SEE PAGE 3 FOR healthy food options on state property
Pasadena Press
MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2014 - OCTOBER 12, 2014
pasadenapress.com
Former embattled Pasadena Public Health Director files discrimination claim in Georgia by Terry Miller
SEE PAGE 4 for no more single-use plastic bags in california VOLUME 1, NO. 23
Pasadena’s Joeseph Thomas offense and defense By SHEL SEGAL
ily owned and operated business. Steve Fink learned the deli business from his parents in the 1950s before opening his own for the Pasadena lunch crowd so he could be home for
Word has gotten out in the Pacific League. Joeseph Thomas can run the football. But what some might not yet know – and they’re going to soon find out – is that Thomas can also play defense. Thomas plays running back, corner back and safety for the Pasadena High football team. He said he came to play both sides of the football out of shear boredom. “To be honest, I’m really more of an offensive player,” Thomas said. “When it was time for us to be on defense I would go to the sideline, but I didn’t like sitting on the sideline. I liked being in the game. So, I learned corner and safety and that’s how I got on both sides of the ball.” And while Thomas, a senior, is having success on the gridiron, he’s not afraid to tell you about how well he’s doing in the classroom. “It’s going really good,” he said of his senior year. “My grades are looking awesome, as usual. I have more than a 3.0. And I’m taking an extra elective to help me out and I’ve joined two clubs. So, things are going great.” And that elective he’s taking, he said, is art. “I’m not really a good draw-er, but I’m getting the hang of it,” he said. During the offseason, Thomas said he stays in the football mode by running track,
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Dr. Walsh -Photo by Terry Miller
Last week, Liberty Institute and Parks, Chesin & Walbert, attorneys for Dr. Eric Walsh, filed an official charge of discrimination with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The embattled former Pasadena Health Dept.
head is suing the Georgia Department of Health which offered Dr. Walsh a job in May, which he then accepted. After publicly announcing his selection, top officials suddenly reversed course after learning about sermons Dr. Walsh gave in church in Pasadena.
Public outcry led to Walsh’s demise in Pasadena. Despite being put on paid administrative leave here in Pasadena due to seriously questionable comments, he applied for a job with the Georgia Health Please see page 4
Pasadena Sandwich Company 3rd annual Thanksgiving Share A Meal program underway There are some pretty extraordinary people in just about every community in the United States. Some, however, truly stand out from the crowd. Pasadena Sandwich Company is one such shining example. Facing the tragic loss years ago
by Terry Miller of the patriarch of Pasadena Sandwich Company, the family-owned business stepped up and discovered a world previously unknown. The Pasadena Sandwich Company has been a fixture in Pasadena since 1995 as a fam-
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3rd annual Thanksgiving Share A Meal Continued from page 1
family dinners. Steve was diagnosed with Amyloidosis (a rare disease that occurs when a substance called amyloid builds up in your organs) in 2009; so late in the lifespan of the disease that his treatment options were limited and he succumbed in 2010. While obviously distressed by the loss of their father, Meghan and Kaytee, along with Nicole and Jonathan, turned their sadness into hope and helped raise research dollars to combat the deadly disease. They also combined forces with actor Michael York who just happens to be battling the same disease that took the life of their father. That coalition and the Stephen E. Fink Memorial Fund’s goals to bring greater awareness, research and treatment to Amyloidosis, have altered lives around the globe. The family continues its deep commitment to commu-
nity with an annual Thanksgiving program where they feed hundreds of needy families in the area. This year is Pasadena Sandwich Company’s 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Share a Meal where they feed Families in transition, deemed by the Pasadena Unified School District as those who could really use a warm meal. This day makes such a difference in the lives of so many people. The families who attend are touched by the generosity of the community, and all the people who help PSC put this event on and volunteer remember what this day is truly about, giving back. This year’s event is on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2014. “We are so excited to give these families a day that will not only make them smile, fill their stomachs, and bring them together in a stress-free environment, but will remind everyone that fam-
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ily comes first and celebrating together is what fills all of our hearts with love, “ said Meghan Fink of Pasadena Sandwich Company. They are accepting foods, goods and/or money to feed about 350 people from our Pasadena community this year. Volunteers will also be needed. Meghan, Kaytee, Nicole, and Johnathan Fink genuinely believe everyone should know about families in their communities that are underprivileged and just trying to survive. “Let’s shake the world and give back,” says the Fink Family. Pasadena Sandwich Company. Their motto says it all. “Proud to serve our Community…” 259 Sierra Madre Villa, Pasadena. Please call 626-5781616 for additional details.
Taste of South Lake Taste of South Lake is Pasadena’s largest culinary celebration! Guests can enjoy mouth-watering offerings from over 25 South Lake Avenue restaurants, live cooking demos with celebrity chefs, music performances by internationally known bands, a vendor village and more! This free outdoor festival is presented by the South Lake Business Association and cosponsored by Corporate Center Pasadena. The event will be held on October 11, 11am-4pm at 251 S. Lake Avenue in Pasadena and admission is free. Free parking is available at Corporate Center Pasadena. For more information, please visit www.southlakeavenue.org or call 626.792.1259.
Joeseph Thomas - offense and defense Continued from page 1
where he runs the 100, 200 and relay. His fastest time in the 100 is 10.9 and his best 200 time is 21, he said. As far as how the season is going, Thomas said the Bulldogs have had some ups and downs. “We started out really well with the first game,” he said. “After that, we got lazy and didn’t take things seriously. Now, we’re trying to bounce back up and get our thing going.” He added the team’s offensive line should be credited for his rushing success. “They’re the ones making it possible,” Thomas said. Pasadena coach Drew Bledsoe had many words of praise for Thomas. “Joeseph Thomas is a great young man of high character,” Bledsoe said. “He has great discipline and is a team leader. He’s a great driving force of our football team. A lot of guys look up to him.” Bledsoe added Thomas’ hard work is just starting to pay off.
- Courtesy Photo
“He’s been doing fantastic,” Bledsoe said. “The first game of the season he exploded for over 300 yards rushing in one game with several touchdowns. The last couple of games he’s been a workhorse for us on the defensive side of the ball. He’s an all-round special player.” (Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews. com and followed via Twitter @segallanded).
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Governor Brown reinforces access to healthy food options on state property SB 912 will require healthy options in vending machines Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. today signed legislation that will ensure current nutritional standards for foods and beverages sold in vending machines on state property remain in effect permanently. “California is facing an obesity epidemic that demands we do everything we can to ensure access to healthier food options,” said Senator Mitchell, author of Senate Bill 912 (SB 912). “For most of us the workplace is our home away from home, so our state facilities should offer nutritional choices onsite and within sight, both for employees and the public we serve.” Since 2008, state law has required that one-third of beverages sold on state property meet minimal nutritional standards and since 2011, 35 percent of the food. SB 912 simply preserves current law by removing the sunset on these guidelines. “California is facing a public health crisis as more than half of adults and teens are classified as overweight or obese,” said Dr. Diane Sobkowicz, president of the board of directors for the American Heart Association’s Sacramento division. “We know that sugar-sweetened beverages are a huge contributing factor to this problem and we applaud Governor Brown for taking this step to ensure that state workers and visitors to the state will continue to have access to healthier options. The workplace is a key environment for maintaining the health of the population but we still have a long way to go and this is just one aspect of our multifaceted effort to combat obesity in connection with heart diseases and stroke.” Heart disease and stroke are the number one and number three killers of Californians, respectively. Obesity greatly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and some forms of cancer.
Lost productivity and medical care costs related to obesity, overweight and physical inactivity are estimated to cost California $52 billion annually. “Fighting the obesity epidemic will take a multipronged approach and continuing to ensure access to healthy food and beverage options for our state workers is a good start,” said Sobkowicz. “We must also ensure access to healthy foods for all Californians while reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and promoting increased physical activity for adults and children.” Co-sponsors of SB 912 in-
-Photo by Yukihiro Matsuda
clude the American Heart Association, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy and the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network.
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Governor Brown signs legislation to ban single-use plastic bags in California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed the nation’s first statewide ban on single-use plastic bags – SB 270 – aligning state law with ordinances passed by a growing number of local governments in California to reduce plastic waste. The legislation, authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), prohibits grocery stores and pharmacies from distributing single-use plastic bags after July 2015 and enacts the same ban for convenience stores and liquor stores the following year. It will also provide up to $2 million in competitive loans – administered by CalRecycle – to businesses transitioning to the manufacture of reusable bags.
Thus far, over 120 local governments in California have passed ordinances banning single-use bags in some fashion, with widespread support from community and environmental groups. SB 270 is supported by many of these same groups, along with local governments, businesses and labor organizations. “The California coast is a national treasure and a calling card for the world, helping us attract visitors and business from around the globe. Removing the harmful blight of single-use plastic bags, especially along our coastline and waterways, helps ensure the kind of clean and healthy environment we need to have
a stronger economy and a brighter future,” said Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins. “California is the first state in the U.S. to ban the most ubiquitous consumer item on the planet, in an effort to drive consumers towards sustainable behavior change. Data from the over 127 local plastic bag bans has proven that bans are effective at reducing litter and changing consumer attitudes, and have refuted industry’s claims of apocalyptic impacts on jobs and poor communities. A state plastic bag ban saves taxpayers the huge amount of money spent on litter cleanup, and protects the environment,” said Clean Seas Coalition and Seventh
Generation Advisors director Leslie Tamminen. “SB 270 is a great victory for all of California. We’ve seen locally that plastic bag bans lead to cleaner water and healthier wildlife, keeping trash off our beaches and out of our creeks. The success of bag bans in our local communities has empowered state legislators to make the right decision for the health of California’s waterways. Governor Brown’s signature of this statewide bag ban is an important moment for our state, demonstrating that California is once again willing to take the lead on important environmental issues,” said Save the Bay executive director David Lewis.
Former embattled Public Health Director files discrimination claim Continued from page 1
Dept. Eric Walsh received a $96,144.36 settlement. This all on top of the fact he failed to disclose that he earned money from another source: the church where was an associate pastor. He later disclosed that income when the omission was pointed out to him. The error was on Form 700, not employment, and when the omission was pointed out, he did file an amended Form 700 to disclose–which you are allowed to do, according to city officials. In addition, Dr. Walsh re-
ceived, like any employee who leaves a job, a final check for accrued leave, vacation, the final pay cycle, etc., to close out his payroll accounts. That amount was $19,336.11. These settlement figures are “gross” amounts not “net” and are subject to deductions and withholding for federal and state taxes, CalPers, etc. The terms of Walsh’s settlement and exit agreement left no legal stone unturned and opportunity for Walsh to sue anyone in Pasadena for
discrimination is not an option. However, in Georgia, it is a completely different case. “No one should be fired for simply expressing his religious beliefs. People of faith – no person for that matter – should be required to choose between their job and their religious beliefs,” said Andrew Coffman, partner in the law firm of Parks, Chesin & Walbert (www.pcwlawfirm.com). “Firing an employee for expressing his religious beliefs is a violation of both The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the United States Constitution, especially when that expression takes place at church.” The press release issued by his attorneys stated, “Dr. Walsh has now been effectively blacklisted by Georgia because of religious messages he gave as a lay minister. According to the Charge of Discrimination filed today with the EEOC, at the time Georgia offered him employment, Dr. Walsh was the focus of California activists dissatisfied with his selection as a speaker at the graduation
ceremony for Pasadena City College. A mean-spirited campaign that intentionally twisted Dr. Walsh’s religious beliefs not only removed him as the commencement speaker, it ultimately resulted in his forced resignation as the Director of Public Health for the City of Pasadena. “ “This kind of intolerance has no place in today’s workforce,” stated Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel for Liberty Institute. “People of faith ought to be respected at work, not fired for expressing their religious beliefs. If there is anywhere religious views should be held sacred, it is in the sanctuary of the Church.” The EEOC will now begin its investigation of Dr. Walsh’s charges of religious discrimination and retaliation. Should the EEOC agree that the Georgia Department of Health is guilty of religious discrimination, Dr. Walsh may seek broad relief, including back pay, front pay, and other significant damages for the unlawful conduct of Dr. Walsh’s on-time employer.