Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, August 26, 2023

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Mountain View News Saturday, August 26, 2023 

City Given 
Grants for 
Homeless 
Outreach


City Celebrates the Latino 
Heritage Parade & Festival 

 
The Business, Consumer 
Services and Housing 
Agency’s (“BCSH”) 
California Interagency 
Council on Homelessness 
announced Tuesday that 
the Pasadena Housing 
Department was awarded 
over $2 million in 
new competitive state 
Encampment Resolution 
grant funding. A total 
of seven programs were 
awarded funding by BCSH.

 Pasadena Director of 
Housing, William K. 
Huang, said the program 
awarded under this grant 
will be carried out by the 
Pasadena Public Health 
Department and Union 
Station Homeless Services 
and includes funding for 
street outreach, motel 
vouchers, and housing 
navigation for up to 50 
people per year who are 
living in ten prioritized 
encampments along the 
210 and 134 freeways. The 
street outreach component 
of this program will be 
leveraged from the City’s 
PORT and HOPE teams, 
operated by the Pasadena 
Departments of Public 
Health, Fire and Police, 
respectively. 

 The infrastructure and 
collaborative partnerships 
the Department of Housing 
has withthese entities, 
as well as Caltrans, will 
enable the services to begin 
promptly following an 
executed contract with the 
state he said.

 “This funding award is an 
exciting new opportunity 
for the city to better serve 
the unhoused population,” 
he said. “The Housing 
Department is eager to 
begin collaborating with 
our internal and external 
partners to provide shelter 
and housing navigation 
resources to move people 
indoors and prevent 
them from returning 
to dangerous living 
conditions.” 

 

 Celebrate the 25th Annual 
Pasadena Latino Heritage 
Parade and Festival on 
September 16, from 10 a.m. to 
4 p.m. This event is sponsored 
by the City of Pasadena Parks, 
Recreation and Community 
Services Department and the 
Pasadena Latino Heritage 
Parade and Festival Committee.

 The parade and festival have 
showcased Latino history and 
culture through its mission 
to promote and provide 
educational cultural programs 
to Pasadena residents and 
surrounding cities. This year’s 
theme, “Reaching for the Stars,” 
recognizes the achievements of 
Latinos in the United States. This 
event enriches the community 
by bringing together family and 
friends, warmth and culture, as 
well as values and tradition.

 More than 2,000 participants 
and spectators are expected 
to attend the parade and 
festival. The parade begins at 
the intersection of Los Robles 
Avenue and Buckeye Street. The 
parade route heads south on Los 
Robles Avenue and culminates 
in front of City Hall, 100 N. 
Garfield Ave. Immediately 
following the parade, the festival 
will feature live entertainment, 
educational booths, free 
activities for children, and food 
available for purchase.

 The parade’s Grand Marshal 
is Angelica Salas, Executive 
Director of the Coalition for 
Humane Immigrant Rights 
(CHIRLA), and the Community 
Grand Marshal is Yuny Parada, 
Local Latino Rights Activist. 
Salas is a prominent figure in 
ethnic and mainstream press 
and is often quoted on all 
issues related to immigrant 
well-being. Under Salas’ 
leadership, CHIRLA and its 
national partners have built the 
foundation for the upsurge in 
immigrant rights activism. She 
is a leader in national coalitions 
of organizations that have 
successfully mobilized millions 
of immigrants to demand just 
and humane immigration 
reform with a path to 
citizenship, family reunification, 
and protection of civil and labor 
rights. One of her greatest 
accomplishments at CHIRLA 
has been the transformation 
of a social service provision 
coalition into a statewide mass 
membership organization 
that empowers immigrants to 
engage in advocacy on their own 
behalf. Angelica comes by her 
understanding of the immigrant 
experience firsthand. As a five-
year-old, she came to the U.S. 
from Mexico to rejoin her 
undocumented parents, who 
had come to the U.S. to provide 
for their family. Pasadena, 
California has been home 
since she arrived in the U.S. 
She is a graduate of Pasadena 
High School and holds a B.A 
in History and Sociology from 
Occidental College. B. She 
received an Honorary degree 
from her Alma Mater in 2007. 
Angelica Salas is married to 
Mayron Payes, an immigrant 
from El Salvador, and has two 
adult children, Maya and Ruben 
Payes.

 Community Grand Marshal 
Yuny Parada came to the United 
States from El Salvador at the age 
of 18. She settled in Pasadena 
shortly thereafter and has 
called it her home since 1979. 
Since then, Parada has worked 
tirelessly for the empowerment 
of Latinos in her community 
while using education as the 
backbone for her cause. She 
began her passion for service 
with her role as a Human 
Relations Commissioner for 
the City of Pasadena, which she 
held for many years. Parada 
has also served on the board 
for the League of Women 
Voters of Pasadena where she 
worked towards her vision 
of equity and inclusion for 
the Latino Community in 
Pasadena. She championed 
interethnic relations through 
her involvement in the 
Leadership in Inter-Ethnic 
Relations (LDIR) program and 
translated those lessons into 
participation in the inaugural 
class of Leadership Pasadena. 
Parada has had a wide array 
of community involvement, 
currently serving as a board 
member of the Pasadena 
Chapter of the ACLU and the 
President’s Latino Advisory 
Committee of Pasadena City 
College. Parada proudly raised 
her 3 children in Pasadena and 
serves now in one of her most 
demanding positions yet —
grandmother to 6 children.

 “We are excited to celebrate 
the 25th annual Latino 
heritage parade and festival. 
We invite the community to 
bring their family, friends, 
and lawn chairs to join us for 
this marvelous celebration,” 
said Lola Osborne, Acting 
Director of Pasadena’s Parks, 
Recreation and Community 
Services Department. For more 
information, please call (626) 
744-6530.

 New Parade Route and 
Festival Area

Central Library Retrofitting to Start in 2025 

 

 The Pasadena City Council 
approved Monday a plan 
to move forward and begin 
the process of seismically 
retrofitting and repairing the 
Pasadena Central Library with 
construction expecting to start 
in fall 2025. The council was 
given an estimated cost of $195 
million for construction. 

 City staff presented three 
earthquake retrofit approaches 
Monday that were identified 
by the design team. The 
development of these three 
retrofit approaches were 
guided by goals and objectives 
established with input from 
library stakeholders, including 
the Mayor’s Technical Oversight 
Committee and various outreach 
events and surveys. Those goals 
include seismic performance, 
life safety, historic preservation, 
accessibility, function, upgrade, 
and public benefit. The City 
Council selected the Concrete 
Shear Wall earthquake retrofit 
approach and directed staff to 
proceed with a detailed design of 
the project.

 With construction projected to 
commence in fall 2025 pending 
funding, the retrofitting and 
repair process will unfold in 
multiple phases, culminating in 
the anticipated re-opening of the 
Central Library by Fall 2028.

 Mayor Victor Gordo emphasized 
the project’s significance, “The 
Central Library holds a special 
place in the hearts of Pasadena’s 
residents, and its retrofit and 
repair marks a pivotal moment 
in the city’s history. By fusing 
historical reverence with 
forward-thinking engineering 
and design, the City of Pasadena 
is steadfastly committed to 
creating a resilient and inviting 
Central Library that will stand 
for another century and beyond.”

 According to city staff a second 
Community Town Hall is 
scheduled for September 21, at 
the Robinson Park Recreation 
Center. The event will offer 
residents an opportunity to gain 
insights into the recommended 
seismic retrofit approach and to 
stay informed about the latest 
developments in the journey of 
the nearly centennial Pasadena 
Central Library.

 On May 3, 2021, City officials 
closed the Central Library as a 
result of a seismic evaluation of 
the building’s structural system. 
The evaluation indicated that 
the building is an unreinforced 
masonry (URM) structure 
and is not in compliance with 
Pasadena Municipal Code nor 
meets the minimum structural 
performance should an 
earthquake occur.

 To learn more about the Pasadena 
Central Library Retrofit and 
Repair Project and to view the 
complete time line, please visit 
PasadenaPublicLibrary.net.

Pops Close 
Season with 
Movie Music

City Commends Response 
of Tropical Storm Hilary

 

 The City of Pasadena wishes 
to extend its heartfelt gratitude 
to the resilient residents of 
Pasadena who demonstrated 
extraordinary cooperation 
and preparedness during the 
recent weather events caused 
by Tropical Storm Hilary. As 
the storm swept through our 
community, the strength of our 
residents’ unity, dedication to 
safety, and quick action proved 
instrumental in safeguarding 
lives and minimizing damage.

 “I want to thank the entire 
Pasadena community for its 
cooperation before, during, and 
after the weather events of the 
past two days,” said Pasadena 
City Manager Miguel Márquez. 
In the face of Tropical Storm 
Hilary’s impact, the City of 
Pasadena took proactive 
measures to ensure the safety 
and well-being of all residents. 
Throughout the ordeal, various 
City officials and departments 
exhibited exceptional dedication 
to service:

The Executive Leadership Team 
(ELT), Pasadena City Council, 
and Emergency Operations 
Center (EOC) remained fully 
staffed and was the hub for all 
coordination during the storm.

Pasadena Parks, Recreation 
and Community Department 
(PRCS) activated the 
Emergency Shelter at Villa Parke 
Community Center, where they 
hosted 78 unhoused individuals. 
People were offered medical 
assessments by Pasadena 
Public Health Department, 
clean clothing, warm 
showers, nourishing meals, 
and caseworkers to address 
transitional needs as the shelter’s 
operations conclude today.

Pasadena Department of 
Transportation (DOT) 
scheduled bus rides to the 
Emergency Shelter at three 
Pasadena locations which 
included Jackie Robinson 
Community Center, Central 
Park, and Trader Joe’s on 
Rosemead.

Pasadena Fire Department 
responded to 90 emergency 
calls, addressing alarms, medical 
aid requests, and incidents 
involving fallen trees. Fire 
Stations 37 and 38 distributed 
sandbags to Pasadena residents.

Pasadena Water and Power 
(PWP) crews responded to 
localized power outages caused 
by fallen trees and downed power 
lines. Crews swiftly responded 
and were able to safely restore 
service to all customers. During 
the storm, PWP Water service 
was not interrupted.

Pasadena Public Works 
Department swiftly responded 
to 9 incidents on Sunday, August 
20, involving fallen tree limbs. 
The department anticipates 
closer to 60 incidents by the end 
of the day on Monday, August 
21. Street crews are diligently 
patrolling areas susceptible to 
rock slides, ensuring roadways 
remained safe for travel. Trash 
and bulky item pick-ups 
occurred as normal on Monday, 
August 21.

The Pasadena Customer 
Service Center (CSC) efficiently 
managed 200 inquiries over 
24 hours, addressing power 
outages, tree-related issues, and 
other concerns. To report fallen 
trees, please submit a request at 
CityOfPasadena.net/Citizen-
Service-Center or call (626) 744-
7311. 

Pasadena Police Department 
received 830 total calls which 
include 911 emergency calls 
and non-emergency calls from 
Sunday, August 20 to Monday, 
August 21.

The City will continue to assess 
the aftermath of the storm’s 
impact.

 Principal POPS Conductor 
Michael Feinstein and the 
Pasadena POPS close the 
summer season with Hollywood 
Blockbusters on Saturday, 
September 9 at the Los Angeles 
County Arboretum. Feinstein 
has curated a celebration of 
songs that made Hollywood 
a hit parade with music by 
beloved film composers 
from Henry Mancini to John 
Williams. Highlights include 
music from 42nd Street, To Kill 
a Mockingbird, Breakfast at 
Tiffany’s, Pink Panther, E.T. and 
so much more.

 Feinstein will welcome a 
star-studded lineup to sing the 
hits of Hollywood, with two-
time Tony Award® winner, 
Broadway and TV legend 
Christine Ebersole returning 
to the POPS stage. Best known 
for her acclaimed roles in Grey 
Gardens and 42nd Street, 
Ebersole brings her formidable 
talent to sing Hollywood’s 
biggest hits. The multi-talented, 

 Grammy-nominated 
Cheyenne Jackson also returns 
to the POPS to show off his 
staggering vocal range. Most 
recently seen on The Masked 
Singer, Fox’s Call Me Kat, and as 
Hades in Disney’s Descendants 
3, Cheyenne has also starred in 
the critically-acclaimed HBO 
biopic of Liberace, Behind 
the Candelabra, and appeared 
in Glee and 30 Rock among 
others.

 The Arboretum is located 
at 301 North Baldwin Ave., 
Arcadia. 

 Single tickets starting at $30. 
Single tickets are on sale now 
are available by calling the box 
office at (626) 793-7172, online 
at PasadenaSymphony-Pops.
org or at the Arboretum on 
concert days. 

PWP to Hold 
Project 
Community 
Meeting 

 The public is invited to join 
Pasadena Water and Power 
(“PWP”) for a Mountain 
Street Undergrounding 
Project community meeting 
on Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 
7 p.m. at Victory Park, Room 
3, 2575 Paloma Street. PWP 
is in the early planning stages 
of this project to convert 
the overhead utility wires 
underground on Mountain 
Street between Lake Avenue 
to the west and Hill Avenue to 
the east.

 PWP is currently working 
on engineering designs for 
undergrounding projects 
on Mountain Street and 
Raymond Avenue (Maple 
St. to north City limits). 
Construction is expected to 
begin in the 2025.

 At the upcoming meeting, 
engineering staff will provide 
an overview and answer 
questions. To learn more visit: 
PWPweb.com/Underground. 


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