HAPPY
OUR LOOK BACK AT 2014 PAGES12-13
THURSDAY, JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 7, 2015
Former Pasadena City Official, Two Others Charged in $6M Fraud Scheme Pasadena City Manager Michael J. Beck, Mayor Bill Bogaard and City Attorney Michele Beal Bagneris held a hurried press conference Tuesday afternoon regarding the arrest of former Pasadena city employee, Danny Wooten. Mr. Wooten who was was arrested Tuesday in connection with an investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Please see page 7
Community News, Arts & Opinions Since 1996
Rose Parade Float Sculptors Cast a Spell on Parade Watchers
It takes weeks, perhaps months of preparation before even the fabrication can begin. Enter Dennis Midyett, float sculptor, who has been doing this for over 40 years. Mr. Midyett has a passion for his craft of sculpting the steel, fabricating the
Tom Adams Vies for Monrovia Mayor’s Seat Governor Brown Appoints Three In an interesting turn to L.A. County Superior Court of events for Monrovia, longtime councilmember Tom Adams, has thrown his hat into the ring hoping to oust Mayor Lutz with whom Adams has often vehemently disagreed. Adams sent out a letter Dec 30 stating: “Six years ago I decided to not run for Mayor as I felt that it would be bad for Monrovia to pit friends against Please see page 16
design from conception to reality. The process takes months of meticulous and precise workmanship than few parade goers ever see. In fact, the art itself seems to be attracting less young sculptors which worries Mr. Please see page 19
Please see page 8
BY TERRY MILLER AND JENNIFER SCHLUETER Yes, those giant floats that seem to magically come alive at 8 AM and proceed almost seamlessly through the 5 ½ mile route. The process to make these floats is a little awe inspiring to some and downright impossible to imagine to others.
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. recently announced the appointment of Keith H. Borjón, John A. Slawson and Anthony A. Trendacosta to judgeships in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Borjón, 55, of Whittier, has served as a supervising deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the At-
torney General since 1990, where he has served as a deputy attorney general since 1985. He was a clerk and attorney at Westside Legal Services from 1984 to 1985. Borjón earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts dePlease see page 16
Keith H. Borjón - Courtesy photos
Citrus College Among FastestGrowing Community Colleges in the U.S. Citrus College is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation, according to a recent Community College Week report. The college ranked fifth among U.S. community colleges with enrollments of 10,000 or more, according to 2012 and 2013 records. Nearly 13,000 students attended Citrus College in 2013, a 10 percent increase over the previous year. “This wonderful recognition reflects the hard work of the dedicated Citrus College faculty and staff who contribute to a learning environment that
Dennis Midyett, 63, has worked for all major float builders in Pasadena for over 40 years as a float sculptor. The sculptor is perhaps the most unsung hero of every float that is seen around the world on January 1 – Photo by Terry Miller
Today, January 1, 2015 marks the 126th Rose Parade where floats of every shape, size, color and sponsorship vie for your attention as they go down Colorado Blvd. We’ve all seen them, every New Year Day since the 1800’s in Pasadena.
Volume 19, No. 1
rosemeadreader.com
New Sick Leave Law Misunderstood, Trouble for Small Businesses California’s new paid sick law goes into effect January 1, but many small businesses don’t understand the law or its impact for their operations. Lonnie Giamela – a partner at national labor and employment firm Fisher & Phillips LLP – is counseling his clients to educate themselves and prepare.
“Small businesses are going to be the most heavily impacted by this new statute, something most don’t even realize,” said Giamela. “There’s a real lack of clarity, so many small businesses are ignoring the new statute. That’s a big mistake.” Please see page 22
Visit our website for everything
ROSE PARADE