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PASADENA EDITION

 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2018 

VOLUME 12 NO. 44

Local Area 
News Briefs

Four of the Library Board of 
Trustees Seats up for Grabs

 
Man Arrested 
after Suspicious 
Device Forces 
Evacuations 

 Pasadena police arrested a 
man Tuesday in connection 
to a suspicious device 
found at a U-Haul facility 
the night before that closed 
streets for hours as bomb 
squad officials used a robot 
to detonate the device. The 
device, a plastic container 
about six-to-eight inches 
in length, rapped in tape, 
was determined not to be 
explosive. 

 According to police, 
officers were called Monday 
night, after someone found 
the suspicious device 
attached to the rear of a 
U-Haul truck in a parking 
lot in the 500 block of 
South Raymond Avenue.

 Police closed California 
Blvd. from Fair Oaks 
to Arroyo Parkway and 
Raymond Ave. from Pico 
St. to Bellevue. Dr. as Los 
Angeles County Sheriff’s 
Department bomb squad 
blew up the device around 
9 p.m. Police said they 
used records at the U-Haul 
facility to determine 
Theodore Bancarz, of 
Glendale, had rented the 
truck. 
Investigators later found 
a similar container at 
Bancarz home filled with 
drugs and syringes. Police 
said he used the devices to 
transport illegal drugs by 
attaching it to the bumper 
of a vehicle with magnets. 
They said he forgot to 
remove it Monday when 
he returned the truck to 
the U-Haul facility. 

Bancarz was arrested and 
booked on misdemeanor 
drug charges police said.

By Dean Lee 

 For the first time in a long 
time, the Altadena community 
will have the opportunity 
Tuesday to directly elect four 
open seats on the Altadena 
Library District board.

 The community had 
complained for years that 
the board members were 
all appointed by themselves 
at times skipping elections 
because of a lack of candidates. 

 At stake on the five member 
board are two, four-year seats 
and two, two-year seats. Both 
two-year seats were vacated 
after the resignation of former 
board members, including 
former board president John 
McDonald. 

 McDonald resigned in March, 
shortly after being accused of 
attempting to destroy evidence 
related to emails that violated 
the Brown Act, California’s 
open meeting law. 

 At a Trustees Candidate Forum 
Oct 24 only one of the questions 
dealt directly with the Brown 
Act and the embattled director 
Mindy Kittay “As we get in 
new trustees, on the board, 
and eventually a new library 
director, how will you maintain 
transparency and openness to 
the public to be sure we don’t 
re see the recent problems we 
have experienced?” 

Their answers included.

 “I believe in the Brown Act, 
everything should be public 
that is appropriate, I have been 
trained in the Brown Act... that 
is the best way.” said Bernadette 
Hendry running for a four-year 
term. “We should make sure 
the community knows when 
we have meetings, make sure 
that the community is involved 
when we’re making decisions.” 

 “My campaign slogan is 
Community, Transparency 
and Sustainability...” said Dawn 
Mooney Digrius also running 
for a four-year term. What’s 
really important is making sure 
that agendas are in discussion 
between the board and director, 
that they are posted when they 
are supposed to be posted. 
That everything goes on to the 
website in a timely manner. 
So the public has the ability to 
view information... to make 
sure there is a critical dialogue 
that happens with all of the 
stakeholders.”

 “The problems that happened 
with regard to Brown Act 
violations had already 
happened by the time I showed 
up..” said appointed incumbent 
Betsy Kahn vying to keep her 
two-year seat. “I think we have 
committed, as the current 
board, to really revamp are 
commitment to transparency 
and to be as transparent as we 
can... there are instances where 
the Brown Act provides for 
personal issues and privacy is 
called for.”

 “The library board must not 
act in isolation... said Louise 
Hamlin running for a two-
year seat. “ I think mandatory 
training for the board is 
necessary, it’s a bit shocking 
that’s not been written into the 
Bylaws yet.”

 “Like Betsy, I arrived on the 
board after a lot of the Brown 
Act issues had occurred,” said 
appointed incumbent Terry 
Andrues, also vying to keep his 
two-year seat. “I had attended 
meeting before so I made it 
my business to get to know 
the Brown Act before I had 
my interview with the board... 
When you look at the current 
board and episodes where we 
have got some criticism about 
not saying enough. Silence is 
the sound of us doing our job, 
its these personal issues and 
things that can’t be discussed.” 

Both Andrues and Kahn 
said they wanted to set up a 
committee that would look 
at building refurbishment 
something they said could 
happen at their next meeting.

 “The reason in California we 
have a Brown Act is to ensure 
that public’s business is done 
in public...” said Katie Clark 
running for a four-year term. “I 
think that a real commitment 
to transparent deliberation is 
essential moving forward. I 
agree there need to be a system 
and updates to the Bylaws, 
training, all of that’s true... This 
has to be practiced in every 
room in Altadena and that 
means the board needs to get 
our of this room and into the 
community, we need to meet 
people were they are...

 Jason Capell running for a four-
year term was not at the forum 
but wrote “It is clear that we 
face significant administrative 
challenges, including hiring a 
director and finding a way to 
balance the budget absorb a 
significant impact to the recent 
lawsuits.” 

 The board recently offered 
Kittay, a $501,000 settlement to 
end a lawsuit, after they placed 
her on paid administrative 
leave pending an investigation. 
Kittay said she suffered stress 
related to her whistle blowing 
on Brown Act violations. 
Reports last month said Kittay 
did not agree the terms of the 
settlement. 

 Other questions during the 
hour and a half forum, included 
the current renovations of the 
libraries, time commitment 
needed for being a trustee, the 
future of libraries (other then 
books) and outreach and what 
makes each of candidates want 
to sit on the board and better 
than the other candidates. 

 The full Candidate Forum 
Videos and other election 
information can be found at: 
altadenaelection.org. 

Doo Dah Queen 'Jenny' Crowned



 It was a lively queen’s caucus 
Sunday in East Pasadena to 
decide who would be crowned 
Queen of the 2018 Pasadena 
Doo Dah Parade. Among a 
boisterous crowd of onlookers, 
Jennipha-Lauren Nielsen 
showed amped ability to have 
fun and also be committed to 
her community.

 Queen Jennipha-Lauren 
loves that Doo Dah is a coming 
together of people from all 
different backgrounds. “Doo 
Dah is another great piece of 
Pasadena culture, it’s of the 
people and for the people; 
a place where diversity and 
creativity are well honored.” 

 As clued in as she is on fun, 
“Jenny” has a serious side too. 
She is co-founder and CEO 
of the One World Project, a 
community-based initiative 
focussed on providing programs 
and advocacy in an effort to 
address problematic global 
issues. Nielsen was also student 
body president at CalState L.A., 
and student representative for 
the CSULA Foundation, which 
provides community expertise, 
oversight and advocacy to 
fundraising efforts for higher 
learning. 

 Jenny is no stranger to royal 
accolades. She was crowned 
Miss California World in 2011, 
with a platform for funding 
higher learning, girls and 
minority education especially 
in STEM. She is currently an 
avid spokesperson for gender 
equality and disability rights. 

 After crowning, she told 
Patricia Hurley, Parade 
Organizer, that she hopes to 
bring the group “Indivisible” 
into the parade for their first 
time.

 A close contender this year 
was Steven Johnson who 
transformed into “Princess 
Covfefe.” He will join the royal 
court on Doo Dah Day! 

 The 41st Occasional Pasadena 
Doo Dah Parade will be held 
on Sunday, November 18th, 
stepping off at 11:00am on the 
streets of East Pasadena. Entries 
are still invited! To enter go to: 
pasadenadoodahparade.info, 
for the entry form. or call (626) 
590-1134.

Photo by D. Lee/MVNews

Pasadena 
to Salute 
Veterans

Inaugural Pasadena 
Adaptive Sports Festival

 The Pasadena community is 
invited to join civic leaders, 
special guests, military 
veterans and active members 
of the U.S. armed forces for a 
Veterans Day commemoration 
Sunday, Nov. 11, beginning at 
10:30 a.m. in front of Pasadena 
City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.

 Former Pasadena Mayor 
William E. Thomson, chair 
of the Veterans Day steering 
committee and a U.S. Army 
veteran, will serve as master of 
ceremonies.

 With the theme “Pasadena 
Salutes Our Veterans,” the 
event will include patriotic 
music and a color guard from 
a local high school.

 The National Anthem will 
be sung by Monet Bagneris, 
a singer, songwriter and 
musician whose grandfather, 
Marion Meredith Beal, was 
the first African American 
to serve at the U.S. Marine 
Corps national headquarters 
in Washington, D.C., during 
the second world war and 
an original member of the 
Montford Point Marine 
Association, an organization 
of African American U.S. 
Marines. Bagneris is the 
founder of the nonprofit 
organization Monet Cares and 
a former Miss Los Angeles 
County.

 Cmdr. Corey A. Poorman, 
commanding officer of the 
USS Pasadena, a U.S. Navy 
submarine, will be the keynote 
speaker.

 At 11:11 a.m., the event will 
conclude with the Condor 
Squadron of World War II-era 
T-6 planes flying in formation 
over Pasadena City Hall. 
After the ceremony, Pasadena 
firefighters will provide free 
refreshments, including their 
famous hot dogs cooked on 
their custom-designed grill.

 “I encourage everyone 
to come to City Hall and 
acknowledge veterans who 
represent multiple generations 
that served our nation at home 
and abroad,” said Pasadena 
Mayor Terry Tornek, who 
served six years in the U.S. 
Army National Guard and 
Reserves.

 Triumph Foundation, a 
nonprofit organization working 
to improve the lives of people 
living with disabilities, in 
partnership with the City of 
Pasadena, hosts the inaugural 
Pasadena Adaptive Sports 
Festival featuring eight adaptive 
recreational sporting events 
that are open to the general 
public with free participation 
on Saturday, November 10, 
2018 at Brookside Park.

 The adaptive sports 
include: hand cycling, 
wheelchair rugby, pickle 
ball, beep baseball, 
tennis, boccia, curling, 
and Zumba. Additionally, 
the event will feature a 
creative art section and 
resource fair.

 The purpose of this 
free Adaptive Sports 
Festival is to introduce 
the community to 
adaptive sports, provide 
learning opportunities to 
the general public, and 
to showcase members 
of the community with 
disabilities in a way that 
the general public does 
not often see. The Festival 
brings everyone together, 
of all abilities—able body 
and disabled alike—to 
take part in a day of fun 
activities and games.

 The Adaptive Sports 
Festival is part of the 
Paralympic Gateway 
to Gold, a talent 
identification program 
that introduces 
Paralympic-eligible 
athletes to sports, acts as 
a pipeline to competition, 
and is often the first 
step toward the podium 
representing U.S. 
Paralympic Team.

 “The City of Pasadena 
is excited to partner with 
Triumph Foundation, 
which has been serving 
the disabled community 
of Southern California 
for over a decade,” said 
Ali Everett, Accessibility 
Issues Coordinator for 
the City of Pasadena. 
“This is the first of what we hope 
will be many Pasadena-based 
events promoting accessible 
and inclusive sports and fitness 
opportunities.”

 “Triumph Foundation attracts 
thousands of participants to 
our adaptive sports events 
every year, and we are excited 
to be presenting a new annual 
event in partnership with the 
City of Pasadena,” said Triumph 
Foundation Founder Andrew 
Skinner who suffered a spinal 
cord injury in November 2004 
in a snowboarding accident 
and founded the organization 
in 2008. “Events like this give 
people with disabilities a 
chance to push the limits of 
their ability, play games with 
friends and family on a level 
playing ground, and enhances 
their quality of life through the 
benefit of exercise, sports and 
fitness.”

 “The City of Pasadena is a 
passionate supporter of the 
ADA, and the Arroyo Seco is a 
perfect venue for the Adaptive 
Sports Festival. I know the 
community will embrace it,” 
said Cy Estabrook, a member 
of the Pasadena Disability and 
Accessibility Commission. Mr. 
Estabrook, a local Pasadena 
math teacher, who sustained a 
spinal cord injury from a slip 
and fall accident that left him 
paralyzed in 2016.

 “After my injury two years 
ago, I thought I would never be 
an athlete again. But through 
Triumph Foundation’s adaptive 
recreation program I have 
continued my passion for 
tennis, baseball, cycling, and 
even learned to play rugby! I 
can’t wait to bring a Triumph 
athletic event to my hometown 
of Pasadena.”

 Join Triumph Foundation 
on November 10th to see 
how people with disabilities 
continue to stay active and live 
fulfilling lives. Triumph is also 
seeking community partners to 
help support this event.

 Register at: TriumphASF2018.
eventbrite.com

 For more information, email 
info@trimuphfoundation.org.

CALENDAR Pg. 2

MORE PASADENA NEWS

 Pg. 3

SAN MARINO/SO. PAS

Pg. 4

SIERRA MADRE Pg. 5

ARCADIA Pg. 6

MONROVIA 

EDUCATION/YOUTH

Pg. 7

FOOD & DRINK Pg. 8

THE GOOD LIFE Pg. 9

WORLD AROUND US 

 Pg. 10

 BEST FRIENDS Pg. 11


SECTION B: 

AROUND SAN GABRIEL 
VALLEYB1

THE ARTS B2

BUSINESS NEWS

B3

OPINIONB4

LEGAL NOTICES B5


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

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