Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 15, 2022

Mountain View News Saturday, October 15, 2022 

Police warn 
of Candy 
Colored 
Fentanyl 

 
Just weeks before Halloween, 
Pasadena Police are again 
cautioning parents about the 
dangers of candy-colored 
fentanyl pills after a narcotics 
investigation found the 
deadly drug being sold in the 
Pasadena area. 

 According to investigators 
from the Department’s 
Major Narcotics/Special 
Investigations Section, 
they seized approximately 
328,000 fentanyl pills, 2 
kilos of cocaine, and a 
ghost gun, September 24, 
during an ongoing narcotics 
investigation. Within 
the seized contraband, 
investigators located several 
packages of candy-colored 
fentanyl pills. This candy-
colored fentanyl, dubbed 
“rainbow fentanyl” in the 
media, appears to be a new 
method used by drug cartels 
to sell highly addictive and 
potentially deadly fentanyl to 
children and young people.

 “Rainbow fentanyl—
fentanyl pills and powder 
that come in a variety of 
bright colors, shapes, and 
sizes—is a deliberate effort 
by drug traffickers to drive 
addiction amongst kids 
and young adults,” said 
DEA Administrator Anne 
Milgram. 

 The investigation came after 
the death of three overdose 
victims. Maria Bolanos-
Hernandez was arrested, in 
connection to the case, and 
found guilty to Possession 
with Intent to Distribute 
Controlled Substances. 
Bolanos-Hernandez was 
sentenced to 15 years in 
Federal prison police said.

 The Pasadena Police 
Department urges 
community members to 
call 911 immediately if they 
encounter fentanyl in any 
form, and urge parents to be 
especially careful with the 
candy their children bring 
home during Halloween 
festivities. 

Mail Theft 
Suspects 
Steal Millions 

 California Attorney General 
Rob Bonta announced last 
week in Pasadena the arrests 
of 56 individuals involved 
in a scheme resulting in the 
theft of nearly $5 million 
from hundreds of people in 
a widespread mail theft and 
postal fraud operation. 

 The suspects — who operated 
out of multiple counties 
across California, including 
Los Angeles County and 
San Bernardino County 

— allegedly altered stolen 
checks, deposited them into 
bank accounts, then quickly 
withdrew money from ATMs 
before the banks discovered 
the checks were forged. 
The suspects are facing 
charges of Aggravated White 
Collar Crime in Excess of 
$500,000, Aggravated White 
Collar Crime in Excess of 
$100,000, Conspiracy to 
Commit Grand Theft by False 
Pretenses, Forgery Relating 
to an Item Exceeding $950,
Money Laundering, and 
Grand Theft by False Pretense.

 The names of the suspects 
were not given. 

Giffords to be Rose Parade Grand Marshal 

 
Tournament of Roses President 
Amy Wainscott announced 
Thursday that former Arizona 
Congresswoman Gabby 
Giffords will be the 2023 Rose 
Parade Grand Marshal.

 Wainscott said that Giffords’ 
remarkable recovery from 
traumatic injuries epitomizes 
the 2023 parade theme, 
“Turning the Corner.”

 “Almost all of us have the 
luxury to face our challenges 
in private and many of us also 
have the freedom to overcome 
or heal on our own timeline,” 
Wainscott said “But when one 
has no choice but to be both 
vulnerable and strong in public, 
with the whole nation watching, 
that calls for a special brand of 
bravery and that is why Gabby 
Giffords is the perfect example 
of how to turn the corner.”

 The announcement was made 
on the front steps of Tournament 
House in Pasadena, 80 days 
before the Rose Bowl Game and 
Rose Parade both on January 2, 
2023.

 “It’s a tremendous honor to 
serve as the Grand Marshal 
of the 134th Rose Parade. I 
love the theme of ‘turning the 
corner’—the idea that we all can 
make a conscious decision to go 
in a different direction, towards 
something better,” Giffords said. 
“This philosophy of moving 
ahead is one that I’ve tried to 
embody both in my personal 
journey of recovery since being 
shot in 2011 and in the fight for 
gun violence prevention that 
has become my life’s work.” 

 Throughout her life, Gabby 

has sought to improve her 
community and country by 
using her extraordinary ability 
to bring people together to 
focus on how we can make 
things better. This trait has 
made her a powerful public 
figure in this moment and 
inspires people every day to take 
actions of their own to make a 
difference. Gabby served her 
home state as a member of the 
Arizona legislature and then 
as a Member of Congress. 
As the youngest woman ever 
elected to the Arizona State 
Senate and a trailblazer in other 
offices, Gabby represented her 
community in the Arizona 
legislature from 2000 to 2005, 
and then in Congress from 2006 
to 2012.

 On January 8, 2011, at a 
“Congress On Your Corner” 
constituent event in Tucson, 
Gabby was shot in the head by 
a gunman who killed six people 
and injured 12 others. Gabby 
stepped down from Congress 
in January 2012 to focus on her 
recovery. As the nation’s eyes 
were upon her, Gabby embarked 
on a path to regain her ability to 
speak and walk, inspiring the 
country with her resilience and 
optimistic spirit.

In 2013, after the tragic 
mass shooting at Sandy Hook 
Elementary in Newtown, 
Connecticut, Gabby co-
founded the organization 
today known as Giffords. Over 
the past several years, the 
organization has been a leader 
in the national gun safety 
movement, making gun safety 

South Pasadena Scary 
Story Contest Winners 

 This year over 20 children 
and teens participated in 
the South Pasadena Public 
Library’s second Scary Story 
Contest. Children’s Services 
Librarian Judy Neeb was 
astounded by this year’s 
submissions. “The entries 
for this year’s contest were 
outstanding and it was 
difficult to pick a handful of 
stories that would be featured 
in this year’s booklet.” Film 
Director Xanthe Pajarillo, 
who served as guest judge, 
was awed by the imaginative 
talent of the children and 
teens of South Pasadena. 
“Hollywood is seriously 
missing out on some the 
most original stories I have 
ever read.” 
The winners of the second 
Scary Story Contest:
Lost in the Woods by Ava, 
1st Grade 
The Eye Drinker by Emi, 3rd 
Grade 

What Lies Below by Winona, 
5th Grade 
Always Read the Label by 
Bay, 7th GradeWe are also pleased to 
announce the following 
Honorable Mentions: 
Ryan’s Adventure by Amani, 
KindergartenThe Ghost of Smar Tie Isme 
by Will, 4th GradeHowl and Slither by Mustafa, 
3rd Grade 
MacArthur by Benjamin, 
10th Grade

 The winning entries and 
honorable mentions will be 
collected in a mini-booklet 
that will be distributed at the 
Library at the end of October. 
The Library would like to 
offer congratulations to the 
winners and the honorable 
mentions, and thank all 
those who participated and 
the Friends of the South 
Pasadena Public Library, 
Inc., which sponsored the 
contest. 

a kitchen table issue for voters. 
Giffords has helped gun safety 
champions win up and down 
the ballot in local, state, and 
federal races and worked hard 
to pass lifesaving legislation in 
states across the country and at 
the federal level. This summer, 
Gabby was awarded the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom, 
the nation’s highest civilian 
honor. Gabby Giffords Won’t 
Back Down, a documentary 
from the filmmakers behind 
RBG, premiered this year and is 
now available to stream at home 
on demand.

 Gabby will ride in the 134th 
Rose Parade themed “Turning 
the Corner” and join in the pregame 
celebration of the 109th 
Rose Bowl Game both are held 
on January 2, 2023. 

Free Talk 
Life & Work 
of Artist 
Frida Kahlo

 Pasadena Public Library 
will host a multimedia 
lecture on the life and work 
of Mexican artist Frida 
Kahlo, presented by Dr. 
Gloria Arjona, today at 3 

p.m. at the Lamanda Park 
Branch Library, 140 South 
Altadena Dr. Join with art 
and culture enthusiasts in 
celebrating Latino Heritage 
Month and the legendary 
Frida Kahlo. 
Dr. Arjona brings alive the 

iconic artist Frida Kahlo 

through live music, images, 

and words. This immersive 

educational experience is 

suitable for ages nine and up. 

Attendees will learn about 

Kahlo’s life, the symbolism 

she incorporated in her 

art, the traditional music 

she loved and the songs she 

quoted in some of her most 

famous self-portraits.

The Pasadena Public 

Library is an information 

center for the Pasadena 

community in order to 

preserve and encourage 

the free expression of ideas 

essential to an informed 

citizenry. A variety of 

highly vetted programs are 

presented for children and 

adults and they represent 

the research and opinions 

of the presenter and do not 

reflect an endorsement by 

the City of Pasadena nor the 

Pasadena Public Library.

 For more information visit: 
cityofpasadena.net/library 

Pasadena Mayor Pens 
Letter Condemns L.A. 
City Council Members 


Since Pasadena MayorVictor Grodo’s Letter 
Tuesday, Nury Martinez 
has resigned from the L.A. 
City Council, Gil Cedillo,
and Kevin De Leon have 
not. 

Gordo Wrote:

 There is absolutely no place 
for the racist and bigoted 
comments made by L.A. 
City Councilmembers Nury 
Martinez, Gil Cedillo, and 
Kevin De Leon, and President 
of the Los Angeles County 
Federation of Labor, Ron 
Herrera. Appropriately, their 
remarks have been widely 
denounced and condemned, 
as they should be for all who 
believe in equality, respect, and 
compassion. While Mr. Herrera 
has resigned his position as 
head of the Los Angeles County 
Federation of Labor, and Nury 
Martinez has announced a 
leave of absence after stepping 
down as President of the City 
Council, this is not enough. 
Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo, 
and Kevin De Leon must 
immediately resign their 
positions on the L.A. City 
Council.

 As the Mayor of Pasadena, and 
a Latino public official, I am also 
calling on all elected officials 
to uphold a commitment to 
equality and fairness, and if 
they cannot, they have no place 
in elected office. 
On a personal level, however 
you identify, these remarks 
are not tolerable. All leaders, 
no matter their race, should 
agree that those comments are 
abhorrent. 

The Los Angeles Times had 
it correct: the views and words 
expressed by Councilmembers 
Martinez, Cedillo, and De 
Leon undermine faith in the 
governance of our cities, our 
state, and our nation at every 
level.

 As elected officials, we must 
hold ourselves to higher 
standards.

 As General Counsel and 
Secretary-Treasurer of 
Laborers Local 777, I believe 
Mr. Herrera’s comments 
undermine our collective 
commitment to fairly represent 
all members and run contrary 
to the solidarity we need to 

protect working families. Mr. 
Herrera was correct to resign. 
However, this cannot end with 
merely resignations.

 The reprehensible remarks 
heard on the audio recording 
impact all current and future 
Latino leaders and undermines 
our ability to govern at all levels 
and to represent people of all 
backgrounds. Latino politicians 
who may share similar hateful 
and painful thoughts about 
others should know that there 
are many Latino elected officials 
who believe that we represent 
everyone, from every walk of 
life, from every race, ethnicity, 
religion, and socioeconomic 
status. We are strong, and we 
are growing, and we will not 
relent in our pursuit of respect, 
equality, and inclusivity.

 This moment calls for 
introspection, leadership, and a 
commitment on the part of all 
to ensure that we do our part to 
maintain faith and confidence 
in our government. That can 
only happen when we uphold 
not just our oaths of office but 
the basic human principle of 
treating everyone with the 
respect and decency they 
deserve.

 It is my hope that Nury 
Martinez, Gil Cedillo, Kevin 
De Leon, and Ron Herrera 
come to understand the gravity 
of this moment and re-evaluate 
and change their views and 
opinions as I hope any elected 
official with similar views does.

 The City of Pasadena will 
continue its ongoing work 
to build trust and open lines 
of communication in our 
community, and as Mayor 
I will continue to denounce 
ignorance, hate, bias, and 
systemic racism wherever it 
exists. 

Pasadena Libraries to Take 
Part In Great ShakeOut 

Millions of people worldwide will practice how to Drop, Cover 
and Hold On during the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill on 
October 20 at 10:20 a.m.

 Each year the City of Pasadena participates in the drill so that 
residents know what to do when an earthquake hits. 

For those visiting any of Pasadena libraries who wish to 
participate, this is an opportunity to practice your earthquake 
survival skills. This is an optional exercise. We encourage you to 
do so but you do not have to if you do not wish to.

 These kinds of drills train us to act quickly – to DROP, COVER 
and HOLD ON immediately to minimize injury so that we will 
be prepared when the next earthquake happens. For more 
information visit: cityofpasadena.net/library. 


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