Here is an edited clip of previously redacted obscured public testimony and a segment of the presentation made by the Mayor Pro Tem of the City of South Pasadena (currently a deputy attorney general with the State of California, Department of Justice) with a report from the AQMD, recorded by the City of Pasadena on June 13, 2011, posted by the city on their website as June 14, 2011 (actually posted on or after June 16, 2011):
I want to thank the City of Pasadena for listening, and for giving careful consideration to their future actions, or inactions. ‘Tis frightfully disturbing, isn’t it? Oh dear me, I do know something of pre-mature death. My clocks stopped at twenty to nine. Jaggers? Jaggers!
Clinking teacups filled with a fine Earl Grey,
Miss Havisham
Ducking photo posted by Sugarhouse Farms on Facebook
I dedicate this publication to my father, Louis Stephen Patrick, whom I love and respect forever, unconditionally —Happy Father’s Day.
On or about 7 pm, June 13th, 2011, six speakers came before the Pasadena City Council in the portion of the meeting that is customarily set aside to enable any members of the public to speak On Items Not On The Agenda. The audio and video archive of this meeting can be downloaded here: http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/CouncilAgendas/Video/
The first speaker is a representative of California Assemblyman Anthony Portantino. She advised the council that an Aids Awareness and Quick Check medical facility would be stationed at the Rose Bowl as an event to commemorate the anniversary of the discovery of the deadly Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
The second speaker is I myself, Dianne Patrizzi. My testimony is wisely redacted from this recording, as it may be used as part of discovery in pending and future environmental and public health litigation taken against the City of Pasadena and/or individuals named responsible for its decisions.
The third speaker is Thomas Holaday, a resident of Altadena, a world class photographer, documentarian, location manager, and MA in Film from Columbia University. His testimony is only partially redacted.
The fourth speaker is a man who doesn’t appreciate being forced to suffer the shock of a cold shower while walking down the street in Pasadena on a warm sunny day. His testimony is not redacted.
The fifth speaker is Philip Cobelle (spelling?). He was providing the council with some sort of legal notice. This was particularly disturbing to the lawyers on the council, as they did not seem to know what the speaker was referring to exactly. The speaker identified for the record all of the council members, staff, and persons that were seated at the dais for this meeting. My father would use the words “future depositions” here. His testimony is fully redacted.
The sixth speaker is Alexander Zajak (aka The Real Zajak), a long time blogger, student, and local intellect. His testimony is fully redacted.
Perhaps this is an innocent result of technical difficulties on the part of the City of Pasadena, but I surely hope it isn’t. Our greatest hope is that it means someone has awakened the city council. That their continued inaction from this point on, with regard to placing permanent protections on Hahamongna wetlands and watershed may constitute an unconscionable negligence, wherein elements of Environmental Law, Civil Liability, even possible criminal consequences may attach.
The next meeting is June 20, 2011. All evidence of harm can and should be brought before the city council. This includes any persons with health concerns over the incredible amounts of diesel fuel emissions expected to occur from the many trucks removing sediment from Devil’s Gate Dam, and from the pesticides that will be employed by any sediment dumped in Johnson Field (“LAKE” – a water purification and ground water reservoir) or at the location next to it that city council has planned for a soccer field. Many sports fields in the city currently have been equipped with plastic grass/turf to enable more usage by local athletic teams that pay a fee to the City of Pasadena for use.
Pesticides and plastic turf used to maintain sports fields in Hahamongna would leech into our water system in the Arroyo, polluting the ground water. If the City of Pasadena chooses to ignore this, as it seems to be pattern and practice for them to do since they were first notified of this danger (July 12, 2010), and they agree to allow sediment to be dumped on site, whether temporary or permanent, and find no other alternative than the use of diesel trucks on a grand scale to remove the sediment then they may be found responsible for the myriad of damage claims made against them, as a governeing body, and possibly as individuals.
Especially sensitive residents are encouraged to notify council. For instance, those suffering from CFIDS. To better explain the connection, here is an excerpt from a recent email received from a sister sufferer:
Thank you for the article which I have read and copied to take to my sinus surgeon.
About 20 years ago I accidentally breathed in the wet droplets of Black Flag — just an accident when I sprayed a spider outside my house. My nostrils burned all night and, stupid me, I didn’t go to the ER. I regret that decision every day. From that day forward, I have had sinus problems, including chronic sinisitis. I also developed an autoimmune disease — CFIDS — Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
This article purports that bug sprays can cause autoimmune diseases, mostly in women. I can attest to that. For years, ENT doctors poo-pooed me and thought I was fixated on this poisoning. I now have a good ENT surgeon who understands autoimmune diseases and what caustic substances can do to the sinuses.
Thanks again, Daddy.
LOVE always,
DeeDee
My father, his sister, and his brother George Patrick (circa 1978)
You see, my father loved Pasadena just as much as I do… only for different reasons.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks. The Doodah Parade happened. Of course, more arty and less political… although Ann Lau and her band of fabulous Chinese activists were there with signs in support of the release of artist Ai Wei Wei imprisoned in China for… I don’t know… being brilliant at the Tate in London? (1) Devaluation in the realm of natural beauty. I stand with the Visual Artists Guild on this.
Then there was the fabulous evening conversation with Daryl Hannah and Julia Butterfly Hill at Pasadena City College. What an enlightening evening that was. Both of these women demonstrate that they are committed to environmental causes. Specifically, the trend to destroy trees, and other things… They discussed a range of topics including permaculture, and our addiction to oil. Thanks to Pasadena City College club Seeds of Change for the invitation to this event. Here are some short clips:
Julia talks about living 738 days up in a redwood tree to save it from the wood butchers.
Her book about the day to day is called The legacy of Luna. Available at the Public Library.
Think it’s BS?
“97% of the ancient redwoods are cut down, and we are still cutting them down.” Why else would anyone sit in a tree for two years? (2) Devaluation in the realm of natural beauty. I stand with Save Hahamongna .org on this.
Daryl Hannah talks about the necessity of insulating herself from nature as a child growing up in Chicago. Her father sent her to a summer camp in Colorado where she learned how to live in the wilderness, how to be attuned to it. It changed her life forever. She had made a connection.
Julia Butterfly Hill asks the question: If you heard the sound of a tree being cut down every time you used a paper cup to drink out of, Would it change your decision to use that cup?
On the radio there was an hour long broadcast on the Malibu Lagoon. This is a wetland, much like Hahamongna, ripe with wildlife and migratory birds. The City of Malibu and the State of California want to dredge silt build-up, again much like Hahamongna. The contrasting difference is that there are actual alternatives to killing off the wildlife by using a sucking machine. The machine removes silt from down below, in the depths, which causes no trauma to the waterfowl above. Even with this kind of innovation available and used with success in the Florida Everglades, the State and the City appear to be deaf to the suggestion. Here is Lila Garrett on Connect the Dots, airing KPFK Mondays at 7am:
What is so strange in the Malibu situation is that Heal The Bay received millions of dollars $670,000 from the taxpayers (Prop 40: The Clean Drinking Water Act) to support and they support this destructive project because they feel it is the right thing to do*. What on earth? Sometimes when big establishment environmental organizations receive money, it corrupts them. Even the Sierra Club has towed the corporate line, in the past.
It makes me wonder why the L.A. Times decided to ignore all of the facts concerning Devil’s Gate Dam, it’s history and purpose, and to take a philosophical position of panic in the concern of Hahamongna. This article http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/01/local/la-me-devils-gate-20110501 bears no resemblance to the truth, followed by the L.A. Times Editorial http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-dam-20110506,0,3495285.story distorting everything to the advantage of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. The project of removing silt could be done for 1/7th of the cost of what Los Angeles County has in mind, similar to the alternatives proposed for the Malibu Lagoon Project.
Perhaps the county and city agencies want to use all of that big money.
Why are government agencies so bent on destruction of wildlife and wetlands? I don’t believe that is the intention, however, it will be the result of their current plans. The Department of Public Works for Los Angeles County has stated publicly to the Pasadena City Council that their job is NOT to protect wildlife or habitat. So why then in the search for a new Director of the Pasadena Public Works, is it stated in the list of responsibilities to maintain city parks and street trees, streets and roadways, buildings and vehicles, sewers and storm drains, street lights and traffic signals, and trails, streams and habitats? Are the two public works departments so different? (3) Devaluation in the realm of natural beauty. Stand with me on this.
Writing a letter to the Editor of the L.A. Times,
Mademoiselle Gramophone
PS. More information on the Hahamongna Plan at http://fohwp.org/
More information about what groups and organizations are doing at http://www.urbanwild.org/
Announcements of meetings that you can attend to become more educated on the subject on Twitter @ReportTree
*corrections made in response to an email (below) received this evening to admonish me for suggesting any corruptive influence is present within Heal The Bay.
On May 12, 2011, at 8:07 PM, Matthew King wrote:
Hello I am the communications director for Heal the Bay. A friend sent me a link to a recent blog post of yours where you make some crazy claims about heal the bay:
What is so strange in the Malibu situation is that Heal The Bay received millions of dollars from the taxpayers to support this destructive project. What on earth? Sometimes when big establishment environmental organizations receive money, it corrupts them. Even the Sierra Club has towed the corporate line, in the past.
Huh? Not sure who is spoon-feeding you disinformation, but Heal the Bay hasn’t received millions of dollars from taxpayers to support the project. It has no financial interest in the restoration and won’t profit from it going forward in any way. We simply believe it’s the right thing to do. You can disagree with our viewpoint, but please don’t question our integrity or suggest we are corrupt.
We have a 25-year track record of working collaboratively with groups throughout California to fix complex water quality problems, always guided by the best science.
