Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 22, 2010

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Mountain Views News Saturday, May 22, 2010

Pasadena Shows Off Pedal 
Power during Bike Week

Fans Take to the Field During Stadium Open House 

 Residents young and old 
came out Sunday to play on 
the field of the Rose Bowl; one 
of the nation’s most famous 
football stadiums, during what 
organizers said was the first 
annual ‘Stadium Games.” 

 Rose Bowl officials opened 
the gates to hundreds who 
enjoyed playing soccer, football, 
and eating hotdogs. The event 
was also an opportunity for 
them to talk about the current 
$170 renovation plan set to be 
heard Monday night by the city 
council. 

 Rose Bowl Architect Margo 
Mavridis said if the council 
agrees, they would get the project 
approved Monday. She said they 
hope to have it completed by 
2014 in time for the 100th Rose 
Bowl Game. She said there is 
no funding associated with 
Monday night decision. “It’s 
just the plan,” she added.

 The plan calls for overhauling 
some of the stadium’s major 
features such as enlarging 
the press box, cleaning up 
the rim, scoreboard and 
seating. She said as part of 
the plan 4,000 seats would 
be removed. She also said 
they plan to put back the 
original wooden scoreboard, 
complete with hand painted 
numbers, at one end and a 
new large video screen at the 
other. There would also be 
uniform advertising banners 
she explained. 

 The seats are being removed 
to bring the stadium into 
safety compliance making 
more isles between seats for 
faster exiting. She said the 
time exiting the stadium will go 
from 35 to 12 minutes. They also 
plan to expand the tunnels she 
said. 

 If approved, construction 
would start in January of 2011.


About 75 to 100 cyclists made their way through city hall 
Thursday as part of National Bike to Work Day. Cyclists 
were treated to breakfast as they learned about alternatives 
to driving to work.


City Council Opposed to Arizona Law SB 1070

 In collaboration with 
National Bike to Work 
Day, the city kicked off 
the festivities with a Bike 
to Work Day pit stop at 
City Hall. Participants had 
a chance to meet other 
cycling commuters from 
6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 
enjoy refreshments. Later in 
the day Pasadena historians 
talked about Pasadena’s rich 
bicycle heritage. 

 “Bike Week will offer 
something for almost 
everyone: the bicycle novice, 
commuter, recreational rider 
and whole family,” said 
Fred Dock, director, city 
of Pasadena Department of 
Transportation. 

 Hosting the event were 
the city’s transportation 
department and Cyclists 
Inciting Change thru Live 
Exchange (C.I.C.L.E.), 
a nonprofit organization 
working to promote 
the bicycle as a viable, 
healthy and sustainable 
transportation choice. 
Thursday’s Bike to Work 
Day was also sponsored by 
MTA.

By Dean Lee

 The city council approved two 
motions made Monday night 
dealing with both immigration 
reform and Arizona’s —yet to 
be enforced— SB 1070. With 
a 5-2 vote they first agreed 
to support the Conference of 
Mayor’s opposition to Arizona’s 
immigration law. 

 Both council members, 
Terry Tornek and Margaret 
McAustin voted no saying 
Pasadena should not engage 
in other state’s politics. They 
did however vote unanimously 
on a second, separate, motion 
by Councilmember Chris 
Holden urging President Barack 
Obama and congress to take up 
immigration reform. The draft 
language of the letter will be 
reviewed by Legislative Policy 
Committee. 

 Vice Mayor Victor Gordo 
said the new law brings out the 
best and worst of people which 
was evident during the long 
public comment period. About 
40 people asked to speak. 

 “I believe today it will bring out 
the best in Pasadena,” he said. “I 
believe it’s important for us to 
have a discussion regarding this 
issue.” 

 Gordo said at issue was 
freedoms, “as the people have 
known it in this country.”

 He said SB 1070 stigmatizes 
and subjects one particular class 
of people to arrest. 

 Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard 
said the motion approved 
sending a letter to the U.S. 
Conference of Mayors 
condemning Arizona’s law and 
backing a proposed resolution 
by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. 

 Bogaard said Gordon 
recognized that the legislation 
was the subject of constitutional 
question which is currently 
being litigated in the courts. 
He said the Conference of 
Mayors encourages officials 
and organizations considering 
sanctions delay their 
implementation until the courts 
decisions, or, until it actually 
takes effect. 

 Gordon also called for new 
bipartisan federal immigration 
reform something that all 
the council members present 
agreed with. Councilmember 
Steve Councilmember Steve 
Haderlien was absent. 

 Although some thought the 
city should stay out of Arizona’s 
business Councilmember Steve 
Madison said he disagreed 
explaining that 33 percent of 
Pasadena is Latino. 

 “We’re taking about a state 
that’s right next door,” he said. 
“It’s very common that people 
from our city go to Arizona and 
I think it’s appropriate that we 
speak up.”

 Representing the Pasadena 
Chamber of Commerce, Paul 
Little asked that the council not 
consider a boycott such as L.A. 
and San Francisco had recently 
done.

 “Those things generally do 
not work,” he said. “And can 
reciprocally harm the city of 
Pasadena.” He added that a 
given percent of the country 
could have chosen not to do 
business with California because 
of opposition to gay marriage, 
“But they did not,” he said.

 A number of comments were 
translated from Spanish, and 
although sometimes hard to 
hear, many said the law would 
lead to contentions in the 
workplace and only force more 
people into hiding. 

 Those opposed to Pasadena’s 
position said mostly that 
Pasadena should not be 
involved with issues outside the 
city. Councilmember Jacque 
Robinson said she thought that 
was odd coming from people 
that declared they live as far 
away as Valley Village.

Measure CC, Arizona 
Illegal Immigration, Music 
Under The Stars Are Topics 
On The Latest “City Beat”

 Topics on the latest edition 
of “City Beat” on KPAS 
include voter disapproval 
of Pasadena Unified School 
District’s Measure CC parcel 
tax, a May 17 Pasadena City 
Council agenda item related 
to Arizona enforcement of 
federal illegal-immigration 
laws, and the May 22 free 
“Music Under the Stars” 
concert by the Pasadena 
POPS at City Hall.

 Moderator Barry Gordon 
is joined by Pasadena Mayor 
Bill Bogaard, Pasadena 
Weekly reporter André 
Coleman and Mountain 
Views News reporter Dean 
Lee.

 “City Beat” replays Mondays 
at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., Tuesdays 
at 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays 
at 8:30 a.m., Thursdays at 
7 p.m., Fridays at 8:30 p.m. 
and Saturdays at 5:30 p.m.

 KPAS is on channel 3 on the 
Charter Communications 
cable system in Pasadena 
. Streaming video of all 
KPAS programming can be 
accessed in real time by going 
to www.cityofpasadena.net/
publicaffairs and clicking on 
Video Streaming.

 For more information call 
(626) 794-8585.

Related News: City 
Enforces Fire Code


Schiff Calls 
for Solutions 
to Process 
Remaining 
Sexual Assault 
Evidence Kits

Pet of the 
Week

Meeting to Provide Update 
on Merger of Northwest 
Redevelopment Project Areas

Sherman

 
A proposal to merge the 
five Northwest Pasadena 
redevelopment project 
areas will be the focus of 
a community meeting 
Thursday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m. 
at Jackie Robinson Center, 
1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave. in 
Pasadena .

 The Orange Grove, Lincoln 
Avenue , Fair Oaks Avenue , 
Lake/Washington and Villa-
Parke redevelopment project 
areas encompass portions of 
City Council Districts 1, 2, 3 
and 5. 

 The Northwest Programs 
Division of the Pasadena 
Planning and Development 
Department is preparing a 
plan for the proposed merger.

 If approved by the Pasadena 
City Council in October 2010, 
the merger would combine 
tax increment revenue from 
the five areas into one funding 
source for all of Northwest 
Pasadena .

 Tax increment funding, 
generated from increases in 
assessed property valuation 
in a redevelopment project 
area, is used to create jobs, 
rehabilitate properties, 
stimulate private business and 
attract investment.

 To view a map of the five 
redevelopment project areas, 
visit www.cityofpasadena.
net/ northwest and click on 
Northwest Program Maps. 

 For more information and 
to receive alerts about future 
community meetings related 
to the proposed merger, email 
vgonzalez@cityofpasadena.
net or call (626) 744-4791.

 Without much explanation as 
to why, the city’s Fire Marshal, 
Mark Fasick, suddenly enforced 
the council chamber maximum 
occupancy Monday night 
limiting the number of people 
to 122. Television sets were 
put outside to watch for those 
unable to be let in. Some came 
from as far away as Ventura. 

 A longtime city employee said 
this was the first time since the 
city hall council chambers was 
renovated in 2007 that he had 
seen the fire code enforced. 
Fasick said an incident a few 
months ago triggered the new 
enforcement although he would 
not elaborate. 

 Seating was limited to the 
number of chairs in the room. 
With the exception of a TV 
news cameraman no one was 
allowed to stand including 
a number of protesters in 
the back of the room. About 
half dozen people held signs 
reading, “Immigration Reform,” 
and “We are all Arizona.” 

 Two Pasadena police also stood 
at the doors and another officer 
attentively watched outside as 
people gathered around the 
televisions. Acting Police Chief 
Christopher Vicino was also 
at the meeting sitting in the 
audience although he did not 
address the council.

 Washington, DC – With 
Los Angeles struggling 
to eliminate a backlog in 
the processing of more 
than 7,000 rape kits – 
the evidence collected 
from the crime scene and 
victim’s body after a rape 
report – Rep. Adam Schiff 
(D-CA) and members of 
Congress from the Los 
Angeles area sent a letter 
to Attorney General Eric 
Holder and Federal Bureau 
of Investigation (FBI) 
Director Robert Mueller 
asking that they work with 
the City of Los Angeles 
to develop immediate 
solutions to expeditiously 
process remaining sexual 
assault evidence kits. In the 
City of Los Angeles alone, 
1,700 kits were awaiting a 
technical review on March 
1, and that number is only 
growing.

 “The thousands of 
sexual assault evidence kits 
currently awaiting technical 
review could be uploaded 
into the national database 
much more quickly in a 
reformed technical review 
process,” Rep. Schiff said. 
“We believe that Los 
Angeles can serve as a 
pilot to demonstrate the 
feasibility of alternatives, 
taking dangerous people off 
the street, speeding justice 
for victims of assault, saving 
scarce resources, improving 
DNA technologies.”

 Sherman, a gorgeous, 
four-year-old Doberman 
Pincher and shepherd mix 
is looking for a new home. 
He is active, playful, and 
loves attention. Sherman 
needs a home where he will 
get plenty of exercise. Come 
visit with this great dog 
today!

 The regular dog adoption 
fee is $120, which includes 
medical care prior to 
adoption, spaying or 
neutering, vaccinations, 
and a follow-up visit with a 
participating vet.

 Please call 626-792-
7151 and ask for A268069 
or come to the Pasadena 
Humane Society & SPCA, 
361 S. Raymond Ave , 
Pasadena CA , 91105 . 
Our adoption hours are 
11-3 Sunday, 9-4 Tuesday, 
Wednesday, Thursday, and 
Friday, and 9-3 Saturday. 
Directions and photos of 
all pets updated hourly 
may be found at www.
pasadenahumane.org

State Considering Sending 
Felons to Neighborhood Jails

 County Supervisor Michael 
Antonovich made the following 
comments last week in response 
to a proposed plan by Governor 
Arnold Schwarzenegger to 
house 15,000 non-violent 
felons in county jails. 

 “The chutzpah of the Governor 
proposing to release state felons 
to serve their sentence of three 
years or less in county jails 
threatens public safety and 
adds additional costs to local 
taxpayers,” He said. “Opening 
the prison gates is a dream 
come true for the ACLU -- but 
threatens local government’s 
ability to preserve public 
safety.” 

 “The Governor’s proposal 
reimburses counties less than 
50% of the housing costs and 
further jams local taxpayers for 
full in-custody medical costs 
and supervision once they are 
released from jail. 

 What Sacramento bean 
counters have never figured 
out is the fact that county jails 
are not designed to house state 
felons nor are there enough beds 
for both state and local inmates 
-- as a result, compromising the 
safety of our communities.”

 “In January, the Governor 
signed a law that undermines 
local public safety by allowing 
so-called ‘non-violent or low 
level offenders’ to be free of any 
parole supervision, including 
zero consequences for violating 
terms of parole. As a result, 
our Sheriff and other local 
law enforcement agencies are 
forced to assume the role of 
parole agents.”

 The plan to move state 
prisoners to local jails has also 
been looked at by some as a way 
for Schwarzenegger to avoid 
the mandated early release of 
prisoners by the state.

Don’t Just Be a Blogger, 
Be A Citizen Journalist

 Get hands-on multimedia 
journalism training! What 
makes news? Is it better to 
use a video instead of a still 
photo? How can I get this 
story out?

 Pasadena Community 
Network and this newspaper 
are holding a seminar on 
Citizen Journalism. Putting 
the news in your hands. 
Learn how to find the story, 
the tools needed to capture 
the story and the means to 
tell the story using the power 
of video, audio and print 
along with the internet. Class 
Starts May 11, 11a.m.- 1p.m. 
at the PCN studios 2061 N. 
Los Robles Ave. #109. For 
more info contact Aaron 
Wheeler (626) 794-8585. 
Cost of the class is $10 which 
covers all instructional 
materials and equipment. 


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