Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, June 24, 2023

5

Mountain View News Saturday, June 24, 2023 

Local Area 
News Briefs


Safety Tips for Keeping Pets 
Safe on the Fourth of July

City Deems Vacant 
Medical Center a 
Nuisance

 
Pasadena Humane is 
reminding pet owners that 
although the Fourth of July is a 
time of festivities for some, for 
our pets, it can be a huge source 
of stress. Many frightened pets 
go missing during the Fourth 
of July holiday, making it one 
of the busiest times of year for 
animal shelters. It’s important 
to take extra precautions to keep 
your pets safe and calm on the 
Fourth of July. 

Never bring your pet to a 
fireworks display

If your dog usually enjoys 
going to the park, you might be 
tempted to bring them to the 
local fireworks display with you, 
but please leave them at home. 
Dogs have extremely sensitive 
ears and can quickly become 
terrified and disoriented around 
fireworks. 

Plan ahead

Since fireworks tend to happen 
after dark, walk your dog 
while it’s still light out. Even a 
dog who’s usually relaxed on 
walks can become extremely 
fearful around loud noises and 
potentially pull the leash out of 
your hand. 

Create a secure sanctuary 
space

Keeping your pet in one room 
of the house may make them 
feel more secure. If fireworks 
noises are worse towards the 
front of your house, choose a 
room towards the back. Provide 
them with their favorite toys 
and blankets to comfort them. 
Make sure doors and windows 
in their sanctuary room are 
securely latched so there’s no 
chance of them escaping. 

Provide distractions

Puzzle toys or other treat 
dispensers can distract your pet 
from the noise and give them 
something positive to focus on. 
Additionally, soft music (such 
as classical music) or the sound 
of a soothing television show 
may help drown out the noise of 
fireworks. 

Calming aids

There are many calming treats, 
diffusers, collars, and more 
available over-the-counter at our 
Shelter Shop. Your pet may also 
benefit from a Thundershirt, 
which is a vest that can reduce 
anxiety in dogs and cats. 

Ask your vet

If you’ve tried these tips in the 
past and your pet is still anxious, 
you may want to ask your vet for 
assistance. Only give your pet 
medication at the advice and 
direction of your veterinarian. 

ID tag and microchip

Make sure your pet is wearing 
a collar with a visible ID tag. 
Most pets are found very close 
to where they live, and your pet’s 
ID tag will help your neighbor 
reunite you with your pet more 
quickly. It’s also important that 
your pet is microchipped as a 
second form of identification. 
Double check that your pet’s ID 
tag and microchip are up-to-
date with your current contact 
information.

 If you find a lost pet, try 
reuniting them with their 
owner. If your pet goes missing 
or you find a lost animal, post 
on your local Nextdoor or 
neighborhood Facebook group. 
and register your pet on Petco 
Love Lost and create a Pawboost 
alert. We also recommend you 
check the lost pets listing on 
your local shelter’s website.

 If you need help with a 
lost or found pet, please call 
626.792.7151 ext. 997 or email 
hello@pasadenahumane.org. 
For after-hours assistance, call 
626.792.7151 ext. 970.

 
After years of neglect, with 
broken windows, graffiti 
and overrun with homeless 
squatters, Pasadena city 
officials, this week declared 
the vacant St. Luke’s Medical 
Center in East Pasadena a 
public nuisance. 

 The historic 11 acre property 
and building on Washington 
Boulevard, owned by Denley 
Investment and Management 
Company had recently been 
warned and cited multiple 
times in just the last week for 
its condition. City officials said 
the property is an attractive 
nuisance and a potential 
danger to health and public 
safety.

 Since the beginning of this 
year, Pasadena police said they 
have responded to last least 80 
calls from nearby residents 
about illegal activity on the 
property.

 Although city officials 
are asking that owner, 
Mehdi Boulour of Denley 
Investments, to clean up 
the site and maintain the 
property, they have not said 
what the next steps are but 
have not ruled out legal action. 
According to reports The city 
has not gotten any response 
from Boulour.

 Built in 1933 the center 
has been used as a filming 
location for movies such as 
“La LA Land,” and “Kill Bill” 
among others.

Chalk Festival Turns 30 with New Location 

By Dean Lee

 Hundreds of chalk artists came 
out to the Pasadena Convention 
Center over Father’s Day 
weekend to create murals with 
a wide range of subjects, topics, 
and tones. This was the 30th year 
for the Pasadena Chalk Festival 
but the first to be held entirely at 
the Convention Center.

 “Most important to us is how 
the artist feel,” said Tom Coston, 
chair of the board of the Light 
Bringer Project. “The artist 
were totally happy and they felt 
everyone was treating them with 
respect, there was no issues... 
everyone was happy and that’s 
how it sould be with an art 
event.”

 Coston said that although it 
looked smaller by size there were 
the same number of murals as 
past years. “Yea, it was congested 
but we had almost 500 artists 
and upwards of 192 murals.”

 He added that everyone showed 
up, they had no empty spaces, 
“Usually there is some attrition 
but this year it was full on 
participation.”

 “The floor quality is really good 
over hear, smoother, so I didn’t 
mind the switch, I am really 
happy the Convention Center 
was able to do it because we all 
would have been very sad if it got 
canceled.” said Gustavo Alonso. 
He has been participating for the 
last 6 years.

 The Paseo, host for the festival 
for more than fifteen years, has a 
new owner this year, real estate 
developer Onni Group and said 
that they would not host the 
Chalk Festival. 

 Just days after announcing 
the festival would be canceled 
Coston said the city and 
Pasadena Convention Center 
stepped in. 

 They [the city of Pasadena] 
came in and took the lion’s share 
and replaced the Paso, as the 
financial sponsor, Coston said. 

 As tradition since The Pasadena 
Chalk Festival began in 1993 
awards were given out. 

 Best overall in Festival 
(pictured) went to a rendering of 
Sasha Colby this year’s ‘RuPaul’s 
Drag Race’ winner. The mural 
was done by Gustavo Alonso.

 “I did it just because its Pride 
Month with all the drama going 
on, It’s a tie-dye look taken from 
a photograph.” Alonso said. 

Best in Festival 2nd Place Jesse & 
Matthew Silva

Best in Festival 3rd Place 
“McCartney” by Shuji Nishimura

People’s Choice Award “The 
Elder” by Jesse & Matthew Silva

Highest Bid in the Silent Auction 
“The Shining” by Leo Aguirre

Best Use of Color “Wally Jenkins” 
by Allie Shehorn

Best in Animation “The Lorax” 
by Chris & Carmen Moran

Best 3-D Effect “Aztec Laptop” 
by Julio Jimenez

On the Way to MOCA Emily 
Cannon

Best Rendition of a Masterpiece 
“Mary Magdalene in a Cave” by 
Bianca Ornelas

Most Inspirational “What Would 
You Bring into the Art Therapy 
Space?” by Jessica Edelstein

Most Humorous Sadie Samet

bbFor more information 
about the Chalk Festival and 
Light Bringer Project visit: 
lightbringerproject.org. 

Celebrate 
Fourth of 
July at 
the Senior 
Center 


Police Arrest Arson 
Suspect

Philippe Eskandar Named San 
Marino’s Next City Manager

 Pasadena police 
announced Wednesday the 
arrest of a suspect believed 
to have set fire behind the 
back of a DaVita Dialysis 
center. The building on 
South Fair Oaks Avenue 
was occupied at the time.

 Police said they arrested 
Johanna Romo of Pasadena 
in connection to the fire 
first reported June 13 
around 5:30 a.m. 

 “The fire was exterior only 
with no extension into the 
building although the fire 
did cause a gas leak,” fire 
officials said.

 At the time of the fire 
there were approximately 
22 people inside of the 
center, many in the middle 
of dialysis treatment. All 
patients were evacuated 
by Pasadena Police and 
there were no injuries 
reported. Dialysis staff and 
fire personnel continued to 
assess the patients during 
the short time they were 
outdoors according to 
Public Information Officer 
Lisa Derderian. 

 Police said they later 
found Romo at Memorial 
Park. She was seen in 
surveillance video setting 
fire to a locked area in the 
back of the center.

 The Los Angeles County 
District Attorney’s office is 
filing arson of an inhabited 
structure Derderian said.

Pasadena Water & Power 
to hold Native Night Series



 The San Marino City Council 
unanimously approved last week 
an employment agreement with 
Philippe Eskandar to start July 1 
as the city’s next city manager.

 Eskandar is an accomplished 
city leader with a career 
dedicated to public service. 
He is excited to be joining the 
City of San Marino as a partner 
in accomplishing the visions 
and goals of the City Council 
and community, and carrying 
forward the successes achieved 
in recent years.

 “Philippe has the experience 
and mindset to serve our unique 
and treasured community. He 
has demonstrated to the City 
Council that he will be an adept 
and enthusiastic manager of our 
operations and use his strengths 
to benefit San Marino in the 
years to come,” said Mayor Steve 
Talt.

 Eskandar has extensive 
experience in city leadership 
across all facets of municipal 
operations in full-service and 
contract cities. He currently 
serves as the Deputy City 
Manager for the City of Westlake 
Village and has held a variety of 
roles in different departments 
with the cities of Glendale, 
Burbank, and Newport Beach.

 “I am humbled by the trust the 
City Council has placed in me 
by inviting me to be a member 
of the City of San Marino 
family. I am excited to join a 
high-performance team of staff 
and City Council in serving 
this special community,” said 
Eskandar.

 Enjoy life, liberty and the 
pursuit of patriotic fun 
Tuesday, July 4, from noon 
to 2 p.m. at the Pasadena 
Senior Center, 85 E. Holly 
St. 

 Bring friends and family 
of all ages to this concert 
and dance that will feature 
music from the Big Band 
era and beyond. 

 The cost is only $7 
for members ($13 with 
box lunch) and $10 for 
nonmembers of all ages 
($16 with box lunch). 
Optional box lunch 
reservations must be made 
no later than Saturday, July 
1. 

 To register or for more 
information, visit www.
pasadenaseniorcenter.org 
and click on Activities & 
Events, then Special Events 
or call 626-795-4331. 

 In addition to online 
classes, onsite events and 
other activities, members 
and nonmembers of the 
Pasadena Senior Center 
are encouraged to visit 
the website regularly for a 
quarterly online magazine, 
free food delivery for older 
adults in need, COVID 
updates specifically for 
older adults and more. 

 
Join Pasadena Water and 
Power, in partnership with the 
Arroyo Seco Foundation (ASF), 
for the first event of the ASF 
“Native Night Series” Tuesday 
at the Hahamongna Native 
Plant Nursery from 7 p.m. 
to 8 p.m. Notable landscape 
architect Shawn Maestretti and 
groundbreaking educator and 
eco-sensitive designer Leigh 
Adams will lead the discussion. 
Both have been presenting 
across California and the U.S. on 
regenerative practices, nurturing 
biodiversity, protecting water, 
and bringing people together 
to reconnect with the natural 
world.

 Shawn Maestretti: Landscape 
architect, contractor, arborist 
and educator. Shawn has been co-
creating exceptionally designed 
and artfully reimagined gardens 
in California and Nevada since 
2006. His personal mission is 
to reconnect with the natural 
world, nurture biodiversity, 
protect water, and bring people 
together.

 Leigh Adams: Eco-sensitive 
designer and educator. Leigh 
has conducted hundreds of 
hands-on, organically based 
workshops with local schools, 
private citizens, and professional 
groups. Leigh has received a 
Global Citizen Award from the 
United Nations, an Angel Award 
from the City of Los Angeles, 
an Outstanding Citizen Award 
from the County of Los Angeles, 
and was the 2020 National 
Gardening Teacher of the Year.

 The Hahamongna Native Plant 
Nursery is located Hahamongna 
Watershed Park 4550 Oak Grove 
Dr. 

 For more information, please 
visit PWPweb.com/Events or 
email water@CityOfPasadena.
net.


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