Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 21, 2015

5

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 21, 2015 


GIVING THANKS BY GIVING BACK

Union Station Homeless Services to feed thousands 

in need at Annual Dinner-in-the-Park 

PASADENA - The best way to give thanks is to give 
back! To show community spirit and compassion, 
hundreds of volunteers of all ages will gather 
together on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day to 
serve meals and cheer at Union Station Homeless 
Services’ annual Dinner-in-the-Park. 

For more than 40 years, this beloved tradition has 
been a staple event for the community during the 
holiday season. 

Volunteers help prepare and serve meals - 
including turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, 
mashed potatoes and pie - to all who are hungry 
at Pasadena’s Central Park on Thanksgiving and 
Christmas Day. 

“The event brings the community together!” said 
Ginger Mort, member of the Los Angeles Disney 
VoluntEAR Leadership Council and a Union 
Station Dinner-in-the-Park volunteer since 2001. 
“Even if it is for one day, hopefully one day leads to 
another and another and so on and so on!”

Union Station Homeless Services expects to 
serve 5,000 plates of food this Thanksgiving on 
November 26th. Meal recipients will include 
adults and families experiencing homelessness and 
poverty, senior citizens, and those who are alone 
at the holidays or unable to afford a holiday meal. 

In addition to volunteers, the event is made possible 
thanks to our generous partners: 

 Tsutayo Ichioka & Satsuki Nakao Foundation, 
HomeStreet Bank, SuperKing Markets, Longo 
Toyota Scion Lexus, Pasadena Federal Credit 
Union, Dove Properties, Pasadena Convention 
Center, Norton Rose Fullbright, Paul Hastings, 
Centerplate, Chipotle, and Whole Foods.

 “The Pasadena Convention Center and 
Centerplate is thrilled to support Union Station 
Homeless Services by preparing turkeys for Dinner-
in-the-Park,” said Michael Ross, CEO, Pasadena 
Center Operating Company. “We applaud Union 
Station’s work to serve thousands of meals to the 
hungry and homeless during the holiday season 
and are pleased to participate in such a worthwhile 
cause.” 

 “Dinner-in-the-Park is truly a community event 
and simply would not be possible without the help 
of dedicated volunteers and dozens of businesses 
who make this event such a success,” said Marv 
Gross, CEO of Union Station. 

 All who are able to help are invited to donate 
their time, food items or funds to this incredible 
holiday outreach program. 

 Volunteer registration for Thanksgiving is now 
closed. Registration for Christmas will open on 
December 1 at 8 am. 

 Union Station Homeless Services is still in need 
of non-perishable food donations. A wish list of 
items needed can be found on the event page at 
http://unionstationhs.org/event/dinner-in-the-
park-2015/. The community is invited to drop 
off these supplies in the indicated sizes at 412 S. 
Raymond, Pasadena. 

PLEASE NOTE: Due to Health Department 
regulations, Union Station Homeless Services is 
no longer able to accept turkey or prepared food 
donations at the event.

OLD FIRE STATION 30

Altadena resident Michael Dumas and Pasadena 
resident Robin McCarthy pose next to a vintage fire 
engine in front of Old Fire Station 30 on the corner 
of Central Avenue and 14th Street, just south of 
downtown Los Angeles. Dumas is a retired LAFD 
Fire Inspector and boardmember of the Fire Family 
Foundation, and McCarthy is the executive director. 
Last Sunday, they attended a special open house at 
the museum, where an announcement was made 
about a fundraising partnership between the two 
agencies scheduled for Saturday, August 13, 2016 
– The first Fire It Up! barbeque competition will 
be held on the grounds of the beautifully restored 
museum and co-hosted by Fire Family Foundation. 
Visit www.firefamilyfoundation.org to get updates 
about this tasty fundraiser and to learn more about 
how Fire Family provides assistance to fire fighters, 
fire victims and fire families.

COUNTY ISSUES ABATEMENT DIRECTIVE ON 
ALISO CANYON GAS LEAK 

Orders Gas Co. to Provide Free, Temporary Relocation to Affected Residents

33% WATER SAVINGS FOR OCTOBER

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – At the direction 
of Mayor Michael D. Antonovich, the County 
Department of Public Health has investigated 
the ongoing gas leak at Southern California Gas 
Company’s Aliso Canyon storage facility -- and 
issued a directive ordering an expedited abatement. 
The directive also requires the Gas Company to 
provide free, temporary relocation to any residents 
affected by the odors. “The actions being taken by 
the County directs the Gas Company to expedite 
the abatement of this public health threat,” said 
Antonovich.

Water savings for the FMWD service area declined 
slightly to 33% for the month of October 2015 
compared to the 34% savings in September. The 
State is using calendar year 2013 as the benchmark 
for measuring water savings for water agencies 
throughout California. Cumulative water savings 
since the State-mandated reductions began is 33%. 

 La Canada Irrigation District took top 
performance for the service area with 40% savings 
over the same period in 2013. Las Flores Water 
Company was a close second at 39% savings. 
Rubio Canon Land and Water Association, one of 
two agencies that are required to conserve 36% hit 
their target for the first time since the mandatory 
restrictions began. Valley Water Company, also 
required to conserve 36%, conserved 29%. Below 
are the numbers for agencies within the FMWD 
service area:

 October Savings Cumulative Savings Crescenta 
Valley Water District 29% 31% La Canada 
Irrigation District 40% 35% Las Flores Water 
Company 39% 33% Lincoln Avenue Water 
Company 33% 30% Mesa Crest Water District 37% 
27% Rubio Canon Land and Water Association 
36% 33% Valley Water Company 29% 32% 

 “We are proud of our customers conserving 40% 
during this critical drought and thank them for 
their efforts. We ask for continued conservation 
so that State-mandated reduction targets can 
continue to be met,” said La Canada Irrigation 
District General Manager Doug Caister. 

 The best way to save water is to reduce irrigation 
to 2 days a week. For more savings tips, please go 
to http://bewaterwise.com/.

October Water Savings

 Foothill Municipal Water District provides 
imported water to Crescenta Valley Water District, 
La Cañada Irrigation District, Mesa Crest Water 
Company, Valley Water Company, Lincoln Avenue 
Water Company, Las Flores Water Company and 
Rubio Cañon Land & Water Association. Kinneloa 
Irrigation District, another retail agency, takes no 
water from Foothill.


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