Hundreds of angry and saddened students, staff, parents, and teachers packed the Pasadena Unified School District Board chambers, overflow meeting rooms and hallways Thursday, while the award-winning Wilson Middle School Lion Drum Corps performed outside in formation in the parking lot. The PUSD Board had convened a special meeting Thursday to discuss the District’s Financial Stabilization Plan and proposed budget reductions for the upcoming three school years.
Author: Chris Aldrich
I'm a biomedical and electrical engineer with interests in information theory, complexity, evolution, genetics, signal processing, IndieWeb, theoretical mathematics, and big history.
I'm also a talent manager-producer-publisher in the entertainment industry with expertise in representation, distribution, finance, production, content delivery, and new media.
👓 Old School Knife Sharpening Meet Peripatetic Knife Sharpener Julio Toruno | Pasadena Now
Julio Toruno is intimately involved with knives everyday. But he’s not a survivalist, a knife collector, nor a cutlery dealer. He doesn’t live in a remote compound, and he’s never heard of all the TV survivor actors. Toruno is a quiet man who’s found his peace through the art of knife-sharpening. Many times a week, he sets up temporary shop from the back of his truck, mostly at farmer’s markets, and not far from Sierra Madre. “Have stone, will sharpen,” seems to be his motto.
👓 New Stater Brothers Market in North Pasadena Sets Grand Opening for November 14 | Pasadena Now
A much-anticipated new Stater Brothers Market at 1390 Allen Avenue is scheduled to open November 14, a company spokesperson said. The store’s remodeling construction is reportedly virtually complete. Remaining work includes the final paving of the parking lot, employee training, and stocking of shelves with goods for sale, which is expected to start about Wednesday, October 17.
👓 Power Outage in East Pasadena Not Related to Preemptive Power Shutoffs, SCE Says | Pasadena Now
An early morning power outage in Northeast Pasadena affecting 3,100 customers is not part of Southern California Edison’s announced pre-emptive circuit shutdowns designed to reduce fire hazard, a company person said. The 5:06 a.m. outage struck a wide area in the Hastng Ranch / Kinneloa area. SCE spokesperson Lois Bruce said the area affected was confined to Sierra Madre Boulevard on the north, Altadena Drive on the south, Santa Rosa Drive on the east and New York Drive on the west. It is not connected to the power shut off program, and “we do not have a specific cause” yet identified, Bruce said.
👓 La Pintoresca Associates Announce Fundraiser Featuring Tales of Resilience | Pasadena Now
Award-winning author Naomi Hirahara shares the story of the resilience of Japanese Americans transitioning back to freedom and rebuilding their lives after internment as part of the La Pintoresca Associates 3rd annual fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Pasadena Public Library’s La Pintoresca Branch, 1355 N. Raymond Ave. Music from EPC Jazz Group, a performance by the Kodama Taiko drummers and a taste of Japanese, Italian and American foods will also be featured. The event is free.
👓 Pasadena Man Pleads Not Guilty to Stabbing Two Men, One to Death | Pasadena Now
The stabbing attack occurred near a bar in the 2600 block of East Colorado Boulevard A 66-year-old Pasadena man pleaded not guilty Monday to murder and attempted murder charges stemming from a stabbing incident early in the morning of September 12 in the 2600 block of E. Colorado Blvd. Two men sustained stab wounds during the attack, according to reports from the Pasadena Police Department, and one of them, Jerry Chan, 42, died later. The other victim, Dan Trevino, 32, was treated for stab wounds in the leg and survived. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said the suspect, Jose Antonio Santiago, pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment Monday at the Pasadena Courthouse of the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
👓 City Abandons Orange Grove “Road Diet” Plan | Pasadena Now
“No consensus, no funding, no dialogue,” says City Manager; opponents jubilant
👓 City Takes Close Look at Chandler School’s Plans to Build New 3-Story Classroom, Laboratory | Pasadena Now
Pasadena’s Historic Preservation Commission will conduct a Special Meeting Tuesday to review the proposed project site for a new addition to Chandler School’s campus at 1005 Armada Drive in Pasadena – a new three-story building that will house classrooms and the school’s innovation laboratory.
👓 Pasadena Bank Robber Known as “Luger Bandit” Sentenced to Prison | Pasadena Now
A Pasadena man dubbed the “Luger Bandit” was sentenced Monday to 14 years in federal prison for a string of bank robberies in Southern California. Ramsin Jonathan Malek, 35, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson to pay $85,000 in restitution and serve five years of supervised release after he serves his time.
👓 Caltech Mom Wins Nobel Prize, Son Is JPL Mars Flight Tech | Pasadena Now
“What the heck does Mom want? Oh, Mom probably doesn’t understand the time difference, she’s in Dallas right now and is probably still thinking it’s California time…maybe she just wants me to go check on her cats…” A litany of mundane explanations ran through James Bailey’s bleary mind at 3:23 a.m. on October 3 when he was awakened from a deep sleep by three phone calls from his mother’s cell number. Bailey silenced his phone for the first two, getting grumpier with each ring. Call #3 did the trick. He picked up the phone and said groggily, “What do you want?” With great excitement and maybe a tinge of impatience, his mother said, “I wish you had picked up your phone, but I just won the Nobel Prize.”
👓 Interim Police Chief to Tell City Committee Today Pasadena Experienced 3 Murders in Less Than 5 Weeks | Pasadena Now
Pasadena Interim Police Chief John Perez is scheduled to tell a City Committee today that three homicides that have occurred over the past month in Pasadena and that his Department has arrested the alleged killer in each case. Perez will present his Chief’s Monthly Report Wednesday before the City Council’s Public Safety Committee and is expected to include details about the homicides, all of which involved knife attacks between people who were familiar with each other.
👓 Pasadena Police Body Worn Camera Program Has Captured Over 311,759 Incidents, Committee Will Hear | Pasadena Now
Public Safety Committee Chair Vice Mayor John Kennedy, City Manager Steve Mermell and Pasadena Chief of Police John Perez at a recent Committee meeting. The Public Safety Committee of the Pasadena City Council will receive interim Pasadena Police Chief John Perez’s Monthly Report, which details statistics on crime in the City over the past year and the steps the Pasadena Police Department is taking to reduce crime incidents.
👓 Chaka Khan Selected as Rose Parade’s Grand Marshal | Pasadena Now
Khan, a 10-time Grammy Award winner, will both ride in 130th Rose Parade and perform in the pre-game celebration at the 105th Rose Bowl Game. Khan said she has been a fan of the Rose Parade for many years and is looking forward to performing.
👓 Celebrate the Season with a Thanksgiving Centerpiece from Los Altos Auxiliary Benefitting Hathaway-Sycamores | Pasadena Now
Members of Los Altos Auxiliary are creating beautiful handcrafted floral centerpieces, available to order for this Thanksgiving holiday. All proceeds from the centerpiece sales benefit the boys, ages 6-18, who reside at the Hathaway-Sycamores’ El Nido campus in Altadena. “Our popular Thanksgiving Centerpieces are a wonderful way to support the children served by Hathaway-Sycamores,” said Laurie Rodli, who is co-chair of the fundraiser, along with Connie Sutherland. “Each centerpiece is delivered to your door just in time for the holiday, is handcrafted with the freshest materials from the L.A. Flower Mart and is sure to add a seasonal touch to your holiday table. They also make a terrific hostess gift,” added Connie.
