Story by Zoe Schlaak Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor Graphic courtesy of Rincon Consultants, Inc. Contributor South Pasadena has finalized a permanent Climate Action Plan and aims to implement it in the coming weeks. The City hired private environmental consulting firm RinCon to create long-term goals to primarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Action […]
Compost Culture wins $5000 grant
Story by Katie Hohman Staff Writer Photo by Sean Jin Staff Photographer Student-run project Compost Culture beat out 23 other groups to win extra funding from the Dragon Kim Foundation in order to expand its composting services on Thursday, Sept. 24. Senior Patrick Latting and junior Liam de Villa developed the program in February to foster […]
Finance Director Karen Aceves resigns from City post
Story by Sofia Alva Staff Writer Photo by Katelyn Hernandez Staff Photographer South Pasadena Finance Director Karen Aceves announced her resignation effective immediately on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The reasoning for Aceves’ resignation is still unclear, though it comes after City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe left the City a few weeks earlier. In 2017, the City hired Aceves, who […]
Man drives truck onto sidewalk near BLM protestors
Story by Lilian ZhuStaff Writer Photo courtesy of Black Lives Matter South Pasadena Contributor A white middle-aged man drove onto the sidewalk at the corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and Mission Street where Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestors were demonstrating shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. SPPD arrived at the scene and talked to the […]
Residents question SPPD’s ties to anti-LGBTQ+ hate group
Story by Sofia Alva Staff Writer Photo by Tony Chen Contributor Community members are calling for an investigation into the SPPD for its planned public prayer event with an anti-Black and anti-LGBTQ+ hate group that was set to be held at City Hall on Saturday, Sept. 26. Police Chief Joe Ortiz sent an email (attached below) […]
Rossi sworn in as interim city council member for district two
Story and Photo by Zoe Schlaak Staff Writer The city council swore in Stephen Rossi to fill the district’s two seat vacancy at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Rossi will serve until Dec. 2, 2020 when the elected representative assumes office. Council members considered both Lawrence Abelson and Rossi for the position but Diana […]
SPHS students set to receive schedules on Aug. 12
Story by Kahlen Miao Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor SPHS principal Janet Anderson announced distance learning guidelines and additional information for the upcoming school year in an email sent out Monday, Aug. 10. Students will learn their schedules on Wednesday, Aug. 12 via the Aeries portal, and technology support and teacher instruction on how […]
SPUSD to offer meal pick-up services in 2020-2021 school year
Story by Katie HohmanStaff Writer Photo by Ella JayasekeraPhotography Editor SPUSD announced its newly formatted Curbside Meal Service for the upcoming school year on Friday, Aug. 7, which includes both drive-through and walk-up services. In contrast to the end of the 2019-2020 school year, the district will only be providing free meals to those who qualify. Students […]
School board to hold emergency meeting to review TASP’s instructional models
Story by Kahlen Miao Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor The school board will have a special meeting on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 2:00 p.m. to publicly review the Teacher’s Association of South Pasadena’s (TASP) proposed instructional models for the upcoming school year. School board president Dr. Michele Kipke informed the community of the special […]
City council postpones height limit increase and creation of more bike lanes
Story by Sofia Alva Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor The city council voted to not allocate Measure M funds, despite a heavy push by residents for money to be used for more bike lanes, at its meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Council members also unanimously voted to keep the building height limit increase off […]
D.A.’s office to investigate fake, online identities
Story by Haelee Kim Staff Writer Photo by Katelyn Hernandez Staff Photographer The South Pasadena Police Department (SPPD) announced that the L.A. County District Attorney will investigate two unknown identities accused of sending defamatory and threatening emails and public comments on Thursday, Aug. 6. The informant, resident Chris Bray, sent an email to city officials, SPPD officers, […]
Teachers voice concern over adopted learning models
Story by Charlie Betts Staff Writer Photo by Oscar Walsh Staff Photographer The Teachers Association of South Pasadena (TASP) voiced concern about the proposed SPUSD instructional models for the upcoming school year and have called for an emergency SPUSD school board meeting to address the problems. In June, teachers were given a variety of instructional models to […]
Community may get a chance to vote on raising building height maximums to create mandated affordable housing
Story by Zoe Schlaak Staff Writer Photo by Katelyn Hernandez Staff Photographer The city council will decide whether to put a proposal raising the city’s 45-foot building height limit on the November ballot, at its meeting on Wednesday Aug. 5. The South Pasadena Planning Commission did not recommend that the height maximum increase be placed on the […]
Residents voice encounters with the SPPD at virtual community forum
Story by Georgia Parsons Staff Writer Photo by Richard Gomez Contributor South Pasadena community members shared their experiences with the SPPD in an effort to improve policing and public safety in the city at a storytelling forum on Thursday, July 16. The forum is the first event organized by the city council’s new Future of Policing […]
Coronavirus case increase prompts statewide reclosing of businesses
Story by Eddie Zhou Staff Writer Photo by Oscar Walsh Staff Photographer California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a revised order requiring the immediate closure of moderate-risk businesses after a recent uptake in coronavirus cases — effective Monday, Jul. 13. Additionally, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced its plans to hold instruction strictly online come August in […]
District faces legal action for ties to SPEF’s tuition-based summer school
Story by Haelee Kim Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor South Pasadena resident John Srebalus raised the possibility of legal action against South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) due to their awarding of credit to the tuition-based South Pasadena Educational Foundation (SPEF) summer school classes. Srebalus’ lawyers stated that the District’s current embrace […]