MAY/JUNE 2004

Avoid West Nile Virus

From Mozart to Mars

Buy a Sign of Old Times

Prevent Gun Accidents

Grillin' and Chillin'

Stop the Grease

Free Summer Concerts

PWP to the Rescue: Helping Our Customers in Need

The Gift of Conservation

Warm Weather Conservation Tips

Etcetera...Etcetera

Noticias en Breve

Avoid West Nile Virus

HE COUNTY'S FIRST CONFIRMED CASE of the West Nile Virus appeared in Whittier just a few months ago.

The virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes that have bitten infected birds. (It can’t spread from bird to person or from person to person.) Most people who are infected don’t show any symptoms and the disease eventually goes away; but one in five may have a headache or fever and, in severe cases, the virus causes confusion, paralysis, coma and even death. Here’s how to protect yourself:

• Stay inside at dusk and in the evening when mosquitoes swarm and stay away from wooded areas near rivers, lakes and marshes.
  

• Keep screens on your open doors and windows.
  

• Use an insect repellent with DEET and wear long pants, long sleeves and high collars.

• Get rid of mosquito breeding grounds: Dump standing water from buckets, planters, old tires and rain gutters and maintain your swimming pool or spa.
  

• Pick up free mosquito-eating fish for your decorative pond from the Pasadena Public Health Department. (Call 744-6004 to make sure they’re available.)
  

• Call the Public Health Department at 744-6004 to report standing water along curbs or any other mosquito breeding grounds around town.

From Mozart to Mars

EXPAND YOUR MIND with three fun events at Pasadena Central Library this spring.

Turn your attention to Mozart’s masterpiece “The Marriage of Figaro” during the next Los Angeles Opera’s “Opera Talks” event Wednesday, May 5, at 7 p.m. Host Arlene Stone will lead the discussion of this classic drama. The series concludes with Young Artists in Concert on Wednesday, June 23, at 7 p.m.

On Wednesday, May 12, at 7 p.m., JPL’s Dr. Albert F. Haldemann will reveal what was found during the Mars Rover Project. Find out what the latest discoveries mean for us.

All events will be held in the library’s Donald R. Wright Auditorium, 285 E. Walnut St. Advance registration is suggested. Call 744-7323 for more information.

Buy a Sign of Old Times

TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE – well, there’s no street by that name here, but how about Tropical Avenue or Pleasant Street?

All of Pasadena’s public streets are getting new, reflective signs this year, so the city is selling the old ones to interested collectors for just $20 each. Now’s the time to buy the perfect memento of your childhood home, the place where you first asked your wife to go steady or the street where you learned to drive a stick shift – the possibilities are endless!

Attend the sale Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot at 965 N. Fair Oaks Ave.

So far, most of the signs north of the 210 Freeway and along the Rose Parade route have been replaced and the rest should be done by June 30. Watch for a second sales event in July.

For more information call the Department of Transportation at 744-6447.

Prevent Gun Accidents

STATISTICS SHOW MANY U.S. FAMILIES HAVE A GUN at home and many are kept loaded. Children are naturally curious – if a gun is within reach, they’ll find it.

To prevent tragic accidents and keep children alive and well, the Pasadena Police Department has joined Project ChildSafe, a nationwide firearms safety education program, in distributing free safety kits to Pasadena residents. Each kit contains safety information and a cable-style gun lock that fits on most types of handguns, rifles and shotguns. The lock will help you store your gun safely, keeping it away from children and intruders.

The kits are available at the Community Services counter at police headquarters, 207 N. Garfield Ave., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday while supplies last. You can also pick up gun-safety brochures.

For more information, call 744-4551.

Grillin’ and Chillin’

BARBECUE SEASON HAS ARRIVED! Before you drop that saucy slab of baby backs on your gas grill, brush up on these safety tips from the Pasadena Fire Department.

• When you roll your barbecue out of storage, be sure to give it a good cleaning.
  

• Before starting, make sure the venturi (the pipes leading up to the burners) are clean and clear. Use a pipe cleaner to clear out any cobwebs or spiders that might be inside.
  

• Make sure hose connections are secure by coating them with a soap-and-water solution. If bubbles appear or become larger, gas is leaking. Disconnect and tighten the connections again.

• Check your cylinder. If it's more than 10 years old or damaged, take it to a refilling station for disposal and buy a new one.
  

• If your cylinder is corroded, clean it with a wire brush and repaint it with light-colored paint (dark colors absorb heat and cause pressure to build up in the tank).
  

• Never operate any barbecue indoors.
  

• Never leave children unattended near any barbecue.

For more information and tips from the Fire Department, email lderderian@cityofpasadena.net or call 744-7276.

Stop the Grease

FRIED FOODS DON'T JUST CLOG YOUR ARTERIES - they're backing up city pipes, too. Grease, oil and lard dumped down your sink or toilet end up sticking to the inside of sewer lines under your property and under city streets. Over time, the goop can build up and block the entire line.

You don't want to see what happens next: raw sewage can overflow into your house, your neighbor's house and nearby yards, parks and streets. The clean-up effort is unpleasant and expensive. 

Protect your property and the city's sewer system by dumping grease and food scraps into the trash, never down sink drains or into a toilet. Call the Public Works Department's Street Maintenance Division at 744-4148 for more information.

Free Summer Concerts

The Pasadena POPS Orchestra will perform the annual "Music Under the Stars" free community concert in front of City Hall on Saturday, June 12, featuring the Occidental Chorale singing patriotic songs, jazz pianist and arranger Bill Cunliffe, tenor Bruce Eckstut, and more than 150 students from local high school bands who will join the POPS during the grand finale. Come at 5:30 p.m. for the pre-concert family festival and food court; the concert begins at 7:30. For more information, call 792-7677.

Take the Metro Gold Line to free community concerts at Memorial Park’s Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts this summer. The train stops just steps away from the historic band shell. From June 23 to Sept. 12, pack a picnic, bring a blanket and enjoy Children’s Night at 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Eclectic Blends at 7 p.m. Thursdays, World Beat Night at 8 p.m. Fridays, Música Latina at 8 p.m. Saturdays and Jazz, Blues and Fusion Night at 7 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit www.levittpavilionpasadena.org or call 683-3230.