SEE PAGE 2 FOR tecelote fire burns hundreds of acres
Pasadena Press
MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014 - AUGUST 31, 2014
pasadenapress.com
Two teenagers arrested in South Pasadena Monday for planning a ‘Huge Massacre’ at a high school by Terry miller
SEE PAGE 3 for the ice bucket challenge: fun or controversial? VOLUME 1, NO. 17
Buddy can you spare a dime; or perhaps swipe your credit card Real Change effort underway in Pasadena By SHEL SEGAL
of the equation. Nevertheless, it is duly noted that Dr. Rocha’s time at PCC has be peppered with considerable controversy almost from the time
The Real Change movement has become a reality. At a press conference at the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena on Aug. 13, the Flintridge Center introduced the Real Change movement’s first officially installed donation meter. The first of its kind in Los Angeles County, the meter will help provide homes for the homeless with the small change and credit card donations made through uniquely designed meters, officials said. In addition, officials said they hope the bright orange eyecatching donation meters also feature a smiley face, a symbol of help and hope. Jaylene Moseley, the president of the Flintridge Center, said she is hoping the Real Change movement will really do some good. “The Real Change movement is not just about generating donations,” Moseley said. “It’s also about raising awareness about the issue of homelessness in our community and about changing the perception and attitude of the public. That’s why we have launched a comprehensive public education campaign.” Through the meter program, 100 percent of donations
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-Photo by Terry Miller
At a press conference at South Pasadena Police station Tuesday morning media outlets from around the world were told of the arrest of two teenage boys who were plotting a ‘massacre’ at South Pasadena High School. The
two young men allegedly exchanged detailed plans via social media and verified their intentions in police interviews, according to South Pasadena Chief of Police, Arthur Miller. Satellite trucks from CNN, Fox and other major television
networks wire services plus local journalists crowed the exterior of South Pasadena PD for the press conference. “It was very viable, what they were plotting. They were Please see page 2
PCC to shell out $403,826.55 severance package to Mark Rocha
District will also pay Dr. Mark Rocha up to $16,000 attorney fees Pasadena Independent has learned that beleaguered PCC chief Dr. Mark Rocha is to get a whopping severance package as a parting gift August 31. On top that, his attorney fees will also be paid, up to $160,000 worth according to
By Terry Miller a report obtained under the Public Records act by this newspaper. What those attorney fees could be is somewhat unclear. However, the terms of the “severance agreement” would require an attorney so no doubt this is part
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Real Change effort Continued from page 1
-Courtesy Photo
received will be distributed to various service providers that work with the homeless, officials said, adding donations can also be made via the website at www. realchangemovement.org, officials said. In addition, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, through the Home For Good Funders
Collaborative, will leverage the contributions to maximize their use, officials said. One of the collaborators with the Real Change movement was the Art Center College of Design. Students and faculty from the college were involved with giving the look to the Real Change movement. Fred Fehlau provost for the college, said the institution likes to have its students give back to the community, whether it’s helping out with design or doing work in any capacity that it can. “As part of the mission of the college there is this focus we have in all the classes and in all the programs for looking toward creating solutions for things in the real world,” Fehlau said. Specifically, in the social sector we apply that to the homelessness project or the Red Cross. (Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews. com. He can be followed via Twitter @segallanded.)
Change lives. Make wishes come true.
Tecolote Fire burns hundreds of acres in Angeles National Forest A fast-moving brush fire scorched at least 300 acres along Highway 39 in the Angeles National Forest several miles above Azusa and Glendora starting at2:30 pm, on Sunday afternoon. The Tecolote Fire is specifically located above the East Fork of San Gabriel Canyon and is moving towards Crystal Lake. So far, it has burned approximately 300 acres. There is currently no threat to either city or the City of Duarte. Highway 39 is shut down in
both directions at the base of the mountain and all canyon traffic is closed. Coldwater Campground was evacuated. Cal Fire and LA County Fire are assisting the U.S. Forest Service in battling the flames with handcrews, 9 Engines, 4 Helicopters, 6 fixed wing craft, and 2 patrols, etc. For the latest information on the fire above Azusa and Glendora, please follow#TecoloteFire being handled by @Angeles_NF.
Summer festival ends with gunfire in Pasadena Friday evening Three men were wounded in a shooting at the end of a summer festival at Robinson Park in Pasadena late Friday night, August 15. Officials sent out a Nixel alert to stay away from Fair Oaks Avenue and Hammond Street due to “police activity.”
Police officers heard the sound of gunfire coming from an area near the north parking lot. As officers were responding additional 911 calls came in reporting the shots fired. One man was shot in the chest; the other injuries are unknown at this time.
Planned high school massacre Continued from page 1
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making a huge plan of a school massacre that identified three staff members at the school by name that they were targeting,” as well as “random” students, Miller said. Police learned initially of the plot by a concerned citizen who alerted South Pasadena police of the threat last Thursday. “They just wanted to kill as many people as possible,” he said. No weapons were found when the students were arrested, but the pair believed they had access to a firearm belonging to a relative, Miller said. The young men, who are now in juvenile hall under ar-
rest, discussed using automatic weapons, knives, bombs and wearing bulletproof vests, according to Chief Miller. The students, ages 16 and 17, are being held on suspicion of conspiracy and criminal threats but will likely face additional charges. The police apparently conducted ‘Internet surveillance’ on the two suspects, who used social media. The FBI offered to help police and has been aiding the investigation, Miller said. Additional police presence is planned for the first day of school, Thursday.
AUGUST 25, 2014 - AUGUST 31, 2014 | 3
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The Ice Bucket Challenge: fun or controversial? by jennifer schlueter Have you asked yourself why so many of your social media friends and people like former president George W. Bush, LeBron James, and Oprah Winfrey recently have been pouring ice buckets over their heads? Not only in the United States have people joined this trend where you donate to the ALS Association if the chilling thought of ice water does not appeal to you: Thanks to challengers nominating three other individuals, the ice bucket challenge has quickly gone viral all over the world, and the ALS Association has received over $30 million as of August 20, according to the official website. Compared to the same period of last year, from July 29 to August 20, donations amounted to $1.9 million. According to Slate, the Ice Bucket Challenge was not an invention of Pete Frates, an ALS patient, or the ALS Association, but of a few pro athletes, who were dared to contribute $100 to a charity of their choice, if they declined an ice bath. Proving this are videos by Matt Lauer, Martha Stewart, and others, who predate any videos mentioning the ALS Association. Frates, 29, however, initiated people donating to the ALS Association should they refuse his Ice Bucket Challenge. The non-profit organization is committed to research the fatal nerve disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” with which former baseball star Frates was diagnosed. Critics of the #icebucketchallenge, as it is referred to online, have expressed their concerns about the dare being a bandwagon trend. Today’s web narcissists join to collect “likes” or because they feel peer pressure. The challenge was supposed to help charities by donating money to them; however, more people seem to enjoy freezing their brain cells because their friends do it rather than raising awareness for a good cause. That’s probably why some videos do not even mention ALS. Yet, there are those outstanding people who have done both the
challenge and a donation. Especially in drought-stricken California, the Ice Bucket Challenge videos are viewed with raised eyebrows and shaking heads. According to Reddit, less water than people believe is wasted: “Comparatively speaking, very little. People use much, much more water for everyday activities than they do for the ALS ice bucket challenge. The most obvious example: you use as much water in one minute in the shower as you would use for one bucket of ice water. (The average showerhead uses about five gallons per minute, while the average bucket holds the same amount.) And most people take showers every day, for often quite a bit longer than one minute.”
With California authorities issuing fines for unlawful outdoor water use such as hosing down asphalts and watering on certain weekdays, it is interesting to note that, according to a 2012 Pacific Institute report, households only use about 4 percent of California’s water, whereas agriculture takes up 93 percent. Cows drink 23 gallons of water, and automatic flushing systems for them can use up to 150 gallons a day. The One Green Planet article which compiled this data therefore suggests replacing animal products with a plant-based diet to save water. Whether you choose to engage in the Ice Bucket Challenge or not, please keep in mind that it intends to promote donations to charities, and not a trend.
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Pasadena is getting ready for Football By Shel segal While winning is still important, for the Pasadena High football team it’s all about changing the culture. And with second year coach Doug Bledsoe trying to improve on last year’s 1-9 record, he said the team seems to be on the right path. “Our first year was dedicated to setting the foundation for the program,” Bledsoe said. “The program was on hard times. It was a matter of coming in and understanding we had to change the culture.” So, what things have changed for the team? “Discipline and character – those are the number one things we’ve been working on,” he said. “And going into this year from our lower level programs, we’ve been very strong. Those kids will be coming up this year. And for the returning kids those kids will be anxious to be proving themselves.” Another key, Bledsoe said, to building a winning program is to stop the exodus of good players to outlying and private schools. “It was a hard fought 1-9 and our expectations had nothing to do with the score board,” he said. “As far as the record is concerned, we’re not a powerhouse. We’re not trying to get a thousand transfers
to come in. We just want the home-grown talent, as far as the community is concerned.” He added he just wants good players at Pasadena High to come out for the team. “The big thing is when you do talk about recruiting it’s recruiting what you have here on campus,” Bledsoe said. “There are a lot of great athletes on this campus. We want to follow suit with our baseball program and our basketball program. We got a few guys from those particular teams to come out.” With that said, Bledsoe admitted he does have a lofty goal for the team. “We want to compete for the (Pacific League) title,” he said. “We feel we have enough talent at each position to compete with anybody in the league. I know we have to take it one game at a time, but we have to compete to win.” And hoping to lead the team to that accomplishment is wide receiver Tyrek Adams. Bledsoe said Adams should be outstanding on the gridiron this season. “He’s one of the best receivers in Southern California,” Bledsoe said of Adams. “We expect good things out of him.” (Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews. com. Follow him via Twitter @ segallanded.)
Gunman keeps police at bay for 4 hours A man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly brandished a gun and threatened to kill his former roommate with whom he had a dispute, Pasadena Police said. Matthew Periego, 32, was arrested Tuesday evening after he allegedly threatened a former
roommate with a gun. Police sent out an alert to the community to stay away from Eloise Street north of Colorado Boulevard due to police activity. Police used K-9 units and a helicopter and finally local residents tipped off police to the suspect’s whereabouts.
Severance package for Dr. Mark Rocha Continued from page 1
he was introduced four years ago. From the vote of no confidence; to the publicly humiliating way he and others handled the commencement speaker fiasco this year. The Board of Trustees was heavily criticized this year for inviting Oscar-winning alumnus Dustin Lance Black to deliver the commencement address, then rescinded it over concerns about an illegally obtained sex video featuring the screenwriter. They invited him again and Black spoke. Rocha has consistently let the school be in the public eye, but for the wrong reasons. A negative stain has been etched on the walls of PCC, or as another journalist put it, a Rocha have given Pasadena’s City College “black-eye.” Faculty have taken two noconfidence votes in him and conducted an online review of Rocha’s leadership that produced scathing results, with most respondents saying he had done a poor job of guiding the school. “Fascist approach to leadership,” one wrote. “Rocha is destroying PCC,” another said, according to a report in the LA Times. Rocha had been at Pasadena City College for nearly four years. Some faculty and students criticized Rocha for his management style and for approving the cancellation of a winter session. His resignation becomes effective Aug. 31, but his last official working day was July 31, according to the contract. Initially, Pasadena City College officials declined to disclose details about Rocha’s severance package. Rocha signed the agreement Aug. 4,
three days before his retirement was announced. Fellow signed the agreement Aug. 7. Pasadena Area Community College District Trustees announced 2 weeks ago that Dr. Mark Rocha, SuperintendentPresident of the District and Pasadena City College, would retire from his position effective August 31. Dr. Anthony R. Fellow, President of the PACCD Board of Trustees, had the following comment regarding the terms of agreement between Dr. Rocha and the Board of Trustees. Rocha made $250,000 per year as PCC President. “The terms of the severance package are in the best interests of all parties. The financial and other components are consistent with severance terms for U.S. chief executive officers overseeing organizations with budgets of over a hundred million dollars.”
Mark Rocha -Photo by Terry Miller