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Mountain View News Saturday, September 28, 2024

Pasadena 
Recognizes 
PWP Public 
Power Week


Latino Heritage Parade 
set for Next Saturday

 


 City officials are inviting the 
public to celebrate the 26th 
Annual Pasadena Latino 
Heritage Parade and Festival 
on October 5 from 10 a.m. to 
4 p.m.

 According to the Pasadena 
Latino Heritage Parade and 
Festival Committee officials, 
the parade and festival 
have long celebrated Latino 
history and culture, fulfilling 
their mission to promote 
educational and cultural 
programs for residents of 
Pasadena and surrounding 
cities. This year’s theme, “We 
Are Pasadena: We Continue 
to Flourish,” shines a light 
on a Latino community 
that is not only growing and 
thriving but also honoring 
its roots while enriching the 
broader tapestry of our city 
and nation. The event brings 
together family, friends, 
warmth, and tradition, 
enhancing the community 
with its rich cultural 
offerings.

 More than 2,000 participants 
and spectators are expected 
to attend the parade and 
festival. The parade will 
begin at the intersection 
of Los Robles Avenue and 
Buckeye Street, heading 
south on Los Robles Avenue 
and culminating in front of 
City Hall at 100 N. Garfield 
Ave. Following the parade, 
the festival will feature live 
entertainment, educational 
booths, free children’s 
activities, and food vendors.

 “Pasadena’s Latino Heritage 
Parade and Festival is a proud 
tradition that not only honors 
the contributions of our 
vibrant Latino community 
but also celebrates the 
strength, diversity, and unity 
of our city. This year’s theme, 
‘Somos Pasadena: Seguimos 
Floreciendo,’ reflects the 
resilience and growth of our 
community as we continue 
to build a future rooted in 
shared values, culture, and 
history.

 This year’s Grand Marshals 
are Martín Dorado, an 
educator and beloved teacher 
at Madison Elementary 
School, and inspirational 
NASA astronaut José M. 
Hernández, a mission 
specialist on STS-128.

 Martín Dorado, a 5th-
grade teacher at Madison 
Elementary, is in his ninth 
year with the Pasadena 
Unified School District. 
Madison Elementary, a 
vital part of the Pasadena 
community, serves perhaps 
the largest number of Latino 
bilingual learners in the city. 
As a public educator, Dorado 
is dedicated to encouraging 
and mentoring his students, 
helping them grow into 
the individuals they aspire 
to be. He understands the 
importance of culture and 
identity in the classroom, 
fostering the expression of 
his students’ diverse cultural 
backgrounds. As a Mexican-
American, he is proud of his 
Zacatecano heritage.

 NASA engineer José 
M. Hernández dreamed 
of flying into space ever 
since he learned that the 
first Hispanic-American 
had been selected for the 
Astronaut Corps. “I was 
hoeing a row of sugar beets 
in a field near Stockton, 
California, when I heard 
on my transistor radio that 
Franklin Chang-Díaz had 
been chosen as an astronaut,” 
Hernández recalls. “I was 
already interested in science 
and engineering, but that 
moment solidified my dream 
of becoming an astronaut.” 
Years of hard work paid 
off when Hernández was 
selected to train as a mission 
specialist with the 2004 
astronaut candidate class. 
In 2006, José completed 
Astronaut Candidate 
Training and in 2009, he was 
a mission specialist on the 
STS-128 mission on board 
the Space Shuttle, Discovery.

 “We’re thrilled to celebrate 
the 26th annual Latino 
Heritage Parade and Festival. 
Grab a lawn chair and invite 
your family, friends, and 
neighbors to join us for this 
spectacular celebration,” said 
Koko Panossian, Director of 
Pasadena’s Parks, Recreation, 
and Community Services 
Department.

 For more information call 
(626) 744-6530.

 City officials announced 
Thursday that the first week 
of October is nationally 
recognized as Public Power 
Week. Pasadena Water and 
Power (PWP), along with 
the American Public Power 
Association (APPA) and 
publicly owned utilities 
(POUs) nationwide, will 
celebrate Public Power 
Week from October 6 
though October 12.

 Public Power Week 
is a time for utilities to 
spotlight the way they 
serve their communities 
and share the benefits of 
being a POU customer. 
As a not-for-profit public 
service, PWP operates for 
the benefit of Pasadena’s 
residents, businesses and 
visitors. PWP prioritizes 
reliability, responsiveness 
to customers, competitive 
rates and environmental 
stewardship.

 The community is invited 
to attend family-friendly 
activities and opportunities:

- Resource Booth Power 
Hour

Tuesday, October 8, 11:30 
a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Victory Park Recreation 
Center, 2575 Paloma Street

Learn all about helpful 
rebates, programs and 
resources.

- Storytime and Touch-a-
Truck with a Lineman

Tuesday, October 8, 10 – 11 
a.m.

Jefferson Branch Library, 
1500 E Villa Street

- An electric storybook 
reading from real lineman 
and an opportunity to 
see a PWP vehicle in-
person. All ages welcome. 
Recommended for ages 2 
to 4.

Electric Circuit Activity

Wednesday, October 9, 4 – 
5:30 p.m.

Lamanda Park Branch 
Library, 140 S Altadena 
Drive

Learn the basic science 
behind electrical circuits! 
All ages welcome. 
Recommended for ages 5 
to 12.

“At PWP, our team takes 
tremendous pride in the 
services we provide to the 
Pasadena community,” 
says PWP Interim General 
Manager David Reyes. 
“As a publicly owned 
utility, we care a great 
deal about helping our 
residents and businesses 
save energy and money, as 
well as providing reliable 
and environmentally 
responsible service.”

 Find out more about 
Public Power Week, 
including online resources 
by visiting us at PWPweb.
com/PublicPowerWeek.

Finalists Selected for 2025 Rose Court

 Before the final round of 
interviews Monday, the 28 
finalists for the 2025 Rose Court 
took a group photo on the front 
steps of Tournament House. 
Applicants from 49 Pasadena 
area schools participated in the 
interview process and seven of 
the finalists will be named to the 
2025 Rose Court on Monday at 
9 a.m.

 Tournament officials said 
they are excited to continue 
the treasured legacy of the 
Rose Court, whose members 
benefit by connecting with their 
communities, giving back in 
meaningful ways and bloom 
with self-confidence from 
valuable experiences they will 
carry with them for a lifetime. 
“The Tournament of Roses 
has a long-standing tradition 
of celebrating educational 
excellence and continues the 
legacy by providing each Rose 
Court member with a $7,500 
academic scholarship.”

 The Rose Court also engages in 
personal development programs 
aimed at improving their public 
speaking and presentation 
skills, building self-confidence 
and refining their etiquette. 
Members of the Rose Court are 
given numerous opportunities to 
get involved in the community, 
make meaningful contributions 
and network with local leaders. 
Being part of the Rose Court 
offers a wealth of benefits, 
including joining an organization 
committed to hands-on 
volunteer work, finding ways 
to give back to the community, 
honing public speaking skills 
and fostering personal growth 
and self-assurance.

 Volunteer Members of the 
Tournament of Roses’ Queen & 
Court Committee made their 
selections based on a number 
of criteria including academic 
achievement community and 
school involvement, public 
speaking ability and youth 
leadership they said.

 The 2025 Rose Court will ride 
down Colorado Blvd. in the 
136th Rose Parade presented by 
Honda and attend the College 
Football Playoff Quarterfinal at 
the 111th Rose Bowl Game both 
on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

The 28 Rose Court Finalists are:

First row, from left to right:

178 Isabella Villavicencio, 
Mayfield Senior School

109 Ashlyn Pimental, Flintridge 
Sacred Heart Academy

124 Giavanna Folda, San Marino 
High School

65 Briar Bryant, Flintridge 
Preparatory School

143 Isabella Jackson, Alhambra 
High School

77 Simone Ball, Arcadia High 
School

261 Faith Perez, Pasadena City 
College

267 Anna Shore, Pasadena City 
College

102 Katherine Kammas, South 
Pasadena High School

214 Gabriela Sanchez, Gabrielino 
High School

Second row, from left to right:

313 Saniyah Brunston, John 
Muir High School

156 India Garcia-Robb, South 
Pasadena High School

311 Lara Georgian, Mayfield 
Senior School

179 Gabriella Gamboa, Flintridge 
Sacred Heart Academy

58 Parisa Bryant, Maranatha 
High School

273 Lindsay Charles, Westridge 
School

82 Amishi Mahadev, South 
Pasadena High School

79 Ariel Thio, Temple City High 
School

235 Olivia Lopez, Pasadena 
High School

Top row, from left to right:

60 Kate Kelly, La Cañada High 
School

249 Piper Scherbert, Flintridge 
Sacred Heart Academy

284 Sophia Page, Mayfield 
Senior School

299 Lisette Parker, Maranatha 
High School

208 Ella Bradley, Los Angeles 
County High School for the Arts

260 Malini Pradhan, Flintridge 
Preparatory School

189 Margaret Dillard, La Cañada 
High School

190 Mona Dillard, La Cañada 
High School

297 Violet Marino, Marshall 
Fundamental Secondary School

 For more information visit: 
tournamentofroses.com.

Free Rides 
Wednesday 
for Clean 

Air Day

 Director of Transportation, 
Joaquin Siques, announced 
Pasadena Transit and 
Pasadena Dial-A-Ride are 
both offering free rides on 
Wednesday to celebrate 
California Clean Air Day. 

 According to cleanairday.
org, California Clean Air 
Day is “built on the idea 
that shared experiences 
unite people to action to 
improve our community 
health,” and encourages 
individual and collective 
actions to help improve our 
air quality.

 In this spirit, Pasadena 
Transit and Pasadena 
Dial-A-Ride encourage 
you to let them be your 
ride. All Pasadena Transit 
vehicles are fueled by 
renewable natural gas, 
which is converted from 
organic materials officials 
said. “The Department 
of Transportation is 
committed to achieving 
the safe, efficient, and 
convenient movement 
of people and goods 
within Pasadena, while 
concurrently ensuring 
a balance between land 
use and transportation 
to maintain a livable 
community in which cars 
are not necessary to travel 
within the city.”

 Metro and Foothill 
Transit are also offering 
free rides on Clean Air Day 
as part of a larger regional 
effort to promote SoCal 
Transit week, beginning 
Monday to October 6. 
SoCal Transit week is a 
collaborative initiative 
hosted by MoveLA to raise 
awareness of alternative and 
sustainable transportation 
options across the region. 
A list of events and special 
activities happening during 
SoCal Transit Week, 
including here in Pasadena, 
can be found at: movela.
org/socal_transit_week.

Playhouse Area Walking Tour

Saturday, October 5th | 
9:30 AM

 

 Pasadena, settled by a group 
of farmers from Indiana in the 
1870s, originally developed 
along the Arroyo Seco. 
The Pasadena Playhouse 
Historic District contains 
approximately 34 buildings, 
which represent the eastward 
growth of the City’s urban core 
during the 1920s and 1930s, 
after Pasadena’s economy had 
changed from agriculture 
to tourism. Development of 
this area was spurred by the 
construction of Pasadena’s 
grand and imposing 
Civic Center in the 1920s, 
prompting the construction 
of residential, religious 
and cultural facilities. This 
walking tour will feature a 
variety of architectural styles 
and several of the district’s 
most notable landmarks 
including its namesake, the 
Pasadena Playhouse!

 Tours last approximately 1.5 
hours with a walking distance 
of approximately 1 mile. For 
the comfort of all our guests, 
dogs are not permitted on 
Pasadena Heritage walking 
tours.

 For more information and 
tickets visit: pasadenaheritage.
org.


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