Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, April 4, 2020

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 4, 2020 

Officials 
Renew $20,00 
Reward over 
Boy’s Death 

Stimulus Plan Could Include PWP Rebates

City Get State Funding for 
Homelessness to Reduce 
COVID-19 Spreading 

By Dean Lee

 Pasadena City Manager 
Steven Mermell proposed what 
he called a “bold concept,” 
Monday, to utilize funding by 
approximately 66,500 electric 
rate-payers in the Underground 
Surtax Fund to provide rebates 
as a stimulus to the local 
economic. He said the current 
fund balance is well in excess of 
any project needs. 

 “I’m proposing that we 
suspend collection of the 
Underground Surtax for a 
period of six months, during 
this difficult economical time 
and that we provide a two year 
rebate to all electric customers,” 
he said as he went through all 
the statistical data. “That is an 
$11 million injection back into 
our local economy.”

 The Underground Surtax Fund 
provides for the construction 
and extension of underground 
utility lines; street light 
improvements in connections 
with conversions among other 
things.

 “The estimated benefit to 
customers by class, residential, 
most people hover around 500 
and 700 (kwh) they would get 
a rebate between $103 and 
$171,” he said. “But if we more 
into the small and medium 
commercial, these are our 
restaurants, a small restaurant 
would see a $2,000, a medium 
sized restaurant about $3,200 
and then for large commercial 
customers [medical facilities, 
hotel properties, etc.] its up 
from there, a hotel property 
would be in excess of $29,000 
based on average usage, again, 
this is all dollar in dollar out.”

 Mermell said he would need to 
return to the council for a formal 
recommendation and approval, 
if approved checks could 
begin to go out as early as two 
weeks. He said City Attorney 
Michele Beal Bagneris had 
already began the paperwork. 
“For people that have left the 
system, we would setup a simple 
claims type process so we’re not 
discriminating against anyone 
that paid in,” he said. 

 All of the council members 
said they liked the idea.

 “I applaud you, I think this is 
a very creative way to put this 
money to use, it’s not doing 
anybody any good sitting there,” 
said councilmember Margaret 
McAustin adding that she liked 
that it helps and focuses on 
small businesses. 

 Mermell had said some of 
the city’s major economic 
disruptions from COVID-19 
included business forced to close 
for an undetermined period of 
time, that hotel occupancy was 
down to 10 percent from 80 
percent and a rapid increase in 
unemployment. He said they 
have also extended eviction 
protection to businesses and 
setup a web-portal for local 
restaurants.

 The city council’s next meeting 
is set for Monday at 2 p.m.. 

Photo by D. Lee/MVNews


Note: this city council 
meeting will be held 
entirely by video 
conference —Pasadena 
city hall is closed to the 
public. 

 Altadena Sheriffs are again 
asking for the public’s help 
with information related to 
the shooting of 4-year-old 
boy in Altadena in 2016 after 
the County of Los Angeles 
the Board of Supervisors 
voted Tuesday to reinstate a 
$20,000 reward until June 18.

 According to investigators, 
Salvador Esparza, was shot in 
the 300 block of West Figueroa 
Drive in the unincorporated 
area of Altadena on July 5, 
2016, at approximately 10:40 
p.m.. He was sitting on the 
front porch with a family 
friend when someone in a car 
fired 13 rounds at them. 

 Sheriff’s do not have a 
description of the suspect but 
believe the shooting was gang 
related.

 Any claims for the reward 
funds should be filed with 
the Executive Office of the 
Board of Supervisors, 500 
West Temple Street, Room 
383 Kenneth Hahn Hall of 
Administration, Los Angeles, 
California 90012, Attention: 
Salvador Esparza Reward 
Fund. For more, call (213) 
974-1579. 

 The city council is set Monday 
to vote to enter into a contract 
with the State of California 
Business, Consumer Services, 
and Housing Agency for 
$105,625.89 in emergency 
funds to protect the health 
and safety of homeless people 
and to reduce the spread of the 
COVID-19. 

 According to William 
Huang Pasadena Director 
of Housing, the funding is 
intended for COVID-19 
prevention and containment 
efforts for temporary shelters, 
including, but not limited to, 
medically indicated services 
and supplies, such as testing 
and handwashing stations, 
and enhancements to existing 
shelter facilities. Funding can 
also be used for acquiring 
new shelters, supplies and 
equipment for emergency 
shelter operations, increasing 
shelter capacity, street outreach, 
and acquiring locations to place 
individuals who need to be 
isolated because of COVID-19 
illness or exposure. The intent 
of these investments is to allow 
for proper social distancing 
and isolation to reduce the 
spread of COVID-19 among 
the homeless population. 

 According to the ajeda report, 
On March 17, 2020, Governor 
Gavin Newsom signed SB 
89, which was approved 
unanimously by the State 
legislature and authorized a 
total appropriation of up to $1 
billion to provide assistance 
to California counties, 
Continuums of Care (CoCs), 
and the state’s 13 largest cities to 
help the spread of COVID-19 
among homelessness.

 The meeting will be held at 
2 p.m. and livestreamed with 
captioning at: pasadenamedia.
org, and at: cityofpasadena.
net/commissions/agendas. 
For public participation goto: 
cityofpasadena.net/city-clerk/
public-comment.

COVID-19 
Cases in 
Pasadena 
Up to 49

USC PAM 
Drive-thru 
Donation 
Center

Today 

Pasadena Library Virtually

 While we are being “safer at 
home,” many of us are looking 
for things to do. Here are some 
resources to stay connected 
that you can easily access on 
Pasadena Public Library’s 
website.

 These may require a Pasadena 
Public Library card, and a 
PIN number on the library 
account. This is usually the 
last four digits of the phone 
number. Don’t have a library 
card? Go to: cityofpasadena.
net/library library-cards/ to 
get yours. Once you have your 
library card, you can explore 
online resources and offerings 
available at the Library.

 Although print materials 
cannot be checked out right 
now, audiobooks, eBooks, 
music, movies and TV shows, 
digital comics, graphic novels, 
and digital magazines are all 
available to download free.

 Out of school but still have 
lots of schoolwork to do? 
Check out this comprehensive 
list of electronic research and 
enrichment resources for 
homework or school research 
projects. Need more resources? 
Visit the Kids and Teens Blogs 
at: pasadena-library.net/.

 Trying to keep your little 
ones entertained and engaged? 
Check out the Fingerplay 
Collection featuring Library 
staffers’ performing fingerplays, 
movements, songs and rhymes 
to share with your child.

 Searching for a job? We are 
your source with current job 
openings, resume and interview 
tips, career assessments, 
company research, labor 
market information, and 
unemployment help. Visit: 
cityofpasadena.libguides.com/
Career to learn more.

 Thinking of starting a business? 
Learn how to create a business 
plan, research company and 
industry information, import 
and export information, 
copyrights, patents and 
trademarks, and statistical data 
at: cityofpasadena.libguides.
com/Business.

 Looking for funding sources 
for your nonprofit? We have a 
directory full of them, along 
with nonprofit operation and 
assistance information and 
jobs.

 Haven’t filed your taxes yet? 
Don’t worry! Both the IRS and 
the California Franchise Tax 
Board (FTB) have postponed 
the tax filing deadline from 
to JULY 15. The extension is 
automatic. No action needed. 
For a list of online tax resources 
visit: cityofpasadena.libguides.
com/Taxes/.

 Looking for some activities 
to keep you active and 
entertained? Want to explore 
your family’s history? Discover 
where you come from, wherever 
you are. Visit: cityofpasadena.
libguides.com/Genealogy or: 
ancestrylibrary.com/.

 Want to learn more about 
your local history? Visit: 
cityofpasadena.net/library/
pasadena-history/. Search 
our community’s past by 
viewing current and historical 
newspaper citations about 
Pasadena from 1880 to today 
at: egov1.cityofpasadena.net/
apps/pni/ and: cityofpasadena.
libguides.com/content. 
These are great resources 
for local history buffs or 
those exploring genealogical 
research. You can also access 
the greatest collection of 
digitized items in Pasadena at: 
pasadenadigitalhistory.com/.

 Car need fixing? Visit Auto 
Repair Source for service and 
repair information.

 Lawn mower need repairing? 
Check Pasadena Public 
Library’s Small Engine Repair 
Reference Center’s user-
friendly repair guides for all 
manner of small engines.

 Need legal help? Visit 
Pasadena Public Library’s 
general legal resources on local 
law, California law, federal law, 
case law, legal forms, databases, 
legal help and crime statistics.

 There’s still is time to complete 
your 2020 census questionnaire 
and help shape the future of our 
community. Your responses 
to the 2020 census are safe, 
secure and protected by federal 
law. Your answers can only 
be used to produce statistics; 
they cannot be used against 
you by any government agency 
or court in any way. Visit: 
cityofpasadena.net/census/ for 
more information.

 Although print materials are 
unavailable due to COVID- 
19 concerns, Pasadena Public 
Library is still available virtually 
and staff are providing reference 
service via phone and email. 
Contact Library staff by phone 
at (626) 744-4066, option 7, 
or email ask@cityofpasadena.
email.libanswers.com.

Connect Pasadena and Other 
Resources During COVID-19

 The City of Pasadena Public 
Health Department, (PPHD) 
said, as of Friday, there 
are 12 additional cases of 
novel coronavirus disease 
(COVID-19) in Pasadena 
residents bringing the total 
number of confirmed cases in 
the city to 49. These new cases 
are likely due to community 
transmission. 

 Fifteen of the case needed 
hospitalization. They said due 
to patient confidentiality, no 
other information on each 
cases is given. 

 They said, close contacts 
are monitored for signs and 
symptoms of illness and are 
quarantined.

 The Safer at Home Order 
was issued by the city to slow 
the spread of COVID-19 
and protect the Pasadena 
community. Individuals can 
take everyday actions to 
protect the community and 
preserve local healthcare 
resources including:

 Do not have non-essential 
gatherings with anyone 
outside of your immediate 
family (living with you). 
Essential gatherings include 
medical visits and purchasing 
food.

 If you are sick, isolate 
yourself from others in your 
home and call your doctor 
to determine what care you 
need.

 If available, consider using 
telemedicine to speak with 
a healthcare provider, rather 
than visiting the emergency 
room or urgent care.

 Stay at least 6 feet away 
from other people when on 
essential outings, such as 
grocery shopping or riding 
public transit to an essential 
job.

Continue strict personal 
hand hygiene and cleaning of 
surfaces.

 If you have recently returned 
from an area with ongoing 
COVID-19 infections, follow 
public health guidance and 
monitor your health. Call 
your healthcare providers 
and inform them about your 
travel history if you need care.

 For the latest information on 
COVID-19, visit: cdc.gov.

 USC Pacific Asia Museum will 
be holding “no human contact” 
Drive-Thru Drop Off Center 
today at the museum parking 
lot, 46 North Los Robles Ave., 
for the community to donate 
any Personal Protective 
Equipment (PPE) and Medical 
Supplies they have to help 
USC affiliate hospital health 
care workers. The event goes 
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 “When we decided to move 
forward with the donation 
drive-thru event taking place 
this Saturday, we wondered 
if the community does in 
fact have medical supplies to 
donate to our overwhelmed 
USC affiliate health care 
workers,” museum staff said. 
“Almost as quickly as the eblast 
went out, emails and phone 
calls poured in. For instance, 
Cookes Crating whom we 
work with on assembling our 
fine arts crates stepped up. 
In addition to the bins they 
donated to make this event 
possible, they donated 8,000 
medical gloves and 250 N95 
masks.”

HOW IT WORKS:

This will be a safe drive-thru 
donation drop off with no 
human contact. 

Drive in: Pull into our parking 
lot on the Los Robles Avenue 
entrance.

Drop off: Roll down your 
window and drop your 
donations into the marked 
bins: Masks | Gloves | Booties | 
Cleaning Supplies

 “We will load your donations 
into USC trucks and deliver 
them directly to our affiliate 
partners at USC Verdugo Hills 
Hospital and the Keck Medical 
Center of USC in Los Angeles.”

 The museum is asking for 
new/unused masks, hand 
sanitizers and wipes (at least 
70 percent alcohol), latex free 
gloves, scrubs (gowns and 
shoe covers), face shields and 
goggles and over specialized 
supplies including ventilators. 

 For more information visit: 
pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu. 

 The City of Pasadena and 
the Pasadena Convention & 
Visitors Bureau announced 
Wednesday the launch of 
“Connect Pasadena,” an online 
web page of curated educational 
and engaging content from 
Pasadena businesses and 
cultural institutions. The 
virtual directory is intended 
to provide Pasadenans with 
a variety of content to keep 
them active, entertained and 
enlightened while safe at home, 
as the community continues to 
practice safe social distancing 
during COVID-19.

 “Connect Pasadena” features 
free content from Pasadena 
businesses and cultural 
institutions in the following 
categories: art & culture; 
fitness, yoga & mindfulness; 
children’s activities, cooking & 
baking; learning & education; 
and music. Those interested in 
learning more about Connect 
Pasadena can access the content 
by visiting: visitpasadena.com/
virtual-activities/.

 Pasadena businesses with 
free educational or engaging 
content are encouraged to 
submit their virtual content for 
inclusion at: cityofpasadena.
net/virtual-connect. Content 
must meet certain criteria.

 In addition to Connect 
Pasadena, the City of Pasadena 
and the Pasadena Convention 
& Visitors Bureau have also 
published a citywide directory 
of restaurants and eateries 
offering takeout and curbside 
delivery service. The restaurant 
directory is updated daily, 
Monday – Friday, and can be 
accessed at: visitpasadena.com/
pasadenabusinesses/.

 “With so many events and 
daily activities being canceled 
on account of safety measures 
taken to flatten the curve of 
COVID-19, both the City of 
Pasadena and the Pasadena 
Convention & Visitors Bureau 
recognize the need for all of 
us to stay connected while 
continuing to support our local 
businesses and institutions,” 
said Michelle Garrett, Special 
Projects Manager for the City 
of Pasadena. Likewise, “As we 
continue to do our part through 
social distancing by staying safe 
at home, we are inspired by 
how our community is coming 
together to support each other,” 
said Jeanne Goldschmidt, 
executive director of the 
Pasadena Convention & 
Visitors Bureau. “We hope these 
resources brighten everyone’s 
day and remind them of what 
makes Pasadena so special.”

 For more information, contact 
the Pasadena Convention & 
Visitors Bureau at (800) 307-
7977 or log on to: VisitPasadena.
com.


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