Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, May 13, 2023

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 13, 2023 


City Brings 
Attention to 
Importance of 
Mental Health

City Honors Fallen Police 
Officers and Firefighters

 
Pasadena Public Health 
Department (PPHD) 
announced the recognition 
of Mental Health Awareness 
Month in May to bring 
attention to the importance 
of mental health and promote 
resources for well-being.

 Mental illness is a widespread 
issue that affects people 
of all ages, backgrounds 
and socioeconomic status. 
According to the National 
Alliance on Mental Illness, 
one in five U.S. adults and one 
in six children between the 
ages of six and 17 experience 
mental illness each year. 
Additionally, the stigma 
surrounding mental illness 
causes many to face their 
mental health challenges for 
years without help.

 “For someone in need of 
help, raising awareness can be 
a turning point for acceptance, 
improved understanding 
and access to support,” said 
Manuel Carmona, acting 
public health director. “When 
someone shares a mental 
health concern with you, it 
is a critical opportunity to let 
them know it is okay to not be 
okay and help them connect 
to important resources.”

 PPHD encourages anyone 
who needs mental health 
support to seek help. Crisis 
counseling services are 
available to Pasadena residents 
including:

Pacific Clinics

Call (877) PC-CARES for 
emergency mental health 
services, Monday - Friday, 
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

LA County Crisis Text Line

Text LA to 741741 for services 
available 24/7.

Los Angeles County 
Department of Mental 
Health (LACDMH) ACCESS 
Program

Call (800) 854-7771, available 
24/7. This serves as the main 
entry point to emergency 
mental health services in the 
county, including in Pasadena.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call 9-8-8 to access a 24/7 
national network of local crisis 
centers that provides free 
and confidential emotional 
support to people in suicidal 
crisis or emotional distress. 
988 text messaging and online 
chat is also available.

 If you or a loved one is in 
immediate danger, call 9-1-
1 and ask the operator for 
an officer trained in crisis 
intervention for a psychiatric 
emergency.

There are several specialized 
mental health assistance 
programs offering non-
emergency services in the 
greater Pasadena area. A list of 
local resources can be found 
in the Pasadena Emotional 
Health and Well-Being 
Resource Guide. Pasadena 
Unified School District 
(PUSD) offers families 
additional mental health 
resources through the Mental 
Health Services Department. 
Additionally, individuals are 
encouraged to contact their 
primary care provider or 
health insurance to access a list 
of providers in their insurance 
network.

 PPHD receives limited 
funding from LACDMH to 
support programs that link 
transitional-age youth and 
older adults experiencing 
homelessness to community-
based mental health services. 
The department is not 
currently funded to offer 
emergency mental health 
services or direct patient care.

For the Resource Guide 
or more information visit: 
cityofpasadena.net.

 

 The City of Pasadena hosted 
their annual Police and Fire 
Memorial Service Wednesday 
in front of City Hall. The event 
is held during National Police 
Week and marks the 12th year 
that City officials, police and 
fire personnel, and community 
members come together to 
honor the bravery and sacrifice 
of Pasadena’s first responders 
who died in the line of duty.

 “Thank you to everyone who 
attended this morning’s Police 
and Fire Memorial Service as 
we honored the bravery and 
sacrifice of the seven Pasadena 
police officers and 12 firefighters 
who died in the line of duty over 
the last 115 years,” officials said.

 Family members of the fallen 
heroes were honored with a 
public reading of their loved 
one’s name and year of passing, 
an important tribute to the 
many families who return year 
after year. 

New Residential Care Facility Proposed

 The Pasadena city council 
is set Monday to hear a 
Predevelopment Plan Review 
asking to build a six story 
residential care facility on East 
Walnut Street near Lake Avenue, 
the site of the now shuttered 
Conrad’s restaurant. 

 According to the city council’s 
staff report, Harbert South 
Bay, LLC, has submitted plans 
for a new six-story, 95-room, 
residential care facility with 60 
subterranean parking spaces.

 “The existing restaurant 
[Conrad’s] building, and surface 
parking lot would be demolished 
to accommodate the project.” 
city staff said.

 The proposal calls for 
combining three parcels to 
create one project site measuring 
27,762 square feet with a height 
of up to 75 feet,

 A total of 67 rooms would be 
designated for assisted living, 
and an additional 28 rooms will 
be for memory care.

 The plans also include covered 
patios, a swimming pool, 
courtyards, terraces, several 
common and private dining 
rooms, a theater, an arts and 
crafts room and a private piano 
lounge/library. 

 The project site is bordered 
by a two-story, 28 foot tall, 
commercial office building to 
the north, a seven-story, 76 
foot tall, mixed-use building to 
the east, across Lake Avenue, 
and a six-story, 90 foot tall, 
commercial office building to 
the south, across Walnut Avenue. 
A five-story, 70 foot tall multi-
family development borders the 
project site to the west. A Ralphs 
supermarket is kitty-corner to 
the site.

 The report also states that the 
facility would receive a license 
from the State of California, 
Department of Social Services 
prior to operation. The facility 
would provide hospitality, 
wellness, health and fitness 
programs led by full-time staff. 

 The council meets at 5:30 
p.m. in the Council Chamber, 
Pasadena City Hall 100 North 
Garfield Avenue, Room S249. 
There will be opportunity for 
public comment. 

Symphony Announces PYSO 
Music Education Expansion 


Discover Paris 
in Springtime 

Celebrity Guests to Read 
Original Sci-Fi by Teens

 
The Pasadena Symphony 
Association announced the 
expansion of the Pasadena 
Youth Symphony Orchestras 
(PYSO). The PYSO will expand 
its programming threefold 
– the organization will launch 
a summer intensive program 
for students in grades 5-8, the 
All City Orchestra (ACO) will 
add one new site at McKinley 
School for 3rd-4th grade 
students, and PYSO will provide 
musical instruments on loan 
to Pasadena Unified (PUSD) 
students. This expansion is 
made possible by generous 
support from the Helen and 
Will Webster Foundation.

 The PYSO expansion will kick-
off with the 2023/24 school year 
by adding McKinley School as 
the third site for the All City 
Orchestra (ACO), a no-cost 
ensemble for underserved PUSD 
students in grades 3-5, currently 
housed at Jackson Elementary 
and Field Elementary Schools. 
ACO will also increase staffing 
for weekly rehearsals, adding 
one conductor and four coaches 
per instrument.

 Also beginning in the Fall 
2023 semester, PYSO will 
provide instruments on loan to 
PUSD students who wouldn’t 
otherwise have access to them. 
The organization will invest 
more than $30,000 into PUSD 
to build a music instrument 
library, so that kids can have 
their own instrument while on 
their musical learning journey. 
This money will also facilitate 
the purchase of a stage timpani 
for Pasadena High School for 
rehearsals and performances. 

 In summer 2024, PYSO 
will launch its new summer 
intensive - a two-week, daily 
program providing instruction 
for beginner/intermediate 
students in grades 5-8, so that 
students can have year-round 
access to music education. This 
expanded programming will 
allow the PYSO to continue 
their commitment to providing 
music education far beyond the 
weekly instruction they offer 
students, in shaping today’s 
youth to become community 
leaders of tomorrow.

 The Pasadena Youth Symphony 
Orchestras (PYSO) has been 
training tomorrow’s leaders 
since 1972. As a centerpiece 
of the Pasadena Symphony 
Association’s education 
initiatives, PYSO has continually 
offered robust musical training 
and personal development for 
young musicians throughout 
the San Gabriel Valley. Now 
in its 52nd season, PYSO 
is considered among the 
finest youth orchestras in the 
country and is the centerpiece 
of the Pasadena Symphony 
Association’s education 
program.

 The PYSO serves students 
from 29 cities throughout Los 
Angeles County and the San 
Gabriel Valley.

 Formed in 1928, the Pasadena 
Symphony and POPS is an 
ensemble of Hollywood’s most 
talented, sought-after musicians. 
For more information 
visit:pasadenasymphony-pops.
org.

 

 Celebrity guests are set to 
gather at Vroman’s Bookstore 
to dramatically read the best 
in original new science fiction 
writing by Los Angeles County 
high school students for “The 
Tomorrow Prize and The 
Green Feather Award Celebrity 
Readings and Honors.”

 The event will take place on 
Saturday, May 20 from 4:00 p.m. 
to 6:00 p.m.

 This event is free to attend 
with registration. Register on 
Eventbrite at: bit.ly/tomorrow-
gfa-honors

 Featured celebrity guests 
include: Yasmine Al-Bustami 
(The Originals, NCIS: Hawai’i, 
Orbital Redux), Rico E. 
Anderson (The Orville, Star 
Trek, Truth Be Told), Jasika 
Nicole (Fringe, The Good 
Doctor, Punky Brewster), Phil 
Anthony Rodriguez (Star Wars: 
Rebels, Grimm), Leilani Shiu 
(The Madalorian, The Book of 
Boba Fett), Amy Tolsky (Trust), 
and more.

 “We are so excited to hear 
original sci-fi by this year’s 
student honorees be brought 
to life on stage,” Omega Sci-
Fi Awards Director Rosalind 
Helfand said.

 The Tomorrow Prize is an 
opportunity for students to shine 
as the thinkers of the future! 
Teen writers are encouraged 
to explore scientific, social, 
technological, environmental, 
moral and philosophical themes 
and issues in their writing and 
always, at the core, to master the 
art of great storytelling.

 The show will feature dramatic 
readings of seven compelling 
short stories. These include five 
Finalists for The Tomorrow 
Prize: Rafael Chavez for “What 
Lies Beyond” (Port of Los 
Angeles High School), Barrie 
Komsky for “Burn the World, 
Build with the Ashes” (Cleveland 
Charter High School), Miguel 
Lujan for “Nights in the City” 
(Downtown Magnets High 
School), Evin Manlapaz for 
“The Blanket” (John Marshall 
High School), and Jasmine Sov 
for “Obsolete” (Pasadena High 
School).

 Celebrities will also read 
two eco-themed short sci-fi 
stories by the winners of The 
Green Feather Award, which 
is a special prize co-sponsored 
by the Nature Nexus Institute. 
The writers weave themes of 
social and environmental justice 
into their stories and envision 
futures where the world looks 
very different than it does 
today. The Green Feather Award 
Winners are: Diana Pena for 
“Painting the Way Through the 
Future” (Downtown Magnets 
High School) and Haifa Maung 
and Fia Layne for “Connections 
with Sage the Fungi” (Culver 
City High School).

 The Tomorrow Prize Honorable 
Mentions will be honored on 
stage with certificate and include: 
Hayden Blocker for “Curse of 
the God King” (Hollywood 
High School), Acaju Gastelum 
for “Ocean Crash” (Port of Los 
Angeles High School), Isaac 
Graham for “Oh Kanada” 
(Pasadena High School), 
Sadik Mahmud for “Gehenna’s 
Sanctum” (Downtown Magnets 
High School), Luis Martinez 
for “Time” (Hollywood High 
School), Natalie Martinez for 
“Digital” (Port of Los Angeles 
High School), and Valery 
Rodriguez for “Valiente” 
(Downtown Magnets High 
School). The Green Feather 
Award Honorable Mentions 
include: Trotsky Cartagena for 
“Dirty Waters” (Port of Los 
Angeles High School), Abida 
Chowdhury for “Our Second 
Earth” (Orthopaedic Medical 
Magnet High School), Nafisa 
Islam for “Aqua” (Downtown 
Magnets High School), Adam 
Kim / Bennett Kim / Brandon 
Brozogal for “A Manatee’s Hope” 
(Culver City High School), 
Giovanni Lorenzo for “The 
Box (Downtown Magnets High 
School), and Aryan Punj / 
Hambee Makinoda / Bato Euol 
for “Evolution is the Solution” 
(Culver City High School).

 Following the readings, the 
students will be honored and 
the three top prize winners 
announced. This year’s special 
guest presenters include 
American playwright and 
director Elizabeth Wong.

 More Information: 
lightbringerproject.org/science-
fiction-competitions.

 As part of the Pasadena 
Senior Center’s Cultural 
Thursdays series, Annie 
Laskey, director of special 
events, will share photos and 
tell tales about her recent 
adventures in the greater 
Paris area Thursday, May 25, 
at 2 p.m. via Zoom. 

 In addition to a few 
obligatory locations such 
as the Louvre, Notre Dame 
and Versailles, Laskey and a 
friend mostly visited lesser 
known historic churches, 
small museums and out-of-
the-way cafes that ordinarily 
are not patronized by 
tourists. 

 Laskey shot 1,100 photos 
and will feature some 
of her favorites for this 
presentation, which she will 
narrate. 

 The event is free for 
members of the Pasadena 
Senior Center and only $5 
for nonmembers. Anyone 
50 and older can become 
a member of the Pasadena 
Senior Center by visiting 
the website and clicking on 
Donation & Membership. 

 In addition to online 
classes, onsite events and 
other activities, members 
and nonmembers of the 
Pasadena Senior Center 
are encouraged to visit 
the website regularly for a 
quarterly online magazine, 
free food delivery for older 
adults in need, COVID 
updates specifically for older 
adults and more. 

 To register or for more 
information, visit: 
pasadenaseniorcenter.
org or call 626-795-4331. 
Everyone who registers will 
receive a link to the Zoom 
presentation. 


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