JULY - AUGUST 2009

Access for Residents and Visitors with Disabilities

A detailed plan to upgrade public facilities citywide will ensure that people with disabilities can use them safely and conveniently.

You can comment on the comprehensive document during a public meeting Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 3 p.m. at City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., in the Grand Conference Room (basement room S038).

The plan includes the Rose Bowl Stadium, parks, parking structures, libraries, community centers, fire stations, City Hall, police headquarters, convention center and more.

Written in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires cities to give people with disabilities equal access to programs, services and activities, the plan lists recommended priorities, corrective actions and cost estimates.

Find a copy at Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St.; the City Clerk’s Office, 100 N. Garfield Ave., room S228; and at www.cityofpasadena.net/ADAtransitionplan. Alternate formats are available. Email rgorski@cityofpasadena.net or call 744-4782.

Comment on the plan during the Sept. 1 meeting or provide your feedback by Sept. 2 via postal mail to ADA Transition Project Manager, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Room N306, Pasadena, CA 91109 or via email to cathychang@cityofpasadena.net. For more information call 744-4762.
 

Help Plan for the Future

Do you have questions or concerns about how the city will grow over the next decade? Do you have opinions about how much development should be permitted and where? Would you like to share your thoughts about how the city of Pasadena should manage impacts of new development, such as traffic? If so, we need to hear from you as the General Plan is updated.

The city is offering a variety of opportunities to voice your opinion over the next several months. Neighborhood associations and community-based organizations are conducting meetings in July; the entire community is invited to participate in “moveabouts” later this summer via foot, auto, transit or bicycle; and city council members will host district meetings in September.

If you’re not participating in one of the neighborhood association or community meetings, feel free to go online and download instructions for conducting your own meeting, then gather friends, neighbors, parishioners, co-workers, fellow business owners or others.

During the moveabouts, you’ll be asked to go to specific areas of Pasadena and provide your feedback about what you see and experience. Maps and instructions will be posted online in August.

All of these activities are being undertaken as a prelude to a larger community event in October where you’ll learn what others have encountered in their activities and help set goals for moving forward with the updates of the General Plan’s Land Use, Mobility, and Open Space and Conservation Elements.

Learn more by visiting www.cityofpasadena.net/generalplan or calling 744-4009.

Calling All Kids: Report for Duty at
Youth Safety Academies

Two free academies will begin this summer, sponsored by Pasadena Police Department and Pasadena Fire Department.

The Pasadena Kids Safety Academy for elementary school students ages 6 to 12 and their parents meets from 9 a.m. to noon on seven consecutive Saturdays beginning July 11 at Pasadena police headquarters.

Classes will cover stranger danger, fire safety, disaster preparedness, environmental stewardship, community leadership, water skills, outdoor safety, bike rules and nutrition. Space is limited to 30 children and their parents. Make reservations by calling 744-7659 or e-mailing aramos@cityofpasadena.net.

Through the Pasadena Junior Public Safety Academy, 40 teens ages 13 to 18 will be chosen for a five-day seminar to learn about police and fire careers Monday, Aug. 3, through Saturday, Aug. 8, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Participants will learn about the duties of our police detectives, forensics team, traffic detail, jail staff and more at Pasadena police headquarters, then move on to Pasadena Fire Department to learn about fire safety, survival skills and what it takes to make it through police and fire training.

Head to the Park for Summer Fun 

Keep kids engaged with free and low-cost activities from the Human Services and Recreation Department, which has teamed up with Day One and CORAL to provide a summer full of adventure. Register in person or at www.cityofpasadena.net/reserve.
Summer day camps for ages 5 to 13 are ongoing at Villa-Parke Community Center, Victory Park Center and Allendale Park, offering everything from sports to field trips. 744-6516.

Kids 5 to 13 will enjoy sports, swimming, arts and crafts, field trips and more weekdays at Jefferson Park, La Pintoresca Park and Washington Park. 744-8332.

Teens 14 to 16 can drop in weekdays at Robinson Park Center for free computer, fine art and graphic design classes and other activities. 744-7330.

Recreational swimming is available most days at Blair High School Pool, Pasadena High School Pool, Robinson Park Pool and Villa- Parke Community Center Pool (children 5 and under must be accompanied by an adult). Swimming lessons are also available at these sites plus the CORAL Center Pool at 2750 New York Dr. 744-7530.

Watch for fun-filled activities for ages 5 to 16 during Youth Month in August. Most activities are free. Look for calendars at libraries, community centers and City Hall or call 229-9750.

Please note that for all summer programs, enrollment is limited and spaces are filled on a first come, first served basis.

Cool Library Activities for Hot Summer Days

On Sunday, July 19, at 2 p.m. at Central Library, watch the induction of Steve Dalkowski, Roger Maris and Jim Eisenreich into the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of Eternals. The non-profit group fosters appreciation for America’s favorite pastime by maintaining its own baseball hall of fame. 791-7647.

Don’t miss the big Buck-A-Bag book sale Saturday, July 25, from noon to 5 p.m. at La Pintoresca Branch Library. Bring your own canvas bag and stock up! 744-7268.

You can also download this summer’s most popular bestsellers, classics, fiction and non-fiction to your own PC, laptop or PDA at www.cityofpasadena.net/library. Audio eBook and music titles are available in copyright-protected Windows Media Audio format; eBooks are available in Adobe PDF format. You can borrow up to five items for 14 days with your Pasadena or Glendale library card. 744-4066.

Test Out Rose Bowl Loop Plans

Attention walkers, bicyclists, joggers, dog owners, parents with strollers, skaters and unicyclists!

If you’re one of the thousands who use the Rose Bowl recreation loop, the city wants to hear from you.

A few slight changes are being proposed that could help smooth the occasional entanglements that happen when exercise enthusiasts vie for the same space. Preliminary plans call for a section for walkers in both directions, a suitable lane for bicyclists and vehicles, and a narrower outside lane for vehicles. This option was chosen for its adaptability to future changes, if needed.

Now it’s time for testing by those who know the loop best, and that may be you! Please join us Tuesday, July 28, any time between 5 and 7:30 p.m. to give us your feedback. (Look for the tents at Brookside Golf Club and Lot K or visit www.cityofpasadena.net/rosebowlloop.) For more information call 744-4610.