By Harry Sneider

We hear a lot about who are the greatest athletes in the world. There are various polls and talk show hosts on cable TV claiming various attributes for a certain athlete as being the greatest. One of the things that I consider greatness is a capacity to serve others particularly when one is in need. Wayne Grimditch reached out to me and my family in 1990 when Ambassador College closed its doors. I asked for God’s deliverance in my life to take care of my needs and He did.

Wayne Grimditch is truly a champion. He won the prestigious 1978 Superstars with the world’s greatest athletes competing on ABC TV in Freeport, Bahamas. As the time I was coaching Dwight Stones in this competition and there was a heated battle between these two great champions. Wayne beat out Dwight and Greg Pruitt from the Oakland Raiders for 1st place. He set the all time record in the cycling event and the rowing event. His competitions can be seen on ABC Classics, Superstars TV.

Wayne comes from a family of figure skating champions and his sister, Lynn, competed with gold medallist Dorothy Hamill in the 1980 Olympic trials. Wayne asked me to help him with his water-ski jumping training where he set the world record of 180 feet off a 6 foot ramp. He held the record for many years. At one time Wayne wanted to become a race car driver and trained for that as well as wanting to be a pro tennis player. He loves a challenge. At our church youth SEP summer camp in Orr, Minnesota, Wayne performed in a water ski show that was spectacular.

Currently Wayne is involved in developing innovative training routines for clients of all ages. He has a lot of wonderful ideas on how to stay fit. You can contact him at www.waynegrimditch.com. We spend many hours talking about what would be valuable training techniques for athletes, senior citizens and teenagers. Wayne’s philosophy for his clients is to maximize their human potential with goal setting, training routines, nutrition and world class motivation.

The secret of being a champion in life as well as athletics can be summed up with Wayne’s imput: 1. Have a worthwhile goal. 2. You need desire to achieve. 3. You are what you eat. Eat healthy like Wayne does. 4. Don’t be afraid of failure. 5. Workout with people around you that are positive and encouraging. 6. Continue your education in the fitness and health. 7. There is help from a higher power. Ask and you shall receive. Become a winner like Wayne by using these principles.

Harry and Sarah Sneider can be reached at 626-355-8964 or harrysneider@earthlink.net.

Jack Lamp has been selected by the Senior Citizen Commission to be the 2012 City of Arcadia Senior Citizen of the year and will be recognized at the luncheon by the Mayor and the Rotary Club for his extensive volunteer commitment to the community.

There are still tickets available for the luncheon and may be purchased at the Community Center. The cost is $4 per person. For more information, please call Arcadia Senior Services at 626.574.5130.

The Caltech-Occidental Concert Band has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Great Wall of China. They have plans for a trip to perform in San Francisco in March of 2013.

Special guest conductor and composer is Frank Ticheli, who will conduct his own compositions Blue Shades, Simple Gifts and Sanctuary. Frank Ticheli is well known for his works for concert band, and has appeared as guest conductor at Carnegie Hall, and at many universities and music festivals all over the world including Austria, Beijing and Shanghai, London and Manchester, Singapore, Rome, Sydney, and numerous cities in Japan.

Kjerstin “KJ” Williams will be the vocal soloist with the Caltech Jazz Bands. KJ is often featured in the Caltech Jazz Bands’ performances, and also performs locally with her jazz group, The Conspirators. She has appeared with a variety of LA based big bands, wind ensembles, and choral groups.

Both evenings will have the same program. This event is free and open to the public with free parking. For further information, please visit bands.caltech.edu or contact the Caltech Office for Performing and Visual Arts at 626 395-3295.

The presentation will be given in the newly renovated Memorial Park Hart House Senior Center, 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. A catered dinner will be served at 6:30. Reservations for the $9 dinner must be made by calling 355-0606. If you wish to attend only the program, there is no charge nor reservation necessary; please arrive by 7:15 p.m.

On Saturday, May 12, at 10 a.m., Janet Raymond, chief gardener for the Wrigley House rose gardens, will conduct a tour of the Tournament House rose gardens for club members and their guests. Janet will share some of the tricks of rose culture she has developed through her many years as a head gardener at the Pacific Rose Society gardens.

For more information about club activities, please visit the Sierra Madre Garden Club website at www.smgarden.org. For information concerning the Audubon Society, go to www.pasadenaaudubon.org.

Monrovia PD
Shots Fired
On April 2 at 8:40 p.m., dispatch received numerous 9-1-1 calls of shots fired in the area of Sherman and Los Angeles. Officers responded to the area and found six cartridge casings in the street and two bullet holes in a front facing wall in the 1200 block of Sherman. No one was injured. A compact car was seen right after the shooting, driving westbound on Cherry at a high rate of speed. No suspect description. Investigation continuing.
Parolee-at-Large / Possession of Burglary Tools / Possession of a Deadly Weapon
On April 4 at 2:39 a.m., an officer stopped and contacted a male and female walking in the 500 block of Parkrose. Upon talking with them, their statements conflicted as to why they were in the area and where they were going. Further investigation revealed the male subject was a parolee-at-large with an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody. The officer located a large knife and a burglary tool near the area where he arrested the suspect. The suspect later admitted possession of the knife and the burglary tool. He was charged with the additional crimes.
Prowling
On April 4 at 5:35 a.m., officers were dispatched to 600 block of West Olive, where a suspect was seen prowling at a residence. When the resident went outside, the suspect fled, running eastbound through a neighbor’s yard. An area search was conducted for the suspect, but he was not located. Investigation continuing.
Robbery
April 5 at 2:14 p.m., a robbery was reported in the 1600 block of South Mountain. A female victim went to a business parking lot to meet a subject she contacted on Craigslist. The victim was purchasing a brand new iPhone from the suspect. The suspect approached the victim, who was standing outside her vehicle, and handed her a box. As she inspected the box, the suspect grabbed her money from the front pocket of her sweatshirt, and the force caused her to fall backwards. The suspect fled with the money, running north towards Evergreen. He was described as a male White, 30 years old, 6’0”, 180 pounds, black spiked hair, wearing a grey sweatshirt. Investigation continuing.
Residential Burglary
April 5 at 5:42 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of Mountain reported that someone had broken into their home. The suspect entered the location through a front window and ransacked the home, taking jewelry, a safe, and other miscellaneous items. A neighbor saw a possible suspect on the property. The suspect is described as a male Hispanic or Filipino, 25 years old, 5’5”, thin build, wearing glasses, a tan sweater and blue jeans. The suspect was driving a white, 2 door, older model Acura, with pink primer around the doors and a black paper license plate with the word “power” written on it. Investigation continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
April 5 at 5:54 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 300 block of South Canyon. The victim parked her vehicle on the street at 7:30 p.m. and returned to her vehicle the next morning at 9:00 a.m. There were no signs of forced entry, and the victim did not realize a seat was missing from the vehicle until 5:00 p.m. that day. She then reported the burglary to police. Investigation continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
April 6 at 10:48 a.m., a vehicle was reported burglarized in the 1800 block of Sixth Avenue. The vehicle was parked in the street in front of a residence at 1:00 a.m. and locked. The victim returned to vehicle 10:30 a.m. and found the passenger door unlocked. The glove compartment was ransacked and her purse was taken from the trunk. The investigation is continuing.
Brandishing a Handgun in a Threatening Manner – Suspects Arrested
April 8 at 7:00 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of Los Angeles Street regarding a suspect that drove by in a black Nissan Altima, brandishing a handgun in a threatening manner. The Foothill Air Support Team helicopter was monitoring the radio frequency and located the suspect vehicle. The helicopter directed responding units to the vehicle and it was stopped at Ivy and Cypress. The victim positively identified the vehicle and the driver, as the suspect, but she did not desire prosecution. The vehicle was searched, but the gun was not located. The driver was unlicensed and did not have valid identification. He was arrested and later released upon verifying his identity. A passenger was arrested for violation of Monrovia’s gang injunction and was taken into custody. Two other occupants in the vehicle were identified and released.
Weapons Violation – Suspect Arrested
April 7 at 8:20 p.m., Special Enforcement Team officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Treelane and Camino Real because the license plate was found to have a warrant associated to it. Upon contacting the female driver, she was found to be unlicensed. A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of marijuana inside the vehicle and a handgun was found concealed in the engine compartment; the gun was wrapped in a white towel and wedged against the vehicle battery. The male passenger is the registered owner of the vehicle. He was arrested and charged for possessing the firearm. He was also found to be in possession of a stolen access card.

Being prepared for quakes that geologists assure us will eventually come, most likely without warning, could make the difference between life and death. That’s why Pasadena Fire Department provides a wealth of information on the city’s website at www.cityofpasadena.net/disaster about how to plan ahead and take reasonable precautions now to help you survive during and after a serious earthquake or other disaster.

To arrange for a Pasadena Fire Department disaster preparedness presentation for your business, organization or group, contact Emergency Management Coordinator Lisa Derderian at (626) 744-7276.