MARCH 18-27...10 DAY BAN on Outdoor Watering

Just wanted everyone to know about this so you won't be fined. With all this rain the last few weeks, it shouldn't be a problem.

10-Day Ban on Outdoor Watering During MWD Shutdown, March 18-27

PWP will go before City Council on February 28, 2011 to urge a total prohibition on outdoor watering from March 18-27, 2011 during a temporary shutdown of a major regional water treatment plant.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), which supplies about 60 percent of Pasadena’s water, is planning a seismic upgrade of its Weymouth Treatment Plant in LaVerne and will stop all water deliveries to Pasadena and neighboring cities to perform the retrofit.

For those 10 days, Pasadena must rely solely on groundwater and reserves. We’ll need to eliminate all outdoor watering to cut citywide water use by 40 percent.

Read on for "HOW TO PREPARE" and get answers to "FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS."

Please share this information with your gardener, family, neighbors and co-workers, and CHECK HERE AGAIN ON MARCH 1 to find out about the final plan approved by City Council at the public hearing on Feb. 28.


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HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE EMERGENCY SHORTAGE


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1. The week before (March 11-17), give your plants as much water as they will tolerate so they’ll be well saturated, and then cover the beds with mulch to prevent soil from drying out.

2. The night before (March 17), turn off your automatic sprinkler system (including drip systems and smart controllers) until March 28.

3. Talk to your gardener and let him or her know about the watering ban.

4. Consider postponing your spring planting until after the shutdown.

5. Check for daily updates at here and or 744-8888 to see if the prohibition has been lifted early or possibly extended.




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STAY INFORMED


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For questions not answered in the FAQ below, please submit your question here and a PWP representative will respond within 24 hours.


For more information and daily updates during the shutdown, check this webpage or call the Water Shortage Hotline at 744-8888.


Attend a public meeting:

City Council Public Hearing: Level 4 Water Shortage Emergency
Monday, February 28, 7:30 pm
City Hall Council Chambers, 100 N. Garfield Ave.


District 6 Town Hall Meeting: PWP Asst. General Manager Shan Kwan Discusses MWD Shutdown
Tuesday, February 22, 7:00 pm
SAN RAFAEL SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
1090 Nithsdale Road

Article taken directly from http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/waterandpower/shutdown/

For all your real estate needs give me a call.

Jess Mangubat
626.431.2266
jessmangubat@yahoo.com

How to Dispute Mistakes In Your Credit Reports With the Credit Bureaus

A few helpful tips if you see something that shouldn't be on your credit report.

You can dispute mistakes with the credit bureaus by mail or telephone, but you’ll get the fastest results if you initiate a dispute online. Here are the websites and phone numbers you should use for the credit bureaus when you contact them to dispute errors:

http://www.investigate.equifax.com or 888-800-8859
http://www.Experian.com/disputes or 866-200-6020
http://www.Transunion.com/investigate or 800-916-8800

It’s best to dispute errors one at a time – because contesting a slew of alleged mistakes all at once may cause your dispute(s) to be thrown out. By law, the credit bureaus can opt not to investigate your claims if they deem your dispute(s) to be “frivolous” or “irrelevant.”

What to Expect From the Credit Bureaus

Generally speaking, all three credit bureaus allow you to dispute errors related to the “Ownership” of an account or the “Account Information”/“Status” of an account. For example, when you fill out the dispute investigation forms supplied by the bureaus to mail them in, or when you file an online dispute, the bureaus will ask you to check off boxes that specify what information you are contesting.

Disputing Ownership of an Account

If you dispute “Ownership” of an account, you will check one of these boxes:
• I have no knowledge of this account.
• This account does not belong to me.
• This is not my account; it belongs to a relative or another person with same/similar name.
• This account belongs to my ex-spouse.
• This is a fraudulent account; account opened by someone who stole my identity.
• Fraudulent charges were made on my account.
• Creditor agreed to remove my liability on this account.
• Corporate account.
• I am no longer liable for this account.
• I did not authorize this inquiry.
• This is a fraudulent inquiry.
• Other.

Disputing “Account Information or “Status”

If you dispute the “Account Information” or “Status” of an item, you will check one of these boxes:
• This account is included in my bankruptcy.
• My credit limit and/or high credit amount is incorrect.
• My account balance is incorrect.
• Please verify date of last payment, date opened, date closed, or date of delinquency.
• Please verify the account descriptions shown on my account.
• I have never paid late.
• This account is closed.
• This account is not closed.
• My account is closed per my request to the creditor.
• This account is paid.
• I have paid this account in full.
• I paid this account before it went to collection or before it was charged off.
• Too old to be on file, please remove.
• Terms are incorrect.
• Creditor agreed to remove charges and/or fees.
• Creditor agreed to remove this account from my file.
• This account is transferred to another lender
• I am a victim of a natural or declared disaster.
• I have Active Military Duty status.
• Account is deferred.
• This account is settled.
• Other.

There may be variations in some of the wording. But as of this writing, these are all the possible reasons for disputes at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

The Differences Between Equifax, TransUnion and Experian

At Equifax and TransUnion, you can only choose from either the “Ownership” dispute category or the “Account Information” category that best describes your dispute. You can not make selections from both categories.

Equifax’s online dispute system also allows you to add a “Dispute Account Statement.” There you can type up to 250 characters to provide additional information to support your dispute.

At Experian, you can enter up to 120 characters about your reason for disputing something in your credit file. Experian alerts consumers that it will send your statement to the creditor. For example, assume you check the reason for your dispute as “I have never paid late.” If you then want to explain your position, you might add a statement such as: “The creditor said they misapplied my payment,” or “I moved but my creditor acknowledged that they erroneously sent the bill to my old address.” Such statements will be sent by Experian to your creditor to help them understand why you are disputing certain reported information. (Under federal law, all creditor bureaus are supposed to forward your explanation statements or supporting information to creditors/furnishers when you have a dispute. But critics say the credit bureaus routinely violate this requirement just to cut costs and save money).

At TransUnion, the online dispute service specifies that you can make only one submission that includes all of your requests for investigation or changes of information. If you need to make additional requests after your online dispute, you must call or write the bureau. TransUnion’s mail-in form, called a “Request for Investigation,” also includes a section for you to write in additional comments related to your dispute.

Proving That a Mistake Exists is Up To You

Remember: In the event of a mistake, the burden is on you to notify the credit agencies about that error. And it’s not enough to simply say something is “incorrect.”

You have to state why certain information is erroneous or outdated. Once you do, your claim will be investigated. If you have documentation like statements or cancelled checks, provide copies to support your claim.

In general, the credit bureau has 30-45 days to investigate your dispute and respond to you, in writing, with the results of the investigation.

Hopefully this helps and let me know your input.

How to Safeguard Your Credit, Privacy and Accounts While Holiday Shopping

After a tough couple of years, Americans are loosening the grips on their wallets and planning to do a bit more shopping this holiday season.

The National Retail Federation predicts the average U.S. shopper will spend $689 over the holidays, up slightly from $682 in 2009.

Many of us will hop on the Internet to comparison shop and score bargains. But plenty of people will head to the malls and other brick-and-mortar stores to purchase holiday gifts, decorations, toys and more. Here are some helpful tips to safeguard your credit, your privacy as well as your bank accounts whether you’re shopping over the Internet or in person.

For Online Shoppers

While Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving – has traditionally kicked off the official holiday shopping season, savvy consumers are increasingly interested in Cyber Monday deals that can typically be found only online.

So if you’re like me and you dread the thought of getting up early for in-store deals or battling massive hordes of shoppers, use these guidelines to shop safely and easily from the convenience of your home.

Only Use Secure Sites

The number one rule of safe online shopping – during the holidays or any other time of the year – is to only use secure websites. These are highly safe sites because they utilize encryption technology, which scrambles your credit card number and other personal information, making it nearly impossible for thieves and hackers to steal your data.

You’ll know a site is secure if it has any of these three things:

*a website or order page that says https://. The letter ‘s’ is your clue that the site uses encryption;

*a closed padlock at the bottom of the page. Don’t place any orders on sites where there’s an open padlock; or

*an unbroken key, which also signals safety measures are in place.

Stick With Reputable Sellers

When buying online, it’s best to patronize merchants and retailers you know, or those you’ve done business with before. If you plan to purchase something from an individual or a company that you’re not familiar with, be sure to first check out consumer reviews about the merchant. You can also check out companies from the Better Business Bureau.

Pay the Right Way

Never sends personal checks or money orders for merchandise you buy online. Credit cards generally are a safe option because they allow buyers to seek a credit from the issuer if the product isn’t delivered or isn’t what was ordered.

Guard Your Passwords

Many websites require you to set up an account or create passwords in order to complete online transactions. Be sure to keep passwords private and not divulge them to others. Also, don’t create easy-to-crack passwords, such as those with birthdates.

Read the Privacy Policy

To decrease the chances of winding up on someone’s spam list, or getting unwanted junk emails, always find and read the privacy policy for an online retailer you’re patronizing. Usually the privacy policy is on a website’s home page or in a section called “Legal.” The privacy policy will tell you what information the seller plans to collect from you, and how that information might be used, and how you can stop data about you from being distributed to third parties. Don’t ever give up private information like your social security number to anyone online. And ideally, you’d want to see a seal from a privacy enforcement organization, such as BBBOnLine or TRUSTe.

Complain if Necessary

If something goes wrong with an online purchase – say, your order doesn’t arrive or you get double billed – don’t hesitate to complain to the seller. If your complaints are not satisfactorily handled, you can also register complaints with the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbbonline.org), the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov or 877-FTC-HELP) or the State Attorney General in either your state or the seller’s state (http://www.naag.org).

For In-Store Shoppers

Those of you shopping in retail stores should follow these tips:

Know the Return Policy

You should know a retailer’s return policies before spending money in a particular store. In addition to getting the low-down on how many days you have to make a return, or what items are and aren’t exchangeable or refundable, pay close attention to return policies that are specifically tied to your use of credit cards. For example, some stores may demand that you show the same credit card used during a purchase if you want to make a return. Others will only give you store credit, or credit back on your credit card, as opposed to cash refunds. Whatever the details, make sure you understand everything upfront before buying anything.

Keep Those Receipts

In the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, it’s easy to lose track of how much money you spent and where. To minimize your risk of being over-charged and to protect your credit information, destroy carbon copies you might get from retailers, but keep the receipts. Later, check those receipts against the charges shown on your credit card statements to make sure everything is correct.

Limit What You Carry

Don’t carry your entire collection of credit cards, your checkbook and a wad of cash with you all in the same wallet. If a pickpocket targets you or you lose your wallet, you could lose all of it. Instead, leave some things at home and carry only what you need. And remember, never carry your Social Security card in your wallet.

Protect Your Cards

Lastly, you can protect your credit cards in several ways while shopping in stores. Start by only carrying one or two cards with you. Also, always double-check to make sure that cashiers return your credit cards after you’ve made a purchase. And finally, create a list of all your credit card account numbers and the numbers to call if they’re lost or stolen. Put this list away at home for safe-keeping.

By following these steps, you’ll have peace of mind this holiday season, knowing that your personal information, credit and privacy are all being properly guarded while you’re shopping online and in person.

Help spread the word of this wonderful local community celebration!

Come join us for a wicked good time at Old Pasadena’s FREE Halloween family celebration, Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31. Spooktacular activities throughout the district include a pumpkin hunt, kids Halloween craft center, costumed characters, Halloween moon bounces, live ghoulish music, scary animal and bug show-and-tell, kid-friendly haunted house, store-to-store trick-or-treating and much more!



The celebration begins, Saturday, October 30 at 1pm for Old Pasadena’s first family Halloween Celebration at Central Park. Kids are invited to join in a special Halloween pumpkin hunt. Mini pumpkins filled with candy, treats and toys will be hidden amongst fall hay, a mini graveyard and much more. Dressed up little ones can make their-own scary art project at the Armory Center for the Arts’ craft center. The festivities also include a scary animal and critter show-and-tell from the Natural Museum of History, three Halloween moon bounces, and roaming costumed characters for photo opportunities. Throughout the celebration live ghoulish music will be performed by the LA Music Academy. Come early as the first 200 in attendance will receive a free caramel apple.



The spooky fun continues, Sunday, October 31 when over 75 stores and restaurants in Old Pasadena open their doors for free store-to-store trick-or-treating. Merchants will supply a variety of festive candy and confections for all the dressed up little ghosts and goblins in attendance. Bring the little ones to the One Colorado Courtyard for free haunted professional photos against a festive background and hundreds of pumpkins. One Colorado will also host multiple screenings of Halloween cartoons throughout the evening. Guests can enjoy a unique opportunity to meet and greet with various popular Halloween costumed characters.



For more information visit www.oldpasadena.org

10-12-10 PUSD SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION STUDY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

NEWS RELEASE October 12, 2010

Contact: Binti Harvey

(626) 396-3606





PUSD SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION STUDY COMMITTEE STATEMENT



Pasadena, CA – Jon Furman, Chair of the School Consolidation Study Committee, issued the following statement regarding the school consolidation process:



“On Saturday, October 9, the PUSD School Consolidation Committee, by a vote of 12 - 8, recommended that three elementary schools -- Loma Alta, Burbank, and Jackson -- be consolidated, and that the Norma Coombs Alternative School program be relocated from the Norma Coombs site to the Burbank site. These changes would be for the 2011 - 2012 school year; there will be no changes occurring during the current school year.



“At its next meeting on Wednesday, October 13 (at 5:30 pm in the McKinley School Auditorium), the Committee will consider where the students in those three schools might be reassigned (recognizing, that with Open Enrollment, parents may apply to any school within the district regardless of home school Attendance Zones). The Committee will further consider where the District might relocate the District Offices, currently housed in the Education Center at 351 S Hudson St., and where the Rose City High School might be relocated.



“Additionally, the Committee is charged with recommending any additional mitigating measures that might ease the impact of these consolidations on PUSD students and families.



The Committee will be submitting these recommendations to Superintendent Edwin Diaz. The Superintendent will then submit his recommendations to the Board of Education by the end of October; the Board, after public study sessions and open hearings, will make a final decision on this set of recommendations. That decision is tentatively scheduled for the Nov. 23 Board meeting, so that the District's plan will be in place before the beginning of Open Enrollment for the 2011 - 2012 school year.”





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For the latest news and information about the Pasadena Unified School District, including Board of Education Meeting Highlights, watch KLRN-TV or go to www.pusd.us.

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION STUDY COMMITTEE TO HOLD COMMUNITY FORUMS

NEWS RELEASE



For Immediate Release September 28, 2010

Media Contact: Binti Harvey

(626) 396-3606



SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION STUDY COMMITTEE TO HOLD COMMUNITY FORUMS

List of Schools will be Narrowed from Seven to Five this Saturday



Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) School Consolidation Study Committee (Committee) will convene two community forums next week to offer community members the opportunity to learn more about school closures and possible program moves. Community Forums are scheduled for Monday, October 4, 2010 at the Eliot Middle School Auditorium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Friday, October 8, 2010 at the Wilson Middle School Auditorium from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Committee will meet this week on Friday October 1 from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday October 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., both at McKinley.

The Committee, composed of 21 stakeholders representing Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre, parent groups, collective bargaining units, school site administration, and other community groups, has held four meetings since September 11 to explore options for school consolidation and closure to narrow the budget deficit. In response to an unprecedented $30 million loss of funding over the past three years, and the prospect of sustained enrollment declines in the foreseeable future, the Board of Education approved school consolidation to help decrease expenditures and generate ongoing revenue to support instructional priorities.

The three-year budget adopted in June identified the closure of a minimum of three schools in 2011-12 to reduce operating expenses associated with excess capacity on school campuses. The Board of Education established the School Consolidation Study Committee to assist the Superintendent in developing a recommendation regarding school consolidation and closure. Over the past several weeks, the Committee has reviewed a broad range of information including: a list of sixteen sites recommended for consideration by the asset management report, academic achievement, special educational programs, transportation, and neighborhood impacts.

The Committee will make final recommendations in a report to Superintendent Diaz in October. Following his review of the Committee report, the Superintendent is tentatively scheduled to make a recommendation to the Board of Education at its meeting on November 23, 2010.

Members of the public may obtain additional information about the school consolidation and closure process, including meeting summaries and documents, at www.pusd.us.

Let's support our local schools and attend one of these meetings!!

Recommendation for the new ice skating rink

Recommendation for the new ice skating rink


is on the City Council Agenda for

Monday, September 27th.

The meeting starts at 6:30 PM at City Hall (2nd Floor)

*** Please get the word out again for all interested parties to attend this meeting. ***



The following is the agenda item:

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF AN ICE RINK FACILITY IN THE PAVILION LOCATED AT THE CONVENTION CENTER UNDER PASADENA CENTER OPERATING COMPANY (PCOC) MANAGEMENT

Recommendation of City Manager and PCOC Chief Executive Officer:
It is recommended that the City Council:
(1) Authorize the City Manager to issue a 10 year 2.5% annual interest bearing loan, not to exceed $1.5 million from City funds to the Pasadena Center Operating Company (PCOC), to be used for the ice rink relocation to the pavilion if the conditional use permit is granted; and
(2) Recognize and appropriate the expenditure of $1.5 million in PCOC Reserves for the ice rink relocation to the pavilion if the conditional use permit is granted.



The staff report can be found at:
http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/councilagendas/2010%20agendas/Sep_27_10/AR%2010.pdf


Pasadena "Build The Rink" Committee
Pasadena, California
BuildTheRink@yahoo.com