Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, April 13, 2019

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 13, 2019 

Unlicensed 
Lawyer 
Found Guilty


New Pasadena Director 

of Public Health Appointed

 
City Manager Steve Mermell 
has appointed Dr. Ying-Ying 
Goh to lead the Pasadena 
Public Health Department 
(PPHD). Mermell made the 
announcement Tuesday. 

 Dr. Goh is a board-certified 
pediatrician and has been 
serving as the City’s Health 
Officer since 2015. In this 
new role, Dr. Goh will 
continue to serve as the 
City’s Health Officer.

 Prior to her appointment 
as PPHD’s Director of 
Public Health, Dr. Goh 
served as Medical Director 
for Programs and Research 
for the Department, 
securing grant funding 
and managing programs 
related to diabetes care 
management and childhood 
obesity prevention. Her 
professional experience 
includes clinical pediatric 
practice; management of a 
California Endowment task 
force to improve healthcare 
access and quality in Los 
Angeles County; design 
and implementation of a 
case management program 
for seniors with chronic 
conditions; and research 
to improve nutrition and 
physical activity for youth.

 Dr. Goh earned a 
bachelor’s degree from 
Stanford University, a 
medical degree from the 
Stanford University School 
of Medicine and a master’s 
degree in Health Services 
from the UCLA Fielding 
School of Public Health, 
and she completed pediatric 
residency programs at 
Boston Children’s Hospital 
and Boston Medical Center.

 “Dr. Goh brings valuable 
insight in the areas of 
public policy, research and 
medicine. She has worked 
on a wide range of special 
projects to bring healthcare 
access, community-based 
programs and grant funding 
to our city, improving the 
quality of life for so many. Her 
educational background and 
years of experience provide 
a beneficial perspective 
and strengthen an already 
outstanding group of 
dedicated employees,” said 
Mermell.

 Michael Johnson has been 
the City’s Director of Public 
Health since 2015 and will 
retire at the end of April, 
at which time Dr. Goh will 
transition into the role.

 A Pasadena man who falsely 
claimed to be a licensed 
attorney was remanded into 
custody last week after a 
federal jury found him guilty 
of fraud charges related to his 
representation of “clients” in 
federal and state courts.

 Kenneth Paul Ferreyro was 
also convicted of tax offenses 
for seeking well over $100,000 
in refunds on federal tax 
returns that falsely claimed 
substantial payroll taxes had 
been withheld and remitted 
to the Internal Revenue 
Service.

 Following a four-day trial in 
United States District Court, 
the jury deliberated for about 
two hours before convicting 
Ferreyro of four counts of 
wire fraud and four counts of 
making false claims on his tax 
returns.

 The evidence presented at 
trial showed that, from at 
least 2010 to 2017, Ferreyro 
told people that he could 
represent them in United 
States Bankruptcy Court 
and other courts and that he 
could perform work related 
to real estate refinancing and 
tax liens. While Ferreyro did 
graduate from a law school, 
he never received a license to 
practice law.

 Ferreyro is scheduled to be 
sentenced by United States 
District Judge John F. Walter 
on June 24. Ferreyro faces a 
statutory maximum sentence 
of 100 years in federal prison.

Residents Decry Space Bank Cleanup

By Dean Lee 

 The Pasadena city council 
agreed Monday night to send 
a letter to the California Dept. 
of Toxic Substances Control 
asking for more time after a 
deadline passed that night 
allowing the city to review site 
testing and cleanup of a former 
military site they approved to be 
developed into apartments. 

 According to Councilmember 
Gene Masuda they asked for 
more time to study over 500 
pages of the technical reports, 
the removal action work plan 
and California quality act 
findings to address toxic waste 
in the soil. The city was given 
until April 8 and then extended 
22 days Masuda said. 

 “Just as a reminder to the 
council, our council has the 
responsibility for the safety to 
the residents and to make sure 
that the residents concerns are 
addressed, its not happening,” 
he said. 

 Council member Victor 
Gordo said the council did 
not anticipate that the project 
site might not be safe for those 
living there. 

 “DTSC is telling us that they’re 
limiting not just the comment 
period but they’re limiting the 
scope of the investigation,” 
Gordo said. “They’re doing spot 
testing as apposed to full testing 
of the entire site, that too is 
unacceptable.”

 Gordo suggested they force the 
state to do the right thing, full 
testing and test for all harmful 
chemicals, “Not just some of 
them” he said. 

 The council said they were 
asking for at least three more 
months.

 Most of the 20 or so residents 
that spoke at the meeting agreed 
with the councils decision and 
proposed request. 

 According to a change.org 
petition, in July, the Pasadena 
City Council gave permission 
for Trammell Crow Company, 
a developer, to build 550 
apartments for hundreds 
of children and families (as 
pictured above) on top of the 
toxic waste. 

 “DTSC issued a finding that, 
after only partial site testing and 
a quick cleanup of 12 hot spots, 
the development would have 
no significant harmful health 
impacts. Full cleanup would 
cost the developer only $1-2 
million more,” it reads. 

 Over 500 people have signed 
the petition. 

710 Legislation 
Passes First 
Committee

 The Senate Transportation 
Committee Tuesday passed 
SB 7, the State Highway 
Route 710 bill, authored by 
Senator Anthony Portantino. 
The bill would allow the 
surplus of the non-profit 
properties to be purchased 
at their current use value. In 
addition, SB 7 would prohibit 
Caltrans from implementing 
a tunnel surface freeway 
or expressway for Route 
710 between Route 10 and 
Route 210 and it lays the 
foundation for the state to 
return surplus freeway stubs 
back to local cities in the 
freeway corridor.

 The California Department 
of Transportation (Caltrans) 
currently owns 460 
properties in the State 
Route 710 (SR 710) corridor, 
including 330 homes and 
103 multi-family housing 
units. Originally, the 
properties purchased in 
the corridor with the intent 
to remove the structures 
for the extension of the SR 
710 freeway. The purpose 
was to close a 4.5 mile 
unconstructed gap between 
the City of Alhambra 
and the City of Pasadena. 
Last year, Los Angeles 
County Metropolitan 
Transportation Authority 
withdrew its support and 
funding for a proposed 
project, it was determined 
that the freeway project will 
never be built. With the 
certification the final EIR 
of the 710 corridor, there 
is no longer a threat of the 
freeway. 

 SB 7 will forever prohibit the 
implementation of a freeway 
tunnel or surface freeway in 
the gap between Alhambra 
and Pasadena. The six 
community nonprofits who 
provide a public good by 
serving the most vulnerable 
in our state need to be able 
to continue their good work, 
but will not be able to do so 
if the price of the property is 
out of their reach.

 The City of South Pasadena, 
the City of Pasadena, the 
Cottage Co-Op, Pasadena 
Ronald McDonald House, 
LA County Supervisor 
Kathryn Barger and the 
Board of Supervisors all 
formally support SB 7.

‘Picture Earth’ 
for a Day

Holdens Statement on 
Wildfire Task Force Report

 NASA invites the public 
to celebrate Earth with a 
#PictureEarth social media 
event. Post a close-up photo 
on social media of your 
favorite natural features, such 
as crashing waves, ancient 
trees, blooming flowers or 
stunning sunsets. Use the 
hashtag #PictureEarth and 
upload the photo on April 
22. They advise to be sure to 
include the location where 
the photo was taken in the 
text of your social media post.

 On Earth Day, they will 
share some of NASA’s most 
stunning images of Earth 
from space to inspire you. 
NASA will check Instagram, 
Twitter and our NASA Earth 
Facebook event page to find 
posted images and select 
photos from around the 
world to showcase later in 
videos and composite images.

 NASA satellite and airborne 
instruments picture Earth 
every day to increase our 
knowledge of our home 
and improve lives. These 
images, shared with scientists 
and the public worldwide, 
may use visible light, like a 
photographer’s camera, or 
peer into infrared, microwave 
and radio wavelengths that 
are invisible to human eyes.

 Scientists use data from all 
of our instruments, and from 
Earth-observing spacecraft 
from other nations, to 
build a picture of the planet 
that grows more and more 
complete over time. On April 
26, our next addition to our 
Earth-observing fleet, the 
Orbiting Carbon Observatory 
3, is set to launch to the 
International Space Station. 
The new knowledge made 
possible by this fleet helps 
create solutions to important 
global issues such as changing 
freshwater availability, food 
security and human health.

 For more information about 
NASA’s #PictureEarth, visit: 
nasa.gov/earth/picture-
earth-for-earth-day-2019

 
Governor Newsom released 
Friday his Strike Force Report 
Wildfires and Climate change: 
California’s Energy Future. 
Assemblymember Chris 
Holden released the following 
statement:

 “The Governor has outlined 
the significant issues and we 
all recognize the magnitude 
of the problem. What’s clear 
is that we need all hands on 
deck. That means coordinated 
concrete action at all levels of 
government to make sure we 
have a safe, green, and reliable 
electric grid and to prevent 
catastrophic wildfires.

 All stakeholders will have to 
sideline their agendas and step 
up as Californians to fix this 
problem, and I’m ready to roll 
up my sleeves and do the hard 
work necessary. At the end of 
the day, we need stability in our 
utilities to keep the lights on.”

Playhouse Appoints New 
Director of Development

 
Pasadena Playhouse, the 
State Theater of California, 
announced Wednesday that 
Nancy Griffith Baxter will 
serve as the organization’s 
new Director of Development, 
bringing with her more 
than 30 years of experience 
in fundraising and wealth 
management with a deep 
understanding of philanthropic 
strategies.

 “I am thrilled to welcome 
Nancy to the leadership team 
as we continue to take the 
Playhouse in a new and exciting 
direction. I know her wealth of 
energy and experience will be 
invaluable to us in garnering 
support for from the Pasadena 
community and beyond,” said 
Producing Artistic Director 
Danny Feldman.

 Nancy Baxter adds, “It’s an 
honor to work with a dynamic 
leadership team at an institution 
with the amazing history and 
impact that Pasadena Playhouse 
has had on both the local 
and national entertainment 
industry, including theater, film 
and television. I look forward to 
working with the community 
to ensure the longevity of this 
amazing theater for another 100 
years.”

 Baxter most recently served as 
Director of Gift Planning at LA 
Opera, where she expanded gift 
planning messaging to highlight 
the LA Opera family through 
storytelling and worked with 
the gift officers to establish 
blended gifts. Year-over-year 
future gift contributed revenue 
increased nine-fold during her 
tenure at the organization.

 Prior to her time at LA Opera, 
Nancy was recruited by her alma 
mater Colorado College to serve 
as Director of Gift Planning and 
reimagine the gift-planning 
program after a decade of 
dormancy. Baxter grew the 
Legacy Society significantly in 
terms of participants as well 
as commitments, raising new 
future gifts in excess of $15 
million during the 2015-2016 
fiscal year.

 Baxter also has served 
as a Senior Vice President 
and Senior Philanthropic 
Investment Manager for Wells 
Fargo from 1999 to 2012, where 
she earned the Concord Elite 
Award and was recognized as 
one of the top selling Investment 
Managers at Wells Fargo. 
Beginning in 2005, she led and 
managed the Bank’s National 
Philanthropic Investment Team 
that oversaw and influenced 
$18 billion in charitable assets 
under management. Baxter 
built and coached wealth teams 
around the US to attract and 
expand philanthropic business 
opportunities and clients to 
optimize financial outcomes. 
She recruited and managed 
investment managers, worked 
with philanthropic families, 
trustees, boards of directors, 
senior staff and donors to 
match philanthropic intent 
with their asset base. Baxter 
also developed and executed 
customized investment 
strategies for endowments, 
deferred gift programs, and 
private foundations.


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