Pasadena Chamber Events and information for October 7, 2024

ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS SUMMIT 2024

• Keynote Speaker is Stephen Cheung, President and CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation

Featured speakers include:

• Caltech's Fred Farina (director of the Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships at California Institute of Technology)

• David Klug (development director for the City of Pasadena) 

• JPL's Duane E. Waliser, (Chief Scientist, Earth Science and Technology Directorate, Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

The City of Pasadena and the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce present our annual Economic and Business Summit on Thursday, October 24th at 11:30am at Altadena Town and Country Club. Hear speakers discuss the economy, local development, sustainability initiatives and much more.

Featured speaker is Stephen Cheung, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. Mr. Cheung will provide an update on the tredns and factors that may be impactiing our local businesses and economy.

We will also hear from David Klug, City of Pasadena Economic Development Directory about local economic initiatives and development.

Speakers from Caltech and JPL will discuss corporate spinoffs, climate research and future initiatives toward sustainability.

The City of Pasadena generously co-presents the Economic and Business Summit.

Gold sponsors are Wells Fargo, Verizon and Kaiser Permanente.

Silver Sponsors is UCLA Health.

Invitations are in the mail.

Cost to attend is $90 per person. Corporate tables of 8 are $850. Sponsorships are available.

You can register and pay at https://www.pasadena-chamber.org/form/webform-2028

For more information please email leanne@pasadena-chamber.org.   

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PASADENA CHAMBER BOARD RECOMMENDS POSITIONS ON SOME LOCAL BALLOT INITIATIVES

The Board of Directors of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association considered several Pasadena initiatives that will appear on the ballot in November. The Board took positions on some measures and choose to take no position on others.

Ballot initiatives are first reviewed by the Chamber’s Legislative and Government Affairs Committee. That committee makes recommendations to the Board, which may be supported or opposed by the Board.

When considering measures that would impose additional costs on businesses, the Chamber Board looks at use of the money, trust in the governing body and transparent oversight. 

Important to the Chamber Board is whether rental property owners are either exempt or able to automatically pass costs on to tenants. With rental housing owners forced to go before an unfriendly rental housing board for increases beyond the meager amounts so far approved, the Chamber would like to see language in any measure that either exempts those property owners or allows them to pass the added costs on to tenants.

The Board of Directors considered local initiatives on the November ballot and made the following recommendations on the measures:

Pasadena Unified School District:

Measure R-PUSD Facilities Bond that would raise $900 million The bond tax would cost property owners an estimated $60 per $100,000 of assessed property value and requires a 55% majority for approval. RECOMMENDATION: OPPOSE.

Measure EE-PUSD Parcel Tax would impose $90 per parcel on homeowners for eight years, raising $5 million annually. People over age 65 and certain homeowners receiving Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance could be exempted from the tax. RECOMMENDATION: OPPOSE

Everyone wants an effective, engaged and successful public school system here. These measures do not achieve that. Instead of focusing on academic achievement, the PUSD is talking about venturing into affordable housing production and management-something they are not experienced in, equipped to handle or capable of doing. This seems destined for failure.

Pasadena Unified leadership has identified construction of affordable housing on currently unused district properties as a priority for spending Measure R funds.

We see a fundamental problem with spending at the Pasadena Unified School District. They have too many facilities open for the dwindling number of students enrolled. Any other district with a student population similar to PUSD has two fewer comprehensive high schools, one or two fewer middle schools and three or four fewer elementary schools. The PUSD leadership seems incapable of making difficult decisions on facility usage and closures. As a result, it finds itself in a fiscal quagmire, having to spend inordinately on unnecessary facilities. Taxpayers should not be responsible if the PUSD cannot get its financial house I order. In addition, PUSD still has not issued or paid for the bonds authorized by voters under Measure O. This is too much, too fast, with no coherent spending plan.

City of Pasadena:

Measure PL-Library Bond –$195 million general obligation bond will cover earthquake repairs, fire safety improvements, a new roof, asbestos and lead paint removal, technology and mechanical system upgrades, as well as restoration of services. Repaying this bond would cost around $12 million per year, translating to an average tax of $28.90 per $100,000 of assessed property valuation for property owners for 30 years. Requires 2/3 voter approval. If Prop 5 passes would require 55% voter approval. RECOMMENDATION: NO POSITION

The Pasadena Central Library is a treasure and the plans for the remodel are spectacular. The Committee and the Board simply felt there was not enough outreach to our constituents or the community as a whole. We do not know what else may have been considered, what options there may be and if there are other funding sources available. Are there ways to use the space available and the property to either save money by co-locating departments such as Water and Power, Transportation or Housing there-future savings that could help pay for renovations? Are there revenue generating opportunities that do not rely on taxpayers? If the City were to pay for this, what, if anything, would have to be cut to offset the cost? We did not hear any mention of such discussion prior to placing Measure PL on the ballot.

Measure PF-Fire and Police retirement System Representatives: This amendment aims to solve the long-standing issue of filling positions on the Fire and Police Retirement System (FPRS) Board by allowing more flexibility in member selection. The board oversees retirement benefits for the city’s fire and police personnel. It’s made up of a fire and a police representative from the retirement system, a City Council member, as well as two community members. However, the board has had trouble finding and retaining fire and police representatives due to the growing age of the current FPRS members. RECOMMENDATION: SUPPORT

Measure H-(Rent Control Board) Amendments: The proposed revisions to the Pasadena Fair & Equitable Housing Charter Amendment (Measure H) aim to clarify legal language, address regulatory ambiguities, align with other city departments’ practices, and reduce the municipality’s administrative burdens, financial costs, and legal liabilities, according to the city. RECOMMENDATION: NO POSITION

With a record number of rental housing properties for sale in Pasadena, the Chamber Board and the Committee felt there are so many serious shortcomings with the current program and the makeup of the Rental Housing Board that these measures do not address. These would not have any positive impact, nor would they address the significant problems inherent in the current system.

The Board did not consider Measures PA, PB or PC, the measures to change selection of elected officials in the case of a vacancy, change the leadership roles among council members or impose term limits. 

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TRAVEL WITH THE CHAMBER AND OUR MEMBER INDUS TRAVELS

Check this one off your bucket list-South Africa and Kruger National Park (and lions and elephants, and rhinos and giraffes and hippos and MORE). Accommodations are in resorts and hotels. Click the brochure for details.

SPECIAL OFFER: RESERVE BEFORE OCTOBER 15 AND SAVE $100 PER TRAVELER

All the information is here: 

https://www.indus.travel/tour/explore-magical-south-africa-with-pasadena-chamber-of-commerce/ 

To view the informational webinar from last week, click here:

https://meeting.zoho.com/meeting/public/videoprv?recordingId=0360474967e1b6f2e83b068e073666f15cab64e7e3c74b359c065b8bead9eced

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CHAMBER NETWORKING EVENTS:

Luncheon Alliance presented by Athens Services

Join us on Wednesday, October 2nd at 11:30am at Pasadena Highlands at 1575 East Washington Boulevard in Pasadena for lunch, networking and fun.

Gold Leadership Circle member Kaiser Permanente sponsors our networking lunch in October,

Call Kelly at 626-795-3355 to reserve your place at lunch.

Terrific food with business associates and friends. Promote your products and services. Meet new people. Tell everyone what you do and why you are special. Create valuable business connections. Find collaborators and customers. Parking in the upper deck parking lot (off Bresee Avenue) or on the street but do not miss this opportunity to grow with us. Cost is $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Reserve with Kelly before noon on Tuesday PLEASE! 

Athens Services is the presenting sponsor of our networking Luncheon Alliance.

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Connection Breakfast

Join us at Villa Gardens at 7:30am on Wednesday, October 16th to network with fellow business people.

Everyone in attendance gets to present your business to the attendees. Come and meet fellow business owners and entrepreneurs, promote your business, make important contacts and support your prosperity.

Eggs Benedict, fruit, scrambled eggs, friend potatoes and much more are on the menu as you enhance your bottom line.

Katelyn Barchowsky of Storied Lane Marketing sponsors breakfast in October.

Park for free with the valet or in the adjacent church parking lot. Cost is $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Reserve with Kelly before Friday, August 16th at 5pm. Call 626-795-3355 to reserve or email kelly@pasadena-chamber.org. 

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Pasadena Chamber After Hours social and mixer

This will be fun!

Join us on October 23rd at 5pm at Fogo de Chao at Colorado and Marengo in Pasadena. We'rehaving our quarterly Pasadena Chamber After Hours social and mixer. Come for fun, food, drinks, fellowship and networking at beautiful Fogo de Chao.

Fogo provides appetizers and great atmosphere and service. Drinks are available at happy hour prices.

Cost is $5 CASH to get in.

No need to RSVP, just bring 5 bucks and party with fellow Pasadena Chamber members and friends. You can park in the parking structure at Marengo and Green (for a small fee) or on the street. Join us for festive food and drinks at Happy Hour prices. Bring your friends!

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New and Renewing Pasadena Chamber member businesses




These Pasadena Chamber members celebrated significant membership milestones with the Chamber: 

• FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARIES: BBSI; GOGO Charters Los Angeles; Los Angeles Charter Bus Company; National Charter Bus Los Angeles; Vardanyan Law Firm
• TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARIES:  Altadena Recovery Center (Accredited by the Joint Commission/Non-Profit Corporation; Logix Federal Credit Union
• FIFTEEN YEAR ANNIVERSARIES:  Pie’N Burger; Sorell Law Group; Westcoast Companies, Inc.
• THIRTY YEAR ANNIVERSARY:  Castle Green

These companies invested in their prosperity by joining the Chamber in August: 

• Aerial Photography Studios, LLC, Tim Vittetoe, (626) 702-2512
• American Estate Buyers, Hagop Jack Sandaljian, (323) 829-3911
• Bank of America Business Consultant, Kim Ethridge, (626) 684-0712
• Bank of America Merchant Consultant, Kim Ethridge, (626) 684-0712
• Brittini Brenes Atelier, Brittini Brenes, (213) 316-8188
• Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, Nicholette LaFrenier, (626) 437-7056
• Smash House Burger Co., Rafael Garcia, (626) 345-5407

These companies renewed their membership in the Pasadena Chamber in August: 
 

• BBSI
• Cordova Café & Bottleshop
• GOGO Charters Los Angeles
• Knox & Dobson
• Los Angeles Charter Bus Company
• National Charter Bus Los Angeles
• Tea Rose Garden
• Vardanyan Law Firm
   

• Champion Charter Bus Los Angeles
• Elements Dance Space
• Pasadena City College
• Whitmore Rare Books

• Altadena Recovery Center (Accredited by the Joint Commission/Non-Profit Corporation)
• Logix Federal Credit Union

• Castle Green
• Day One
• ForensisGroup
• Kiwanis Club of Pasadena
• Pie’N Burger
• Redstone Commercial Real Estate
• Sorell Law Group
• Stanislawski & Company, Inc.-A Certified Public Accounting & Business Consulting Firm
• Westcoast Companies, Inc.
• Woodbury University

• Pasadena Rose and Crown Hotel

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Member News-the latest from your fellow Chamber members. 

Here is what your fellow Pasadena Chamber members are up to:
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Are you looking to boost your brand visibility and make a lasting impression? Custom-branded merch is the perfect solution! From practical items like bags and pens to fun giveaways like stress balls or tech accessories, Merch Media offers a wide range of options to suit any occasion. With the holidays just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to choose a memorable client gift. Browse our website for inspiration or email sandy@merch-media.com for a no-obligation quote today!

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Join us at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena - Family Fall Fest for food and fun! Saturday, October 26th starting at 4:00 pm. Lake Avenue Church and the Children and NextGen Ministries invite everyone to join us this October 26th for our first FallFest event @ 393 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena. We will have food (including pizza, burgers, ice cream, pie-tasting, and apple cider). A petting zoo, trunk or treat cars, pumpkin carving, bounce houses, carnival games, face-painting, square dancing, music, contests, and prizes, and more. Questions? Contact Christy Cooper at christyc@lakeave.org or 626.817.4561.

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Schools are already back in session, and as we settle into the fall routine, it’s time to start planning for the holidays! Bring your family together for a heartwarming experience at A Noise Within with 25% off tickets to the longest-running production of A Christmas Carol in the LA region. Use code ACC25 for performances from November 30 to December 8 and create cherished memories watching Ebenezer Scrooge's timeless journey of redemption. With music, merriment, and a message that resonates through the season, this holiday tradition is perfect for all ages. The performances of this production often sell out, so we wanted to share this special offer with a small group of our patrons. But act fast—this offer ends on September 27! Click here for tickets.
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At Vroman's: For the first time, platinum-certified singer-songwriter Marina shares her singular observations of the human heart through poetry; this collection is essential.

Marina’s talent for powerful, evocative song lyrics finds a new outlet in her poetry. Each poem resonates with the same creative melodies and emotional depth that have made her an artistic sensation. Hailed by The New York Times for “redefining songs about coming of age, and the aftermath, with bluntness and crafty intelligence,” Marina delves even further into trauma, youth, and the highs and lows of relationships in these profound, autobiographical poems to form a collection that transcends the boundaries of music and literature.

Marina’s talent for powerful, evocative song lyrics is undeniable—for the first time she will share her observations of the human heart through poetry in Eat the World: A Collection of Poems, out October 29, 2024.

**this event will be held at on off-site location, The Wilshire Ebell Theatre. One ticket = one admission to the event + 1 copy of Eat the World. The first 100 arrivals to the event will receive a signed copy!

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Arroyo Repertory Theatre (ART)  has been in-residence in NE Pasadena for 20 years. This community centered 501 c 3 focuses on the  innovation, collaboration and development of artistic experiences and expression in all the arts. Growth and change is inevitable. ART is vacating their arts space by the end of September 2024.  The search is on for a new performance/ exhibition space 4000- 7000 sq ft along with a storage space- one or the other or both for the present moment.
 
Please contact Dr. Jude Lucas for additional information about the search in finding a new home for this important addition to the arts community in NE LA County and Pasadena specifically. 323.333.2487 or jlucas@arroyorepertory.org

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Bricks & Minifigs Pasadena owners Betty and Rob Poquez were recent guests of The Crown City Podcast hosted by James De Pietro. Episode 57 of the show is part of an innovative collaboration between the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association and The Crown City Podcast to tell the unique and compelling stories of its members in Pasadena. For more information, please visit www.thecrowncitypodcast.com.  

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On the heels of critically acclaimed A Noise Within productions of Gem of the Ocean, Seven Guitars, Radio Golf and King Hedley II, director Gregg T. Daniel returns to direct August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson: the fourth play in Wilson’s extraordinary 10-play “American Century Cycle”; the second to win a Pulitzer Prize; and the fifth in A Noise Within’s commitment to stage them all. Performances begin October 19 and continue at the company’s Pasadena home through November 10. Previews begin October 13.

A Noise Within is located at 3352 E Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (626) 356-3100 or go to www.anoisewithin.org.

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This holiday season, Descanso Gardens invites you to immerse yourself in the wonder of two returning beloved events—Carved and Enchanted Forest of Light—each offering new surprises and enhanced experiences for visitors of all ages.

Tickets for both events are available for purchase through the Descanso Gardens website at www.descansogardens.org.

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The Social Impact Student Initiative (@socialimpactprojects), empowers students at Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) schools to learn about sustainable change and leadership. This program provides students with the opportunity to research systemic social challenges in their communities and then develop and produce projects that meet the needs. Students are empowered to create sustainable change in their schools and communities. COVID-19 has created a gap for students. This program supports students' social, emotional, cultural, and community development.  The Program cultivates youth leadership and community engagement, which fits the whole-child approach to the Community Schools framework set by the Department of Education.  Students engage in real-world opportunities through community service projects, interacting with leaders, planning and implementing projects, problem-solving, creating and managing a project budget, hosting school-wide and community events, and participating in civic field trips.  https://www.socialimpactstudents.org/impact-report

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Boston Court Pasadena opened the world premiere production of A Going Away Party Play, written by Keyanna Khatiblou and directed by James Fowler on Saturday, September 28.

A Going Away Party Play is a celebration of multicultural identities and an exploration of what it means to leave or lose your home country. The story centers on Mina, who is throwing a party for her closest friends - and the audience. Over the course of the party, the friends play games, reflect on the current American socio-political landscape, and discover truths about the story of Mina’s parents falling in love and staying in love while fleeing the Iranian Revolution.

Boston Court Pasadena is located at 70 N Mentor Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106. Parking is free in the on-site lot. For reservations and information, call (626) 683-6801 or go to bostoncourtpasadena.org.

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Maravilla Floral Designs is an eco-conscious florist in Los Angeles that creates beautiful floral expressions through sustainable practices.

We design fresh flower arrangements with biodegradable materials for all occasions.

From same day flower delivery to floral design workshops, we have a wide range of services to cater to your flower needs.

We offer a wide variety of floral services that include the following

• Flower Subscriptions for Residences, Hotels, and Business
• Weddings and Events
• Daily Flower Deliveries
• Sympathy Flowers for the Home & Funeral Services
• Flower Bar Rental

Call 213-772-1394 for a free event quote or place your flower delivery order online 

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We’re kicking off our Annual Foothill Family Kindness Box Campaign and spreading Kindness and focus on supporting our Foothill Family School-Based Mental Health therapists! Our goal is to raise $50,000! This goal will allow us to support our School-Based Mental Health Team and raise enough funds in in-kind donations to fund each and every one of our therapists with a fully supplied therapy kit filled with all the supplies they need to do their jobs effectively and fund the expansion of our services to more campuses in the San Gabriel Valley. Like many school teachers, our therapists often pay out of pocket to supply their own therapy kits and go out of their way to find items and toys that will be used to better engage with their students during their sessions. Please donate with a cash donation or visit our Amazon Wishlist to donate!

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Get your day started with Rosebud Coffee at 2302 E Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. Before you head to work, start your to-do list, or whatever you might be doing around the city of roses. Starting August 12, we will be opening earlier on weekdays, and closing a little earlier than before. Join us every day of the week between 7 am and 3:30 pm! If you plan to hang around the space any time after 3:30 pm, we encourage you to try a beer, wine, or some grub from Wild Parrot Brewing, who oversees the space after that time.
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