PASADENA EDITION

 SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2018 

VOLUME 12 NO. 29

Local Area 
News Briefs

ArtCenter Expansion Moves Forward

City Calls Lawsuit Against 
Police Officers ‘Baseless’


By Dean Lee 

 The Pasadena city council 
approved a major development 
plan for the ArtCenter College 
of Design Monday night 
that includes three 100-foot 
tall, eight-story buildings for 
academic programs and student 
housing –at issue is a proposed 
8,000 square foot digital display 
facing the 110 Freeway at 
Glenarm Street. 

 The project will take place over 
the next 15 years in two phases 
starting this year through 2033 
according the officials. Most of 
the plan focuses on a new South 
Campus along South Arroyo 
Parkway. 

 “ArtCenter is a cherished part 
of Pasadena contributing to the 
economic and cultural fabric of 
the city,” said Robert Davidson 
ArtCenter Chairman of the 
Board. “With new housing and 
academic spaces, ArtCenter can 
attract a more diverse, deserving 
group of artists, designers, 
strong leaders and promblem 
solvers. ArtCenter is graduating 
some of the most talented and 
gifted artists in the world.”

 The council approved all the 
city recommendations for the 
project with the exception of 
digital billboard after numerous 
people spoke out against it.

 “It is aesthetically and 
practically not appropriate for 
our community and does not 
meet the current requirements 
for a waver from the clear 
prohibition for such signs.” West 
Pasadena Residents’ Association 
Director Mic Hansen said. 
“WPRA stringently opposes any 
zoning code text amendment 
that would facilitate or allow 
the installation of any digital 
video display, at this time or the 
future... Do we want this all over 
our city?” 

 According to statements by 
ArtCenter President Lorne 
Buchman, ArtCenter would 
follow any guidelines for 
the digital gallery including 
having no video or animation 
with images rotating once 
every 10 minutes and only 
displaying student artwork, not 
advertising.

 Council members agreed to 
further discuses the display at 
a later date. Councilwoman 
Margaret McAustin asked that 
they take digital gallery “off the 
table” if not, she said she could 
not support the project.

 The project would also include, 
an elevated open quad area 
over the Metro Gold Line; a 
mobility hub below the quad; 
renovation and internal floor 
area addition to an existing 
two-story building; renovation 
of an existing six-story building 
for academic purposes; and a 
compressed natural gas (CNG) 
fueling facility within the 
mobility hub area.

 The complete plan can be 
found at: cityofpasadena.net/
planning/art-center-college-of-
design-master-plan.

 Sixteen year old arrested 
in beating death of son 

 
Police last week arrested a 
16-year-old after investigators 
say he confessed to beating 
his 2 year-old son with 
his fists several times. The 
teenager was being held in a 
detention center. His name 
was not released.

 According to police and 
news reports, Pasadena 
police were called, February 
4, to a home in north-west 
Pasadena after a report of a 
child not breathing. 

 According to medical 
examiners, Brandon 
Blackburn, died from “blunt 
force trauma to his abdomen 
area.” Blackburn was 
prononced dead at the scene. 

 The father was arrested after 
a followup interview July 10. 
The teen was charged with 
homicide and assault of a 
person under 8 years old.

 Two women, a mother and 
daughter, last week, filed a 
$25 million lawsuit against 
the city of Pasadena claiming 
two Pasadena police officers 
sexually assaulted them 
during a traffic stop in May 
2016, something the city has 
refuted.

 According to the lawsuit 
announced July 16 by 
attorney Dakar Diourbel 
representing the women 
–Sharell Thompson and 
daughter, Sharaya Brown 
–they accuse two male 
officers, one of them forcing 
Thompson to lift her top 
exposing breasts in public 
and the other officer of 
sexually fondling Brown.

 City officials Teusday 
released dash-camera 
footage and audio of the 
traffic stop.

 “The lawsuit filed against the 
City of Pasadena accusing 
two officers of inappropriate 
conduct during a traffic stop 
two years ago is baseless and, 
in fact, the claims on which 
the lawsuit rests are easily 
proven false.”

 Diourbel said the video 
posted on the city’s website 
is edited and does not show 
the full extent of the search. 
He said they wanted to see 
the original video from the 
stop.

 The statement from the 
city reads, “On Monday 
May 2, 2016, Pasadena 
Police Department patrol 
officers initiated a traffic 
stop based upon a detective 
investigation and traffic 
violation witnessed by police. 
As per Department policies 
and procedures, the officers 
remained professional 
the entire time, assessed 
the situation, speaking 
with the individuals and 
conducting appropriate and 
necessary searches of the 
individuals (a waistband 
check for weapons) and 
of the vehicle. After the 
vehicle and individuals were 
searched and questioned, 
they were free to leave the 
scene. When the Police 
Department received a 
personnel complaint, a 
thorough review of the 
incident was undertaken 
per Department policy. 
The in-car camera footage 
from the patrol car clearly 
shows that the officers acted 
appropriately.”

 Local sales tax measure to 
be on November ballot

 The Pasadena city council 
voted July 16 to place a tax 
ballot measure on the ballot. 

 Voters will decide on 
Tuesday, November 6, on 
a proposed three-quarter 
cent sales tax aimed at 
maintaining essential “City 
of Pasadena services such 
as fire, police, paramedics, 
emergency service/response 
times; keep fire stations 
open; improve neighborhood 
and school safety; repair 
streets/sidewalks; address 
homelessness; maintain 
after-school programs/senior 
services, and other general 
fund services,” the proposed 
ballot measure language 
reads. 

 Other uses for the sales tax 
include:

•Upgrading Fire Stations
•Replacing obsolete 911
emergency response 
communications

•Repair of 670,000 square
feet of damaged sidewalk

•Upgrading aging libraries,
community centers, bridges 
and emergency shelters 


Related News: 
MOONS 
Exhibition 
Opens at 
ArtCenter

Zero Waste 
Partner 
Program

Free Summer Concert Series

 
The City of Pasadena 
recently developed the 
Pasadena Zero Waste Partner 
Program, a free program 
that assists businesses 
with incorporating waste 
reduction practices into their 
daily operations.

 Businesses involved in the 
Program receive technical 
assistance, guidance on 
achieving waste reduction 
goals, and city-wide 
recognition. The Program 
is part of the City’s larger 
commitment to achieving 
zero waste by 2040 and 
increasing environmental 
sustainability within the 
community.

 Sage Vegan Bistro’s 
Pasadena location has joined 
the Program, becoming 
the City’s first Zero Waste 
Partner. The restaurant’s 
current zero waste practices 
involve utilizing paper 
straws, paper to-go products, 
and transporting pre-
consumer food waste to Sow 
A Heart Farm in Fillmore, 
CA for compost and animal 
feed. The Zero Waste Partner 
Program will be a great way 
to enhance and build on the 
practices Sage Vegan Bistro 
has implemented to instill a 
zero waste culture within its 
restaurants.

 Businesses in Pasadena 
are encouraged to join the 
program by completing 
an online application at: 
cityofpasadena.net/public-
works/pasadena-zero-
waste-partner-program or 
by contacting the Citizen 
Service Center at (626) 744-
7311 for more information.

 The Program is sponsored by 
the City of Pasadena’s Public 
Works Recycling Program. 

 MOONS , an exhibition at the 
intersection of art and science 
for Southern California fans of 
the celestial, opened Friday at 
ArtCenter College of Design’s 
Alyce de Roulet Williamson 
Gallery and continues through 
December 16. 

 The MOONS opening 
takes place during 
AstroWeek, a series of 
free family friendly events 
about the fascinating 
science of space through 
July 22. AstroWeek is 
the result of Pasadena’s 
City of Astronomy 
partnership, an initiative 
to raise public awareness 
about space discoveries 
in exploration of Earth’s 
solar system and beyond.

 “We’re pleased to have 
ArtCenter and the 
Williamson Gallery join 
the City of Astronomy 
partnership, particularly 
this year, when the 
occasion of COSPAR 
provides an opportunity 
for us to share the 
wonders of the universe 
with the public during 
AstroWeek,” said Janice 
Lee, an astronomer 
at Caltech’s science 
and data center for 
astronomy, IPAC, and 
a lead organizer of the 
events.

 “The gallery’s exhibitions 
fusing astronomy with 
contemporary art 
present new perspectives 
on how science inspires 
curiosity, imagination, 
and unorthodox 
thinking,” said Sabrina 
Stierwalt, a Caltech/
IPAC astronomer and 
co-organizer.

 Artists and sources 
contributing to the 
MOONS exhibition 
include Alternative 
Moons (Nadine 
Schlieper & Robert Pufleb), 
Carnegie Observatories, 
Caltech Archives, Kevin 
Gill, James Griffith, Tim 
Hawkinson, The Huntington 
Library, Melanie King, Sarah 
Perry, Steve Roden, Karley 
Sullivan, Penelope Umbrico, 
Mount Wilson Observatory 
and Jacqueline Woods.

 “Celestial bodies tethered 
by orbital physics to our solar 
system’s planets, commonly 
known as moons, comprise a 
consortium of enticing worlds 
that are rocky, wet, icy, cratered, 
hot, cold, and puzzling, some 
of whose veneers are textured 
with mountains, lakes, 
concealed oceans, valleys, 
volcanoes, geysers, canyons 
and plains, and have both water 
and heat to fuel tantalizing 
speculations,” said Nowlin. 
“Such objects lead us to both 
the poetics and the disruptions 
ignited by an age-old urge 
to ponder reality beyond the 
single planet in which we are 
cradled.”

 More information about 
AstroFest can be found at: 
cityofastronomy.org.

 In addition to ArtCenter and 
the Williamson Gallery, the 
City of Astronomy partnership 
includes Caltech, Carnegie 
Observatories, Giant Magellan 
Telescope project, IPAC at 
Caltech, NASA’s JPL, Kidspace 
Children’s Museum, Mount 
Wilson Observatory, Pasadena 
City College, The Planetary 
Society and the Thirty Meter 
Telescope project.

 The Alyce de Roulet 
Williamson Gallery is located 
at 1700 Lida Street in Pasadena.

Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys

 The Pasadena Senior Center’s popular free summer concert 
series for all ages will be relocated from Memorial Park to the 
air-conditioned comfort of the Scott Pavilion at the center, 85 E. 
Holly St., every Monday at 6 p.m. from July 30 to Sept. 3.

 Showcasing the talents of a variety of professional musical groups 
that range from jazz to big band to blues and more, the one-hour 
concerts will have people tapping their feet and dancing in the 
aisles. Bring a picnic dinner for the perfect summer experience 
with family and friends.

July 30 – The Susie Hansen Latin Band will perform fiery jazz and 
salsa that will have the audience on their feet and dancing in the 
aisles.

Aug. 6 – Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys will perform jazz, 
ragtime, blues and novelty songs popular from 1900 to 1930.

Aug. 13 – Pam Kay and the Tap Chicks will entertain with energetic 
dance routines, Vaudeville-style comedy and clever costumes.

Aug. 20 – Grammy-winning Lisa Haley and the Zydekats will play 
lively Cajun Zydeco music with plenty of Louisiana spice.

Aug. 27 – Leah Zeger will perform spirited Gypsy jazz and 
beloved standards.

Sept. 3 – The Great American Swing Band will feature the sounds 
of Big Band, rhythm and blues, jazz and Dixieland.

 The concerts are hosted by the Pasadena Senior Center and 
sponsored by the Cynthia P. Rosedale Fund for Seniors, Los 
Angeles County Arts Commission, Pasadena Rotary and 
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Foundation.

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

CALENDAR Pg. 2

MORE PASADENA NEWS

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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


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