Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, February 19, 2022

Mountain View News Saturday, February 19, 2022 

 Caltech officials announced Thursday that 
they received the final approval needed 
to begin decommissioning the Caltech 
Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) from 
Maunakea in Hawai‘i. 

According to a statement the Hawai‘i 
Board of Land and Natural Resources 
unanimously approved, on January 14, the 
Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) 
for the decommissioning of the CSO from 
the Mauna Kea Science Reserve.

 “We are grateful to move forward with 

institutions, is housed in a compact dome 

the deconstruction process,” said Sunil 

near the summit of Maunakea. The telescope 

Golwala, Caltech physics professor and 

was used by many scientists, including almost 

CSO director. “Caltech aims to undertake 

200 student and postdoctoral researchers. All 

the decommissioning this summer, with 

the astronomical instruments were removed 

removal and restoration completed by the 

from the facility in 2015. 

end of 2022.” This will be the first observatory 

 The CDUP is the culmination of a careful 

removed under the 2010 Decommissioning 

process required under Hawai‘i law to address 

Plan for Maunakea Observatories. 

technical aspects of the CSO’s removal 

During the observatory’s lifespan, the CSO 

and the restoration of its site, including a 

was one of the world’s premier facilities for 

detailed review of the potential cultural and 

astronomical research and instrumentation 

environmental impacts. The CDUP sets the 

development at submillimeter wavelengths. 

terms and conditions Caltech must follow 

Discoveries made at the facility include an 

during the decommissioning. Copies of the 

elucidation of the role of atomic carbon in 

CDUP, the final environmental assessment, 

the space between stars, a new phase of stellar 

and other planning documents can be 

evolution for red giant stars, the first ground-

found at: cso.caltech.edu/wiki/cso/outreach/ 

based detection of heavy water in a comet, 

outreach. 

and more.

 A summary of CSO’s contributions to 

 The CSO’s 10.4-meter submillimeter 

astronomy and astronomical instrumentation 

telescope, which came online in 1987 for use in 

is available at: cso.caltech.edu/wiki/cso/ 

research by astronomers at Caltech and other 

science/overview. 

CALTECH OBSERVATORY TO BE REMOVED 
FROM MAUNAKEA 

LA COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE 
VACCINATED CHILDREN PROVIDED MORE PROTECTION 
FROM COVID INFECTION AND HOSPITALIZATION THAN UNVACCINATED 
CHILDREN 
With the winter surge subsiding, Public Health reminds residents that vaccinations 
and masking remain important effective layers of protection, especially in school settings 
and crowded spaces. 
As of February 10, 34% of 5-11-year-olds and 84% of 12–17-year-olds had received at least one dose 
of the COVID vaccine and 26% of 5–11-year-olds and 76% 12–17-year-olds were fully vaccinated.
Unvaccinated children ages 5-11, were 2.5 times more likely to be infected when compared to those 
who were fully vaccinated. For those ages 12-17, vaccinated teens were almost 3 times less likely to 
be infected when compared to those who were unvaccinated. 
Similarly, hospitalizations were also higher for unvaccinated children in both youth age groups 5-11 
and 12-17. Unvaccinated children 5-11 were at three times higher risk of hospitalization when compared 
to fully vaccinated children. And unvaccinated teens 12-17 were four times more likely to be 
hospitalized than fully vaccinated teens. 
Between February 7 and 11, nearly 477,000 tests were administered at TK-12 schools across the 
county; test positivity declined by 90% since the beginning of January to 1.5%. This remarkable decline 
likely reflects lower rates of community transmission as well as the impact of mitigation strategies 
that schools are using to reduce transmission. 
When looking at the number of COVID-19 cases among students and staff in K-12 schools by grade 
level, the largest number of cases have been among elementary school students, followed by high 
school and then middle school students. The week of January 10-16, there were over 21,000 cases 
reported among elementary school students, over 11,000 reported among high school students, and 
9,200 among middle school students. By the week of February 7-13, cases had dropped to 1,650 for 
elementary school students, 810 for high school students, and 648 for middle school students. 
The number of school outbreaks currently being investigated also declined to a total of 46, down 
from 56 that were under investigation last week. This includes eight new outbreaks (5 in elementary 
schools, one in middle school, and two in youth sports) between February 6-12. 
The decision to require masks in schools, along with the other mitigation safety measures likely 
helped to successfully limit the number of school disruptions in LA County during the Omicron 
surge. Public Health is aware of only eight learning disruptions across LA County at the district level 
in 2022. Three school districts had selected school closures and the others had a delayed opening or 
non-instructional day. In each case, the school or district, not Public Health, made the decision to 
take this action based on staffing and safety concerns. 
“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost 
a loved one due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. 
“Indoor masking requirements at schools, which remain in effect per the state order for at least another 
few weeks, continue to be an effective part of a comprehensive school safety program. As we 
have seen over the past few months, wearing a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings is 
associated with significantly lower chances of testing positive for COVID-19, and masking requirements 
in schools have been associated with lower numbers of outbreaks. As we think about ‘post-
surge’ strategies, the focus remains on ensuring our schools have the tools and resources to offer safe 
learning environments for staff, teachers, and students. As always, we are grateful for the hard work 
of parents, students, administrators, staff, and teachers to diligently implement mitigation strategies 
that promote safety at schools.” 
To reduce spread and keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:
• Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless ofvaccination status. 
• Remain home when sick, isolate if they test positive and quarantine if they were in closecontact with someone with COVID-19. 
Residents are legally required to isolate themselves away from others if they test positive for COVID-
19. Close contacts with symptoms and close contacts who are unvaccinated or not up to date 
with COVID-19 vaccinations need to follow quarantine requirements. For updated isolation and 
quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov. 
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older 
to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and 
workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination 
sites and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available. 
To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:
www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). 
COVID 19 Cases - It's Not Over Yet! 
WHERE WE ARE W/E 2/18/22 VERSUS LAST WEEK (2/12/22) 
Cases/Deaths are still occuring especially among the unvaccinated. 
Cases This Week ( 02/12/22) Deaths This Week (02/12/22) 
LA County 2,777,165 (2,746,866) 30,216 (29,690) 
LA COUNTY VACCINATIONS AS OF 02/18/2022 (Fully)
Adults 12+ 87.0% Seniors 98.8% 
(Last Week) Cases Deaths Fully Vaccinated 
Arcadia 7,700 (7,611) 160 (157) 90.1% 
Altadena 8121 (8031) 89 (88) 82.3% 
Bradbury 62 ( 61) 0 ( 0) 71.2% 
Duarte 5,037 (4,986) 113 (113) 83.5% 
Monrovia 8,061 (7,964) 99 (96) 80.6% 
Pasadena 27,433 (27,129) 397 (385) 84.9% 
Sierra Madre 1,472 (1454) 16 ( 15) 89.0% 
So.Pasadena 3,843 (3792) 53 ( 53) 94.0% 

PORTANTINO INTRODUCES 
BILL TO PRIORITIZE 
PEDESTRIAN & CYCLIST 

 Senator Anthony Portantino introduced Monday Senate 
Bill 932, a measure to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist 
safety by requiring California cities to take concrete steps to 
reduce traffic collisions and fatalities. SB 932 is sponsored 
by Streets For All, ActiveSGV, Calbike, and Streets Are For 
Everyone. Recent data from the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration documenting a nearly 20 percent 
increase in traffic fatalities in the first six months of last year.

 “There is no denying it, California needs safer streets. And, 
despite efforts during the last several decades to make our 
streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, many of our streets 
have grown more dangerous in recent years,” Portantino 
said. “Data driven plans to remedy this serious problem are 
necessary to save lives and encourage more people to walk 
and bike to their destinations. An annual grant program to 
cities for implementing effective ways to mitigate injuries 
and fatalities are a good step forward and will yield positive 
change for our communities.”

 
Though California has been part of a national trend to create safer streets, many cities lack data on 
how to address traffic violence, deaths caused by accident, serious injuries to pedestrians, cyclists, and 
other human-powered-transit users. In certain cities where the most dangerous streets and corridors 
have been identified, no plans exist to remedy these deadly situations. Even in cities that have 
developed safety plans, meaningful changes that would actually save lives have yet to be implemented 
he said. 

“In California, the general plans of cities have often been very car centric when it comes to their 
street network,” said Michael Schneider, Founder of Streets For All. “That all changes today, with 
Senator Portantino’s critical bill that would integrate multi-modal thinking into the planning process, 
helping make our streets safer for all modes and fight climate change.”

 SB 932 requires a county or city to include a map of the high injury network in its General Plan and 
would further require a county or city to identify and prioritize safety improvements within 15 years 
that would address serious and injurious traffic collisions. The bill would increase or decrease the 15year 
implementation period, based on whether the measures introduced by a county or city achieve 
results to reduce percentages of traffic violence. 

 SB 932 creates an annual grant program to award funding to cities and counties that implement 
timely and effective short-term efforts to mitigate bicycle, pedestrian, and other human-powered 
transportation injuries and fatalities. 

 “Every day I’m on my bike, I learn more about the communities I represent and the areas of good 
bike safety and those that are not,”Portantino said. “In fact, the intersection directly in front of my 
house is one of the most dangerous I traverse. It has been a tremendous benefit for me as a policy 
maker to reach out to the biking community to share my story and to collaborate on this important 
public safety and environmental effort.” 

The Chef Knows By Peter Dills 
CINDY’S 

When you say “diner”, one thinks of those 
train-like Airstream coach dive restaurants 
from 60’s New Jersey fame, so when I was 
told to check out the food at Cindy’s in 
Eagle Rock… well, you can understand my 
reluctance. My readers are a creative and 
demanding lot, and the thought of disappointing 
you lurked in the back of my mind. 
I have driven past Cindy’s at least a hundred times to reach one of my favorite restaurants, Colombo’s, 
just down the street, without even a glance at this place, but today that all changed. 


My first impression was a good one. It wasn’t a dive. And everyone was working in rhythm as 
they tended to the packed house. I could see immediately that this was a homestyle environment 
made for the eclectic new Eagle Rock residents. My party of two decided to sit at the 
counter, being this truly is a diner. Within seconds, we were greeted and served water with 
a huge side of good attitude. Then, there was the menu. And all the choices! I focused on 
something new and different called Crab Hash, and my partner in food crime chose the Eggs 
Benedict topped with Pesto. Pesto for breakfast? You bet! 

You’d maybe think that a packed house at 10:30am on a Sunday would bring so-so food, but 
no – our food came out hot, and in a very acceptable time frame. The Crab Hash was terrific. 
There was nothing stingy about the amount of crab or potatoes in the hash, and I was 
pleasantly surprised with the quantity and quality! My dining partner elected to go green and 
have the Green Goddess omelet, with the homestyle potatoes that were a little crispy. The 
plating was pleasant and the portion quite large. He went crazy for the homemade pesto that 
put this dish on his “have again” list, and said that the amount was perfect for making you 
want more. I also ordered the homemade chocolate cake and coconut lime pie to go (review 
on that to follow!). 

On a side note: I noticed French fries on the menu, and since the owner, Paul, went to great 
lengths to ensure everything is made from scratch, I ordered some, and gave them two thumbs 
up. I will be back!! For the complete menu, go to their website, and by all means tell them 
Peter Dills sent you! 

STAY SAFE! GET VACCINATED! WEAR A 
MASK! 


Cindy’s Eagle Rock Breakfast/lunch/dinner 1500 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock (323) 257-7375 
www.cindyseaglerock.comListen in Sunday 5 PM (afternoon) AM 830 KLAA for my radio show 

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