Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 18, 2021

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 18, 2021 

Omicron 
Variant found 
in Pasadena

 The Pasadena Public 
Health Department 
announced Tuesday that 
they have received the 
first laboratory-confirmed 
report of COVID-19 with 
mutations consistent with 
the new Omicron variant 
in a Pasadena resident.

 The Omicron variant was 
identified in a laboratory 
specimen from this 
resident through genomic 
sequence testing. The 
person did not recently 
travel internationally and 
is believed to have acquired 
the infection locally in early 
December. The person, 
who was fully vaccinated 
and had a booster dose, 
has recovered from a mild 
illness that did not require 
hospitalization. Close 
contacts are self-isolating.

The Omicron variant of 
the SARS-CoV-2 virus was 
first identified in Africa 
and has been designated 
by the World Health 
Organization as a variant 
of concern. As of Dec. 8, 
13 cases of the Omicron 
variant have been reported 
in the state of California.

 “Now is the time for anyone 
who is not yet vaccinated 
to get fully vaccinated, 
and for everyone 16 
years and older to get a 
booster dose. Getting 
vaccinated, including a 
booster, remains your best 
defense against COVID-19 
variants,” said Dr. Ying-
Ying Goh, health officer 
and director of Pasadena 
Public Health Department.

 COVID-19 vaccines 
are proven to be highly 
effective at preventing 
hospitalization and death 

from COVID-19, and 

people who are fully 
vaccinated and received 
booster doses are much 
less likely to be infected 
and transmit the virus to 
someone else. The longer 
you wait to get vaccinated, 
the greater the risk of 
contracting COVID-19.

 COVID-19 vaccines 
are available through 
the Pasadena Public 
Health Department at 
no cost. People age 5 
and older are eligible to 
receive vaccine. For more 
information and to register 
for an appointment, visit 
MyTurn.ca.gov. 

Pasadena PD 
Steps up DUIEnforcement 

 From now through New 
Year’s Day, the Pasadena 
Police Department will have 
additional officers on patrol 
looking for drivers suspected 
of being under the influence 
of alcohol and/or drugs. The 
extra enforcement effort is 
part of a national campaign, 
Drive Sober or Get Pulled 
Over, with the goal of 
stopping suspected impaired 
drivers who put others on the 
road at risk.

 “When it comes to 
consuming drugs and/or 
alcohol and driving, there is 
a right and wrong choice,” 
Lieutenant Anthony Russo 
said. “Make the right choice 
by not driving impaired so 
everyone is able to enjoy the 
holidays.” 

Spectators Not Allowed at Float Decorating 


By Dean Lee

 Without much explanation, 
Tournament of Roses officials 
have canceled this year’s public 
viewing at Decorating Places 
in Pasadena and Irwindale as 
the final preparations and floral 
elements will be put onto the 
parade floats. This behind-thescenes 
look at how floats are 
made has been a Rose Parade 
tradition for decades. 

 "Viewing at the pavilions 
is an indoor activity,” said 
Tournament of Roses Executive 
Director/CEO David Eads. 
“We decided not to have that 
this year. We want to keep 
everybody safe.” 

 In light of the Tournament’s 
decision to cancel viewing at 
the main pavilions, many of the 
self-built floats will still have 
pre parade decorating viewing, 
including in the city of Sierra 
Madre and the city of South 
Pasadena. Sierra Madre Rose 
Float Association officials said 
proof of full Covid vaccination 
is required to enter the float 
barn. 

 As for other pre parade events, 

Eads said, both Equestfest, 
December 29 at the Los Angeles 
Equestrian Center and the 
Tournament of Roses’s Bandfest 
December 29 and December 30 
at Pasadena City College will 
take place. As for Covid, he 
said there are no requirements, 
“Those are not considered 
mega events, those are outdoor 
events but don’t have more than 
10,000 people in attendance, 
we are obviously encouraging 
everyone to be vaccinated but it 
is not a requirement.” 

 Eads said, for the Rose Parade 
(at TV-Corner), the Rose Bowl 
football game and post parade 
viewing, proof of vaccination 
or negative test, valid ID and 
mask wearing are required by 
all attendees and participants. 

 He also said all Tournament 
volunteers and all volunteers 
building and decorating floats 
must have proof of vaccination 
or negative test. 

 As for the estimated 800,000 
spectators along the over five 
miles of the Rose Parade route 
along Colorado Blvd., outside 
of TV-Corner, city officials 

Over 50 Cats Rescued 
from a Pasadena Home 


Pasadena Humane 
Seeks Homes for 
the Newly Dubbed“Christmas Cats” 

Pasadena Humane rescued 
more than 50 cats and kittens, 
last week, from a local home. 
The cats were found living in 
unsanitary conditions inside 
the home and in a crawl space 
underneath a house officials 
said. 

 The location of the home was 
not given. Pasadena Humane 
officals said they were working 
with the homeowner to get 
help, in what they referred to as 
a hoarding situation.

 According to a press 
statement, during the two-
day operation, animal control 
officers and Pasadena Humane 
staff worked to safely remove 
the cats from the house. Due 
to the conditions in the home, 
staff wore personal protective 
equipment and respirators. The 
cats were transported back to 
the shelter, where they were set 
up in clean kennels with food, 
water, and fresh bedding. 

 The majority of the cats are 
suffering from symptoms of 
upper respiratory and ear 
infections, but are in overall 
stable condition. The cats are 
now under the supervision of 
a veterinarian and are being 
provided with needed medical 
care. 

“I am relieved that the cats are 
now safe and receiving the care 
they need,” said Dia DuVernet, 
President & CEO of Pasadena 
Humane. “The cats arrived just 
in time for us to find each one a 

home for the holidays.” 

 Most of the cats are now 
available for adoption and have 
been given holiday-themed 
names–like Jolly, Merry and 
Jingle–to help find them homes. 
The newly dubbed “Christmas 
Cats” will be spayed/neutered, 
vaccinated and microchipped 
before going to their new 
homes. 

 “We are counting on the 
support of the community to 
help us find homes for the cats,” 
said DuVernet. “If you are able 
to open your heart and home 
this holiday season, please 
consider adopting one of the 
Christmas Cats.” 

 Pasadena Humane is hosting 
a Winter Wonderland cat 
adoption event on Saturday, 
December 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 

p.m. Discounted adoptions willbe available for all cats 6 months 
and older. No appointment is 
necessary during the adoption 
event. 
Pasadena Humane has also set 
up an online donation page foranyone that can help. Moved 
to action by the story of the 
Christmas Cats, generous donor 
Nancy Plamann has steppedforward to match gifts—dollarfor dollar—up to $15,000,
through Sunday, December 19.
Donations can be made at give.
pasadenahumane.org/cats. 

are encouraging vaccination 
and mask wearing but it is not 
required. 

 Pasadena police chief John 
Perez said parade goers will be 
allowed to campout along the 
route the night of Friday, Dec. 

31. He encouraged people tostay within their groups. 
“We think attendance will 
be strong this year, because 
there was no parade last year,” 
Eads said. “People want to get 
out, they want to come back 
to celebrate and they want to 
continue a family tradition.” 

 For a list of what you can and 
cannot do, visit: cityofpasadena.
net, search “Rose Parade Safety 
Tips.” 

San Marino 
House Watch 
ProgramAvailable

 Are you going out of 

town for the holidays? Take 

advantage of SMPD’s House 

Watch program.

San Marino Residents 

who request to be placed 

on House Watch will have 

officers drive by your house 

several times a day, check 

the location for any unusual 

activity, and walk the 

location to check doors and 

windows while looking for 

any unauthorized activity.

 The program costs $5 per 

day. To sign up, call (626) 

300-0720. 

Any resident requesting a 

House Watch is encouraged 

to provide any and all 

information related 

to anyone who will be 

responsible for the property 

while away. It is important 

for the department to have 

this on file in case of an 

emergency. 

San Marino 
OvernightParkingInformation 

To accommodate for holiday 
guests, residents and visitors 
will not have to obtain 
overnight parking permits 
for vehicles parked on the 
San Marino city streets from 
Sunday night, December 19, 
through Sunday morning, 
January 2, 2022.

 Overnight parking 
enforcement will resume at 
2 a.m. on Monday, January 
3, 2022. For questions 
regarding holiday parking, 
please call (626) 300-0720. 

Rose Parade Grand Finale 
to Feature Jimmie Allen 

 
The Pasadena Tournament 
of Roses announced Friday 
that the highly anticipated 
Grand Finale of its 133rd 
Rose Parade presented by 
Honda on January 1, will 
feature GRAMMY nominee 
artist Jimmie Allen (pictured 
left).

 As the two-hour mark 
approaches and the final 
float begins its trip down 
Colorado Blvd., four 
members of the Golden 
Knights – the United States 
Army Parachute team – 
will drop out of the sky and 
onto the street to do a live 
football toss from the Parade 
route to the Rose Bowl 
Stadium. Their descent will 
be accompanied by Timothy 
Fletcher (pictured right), 
the drummer who has been 
making waves on Instagram 
and Tiktok with magical 
beats.

 Following the landing of the 
Golden Knights, Best New 
Artist GRAMMY nominee, 
CMA New Artist of the Year 
& ACM New Male Artist of 
the Year Jimmie Allen will 
perform his hit song “Good 
Times Roll,” from his Bettie 

James Gold Edition album. 
Allen will be accompanied 
by his four-piece band, Rose 
Parade Dancers, the Mark 
Keppel Dance Company 
and the Rose Parade Flag 
Bearers.

 Traveling from Nashville, 
Tennessee to Pasadena, 
California and into the 
hearts of millions, Allen 
made history as the first 
Black artist to launch a 
career with two consecutive 
No. 1 hits off his 2018 debut 
album, Mercury Lane. His 2x 
platinum debut single “Best 
Shot” claimed the number 
one spot on Country radio 
for three weeks. Allen is 
nominated for Best New 
Artist at the 64th Annual 
Grammy® Awards in 
2022, has been hailed by 
GRAMMY.com as one of 
“5 Black Artists Rewriting 
Country Music” and has 
amassed more than 1 billion 
on-demand streams.

 For millions of viewers 
around the world, the Rose 
Parade is an iconic New 
Year’s Day tradition to 
experience the floats, bands 
and equestrians as they 
parade down Colorado Blvd. 

San Marino Holiday Drivewith Santa December 25 

 
The San Marino Fire 
Department is assisting the 
North Pole Fire Department 
in transporting their most 
influential citizen, Santa Claus, 
at 9:00 AM on December 

25. Members of the Fire 
Department will be driving 
Santa around town to spread 
merriment and good cheer in 
San Marino’s Old No. 1 engine.
Listen for sleigh bells or sirensand be sure to catch Santa! 
Check out the map of Santa’s 
route on 
It is rumored that Santa will 
begin at the Fire Station, travel 

east on Huntington Drive, 
south on Belhaven Road and 
west on Lorain Road. From 
there he will wind his way 
north on Chelsea Road, and 
travel around the west side of 
the city. He will then go east 
on Monterey Road and Euston 
Road before making his way 
back to the fire station for a 
well-deserved nap. 

Santa’s helpers will be handing 
out candy canes to good girls 
and boys of all ages who are 
able to make it up and out of the 
house. For more information 
Visit: cityofsanmarino.org. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com