In the Pink!

A week ago I blogged about a photo opportunity with firefighters in pink shirts.

On Monday night, Pasadena City Council members donned pink shirts during their weekly meeting here at City Hall.

Vice Mayor Victor Gordo (left) and District 6 Councilman Steve Madison are in the top photo.

Below: District 3 Councilman Chris Holden and District 2 Councilwoman Margaret McAustin.


And here are City Clerk Mark Jomsky and Mayor Bill Bogaard:


Firefighters came in their pink shirts and received a proclamation from Mayor Bogaard for showing solidarity this week with breast cancer awareness and women's cancer research.


I snapped this shot in the anteroom behind the council chamber, with District 1 Councilwoman Jacque Robinson in the middle:


Real firefighters wear pink!

Read!

Catherine Hany, communications manager for Pasadena public libraries, came up with a fun campaign to help everyone embrace the power of reading.

It features Mayor Bill Bogaard and every member of the Pasadena City Council. Posters are at local libraries.















And speaking of reading, get your children and teens signed up for our free summer reading program. They'll not only keep their reading skill levels where they need to be during summer break, they'll be involved in activities galore! Learn more here.

Mystery History -- Solved

Mike wins with his 7:21 a.m. Tuesday guess "We're at Burbank Airport. As for what's happening -- a Memorial Day airshow?"

In the photo above, planes perform in an air show during grand-opening ceremonies at Burbank Airport on Memorial Day weekend in 1930.

Here's a photo that gives a better idea of the size of the crowd:



What's in a name? Dubbed Bob Hope Airport in 2003, it originally opened as United Airport in 1930, having been built by the forerunner of United Airlines. The name became Union Air Terminal in 1934 and was changed to Lockheed Air Terminal in 1940 when Lockheed Aircraft Corporation bought the airport. In 1967 Lockheed dubbed it Hollywood-Burbank Airport and it became Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport in 1978.


An 80th anniversary banner was unveiled at the Bob Hope Airport last Friday and will remain in place throughout the summer.


The nine-member Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, which owns and operates the airport through a joint powers agreement, has three members representing each city. Pasadena's members, appointed by the Pasadena City Council, are Joyce Streator (president), Chris Holden and Francis D. Logan. I replay airport authority meetings on KPAS Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 p.m.

There was a special 80th anniversary celebration at Bob Hope Airport yesterday.

Many thanks to Victor Gill, my counterpart at Bob Hope Airport.

It Was a Grand Re-opening!

Robinson Park re-opened on Saturday with plenty of sunshine beaming down on the spectacular new field as the rain clouds started moving in again.

But nothing could rain on this parade! It was a perfect example of the city/community partnership that made the renovation possible.

A formal program got things started, with dignitaries including Chris Holden (above), City Manager Michael Beck (below) and other city and community leaders.


The official ribbon was cut by Councilman Holden and Mack Robinson's widow, Delano Robinson, surrounded by community leaders and city officials.


Then it was on to an exhbition softball game with city staff (team name: The Pasadena Bureaucrats) vs. a community team. Due to wet dirt (some might call that mud!), the new football field doubled as a baseball diamond.

Delano Robinson, wearing her brother-in-law Jackie's Dodgers training jacket, threw out the first pitch:


The city's team warmed up with stretching exercises.


Here's Bill Huang up at bat, with California Assemblyman Anthony Portantino serving as umpire. Bill is the director of our Housing Department.


City Clerk Mark Jomsky on the pitcher's mound:


Brian Biery of the Flintridge Operating Foundation (left), Steve Lizardo and Vannia De La Cuba, field representative to Vice Mayor Victor Gordo, gave magnificent color commentary!


In the catcher's position: Martin Pastucha, director of the Public Works Department.


Fire Chief Dennis Downs making a bee-line to first base:


The team shirts are part of our City of Pasadena souvenir collection. That's Patsy Lane, director of the Human Services and Recreation Department, on the left and Debbie Humphrey, executive secretary for the Libraries/Information Services Department.


Meanwhile, on the other side of the park, Pasadena police commanders were cooking hot dogs and there was a line-up of information about City of Pasadena programs and services. That's Alejandrina Flores, manager of our Neighborhood Connections Office, in the blue jacket at the first table.



I took all of the photos in this posting with the exception of two: the ribbon cutting and the first pitch, both courtesy of the Pasadena Star-News.