Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, July 6, 2019

6

Mountain View News Saturday, July 6, 2019 

Local Area 
News Briefs


Tunnel Demise SB 7 Passes 
Transportation Committee

 
Avon Buildings to 
be Home Depot 

 At a meeting of East 
Pasadena residents 
last month, hosted by 
Councilmember Gene 
Masuda, the latest plans 
were reveled by The Home 
Depot, new owners of the 
former Avon site on E. 
Foothill Blvd. According 
to Pasadena Heritage, a 
much-reduced project now 
includes only The Home 
Depot store rather than a 
much more aggressive plan 
that originally included 
housing, offices, and 
another big-box retailer. 
The plans presented 
responded to nearly all 
of the requests from 
neighbors and Pasadena 
Heritage at earlier 
meetings. The retention 
and reuse of the original 
Avon buildings, designed 
in 1946 by noted architect 
Stiles O. Clements with 
additions by Neptune & 
Thomas, is a big plus from 
there perspective. Traffic 
mitigation measures will 
be funded by The Home 
Depot will help protect 
nearby neighborhoods 
they said. More details 
will be forthcoming as 
the project makes its way 
through the city approval 
process, but construction 
could start as early as 
this fall to covert the 
Avon production and 
distribution facility and 
offices into the building 
supply store, they said. In 
June, Pasadena Heritage 
nominated the Avon 
Products Building as a city 
landmark.

Image from left to right: Senator Portantino, Megan Foker, Board 
Co-Chair of the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House and Michelle 
Matthews, Executive Director of the Arlington Garden

 The 710 Formal Tunnel 
Demise SB 7, authored 
by Senator Anthony 
Portantino, passed the 
Assembly Transportation 
Committee Monday. SB 
7 will allow the purchase 
of surplus properties 
occupied by nonprofits 
at their current use value 
and prohibit Caltrans from 
implementing the tunnel or 
surface freeway options for 
the 710 gap closure. The bill 
is also a potential legislative 
fix for the state to return 
surplus freeway stubs back 
to local cities in the freeway 
corridor. 

 “The formal end of the 
710 has been 60 years in 
the making and I am very 
excited to see it one step 
closer to happening. I am 
particularly pleased to be 
following through on the 
commitment I made two 
years ago when negotiating 
the end to the 710 tunnel 
threat. The hope then was 
that the EIR certification 
would move us all in a new 
and collaborative direction 
that would take the freeway 
off the table and protect the 
nonprofits in the corridor. 
Today, that reality is within 
reach,” Portantino said.

 Portantino has been a 
leading legislative opponent 
of the 710 freeway for 20 
years. Upon being elected 
to the Senate in 2016, he 
sat down with the Brown 
administration to define the 
current course of action. 
Earlier in the year, he 
hosted a press conference 
for the release of the final 
EIR, which laid out the 
path. The Arlington Garden 
and the Pasadena Ronald 
McDonald House are 
positively impacted by SB 7 
and had representatives in 
Sacramento offering their 
support for the bill. 

 “The Pasadena Ronald 
McDonald House and 
Arlington Garden are two 
nonprofits that are very 
interested in seeing SB 7 
pass. We are grateful to 
Portantino for his support 
of our mission and those 
of the other nonprofits in 
our community. SB 7 is 
critical to the future success 
of all of us in Caltrans-
owned properties,” added 
Megan Foker, Board Co-
Chair of the Pasadena 
Ronald McDonald House 
and Michelle Matthews, 
Executive Director of the 
Arlington Garden.

City Celebrates Belated Birthday

By Dean Lee

 Although it could be celebrated 
anytime in June, but this year’s 
“Happy Birthday Pasadena!” 
came a little late Sunday as the 
city turned 133 years old earlier 
in the month. In the past, the 
official party to honor cityhood 
has been near the beginning of 
June. 

 “I think the actual date is the 
middle of the month around 
June 19, in 1886” said Jeannette 
Bovard, media consultant for 
the Pasadena History Museum. 
“Last year we held it June 3.”

 Being late did not stop the 
party as the townsfolk enjoyed a 
rip-roaring time with a cowboy, 
western, theme event. Bovard 
joked about it being the last day 
of the month saying that as long 
as they held it in June they were 
alright. 

 Another oddity was Pasadena 
Mayor Terry Tornek (pictured 
above cutting the cake) wearing 
a western shirt from Pasadena 
Texas. He explained why it was 
perfect for the occasion.

 “They [a group including 
Pasadena Texas mayor Jeff 
Wagner] came to my office last 
month, visiting the city.” he said. 
“The people that founded the 
Pasadena in Texas in 1893 had 
visited Pasadena in California 
and were so taken with it, so 
impressed with it, they went 
back to Texas and named their 
city Pasadena.” 

 Tornek joked that he gets 
emails all the time complaining 
to Mayor Wagner about 
something wrong in that city, 
“it’s a small price to pay,” he said. 

 Tornek said the visiting group 
had given him the tan long 
sleeved button-down shirt with 
the Pasadena Texas logo seal. 

 The highlight of the day came 
as Tornek, a number of local 
dignitaries and museum staff cut 
a massive cake designed by Baja 
Ranch Supermarket Pasadena 
that fed over 1,500 event goers, 
organizers said. The Wells Fargo 
stagecoach was also on hand as 
guests climbed aboard to get a 
selfie inside the famed carriage. 
The event also featured trick 
ropin’, line dancing’, and rousing 
western tunes.

July Used 
Book Sale

 


 Pasadena Museum of 
History invites visitors to 
bask in the joyful ambiance 
of quintessential childhood 
amusements in a uniquely 
“touchable” exhibition, 
Giddy Up: Children Take 
the Reins. Curated by local 
collector and conservator 
Lourinda Bray, the 
exhibition is on view through 
September 15.

 The PMH galleries are filled 
with a dizzying array of 
more than thirty-five smaller 
scaled carousel horses and 
exotic creatures that visitors 
of all ages will be able to see 
– and touch. An enchanting 
photo booth features a 
double-seat Polar Bear from 
an English carousel by J.R. 
Anderson, circa 1920, that 
children and adults can climb 
on for a special keepsake 
photo.

 A selection of ride-on 
horses/animals that rock, 
bounce, and/or roll, along 
with a wide variety of animals 
and carousel themed toys, are 
also on view. Today we might 
call these the ‘interactive’ 
toys and amusements 
of yesteryear. They were 
specifically designed to spark 
children’s imaginations, 
encouraging youngsters to 
“take the reins and create 
their own unique stories and 
fictional characters as they 
pretended to be their favorite 
cowboy film stars or other 
fictional characters.

 Giddy Up is the Museum’s 
second exhibition devoted 
solely to items from 
Lourinda Bray’s collection. 
Her Running Horse Studio 
in Irwindale, CA houses 
her nearly unimaginable 
menagerie, along with 
carousel art, miniatures, 
toys, and more in 7,000 
square feet of merry-go-
round memorabilia. Here 
she carefully restores figures 
for other collectors and for 
operational carousels, as 
well as pieces in her own 
collection, which spans the 
history of carousels from 
the mid-nineteenth century 
to modern day, with many 
examples from the “Golden 
Age of Carousels,” 1861-
1920.

 This year marks the 148th 
anniversary of the modern 
carousel in the United 
States. National Carousel 
Day – Thursday, July 25th – 
commemorates the day in 
1871 that William Schneider 
of Davenport, Iowa, was 
issued the first American 
patent for a carousel. In honor 
of the occasion the Museum 
will offer free admission to 
all visitors on July 25. The 
museum is located 470 W. 
Walnut St. Pasadena.

Explore the 
World of 
Carousel 
Animals

 Pasadena will host a great 
sale of gently used books at 
Central Library on Saturday, 
July 13. From 9 a.m. to noon, 
you’ll find great titles on the 
East Patio of the library at 
385 W. Walnut St., Pasadena 
CA. The sale is hosted by 
The Friends of the Pasadena 
Public Library.

 For more information 
visit The Friends’ website 
at friendsppl.org; email 
friendsppl@yahoo.com; or 
telephone 626-744-4680.

 Free admission to 
all visitors on July 25, 
in honor of National 
Carousel Day 

Movies in 
the Park

Talk on Owen Brown, 
Altadena’s First Celebrity

 The South Pasadena 
Community Services 
Department is screening, 
Captain Marvel, the last 
movie of the summer at 
Garfield Park The Free 
movies begin at dusk, or 
approximately 8:15pm. on 
August 16. Garfield Park is 
located 1000 Park Avenue. 

Attendees are encouraged to 
bring blankets and low seat 
lawn chairs.

 Upon request made no 
later than four (4) business 
days before the event, 
the city will provide a 
reasonable accommodation 
for a qualified person with a 
disability to have equal access 
to the event. For more info 
call (626) 403-7312.


Guqin Master 
Jiazhen Zhao

 
The Altadena Historical Society 
is set for their July quarterly 
program, Paul Ayers will give 
a new talk on Owen Brown, 
son of famed abolitionist 
John Brown, Altadena (and 
Pasadena)’s first celebrity. Paul’s 
talks tend to be popular; be 
sure to arrive early to get a good 
seat! Photo: Placement of the 
new stone headstone on Owen 
Brown’s grave, Little Round 
Top, Altadena, CA, January 29, 
1898.

The program will take place 
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The 
Altadena Historical Society is 
located 730 E. Altadena Dr. 

Repair Café

 Join the USC Pacific 
Asia Museum July 18 for 
a free evening concert 
showcasing the guqin, a 
seven-string zither that is 
one of China’s most ancient 
instruments.

 This concert will feature 
world-class guqin player 
Jiazhen Zhao. Master Zhao, 
a professor from Central 
Conservatory of China, has 
performed for audiences 
around the world including 
former President Barack 
Obama.

 The event will be held at 
7 p.m. at the museum, 46 
North Los Robles Ave.

 Space is limited, RSVP 
today at pacificasiamuseum.
usc.edu.

 For more information call 
626.449.2742.

 Throw It Away? No Way! 
Saturday, July 20, from 10 
a.m. to 1 p.m. Come to the 
Repair Café where tinkers, 
tailors and blade sharpeners 
will be on hand to repair 
your appliances, electronics, 
clothing, toys, tools, knives, 
jewelry and other items for 
free. There also will be a seed 
and seedling swap, gardening 
advisor, music for your 
enjoyment and the Really 
Free Market with 100 percent 
off everything – take away 
items and/or donate items. 
All are welcome! For more 
information or to volunteer 
as a repairer, email contact@
repair-cafe-pasadena.org. 
This is a Zero Waste event 
hosted by Transition Pasadena 
(www.transitionpasadena.
org).


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