Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 17, 2022

Mountain View News Saturday, December 17, 2022 

City asks 
Residents 
to Mask, 
get Boosted

 Health Departmenturges everyone to take 
precautions to reduce 
the transmission of 
COVID-19

 Pasadena Public Health 
Department announced 
Friday that health officer 
orders have been revised 
to strongly recommend 
masking for everyone ages 2 
years and older, regardless of 
vaccination status, in indoor 
workplaces, indoor public 
spaces, and public transit. 
In addition to strongly 
recommending masking in 
indoor workplaces, indoor 
public settings, and public 
transit, the health officer 
orders establish threshold 
criteria that would lead 
to mandatory masking, 
including COVID-19 
infections, hospitalizations 
and staffed inpatient hospital 
beds. Indoor masking 
continues to be required in all 
healthcare settings.

 Recent variants of 
COVID-19 have infected 
a significant proportion 
of residents in Pasadena 
and Los Angeles County. 
Pasadena Public Health 
Department is asking all 
residents to layer in sensible 
COVID-19 protections this 
holiday season, including 
indoor masking and getting 
vaccinated and boosted. 

 “With increased travel and 
large gatherings, masking 
and staying up to date on 
your COVID-19 vaccinations 
are the best way to protect 
yourself and your loved ones,” 
said Pasadena interim Public 
Health Director Manuel 
Carmona. “These basic 
precautions can help prevent 
increases in COVID-19 
cases and avoid the need 
for mandatory masking in 
indoor workplaces, public 
settings, and public transit.” 

 The updated health orders 
establish threshold metrics, 
including COVID-19 
infections, hospitalizations 
and staffed inpatient hospital 
beds, to determine when 
mandatory masking indoors 
will be required. Local 
hospitals and healthcare 
facilities are significantly 
strained. Managing high 
levels of COVID-19 cases 
is an ongoing challenge for 
the healthcare system and 
limits resources available 
for helping those in need of 
treatment. 

 “We are seeing increases 
in COVID-19 cases and 
local hospitalizations and 
unseasonably elevated levels 
of influenza infections that 
put our local residents at 
increased risk for severe 
illness and death,” said 
Pasadena Health Officer Dr. 
Eric Handler.

 To reduce the transmission 
of COVID-19 and other 
respiratory diseases 
precautions include:
Wearing a well-fitting 
respirator or mask (e.g., N95, 
KN95, KF94)
Staying up to date with 
COVID-19 vaccination, 
including all primary series 
doses and boosters, and 
getting a flu vaccineStaying home when sick and 
following recommended 
practices if exposed to 
COVID-19, including 
seeking treatmentTesting if you are sick or have 
been exposed to someone 
with COVID-19 
Washing hands regularly

 For more information visit: 
cityofpasadena.net. 

Lawsuit Filed over Rent Control Measure H

 The California Apartment 
Association (CAA) announced 
Friday that they have filed 
a lawsuit and a preliminary 
injunction alleging that the 
Pasadena rent control initiative 
adopted by voters in November 
is invalid.

 According to a statement, the 
lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles 
Superior Court, came just days 
after the Pasadena City Council 
certified the election results, 
situating Measure H to take 
effect as soon as Dec. 22. CAA 
officials also said they intend to 
seek a preliminary injunction 
to prevent the measure from 
being fully implemented while 
the lawsuit is considered by the 
court.

 “Though rent control itself has 


generally been upheld as a valid 

claims. Though the difference 

exercise of local government 

in terminology may sound 

powers, CAA’s lawsuit targets 

insignificant, the distinction 

the process used to adopt the 

between a charter amendment 

ordinance and discrete elements 

and charter revision carries 

of the law,” they said. 

serious legal consequences. 

 The CAA statement continued, 

Charter amendments may be 

the lawsuit alleges that the 

proposed by citizens’ initiative – 

measure, which was placed on 

as Measure H was – but under 

the ballot as an amendment to 

the state constitution, charter 

the city’s charter, nearly doubles 

revisions can only be put 

the length of the charter and 

forward by the city council or a 

effectively restructures the city 

charter review commission. 

government with the creation 

 In addition to attacking the 

of an independent rent board. 

measure as an unlawful revision 

In so doing, the measure 

to the city’s charter, CAA’s 

fundamentally changes the city 

lawsuit claims that several 

charter and effects a so-called 

provisions of the new law itself 

“charter revision,” the lawsuit 

are illegal. For example, CAA’s 

claims. Though the difference 

suit challenges a relocation 

in terminology may sound 

assistance requirement that 

insignificant, the distinction 

would apply to units exempt 

between a charter amendment 

from local rent control. 

and charter revision carries 

 Under the measure, owners of 

serious legal consequences. 

rent control-exempt units would 

Charter amendments may be 

need to pay relocation assistance 

proposed by citizens’ initiative – 

to tenants who choose to vacate 

as Measure H was – but under 

after receiving a rent increase 

the state constitution, charter 

that’s more than 5% above 

revisions can only be put 

the limit for rent controlled 

forward by the city council or a 

units. Measure H limits annual 

charter review commission. 

increases for qualifying units 

 The lawsuit alleges that the 

to a rate lower than inflation, 

measure, which was placed on 

just 75% of CPI. The relocation 

the ballot as an amendment to 

assistance requirement will 

the city’s charter, nearly doubles 

almost exclusively affect 

the length of the charter and 

owners of units protected 

effectively restructures the city 

from local rent control under 

government with the creation 

the Costa-Hawkins Rental 

of an independent rent board. 

Housing Act. The lawsuit 

In so doing, the measure 

alleges the relocation assistance 

fundamentally changes the city 

requirement penalizes owners 

charter and effects a so-called 

who exercise their rights under 

“charter revision,” the lawsuit 

Costa-Hawkins, creating an 

Caltech, Activision Team Up to 
Combat Bad Behavior Online 

 Researchers from Caltech 
and Activision, a video game 
publisher, announced Thursday 
a partnership to bring their 
combined expertise to address 
bad behavior, such as trolling, 
racism, sexism, or just general 
harassment in video games. 

 Increasingly, the online world 
is moving toward automated 
moderation tools that can 
identify abusive words and 
behavior without the need for 
human intervention. Now, 
two researchers from Caltech, 
one an expert in artificial 
intelligence (AI) and the other 
a political scientist, are teaming 
up with Activision on a two-
year research project that aims 
to create an AI that can detect 
abusive online behavior and 
help the company’s support and 
moderation teams to combat it.

 The sponsored research 
agreement involves Anima 
Anandkumar, the Bren 
Professor of Computing and 
Mathematical Sciences, who 
has trained AI to fly drones 
and study the coronavirus; 
Michael Alvarez, professor of 
political and computational 
social science, who has used 
machine learning tools to study 
political trends in social media; 
and Activision’s data engineers, 
who will provide insight into 
player engagement and game-
driven data.

 Alvarez and Anandkumar 
have already worked together 

on training AI to detect trolling 
in social media. Their project 
with the team that works on the 
Call of Duty video games will 
allow them to develop similar 
technology for potential use in 
gaming.

 The important questions 
this research will answer are: 
“How do we enable AI that 
is transparent, beneficial to 
society, and free of biases?” 
and “How do we ensure a 
safe gaming environment for 
everyone?”

 She adds that working with 
Activision gives the researchers 
not only access to data about 
how people interact in online 
games, but also to their 
specialized knowledge.

 “We want to know how players 
interact. What kind of language 
do they use? What kinds of 
biases do they have? What 
should we be looking for? That 
requires domain expertise,” she 
says.

 Michael Vance, Activision ‘s 
chief technology officer, says 
the firm is excited to work with 
Caltech.

 “Our teams continue to make 
great progress in combating 
disruptive behavior, and we 
also want to look much further 
down the road,” Vance says. 
“This collaboration will allow 
us to build upon our existing 
work and explore the frontier 
of research in this area.” 

invalid restriction on those 
rights.

 If successful, the lawsuit could 
result in Measure H being 
declared wholly invalid, though 
the court also could strike just 
portions of the measure found 
to result in a charter revision or 
to violate state law.

 The filing of the lawsuit does 
not, in and of itself, stop the new 
law from taking effect, but if 
CAA’s request for a preliminary 
injunction is granted that 
would stall some or all of the 
law from being implemented 
while the court considers CAA’s 
challenge.

 As of Friday afternoon, 
Pasadena city officials had made 
no statement or response to the 
lawsuit. 

Coffee Gallery 
Backstage 
Hawaiian-style 

 
Celebrate the holidays tonight 
Hawaiian-style. Grammy-
winner Jim “Kimo” West 
brings his annual Holiday Slack 
Key Show to Coffee Gallery 
Backstage. Join the Coffee 
Gallery as Kimo plays selections 
from his two acclaimed holiday 
slack key guitar albums “Kimo’s 
Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas” 
and “Ki’hoalu Christmastime”. 
“Slack key” guitar is a warm, 
engaging open-tuned guitar 
style that has its roots in 1800’s 
Hawaii and Kimo brings his 
own stylistic influences to this 
great acoustic music tradition.

 Hula and special guests set to 
accompany him.

 Kimo West just finished a 
tour with Weird Al Yankovic. 
Kimo West has been Yankovic’s 
guitar play beginning in the 
mid 1980s. 

 The show starts at 7 p.m. 
Reservations are strongly 
suggested. Seating is limited.
Call 626.798.6236 for 
Reservations.

 The Coffee Gallery Backstage 
is located 2029 N. Lake Ave. 
Altadena 

West is a 2021 Grammy Award 
winner for his CD, “More 
Guitar Stories” and a 2019 
Grammy nominee for “Moku 
Maluhia-Peaceful Island”. He 
is also a winner of the 2008 
Hawaii Music Awards, a three-
time Na Hoku Hanohano (the 
Hawaiian “Grammy”) nominee 
and a two-time winner of 
the LA Treasures Award for 
his contributions toward the 
perpetuation of ki ho’alu.
For more information visit: 
jimkimowest.com. 

Pasadena and Altadena 
Trash Collection Survey 

 
Los Angeles County 
Supervisor Kathryn Barger 
is asking Altadena and East 
Pasadena residents and 
business owners to complete a 
survey over current changes in 
there waste disposal service. 

 “I want to hear your input on 
the transition to ensure haulers 
are providing the service you 
pay for and deserve,” she said. 
“My office has been contacted 
by many Altadena/Kinneloa 
Mesa/East Pasadena residents 
and business owners frustrated 
by the change in their waste 
disposal service.” 

 According to Barger, her team 
has worked closely with the 
community and Los Angeles 
County’s Department of 
Public Works to fix concerns 

and ensure consistent and 
comparable service. 

 “I’m continuing to track this 
issue closely, so please take 
a moment to complete this 
survey so I can hear your input 
on the continuing transition 
and to ensure haulers are 
fulfilling contract obligations,” 
Barger said. “I believe residents 
and business owners should 
get the service they pay for and 
deserve.”

 The survey will also help the 
County of Los Angeles improve 
their franchise system for 
future contracts according to 
Barger.

 For more information visit: 

 kathrynbarger.lacounty.gov 
or to take the survey click 
“Keeping up with Kathryn” to 
find the link. 

Voters Approve Measure L 
to Fund Pasadena Library 
Programs and Services 

 Pasadena’s City Council 
officially accepted the 
November 8th General 
Municipal Election returns 
Monday, in which residents 
voted to approve Measure L, 
the Pasadena Public Library 
Services Continuation Measure. 
Passage of the measure will 
continue to fund 20 percent, 
or $2.8 million, of the Library 
budget. This funding is used 
to keep libraries open and 
well-maintained, purchase upto-
date books and materials, 
support library programs and 
services, and retain qualified 
librarians. It has enabled the 
Pasadena Public Library to 
bring many technological 
improvements to the Library, 
including an advanced search 
engine; a computerized 
magazine and newspaper 
index; a new online library 
catalog; and public access to 
the internet with terminals at 
all library locations.

In previous elections, residents 
supported a Special Library 
Parcel Tax in 1993 with 79.9 
percent approval. In 1997, it 
was approved with 84 percent 
of the vote, and again in 2007, 
with 80.4 percent of the vote. 
This year it passed with 84.6 
percent of the vote.

 According to Acting Library 
Director Tim McDonald, 
“Measure L secures funding 
of the library’s operating 
budget for the next 15 years, 
protecting vital library services 
to the community. I am 

deeply grateful for the support 
we received from the City’s 
residents which demonstrates 
the Pasadena Public Library is 
a highly valued institution. I 
look forward to a future that we 
build together that enriches the 
lives of all our community.” 

Measure L includes 
accountability requirements 
such as public disclosure 
to ensure funds are used 
effectively and as promised. 
All revenue raised by Measure 
L will be used for the Pasadena 
Public Library. 

 Pasadena public libraries 
play an essential role in 
providing safe, accessible, 
and one hundred percent free 
educational resource centers 
for everyone. Individuals 
and families, no matter their 
socioeconomic status, can 
count on Pasadena libraries 
to provide them with the 
resources they need to succeed 
and the answers to important 
questions they can’t otherwise 
find. In addition to their 
original purpose of providing 
information, Pasadena libraries 
provide early literacy and 
school readiness programs, free 
computer and Wi-Fi access, 
and digital literacy programs.

 The Pasadena Public 
Library currently operates 10 
neighborhood branch libraries. 

 For more information 
on Measure L, visit: 
CityofPasadena.net/MeasureL.
For more information on the 
Pasadena Public Library, visit: 
CityofPasadena.net/Library. 


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