Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, April 1, 2017

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Mountain View News Saturday, April 1, 2017 


Free Events Roundup at the 
Pasadena Senior Center

Symphony Concludes 
Season with Beethoven

Caltech Inventing Tools for 
Detecting Life Elsewhere

 

 There is something for 
everyone in February at the 
Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. 
Holly St. You do not have to be a 
member to attend. Some events 
require advance reservations. 

 Tax Time – Wednesdays 
and Fridays through April 
14, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. 
Representatives from the 
AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide 
program will assist low- to 
middle-income seniors ages 
50 and older in preparing their 
federal income tax returns. 
Appointments are required: 
626-795-4331. Please note 
there is no age limit for this 
service.

 Citizenship Classes – 
Wednesdays through May 17, 
from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Make your 
dreams come true by attending 
these sessions to become a U.S. 
citizen! The first classes cover 
some of the American history 
and U.S. government questions 
on the citizenship exam along 
with discussions about the 
rights and responsibilities of 
citizenship. The four remaining 
classes cover more questions on 
the exam as well as strategies 
for completing the application 
for citizenship and having a 
successful interview.

 A Pain in the Neck! – 
Thursday, March 30, at 10 
a.m. Do you have neck pain? 
Learn easy and comfortable 
exercises to reduce cervical 
pain and make your neck feel 
better. Presented by Vincent 
Physical Therapy.

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

 A Toast to the Joys of Music 
– Tuesdays, April 4, 11, 18 and 
25, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 
Tom Campbell will play guitar 
and sing songs in the Senior 
Center Lounge. Stop by and 
enjoy his covers of traditional 
country, country rock, blues, 
folk, gospel and classic rock 
originally made famous by 
Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, 
Vince Gill, Elvis Presley, B.B. 
King, Neil Young, The Grateful 
Dead, The Rolling Stones and 
many more.

 A Matter of Balance – 
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 
April 4 to May 23, from 1 
to 3 p.m. Are you concerned 
about falling? Learn how to 
reduce the fear of falling and 
increase balance and activity 
levels during this interactive 
workshop that combines 
discussion, video and exercise. 
Reservations are required: 
626-685-6732.

 Medication Review Clinic 
– Wednesday, April 5, from 9 
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A pharmacist 
and a nurse from Huntington 
Hospital pharmacist will review 
your current prescription 
medications and answer any 
questions you have to make 
sure you understand how they 
work and why they have been 
prescribed. Space is limited 
and appointments are required: 
626-397-3376.

 Scenic Walkers Club – 
Wednesdays, April 5, 12, 19 
and 26, at 10 a.m. Enjoy a series 
of leisurely walks in the great 
outdoors. Alan Colville will 
give you a list of items to bring, 
let you know what to expect, 
provide detailed itineraries and 
arrange transportation. For 
more information or to sign up, 
email alancolville@charter.net 
or call 626-221-3741.

 Protect Yourself from 
Fraud – Thursday, April 6, at 10 
a.m. Seniors can be vulnerable 
to simple and complex scams 
that happen in person, by 
traditional mail, email and 
telephone. Learn about the 
latest scams and how you can 
avoid becoming a victim of this 
growing problem. Presented by 
the California Department of 
Business Oversight’s Consumer 
Education and Outreach Office.

 Memories in the Making 
– Thursdays, April 6 and 
13, at 11 a.m. This program, 
developed by the Alzheimer’s 
Association, helps people 
in early stages of dementias 
preserve memories through 
art. Reservations are required: 
626-685-6732.

 Friday Movie Matinees – 
Fridays, April 7, 14 and 21, 
at 1 p.m. Everyone enjoys 
movies and the pleasures they 
bring. April 7: “Snowden” 
(2016, R) starring Joseph 
Gordon-Levitt and Shailene 
Woodley. An employee of the 
National Security Agency leaks 
thousands of classified NSA 
documents to the media and 
becomes one of the most wanted 
men in the world.Founded 
in 1960, the Pasadena Senior 
Center is an independent, 
nonprofit organization that 
offers recreational, educational, 
wellness and social services to 
people ages 50 and older in a 
welcoming environment. 

 

 The Pasadena Symphony 
closes out its 2016-2017 
Singpoli Classics Series with 
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 
on April 29 with both matinee 
and evening performances at 2 
p.m. and 8 p.m. at Ambassador 
Auditorium. This season 
finale will envelop audiences 
with voices from the Donald 
Brinegar Singers, the JPL 
Chorus, and the Los Angeles 
Children’s Chorus alongside 
four stellar solo vocalists: 
soprano Summer Hassan, 
mezzo soprano Tracy Van 
Fleet, tenor Arnold Livingston 
Geis and bass Steve Pence 
throughout the concert.

 Additional featured works 
on the program are Vaughan 
Williams’ Serenade to Music for 
chorus and orchestra, written 
for Henry Wood’s golden 
conducting anniversary and 
was premiered at The Proms 
in 1938; and Holst’s Choral 
Hymns from the Rig Veda, 
which will showcase Music 
Director David Lockington 
on cello and the Los Angeles 
Children’s Chorus conducted 
by Anne Tomlinson. Holst was 
intensely interested in Indian 
texts and music, an inspiration 
evident in several of his works 
from the first decades of the 
20th century.

 The Pasadena Symphony 
provides a quintessential 
experience combining great 
music with a festive social 
atmosphere. To learn more 
about the music join us 
for Insights – a free pre-
concert dialogue with David 
Lockington, 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, yet 
another addition to the carefree 
and elegant concert experience 
the Pasadena Symphony offers. 
A posh setting at Ambassador 
Auditorium’s beautiful outdoor 
plaza, the 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 Classics concerts 
take place at Ambassador 
Auditorium, 131 S. St. John 
Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105 
with matinee and evening 
performances at 2:00 p.m. and 
8:00 p.m. Tickets start at $35 
and may be purchased online at 
pasadenasymphony-pops.org 
or by calling (626) 793-7172.

 Parking: Valet parking is 
available on St. John Ave 
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. 

Sierra Auto Symphony 
Lounge: Located on the plaza 
at Ambassador Auditorium. 
Opens at 12:30 pm before the 
matinee and 6:00 pm before the 
evening performance. 

 Pre-Concert Discussion: Pre-
concert discussions with David 
Lockington begin one hour 
before curtain and are available 
to all ticket holders at no cost.

 Recently, astronomers 
announced the discovery that 
a star called TRAPPIST-1 is 
orbited by seven Earth-size 
planets. Three of the planets 
reside in the “habitable zone,” 
the region around a star where 
liquid water is most likely to 
exist on the surface of a rocky 
planet. Other potentially 
habitable worlds have also 
been discovered in recent 
years, leaving many people 
wondering: How do we find 
out if these planets actually 
host life?

 At Caltech, in the Exoplanet 
Technology Laboratory, or ET 
Lab, of Associate Professor of 
Astronomy Dimitri Mawet, 
researchers have been busy 
developing a new strategy 
for scanning exoplanets for 
biosignatures—signs of life 
such as oxygen molecules and 
methane. These chemicals—
which don’t naturally stick 
around for long because they 
bind with other chemicals—
are abundant on Earth largely 
thanks to the living creatures 
that expel them. Finding both 
of these chemicals around 
another planet would be a 
strong indicator of the presence 
of life.

 In two new papers to be 
published in The Astrophysical 
Journal and The Astronomical 
Journal, Mawet’s team 
demonstrates how this new 
technique, called high-
dispersion coronagraphy, 
could be used to look for 
extraterrestrial biosignatures 
with the planned Thirty Meter 
Telescope (TMT), which, when 
completed by the late 2020s, 
will be the world’s largest 
optical telescope.

 Using theoretical and 
laboratory models, the 
researchers show that this 
technique could detect 
biosignatures on Earth-like 
planets around M-dwarf stars, 
which are smaller and cooler 
than our sun and the most 
common type of star in the 
galaxy. The strategy could 
also be used on stars like our 
own sun, using future space 
telescopes such as NASA’s 
proposed Habitable Exoplanet 
Imaging Mission (HabEx) and 
Large UV/Optical/IR Surveyor 
(LUVOIR).

 “We’ve shown this technique 
works in theory and in the 
lab, so our next step is to show 
it works on the sky,” says Ji 
Wang, one of the lead authors 
on the two new papers and 
a postdoctoral scholar in the 
Mawet lab. The team will test 
the instrumentation on the W. 
M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii 
this year or next.

 The new technique involves 
three main components: a 
coronagraph, a set of optical 
fibers, and a high-resolution 
spectrometer. Coronagraphs 
are devices used in telescopes 
to block or remove starlight 
so that planets can be imaged. 
Stars outshine their planets by 
a few thousand to a few billion 
times, making the planets 
difficult to see. Many different 
types of coronagraphs are in 
development; for example, 
Mawet’s group recently installed 
and took initial images with its 
new vortex coronagraph on the 
Keck Observatory.

 A laboratory setup of 
instrumentation designed to 
search for biosignatures on 
exoplanets using the future 
Thirty Meter Telescope. The 
path that light will take through 
the devices is animated. The 
equipment is roughly the same 
size as what would be installed 
in a telescope, but would be 
arranged differently. Credit: 
Caltech/IPAC-TMT

 Once an image of a planet 
has been obtained, the 
next step is to study the 
planet’s atmosphere using a 
spectrometer, an instrument 
that breaks apart the planet’s 
light to reveal “fingerprints” of 
chemicals, such as oxygen and 
methane. Most coronagraphs 
work in conjunction with 
low-resolution spectrometers. 
Mawet’s new technique 
incorporates a high-resolution 
spectrometer, which has several 
advantages.

 One main advantage is in 
helping to further sift out the 
unwanted starlight. With high-
resolution spectrometers, the 
spectral features of a planet are 
more detailed, making it easier 
to distinguish and separate the 
planet’s light from the lurking 
starlight.

 What this means is that, 
in Mawet’s method, the 
coronagraph does not have to 
be as good at sifting out starlight 
as was thought necessary to 
characterize Earth-like worlds.

 “This new technique doesn’t 
require the coronagraph 
to work as hard, and that’s 
important because we can use 
current technologies that are 
already available,” says Mawet, 
who is also a research scientist 
at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory 
(JPL), which is managed by 
Caltech for NASA. “With a 
high-resolution spectrometer, 
we can improve the sensitivity 
of our system by a factor of 100 
to 1,000 over current ground-
based methods.”

 Another advantage of using 
high-resolution spectrometers 
lies in the richness of the data. 
In addition to providing more 
detail about the molecular 
constituents of a planet’s 
atmosphere, these instruments 
should be able to reveal a 
planet’s rotation rate and 
provide rough maps of surface 
features and weather patterns. 
“It’s a long shot, but we might 
even have the ability to look for 
continents on candidate Earth-
like planets,” says Mawet.

In the team’s design, the 
coronagraph is connected to the 
high-resolution spectrometer 
using a set of optical fibers. 
Surprisingly, laboratory 
experiments revealed that the 
fibers also filter out starlight.

 “This was completely 
serendipitous,” says Garreth 
Ruane, co-author on the 
two new papers and a 
National Science Foundation 
postdoctoral fellow in Mawet’s 
group. “It’s icing on the cake.”

 Next, the researchers will 
demonstrate their technique 
at the Keck Observatory. 
Although the instrumentation 
cannot yet study potential 
Earth-like planets—that will 
require the larger Thirty Meter 
Telescope—the system should 
be able to reveal new details 
about the atmospheres of 
larger gas exoplanets, including 
exotic varieties that are nothing 
like those in our own solar 
system. “This new innovation 
of combining the coronagraph 
with a high-res spectrometer 
gives us a clear pathway to 
ultimately search for life 
beyond Earth.”

 The first study, titled 
“Observing Exoplanets 
with High-Dispersion 
Coronagraphy. I. The Scientific 
Potential of Current and Next-
Generation Large Ground 
and Space Telescopes,” led by 
Wang and appearing in The 
Astronomical Journal, includes 
Caltech co-authors Mawet, 
Ruane visiting associate Renyu 
Hu, and postdoctoral scholar 
Bjoern Benneke.

 The second study, titled, 
“Observing Exoplanets 
with High-Dispersion 
Coronagraphy. II. 
Demonstration of an 
Active Single-Mode Fiber 
Injection Unit,” led by 
Mawet and appearing in 
The Astrophysical Journal, 
includes Caltech co-authors 
Ruane and Wang; Caltech 
summer students Wenhao 
Xuan, Daniel Echeverri, and 
Michael Randolph; graduate 
student Nikita Klimovich; 
postdoctoral scholar Jacques-
Robert Delorme; assistant 
research engineer Jason 
Fucik; and Associate Director 
for Development of Caltech 
Optical Observatories

 Richard Dekany. JPL co-
authors include James K. 
Wallace, Gautam Vasisht, 
Bertrand Mennesson, Elodie 
Choquet and Eugene Serabyn.

Both studies were funded by 
Caltech, the National Science 
Foundation, and the Heising-
Simons Foundation.

 Written by Whitney Clavin

 Astronomers develop new 
strategy for future telescopes


Pet of the 
Week

 North Carolina (A412942) 
is a 2-year-old, spayed 
female, black pit bull mix. 
Our volunteers report that 
North Carolina is a real 
sweetheart. There’s nothing 
she likes more than crawling 
into your lap for petting and 
belly rubs. North Carolina 
is very energetic and loves 
going for walks and running 
around in our training yard. 
This smart gal has already 
mastered her sit command, 
and she’s working on stay 
and down.

 The adoption fee for 
hamsters is $125, but as 
part of our Slam Dunk 
for the Animals event, 
North Carolina’s adoption 
is free thanks to generous 
donors! All dogs are 
neutered, microchipped, 
and vaccinated before being 
adopted.

 New adopters will receive a 
complimentary health-and-
wellness 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 
A412942, 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.

Registration Open For PUSD 
K-1 French Dual Immersion

 

 A new French-English 
dual immersion language 
program for kindergarten-
first grade students opens in 
the 2017-18 academic year at 
the Pasadena Unified School 
District’s (PUSD) Altadena 
Elementary School. 
Applications for enrollment 
are being accepted through 
April 7.

 The program will expand 
to upper grades each year 
and feed into the district’s 
International Baccalaureate 
programmes.

 In Pasadena Unified Dual 
Immersion programs, 
native and non-native 
speakers master academic 
subject matter content 
in both English and the 
target language. Instruction 
begins in kindergarten with 
90 percent in the target 
language - French, Spanish 
or Mandarin - and 10 percent 
in English. In subsequent 
grades, instruction shifts by 
10 percent each year, until 
becoming a 50/50 model: 
50 percent in the target 
language and 50 percent in 
English.

 To apply for kindergarten, 
both Pasadena and out-of-
district families can contact 
the Pasadena Unified 
Language Assessment and 
Development Department 
(LADD) at 626.396.3600 ext. 
88820. Online applications 
for the French program are 
also accepted during the 
district’s Open Enrollment 
“Second Lottery” from April 
3-7, at openenrollment.
info Children must be five 
years ol d by September 1, to 
enroll for kindergarten.

 Families of children 
entering first grade students 
can apply by completing an 
“Intent to Enroll” form by 
April 7, 2017, at the district’s 
LADD office, located at 351 
S. Hudson Ave., Room 209, 
Pasadena. Office hours are 9 
a.m. - 4 p.m. weekdays.

 Pasadena Unified first 
launched Spanish and 
Mandarin dual immersion 
language programs in 2008. 
For more information, go to 
pusd.us/Page/3212.

 Or call the Communications 
Office, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday at 
(626) 396-3606.

ALTADENA POLICE BLOTTER

Sunday, March 19th

6:00 AM – A vehicle burglary 
occurred in the 2200 block 
of E. Washington Boulevard. 
Suspect(s) entered the 
vehicle by shattering the 
window. Stolen: bottle of 
Kettle One vodka. 

11:34 AM – A vehicle 
burglary occurred in the area 
of Crosby Street and Canada 
Avenue. Suspect(s) entered 
the vehicle by shattering the 
window. Stolen: unknown. 

Monday, March 20th

7:30 PM – Samuel Contreras, 
21 years old of Altadena 
was arrested in the area of 
Calaveras Street and Glen 
Avenue for drunk in public. 

Tuesday, March 21st

6:45 PM – A residential 
burglary occurred in the 
1100 block of Woodbury 
Road. Suspect(s) entered 
the location by removing 
the window screen. Stolen: 
wood jewelry box and coins. 

Wednesday, March 22nd

3:10 AM – A commercial 
burglary occurred in the 
2400 block of E. Washington 
Boulevard. Suspect(s) 
entered the location by 
shattering the front door. 
Stolen: blue bag.

5:30 PM – A residential 
burglary occurred in the 
2200 block of Allen Avenue. 
Suspect(s) entered the 
location by prying the door. 
Stolen: construction tools 
and Kitchen Aid BBQ. 

7:35 PM – A petty theft 
from an unlocked vehicle 
occurred in the 3200 block 
of Olive Avenue. Stolen: 
silver MacBook. 

Thursday, March 23rd

11:30 AM – A grand theft 
occurred in the 1600 block 
of Morada Place. Stolen: 
gray Stihl pruner and gray 
Stihl air blower. 

8:00 PM – A petty theft 
occurred in the 3000 block 
of Olive Avenue. Stolen: 
Honda Accord catalytic 
converter. 

11:00 PM – A petty theft 
from an unlocked vehicle 
occurred in the 1800 block 
of N. Sierra Bonita Avenue. 
Stolen: brown wallet, 
credit cards and Ray Ban 
sunglasses. 

Friday, March 24th

8:00 PM – A petty theft 
occurred in the 3000 block 
of Lincoln Avenue. Stolen: 
RSed Menace bicycle with 
blue rims. 

Saturday, March 25th

7:00 AM – A vehicle 
burglary occurred in the 
area of Altadena Drive 
and Roosevelt Avenue. 
Suspect(s) entered the 
vehicle by shattering the 
window. Stolen: silver 
MacBook Pro.

Pasadena League of Women 
Voters County Convention

 The Pasadena League of 
Women Voters last week 
hosted a county convention 
to discuss issues critical 
to the residents of Los 
Angeles County. Supervisor 
Kathryn Barger addressed 
the convention, speaking 
about the County’s “Women 
and Girls Initiative,” 
homelessness, mental 
health services, improving 
outcomes for foster youth, 
and public safety.

 Since their inception in 
the 1920’s, as women were 
winning the right to vote, 
the League of Women Voters 
has helped millions of 
women exercise their civic 
duty, and in doing so, grew 
to become a vital American 
institution organized with 
groups on the local, state, 
and national level across the 
country. They have helped 
countless individuals make 
more informed choices 
about who best to lead at 
all levels of government 
and which initiatives and 
measures would have the 
most impact on the lives of 
citizens.

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