SEE PAGE 2 for MUSICIANS BRING XMAS JOY TO ELDERLY
Pasadena Press
MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2014 - DECEMBER 21, 2014
pasadenapress.com
Trainspotting in Arcadia - First Tests of Light Rail Between Pasadena and Azusa Start By terry miller
sary step to propel the Gold Line towards Azusa next year. Scores of people assembled at the corner of First and Santa Clara starting around 9AM to witness a historic moment in Arcadia’s history; the first time a train has been seen in Arcadia for decades. Due to several delays, the
survey/cities/?year=2014. Pasadena ranked eighth in the 2014 survey for cities with a population between 125,000 – 249,999 residents. “Pasadena is investing in many technology initiatives to improve service delivery to residents and increase citizen engagement,” said Phillip Leclair, Chief Information Officer. “The survey’s focus
Pasadena City College Foundation Awarded More Than $227,000 in Scholarships at Dec. 3 Ceremony
on transparency, open government and data, and mobile applications aligns directly with the City’s digital strategy. This award is a great honor and an outstanding achievement for the City.” The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute Please see page 4
Please see page 2
train didn’t actually arrive until around 1:30PM. Metro crews carefully inched the vehicle from Sierra Madre Villa to check for clearance at various spots using Styrofoam connected with duct tape to assess the clearance, parPlease see page 4
Pasadena Named as a “Top Ten” 2014 Digital City Pasadena recently was named as one of the “Top Ten” digital cities in the nation by The Center for Digital Government. This was the first time Pasadena has been recognized as a technologically progressive and innovative city when compared to other cities of similar population size as part of the 2014 Digital Cities Survey, www.digitalcommunities.com/
VOLUME 1, NO. 33
The Pasadena City College (PCC) Foundation, the fifthlargest community college foundation in California, awarded more than $227,000 in scholarships to 230 PCC students during its annual scholarship awards ceremony. More than 600 attendees, including scholarship winners and family members, PCC administration/staff, Pasadena Area Community College District trustees, PCC Foundation board members, scholarship application reviewers, and community representatives were present. Speakers included: •Dr. Robert Bell, PCC senior vice president and assistant superintendent, Academic & Student Affairs •John Gregory, PCC Foundation president •Bobbi Abram, PCC Foundation executive director 230 winners were chosen from among more than 940 applicants on the basis of grade point averages, community service and involvement, and personal statements. The applications were reviewed by a 75-member scholarship committee: PCC faculty, staff
The $4 million AnsaldoBreda P2250 weighing over 100,000 pounds, was outfitted with specialized gear to test clearances, wheel/rail interface, rail switches, and the Overhead Catenary System. – Photo by Terry Miller
On Monday morning, Foothill Extension Goldline conducted the first of many clearance tests involving an actual Metro Gold Line train from Sierra Madre Villa to Azusa. The light rail project recently held a track completion ceremony in Azusa and this, now, is the next neces-
see page 3 for ARROYO SECO TO FILE SUIT
2 | DECEMBER 15, 2014 - DECEMBER 21, 2014
Musicians Bring Christmas Joy to Sick, Lonely Elders in Pasadena Volunteer Band Begins Tours Pasadena Nursing Homes The “Pay it Forward” Volunteer Band, recently performed their nostalgic Christmas Show for the Eisenhower, Sunrise and Golden Cross Convalescent Homes, on North Fair Oaks Blvd in an area known by many as “Nursing Home Row”. These are the organization’s first three 2014 Christmas concerts, of the 40 planned throughout Los Angeles County. Pasadena Vice-Mayor Jacque Robinson attended the first concert. “The stretch of North Fair Oaks that these nursing homes are in, 8 skilled nursing facilities in a 5 or 6 block stretch, is very unique, a band spokesman said. We have never seen a city with a like number of nursing homes, in this case 16,concentrated into such a small area. There is probably an interesting story to that.” This organization is likely to understand how unique that is as they also operate in San Jose, Nashville, San Diego, Cincinatti, Denver, Las Vegas, Orange and Riverside counties. The band’s Christmas program features the
most popular Christmas songs from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, songs, made famous by the most popular singers of that time like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and others. They are no caroling group, opting to perform as a jazz ensemble of 6 to 9 people typically. The band tries to perform the songs in such a way that it reaches deep into often reach deep into the memories of the patients with Alzheimers and Dementia, making the band’s efforts highly effective therapy. Sometimes the effects are miraculous. But. the show is also typically the best entertainment that a nursing home has ever seen as many of the recruits are some of the best professional and talented amateurs musicians in the City. “We also do these shows year-round because so many of these people have nobody left”, said the band spokesperson. Nearly 100 volunteer musicians will be involved in this year’s LA County effort. www.thepayitforwardband.com
Change lives. Make wishes come true.
PCC Scholarships Continued from page 1
Become a Make-A-Wish ®
VOLUNTEER
Volunteers for Make-A-Wish give their time and talents to help bring hope, strength and joy to children who are battling life-threatening medical conditions. We have a special need for volunteers in the Inland Empire to help local children.
Get Involved Today ocie.wish.org | 714-573-9474
and management; Foundation board members; and Pasadena community representatives. The PCC Foundation was established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1979 to develop the funding and community support to enhance teaching and learning at Pasadena City College. It supports major capital projects, investments in classroom technology and equipment, student scholarships, faculty grants, and special student and community services. Since 2008, the Foundation has awarded more than 4,200 scholarships totaling nearly $1.9 million to PCC students. In the 2013-2014 academic year, financial aid from all Foundation-administered programs – including the annual scholarship fund – totaled more than $628,000 and was awarded to nearly 1,000 students.
TOR and Zappos Help PUSD Children in Need
-Courtesy Photo
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses and Zappos.com joined together with Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Families in Transition, a charitable organization serving homeless children enrolled in PUSD, to provide shoes for children in need this holiday season. The joint PUSD Families in Transition – Zappos.com – Tournament of Roses event took place on Saturday, December 6 at the PUSD District Offices. Representatives from each organization worked to fit shoes for children currently enrolled in the Families in Transition program. Marking its first year as a participant in the Rose Parade, Zappos.com presented new shoes generously donated by Vans -- one of the brands carried by Zappos.com -- for the event. Families in Transition serves the needs of homeless and transitional students (and their families) by serving as a compassionate and understanding resource to help students grow personally and academically. All services are offered to families while they are in an emergency housing situation in order to provide basic needs, family support, academic accountability, clothing and many other services as are needed. Currently, Families in Transition serves the needs of 257 students and their families.
DECEMBER 15, 2014 - DECEMBER 21, 2014 | 3
hlr media EDITORIAL jschlueter@hlrmedia.com Editor Jennifer Schlueter Publisher HLR Media Advertising advertising@hlrmedia.com Submissions:
Please send all press releases to: jschlueter@hlrmedia.com HLR Media, LLC .All contents herein are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily that of the management and staff at HLR Media, LLC 1000 E. Walnut St., Suite 227 Pasadena, CA 91106
Phone: (626) 386-3457 Fax: (626) 600-4452
Alhambra PRESS ANAHEIM PRESS
Baldwin Park
Belmont Beacon INDEPENDENT
Cypress Press INDEPENDENT
Pasadena Press
San Bernardino Press
Arroyo Seco Foundation and Audubon Society to File Suit on Environmental Impact of Plans to Scour Basin Representatives of the Arroyo Seco Foundation (ASF) and the Pasadena Audubon Society (PAS) say they are filing a lawsuit challenging the LA County Flood Control District’s program to scour the basin behind Devil’s Gate Dam in Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena. The lawsuit hopes to challenge the environmental impacts of the Flood Control District’s Big Dig program, which would involve 150,000 diesel trucks removing more than 2.4 million cubic yards of sand and sediment from the basin behind Devil’s Gate Dam over a five year period and permanently degrading more than 50 acres of stream zone habitat there. The massive nature of the sediment trucking program has raised serious concerns over air pollution, traffic and public health. “The Flood Control District’s Big Dig plan ignores overwhelming community support for a more moderate and less destructive approach to removing the sediment that has accumulated behind Devil’s Gate Dam over many decades,” said Tim Brick, ASF Managing Director. Laura Garrett, PAS Conservation Chair, said, “We can protect the habitat, wildlife and recreational activities at Hahamonga, while providing a safe level of flood protection. Pasadena’s recommendations and the scores of comments offered during the Environmental Impact Report process demonstrate that.” The Flood Control District’s program and the related EIR were formally approved by the LA County Board of Supervisors on November 12 by a 4-1 vote, with County Supervisor Yaroslavsly dissenting. Attorneys Mitchell M.
-Photo by Terry Miller
Tsai and Christina M. Caro will represent ASF and PAS in
the matter and filed the papers Wednesday.
Long Beach Office 3780 Kilroy Airport Way Suite 360 Long Beach, CA 90806 Ph. (562) 472-0071 Fx. (562) 689-0071 Los Angeles Office 5701 South Eastern Avenue Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90040 Ph. (323) 727-1144 Fx. (323) 727-9198 www.heger-industrial.com Lic. #00814086
4 | DECEMBER 15, 2014 - DECEMBER 21, 2014
Digital City
Free Screening of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at Union Station Dec. 20
Continued from page 1
on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. “This year’s Digital Cities’ winners brought about impressive change across all aspects of government by leveraging information technology investments to expand open government, citizen participation and shared services,” said Todd Sander, Executive Director of the Center
for Digital Government. Stay connected to the City of Pasadena! Visit us online at www.cityofpasadena.net; follow us on Twitter @PasadenaGov, www.twitter.com/ pasadenagov, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook. com/cityofpasadena. Or call the Citizen Service Center, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at (626) 7447311.
Celebrate the holiday season with a free screening of the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” at Union Station on Saturday, Dec. 20. The screening will take place inside the station’s Historic Ticketing Hall and is the finale to the station’s milestone 75th anniversary celebration and part of Metro Presents, a series of free arts and cultural programs at the iconic station. The film begins at 5PM in
the Historic Ticketing Hall and will be preceded at 4:30PM by a costume contest for those who want to embellish their experience by dressing up as their favorite ‘Wizard’ characters. Prizes will be awarded to the best dressed. Seating is limited but Metro customers can show their TAP cards to gain access to preferential seating. Guests may bring food, but alcoholic beverages will not be allowed.
Trainspotting in Arcadia Continued from page 1
ticularly at station platforms. The next 10 months will be devoted to testing the trains, next time under their own power. Monday’s test was unpowered and required the use of a semi-truck to pull the Gold Line train through Arcadia, Monrovia and into Azusa. The long and lengthy process is highly technical and requires a very large crew of men and women to assure that all stages of the rail line are secure, free of obstacles and most of all safe. During this two week period in December, the Foothill Gold Line will complete the initial train testing for the light rail project from Pasadena to Azusa. During this period, a single train will be first pulled
and then operated on its’ own power within the rail corridor between the cities of Arcadia and Duarte. This initial testing activity will test train clearances along the alignment as well as the Overhead Catenary System which powers the trains. The Foothill Gold Line is on schedule for construction completion in late-September 2015, at which time the project will be turned over to Metro for pre-revenue service. Metro is the regional transportation agency responsible for operating all light rail and most bus systems in Los Angeles County. Metro will determine when passenger service begins on the Foothill. The train testing will take place weekdays within the two
-Photo by Terry Miller
week period through December 19, 2014. On test days, the train will be tested between 8AM and 5PM. Testing will be conducted in Arcadia, Monrovia and Duarte. Intersection crossings that will be impacted temporarily during the initial clearance tests include: First Ave./Santa Clara St. (Arcadia), Mayflower Ave. (Monrovia), Magnolia Ave (Monrovia), Myrtle Ave. (Monrovia), and California Ave. (Monrovia). Intersection crossings that will be impacted more extensively during the testing period include: Mountain Ave. (Monrovia/Duarte), Buena Vista St. (Duarte), and Highland Ave. (Duarte). – Following the first day, additional testing of up to nine days, will take place between California Ave. (Monrovia) and Highland Ave. (Duarte) and will
result in short-term stoppages of street traffic at the Mountain Ave. (Monrovia/Duarte), Buena Vista St. (Duarte) and Highland Ave. (Duarte) intersection crossings throughout the day from 8AM to 5PM daily during testing.– Testing will only take place on weekdays; no weekend testing is expected. – The train’s “quacker” horn may be sounded. – Flaggers will assist with traffic management at all intersection crossings, as the train passes. – Pedestrian access via the sidewalks will remain open at all times; however, flaggers will manage pedestrian traffic whenthe train is approaching. Call the Hotline at (626) 324-7098. Visit our Public Information Office located at 406 E. Huntington Dr., Suite 202, Monrovia.