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Mountain View News Saturday, December 21, 2024

City Holiday 
Closures and 
Reminders


Pasadena Announces 
2025 One City, One Story

 
The Pasadena Public Library 
announced Thursday the 
book selection for Pasadena’s 
2025 One City, One Story 
community reading celebration: 
James by author Percival 
Everett. A 19-member selection 
committee led by Senior 
Librarian Christine Reeder 
and made up of community 
volunteers worked for many 
months to determine this year’s 
One City One Story honoree.

 Now in its 23rd year, One 
City, One Story is designed 
to broaden and deepen an 
appreciation of reading and 
literature and to promote 
tolerance and understanding 
of differing points of view by 
recommending a compelling 
book that engages the 
community in conversation.

 James is a reimagining of The 
Adventures of Huckleberry 
Finn – both harrowing and 
savagely funny – told from the 
enslaved Jim’s point of view.

 1861, The Mississippi River. 
When the enslaved Jim 
overhears that he is about to 
be sold to a new owner in New 
Orleans and separated from 
his wife and daughter forever, 
he decides to hide on nearby 
Jackson’s Island until he can 
formulate a plan. Meanwhile, 
Huck Finn has faked his own 
death to escape his violent 
father, who recently returned to 
town. Thus begins a dangerous 
and transcendent journey by 
raft along the Mississippi River, 
toward the elusive promise of the 
free states and beyond. As James 
and Huck begin to navigate the 
treacherous waters, each bend 
in the river holds the promise of 
both salvation and demise. With 
rumors of a brewing war, James 
must face the burden he carries: 
the family he cannot protect, 
and the constant lie he must live. 
And together, the unlikely pair 
must face the most dangerous 
odyssey of them all.

 Scorchingly plotted, 
unexpectedly comical, 
witheringly observed, and 
ingeniously inventive, James 
is, of course, also absolutely 
heartbreaking, populated by 
unforgettable characters realized 
in incredible dimensionality. 
A single sitting read with short 
chapters and a galloping pace, 
the novel offers a wide-eyed 
look from the shadows of 
Huck Finn’s mischievous spirit, 
allowing Jim to fully emerge 
with a reclaimed voice defying 
the conventions that have 
traditionally consigned him to 
the margins. Percival Everett 
is a distinguished professor 
of English at USC. His most 
recent books include James 
(2024 National Book Award, 
2024 Kirkus Prize Winner for 
Fiction and finalist for The 
Booker Prize), Dr. No (finalist 
for the NBCC Award for Fiction 
and winner of the PEN/ Jean 
Stein Book Award), The Trees 
(finalist for the Booker Prize 
and the PEN/Faulkner Award 
for Fiction), Telephone (finalist 
for the Pulitzer Prize), So Much 
Blue, Erasure, and I Am Not 
Sidney Poitier. He has received 
the NBCC Ivan Sandrof Life 
Achievement Award and The 
Windham Campbell Prize 
from Yale University. American 
Fiction, the feature film based 
on his novel Erasure, was 
released in 2023 and was 
awarded the Academy Award 
for Best Adapted Screenplay. 
He lives in Los Angeles with his 
wife, the writer Danzy Senna, 
and their children. 

 One City, One Story 
community programs will be 
held throughout the month 
of March, highlighted by a 
conversation with the author on 
Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m., at 
Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 
585 E. Colorado Blvd.

 For more information on 
One City, One Story, visit: 
CityOfPasadena.Libguides.
com/OneCityOneStory.

 
Pasadena residents and 
businesses are reminded 
that City Hall and most city 
services will be closed for the 
Christmas and New Year’s 
holidays, Wednesday and Jan. 
1. Specific closures, exceptions 
and reminders are noted below.

 Pasadena residents and 
businesses with any power 
emergencies on Dec. 25 and 
Jan. 1 should call Pasadena’s 
Water and Power (PWP) 
Department at (626) 744-4673. 
For water-related emergencies, 
call (626) 744-4138. Customers 
can access their accounts and 
make payments through the 
automated phone system at 
(626) 744-4005 or online at 
PWPweb.com.

 The city’s City Service Center 
(CSC) will also be closed 
Wednesday and Jan. 1. You can 
contact the CSC via the web 
or mobile app, or by calling 
(626) 744-7311. Requests 
submitted over the weekends 
will be monitored. City trash 
collection will have a one-day 
delay of trash collection during 
both Christmas and New Year’s 
week.

 Residents can drop off their 
Christmas trees this Thursday 
through Jan. 2, for recycling at 
Eaton Blanche Park (3100 E. 
Del Mar Blvd.) or Robinson 
Park (1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave.) 
between the hours of 7 a.m. 
and 2 p.m. Please remove all 
stands, ornaments and lights 
prior to drop-off. Curbside 
Christmas tree pickup will take 
place Jan. 2 through Jan. 16 on 
residents’ regular pickup day.

 Pasadena Transit and 
Pasadena Dial-A-Ride will 
not operate on Christmas Day, 
Dec. 25, or New Year’s Day, Jan. 
1.

 All parking meters are free 
and parking time limits will 
not be enforced on Christmas 
Day and New Year’s Day, 
Jan. 1. Also, overnight 
parking restrictions will not 
be enforced from Monday 
through Jan. 3, and will resume 
at 2 a.m. on Jan. 4. Violations 
for red curb/no parking zones, 
driveway blocks and blocking 
fire hydrants will continue to 
be issued at all times.

 All Pasadena Public Library 
branch sites will close on 
Tuesday, Dec. 24, at 1 p.m. 
and will reopen on Thursday. 
Library branches will again 
close on Dec. 31, at 1 p.m., and 
will reopen on Jan. 2.

 The city’s Permit Center will 
be closed on Wednesday and 
Jan. 1.

 Pasadena Fire and Police 
Departments will continue 
to be staffed for all patrol, 
jail, fire, paramedic and other 
emergency services. Call 
9-1-1 for life-threatening 
emergencies. For non-
emergencies, call (626) 744-
4241. If you “See Something, 
Say Something.” Report 
suspicious activity to Pasadena 
Police at (626) 744-4241.

 All recreation and community 
centers will be closed on 
Wednesday and Jan 1. All parks 
will be open for picnics, fun, 
and play; however, no holiday 
site reservations are accepted. 

County to Prepare EIR for Altadena Library

 

 Altadena Library officials 
announced Tuesday that 
Los Angeles County is set to 
prepare an Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR) for the 
upcoming Altadena Main 
Library Renovation Project 
and asking for comments 
and concerns regarding any 
environmental issues associated 
with construction and operation 
of the proposed project.

 According to the L.A. 
County report, improvements 
would include an expansion 
of the building footprint 
approximately 700 square feet, 
interior space reconfiguration, 
access improvements, seismic 
retrofit, and replacement of 
aged building infrastructure to 
address mechanical (elevator 
and heating, ventilation, and 
air conditioning), plumbing 
(including additional and 
accessible restrooms), and 
electrical and structural 
elements of the facility. 
Infrastructure improvements 
are expected to include some 
modernized Audio Visual 
spaces with newer technology 
and updated communica?ons 
infrastructure and structured 
cabling. Upgrades to plantings 
and irrigation and adding 
outdoor functional spaces are 
also planned.

 Some demolition and grading 
are required, they said, includes 
removal of concrete, pavement, 
and removal of existing turf, 
planters, and shrubs. Grading is 
designed to slope walking paths, 
landscapes, and other surfaces 
away from buildings towards 
on-site drainage features. Areas 
of pavement and concrete 
removal include area for the new 
entry/lobby along much of the 
south side of the Main Library 
and walkways to bridge on north 
side of facility.

 The comment period began this 
week and ends on January 2.

 Email all comments to: 
sdonnelly@planning.lacounty.
gov. or by mail to Sean Donnelly, 
AICP, Senior Planner LA County 
Planning Foothills Development 
Services Section 320 West 
Temple Street, 13th Floor Los 
Angeles, CA 90012.

 The Initial Study is available 
for public review during regular 
business hours at Altadena Main 
Library 600 E. Mariposa Street 
and online at: planning.lacounty.
gov/environmental-review/
public-notice.

 For more information about the 
library visit: altadenalibrary.org.

City Wins 
Project of 
the Year 
Award

 Director of Public Works, 
Gregory de Vinck, announced 
Thursday that the City of 
Pasadena had been awarded 
the 2024 American Public 
Works Association (“APWA”) 
BEST Project of the Year 
Award for an outstanding 
public works project: 
Washington Park Community 
House. 

 According to officials, 
Pasadena’s project was selected 
from amongst similar-
sized cities in the Southern 
California region for the 
prestigious recognition.

 The Washington Park 
Community House project 
received the Project of the 
Year award in the Recreational 
and Athletic Facilities 
category, recognized for its 
innovative design and strong 
community engagement. The 
center features sustainable, 
Craftsman architecture 
with abundant natural light 
through skylights and large 
windows, and incorporates 
solar shading on the south 
and west facades for enhanced 
energy efficiency. The use 
of high-thermal resistive 
and eco-friendly materials 
ensures a comfortable, green 
environment for visitors.

 Located in one of Pasadena’s 
oldest neighborhoods, the 
Washington Park Community 
House harmonizes within 
the historic Washington 
Park, ensuring the design 
reflects community needs 
and values. This thoughtful 
blend of historical context 
and sustainable practices 
positions the Washington 
Park Community House as 
a landmark of tradition and 
progress, serving as a vital 
resource for the community.

 For more information visit: 
cityofpasadena.net.

City of Pasadena Announces 
Acting Director of Housing

 Pasadena city officials 
announced Tuesday that 
James (Jim) Wong has been 
selected to be the Acting 
Housing Director with the 
City of Pasadena. Wong 
started Monday.

 Wong will oversee a 
department with an annual 
budget of $46.3 million and 
91 full-time equivalent (FTE) 
employees, of which 67 
employees participate in the 
highly successful Municipal 
Assistance, Solutions, and 
Hiring (MASH) program. 
MASH is a unique temporary 
fulltime paid job training 
program for dozens of adult 
participants that provides 
services to homeowners as 
well as City departments. 
Wong will act in the director 
role until the recruitment 
for a permanent director is 
completed in early Spring.

 Wong has 40 years of 
experience in housing 
programs and administration, 
most recently serving as a 
Senior Project Manager with 
the City of Pasadena since 
2004. He has been with the 
City of Pasadena Housing 
since 1990, when he began 
as a Program Coordinator 
III where he administered a 
homebuyer assistance loan 
program.

 He has a Bachelor of 
Science degree in Economics 
and a Master’s Degree in 
Architecture and Urban 
Planning from UCLA.

 “Jim will be a tremendous 
asset to our city as an acting 
director due to his strong 
background in housing 
administration, a proven track 
record of delivering critical 
housing programs, and being 
a respected presence within 
the housing community,” 
said City Manager Miguel 
Márquez. “I am confident he 
will build on the exceptional 
work established by Bill 
Huang, our retiring Housing 
Director. Jim works effectively 
with both the community 
he serves and his team, 
leveraging their expertise to 
develop creative solutions to 
the housing challenges ahead.”

 “I feel fortunate to have 
sustained a career in affordable 
housing and am grateful for 
the opportunity to continue 
serving the City of Pasadena 
in this new capacity,” Wong 
said.


Pasadena Condition Based 
Tree Removal List Released

 Gregory de Vinck, Director of Public Works released a list last 
week of over 100 city trees pending removal for dead, dying, and 
hazardous trees on a non-emergency basis throughout Pasadena, 
as well as trees recently removed on an emergency basis. The Street 
Maintenance Division has posted the non-emergency removals 
and notified adjacent residents consistent with the City’s Tree 
Removal Policy.

 Residents are encouraged to visit the Public Works Department’s 
Urban Forestry webpage to learn more about tree maintenance 
and tree planting efforts: cityofpasadena.net/public-works/urban-
forestry.

 Residents are also encouraged to contact the Citizen Service Center 
at 626-744-7311 to submit service requests or report concerns 
related to public trees: cityofpasadena.net/citizen-service-center.

 The full list of trees either removed or to be removed can be found 
at cityofpasadena.net/city-manager, under the weekly newsletter 
for Dec. 12. 


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