Pasadena, California Celebrating 53 years of community service Spring 2016 LAND USE / PLANNING EDUCATION OPEN SPACE / CONSERVATION NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY GOVERNMENT PARKS / RECREATION Transforming the 710 ditch; making our neighborhoods safer WPRA sets date for 54th annual meeting he West Pasadena Residents’ At 6:30 p.m. the main program begins. The Association cordially invites you to its key themes for this year’s meeting are the T54th annual meeting on Wednesday, ideas citizens and others have developed to May 18, at Maranatha High School, 169 S. repurpose the 710 ditch in Pasadena and Save the date St. John Ave. Parking is free in the Maranatha the continuing battle against crime in our What: parking garage on S. St. John Ave. neighborhood. At 5:30 p.m. the evening starts with a When Metro and Caltrans finally toss in WPRA 2016 annual meeting reception, during which attendees will be able the towel (abandon the idea of SR-710 to enjoy light refreshments, while visiting with tunnels between Alhambra and Pasadena), When: many community organizations that will be Pasadena will have the rare opportunity exhibiting their services and programs. to reclaim the northern stub of the 710 Wednesday, May 18, 2016 freeway and reconnect west Pasadena with As we go to press, the following community 5:30-8:30 p.m. Old Pasadena and the rest of the City, and organizations have committed to exhibiting: to generate millions of dollars of annual Where: Connecting Pasadena Project, Day One, tax revenue as a result. This all can become Friends of the Pasadena Public Library, possible through the Connecting Pasadena Maranatha High School Kidspace Children’s Museum, La Casita Project (CPP.) 169 S. St John Ave. del Arroyo, No on 710, Old Pasadena Management District, Pasadena Community This citizen-driven project created an Gardens, Pasadena Heritage, Pasadena alternative to the tunnels. Stefanos Cost: Museum of History, Pasadena Sister Cities Polyzoides, partner with the Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Stadium. architectural firm Moule & Polyzoides, Free will describe the CPP land use and transportation alternative to the tunnels West Pasadena and the stub as well as the community process that created it. Residents’ Association Pasadena are completed by criminals who What are the challenges in controlling do not live in the city. However, Pasadena crime, and how can we help? Pasadena has seen a 7% reduction in crime rate at Police Chief Phillip Sanchez will share with this time last year and there were 57 crimes us how a well-trained police department committed in January. Neighborhood and vigilant and communicating citizens watch programs are effective in helping can make all the difference. the PPD solve crimes, but crimes need to be reported. In March, Chief Sanchez shared with the WPRA Board how AB 109 and Proposition Last, but certainly not least, the WPRA 47 have impacted our community. AB 109 will formally recognize individuals and approved early release of prison inmates organizations whose activities have materially YEARS due to overcrowding in our system. Prop improved the quality of life in west Pasadena, 1962 – 2016 47 addresses sentencing reform. Forty and our members will elect officers and percent of the crimes committed in directors for the 2016-2017 WPRA fiscal year. WPRA IN MOTION A picture is worth a thousand words By Geoffrey Baum Association. street lights. The City has responded promptly President, WPRA For more each time; I get an email or text with regular ave you ever taken a close look at the than half a status updates. The app can also be used to WPRA logo? It offers a wonderful century, active report trash or abandoned vehicles, barking Hcombination of elements that represent volunteers dogs, code violations, fallen trees and many aspects of our beautiful neighborhoods. have devoted potholes, among other issues. I encourage countless you to use it. As one reviewer writes, “This The silhouette hours to app is only as good as its user base (Pasadena of a Craftsman ensuring the residents). It’s great. Let’s make it famous.” home represents community the distinctive It has been an honor serving as your WPRA we treasure is architecture found on board president these past two years. We have protected and nearly every block. addressed serious issues such as traffic, crime preserved for generations to come. The illustration and plans for the Rose Bowl. We have also shows the natural In some ways, the tools we use have remained brought the neighborhood together through beauty of the Arroyo the same. A quarterly printed newsletter, public meetings and even with some fun Geoffrey Baum Seco lined with trees community gatherings and appearances at garden receptions. and a stream running through it. Warm City Council and other public meetings. But However, we must continue to work together sunlight bathes the entire scene, to highlight we have modernized the effort as well to to address threats, such as the proposed SR- the weather we enjoy year round. The logo include a weekly digital newsletter, a robust 710 tunnel and unchecked overdevelopment. with its traditional fonts and graphic design website and a topical Facebook page. In addition to your membership contribution, also speaks to the powerful heritage of the The City has also developed tools to better please make time to volunteer by serving on association and notes the founding date in serve our neighborhood. One of my favorites a committee, helping with the newsletter or Roman numerals at the bottom. is the Pasadena Citizen Service Center app. joining the board of directors. You’ll make an Next year will mark the 55th anniversary of I downloaded it from iTunes and have used important difference and have a wonderful the founding of the West Pasadena Residents’ it several times, most often to report broken time with some great neighbors and friends! About us 2015 – 2016 board of directors Dan Beal 2015 – 2016 officers Avram Gold ([email protected]) President: Geoffrey Baum Land use, Planning ([email protected]) Ken Grobecker The News is mailed each quarter to Kenyon Harbison ([email protected]) Vice President: Sarah Gavit nearly 8,000 homes and businesses in the ([email protected]) Education 91105 and 91103 ZIP codes and beyond. Treasurer: Blaine Cavena Joan Hearst ([email protected]) Chuck Hudson ([email protected]) Editor: Chuck Hudson Secretary: Justin Chapman Communications ([email protected]) ([email protected]) Jim Keatley Audrey O’Kelley, past president P. O. Box 50252 Mission: Founded in 1962, the West Pasadena, CA 91115-0252 Pasadena Residents’ Association is dedicated to Catherine Stringer ([email protected]) maintaining the character of our community and Education The West Pasadena Residents’ enhancing the quality of life in west Pasadena. Priscilla Taylor Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Area: The WPRA service area is bounded on Bill Urban, past president public benefit corporation. the north by Colorado Boulevard, on the east by John Van de Kamp Fair Oaks Avenue and on the south and west by The WPRA is grateful to Castle Press the city limits. Nancy Walker ([email protected]) for design and printing services. Funding: Neighborhood Safety All WPRA activities are funded ________________________________ through membership dues and contributions. Gazelle Raye Wichner The WPRA receives no public funding and Fred Zepeda, past president Visit our website at wpra.net has no paid employees. Since the WPRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation, Linda Zinn ([email protected]) Visit our Facebook page contributions and donations are fully deductible Membership, Open Space & to the extent permitted by law. Conservation The News 2 Spring 2016 The News 3 Spring 2016 BREAKING NEWS Monitoring is not mitigation BRIEFS Mermell is named SR-710 tunnel project DEIR interim City Manager City Council has appointed Steve Mermell is a dry hole for water data to serve as Interim City Manager, effective February 15, to replace outgoing City By Gary Hackney defers addressing the issue or defers impact Manager Michael J. Beck. Mermell earned Civil Engineer analysis to other agencies. a bachelor’s degree in political science and s a retired civil engineer with more Water is a critical project resource a master’s degree in public administration than 35 years of experience in from California State University- A water-resource management and a The tunnel project could require a significant Northridge. He has been a Pasadena city volunteer on the WPRA team that helped amount of water for a number of reasons – employee since 1989, working his way up review, analyze and comment on the LA chief among them are to create a slurry for the ranks from an administrative analyst Metro/Caltrans SR-710 draft environmental excavation conveyance, to continually cool at Pasadena Water and Power. In the impact report/statement (DEIR/DEIS), I am and clean the giant grinding heads of the Finance Department, Mermell served concerned about the lack of attention that has five-story tunnel-boring machine, to clean the as purchasing administrator, budget been given to a critical issue in the proposal to wheels of the up to 850 trucks a day that will administrator and deputy director of connect the 710 Freeway between El Sereno haul the dirt out of the tunnel, and to control finance before reaching his most recent and Pasadena with two nearly five-mile dust on the construction site. The project position of assistant city manager. He tunnels: water. may also require that significant amounts enjoys golf in his spare time, lives in Los of groundwater be removed to facilitate Angeles with his wife, Rachel, and their We’ve heard quite a bit about this construction near the water table (a process two sons, Jacob and Ethan.