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Mountain Views News Saturday, August 23, 2025

Public Voting 
for Outdoor 
Music Series


Tickets on Sale for the 
2026 Rose Bowl Game

 
Public voting period, 
Friday, September 
5 through Monday, 
Septermber 15

 The City of Pasadena 
Parks, Recreation and 
Community Services 
Department (PRCS), in 
collaboration Pasadena 
Recreation and Parks 
Foundation (PRPF) 
announced that they 
are competing, with a 
community vote, to bring 
a vibrant, free outdoor 
music series to Pasadena 
beginning in 2026. 

 Residents are encouraged 
to cast their vote for PRPF’s 
proposal during the public 
voting period, Friday, 
September 5 through 
Monday, Septermber 15, 
either online at Levitt.org/
Vote or via text-to-vote 
at (877) 409-5525 with 
keyword PASADENA.

 “Both PRPF and the 
City of Pasadena share a 
commitment to fostering 
inclusive, accessible, 
and high-quality public 
programming that 
enhances community 
engagement and celebrates 
musical diversity. As 
a past recipient of the 
Levitt Foundation grant 
funding, we hope to be 
able to bring the Levitt 
Music Series back home 
to Pasadena and provide 
free outdoor concerts to 
both Pasadena residents 
and neighbors alike,” said 
Koko Panossian, Director 
of Parks, Recreation and 
Community Services.

 For the 2026–2028 grant 
cycle, the Levitt Foundation 
will award U.S.-based 
501(c)(3) nonprofits up 
to $120,000 over three 
years (up to $40,000 per 
year), to produce their 
own Levitt Music Series. 
Seven to ten free outdoor 
concerts annually featuring 
a diverse lineup of music 
genres with professional 
musicians, activating an 
underused public space, 
creating a vibrant, inclusive 
community destination 
for people of all ages and 
backgrounds.

 PRPF submitted the 
proposal for the City of 
Pasadena to present the free 
music series in Memorial 
Park. The City of Pasadena’s 
proposal is now posted 
on the Levitt Foundation 
website, where the public 
can vote and learn more 
about the proposals from 
across the country that 
have advanced to the voting 
phase. An individual may 
submit one vote for up 
to five proposals of their 
choosing.

 The number of online and 
text votes received for the 
City of Pasadena will be 
one of the key factors used 
when the Levitt Foundation 
determines the grant 
recipients this November. 
50 finalists will be selected 
through the online and 
text-to-vote public voting 
phase. The Levitt Music 
Series Grants recipients 
will be announced on 
November 18.

 The Pasadena Tournament of 
Roses announced that tickets 
for the College Football Playoff 
Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl 
Game presented by Prudential 
went on sale Friday.

 Tickets will be available 
online via Ticketmaster, giving 
fans the first opportunity to 
secure individual tickets for 
The Granddaddy of Them All. 
The Playoff Quarterfinal at the 
Rose Bowl Game presented 
by Prudential will take place 
Monday, January 1, 2026, at 
1 p.m. PT at the Rose Bowl 
Stadium.

 A maximum of four tickets per 
person will be available during 
the Rose Bowl Game ticket 
public sale. Individual ticket 
prices start at $196.95, including 
fees.

 In addition to the Ticketmaster 
sale, official ticket and 
hospitality packages are now 
available through On Location, 
the Official Hospitality and 
Corporate Travel Package 
Provider for the Rose Bowl 
Game presented by Prudential. 
All package offerings through 
On Location include official 
Rose Bowl Game tickets and can 
be catered to include reserved 
Rose Parade tickets, pre-game 
hospitality at the Official Rose 
Bowl Touchdown Village, meet 
and greets with NCAA Legends, 
and more. For full details on 
package options and to secure 
your experience today, visit 
onlocationexp.com.

 This year’s Rose Bowl Game 
will serve as a CFP Quarterfinal 
and will feature one of the four 
highest-seeded teams against 
the winner of a first-round 
playoff game. The Playoff 
bracket will be announced on 
ESPN on Sunday, December 7.

 For more information on 
additional ticket offerings and 
experiences for the 2026 CFP 
Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl 
Game presented by Prudential, 
visit: rosebowlgame.com.

 The Pasadena Tournament 
of Roses® is a volunteer 
organization that hosts 
America’s New Year Celebration 
with the Rose Parade, the Rose 
Bowl Game and a variety of 
accompanying events. The 
Association’s 935 Members 
supply more than 80,000 
volunteer hours, which will 
drive the success of the 137th 
Rose Parade on Thursday, 
January 1, 2026, followed by the 
College Football Quarterfinal 
at the Rose Bowl Game. Visit: 
tournamentofroses.com for 
more information.

San Marino Motor Classic Returns Sunday

 

 The city of San Marino is getting 
ready for the annual San Marino 
Motor Classic where 7,500 
attendees are expected Sunday at 
Lacy Park to see everything from 
a 1929 Cord L29 Cabriolet to a 
2006 Ford GT 40, and hundreds 
of other classics. 

 The San Marino Motor Classic 
is a prestigious Concours 
d’Elegance where many of the 
world’s finest classic cars are on 
display and are judged. Cars 
are entered into forty-one car 
classes. This year there are classes 
for super cars and European 
motorcycles. Spectators can vote 
for their favorite to win a special 
award. Food trucks, vendors 
and the Automotive Fine Arts 
Society exhibit will enhance the 
event.

 According to event organizers, 
over the past twelve years the 
San Marino Motor Classic has 
generated over $4 million for its 
charitable beneficiaries.

 “Every dollar from Sponsors 
and donations goes to charity,” 
officials said. “The San Marino 
Motor Classic has no paid 
employees, no rented office 
space and the costs of producing 
the event are paid from Entry 
Fees, Ticket Sales, Program 
Advertisements and Vendor 
Tents.”

 Proceeds from the Motor 
Classic will benefit Pasadena 
Humane, the Rotary Club of San 
Marino, and other local non-
profits. The Motor Classic is a 
dog-friendly event.

 “We are so thankful for our 
partnership with the San Marino 
Motor Classic over the past 14 
years,” Pasadena Humane staff 
said. “The event has raised over 
$1.2 million to help save the lives 
of more than 100,000 animals in 
our community.”

 Pasadena Humane’s Wiggle 
Waggle Wagon will also be at the 
Motor Classic with adoptable 
animals, along with a number 
of food trucks, vendors and 
activities for both kids and 
adults.

 There will be sixteen awards 
given at the San Marino Motor 
Classic , plus a first, second and 
third place award given per class. 
Some of the prestigious awards 
this year include:

- Best In Show Pre War

- Best In Show Post War

- Most Exotic Sports Car Award

- Muscle Car Review Editors 
Choice Award

- Mayor’s Award

- Meguiar’s Award for Best Paint 
& Finish

- Pasadena Humane Society 
Award

- Most Elegant Closed Pre War 
Car Award

- Most Elegant Open Pre War 
Car Award

- Most Elegant Closed Post War 
Car Award

- Most Elegant Open Post War 
Car Award

- San Marino Rotary Award

- Chairman’s Award

- Garage Style Magazine Award

- Excellance in Innovation & 
Design

- Most Elegant American Pre 
War Classic Car

- Best Super Car Award

 For more information and tickets 
visit: sanmarinomotorclassic.
com.

Former 
Pasadena 
Mayor Bill 
Thomson 
Passes Away


Pasadena Heritage Craftsman 
Week set for October 12 to 19

 Pasadena Heritage announced 
Friday that “Craftsman 
Weekend” a much-loved 
celebration of all things “Arts 
& Crafts era,” a heyday for 
Pasadena, will the place the 
week of October 12 through 
October 19. 

 Officials said week will feature 
Pasadena area architects, 
artists, and designers whose 
work is universally celebrated 
and copied for its unique style, 
names like Greene & Greene, 
Batchelder tile, and many others 
have become synonymous with 
the period. 

 They continued, this year, they 
have expanded the event to 
“Craftsman Week” by inviting 
partners like the iconic Gamble 
House, designed by Greene & 
Greene, and Pasadena Museum 
of History, which keeps a 
registry of Batchelder tile and is 
hosting a special exhibition this 
year on the tile and its modern 
counterparts designed by artist 
Cha-Rie Tang. 

 Craftsman Week Events will 
include: 

- VIP wine lunch tours based 
around tile, art glass, lighting, 
and more

- A keynote speech by a 
true preservation celebrity 
announced next week

- Blinn House Living Room 
Concert with Janet Klein and 
Her Parlor Boys

- A Prominent House (can’t 
reveal the house yet!) Tour and 
Lecture

- North Marengo Walking Tour

- An Open Air Arts & Crafts 
Fair

- Gamble House tours, family 
day, special joinery tours, metal 
work tours, and a concert on the 
lawn

- Pasadena Museum of History 
Exhibit of Cha-Rie Tang’s take 
on Batchelder Tile

- A preview night on October 10 
with ArtNight Pasadena Open 
House

 Event organizers said they plan 
to have a dedicated webpage 
up soon at CraftsmanWeek.
org. They expect thousands to 
participate in the eight days of 
events.

South Pas Awarded Grants for 
Construction of Pocket Parks

 Former Pasadena Mayor and 
lifelong civic leader, William 
“Bill” Thomson Jr., passed away 
on Sunday– he was 89.

 Thomson Served on the 
Pasadena City Council from 
1981 to 1997—and as mayor 
from 1988 to 1990.

 According to reports, 
Thomson helped bring some 
of the most iconic events to 
the Rose including the 1984 
Olympic Games, UCLA 
football, four Super Bowls, and 
the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

 “Pasadena has lost a dedicated 
public servant who loved this 
city deeply,” said Pasadena 
Mayor Victor Gordo. “I will 
miss his wisdom, his counsel, 
and his friendship. Bill instilled 
in us the importance of 
delivering quality city services 
while maintaining fiscal 
responsibility—a tradition that 
still guides us today.”

 Born in Pennsylvania, 
Thomson moved west when 
his work brought his family to 
Pasadena. From the start, he 
and his wife Carol embraced 
the city as their own. “Pasadena 
quickly became very important 
to both my father and my 
mother,” his son Bill Thomson 
III said.

 Thomson is survived by his 
wife Carol, three children, 
and five grandchildren. A 
memorial service will be held 
at 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 
24, at Pasadena Presbyterian 
Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd.

 
The City of South Pasadena 
announced Thursday the 
award of two competitive 
grants in support of local park 
development. City officials said 
they have secured $550,000 
through Measure A from the 
Los Angeles County Regional 
Park and Open Space District 
(RPOSD), and an additional 
$193,992 from Proposition 68 
State of California Parks and 
Water Bond of 2018.

 RPOSD is a special district of 
Los Angeles County that collects 
property tax revenue and grants 
it out to cities, non-profits, and 
other agencies for new and 
improved open space, parks, 
and programs. Passed in 2018, 
Proposition 68, or the Parks, 
Environment and Water Bond, 
is a statewide ballot measure that 
authorizes general obligation 
bonds for state and local parks, 
environmental and restoration 
projects, and water infrastructure 
and flood protection projects.

 These grant funds will be 
utilized for the construction of 
two new pocket parks: Grevelia 
Pocket Park and the Dr. Beatriz 
Solis Memorial Park located at 
Berkshire Pocket Park. 

 “This investment reflects the 
city’s ongoing commitment to 
expanding public open space 
and enhancing recreational 
amenities for the South Pasadena 
community,” they said.

 Construction of both parks 
is currently in progress, with 
completion anticipated by the 
end of September 2025. Upon 
completion, these projects will 
provide accessible green space 
for residents and contribute to 
the city’s long-term goals for 
environmental sustainability and 
community well-being.

 “The City of South Pasadena 
expresses its appreciation to the 
Los Angeles County Regional 
Park and Open Space District 
and the State of California for 
their continued support of local 
park and open space initiatives,” 
officials said.


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