ON MEMORIAL DAY resident John Moses celebrated his 101st birthday. Making it even more special, Moses is a World War II veteran.  His son, Rick, said: “The greatest generation is still rocking.”

SKILLS U.S.A. MEMBERS include, front row, from left, Sagar Raju, Benjamin Quirk, Cameron Benitez, Joshua Garsin and Justin Moyer. Back, Cassandra Islas, Nia Bertino, Anthony Garcia (Teacher), Alexis Mora, Emily Swanson.

For the first time ever the “Sports Medicine” class at South Pasadena High School entered students in the medical competition at SkillsUSA. Nine students entered the competition and they all placed in the top three and qualified for the California Skills USA Championships.
The following are the results:
•SkillsUSA Southern California Regional Championships
•Team “Medical Knowledge Bowl”
•3rd  place Bronze Medal
Sagar Ragu
Cassandra Islas
Nia Bertino
Alexis Mora
•Team “Occupational Health and Saftey.”
1st place Gold Medal
Nia Bertino
Alexis Mora

•Individual Competitions:
Basic Health Care
1st place Gold Medal
Ben Quirk
2nd place Silver Medal
Cameron Benitez
•Nursing:
1st place Gold Medal
Joshua Garsin

•Medical Terminology
2nd place Silver Medal
Emily Swanson

•Job Demonstration Skills
3rd place Bronze Medal
Justin Moyer

SkillsUSA State Championships

•Team “Medical Knowledge Bowl”
2nd  Place Silver Medal
Sagar Ragu
Cassandra Islas
Nia Bertino
Alexis Mora

•Team “Occupational Health and Saftey.”
2nd place Silver Medal
Alexis Mora
(This was a team competition but due to scheduling problems Alexis Competed alone and finished 2nd.)

•Individual Competitions:
Basic Health Care
2nd place Silver Medal
Cameron Benitez

Two South Pasadena residents are running for office in the June 7 election and appear on the sample and vote-by-mail ballots that have been delivered to South Pasadena voters ­­­– L.A. County Democratic Party Central Committee candidate Zahir Robb and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge candidate Kim Nguyen.
Robb, a lifelong resident of South Pasadena, was recently elected as president of the newly re-activated South Pasadena Democratic Club, has served on the County Party Committee since 2012 and is a former California State Central Committee member. A school principal, Robb is married to his SPHS classmate Noel Garcia and is the father of three – one at Calvary preschool, one at Marengo and one who will soon follow in her siblings footsteps.
“There are 88 cities and more than 10 million people in L.A. County, so it’s easy for us to be overshadowed. I want to make sure South Pasadena’s voice is heard on important issues like making sure they don’t put a freeway through our town, addressing the homelessness crisis, strengthening public safety, and ensuring our kids are getting the best possible education,” Robb said.
Robb is also a champion for a healthier environment for South Pasadena’s children whose garden was featured in the city’s water-wise tour last year and whose roof holds an array of solar panels.
Robb is also an AYSO division coach and active member of Dads Uniting Dads in Education and Service (DUDES) and the South Pasadena/San Marino YMCA Adventure Guides Program. He was trained by the city’s CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program and is co-block captain of his Neighborhood Watch. His endorsers include South Pasadena Mayor Diana Mahmud.
Nguyen, a Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice, lives in South Pasadena with her husband and two children, one currently enrolled at Marengo and one who will begin in the fall.
A graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, she received a rating of “Well Qualified” by the Los Angeles County Bar Association after a thorough vetting process.  In its final report, the committee that rated Nguyen determined that she “possess[es] the professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and temperament indicative of superior fitness to perform the judicial function with a high degree of skill and effectiveness.”
Nguyen is a volunteer attorney with Advancing Justice-LA’s Citizenship Project, is a Member of the Advisory Board of Specialists for the California Attorney General’s Bureau of Children’s Justice, is an active member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, and is involved with the Marengo PTA and Girl Scout Troop 9251.
A first-generation Vietnamese American, Ngyuen’s parents came to the United States as refugees. She said her priorities are to keep our communities safe; help abused and neglected children recover from trauma and find safe homes; and serve the diverse population of Los Angeles County through increased access to our courts and judicial system.
Her endorsers include Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, the California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations, California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno (ret.), two California Court of Appeal Justices and more than 30 Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges.

• Sub-Headline : For June 7 Primary

South Pasadena resident Mimi Butler, above, has earned the prestigious Legend of Troy Award at the University of Southern California. The Legend of Troy is presented by the USC Athletic Department in recognition of and appreciation for an individual whose impact on the Trojan athletic program and the university has advanced the mission of USC Athletics. Butler began working in the athletic department at USC in 1995. At that time, she was the only learning specialist, working with high profile student athletes who needed assistance transitioning from high school to University level work. Over the years, the learning specialist staff grew as did the size of the USC student-athlete population. In 2000, Mimi developed the Trojans’ current directed studies program to meet the growing needs of student-athletes. In conjunction with the mission of Student Athletes Academic Services (SAAS), the goal of the directed studies program is to support, develop and prepare the student athletes to become self-regulated learners and to facilitate their continued academic success at USC. Today the staff at SAAS has expanded to include six full-time learning specialists and Mimi is the director of Academic Support and the Directed Studies Program. She enjoys working with student athletes and helping them discover their learning strengths and academic potential.  Outside of her life at USC, Mimi likes to spend time with her friends, her husband Joe, and her children Erin and Jack. Above, Butler is joined by former USC player Antwaun Woods, now with the Tennessee Titans.

The Weekly Crime Summary is a list of reported auto thefts, burglaries, robberies and other activities occurring in the City of South Pasadena.  An alert and well-informed citizen makes you less of a target to a criminal.  Call the South Pasadena Police Department to report any suspicious activity.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY
•5-24-16, 5:26 p.m. to 7:26 p.m., 300 block of Alta Vista. Suspect(s) enter victim’s garage and enters victim’s unlocked vehicle and take loss. Loss: Backpack, gym bag, necklace.
•5-23-16, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., 1600 block of Fletcher.  Suspect(s) gains entry through an unlocked window.  Loss: Bicycle.

ASSAULT
•5-23-16, 2:10 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., 2000 block of Hanscom. Suspect and victim are acquaintances and get into an argument which turns into a physical altercation.
POSSESSION OF BURGLARY TOOLS
•5-22-16, 8:16 a.m., 1000 block of Palm. Officers respond to a suspicious person looking into several vehicles and make contact with the subject. Suspect is found to be in possession of burglary tools, drugs, paraphernalia, and stolen mail.Suspect Arrested: Male, White, 37 years, Monrovia.

POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
•5-18-16, 10:00 a.m., 1900 block of Fremont (Almansor Academy). School staff member contacts police after noticing students in possession of drugs.

THEFT
•5-24-16, 8:56 a.m. to 9:02 a.m., 800 block of Stoney (Arroyo Park). Suspect takes loss from victim while victim is asleep. Loss: Phone, backpack, clothing, miscellaneous items.
•5-24-16, 8:20 p.m., 1200 block of Fair Oaks (Pavilions).  Suspect enters store and takes loss, then exits store without paying.  Loss: Detergent.  Suspect Description: Male, Black 45 years, wearing a black jacket.
•5-23-16, 11:10 a.m., 1100 block of Fair Oaks (Vons). Store employee notices suspect placing loss into suspect’s pants. Suspect then leaves without paying for loss. Officers respond and suspect is found to be in possession of methamphetamine. Suspect Arrested: Male, Black, 27 years, Los Angeles. Loss: Medication (recovered).
•5-23-16, 12 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., 400 block of Fair Oaks. Suspect takes loss from victim while victim is asleep. Loss: Smart phone.
•5-22-16, 9:14 p.m., 1200 block of Fair Oaks (Pavilions).  Suspect enters store and places loss inside a backpack.  Suspect then exits store without paying for loss.  Loss: Liquor.  Suspect Description: Male, Black, 30 years, wearing a gray hooded sweat jacket and dark colored pants carrying a black backpack.
•5-21-16, 2:34 PM to 3:17 p.m., 1400 block of Bank.  ’14 BMW X3. Suspect(s) enters victim’s unlocked vehicle and take loss. Loss: Unknown.
•5-20-16, 11:20 a.m., 1500 block of Mission (Camille Depedrini). Suspect takes loss and leaves store without paying. Suspect Description: Female, Asian, 30 years, 503, long black hair, 7 months pregnant. Loss: Clothing.
•5-19-16, 9:20 a.m. to 10:20 a.m., 1600 block of Huntington. ‘11 Toyota RAV4. Suspect takes loss from victim’s unlocked vehicle. Loss: Wallet, credit cards, cash.
•5-15-16, 5:12 p.m., 1100 block of Fair Oaks (Happy Feet). Suspect reaches over counter and takes loss. Loss: Stamp.
•5-14-16, 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., 200 block of Monterey. Victim purchases tickets from suspect, which turns out to be fraudulent.
•5-8-16, 2:39 p.m. to 2:40 p.m., 1700 block of Via Del Rey. Suspect walks on victim’s front lawn and takes loss. Loss: LED light.

DRUNK IN PUBLIC
•5-21-16, 9:26 a.m. to 10:08 a.m., 1800 block of Atlantic. Suspect is found to be intoxicated and unable to care for himself. Suspect Arrested: Male, Hispanic, 53 years, El Monte.
•5-24-16, 9:56 a.m. to 10:50 a.m., 300 block of Pasadena. Suspect is found to be intoxicated and unable to care for himself. Suspect Arrested: Male, White, 37 years.

IDENTITY THEFT/CREDIT CARD FRAUD/CHECK FRAUD
•5-23-16, 11:59 AM, 600 block of Grand. Suspect alters and attempts to cash victim’s check.
•5-13-16, 5:30 PM to 5-18-16, 1:30 AM, 1200 block of Via Del Rey. Suspect uses victim’s information and opens multiple accounts.
•4-10-16, 12:00 AM, 2000 block of Meridian. Suspect uses victim’s credit card information to make an unauthorized purchase.

For graffiti removal, call the City of South Pasadena “Graffiti Removal Hotline” at (626) 403-7249.  This is a 24-hour a day recording.  A written release is required prior to removal from private property.

Human trafficking activist Stephanie Molen will speak at Saturday’s Women Involved in South Pasadena Political Action (WISPPA) meeting about her work with the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST). All interested community members are welcome.
Molen, who is CAST’s director of partnerships, has been advocating on human rights issues and nonviolence since 2000. She has worked in state politics as campaign manager for Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D—Torrance), senior field representative for State Sen. Fran Pavley (D—Agoura Hills) and district director for State Sen. Betsy Butler (D—Marina del Rey).
Molen will speak about efforts to combat human trafficking at the local level. This is especially relevant to South Pasadena’s massage parlor issue: In 2014,  members of WISPPA, including Lisa Boyd of Moms for Community, lobbied to pass AB 1147, which helped cities regain their rights to regulate massage parlors and closed a loophole that allowed illicit massage and related human trafficking in some communities.
The meeting begins at 8:30 with coffee and refreshments;  Molen will speak at 9 a.m. Meetings are held in the basement of Calvary Presbyterian Church, 1050 Fremont Ave. For more information about WISPPA or its upcoming events, visit www.wisppa.org.

Prior to Wednesday’s graduation ceremony inside Ray Solari Stadium, South Pasadena High seniors attended the school’s annual Farewell Assembly. The big event on June 2 featured student performances, routines from the Pep Squad, recognition of retiring teachers, and plenty of enthusiasm from all class levels at the local high school. Some students were carried into the assembly on the shoulders of seniors, rejoicing that their final high school days were not far away. Look for the South Pasadena Review’s Special Graduation 2016 Issue, highlighting student achievement, on Thursday, June 16.

• Sub-Headline : Seniors Enjoy Festivities at Farewell Assembly

Amazing feats on bicycles were accomplished last week as BMX put on two exciting freestyle shows at Arroyo Vista and Marengo Elementary Schools. Using two giant ramps, world class BMX superstars thrilled the audience with with an entertaining and memorable show. The BMX team also left the students with a strong, positive message to make good choices for situations that sometimes can be difficult.

• Sub-Headline : Leave Students with Positive Message 
• ByLine : Photos by Sheila Tully and Kathleen McLaughlin

South Pasadena Beautiful held its annual meeting on June 2  in the South Pasadena Library Community Room.
Jeff Hutchison, a sustainable solutions community educator with TreePeople, talked about rainwater harvesting. Attendees learned the basics of capturing and reusing rainwater, native plant selection and care, plus best practices for turf removal and mulch application.
Beverages and drinks were served.

Firefighters from four different agencies, including South Pasadena, were at the scene of a small electrical fire of a two-story residence in the 1300 block of Garfield Avenue in San Marino Friday night.

The fire broke out in a light fixture of a bathroom, according to Richard Beckman, a battalion chief with Verdugo Cities Fire Department.

“It’s a very small issue,” said Beckman. “We’re just trying to make sure it doesn’t spread anywhere.”

The home is on the border between South Pasadena and San Marino.

Rocky Bergstrom, an engineer with the South Pasadena Fire Department, said local agencies responded after the owner of the home called 9-1-1 shortly after 10 p.m. following reports of smelling smoke in the ceiling of the home.

Shortly after their arrival firefighters were seen chopping down the ceiling with axes and other tools to determine the cause of the blaze.

Through a mutual aid program, about a dozen firefighters from South Pasadena, San Marino, Alhambra and Pasadena were at the scene.

• Sub-Headline : In Ceiling of Bathroom of Two-Story Home
• ByLine : By Bill Glazier Review Editor

South Pasadena High Senior Esteban Suarez soared 16-2 in the pole vault, his season best, and finished second at the State Track and Field Meet in Clovis.

“Wow,” said South Pasadena High track coach moments after Suarez went up and over the bar to surpass the school mark.

One other competitor reached the 16-8 mark to win the competition.

Earlier in the day, Suarez had a personal best of 15-8, which broke his old school record of 15-7.

• Sub-Headline : Sets a New South Pasadena High School Record
• ByLine : By Bill Glazier Review Editor

South Pasadena resident Elaine Wang admits being “a little spooked” after a Metro light rail train collided with a vehicle last Wednesday afternoon, just outside South Pasadena city limits.

On board, Wang said she and her friend, Sydney Michel, were sitting in back of one of the Metro cars at about 12:15 p.m. when they heard a woman scream. After train came to a halt, Wang’s immediate thought was it had derailed.

The two local residents quickly discovered a southbound train and a SUV were involved in an accident at Glenarm Street and Raymond Avenue in Pasadena. Later in the day, Metro buses were brought in to transport train passengers to the next station while the massive cleanup was underway.

Wang said Pasadena Police Department officers asked passengers to provide contact information, including their address and phone number, before they were given an opportunity to depart the train. Police officials then said, “We were free to go, but if we wanted to stay they would have another train for us,” Wang explained.

Michel witnessed a girl hitting a wall following the collision. “She started crying, I felt horrible,” Michel said.

Bobby Crees, a sergeant with the Pasadena Police Department, noting that an investigation of the incident was underway, said the driver of the vehicle, an elderly man, was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital for treatment. The SUV was eastbound on Glenarm at the time of the accident. Officials at the scene said the train was southbound.

Six individuals reportedly sustained injuries during the accident and received medical treatment.

• Sub-Headline : Driver of Vehicle Reported to Have Minor Injuries
• ByLine : By Bill Glazier Review Editor

Prior to Wednesday’s graduation ceremony inside Ray Solari Stadium, South Pasadena High seniors attended the school’s annual Farewell Assembly. The big event on June 2 featured student performances, routines from the Pep Squad, recognition of retiring teachers, and plenty of enthusiasm from all class levels at the local high school. Some students were carried into the assembly on the shoulders of seniors, rejoicing that their final high school days were not far away. Look for the South Pasadena Review’s Special Graduation 2016 Issue, highlighting student achievement, on Thursday, June 16.

• Sub-Headline : Seniors Enjoy Festivities at Farewell Assembly

Looking ahead, Arroyo Vista Elementary School students celebrated the theme “We’re on Our Way” during the June 7 hour-long promotion ceremony on campus. Among the tunes performed by the fifth graders were “She Loves You” by the Beatles, “I’m Good,” by the Mowgli’s,” Phil Colins’ “We’re on Our Way,” and “We Love AV,” at traditional favorite. Students simply adapt Randy Newman’s popular hit, with a taste of Arroyo Vista and South Pasadena. The Recessional was fitting as student walked out listening to Imagine Dragons “On Top of the World.”

“Let’s Celebrate” was the theme as Monterey Hills Elementary School fifth graders talked about their class memories, presented some books as gifts, and sang a series of songs, including Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” and Phil Collins’ “On Our Way,” during an hour-long outdoor promotion ceremony Monday, June 6, on campus.

Members of the band performed, Principal Kim Sinclair gave a touching farewell, students expressed their memories and sang a collection of songs, including “Count on Me,” by Bruno Mars, and “In My Life,” by the Beatles during Marengo Elementary School’s promotion on campus last Thursday morning. One of the highlights was the performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, with ukulele accompaniment by Marengo students. First Semester Student Body President Carl Sebstian Liebe, added plenty of humor, looking the part of a standup comedian. Daniella Lat, the school’s second semester student body president, added to the laughter, adding to the humor a few one-liners herself

It all started with a warm greeting by South Pasadena Middle School Principal Dave Kubela and ended with Handel’s “Hail the Conquering Hero.” In between, there were plenty of memorable moments, including moving speeches by Quyen Ballagh (“Super Heroes”) and Sam Clark (The Road is Ours), a call to action by David Kubela, telling the students the importance of “Learning from Adversity.” Musically talented Albert Zhou and Andy Park performed the National Anthem, Cole Fox, Ellie Washburn, Lila Dworsk-Hickey, sang “A Life that’s good.” South Pasadena High School Principal Janet Anderson took a moment to welcome the eighth graders to high school and Mathew Iwane and Jewel Ngjyen kept the program moving as emcees. Perhaps, the biggest job of the night, belonged to ASB President ASB President Hanwul Choi and ASB Vice President John Hutto, who were given the task of reading off the hundreds of names, recognizing those receiving diplomas.

Prior to Wednesday’s graduation ceremony inside Ray Solari Stadium, South Pasadena High seniors attended the school’s annual Farewell Assembly. The big event on June 2 featured student performances, routines from the Pep Squad, recognition of retiring teachers, and plenty of enthusiasm from all class levels at the local high school. Some students were carried into the assembly on the shoulders of seniors, rejoicing that their final high school days were not far away. Look for the South Pasadena Review’s Special Graduation 2016 Issue, highlighting student achievement, on Thursday, June 16. Following the program, orange and black balloons fell as students celebrated.

• Sub-Headline : South Pasadena High Class of 2016 Celebrates the End of Four Years

An unusual visitor found his way to South Pasadena last week, and helped spread the work about a major even in the city at the end of the month.
“Gabe the Sasquatch” gets his name because he hails from the San Gabriel Mountains, the majestic backdrop for the San Gabriel Valley and, of course,  the 626 Golden Streets on June 26.
626 Golden Streets, presented by Metro will allow participants an opportunity to bike, run, skate, scoot, dance and play on more than 18 miles of “open streets,” linking seven Foothill cities, including South Pasadena, and six Gold Line stations.
“I guess he found out about Golden Streets and liked the idea, so every now and then he  makes his way down from the mountains to our valley to help spread the word in his new favorite t-shirt,” explained 626 spokesperson Catalina Gonzalez. “He has been spotted in the region using the Metro Gold Line and even riding a bike! He is mostly friendly, and even has his own hashtag: #GabeTheSasquatch.”
The historic event will be one of the largest of its kind in the United States, and quite possibly the first in the nation in which eight distinct Jurisdictions work together to host connected “ciclovia” on the same day. As with any open streets event, 626 Golden Streets will not Feature a start or finish.
Attendees  can come and go; stop and explore; and traverse as much or as little of the route as they wish. Along the way there will be seven distinctive zones featuring activities such as live music, free fitness classes, popup art exhibits, family-friendly play zones and more.
The day will kick off at 7:30 a.m. with the Train Run (www.thetrainrun.com), the San Gabriel Valley’s first point to point half marathon from South Pasadena to Duarte. Upon finishing runners will receive a TAP card and be able to ride the Gold Line ride back to the start.

• Sub-Headline : Helps Promote 626 Golden Streets Event

The South Pasadena Unified School District recognized many employees last week for their service and commitment during a celebration at district headquarters

25 Years of Service – Marsha Klotzle, Marion Tompkins Not pictured: Michael Amerine, Michael Gray, Larry Larson and Bonnie Taylor.

30 Years of Service ­­– Sophie Lin and Paula Warner.
pictured: Gerald Wulf

20 Years of Service – Suzanne McNulty, Camille Abdalla, Lisa Bose, Robin Wilson, Julie Giulioni, Ed Stonick, Noemi Valdes, Debbie Porter
Not pictured: Ruth Carlson, Nan Freitas and Mike Hogan

SPUSD District Teacher of the Year – Helena Yee. L to R: Ann Davis-Martinez, Cheryl Busick, Paul Yee, Helena Yee SPUSD President Julie Giulioni and Superintendent Geoff Yantz.

SPUSD Teachers of the Year – Melissa (Foothill Federal Credit Union), Ben Ku, Helena Yee, Dean McCoy, Denise Johnson, Ron Aschieris

5 Years of Service – Cheryl Busick, Julia Johnson, Ben Ku, Laura Medley, Germana Tooch and Laura Tilem. Not pictured: Wendy Budd, Timaree Hayes, Ashley Hill, Vicki Kades, Maritza Karam, Martin Konrad, Ann Lam, Andrew McGough

10 Years of Service – Katherine Perry, Noelle Fong, Kimberly Fickentsher, Brenda Garcia, Cathleen Hoadley, Cynthia Holladay, Allen Lin, Nina Lopez, Bryan Scott, Amy Soto Not pictured: Soomin chao, Belinda Diaz, Socorro Elecciri, Alejandro Gadea, Alicia Gonzalez, Aaron Hernandez, Hector Mendiola, Barbara Najar, Valerie Omine, Sella Simonian, Colleen Urbino

SPUSD 2016 Retirees – Robin Wilson, Patricia Wylie, Robin Gochenour and Denise Johnson. Not pictured: Liz Furchtgott, Paul Groves, John Luce, Rae Luce, Greg Ring and Kathy Underwood.

35 Years of Service – Janet Anderson, joined by SPUSD Board President Julie Giulioni and Board of Education member John Primuth.

15 Years of Service – Emily Chiang, Inde Murphy, Christine Malach, Alan Mogel, Nora Robles and Emily Williams. Not pictured: Daniel Enright, Kristin Grosser and Estela Morales.