticket 
information.

 Plenty of family fun begins 
outside America’s Stadium 
at 2 p.m. Parking is $25 per 
vehicle. Gates open at 6 p.m. 
for Americafest, with live 
motorcycle stunts; a tribute 
to our military personnel; 
performances by Liverpool 
Legends, the Ultimate Beatles 
Experience; the Ultimate Elvis 
Tribute show and Southern 
California’s largest fireworks 
show, Pyro Spectaculars ® by 
Souza.

 If You See Something, Say 
Something! Call Pasadena 
Police at (626) 744-4241 to 
report illegal fireworks and 
other suspicious activities.
Due to the high potential for fire 
hazards and injuries, Pasadena 
police and fire personnel will 
staff checkpoints around the 
Rose Bowl Stadium to seize all 
fireworks.

 The Pasadena Fire Department 
will begin applying Phos-Chek 
Tuesday, June 16, 2015 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. 
Pasadena’s Fire Chief Bertral 
Washington and Police Chief 
Phillip Sanchez urge everyone 
to make safety their top priority 
while responsibly celebrating 
our Great Nation’s Birthday. 
The City offers the following 
safety reminders:
Pasadena has a “NO Fireworks, 
Zero Tolerance Policy” for 
enforcement. 
Celebrate responsibility, always 
designate a driver.
If outdoors, remember to use 
sunscreen, wear a brimmed hat 
for shade and stay hydrated.

 Always have someone tending 
the barbecue and watching the 
swimming pool when in use.
Call 9-1-1 for all life-threatening 
emergencies.

 Call (626) 744-4241 for all 
other public safety needs. 
Speak calmly and give accurate 
information about your location 
and the reason for calling.
Visit www.readypasadena.net 
for emergency preparedness 
information and to register 
your telephones to receive Red 
Flag Alerts or other emergency 
notifications.

 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. 

Humane 
Societyto Hold ‘Free 
AdoptionDay’ Event

 Second annual event 
honors PHS board 
member Steve Johnson

 Looking to add a new furry 
friend to your family? The 
Pasadena Humane Society & 
SPCA will hold its 2nd Annual 
“Free Adoption Day” on June 

30. The shelter, located at 361 
S. Raymond Ave in Pasadena, 
will be open for adoptions 
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
This year’s event will be held 
in honor of board member 
Steve Johnson. Adoption fees 
will be waived for all available 
animals—including dogs, cats, 
rabbits, birds, pocket pets and 
reptiles--for the entire day. 
As the shelter fills to capacity 
during the warmer months, it 
is important to find new homes 
for pets as quickly as possible. 
The 2014 “Free Adoption Day” 
resulted in the adoption of 29 
cats, 13 dogs, one parakeet, 
one lovebird, and one chicken.

 “After last year’s rousing 
success, we are incredibly 
excited to be hosting another 
free adoption day,” says 
Kevin McManus, adoptions 
supervisor. “We hope to 
have just as many, if not more 
adoptions, this year.”

 All dog and cat adoptions 
include the spay or neuter 
surgery, a microchip and a set 
of vaccines. The 2015 “Free 
Adoption Day” coincides 
with the implementation of a 
mandatory spay and neuter 
ordinance in the City of 
Pasadena. As of July 1st, all 
dogs and cats 6 months of age 
and over must be spayed and 
neutered. Pasadena residents 
will have one year to comply.

 The event is open to anyone 
looking to adopt a pet; not 
just residents of our service 
cities. Regular adoption 
policies and screening apply. 
To expedite the adoption 
process, download and print 
an adoption application in 
advance on our website. 

Police Hold 
Father’s DayCar Show

 The Pasadena Police 
Department is inviting the 
community to come out 
and support our annual 
Father’s Day Classic Car 
Show Sunday, the Pasadena 
Police Department will 
host their annual classic car 
show at the Paseo Colorado. 
All proceeds to support the 
Pasadena Police Explorers, 
Peace Over Violence 
and the PAL Program. 
We are encouraging our 
community to come out 
and support this event and 
support worthwhile causes 
for children. The event will 
be 300 East Green Street 
starting at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

COUNCIL APPOINTS ANDY 
WILSON TO DISTRICT 7 SEAT 


 
A divided city council 
voted Monday night during 
a special meeting to appoint 
technology entrepreneur 
Andy Wilson to fill the 
District 7 seat—left vacant 
after councilmember Terry 
Tornek became city mayor in 
May.

 “We are very fortunate, 
district 7, that we don’t have 
some of the issues that are 
maybe critical as other areas; 
by the way, I look at that as an 
obligation and opportunity 
for us to provide leadership 
at the city level because we 
are not necessarily fighting 
a firefight. But we do have 
issues,” Wilson said explaining 
that District 7 issues included 
mansionization and building 
guidelines, traffic and the 
vacant store fronts along 
South Lake Ave. 

Council members Tyron 
Hampton and Margaret 
McAustin voted against 
Wilson. Tornek’s favorable 
vote gave him the five needed 
to be appointed.

 Wilson will serve as 
the appointed District 
7 councilmember until 
Monday, May 1, 2017.

 Wilson is co-founder/CEO 
of Rexter, a venture-backed 
software start-up focused 
on sales team productivity. 

Fraudulent Fire InvestigatorsTargeting Local Businesses

 Businesses in Pasadena and inspection comes from the 
across the state have been City of Pasadena and not a 
targeted by scam artists who private billing company. These 
wear official-looking blue inspections are conducted 
shirts and pants and claim they annually or bi-annually based on 
are there to “inspect” the fire the occupancy. Before allowing 
extinguishers, smoke alarms, or any inspector to enter your 
sprinkler systems. They ask an business, require the individual 
unsuspecting employee to sign a to present government-issued 
form authorizing the inspection. identification. Pasadena Fire 
Weeks or months later, a bill Department inspectors and 
comes to the business’s owner firefighters all wear badges, 
for “work done” or “services and their uniforms will have 
rendered.” The bill, sometimes a Pasadena Fire Department 
for an annual inspection patch. Additionally, inspectors 
appears to have been signed by will be driving official Pasadena 
an employee, but occasionally Fire Department vehicles with 
is fraudulently signed once a government license plates or an 
responsible party is identified emergency vehicle. 

(i.e. manager, supervisor, lead If you suspect suspicious 
person). activity, or have been a victim 
The Pasadena Fire Department of the fraudulent activity, 
wants area businesses to know contact the Pasadena Police 
that while local fire department Department at (626) 744officials 
do conduct such 4241 or the Pasadena Fire 
inspections, the bill for the Department at (626) 744-7184. 

Free Concerts in the Park 
Hosted By the Senior Center


Photo, Great American Swing Band, Mariachi Bella

 Residents do not have 
to be a member or even a 
senior to attend 

Every Tuesday evening at 6 

p.m. from June 30 to Sept. 1 
the Pasadena Senior Center 
presents free concerts at the 
Memorial Park band shell. 
The one-hour concerts are 
open to people of all ages. Bring 
a picnic or purchase dinner at 
the BBQ snack bar. 
· June 30 - Pam Kay and The 
Tap Chicks entertain with lively 
dance routines, Vaudeville-style 
comedy and clever costumes. 
· July 7 - Janet Klein and 
her Parlor Boys perform jazz, 
ragtime, blues and novelty 
songs popular from 1900 to 
1930. 
· July 14 -The all-female 
Mariachi Bella, dressed in 
traditional costumes, performs 
a mix of iconic and new 
mariachi music. 
· July 21 -- Susie Hansen 
Latin Band performs fiery 
jazz and salsa that will have 
the audience on their feet and 
dancing in the aisles. 
· July 28 - Pasadena Youth 
Chamber Orchestra features 
talented high school and college 
students performing classical 
music. 
· Aug. 4 - Billy and the 
Hillbillies perform a hilarious 

Wilson 

Previously, as founder 
of Momentum Ventures, he 
led more than a half-dozen 
SoCal tech start-ups and is 
an investor in almost a dozen 
other ventures.

 In addition to being Rexter’s 
CEO, Councilmember 
Wilson serves on the 
corporate boards and 
advisory boards of several 
prominent SoCal startups. 
He has extensive board 
experience in not-for-profit/
community organizations 
including service on the 
Planning Commission, 
Design Commission and the 
Pasadena Center Operating 
Company Board of Directors. 

 He is also the co-founder 
and co-chair of Innovate 
Pasadena, a regional high-
tech organization dedicated 
to advancing the the area 
as a vibrant, innovation 
community. 

act of bluegrass music mixed 
with comedy. 
· Aug. 11 - Inca, The Peruvian 
Ensemble offers a colorful 
array of music and dance from 
the Andes region using rare, 
authentic instruments. 
· Aug. 18 - Lisa Haley and the 
Zydekats is a Grammy Award-
winning group that plays lively 
Cajun Zydeco music. 
· Aug. 25 - Alan Chapman’s 
Movie Music Magic features 
memorable melodies from the 
silver screen performed by a 
dynamic ensemble. 
· Sept. 1 - The Great 
American Swing Band features 
the sounds of big band, rhythm 
and blues, jazz and Dixieland.

 Additional concert sponsors 
include the Los Angeles County 
Arts Commission, Pasadena 
Highlands and AGA Medicare 
Options.

 For more information visit 
www.pasadenaseniorcenter.orgor call 626-795-4331.

 Founded in 1959, the Pasadena 
Senior Center is an independent, 
nonprofit organization that 
offers recreational, educational, 
wellness and social services to 
people ages 50 and over in a 
friendly environment. Services 
are also provided for frail, 
low-income and homebound 
seniors. 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com