MAY/JUNE 2003

Red-light Cameras Go Live at Lake and Union

OU CAN SAVE $321 and avoid a point against your driving record by hitting the brakes when the traffic light turns red.

The city has unveiled its very first red-light cameras at the corner of Lake Avenue and Union Street. The digital video cameras record any driver who runs through a red light, plus a close-up of the front and back license plates. The program began in late April. During the 30 days since its inception, each red light violator receives a warning in the mail. After that, the Pasadena Police Department will issue $321 citations and notify the Department of Motor Vehicles. (If you’re caught, you have the option of reviewing the video sequences at police headquarters.)

More cameras are set to be installed at Fair Oaks Avenue and California Boulevard this summer.

For more information call 744-4194.

Put Toxics in Their Place

DON’T DUMP THAT PAINT THINNER! Bring your toxic trash to the Household Hazardous Waste Roundup Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Parking Lot K at the Rose Bowl.

Sponsored by the city and Los Angeles County, the regular roundups are one of the safest ways for residents to get rid of household chemicals. You can bring motor oil, filters, brake fluid, paint and thinners, cleaners, pesticides, weed killer, batteries and pool chemicals - even electronics like computer monitors and cell phones. (Large appliances, trash and dangerous items like explosives or ammunition will not be accepted.) For more information, visit www.lacsd.org or call (888) CLEAN-LA.

Pack a picnic dinner and tote a lawn chair to Centennial Square for “Music Under the Stars,” a free concert by the Pasadena Pops set for Saturday, June 14, in front of City Hall. Family festivities start at 5:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. featuring a Duke Ellington medley, selections from “The Right Stuff” and, in commemoration of Flag Day, a special tribute to the Stars and Stripes. For the big finale - a rousing rendition of the “1812 Overture” - 150 high school musicians will join the orchestra. The fun, annual concert is sponsored by the city, Parsons and Bank of America. For more information, visit www.pasadenapops.com or call 792-7677.

Stepping Out on the 110

THE PASADENA FREEWAY WILL BE SHUT DOWN Sunday, June 15, from 6 to 10 a.m. when up to 10,000 revelers on foot and bike will celebrate ArroyoFest 2003, an annual event aimed at uniting the communities along the Arroyo Seco.

Starting at 7 a.m., cyclists can sign up for $10 rides along the scenic freeway, officially known as Arroyo Seco Parkway. Walkers can join in for free at designated starting locations for treks up to eight miles round-trip. The walk from Pasadena begins at 8:30 a.m.

Everyone can meet up at Sycamore Grove Park in Highland Park from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a variety of fun activities, music, poetry and displays by environmental, transportation, community and cultural groups from up and down the arroyo. For more information, or to register, visit www.arroyofest.org or call (323) 341-5091.

Is Pasadena Prepared?

THE PASADENA POLICE FOUNDATION will host a community forum on emergency preparedness Thursday, May 15, at 6 p.m. at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium.

Disaster preparedness exhibits and resources will be available until 7 p.m., followed by panel presentations and a question-and-answer period. Kent Shocknek, KCBS News anchor, will moderate the program, which will include representatives from the Pasadena Police Department, Pasadena Public Health Department, American Red Cross, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the California State Citizen Corps Council and Risk, Emergency & Disaster Information Services.

Beckman Auditorium is on Michigan Avenue just south of Del Mar Boulevard. Parking is available off Michigan Avenue and in the Wilson/Del Mar parking structure. For more information, call 744-3987 .