Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, September 16, 2017

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Mountain View News Saturday, September 16, 2017 

Private Tour for Chamber as 
Part of SIP-tember Cocktail 
Bracket Challenge

Cassini Mission

Free Events Roundup at the 
Pasadena Senior Center

 A thrilling epoch in the 
exploration of our solar 
system came to a close Friday, 
as NASA’s Cassini spacecraft 
made a fateful plunge into the 
atmosphere of Saturn, ending 
its 13-year tour of the ringed 
planet.

 “This is the final chapter of 
an amazing mission, but it’s 
also a new beginning,” said 
Thomas Zurbuchen, associate 
administrator for NASA’s 
Science Mission Directorate 
at NASA Headquarters 
in Washington. “Cassini’s 
discovery of ocean worlds at 
Titan and Enceladus changed 
everything, shaking our views 
to the core about surprising 
places to search for potential 
life beyond Earth.”

 Telemetry received during 
the plunge indicates that, as 
expected, Cassini entered 
Saturn’s atmosphere with its 
thrusters firing to maintain 
stability, as it sent back a unique 
final set of science observations. 
Loss of contact with the Cassini 
spacecraft occurred at 4:55 
a.m. PDT (7:55 a.m. EDT), 
with the signal received by 
NASA’s Deep Space Network 
antenna complex in Canberra, 
Australia. 

 “It’s a bittersweet, but fond, 
farewell to a mission that leaves 
behind an incredible wealth of 
discoveries that have changed 
our view of Saturn and our 
solar system, and will continue 
to shape future missions 
and research,” said Michael 
Watkins, director of NASA’s 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 
Pasadena, California, which 
manages the Cassini mission for 
the agency. JPL also designed, 
developed and assembled the 
spacecraft.

 Cassini’s plunge brings to 
a close a series of 22 weekly 
“Grand Finale” dives between 
Saturn and its rings, a feat 
never before (cont. page 3.) 
(Contintued from page 1.)
attempted by any spacecraft.

 “The Cassini operations team 
did an absolutely stellar job 
guiding the spacecraft to its 
noble end,” said Earl Maize, 
Cassini project manager at JPL. 
“From designing the trajectory 
seven years ago, to navigating 
through the 22 nail-biting 
plunges between Saturn and its 
rings, this is a crack shot group 
of scientists and engineers that 
scripted a fitting end to a great 
mission. What a way to go. 
Truly a blaze of glory.”

 As planned, data from 
eight of Cassini’s science 
instruments was beamed back 
to Earth. Mission scientists 
will examine the spacecraft’s 
final observations in the 

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

 Friday Movie Matinees 
– Fridays, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. 
Sept. 29: “A Man Called Ove” 
(2016, PG-13) starring Rolf 
Lassgård and Bahar Pars. After 
a boisterous young family 
moves in next door to a retired 
loner with strict principles, an 
unhappy past and a short fuse, 
he learns life is sweeter when it’s 
shared (Swedish with English 
subtitles).

 Memory Loss Education 
– Tuesdays to Sept. 26, from 
1 to 2:30 p.m. The four-part 
Brain Health Series will focus 
on memory loss. Sept. 5: 
Let’s Talk About It: Memory 
Loss and Alzheimer’s. Sept. 
12: How to Keep Your Brain 
Healthy. Sept. 19: Alzheimer’s 
Disease Research Update. 
Sept. 26: Are They Doing That 
to Annoy Us? Behaviors and 
Alzheimer’s Disease. Presented 
by Alzheimer’s Greater Los 
Angeles.

 Scenic Walkers Club – 
Wednesdays to Sept. 27, 
at 10 a.m. Enjoy a series of 
leisurely walks in the great 
outdoors at Los Angeles 
County Arboretum, Descanso 
Gardens and other enjoyable 
locations. 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.

 Domino Club – Thursdays 
to Sept. 28, at 1 p.m. If you’ve 
never played Chicken Foot 
dominoes before, or even if 
you have, come join the fun as 
Vicki Leigh leads participants 
in a rollicking version of the 
game that is easy enough for 
beginners yet challenging 
enough for more seasoned 
players. Oh, and please excuse 
the laughter every Thursday…
it’s contagious! For more 
information call Vicki at 
928-478-4654.

 A Opera Talk: “The Pearl 
Fishers” – Monday, Sept. 
18, at 1 p.m. An LA Opera 
community educator will lead 
participants through Georges 
Bizet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles” 
(The Pearl Fishers). When a 
mysterious priestess arrives 
in their village in Ceylon, two 
lifelong friends realize they 
both are in love with her. They 
take a vow to denounce her and 
never let anything or anyone 
destroy their bond, but human 
nature takes over.

 Medical Marijuana 
(Cannabis) – Tuesday, Sept. 
19, at 1 p.m. Senior citizens 
are the fastest growing segment 
of the population to begin 
using medical marijuana. 
Learn how cannabis works in 
the human body, its medicinal 
properties, safety and legal 
concerns and more. Presented 
by Sue Feldmeth RN, a certified 
member of the American 
Cannabis Nursing Association 
who saw first-hand the benefits 
of medical marijuana on her 
elderly mother, including 
a significant reduction of 
arthritis pain and a reversal of 
the need for opioids.

 Hospice and Palliative 
Care – Thursday, Sept. 21, at 
10 a.m. Hospice and palliative 
medicine embrace people with 
life-limiting illnesses through 
compassionate symptom 
management and psychological 
and spiritual support by teams 
of clinical experts. Hospice is 
covered by Medicare, Medi-Cal 
and most other insurance plans. 
Learn about the differences and 
similarities between hospice 
and palliative care, the medical 
criteria and more. Presented by 
Unity Hospice.

 Low Vision Screenings 
– Thursday, Sept. 21, from 
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Low vision 
screenings are designed to 
assist partially sighted people 
in the selection of magnifiers 
and other devices to improve 
reading and other visual tasks. 
Registration is required for 
one-hour appointments; call 
626-795-4331. Presented by the 
Braille Institute.

 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. 
Services are also provided 
for frail, low-income and 
homebound seniors.

 A select group of Pasadena 
Chamber of Commerce 
Board members and friends 
enjoyed a private tour of 
Stark Spirits Distillery in 
Pasadena Tuesday, as a 
kick-off for the final online 
round of voting in the SIP-
tember Cocktail Bracket 
Challenge. Distillery owners 
Greg and Karen Stark toured 
guests around the distillery, 
explaining the process of 
turning grains into liquor. 
At the end of the tour, guests 
were treated to a private 
tasting of Stark Spirits.

 Stark Spirits Distillery is 
Pasadena’s only distillery 
making artisan liquors 
including rums, whiskeys, 
aquavit, gin and their 
signature Sunshine orange 
liquor. Greg Stark’s passion 
is single malt whiskeys, 
while Karen enjoys making 
gin.

 Stark Spirits Distillery 
is located in 1400 square 
feet in an industrial park in 
Pasadena. Their equipment 
includes a handmade copper 
Hoga still from Spain. “We’re 
intentionally staying small 
so that we can be close to 
every aspect of the distilling 
process to ensure everything 
we make is something that 
we want to drink and enjoy,” 
Mr. Stark said that evening.

 The Stark Spirits Distillery 
tour and tasking kicked of 
the final online round of 
voting in the SIP-tember 
Cocktail Bracket Challenge, 
a six week cocktail 
competition hosted by 
the Pasadena Chamber of 
Commerce and sponsored 
by the City of Pasadena. 
Voting is live online at www.
pasadenarestaurantweek.
com/vote until Tuesday, 
September 19, 2017.

 Information on Stark Spirits 
Distillery can be found at 
starkspirits.com.

 “Stark Spirits Distillery 
very generously hosted a 
small group of Chamber 
Board members, family and 
friends for an entertaining 
and informative tour of their 
operations,” said Chamber 
CEO Paul Little. “We learned 
a lot about the process of 
making artisan spirits and 
really enjoyed the special 
tasting of some of Greg and 
Karen’s favorites.”

 The SIP-tember Cocktail 
Bracket Challenge 
culminates in a live taste-
off at the Rose Bowl as part 
of the Taste of Pasadena on 
September 28, 2017, from 
6pm to 9pm. Tickets to the 
Taste of Pasadena, which 
includes food tastings and 
a chance to sample the 
four finalist cocktails, are 
$30 in advance and $50 at 
the door. Advance tickets 
can be purchased at www.
pasadena-chamber.org/
forms/taste-of-pasadena 
and will be available until 
September 26th.

 The Pasadena Chamber 
of Commerce is hosting a 
Taste of Pasadena event at 
the Rose Bowl on Thursday, 
September 28th from 6pm 
to 9pm. No more than 500 
tickets will be sold to the 
Taste of Pasadena in the 
Court of Champions in front 
of the Rose Bowl. No long 
lines. No waiting for food 
and drink.

Entertainment will be 
provided by Dance 
Syndicate.Advanced tickets 
are $30 per person and 
available at www.pasadena-
chamber.org/forms/taste-of-
pasadena.

 Those who do not register 
and pay in advance pay $50 
at the door.

Past participants in the Taste 
of Pasadena have included 
local favorites El Cholo Cafe, 
California Pizza Kitchen, 
Chick-fil-A, Copenhagen 
Pastry, Du-Par’s, Clearman’s 
Galley, Hilton Pasadena, 
Lucky Baldwins Pub, 
Madeline Garden Bistro, 
Nekter Juice Bar, Nothing 
Bundt Cakes, Pasadena 
Sandwich Company, POP 
Champagne and Dessert 
Bar, Simply Cupcakes of 
Pasadena, Stark Spirits 
Distillery, Stonefire Grill, 
White Horse Lounge and 
Whole Foods Market.

We are hosting this in 
conjunction with our SIP-
tember Finale and cocktail 
tasting. At the end of the 
event, we will tally votes 
of the live cocktail tasting 
and announce Pasadena’s 
Favorite Cocktail for 2017.

 Local Artisan Distillery 
Showcases Beverages 
and Explains Distilling 
Process to Guests


Pet of the 
Week

 Lance (A442973) sure is a 
cute bunny! This friendly boy 
is super social and loves to 
hop around. When he’s not 
munching on timothy hay, 
you’ll find him stretching his 
legs in our bunny enrichment 
area. Sadly, Lance was found 
running loose in a park. He’s 
sure glad he made his way 
to the Pasadena Humane 
Society where he’ll be 
neutered, microchipped and 
placed with a loving family. 

 The adoption fee for 
rabbits is $35. All rabbits 
are spayed or neutered and 
microchipped before going 
to their new home. Adopters 
can pick up rabbit supplies 
in the Pasadena Humane 
Shelter Shop before they take 
their new bunny home. 

 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 A442973, 
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 is now open 
for the 19th Annual Wiggle 
Waggle Walk! Join our 
community of animal lovers 
to raise funds for the animals 
on Sunday, September 24 
at Brookside Park at the 
Rosebowl. Learn more and 
register at wigglewagglewalk.
org.

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover 
Climbing Toward Ridge Top

 NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity 
has begun the steep ascent of an 
iron-oxide-bearing ridge that’s 
grabbed scientists’ attention 
since before the car-sized 
rover’s 2012 landing.

 “We’re on the climb now, 
driving up a route where we can 
access the layers we’ve studied 
from below,” said Abigail 
Fraeman, a Curiosity science-
team member at NASA’s 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 
Pasadena, California.

 “Vera Rubin Ridge” 
stands prominently on the 
northwestern flank of Mount 
Sharp, resisting erosion better 
than the less-steep portions 
of the mountain below and 
above it. The ridge, also 
called “Hematite Ridge,” was 
informally named earlier this 
year in honor of pioneering 
astrophysicist Vera Rubin.

 “As we skirted around the base 
of the ridge this summer, we 
had the opportunity to observe 
the large vertical exposure 
of rock layers that make up 
the bottom part of the ridge,” 
said Fraeman, who organized 
the rover’s ridge campaign. 
“But even though steep cliffs 
are great for exposing the 
stratifications, they’re not so 
good for driving up.”

 The ascent to the top of the 
ridge from a transition in rock-
layer appearance at the bottom 
of it will gain about 213 feet (65 
meters) of elevation -- about 
20 stories. The climb requires a 
series of drives totaling a little 
more than a third of a mile 
(570 meters). Before starting 
this ascent in early September, 
Curiosity had gained a total 
of about 980 feet (about 300 
meters) in elevation in drives 
totaling 10.76 miles (17.32 
kilometers) from its landing 
site to the base of the ridge.

 Curiosity’s telephoto 
observations of the ridge from 
just beneath it show finer 
layering, with extensive bright 
veins of varying widths cutting 
through the layers.

 “Now we’ll have a chance to 
examine the layers up close 
as the rover climbs,” Fraeman 
said.

 Curiosity Project Scientist 
Ashwin Vasavada of JPL said, 
“Using data from orbiters and 
our own approach imaging, the 
team has chosen places to pause 
for more extensive studies on 
the way up, such as where the 
rock layers show changes in 
appearance or composition. 
But the campaign plan will 
evolve as we examine the rocks 
in detail. As always, it’s a mix of 
planning and discovery.”

 In orbital spectrometer 
observations, the iron-oxide 
mineral hematite shows up 
more strongly at the ridge 
top than elsewhere on lower 
Mount Sharp, including 
locations where Curiosity 
has already found hematite. 
Researchers seek to gain better 
understanding about why the 
ridge resists erosion, what 
concentrated its hematite, 
whether those factors are 
related, and what the rocks 
of the ridge can reveal about 
ancient Martian environmental 
conditions.

 “The team is excited to be 
exploring Vera Rubin Ridge, as 
this hematite ridge has been a 
go-to target for Curiosity ever 
since Gale Crater was selected 
as the landing site,” said Michael 
Meyer, lead scientist of NASA’s 
Mars Exploration Program 
at the agency’s Washington 
headquarters.

 During the first year after 
its landing near the base of 
Mount Sharp, the Curiosity 
mission accomplished a major 
goal by determining that 
billions of years ago, a Martian 
lake offered conditions that 
would have been favorable 
for microbial life. Curiosity 
has since traversed through 
a diversity of environments 
where both water and wind 
have left their imprint. Vera 
Rubin Ridge and layers above 
it that contain clay and sulfate 
minerals provide tempting 
opportunities to learn even 
more about the history and 
habitability of ancient Mars.

 For more about Curiosity, 
visit: mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl.

ALTADENA POLICE BLOTTER

Holden’s Transit Pass Program 
Heads to Governor’s Desk

Sunday, September 3rd

5:30 PM – A white and 
blue 2004 Suzuki 1000 
motorcycle was reported 
stolen from the 2100 block 
of E. Crary Street. 

Monday, September 4th

2:31 AM – A commercial 
burglary occurred in the 
2200 block of N. Lake 
Avenue. Suspects entered the 
location by prying the rear 
door. Suspects described as 
three males wearing black 
clothing driving a dark color 
sedan. Stolen: unknown. 

4:00 AM – Ronnie Ramirez, 
22 years old of South Gate 
was arrested in the 300 
block of Woodbury Road for 
possession of and for being 
under the influence of a 
controlled substance. 

3:30 PM – A battery 
occurred in the 2500 block 
of N. Fair Oaks Avenue. No 
significant injuries. 

7:35 PM – An assault with 
a deadly weapon occurred 
in the 1800 block of Grand 
Oaks Avenue. Suspect is 
related to the victim.

10:0 PM – A theft from an 
unlocked vehicle occurred 
in the 1300 block of E. 
Altadena Drive. Stolen: 
credit cards, checks, and 
currency. 

Tuesday, September 5th

10:00 AM – A residential 
vandalism occurred in the 
2000 block of Lewis Avenue. 
Suspect(s) shattered the 
window with an unknown 
object. 

6:00 PM – Deamil Aguilar, 
43 years old of Altadena 
was arrested in the area 
of Woodbury Road and 
Navarro Avenue for 
possession of a controlled 
substance. 

6:30 PM – A vehicle 
vandalism occurred in the 
2000 block of N. El Molino 
Avenue. Suspect(s) dented 
the passenger door. 

10:00 PM – A vehicle 
vandalism occurred in the 
300 block of W. Loma Alta 
Drive. Suspect(s) shattered 
the window with an 
unknown object.

Wednesday, September 6th

8:30 AM – A residential 
burglary occurred in the 
1600 block of E. Mendocino 
Street. Suspect(s) entered 
the location by shattering the 
sliding glass door. Stolen: 
gold rings. 

9:42 AM – A vehicle burglary 
occurred in the 2200 block of 
PinecrestDrive. Suspect(s) 
entered the vehicle by 
shattering the window. 
Stolen: jewelry. 

11:00 AM – A vehicle 
burglary occurred in the 
2200 block of PinecrestDrive. 
Suspect(s) entered the 
vehicle by shattering the 
window. Stolen: black 
iPhone 7.

Thursday, September 7th

12:26 PM – A vehicle was 
reported stolen from the 
400 block of W. Loma Alta 
Drive. Vehicle described as 
a silver 2012 Honda Accord. 

Friday, September 8th

9:45 PM – A battery occurred 
in the area of Raymond Lane 
and Sacramento Street. 
Suspects were taken into 
custody. 

Saturday, September 9th

6:20 PM – A domestic 
violence incident occurred 
in the 1400 block of N. Grand 
Oaks Avenue. Suspect has 
been identified.

 Assemblymember Chris 
Holden’s bill that establishes 
a transit pass pilot program, 
Assembly Bill 17, cleared 
the legislature today and is 
heading to Governor Jerry 
Brown’s desk. The proposed 
transit pass pilot program 
would provide free or 
reduced cost transit passes 
for low-income K-12 and 
college students. 

 “College is expensive, 
and students are struggling 
because of it,” said 
Assemblymember Chris 
Holden. “For many 
students, transportation is 
among the most costly of all 
school-related expenses and 
providing free or low cost 
transit passes is a solution 
that benefits both students 
and the environment.”

 A statewide free or low-
cost transit program could 
alleviate some of the costs 
that are driving students to a 
point of financial instability 
and food scarcity. A recent 
study commissioned by the 
California State University 
(CSU) revealed that 1 
in 10 CSU students are 
homeless, and 1 in 5 are 
food insecure. A separate 
study by the Institute for 
College Access and Success 
found that students enrolled 
in California Community 
Colleges (CCC) are 
becoming increasingly 
concerned about college 
expenses, and often 
compromise their education 
by taking less class credits to 
work more.

 Assembly Bill 17 also 
aims to put a dent in 
California’s greenhouse 
gas emissions. According 
to the California Air 
Resources Board (CARB), 
California’s transportation 
sector accounts for 37 
percent of California’s 
global warming pollution, 
and high school and college 
students represent one of the 
largest segments of “drive 
alone” automobile users in 
California. A recent study 
in the Journal of Planning 
Education and Research 
suggests that providing 
student access to quality 
public transit options 
during school-age years 
helps acquaint students with 
transit and develop lifelong 
ridership habits.

 Small-scale student 
transit programs have been 
successful at several college 
campuses throughout the 
state. Transit programs at 
UC Davis and Sacramento 
State increased transit 
ridership by over 70 percent. 
Similar programs at Rio 
Hondo Community College 
and Pasadena City College 
have also increased ridership 
by nearly 40 percent.

 “With the success of 
small-scale transit programs 
throughout California, we 
are ready to implement 
a statewide solution that 
benefits students and the 
planet,” said Holden.

 Free or low cost transit 
passes is a solution that 
benefits both students and 
the environment.

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