Citizen Journalism

Larry Wilson, public editor of the Pasadena Star-News, was the guest speaker at the kickoff of the Citizen Journalism Speaker Series on Wednesday evening.


Bloggers and others gathered in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library to hear Larry discuss the changing face of professional journalism today and how the average joe can become a competent citizen reporter via blogs, Facebook, cell phones and other social media.

Larry's a blogger, too!

Dean Lee, city editor of Mountain Views News, spoke briefly at the event:


Dean teaches a free class for current and budding citizen reporters every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at 2057 N. Los Robles Ave., at the southwest corner of Los Robles and Woodbury. It's on the first floor of the two-story building (you can't miss it: It has "City of Pasadena" in great big letters). This is where our KPAS studio is!

Memory Card Full

I'm really bad about deleting photos from my camera, even after I've uploaded them to the computer. Yesterday I got the "Memory Card Full" message, so I decided to share some with you from the past few weeks and months.

In the photo above, this merry threesome -- Nancy Melekian, Jan Sanders and Judy Kent -- and I had dinner together at Celestino on Saturday night. They all wore red, which was definitely photo-worthy. I didn't get the memo, so I showed up in fuchsia.


U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff was the guest in the elected official's chair last month for a KPAS "City Beat" taping. Left to right are "City Beat" producer/director Stuart Johnson, Schiff, your favorite host, André Coleman of the Pasadena Weekly and Frank Girardot of the Pasadena Star-News.

I was the auctioneer and Huell Howser was the MC at the Pasadena Senior Center's gala benefit. I only wore my fancy chapeau during the live auction and for this photo. You can come visit it in my office anytime!

The official crowning of the Rose Queen and her court is an elegant and exciting event every year. Here's Tournament of Roses President Jeff Throop and his wife Angel with the lovely young women at the close of the ceremony.


Ritch Wells, the City of Glendale's PIO, retired last month. I was asked to say a few words at his farewell party in the Community Room at the Glendale Police Department, which I was so happy to do. I presented him with a Pasadena City Hall tapestry blanket (on the table at right), then tearfully gave him a big hug. I sat on the interview panel for the Glendale PIO position about 15 years ago when Ritch was hired. The Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank PIOs meet for lunch quarterly to discuss shared issues and have a little fun. Ritch is now the alumni member of the group!


In October there was a Pasadena First: Buy Local open house where local business representatives met with city staff who provided advice on departmental purchasing needs.


Brian Biery and I used to work very closely together during the years when he headed up the Neighborhood Connections Office. After all, I'm all about community outreach and that office is all about neighborhood outreach. Now Brian is the director of community organizing for the Flintridge Center. We had lunch at the Pasadena Sandwich Company recently. He was checking my latest blog post when I shot this.


Joyce Wong was the graphic designer in the Public Affairs Office for a few years. She moved back home to Hong Kong to care for her ailing mother about five years ago. Ruby, in her 90s, bounced back and is in better shape than any of us, and Joyce decided to stay in Hong Kong anyway. She was visiting here a couple of weeks ago, and Linda Centell and I met her for dinner at Mijares.


Daryl Evans, the radio color commentator for the Los Angeles Kings, and the team mascot Bailey, addressed the Pasadena City Council in support of a new ice rink.


Ten PIO pals and I who have known each other about 25 years get together in Palm Springs every year to catch up with each other and enjoy some R&R. Here's the gang earlier this year having breakfast at our hotel before hitting the pool area. Starting at left front are Heather Morris, director of communications for the Port of Long Beach; Dave Liebler, director of public affairs and member services for the California State Association of Counties (CSAC); Sheri Benninghoven (leaning forward), former director of communications for the League of California Cities and now president of SAE Communications; Judy Rambeau Franz, former assistant to the city manager/communications for the City of Santa Monica (retired); Scott Summerfield (with our server), former PIO for the City of Newark and now principal at SAE Communications; Tom Manheim, director of communications for the City of San Jose; Karen George, former PIO for the City of Fremont and now PIO for the Anoka-Hennipen School District in Minnesota; yours truly; and Norm Franz, Judy's husband.

Not shown (because they couldn't make it this year) are Sue Schlerf, assistant city manager for the City of Reno; Mike Maxfield, former PIO for the City of Claremont (retired); and Debbie Thornton, former communications manager for the League of California Cities and now marketing director for Unify Corporation.

Your City at Work

Last Wednesday I began taping a new edition of "Your City at Work," a series on KPAS that has me following a city employee out of the office and into the field.

Past editions have featured a public health nurse, motorcycle cop, code compliance officer, arborist and other employees who don't spend all their time behind a desk.

This latest edition, which will air after some additional taping and editing are completed, features Jesse Reyes (in orange shirt below), a water troubleshooter with Pasadena Water and Power.


The camera crew is Davide Colleone, left, and Michele Maglionico. Linda Centell of the Public Affairs Office is the director.

What's a water troubleshooter? You'll have to tune in to find out! When the program's ready to roll, I'll let everyone know the schedule. All KPAS programming can be seen via streaming video on the Internet as well.

In the top photo I'm doing a little intro for the show in front of the Chapman Wellhead near PWP's water meter shop. The color coordination was coincidental!

The photos were shot by Linda Centell.

So Long, 55

Our studio will still be in the back building at the southwest corner of Los Robles and Woodbury, and our small production room will still be across from the council chamber at City Hall.

But on Jan. 12, after more than two decades, 55 KPAS will move to channel 3 on the Charter Communications system.

This is a decision of Charter, not the City of Pasadena. Charter did offer to provide in-kind services to help promote the change, so I took them up on their offer. I wrote the PSA that they produced, which is running on many of the cable channels throughout their system.

You can see it here. Depending on your browser, it's either at the top of the screen or you'll have to scroll down to the bottom to see it.

Of course, you can always view KPAS online here (click on Video Streaming at the ride side of the screen).

Groundbreakings Aren't as Boring as They Sound!

I’ve always said that from a media perspective, groundbreaking ceremonies are right up there with ribbon cuttings and check presentations.

Newspapers rarely dispatch photographers to these kinds of events, so I take lots of photos and send them to media with captions after the fact.

Some print them, some don't.

My work is complete on our most recent groundbreaking ceremony on March 17, so here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure.

First, this is all about cleaning up four wells in the Monk Hill area of Pasadena, in that funky "index finger" area at the top of District 1 in Northwest Pasadena.

It's an interesting challenge setting up for such an event in the middle of a big empty space.

Thankfully I wasn't in charge of logistics! That was staff from Pasadena Water and Power.

I had the entire event videotaped, and I asked my KPAS crew to get a few interviews in advance to edit into the program.

Here's our city manager, Michael Beck, on camera. That's Stuart Johnson doing the interview and Michelle Maglionico behind the camera.


I'm expecting a final version in the next day or two, and then we'll put it on KPAS.

Pasadena Water and Power staff provided educational information to the many people who attended.




People visited for a while...

..and then the ceremony began. Mayor Bill Bogaard served as master of ceremonies.


District 1 Councilwoman Jacque Robinson presented a certificate of appreciation to Tecumseh Shackelford, a neighborhood leader.

Ta-dah!


Dig (no pun intended) the Brady Bunch grass.

Left to right: Steve Slaten, NASA's project manager on groundwater cleanup; Keith Takata, director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund program for Region 9 (Pacific Southwest); City Councilwoman Jacque Robinson; Dr. James Wright of NASA; Mayor Bill Bogaard; and Phyllis Currie, general manager of Pasadena Water and Power.

The area is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, which will be affected by the construction.

To help shield neighbors' view of the project, evergreen trees have been planted and green-screen fence installed all around the project.

Here's the view from the street.


This is a great example of intergovernmental cooperation: NASA and the City of Pasadena have worked closely together on site selection and design of the treatment plant with support from the EPA, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and California Department of Public Health.

NASA is funding construction and operating costs; the City of Pasadena will own and operate the plant.

A contract for construction has been awarded and completion is anticipated in late 2010.

We'll keep you posted!

March 10 is Election Day!

Voters will make their choices for Pasadena City Council Districts 3, 5 and 7, and PUSD Board of Education seats 1, 3, 5 and 7.

Pasadena Convention Center will be abuzz that evening with the counting of the ballots. Beginning at 8 p.m., election coverage will be broadcast live on 55 KPAS and via streaming video. On Pasadena televisions where cable is connected directly to the set and not through a cable box, KPAS can be found on channel 1.

Election results will also be updated continually that evening at this site.

And here's something new this week: If you have an iPhone, Treo, Blackberry or some other mobile device with Internet capability, enter mobile.cityofpasadena.net and you'll see election results as the second option listed on the screen!

For information on polling locations or to view your sample ballot pamphlet, call the City Clerk's Office at 744-4124.

"City Beat"

I have been moderating "City Beat" on KPAS for many years, along with Barry Gordon who moderates every other program.

We did a taping today at the KPAS studio, which is at the Hens Teeth Square complex at the southwest corner of Los Robles and Woodbury.

Here's part of the control room just before taping began.



Here we are on the set. I'm getting my microphone attached by Oliver Brown, our engineer. That's Mayor Bogaard on the left, of course. On the right are James Macpherson, publisher of the web-based publication Pasadena Now; and Dean Lee, reporter with Mountain Views Observer. Producer Stuart Johnson and floor manager Davide Collioni, who also operated one of the cameras, were standing by.



So as not to slight the rest of our exceptional crew, Lilia Gaspar handled CG in the control room, Mike Bingley and Jimmy Aquino operated the other two cameras in the studio, and Kevin Brechner is our director extraordinaire.

After the taping, Kevin wanted me to review a segment of the program before I left the studio to come back to City Hall.



"City Beat" is the only Pasadena TV program where local issues are discussed by elected officials and journalists. Today we talked about the recent Sister Cities trip to Järvenpää, Finland, and Ludwigshafen, Germany; the MTA Board's decision to delay funding for the Gold Line extension to the east San Gabriel Valley; a possible PUSD bond measure for capital projects that, if approved by the Board of Education, would be on the November ballot; water conservation; and the Fourth of July.

The program repeats daily -- see the programming schedule at the KPAS link above -- and you can also see it via streaming video at that same link.