Mountain View News Saturday, January 24, 2026 

Pasadena city officials 
announced Friday that the cityconducted a Point-in-Time 
Homeless Count on Wednesdaynight with approximately 200volunteers, both new and 
returning, participating from 
8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Theoperation continued Thursdaywith a Youth Count from 6:00 
a.m. to 8:00 a.m. 
“The community response hasbeen incredibly encouraging. 
We surpassed our volunteer 
recruitment goals ahead of 
schedule, demonstratingthat Pasadena residents view 
homelessness as a critical 
problem that is deserving of timeand attention,” said HomelessCount Coordinator Christina 
Kasali. “This year, 48 percent of 
volunteers participated in thePasadena Homeless Count for 
the first time. We’re grateful toeveryone who participated and 
The Pasadena City Councilannounced Tuesday that theyare accepting applications tofill an unscheduled vacancy inone At-Large Member seat onthe Pasadena Rental HousingBoard (PRHB) following theresignation of Arnold Siegel. 
The PRHB was established 
under Section 1811 of the 
Pasadena City Charter and 
is responsible for enforcingArticle XVIII, the Pasadena 
Fair and Equitable HousingCharter Amendment. The PRHB 
includes eleven members: seven 
Tenant Members, four At-LargeMembers, and two alternates,
one Tenant Alternate and one 
At-Large Alternate.
The selected applicant will servethe remainder of the term, whichends on May 24, 2027.
At-Large Member EligibilityPursuant to City Charter Section1811(a), At-Large Members areappointed by the City Council 
and: 
May reside in any PasadenaCouncil District 
May or may not be tenantsMay or may not have a material 
interest in rental propertyWhile the City Charter allowsAt-Large Members to own 
rental property, California 
conflict-of-interest regulations 
for public officials establish 
separate standards. As a result,
individuals with a prescribedfinancial interest in 4 or more 
rental units within the City ofPasadena may be restricted 
from fully participating in all 
matters that come before the 
PRHB. Applicants who may beaffected by these regulations areencouraged to consult with theirlegal counsel prior to applying.
Board ResponsibilitiesThe duties of PRHB include: 
Adopting rules and regulations 
City Rental Housing BoardSeeks Applicants to Fill At-
Large Member Vacancy 
Pasadena Public Libraryis participating in EveryStory Counts, a statewide 
initiative aiming to capturedata, stories and photosabout how and whyCalifornians use their local 
public libraries. Duringthe week of January 25– 31, library patrons areencouraged to share theirlibrary stories through anonline survey, available at:
cityofpasadena.net/library. 
Public libraries across 
California serve all residents 
as vital community hubs 
for learning, connection,
essential services and 
trusted information for all 
California communities. 
“The Pasadena Public 
Library staff work hard toprovide our community 
with a wide range of 
programs and services,” 
said Library Director 
Tim McDonald. “We 
want to know more about 
not only how and whyour community uses thelibrary, but to hear fromthe community directly 
about their own library 
experiences.” 
“We all know the value 
of public libraries and thestrong return on investmentthey provide” said 
California State Librarian 
Greg Lucas. “Every StoryCounts will help us createa more complete pictureof the extraordinary rangeof activities that happen inlibraries across the state.” 
During the week of January25 – 31, 2026 the PasadenaPublic Library will 
encourage patrons to share 
their stories about visitingthe library. Whether you’rebringing your child to 
storytime, using the library 
computers, checkingout items from books to 
sewing machines, askinga question, or many of theother things you can do at 
the library, we want to hearabout it! 
Along with libraries 
everywhere, Pasadena 
Public Library continues toseek your valuable insight 
on our programs and 
services that we provide toour community. 
Pasadena 
Library EveryStory Counts 
A week in the life of yourpublic library 
Pasadena Mayor VictorGordo and his colleaguesannounced they are invitingthe comunity to join him onWednesday for this year’s Stateof the City. This year’s theme is“Rising Together”. 
The event will take place atthe Robinson Park Recreation 
Center, 1081 N Fair Oaks Ave.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.,
and the program will begin at7:00 p.m.
Limited parking is available 
at the Robinson Park Rec. 
Center and Jackie Robinson 
Comm. Center parking lot.
Street parking is also available.
The State of the City willalso be live-streamed at: 
PasadenaMedia.org/Kpas.
For more information visit: 
cityofpasadena.net. 
Gordo to 
Give State 
of the CityCity Conducts 2026 Homeless Count 
made the count a success.”

 According to officials, teams offour to six people were deployedto 28 geographic zones coveringthe city’s entire geography andused a mobile, GIS-enabled 
app to conduct a survey whichwas developed by the City’sDepartment of Information 
Technology they said.

Volunteer teams also counted 
in all ten of the city’s branchlibraries and at locations where 
people receive services.

 Volunteers distributed cold 
weather kits with warm clothingitems, snacks, and resource 
flyers. The Pasadena Police 
Department provided critical 
support, surveying in the city’sparks, freeway embankments,
and other hard-to-access 
locations. The Pasadena 
Public Health Department, inpartnership with Huntington 
Health, administered flu,
COVID, and hepatitis A vaccines 

to implement Article XVIII ofthe City CharterEstablishing allowable rent 
increases and determining theAnnual General AdjustmentAppointing hearing officers andconducting hearings on rent 
adjustment petitionsEstablishing the Board’s budgetPursuing civil remedies for 
violations of Article XVIII 
Holding public hearingsEstablishing penalties for 
violations 
Establishing and maintainingPasadena’s rental housing 
registryPasadena residents interested 
in serving on the PRHB areencouraged to apply. To be 
considered, applicants must:
Submit a completed applicationto the Office of the City Clerk.
Circulate a nomination petitionand collect at least 25 qualifiedsignatures from residents in thesame Pasadena Council District. 
Submit a declaration of financial 
interests for themselves and their 
extended family members, whichwill become a public record.

The application period is now 
open and closes on Thursday,
March 5 at 5:00 p.m. Applicationforms are available at the Cityof Pasadena, Office of the CityClerk, located at 100 NorthGarfield Avenue, Room S228,
Pasadena, CA 91101. You can 
also call (626) 744-4124 or emailCityClerk@CityOfPasadena.netfor more information. Forms 
can be obtained during regularbusiness hours, Monday throughFriday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 
p.m.

 This is a paid position withcompensation for up to 20 hoursper week at an hourly rate of

2.5 times Pasadena’s minimum 
wage. Attendance at board 
meetings is mandatory to qualifyfor payment. 
and distributed Narcan overdose 
reversal kits throughout the 
count.

 The Homeless Count provides a“snapshot” of what the homelesspopulation looks like on anygiven night. Count data is mostuseful as a tool to study thedemographics of the unhousedpopulation and to track trendsover time. Pasadena was the first 
city in the State of California, andone of the first three cities in the 
nation, to conduct a dedicatedHomeless Count in 1992.

 Homeless Count data is 
used year-round to inform 
the planning and funding ofhomeless services in the Cityand is used by federal, state, andcounty funders in the allocationof homeless services grants. Theresults of the Homeless Count 
will be available by June. 

Pasadena 
Chorale 
Celebrates 
Black 
American 
Composers

 The Pasadena Chorale invites 
the community to I BELIEVE,
a powerful concert honoringBlack History Month throughmusic that explores faith, hope,
and social justice. This freeperformance by the award-
winning Pasadena Chorale 
will take place Wednesday,
February 25 at 7:30 p.m. atFirst United Methodist Church 
Pasadena.

 I BELIEVE celebrates the 
profound musical legacy of twoBlack American composers.
The program opens with 
original spiritual arrangementsby Michal Dawson Connor,
an Altadena-based composerwhose settings of “My Lord,
What a Morning” and “ThereIs a Balm in Gilead” draw on 
deep traditions of resilience,
devotion, and communal 
strength.

 The concert culminates in 
Margaret Bonds’ Credo, a workof conviction and hope basedon the poem by W.E.B. DuBois.
With a bold vision of social 
justice and belief in humanity’sshared responsibility, Credostands as a moving artisticstatement that remains deeplyrelevant today.

 Together, these works offer anevening of spiritual reflectionand musical storytelling—
honoring a rich cultural 
heritage while affirming theenduring power of belief.

 Admission is free and opento the public. Tickets can bereserved at pasadenachorale.
org. A reservation is requiredfor entry, as seating is limited. 

Pasadena Tournament 
of Roses Now AcceptingGrant Applications 

The Pasadena Tournament of 
Roses Foundation announced 
Wednesday that it is now 
accepting applications for its2026 grant program. Since 
its inception in 1983, the 
Foundation has invested over 
$5.8 million in more than 800 
Pasadena-area organizations. 
The grant awards in 2025 
totaled a little over $200,000,
which funded 21 organizationsin the San Gabriel Valley.

 The grants supported new andongoing programs benefittingchildren, teens, adults and 
seniors. From nonprofits 
offering animal therapy to 
special needs children, to 
organizations providingtechnical skills to underserved 
students and dance therapyfor seniors diagnosed with 
Parkinson’s and multiple 
sclerosis.

 The 2026 grant cycle will bestructured as follows – Tier 1: a 
one-year grant for $35,000, Tier

2: a one-year grant for $20,000and Tier 3: several one-yeargrants, each up to $10,000. TheFoundation requires applicantsto include information on how 
their program will be delivered. 
Eligible applicants are 
organizations with 501(c)(3) 

South Pasadena LibraryAnnounces New Director 

The City of South Pasadenaannounced Thursday the 
appointment of Matthew Patselas the new Library Directorof the South Pasadena Public 
Library. Patsel brings over 
two decades of public libraryleadership, innovation and 
community-focused service tothe City.

 Patsel joins the city with over23 years of experience in the 
Orange County Public Librariessystem, one of the largest andmost diverse library systemsin California. His previousroles include Librarian, BranchManager, Public Informationand Safety Officer, and RegionalServices Manager, where he 
oversaw operations for ten 
library branches and supervisedbranch managers and staff.

 In his most recent role,
Patsel collaborated closelywith library administration toshape systemwide policies andimplement county directives 

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status, as of the submission 
deadline, February 20 that servesone or more of the followingcommunities: Alhambra,
Altadena, Arcadia, La CañadaFlintridge, Monrovia, Pasadena,
San Gabriel, San Marino, SierraMadre, South Pasadena andTemple City. As in previous 
years, grants will be given 
in the categories of Visual & 
Performing Arts, Sports andRecreation, and Education 
(Early Childhood, Middle 
and High School, Literacy 
and Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math) 
programs.

 To view all guidelines andapply for the 2026 grant 
cycle, eligible organizationsshould visit the Tournament 
of Roses Foundation page:
www.tournamentofroses.com/
foundation/. The website willdirect users to a portal withinstructions on how to begin theapplication process.

 Applications will be acceptedfrom now through February 20at 5 p.m. PST. The Foundation’sBoard of Directors will make 
the final grant selections at itsannual spring meeting, andapplicants will be notified oftheir funding status via email inApril 2026. 

across 29 branches that served 
more than 400,000 registeredusers. He played a key rolein managing a $90 million 
operating budget, overseeingstaffing for more than 340employees, and guidingdecisions related to facilities,
information technology,
bibliographic services, and 
programming. Under Patsel’sleadership, branches within theregion experienced significantgrowth and engagement.
During fiscal year 2023–2024,
branches he supervised sawprogramming increase by 20 
percent, program attendance 
rose by 88 percent, and overallfoot traffic grew by 14 percent,
reflecting a strong commitmentto community-centered service.

 Patsel chaired the Libraryof Things Committee, whichlaunched in 2024, and led theTeen Services Committee.

 For more information visit: 
southpasadenaca.gov. 

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