SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER  2003

IN  THIS  ISSUE:

Pasadena Kids Deserve to be Lead Free

INTAGE HOMES ARE ONE OF OUR CITY’S HALLMARKS, but most Pasadena homes were built before lead-based paint was outlawed. To mark National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Oct. 19 to 25, the Pasadena Public Health Department reminds us to keep children safe by watching out for this common household hazard.

Especially harmful to children ages six months to six years, lead can permanently damage the brain, nerves and kidneys. In an older home, lead dust can get into a child’s mouth via hands, toys or food. Check carefully for the most common sources of lead dust, including old paint on friction surfaces such as window wells and doorjambs as well as paint that is chipping or peeling. Keep areas that collect dust clean by using a wet, disposable cloth and “TSP”-type cleaning solution.

If you’re making repairs, remodeling or repainting your older home, keep children and pregnant women away until the job and clean-up are finished.

Never sand, scrape or burn old painted surfaces without first checking for lead. Testing swabs are available in many local paint and hardware stores and paint samples can be analyzed at a non-medical lead-testing laboratory listed in the yellow pages. A list of certified lead professionals can be found by visiting www.dhs.ca.gov/childlead or calling (800) 597-LEAD.

If you have a concern about your child’s possible exposure to lead paint, ask your doctor to order a simple blood test. For more information, call the Pasadena Public Health Department’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 744-6128.

Low-Cost Vaccines for All Ages

A clinic just up the street can help keep your family happy and healthy: The Pasadena Public Health Department at 1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave. offers free and low-cost vaccines for residents of all ages.

For children, low-cost vaccines and tuberculosis (TB) testing are available year-round in the Child Health Clinic every Monday from 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and every other Friday from 8 to 10 a.m. Children will need vaccines if they’re starting kindergarten or are new to Pasadena schools. Be sure to come along and bring immunization records. Call 744-6136 for more information.

You have a good chance of side-stepping the flu this year with a free or low-cost shot. End-of-October appointments are available to the public at the Adult Travel and Immunization Clinic - while supplies last - by calling 744-6128.

Seniors 60 and older and persons with chronic illnesses can receive free flu shots while supplies last at community clinics in October and November. Call 744-6128 for schedules or for more information.

By doing your part to make repairs and tidy up, you can cut your fire risk, boost property values in your neighborhood, make your street a safer place and beautify Pasadena. Laws regarding neighborhood appearance and safety are covered in the Pasadena Municipal Code and are monitored by city code enforcement officers.

 For example, overgrown weeds and piles of junk make great hiding places for rats, opossums and other vermin. Broken-down cars and trucks cannot be parked in driveways and yards. Leaky roofs, broken steps and shattered windows are required to be repaired.

Remember to place your trash can and recycling bin at the curb no earlier than 24 hours before trash day, then stash them away again no later than 24 hours after the trash truck rolls by. When they’re not at the curb, keep them out of sight behind a fence or in the garage.

If the task at hand in your neighborhood seems too much to deal with, get organized! Gather your neighbors together, then call the city’s Neighborhood Connections Office at 744-7290 for a list of free services that support the improvement efforts of neighborhood associations.

 For more information visit www.ci.pasadena.ca.us and click on Lookin’ Good Pasadena or call 744-4755.

More than Just a Bug Bite

MOSQUITOES ARE EXPECTED TO BRING THE WEST NILE VIRUS TO CALIFORNIA THIS YEAR. While the virus won’t affect most of us, it may cause mild headaches or fever in some people and severe symptoms in seniors.

The virus is spread to humans only through mosquito bites, so stamping out breeding grounds is the first line of defense. Get rid of water standing in buckets, planters, old tires, rain gutters, etc., and be sure to maintain your decorative ponds, swimming pools and spas. Call the Pasadena Public Health Department at 744-6004 to report standing water along curbs or for more information.

You can avoid mosquito bites by staying inside at dusk and in the evening, rubbing on insect repellent that contains DEET and wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts when you’re in the great outdoors. Keep the pests outside with good window and door screens.

Several beautiful arch bridges span the Arroyo Seco. A recent grant from the Federal Highway Administration will pay for a study of how best to rehabilitate the La Loma Bridge, the 380-foot-long, 45-foot-high structure built in 1914 between San Rafael Avenue and Arroyo Boulevard. A private firm will determine whether the concrete and steel structure should be repaired or replaced. The city will begin considering alternatives this fall. Watch for meeting notices or call 792-4279 to sign up for a La Loma Bridge project newsletter. You can also visit www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/publicworks/engineering for more news starting in October.

Photo: Roubik Mardirosian

Celebrate Latino Arts and Culture

PASADENA’S PREMIER EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS are teaming up this fall to explore the impact Latino culture has had on Pasadena, past and present, while demonstrating the vital role that arts, culture and creativity play in our lives. Here are a few examples of the comprehensive line-up of events and activities:

Monday, Sept. 15, 5:30 p.m. at Pasadena City Hall: Traditional ceremony commemorating “El Grito,” the 1810 cry for Mexican independence, plus a classic Mexican photography exhibition.

Through Monday, Sept. 22, Norton Simon Museum: “Artistic Exchange: Works by Mexican and Californian Artists” showcases Mexican artists including Diego Rivera and Alfredo Ramos Martinez plus California artists such as Millard Sheets and Edward Weston who found inspiration in the styles and practices of artists responsible for the Mexican Renaissance. This exhibition complements “From Europe to California - Galka Scheyer and the Avant Garde,” which includes works by Rivera, Martinez, Manuel Alvarez Bravo and more. Go to www.nortonsimon.org or call 449-6840 for more information.

Friday, Oct. 10, 6 to 10 p.m.: Art Night Pasadena offers free admission to cultural institutions including Armory Center for the Arts, Armory Northwest, Art Center College of Design, Norton Simon Museum, One Colorado, Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena City College, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena Museum of History and Pasadena Symphony. This event is not limited to Latino culture. Free shuttles will stop at each venue. For more information visit www.artcenter.edu/artnight or call 744-7062.

Saturday, Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Washington Park: Latino History Parade and Jamaica (festival) highlighting Latino culture and history in the San Gabriel Valley with the theme “El Ritmo de mi Gente” (The Rhythm of My People). Festival is from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and parade begins at noon. For parade route and other information, visit www.latinohistoryparade.org or call 791-7421.

Additional events include a lecture series on Latino art and culture, a film festival, concerts and more. Other participating organizations include the Museum of Latin American Art, the Mexican Cultural Institute, Southwest Chamber Orchestra and El Centro de Acción Sociál. For the full calendar, visit www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/planning/arts/AHCalendar.pdf or call 744-7062.