Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, February 25, 2017

4

SOUTH PASADENA - SAN MARINO

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 25, 2017 

Symphony presents 
Musical Tour of Europe

Board Seeks Community 
Input on South Pasadena 
Middle School Gymnasium

Resignations of President’s 
Advisory Commission on Asian 
Americans and Pacific Islanders

 
Principal Guest Conductor 
Nicholas McGegan returns to 
lead the Pasadena Symphony 
at Ambassador Auditorium 
on Saturday March 18 with 
a European tour of musical 
masterpieces featuring Felix 
Mendelssohn’s Scottish 
Symphony, inspired by the 
picturesque and romantic 
landscapes of the north along 
with Schubert’s Overture in 
the Italian Style. Virtuoso 
violinist Rachel Barton Pine 
will transport you to the 
exotic with Mozart’s Turkish 
Violin Concerto No. 5 with 
performances at 2 p.m. and 8 
p.m. 

 This concert marks Pine’s debut 
with the Pasadena Symphony. 
Heralded as a leading 
interpreter of the great classical 
masterworks, international 
concert violinist Rachel thrills 
audiences with her dazzling 
technique, lustrous tone and 
emotional honesty. With an 
infectious joy in music-making 
and a passion for connecting 
historical research to 
performance, Pine transforms 
audiences’ experiences of 
classical music. Her informed 
historical approach to musical 
interpretations makes a 
perfect pairing with Nicholas 
McGegan’s brand as the 
definitive interpreter of the 
Baroque and Classical style.

 To learn more about the music 
join us for Insights – a free pre-
concert dialogue with Nicholas 
McGegan, which begins one 
hour prior to each performance. 
Patrons who plan to arrive 
early can also enjoy a drink 
or a dinner in the lively Sierra 
Auto Symphony Lounge, offers 
uniquely prepared menus from 
Claud &Co for both lunch and 
dinner, a full bar and fine wines 
by Michero Family Wines, plus 
music before the concert and 
during intermission.

 All Symphony Classics concerts 
take place at Ambassador 
Auditorium, 131 S. St. John 
Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105 
with matinee and evening 
performances at 2:00pm and 
8:00pm. Subscription packages 
start at $99; regular individually 
priced tickets start at $35 and 
may be purchased online at 
pasadenasymphony-pops.org 
or by calling (626) 793-7172.

 Valet parking is available 
on Green Street for $15. 
General parking is available 
in two locations: next to the 
Auditorium (entrance on 
St. John Ave) at the covered 
parking structure for $10 and 
directly across the street at the 
Wells Fargo parking structure 
(entrance on Terrace at Green 
St). ADA parking is located at 
the above-ground parking lot 
adjacent to the Auditorium 
(entrance on St. John Ave.) for 
$10. Parking purchased onsite 
is cash only.

 Ten members of the 
President’s Advisory 
Commission on Asian 
Americans and Pacific 
Islanders submitted their 
resignations [February 15] 
to President Trump. This 
move comes less than a 
month after the resignation 
of six other Commissioners, 
who resigned on January 
20, despite having terms 
that do not officially end 
until September 30, 2017. 
Congresswoman Judy 
Chu (CA-27), Chair of 
the Congressional Asian 
Pacific American Caucus 
(CAPAC), released the 
following statement:

 “The en masse resignations 
of these 10 Commissioners 
speak volumes about the 
depth of opposition to 
President Trump’s recent 
actions, especially in the 
Asian American and Pacific 
Islander community. This 
includes hateful Executive 
Orders that threaten 
immigrant, Muslim and 
refugee communities. Under 
previous Democratic and 
Republican administrations, 
the President’s Advisory 
Commission on Asian 
Americans and Pacific 
Islanders has enabled 
the federal government 
to better serve the AAPI 
community. But rather than 
empower this Commission, 
President Trump has chosen 
to undermine the very 
principles that guide their 
work. And instead of seeing 
the Commission as a path 
towards unity, Mr. Trump 
has embraced division. This 
deeply troubling shift signals 
that far from working to 
build a more inclusive 
government, we have a 
President that now seeks 
to advance discriminatory 
policies that strike fear in 
our communities.

 “I commend the members 
of the President’s Advisory 
Commission, all of whom 
have made an indelible 
impact on the well-being 
and advancement of 
AAPIs across our nation. 
Their work to engage 
community networks, 
federal agencies, and 
AAPI leaders and to make 
government more accessible 
to our communities is truly 
commendable, and we are 
a stronger country because 
of their contributions. Their 
bold and principled stand 
reminds us that we must 
continue to reject hateful 
and discriminatory policies 
and work to protect the civil 
rights of all Americans.”

Chu represents South 
Pasadena, San Marino and 
Pasadena among many other 
cities along the foothills. For 
more information visit chu.
house.gov.

 
The South Pasadena 
Unified School District 
(SPUSD) School Board will 
conduct a public hearing 
March 14 at 6:30 p.m. 
during the board meeting 
to receive comments 
about construction related 
to the South Pasadena 
Middle School (SPMS) 
old gymnasium building. 
Specifically, the Board wants 
to hear the community’s 
perspective on repurposing 
the existing space versus 
replacing the structure. 
The future building will 
be a vibrant addition 
to the campus and will 
house a black box theater, 
instructional space for art 
classes and a lab for robotics 
and other STEM programs.

 “The Board wants to 
hear the community’s 
thoughts about whether to 
replace or reconfigure this 
building. As we come to a 
decision, multiple factors 
will be taken into account 
including architectural and 
engineering considerations, 
cost, and community input. 
We will consider all factors as 
we determine a construction 
plan for this important 
instructional space,” said 
Elisabeth Eilers, SPUSD 
School Board president.

 The structure, originally 
built as a gymnasium for 
students on the SPMS 
campus, has been partially 
retired for the past several 
years. Currently, only a 
portion of the building is 
being used due to outdated 
systems and access issues 
requiring costly updates and 
improvements. Expected 
to serve all SPMS students, 
the future structure may be 
used for community events 
as well. 

 Once the School Board 
determines direction, 
planning is expected to last 
approximately 14 months. 
Construction could begin 
as early as fall 2018, with 
completion expected 
approximately one year later.

 In addition to attending 
the public hearing at the 
SPUSD office, community 
members also may express 
opinions about this project 
electronically, through a link 
on the SPUSD website at 
spusd.net under Information 
& Announcements or by 
mailing correspondence 
to SPUSD Superintendent 
Geoff Yantz, 1020 El Centro 
Street, South Pasadena, 
California 91030. 

Nicholas McGegan

South 
Pasadena 
Winter 
Arts Crawl 
Tonight 

SPUSD Reaffirms Vow to a 
Safe School Environment

 
The South Pasadena Unified 
School District (SPUSD) 
Board of Education 
approved a resolution on 
Tuesday, which underscores 
the District’s commitment 
to fostering a safe and 
healthy environment for all 
students. Illustrating the 
importance of unwavering 
values regarding the 
humanity and dignity of 
every person, the resolution 
seeks to clearly state the 
District’s commitment to 
maintaining an environment 
of acceptance, support and 
kindness for all.

 “South Pasadena Unified 
recognizes the diversity 
and worth of all students 
and is committed to 
providing equal educational 
opportunities without 
discrimination,” said 
Superintendent Geoff Yantz.

 With this resolution, 
SPUSD joins many school 
districts and the National 
Parent Teachers Association 
in clearly stating its 
inclusive values. Further, 
the resolution declares that 
schools are safe learning 
environments that welcome 
parent participation and 
that SPUSD will protect all 
rights afforded to students 
under federal and state 
law and regulations. Such 
laws and SPUSD policies 
and procedures state the 
following:

 District personnel shall 
treat all students equitably 
in the receipt of all school 
services;

 District personnel shall 
not inquire about a student’s 
immigration status, 
including that of family 
members;

 Any request by Federal 
immigration officials for 
information or to access 
a school site shall be 
immediately forwarded 
to the Superintendent for 
review and a decision on 
whether to allow access to 
the site and provision of 
information ensuring the 
District compliance with 
Plyler v. Doe (1982) and 
other applicable laws; and

In its continued commitment 
to the protection of student 
privacy, SPUSD shall ensure 
that no unnecessary data is 
being collected with respect 
to students’ immigration 
status.

 The Board of Education 
discussed and voted to 
approve the resolution 
during the recent board 
meeting. See attached file 
for complete resolution.

For more information, 
contact: South Pasadena 
Unified School District, 
Office of the Superintendent, 
scarroll@spusd.net.

About South Pasadena 
Unified School District

 Established in 1886, the 
South Pasadena Unified 
School District (SPUSD) 
serves approximately 4,800 
students within five schools 
including three elementary 
schools, one middle school 
and one comprehensive high 
school in South Pasadena, 
California. Nestled in the 
West San Gabriel Valley, 
SPUSD has earned a 
reputation for providing high 
quality public education, 
attracting families who 
value challenging academic 
programs and outstanding 
teachers. Consistently 
recognized for superior 
performance, SPUSD 
students earn honors at the 
local, state and national 
level. The District draws 
vital support from parents 
and community members 
through the South Pasadena 
Educational Foundation, 
local PTAs and booster 
clubs.

 The Winter Arts Crawl is 
scheduled for tonight from 
5 to 9 pm. This very popular 
“Neighborhood-Night-
On-The-Town” features 
something for everyone. 
Shops and boutiques will 
be open late with special 
exhibits, trunk shows, open 
houses and sales. Stop in at 
the local restaurants and 
cafes for a snack or dinner, 
or grab a bite from one of 
the food trucks. There will 
be an interactive art activity 
so that the entire family can 
get creative.

 For merchant and artist 
participation, please contact 
Hope Perello, Director of 
SPACE, at hopeperello@
sbcglobal.net. The quarterly 
Arts Crawls are organized 
by the South Pasadena 
Chamber of Commerce, 
and produced by SPACE, to 
highlight the City’s unique 
business district and provide 
a showcase for artists and 
musicians.

For more information call 
(626) 441-2339.

Crowell Public 
Library Talk

Edan Epstein, Afternoon of the 
Faun

Wednesday, March 15: 7 pm

 In this South Pasadena author’s 
sixth novel, a man struggles 
with grief following the death 
of his charismatic father. His 
despair sends him on a quest 
to become completely invisible. 
His journey perversely parallels 
his father’s childhood struggle 
for survival in the forests of 
Europe at the end of World War 
II. Afternoon of the Faun is a 
lyrical tale of descent, survival, 
and redemption.

Crowell Public Library is 
located 1890 Huntington Dr. 
For more information call the 
Library at (626) 300-0777. 


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