Reading, Writing and Raring to Go

ack-to-school season is here and the city of Pasadena is making sure young scholars are healthy, safe and ready to learn.

Schools require up-to-date immunizations because they are the best way to stamp out diseases like whooping cough, meningitis and mumps. If your child needs immunizations, make an appointment with your pediatrician or bring your child for free or low-cost immunizations to Pasadena Public Health Department's Child Health Clinic, 1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Room 2130, Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and every other Friday from 8 to 10:30 a.m. (call 744-6136 for an appointment). Visit www.immunizepasadena.org for more information.

Beginning in mid-October, free and low-cost flu shots will be offered for children ages 6 months to 59 months and their household contacts up to age 18. Call 744-6012 for more information.

You may be asked by a school to pack an emergency kit for your child. Pasadena Fire Department recommends that you fill a small bag with extra clothes, "space blanket," small flashlight and batteries, a toothbrush and toothpaste, bottled water and non-perishable snacks. Add an index card with a local emergency contact, out-of-state contact, list of medications and a family photo or comforting note. For more tips, call 744-7276 or visit www.cityofpasadena.net and click on Emergency Preparedness.

Once the school year is in full swing, check out Pasadena Public Library's free homework help, available 24/7 via the Internet. Students in 4th through 12th grades
and those taking introductory college courses can log on with a library card at www.cityofpasadena.net/library to be connected with tutors specializing in math, science, social studies and English daily, 1 to 10 p.m. For more information
call 744-4045.

A Shot of Protection

Your new baby's almost here! Make sure your bundle of joy gets a healthy start with help from Pasadena Public Health Department.

The Prenatal Clinic and Child Health Clinic at 1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave. offers outstanding prenatal care, free and low-cost immunizations and health care for infants and children, free and low-cost health insurance programs and Women, Infant and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition vouchers - all in one place!

Parents-to-be can sign up for two upcoming classes: The three-part Breast is Best class every Thursday from Sept. 7 to 21 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. (register by Sept. 6) will cover why breastfeeding is recommended by the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics, benefits of breastfeeding, techniques and tips on dealing with common problems including working and breastfeeding; and the three-part Childbirth Preparation Class every Thursday from Oct. 12 to 26 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. will cover labor and birth, breathing and relaxation, creating a birth plan and options for pain medication and medical procedures (register by Oct. 5).

Both classes are free for parents who have Medi-Cal and $75 for all others. Fathers and grandparents are welcome to attend! Call 744-6034 to enroll.

The clinic offers referrals to volunteer childbirth assistants, or doulas, who can help you cope with labor and your new role as a mom as well as a corps of trained, caring volunteers who can help you with breastfeeding. Services are free for low-income women.

To register for a class or for more information about maternal and child health services, email channa@cityofpasadena.net or call 744-6034..

Training for New Moms

Planning to Begin for Use of Army Reserve Base

The federal government no longer needs the Desiderio Army Reserve Center under the Colorado Street Bridge, so the city is helping to plan a future for the site. Located at 665 Westminster Dr., the two-story classroom building and garage were included in the final recommendations of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission approved by Congress in November 2005. The activities housed at Desiderio will be relocated to a new center in the city of Bell, although not for several years.

Overlooking the Arroyo Seco, the 5.1-acre site is zoned for government offices, institutional or low-density residential development. In compliance with federal guidelines, the city made a broad request for proposals from parties interested in developing the site. Those proposals were due in early September and will soon be presented to the community. The city has nine months to review the proposals and recommend a reuse plan to Federal agencies. The plan will be prepared based on community input received through a series of public meetings to be held this fall.

For more details, e-mail sdewolfe@cityofpasadena.net or call 744-7143.

The Best Time of My Life

postcard The best time of summer was when I went to camp in 2000. When I arrived at
the campground, I said to myself, “Alan, it’s your first time at an overnight camp.
Make some friends!” I looked around the room and saw a young man in a wheelchair.
I sat down by him and told him a couple of my jokes. We became best friends, forever and ever.
By Alan League

Intriguing artwork and writings from Adaptive Recreation Program participants with disabilities will be on display at the Coffee Gallery, 2029 N. Lake Ave. through October. An opening reception is set for Saturday, Sept. 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. The pieces give us a glimpse into the artists’ worlds, from a dip in a pool to a high school graduation. Adaptive recreation is offered through the Pasadena Human Services and Recreation Department. Call 744-7257 for more information. Above: artwork and poem by one of the many participants.

A Garden for Pasadena Readers

New magnolias, azaleas, cherry trees, crape myrtles and more are part of a beautiful new garden at San Rafael Branch Library. The San Rafael Library Associates and local residents offered suggestions and raised funds for the new landscaping, which includes water-wise irrigation. In the near future, new benches will provide tranquil seating for readers and daydreamers. Call 744-7270 for more information.

We’re Cleaning Up - One Property at a Time

Through a brand new program called Safe Neighborhoods, the City Prosecutor's Office has enlisted the community's help to clean up our streets, ward off criminals and shut down problem businesses.

The innovative program has several components. First, the new Neighborhood Enhancement Network brings together high-level staff from the city's Planning and Development, Police, Fire, Health and Human Services and Recreation departments to address neighborhood nuisances. Focused enforcement with thorough inspections, arrests and prosecutions are helping to clean up problem properties.

Through the new Community Action Program (CAP), the team also attacks emerging and long-term neighborhood problems including nuisance liquor stores and illegal massage parlors, using every local, state and federal law available to set property owners straight.

Through a partnership of Pasadena Police Department's Special Investigations Section and the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), the team provides no-cost information to licensed stores and restaurants on laws regulating the serving of alcohol. The goal is to stamp out problems including loitering, public intoxication, fights and drunk driving.
The Safe Neighborhoods Program also provides a free, four-hour landlord school that covers the basics of rental property ownership and management, fair housing laws, warning signs of criminal activity and more.

For more information or to report a problem property, call the City Prosecutor's Office at 744-4611.

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