About This Blog

I created this as a way to place all news tips for the Citizen Journalism workshop at the Pasadena Community Network. We meet every Tuesday night 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring these or other story ideas and learn the new exciting world of citizen based collaborative journalism. Visit http://pasadenan.com/ for more information.

Location: Pasadena Community Network - Studio G
Street: 2057 N. Los Robles Ave.
City/Town: Pasadena, CA
http://www.pasadenacommunitynetwork.com/

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Execution delayed by legal issues

California's first execution in five years delayed by legal issues
Appeals court orders judge to reconsider ruling allowing Albert Greenwood Brown to be put to death.

By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times
September 28, 2010|12:03 a.m.

A federal appeals court in San Francisco late Monday ordered a trial judge to reconsider a ruling that allowed for a convicted murderer and rapist to be executed this week at San Quentin State Prison.

No prosecution for teens who have been drinking and call 9-1-1 for friends under the influence

Starting Jan. 1, no prosecution for teens who have been drinking and call 9-1-1 for friends under the influence

By Janette Williams Staff Writer
Posted: 09/27/2010 07:17:41 PM PDT

PASADENA - More than most bills he's seen signed into law, state Assemblyman Anthony Portantino says A.B. 1999 feels very personal to him and many other parents of teenage children.

The "Teen 911 Immunity" bill just signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stemmed directly from the tragic death of Aydin Salek in December.

ARTNIGHT PASADENA HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

ArtNight Pasadena on Friday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 10 p.m. will have something for every taste when 14 of the community’s most prominent arts and culture institutions open their doors for free.

Visitors also have a choice in transportation: Metro Gold Line, walking, bicycling tour or free shuttle buses available at each of the venues.

For more information call the ArtNight Pasadena Hotline at (626) 744-7887 or visit  www.artnightpasadena.org.  For accessibility information or written materials in alternative formats, call (626) 744-7249.  To join ArtNight bicycle tours visit www.cicle.org.

ArtNight Pasadena kicks off Pasadena ArtWeekend, a three-day, six-event, citywide arts festival.  Saturday’s offerings include Art of Food from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on South Lake Avenue ,  ArtHeritage parade from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning at Los Robles Avenue and Howard Street and ending at La Pintoresca Park, ArtWalk from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Playhouse District and  ArtRhythm from 5 to 9 p.m. at Paseo Colorado .  On Sunday, ArtPerformance will take place at the Levitt Pavilion in Old Pasadena.  For more information visit www.PasadenaArtWeekend.com or call (626) 795-9311.

ArtNight Pasadena’s featured exhibitions and performances include:

GIRL SCOUTS REVEAL THE SCIENCE OF GIRL POWER

MEDIA ALERT

GIRL SCOUTS REVEAL THE SCIENCE OF GIRL POWER
Local Girl Scouts, in association with JPL, to host science festival at Caltech on October 3

WHAT: Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) is teaming with JPL to join the “in” crowd this fall, as its annual Family Science Festival takes on the theme Innovation Meets Imagination on the campus of Caltech on October 3. The festival will include exhibits on rocketry, the environment, animals, robotics, and hands-on experiments, a scavenger hunt, a bubble mania challenge, a live taping of “The Loh Down on Science LIVE!” radio pilot with host Sandra Tsing Loh, and demonstrations by GSGLA’s world renowned robotics teams.

WHO: Girl Scouts, Girl Scout families and friends, GSGLA Board members and staff, JPL executives, “The Loh Down on Science” radio host Sandra Tsing Loh

WHEN: Sunday, October 3, 12:00-4:00 p.m.

TIME:   12:00 pm – Welcome by GSGLA and JPL
12:20 pm – “The Loh Down…” radio pilot taping begins (Ramo Auditorium, mid campus)
1:30 pm – Bubble Mania Challenge #1
2:30 pm – Bubble Mania Challenge #2
4:00 pm – Festival ends

WHERE: California Institute of Technology, Beckman Mall, Pasadena, CA 91125

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:

Exhibitors
Exhibitors include JPL, Temecula Rocket Group, Natural History Museum, Mad Science, Aquarium of the Pacific, Caltech Classroom Connection, Kidspace Children's Museum, Monrovia Rockhounds, Natural History Museum of LA County, Temecula Rocket Group, The Animal Guys' Wildlife Learning Center, Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, UCLA Chemistry Department, UCLA Society of Women Engineers, and more.

Bubble Mania Challenge!
What is the science behind bubbles? Participating girls will have prepared a bubble wand beforehand. There will be three categories for the challenge: Longest Bubble, Farthest Traveling Bubble, and Most Innovative Bubble Wand. This event is sure to be "POP"ular!

Green is Good!
Girls can turn in used plastic bags at the GREEN Trade booth and take home a reusable alternative! Trade in 50 used plastic bags and get a foldable reuseable strawberry bag.

FACTS:
·        Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has a 98-year tradition of encouraging girls to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), areas that girls tend to steer away from.

·        Today, innovative, hands-on experiences in STEM strengthen girls’ natural skills and acquaint them with new career possibilities and tools for future success. 

·        In 2009, nearly 2,000 local girls ages 5-17 participated in STEM activities.

·        GSGLA Robotics Teams build and program robots and compete in FIRST robotics competitions. Last season, GSGLA fielded 11 teams, two of which took top honors at the 2010 World Championship.

ABOUT THE GSGLA FAMILY SCIENCE FESTIVAL & STEM PROGRAMS:
The GSGLA Family Science Festival features exhibitors from STEM-related fields. In 2009, over 1,000 girls and their families explored the wonders of science, technology, engineering and math. The 2009 event included a special presentation by Climate Project scientist Dr. JoBea Holt. GSGLA STEM programs also include GSI: Girl Scouts Investigate, a national program about forensics, and Rocket Whiz, where girls build and launch rockets.

 ABOUT GIRL SCOUTS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES
Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles serves 45,000 girls and young women in partnership with 22,000 volunteers from more than 350 diverse communities of Los Angeles County and parts of Kern, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. GSGLA is the largest girl-serving nonprofit agency in Los Angeles, and operates 7 service centers, 14 program centers, and 4 campgrounds. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit www.girlscoutsLA.org.

Homes evacuated after workers rupture gas line

Homes evacuated after workers rupture gas line

By Adolfo Flores Staff Writer
Posted: 09/27/2010 05:18:09 PM PDT

PASADENA - Working in 100-plus degree heat, Southern California Gas Co. workers sealed a rupture in a gas line Monday that prompted authorities to evacuate several homes.

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION STUDY COMMITTEE TO HOLD COMMUNITY FORUMS

List of Schools will be Narrowed from Seven to Five this Saturday

Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) School Consolidation Study Committee (Committee) will convene two community forums next week to offer community members the opportunity to learn more about school closures and possible program moves.  Community Forums are scheduled for Monday, October 4, 2010 at the Eliot Middle School Auditorium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Friday, October 8, 2010 at the Wilson Middle School Auditorium from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Committee will meet this week on Friday October 1 from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday October 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., both at McKinley.

The Committee, composed of 21 stakeholders representing Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre, parent groups, collective bargaining units, school site administration, and other community groups, has held four meetings since September 11 to explore options for school consolidation and closure to narrow the budget deficit. In response to an unprecedented $30 million loss of funding over the past three years, and the prospect of sustained enrollment declines in the foreseeable future, the Board of Education approved school consolidation to help decrease expenditures and generate ongoing revenue to support instructional priorities.

The three-year budget adopted in June identified the closure of a minimum of three schools in 2011-12 to reduce operating expenses associated with excess capacity on school campuses.  The Board of Education established the School Consolidation Study Committee to assist the Superintendent in developing a recommendation regarding school consolidation and closure.  Over the past several weeks, the Committee has reviewed a broad range of information including: a list of sixteen sites recommended for consideration by the asset management report, academic achievement, special educational programs, transportation, and neighborhood impacts.

The Committee will make final recommendations in a report to Superintendent Diaz in October.  Following his review of the Committee report, the Superintendent is tentatively scheduled to make a recommendation to the Board of Education at its meeting on November 23, 2010.

Members of the public may obtain additional information about the school consolidation and closure process, including meeting summaries and documents, at www.pusd.us.

The Great California ShakeOut, a statewide earthquake drill October 21

CALIFORNIANS NEED YOUR HELP
Residents in High Risk Areas Are Not Ready

What:              Most Californians know earthquakes happen but most don’t know what to do in an earthquake or how to best protect their family, homes and finances from earthquake destruction. The News Media can help people get ready.

                        On the eve of the anniversary of the 1987 Whittier earthquake, experts will dispel earthquake safety myths, clear up confusions and demonstrate what to do before and during the next earthquake. A local firefighter who was deployed to Haiti will talk about what works and what doesn’t. 

Who:               Chief Deputy John B. Tripp, L.A. County Fire welcoming remarks
Lucy Jones, USGS Chief Scientist of Multi-Hazard Demonstration Project
                        Larry Collins, Battalion Chief with Los Angeles County Fire Department
                        Jeff Crosier, President of Structural Engineers Association of Southern California
                        Chris Nance, CEA Director of Communications & External Affairs

When:             Thursday, September 30, 10:00 a.m.
Where:             LA Country Fire Training Facility (next to the LACOFD headquarters)
1320 N. Eastern Avenue
Los AngelesCA  90063

Firefighters, 
Urban Search and Rescue experts, seismologists and other experts will demonstrate earthquake preparedness and address misunderstandings and confusions.

The big shaker will show what happens in a home during an earthquake; hands-on activities will demonstrate what everyone can do to protect their homes and finances; and, practice drills will teach how to react during an earthquake.

According to a UCLA study released March 2010, most Californians in high risk areas are not taking the necessary steps to get ready. 
According to the latest research, more Californians need to protect their families, secure their houses and choose whether they
will have the strength to rebuild if their house is seriously damaged. 

This opportunity is being offered in advance of the Great California ShakeOut, a statewide earthquake drill taking place October 21, at 10:21 a.m.  For more information go to www.ShakeOut.org

There will be multilingual spokespeople available for interviews.  

The CEA is a publicly managed, largely privately funded organization that provides residential earthquake catastrophe insurance and encourages Californians to reduce their risk of earthquake loss. It currently has more than 800,000 policyholders, representing about 70 percent of the California earthquake insurance market. For more go to EarthquakeAuthority.com.

Gold Line Train Hits Man

Gold Line Train Strikes Man in Pasadena
Authorities close the Gold Line during the investigation
Updated 7:30 AM PDT, Tue, Sep 28, 2010

A man was hit by a Metro Gold Line train early Tuesday in Pasadena and seriously injured.

GET UP AND MOVING AROUND THE ROSE BOWL LOOP OCTOBER 6 WITH PASADENA MAYOR BILL BOGAARD

Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, along with board members and staff of the Pasadena Symphony and Pasadena Pops, will lead a 3.3-mile walk around the Rose Bowl Loop at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, as part of Up & Moving Pasadena.

The Pasadena Symphony and Pasadena Pops offer a full spectrum of live concerts throughout the year.

Meet at Gate A at the stadium.  Free parking is available.  All levels of ability will be accommodated.

Up & Moving Pasadena is a community effort to support fitness for health.  Walks are scheduled the first Wednesday of every month except January. 

Find walking tips, start a walking group and track your progress at www.upandmoving.org or call (626) 831-2980.

ANTONOVICH PRAISES $155 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich joined with local officials in praising a $155 million grant from the Federal Government for the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) -- a modern, integrated wireless voice and data communications system that will support more than 34,000 first responders and local mission-critical personnel within the region.   Additionally, the system will also support interoperability with State and Federal Agencies, such as the California Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Los Angeles County is home to 88 cities, 134 unincorporated communities, 50 law enforcement agencies and 31 fire service agencies,” said Antonovich.  “This system will enable agencies to communicate across different jurisdictions with one voice.”

“With 85 members, including over 80 of our 88 cities, LA-RICS is a model for our state and the nation in terms of its size and scope,” he added.   “With this $155 million dollar down payment from the federal government we urge the City of Los Angeles to be an equal player and join the county in its financial investment into operations of the LA-RICS JPA as we move forward.”

The system is estimated to complete in 3-5 years with a total cost at $700 million.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

2 local area committees will hold joint meeting at Pasadena's Robinson Park Center

The Fair Oaks Avenue Project Area Committee and the Lincoln Avenue Project Area Committee will hold a joint meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the multipurpose room at Robinson Park Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave.
Agenda items include the proposed recommendation to the City Council about structuring the merger of the five Northwest Pasadena redevelopment project areas.




Full Story Pasadena Star News http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_16112782

ClTY COUNCIL WORKSHOP ON STREET CLASSIFICATION

Many of Pasadena's traffic calming policies use the functional classification of a street as one of the criteria for deciding whether a particular device is appropriate. Similarly the acceptable methods for enforcing speed limits are influenced by the functional classification of the street. As more traffic calming devices have been deployed in Pasadena, the inconsistencies between the form and designated function of many streets have become more evident. An example of this is that the functional classification criteria have impeded the installation of speed humps on several streets that would otherwise be eligible for the devices under city policy.

In light of the recently mandated Complete Streets policy at the state level, Pasadena is putting more emphasis on understanding the design responses necessary to achieve such a policy. As the emphasis shifts from a curb-to-curb focus to one of a building-to-building
(or complete right of way) focus, the variable character (context) of the land use and urban form adjacent to the roadway becomes more important, particularly as one attempts to balance the competing space demands for multiple modes of travel within a constrained space.

The classification system under consideration for Pasadena has three components:

Context - the character of each street in terms of urban form and land use mix,
                particularly in ways that relate to the sidewalk.
Function - the multi-modal and primary trip-type function of each street.
Overlays - unique factors that merit special consideration that affect design of a
                 street, but do not define the predominate nature of the street.

Full Agenda Report http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/councilagendas/2010%20agendas/Sep_20_10/AR%2010.pdf

Video of the Sept 20 meeting here http://cityofpasadena.net/CouncilAgendas/Video/

PASADENA HUMANE SOCIETY MUNICIPAL ANIMAL CONTROL SHELTER SYSTEM AND RABIES CONTROL PROGRAM

It is recommended that the City Council:
1 Authorize payment to the Pasadena Humane Society for animal control shelter
system and rabies control services rendered from July 1,2010 to present, totaling
$233,926.96;
2. Authorize the City Manager to contract, without competitive bidding pursuant
to City Charter Section 1002(F), contracts for professional or unique services,
with the Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA for operation of a municipal
animal control program, animal shelter system and rabies control program on
an month to month basis for a period of up to 12 months at an amount not to
exceed $88,985.83 per month; and
3. Grant this contract an exemption from the competitive selection process of
the Competitive Bidding and Purchasing Ordinance pursuant to P.M.C.
4.08.049(6) contracts for which the City's best interests are served.


The negotiating of a new contract has been complicated by the Humane
Society's request for financial support from the City for its proposed expansion
project. As envisioned, the expansion of the Humane Society will include a new
two-story 31,531 square-foot kennelltreatment facility located on the site north of
the existing facility.

Full Agenda Report http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/councilagendas/2010%20agendas/Sep_20_10/AR%203.pdf

Video of the Sept 20 meeting here http://cityofpasadena.net/CouncilAgendas/Video/

Southern California may be unprepared for tsunami

Southern California could be unprepared to warn against an impending tsunami in the event of an earthquake immediately off the coast.
A national panel presented findings of a study on tsunami warning systems to Congress Friday, revealing some vulnerabilities in the warning system.
"The main thing we want to get out is how ill-prepared we are for local tsunamis, tsunamis that are generated very close to the coast," said Professor Costas Synolakis at the USC Tsunami Research Center, who was part of the team of scientists on the panel.


To make this relevant to Pasadena it would need quotes from Caltech, easy enough.


Full Story http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=7675188 

Sierra Club Monthly Meeting

The Sierra Club will present "A New Vision for the San Gabriel Mountains" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Eaton Canyon Nature Center, 1750 N. Altadena Drive.Speakers will include Belinda Faustinos of the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and Woody Smeck of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area according to the Pasadena Star News. 


Full Story http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_16105866