WPRA
West Pasadena Residents' Association 
Neighborhood Update
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2015
Published weekly since 2000

Welcome

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

   
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Send comments to update@wpra.net 

Chuck Hudson
Co-Editor 

 

View the latest and past issues of the WPRA's quarterly magazine, The News, which is mailed to nearly 8,000 homes in west Pasadena.
Neighborhood Update
View past issues of this weekly WPRA eNewsletter, which is emailed each Saturday morning to more than 1,500 residents of Pasadena (and beyond).
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Important community meetings
>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

4:15 p.m.
City Hall
100 N. Garfield Ave.
Council Chamber S249. 
Agenda: Police body-camera implementation; homelessness and aggressive panhandling; a request for proposal for study of police oversight models

6:30 p.m.
Council Chamber, 
Pasadena City Hall
100 N. Garfield Ave.
On the agenda: District 6 appointment of Christina Yu Yu to the Arts and Culture Commission; public hearing on adoption of a zone change to designate a Landmark District overlay for the Glen Summer Landmark District (except 45 Glen Summer Rd.); public hearing on designation of home at 1475 Linda Ridge Rd. as a Historic Monument

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

6 p.m.
City Hall
100 N. Garfield Ave.
Basement Training Room S018
On the agenda: Request to build a 15-unit multi-family affordable-for-sale housing project with subterranean parking at 1661-1675 N. Fair Oaks Ave.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

6:30 p.m.
City Hall
100 N. Garfield Ave.
Council Chamber S249. 
On the agenda: An informal report summarizing outreach efforts and potential solutions related to issues surrounding neighborhood compatibility and mansionization; the Planning Commission 2014-2015 annual report and 2015-2016 work plan

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

5:30 p.m.
Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room 236
351 S. Hudson Ave.
On the agenda: Seismic findings (after trenching) at San Rafael Elementary School and motion to remove the school from the "surplus" list, which would have resulted in its closure

"Quote" of the week

 "The potential for surface fault rupture at the site [San Rafael Elementary School] during the design life of the existing structures is considered to be very low. The report will be presented at the regular Board of Education meeting scheduled for October 22, at which time formal action to remove the school site from the surplus list is expected to be taken."

- Pasadena Unified School District statement following release of the results of geophysical "trenching" recently performed at the San Rafael Elementary School campus. Based on prior sonic testing, which suggested there were "fault-like anomalies" under the school, the District announced it would close the last public school in Council District 6. The more reliable results from trenching may now save the highly regarded school from closure. The WPRA, long a champion for SRES, applauds the District for approving the trenching study and for recognizing how valuable SRES has become, most notably through its highly successful dual-language immersion program.
WPRA in motion
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The Pasadena Unified School District announced this week that a preliminary report on tests to re-examine the age of the faults that pass under the San Rafael Elementary School indicate that there is no evidence of active faults. The full report is expected in late September or early October. The preliminary report issued by Earth Systems of Southern California Sept. 11 indicates active faults are not present within the depth and location explored at San Rafael Elementary School, which was slated to be closed in 2017. The district is planning to convene school and community meetings once the full report is available. The report will be presented at the regular Board of Education meeting scheduled for October 22, at which time, "formal action to remove the school site from the surplus list is expected."

The City of Pasadena wants your views on how entitlement funds should be spent in the community. The WPRA encourages you to provide this feedback through an online survey in which you can rank eligible activities, based on community needs. The top five priorities for public service and non-public service activities will receive scoring preferences in the City's 2016-2017 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Request for Proposal. The survey will close at 5 p.m. on September 27.
 


Since June 1, the City has been under a Level 2 water-supply-shortage plan to reduce water use across the city by 28%. Report water waste to the City:
  1. Call Pasadena's Citizen Service Center, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at (626) 744-7311. Be prepared to provide the location and nature of the issue.
  2. Complete a short form on the City's Citizen Service Center
  3. Use the free app for smart phones and tablets: 
Neighborhoods 
in motion
>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<

TRAFFIC/CROWD ALERT: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

7:30 p.m.
Estimated attendance: 60,000+
Event Hours:
1:30 p.m. - Rose Bowl parking lots open                   
3:30 p.m. - UCLA Fan Zone opens in Area H
6 p.m. - Gates open for all patrons
7:30 p.m. - Kickoff
10:30 p.m. - Midnight: Outbound traffic
 
Recreational activity will be closed eight hours prior to kickoff, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The Equestrian Loop will remain open at all times. There will be a 20-second fireworks event 30 minutes prior to kick-off as well as when the team runs onto the field and during the National Anthem.

Note: If any issues arise, please contact the Resident Hotline at (626) 397-4141. Please report any issues or concerns as soon as possible (especially during the event) so that they can be addressed immediately. For more information about these events, please visit the Rose Bowl Stadium website.

 

Pasadena residents can register to vote or update their voter registration information during National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Volunteers will be available at six locations throughout the City from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help residents complete the forms:
  • Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.
  • Victory Park Recreation Center, 2575 Paloma St.
  • Jackie Robinson Community Center, 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave.
  • Villa-Parke Community Center, 363 E. Villa St.
  • Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St.
  • La Pintoresca Branch Library, 1355 N. Raymond Ave.
The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) will celebrate the accomplishments of the past year and announce goals for the future during the annual State of the Schools address on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 9:30 a.m. at Eliot Arts Magnet Academy, 2184 N. Lake Ave. The address is free and open to the public with an RSVP by Sept. 21. Attendees can RSVP by email to communications@pusd.us or by calling (626) 396-3606.
 
City appoints new finance, public health directors
City Manager Michael J. Beck recently announced the appointment of Matthew E. Hawkesworth as the new Director for the Pasadena Finance Department, and Michael Johnson as the new Director for the Pasadena Public Health Department. As the Finance Director, Hawkesworth will be responsible for the administration and operation of the Finance Department, including overall financial management of the City, accounting, debt management, investments, purchasing and payroll.  He is expected to begin his duties effective October 5. As the Public Health Director, Johnson is responsible for the overall planning, administration and operation of the Public Health PPHD. He began his duties on Sept. 14.
Editor's top news picks
>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION

"No evidence of active faults exist near San Rafael Elementary School, according to a geologist hired to study the soil. Christopher Allen, a geologist with Earth Systems, said in a letter to the Pasadena Unified School District that trenching near the school showed that 'active faulting is not present within the depth and the location explored.'" San Gabriel Valley Tribune
 
"An environmental review of the completion of the so-called 710 Freeway gap between El Sereno/Alhambra and Pasadena has been called 'inadequate' by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The federal environmental agency said the 26,000-page document released by Caltrans in March does not assess whether a 6.3-mile tunnel extension would help or hinder air quality in the region, the smoggiest in the nation. The EPA said Caltrans has failed to provide to the public a thorough analysis of air emissions at the tunnel entrances or portals, something that can be studied and should be released to the public, wrote Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's regional administrator."  Long Beach Press Telegram
 
"Closing the 710 freeway gap has been under consideration for half a century, with no shortage of opinions on the matter. Caltrans and Metro recently completed a draft EIR/EIS examining five options to alleviate traffic congestion around the gap. In this discussion, leaders of the Beyond the 710 Coalition explain their opposition and why the proposed tunnel alternative would be detrimental to communities in the area." The Planning Report  
 
"Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek wants to put a stop to the underground utility program that a city employee is suspected of bilking for $6.4 million over the past decade. Tornek called the program 'too complicated' with too few advantages from the costly work. 'What you're really doing is trading wind and the squirrels, for water and rats,' Tornek said. 'My position is that we should end it.' Tornek said while the program, which moves overhead electrical lines underground, makes neighborhoods more aesthetically pleasing, it has its own set of problems, such as taking longer to locate and fix outages." San Gabriel Valley Tribune
 
"A small fleet of trucks is expected to remove about 1,000 cubic yards of sediment from behind Devil's Dam Gate over the next four weeks, but the work won't make much of a difference if the predicted El Niņo triggers a historic storm, according to the county." San Gabriel Valley Tribune
 
"The City of Pasadena on Tuesday launched a major marketing effort designed to increase the number of Chinese tourists who visit Pasadena. Both Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek and Pasadena Center Operating Company CEO Mike Ross said the economic benefits to the city are expected to go well beyond the dollars that will flow into hotels and restaurants." Pasadena Now
 
"After an extensive nationwide search, Pasadena Fire Chief Bertral Washington has named Jon Trautwein as Deputy Chief of Operations and Eugene Campbell Jr. as Fire Marshal and Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention & Administration." Pasadena Now
 
"Pasadena City College ranks number one among California community colleges in awarding associate degrees, according to data recently released by Community College Week. For the 2013-2014 academic year, PCC conferred 2,589 two-year degrees, more than any other institution in the 113-member California community college system - the largest higher-education system in the nation. The achievement also marks a significant 57-percent increase in degrees awarded from 2012-2013." Pasadena Now
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 ... 

... to serve your community and do it with a group of your neighbors who are equally dedicated. 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.