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MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015 - JANUARY 18, 2015 - VOLUME 3, NO. 2
Post Pasadena Scandal: Mayor’ s Final State of the City Speech to Go Ahead
Gov. Brown Swears in New Justices
According to a Press Release sent out Tuesday, Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, City Councilmembers and other civic and business leaders will hold the annual Mayor’s State of the City event on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 at Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the formal program starting at 7 p.m. This will be Mayor Bogaard’s final State of the City address, capping nearly 16 years of service as Pasadena’s first directly elected mayor. Mayor Bogaard retires from service as Pasadena’s top elected official later this year. Despite the evolving scandal, this year’s State of the City theme of “Rediscover Pasadena” will help highlight some “Hidden Gems” in the City. Mayor Bogaard will provide his report on recent accomplishments by the City, plus some reflections on his time as Mayor during the past 16 years, and information on future plans for Pasadena’s city government in 2015. KPAS, the City’s cable TV station, will record the event for future broadcast and webstreaming. A broadcast schedule will be announced. For more information, call Lorain Nagahiro with the Mayor’s Office at (626) 744-7210 or by email to LNagahiro@cityofpasadena. net. 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) 744-7311.
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Man accused of killing Girlfriend in Monrovia Cleared of All Charges BY SUSAN MOTANDER
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. swore in Justices Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar and Leondra R. Kruger to the California Supreme Court - Courtesy Photo
Following his inauguration, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. swore in Justices Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar and Leondra R. Kruger to the California Supreme Court last week in Sacramento. “What I’m looking for is insight and growing wisdom over time so we can
create a measure of harmony in what is a very conflicted society,” said Governor Brown at today’s ceremony. “And I think we are going to do very well in helping build the respect for the law, for the courts, for their independence, so that all of us – whatever our particular ideological or philosophical
Two Mountain Bikers Lost Overnight, Found and Rescued to Safety by LASD Search and Rescue At approximately 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Altadena Mountain Search and Rescue Team (AMRT) received a call of two lost mountain bikers near Altadena, in the Angeles National Forest. AMRT, Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), California Highway Patrol, LASD Montrose and Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Teams responded and shortly thereafter located the victims’ vehicles in the area. LASD Air 8 then located the two mountain bikers, who had previously been
reported missing, just north of Oakwilde Campground in Arroyo Seco Canyon. LACoFD Copter 19 performed a hoist rescue shortly after and extracted the bikers. They were evaluated by paramedics and transported to Los Angeles County Fire Camp 2, La Canada, where they were reunited with their families. The two 18 year-old males had planned a mountain biking trip from Mount Wilson in the Angeles National Forest at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 28, 2014 and were scheduled to arrive in Altadena a few hours later.
proclivities – at the end of the day are very thankful that we have honest, intelligent and fair-minded people making sense out of the complexities.” Governor Brown nominated Justice Cuéllar in July and Justice Kruger in November to the California Supreme Court. Justice
Cuéllar was confirmed in August and Justice Kruger last month by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, composed of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and senior presiding justice of the state Court of Appeal Joan Dempsey Klein.
A 31 year-old Monrovia woman died late last year at Arcadia Methodist Hospital while on life support. Earlier in the day, the young woman had been transported to the hospital by paramedics after they received a call to her home where she was reportedly found unconscious. Panos Hawandjian made the 911 call. Hawandjian was subsequently arrested by Monrovia Police charged with 273.5a, Domestic Violence. After the coroner’s office released the toxicology report, it was discovered that Hawandian’s longtime girlfriend died from a ruptured pancreas . Charges were immediately dropped and Hawandjian has been cleared of any wrongdoing.
Former Pasadena City Official, Two Others Charged in $6Million Embezzlement 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. Woo-
ten who was was arrested Tuesday in connection with an investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office into the alleged misappropriation of public funds and embezzlement of $6.4 million from the City of Pasadena.
Former Pasadena city employee, Danny Wooten -Courtesy Photo
A former Pasadena Public Works analyst and two of his friends were arrested on charges they embezzled more than $6 million in city money over a decade, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today. Danny R. Wooten, Tyrone Collins, and Melody Jenkins were arrested this morning by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation. They are charged in a 60count felony complaint for arrest warrant, case BA430233, with embezzlement, conflict of Please see page 4