Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, March 25, 2023

7

Mountain View News Saturday, March 25, 2023 

Four Treated 
for Carbon 
Monoxide 
Poisoning


Outreach Response Team 
Receives Federal Grant

 
Pasadena Fire units 
responded Thursday to the 
100 block of N. Oak Street 
in East Pasadena after 
four patients complained 
of symptoms related to 
possible Carbon Monoxide 
Poisoning. According 
to fire personnel all 
patients were transported 
to a local hospital with 
minor complaints. “As 
a reminder, check all 
appliances in your home 
that create CO to have 
proper exhaust,” they said. 

 According to the Centers 
for Disease Control and 
Prevention, The most 
common symptoms of CO 
poisoning are headache, 
dizziness, weakness, upset 
stomach, vomiting, chest 
pain, and confusion. 

 Carbon Monoxide 
Poisoning can be deadly. 

 For more information 
visit: cdc.gov.

 Officials announced Tuesday 
that The Pasadena Outreach 
Response Team (PORT) is 
receiving $900,000 through the 
Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration 
(SAMHSA), a division of the 
U.S. Department of Health 
and Human Services, via 
Congressional Directive 
Spending allocated by 
Congressmember Judy Chu. 

 PORT is a collaboration 
between the Pasadena Public 
Health and Fire Departments, as 
well as Union Station Homeless 
Services and Huntington 
Health, that provides links 
to housing opportunities for 
those experiencing chronic 
homelessness, severe mental 
illness, substance use disorders, 
physical disabilities, and 
complex chronic health 
conditions.

 “PORT has been instrumental 
in reducing barriers to care for 
our unhoused population,” 
said Mayor Victor M. Gordo. 
“On behalf of the City of 
Pasadena, I would like to thank 
Congressmember Chu for her 
commitment to supporting 
underserved populations in 
Pasadena.”

 Funding will support 
operations, field-based 
outreach, and resources 
that connect participants to 
housing, medical care, and 
mental health and substance 
abuse services.

 “Addressing homelessness 
is a public health priority,” 
said Manuel Carmona, acting 
public health director. “The 
most important factor for 
success in the PORT model is 
a commitment to preserving 
human dignity, which is key to 
building the trust necessary to 
connect people experiencing 
homelessness with the services 
they need.”

 Since PORT was formed in 
2018, team members have 
utilized a street-based approach 
to establish relationships with 
program participants that 
build trust over time and allow 
the team to facilitate access to 
needed services. With support 
from the Pasadena Police 
Department, PORT added 
a second team in 2021 that 
has responded to over 550 
emergency 911 dispatch calls 
for concerns related to people 
experiencing homelessness 
and reduced the need for law 
enforcement response. The 
PORT team is comprised of a 
case manager (social worker), 
public health nurse, firefighter, 
and an outreach worker.

 PORT has provided extensive 
support to people experiencing 
homelessness in Pasadena, 
including:

Connecting with over 1500 
individuals experiencing 
homelessness;

Enrolling 235 participants in 
public health programs;

Supporting the transition of 
51 seniors and transitional-
age youth into subsidized low-
income or shared housing; 
and

Scheduling and transporting 
participants to 249 clinical 
appointments.

 “The PORT model highlights 
the power of collaboration,” 
said Fire Chief Chad Augustin. 
“This grant will provide PORT 
the support needed to continue 
making a difference in the 
lives of our most vulnerable 
population.”

 For more information on 
PORT, contact Pasadena 
Public Health Department at 
(626) 744-6339.

Hearing set for Jerry’s Family Billiards Appeal

 The Pasadena city council 
will hear an appeal Monday 
and decide whether to uphold 
a Board of Zoning Appeals’ 
decision to limit the hours of 
operation for Jerry’s Family 
Billiards, not allowing the 
North Lake Ave. business to 
operate past 10p.m. Hours on 
the door state that the pool 
hall is open until 1a.m.

 According to city staff, 
concerns were raised about 
issues including noise, 
trash, and illegal activity 
related to the parking lot 
used for the pool hall and 
other commercial tenants. 
According to police, they 
have received many call 
for service at the location, 
specifically, calls made after 
10:00p.m. 

 At issue is a citation given 
to property owner Greg 
Stanislawski April 23 stating 
“You are to immediately 
cease and decease all business 
activity after 10p.m. daily. Per 
PMC17.40.070, all business 
operations are prohibited 
past 10p.m. daily.”

 At a neighborhood meeting 
in January, held by Vice 
Mayor Felicia Williams, 
related to the area around 
Jerry’s Family Billiards, staff 
committed to providing 
information on the calls for 
police service received prior 
to and after the citation 
issued.

 Between September 2021 
and April, eight months 
prior to the citation, where 
the establishment was open 
past 10:00p.m., 17 calls for 
service were made; generally, 
between the hours of 
10:00p.m. and 3:00a.m. Seven 
calls, between May and 
December, for service were 
made for the eight months 
after the citation. 

 According to the city 
staff report, Stanislawski’s 
appeal simply stated that the 
business is a nonconforming 
business and is not subject to 
the section. Known as Jerry’s 
Billiards, first opened in 
Pasadena in January 1985. At 
the time it was established, the 
billiards use was allowed and 
there were no restrictions on 
hours of operation applicable 
to its zoning district.

 Currently, the subject 
property is zoned 
(Commercial Limited, North 
Lake Specific Plan Overlay 
sub district). A billiards use 
is no longer permitted in the 
zoning district; however, it 
may continue operating as a 
nonconforming use the staff 
report reads.

 In 1994 the Council 
amended the limited hours of 
operation requirements, with 
no exceptions for an existing 
business, to 7a.m. and 10p.m. 
for any business within 150 
feet from residential zoning 
districts. To operate outside 
that a Conditional Use 
Permit is required. 

 Property owner Stanislawski 
does not have a Conditional 
Use Permit staff said.

 Monday’s hearing before 
the City Council is a de novo 
hearing where the Council 
has no obligation to honor 
the prior decisions and has 
the authority to make an 
entirely different decision, 
the staff report reads.

Oaklawn 
Bridge 
Temporary 
Closed


Pasadena 
Cultural Affairs 
Annual Grants

 South Pasadena city 
officials announced 
Teusday that The Oaklawn 
Bridge and Waiting Station 
between Fair Oaks Avenue 
and Oaklawn Avenue 
remains temporarily closed, 
and access is currently 
restricted. 

 “This closure was 
implemented out of an 
abundance of caution, after 
some cracking along the 
bridge walls was observed,” 
they said. “At this time, 
our staff think it is prudent 
to review the structural 
integrity of the bridge and 
to see what options are 
available to address the 
observed cracking.”

 Public Works has 
engaged one of their on-
call professional service 
technical advisors, and 
a structural engineer is 
scheduled to perform 
an initial site visit. After 
this initial review, Public 
Works will discuss the 
observations with their 
vendor, and establish the 
level of assessment needed 
for the bridge. 

 “Once work is completed, 
our team will be able to 
provide more information 
on the state of the bridge 
and any recommended 
improvements and 
costs for City Council 
consideration,” city staff 
said. As a related effort, staff 
will begin the assessment 
of the historic Waiting 
Station to evaluate the 
costs to repair the damaged 
roof, and restore the other 
elements of the structure. 

 For more information 
visit: southpasadenaca.
gov.

 The Cultural Affairs Division 
of the Pasadena Planning and 
Community Development 
Department Announced this 
week that applications for 
the city’s 2023-2024 Annual 
Grants Program are now 
available on line. The deadline 
to submit applications is 
Monday, May 8 by 11:59 p.m.

 According to Planning and 
Community Development 
Department Acting Director 
Jennifer Page, the Annual 
Grants Program supports 
creative life in Pasadena 
by providing funding to 
eligible local arts and culture 
organizations and artists for 
projects and programs that 
engage both local and regional 
audiences and PUSD students. 
Eligibility requirements for 
organizational applicants 
include a Cultural Equity and 
Inclusion (CEI) Statement, 
Plan or Policy, based on annual 
budget size, in alignment with 
the LA County’s CEI Initiative.

The Cultural Affairs Division 
offers a series of free technical 
assistance workshops for 
potential applicants to 
improve grant writing skills 
and pose questions specifically 
related to the Annual Grants 
Program application process. 
All Pasadena-based arts and 
cultural organizations are 
again offered a Cultural Equity 
and Inclusion workshop 
to support their individual 
progress and to set future 
milestones. Workshops will be 
virtual.

Attendance at a Technical 
Assistance/Grants Writing 
Workshop is mandatory 
for new applicants and is 
recommended for returning 
applicants. 

Annual Grants Program 
Technical Assistance Virtual 
Workshop Schedule:

• Thursday, April 13, 2023, 
from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

For more information visit: 
city of pasadena/arts.

Self-Tour Historic Route 66

South Pasadena Library 
to Celebrate Earth Month

 Anytime during the weekend people are invited to take a drive-
yourself tour of East Colorado Boulevard, part of the world-
famous Route 66. Use our downloadable tour script to see and 
learn about more than 30 examples of Midcentury buildings, 
historic signs and more along the route.

 Specifically designed to catch the eye of the motorists who 
pass by, there are three buildings preserved in the Googie style: 
Denny’s, the Astro Hotel, and the Swiss Lodge, as well as several 
other buildings with interesting and remarkable histories. This 
tour will be available as a PDF download. Tour at your own pace 
with our detailed guide.

 Meet artist and curator Deb Smith and view her exhibit Moved 
By Modern, a photographic celebration of Mid-century Modern 
architecture.

 The exhibit will be on display at the Pasadena Heritage Blinn 
House 160 North Oakland Avenuetoday, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 
p.m. with the opportunity to meet the artist. It will also be open 
for viewing on Sunday, from 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.

In celebration of Earth Month 
and its indigenous roots, 
the South Pasadena Public 
Library will host a Book to 
Art Program featuring Fresh 
Banana Leaves by Jessica 
Hernandez, Ph.D.. Patrons 
are invited to read the book 
and join us for an Upcycled 
Herb Planter project on 
Saturday, April 15 at 2:00 PM 
in the Library Community 
Room located at 1115 El 
Centro Street. 

 Attendees are encouraged, 
but not required to read Fresh 
Banana Leaves.

 Fresh Banana Leaves 
explores how indigenous 
science is often ignored and 
“otherized” within the realm 
of western science and the 
negative impact this has on its 
communities and the Earth. 
Hernandez uses case studies, 
historical overviews, and 
stories that center the voices 
and lived experiences of 
indigenous Latin American 
women and land protectors 
to explain how systemic 
colonialism, racism, and 
capitalism intersect to keep 
indigenous science out of 
mainstream environmental 
policy and discourse.

 The Library plans to bring 
these ideas to life by hosting 
a free Upcycled Herb 
Planter project. All ages are 
welcome to join in creating a 
sustainable herb garden that 
they will be able to take home 
and watch grow. All supplies 
will be provided, registration 
is required. Register for this 
event at: southpasadenaca.
gov/register. 

 The Book to Art program 
is presented by the South 
Pasadena Public Library 
with generous support from 
the Friends of the South 
Pasadena Public Library 
and the South Pasadena 
Community Garden.

 Visit the Library website 
at southpasadenaca.gov/
library for information about 
services and programs. The 
Library is open Monday, 
Friday, Saturday 10:00 
am–6:00 pm, Tuesday, 
Wednesday, Thursday 10:00 
am -8:00 pm and Sunday 1:00 
pm–5:00 pm.


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