WPRA
West Pasadena Residents' Association 
Neighborhood Update
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Stoddard: Arroyo Bridge    
Welcome

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

   
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Ann Erdman
Editor  

 

View the latest and past issues of the WPRA's quarterly magazine, The News, which is mailed to more than 7,000 homes in West Pasadena.
Neighborhood Update
View past issues of this weekly WPRA eNewsletter, which is emailed each Saturday morning to more than 1,100 residents of Pasadena (and beyond).
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City Council and commission meetings
>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<

Monday, November 24

 

City Council
The Nov. 24 meeting of the Pasadena City Council is canceled.

Tuesday, November 25

Design Commission
6 p.m.
First Floor Hearing Room
Hale Building/Permit Center
175 N. Garfield Ave.
On the agenda: Application for preliminary consultation on demolition of Macy's at Paseo Colorado plus construction of a six-story, 185-room hotel and a seven-story mixed-used building with 70,000 square feet of retail space on the first two floors and 80 residential units on the remaining five floors.

Wednesday, November 26
The Nov. 26 meeting of the Planning Commission is canceled.
WPRA in motion
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Happy Holidays!
The WPRA Neighborhood Update will be on hiatus in December and will return to your inboxes in January. Enjoy a safe and happy holiday season!

Traffic alert: Crosstown Showdown
It's "the big game" -- UCLA vs. USC -- Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Rose Bowl Stadium. The Rose Bowl Loop will close at 9 a.m., parking lots will open at 11 a.m., the Fan Zone in Area H will open at 1 p.m., shuttles from Parsons will begin at 2 p.m., stadium gates will open at 3:30 p.m. and kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

Help stop Metro's plan to build a 710 tunnel
WPRA has formed a team to analyze and respond to the SR-710 Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and Statement (DEIS), which Metro has said it will release in February 2015. While we're fortunate to have found many of the special skills we need to accomplish this highly complex task, we still need help from those with knowledge of the following areas: law (attorneys, paralegals and/or legal secretaries), biological impact assessment, construction, noise metrics, geology, hydrology, economic impact, cost-benefit analysis, environmental justice, graphical presentation. Be part of this vital effort to stop what many believe would be a catastrophe for our community and lifestyle. To volunteer or recommend an expert, contact Sarah Gavit at gavit@wpra.net.

 Neighborhoods in motion

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City announces Thanksgiving closures
City of Pasadena administrative offices, community centers and libraries will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 28.

Appointment of new fire chief announced
City Manager Michael Beck announced on Thursday that Bertral "Bert" Washington will be Pasadena's new fire chief beginning Dec. 15. He has been chief of the Clark County, Nev., Fire Department since 2010.

Old Pasadena "Home for the Holidays" celebration
Frolic in the snow, get creative in the kids' craft village, snap photos of Santa and Mrs. Claus and enjoy live music performed by the Pasadena Symphony Brass Quintet, Caleigh Chapman, the Burbank Music Academy and the Beverly Belles Friday, Nov. 28, from 4 to 8 p.m. on Holly Street between Fair Oaks and Raymond avenues.
  

Candidate filing period for 2015 council/mayor/PUSD election

Anyone who wants to file papers to run for citywide elected mayor, Pasadena City Council district seats 1, 2, 4 or 6 or Pasadena Unified School District seats 2, 4 or 6 in the March 10 election has until Friday, Dec. 12, to do so. 

 

Japanese Garden opens again Nov. 30 with a change in the program 

The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden at 270 Arlington Dr. is open to the public the last Saturday of each month (except December). Visit the garden Sunday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $7.50 in advance or $10 at the gate (children 12 and under are free). Rick Wilson and his historical flutes will not be available after all. Instead, from 1 to 2 p.m. Asian art historian Meyer McArthur will discuss the transformation of the traditional craft of origami into a sophisticated global art form, and you can try your hand at origami. Seating is limited and reservations are required. 

Editor's top news picks
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Pasadena to get "Whistler's Mother" in Norton Simon-Musee d'Orsay swap
"...The first-time collaboration between the museums will see three 19th century masterpieces from the Norton Simon traveling to the Musee de Orsay, while three paintings from the Paris museum will visit Pasadena...March 27 to June 22."

Pasadena Unified Board appoints Dr. Brian McDonald as superintendent
"The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education voted 7-0 to appoint Interim Superintendent Brian McDonald Ed.D. as superintendent at its Nov. 20 meeting." Pasadena Now

Bus service may ease I-5 worries
"...The proposed expansion of bus service would connect the Metro Red and Orange Line station in North Hollywood to the Gold Line station at Lake Avenue in Pasadena, with a stop at Bob Hope Airport." Burbank Leader
Leisure
- CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION -

 

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 (alphabetical order).

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 and "like" our Facebook page  

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

 

Joseph Stoddard's watercolors: The WPRA is grateful to local artist Joseph Stoddard, who has generously allowed us to display his watercolors in our quarterly newsletter, The (WPRA) News; on the WPRA website; and in this publication. To explore Mr. Stoddard's work, visit josephstoddard.com.