Share Your Ideas at the Neighborhood Summit

ike an heirloom quilt sewn from colorful pieces, our neighborhoods make Pasadena whole. No matter how different, all neighborhoods share
the common threads, strength, beauty and heritage of our hometown.
Hundreds of Pasadenans of all ages will discuss ideas for preserving and strengthening our “quilt” Saturday, May 13, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the 2006 Pasadena Neighborhood Summit at the Art Center College of Design south campus, 950 S. Raymond Ave.

The event is meant to give residents – including Pasadena’s youths – the opportunity to shape our city’s future using four crucial topics: housing, jobs, education and emergency preparedness.

The summit will feature an action-packed format. Each participant will meet at the Art Center south campus for the kick-off and then hop on a shuttle to one of four community locations for in-depth discussions. These smaller groups, led by experts in each of the four crucial topic areas, will develop an action plan for education at Blair High School, jobs at Women at Work, housing at Pasadena Neighborhood Housing Services and emergency preparedness at Fire Station #33.

Participants will return to the Art Center south campus later in the afternoon to share their ideas, which will be relayed to the city council, school board and community leaders.

The free event will feature breakfast and lunch, Spanish interpretation and city information booths.

The summit is sponsored by the city’s Neighborhood Connections Office, an agency created in 1987 to foster better communication between residents and city government.
Limited space is available for each group, so call 744-7290 today to reserve your seat.

How's Your Neighborhood?

Each of Pasadena's neighborhoods is unique, but what do most have in common?
The answer is Neighborhood Connections. Whether you're a long-time member of a neighborhood association, beginning to become civically active or have recently moved to Pasadena, Neighborhood Connections is one of your most important resources.

Neighborhood Connections serves as a liaison between the city of Pasadena and the
community's many neighborhood associations, providing what residents need to strengthen existing associations or start new ones. The office staff facilitates interaction among neighborhoods regarding common concerns and educates residents about
city services.

Neighborhood Connections is looking for visionaries for the next Pasadena Neighborhood Leadership Institute, an eight-week program that guides participants toward creating
neighborhood teams, honing leadership skills, recruiting volunteers and much more. The goal is to build a team of diverse leaders who can help improve the quality of life throughout Pasadena. For an application, call 744-7290.

Learn more at www.cityof pasadena.net/humanservices/neighborhood_connections.asp.

Weekend Code Compliance

Is someone in your own neighborhood staging yet another weekend yard sale? You don’t have to wait until Monday to report the problem.

An additional full-time code compliance officer has been brought on board in the Planning and Development Department. This officer is out in the field from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. several days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays, to help to keep our neighborhoods safe, peaceful and lookin’ good.

In the early morning, the officer looks for construction crews who start work before 7 a.m., vehicles parked on front yards, unlawful garage sales and other nuisances. (Residents are allowed up to two garage sales per year, for no longer than three days each. Pick up a $13 permit at 175 N. Garfield Ave. at least 48 hours before your sale.)
The officer also looks for abandoned junk, trash, overgrown lawns and shrubs, inoperable vehicles, other property maintenance problems and construction activity without proper approvals and permits.

For more information about code compliance in Pasadena, visit www.cityofpasadena.net and click on Lookin’ Good Pasadena or call 744-4633. To report a barking or nuisance dog, call the Pasadena Humane Society/SPCA at 792-7151. For extreme noise and other environmental health issues, call the Pasadena Public Health Department at 744-6004. To report overgrown hillsides – a fire hazard – call the Pasadena Fire Department at 744-4675.

Working together, we call all keep Pasadena lookin’ good – 24/7.

Better Than a Gold Star

Local citizens and police employees will be honored for bravery, commitment to service, dedication to the community and remarkable creativity and vision for the public good during the 35th annual Police and Citizens Awards Luncheon Thursday, May 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel.

Who are the local heroes who will be honored this year? You'll have to come and see for yourself! Awards may be based on a single heroic deed or commitment to service over a long period of time. Tickets are only $40.

Call the Pasadena Police Department's Community Services Section at 744-4551 for reservations or more information.

Stop Wildfires in Their Tracks

Dry, hot summer weather is on its way, bringing with
it wildfire season. The Pasadena Fire Department is working hard to protect our hillsides by conducting brush clearance inspections through the end of June.

If you live in a high-hazard brush area, watch for a brochure listing state laws and regulations that will help keep you, your home and your neighbors safe. You can also protect yourself with these tips:

• Leave all chaparral where it is – don’t clear it! These native shrubs help stabilize slopes and control erosion. Instead, keep grass and weeds mowed and visit any local nursery to buy groundcovers that are less than 18 inches tall with high moisture content.

• Keep other shrubs and trees well trimmed and planted about 18 feet apart. Good choices with high moisture content include citrus, oak and oleander.

• Clean leaves, needles, twigs and other debris out of your rain gutters.

• Soak your trees and shrubs monthly to maintain leaf moisture.

• Add at least three inches of mulch over planted areas to snuff out weeds.

• Keep your yard free of anything that can catch fire such as dead or dried-up plants, cuttings and wood.

For more ideas on protecting your home from wildfires, call 744-7178 or visit
http://cityofpasadena.net/fire/hazveg.asp.

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