Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 19, 2015

5

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 19, 2015 

ENTERTAINING A GUEST FROM WISCONSIN

REGISTRATION IS OPEN 

FOR YWCA PASADENA 

2015 FALL PROGRAMS


By Joan Schmidt

 About a month ago, my husband Bob received a call from his late cousin 
Dave’s widow , Phyllis (From Wisconsin) that she booked a flight to Los Angeles 
and would be here seven days. (Not including traveling days.) I never met her 
and my husband Bob only a couple times before moving out of state. He did 
see her last year for an hour when he went back for his high school reunion and 
picked up some family history research. Bob said she used a cane.

 So Disneyland, etc. was out of the question. First I went to wheeloffortune.
com and learned you can reserve up to four seats to see the show taped. (Also 
true of Jeopardy) 

 There are lots of great local museums. El Monte has nearby parking and 
isn’t too large for physically impaired. Phyllis enjoyed all the cubicles with 
rooms/stores set up, the Gay Lion Farm Display, the Royals Royce and so many 
memorabilia display cases as well as the tribute to both the Police and Fire 
Departments.

 I need to put to plug in for the Homestead Museum to learn and experience 
History. That great Beyond the Graves Tour, Ticket to the Twenties, and All 
About Cowboys free programs are coming up. (Visit homesteadmuseum.org.)

 Of course both the Monrovia Historical Museum and Arcadia’s Gilb 
Museum have so much history and many interesting displays-they also have 
great parking, are free and fun to visit.

 Speaking of Arcadia, we arose early one morning and went to Clocker’s 
Corner to see American Pharoah work out. Coffee and a delicious breakfast 
are available, and the San Gabriel Mountains offer a gorgeous backdrop. 
We saw Fernando Perez, Felipe Valdez, Tiago Perierra with his dog in tow, 
and Gary Stevens who graciously posed with Phyllis.

 Our last day was a drive to Carpentaria CITY Beach. It has free parking 
and picnic tables. The quaint town has plenty of eateries, neat stores and even a 
museum. 

 Phyllis got a little peek of life in Southern California. She loved the excursions, 
but the heat was too much! After all, she’s from Wisconsin!

On September 28th, a new session of YWCA programming will begin. 
The YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley will be offering 4 programs at its 
offices: TechGyrls, Express Yourself, Adult Computer Class, and iPad 
class. They will all be based at the YWCA Pasadena offices, located at 
1015 N. Lake Ave., Suite 205, Pasadena, CA 91104. These 4 programs 
aim to empower community members of all ages to pursue their goals, 
realize their creativity, and learn new skills.

TechGYRLS is part of the YWCA’s free Girls’ Empowerment 
programming and is designed to introduce the cutting edge technology 
and techniques to girls ages 10-17, while fostering a love of the STEM 
disciplines. The YWCA will provide a comfortable, and supportive 
environment where girls will be able to feel comfortable taking risks 
and opening up to new learning opportunities. Participants will be 
able to engage in hands-on activities including designing and printing 
3D objects with a FlashForge 3D printer, editing photos and learning 
graphic design, and exploring science through fun and interactive 
experiments. The program runs for ten weeks Tuesdays and Thursdays 
from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM beginning September 29th. 

 Express Yourself! is the second part of the YWCA’s free Girl’s 
Empowerment programming. This program is designed to allow girls 
to be creative and express themselves through a variety of media. 
The YWCA will support and guide girls through hands-on creative 
activities such as writing creative fiction and non-fiction, documenting 
local events and history, photographing their world, and creating 
mixed media masterpieces. The YWCA will also be partnering with 
the Art Center College of Design to integrate the most up-to-date 
techniques and styles into the Express Yourself! curriculum through 
their facilitation of one class a week. The program runs for ten weeks 
Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM beginning 
September 28th. 

 Adult Computer Class will also be continuing this Fall. This class is 
designed for the un- and underemployed to learn computer skills that 
will allow them to compete in an ever increasingly technology driven 
workforce. Participants will learn the basics of Microsoft Office (Word, 
Excel, Powerpoint), online job searches and safety, and Windows 10. 
Adult Computer Class is open to all adults in the Pasadena community. 
The class is free to register, however, the YWCA encourages participants 
to acquire the class workbook at a suggested $5 donation. The program 
runs for 10 weeks . Participants attend once a week Mondays OR 
Wednesdays 9:00AM to 11:00 pm. 

The YWCA’s iPad Basics course will also be held at the YWCA Pasadena 
offices. This class designed for adults who wish to understand how to 
use this amazing tool in their daily lives. The covers the basics of iPad 
navigation, email/online communications, internet browser use, and 
Google Maps. The YWCA will provide iPads for each participant for 
in-class instruction, however, participants may bring their own. The 
program runs for 4 weeks, once-a-week, on Tuesdays from 11:00 AM to 
12:00 pm starting September 29th. 

 Participants may enroll in our Youth Girls’ Empowerment Programs 
at any time by submitting our registration form which can be obtained 
at this website http://goo.gl/RpgDR3 or by visiting the YWCA offices 
Monday through Friday 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Participants may arrive at 
any time after 3:00 PM, the YWCA will also be picking up participants 
from area schools. Adult Participants may enroll by calling 626-296-
8433 or visiting the YWCA offices to obtain the enrollment form at 1015 
N. Lake Ave.

 Please contact the YWCA at 626-296-8433 for more information.


Phyliss with Gary Stevens

PASADENA BUSINESSMAN TO BE HONORED BY FIREFIGHTERS


On Sept. 17, representatives from 
the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 
Foundation, an organization begun in 
memory of a fallen 9/11firefighter, will 
pay a special visit to Gregory Felikian, 
Felikian’s Carpet One, Pasadena, to 
personally thank him for his company’s 
generous support of the Foundation’s 
Building for America’s Bravest (BFAB) 
program.

 The BFAB program builds high-tech 
“smart homes” for service members 
returning from war who have been 
catastrophically injured.

 Carpet One Floor & Home, and its 
manufacturing partner Mohawk, have 
committed to providing flooring materials 
and installation for 46of these “smart homes.” Each store’s customers are 
invited to share information about the program with others and make a 
personal contribution at the store site. The goal is to collect a donation of 
$10— or more — from each customer, to ultimately enable the building 
of two more “smart homes.” (www.carpetone.

com/our-bravest).

 In recognition of that support, members of the Fire Department of 
New York City (FDNY) — acting on their own initiative, as ambassadors 
of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation — will present a specially-designed 
shadowbox containing hallowed 9/11steel from Ground Zero to Gregory 
Felikian. The presentation will be at 11a.m. on Sept. 17.

 “We are truly humbled and 
honored that the Tunnel to Towers 
Foundation and members of the 
FDNY — who were actually at Ground 
Zero on 9/11and during its aftermath — 
are travelling all the way from their home 
base to visit us and express their gratitude 
to us,” Felikian said.

 “In fact, we are the ones who are thankful 
to them for their dedication and service. 
That is why we are so thrilled to be part of 
this impactful program that helps military 
heroes who have sustained the most 
devastating injuries.”

 Felikian’s Carpet One is a locally owned 
flooring retailer serving the San Gabriel 
Valley and surrounding areas. It is part 
of North America’sleading floor covering 
co-op.

 The showroom is known for carrying a 
broad selection of beautiful carpet, wood, laminate, ceramic, vinyl and 
area rugs, including exclusive brands like Bigelow and Lees.

 They offer a unique customer experience with the exclusive 
SelectAFloor merchandising system that simplifies the shopping 
experience and The Beautiful Guarantee, that guarantees customers 
will be 100percent happy with their floors. Felikian’s Carpet One is 
also the home of the exclusive Healthier Living Installation system. For 
more information, visit www.Felikiancarpet.com. The Stephen Siller 
Tunnel to Towers Foundation was named in honor of FDNY 9 /11 f 
allen Firefighter Stephen Siller and is best known for its annual Tunnel 
to Towers Run at Ground Zero in New York City. The organization is 
committed to building specially-adapted “smart homes” for the most 
seriously wounded U.S. service personnel. For more information, go to 
www.Tunnel2Towers.org.

LISA BAUM 
lisa.baum@podley.com 
626.627.6773CalBRE #01080661ANDREA 
HARkNESS BARRETT 
andrea.barrett@podley.com 
626.390.3017CalBRE #01887447BARRETT & BAUM 
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ASSEMBLY MAJORITY LEADER 
CHRIS HOLDEN’S

2015 LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES 


Sacramento – Assemblymember Chris Holden 
wraps up the 2015 Legislative Session with an 
impressive list of accomplishments – 14 bills 
approved in the state Legislature with four already 
signed into law. Deadline for Governor Brown to 
sign the remaining bills is October 11. 

AB 15 – Human Rights

Ensures justice for victims of Human Rights abuses 
by expanding the statute of limitations on these 
cases to ten years.

AB 173 - City of La Verne Golf Carts

Extends the exemption and allows City of La Verne 
residents to drive golf carts on city streets. (signed 
and chaptered)

AB 220 – Algebra Requirement Reform

Updates the Algebra I high school graduation 
requirement and ensures students meet the 
mathematics high school graduation requirement. 
(signed and chaptered)

AB 265 – Buy Here, Pay Here Auto Loans

Provides used-car buyers additional protections 
by requiring buy-here-pay-here dealerships to 
give a 10-day written notice before using a starter-
interruption device to disables a vehicle. (signed 
and chaptered) 

AB 288 – Concurrent Enrollment 

This bill opens the door to higher education for 
thousands of California students by expanding 
access to concurrent enrollment opportunities. It 
will make it easier for high school students to take 
college courses at community colleges or at high 
school campuses. 

AB 525 – Franchise Bill 

Landmark bill to protect the investment of small 
business franchisees by strengthening their legal 
rights in their dealings with corporate owners. The 
bill ensures franchisees can operate their business, 
transfer the franchise to a qualified heir, and renew 
their contracts. 

AB 562 Elections – Ballots 

AB 562 prioritizes the election of our state education 
leader (Superintendent of Public Instruction) by 
moving this position alongside other statewide 
elected officers on the election ballots. 

AB 915 – Public Employee Travel Restriction – 
Cutting Through Red Tape

Removes archaic travel restrictions on school 
employees who are on worker’s compensation by 
allowing them to leave the state without getting 
prior permission. (Signed and Chaptered)

AB 1077 – Mutual Water Companies 

Strengthens the Mutual Water Company Open 
Meeting Act by requiring all shareholders to 
be guaranteed the right to teleconference into 
any meeting and prohibiting the Mutual Water 
Company’s Board from meeting exclusively in 
executive session.

AB 1097 – Electronic Contracting 

Electronic contracts can now offer consumer 
protection measures that exceed those of traditional 
paper contracts.

AB 1162 -- Tobacco Prevention Treatments 

Confirms that smoking cessation treatments are 
covered benefits under Medi-Cal and provides 
counseling for approved medications for up to 90 
days. 

AB 1279 – Music Therapy Act

Ensures music therapy is provided by individuals 
who meet established education, clinical training 
and credential qualifications. Additionally, this bill 
defines safe and consistent music therapy practices 
and qualifications. 

AB 1293 PERS 

Prohibits state departments from laying-off civil 
service employees and creating emergency staffing 
situations that have to be filled by an alternative or 
temporary workforce. This bill would also prohibit 
departments from using pre-existing contracts to 
fill positions that have been created by layoffs. 

AB 1378 -- Elderly Homeowner Property Tax Relief

Ensures both property owners in a recognized 
partnership are entitled to the base tax transfer. 
Currently, California seniors over 55 and disabled 
adults are permitted to transfer the assessed value 
of their present home to a new home – but only one 
spouse or partner can claim the tax transfer.


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