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Mountain Views News Saturday, February 8, 2025

Windstorm 
Cleanup 
Crews Done


Right-of-Entry Forms Submitted 
for Eaton Fire Debris Removal

 
Los Angeles County Public 
Works Announced they have 
officially delivered the first 
batch of signed Right-of-Entry 
(ROE) forms from wildfire 
survivors to the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, allowing 
debris removal efforts to begin. 
Supervisor Kathryn Barger 
(pictured) made the following 
statement Thursday. 

 “This is a critical step forward 
in our mission to rebuild and 
restore Altadena,” said Los 
Angeles County Board of 
Supervisors Chair Kathryn 
Barger. “The debris left in the 
fire’s wake is not just a visual 
reminder of the devastation—it 
poses real health and safety risks 
to our community. By clearing 
these sites, we are paving the 
way for families to rebuild and 
reclaim their homes.”

 The submission of these initial 
ROE forms represents the hard 
work and dedication of Los 
Angeles County Public Works 
staff, along with community 
partners like the Altadena Town 
Council, and, most importantly, 
the resilience of Altadena 
residents who are determined to 
rebuild. The U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers will now begin debris 
removal operations, ensuring 
the safe and efficient clearing 
of damaged properties while 
adhering to environmental and 
public safety standards.

 “Our focus remains on 
accelerating this recovery 
process while prioritizing safety, 
efficiency, and transparency,” 
Barger continued. “I want to 
thank every homeowner who 
has taken this step, as well as our 
partners at Los Angeles County 
Public Works, who are working 
around the clock on this and 
many other efforts related to 
the recovery process, and the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
for their tireless commitment 
to this effort. This is just the 
beginning—more work lies 
ahead, but today we move 
forward with determination and 
hope.”

 Validation includes the careful 
review of submitted forms to 
verify property ownership, 
assuring the rights of residents 
are protected and guarding 
against potential fraud. 
Validated ROEs are transmitted 
electronically to the Army 
Corps of Engineers. If there 
are any issues with a submitted 
ROE, a County representative 
will contact the property owner 
to resolve them. If the form is 
in order, the Army Corps of 
Engineers will notify the owner 
3-5 days before debris removal 
is scheduled for that property. 

 Residents who still need to 
submit their ROE forms are 
encouraged to do so as soon 
as possible to ensure their 
properties are included in 
the debris removal process. 
Additional information and 
support are available at recovery.
lacounty.gov.

 City asking residents 
not to place green 
waste material on 
the street.

 The City of Pasadena’s Public 
Works Department oversaw 
an extensive cleanup effort 
to remove green waste debris 
from the recent windstorm 
and fire. As of Wednesday 
cleanup crews have finished 
clearing the green waste debris 
from the streets.

 Public Works staff would like 
to thank residents for their 
patience after this disaster, as 
well as thank all volunteers 
who assisted in the removal 
of the debris from the streets. 
A huge shout-out to National 
Day Laborer Organizing 
Network and Pasadena 
Community Job Center in 
helping clean green waste 
debris.

 Now that the street cleanup 
process is complete, residents 
should no longer place green 
waste material on the street. 
City of Pasadena residential 
refuse customers should 
place any additional green 
waste debris in their yard 
waste containers. Commercial 
properties and apartment 
complexes should work with 
their landscaper and/or an 
approved franchise hauler 
for removal of any additional 
green waste debris.

 Due to the green waste debris 
cleanup from the streets being 
completed ahead of schedule, 
the Hahamongna Park drop-
off site is no longer needed 
and is now closed.

 For storm debris other than 
green waste materials, such 
as broken swing sets, fences, 
gates, lawn furniture, etc., 
contact a hauler on the City 
of Pasadena’s list of approved 
franchise haulers. City of 
Pasadena Refuse customers 
may request bulky item 
pick-ups for storm debris, 
so long as the items meet the 
requirements of a bulky item 
pick-up.

 Residents with debris from 
the fire must dispose of it 
properly. The Eaton Fire 
Updates page provides more 
information about ash and 
debris removal.

 For questions regarding 
windstorm green waste 
debris pickup, contact a 
representative of the City 
Service Center at CSC@
CityOfPasadena.net or (626) 
744-7311. For TTY service, 
please dial 711.

TofR President Announces 2026 Theme 

 Story and hoto by Dean Lee

 Newly installed Pasadena 
Tournament of Roses President 
Mark Leavens, announced 
Wednesday night the 2026 theme, 
“The Magic in Teamwork.” A 
theme that celebrates the sense 
of accomplishment in knowing 
that by working together, we can 
collectively achieve outcomes so 
much richer than we can ever 
experience as individuals he 
said.

 Leavens explained that the 2026 
theme poster (pictured) honors 
the organizations, agencies and 
community partners that make 
the Tournament's New Year 
Celebration possible. 

 “All the Embroidered team 
patches we collected from all 
the people that participate in 
our parade,” he said. “From 
public safety partners, service 
organizations, and other parade 
participants reflect the teamwork 
demonstrated in working toward 
a common goal, to overcome 
challenges and produce amazing 
results.”

 Chosen by Leavens years ago, 
the 2026 Rose Parade theme, 
“The Magic in Teamwork,” is 
especially meaningful now in 
light of recent events in the 
Pasadena area he explained. 
As our community has faced 
challenges, from the devastating 
fires in Altadena to the everyday 
triumphs and struggles that 
bring people together, we’ve 
witnessed firsthand the power of 
teamwork—neighbors helping 
neighbors, first responders 
working tirelessly and volunteers 
stepping up in extraordinary 
ways.

 “Over 30 of our members have 
had catastrophic losses, lost their 
homes, their businesses, their 
cars,” Leavens said. “So we have 
taken some of our Tournament 
of Roses budget to help our own 
members but also using some 
of that relief fund to go to the 
community.”

 Earlier this month, the 
Tournament of Roses’ Board of 
Directors confirmed Leavens 
as President and Chairman 
of the Board for the 2026 
Pasadena Tournament of 
Roses Association, providing 
leadership for the 137th Rose 
Parade and the Rose Bowl Game.

 “This last New Year’s day was 
my 30th parade,” he said. “It’s 
a commitment, its well worth 
it, the things that I’ve gotten to 
experience, the people I have 
met, and contributed to, have 
been rewarding to me. It is a little 
surreal.” 

Senior Center 

Lunar 
New Year 
Celebration

The Albertsons, Vons, 
Pavilions Foundation and 
TofR give $1 Million in Relief

 This year, 2025, ushers in 
the Year of the Wood Snake 
according to the Chinese 
calendar, associated with 
relationships, growth, and 
creative problem-solving.

 The Pasadena Senior 
Center will celebrate 
Thursday, February 20, with 
the traditional Lion Dance 
and stunning martial arts 
demonstrations overseen 
by master Ken Hui of the 
Northern Shaolim Kung 
Fu Association. Come 
together and celebrate the 
Lunar New Year with what 
promises to be a vibrant 
event.

 The special Cultural 
Thursday event is free 
for members, and only 
costs $5 for nonmembers. 
Bring your friends and 
family to this celebration 
on Feb. 20 at 2:00 pm. 
Reservations are highly 
suggested. Please make 
your reservations online at: 
PasadenaSeniorCenter.org 
or at the Welcome Desk by 
Thursday, February 20.

 As a donor-supported 
nonprofit, the center 
operates without any local, 
state or federal funding 
and provides more services 
to older adults in the San 
Gabriel Valley than any 
other organization. Hours 
of operation are Monday 
through Friday from 8:30 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 
Saturday from 8 a.m. to 
noon. To learn more, visit 
pasadenaseniorcenter.org 
or call 626-795-4331. The 
Center is located at 85 E. 
Holly Street in Pasadena.

 

 The Pasadena Tournament of 
Rose Association announced 
last week a partnership 
with Albertsons Companies 
Foundation, locally recognized 
as The Albertsons, Vons, 
Pavilions Foundation, to aid 
those impacted by the Eaton 
Fire.

 The Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions 
Foundation will allocate $1 
million in gift cards to the 
Pasadena Tournament of Roses, 
which is collaborating with the 
Partnership for Children, Youth 
& Families, a network of local 
community organizations, and 
other nonprofits coordinating 
relief efforts.

 “We are grateful to partner 
with the Pasadena Tournament 
of Roses and their local 
nonprofit partners to support 
our neighbors impacted by the 
Eaton wildfires,” said Kevin 
Curry, Division President 
of Southern California, at 
Albertsons Companies. “We will 
continue to provide assistance 
as relief efforts continue in 
Altadena and Pasadena, as well 
as other affected communities 
across Los Angeles County.”

 In addition to this partnership 
with Albertsons, the Pasadena 
Tournament of Roses and its 
Foundation have established 
a $200,000 Emergency 
Relief Fund to provide direct 
financial support to volunteer 
Members and staff who’ve 
been catastrophically impacted 
by the wildfires, as well as for 
community relief efforts. The 
Association is also collaborating 
closely with local agencies 
to identify urgent needs and 
opportunities to mobilize its 
more than 900 Members to 
make a meaningful difference.

 “As America’s New Year’s 
Celebration, Dena (Pasadena 
and Altadena) is our home, and 
we stand ready to do everything 
we can to help as our community 
recovers and rebuilds. We 
are proud to stand with our 
partners at the Albertsons 
Companies Foundation to help 
our neighbors by leveraging 
our place in the community 
and ability to convene,” said 
Mark Leavens, President of 
the Pasadena Tournament of 
Roses.”

Pasadena Launches New Rent 
Stabilization Hearings Division

 

 The City of Pasadena’s Rent 
Stabilization Department 
announced Wednesday the 
launch of its Petitions and 
Hearings website dedicated 
to the department’s Hearings 
Division. The new platform is 
designed to enhance accessibility, 
provide clear instructions and 
information, and ensure fair 
and equitable access to the 
petition and hearing process for 
tenants and landlords in rent 
stabilization covered rental units 
within Pasadena.

 The Hearings Division oversees 
petition filings and hearings 
related to rent adjustments and 
other rental-related disputes. 
With the introduction of this 
website, community members 
can now easily access important 
information about Tenant-
Initiated Petitions, Landlord-
Initiated Petitions, Hearings, and 
Appeal forms, each accompanied 
by step-by-step instructions that 
guide users through the entire 
process.

 Once a petition is filed, Rent 
Stabilization Department staff 
notify all parties if the petition 
is accepted, and may schedule 
an informal review with the 
Petitioner before a Hearing 
Officer is assigned. Depending 
on the Hearing, there may be 
two mandatory prehearing 
meetings, a Prehearing 
Settlement Conference and a 
Prehearing Conference. These 
meetings provide an opportunity 
for parties to seek a settlement 
and clarify hearing procedures. 
Typically, the Hearing Officer 
schedules a formal Hearing 
within 60 calendar days after 
acceptance of the petition (or 
completion of the Prehearing 
Settlement Conference, 
whichever is later) and will issue 
a decision within 60 calendar 
days after the Hearing record 
is closed. That decision is final 
unless a timely appeal is filed 
with the Rental Housing Board.

Key Features:

- Streamlined Petition Process – 
Detailed guidelines on petition 
types and filing requirements 
ensure clarity for both tenants 
and landlords.

- Resources & Forms – The 
website offers fillable forms, 
detailed instructions, and 
descriptive information to help 
users complete their petitions 
accurately.

- Improved Accessibility – Built 
for ease of use, the platform 
simplifies the process of finding 
key resources and petition 
details.

 The City of Pasadena 
encourages all tenants and 
landlords of covered rental units 
to explore the new website to 
better understand the petition 
and hearing process. For more 
information and to access the 
platform, visit: cityofpasadena.
net/rent-stabilization/petitions-
hearings/.

Planning 
Recovery 
Virtual 
Consultations

 To assist with the rebuilding 
of Pasadena, residents 
affected by the recent 
windstorm and wildfires 
can book a virtual meeting 
with a planner to obtain 
information on removing 
a tree, repairing or 
replacing damaged fences, 
and general guidance 
for rebuilding damaged 
or destroyed structures. 
Appointments are available 
Monday through Thursday 
from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 
p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 
5:00 p.m., excluding 
holidays. Appointments 
can be scheduled at bit.ly/
PasPlanningRecovery.

 For more information 
visit: cityofpasadena.net.


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