5

ALTADENA - SOUTH PASADENA - SAN MARINO

Mountain View News Saturday, July 27, 2024

Youth Apprenticeships, 
Bringing Holden’s Bill to Life

San Marino Upcoming 
Events & Programming

Perseverance Scientists 
Find Intriguing Mars Rock

 Last week, Governor 
Newsom announced 
that the Department of 
Industrial Relations (DIR 
) awarded $31 million in 
California Opportunity 
Youth Apprenticeship 
(COYA) grants to 51 
projects across the state. 
Assemblymember Holden’s 
legislation, Assembly Bill 
2273, Paid Career Technical 
Education Internships 
sought to strengthen and 
fund Career Technical 
Education Internships to 
ensure students are given the 
opportunity to explore careers 
and enter the workforce 
with valuable experience. 
Designed to create inclusive 
and accessible opportunities 
for disadvantaged youth, 
COYA grants include specific 
criteria that achieve AB 
2273’s intended goals of 
prioritizing foster youth and 
disabled youth.

 “It takes a collective effort 
to expand opportunities for 
our youth across the state 
and that’s why I want to 
thank Governor Newsom 
for including proposed 
amendments to my 
legislation in this important 
funding project. Our young 
people will benefit greatly 
from these apprenticeships 
and because of these 
guidelines it will be harder 
for eligible young people to 
miss out.”

 DIR is summarizing the 
target population for COYA 
with the term “opportunity 
youth,” which in the context 
of this funding opportunity 
includes individuals from 
16 to 24 years of age who 
are at risk of disconnection 
or are disconnected from 
the education system or 
employment, unhoused, 
in the child welfare, 
juvenile justice, or criminal 
legal systems, living in 
concentrated poverty, or 
are facing barriers to labor 
market participation. 

National Night Out 2024 at Lacy Park

 Save the date! Join us for National Night Out 2024 on Tuesday, 
August 6, from 6-10 PM at Lacy Park! 🎉 We'll have a DJ, a Movie 
in the Park (Paw Patrol), games, and food trucks! National Night 
Out promotes positive police-community partnerships. Don't 
miss out on an unforgettable night. See you there!

City Treasurer - Volunteer Position Available

 The City of San Marino seeks to fill an opening for City Treasurer. 
The City Treasurer, in collaboration with the Finance Director, 
oversees the City’s investments and advises the City Council. 
Knowledge of the collection and accounting of municipal funds 
is essential. Interested persons should visit the City’s website or 
contact the City Clerk for additional information and application 
materials. Appointment of the position will be made by the San 
Marino City Council and is for a four (4) year term of office. San 
Marino residency is required.

 Please contact the City Clerk at (626) 300-0705 or CityClerk@
SanMarinoCA.gov for questions.

 The deadline to submit an application is September 3.

Nomination Period Opens

 The City of San Marino announces the opening of the Nomination 
Period for the City of San Marino 2024 General Municipal 
Election, which is consolidated with the County of Los Angeles 
and scheduled to be held on November 5, 2024, which will seek to 
fill two (2) Offices for Member of the City Council for a full four-
year term ending on December 13, 2028.

 The requirements for candidates for elective offices of the City 
are as follows: a United States citizen; at least 18 years of age; a 
resident of the City of San Marino for at least 30 days prior to 
filing nomination papers; and, a registered voter in the City of San 
Marino at the time of nomination. Qualifying individuals may 
contact the City Clerk's Office at (626) 300-0705, during normal 
office hours Monday through Thursday between the hours of 7:00 
AM and 5:00 PM and Friday between the hours of 7:00 AM. and 
11:00 AM.

 The Nomination Period opened on Monday, July 15, 2024, 
and closes on Friday, August 9, 2024, at 5:00 PM. For more 
information, please contact the City Clerk’s Office: (626) 300-0705 
or CityClerk@SanMarinoCA.gov or visit our elections page.

Red Cross Blood Drive

Thursday, August 1 from 11 AM – 5 PM, Barth Community Room

 Looking to help save lives? Come to the American Red Cross Blood 
Drive! Appointments are required. To schedule an appointment, 
visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code CROWELL. On 
the day of your appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass 
to complete the pre-donation reading and health history questions. 
This will streamline your experience and save up to 15 minutes! 
All donors will receive a $20 Amazon.com gift card by email.

Summer Sunset Concerts

Friday, August 2 and 16, Lacy Park

 Grab your chairs and blankets to carve out your spot in the middle 
of Lacy Park and enjoy free concerts this summer! Attendees 
are welcome to bring their own food and drink, or purchase 
concessions from a variety of food trucks. Join us on August 2 
at 6 PM for Alan Chan Jazz Orchestra and August 18 at 5:30 PM 
for a multicultural concert! The multicultural concert features: 
Kayamanan Ng Lahi - Philippine Folk Arts, Dai Qin - Lead Singer 
of Chinese Rock Band "Thin Man", and Upstream - Reggae Band. 
Registration is not required.

Happy Hour: Summer Bingo Bash

Friday, August 9 from 1 – 3 PM, San Marino Community Center

Cost: R $14 / NR $17

Get ready to shout “Bingo!” as you play rounds of exciting bingo 
with your friends! Win fabulous prizes and more with every 
winning card! We’re serving up a delicious feast of food, bingo, 
and prizes! Don’t miss out on the fun! This event is open for active 
adults ages 55+. Registration is required; no refunds.

Huntington Nurses Health Screening

Wednesday, August 14 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.

Health & Wellness Talk: Peripheral Neuropathy

Wednesday, August 14 at 1 PM, Barth Community Room

 Peripheral neuropathy is a multifaceted neurological disorder 
characterized by damage or dysfunction of the nerves outside 
the brain and spinal cord. It manifests through a diverse array 
of symptoms, including numbness, tingling, pain, and muscle 
weakness, which can significantly impact an individual’s quality 
of life. As we delve into this topic, Bhavesh Trikamji, MD will 
unravel the complexities of its causes, explore the diverse array 
of symptoms it produces, and discuss the current landscape of 
diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Join us in gaining a deeper 
understanding of peripheral neuropathy and its far-reaching 
implications on individuals’ wellbeing..

 A vein-filled rock is catching 
the eye of the science team of 
NASA’s Perseverance rover. 
Nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” by 
the team, the arrowhead-shaped 
rock contains fascinating traits 
that may bear on the question 
of whether Mars was home to 
microscopic life in the distant 
past.

 Analysis by instruments aboard 
the rover indicates the rock 
possesses qualities that fit the 
definition of a possible indicator 
of ancient life. The rock exhibits 
chemical signatures and 
structures that could possibly 
have been formed by life 
billions of years ago when the 
area being explored by the rover 
contained running water. Other 
explanations for the observed 
features are being considered 
by the science team, and future 
research steps will be required 
to determine whether ancient 
life is a valid explanation.

 The rock — the rover’s 22nd 
rock core sample — was 
collected on July 21, as the rover 
explored the northern edge of 
Neretva Vallis, an ancient river 
valley measuring a quarter-
mile (400 meters) wide that was 
carved by water rushing into 
Jezero Crater long ago.

 “We have designed the route 
for Perseverance to ensure that 
it goes to areas with the potential 
for interesting scientific 
samples,” said Nicola Fox, 
associate administrator, Science 
Mission Directorate at NASA 
Headquarters in Washington. 
“This trip through the Neretva 
Vallis riverbed paid off as we 
found something we’ve never 
seen before, which will give our 
scientists so much to study.”

 Multiple scans of Cheyava 
Falls by the rover’s SHERLOC 
(Scanning Habitable 
Environments with Raman & 
Luminescence for Organics & 
Chemicals) instrument indicate 
it contains organic compounds. 
While such carbon-based 
molecules are considered the 
building blocks of life, they also 
can be formed by non-biological 
processes.

 “Cheyava Falls is the most 
puzzling, complex, and 
potentially important rock yet 
investigated by Perseverance,” 
said Ken Farley, Perseverance 
project scientist of Caltech in 
Pasadena. “On the one hand, 
we have our first compelling 
detection of organic material, 
distinctive colorful spots 
indicative of chemical reactions 
that microbial life could use 
as an energy source, and clear 
evidence that water — necessary 
for life — once passed through 
the rock. On the other hand, we 
have been unable to determine 
exactly how the rock formed 
and to what extent nearby 
rocks may have heated Cheyava 
Falls and contributed to these 
features.”

 Other details about the rock, 
which measures 3.2 feet by 2 feet 
(1 meter by 0.6 meters) and was 
named after a Grand Canyon 
waterfall, have intrigued the 
team, as well.

How Rocks Get Their Spots

 In its search for signs of ancient 
microbial life, the Perseverance 
mission has focused on rocks 
that may have been created 
or modified long ago by the 
presence of water. That’s why 
the team homed in on Cheyava 
Falls.

“This is the kind of key 
observation that SHERLOC 
was built for — to seek organic 
matter as it is an essential 
component of a search for 
past life,” said SHERLOC’s 
principal investigator Kevin 
Hand of NASA’s Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory in Southern 
California, which manages the 
mission.

 Running the length of the rock 
are large white calcium sulfate 
veins. Between those veins are 
bands of material whose reddish 
color suggests the presence of 
hematite, one of the minerals 
that gives Mars its distinctive 
rusty hue.

 When Perseverance took a 
closer look at these red regions, 
it found dozens of irregularly 
shaped, millimeter-size off-
white splotches, each ringed 
with black material, akin to 
leopard spots. Perseverance’s 
PIXL (Planetary Instrument 
for X-ray Lithochemistry) 
instrument has determined 
these black halos contain both 
iron and phosphate.

 “These spots are a big surprise,” 
said David Flannery, an 
astrobiologist and member of 
the Perseverance science team 
from the Queensland University 
of Technology in Australia. “On 
Earth, these types of features in 
rocks are often associated with 
the fossilized record of microbes 
living in the subsurface.”

 Spotting of this type on 
sedimentary terrestrial rocks 
can occur when chemical 
reactions involving hematite 
turn the rock from red to white. 
Those reactions can also release 
iron and phosphate, possibly 
causing the black halos to form. 
Reactions of this type can be 
an energy source for microbes, 
explaining the association 
between such features and 
microbes in a terrestrial setting.

 In one scenario the 
Perseverance science team is 
considering, Cheyava Falls was 
initially deposited as mud with 
organic compounds mixed in 
that eventually cemented into 
rock. Later, a second episode 
of fluid flow penetrated fissures 
in the rock, enabling mineral 
deposits that created the large 
white calcium sulfate veins seen 
today and resulting in the spots.

Another Puzzle Piece

 While both the organic matter 
and the leopard spots are of 
great interest, they aren’t the 
only aspects of the Cheyava 
Falls rock confounding the 
science team. They were 
surprised to find that these 
veins are filled with millimeter-
size crystals of olivine, a mineral 
that forms from magma. The 
olivine might be related to rocks 
that were formed farther up the 
rim of the river valley and that 
may have been produced by 
crystallization of magma.

 If so, the team has another 
question to answer: Could 
the olivine and sulfate have 
been introduced to the 
rock at uninhabitably high 
temperatures, creating an 
abiotic chemical reaction that 
resulted in the leopard spots?

 “We have zapped that rock with 
lasers and X-rays and imaged it 
literally day and night from just 
about every angle imaginable,” 
said Farley. “Scientifically, 
Perseverance has nothing more 
to give. To fully understand 
what really happened in that 
Martian river valley at Jezero 
Crater billions of years ago, 
we’d want to bring the Cheyava 
Falls sample back to Earth, 
so it can be studied with the 
powerful instruments available 
in laboratories.”

More Mission Information

A key objective of Perseverance’s 
mission on Mars is astrobiology, 
including caching samples that 
may contain signs of ancient 
microbial life. The rover will 
characterize the planet’s geology 
and past climate, to help pave 
the way for human exploration 
of the Red Planet and as the first 
mission to collect and cache 
Martian rock and regolith.

 The Jet Propulsion Laboratory 
built and manages operations 
of the Perseverance rover. For 
more about Perseverance visit: 
science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-
2020-perseverance

 The six-wheeled geologist 
found a fascinating rock 
that has some indications it 
may have hosted microbial 
life billions of years ago, 
but further research is 
needed.

L.A. County Supervisors 
Approve Ethics Commission

 The Los Angeles County 
Board of Supervisors 
unanimously approved a 
motion Tuesday, introduced 
by Supervisor Kathryn 
Barger and co-authored by 
Chair Lindsey P. Horvath 
that directs the creation 
of an independent Ethics 
Commission and ethics 
reform measures to improve 
transparency and create 
greater oversight in County 
government.

 The motion gives the 
County’s legal team 30 days 
to report back on a plan to 
create an Independent Ethics 
Commission, an Office of 
Ethics Compliance with an 
Ethics Compliance Officer, 
and an enhanced cooling off 
period for former County 
officials to lobby the County. 

 “Our Board has engaged 
in a lot of discussion about 
reforming Los Angeles 
County governance, 
including strengthening 
ethical checks and balances,” 
said Supervisor Kathryn 
Barger. “We don’t need to 
wait until November to 
enact ethics reforms. This is 
an opportunity to walk-the-
talk by committing ourselves 
and our resources to further 
cultivating a culture of 
integrity and responsibility 
now.” 

 “Creating, funding, and 
empowering an Independent 
Ethics Commission for 
Los Angeles County is 
necessary and the right thing 
to do,” said Chair Lindsey 
P. Horvath. “Through this 
motion – and with input 
from community voices – 
we will lay the groundwork 
for the Commission, while 
working towards putting to 
voters a charter amendment 
to ensure the Commission 
cannot be undone without a 
vote of the people.” 

 The motion calls for 
increased independent 
oversight and authority over 
ethical conduct, County 
contracts, lobbying, financial 
disclosures, conflicts of 
interest, and campaign 
finance laws, among other 
things. It also supports the 
implementation of data 
portals to make lobbying 
information and campaign 
contributions easily 
accessible to the public. 

 For more information visit: 
lacounty.gov.

South Pas 2024-2025 Camp 
Med After School Program

 The South Pasadena 
Community Services 
Department announced this 
week that Camp Med After 
School Program is back for 
another year.

 The program will be offered 
Monday through Thursday 
from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 
and Friday from 1:00 p.m. 
to 6:00 p.m. at Orange 
Grove Park beginning 
on August 14, 2024 and 
running through May 30, 
2025. Participants must be 
in 1st through 5th grade and 
attend either Arroyo Vista, 
Marengo, or Monterey Hills 
Elementary Schools in order 
to be picked up after school. 
Camp Med After School 
Program offers an enjoyable 
and safe environment where 
youth can enjoy recreational 
activities ranging from 
sports, arts and crafts, games, 
reading, homework time, 
and more.

 Registration for South 
Pasadena Unified School 
District students is now 
open. A completed 
application and payment 
for each participant’s first 
month of Camp Med After 
School Program is due at 
registration. All applications 
must be turned into the 
Recreation Division, 
located at 815 Mission 
Street, South Pasadena, 
or emailed to recreation@
southpasadenaca.gov.

 To view and download 
an application and Parent 
Handbook, please visit: 
southpasadenaca.gov/
campmed.

 For more information, please 
contact the Community 
Services Department at (626) 
403-7380 


Celebrate National Night Out 

 Join the Pasadena Library 
for Linda Vista’s first 
National Night Out Tuesday, 
Aug. 6 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 
on Bryant St. between Linda 
Vista and Ontario Avenues. 
Celebrate with neighbors, 
police, fire, and more. Enjoy 
free entertainment as we 
build a stronger community. 
Everyone is welcome. 

 Linda Vista Branch Library 
is located 1281 Bryant St, 
Pasadena.

 
For more information vist: 
cityofpasadena.net/library or 
call (626) 744-7278 


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