IS LEGALIZED MARIJUANA HELPING COLORADO? Page 5


PASADENA EDITION

 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 


VOLUME 12 NO. 38

PASADENA 
TAX RETURN 
PREPARER 
SHUT DOWN

TOURNAMENT OF ROSES 
ANNOUNCES FLOAT JUDGES

GOURDIKIAN 
PLEADS GUILTY 
TO ILLEGAL 
GUN SALES




 A former Pasadena police 
Lieutenant pled guilty in court 
Thursday, to federal charges 
related to selling at least 108 
firearms without a license, 
as part of a plea deal with 
prosecutors.

 Vasken Kenneth Gourdikian of 
Sierra Madre also pled guilty to 
making false statements about 
the gun sales. As part of the 
deal with the U.S. Attorney’s 
Office, Gourdikian is expected 
to be sentenced to 30 months in 
prison, three years of supervised 
release and pay a fine. His 
sentencing is set of Feb. 4.

 Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer 
Chou said Gourdikian was a 
gun dealer and not a hobbyist as 
he claimed. 

 “He was buying them, 
acquiring inventory, he was 
advertizing them online, he was 
selling them direct to buyers.” 
Chou said. “He was selling them 
very quickly after he was able 
to take physical custody of the 
firearms.”

 According to court documents, 
of the guns Gourdikian sold, 80 
were “off-roster” firearms, guns 
that cannot be purchased or 
sold by the public in California. 

 Mark Werksman, Gourdikian’s 
Attorney said he could have 
sold the guns legally if he had 
paid $25 for the license.

 “Vasken Gourdikian meant 
no harm to the community, “ 
Mark Werksman, Gourdikian’s 
Attorney, “In fact at times he 
didn’t know he was violating 
federal law and it’s really a 
shame that his distinguished 
career in law enforcement 
ended this way” 

 Gourdikian resined from 
the Pasadena police force in 
March. He was a 23 year veteran 
and the departments pubic 
spokesperson. 

 Gourdikian’s troubles started 
when a firearm he had sold was 
recovered at a crime scene by a 
neighboring police department 
and traced, by the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 
Explosives, to him in 2016.

 A federal court has issued 
an order that permanently 
bars a tax return preparer 
who operated offices in 
Pasadena – as well as other 
cities in California, Colorado 
and Kansas – from preparing 
federal income tax returns, 
United States Attorney 
Nick Hanna announced 
Wednesday.

 Maria Del Consuelo 
Vazquez is the subject of a 
permanent injunction filed 
Monday by United States 
District Judge Fernando M. 
Olguin. In Monday’s order, 
Judge Olguin also prohibited 
Vazquez from owning a tax 
return preparation business.

 Vasquez operated tax 
preparation business in 
Pasadena; Corona; Santa 
Ana; Brighton, Colorado; 
and Hutchinson, Kansas 
under a Nevada corporation 
she called MCV Business 
Network, Inc. In recent years, 
Vazquez filed thousands of 
tax returns for clients under 
her IRS-issued Preparer 
Tax Identification Number 
(PTIN).

 According to a lawsuit 
filed by federal prosecutors 
on July 13 and testimony 
presented to the court, 
Vazquez substantially inflated 
or completely fabricated 
charitable contributions and 
unreimbursed employee 
business expenses to illegally 
generate federal income tax 
refunds for her clients or 
to substantially understate 
clients’ tax liabilities.

 “Vazquez prepared and filed 
a total of 9,216 tax returns 
from January 1, 2015 to May 
21, 2018 with her PTIN,” 
Judge Olguin wrote. “Based 
on the average deficiency of 
$2,830.29 from her audited 
returns, that suggests 
Vazquez’s fraudulent returns 
have resulted in harm of over 
$26 million to the United 
States from January 1, 2015 to 
present.”

left to right; Preston Bailey, Michael E. Berry, and Kimberly Oldis

 The Tournament of Roses 
has announced Teusday 
they have selected Preston 
Bailey, Michael E. Berry, 
and Kimberly Oldis to be 
float judges for the 130th 
Rose Parade. The judges will 
grant awards based on many 
criteria including creative 
design, floral craftsmanship, 
artistic merit, computerized 
animation, thematic 
interpretation, floral and 
color presentation and 
dramatic impact.

 The 2019 Tournament 
of Roses President Gerald 
Freeny will announce the 
award-winning floats the 
morning of January 1, 
2019, on the front steps of 
Tournament House.

About the 2019 Rose Parade 
Float Judges

 Preston Bailey was named 
one of the best wedding 
planners in the world by 
Vogue Magazine and has 
been globally-celebrated 
for his unique ability 
to transform ordinary 
spaces into lush, theatrical 
environments. As a premier 
event designer, he has 
established a client roster 
that includes celebrities, 
royal families, CEO’s and 
athletes. Since opening 
his design studio in 1980, 
Preston has been sought 
out to create one-of-a-kind, 
transformative designs that 
serve as backdrops for some 
of the most memorable 
moments of his clients’ lives.

 Michael E. Berry is the 
longest serving President/
CEO in the history of the 
Kentucky Derby Festival, 
one of the nation’s largest 
civic celebrations. Beginning 
his career at Festival in 
1986, following service as 
an Assistant to Kentucky’s 
Governor, Mike’s experience 
has been thirty-two years 
in the making. Mike 
oversees the planning and 
production of the award-
winning celebration with 
nearly seventy events on the 
Festival’s official schedule. 
With a staff of twenty-two 
and a seventy-five-member 
Board of directors, Mike 
orchestrates this award-
winning celebration each 
year. The Derby Festival 
spans over two-weeks and 
seeks to dazzle and delight 
spectators from Louisville 
and surrounding areas.

 Kimberly Oldis AIFD 
has been involved in the 
floral industry for over 
44 years, including 21 
years as a member of The 
American Institute of Floral 
Designers. Kim serves as 
the Past President for the 
AIFD National Board. 
She previously held many 
elected offices in the North 
Central and North West 
Regional Chapters of AIFD. 
In 2008, Kim was the AIFD 
Symposium Chairman 
in Chicago. Volunteering 
for the Institute is her 
contribution to the floral 
industry. 

 Kim was involved with the 
Rose Parade from 2005 – 
2010 as a Rose Parade float 
designer with Charisma 
Floats. Most recently 
she had volunteered as a 
designer with Cal Poly. 
Through Charisma, she 
had the privilege to be on 
the floral design team at 
the Academy Awards® for 
four years. Kim had the 
honor to design for the 2004 
Presidential Inauguration in 
Washington, D.C. and was 
invited to design in 2015 at 
the White House.

 For more information, visit 
tournamentofroses.com.

Gourdikian pictured outside court Thursday

Governor 
Signs Suicide 
Prevention 
Legislation

 Governor Jerry Brown 
this week signed SB 972, 
suicide prevention legislation 
authored by Senator Anthony 
J. Portantino, D–La Cañada 
Flintridge.

 “I would like to thank 
Governor Brown for signing 
SB 972 and his support on 
this important issue. As 
a father and a legislator, 
the safety of our children 
continues to be a priority. 
My hope is to foster an open 
dialogue about suicide and 
to help prevent these horrific 
tragedies. If one life can be 
saved through this bill then 
all of our efforts will have 
been worth it,” commented 
Senator Portantino.

 Senator Portantino is a 
strong advocate for suicide 
prevention and mental 
health policy. SB 972 
requires public, charter, and 
private schools that serves 
pupils from 7 - 12 and 
higher education to print the 
National Suicide Prevention 
Hotline telephone number 
on student identification 
cards. Adolescent suicide 
and self-inflicted injury are 
a serious social and public 
health concern. According 
to the Center for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 
suicide is the second leading 
cause of death among young 
people ages 15-24.

 SB 972 is supported by 
the American Academy 
of Pediatrics California, 
American Foundation 
for Suicide Prevention, 
California Academy of Child 
& Adolescent Psychiatry, 
California Catholic 
Conference, California Junior 
Leagues’ State Public Affairs 
Committee, Pal Alto Mid-
Peninsula Junior League, 
California School Boards 
Association, California 
School Nurses Organization, 
California State PTA, County 
Behavioral Health Directors 
Association, Disability 
Rights California (DRC), 
Hathaway–Sycamores, 
Hacienda La Puente Unified 
School District, High School 
Parent Engagement Group, 
Mental Health America 
of California (MHAC), 
Pacific Clinics, and Special 
Education Local Plan Area 
(SELPA) Administrators of 
California

Caltech Opens the 

New Bechtel Residence

 
Caltech’s newest undergraduate residence, the 211-bed 
Bechtel Residence—named for Caltech life trustee Stephen 
D. Bechtel Jr.—officially opened its doors to students on 
Monday.

 The first new undergraduate housing facility to open on 
campus in more than two decades, Bechtel is a multiuse 
residence that will house undergraduates from all 
class levels along with two faculty in residence, a half-
dozen graduate resident associates, and a residential 
life coordinator. The beds in Bechtel will now make it 
possible for Caltech to offer all of its undergraduates 
the opportunity to live on campus throughout all four 
years of their education.

 “Completion of the Bechtel Residence is a milestone 
in our efforts to provide on-campus housing for all our 
students and, most importantly, creates a new model 
of residential experience for this millennium,” says 
Joe Shepherd, the vice president for student affairs 
and Allen V. C. Davis and Lenabelle Davis Leadership 
Chair.

 The 95,000-square-foot residence, composed of six 
distinct but interconnected structures arranged around 
an expansive interior courtyard, was intentionally 
designed to promote interaction among its residents. 
Although all of the student rooms are singles, nearly all 
have been set up in apartment or suite configurations 
with anywhere from four to 12 rooms in each shared 
space. The residence also has a 400-person dining hall, 
community lounges, and a kitchen on each floor; in 
addition, there are four study rooms and multiple 
laundry facilities throughout the complex.

 “This thoughtfully and beautifully designed new 
building provides new opportunities to enrich and 
enhance the Caltech undergraduate experience,” says 
Antonio Rangel, the Bing Professor of Neuroscience, 
Behavioral Biology, and Economics, who will be living 
in Bechtel with his family as the new head faculty in 
residence. “Take for instance, the full whiteboards 
in every suite—what a great tool for student 
collaboration.”

 By providing the additional space needed to house 
all undergraduates on campus, Bechtel also has freed 
up Caltech-owned off-campus apartments and houses 
for graduate student use. Both the ability to house all 
undergrads on campus and the ability to provide more 
space for graduate students have been longtime goals 
for enhancing residential life.

 Work on Bechtel, which is situated at the north end 
of campus alongside Avery on Moore Walk, began in 
2016.

Written by Shayna Chabner McKinney

CALENDAR Pg. 2

MORE PASADENA NEWS

 Pg. 3

SAN MARINO/SO. PAS

Pg. 4

New Vote by Mail Ballot 
for General Election

SIERRA MADRE Pg. 5

ARCADIA Pg. 6

MONROVIA 

 On October 9th, the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County 
Clerk will begin mailing out the new and improved Vote by Mail 
packet for the November 6th General Election to 2.2 million 
permanent vote by mail voters. The new Vote by Mail packet 
includes a new full-face ballot, return envelope, secrecy sleeve 
and “I Voted” sticker. No postage necessary.

 The Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk has created a 
landing page filled with a:

 New animated video explaining the new vote by mail materials

Tutorial video

Fact sheet PDF

FAQs PDF

For more information Visit: lavote.net/home.

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