Councilmember Victor Gordo holding a poster of the statue of Jackie Robinson (Photo – Garrett Rowlan).
While Monday night’s short session of the Pasadena City Council—clocking in at a few ticks past 90 minutes—might have been short, it was not without profit for members of the Council.
By Garrett Rowlan
And while the gifts they received hardly qualified as swag, still with Christmas approaching they received freebies from two sources.
The first was the Sierra Club, represented by David Czamanski, who gave each member a 2018 calendar in recognition of the support that the Council has given to such issue as sediment removal in Hahamonga Park, bicycle access, and the ban on Styrofoam products. Czamanski was the evening’s first speaker.
At the evening’s end, Councilmember Victor Gordo presented each of his colleagues with posters of the statue of Jackie Robinson, recently unveiled at the Rose Bowl. The statue shows Robinson in his PCC uniform and in full stride.
In between, Council members were questioned by the NAACP as to the public availability of a video showing two Pasadena police officers aggressively arresting a suspect; they approved an item to replace unhealthy trees; and heard about a HUD project to relocate Decker House and supply affordable housing at Gill Court.
Councilmember John Kennedy also acknowledged the achievements of Mario Clark. Clark, a Pasadena native, was a star at the University of Oregon and played nine seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl ring in his last in 1985 with the 49ers. While Clark’s achievements were remarkable, somehow one feels that Pasadena athletes will always stand in Jackie Robinson’s long shadow, though indeed Mayor Terry Tornek reminded the Council that “many young people don’t know who Jacket Robinson is.” The new statue, and the accompanying text, is a step toward keeping Robinson’s memory alive.
The evening’s second speaker was Pasadena poet Annette Wong, who read a remembrance of her Muslim grandfather.
I’m always at a loss with this coverage. Is Mr. Rowlan an actual person?
Hi Eddie,
Glad you wrote to us. We understand your skepticism. A blog or two in town outsource their writing (often overseas) by watching online in order to write about the meetings. Our own reporter, Garrett Rowlan, is real and local. He attends council meetings every week. In the occasion he doesn’t physically attend, a report is not written. He’s there at the beginning and leaves when the meeting is adjourned. He gives a snapshot of the proceedings while infusing his own observation of actions in order to give a feel of what goes inside the chambers. He is careful not to infuse his own opinion about issues. We leave that to the reader. That’s what separates us from the rest.