Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, April 20, 2019

ALTADENA - SOUTH PASADENA - SAN MARINO

Mountain View News Saturday, April 20, 2019 

South Pasadena: Take the 
Community Budget Survey

San Marino: Are you Ready 
for the Next Power Outage

PUSD Robotics Students 
take Over the Rose Bowl

 The City of South 
Pasadena is facing budget 
deficits in the next several 
years ranging from $500,000 
a year to $1 million a year or 
more.

 Your input will help your 
elected representatives 
make decisions on a series 
of potential solutions to 
close the deficit and ensure 
financial sustainability 
to maintain and improve 
the quality of life in South 
Pasadena.

 Before taking the survey, 
please take a few minutes to 
read a budget presentation 
with background and 
detailed information on 
the City’s five-year budget 
forecast.

 The survey and budget 
presentation can be found at 
southpasadenaca.gov

 Recently, representatives 
from the San Marino Fire 
Department attended 
a “Power Talk Session” 
conducted by Southern 
California Edison (SCE). 
This presentation, and the 
weather that Southern 
California experienced this 
winter, provided a glimpse 
of the potential disruption 
to normal life that can be 
created by power outages. 
SCE discussed a number of 
public safety programs,

including:

•SCE’s Wildfire Mitigation
Program

•Power Safety Power 
Shutdown (PSPS) Protocol

•PSPS Notification

•Outage Notifications

•An Outage Overview/ 
Simulation

•SCE’s Grid Modernization

 The Fire Department 
reminds residents that 
severe weather conditions 
can result in electrical 
service interruptions. Power 
outages occur as a result of 
wires being downed due 
to wind and falling trees. 
Residents should take steps 
now to be prepared in their 
homes and businesses.

 If you see a downed power 
line or dangling wire – even 
if it appears not to be live 
–don’t touch or approach
it or anything that is in 
contact with it, and call 911 
immediately.

 The Fire Department 
recommends getting 
ready for potential outages 
by taking the following 
measures:

•Place flashlights in handy
locations, such as near 
telephones.

•Install surge protectors 
to help safeguard valuable 
electronic equipment such 
as computers and home 
entertainment systems.

•Know where to find each
utility box (electricity, water 
and gas) and how to turn 
them off. Keep the proper 
tools to do so handy.

•Always back up important
work and files on your 
computer.

•If you have an automatic
garage door or gate, learn 
how to open it manually 
(without power).

•Consider keeping at least
one car at least half full 
with fuel. Gas stations need 
electricity to pump gas and 
will be shut down during 
an outage. Please note that 
stockpiling gasoline is not 
recommended. Gasoline is 
a hazardous, combustible 
substance. Portable gasoline 
generators should never be 
used inside homes, garages, 
office buildings or other 
enclosed spaces.

•Make a safety preparedness
plan for your family that 
includes a list and location 
of the above items. Be 
prepared to meet the special 
needs of infants and elderly 
or disabled family members. 
Also plan how you will care 
for any pets.

 For additional public safety 
information, please visit the 
San Marino Fire Department 
website

at: CityofSanMarino.
org/144/Fire-Department. 




 Approximately 200 
Pasadena Unified School 
District (PUSD) middle 
school robotics students 
took over the Rose Bowl 
Stadium’s end-zone last 
week to compete for this 
year’s prize in the deep-sea 
exploration themed robotics 
competition, the Pasadena 
Educational Foundation’s 
Robo Rally Driven by Honda. 
The 9th annual competition 
April 12 showcased the 
student teams’ robotic 
skills while combining the 
practical application of 
science and technology with 
the fun, intense energy of a 
championship-style sporting 
event.

 Students were challenged 
to program their robots to 
explore newly discovered 
underwater ruins that are 
too deep and dangerous for 
human divers. To complete 
the course challenge, 
robots were required to 
autonomously scan key 
structures as an exploratory 
probe then retrieve valuable 
artifacts for later analysis.

 “The Pasadena 
Educational Foundation 
has been building dynamic 
community partnerships to 
support our PUSD schools 
for almost 50 years,” said 
PEF Executive Director 
Patrick Conyers. “We are 
thrilled to have Honda and 
the Rose Bowl help us drive 
innovation, creativity, and 
imagination in our schools.” 

 Support for STEM (science, 
technology, engineering and 
math) education is a key 
component of American 
Honda’s Corporate Social 
Responsibility direction as 
it looks to inspire the next 
generation of leaders and 
innovators.

 “Now more than ever, 
students need a background 
in STEM to help them 
succeed in school and prepare 
for future careers,” said Steve 
Morikawa, vice president, 
Corporate Relations & 
Social Responsibility, 
American Honda. “Robo 
Rally is more than just a 
STEM competition, it’s an 
opportunity for students 
to learn other valuable 
skills, such as teamwork 
and problem-solving, that 
help them reach their full 
potential.”

 The 9th Annual Robo 
Rally Competition is the 
culmination of the hard 
work the students have done 
throughout the year in their 
respective robotics classes. 
This event is free and open 
to the community; it is 
designed to be exciting and 
challenging for students but 
also fun and entertaining for 
spectators.

 As a National Historic 
Landmark and a California 
Civil Engineering 
Landmark, the Rose Bowl 
provided a platform to 
teach Robo Rally students 
the values of teamwork and 
heroics that have inspired 
millions since the stadium 
first opened its gates in 1922.

 “This incredible venue 
is rooted in a history of 
teamwork, leadership, risk 
taking and so much more,” 
said Chief Development 
Officer Dedan Brozino. “It is 
an absolute honor to partner 
with Honda, the Pasadena 
Educational Foundation, 
PUSD and others to bring 
the Robo Rally and the 
students to the venue as an 
important tool promoting 
education.”

 The Robotics classes in 
PUSD middle schools is a 
program of the Pasadena 
Educational Foundation 
with support from generous 
community members 
including Honda, the Rose 
Bowl Stadium; Legacy 
Foundation, McCreight 
Foundation, Pasadena 
Tournament of Roses and 
the College Football Playoff 
Foundation.

 For more information, 
please visit: pased.org/
roborally.


San Marino Library News

 Crowell Public Library 
offers databases and services 
that are free and accessible 
from home with your library 
card. For example, Crowell 
now offers full access to 
“The New York Times” 
online, thanks to funding 
from the State of California. 
Visit the library web page 
at: CrowellPublicLibrary.
org and click “Research” at 
the top. Then choose “A to Z 
Databases.”

On the next screen, click 
“New York Times.” Patrons 
outside the library will be 
asked to enter their library 
card and pin number. Read 
today’s edition or search for 
articles dating back to 1996.

 Try Tutor.com. Need a 
little help with a paper 
or a math problem? Log 
into: Tutor.com through 
the library web page at: 
CrowellPublicLibrary.org. 
This service, which was a 
gift from the San Marino 
Woman’s Club, connects 
students to live tutors for 
most subjects in all grade 
levels. Students may also 
submit papers for editing. 
Tutor.com also offers test 
preparation for the SAT, 
ACT and AP tests. In 
addition, job seekers can 
submit resumes and cover 
letters for review.

For more information about 
Library programs, call (626) 
300-0777.

Playhouse: Play 'Good Boys'

 Pasadena Playhouse, the 
State Theater of California, 
announces the Los Angeles 
premiere of Roberto Aguirre-
Sacasa’s Good Boys, directed by 
Carolyn Cantor. The production 
is Aguirre-Sacasa’s fresh and 
revisited look at his previous 
work, Good Boys and True 
(world premiere, Steppenwolf 
Theatre Company), and will 
play from Wednesday, May 
29 through Sunday June 23; 
the press opening is June 2 at 
5:00pm. The play is a riveting 
drama set at a private prep 
school – involving a model 
student in the mold of his 
father, a disturbing video tape, 
and the privileged family that is 
faced with difficult choices. 

 Agiurre-Sacasa has the 
unusual distinction of being 
a playwright (Manhattan 
Theatre Club, 2econd Stage, 
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 
South Coast Rep), television 
writer (Glee, Supergirl, 
Riverdale, Chilling Adventures 
of Sabrina) and Marvel Comics 
author (The Stand, Spider-
Man). He is also the Chief 
Creative Officer of Archie 
Comics.

 In Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s 
Good Boys, Brandon Hardy, 
a senior at St. Joseph’s Prep, 
has the world at his feet. He 
is handsome, athletic, smart, 
and a shining example of the 
perfect private school student, 
just like his father was. But 
when a disturbing videotape 
becomes the talk of the locker 
room, the comfortable lives of 
the Hardy family threatens to 
shatter. Good Boys is a riveting 
drama that explores what 
happens when a family must 
separate fact from fiction—and, 
ultimately, choose to either 
preserve their legacy or risk 
losing everything in pursuit of 
the truth.

 Aguirre-Sacasa says, “The 
dramatic situations in this 
play are uncannily similar to 
incidents and issues that we’re 
still grappling with in this 
country—viscerally—even 
more so than when I first wrote 
Good Boys. In revisiting the 
play, I further explored themes 
like privilege, masculinity, 
and personal responsibility, as 
Brandon and Elizabeth find 
themselves on trial by their 
community and each other. 
Good Boys is a sort of ‘moral 
thriller,’ a game of cat and 
mouse between a mother and 
her son, with twists and turns 
that will keep you guessing 
about the truth right up to the 
end.”

 Tickets available online at 
PasadenaPlayhouse.org, by 
phone at 626-356-7529, and in 
person at the Playhouse Box 
Office, 39 South El Molino Ave.

Library Carnegie Stage 
to Feast on during the 
Eclectic Music Festival

 Three generous helpings 
of spicy, flavorful musical 
goodness will be served to 
guests on the Library ‘Carnegie 
Stage’ Concert for the 11th 
Annual Eclectic Music Festival 
on Saturday, April 27 in South 
Pasadena. The highly regarded 
Carnegie Stage in the Library 
Community Room located 
at 1115 El Centro Street 
has presented more than 40 
dynamic performances over the 
past decade, including a bevy 
of GRAMMY winners. The 
2019 Carnegie Stage concert 
will again utilize the popular 
recipe.

 Doors will open at 3 pm. 
No tickets or reservations are 
necessary, but seating is limited 
and “festival style” (first come, 
first seated). Refreshments 
will be provided by the South 
Pasadena Woman’s Club and 
CDs by the musical artists will 
be available for purchase.

 4 pm—Julia Vari—
International recording artist 
Julia Vari has enchanted 
audiences around the globe 
for nearly a decade, including 
recent performances at Mexico 
City’s National Auditorium, 
the CARIFESTA International 
Festival in Haiti, Clamores 
Theater in Madrid, National 
Arts Center in Ottawa, and 
UCLA’s Semel Auditorium. 
Vari’s two Jazz/World music 
album releases, “Adoro” and 
“Lumea,” both topped the Latin 
American Jazz/World music 
charts, allowing Vari to share 
the stage and collaborate with 
GRAMMY award-winning 
artists Arturo Sandoval, 
Armando Manzanero, and 
Francisco Cespedes. In 2018 
Julia played a scintillating set of 
Spanish and English language 
ballads and torch songs for the 
Latinx Literary Love-In in the 
Library Community Room.

 5:15 pm-- The David Plenn 
Band will bring back another 
exciting collection of songs 
played by a stellar group of 
musicians. Touches of rock, 
folk, blues, jazz, and even 
country run throughout David’s 
songs which sparkle with his 
slide guitar playing.

 David got his start in the music 
business when he was signed 
to A&M Records as a 16 year-
old. In the years that followed, 
his songs appeared on albums 
that have sold 3 million (Kenny 
Loggins’ “Nightwatch”), 1.5 
million (“Kenny Loggins’ 
Live!)”, 1 million (“One 
Moment in Time” featuring 
Whitney Houston), and a 
half million (Robert Cray’s 
“Midnight Stroll”). Popular 
TV shows also featured his 
songs (Touched by an Angel, 
Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose 
Place, and others). David will 
be playing two of those songs 
on the Library Carnegie Stage 
this year.

 6:30 pm, GRAMMY- winner 
Luciana Souza & Otmaro 
Ruiz, a highly distinguished 
Venezuelan pianist will 
captivate the Carnegie Stage. 
Born in Brazil, Luciana 
grew up in a family of 
Bossa Nova innovators. As 
a leader, Luciana has been 
releasing acclaimed recordings 
since 2002, including six 
GRAMMY-nominated records. 
Ms. Souza has performed with 
Herbie Hancock on his “The 
River—The Joni Letters,” the 
GRAMMY-winning Album 
of the Year for 2007. She has 
also worked with Paul Simon, 
James Taylor, Bobby McFerrin, 
and many others.

 Otmaro Ruiz is a pianist, 
composer, and arranger who 
began his musical studies at 
age eight on piano, classical 
guitar, harmony, and aesthetics. 
In 1989 Ruiz moved to 
LA where he finished his 
academic training at CalArts 
with a master’s degree in jazz 
performance in 1993. He began 
recording with Alex Acuna 
and later Arturo Sandoval, 
followed by a world tour 
supporting Gino Vannelli. 
Since then he’s transitioned 
into the new millennium with 
acoustic piano and electronic 
keyboard playing with Rock 
icons Robbie Robertson and 
Jon Anderson from Yes. In 
addition, he’s also played with 
Herb Alpert, Tito Puente, Steve 
Winwood, and Fusion giant 
John McLaughlin.

 The Library Carnegie Stage’ 
concert is able to be presented 
because of the partnership 
between the City of South 
Pasadena, the South Pasadena 
Public Library, the Friends 
of the South Pasadena Public 
Library, the Lucille and 
Edward R. Roybal Foundation, 
South Pasadena Chamber 
of Commerce, The Bissell 
House Bed & Breakfast, 
The Eclectic Friends of the 
Arts of South Pasadena, 
The Rotary Club of South 
Pasadena, and the Woman’s 
Club of South Pasadena. 
Special thanks to Brad 
Colerick & Ximena Dussan/
DeepMix Entertainment, Jeff 
Burke, 210eastsound, Kurtis 
Nakagawa, Tim Carruth, 
and Jimmy O’Balles. More 
information about the Eclectic 
Music Festival is located at: 
theeclectic.rocks or about the 
library call 626 403-7350.

 
San Marino Compost Giveaway

 A free compost giveaway 
self-serve event will be held 
on Saturday, April 27th 
from 9 a.m. until noon at 
Lacy Park in the west end 
parking lot. Bring your own 
sturdy containers. There is 
a 30-gallon limit during the 
first hour and no limit from 
10 a.m. until noon, or while 
supplies last. Plastic bags are 
not allowed. Bring your 
ID card or Athens bill. For 
more information, contact 
Ed Chen at (626) 703-9726 
or chen@athensservices.
com. or Dana Hang, 
Administrative Analyst at 
(626) 300-0789 or dhang@
cityofsanmarino.org.

Volunteer with the Parks and 
Public Works Department



 San Marino is seeking 
volunteers to assist with 
rose pruning, sidewalk 
inspection and identifying 
tree vacancies. This is 
a great opportunity for 
individuals to learn about 
their community and gain 
work experience. The City’s 
Volunteer Program helps 
the community and teaches 
participants more about our 
city projects.

Rose Pruning

 Support your local 
community and help the 
city keep the Lacy Park 
rose gardens blooming! 
If roses are pruned now 
during the cold season, 
they will blossom in the 
spring with vibrant colors. 
No experience is necessary. 
Volunteers will be taught 
easy pruning methods. 
Enjoy the outdoors while 
learning about roses and 
how to properly prune.

Sidewalk Inspection

 Work together to improve 
our streets and fix our 
sidewalks. Take pride in our 
streets and help volunteer 
to keep the city’s sidewalks 
hazard free. Volunteers 
will inspect sidewalks in 
preparation of the city’s 
street rehabilitation project. 
They will identify new 
sidewalk hazards and update 
the citywide sidewalk 
assessment.

Tree Vacancies

 Take pride in the city’s 
tree preservation plan 
and volunteer to help 
protect city trees. Enjoy the 
outdoors, learn about the 
tree preservation plan and 
volunteer to report locations 
where the city can plant or 
replant trees.

 The volunteer manual 
and application are located 
on the city’s website at: 
cityofsanmarino.org. 

 Please contact the 
Parks and Public Works 
Department at (626) 300-
0765 or email PublicWorks@
CityofSanMarino.org 
to learn how the City’s 
volunteers are helping the 
community and spending 
time outdoors. 


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