November 2007 Archives

The PUSD & Altadena Town Council Joint Meeting:

Pasadena Unified School District and Altadena Town Council will participate in a joint meeting to be held on December 4 at 7 p.m. in the Eliot Middle School Auditorium, 2184 N. Lake Avenue in Altadena. Issues regarding Altadena and its schools will be discussed. Also, representatives from the County of Los Angeles will be on hand to discuss joint use of green space. The public are welcome to attend.

I love Altadena. With more crazies per square mile, it's one of the best things about Pasadena. When my cell phone signal cuts out just above New York Drive, I feel like I'm back in Jalalabad. Altadenastan?

The boys (and girl) on the PUSD board will be grasping for breath up in that rarified, oxygen-deprived atmosphere when they head up to absorb a decade's worth of pent-up angst and rage over the school district many Altadenans feel they have no voice in.

Visiting City Hall online, I saw the home page is currently this image of a Trojan looming over the Rose Bowl. Someone is having fun.

The only thing that's going to bring Trojan football to the Rose Bowl next year is if the USC paints itself into a corner with this all-or-nothing campaign to win concessions from the Coliseum. And despite efforts by the Governor and Mayor (who always get their way, right? <.<), it sounds like they could end up with nothing, aka our beloved Rose Bowl.

Coliseum commissioners receive threats

The bitter standoff between USC and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum intensified Thursday as members of the stadium's governing board reported getting death threats from angry fans while legislators worked behind the scenes to revive negotiations.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are looking for ways to help broker a deal that would keep USC from moving its home games to Pasadena's Rose Bowl.

If anything, relations between the university and stadium officials appear to be growing more acrid.

But then again, someone suggests L.A. Times editors are frustrated USC alums who've had enough with the Coliseum Commission.

There's no quote quite like a Bogaard quote -- this one taken from a news release today about PUSD Supe Edwin Diaz invited to a Jan. 1 ride-along in the Mayormobile:

“Superintendent Diaz is approaching his first anniversary providing exceptional leadership to Pasadena’s public schools, and the relationship between the city and the district is stronger than ever before,” said Bogaard. “I want the knowledge of this important relationship to be transmitted across the country and around the world.”

Cheer up, PUSD! That's totally better than an invitation to reach into the cookie jar.

USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett writes to the fans today.

Dear Fellow Trojan:

It gives me no pleasure to write a letter of this kind, but there are issues facing our university that you need to understand. The University of Southern California has been negotiating diligently for months, trying to renew USC’s lease with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and trying to get guarantees that USC’s football team and fans can enjoy home games in a completely renovated and improved stadium.

Of course our beloved Rose Bowl is probably just being played to wedge concessions from the Coliseum, despite USC's Dickey assurances to me -- with deadpan sincerity -- the deal was go from their side and only depended on Pasadena approval.

I'm savoring the irony that as one of the most ambivalent, least sports-literate person in the media, I have the juiciest story of the day:

UPDATED: Since appearing here and on our web site just before 5:30 p.m. this story has shot all over the place. Always oddly thrilling.

USC in talks to begin ‘08 season at Rose Bowl

By Kenneth Todd Ruiz
Staff Writer

PASADENA — USC is seeking a two-year agreement to bring Trojan football to the Rose Bowl next year, stadium officials confirmed Tuesday.
USC’s frustration with the Coliseum Commission has led to recent talks about bringing the team to Pasadena which will culminate early next month at a meeting of the Rose Bowl Operating Company, according to USC Senior Vice President for Administration Todd Dickey.
“Although we have been a faithful tenant of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for 80 years, we must now seek other alternatives for the good of our football program and our fans,” Dickey said.
Rose Bowl management isn’t ready to count Trojan ticket sales before they’ve hatched, however.
“It’s unfortunate that the Coliseum Commission and USC are evidently at an impasse, and we recognize the goal of both parties to work things out,” said Rose Bowl stadium General Manager Darryl Dunn. “We think it’s likely they’ll be able to resolve their differences.”
Any Trojan incursion into the lair of the Bruins would depend on UCLA’s comfort with the plan.
“They’re our primary tenants,” Dunn said.

So I overcame my misgivings and ventured into Fort Omega on Arroyo Parkway with Ms. Vanity to pick out a tasty looking wedge of overpriced cheese to serve up with my brother, who had hit town last week.

Upon freeing it from plastic-wrapped bondage I discovered the 10-day old store had sold me a sopping sponge of ammonia. Yum.

A reader points out the goodwill on tap from our friends in Beijing:

On Wednesday evening, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied permission for the USS Kitty Hawk and its carrier battle group to make a four-day port call to Hong Kong for the Thanksgiving holiday. The 8,000 servicemen aboard the ships -- and the 290 families of crew members who had flown to Hong Kong to meet them -- were left with their Thanksgiving plans in tatters.

So Pasadena Fire intended to stage a good safety-scare this morning by showing how easily a christmas tree can go up in roiling flames -- but the thing wouldn't burn.

They even attached flares -- photographer Walt Mancini says -- which failed to ignite the tree.

With news cameras rolling, their solution to pull this made-for-t.v. stunt "out of the fire?"

Throw cups of gasoline on it!

"We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold ..."

With state line looming before me, I'm leveraging some Blackberry action to file a story and do some live vacation blogging. I haven't been able to participate in the family anti-tradition for a few years: Drinking and gambling in Las Vegas.

It's always a fun drive out and a miserable, interminable crawl home. My brother's driving is making me sick. He'll leave a smart comment when he reads this.

I think I'm getting sick. Listening to my congestion yesterday, Mayor Bogaard suggested Brandy. Let the medication begin.

Stories slated for the "B1" local page have to be filed by 2:30 p.m.

This is a problem when that source or sources you've been hounding all day finally calls back at a not-unreasonable time of day -- but too late to make it into the story. Do I write that they didn't return calls? Refused to comment? Were unavailable?

When it's not clear-cut either way, the best practice would be to print what actually happened, however awkward:

"By 3 p.m., Jane Doe had not returned five messages left on her voicemail, a text message, two pages, three e-mails and two verbal messages her assistant swore up and down to deliver."

Case in point: Tomorrow's story re: Measure D will contain a line referencing that Mayor Bill Bogaard "couldn't be reached for comment" by late afternoon. He did call at 4:30 p.m., and we talked about the ballot measure and other things.

Stopped by City Hall before last night's council meeting to see if the ballot statements were in re: Measure D and was told they were -- and would be shared in the morning. Came back in a few minutes later when Principal opponent Wayne Lusvardi showed up to demand they be presented because he suspected the statement in support was NOT submitted by the 5:30 p.m. deadline.

Wish I had a camera as City Clerk Jane Rodriguez came back and held them up to show proof they'd been received. Story in tomorrow's paper.

* East Pas Councilman Steve Haderlein wrote back too late Friday for me to change his title from "Strip Club Killer" to "Strip Club Assassin" for the Pleasures story.

As of January 25, residents can sleep soundly knowing the very last of Pasadena's problems have ceased to exist because no women will be taking their shirts off in a bar somewhere.

* Production problems result in Saturday's story slugged "DUMPFOLO" NOT ACTUALLY JUMPING anywhere! Yay!

* Some e-mails related to the Measure D story are posted below. I've been meaning to check Wayne Lusvardi's blog, where he's on occasion referred to me as an "ace reporter." For some reason I've never taken it as a compliment. :D

None of the voluminous plenitude of furnishings will end up in a landfill, man-of-all-works-public Martin Pastucha just called to say. It will all be "salvaged or recycled." He's been getting calls all day. So have I.

Apparently "government waste" stories rank on the outrage-o-meter somewhere above neglected children and below abused animals.

* If you didn't get your paper this morning ... we're sorry? Apparently our transition to a new manufacturing plant hit a "snag." This is one of two calls I'm getting this morning. The other is blaming me for throwing out furniture.

* The anonymous tip that led me to check out yesterday's dumping behind Armory NW has apparently led to Public Works Boss Martin Pastucha being cast as villain. Folks, he just returned the call. I've got to admit however there was a lot of very usable stuff, and somehow I'm not surprised the school district wasn't interested in much of it. My lede wasn't "Out with the old, in with the new" ... I don't take the cliche route unless it's at least a mashup. I think it was something like "In with the new City Hall meant out with the old blah blah ..." but perhaps it lacked clarity.

* A victory for decent-thinking, like-minded people everywhere, breasts and booze will no longer be visible or consumable -- not necessarily in that order -- at Pleasures Gentlemen's Club:

Pleasures to stop serving, stripping

By Kenneth Todd Ruiz
Staff Writer
PASADENA -- Pleasures Gentleman’s Club has agreed to stop serving and stripping in January, City Hall announced this morning.
Four years of legal wrangling that began after the club held a series of so-called “lust parties,” City Attorney Michele Bagneris said its owners Wednesday in court to stop selling alcohol and topless dancing on January 25.

For everyone to start complaining about how early the rites of FestiChristmakuhzaa marketing have begun yet again.

Immortal Dodger Tommy Lasorda will weigh in at the Old Pasadena Tree Lighting Ceremony, which also kicks off the Charles "Chuck" Cherniss Tournament of Toys, one of my Google alerts reports. Full disclosure: The Star-News is a sponsor of the annual charity event.

P.S.: Dear One Colorado, you should renew your domain name before it gets shanghai'd by someone.

Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda Joins Old Pasadena's Tree Lighting Ceremony

Old Pasadena is pleased to announce the addition of Baseball Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda to the One Colorado Tree Lighting Ceremony, Friday, November 23 at 6:00 P.M. The Tree Lighting Ceremony culminates a day of holiday festivities throughout Old Pasadena featuring spectacular performances, Santa's arrival, live reindeer and real snow. All activities take place Friday, November 23, from 4:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. and are free and open to the public.

Everything kicks off at 4:00 P.M. with Old Pasadena's own winter wonderland located on Holly Street between Raymond and Fair Oaks. Kids can play in 30-tons of real snow, see live reindeer fresh from the North Pole, ride a holiday choo-choo train, draw in a kids' art area sponsored by The Armory Center for the Arts, and enjoy live music at this spectacular children's winter playground.

So last night's joint meeting mostly followed the script. A dozen or so people spoke in public comment. I've got more to say about it but the blog's t been inoperative. I'm going to start ripping more video excerpts for the 'Tube, we'll call it "The Best of Public Comment."

Given blog goofiness yesterday, couldn't post re: former District 2 Councilman Paul Little's return to the Pasadena civic scene in a full-time capacity as CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.

Yes, I dropped an L-bomb in the story. (which is posted below)

My question is: What impact will this have on Paul's participation in Le Blogosphere?

You know the drill ... the system behind the blog was working fine so management decided to "upgrade" it to a newer version, and now many features are broken. Like comments.

As per LAO, Mall Developer Rick Caruso recoups some of his expensive campaign costs associated with getting his Americana project in Glendale through a referendum process, Times reports:

Caruso gets $74 million in justice

When the owner of the Glendale Galleria pressured the Cheesecake Factory not
to move into developer Rick Caruso's adjacent Americana at Brand shopping
mall, he sued. The jury awarded Caruso $74 million in compensatory damages
for "fraud, malice and oppression."

For awhile, Caruso's proposed Shops at Santa Anita in Arcadia looked headed in the same direction, but a referendum appears off the table with owner of adjacent-mall Westfield Santa Anita opting instead for the litigation route.

Couldn't find my quote from City Manager Cynthia Kurtz for today's story, where having always worked in public service, she's accustomed to her salary not being a secret.

OK I found it while closing the 20-something documents open on my desktop: "My whole contract is a public document and I've handed it out many times. You just kind of get over it. When people look at my contract, some are going to say 'Man she makes a lot of money' and others are going to say 'For the work you do, that's all you get?!' "

Anyhoo, here's the web widget of city salaries that runs with today's story:

Since the time it was nothing but big cheese wheels and wine to it's most recent incarnation as grocer-lite, Trader Joe's has counted me among its customers. When I want overpriced, high-grain count healthiness, I hit up Wild Oats at Lake and California.

Whole Foods bought Wild Oats earlier this year for about one-half billion dollars, and there a few weeks back w/the girl, we speculated a clearance sale on vitamins et al signified the store's pending closure.
But even up until a few days ago there were zero indicators it was actually going away -- which it did, as of Nov. 4, according to signs in the parking lot. Kind of sneaky and quiet about the whole thing.

Next time on Shopping with Todd: I'll rant about what they've done to my Ralph's at Lake & Walnut. Used to be unbroken, parallel aisles of well-organized consumption. Now it's a twisted skein, designed to confuse, befuddle and psychologically "confront" patrons with product every few steps.

China's going to be a real nice place (to do business) once it's scrubbed of dissent. Maybe we can import some more of the CCP's lead-tainted methodology:

Monitoring group: China will keep out ‘antagonistic elements’ during Olympics By ANITA CHANG Associated Press BEIJING -- China has secretly issued an order banning those the government considers a threat from next year’s Olympics -- a group that includes terrorists, Falun Gong activists, some media workers and frequent traffic-law violators, an overseas monitoring association said Friday. China’s leaders view the Beijing Olympics as a way to project a positive image of the country, but the games also offer a rare opportunity for protesters to air their grievances against China’s government and the ruling Communist party. The order from the Ministry of Public Security bans those who fall into broad categories such as “antagonistic elements,” “members of illegal organizations,” and “non-government organizations engaging in activities that can pose a real threat to the Olympic Games,” according to the China Aid Association, based in Midland, Texas.

Forget access to City Hall, we can't even get access to the Rose Bowl tonight for the damn Turkey Tussle.

With the stadium unlikely to even be half-full, our photographers and reporters can't get the usual access. Brilliant move!

I'd like to presume it's poor communication/management and nothing to do with what happened last year:

Coach's brother could face charges over tussle Star-News (Pasadena, CA) December 29, 2006 Author: Mary Frances Gurton, Staff Writer Estimated printed pages: 2

PASADENA - City prosecutors are considering filing charges against the half-brother of Pasadena High School football coach Kevin Mills over an alleged assault following last month's Turkey Tussle.
Michael Harrison, 36, of Pasadena is accused of punching Muir High School running back Phillip Morrow in the face mask in the moments after the Nov. 9 matchup between the historic crosstown rivals, according to Pasadena police spokeswoman Janet Pope Givens.

Harrison on Friday denied the allegations, claiming he merely attended the game with his son, a PHS team member.

"I have nothing to hide," Harrison said. "If the police had anything on me they would have arrested me at the time. This is nothing to me. I was just on the sidelines cheering for my son."

So I committed to doing a quick edit of footage from Tuesday's meeting at the JRC, but my new laptop for editing video (courtesy of my pops, Reuben Ruiz) wasn't entirely tricked out with requisite tools and by 3 a.m. I still hadn't managed to upload the video to our new streaming host. So here's the Tube treatment.

Highlights: Developer Jimmy Morris leads about 10 others in rhetoric-laced chants about injustice in the Northwest, laying the blame for all of the Northwest's ills -- including this past year's violence -- on Mayor Bill Bogaard. What's next? Will the Weekly blame him for the war in Iraq? After bringing the drought, will Bogaard call a plague down upon us? Invite a totalitarian regime into the Rose Parade?

Most of the racially-charged questions-as-accusations had remarkably boring answers:

Q: What happened to Jazz in the Park?
A: It grew too big and people like former DIstrict 1 Councilwoman Joyce Streator didn't want it in Brookside Park.

Q: Why hasn't Robinson Park been improved?
A: The city's $3.3 million needs another $2 million or so for the first phase of about $19 million in planned improvements.

Q: Where's the affordable housing?
A: There are 181 units either built or under construction and the city is looking at four properties it might buy.

Q: How many African Americans have been hired under the city's local hiring program?
A: City is not allowed to track statistics by race.

Despite what drew people to attend, the meeting was about Heritage Square -- and, even more so than the project -- the meeting was about several people's interest in seeing the Bakewell Company get the job.

From the suggestion department: "No justice, no peace" is a classic, but I'd advise steering away from tongue-twisting chants like "The Mayor is Available, Just not for the Black Northwest Pasadena Community."

FYI Didn't give this the pro treatment -- video and editing quality is decidedly 'rough cut'

Speaking of China, I found a fascinating list on the FDA's site of "refusal actions" detailing what was actually found during its infrequent searches of incoming ships.

"SALTED BEAN CURD CUBES IN BRINE WITH CHILI"
Rejected: The article appears to consist in whole or in part of a filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance or be otherwise unfit for food.

"FROZEN CHANNEL CATFISH"
Reason: SALMONELLA. The article appears to contain Salmonella, a poisonous and deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health.

Given the past year of poisoned pet food, toxic toothpaste, lead-steeped paints ... imagine a worse headline for your trade image:

"4.2 million Chinese-made toys contaminated with a powerful 'date rape' drug"

Even better, the toy looks like rave candy!

NEW YORK (CNN) -- U.S. safety officials have voluntarily recalled about 4.2 million Chinese-made Aqua Dots toys contaminated with a powerful "date rape" drug that has caused some children to vomit and lose consciousness upon ingesting the contents.

Bindeez, which were named Australia's toy of the year, contain a chemical that converts into a "date rape" drug.

Scientists have found the highly popular holiday toy contains a chemical that, once metabolized, converts into the toxic "date rape" drug GHB (gamma-hydroxy butyrate), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) spokesman Scott Wolfson told CNN.

"Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression or have seizures," a CPSC statement warned.

Ahhh, globalism. All I can say is that there must be a *lot* of lead in China.

So we had a reporter en route to Paseo Colorado, which is reportedly locked down (how?)

Was talking to Cynthia Kurtz who mentioned she just got off the phone with Brian Williams, who could now be locked-down in said mall while the po-po looks for a bank robber. According to a third source near the mall (Martin Truitt) it was Citibank that done got robbered.

Now w/Lots o' Cops photo.

The inimitable Miss Havisham calls attention to the fact that the last sentence in today's story re: Melekian as interim CM was cut for space.

"With the Melekian now working as the chief at City Hall, the Police Department will be led by Deputy Chief Chris Vicino."

One could make a strong argument it should have been higher up, maybe before the fourth paragraph of exposition on the Brown Act violation. Which was violated. Like a Burmese monk, or Pakistani lawyer. :P

Full story in the full post. Do I need to keep repeating this? My already grossly undercompensated work, served up for free! Woots!

SGVN Public Editor Lawrence Wilson aka The Larry, served up some freedom sauce yesterday to two media attaches from the Chinese Consulate General's office.

If the boys in Beijing are picking up Public Eye from Pasadena on the Venus line: Censor this, Politburo! You've got nothing to lose but fear itself for a billion Chinese.

Strange ... Council came out of closed session tonight without a report on any action taken in said closed session. No report given throughout the entire proceeding, as required under the Brown Act. What's that?

Updated: I was expecting the appointment to be made last night, as it was. A news release was sent out just before midnight with the news. There was no disclosure of the closed-session action taken at any point during the meeting.

Adhering to the law can be inconvenient, and in the case of hiring situations, it may even be impolite. But as with many small-to-mid cities, Pasadena lawyer-politicians take it upon themselves to decide when the law does and does not apply to them. Is breaking the law OK when there are no consequences?

Perhaps as interim City Manager, Chief Melekian can encourage adherence to the law.

So no points for guessing what day the random weekend story about the Pasadena Paranormal Research Society was supposed to run? We're only as good as the bodies in the room, and mine was in bed much of last week.

Organized opposition emerged today to the proposed Measure D the council will again consider declaring an "emergency" tonight to rush a ballot measure designed to insulate $10 million from the Utility User Tax from potential legal challenge.

Below is the letter from Wayne "Pasadena Pundit" Lusvardi:

November 5, 2007

Mayor William Bogaard and City Councilmembers
City of Pasadena
100 North Garfield Ave
Pasadena, California 91109

RE: Measure D

Dear Mayor Bogaard and City Councilmembers,

We demand that Measure D be delayed until the next regularly scheduled municipal election in March 2009 as there is no justifiable emergency that would allow a special election to be held in February 2008.

The city has more than adequate reserves to fully fund its general fund budget appropriations at current levels through March 2009 even without a single penny of UUT revenue, therefore there is no financial emergency. The claim that there is an emergency because Federal law might one day somehow preclude the City from implementing a future Utility Users Tax if the City does not do so before March 2009 is sheer speculation and does not rise to the level of a currently occurring emergency.

We had a photo gallery up from yesterday's march through Pasadena, but it doesn't seem to be up anymore. I have a natural aversion to "kid pics" getting into the paper, but I really dug this striking photo by Star-News photographer Sarah Reingewirtz.

I have no clue why that wasn't our A1 display as intended.

Full story posted below.

Protest foreshadows parade controversy

By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 11/04/2007 10:32:41 PM PST

PASADENA -- Buzzing commerce in Old Pasadena was disrupted Sunday by protesters denouncing China's human rights abuses and the inclusion of a Beijing Olympic float in next year's Rose Parade.

Protesting both China and the Pasadena City Council's inaction on the issue last week, more than 100 people - including natives of China, Tibet and Burma - marched from City Hall to the Tournament of Roses' headquarters on Orange Grove Boulevard.

The man responsible for Proctor-esque Top-10 lists on the City Manager's infamous Green Sheet dispatches, Brian WIlliams, announced this morning he will resign and take a job with SCAG.

I'm occasionally floored by the mug shots we dust off and put in the paper. In this year alone we've had a yearbook-worthy Steve Haderlein mug and a Chris Holden mug that looked like it was taken at the height of Lando Calrissian fever.

Not that Planning and Development Director Richard Bruckner called to complain this morning.

Police Chief Bernard Melekian didn't call either, unless there's something to my theory that Janet Pope Givens is really the chief in falsetto.

Pasadena eyes 2 for interim manager
Council interviews police chief, city's director of planning
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/01/2007 11:10:41 PM PDT

PASADENA -- Two department heads will be considered for the interim city manager job on Monday by the City Council, which could decide to expand the search to outside candidates.

Before it gets serious about finding a new CEO for Pasadena Incorporated, the council wants to secure transitional leadership it can depend on for up to six months in that job, Mayor Bill Bogaard said Thursday.

"Our intention is to hire an interim until a permanent person takes office as city manager," Bogaard said. "The tremendous benefit of an internal appointment would be the person would know the city and know its current priorities, and know the people involved both on the city staff and in the community."

Richard Bruckner, director of planning and development, and Bernard Melekian, police chief, both confirmed Thursday they were interviewed by the council on Monday and would take the interim position if asked.

At Brookside. Something about a golf-cart shack and the maintenance yard. Fuel burning. Hear its a good sight, going to check it out.

Updated: Last arc of firehose water was landing on the maintenance yard as I winded down from Lida to the NW corner of Brookside. Made it past the ever-skeptical vanguard of police to the ever-smiling presence that is Fire spoke Lisa Derderian who even volunteered to go into the smolder with my video camera to get a few seconds of footage.

It was apparently the place to be ... stadium CEO Darryl Dunn was there fretting over his scorched utility carts and Fire Chief Dennis Downs made it a C.H.A.O.S.-worthy moment (Chief Has Arrived On Scene).

Lisa just called to give the estimated damage: $250,000 to equipment et. al.; $150,000 property damage.

So I was having another Prisoner-related fever dream Wednesday morning (OK it was more like noon) when I managed to answer my cell phone for the following (paraphrased with license) conversation:

Andre Coleman: Ruiz ... just what the hell are you?

Kenneth Todd Ruiz: Dying at the moment.

Andre: So I've heard. But do you consider yourself Latino? I'm filing something on the media thing last week.

Todd:: Well that's a tricky one. I've never identified with any ethnic group.

Andre: So is that a 'yes' or a 'no?'

Todd: Here's my quote: 'I will not be filed, stamped or indexed."

Apparently it didn't make the cut. Otherwise have been too busy upon my return to life to scan this week's edition for comedic material and cheap shots.

First response to Monday night's meeting, float opponents have organized a "March for Human Rights" from City Hall to the Tournament of Roses house on Orange Grove.

<-- And made a logo treatment of the "Broken Rose" icon.

PASADENA -- A former City Council member and others will join opponents of a controversial Chinese Olympic float on Sunday in a march for human rights.

Going from City Hall to the Tournament of Roses, the march is in protest to the council’s decision Monday not to adopt the recommendations of its Human Relation Commission report related to the float controversy.

“While the Pasadena City Council has voted 6-2 against endorsing the report submitted by the Pasadena Commission on Human Relations, we believe this is only the beginning of our campaign to educate the City Council and the Tournament of Roses on the importance of human rights,” according to a news release sent Thursday.

Former Councilman Bill Paparian, who also served as unelected mayor, will participate along with members of the Chinese-American, Tibetan and Burmese communities.

The march begins in front of City Hall at 2 p.m.

Information: http://www.beijingrosefloat.org.

Press release below.