Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, August 5, 2023

6

ALTADENA - SOUTH PASADENA - SAN MARINO

Mountain View News Saturday, August 5, 2023 

San Marino Upcoming 
Events & Programming

Chu Honors Local Leaders at 
Leadership Awards Ceremony

Fiber Optic Cables Detect 

& Characterize Earthquakes

 Judy Chu held her annual 
Congressional Leadership of 
the Year Awards Ceremony 
last week to honor local 
leaders and groups in the 
San Gabriel Valley who 
have contributed to their 
communities through 
service and leadership. The 
Congressional Leadership 
of the Year Awards is an 
annual event recognizing 
the diverse leadership and 
volunteerism in the cities 
making up California’s 28th 
Congressional District. 
Each of the awardees were 
selected from nominations 
submitted by members of 
their community.

 “The selected groups 
and individuals received 
this honor because of the 
remarkable, commendable 
work they have accomplished 
in their field,” said Rep. Chu. 
“The honorees are leaders 
who have stood out because of 
their drive and commitment 
to support our communities, 
help vulnerable populations, 
and carry us through difficult 
times. They are heroes that 
inspire us all.”

The 2023 honorees are:

Building Bridges Award – 
The Claremont Forum 

 Since 1986, the Claremont 
Forum has been dedicated 
to promoting wellness, 
education, and the arts, 
making a positive impact 
both locally and nationally. 
At the heart of its mission 
is the transformative Prison 
Library Project (PLP), which 
brings together a diverse 
group of volunteers to 
send books to incarcerated 
individuals across the 
country.

Businessperson of the Year 
– Abel Ramirez 

 Abel Ramirez is a longtime 
restauranteur known to 
many throughout Pasadena 
and the San Gabriel Valley. 
A native of Yucatán, Mexico, 
Abel began his restaurant 
career at The Huntington 
Hotel and later served as 
the general manager for The 
Athenaeum at Caltech before 
opening the doors of El 
Portal in April.

Activist of the Year – Dianne 
Lewis 

 Dianne Lewis, Alkebu-
Lan Cultural Center (ACC), 
CEO: She has held this 
position since 2011. Dianne 
is a retired Educational 
Specialist from Los Angeles 
Unified School District.

Educator of the Year – Tin 
Tran

 Tin Tran was born on April 
8, 1968, during the Vietnam 
War’s Tet Offensive. As the 
youngest of six, Tin’s father 
was a South Vietnamese 
Marine Colonel, and his 
mother a civil service worker. 
After the Fall of Saigon in 
1975, his family became part 
of the first wave of Vietnamese 
refugees, reaching California 
via Guam and Pennsylvania. 
Tin became a Social Science 
teacher, where he met his 
wife Sharon. He coached 
the Academic Decathlon 
program at Mark Keppel 
High School, achieving 
remarkable success, 
emphasizing teamwork and 
character development.

Non-Profit of the Year – 
Sierra Madre Playhouse 

 The Sierra Madre Playhouse, 
a historic theater building, is 
gearing up to commemorate 
its centennial in 2024. Since 
its inception as a cinema 
during the silent film era, the 
Playhouse has transformed 
into an intimate, versatile 
performance venue and 
cherished community asset.

Volunteers of the Year 
– Foothills Community 
Scholarship Foundation of 
La Cañada Flintridge

 Since 1964, the Community 
Scholarship Foundation 
has been inspiring and 
encouraging higher 
education to junior colleges, 
trade techs, vocational 
colleges, or other universities 
and learning institutions by 
awarding scholarships to 
local graduating high school 
students, including students 
that are homeschooled within 
the Foothills Community. 

Youth of the Year – Nicolas 
Quach

Nicolas Kiet Quach is 
an education advocate, 
Alhambra Library Trustee, 
and a prominent young 
political leader. As a student at 
public schools in Alhambra, 
Nicolas has been actively 
engaged in empowering 
youth across the San Gabriel 
Valley, becoming a voice 
for effective community 
advocacy.

Non-profit of the Year – 
Friends in Deed

 Friends In Deed (FID) is 
an interfaith organization 
that provides supportive 
services to meet basic 
human needs, so homeless 
and at-risk individuals and 
families can rebuild their 
lives. Celebrating more than 
125 years of service, FID 
meets the needs of clients 
by leveraging a team of 
dedicated staff members, 
along with hundreds of 
volunteers.

Lifetime Achievement 
Award – Shirley Virginia 
Kelley Bellemeur

 Shirley Virginia Kelley 
Bellemeur was born in 
Massachusetts on December 
5, 1923. She grew up in 
Montpelier, Vermont during 
the height of the depression 
and at the age of 18 went to 
work in a local factory. It was 
from there that, in 1944, she 
was recruited by and joined 
the WAVES, the Women’s 
Branch of the United States 
Naval Reserve during World 
War II. She was stationed at 
Naval Air Station Pensacola, 
where she worked as a 
“Rosie The Riveter” repairing 
war-torn battle planes, 
ultimately achieving the 
rank of Aviation Metalsmith 
Third Class. Mrs. Bellemeur 
proudly describes being 
“the only one tiny enough 
to climb into the inside of 
the broken wings to rivet 
from the inside.” What she 
remembers the most about 
that time is that “we had a lot 
of fun.”

For more information visit: 
chu.house.gov.


Family Storytime

Tuesday, August 8 at 10:30 AM, Children’s Area

 Storytime is back! Storytime features activities for children 
ages 5 and under that will promote early literacy and lifelong 
learning through songs, movement, fingerplays, and books. 
Storytime is also an opportunity for caregivers to learn 
ways they can incorporate learning activities into everyday 
routines. Storytime occurs weekly on Tuesday through 
October 3. Registration is not required. Please watch our 
social media for cancellations.

Huntington Nurses Health Screening

Wednesday, August 9 from 10:00 – 11:30 AM, Barth 
Community Room

 The Huntington Nurses offer free blood pressure and 
glucose screenings. Please plan to fast 2 hours prior to 
having glucose checked. These blood pressure and glucose 
evaluations can lead to prevention and early detection of the 
“silent killer” diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, 
and diabetes. Health screenings will be held every second 
Wednesday of the month. Registration is not required. 

Meet & Greet the City Manager at Swirlz

 Come support local business and enjoy soft serve with City 
Manager, Philippe Eskandar, on Wednesday, August 9! Join 
us at Swirlz Soft Serve Parlor (2136 Huntington Drive) from 
2 PM - 4 PM. Come chat, ask questions, and meet members 
of the community. See you there!

Submit your photo by Friday, August 11!

 Attention all photographers! Share what makes you love 
our City and submit your favorite photo of San Marino 
to the 2023 San Marino Photo Contest. The deadline for 
submissions has been extended to Friday, August 11. For 
categories and entry details, visit: www.CityofSanMarino.
org/PhotoContest.

Annual Sidewalk Replacement Program Begins

 The City’s Annual Sidewalk Replacement Program began 
earlier this week in the southeastern portion of the City. Each 
year, this program replaces approximately 1 mile of sidewalk 
at various locations citywide. The work includes replacement 
of sidewalk, driveway approaches, curb ramps, and curb and 
gutter. Residents on impacted streets can expect to receive 
notices from the City’s hired contractor, CJ Concrete, with 
additional details about the project timeline, what residents 
can expect during the project, and what the project’s impact 
to the neighborhood will be. The City appreciates resident 
cooperation, as the sidewalk program helps improve the 
City’s infrastructure and resident safety.

Parks & Public Works Recent Happenings

 Over the past week, Parks and Public Works maintenance 
staff worked on the following tasks: removing fallen tree 
branches, palm fronds, and other debris from the public 
right-of-way; replacing streetlight bulbs and street signs; 
performing minor trimming of tree limbs and vegetation; 
repairing pavement and concrete; and performing various 
repairs at City facilities. Public Works maintenance staff also 
responded to multiple call-outs for fallen trees and tree limbs 
in the public right-of-way over the past week, and ensured 
the area was cleared in a safe and timely manner. Residents 
who wish to report non-emergency issues in the public right-
of-way or City streets may do so via the San Marino Service 
Request Center: cityofsanmarino.org/report. 

Fire Department Recent Happenings

 On Monday, July 31 the San Marino Fire Department 
responded to a solo vehicle traffic accident with rescue on 
Duarte Road in our City. The accident resulted in a rollover 
of a vehicle with a victim trapped. The patient required 
extrication from the vehicle. Firefighters successfully 
extricated the driver through the rear of the vehicle. The 
patient was assessed for injuries by San Marino paramedics 
and transported to a local area hospital.

 On Tuesday, August 1, Engine 91 and Battalion 9 responded 
to a reported two-story commercial structure fire on Fair 
Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena. San Marino Engine 91 
arrived first on scene and advised South Pasadena Police 
Department to shut down traffic while fire personnel 
initiated an attack on the fire. Engine 91 discovered electrical 
problems in the breakroom of the building. 

Contact 811 Before You Dig

 Underground utility lines can sometimes be inches below 
the surface and hitting one of these lines while digging can 
cause severe injury, disruption to service, and can result in 
costly fines and repairs. Contact 811 before you dig to have 
buried utility lines marked. Here is how 811 works:

MARK OUT your proposed project area in white paint or 
provide other suitable markings.

CONTACT Underground Service Alert at california811.org 
or call 811 to submit a location request at least two business 
days before digging.

WAIT TO DIG until we either mark our natural gas pipelines 
or you are advised that the area is clear.

Design Review Committee

Wednesday, August 16 at 6:00 PM; Barth Room and Zoom

 

 In California, thousands 
of miles of fiber optic cables 
crisscross the state, providing 
people with internet. But 
these underground cables 
can also have a surprising 
secondary function: they 
can sense and measure 
earthquakes. In a new study 
at Caltech, scientists report 
using a section of fiber optic 
cable to measure intricate 
details of a magnitude 6 
earthquake, pinpointing the 
time and location of four 
individual asperities, the 
“stuck” areas of the fault, that 
led to the rupture.

 For several years, Professor 
of Geophysics Zhongwen 
Zhan (PhD ‘14) and his 
team have aimed to show 
that repurposing fiber optic 
cables is a simple way to 
drastically expand our ability 
to measure seismic activity by 
producing a dense network 
of makeshift seismometers in 
a method called distributed 
acoustic sensing. The new 
study, appearing in the 
journal Nature, utilized only 
a 100-kilometer section of 
cable to precisely understand 
the complex mechanics 
behind a particular 2021 
earthquake, suggesting 
that access to more cables 
would enable improved 
understanding of earthquake 
physics and ultimately better 
earthquake early-warning 
systems.

 “If we can get broader 
coverage to measure seismic 
activity, we can revolutionize 
how we study earthquakes 
and provide more advance 
warning,” says Zhan. 
“Though we cannot predict 
earthquakes, distributed 
acoustic sensing will lead to 
a better understanding of the 
details underlying how the 
earth ruptures.”

 There are about 500 
seismometers throughout the 
roughly 56,500 square miles 
in Southern California, and 
each one costs up to $50,000. 
On the other hand, utilizing 
fiber optic cables throughout 
the state could be equivalent 
to blanketing it with millions 
of seismometers.

 To use a fiber optic cable as 
a seismometer, laser emitters 
are stationed at one end of 
the cable, shooting beams of 
light through the long, thin 
glass strands that make up 
the cable’s core. The glass has 
tiny imperfections that reflect 
back a minuscule portion of 
the light to the source, where 
it is recorded. In this manner, 
each imperfection acts as 
a trackable waypoint along 
the fiber optic cable, which 
is typically buried just below 
ground level. Seismic waves 
moving through the ground 
cause the cable to wiggle 
slightly, which changes the 
travel time of light to and 
from these waypoints. Thus, 
the imperfections along 
the cable’s length act like 
thousands of individual 
seismometers that allow 
seismologists to observe the 
motion of seismic waves.

 In this new study, the 
team examined the light 
signatures traveling through 
a stretch of fiber optic cable 
located in the Eastern Sierra 
Nevada during the 2021 
Antelope Valley magnitude 
6 earthquake. The section 
of cable was equivalent to 
10,000 seismometers and was 
able to discover that the M6 
was made up of a sequence of 
four smaller ruptures. These 
so-called “sub-events,” like 
mini earthquakes, could not 
be detected by a conventional 
seismic network.

 In collaboration with the 
laboratory of Nadia Lapusta, 
the Lawrence A. Hanson, 
Jr., Professor of Mechanical 
Engineering and Geophysics, 
the team was able to create 
an accurate model of the 
M6 earthquake based on the 
measured seismic activity. 
The model showed the 
timing of the four sub-events 
and pinpointed their exact 
locations on the fault region.

 “Using fiber optic cable 
as a series of seismometers 
reveals aspects of earthquake 
physics that have long been 
hypothesized but difficult 
to image,” says Zhan. “As 
an analogy, imagine your 
everyday backyard telescope. 
You can see Jupiter, but 
you probably can’t see its 
moons or any details. With 
a really powerful telescope, 
you can see the fine details 
of the planet and moon 
surfaces. Our technology is 
like a powerful telescope for 
earthquakes.”

 The paper is titled “The break 
of earthquake asperities 
imaged by distributed 
acoustic sensing.” Jiaxuan Li, 
postdoctoral scholar research 
associate in geophysics, is 
the study’s first author. In 
addition to Zhan, Li, and 
Lapusta, additional co-
authors are graduate student 
Taeho Kim and DAS scientist 
Ettore Biondi. Funding was 
provided by the National 
Science Foundation.

Written by

Lori Dajose

New State 
Library 
Park Pass 
Backpacks


Free August Movies at 
Pasadena Senior Center

 Tim McDonald, Director 
of Libraries and Information 
Services, announced this week 
that Pasadena Public Library 
card holders can now check 
out the new California State 
Library Park Pass Backpacks. 
The California State Library 
Park Pass program, which 
provides free state-park 
vehicle day-use passes, has 
expanded its program to 
include California State 
Library Park Pass Backpacks.

 These backpacks contain 
binoculars, wildlife and nature 
pocket guides, a magnifying 
glass, compass, and more! 
The California State Park Pass 
Backpacks are available at 
all Pasadena Public Library 
branch locations to check out 
for a three-week period. 

 The Parks Pass program, 
a partnership between 
California State Parks and 
the California State Library 
as part of the Outdoor Access 
for All Initiative, supports 
all Californians in exploring 
the outdoors and gaining the 
benefits of our parks. To learn 
more visit: cityofpasadena.
net/library/. 

 Friday movie matinees will be 
shown Aug. 11, 18 and 25 at 1 
p.m. in the Scott Pavilion at the 
Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. 
Holly St. 

 Seating will be limited and 
registration will be accepted on 
a first-come, first-served basis. 
Each member of the Pasadena 
Senior Center may reserve one 
additional seat for a nonmember 
guest 50 or older. 

 “Where the Crawdads 
Sing” (2020, PG-13) starring 
Daisy Edgar-Jones and Harris 
Dickinson – Friday, Aug. 11, at 1 
p.m. A woman who had to raise 
herself in the marshes of the 
Deep South becomes a suspect 
in the murder of a man with 
whom she was once involved. 
The film is based on the novel of 
the same name by Delia Owen. 

 “A Man Called Otto” (2022, 
PG-13) starring Tom Hanks 
and Mariana Treviño – Friday, 
Aug. 18, at 1 p.m. When a 
young family moves in near an 
old, suicidal grump who has 
given up on life following the 
death of his wife, they develop 
a friendship that will turn his 
world around. The movie is 
based on the 2015 Swedish film 
“A Man Called Ove” that was 
based on the novel of the same 
name by Fredrick Bachman. 

 “Sin La Habana (Without 
Havana)” (2020, NR) starring 
Yonah Acosta and Aki Yaghoube 
– Friday, Aug. 25, at 1 p.m. At 
the urging of his girlfriend, a 
frustrated Afro Cuban ballet 
dancer seduces a lonely Iranian 
Canadian divorcee to secure 
passage from Cuba to Canada 
where he plans to reunite with 
his girlfriend. Spanish, Persian 
and English with English 
subtitles. 

 To register or more information, 
visit: pasadenaseniorcenter.net.

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