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Mountain View News Saturday, April 12, 2025

Police 
Oversight 
Commission 
Seats Open


Caltech President to Retire 
at End of Academic Year

 
Applications received by 
5:30 p.m. May 12, will be 
given to the City Council 
for consideration.

 City officials announced 
Wednesday that three 
seats on the Pasadena 
Community Police 
Oversight Commission will 
be open, and that they are 
asking community-based 
organizations to nominate 
individuals to serve as 
commissioners.

 According to a statement, 
in October 2020, the 
City Council established 
a Community Police 
Oversight Commission 
(CPOC) by ordinance. The 
purpose of the commission 
is to enhance, develop and 
strengthen 

 community-police 
relations and review and 
make recommendations 
regarding the ongoing 
operations of the Pasadena 
Police Department to the 
chief of police, city manager 
and/or City Council.

 The CPOC is composed of 
11 members, with the Mayor 
and each City Council 
member nominating one 
(for a total of eight) and 
three members nominated 
from community-based 
organizations. The term 
for the three community-
based organization 
members expires on June 
30, 2025, at which point 
the City Council will 
appoint three members 
nominated by community-
based organizations. 
The City encourages 
interested members of 
the public to apply for the 
three community-based 
organization seats, with 
those appointed receiving 
three-year terms set to 
expire on June 30, 2028.

 Those interested in serving 
as a community-based 
organization commission 
member should submit an 
application. Applications 
received by 5:30 p.m. 
on Monday, May 12, 
2025, will be forwarded 
to the City Council for 
consideration. Please note 
that individuals applying 
for these community-based 
organization seats must 
have the endorsement 
of a community-based 
organization and submit the 
supplemental application 
with this information by 
the May 12, deadline.

 No later than 90 days 
after appointment to 
the commission, new 
commissioners must 
participate in a ride-along 
with the Pasadena Police 
Department, and receive 30 
hours of training in relevant 
subject matter areas. 
Further information about 
the qualifications, training 
requirements, and duties 
of commissioners can be 
found in the Pasadena 
Municipal Code, Chapter 
2.60.

 For questions or additional 
information, please contact 
the City Attorney’s Office 
Oversight Commission 
Support Division at (626) 
744-7888 or CPOC@
cityofpasadena.net.

 

 Caltech’s ninth president, 
Thomas Rosenbaum. 
announced he will retire on 
June 30, 2026, after 12 years in 
the position. He will remain at 
the institute as a member of the 
faculty.

 According to officials, 
Rosenbaum announced his 
intention to step down from his 
administrative leadership role 
at the end of the next academic 
year in a letter to the Caltech 
community. Rosenbaum wrote 
that, as president, his job “has 
been to sustain and enhance our 
culture, our values, our intimate 
environment, our commitment 
to primary sources and first 
principles, our defense of 
evidence-based inquiry, our 
devotion to learning and 
discovery.”

 He added: “Caltech boasts 
a solid financial footing, 
remarkable new research and 
educational facilities, and, most 
importantly, the capacity to 
recruit and sustain the brightest 
and most innovative individuals 
from every walk of life and from 
every corner of the world. Our 
secret for success is no more 
complicated than the people 
who comprise our community, 
but it requires diligence, 
awareness, and commitment to 
be able to soar ever higher.”

 Rosenbaum assumed office on 
July 1, 2014, and served two full 
terms as Caltech’s president. At 
the request of the Caltech Board 
of Trustees, in 2023 he agreed 
to serve part of a third term, 
planning to end his tenure at the 
end of the 2025–26 academic 
year. In publicly announcing 
this plan, Rosenbaum positions 
the Board and the Institute’s 
faculty to begin the Institute’s 
next presidential search, details 
of which will be announced 
next week.

 “I have every confidence 
that the faculty and Board of 
Trustees, working in concert, 
will identify and attract a 
dynamic new president to 
lead the Institute to an even 
brighter future,” Rosenbaum 
said, while also making clear 
his continued commitment to 
his service as Caltech’s president 
and his responsibility to steward 
the Institute, its resources, 
and its research and academic 
enterprise throughout the 
year ahead. “There remains 
important work to be done and 
new heights to scale over the 
next 15 months.”

 Throughout his tenure at 
Caltech, Rosenbaum has sought 
to position the Institute and its 
people to fulfill their potential. 
In his inaugural address on 
October 24, 2014, Rosenbaum 
described his intent to “ensure 
that Caltech’s fundamental 
identity comes from within and 
that it is never imposed from 
without” and that the Caltech 
community continues to “distill 
the hard-won experience of the 
past so that we may create a 
sense of magic and wholeness 
for the future.”

 For more information visit: 
caltech.edu.

Playhouse to Mark 100th Anniversary 

 

 In an announcement Sunday, 
timed to coincide with the 
100th anniversary of its historic 
facility, Pasadena Playhouse 
has successfully purchased its 
1925 building, which was lost to 
bankruptcy in 1970 and held in 
private ownership for more than 
five decades. Located at 39 S. El 
Molino Avenue and anchoring 
the Pasadena Playhouse Historic 
District, the 70,000-square-foot 
campus, which includes the 
theater, restaurant space, and six-
story annex, is one of Southern 
California’s most iconic cultural 
venues and among the most 
influential and storied sites in 
American theater history. 

 The purchase of the building 
was funded by a $15 million 
fundraising campaign, which 
has reached 75 percent of its 
goal. The lead gift for the effort 
was provided by the Perenchio 
Foundation and matched by 
major arts philanthropists Terri 
and Jerry Kohl. The campaign’s 
other major donors are The 
Ahmanson Foundation, The 
Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, 
Brad and Pamela King, Harmon 
and Lea Kong, Leigh and Harry 
Olivar, Jane Kaczmarek, Bingo 
and Gino Roncelli, and Erin and 
Jeremy Baker. 

 “This is an inspiring community 
moment, and we should all share 
in the pride and joy of it,” said 
Erin Baker, chair of the Pasadena 
Playhouse Board of Trustees. 
“With this purchase, we are 
committing to revitalizing the 
powerful original vision of the 
Playhouse and bringing it to 
life for a new century. We are 
deeply grateful for the bold 
visionaries who have paved the 
way for this progress, and we are 
excited to welcome more of our 
community to join the effort in 
making extraordinary theater 
for everyone!”

 Following the transaction, 
which was completed April 
4, Pasadena Playhouse now 
owns the entirety of its campus, 
including the original 1925 
theater building and the 
adjoining six-story annex, 
known as the Fannie E. Morrison 
Building, which was built in 1936 
to house the renowned College 
of Theatre Arts. The property 
also includes the intimate Carrie 
Hamilton Theater, which was 
dedicated in memory of Carol 
Burnett’s late daughter in 2006, 
and the first-floor restaurant 
space, which was most recently 
home to Bar Chelou. With the 
facility returned to Playhouse 
ownership, opportunities 
abound to enhance, restore, and 
reimagine the space for the 21st 
century. The historic building 
will turn 100 on May 18.

 “For most of our history, we’ve 
been making extraordinary 
theater here while essentially 
renting our own home. Today, 
that changes. Thanks to the 
generosity of our community, 
this building is finally back where 
it belongs—with the people who 
built it and believe in its future. 
Owning our historic campus 
unlocks endless possibilities for 
what Pasadena Playhouse can 
be in its second century,” said 
Producing Artistic Director 
Danny Feldman.

 Historic 1925 property 
returns to Playhouse 
ownership after decades 
in private hands

Science and 
History of 
Gemstones

 Carrie Wright, a geologist and 
University of Southern Indiana 
instructor will share all about 
the ‘Science and History of 
Gemstones’ for the Spring 
Masters Series on Tuesdays 
from April 15-May 20 from 2 
p.m. to 4 p.m. via Zoom.

 In this six-part series, Wright 
will share her extensive 
knowledge of gemstones, their 
geological origin, the science 
of their physical properties 
and their role in and impact on 
human history, economics and 
the environment.

 The series will be presented 
via Zoom, and the cost is 
$80 for Pasadena Senior 
Center members, and $95 for 
nonmembers. Registration is 
required. Recordings of the 
entire series will be available 
to all registrants after the 
event. April 15: Gemology 
Basics — What is a gem? How 
do gemologists study, identify, 
and “grade” gems? This session 
will cover gem classification, 
mineral properties, and 
unusual properties of some 
gems.

 April 22: Geologic Origins 
of Gemstones — Covers 
the major earth processes 
that form gems, including 
igneous, sedimentary, and 
metamorphic rocks in which 
they can be found.

 April 29: The Science and Lore 
of Gem Color — Examines 
historical classification of 
gems based on color, and some 
associated myths, legends, 
and superstitions surrounding 
gems. Also looks at the modern 
understanding of the causes of 
color in major gemstones.

 May 6: Colored Stones — 
Focuses on the Big Three of 
colored stones (ruby, sapphire, 
and emerald), sharing famous 
examples in history and 
modern museums, as well as 
synthetics and simulants.

 May 13: Diamonds, 
DeBeers, and Conflict Stones 
— Investigates the geologic 
origins of diamonds, famous 
diamonds, the economic 
history of the DeBeers 
monopoly on diamonds, and 
the conflict stone crises of the 
1990s and early 2000s.

 May 20: Crown Jewels and 
Gemstones/Jewelry Styles of 
the Late 18th and early 19th 
centuries — Explores jewelry 
in the collections of (mostly) 
European monarchs, as well as 
a specific look at jewelry and 
gemstones during author Jane 
Austen’s lifetime in the late 
1700s.

 To register or for more 
information, visit:

 pasadenaseniorcenter.org or 
call 626-795-4331.

Museums of the Arroyo 
Community Free Day

 Museums of the Arroyo Day “MOTA” Day offers free admission 
and activities May 4 from noon to 4 p.m. at six museums located 
along the celebrated Arroyo Seco. Museums include Pasadena 
Museum of History, the Gamble House, South Pasadena Historical 
Museum, Heritage Square Museum, Los Angeles Police Museum, 
and Lummis Home & Garden.

 At Pasadena Museum of History, view their exhibition 100 Years 
– 100 Images a collaboration with Pasadena Society of Artists 
celebrating their Centennial Anniversary. Visitors are welcomed 
inside the Fényes Mansion and Finnish Folk Art Museum for 
Mini Self-Guided Tours. Kids of all ages can join Art 2 Go’s craft 
workshop to create their own unique sculpture out of paper & 
paper drinking straw.

 Museums of the Arroyo Day will have a continuously operating 
shuttle loop between between The Gamble House/Pasadena 
Museum of History, the Los Angeles Police Historical Museum, 
the South Pasadena Historical Museum and Lummis Home/
Heritage Square. NOTE: The Highland Park shuttle does NOT stop 
at Heritage Square. Museum-goers must walk to Heritage Square 
from Lummis Home, a short stroll.

 For more information visit: museumsofthearroyo.com.

City Launches Portal to 
Plan for Extreme Weather

 City of Pasadena officials 
announced Thursday that 
they have launched an 
Extreme Weather Portal to 
help residents prepare for 
extreme weather and monitor 
forecasts when extreme 
heat, extreme cold, excessive 
rainfall, or severe winds are 
expected. The portal shares 
weather information collected 
from credible sites such as the 
National Weather Service 
including weather forecast, 
weather alerts, air quality, and 
the status of important city 
weather-related information 
such as Red Flag Restrictions, 
Cooling Center (Hot 
Weather), and Bad Weather 
Shelter (Cold Weather).

 The portal is designed to be a 
central location for Pasadena 
weather information. 
Residents are encouraged 
to bookmark the web page 
and review the information 
in advance of forecasted 
extreme weather events. The 
web page includes resources 
and information that may 
be helpful during extreme 
weather for community 
members who need 
additional support, such as 
residents with access and 
functional needs and people 
with pets.

 The Extreme Weather Portal 
makes it easier for residents 
to stay updated about 
potential extreme weather 
events. When extreme 
weather is in the forecast, 
residents should take steps to 
prepare their household and 
develop plans with neighbors 
to navigate extreme weather 
events. Community 
members can sign up for the 
local emergency notification 
system known as Pasadena 
Local Emergency Alert 
System (PLEAS), and take 
five easy steps to be disaster 
ready including:

- Get Alerts

- Make a Plan

- Pack a Go Bag

- Build a Stay Box

- Help Friends and Neighbors

 The Portal can be found at: 
cityofpasadena.net/extreme-
weather-portal.


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