MAY/JUNE 2008

See Pasadena in a Whole New Way
 

Help Reduce Wildfires

Play it Safe on the Rose Bowl Loop

See Pasadena in a Whole New Way

Bike Week Pasadena is May 12 to 17, with free activities and rides to promote bikes as healthy alternatives to cars.

Three guided tours will start at One Colorado at 6 p.m. Ladies Night on Tuesday, May 13, will lead women cyclists to the Rose Bowl Stadium, ending with mini clinics and refreshments in the One Colorado courtyard; the Co-ed Road Ride on Wednesday, May 14, will wind its way through quaint neighborhoods; and the Friday Night Social Ride on Friday, May 16, will be leisurely and scenic.

The Urban Bicycle Commuter Expo on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at One Colorado will feature bicycles, fashion and gear plus workshops, entertainment and more, followed by a film screening.

One Colorado is bordered by Colorado Boulevard, Union Street, Fair Oaks Avenue and De Lacey Street.

Bike Week Pasadena highlights bicycling as an easy way to exercise, cut traffic and air pollution, and save on gas money. This weeklong salute is presented by the Transportation Department, One Colorado, Cyclists Inciting Change through Live Exchange (CICLE) and Metro.

For more information visit www.CICLE.org or call (323) 478-0060.

Help Reduce Wildfires

To gear up for the summer wildfire season, Pasadena Fire Department is conducting brush clearance inspections through June to ensure that properties in high-risk areas comply with the Pasadena Municipal Code. During the inspections, firefighters will be available to answer your questions about fire codes and ordinances, hazardous vegetation and brush clearance.

To help make your property safe from wildfire damage, keep grass and weeds mowed, trim back shrubs and trees that are less than 18 feet apart and cover slopes with high moisture content groundcover no higher than 18 inches. Do not clear native chaparral because it plays an important role in stabilizing slopes and controlling soil erosion.

Clean leaves, needles and twigs from your roof gutters, soak trees and shrubs monthly to maintain leaf moisture, prune trees properly, cover beds with three inches of mulch to suppress weeds and keep your property free of flammable material such as dried vegetation, cuttings or wood piles.

For more information call 744-4668.

Play it Safe on the Rose Bowl Loop

Hundreds of walkers, joggers, skaters and strollers circle the historic Rose Bowl Stadium every day. To prevent anyone from being sidelined by an injury, the city of Pasadena has launched a safety campaign with an easy-to-remember slogan: “Stay Left to Be Right!”

With the goal of helping people stay safe and respect others while enjoying the Rose Bowl Loop, all pedestrians should go in the same direction – counterclockwise around the stadium within the designated boundaries. Going counterclockwise, or “Staying Left,” will keep you from spilling into the traffic lanes as you try to avoid other pedestrians going in the opposite direction, and allows you to see oncoming vehicles and bicyclists as they approach.

There are big, graphic arrows on the pedestrian pathway to help guide walkers. Slashed lines along the buffer zone should be used only to pass another pedestrian.

Bicyclists should proceed as if they are driving cars, riding in the same direction as vehicular traffic and observing stop signs, signals and right-of-way rules.

Funding for the project has been provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For more information call 744-8723.

Minds will Meet for a Green Future

Fresh air, pure water, waste reduction, efficient buildings, less traffic, more trees – these are the hallmarks of a green city and the vision for Pasadena’s future.

The Green Pasadena Leadership Summit on Saturday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 8, from 12:30 to 5 p.m. is open to anyone who wants to help create the greenest, most sustainable city possible. The event will include sessions with city officials, keynote presentations and leadership training. You’ll also learn about environmental issues facing California and the innovative ways Pasadena is addressing them. Registration fee for the summit is $170 before May 16 and $195 thereafter.

The summit will be at Pasadena Conference Center, 300 E. Green St. For more information visit www.cityofpasadena.net/greencity and click on Green Events or call 577-5700.

Calling All Kids!

Upcoming free events and programs have been designed especially for children and families.

Family Fun Day
La Pintoresca Park will be bustling with activity including face-painting, skate park competition, talent show, arts and crafts, and much more Saturday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Special focus will be given to the park and the adjacent La Pintoresca Branch Library as safe, inviting places where families can enjoy a range of activities at little or no cost throughout the year. For more information call 744-8334.

“Catch the Reading Bug”
That’s the theme of the summer reading program for children in sixth grade and below at Pasadena Central Library and our nine branch libraries beginning Saturday, June 14. Once you join, you’ll win a prize each week for keeping us posted on your progress. Fun programs will include puppets, a magician, theater production, storytellers and musicians. Visit www.cityofpasadena.net/librarykids or call 744-4066.

There’s a special reading club just for teens, too, beginning June 21. Check it out at www.cityofpasadena.net/libraryteens.

Former Pasadena Mayor Kathryn “Katie” Nack passed away on March 16. A passionate volunteer for causes associated with developmental disabilities and senior citizen issues, Katie devoted untold hours to related local, state and national organizations. The Outstanding Service Award from the Governor’s Committee for the Handicapped was one of her many honors. She will never be forgotten.