Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 9, 2023

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Mountain View News Saturday, December 9, 2023 

 
Director of Libraries and 
Information Services, Tim 
McDonald, announced 
Thursday that the city of 
Pasadena and the Gruen 
Associates design team are 
hosting a community meeting 
to present the progress of the 
Pasadena Central Library 
Earthquake Retrofit and 
Repair Project on Wednesday 
at 6:00 p.m. at thr Pasadena 
High School Auditorium. 
According to McDonald, the 
city is seeking public input to 
ensure that the community’s 
needs and preferences are 
heard and considered and 
that the library continues to 
serve the current and future 
needs of all our community. 
This community meeting 
will offer residents an update 
on the Pasadena Central 
Library’s earthquake retrofit 
and building repair project. 
Gruen Associates’ design 
team will present the progress 
of the schematic design with 
special emphasis on public 
use of the library, including 
the circulation and main 
hall, work rooms, teen room, 
innovation lab, and studio. 
The meeting will conclude 
with a call for comments from 
the public on the proposed 
programming and services 
they envision for Central 
Library. City of Pasadena 
staff will provide translation 
for attendees by request in 
Armenian, Mandarin, and 
Spanish. The presentation and 
meeting will be recorded by 
Pasadena Media and posted 
following the meeting. 
On August 21 the Pasadena 
City Council approved 
the concrete shear wall 
earthquake retrofit approach 
and directed Gruen 
Associates to proceed with the 
development of the schematic 
design of the project. The final 
cost of the Pasadena Central 
Library Earthquake Retrofit 
and Building Repair Project 
is pending. The city has 
already received $ 9 million 
from the State of California 
this past year to begin the 
process and will continue to 
identify additional sources 
of funding such as state and 
federal grants, philanthropic 
and non-profit organization 
support, and general and 
capital improvement funds. 
Pending appropriation 
of funds, construction is 
anticipated to begin in 
Summer 2025 and last 
approximately 30 to 36 
months. 
The Pasadena High School 
Auditorium is located at 2925 
E. Sierra Madre Blvd. 
For more information about 
the Pasadena Central Library 
Retrofit and Repair Project 
visit: CityOfPasadena.net/
Library. 
Pasadena city officials 
announced Wednesday that 
a public scoping meeting, to 
share information regarding 
the Arroyo Seco Water Reuse 
Project, is set to be held 6-8 
p.m. on Thursday at La Casita 
Del Arroyo, 177 S. Arroyo 
Blvd,. 
The Cities of Pasadena 
and South Pasadena have 
partnered to implement a set 
of design strategies that will 
result in improving the water 
quality in the Arroyo Seco 
Channel. The project includes 
two locations: Lower Arroyo 
Seco southwest of the San 
Rafael Avenue overpass of the 
Arroyo Seco Channel at the 
southern border of the City 
of Pasadena; and San Pascual 
Site: Lower Arroyo Seco 
southeast of the San Pascual 
Avenue overpass of the Arroyo 
Seco Channel between the 
channel and Stoney Drive in 
the Cities of South Pasadena 
and Los Angeles. 
The meeting discussion 
will focus on the California 
Environmental Quality 
Act (CEQA) requirement 
for evaluating the possible 
environmental impacts this 
project may have regarding 
topics such as traffic, noise, 
pollution, biological resources, 
air emissions, etc. 
The environmental consultant 
will prepare a 15-20 minute 
presentation on the CEQA 
process and its requirements 
and then we will have outreach 
information on display 
from previous community 
meetings. 
The Initial Study/Mitigated 
Negative Declaration 
environmental document has 
been released for public review 
and the City of Pasadena 
Department of Public Works 
will be accepting written 
comments through 5 p.m. on 
January 15. 
To learn more about the 
project, visit the website: Bit.
ly/ASWRProject 
To view the environmental 
documents, visit the website: 
Cityofpasadena.net/
Planning/Arroyo-Seco-Water-
Reuse-Project/
Arroyo Seco 
Water Reuse 
Meeting 
The Homeless Count sets in 
motion a year full of education, 
engagement & action for the 
Pasadena Partnership. Each year, 
volunteers help count people 
experiencing homelessness 
living on the streets of Pasadena 
during one night in the last ten 
days of January. 
Volunteers will be sent in teams 
of 3-4 to an assigned zone on the 
night of January 23 (8:00 p.m.- 
10:00 p.m.) and the morning of 
January 24 (6:00 a.m.- 8:00 a.m.) 
to help count and administer 
a survey to our neighbors 
experiencing homelessness. The 
same teams go out together in 
the evening and the morning. 
Volunteers should be 18+ and 
are asked to attend an online 
orientation to prepare for the 
Count on January 16, 2024. The 
volunteer registration deadline is 
January 5, 2024. 
The annual homeless count 
helps inform the state of 
homelessness in Pasadena, helps 
advocate for vital community 
resources and engages directly 
with our neighbors experiencing 
homelessness. This year we will 
assemble cold weather kits to 
hand out during the survey. 
Volunteer registration is now 
open and will remain open until 
January 5th. All volunteers can 
sign up at: pasadenapartnership.
org. 
Volunteers are the backbone of 
ensuring the Count is a success 
and is carried out effectively and 
comprehensively. 
For questions, contact: info@
pasadenapartnership.org.
Volunteer for the January 
Pasadena Homeless CountCentral Library Retrofit Update Meeting 
The City of San Marino and the 
San Marino Fire Department 
invites the public to join us at 
a badge pinning ceremony for 
Jeff Tsay in recognition of his 
promotion to Fire Captain. The 
ceremony will be held at the San 
Marino Fire Department on 
Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. 
Light refreshments will follow. 
The department serves the 
community of approximately 
14,500 people and a square mile 
area of 3.75 miles. 
In addition to emergency 
services, the San Marino Fire 
Department also provides 
fire prevention services, life 
safety inspections, community 
education, and emergency 
preparedness. 
San Marino Fire Department is 
located 2200 Huntington Dr. 
For more information visit: 
cityofsanmarino.org or call 
(626) 289-5426.
Ceremony for San Marino 
Fire Captain Jeffrey Tsay 
The Los Angeles County 
Board of Supervisors 
unanimously approved a 
motion last week, introduced 
by Supervisor Kathryn 
Barger, to honor the legacy 
of pioneering artist and 
Altadena resident Charles 
White. 
The motion directs the 
County’s Department of 
Arts and Culture to contract 
the artist’s son, Ian White, to 
design and create civic art 
that will be displayed at the 
soon to be renovated Charles 
White Park. 
“I’m proud our County will 
tangibly honor the life and 
work of Charles White,” said 
Supervisor Kathryn Barger. 
“He was a true master of his 
craft and a visionary for what 
is possible when art, social 
commentary, advocacy, and 
community come together. 
He has undoubtedly 
influenced generations of 
artists. I look forward to 
his talented son creating 
something special in his 
memory. It’s exciting to see 
his legacy continue.” 
Born in 1918, Charles 
White is renowned for 
highlighting African 
American related subjects 
in paintings, drawings, 
lithographs, and murals. He 
was a distinguished professor 
at several institutions of 
higher education, including 
Dillard University, George 
Washington Carver School 
in New York, and the Otis 
Art Institute in Los Angeles. 
His work is included in 
the permanent collections 
of the Los Angeles County 
Museum of Art, the Art 
Institute of Chicago, and 
The Metropolitan Museum 
of Art, among others. Mr. 
White lived in Altadena in 
his later years and his son 
is actively involved in the 
community today. 
The County’s Civic Art 
Policy – first adopted by the 
Los Angeles County Board 
of Supervisors in 2004 – 
will fund this $100,000 
project. The policy has 
created a special public fund 
to create civic artworks in 
unincorporated areas of the 
County.
Supervisors Honor Pioneering 
Altadena Artist Charles White 
Los Angeles County 
Supervisor Kathryn Barger 
announced Tuesday that 
she introduced a motion 
to extend a $25,000 reward 
for information leading to 
the arrest and conviction of 
the persons responsible for 
the murder of 27-year-old 
Ernesto Jimenez (pictured) 
in Pasadena. 
Affectionately called 
“Big Ernesto” by the local 
community, Mr. Jimenez 
was shot while walking to 
Villa Park on November 
13, 2020. He often played 
music at the park and 
was known for his caring 
nature. He was not a gang 
member and had no gang 
affiliations. 
“More than three years 
have passed since Ernesto’s 
life violently ended while 
he was simply just strolling 
to his neighborhood park,” 
said Supervisor Kathryn 
Barger. “I’m hopeful that 
this reward will lead to 
someone stepping forward 
to provide a critical tip or bit 
of information to help solve 
this case. Ernesto’s family 
is heartbroken. They and 
the Pasadena community 
at large deserve answers, 
justice, and closure.” 
“We are not going to let 
a coward violate the safety 
and security of our city,” 
Pasadena Mayor Victor 
Gordo said. “We owe it 
to the family to find the 
person(s) responsible. I 
thank Supervisor Barger 
for never forgetting our 
local families who deserve 
closure.” 
Anyone with information 
about this case can 
anonymously contact the 
Los Angeles Regional 
Crime Stoppers Hotline at 
1(800) 222-TIPS (8477) 
Reward 
Extended 
for Unsolved 
Murder inPasadena 
The Pasadena Hastings 
Branch Library is set to 
provide free health screening 
December 20 at 10 a.m. 
Registered nurses from 
Huntington Health provide 
free blood pressure and 
blood glucose screenings for 
hypertension and diabetes, 
referrals and health education. 
A two-hour (minimum) 
fasting time is required before 
blood glucose testing. No 
appointment necessary. 
Hastings Branch Library is 
located 3325 E Orange Grove 
Blvd. 
For more information visit: 
cityofpasadena.net/library.
Pasadena 
Library 
Free Health 
Screening 
Pasadena Playhouse announced 
Tuesday the casting for the 
world premiere of Grumpy 
Monkey, The Musical from 
February 3 through March 3, 
commissioned by the Playhouse, 
and based on the book Grumpy 
Monkey by Suzanne and Max 
Lang. This is the first full 
production of the Playhouse’s 
newly announced you and 
family programming initiative. 
The production will feature 
Hao Feng (Lifetime’s Twisted 
Little Lies) as Jim Panzee, Marc 
Ginsburg (Ragtime at Pasadena 
Playhouse) as Norman, Kay 
Sibal (Spring Awakening at East 
West Players) as Snake, Ciarra 
Stroud (Grease at Drury Lane 
Theatre) as Marabou, Frankie 
Zabilka (Newsies at 5-Star 
Theatricals) as Lemur, and 
Danny Holmberg (She Loves 
Me at Conundrum Theatre 
Company) as Understudy. 
Grumpy Monkey, The Musical 
is adapted and directed by Nina 
Meehan, with music and lyrics 
by Daniel Mertzlufft and Jacob 
Ryan Smith. 
Suzanne Lang is the author of 
the New York Times bestselling 
Grumpy Monkey, as well as 
several other titles. When 
Suzanne is not working on 
books, she writes and produces 
children’s television. 
Max Lang is an animation 
director, storyboard artist, 
character designer, and 
illustrator. He co-directed the 
film adaptation of the picture 
book The Gruffalo, which 
was nominated for an Oscar 
Award and a BAFTA Award, 
as well as the Oscar-nominated 
adaptation of the picture book 
Room on the Broom, which 
has won numerous awards, 
including the Cristal for Best 
TV Production at the Annecy 
International Animation Film 
Festival. 
This production will be 
presented at Porticos Art Space, 
located at 2033 E. Washington 
Blvd. Tickets are available at 
pasadenaplayhouse.org, by 
phone at 626-356-7529, and 
at the box office at 39 South El 
Molino Avenue,
Playhouse World Premiere of 
Grumpy Monkey, The Musical
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