WPRA
West Pasadena Residents' Association 
Neighborhood Update
Saturday, September 21, 2013

Welcome

Founded in 1962, the WPRA is dedicated to maintaining the character of our communities and enhancing the quality of life in West Pasadena. 

   
Send comments to update@wpra.net 

Editor  

Chuck Hudson

 
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City Council and commission meetings
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

City Council: special workshop
7:30 a.m. - NOTE: THIS IS AN EARLY MORNING MEETING 

Pasadena Conference Center

Conference Room 211

300 E. Green St.

On the agenda: Strategic planning: consideration of principles and guidelines related to citywide priorities (the only agenda item on which the public may speak)

Design Commission

6 p.m.

Hale Building

175 N. Garfield Ave.

On the agenda: Concept design review for a 37,000 square foot medical research laboratory (Huntington Medical Research Institutes) at 660-690 South Fair Oaks Ave., 10 Pico St. and 655-665 South Raymond Ave., continued from September 9; and major changes to All Saints Church's plan to demolish non-historic structures and construct new church facilities (51,000 square feet) at 132 N. Euclid Ave.

  
Wednesday, September 25  
 

6:15 pm

City Hall

Council Chambers

100 N. Garfield Ave.

On the agenda: A public hearing on the General Plan environmental initial study to receive comments on the scope and content of the proposed environmental impact report (EIR). (Neighborhood notes below)  

WPRA in motion
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No love for tunnels 

[NOTE: Rick Cole, former Pasadena mayor and Ventura city manager, was chosen by incoming City of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve as deputy mayor for Budget and Innovation. Cole wrote the following op piece for the Los Angeles Times in September of 2005. The message continues to be relevant for those battling LA Metro's current proposals to extend the SR-710 tunnel options through several tunnel options.]

"Decades ago, a gadfly candidate for Los Angeles mayor promoted a quick fix for smog: Drill tunnels through the San Gabriel Mountains and use giant fans to blow the dirty air out the other side. Amazingly, a similar scheme is currently getting serious consideration -- and not from crackpots. This time, three massive freeway tunneling projects are being studied by regional transportation leaders. Two are funded by the pork-laden federal transportation bill recently signed by President Bush. Each of the tunnel options purports to fill gaps in the region's freeway network. The fallacy of these boondoggles isn't that the stupendous environmental, engineering and financial obstacles will doom them. The problem is that they are colossally bad ideas."

 

The News, WPRA style
View the latest issue of The News, the WPRA quarterly magazine.     

Neighborhood in motion
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TRAFFIC AND CROWD ALERTS: 
  • FOOTBALL: The UCLA Bruins will play the New Mexico State Aggies at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, September 21. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Attendance is expected to exceed 50,000. NOTE TO AREA RESIDENTS: If you live within a barricaded street (during major Rose Bowl events) across the upper crest of the Rose Bowl, you can get your 2013 resident vehicle parking passes at the Rose Bowl Administrative office, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr. between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., on any weekday. Passes will NOT allow access through the Event Parking toll plazas in the Arroyo and are not event parking passes. Rather, they're intended to provide you with access to your home only.  
  • BRIDGE CLOSURE: The Colorado Bridge will be closed to through traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians between Wednesday, September 25 at 2 p.m. and Thursday, September 26 at 4 a.m. due to filming of a television show. The production company will also have camera positions on Parker Mayberry Bridge (located directly below the Colorado Bridge) and will be parking vehicles in the old Army Reserve parking lot below the bridge.
Scoping session set for General Plan update EIR

The environmental initial study for the General Plan is now available for review and comment. The final of four meetings the City will hold to receive comments on the scope and content of the proposed environmental impact report (EIR) is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, 6:30 p.m., during the Planning Commission meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 100 N. Garfield Ave.  

 

Complete Streets survey starts in San Rafael

The City of Pasadena has kicked off its "Complete Streets" program in the San Rafael area. A neighborhood traffic survey will be mailed to each resident in the San Rafael area by September 27. The survey is also currently available online.  

 

Ride Into the Future at Arroyo Seco Via

The Arroyo Seco Via, a bike ride from Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena to Los Angeles State Historic Park (The Cornfield) near downtown Los Angeles, will take place on Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The goal of event, which is hosted by the Arroyo Seco Foundation, is to promote development of a dedicated bikeway between downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley for commuters and recreational users and to promote awareness of Arroyo and LA River restoration programs.

 

Humane Society going door-to-door for dog licensing

Representatives of the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA (PHS) have began door-to-door canvassing to ensure city residents' dogs are properly licensed. The initiative is part of the joint effort between PHS and the City to improve animal services. PHS canvassers will be knocking on doors Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All canvassers will display a photo ID badge and wear a white or tan "polo" shirt (with a PHS patch on the shoulder) and blue slacks or jeans. For more information, call (626) 792-7151, ext. 115, during normal business hours (except on Mondays) to verify that the person is with PHS. 


LA River rally to mobilize support for Army Corps restoration study
A network of community organizations and public officials has scheduled a Los Angeles River rally to be held at the LA State Historic Park on Saturday, September 28 at Noon. The news comes in response to the posting of the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report for the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. View the report. The purpose of the River Rally is to mobilize support for the selection of Alternative 20, an LA River ecosystem restoration plan, which includes Arroyo Seco-LA River confluence.

Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden has Open Day on September 29
The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden, 270 Arlington Dr., will open its gates to the public this month on Sunday, September 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, send an email to info@japanesegardenpasadena.com.

Pasadena Fire Department kicks off "fire prevention week"

The Pasadena Fire Department invites the public to attend a special "kick-off" event for Fire Prevention Week on Saturday, October 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Rose Bowl Stadium, near Gate A. Free hot dogs and drinks will be available for the first 250 attendees.

 

County schedules DEIR public meetings for Devil's Gate sediment removal  

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has completed a draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the Devil's Gate Reservoir sediment removal and management project. The report will be posted on the project's website in late October. Subsequently, the County will host two community meetings to present the project and DEIR during the required 60-day viewing period:

  • Wednesday, November 6, 6-8 p.m., in the Rose Bowl Stadium visitor's locker room, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr, (park in Lot F, enter at Gate A)
  • Saturday, November 16, 2-4 p.m., in the La Caņada Flintridge Community Center, 4469 Chevy Chase Dr.

Free conversational classes offered in Italian, Spanish, English

Pasadena Public Library now offers free weekly adult conversational classes in Italian, Spanish and English for all speaking levels. The classes are a great way to practice and improve your language skills.
  • The CIAO Italian Conversation Class meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at Central Library's Technology Learning Center, 285 E. Walnut St. Call (626) 744-7076.  
  • The Spanish Conversation Group meets at 1 p.m. every Thursday at San Rafael Branch Library, 1240 Nithsdale Road. Call (626) 744-7270.  
  • The English Conversation Group meets at 10 a.m. every Friday and the 3rd Friday of the month at 3:30 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library, 1355 N. Raymond Ave. Call (626) 744-7268.

Rose Bowl Roundup Newsletter
Find out what's going on with the Rose Bowl Stadium: renovation, updates, the tours program, Legacy Campaign and more. 

Editor's top news picks
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City Council sends archers' contract back to drawing board 

"Conflict between the Pasadena Roving Archers club and other users of the Lower Arroyo Seco recreation area remained unresolved Monday, after the City Council took no action on a proposed contract for the club's use of the park's historic archery range." Pasadena Star-News

 

Sediment cleanup efforts resume; officials plan for a larger effort at Hahamonga 

"Los Angeles County work crews returned to Hahamongna Watershed Park this week to remove mud and debris from the face of Devil's Gate Dam in preparation for the coming storm season. The effort, expected to take about four weeks, is the third minor cleanout behind the dam since massive amounts of sediment washed into it from denuded areas of the Angeles National Forest during storms that followed the August 2009 Station fire." La Caņada Valley Sun

 

"Pasadena City College Superintendent-President Dr. Mark Rocha has reaffirmed PCC's opposition to AB 955, the so-called two-tier tuition bill. The bill, which was passed by the California Assembly to enable community colleges to charge all students out-of-state tuition during summer and winter sessions regardless of residency, would allow community colleges to raise in-state tuition from $46 per unit to approximately $200 per unit." Pasadena Now

 

Pasadena residents propose road narrowing for safer Avenue 64 

"A group of Pasadena and other Los Angeles residents have proposed road narrowing as a way make Avenue 64, which goes through Pasadena and Garvanza, Highland Park, safe for surrounding residents." Pasadena Now

 

United Nations to present Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard 2013 Global Citizen award 

"The United Nations Association of the United States of America will present the 2013 Global Citizen award to Pasadena City Mayor Bill Bogaard on Wednesday, September 25." Pasadena Now

 

Expert discusses San Gabriel Mountains' "fire future" 

"Biologist and fire expert Rick Halsey will discuss tips to protect homes from fire and ways to decrease fire fighter deaths during 'The future of fire' forum at Eaton Canyon Nature Center on September 25." Pasadena Now

Architects to begin restoring historic storefronts for New Constance Hotel 

"It was a routine building code inspection, but what workers uncovered was a historical treasure. Behind an artificial facade along the top of a row of storefronts just west of the historic Constance Hotel, architects for the hotel renovation found crumbling stone trim and Mediterranean Revival style figurines that had been covered up since the 1950s." Pasadena Star-News

Leisure
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Looking for other ways to entertain or educate yourself and your family? 

For current events around the area, we encourage you to visit our local news outlets. Click on the publication title to visit that publication's events section.

Attend WPRA board meetings each month 

Monthly WPRA board meeting dates and locations are on the WPRA website. Click on the headline above or visit our website and look under "Meetings and Events."


The WPRA needs you ... 

If you'd like to serve your community and do it with a group of your neighbors who are equally dedicated, the WPRA encourages you to join your neighborhood residents' association. If you live within our service area, we'd welcome your help. 

  • Got the local news bug? Just curious about your city (and would like to share news with 1,000 or so of your closest friends), consider serving as a co-editor of Neighborhood Update. It will only take a few hours a week (on your own schedule) in the month or two a year in which you'd serve. We'll train you.  
  • We have lots of opportunities to serve on one of our many committees:
    • Land use and planning
      If you care about how we use our land  
    • Education
      If you want to help save public education for West Pasadena  
    • Open space & conservation
      If you care about preserving open space and conservation of land and resources 
    • Membership
      If you'd like to help us continue to build our membership so we can do more  
If you'd like to chat about ways we could help you become more involved or, more likely, more effective (by helping us), send an email to WPRA President. Tell him about your interests.   
To learn more

Visit wpra.net or click on one of the following links

 

To submit information for the Neighborhood Update, send it to update@wpra.net. 

 

Joseph Stoddard's watercolors: The WPRA wishes to express its appreciation to local artist Joseph Stoddard, who has generously allowed us to display his watercolors in our quarterly magazine, WPRA News, on the WPRA website and in this publication. To explore Mr. Stoddard's work, visit josephstoddard.com.