Honoring Black History Month BUSINESS PROFILE: Pasadena’s Flour Revolution Page 11
ENTERTAINMENT: Original Tuskegee Airmen at Playhouse Page 8
Page 20 SPORTS: TC Soccer Team Puts Stop to San Marino Page 27
COMPLIMENTARY COPY VOLUME 20, NO. 5
pasadenaindependent.com
Thursday, February 4, 2016 - February 10, 2016
NLRB Finds ‘Merit in Nurses’ Allegations’
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced on Friday, Jan. 29, that they found merit to all the allegations that registered nurses, Allysha Almada and Vicki Lin, were illegally fired from Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. “I want to thank my Huntington co-workers for their support over the past SEE PAGE 14
Ninth Annual Norooz Celebrations Slated March 10 BY TERRY MILLER
Norooz in Pasadena, a project of Norooz, Inc., a non-secular celebration of the Persian New Year and beginning of spring, has become an annual tradition in the San Gabriel Valley. And now, for the ninth year in a row, after a one year sabbatical, under the caring hands of founder Dr. Nazee Rofagha, D.C., who SEE PAGE 14
Your Voice, Your Community
Since 1996
Council Votes to Potentially Raise Minimum Wage to $15
Teacher Files Second Claim Against PUSD
BY GUS HERRERA Early Tuesday morning, Feb. 2, the Pasadena City Council unanimously voted to move forward with a proposal to potentially increase the minimum wage to $15 by the year 2020. Early in the meeting, it became evident the council was doing their best to move through all the other items on the agenda as quickly as possible, knowing that there were 58 individuals waiting to speak their piece on the main event of the evening. In fact, the council’s chambers were not large enough to hold everyone present, forcing many to be seated downstairs, watching the live feed of the meeting on television. There was a tangible sense of tension in the air as everyone, including Mayor Tornek, seemingly could not wait to get to the matter at hand. Just when everyone thought it was finally time, the tension in the room was extended when the council was forced to take a short recess in order to wait for the Spanish translator and equipment to arrive (there was a predominantly Hispanic crowd and several comments were delivered in Spanish). The public comments did not conclude until 10:38 p.m., after which the city council began its lengthy deliberation. Finally, past midnight on Tuesday, Feb. 2, the council decided to move forward with the wage increase framework proposed, after making a few changes to the original plan.
25th Annual!
FREE Admission! • 100+ exhibitors! Games! • Live Entertainment! Food! • More!
SEE PAGE 15
Madison Elementary first grade school teacher Patricia Guzman has filed a second claim against the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) and Superintendent Dr. Brian McDonald, accusing McDonald of retaliating against her for filing a defamation claim against Madison Principal Juan Ruelas last week. SEE PAGE 15
$20,000 Reward Issued for Murder Suspect
Scores of proponents braved the cold temperatures to call on the city council to authorize a $15 minimum wage. After the rally and a few speeches on the steps of city hall, the protesters took their case to council chambers. – Photo by Terry Miller
in ap Le
to Summ er !
Saturday, February 6 10 AM-3 PM Westridge School 324 Madeline Drive Pasadena, CA 91105
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) detectives are searching for 37-year-old Steven Lawrence Wright, who was erroneously released from the Inmate Reception Center (IRC) on Saturday, Jan. 30, at approximately 12:55 p.m. The Sheriff’s Department became aware of the release at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31, and immediately started to coordinate resources with PasaSEE PAGE 14
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