WPRA
West Pasadena Residents' Association 
Neighborhood Update
SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2016
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 

Justin Chapman 
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
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MONDAY, JANUARY 4

City Council
Canceled

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5

Historic Preservation Commission
Canceled

Human Relations Commission
Canceled

6:30 p.m.
City Yards
233 W. Mountain St., 2nd Floor
On the agenda: LA County parks needs assessment; Condition-based tree removals in the Lower Arroyo.
"Quote" of the week

"I like Pasadena's big trees."
 - Charlie Kaufman, west Pasadena resident and award-winning writer and director ("Being John Malkovich," "Adaptation," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Synecdoche, New York," and the newly released "Anomalisa"), speaking to Neighborhood Update editor Justin Chapman

WPRA in motion
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The WPRA invites the public to attend our next monthly board meeting this Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Westridge School, 324 Madeline Dr.

Neighborhoods 
in motion
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The Pasadena City Council will consider certification of the Final EIR and approval of the Non-Potable Water Project at a public hearing to be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1, at City Hall, Council Chamber, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Room S249. The EIR is available online at: pwpweb.com/recycledwater. The purpose of the project is to provide nine to 10 percent of Pasadena Water and Power's overall water needs from local, non-potable water sources. The proposed project involves the construction and operation of a new non-potable water distribution system to deliver water from three local water sources to customers within the service areas of PWP, Foothill Municipal Water District and their member agencies (including Lincoln Avenue Water Company, Valley Water Company, Las Flores Water Company, and Rubio Canyon Land and Water Association), and California American Water Company for landscape irrigation, cooling, and other non-potable uses.

The city has released the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Arroyo Seco Music and Arts Festival (formerly called the Rose Bowl Music and Arts Festival). The full text of the Draft EIR is available by clicking the headline above. The review period for the Draft EIR began Dec. 21) and ends on Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. There will be three public hearings for the city to receive public comment on the Draft EIR:

Thursday, Jan. 28, at 4 p.m.
Transportation Advisory Commission Meeting
221 E. Walnut St., Suite 210

Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m.
Planning Commission Meeting
Pasadena City Hall, Council Chambers (Room S249), 100 N. Garfield Ave.

Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 6 p.m.
Recreation and Parks Commission Meeting
City Yards, 233 W. Mountain St., 2nd Floor

Contact David Sanchez at dasanchez@cityofpasadena.net with any questions regarding the project or the EIR process, or to formally submit comments on the Draft EIR.

Recently, the Local Organizing Committee of the Copa America Centenario soccer tournament announced the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas that have been selected to host matches during the Copa America Centenario in June 2016, with the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to host games on two days. Similar to the FIFA World Cup, each venue will host matches on multiple days through the tournament. Most venues will host at least three games. Brazil will play its group matches in Pasadena on Saturday, June 4, and Mexico will play its group matches in Pasadena on Thursday, June 9. The 2016 Copa America Centenario is the historic centennial edition of Copa America - the South American championship - and will be staged outside of South America for the first time. The tournament will feature six teams from CONCACAF and all 10 teams from CONMEBOL. 
Editor's top news picks
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New Year's Day-related stories: "A Life's Adventure," "Perfect Match," "Master of Ceremonies," "Thrill of a Lifetime," "Rose-Colored Return," "Crowd Concerns," and "Sneak Preview." Pasadena Weekly
 
"In his first foray into animation, west Pasadena resident Charlie Kaufman's new stop-motion film Anomalisa has been called 'the most human film of the year' by Esquire even though 'it doesn't star a single human.' This should come as no surprise to fans of the Pasadena resident's screenplay masterpieces: the eerie Being John Malkovich, the neurotic Adaptation, the downright beautiful and moving Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and the devastating Synecdoche, New York, which Kaufman also directed. Anomalisa, co-directed by Kaufman and NYU and AFI film grad Duke Johnson, was released in theaters on Wednesday, Dec. 30." Pasadena Weekly

"One way to predict the future is to study the past." Pasadena Weekly

"Kathryn Olson, former president of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE), will conduct the study and report back to the City Council's Public Safety Committee (PSC), which will hold public hearings on the topic." Pasadena Weekly

"Congress has included $8.2 million for the Earthquake Early Warning System in its proposed budget for the coming year, 'a very substantial sum in these budget constrained times,' said US Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank)." Pasadena Weekly

"For the past 34 years, millions of people around the world have started the New Year by watching the Rose Parade, hosted by uniquely spirited KTLA Channel 5 commentators Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards. But that tradition came to an end yesterday following the parade's 2016 edition, as Eubanks and Edwards decided to call it quits after the final float faded out of sight." Pasadena Weekly

"Sometimes I try to envision life with a 710 tunnel. For inspiration I can always look to Google Maps: There, right by Old Pasadena, what everybody calls the 210 is already labeled the Long Beach Freeway. I can pretend that the new freeway has swept the streets clear of congestion, as freeways have magically unclogged streets in so many other neighborhoods. Above the rooftops I might be able to see a ventilation tower from my yard and rest assured that the kind of truck fire that melted a tunnel on the 5 near Santa Clarita in 2007 would never happen under my kids' high school." Los Angeles Magazine

"Niche.com's Best Cities ranking provides a comprehensive assessment of the overall livability and quality of life of an area at the city level, those that have a population of 100,000 and over. The grade takes into account key factors of a location, including school ratings, crime rates, housing, employment, community, and things to do, in an attempt to measure the overall quality of an area. Pasadena was ranked as #29 with an overall Niche rating of A+ among 100 cities ranked." Pasadena Now

"Cheeseburger Week, which runs Jan. 10-15, honors Lionel Sternberger's genius in being the first to put cheese to hamburger and serve it at the Rite Spot in Pasadena in 1924. Forty of Pasadena's favorite restaurants, lounges and burger joints will offer their signature burgers, some special creations and deals." San Gabriel Valley Tribune

"Year-end revelers and Rose Bowl attendees who were looking for a hotel room in Los Angeles or Pasadena for New Year's Eve found themselves facing an expensive situation. According to a new survey from LosAngelesHotels.org, hotel rates skyrocketed in and around LA on Dec. 31." PR Newswire

"Growing up, Erika Winter watched the Rose Parade with friends and family around the 5-mile mark. This New Year's Day, she sat on a float and reigned over the 127th Rose Parade presented by Honda and the 102nd Rose Bowl Game. Winter said she considered the Royal Court princesses as role models when she was younger, so being the role model to other girls has been really special." Pasadena Star-News

"The house, which was donated to the city of Pasadena and the University of Southern California by the Gamble family, represents one of the best examples of American architecture. The house was designed by Charles and Henry Greene in 1908 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978." MyNewsLA
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 (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.