Pasadena Ca Public Works

The Pasadena City Council, citing the need for better oversight of the Hahamongna Watershed Park, has declared its intention to shift the budget for the 300-acre facility's operating company to the Public Works Department, effectively gutting the power of the nonprofit company's board. The declaration comes after nearly a year of infighting among the board of directors of the Hahamongna Operating Co.

City officials said this week they have not detected harmful amounts of lead in tap water following reports that a firm selling water meters to the city had agreed to halt production because of concerns that the meters released more lead than the state allows. Shawn Kwan, manager of Pasadena's water services division, said city water meets all state standards. The meters, manufactured by ABB Water Meters Inc. of Ocala, Fla., account for only about 620 of 30,000 meters in Pasadena.

The Pasadena City Council is seeking to terminate a contract with a company that locates underground utility lines for the city after union officials alleged that an error by the firm proved to be nearly fatal for a city worker. A Water and Power Department employee operating a digger last week survived cutting into an allegedly incorrectly marked 17,000-kilowatt underground power line only because he was holding on to rubber.

When the fun is over, there is "the aftermath." That's what Suzy Hall called the holiday detritus of pine needles and wrapping paper that cluttered her usually neat three-bedroom home in Rancho Palos Verdes. There was the refrigerator too, most of its contents destined for the trash bin. Hall recited the list: "old fruitcakes, Chinese food, sweet potatoes, two unopened cartons of eggnog and 2 1/2 used bottles of champagne that have no bubbles."

Within the next few weeks, the Pasadena Business Enterprise Committee is expected to make a recommendation to the City Council that, according to at least one committee member, "no one will like."

The Glendale and Pasadena city councils agreed last week to share the costs of building a pipeline to carry treated sewage water from Glendale's reclamation plant for use in irrigating parks, schools, golf courses and other public places in the two cities. Donald R. Froelich, Glendale water services administrator, said the agreement will result in a $2.3-million savings over the next 25 years, compared to the cost of building the pipelines independently.

When the fun is over, there is "the aftermath." That's what Suzy Hall called the holiday detritus of pine needles and wrapping paper that cluttered her usually neat three-bedroom home in Rancho Palos Verdes. There was the refrigerator too, most of its contents destined for the trash bin. Hall recited the list: "old fruitcakes, Chinese food, sweet potatoes, two unopened cartons of eggnog and 2 1/2 used bottles of champagne that have no bubbles."

More than 1,000 Pasadena youngsters are trying to thwart graffiti vandals this summer by painting murals on city park walls. "We're working with the theory that if children are participating in the creation of artwork for their park, they're much less likely to come along later and graffiti [the walls]," said Christy Armstrong, outreach director for the Amory Center for the Arts in Pasadena.

Pasadena residents who have questions about the scheduled deregulation of the utility industry can get answers at a series of informational hearings that begin tonight, officials said. City Manager Philip Hawkey and Rufus Hightower, general manager of the Pasadena Water and Power Department, plan to meet with residents at 7 p.m. in the Jackie Robinson Center.

City officials said this week they have not detected harmful amounts of lead in tap water following reports that a firm selling water meters to the city had agreed to halt production because of concerns that the meters released more lead than the state allows. Shawn Kwan, manager of Pasadena's water services division, said city water meets all state standards. The meters, manufactured by ABB Water Meters Inc. of Ocala, Fla., account for only about 620 of 30,000 meters in Pasadena.

After 20 years of limited service, the Devil's Gate Dam is back to full strength, just in time for the wet weather widely predicted by meteorologists and for more unexpected events. "It'll be safe now for El Nino or the big one, the big earthquake," said Robert Kroll, an engineering assistant with the county Department of Public Works. County and city officials this week marked the completion of $10 million in repairs to the dam.

Pasadena residents who have questions about the scheduled deregulation of the utility industry can get answers at a series of informational hearings that begin tonight, officials said. City Manager Philip Hawkey and Rufus Hightower, general manager of the Pasadena Water and Power Department, plan to meet with residents at 7 p.m. in the Jackie Robinson Center.

The Pasadena City Council, citing the need for better oversight of the Hahamongna Watershed Park, has declared its intention to shift the budget for the 300-acre facility's operating company to the Public Works Department, effectively gutting the power of the nonprofit company's board. The declaration comes after nearly a year of infighting among the board of directors of the Hahamongna Operating Co.

The Pasadena City Council is seeking to terminate a contract with a company that locates underground utility lines for the city after union officials alleged that an error by the firm proved to be nearly fatal for a city worker. A Water and Power Department employee operating a digger last week survived cutting into an allegedly incorrectly marked 17,000-kilowatt underground power line only because he was holding on to rubber.

Within the next few weeks, the Pasadena Business Enterprise Committee is expected to make a recommendation to the City Council that, according to at least one committee member, "no one will like."

The proposed deregulation of some of California's electric utilities has spurred officials in the Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena power departments to consider a partial merger of the three municipal utilities in order to stay competitive. The state Public Utilities Commission's proposed deregulation plan, expected to be implemented in 1997, only affects privately held utilities such as Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric.

After 20 years of limited service, the Devil's Gate Dam is back to full strength, just in time for the wet weather widely predicted by meteorologists and for more unexpected events. "It'll be safe now for El Nino or the big one, the big earthquake," said Robert Kroll, an engineering assistant with the county Department of Public Works. County and city officials this week marked the completion of $10 million in repairs to the dam.

The proposed deregulation of some of California's electric utilities has spurred officials in the Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena power departments to consider a partial merger of the three municipal utilities in order to stay competitive. The state Public Utilities Commission's proposed deregulation plan, expected to be implemented in 1997, only affects privately held utilities such as Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric.

More than 1,000 Pasadena youngsters are trying to thwart graffiti vandals this summer by painting murals on city park walls. "We're working with the theory that if children are participating in the creation of artwork for their park, they're much less likely to come along later and graffiti [the walls]," said Christy Armstrong, outreach director for the Amory Center for the Arts in Pasadena.

In one of the worst local disruptions of water service in the last 15 years, as many as 5,000 customers throughout Northwest and Central Pasadena were without water, some for as long as 14 hours, earlier this week while crews worked through the night to repair a broken water main. The break occurred about 3 p.m. Monday on a two-foot-diameter transmission pipe that had somehow been weakened at Hammond and Glen avenues. By 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, the service had been restored.