Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, February 4, 2017

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Mountain View News Saturday, February 4, 2017 

Local Area 
News briefs


Latino Coalition to Hold 
City Candidate Forum

 
Altadena House Fire 
Reveals Drug Laboratory

 Los Angeles County 
Sheriff’s deputies responded 
last week to the 1800 block 
of E. Midwick Dr., in 
Altadena, to investigate a 
person heard screaming —
when they arrived they saw 
a male adult badly burned 
and flames coming from the 
rear of a house.

 On Jan. 27 at 
approximately 4:10 p.m., 
deputies along with the 
Los Angeles County Fire 
Department extinguish the 
fire and treated the victim. 
Deputies discovered a large 
number of containers and 
equipment they recognized 
as a manufacturing 
laboratory. Several windows 
of the house were blown out 
possibly from an explosion. 

 The laboratory appeared 
to be used in the extraction 
of THC from marijuana. 
Typically the processes use 
highly flammable liquids 
police said.

 LA County hazardous 
materials teams, narcotics 
detectives, along with 
the Department of 
Justice investigated and 
decontaminated the area. 

 The male adult was 
transported to a local 
hospital for severe burns 
to approximately 40 
percent of his body. The 
decontamination of the 
scene finished at 6:00a.m., 
Saturday. This is an ongoing 
investigation; the male adult 
has been identified and may 
be facing several charges 
police said.

 Candidates vying for seats on 
the Pasadena Unified School 
District Board and the Pasadena 
City Council will participate 
at a Candidate Forum at the 
Pasadena Senior Center on 
Sunday. The Pasadena Latino 
Coalition will present the 
forum and encourage all in the 
community to attend.

The moderated forum will 
present questions to the 
candidates, who will be given 
equal time to respond. Because 
of the many candidates, the 
forum will be presented in two 
parts. Questions for candidates 
for Pasadena Unified School 
District will begin at 1 p.m. 
Questions for candidates for 
Pasadena City Council will 
begin at 2:30 p.m.

The Pasadena Latino Coalition 
is a coalition of non-profit 
organizations serving the 
Latino community. It goals are 
to inform constituents about 
resources available to them; 
encourage them to use their 
voice in public policy debate; 
and advocate for more positive 
portrayals of Latinos and their 
stories in the local media.

The non-partisan Candidates 
Forum will be held at Pasadena 
Senior Center 85 East Holly 
Street, Pasadena. A Spanish 
translation will be available.

The event will be moderated by 
reporter John Cádiz Klemack of 
NBC4 Southern California.

For more information, or 
if you would like to submit 
questions or concerns prior to 
the forum, contact us at info@
pasadenalatinocoaltion.org.

Council to Discuss Bill on Homelessness

The Pasadena city council is 
set Monday night to adopt 
a resolution in support of 
Measure H, the Los Angeles 
County Plan to Prevent 
and Combat Homelessness, 
through a fourth of a cent 
special sales tax to fund 
homeless services placed on 
the March 7 ballot —first 
approved by the Los Angeles 
County Board of Supervisors 
in December.

 According to the city 
staff report “Passage of 
Measure H has the potential 
to provide funding for 
supportive services for 
homeless individuals/
families in Los Angeles 
County, including the City 
of Pasadena, and supports 
and promotes the quality of 
life and the local economy-- 
a goal of the City Council’s 
Strategic Objectives. Support 
for this ballot measure is 
in accordance with the 
Pasadena Continuum of 
Care system, General Plan 
Housing Element, Five-
Year Consolidated Plan, and 
Five-Year Public Housing 
Authority Plan.”

 The report also states that 
passage of the measure 
is estimated to raise 
approximately $355 million/
year County-wide for each 
of the 10 years the tax will be 
levied. The City will benefit 
from the regional impact, 
and may be eligible to receive 
a portion of the funds for 
local services through a 
competitive process.

 According to the proposed 
resolution homelessness has 
decreased in Pasadena by 16 
percent since 2015, although 
increased in Los Angeles 
County by 5.7 percent.

 Strategies advanced 
through the Homeless 
Initiative include homeless 
prevention, street outreach, 
permanent and affordable 
housing, and support to 
increase income, “and these 
strategies are vital in the 
regional and local fight 
against homelessness” the 
resolution reads. 

Pasadena Based Ableton 
Makes Their Mark at NAMM

Pasadena 
DUI/ License 
Checkpoint 
Held Friday


By Dean Lee

 Although Ableton, a digital 
audio music business with its 
U.S. headquarters in Pasadena, 
had no official booth at last 
month’s National Association 
of Music Merchants (NAMM) 
show, their influence on the 
music industry could be seen all 
over the convention floor. 

 David Reid, Marketing 
Manager for Ableton took 
an opportunity at the show 
to talk about the company’s 
pilot program “Push Trade-in 
Initiative.” The program helps 
schools throughout the world 
with digital music education. 

 Reid said they worked 
closely, over the last year, with 
Lawrence Grey the founder of 
Young Producers Group, an 
organization that works with 
Los Angeles area schools. “He 
[Grey] does lots of after school 
programs, we basically piloted 
the program with him before we 
rolled it out nationally, so L.A. 
was the first city,” Reid said.

 The company’s Initiative 
allows buyers to trade an older 
Ableton Push Midi Surface 
Controller for a discount on 
the next generation Push 2 
Surface Controller. The older 
controllers are then donated to 
school music programs. He said 
they have donated thousands of 
the older controllers through 
the program. 

 “It’s not a keyboard,” Reid 
said. “The best way to describe 
it would to think of collapsing 
down the whole keyboard into 
an 8 by 8 grid [of tiles]. So you 
are able to access the same note 
range in a smaller space.”

 “I think for the young people 
that are taking their first steps 
into music theory, it sort of 
simplifies, scales and music 
theory for them.” He said 
Ableton is about teaching how 
to learn to make music not just 
learning to use software. 

 The main point of the Push 
controller is to trigger, similar to 
a drum machine, prearranged 
pieces of music. The company’s 
signature software Ableton 
Live, a digital audio workstation 
for composing, recording, 
arranging and mixing music, 
does just that. Reid said schools 
in the program are given the 
latest version of the software.

 A number of exhibitors at 
NAMM were using Ableton 
Live including Sensel to show 
the company’s Sensel Morph.

 “It’s an all in one input device 
with a pressure technology, 
Sensel Product Marketing Lead 
Stephanie Chedid said.”That 
allows it to be used as a musical 
instrument, depending on the 
overlay.

 The device uses a pressure 
sensitive base and then gel 
overlays that can be changed, 
such as a keyboard or drum pad. 
Chedid said schools buy them, 
“its cost saving because you can 
use it for multiple things.

 Santa Monica based Apogee 
Electronics also had the 
Ableton Push 2 Surface 
Controller on display using 
their Apogee Groove a portable 
USB DAC and headphone amp 
for improving audio on a Mac 
or PC. 

 This year NAMM was held 
Anaheim Convention Center 
Jan. 19 through Jan. 22. Started 
in 1901, it is the world’s largest 
and longest running trade-only 
event for the music products 
industry.

Pasadena Police Department 
Traffic Section will be 
conducting a DUI & Driver 
License Checkpoint on Friday, 
at an undisclosed location 
within the city limits between 
the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 
a.m. 

 Officers will be looking for 
signs of alcohol and/or drug 
impairment, with officers 
checking drivers for proper 
licensing, delaying motorists 
only momentarily. 

 DUI Checkpoints are placed 
in locations based on collision 
statistics and frequency of 
DUI arrests, affording the 
greatest opportunity for 
achieving drunk and drugged 
driving deterrence. Locations 
are chosen with safety 
considerations for the officers 
and the public. 

Research shows that crashes 
involving an impaired driver 
can be reduced by up to 20 
percent when well-publicized 
proactive DUI operations are 
conducted routinely. 

 Drivers are encouraged to 
download the Designated 
Driver VIP, or “DDVIP,” 
free mobile app for Android 
or iPhone. The DDVIP app 
helps find nearby bars and 
restaurants that feature free 
incentives for the designated 
sober driver, from free non-
alcoholic drinks to free 
appetizers and more. The 
feature-packed app even has 
social media tie-ins and even 
a tab for the non-DD to call 
Uber, Lyft or Curb.

 Drivers caught driving 
impaired can expect the impact 
of a DUI arrest to include jail 
time, fines, fees, DUI classes, 
license suspensions and other 
expenses that can exceed 
$10,000 not to mention the 
embarrassment when friends 
and family find out.

 The National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, 
reminding everyone to ‘Report 
Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1’.

Tournament House to 
Again Give Free Tours

Photo Push 2 Surface Controller

Pet of the 
Week

 
Sulu (A411776) is a 
3-month-old, neutered 
male, brown tabby kitten 
who loves to play! You 
can often find him batting 
around his cork toy in his 
kennel, pouncing on it to 
his heart’s content. Sulu 
also enjoys affection. He 
like head rubs and petting, 
and in his less energetic 
moods, he even enjoys a 
good snuggle! Although 
Sulu has only one eye, he 
doesn’t let that slow him 
down for even a second. 
This rambunctious kitty 
can’t wait to light up your 
home.

 The adoption fee for cats 
is $70, which includes 
the spay or neuter 
surgery, microchip, and 
vaccinations. And on 
February 4 and 5, adoption 
fees for all animals will 
be waived thanks to an 
anonymous donor as part 
of our Kitten Bowl Tailgate 
Party!

 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 
A411776, 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.

 Guided tours inside 
Tournament House, the 
iconic Southern California 
landmark, open to the 
public. Tours will be offered, 
at no cost, every Thursday at 
2 p.m. and 3 p.m. beginning 
this week. Last year, over 
5000 guests toured the house 
and gardens. 

 Visitors enjoy the rich 
history of the 21-room, 
Italian-Renaissance-style 
mansion designed and built 
in 1906 by architect G. 
Lawrence Stimson and his 
father George W. Stimson, 
a local builder. The interior 
of the house features richly 
paneled rooms, inlaid marble 
floor and an ornate molded 
plaster ceiling – a design 
element that made Stimson 
famous. Upstairs, areas 
originally used as bedrooms, 
have been transformed into 
historical displays of the Rose 
Bowl Game, Rose Queen 
and Royal Court, Grand 
Marshals and Tournament 
Presidents throughout the 
years.

 Tournament of Roses 
volunteers from the Heritage 
Committee, knowledgeable 
of the organization’s history 
and details of the house, 
conduct the tours. 

Wrigley Mansion, the 
Orange Grove Boulevard 
estate, serves as the official 
headquarters of the Pasadena 
Tournament of Roses, its 
staff and the 935 volunteer 
members who work year-
round to organize the annual 
Rose Parade and Rose Bowl 
Game. Located in Pasadena, 
the mansion was once the 
home of chewing gum mogul 
William Wrigley Jr. and his 
wife, Ada. After Ada’s death 
in 1958, the Wrigley family 
presented the property to 
the city of Pasadena, with 
the request that it become 
the base of operations for the 
Tournament of Roses. The 
Wrigley family enjoyed the 
Rose Parade as it unfolded 
just beyond their front yard.

 Surrounding Tournament 
House are the Wrigley 
Gardens, which feature 
a floral display of roses, 
camellias and annuals. The 
gardens feature the All-
America Rose Selections 
(AARS) award-winning 
Tournament of Roses rose 
developed especially for 
the Tournament of Roses 
Centennial in 1989.

 Groups of 15 or more may 
call (626) 449-4100 for tour 
reservations.

Free Events Roundup at the 
Pasadena Senior Center

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

 Scenic Walkers Club – 
Wednesdays, through Feb. 22, 
at 10 a.m. Join this new group 
for a series of leisurely walks to 
enjoy the great outdoors and get 
some exercise. 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.

 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.

 Diabetes Empowerment 
Education Program – 
Thursdays, Through March 
2, from 2 to 4 p.m. Whether 
you or someone you care about 
is diabetic or pre-diabetic, 
this series will encourage 
you to make lifestyle changes 
while learning more about 
your diabetes and how it 
affects your health. Workshop 
topics include diet, exercise, 
medication issues, managing 
complications and the impact 
of diabetes on eyes, teeth and 
feet. Reservations are required: 
626-685-6732.

 Friday Movie Matinees – 
Fridays, Feb. 10 and 17, at 1 
p.m. Everyone enjoys movies 
and the pleasures they bring. 
Feb. 10: “The Girl on the Train” 
(2016, R) starring Emily Blunt 
and Justin Theroux. A divorcee 
becomes entangled in a missing 
persons investigation that 
promises to send shockwaves 
throughout her life. 

 Cardmaking Workshop – 
Monday, Feb. 6, from noon to 2 
p.m. Surprise a special someone 
with a personalized, handmade 
greeting card. Whether it’s 
happy birthday, happy holidays, 
thank you, thinking of you or 
other sentiment, you’ll create 
a decorative card in your own 
unique style and have fun 
discovering your creativity while 
workshop leaders help you bring 
your ideas to life. All materials 
will be provided.

Mulch Compost 
Giveaway 
Program

 The City uses mulch at City 
parks and landscaped areas 
and offers mulch to residents 
through the mulch giveaway 
program.

 Pickup days include February 
10 at Victory Park is located 
at 2575 Paloma Street and the 
mulch program will be located 
at the southern parking lot 
adjacent to Paloma Street. 
And at February 24 Robinson 
Park is located at 1081 North 
Fair Oaks Ave and the mulch 
program will be located in the 
park’s southern parking lot.

 Residents will have access 
to mulch during park hours 
which are 6 a.m. through 
10 p.m. while supplies last. 
Residents should bring 
shovels, containers, gloves and 
eye protection to collect the 
mulch

 Athens Services will be 
providing 10 cubic yards of 
compost at Victory Park on 
the dates noted below. The 
compost is available after 10 
am. 

ALTADENA POLICE BLOTTER

Monday, January 23rd

10:30 PM – A petty theft 
from an unlocked vehicle 
occurred in the 2300 block of 
Tanoble Drive. Stolen: credit 
cards.

Tuesday, January 24th

12:33 AM – Hiram Cormier, 
40 years old of Hawthorne 
was arrested in the 1200 
block of N. Catalina Avenue 
for driving a vehicle without 
the owner’s consent. 

Wednesday, January 25th

6:30 PM – Sergio Huezo, 39 
years old of Altadena was 
arrested in the area of Fair 
Oaks Avenue and Calaveras 
Street for public intoxication.

Thursday, January 26th

12:00 PM – A package theft 
occurred in the 1400 block of 
Crest Drive. Stolen: iPhone.

Friday - Saturday no 
significant incidents.

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