Inspired by a post over at Cartersblog - I continue my look at the Ten Things I Love About Pasadena. Here’s #4:
#4 - Unincorporated Pasadena!
It’s got a Pasadena mailing address but can’t vote for City Council. It’s seen in ads for businesses as part of the city but it’s really part of LA County. It’s Unincorporated, untouched, and uncensored East Pasadena at its finest.
Know that song by Petula Clark, “Downtown?” Well, why don’t you try and learn a little bit about our unwanted neighbor to the East through these lyrics. It’s called “Untown“.
When you’re alone
The wife is making you lonely,
You can always go Untown
When you’ve got worries,
And no known case of Herpes
Seems to help, I know, Untown
Just listen to the music of the Cholos in the pick-up
Don’t linger on the sidewalk too long for the big stick-up
How can you lose?
The hookers are much more Asian there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all you cares and go
Untown, things’ll be great when you’re
Untown, no finer place for sure,
Untown, Happy Ending Massages waiting for you
(Untown)
Don’t hang around
And get into fights at R Place
There’s a nudie bar right there
Maybe you know
The Show At Papa Joe’s
For a $50 blow…go Untown
Just listen to the crazy man singing Christmas carols
You’ll be runnin from ‘im too while I am laughing barrells
Happy again
The lights are always burned out there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares and go
Untown - Circuit City next right,
Untown, cops will bust you tonight and take you,
Downtown, wife will bail you out now
(Untown Untown)
Downtown
(Downtown)
And you may find somebody kind to help and understand you
Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand to
Give you a handjob
So, maybe I’ll see you there
We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares and go to
Untown things’ll be great when you’re
Untown don’t wait a minute more,
Untown - VD is waiting for you
**
Occasionally, The Proc has to tear someone a new one. For the betterment of Pasadena, ya see.
Thomas Hines or Himes or Hives or whatever his name is, an intern for Frank Girardot, recently had this to say on Frank’s blog:
The death of retired Pasadena Police Lt. David Richter has highlighted the need for responsible journalism in a time when tabloid reporting and the sentiments of bloggers are confused with news.
Richter’s abandoned car was found by a water-filled pit in Irwindale last January. Police assumed the retired lieutenant had either taken his own life or simply walked away from his financial troubles.
The later discovery of Richter’s corpse and a firearm under a nearby overpass seems to corroborate the theory that Richter took his own life. But then there’s the conspiracy theorists, and admittedly the case possesses all the potential of a Law and Order episode.
Thursday, I read an article by Andre Coleman of the Pasadena Weekly. Buried on page 13, the article uses an unnamed source and anonymous letter to create speculation amongst readers. After a short recap of the facts, Coleman delves into a lengthy digress about an anonymous letter sent to members of the Pasadena City Counsel. The letter alleges everything from police malfeasance to racism.
Coleman’s sublimation of this anonymous letter leads to another anonymous source:
“According to an earlier conversation with one coroner’s office employee who did not wish to be named, among the factors that may have led authorities to reopen the case (the case was never closed) was that a gun found near Richter’s body appeared to have been fired four times, and one bullet remained in the weapon.”
Keeping in mind that they are a tabloid, I find it alarming that the Pasadena Weekly published this story. Had someone in the coroner’s office made the statement, a statement that Los Angeles County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter doubts the legitimacy of, I would have written it off as conjecture, rather than present it as news. How would someone in the coroner’s office know this information? According to Winter, homicide detectives would have taken the weapon and run ballistics on it, not the coroners office. While the article spends ample time on anonymous sources, it fails to mention Richter’s financial possible motives for Richter to commit suicide.
Prior to writing my article on Richter, I searched for reliable information, unfortunately reliable sources of information weren’t permitted to comment.
Friday I spoke with a psychic who claims the spirit of David Richter awakens her every morning seeking justice for his murder.
Monday morning I listened to a voice-mail from an anonymous caller who presented himself as law enforcement by using the word “we” often in his rant. I listened to the message several times in an ill-fated attempt to extract meaningful insight.
“You’ll never find out what happened, because that’s what happens to us good cops when we make promises we can’t keep.”
What promises? Promises to financial institutions involving adjustable rate mortgages?
After racking my brain for three days I had an epiphany: there probably isn’t any credible information indicating Richter’s death was anything but a suicide.
Let’s face it, Richter was a retired cop and retired cops kill themselves. By the age of 55 Richter had spent his entire adult life in law enforcement, never married, and had no kids.
Police who survive years of service, only to take their own lives after retirement is not a new concept. My own grandfather retired after 30 years as a Philadelphia homicide detective, and spent the next ten years drinking himself to death.
Sure, it’s possible that Richter caught a bullet during an old-west-style shootout with a crooked cop. However, it’s far more likely that Richter was lamenting his career, his impending financial doom, and a Christmas without not only kin but comrade, last holiday season when he died.
Regardless of what happened to Richter, it’s important that journalists remember their role: to report the news not create it. That’s why I take it as a compliment when bloggers like Aaron Proctor recognize me with a “ham and egger” award for “stealing” a story. So long as the Associated Press continues to recognize the difference between news coverage and misleading narratives, there just might be hope for the media and the role it should play in our society.
This post has obviously raised some concern and some issues for me:
1. Who the fuck are you to come on The Proc’s show and disrespect The Proc? Duncan Hines..Gregory Hines…Heinz 57…what’s your name again? Oh yeah, that’s right, it doesn’t matter what your name is.
2. It’s spelled COUNCIL, not Counsel. Not that I’m the world’s best speller (but I am the world’s fastest typer)…but come on? Did you learn your journalism skills at DeVry? Or maybe the Delaware County Daily Times?
3. Last time I checked, the PW is an alternative weekly, not a tabloid.
4. I didn’t award you any Ham & Eggs* - but you are a front-running candidate for douchebag of the year. (* - yet)
5. I hear this kid is from Philly - which proves that everyone from Philly is not awesome.
6. I would simply tear you a new one - but I’ll do you one better, newbie, and give you a special challenge:
Check out this video for a very special message to Tommy Boy.
Any time, any place, Thomas. Steel cage match. Bring it on.
The Proc just made his ass famous.
**
Straight out of one my Sid Tyler Facts, ol’ Mr. Tyler isn’t too happy about a proposed bridge - and asks the same question that we’re all wondering: Is this bridge really necessary?
The more hilarious thing about Monday’s meeting was the guy who keeps coming to issue challenges to Steve Haderlein. I think he also needs to work on his mic skills a bit.
Listen, dude, if you’re out there reading - trust me, “Threatening to (insert action) until (insert name) apologizes” never, ever works. All it will get you is a 30 minute lecture from a Councilmember about how his foes are “brainwashing” you. Oh wait, that’s the other Steve.
I highly doubt that Sexy Steve yelled at you and hung up on you. I make fun of him and his cohorts on a daily basis but that just doesn’t fit his archetype.
I’m assuming this guy is a victim of something much more interesting - this guy’s girlfriend was probably ogling Steve while he was coaching softball and he’s mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.
**
Goodbye, Jane Rodriguez. We will all miss you and your sexy legs. She’s being replaced by the not-so-smokin’ Mark Jomsky on July 26th. Ann Erdman broke the erection-shattering news yesterday:
PASADENA CITY COUNCIL APPOINTS NEW CITY CLERK
The Pasadena City Council has appointed Mark Jomsky to take the position
of city clerk effective July 26. He will replace Jane Rodriguez, who is
retiring after 35 years of public service.
Jomsky will oversee a $2.1 million budget and 16 employees, serve as
clerk to the city council, prepare and maintain official city documents
and legislative records, administer municipal and school district
elections and provide policy guidance to city departments.
He has served as senior assistant city clerk since 2005. Previously he
was deputy and assistant city clerk for the city of Calabasas.
According to Mayor Bill Bogaard, the selection of Jomsky was not a
difficult decision.
“My council colleagues and I have great confidence that Mark’s
leadership abilities and technical skills will serve us well as the city
moves forward,” he said. “Mark worked under Jane Rodriguez, so he
learned from the best.”
Jomsky earned a bachelor’s degree from University of California-Irvine
and a master’s degree in public administration from California State
University-Long Beach.
He is a certified municipal clerk and is a member of the International
Institute of Municipal Clerks and the City Clerks Association of
California.
He and his wife, Tali Menachem, are the parents of 21-month-old daughter
Ariela.
In all seriousness, I’m just glad I got to hang out with her more than most citizens do. Obviously, she’s the chick that I would bring my nomination papers to - and she was so sweet as to give me a tour of City Hall.
This Jomsky guy - I don’t know anything about him..but he won’t have to worry about my virtual sexual advances.
**
Leave it to Police Chief & Interim City Manager, Barney Melekian, to solve some the mystery of The Pasadena Way for me. And by solve some of the mystery, I mean inform me as to where the term actually comes from:
Aaron,
Within the context of the Pasadena Police Department, the Pasadena Way
refers to the five points of the PD’s Statement of Values:
1. We exist to serve the community
2. How we get the job done is as important as getting the job done
3. We believe in the personal touch
4. We are proactive
5. We are fair but firm
These value points were developed in the late 80’s by Chief Jim
Robenson. They were reinforced in 1996 when I became Police Chief. They
are at the foundation of what has come to be known as Values Based
Policing.
Rock on. I don’t think a lot of people know these things. I think everyone has their own version of the Pasadena Way. Take Alex Zajac’s, for example:
I’d say “The Pasadena Way” is a combination of two things, the elitism of
our political class, how our elected officials tend to elevate themselves
above the commoners, and California’s bastardized tax system that no one can
really figure out. It seemed to start with Prop 13, the way it strangled
local government and made it dependent on Sacramento and forced cities to
rely not on a regular tax base of residents but on sales taxes and a murky
collection of various other taxes, euphemistically called “fees” for legal
purposes. “The Pasadena Way” is an elite group of politicians exploiting
sales taxes and development fees in order to get more revenue, and that
means not catering to people who live in Pasadena, but people who shop in
Pasadena and build new developments in Pasadena.
Alex forgets to mention that another part of the Pasadena Way is to buy one of those fake cigarettes they sell at Lula Mae and walk into the big anti-smoking City Council meeting while smoking one. Oh wait - I’m being told that’s not anywhere in the Pasadena Way, which is probably why I was thinking that would be such a hilarious idea.
We’ll get this all sorted out, some day.
**
Be seeing you (and especially you),
- AP
