Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 10, 2020

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 10, 2020 

City Issues 
Halloween 
Safely 
Guidance

Fans Mourn Eddie Van Halen’s Death

Pasadena Set to Celebrate 
National Coming Out Day

 
City Officials remind 
everyone that COVID-19 
continues to impact families 
and traditions as we move 
into the fall season. It is 
another difficult milestone to 
think of Halloween without 
the block parties, gatherings 
and the door to door “trick or 
treat” that we all look forward 
to every year. We recognize 
that these are “high risk” 
activities that can spread this 
disease. There are protocols 
from the state and county 
and local health departments 
which continue to limit our 
activities and which provide 
guidance for celebrating 
safely, including safer 
alternatives that still promote 
as festive an environment as is 
possible amid the pandemic.

 Under existing state, county 
and local orders, community 
members may participate 
in the following activities as 
long as they adhere to the 
City’s Safer at Home Order 
and related protocols:

 Online parties and contests 
(e.g., costume or pumpkin 
carving);

Car parades that comply with 
public health guidance for car 
line celebrations;

Halloween movie nights 
at drive-in theaters (must 
comply with the drive-in 
movie theater protocol);

Halloween-themed meals at 
outdoor restaurants (must 
comply with the restaurant 
protocol);

Halloween-themed art 
installations at an outdoor 
museum (must comply with 
the museum and galleries 
protocol); and

Dressing up homes and yards 
with Halloween-themed 
decorations.

Halloween activities NOT 
permitted include:

Door to door trick or treating

Indoor and outdoor 
gatherings/parties with 
non-household members;

Carnivals, festivals, live 
entertainment, rides, petting 
zoos, and haunted house 
attractions;

“Trunk-or-treating” events 
where children go from car-
to-car instead of door-to-
door to receive treats; and in 
the setting of a gathering or 
party;

Halloween activities NOT 
recommended include:

Door-to-door or car-to-car 
trick-or-treating because 
proper social distancing is 
difficult to maintain and 
sharing food is risky.

 The City reminds residents 
of Halloween fire safety tips, 
including using battery-
operated candles or glow 
sticks in jack-o-lanterns and 
keeping exits and escape 
routes clear of decorations. 
It is also a good time to make 
sure that all smoke alarms in 
your home are working.

 During the holiday season, it is 
especially important to avoid 
driving under the influence. 
Remember that “DUI 
Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” 
If you take prescription 
drugs, particularly those 
with a driving or operating 
machinery warning on 
the label, you might be 
impaired enough to get a 
DUI. Marijuana can also 
be impairing, especially in 
combination with alcohol or 
other drugs, and can result 
in a DUI. The City also urges 
drivers to plan routes in 
advance and avoid texting or 
otherwise using a cell phone 
while driving. 

For more information visit: 
cityofpasadena.net.

 
Pasadena’s Public Health 
Department, Pasadena Public 
Library and Pasadena PFLAG 
will host Pasadena’s 5th annual 
Coming Out Day Celebration 
virtually on Zoom and 
Instagram Live from 5 p.m. to 7 
p.m., Tuesday. This year’s event
is free, virtual and open to all. 
Sign up to attend. Free swag 
bag of goodies given to the first 
200 registrants.

 The keynote presentation, 
“Consider Me Booked!”, 
features a one-on-one 
interview with Ross Mathews 
author of Man Up!: Tales of 
My Delusional Self-Confidence 
and The Really Good Celebrity 
Stories I Usually Only Tell at 
Happy Hour. He is best known 
as “Ross the Intern” from The 
Tonight Show with Jay Leno 
and RuPaul’s Drag Race judge. 
Tia Wanna (Te Jay McGrath) 
will serve as moderator.

 Councilmember Margaret 
McAustin will kick off this 
year’s celebration. Panelists 
will offer advice, strategies 
and successes on LGBTQ 
Experiencing Homelessness: 
Addressing Barriers and 
Trauma and Ally/Parent Panel: 
Affirming Practices in LGBT 
families.

 The popular Drag Queen 
Storytime featuring family fun 
stories with Queens Godoy, 
Pickle, and Kornbread Jete 
will air live on Instagram @
pasadenalibrary.

 This free virtual event 
supports those who have come 
out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, queer (LGBTQ) 
or as an ally. Oct. 11, 2020, 
marks the 32nd anniversary of 
National Coming Out Day. 32 
years ago, on the anniversary 
of the National March on 
Washington for Lesbian and 
Gay Rights, National Coming 
Out Day was first observed 
as a reminder that one of our 
most basic tools is the power of 
coming out.

 One out of every two 
Americans has someone close 
to them who is gay or lesbian. 
For transgender people, that 
number is one in 10.

 This event is part of our 
city’s efforts to celebrate and 
foster an inclusive community. 
The City of Pasadena is an 
inclusive city. We are accepting 
of everyone regardless of race, 
creed, color, religion, national 
origin, marital status, socio-
economic status, sex, age, 
sexual orientation, gender 
identity, genetic information, 
or disability.

 For more information, contact 
Te Jay McGrath, tmcgrath@
cityofpasadena.net or (626) 
744-7239.

By Dean Lee 

 A steady stream of fans showed 
respect, with two memorials 
in Pasadena this week, for the 
legendary guitarist Eddie Van 
Halen. He was the co-founder 
of the 70s rock band Van Halen 
along with his bother Alex. He 
died Tuesday at 65. Eddie Van 
Halen had been a longtime 
Pasadena resident going to 
Hamilton Elementary School, 
Pasadena High School and 
then attending Pasadena City 
College. 

 Many fans left flowers, 
photos, candles, concert tickets 
and even empty beer cans at 
both his childhood home in 
East Pasadena and where, as 
a teenager, Van Halen had 
allegedly carved his name in wet 
cement in front of a now gone a 
liquor store on Allan Ave. One 
fan even left a Fender guitar, 
a similar instrument to the 
“Frankenstrat” Van Halen was 
know for playing.

 Van Halen died at Saint John’s 
Health Center in Santa Monica 
after battling throat cancer for 
years.

Top Photo D. Lee/MVNews

Eddie Van Halen

Free South 
Pasadena 
Costume 
Contest

Pasadena Humane Mourns 
the Passing of Board Chair

 In an effort to get people 
excited about the holidays, the 
City of South Pasadena will 
be hosting an online costume 
contest. To participate, submit 
a photo of yourself, your pet or 
your group in full costume to 
recreation@southpasadenaca.
gov by Monday, October 26, 
2020. Please make sure all 
costumes are family friendly. 
For contest rules or for 
more information, please 
vist: southpasadenaca.gov/ 
or contact the Recreation 
Division at (626) 403-7380.

 After many years valiantly 
fighting cancer, the Pasadena 
Humane Board of Directors 
announced Monday the passing 
of Steve Johnson (pictured), 
Chair of the Board. Johnson 
was 61 years old. 

 “A lifelong animal lover, Steve 
joined the Pasadena Humane 
Board of Directors in 2013 and 
served as Board Chair since 
2018,” they said. “Steve became 
involved with Pasadena 
Humane after moving to the 
area in 2002. He adopted his 
beloved cat Winston from the 
shelter in 2003. In addition to 
his volunteer board service, 
he participated annually in 
Pasadena Humane’s signature 
fundraising events, the Wiggle 
Waggle Walk and the Doglegs, 
Birdies and Eagles golf 
tournament.”

 Under his leadership, the Board 
ushered in a new era of more 
progressive sheltering. Steve led 
approval of an ambitious three 
year strategic plan in December 
of last year and the adoption of 
Socially Conscious Sheltering 
as the organization’s guiding 
philosophy. 

 With Johnson’s passing, 
Beverly Marksbury has been 
appointed interim Board 
Chair. Beverly has served on 
the Board of Directors since 
2013, as Vice Chair since 2015, 
and is currently Co-Chair of 
the Development Committee 
and a member of the Golf 
Tournament Committee. In 
addition to a professional career 
in the Federal and Los Angeles 
Superior Courts, Beverly 
has been active with many 
community organizations 
including the Tournament of 
Roses, The Pasadena Showcase 
House and The Colburn 
School. She is also guardian 
to three adopted cats, Charlie, 
Duncan, and Sam. 

 “I am confident that Beverly 
will continue to provide the 
same dedicated visionary 
leadership for our organization 
and the same commitment to 
compassion and care for all 
animals,” said Dia DuVernet, 
President and CEO of Pasadena 
Humane. “We send our deepest 
condolences to the Johnson 
family and all of Steve’s loved 
ones. We are so thankful for 
everything Steve did to save 
the lives of animals in our 
community, and we will miss 
him deeply. He will live in our 
hearts forever.”


Pasadena Fire 
Strike Teams 
Safely Return

African American History 

of Pasadena Walking Tour




 As a part of Walktober city 
officials said they are honored 
to partner with the NAACP 
Pasadena Branch and host a 
self-guided “Walking Tour of 
the African American History 
of Pasadena.” Without the 
contributions of the elders of 
the NAACP Pasadena Branch 
and FAME Senior Ministry, 
this tour would not exist. The 
event runs though Oct. 31.

 The tour, consists of 14 
locations primarily in North 
West Pasadena, centering 
on individuals and events of 
historical significance to the 
African American Community, 
which also provides Pasadena 
its rich history. The locations 
and tour guide can be 
found at: pasadenacsc.org/
walktober-2020

 Walktober is an annual 
event to get people walking in 
Pasadena. Walking is a deeply 
human activity that offers a 
full slate of events that reflect a 
wide range of reasons and ways 
to enjoy walking. Whether 
you walk for physical health, 
mental health, to meet people, 
to see new things, or simply to 
get things done (maybe all of 
the above.), we recognize and 
celebrate that as an excellent 
thing.

 Other self-guided walking 
tours include, Mile-a-day 
Challenge; Special District 1 
Mile-a-day Challenge; Walk 
the Vote; Beneath the Bridge: 
Pasadena’s Forgotten Park; 
Virtual 5k with Day One (event 
ends Oct. 14); Sunset Stroll 
(event runs Oct. 11 through Oct. 
17); All Fall Walk (event runs 
Oct. 18 through Oct. 24) and 
the Costume Walk (event runs 
Oct. 25 through Oct. 31). More 
information about each event 
can be found at: pasadenacsc.
org/walktober-2020. 

 Over the past three months, 
California experienced its 
worst fire season in history. 
Pasadena Fire Department 
responded to several incidents 
as part of their commitment to 
statewide mutual aid.

 “We thank our community 
and city management for 
allowing us the opportunity 
to support other counties and 
neighboring cities affected by 
these unprecedented wildland 
fires. We know that if fires of 
this magnitude occur in our 
foothills we would have the 
support of our fire department 
partners throughout the state. 
It is also important to recognize 
those firefighters who came in 
on their days off to cover those 
who were deployed to these 
incidents. This is yet another 
shining example of their firm 
commitment to the fire service 
and to our community,” states 
Interim Fire Chief Bryan 
Frieders.

 The fire department had 
resources out a total of 218 
days over an approximate 
three-month period including 
fire engines, water tender, 
Rapid Extraction Module 
Support (REMS) teams, 
fire line emergency medical 
technicians and strike team 
leaders. The total personnel for 
all deployments combined was 
79, which includes some who 
went on multiple deployments.

South Pasadena Homeless 
Outreach Continues 24/7



 Even during the pandemic, 
the South Pasadena Police 
Department’s Homeless 
Outreach Program for 
Education, (HOPE) Team 
deploys 24/7, conducting 
outreach day and night 
while out on patrol to assist 
the homeless and educate 
them about COVID-19, the 
importance on social distancing 
as well as providing available 
resources, including emergency 
shelters in the area.

 A resident recently brought to 
our attention a few homeless 
encampments that were 
believed to be located on the 
West side of the Nature Park 
along the Arroyo Trail. The 
Homeless Outreach team 
canvassed the area and located 
two medium encampments and 
one small encampment in the 
park. Two unhoused neighbors 
were contacted and informed 
they needed to relocate 
themselves and personal 
belongings to a different 
location. The unhoused 
residents were extremely 
cooperative and asked if our 
team could help them clean 
up and relocate their property. 
The team spent a short time 
providing our pick-up truck’s 
services, and the unhoused 
neighbors cleaned up the sites 
and disposed of some trash. 
In the end, our team help 
relocate some of their personal 
belongings and learned that 
our unhoused neighbors had a 
place to stay in Highland Park. 
As we parted ways, resources 
and food were provided to our 
visitors. 


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