Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, February 22, 2020

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 22, 2020 

Forum on 
Immigration


Roxie Rules Act Would Bring 
Oversight to Summer Camps

 Jennifer Chacon, one of 
the faculty leaders of the 
newly established Center for 
Immigration Law and Policy 
at the University of California 
Los Angeles, will address the 
hot topic of immigration at 
a free public forum March 
5, 9-11 a.m., at the Women’s 
City Club, 160 N. Oakland 
Ave., Pasadena. Registration 
is at 8:30 with an optional 
brunch for $25. Reservations 
for seating also are advised. 
Available by calling 626-798-
0965 or online at my.lwv.
org. Deadline for brunch 
reservation is Feb. 28 by noon. 

Chacon’s areas of expertise 
are citizenship, immigration, 
border control and human 
traffickings She serves on the 
section on Immigration for 
the Americab Association of 
Law Schools and ob the 9th 
Circuit Advisory Committee. 

In her talk on comprehensive 
immigrations reform and 
what it means today, she will 
explore legal changes required 
for truly comprehensive 
immigration reform. For 
more information Visit: 
womenscityclubofpasadena.
com/

 


 State Senator Anthony 
Portantino (pictured left) 
introduced SB 955, the Roxie 
Rules Act, which seeks to 
regulate recreational camps. 
The lack of regulation for 
these camps was brought to 
the Senator’s attention after 
the tragic drowning death of 
six-year-old Roxie Forbes in 
an Altadena camp swimming 
pool. In researching camp 
safety issues, Roxie’s parents 
Doug Forbes and Elena 
Matyas (pictured right) 
discovered that more than 
a million children attend 
thousands of California 
camps and that these camps 
are largely unregulated. 
Portantino agreed that 
under California law there 
exists a deficiency in camp 
licensing, inspection, and 
oversight. The Forbes 
family established the 
Meow Meow Foundation to 
educate the public about this 
gap in oversight. They are 
collaborating with Senator 
Portantino on SB 955 so 
that horrific, preventable 
outcomes are eliminated and 
camp experiences are safer 
for the children who attend 
them.

 “As a father myself, I cannot 
begin to comprehend what 
has happened to the Forbes 
family. Losing a child is 
the single worst thing that 
can happen to a parent. It 
hurts even more because 
we know that this was a 
preventable tragedy. I am 
very grateful that Roxie’s 
family is channeling their 
tremendous grief to make 
sure that tragedies such as 
this do not happen again. 
I want to commend them 
for all the work they have 
done to raise awareness and 
knowledge of the gaps in state 
law regarding recreational 
camps,” commented Senator 
Portantino.

 California sadly trails well-
behind many other states 
in regulating recreational 
camps. Thirty-eight states 
have some sort of statewide 
camp regulations while 
California does not. This 
bill will correct this clear 
omission in state law and 
bring camps in line with 
other regulated services 
such as daycare facilities.

 “Meow Meow Foundation 
is honored to work with 
Senator Anthony Portantino 
on The Roxie Rules Act, a 
comprehensive recreational 
camp licensing, oversight, 
and safety bill that finally 
affords millions of California 
children the protections 
they deserve,” added Doug 
Forbes. 

 SB 955 will be heard 
in its first Senate policy 
committee in March. The 
bill must pass both houses of 
the legislature by the end of 
August. If signed into law by 
Governor Newsom it would 
go into effect on January 
1, 2021. The Forbes gave a 
presentation to the Altadena 
council Tuesday night. For 
more information visit: 
meowmeowfoundation.org/

City Council to Get First Look at New 
Proposed Four-story Medical Offices 

 The Pasadena city council 
is set Monday night to get a 
briefing by city staff on a new 
predevelopment plan review of 
a commercial building proposed 
at 590 south Fair Oaks Avenue. 
The report is intended to provide 
information only and the council 
is expected take no action.

 According to the city staff 
report, the applicant, Richard 
Bruckner, on behalf of 590 Fair 
Oaks Development, LLC, is 
proposing a 100,000 square-
foot, four-story medical office 
building with a two-level 
subterranean parking garage 
encompassing five contiguous 
parcels. Parking would provide 
184 parking spaces.

At issue is parking

 The report states that a medical 
office land use is required to 
provide four parking spaces per 
1,000 square feet of gross floor 
area. As proposed, the 100,000 
square-foot medical office 
building would be required to 
provide 400 parking spaces. The 
subject site is located within the 
Transit Oriented Development 
Area, a quarter mile from the 
Fillmore Station. In this location, 
the Zoning Code requires 
that the minimum number 
of required off-street parking 
spaces be reduced by 10 percent, 
with an optional reduction of up 
to 20 percent for nonresidential 
land uses. With the 10 percent 
required reduction of parking 
spaces, the maximum allowed 
number of parking spaces is 
360 parking spaces. With the 
optional 20 percent reduction, 
parking can be reduced to 320 
parking spaces.

Height is also an issue

 The maximum allowable height 
for development on this site is 
45 feet. The project proposes a 
building height of 56 feet and 
does not comply with the height 
requirement. Staff said the 
applicant would need to pursue a 
Variance or in lieu of a Variance, 
the city’s South Fair Oaks 
Specific Plan and the Zoning 
Code would have to be amended 
to allow a maximum height of 56 
feet on this site.

 As part of the project, two 
commercial buildings totaling 
4,780 square feet would be 
demolished and a surface 
parking lot, the site of the long 
closed Monty’s Steakhouse, 
would also be bulldozed to 
accommodate the project.

 The council meets Monday 
night at 6:30 p.m. in the Council 
Chamber, Pasadena City Hall 
100 North Garfield Avenue, 
room S249.

 The proposed site was 
the renowned Monty’s 
Steakhouse that closed 
in 2007 after 66 years of 
business. 

Altadena 
Library District 
Read-A-Dena

Registration 
Opens March 
2 for Senior 
Games

 The Altadena Library District 
is honored to announce its 
first annual Read-a-Dena 
book selection, Wild LA: 
Explore the Amazing Nature 
In and Around Los Angeles by 
the Natural History Museum 
of Los Angeles County, Lila 
Higgins and Gregory B. Pauly 
with Jason G. Goldman and 
Charles Hood. Read-a-Dena is 
the Altadena Library District’s 
new community-wide reading 
initiative.

“While perhaps an 
untraditional pick for a ‘One 
Community, One Book’ 
reading initiative, Wild LA 
celebrates the unique spirit of 
Altadena, which has nature 
deeply engrained in its history 
and identity,” says District 
Director Nikki Winslow. “The 
Altadena we know and love 
is adventurous, curious, and 
connected to the splendor of 
our local landscape. Wild LA 
offers something for everyone, 
from passive nature observers 
to the more active explorers in 
our community.”

 Throughout the months of 
March, April, and May 2020, 
50 free copies of Wild LA 
will be available at both the 
Main Library and Bob Lucas 
Branch for the public to pick 
up, peruse, and pass along to 
neighbors and friends. Free 
copies will also be available to 
individuals who sign up to lead 
or join local Reading Groups, 
Read-a-Dena gatherings that 
bring neighbors together in 
small groups across Altadena 
to discuss topics in Wild 
LA and dig deeper into the 
book through library-curated 
activities and excursions. 
Interested leaders can sign 
up to host a Reading Group 
at www.altadenalibrary.org/
readadena.

 In coordination with 
authors of Wild LA and other 
community organizations, 
the Altadena Libraries are 
pleased to offer many events 
and programs related to 
Read-a-Dena, including, 
but not limited to, a panel 
with the authors of Wild 
LA, a workshop on nature 
journaling, presentations on 
topics ranging from native 
reptiles to mushrooms, and a 
guided nature walk through 
Eaton Canyon. Every Read-a-
Dena event will provide free 
copies of Wild LA to the first 
10 guests upon arrival.

– Olympics-Style 
Competitions Range from 
Archery to Volleyball –

 Adults ages 50 to 99+ are 
invited to display their athletic 
abilities during the 28th annual 
Pasadena Senior Games, 
a series of 22 competitive 
Olympics-style individual and 
team sporting events ranging 
from archery to volleyball 
May 2 to July 12. Previous 
competition experience is not 
required.

 Athletes are encouraged to 
visit: pasadenaseniorcenter.org 
and click on Pasadena Senior 
Games beginning March 2 
to register for competitions 
in Pasadena, Arcadia, Long 
Beach, Los Angeles, Simi 
Valley and South El Monte. 
Registration deadlines are two 
weeks prior to the start of each 
competition.

 The sports are archery, 
basketball, bowling, cycling, 
disk golf, fun walk, golf, 
pickleball, power lifting, 
race walk, racquetball, road 
race, shuffleboard, softball, 
swimming, table tennis, tennis, 
track and field, and volleyball. 
Medals will be awarded for 
first-, second- and third-place 
finishes in each sport.

 It is anticipated that at least 
1,500 athletes will participate 
this year. Among the many 
medalists at the 2019 Pasadena 
Senior Games were Kellie-Bea 
Cooper for 50-yard freestyle 
swimming in the category of 
women ages 50 to 54 and Joe 
Durrenberger for men’s shot 
put in the category of men 
ages 85 to 89. Ninety-year-old 
Gunnar Linde set a USA track 
and field record for his age 
group in the 5000-meter run.

 For more information visit 
www.pasadenaseniorcenter.
org, email sports@
pasadenaseniorcenter.org or 
call 626-685-6755.

 Another way to participate in 
the Pasadena Senior Games is 
to volunteer for positions that 
include registering athletes, 
timing, scoring, manning 
water stations and more. 
Volunteers of all ages may call 
626-685-6755 or email sports@
pasadenaseniorcenter.org.

Holden Introduces Free 
Student Transit Pass Bill

 Assemblymember Chris 
Holden last week introduced 
legislation, AB 2176, that would 
provide free transit passes to 
students attending California 
Community Colleges, 
California State University, and 
University of California.

 “To tackle climate change 
seriously, we need solutions 
that can make the biggest cuts to 
our emissions and the ability to 
implement them immediately,” 
said Assemblymember Chris 
Holden. “Free transit passes 
for students would curb 
greenhouse gas emissions, 
reduce the financial burden of 
attending school, and create 
healthier communities. It’s a 
win-win-win!”

 California’s transportation 
sector accounts for forty one 
percent of our global warming 
pollution, making it the largest 
source. Twenty eight percent 
of California’s greenhouse gas 
emissions come from our cars 
and trucks. Students represent 
one of the largest segments of 
“drive alone” automobile users 
in California.

 “Public transit can be a climate 
change super tactic, but we need 
to get ridership up now. This 
bill will get young people out 
of cars and into public transit,” 
said Dan Jacobson, Director for 
Environment California. “It’s a 
‘must pass’ bill in 2020.”

 “For millions of students, and 
thousands of UC students, 
driving to and from school is 
a major expense in addition 
to the already extraordinarily 
high cost of pursuing college,” 
said Aidan Arasasingham, 
Government Relations Chair 
for the University of California 
Student Association. “Access 
to affordable transportation, 
like food or housing, is a basic 
need for California students. A 
statewide free transit program 
could alleviate some of the 
costs that are driving students 
to a point of financial instability 
and food scarcity.”

 “Free student transit passes 
would benefit students by 
reducing the cost of getting 
and education, and improve 
the quality of life for everyone 
by reducing traffic, GHG 
emissions, air pollution, and 
parking demand,” said Gloria 
Ohland, Director of Policy and 
Communications for MoveLA. 
“Moreover, because students 
often ride during off-peak 
hours, operating subsidies can 
be reduced while increasing 
overall transit ridership.”

 Small-scale student transit 
programs have been successful 
at several college campuses 
throughout the state. Transit 
programs at UC Davis and 
Sacramento State increased 
transit ridership by over 70 
percent. Similar programs at 
Rio Hondo Community College 
and Pasadena City College 
have also increased ridership 
by nearly 40 percent. Despite 
the success of local transit pass 
programs, California has no 
statewide program or plan for 
providing students access to 
quality transit programs.

 “Because of Mr. Holden’s 
leadership, California has a 
real opportunity to step up for 
students, for public transit, and 
for the climate,” said Joshua 
Stark, State Policy Director 
for TransForm. “Tremendous 
untapped potential for public 
transportation lies here, where 
Californians take millions of 
trips each day, to our public 
colleges and universities. By 
serving students, our transit 
systems can build long-lasting 
riders and advocates for public 
transportation.”

Bradbury 100 in Ramo 
Auditorium at Caltech

 On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Ray Bradbury’s 
birth, Caltech Theater will produce a series of his one-acts, 
adapted stories, with surprise guests, music, videos and Caltech 
a cappella groups. 

FIRST WEEKEND

Tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, at 2:30 p.m.

 All Summer in a Day. directed by Aditi Seetharaman

Marionettes, Inc., directed by Barbie Insua

The Martian Chronicles, directed by Brian White

SECOND WEEKEND

Friday & Saturday, February 28 & 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 1 at 2:30 p.m.

The Flying Machine (in Mandarin w/English subtitles), directed 
by Miranda Stewart

A Sound of Thunder, directed by Doug Smith

The Martian Chronicles, directed by Brian White

 Theater Arts at Caltech (TACIT) Ramo Auditorium is located 
1200 E California Blvd Ave for more information or tickets visit: 
tacit.caltech.edu or call 626-395-3295. 


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