Stadium Expansion is Off and Running

I'm frightfully late in posting these photos from the groundbreaking at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Jan. 25. I served on the planning committee for the event, which marked the beginning of an extensive three-year, $152 million renovation and expansion project.

In the top photo, that's Mayor Bill Bogaard (center) on the 50 yard line, flanked by (left to right) RBOC President Victor Gordo, Tournament of Roses President Rick Jackson, UCLA Athletics Director Dan Guerrero and Legacy Campaign Director Andrea Van de Kamp.

Here's a closer look:


Later several other officials joined them on the field, including Pasadena City Council and RBOC members, and City Manager Michael Beck (second from left):


Darryl Dunn, general manager of the stadium, was the MC for the formal program, which preceded the photos above and featured several speakers:


As you can see from that shot, some preliminary stages of renovation had begun by the time this event took place, such as removal of seats.

The program was followed by a lovely luncheon on the field for about 150 people, which was capped off by a cake with very subtle symbolic decoration:


Emina Darakjy, one of the Rose Bowl neighbors, carried a rose-themed purse for the occasion. She happened to set it down next to one of the centerpieces. I couldn't resist the shot:


Perhaps the hardest worker of the day was Walt Mancini, Pasadena Star-News photographer extraordinaire whom I've worked with for 20 years:




I took all of the photos except the top one, which was shot by a photographer hired for the event. I don't do ladders.

Looking at Something-or-other on My Conference Table

During a meeting in my office today, Michael Beck (left), the mighty Zack Stromberg, Robert Montaño and I pored over some designs for something that will be revealed to you in time.

Michael is the city manager, Zack is my graphic designer in the Public Affairs Office and Robert is a project planner in the Economic Development Office.

Meet Phil Sanchez

Part of my role is to organize press conferences. In the council chamber yesterday, Phil Sanchez was introduced as Pasadena's next police chief. He'll begin his new duties on July 11. City Manager Michael Beck is in the background in the photo above.

After the formal portion of the press conference, Phil Sanchez took a few minutes to chat it up with some reporters, including (left to right) Dan Abendschein of the Pasadena Star-News, André Coleman of the Pasadena Weekly and Terry Miller of the Pasadena Independent.


In addition to press, there were community leaders at the conference. Here's Phil being greeted by Tanganica Turner, field representative to California Assemblyman Anthony Portantino...


...and Martin Gordon of the ACLU (that's an L.A. Times photographer on the right).


I needed to wrangle Phil for an interview outside with a TV reporter.


All in a day's work.


Photos by the mighty Zack Stromberg of the Public Affairs Office.

2009 Annual Report is Online!

Our first-ever annual report, which made its debut at Mayor Bill Bogaard's State of the City event, was the brainchild of City Manager Michael Beck.

In the interest of environmental stewardship only a limited number were printed, but you won't be left out in the cold because it's posted on the city website!

It was researched and written by yours truly with lots of input from departments (thanks, everyone!), and designed by the mighty Zack Stromberg, who also shot most of the large-format photos.

My favorite: a ceiling shot in the council chamber.


Kudos also to Assistant PIO Linda Centell, proofreader and editor extraordinaire.

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.

Ice Cream Social at City Hall

Yesterday City Manager Michael Beck hosted a lunch-hour ice cream social in the courtyard for employees.

For the invitation the mighty Zack Stromberg, my brilliant and talented graphic designer in the Public Affairs Office, did a take-off of "The Endless Summer" movie poster:

Several department directors pitched in to help with scooping duties. Starting with the city manager in the foreground and moving to his right: Michael Beck, Fire Chief Dennis Downs, City Clerk Mark Jomsky, Finance Director Andy Green, Assistant City Manager Steve Mermell, Deputy Police Chief Chris Vicino, Human Services and Recreation Director Patsy Lane and Housing Director Bill Huang.


An ice cream social wouldn't be complete without all the trimmings! That’s Susan Soto, a graphic designer in our Print Shop, facing forward.


Below are (left to right) Jackie Scott, who manages the adaptive recreation program; Peggy Palmer, executive secretary in the Fire Department; and Robert Gorski, accessibility and disability coordinator in the Human Resources Department.


Thanks for the fun break, Michael!

Some Odds and Ends

Happy Friday!

Here are few items that I've been meaning to post about but haven't had any time to do.

After I posted the big reveal to the Mystery History photo about the first locomotive in Pasadena, including the contributions of J.F. Crank, Mike Coppess was kind enough to provide additional information about Crank on his East of Allen blog. Take a look -- it's fascinating.


I took a couple of vacation days earlier this month to join a few fellow PIOs from throughout California at a farewell shindig for one of our own. Brad Rovanpera, PIO for the City of Walnut Creek for the past 24 years, is retiring and moving with his wife to Virginia, where he's going to pursue his lifelong dream of working at Monticello! (I'm jealous.)

The City of Walnut Creek will throw a big retirement bash for him, but the PIOs who have known Brad for many years wanted to do something special for him. Everyone gathered on the patio of P.F. Chang's in Fremont (near San Jose), coming from as far away as Pasadena (moi) and San Clemente (Judy Rambeau Franz, whose hand is on my shoulder; she's the former PIO for the City of Santa Monica and is retired). Most of the others work for cities in the greater San Jose area, although Erin Blount (in red) made the two-hour trip from Sacramento where she is PIO for First Five.

We gave Brad a scrapbook that encompasses his life as a PIO, which came as a pleasant surprise to him.


Two local bloggers paid me an evening visit at Pasadena City Hall recently. Karin Bugge and Petrea Burchard enjoyed the surroundings on this pleasant summer night. Petrea posted some photos from that evening on her blog, so check it out!


A couple of great employees in the Public Affairs Office were born in July -- Zack Stromberg, my graphic designer, and Linda Centell, my assistant PIO. We had a surprise birthday party for them last week complete with a cake made with loving hands by City Manager Michael Beck.


Speaking of the city manager, he welcomed and thanked our magnificent team of Public Affairs Office volunteers during a luncheon at Robin's Restaurant last week. Some work in the office and some work in the information booth in the grand entrance of Pasadena City Hall.



The volunteers stood and told us a little more about themselves than we may have known before. Here's Duane Allen revealing additional info:


We enjoyed the ribs and the chicken, and especially the desserts! This one is called a "messy sundae."



Enjoy your weekend.

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!