Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 17, 2015

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 17, 2015 


City Officials

Appoint New 
HR Director

Committee to Consider 
Police Body Cameras

 The City’s Public Safety 
Committee is set Monday 
to discuss and take 
public comment on the 
development of a new policy 
on the use of body-worn 
cameras by the Pasadena 
Police Department. The 
meeting begins at, 3:30 p.m., 
in the Council Chamber on 
the second floor of City Hall, 
100 N. Garfield Ave. 

 The Pasadena Police 
Department is planning to 
deploy body-worn cameras 
in late 2016 that will be 
issued to officers and non-
sworn civilians assigned to 
patrol and jail operations. 
The City is seeking input 
from residents and others 
about possible elements 
for a new policy such as 
handling and storage of 
video recordings; how and 
when body cameras should 
be activated or turned off; 
public access to the recorded 
videos, and privacy issues. 

 In a related matter, a 
Request for Proposals was 
issued last week for the 
hiring of a consultant to 
study oversight models 
for the police department. 
Responses are due back to 
the City Manager’s Office no 
later than 5:30 p.m., Nov. 6, 
2015.

 
City Manager Michael Beck 
announced last week the 
appointment of Jennifer Curtis 
as the new Director for the 
Pasadena Human Resources 
Department. As the Human 
Resources Director, Curtis 
will be responsible for the 
administration and operation 
of the department, including 
overall city employment 
activities, benefits packages, 
safety and accident reports, 
workers compensation, 
succession planning, 
workforce diversity issues, 
labor agreements and training 
and skills development. She is 
expected to begin her duties 
effective Nov. 2.

 “Ms. Curtis has outstanding 
experience in human 
resources management to lead 
our complex operation. Her 
passion for the profession and 
her demonstrated leadership 
skills will help ensure we are 
a model organization,” City 
Manager Beck said.

 Curtis’ appointment caps 
a nationwide recruitment 
process by the city for the 
position. 

“I’m ready to get to work, to 
meet and serve employees 
throughout the city, and 
to build upon Pasadena’s 
reputation as an employer of 
choice,”. Curtis said.

Curtis comes from the City of 
Ventura, Calif., where she has 
been the Human Resources 
Director since January 2014.

 The maximum annual salary 
for the Director of the Human 
Resources Department 
is $205,000, according to 
information on the city’s 
website. Contract terms will 
be finalized prior to the start 
of her formal duties.

By Dean Lee

 Featuring 40 events this week 
across Pasadena from more than 
35 collaborators, including Bill 
Nye the Science Guy and others, 
Connect Week is set to feature 
everything from local startups, 
hardware hacking, the future of 
biotech to drone video making.

 Innovate Pasadena Director 
of Marketing and Operations 
Celina Guerrero said the five day 
event is broken up into tracks, 
“Science, design, technology 
and entrepreneurship.”

 “It’s really a week full of events 
that employ the innovating 
happenings here in Pasadena,” 
she said. “Everything from, 
the Art Center College of 
Design to Kidspace, also, the 
Planetary Society has a big event 
with Bill Nye. The Carnegie 
Observatories is also having an 
open house.”

 The majority of the events are 
free. An exception is Innovate 
Pasadena’s Level Up block party 
Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 9 
p.m. 

 “We’re going to have a DJ, retro 
80s video games [to play] from 
Neon Arcade,” Guerrero said. 
We also have sliders, bratwurst 
and beer and wine from Dog 
Haus Biergarten.

 Connect Week is presented by 
Innovate Pasadena, a nonprofit 
organization. 

 During Level Up organizers 
will give presentations of the 
five finalists of The Epic Failures 
Competition where science 
and design companies in the 
Los Angeles region submitted 
applications chronicling 
how they failed, pivoted and 
recovered, she said. Four of the 
finalists are Pasadena based. 

 Although there will be a grand 
winner, selected by a judge, 
Guerrero said there will also be 
a “people choice award” winner.

 “Right now if you go to the 
epicfailurescompetition.com 
… you can watch a two minute 
video from each of the finalists, 
and you can judge for yourself 
who to vote for, she said.

 There is also a fee for, A Space 
Celebration, with Bill Nye Oct. 
24 7:30p.m. to 9 p.m. at the 
Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 
300 E Green St. The Kidspace 
Children’s Museum events and 
Minecraft gaming events also 
have paid tickets Guerrero said.

 For more information or to get 
tickets visit connectpasadena.
com.

CONNECT 
WEEK PUTS CITY 
AT CENTER OF 
TECHNOLOGY

Altadena 
Station 
Welcomes 
New Captain

Pasadena Fire Awarded 
Prestigious Class 1 Status

 
Captain Christopher 
Reed departing Altadena 
Station, welcomes 
incoming Captain Vicki 
Stuckey.

 Captain Christopher 
Reed’s last day was Sunday 
at the Altadena Station, 
transferring to Sheriff’s 
Information Bureau, the 
Sheriff’s Department’s media 
headquarters. Replacing 
Captain Reed at Altadena 
Station is Captain Vicki 
Stuckey. 

 Captain Stuckey brings with 
her more than 30 years of 
law enforcement experience, 
most of her time being spent 
at various patrol stations 
throughout the County, 
including Norwalk, Compton, 
and Lomita Stations.

 Reflecting on his time at 
Altadena Station, Captain 
Reed pointed to several 
noteworthy achievements by 
Altadena station deputies and 
his management team during 
his tenure, including reducing 
overall crimes by over 18 
percent in 2014 as compared 
to 2013. Building on last 
year’s crime reduction, overall 
crimes have been reduced an 
additional 17percent year to 
date this year, with a nearly 
50% reduction as compared to 
5 years ago.

 Captain Reed wishes to 
express his heartfelt gratitude 
for all of the community 
support the station and it’s 
hard-working deputies have 
received during his tenure. 
He is equally thankful for 
the tremendous support the 
station has received from 
the 5th District, Supervisor 
Michael Antonovich and his 
staff, as well as the Altadena 
Town Council, the Sheriff’s 
Support Group of Altadena, 
and the station’s Community 
Advisory Council.

 Chief Bertral Washington 
has announced last week the 
Pasadena Fire Department has 
been awarded a Class 1 Public 
Protection Classification rating 
by the Insurance Services 
Office (ISO), an organization 
that independently evaluates 
municipal fire protection efforts 
in communities throughout the 
United States. 

 The Class 1 rating is the 
highest possible score that can 
be given to any fire department 
nationwide. The City of 
Pasadena is one of only sixteen 
communities in California, and 
132 nationally to have achieved 
this prestigious and significant 
ranking. Insurance companies 
use ISO information combined 
with other factors to establish 
local commercial business and 
residential property insurance 
rates – generally offering lower 
premiums in communities with 
better protection. 

 “This reaffirms our commitment 
to excellence and verifies 
through another independent 
agency that our community 
receives the highest caliber of 
fire suppression services,” states 
Chief Washington.

 The ISO Public Protection 
Classification program 
provides important, up-to-date 
information on the capabilities 
of public fire protection in 
nearly 50,000 fire protection 
areas across the United States. 

 The ISO ratings process involves 
a periodic, detailed analysis of 
all fire department equipment 
and operations, the city’s water 
system, and emergency 9-1-1 
communications system. The 
program provides an objective 
nationwide standard that helps 
fire departments in planning 
and budgeting for facilities, 
equipment, and training. By 
offering economic benefits for 
communities that invest in 
their firefighting services, the 
program provides an incentive 
for improving and maintaining 
public fire protection.

 For more information on 
ISO and the current rating 
system please visit: http://www.
isomitigation.com

 In August 2015 the Department 
joined an elite cadre of fire 
organizations receiving 
Accredited Agency status. Of 
30,052 fire departments in the 
United States only 32 are ISO 
Class 1 and Accredited and 
in the state of California only 
three fire departments have 
both achievements.

Latino Heritage Parade

 
The community is invited to 
celebrate Latino history, arts 
and culture durring the 17th 
annual Latino Heritage Parade 
and Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 
p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. 

 The free event begins with a 
lively and colorful parade at 11 
a.m., followed by the festival 
from 12-4 p.m. at La Pintoresca 
Park, 1415 N. Raymond Ave. 
Read more about the Latino 
Heritage Parade and jamaica 
at www.cityofpasadena.net/
LatinoHeritage.

 This year’s Grand Marshal is 
screenwriter Josefina Lopez, 
best known for co-writing the 
Pasadena Playhouse-featured 
screenplay “Real Women Have 
Curves” and the 2002 Sundance 
award-winning film of the same 
name. The Community Grand 
Marshal is longtime Pasadena 
resident, author, local historian 
and community activist Roberta 
Martinez.

 The parade begins on Los 
Robles Avenue at Howard 
Street, turns west on 
Washington Boulevard and 
ends at La Pintoresca Park, 
Parade participants include 
Folklorico groups, community 
organizations, equestrians, La 
Reina de Las Fiestas Patrias 
and Court, and the PUSD 
All-District Middle School 
Marching Band and students 
from Pasadena and Marshall 
high schools.

For more information Contact 
Rozanne Adanto, Community 
Services Supervisor, at (626) 
744-6530.

Pet of the 
Week

 
Johnny (A385425) is a 
nine-year-old, male, black 
domestic medium haired 
cat. He is a very affectionate, 
social, and confident boy! 
He loves sitting in your lap 
and enjoys a gentle face and 
back rub. Johnny is a sweet 
senior who loves attention. 
He also qualifies for our 
Seniors for Seniors program 
which waives the adoption 
fee for adopters age 60 
and up. The mandatory 
microchip fee of $20 still 
applies. 

 The regular cat adoption 
fee is $70 which includes 
the spay or neuter surgery, 
microchip, vaccinations, 
and a free follow-up health 
check at a participating vet.

 New adopters will receive 
complimentary health and 
wellness exam from VCA 
Animal Hospitals, as well 
as a goody bag filled with 
information on how to care 
for your pet. 

 Call the Pasadena 
Humane Society & SPCA 
at 626.792.7151 or visit at 
361 S. Raymond Ave. in 
Pasadena. Adoption hours 
are 11-4 Sunday, 9-5 Tuesday 
–Friday, 9-4 Saturday. Pets 
may not be available for 
adoption and cannot be 
held for potential adopters 
from phone calls or email. 
Directions and photos of all 
pets can be found at www.
pasadenahumane.org.

Free Upcoming Events at 
Pasadena Senior Center

 

 There is something for 
everyone in October at the 
Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. 
Holly St. Events lare free. You 
do not have to be a member. 
Some events require advance 
reservations as noted.

 Stay Connected with 
Social Media – Tuesdays and 
Thursdays, from 9 to 11 a.m. 
Learn how to keep in touch 
with family and friends via 
email, Skype, Facebook and 
other social media during 
a 30-minute, one-on-one 
meeting. You choose which 
applications you want to learn. 
Bring a laptop or use one onsite. 
If you have an email address, 
bring it and your password. Sign 
up with Edison at the Welcome 
Desk.

 Smart Phones, Tablets and 
Computers – Any Questions? 
– Tuesdays and Thursdays, 
from 10 to 11 a.m. Get the 
answers you need about 
technology devices, whether 
you own them already or are 
considering a purchase. Learn 
how to text, check voicemail, set 
an alarm, navigate the Internet, 
download apps and more.

 A Matter of Balance – 
Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 
1 to 3 p.m. Are you concerned 
about falling? Ease your fear 
by attending this class that 
combines discussion, video 
and exercise so you’ll improve 
your balance and activity levels. 
Registration is required: 626-
685-6732.

 Burn Prevention – Thursday, 
Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. Older 
adults are particularly 
vulnerable to burns and fires 
due to health and mobility 
issues, smoking behaviors and 
memory impairment. Learn 
about the factors that increase 
risk, common burns and 
their prevention, degrees of 
burns and first aid. Presented 
by Debbie Karaman of the 
Grossman Burn Center.

 LA Opera: Dracula – Monday, 
Oct. 19, at 1 p.m. Philip Glass 
was commissioned in 1998 to 
write a score for the iconic 1931 
screen version of Bram Stoker’s 
Dracula starring Bela Lugosi 
and Helen Chandler. Because 
the film’s release coincided with 
the transition from silents to 
talkies, no original score was 
written and few sound effects 
were used. Just in time for 
Halloween, Glass’s hypnotic 
score blows the cobwebs off 
the classic film and adds depth 
to the emotional layers of the 
drama. Presented by an LA 
Opera community educator.

 Chair Yoga – Wednesday, 
Oct. 21, at 1 p.m. Improve your 
balance, strength and flexibility 
at this gentle and meditative 
class taught by Kathy Eastwood, 
a certified yoga instructor and a 
registered nurse at Huntington 
Hospital. Due to popular 
demand, this class is limited to 
the first 25 participants. Register 
in advance at the Welcome Desk 
or by calling 626-795-4331.

Humane Society to Hold 
Pit Bull Awareness Day

 
National Pit Bull Awareness 
Day is a day of education, 
awareness and advocacy 
designed to change commonly 
held stereotypes and perceptions 
surrounding Pit Bull-type dogs. 
On Saturday, October 24, the 
Pasadena Humane Society & 
SPCA (PHS) will welcome Pit 
Bull owners and their dogs for 
a day of fun and games “bully 
style.”

 This year’s festivities will 
include:

 · Adoptions: The adoption 
fee for all Pit Bull and Pit Bull 
mixes will be reduced by $25. 
Regular adoption procedures 
and screening apply.

 · Agility Open House: The 
behavior and training yard 
will be transformed into an 
agility course from 10 a.m. to 2 
p.m. Dogs can try their paw at 
jumping over hurdles, through 
rings, and walking over the 
A-frame.

 · Basic Obedience Training: 
Our behavior staff will offer a 
free one-hour basic obedience 
class at 11 a.m. in the Behavior 
and Training Room. Attendees 
can sign up for the class on 
arrival. Class will be limited to 
20 dogs.

 · Meet the Trainer: The PHS 
dog training and behavior team 
will be on hand throughout the 
day to answer questions you 
have about your dog.

 · Photo Booth: A photographer 
will snap photos of dogs with 
their owners. The photos will 
be available on our Facebook 
page.

 · Seminar: Join us in the 
Behavior and Training Center 
at 1 p.m. for the “Responsible 
Pit Bull Ownership” seminar. 
Our dog trainers will review 
common questions and 
concerns about the breed, 
as well as the joys of Pit Bull 
ownership, in this one hour 
lecture.

 · Shelter Shop: Pit bull 
owners will receive 10% off any 
purchase in the PHS Shelter 
Shop when they visit with their 
dog.

 National Pit Bull Awareness 
Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 
2 p.m. at the PHS, located at 361 
S. Raymond Ave,

 For more information call 
(626) 792-7151 ext. 155.

Senior Center 
Halloween 
Brunch, Dance 

 Wear your favorite 
Halloween costume and have 
a spooktacularly good time 
at a Halloween brunch and 
dance Saturday, Oct. 31, from 
noon to 2 p.m. at the Pasadena 
Senior Center, 85 E. Holly St.

 The Scott Pavilion will be 
decorated for a great pumpkin 
party as guests enjoy a brunch 
that will include cheddar 
baked eggs, cinnamon apple 
and potato pancakes, pumpkin 
bread, a variety meats, jack-
o-lantern bars and a special 
witch’s brew. The Great 
American Swing Band will 
provide music for listening 
and dancing.

 The cost is only $8 for 
members and $10 for 
non-members. Prepaid 
reservations will be accepted 
at the Welcome Desk through 
Wednesday, Oct. 28.

 For more information visit 
www.pasadenaseniorcenter.
org or call 626-795-4331.

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