Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, May 6, 2023

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Mountain View News Saturday, May 6, 2023 

The Reward 
Increased 
for Altadena 
Boy’s Murder

Chalk Fest Moves to the Convention Center

Pasadena Celebrates Older 
Americans With Free Event 

 


 The City of Pasadena 
Senior Commission will 
host the City’s second annual 
Older Americans Month 
celebration on Tuesday, May 
23, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at 
McDonald Park, 1000 E. 
Mountain St. The free event 
will highlight Pasadena’s 
range of resources for older 
adults and offer giveaways, 
food, presentations and 
more!

 May is Older Americans 
Month as proclaimed by 
the federal Administration 
for Community Living. 
This year’s theme, Aging 
Unbound, provides an 
opportunity to explore 
diverse aging experiences and 
discuss how communities 
can combat stereotypes.

 Pasadena resources for 
older adults include world-
class healthcare facilities, 
a vibrant art and culture 
community, accessible public 
transportation, numerous 
senior living communities, 
and many organizations 
focused on maintaining the 
health and well-being of older 
residents. Organizations 
representing these sectors 
and more will be at the May 
23 celebration.

 Pasadena Transit Dial-A-
Ride is offering free rides 
to residents ages 60+ who 
are Dial-a-Ride members. 
To apply for Dial-A-Ride 
membership, call (626) 791-
7200. For all transportation 
inquiries, visit the Pasadena 
Transit website.

 This event is made possible 
with the support of Pasadena 
Village, Home Instead 
Pasadena, Villa Gardens, 
Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks 
& Mortuaries, Pegasus Home 
Health Care, Han Research 
Lab, and Anthem Blue Cross.

 For more information about 
the event, visit 

 CityOfPasadena.net/OAM 
or call (626) 744-7300. For 
accessibility information 
and requests, contact (626) 
744-7311. Provide at least 
72 hours advance notice will 
help ensure availability.

 LA COunty Supervisor 
Kathryn Barger introduced a 
motion Tuesday to increase 
and extend the reward offered 
for information leading to 
the arrest and conviction of 
the person responsible for 
the murder of four-year-old 
Salvador “Chavita” Esparza 
III.

 The young boy was shot 
while standing on the porch 
of a home he was visiting in 
unincorporated Altadena on 
July 5, 2016. The County of 
Los Angeles will now offer a 
$75,000 reward.

 “Six years ago, little 
Salvador’s life was violently 
and tragically ended,” said 
Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I 
am extending and increasing 
the reward amount because 
I have faith that there’s 
someone out there who can 
help bring justice for the 
Esparza family. Every bit of 
information helps, so don’t 
hesitate to reach out. Help us 
identify the perpetrator who 
robbed Salvador of his future 
and left an unfillable void in 
his family’s heart.”

 Pasadena Mayor Victor 
Gordo also weighed in, asking 
the community to do their 
part. 

 “Little Chavita Esparza 
would have been 11 years-
old this year,” Mayor Gordo 
said. “Instead, he was shot 
and killed when he was just 4 
years-old in July 2016. He has 
not been forgotten and we are 
appealing to the public, once 
again, to step up and provide 
needed information to help 
us solve the horrific killing 
of this innocent little boy. 
We are grateful to Supervisor 
Barger for her leadership and 
support in increasing and 
extending the reward monies 
to help identify and arrest 
those responsible for this 
heinous crime.”

 The murder is being 
investigated by the Los 
Angeles County Sheriff’s 
Department (LASD) 
Homicide Division. To report 
a tip or provide information 
related to this shooting, 
contact Sergeant Dominick 
Recchia at (323) 890-5500.

 Just days after fist 
announcing that the 30th 
Annual Pasadena Chalk 
Festival would be canceled 
this year, organized reversed 
course Tuesday saying that 
the Chalk Festival is back on 
–the event will now be held 
at the Pasadena Convention 
Center Father’s Day weekend. 

 For years the Festival was co-
sponsored by and held at the 
Paseo, an open-air shopping 
center.

 Light Bringer Project, Board 
Chair, Tom Coston said that 
“Light Bringer Project will 
hold the 2023 Pasadena Chalk 
Festival this coming father’s 
Day weekend on the Plaza 
of the Pasadena Convention 
Center. We are very grateful 
to The Pasadena Convention 
& Visitors Bureau, The 
Pasadena Convention Center, 
and the City of Pasadena 
who have partnered together 
with us to preserve this year’s 
event.” 

 Over the years, the Chalk 
Festival had used the 
Convention Center as an 
overflow for the artists. 

 In a statement April 27, 
Coston had said, “The Paseo, 
host for the festival for more 
than fifteen years, is now 
under the auspices of its new 
owner, real estate developer 
Onni Group. We have been 
apprised by Onni that the 
previous financial and labor 
resources the festival has 
always relied upon will not be 
provided to us.”

 Coston added that they 
had been inquiring with 
other venues, including the 
Convention Center. 

 The Pasadena Chalk Festival 
brings together more than 600 
dedicated and talented artists 
from Southern California and 
around the world with about 
25,000 pieces of colorful 
chalk to showcase this unique 
centuries-old art form.

 In 2010, the event took its 
place in the Guinness Book of 
World Records as the largest 
public art event of its kind. 

 During the weekend, the 
Pasadena Police will also 
showcase their Annual 
Pasadena Police Classic Car 
Show Sunday across Colorado 
Blvd. at Pasadena City Hall

 For festival information visit: 
pasadenachalkfestival.com.

Tom Coston

Pasadena 
New ‘Text 
Before Tow’ 
Program

Pasadena Senior Center 
New Development Director

 
Akila Gibbs, executive director 
for the Pasadena Senior 
Center announced Friday that 
Christa Lorenz (Pictured) has 
been named senior director of 
development at the Center. 

 Her responsibilities will include 
developing a five-year plan to 
increase the base of top donors 
and ensure all fundraising 
communications and marketing 
activities work toward the 
Pasadena Senior Center’s long-
term fiscal success they said. 

 Before joining the Pasadena 
Senior Center staff, Lorenz was 
director of annual giving at 
Westridge School in Pasadena 
for nearly five years, during 
which she broke fundraising 
records during the worst of 
the COVID pandemic. She 
began her fundraising career 
at the University of Southern 
California’s Classical KUSC 
Radio and later joined USC’s 
advancement staff and was 
instrumental in building 
stewardship communications 
and endowment processes 
during the $6 billion+ 
Campaign for USC. 

 “I am confident Christa’s strong 
development experience and 
creativity will help carry the 
center’s fiscal health well into 
the future so programs and 
services can be maintained and 
increased,” said Akila Gibbs, 
executive director at the center. 

 Lorenz earned her bachelor’s 
degree at Chapman University 
and master’s degree at California 
State University, Long Beach. 
She lives in Glendale with her 
husband and toddler son. 

 In addition to online classes, 
onsite events and other 
activities, members and 
nonmembers of the Pasadena 
Senior Center are encouraged to 
visit: pasadenaseniorcenter.org. 


Chamber to Hold Networking 
Connection Breakfast at NOOR

 


 Join the Pasadena Chamber 
of Commerce on Wednesday, 
May 17 at 7:30am for our 
networking Connection 
Breakfast. Beginning in May, 
we are moving the breakfast 
to NOOR in the Paseo at 300 
East Colorado in downtown 
Pasadena.

 Dr. Dennis Buckley of Health 
Advantage Physical Medicine 
moderates the breakfast 
networking event. Join 
Pasadena Chamber members 
to promote your business, make 
new contacts, visit with friends 
and enjoy breakfast at Noor.

 “Everyone who attends the 
Connection Breakfast has the 
chance to briefly present their 
business to the room and there 
is plenty of time for networking,” 
said Chamber President and 
CEO Paul Little. “It is a great 
opportunity to expand contacts, 
promote a service or product 
and make connections that can 
lead to business in the future.”

 Cost is $35 for Pasadena 
Chamber members and $40 for 
non-members.

 To attend, you must register 
and pay online by the close of 
business the Thursday before.

 Register online at: 

 pasadena-chamber.org/other/
breakfast-connection.

 There is 90 minutes of 
validated parking available in 
the Marengo structure at 45 
South Marengo Avenue. (Park 
on the top level and walk across 
the short pedestrian bridge 
over Marengo Avenue to get to 
NOOR.) Please be sure to bring 
your parking ticket with you. 
NOOR will validate so the first 
90 minutes of parking is free.

 
“We are very excited to be 
moving our networking 
Connection Breakfast to Noor,” 
said Mr. Little. “It is a wonderful 
venue, well suited to our needs, 
with great staff, terrific food 
and an easily accessible location 
in downtown Pasadena. We 
anticipate a very successful 
event and hope to see a lot of 
new faces.”

 The Pasadena Chamber 
of Commerce and Civic 
Association is a professional 
business organization. Since the 
earliest days of Pasadena, the 
Chamber has played a major 
role in the development of 
this internationally renowned 
city. Founded in 1888 as the 
Board of Trade, the Chamber’s 
primary purpose has been the 
enhancement of the economy, 
business climate and the quality 
of life in Pasadena. The Pasadena 
Chamber of Commerce 
currently serves more than 1250 
members.

 The City of Pasadena’s 
Department of Transportation 
announced Tuesday the rollout 
of a new program to provide 
motorists a better parking 
experience. The Text Before 
Tow program notifies enrolled 
participants via text and email 
of an impending tow due to 
blocked driveway, temporary 
no parking and 72-hour 
parking violations.

 According to officals, In some 
situations, motorists may be 
unaware that they’re at risk 
of being towed and simply 
need to be alerted. One of the 
lesser known violations is the 
72-hour parking violation. 
Traditionally, the City leaves 
a courtesy note when a car 
is tagged for removal due 
to violation; however, not 
everyone sees the note. To 
help residents avoid a costly 
tow, Pasadena adopted 
San Francisco’s Text Before 
Tow program, launched in 
2022. After a few months of 
development by the City’s 
Department of Information 
Technology, the program 
is ready to launch here in 
Pasadena.

 Anyone who would like to 
sign up for the Text Before 
Tow program may do so for 
free using this web form. 
For additional information, 
contact the Department of 
Transportation’s Parking 
Services Division at (626) 744-
7665.

BLM Lawsuit 
Settled 
Against South 
Pasadena

 
The City of South Pasadena 
has settled a civil rights court 
case filed in October 2021 by 
plaintiffs Fahren James and 
Victoria Patterson. The case 
was handled on behalf of the 
City by Carpenter, Rothans 
& Dumont. In the interest 
of resolving this matter, the 
City Council authorized 
the settlement amount of 
$500,000.

 According to reports, BLM 
protesters James and Patterson 
filed the lawsuit against the 
city and five officers.

 No details were released by 
the city.


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