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Mountain Views News Saturday, June 22, 2024

Pasadena 
Reinforces 
All Fireworks 

Are Illegal


City of Pasadena Proclaims 
Today Octavia E. Butler Day

 
Director of Libraries, and 
Information Services, Tim 
McDonald, announced that 
the City of Pasadena has 
proclaimed today, June 22, 
as Octavia E. Butler Day in 
honor of the Pasadena native 
and noted American science 
fiction author. 

 According to McDonald, 
Butler grew up in the La 
Pintoresca neighborhood at 
a time when segregation and 
oppression of Black people 
was the norm all across 
America. Her father died 
when she was very young. 
Her mother and grandmother 
worked together to raise her. 
Her mother worked as a 
maid and would sometimes 
drop young Butler off at the 
Central Library downtown 
on her way to work, where 
Butler would sit and read to 
her heart’s content. As she got 
older, she would frequent the 
La Pintoresca Branch Library 
and walk there on her own 
after attending Washington 
Jr. High School.

 Extremely shy as a child, 
Butler found an outlet at 
Pasadena’s public libraries, 
reading fantasy and writing. 
She began writing science 
fiction as a teenager and 
would read books about 
horses, draw horses, and 
read books by Charles 
Dickens. She may have 
found characters in Dickens 
that she could relate to more 
easily than to her classmates 
at school--characters who 
had lost parents, who had 
to grow up poor, and who 
felt like outcasts. Butler 
never felt like she belonged, 
being so tall and so shy, and 
coming from such a humble 
background. But in books, 
she could ride, escape, and go 
on adventures. Books were 
her wealth.

 Butler was very fortunate 
and wealthy in this one 
aspect: she grew up in a city 
full of libraries. Unlike most 
cities, Pasadena decided 
long ago that every resident 
should live within walking 
distance from a library. Our 
city upheld that promise 
decade after decade by 
passing library services 
measures to keep Central 
Library and the branch 
libraries open. The Central 
Library, in particular, holds 
a special place in Pasadena’s 
history and in Butler’s life. 
As the city’s largest and 
most comprehensive library, 
it served as a sanctuary for 
many residents, including 
Butler, offering a vast array 
of resources and a quiet place 
to think and create. Butler 
herself spoke warmly in a 
2005 TV interview about the 
commitment shown by the 
City of Pasadena residents 
since the 1990s to renew 
these measures and fund 
the services and operations 
of libraries. This City, its 
taxpayers, and residents, 
gave Butler the opportunity 
to have a safe place to walk to 
after school to read and write 
daily and fulfill her dream to 
become a writer.

 And we, in return, have 
been changed by her. Her 
books are in all of Pasadena’s 
libraries now and in libraries 
and bookstores all over the 
country and the world. Butler 
blazed new trails and showed 
future generations that they 
could indeed be writers. She 
worked hard every day, rising 
at 2:00 a.m. each morning to 
write, to polish her craft and 
become a great writer. And 
by succeeding, she changed 
the publishing industry, 
getting them to pay more 
attention to diverse voices. 
And she changed libraries 
everywhere by making their 
collections more inclusive, 
more diverse.

 She sold her first stories, and 
by the late 1970s had become 
sufficiently successful as an 
author to be able to write full-
time. Her books and short 
stories drew the favorable 
attention of the public, and 
awards soon followed. Her 
book, Kindred was selected 
as Pasadena’s 2006 One 
City, One Story. Butler was 
a multiple recipient of the 
Hugo and Nebula awards. 
In 1995, she became the 
first science-fiction writer 
to receive a MacArthur 
Fellowship.

 She also taught writers’ 
workshops, and spoke about 
her experiences as an African 
American, using such 
themes in science fiction. 
Butler eventually relocated 
to Washington and died 
of a stroke at the age of 58. 
Her papers are held in the 
research collection of the 
Huntington Library.

 
Fireworks are illegal in 
Pasadena and the city 
maintains a zero-tolerance 
enforcement policy for 
fireworks, and Pasadena’s 
municipal code holds 
property owners and 
tenants responsible for 
permitting the possession, 
sale, usage, or discharge of 
fireworks on their property. 

 The ordinance allows 
for the prosecution of 
fireworks-related offenses 
and for the demand of 
payment for all costs 
associated with the safe 
disposal of confiscated 
fireworks. Any person who 
violates the ordinance or 
any state law regarding 
fireworks is subject to arrest 
and prosecution. 

 Most violations are 
misdemeanors that can 
lead to up to one year in the 
county jail and a fine of up 
to $1,000. Some violations, 
based on the amount of 
fireworks possessed, are 
felonies that can lead up to 
three years in state prison 
and a fine of up to $50,000.

 Pasadena police and 
firefighters are teaming 
up for special fireworks 
enforcement patrols before 
and during the Fourth of 
July holiday, and officers 
will seize fireworks in an 
effort to protect the public. 
Parking enforcement 
officers will ensure that 
vehicles illegally parked in 
Pasadena’s hillside areas on 
July 4 are impounded.

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad 
Augustin and Police Chief 
Gene Harris urge everyone 
to prioritize safety while 
responsibly celebrating our 
Great Nation’s Birthday. 
The city offers the following 
safety reminders:

- Pasadena has a “NO 
Fireworks, Zero Tolerance 
Policy” for enforcement.

- Celebrate responsibility, 
always designate a driver.

- If outdoors, remember 
to use sunscreen, wear a 
brimmed hat for shade and 
stay hydrated.

- Always have someone 
tending the barbecue and 
watching the swimming 
pool when in use.

- Call 9-1-1 for all life-
threatening emergencies.

 Call Pasadena Police 
Department at (626) 744-
4241 to report illegal 
fireworks and other 
suspicious activities.

 Note: America Fest will 
not happen this year. The 
Rose Bowl Stadium will be 
hosting a soccer game on 
July 4. Only ticket holders 
will be permitted to park in 
the area, and parking will 
be strictly enforced around 
the stadium.

Police Military Equipment Meeting Changed 

 Pasadena Police Department 
officials announced Tuesday 
that they rescheduled and 
relocated a public meeting, 
originally set for last 
Wednesday, to review their 
2023 Military Equipment 
Report in accordance with 
state law. 

 The new meeting will now 
be held Tuesday, July 16, at 
6:30 p.m., and it will take 
place at the Washington Park 
Community House. 

 According to officials, in 
compliance with AB 481, the 
Pasadena Police Department 
will submit their annual 
report on the use of military 
equipment, any comments, 
concerns, remarks, input, or 
feedback regarding the use 
of the equipment, results 
of any internal audits on 
the use of the equipment, 
the annual costs for the 
equipment, the quantity 
possessed by the agency and 
the intention to purchase 
additional equipment in the 
next fiscal year. In addition, 
within 30 days of submitting 
and publicly releasing the 
report, a well-publicized and 
community engagement 
meeting must be held to allow 
for public comments.

 Persons wishing to comment 
on the proposed report may 
do so at the public hearing 
or by submitting a written 
statement prior to the public 
hearing to the Pasadena Police 
Department, Attn: Military 
Equipment Use Coordinator 
– Lt. Monica Cuellar, 207 N. 
Garfield Avenue, Pasadena, 
Ca. 91101 or on the Pasadena 
Police Department website at: 
cityofpasadena.net/police.

 The Washington Park 
Community House is located 
at 700 E. Washington Blvd.

 For further information, 
contact Lieutenant Monica 
Cuellar at (626) 744-7875 
or email at mcuellar@
cityofpasadena.net

Fourth of July 
Celebration 
at Pasadena 
Senior Center 

City Council Approves Two 
New Clean Energy Projects

 Happy birthday, America! 
Amber waves of grain and 
purple mountain majesties 
will be on everyone’s minds 
Thursday, July 4, from 1 to 
3 p.m. when the Pasadena 
Senior Center, 85 E. Holly 
St., presents the annual 
Fourth of July luncheon and 
dance.

 The Scott Pavilion will 
be adorned with red, 
white and blue décor 
as everyone celebrates 
America’s independence 
with a sumptuous lunch 
prepared by Neighborhood 
Survants, a local nonprofit 
organization that offers 
youths and community 
leaders empowerment 
workshops and other 
services.

 The Great American Swing 
Band will provide music for 
listening, dancing and toe-
tapping0 to complement this 
celebration of our nation’s 
independence, including 
patriotic tunes, the Big Band 
era, R&B, swing, jazz and 
more.

 The cost is only $15 
for members and $20 
for nonmembers of all 
ages. To register or for 
more information, visit: 
pasadenaseniorcenter.org 
and click on Activities & 
Events, then Special Events 
or call 626-795-4331. Be 
sure to register early because 
tickets will not be available 
at the door.

 The Pasadena Senior 
Center’s mission is to 
improve the lives of older 
adults through caring 
service with opportunities 
for social interaction, 
fitness programs, basic 
support and needs services, 
education, volunteerism and 
community activism.

 To learn more, visit: 
pasadenaseniorcenter.org 

 


 As part of its ongoing 
transition to carbon-free 
electricity, the Pasadena City 
Council, on Monday night, 
approved plans for two, 
new energy contracts: a 10-
year wind power contract 
with CalWind Resources, 
Incorporated (CalWind) 
and a Battery Energy 
Storage System (BESS) at the 
Glenarm Power Plant. These 
efforts will diversify Pasadena 
Water and Power’s (PWP) 
energy resource portfolio 
and contribute to the City’s 
progress toward 100 percent 
carbon-free energy sources 
by the end of 2030.

New CalWind Contract

 The CalWind contract will 
provide 20 megawatts (MW) 
of wind power over 10 years. 
The project will draw from a 
30 MW facility, in Tehachapi, 
CA, which is currently 
undergoing a repowering 
to modernize the existing 
wind turbine fleet. Pasadena 
currently holds a short-term 
CalWind contract and will 
begin receiving power from 
the new, 10-year agreement 
in May 2025.

 “This wind energy agreement 
is another significant step 
toward achieving our clean 
energy goals,” said David M. 
Reyes, PWP Acting General 
Manager. “We are excited 
to expand our carbon-free 
resource portfolio and are 
committed to ensuring our 
customers enjoy the benefits 
of a clean energy future.”

Purchase of Battery Storage at 
Glenarm Power Plant

 The recently approved BESS 
project at Pasadena’s Glenarm 
Power Plant will be the first, 
local utility-scale battery 
storage system in the city. 
The project will provide 25 
MW of dispatchable storage 
capacity up to four hours at 
a time from Glenarm BESS, 
LLC, a special purpose entity 
created by EPC Energy Inc. 
The battery is anticipated 
to have a 15-year minimum 
lifespan.

 “The battery storage 
installation will allow us to 
store excess solar energy on 
the grid and use it during 
peak demand, which will also 
help provide local reliability 
to our distribution system,” 
said Kelly Nguyen, PWP 
Assistant General Manager of 
Power Supply.

 To help offset the battery 
and installation costs, PWP 
secured a $9.6 million grant 
from the California Energy 
Commission through the 
Distributed Electricity 
Backup Assets Program. PWP 
expects the BESS project to be 
completed and operational by 
2027.

 For more information visit: 
cityofpasadena.net.

 
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Founded February 23, 1907 – “Living the Volunteer Life” in Friendship 
8:00 - 10:00 am Before Parade Starts! 
Free Coffee, Juice, Pastries 
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Clean, Gently Used Donations Accepted 8 – 11 a, M-F after 7/5 
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Hooray for the 
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