Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, September 1, 2018

5


Mountain View News Saturday, September 1, 2018 

Actress 
Shot By 
Police 
in South 
Pasadena

NASA Administrator Visits JPL in Pasadena 

City Employee Receives 
Manager of the Year Award


By Dean Lee

 NASA’s controversial newly 
appointed Administrator, Jim 
Bridenstine, met and toured with 
scientists and engineers at the Jet 
Propulsion Laboratory for the 
first time Monday. 

 Appointed by President Donald 
Trump, Bridenstine, a three-time 
Congressman from Oklahoma, 
is the first politician to serve as 
NASA Administrator. He is also 
the first NASA Administrator 
with no direct qualifications in 
science or engineering. 

 Before Bridenstine’s day-long 
tour of JPL, he spoke with 
reporters about Trump’s push 
for a new sixth military branch 
“Space Force.”

 “We have to make sure that 
the enemies of our country, our 
potential adversaries, we need 
to make sure they understand 
that there is no advantage 
to damaging space for all of 
humanity,” Bridenstine said. 
“If they understand that, we 
can detour space from being 
wrecked for generations to come, 
which is why in the House of 
Representatives, I with a strong 
bipartisan majority, voted to 
create the Space Force.”

 Bridenstine also said he wanted 
to make clear that NASA does 
not get involved with national 
security and defense, “And we 
don’t want to get involved. We are 
a science organization dedicated 
to exploration and discovery,”

 As part of the tour, Bridenstine, 
saw the Mars 2020 rover mission 
under construction; and the 
space simulator chamber where 
the Mars Helicopter is being 
tested in a Mars-like atmosphere. 
He was briefed on the agency’s 
next Mars landing, InSight, by 
team members in the In-Situ 
Instrument Laboratory, where a 
full-scale engineering model of 
the spacecraft is being tested. 

 At one point, Mimi Aung, Mars 
Helicopter project manager, 
along with other JPL officials, 
gave Bridenstine one of the 
helicopter rotor blades as a 
keepsake. He said he would put 
the blade on display at NASA in 
his office. 

 InSight will study the deep 
interior of Mars to learn how 
all rocky planets formed, 
including Earth and its Moon. 
It is expected to land on Mars 
November 26. 

 Mars 2020 is targeted for launch 
in July 2020. The rover will 
conduct geological assessments 
of its landing site on Mars. 

 
Florinda Langilotti, Operations 
Manager, City of Pasadena, 
has received the Professional 
Manager of the Year Award – 
Administrative Management 
from the American Public Works 
Association (APWA). APWA’s 
Professional Manager of the 
Year Award in Administrative 
Management seeks to recognize 
outstanding achievement in the 
area of administration within 
a public works department 
and to inspire excellence and 
dedication in the public sector 
by recognizing the outstanding 
career service achievements of 
administrative professionals.

 Langilotti has been with 
the City of Pasadena for 17 
years and is the Operations 
Manager for the Department 
of Public Works. Her extensive 
experience in her various 
managerial administrative 
positions throughout Southern 
California prepared her to be 
an asset to the city. She now 
oversees 69 full-time employees 
and an operating budget of 
approximately $20.7 million.

 Langilotti has developed 
and implemented an 
organizational-wide centralized 
fleet replacement program, 
developed and implemented 
a computerized maintenance 
management system (Lucity), 
and conducted a comprehensive 
maintenance optimization 
study. She has also led building 
automation upgrades and 
helped facilitate coordination 
of the staff to support the Rose 
Bowl. She further implemented 
a number of recommendations 
from the maintenance 
optimization study to improve 
maintenance operations and 
reduced the Fleet Maintenance 
Division overtime by 172% over 
the past four years. Langilotti 
has also implemented major 
construction upgrades to the 
Citywide Compressed Natural 
Gas fueling station.

 The APWA will present the 
award to Langilotti at the APWA 
National Conference in Kansas 
City, Missouri on August 27, 
2018 and will be recognized by 
the Local Southern California 
APWA Chapter President at the 
Pasadena City Council meeting 
on September 24, 2018. 

 For more information about 
APWA’s awards program, 
contact Rhonda Wilhite, 
Awards & Chapter Relations 
Associate, at (816) 595-5261 or 
rwilhite@apwa.net.


Bridenstine with a blade, Mars Helicopter, photo D. Lee MVNews

 South Pasadena police shot 
and killed a woman Thursday 
after she waved a BB gun at 
them —officers thought to be 
a handgun— during a check 
on her well-being. The woman 
was later identified as South 
Pasadena resident Vanessa 
Marquez, a well known 
actress that starred on the 90s 
televison show “ER.”

 According to investigators, 
officers and a mental health 
specialist were called just 
before noon by a landlord 
concerned about Marquez. 
When police officers arrived 
Marquez was having a seizure 
and police tried to offer 
medical care. Marquez became 
aggressive and waved a BB 
gun, that officers, believed was 
a semi-automatic handgun. 
Marquez was shot in the torso 
and later died at a nearby 
hospital. 

 Investigators said Marquez 
had been suffering from issues 
related to an eating disorder. 
There were on officers hurt in 
the incident they said. 

 The incident took place within 
blocks of South Pasadena High 
School.

Local Chamber Members 
Oppose Sales Tax Increase

Tournament 
House

Tours End

 In a recent poll of its members, 
the Pasadena Chamber of 
Commerce asked if they support 
the local sales tax increase 
placed on the November ballot 
by the Pasadena City Council. 
A resounding 77.91% of 
respondents oppose the sales 
tax increase. 22.09% supported 
the .¢ increase in the local 
sales tax.

 The poll, conducted through 
Survey Monkey, as sent to all 
Pasadena Chamber member 
companies. The language of the 
ballot measure was quoted in 
the poll and respondents were 
asked simply if they support or 
oppose the measure. 

 “We put the ballot language 
in front of our members and 
asked simply if they support 
the increase,” said Pasadena 
Chamber CEO Paul Little. “We 
had one of the highest responses 
we have ever had to a poll and 
resoundingly, our members do 
not support it and are looking to 
the Pasadena Chamber to take a 
leadership role in opposing the 
initiative.”

 Respondents were also given 
an opportunity to provide 
comments. Commenters 
opposed to the measure fell into 
three general categories:

 Those who feel the city 
should be more responsible in 
its spending and budgeting. 
Essentially, like their businesses, 
the city needs to live within its 
means and curtail spending 
on unpopular programs and 
not waste money on projects, 
initiatives and programs the 
citizens and businesses do not 
support.

 The city has not been open and 
transparent about its spending 
and budgeting.

 Pasadena business will be 
less competitive than those in 
neighboring communities.

 As one respondent said, “City 
Leadership need to be more 
responsible with spending. 
They should treat spending 
like it’s their own money and 
maybe they would make better 
decisions; The cost of doing 
business is already too high in 
Pasadena!”

 Pasadena Chamber members 
also oppose passage of the 
advisory measure to provide .¢ 
of the increase to the Pasadena 
Unified School District. 36.2% 
supported the allocation to the 
PUSD. 62.8% opposed it.

 At its meeting on Tuesday, 
the Board of Directors of the 
Pasadena Chamber voted to 
oppose the sales tax measure. 
The Board took no position 
on the split with the PUSD 
thinking that opposing the 
sales tax measure sends a strong 
message to the community. 
The Board heard presentations 
from Mayor Terry Tornek, 
PUSD Superintendent Brian 
McDonald and PUSD Interim 
Chief Business Officer 
Eva Leuck. The Chamber’s 
Legislative and Governmental 
Affairs committee 
recommended opposition 
following presentations by the 
Mayor, City Manager Steve 
Mermell, Mr. McDonald and 
Ms. Leuck.

 “The Chamber Board 
represents a constituency that 
clearly and strongly opposes 
this measure,” said Mr. Little. 
“And, when you see that just 
this week the City staff ‘found’ 
nearly $500,000 to maintain 
funding for two positions the 
City Council determined were 
important to fund. And they 
did this without making cuts 
elsewhere in the budget, which 
seems to support the idea 
that any real effort to make 
meaningful cuts and realign 
city government has yet to be 
undertaken. I think, at some 
point, our members would like 
to see a real effort to economize 
and the development of a long-
term strategic organizational 
plan going forward.”

 The Pasadena Chamber of 
Commerce does not endorse 
individual candidates for office.


Fish for Biological 
Control of Mosquitoes

 

 Mosquito fish are intended to 
be used for stocking ornamental 
ponds, unused or “out-of-order” 
swimming pools, and animal 
water troughs. The Greater 
Los Angeles County Vector 
Control District provides FREE 
mosquito fish to all District 
residents for placement on 
their property only. Please call 
the District Headquarters at 
(562) 944-9656 or the Sylmar 
Branch at (818) 364-9589 to 
request FREE mosquito fish for 
your home. A Vector Control 
Specialist will deliver them to 
your address within 24 hours.

 How to Find & Eliminate 
Mosquitoes in the Yard and 
Inside Your Home or Office:

 Get rid of standing water. 
These mosquitoes can live and 
complete their life cycle indoors 
or outdoors, wherever standing 
water can be found. And they 
can complete their life cycle in 
about a week 

 Tours of Tournament House, 
the operating headquarters 
for the Tournament of Roses 
Association, ended Thursday. 
Tours will resume in February 
2019.

 Located at 391 S. Orange 
Grove Blvd., the house 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 had long 
enjoyed the Rose Parade as 
it unfolded just beyond their 
front yard.

 Guided tours allow visitors 
to see the 21-room Italian-
Renaissance-style mansion 
designed and built by architect 
G. Lawrence Stimson and his 
father George W. Stimson. 
Tournament of Roses 
volunteers from its Heritage 
Committee, well-versed in the 
organization’s history as well 
as in the details of the house 
itself, conduct the tours.

 The interior of the house 
features richly paneled 
rooms, inlaid marble floors 
and an ornate molded plaster 
ceiling – a design element that 
Stimson would later become 
famous for creating. Displays 
related to Rose Bowl Games, 
Rose Queens and Royal 
Courts, Grand Marshals and 
Tournament Presidents also 
are part of the décor.

DUI Campaign 
Through Labor 
Day

Free Monthly Events at 
Pasadena Senior Center

 The Pasadena Police 
Department has started 
participating in a high-
visibility national enforcement 
campaign, “Drive Sober or Get 
Pulled Over.”

 During this extended 
period through Monday, 
police, including Pasadena, 
and Sheriff’s Departments 
statewide, along with the 
California Highway Patrol, will 
increase the number of officers 
on the road to stop suspected 
drunk or drug impaired 
drivers and motorcyclists.

 There is something for 
everyone in September 
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.

 Labor Day Concert for All 
Ages – Monday, Sept. 3, at 
6 p.m. The summer concert 
series in the Scott Pavilion 
at the Pasadena Senior 
Center will conclude with 
the Great American Swing 
Band featuring the sounds 
of Big Band, rhythm and 
blues, jazz and Dixieland.

 Screening Mimis Film 
Discussion Club – Tuesdays, 
Sept. 4 and 18, at 3 p.m. 
Diehard film fans are invited 
to watch a movie the first 
and third Tuesday of every 
month, preceded by a 
presentation about the 
film’s hidden history and 
followed by lively discussion. 
Sept. 4: Infamous (2006, R) 
starring Toby Jones and 
Sandra Bullock in director 
Douglas McGrath’s film 
about Truman Capote’s 
first-hand research for his 
book In Cold Blood. Sept. 
18: Two Women (1960, NR) 
starring Sophia Loren and 
Jean-Paul Belmondo in 
director Vittorio de Sica’s 
film about a widow and 
her teenaged daughter 
who struggle to survive the 
ravages of World War II in 
Italy.

 Nutrition for Weight Loss – 
Thursday, Sept. 6, at 10 a.m. 
Join this discussion about 
how to obtain adequate, 
balanced nutrition while 
achieving and maintaining 
a healthy weight. Presented 
by Regal Medical.

 Friday Movie Matinees – 
Fridays, Sept. 7, 14 and 21, 
at 1 p.m. Everyone enjoys 
watching movies and the 
pleasures they bring. Sept. 
7: The Great Debaters 
(2007, PG) starring Denzel 
Washington and Kimberly 
Elise. At a small African 
American college in the 
1930s, a professor forms a 
student debate team that 
goes on to beat Harvard 
University in the national 
debate championships. 
The film is based on true 
events. Sept. 14: The Leisure 
Seeker (2017, R) starring 
Donald Sutherland and 
Helen Mirren. A runaway 
couple goes on an 
unforgettable journey in 
their beloved old RV and, 
along the way, recapture 
their passion for life and 
their love for each other. 
Sept. 21: Book Club (2018, 
PG-13) starring Diane 
Keaton and Jane Fonda. 
The lives of four older 
women are turned upside 
down when they decide 
to tackle Fifty Shades of 
Grey, and in the process 
they inspire each other to 
make their next chapter 
in their lives the best 
chapter.

 Chiropractic for Good 
Health – Thursday, Sept. 
13, at 10 a.m. A safe, 
effective and non-invasive 
technique called Quantum 
Neurology can uncover 
hidden neurological 
weaknesses in the nervous 
system resulting from brain 
or spinal cord injuries, 
accidents and strokes. 
Learn more about this 
technique and whether 
it may be right for you. 
Presented by Dr. Nazee 
Rofagha.

 Book Discussion: Love 
Soup for Seniors – Friday, 
Sept. 14, at 11 a.m. Born 
in 2015 when author John 
L. Feeny met Ann on 
social media, Love Soup 
for Seniors encourages 
improved health and lust 
for life, and that happiness 
is sustainable. Presented 
by John L. Feeny. Books 
will be available for sale 
and signing; a portion of 
proceeds will be donated 
to the Pasadena Senior 
Center.

 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.

Pet of the 
Week

 
If you are looking for a 
friendly bunny, stop by 
the Pasadena Humane 
Society today! Cupcake 
(A464202) and her friend 
Cuddles were found 
abandoned in Glendale 
a little over 2 weeks ago. 
Cupcake is eager for 
attention and head bumps 
for more pets. She is easy 
to pick up and is ready to 
go to a new home. Hop on 
over and visit her today.

 The adoption fee for 
rabbits is $35. All rabbits 
are spayed or neutered 
and microchipped before 
going to their new 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.

 View photos of adoptable 
pets at pasadenahumane.
org. 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.

ALTADENA CRIME BLOTTER

Sunday, August 19th

10:15 AM – A vehicle was 
reported stolen from the 
2300 block of E. Washington 
Boulevard. Vehicle described 
as a gold 2000 Honda Civic. 
Vehicle was recovered by LAPD 
Southeast Division. 

Monday, August 20th

6:00 AM – A residential 
burglary occurred in the 3000 
block of La Corona Avenue. 
Suspect(s) entered the residence 
by removing the window screen. 
Stolen: unknown. 

7:22 AM – A residential 
burglary occurred in the 600 
block of W. Mendocino Street. 
Suspect(s) entered the residence 
by removing the window 
screen. Stolen: black wallet and 
currency. 

Tuesday, August 21st

4:06 AM – Agustin Aldaba, 
57 years old of Altadena was 
arrested in the 2700 block of 
N. Tola Avenue for vehicle 
burglary. 

11:00 AM – A vehicle vandalism 
occurred in the 2900 block of El 
Nido Drive. Vehicle damage: 
shattered window and dents. 

Wednesday, August 22nd

8:28 PM – A grand theft 
occurred in the 2200 block of 
N. Lincoln Avenue. Stolen: 
iPhone X. 

9:30 PM – A grand theft from 
an unlocked vehicle occurred 
in the area of Glen Canyon 
Road and Roosevelt Avenue. 
Stolen: gold & tan duffel bag, 
phone charger, clothing, sports 
equipment, and currency. 

Thursday, August 25th

No Significant incidents. 

Friday, August 24th

6:30 PM – A grand theft from 
an unlocked vehicle occurred 
in the 1700 block of New York 
Drive. Stolen: yellow and 
black tool bag and various 
construction tools. 

8:30 PM – An assault with a 
deadly weapon occurred in 
the 300 block of Palm Street. 
Investigation is on-going. 

Saturday, August 25th

7:03 AM – A vehicle vandalism 
occurred in the 2200 block 
of Lincoln Avenue. Vehicle 
damage: scratched. 

12:02 AM – An assault with a 
deadly weapon occurred in the 
2500 block of Fair Oaks Avenue. 
Investigation is on-going. 

PUSD Seeks 

Measure TT 

Applicants

 The Pasadena Unified School 
District (PUSD) Board of 
Education seeks applicants to 
fill five (5) vacant seats on its 
Measure TT Citizens Oversight 
Committee. The volunteer 
committee is responsible 
for monitoring project 
management and expenditures 
for the $350 million local 
school facilities bond passed by 
voters in November 2008.

 Applicants must complete 
an application and provide a 
resume. The application and 
resume must be submitted 
no later than 4:00 p.m. on 
September 6, 2018. Mail 
your application and resume 
to Nelson Cayabayab, Chief 
Facilities Officer, Pasadena 
Unified School District/DSC, 
740 W. Woodbury Road, 
Pasadena, CA 91103 or via 
email to Nadia Zendejas at 
zendejas.nadia@pusd.us

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