SEE PAGE 4 FOR “KILL-SWITCHES” NOW MANDATORY
Pasadena Press
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 7, 2014
pasadenapress.com
Ten day waiting period for guns ruled unconstitutional BY JENNIFER SCHLUETER
The case was introduced in 2011 by two individual gun owners and two gun owner rights groups, the Calguns Foundation and the Second Amendment Foundation, who disagreed with the waiting period. According to the San Francisco Gate (SF Gate), “the two individual plaintiffs in the case, had decided not to make the
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BY SHEL SEGAL ed at 1530 Elizabeth Street, the Celerity Exa Charter School got word on Tuesday that all students and staff members need to stay out of the site as long as several life-safety violations are still there, officials said. There is no permit by the charter school to have an educational facility at the site,
Dust, Drought and Dreams Gone Dry: A commemoration of the 1930s American Dust Bowl
according to a determination made by Pasadena Fire Marshall and Fire Chief Calvin Wells, said department spokesperson Lisa Derderian. Derderian added the site also does not have an automatic sprinkler system, does not have a fire alarm system and it
purchase because of the time and expense needed for a second trip to a gun shop.” Last Monday, Ishii declared the waiting period unreasonable because people who rightfully purchased a gun had already passed criminal and mental health state background
Charter School shut down by Fire Marshal A charter school in Pasadena was closed on Tuesday as the fire marshal for the Pasadena Fire Department said “the school’s building unsafe and several fire code violations created an imminent danger to the school’s 300 students,” according to a published report. Operating at the site of William Carey University locat-
VOLUME 1, NO. 18
The Pasadena Public Library will host “Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry,” a national traveling exhibition about the Dust Bowl, the disastrous drought and dust storms that wreaked havoc on the American Great Plains in the 1930s. The exhibit will be on display in Central Library’s Great Hall, 285 E. Walnut St. from September 2 to October 9. The library is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The exhibition recalls a tragic period in our history – the drought and dust storms that wreaked havoc on the Great Plains in the 1930s – and explores their environmental and cultural consequences. It raises several thought-provoking questions: What caused fertile farms to turn to dust? How did people survive? What lessons can we learn? “The Dust Bowl was one of the worst man-made ecological disasters in American history. We are proud that Pasadena Public Library was selected to help make the public more aware of this important event,“ said Jan Sanders, Director of Libraries and Information Services.“ This exhibition delves into the history and geography behind the Dust Bowl, and also
-Photo by Terry Miller
First-time gun purchasers in California not only have to go through a detailed background check, but also wait ten days to hold their new gun in their hands. In Silvester v. Harris, such a ten day waiting period for already-judged competent gun owners was ruled unconstitutional by U.S. District Judge Anthony Ishii of Fresno.
SEE PAGE 3 FOR SCHIFF DEMANDS BODY-WORN CAMERAS FOR OFFICERS
2 | SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 7, 2014
California Public Utilities Commission has approved requests for noise mitigation for Gold Line construction Earlier this week, the Construction Authority received notice that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved the second of two requests for noise mitigation at future at-grade crossings between Pasadena and Azusa. The request was to install shrouds around the gate bells to direct the noise down to the intersection, and the ability to silence the bells once all crossings gates are in the horizontal position, for crossings adjacent to residential areas. Earlier this year, the CPUC approved these measures for five at-grade crossings within the non-shared corridor; the second request was for the nearly four miles of shared corridor with freight. We are very pleased that the CPUC agreed to allow the Authority to install these measures within the shared corridor, where
many Azusa residents live directly adjacent to the crossings. It has been our experience that these simple measures provide a large quality of life benefit for the neighborhood. Additionally this week, a set of three traction power substations are being installed at the Operations Campus. These buildings will provide the power for not only the 24-acre, 84-car capacity yard area; but also the three story main operations and maintenance building, and section of the mainline that runs just south of the Campus. As shown below, the first of four large structures needed for the three substations was placed yesterday. Also below is a recent shot of the main building. The Campus is on schedule to be turned over to Metro in Spring 2015.
Change lives. Make wishes come true.
Charter School shut down Continued from page 1
would be difficult to evacuate the building in case of an emergency because there are not enough exits and exit lighting. Derderian also said it would take the school in all likeliness several months to fix all the problems and bring the building up to code. No one from Celerity was available to speak on the school’s behalf on Tuesday, according to the report. In addition, Derderian said the department learned of the violations via a call from a concerned parent. Classes were allowed to finish on Tuesday, Derderian said, adding some of the students in lower grades had their classes moved from the basement of the building to the auditorium. The charter school, which opened in the fall of 2012, serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade. It is operated by Celerity Educational Group, which oversees several charter schools throughout Southern California, as well as in Ohio, Florida and Louisiana, according to the report,
and this site is chartered by the Pasadena Unified School District. A spokesman for the district, Adam Wolfson, said on Tuesday that parents with students at Celerity are welcome to bring their children back into a district school. Brian McDonald, the district superintendent, sent Celerity Educational Group CEO Vielka McFarlane a letter on Tuesday notifying them the school must rectify the violations within one week, according to the report. “If within one week you are not able to locate a safe and appropriate school site to ensure that the students’ educational program is not interrupted, we ask that you suspend your operations for the 2014-2015 school year,” McDonald wrote. McDonald added in the letter that the charter school was in violation of education code. (Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews. com. He can be followed via Twitter @segallanded.)
Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry Continued from page 1
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provides a human element; through the words of the survivors themselves, we learn what it was like to live through such a difficult time.” “Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry,” will be accompanied by a series of free library programs, including lectures and film screenings. The exhibition and programs feature several overlapping humanities themes: the nature of the connection between humans and nature; the many ways human beings respond to adversity; and how people came to understand and to describe their experiences living through the Dust Bowl. The exhibition was organized by the American Library
Association Public Programs Office, the Oklahoma State University and the Mount Holyoke College Library. It was made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Pasadena Public Library is one of twenty-five sites throughout the United States and the only one in the state of California selected to present the exhibition and associated public programs in their communities. For a schedule of programming events visit www.pasadenapubliclibrary.net. For more information, contact Christine Reeder at (626) 744-7076 or creeder@cityofpasadena.net.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 7, 2014 | 3
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Rep. Schiff urges Department of Justice to fund body-worn cameras for local police departments Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that he is circulating a letter to his colleagues which will be sent to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice to help fund local police departments’ purchase of small body-worn cameras in order to increase transparency, decrease tensions between police and community members, and create a record of events. Schiff, who is a member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee and former Assistant U.S. Attorney, stated: “As the investigation into the death of Michael Brown illustrates, the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting can arouse the strongest passions in a community and breed an atmosphere of profound distrust. Having a video record of events not only deters the use of excessive force, but it also helps dispute or demonstrate claims of police brutality – in either case it improves community confidence in a just result. Studies done in localities that have implemented body-worn cameras have shown a positive impact by demonstrating a commitment to transparency and accountability and helping to deescalate potentially tense interactions. “Given the Department of Justice’s crucial role in helping state and local law enforcement adopt best practices, I believe it’s time to expand our support to include assistance to law enforcement agencies that would like to adopt body-worn camera technology for their police officers. The Department of Justice can use existing funding streams, or work with Congress to create a new pool of resources for local governments to help implement body-worn cameras for police officers throughout the country.” From the letter: “Police
departments around the country have begun adopting small body-worn cameras for police officers on patrol. These cameras provide a visual and audio record of interactions with the public, so that in the event of a confrontation or policeinvolved shooting, such as the one that occurred in Ferguson, there is an inalterable record of the events. There are also indications that the presence of body cameras has a civilizing effect on both police officers and the public, resulting in lower incidences of excessive force complaints and deescalating tense situations before they
become violent. Perhaps most importantly, cameras can instill greater trust in police departments on the part of the public they are sworn to protect. In communities with frayed police-community relations, cameras demonstrate a commitment on the part of the local police department to transparency and accountability, while protecting officers from false or frivolous complaints. For all these reasons, the adoption of body cameras has been well received in the jurisdictions that have begun to use them, both by the public and the officers wearing the cameras.”
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4 | SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 7, 2014
New Board & Officers announced for Pasadena Community Access New Officers and Board Members for the Pasadena Community Access Corp. (Pasadena Media), www.pasadenamedia.org, began serving terms for the 2014-15 year effective immediately with the start of the new fiscal year in July of 2014. Mr. George E. Falardeau, Senior Vice President of Real Estate & Operations for Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design, assumed the leadership role as Board Chair and President. Mr. Falardeau replaced Ms. Lizelle S. Brandt. Ms. Brandt, who served on the Board as Mayor Bill Bogaard’s appointee since July 2011, recently relocated outside Pasadena. She was replaced by Gail Schaper-Gordon, effective July 2014. “Lizelle served with distinction, helping to lead Pasadena Media from a policy perspective while Executive Director Keri Stokstad relocated daily operations and built a new, all-digital
studio to better serve Pasadena,” Mr. Falardeau said. “We are grateful to Lizelle for her leadership to Pasadena.” The 2014-15 Board of Directors and Officers are: •George Falardeau, District 1, Board Chair & President •Thomas Majich, District 2 •Robert Oltman, District 3 •Harald Zechner, District 4, Vice Chair & Vice President •Yuny Parada, District 5 •Timothy F. Winter, District 6, Treasurer •Hoyt Hilsman, District 7 •Gail Schaper-Gordon, Mayor’s Representative •Beth Leyden, PUSD Representative, Secretary •Robert B. Miller, PCC Representative; Senior Vice President/Asst. Superintendent Pasadena City College •William Boyer, City Manager’s Representative; City PIO & KPAS Executive Producer • Keri Stokstad, Pasadena
Update: “Kill-switches” for smartphones now mandatory BY JENNIFER SCHLUETER
Last Monday, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law which requires cellphone producers to install a “kill-switch” into phones manufactured after July 1, 2015, and sold in California. These “killswitches” will make smartphones
inoperable should they fall into the wrong hands. Rightful owners would be able to lock their phones with antitheft software. The bill was introduced by State Senator Mark Leno as a result of constantly rising cellphone thefts.
Media Executive Director & Arroyo Channel Representative Pasadena Media’s new TV and media facilities at 150 S. Los Robles Ave., Suite 101, opened April 2, 2014. The modern, 6,000-square-foot facility provides local independent TV producers with a multi-set studio and the latest in virtual meeting room studio equipment, editing facilities, conference space, and training areas, including new digital video upgrades, cameras and equipment. In addition to TV production, the new facilities can be rented out for special events. Pasadena Media is one of three operating companies of the City of Pasadena. Pasadena Media serves as the umbrella orga-
nization helping to oversee local operations of the City’s Public, Education and Government cable TV access channels, including KPAS (City of Pasadena); Arroyo Channel (public access); KLRN, (PUSD) and KPCC-TV (PCC). Board members are appointed by City Council members, or as a representative of the agency that uses one of the four PEG stations. Meeting schedules and agendas are posted online at www.pasadenamedia.org. “I am honored to have such a dynamic, talented board and I look forward to working with them to achieve great things for the organization and for our community,” Executive Director Keri Stokstad said.
No 10 day waiting period for guns Continued from page 1
check, and thus would not pose a safety concern. Opponents of the ruling, such as Attorney Lindsay Nichols of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a San Francisco gun-control organization, told the SF Gate that she found Ishii’s decision “disturbing” because the waiting period serves as an important “cooling-off” period for people who intend to buy the guns out of an an emotional act such as suicide, or out of anger. Ishii disagreed with Nichols point: “For those who already own a firearm and are known to be trustworthy due to the licenses that they hold and a history of responsible gun ownership, there is no justification for imposing the full 10day waiting period,” he wrote. Miko Tempski, general counsel for the Second Amendment Foundation, agrees and told the Washington Post: “Basically, the waiting period doesn’t make any sense when someone has already been cleared, has a concealed-carry permit and already owns a gun.” The judge wrote: “The
Second Amendment applies to ‘arms’ and its language does not limit its full protections to a single firearm. Some firearms are better suited for particular lawful purposes than others. Defendant has cited no authority that suggests that the Second Amendment only has application to a single firearm.” Brandon Combs, executive director of the Calguns Foundation, agrees calling Ishii’s decision “an important step toward restoring fundamental individual liberties in the Golden State.” The possibility of an appeal to the NinthU.S. Circuit Court of Appeals exists, because Ishii delayed his 56-page ruling’s effective date for 180 days. This time period would also allow the Legislature to rewrite existing laws. California is one among 10 other states imposing a waiting period on gun purchasers. Furthermore, the state bans models that are legal in other state’s and requires “micro-stamping” in new semiautomatic handgun chambers in order to identify cartridges at crime scenes.