NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2007

Crack Open Some Fun During Children’s Book Week

Library isn’t Just for Books
 

A Green City in Action

Keeping Pasadena Picture-Perfect
 

Crack Open Some Fun During Children’s Book Week

Celebrate Children's Book Week all month long with fun, giveaways, magic shows, story times and movies at Pasadena Central Library and all branches! As an added bonus, children can have their overdue book fines forgiven and their lost library cards replaced for free through the end of November.

Don't miss magician Rafael performing mind-boggling tricks with a pirate's flair, sponsored by Friends of the Library. Performances are Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at Hastings Branch; Nov. 6 at 3:30 p.m. at Santa Catalina Branch; Nov. 7 at 3:30 p.m. at Linda Vista Branch; Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. at San Rafael Branch; Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. at Hill Avenue Branch; Nov. 13 at 3:30 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch; Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. at Lamanda Park Branch; Nov. 14 at 3:30 p.m. at Allendale Branch; Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m. at Villa-Parke Branch; and Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. at Central Library.

We'll roll out the red carpet for a special visitor who loves bananas and is very curious during special story times Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. at Central Library; Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. at Hill Avenue Branch; Nov. 7 at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. at Hastings Branch; Nov. 8 at 10:30 a.m. at Lamanda Park Branch; Nov. 14 at 10:15 and 10:45 a.m. at Santa Catalina Branch; and Nov. 15 at 10:30 a.m. at Linda Vista Branch.

Sit down with some popcorn and enjoy the latest family movies (no pricey ticket required!). Screenings include “The Last Mimzy” Nov. 6 at 3:30 p.m. at San Rafael Branch and Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. at Hill Avenue Branch; “Surf’s Up” Nov. 7 at 3:30 p.m. at Allendale Branch and Nov. 13 at 4:30 p.m. at Villa-Parke Branch; “Meet the Robinsons” Nov. 8 at 3:30 p.m. at Santa Catalina Branch and Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch; “Ratatouille” Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. at Central Library and Nov. 12 at 3:30 p.m. at Lamanda Park Branch; and “Shrek the Third” Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. at Hastings Branch and Nov. 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Linda Vista Branch.

Every child attending special story times, programs or movies can pick out a free book to take home courtesy of Friends of the Library.

For more information visit www.cityofpasadena.net/librarykids or call (626) 744-4066.
 

Library isn’t Just for Books

Four new Internet tools will make your life easier courtesy of Pasadena Public Library. Use your Pasadena library card to get access from your home computer, as well as to use a free onsite computer or the free onsite wireless network at Pasadena Central Library or any branch.

Start by going to www.cityofpasadena.net/library and clicking on E-Resources. The new Auto Repair Reference Center offers clear, concise repair information for professionals and do-it-yourselfers. Created by the publishers of Chilton's Auto Repair Information, the database covers repair procedures, service bulletins, recalls, wiring diagrams and labor cost estimates for almost any make or model. Auto Repair Reference Center is also available remotely using home computers.

Working on your family tree? Ancestry Library Edition gives you access to U.S. Census information; birth, marriage and death records; ship passenger lists; military logs; church records and much more. (Ancestry Library Edition is only available using the onsite wireless network or onsite computers.) HeritageQuest Online combines digital, searchable images of U.S. Census records with other unique research materials dating back to the late 1700s. (HeritageQuest is also available remotely using home computers.)

History buffs will love the Los Angeles Times historical database, offering digital reproductions from the newspaper’s early days. Covering the years 1881 to 1986, the database is searchable by keywords, authors’ names, articles or dates, or you can browse an entire issue for photos, graphics and ads. Pages can be printed or downloaded in PDF format. This historical database is only available using the onsite wireless network or onsite computers.

Check out our new tools online or call 744-4066, option 7.

A Green City in Action

This September marked the one-year anniversary of the city council's endorsement of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and the United Nations Urban Environmental Accords. That historic day, we unveiled Pasadena's first Green City Action Plan, a vital document that lays out our goals for addressing global warming, conserving energy and water, reducing waste, protecting natural habitats, improving transportation options and boosting community health.

What a year it has been! Great progress has been made and innovative changes will help benefit the earth for years to come.

Our Environmental Advisory Commission is up and running, meeting monthly to address environmental issues and involve the public. The commission meets the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the hearing room at the Permit Center,
175 N. Garfield Ave.

Pasadena stepped up and volunteered to measure, certify and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the California Climate Action Registry and the public. To demonstrate clean-air technology, we boosted our city fleet to include 45 green vehicles including hybrids, all-electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) models. A CNG fueling station is being installed at the City Yards on Mountain Street to power the fleet.
To promote green building practices and design, we presented eight public workshops and a tour of Pasadena's existing green buildings. The series received the 2007 American Planning Association Award for Public Outreach. (Watch highlights at www.cityofpasadena.net/greencity.) During a green technology summit held in Pasadena, we were named one of the top five "CleanTech" cities in the nation for our use of innovative, environment-friendly technology.

Pasadena residents and business owners pitched in by dropping off more than 178,000 pounds of electronic waste during special round-up events, helping to keep harmful elements out of local landfills.

And now the work continues. To join the effort to create a sustainable environment for generations to come, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/greencity or call 744-7546 and ask for the Sustainability Section.

Keeping Pasadena Picture-Perfect

Stay informed and work with your neighbors and family members to keep Pasadena looking beautiful!

LARGE, BULKY TRASH ITEMS - When you want to have appliances, mattresses, furniture and other bulky items hauled away, be sure to call 744-4087 first to schedule an appointment! (If you place the items on your curb without scheduling a pick-up first, you may be cited and fines can be expensive.) Pasadena households in single-family homes and in small apartment complexes can receive up to two free pick-ups annually. Once your pick-up has been scheduled, set your items next to your trash cans on your regular trash day no later than 7 a.m. Sorry, this service is not available to apartment dwellers in complexes of five units or more.

SHOPPING CARTS - Shopping carts are the property of supermarkets and should not be removed from the premises under any circumstances. When you call the hotline at 744-8227 to report abandoned shopping carts in your neighborhood, you’ll leave detailed information in voicemail and the carts will be picked up in a day or so.

UNKEMPT YARDS - Overgrown yards and accumulations of junk are fire hazards as well as havens for rats and other vermin, and are therefore prohibited by the Pasadena Municipal Code. So are non-working vehicles in driveways, any vehicles on front lawns or other landscaped areas, roofs in disrepair, broken steps or windows, dilapidated porches, etc. To report a code violation. 744-4633.

GRAFFITI - The city of Pasadena has a zero tolerance policy for graffiti and is committed to removing graffiti within 24 hours of it being reported. Call any time, day or night, to give the address or location, a description of the graffiti and other information. 744-7622.

LITTER - When you’re away from home and need to throw something away, don’t toss it on the ground, even if it’s a small scrap. Instead, look for nearby trash containers. If there’s no container handy, stash your trash in a pocket or shopping bag until you can throw it away properly. 744-4158.

For more information, visit www.cityofpasadena.net and click on Lookin’ Good Pasadena or call 744-4000.