Monthly Archives: December 2019
Dec 19 2019
Anayas Pasadena Opens – Newest Mexican Restaurant @AnayasPasadena @626food

GRAND OPENING

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019!

HOURS OR OPERATION:

Monday thru Sunday, 7am to 11pm.

The newest restaurant from the Anaya family, bringing authentic flavors of Mexico 🇲🇽 to Pasadena.

630 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena CA 91101

626.460.8893

Share
Dec 19 2019
2020 Rose Parade Safety Tips

2020 Rose Parade Safety Tips

As the 131st Rose Parade® presented by Honda approaches on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, Pasadena’s Fire and Police Departments are issuing the following safety tips for the thousands of overnight campers who will line the route on New Year’s Eve. The parade route will be a safer place if everyone follows these rules and regulations:

:
• Overnight camping is permitted only on the night of Tuesday, Dec. 31.
• A position on the sidewalk may be maintained along the parade route beginning at noon, Dec. 31. All persons and property, such as blankets, chairs and personal items, must remain on the curb until 11 p.m. At that time, spectators may move out to the blue “Honor Line” but not passed it.
• Small, professionally-manufactured barbecues elevated at least 1 foot off the ground are allowed on the parade route as long as they are 25 feet from buildings and other combustibles. A fire extinguisher must be readily available.
• Minors under the age of 18 may be on the parade route from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. only if they are supervised by an adult.
• Dress for cold weather! Children and seniors may need extra layers of clothing to avoid hypothermia. Remember hats and gloves.
• Drink healthy fluids and consume nourishing meals to avoid dehydration.
“If You See Something, Say Something®.” Report suspicious activities and packages to emergency authorities along the parade route.
• In case of emergency, call 9-1-1 and know the cross streets from where you are calling. For non-emergencies, call (626) 744-4241.

’ :
• Appearance in the parade is prohibited for any entries/marchers who have not been approved by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses®. Stay off the street and do not pass the blue “Honor Line.”
• Tents, sofas, and boxes of any type that can be used as stools or seats are prohibited along the route.
• Unoccupied chairs are not allowed and will be removed from the parade route.
Bonfires are strictly prohibited and considered “illegal burns.”
• ALL fireworks are prohibited except as part of official scheduled events.
• No items may be sold along the parade route without a City permit.
• Selling space along the parade route, other than grandstand seating, is illegal.
• It is illegal to buy, sell or give away horns on the parade route.
• No public areas—sidewalks, curbs, gutters, streets or ramps—may be blocked or roped off.
• No ladders or scaffolding may be used as elevation for viewing the activities.
• Pets are not recommended along the parade; keep them safe at home!
• Throwing any object into the parade—or at passing vehicles or pedestrians the night before the parade—is dangerous and prohibited. Violators will be cited and their property will be seized.
• Unauthorized vehicles obstructing emergency travel lanes or parked in restricted areas will be towed at owners’ expense. No exceptions.
• Open containers of alcohol are illegal on public streets, sidewalks and all other public areas. Violators will be cited or arrested.

For your safety and for the safety of others, please remember the City’s no-smoking policies [Pasadena Municipal Code section 8.78.071 (A) 4] prohibit smoking in outdoor public gathering events/special events/parades/fairs. This policy includes the use of cannabis and vaping devices (aka e-cigarettes). The public is advised to NOT use any vaping products. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 2,142 lung injury cases associated with the use of vaping products, with 42 deaths in 24 states. To get help quitting, call 1-844-8-NO-VAPE or visit http://www.nobutts.org/quitvaping. To quit smoking cigarettes, call 1-800-NO-BUTTS.

Enhanced security measures will be in effect on the parade route. Pasadena police officers will resolve problems quickly and remove anyone from the scene who violates the law or disturbs the peace. Police canine teams will also be patrolling Colorado Boulevard.

Colorado Boulevard will once again close to motor vehicles earlier than in prior years for the staging of the Rose Parade®. Colorado Boulevard will close beginning at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019 and will remain closed through the conclusion of the staging and clean-up following the parade. The parade route will re-open by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.

If you plan to host a New Year’s Eve event, viewing party, or anticipate vendor deliveries, and your property’s access is via Colorado Boulevard, please let your guests and vendors know that they must arrive before 10 p.m. or park in areas without restricted parking and walk in.

Pasadena Fire Department responds to more than twice the number of calls on parade day than any other day. These calls include reports of hypothermia, illegal burning, miscellaneous medical issues, assaults and alcohol-related incidents. Be safe and smart!

The Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau will staff its special Visitor Hotline at (877) 793-9911 now until Dec. 31 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday; closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Stay connected to the City of Pasadena! Visit us online at www.cityofpasadena.net; follow us on Twitter at @PasadenaGov, and Instagram and Facebook at @CityOfPasadena; or call the Citizen Service Center, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at (626) 744-7311.

Share
Dec 13 2019
Porting Phone Line Service from Spectrum to Google Voice

Is it possible to port your phone line from a land line to Google voice? Apparently yes, but it requires some work, and you have to check to make sure that your area code is supported. First you have to move the landline service to a mobile service. In my case I chose TING, which offers a SIM card for $5 + $4 shipping. I am waiting to receive the SIM to proceed with porting my landline. Many landline customers have cancelled their service, but still the cost for a landline from Spectrum is $9.99 but can be higher depending on the level of service. Having a landline with Spectrum really offers no benefits.

If you live in Pasadena and are having issues with Spectrum you can contact: Franchise Administrator – City of Pasadena 150 S Los Robles, Suite101 Pasadena CA 91102 Phone: (626) 794-8585

Share
Dec 13 2019
FCC and Telcom Companies and Speed of Broadband Rankings Study Controversy

The telcom companies of today are known for their questionable practices in billing and acquiring and retaining customers, and for years there have been those questioning the tactics used to deliver and shape speed of broadband to customers. In particular seeing as companies run speed tests on their own speed test sites, and use that to tout their speeds. Not disclosing that those controlled tests are far from the reality of what customers experience. On top of all this the FCC yearly review and release of scores on providers, comes under scrutiny as well as those results are again influenced as the companies know who and where the locations of where the tests are performed. How is that a “real” test? That then the telcom companies use to tout the speed of their service.

Spectrum and AT&T are notorious for questionable practices as per an article in the Wall Street Journal just published.

To top this the proof that many providers limit speeds to Netflix, and perhaps other services is controversial. What is the level of guaranteed service these companies must offer. Is this why the entry of SpaceX and others into the broadband market will increase competition and improve performance for customers? We hope so. Run your speed tests and call your carrier and make sure you are getting the speeds you are paying for. I know I had Spectrum supposedly upgrade my service and charge me only to find out my service was never upgraded and the rep actually admitted to be this. Which I think asked what my recourse was. Basically there was no recourse. Billing dept was closed. And nobody can help. This is the environment that Spectrum, AT&T and others want to promote, basically giving their customers no options and trapping them into their service, so they can increase prices and their profits and customers have nowhere else to go. But there is a breaking point for customers and other companies will come into the market and offer better service for a lower price.

Share
Dec 9 2019
Pasadena EV Chargers 44 DC Fast and Tesla Chargers at Paseo Colorado Parking

Tesla has new operational chargers in Pasadena, in the Paseo parking lot across from the BJ’s and Equinox, top level parking structure. There are what appears to be 24 Tesla changers and at least 20 of the non-Tesla Level 3 chargers, there is a new topic of discussion around there really not being a level 3 charging, that there are really only level 1 and level 2, you can watch this Professor John D Kelly discuss the topic. There will be 44 chargers total when the Pasadena Fast Chargers become operational. A ribbon cutting is anticipated sometime in February 2020. There are other large charger facilities around but 44 in one location is certainly a large installation. If you have been to Caltech you have seen the installation of chargers there with a variety of different chargers.

The City of Pasadena labeled chargers are pay to use, we are not certain of the rates to use, and the only other Level 3 DC fast charger we know about is located at the Del Mar parking structure operated by Greenlots. For these it appears that Titanium has been working with with ChargePoint on the network.

For the City of Pasadena chargers they appear to be branded with VeeFit, which at this point could be ChargePoint or another app that is required to use. No details on the charge rate at this time.

The biggest challenge here is knowing what the charge is to charge and driving up to the top floor. And parking rates, perhaps this lot with 90 minutes free with validation, or 30 minutes free without, it wasn’t even clear to the people using the Tesla chargers this past weekend, but it appeared that all the Tesla chargers are in full operation and this location is not even showing on the Tesla app. Once that happens we expect usage to go way up, perhaps Tesla will increase the number of chargers as there is room, and perhaps solar panels will be installed to help with energy production.

There is a handicap parking spot for EV, which makes sense as the portion of chargers is important to have a spot for handicapped parking.

According to reports Tesla covered the infrastructure cost for installing the 20 city owned chargers, estimated at $140,000..

There are a few level 2 chargers located on the bottom floor.

Margie Otto, spokesperson for Pasadena Water and Power has not returned inquiry for more details.

Share