Join Us to “Celebrate Success and Inspire Change”
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Pasadena, California Celebrating 50 years of community service Spring 2013 LAND USE / PLANNING EDUCATION OPEN SPACE / CONSERVATION NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY GOVERNMENT PARKS / RECREATION You’re invited to the WPRA’s 51st annual meeting Join us to “celebrate success and inspire change” he West Pasadena Residents’ Carts will be available for those who need a Association cordially invites members lift to the stadium and back to their car. and other West Pasadena residents to T At 4:45, the evening starts with a reception Save the date attend its 51st annual meeting on Wednesday, and tours of the stadium to witness, first- May 1. The event will be held in the storied, What: hand, the remarkable progress the City has historic Rose Bowl Home Team locker room. WPRA annual meeting made in modernizing America’s Stadium. “Celebrating success and inspiring change” is During the reception period, attendees can When: the theme. enjoy light dinner fare, while visiting with Wednesday, May 1 The annual meeting is open to the public and the many community organizations that’ll be 5:30-8:30 pm free of charge. Free parking is available to all exhibiting. in Lot F. Enter the stadium through Gate A. Parking-Entry: At 6:30, the main program opens with a celebration of Pasadena life as seen Parking lot F through the eyes of the late iconic television Enter through Gate A personality Huell Howser. Best known for his travel show, California’s Gold, which aired for Where: many years on Public Broadcasting station Rose Bowl KCET, Howser died in January. He’ll be Home Team locker room with us in spirit, however, when we screen a segment of a program he taped several years Cost: ago from Old Pasadena. Free Continued on page 10 Practicing (and printing) what we preach he West Pasadena Residents’ FSC label, which you can find on our back Association has been and continues page, provides a credible link between Tto be a strong advocate for sound responsible production and consumption environmental practices, especially of forest products. when it comes to the Arroyo Seco and Also, Castle Press uses vegetable- the Hahamongna watershed. But do we based inks and a water-based satin practice what we preach when it comes to aqueous coating, which gives the paper our quarterly newsletter? Do we print the a shine, but involves no solvents and is newsletter on recyclable paper? Is our printing environmentally safe. process respectful of the environment? In a In other words, you can confidently recycle word, yes. our newsletter … but only after you’ve had a Pasadena’s Castle Press prints the chance to read each issue. newsletter on recyclable paper that While it may cost a bit more, we believe meets the high standards of the our sustainability efforts are worth it to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an effectively communicate, as we do each independent not-for-profit organization quarter, with more than 7,000 homes and established to promote the responsible apartments in the 91105 and 91103 ZIP management of the world’s forests. The codes. We hope you agree. 218402_WPRA_spring_R1.indd 1 3/26/13 2:18 PM WPRA IN MOTION Opinion The more folks know, the more they oppose the 710 tunnels Editor’s note: The following are excerpts from many family members were going to use the by Cong. Adam Schiff, State Sen. Carol Liu, an article written by former Assemblymember addition? Of course you wouldn’t. and a unanimous vote of the Los Angeles Anthony Portantino for the January 1, 2013 City Council in opposing the 710 tunnels. Unfortunately, when it comes to the Long issue of Pasadena Weekly. South Pasadena is no longer the lone voice Beach (710) Freeway extension tunnels, in opposition, as Sierra Madre, La Crescenta, ould you allow a contractor to one of the most controversial public works La Cañada Flintridge, Glendale and the construct an addition to your projects in the state, the MTA and Caltrans mayor and neighborhood associations in house without knowing how are spending millions without first having W West Pasadena have all taken strong positions many square feet he or she intended to build, acquired the same basic information. against the tunnels. Thousands of residents how much it would cost to build and how At presentation after presentation throughout the San Gabriel Valley are lining stakeholders have been told that pertinent up in strong opposition to this project. information will be forthcoming, but it There are communities that need help with Recent WPRA community support never arrives. Available information does local traffic. There are goods that need to confirm that the 710 tunnels will be instantly be moved. The answer lies with something gridlocked on the day they open. It also $15,000 to Rose Bowl-NFL suit other than the 710 tunnels. If there were facts confirms that most of the arterial circulation $10,000 toward the capital available that supported the need for the in the San Gabriel Valley will not be improved campaign to repair and rehabilitate tunnel, they would be front and center in the by building the tunnels. La Casita del Arroyo debate. They are not. Every effort to acquire $1,700 to San Rafael Elementary The more folks are exposed to the facts accurate information before the project moves School to purchase a portable public surrounding the 710 tunnels, the greater the forward has been thwarted. Every effort to address system opposition to the project. I have been joined review air quality data has been denied. Cost Continued on page 5 About us Mission: Founded in 1962, the West 2012 – 2013 board of directors Pasadena Residents’ Association is dedicated • Geoffrey Baum to maintaining the character of our • James B. Boyle Jr. community and enhancing the quality of life • Joan Hearst in West Pasadena. The News is mailed each quarter to • Chuck Hudson ([email protected]) nearly 7,000 homes in the 91105 and Area: The WPRA service area is bounded on Communications Director the north by Colorado Boulevard, on the east 91103 ZIP codes. • Laura Kaufman by Fair Oaks Avenue and on the south and Editor: Chuck Hudson • Judy Klump west by the city limits. ([email protected]), • Richard McDonald ([email protected]) Funding: Communications Director All WPRA activities are funded Land use and planning chair through membership dues and contributions. • Audrey O’Kelley, past president The WPRA is most grateful to The WPRA receives no public funding and has Castle Press for design, printing and • Marilyn Randolph ([email protected]) no paid employees. Since the WPRA is a distribution services. 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation, Education co-chair contributions and donations are fully • Priscilla Taylor P. O. Box 50252 Pasadena, CA 91115-0252 deductible to the extent permitted by law. • Michael Udell, past president 2012 – 2013 officers • John Van de Kamp Visit our website at wpra.net President: Bill Urban ([email protected]) • Fred Zepeda, past president The West Pasadena Residents’ Vice President and education co-chair: • Linda Zinn ([email protected]) Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Catherine Stringer ([email protected]) Membership, Open Space & public benefit corporation. Treasurer: Blaine Cavena ([email protected]) Conservation chair Secretary: Robert Holmes ([email protected]) The News 2 Spring 2013 The News Spring 2013 218402_WPRA_spring.indd 2 3/25/13 12:29 PM CITY IN MOTION City breaks ground on Fire Station 39 retrofit, rehab reliminary work has begun on the seismic retrofit and rehabilitation Pof Pasadena Fire Station 39. The estimated completion date is late 2013. To mark the moment, the City on March 2 held a groundbreaking ceremony. Ready with the symbolic shovel in the photo to the right are (from the left) City Manager Michael Beck, District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison, Mayor Bill Bogaard, Director of Public Works Siobhan Foster and Fire Chief Calvin Wells. The station, at 50 Avenue 64, was originally built in 1952 and is one of the oldest of the department’s eight fire stations. The brick exterior of the two-story, 4,400-square- foot building has historic significance and improvement work was specifically planned to retain the exterior while completing the extensive interior remodel and seismic upgrade. The $1.78 million construction project, which is managed by the Pasadena Department of Public Works, involves seismic accessible to those with disabilities and patio deck and emergency generator room and engineering improvements, to help the more energy efficient. The interior will be will be built. (Photo by Chuck Hudson) building withstand a major earthquake. remodeled and get new utility systems, fire The City will also make the building more sprinklers and alarm systems. Finally, a new Opinion: What happened to the NFL? By Nina Chomsky made to the ordinance, which permits up and the Central Arroyo. That can only be President, Linda Vista~Annandale to 13 NFL games in the Rose Bowl each accomplished by identifying and adopting Association year (doubling the number of Rose Bowl enforceable, performance-based, mitigation major displacement events), never expires against the negative impact of an NFL lease lthough there seems to be a lull in and, as it stands (subject to the outcome of the Rose Bowl. That’s why we believe hard facts, the rumors about the of the legal challenge) has cleared all that permitting the City to sidestep its possibility of a National Football A environmental hurdles. environmental obligations so it can freely League team leasing the Rose Bowl abound. negotiate with the NFL is neither acceptable To question timing, of course, begs the Some say AEG is out. Some say Dodger nor legal. central issue: When is the correct time to Stadium money is in.