Pasadena NOW: An Online Pasadena Living Magazine
2007 archived pages

Local US news website hires Indian reporters

Roy Greenslade Thu 17 May 2007 / www.theguardian.com/

Evidence of the shrinking world. A community website in California, Pasadena Now, has hired two Indian reporters - one in Mumbai and the other in Bangalore - to cover the Pasadena city council, which broadcasts its meetings on the web. "A lot of the routine stuff we do can be done by really talented people in another time zone at much lower wages," explains the site's editor and co-founder, James Macpherson. He says he will help add "local flavour" to the articles written by his new Indian journalists by conducting local interviews himself. (Via Los Angeles Times)

CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF PASADENA - Please Help China Keep its Olympic Promise 
By ANN LAU

The author alone is responsible for opinions and information presented in this essay. Pasadena Now does not take editorial positions; rather, we serve the community by offering this forum for opinion and debate, open to all. We encourage your comments!

It is important that we first have a clear understanding of this controversy.

People in China deserve an Olympic Games

As the most populous nation, the Chinese people deserve to host an Olympics Games.  Nonetheless, although China desperately sought the hosting of the millennial Olympic Games of 2000, those Games were not awarded to China.  We know that it was the People’s Republic of China (PRC) regime’s horrific human rights violations that denied it the millennial Olympics Games. It is clear that China was only granted the 2008 Olympics Games because it promised to improve its repugnant human rights record.

Olympic Games are sports with ethical principles

The Olympics Charter states, “Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.”

Accordingly, the Olympic Games are sports with ethical principles.

IOC relied upon the PRC pledge to improve human rights in China

Following China's successful bid for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, International Olympic Committee officials stated they relied upon the PRC authorities’ pledged that the Beijing Olympic Games would be a catalyst for the improvement of human rights in China.

• "By allowing Beijing to host the Games you will help the development of human rights." Liu Jingmin, Vice President of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Bid Committee, April 2001.
• "It will help promote all economic and social projects and will also benefit the further development of our human rights cause." Liu Qi, the former Beijing Mayor & the current president of Organizing Committee for the Beijing Olympic Games, 13 July 2001. 
• "We are convinced that the Olympic Games will improve the human rights record in China", Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, April 2002. 
• The Bid Committee’s statement was an acknowledgement of the link between human rights and the Olympic Games.  The promise of human rights improvement was therefore the expressed goal of both the Beijing Olympic Committee as well as the IOC.

The City of Pasadena should therefore look at any Olympics float in the Rose Parade as a reflection of progress made toward improved human rights. 

The PRC government’s attack on lawyers

Sadly, the PRC’s attack on journalists, internet writers, political dissidents are not news anymore.  A new breed of people are now under attack and they are the lawyers who defend them.

Let us take a look at Chen Guangcheng, who was named by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the world's 100 most influential people.  That year, Chen heard reports that local authorities in Linyi City in Shandong Province had allegedly forced thousands of women to undergo abortions and sterilizations in an illegal effort to compel adherence to China’s restrictive population control policies. Mr. Chen helped the villagers launch a lawsuit against the Linyi authorities. Authorities retaliated by subjecting Mr. Chen to arbitrary detention, beatings and intimidation. In 2006, they charged Chen Guangcheng, who is blind, with “damaging public property and gathering people to block traffic,” and detained him incommunicado. In August 2006, he was convicted following a trial that lasted less than two hours.  He was denied access to his lawyers.  The human rights activist was sentenced to four years and three months in prison.  
 
The case of Chen Guangcheng is but one of the many cases of attacks on lawyers and human rights defenders in China. 
 
The PRC government’s efforts at controlling information

In the waning months before the 2008 Olympics, China has redoubled its efforts at suppressing any unflattering information from being disseminated outside.  From social issues to natural disasters, from poetry to food problems, no issue can avoid the censors and the public security police.

Some of the repressive actions China had taken in just July, 2007 alone are: 
 
July 4, 2007 - China Development Brief, a newsletter based in Beijing and published by Nick Young, was ordered shut down.  The newsletter tracked issues such as AIDS and the environment and provided information for non-government non-profit groups in China to seek foreign funding for those issues.  Why the shutdown?  Those issues make the government look bad.  
 
July 11, 2007 - Even a website that clearly has no political agenda was shut down. The Forum of Contemporary Chinese Poetry was ordered closed.  Why?  Because the regime feared that poets can send subliminal messages through their poetry.  
 
July 13, 2007 - Eight members of the staff of Democracy and Legal Times, a weekly newspaper, were fired.  Among those who were fired included the publisher, the deputy editor, and a member of the editorial staff.  Why?  Among the stories recently covered by the newspaper was a report of the case of Lan Chengzhang, a journalist who was beaten to death on the orders of a mine owner. 
 
July 16, 2007 - Cyber-dissident and pro-democracy activist Zhu Yufu was sentenced to 2 years for allegedly pushing a police officer. 
 
July 19, 2007 - Beijing TV reporter Zi Beijia was arrested and accused of fabricating a filmed report of workers making fake buns.  According to Reporters Without Borders, “even the official news agency Xinhua acknowledged that many Beijing residents were skeptical about the findings of the police. The district where the report was filmed is known for having factories that produce imitation alcohol and food products. A journalist with the Hong Kong-based daily "Ming Pao" was threatened while trying to investigate the existence of these factories.” 
 
July 23, 2007 - Li Xing, an internet writer was arrested and charged with "disseminating false information and helping to create an atmosphere of panic" about the flooding in the northeast.
 
As we can clearly see, as the 2008 Olympics approaches, the government of the PRC has intensified its efforts at making sure that the world sees only the sanitized version of China acceptable to the government – what the government calls, a harmonious society. 
  
PRC’s efforts in religious persecution

August 31, 2007 -  House Church leader Zhou Heng was formally arrested for receiving 3 tons of bibles.  A fellow inmate reported that Zhou has been severely beaten by prison guards and other inmates. 

September 9, 2007 -  Msgr. Giovanni Han Dingxian, underground bishop of Yongnian died in prison.  A few hours later, his body was cremated.  Why? Perhaps to hide evidence of torture.  In 1992, Msgr. Giuseppe Fan Xueyan, underground bishop of Baoding died in prison; his body was dumped on the doorstep of his home.  There were signs of torture on his chest and face and the mark of a wire string around his neck.  Similarly, in 1992, when Msgr Liu Difen, underground bishop of Hebei, died in prison, he had holes in his back, the depth of a finger.

The persecution of Tibetan Buddhists and the Falun Gong practitioners are well documented. 

PRC’s executions and organ trade

The PRC has executed more people each year than the entire world combined.  This has been fueled by the organ trade.  The wealthy nation also contributed to this problem.
 
In his blog, (http://newfilter.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_newfilter_archive.html) Eric De Leon recounted his experience in having a transplant in China, his wife wrote on March 15, 2006 at 11:30 p.m. "Tony shared with us that they were doing 4 liver transplants tonight and 8 kidney transplants.” 

The short time that it took to find DeLeon an organ match suggested that executions in China are carried out as organs become needed.

For the Olympics, sports and politics do mix

Some may say that we should not mix sports and politics.  However, in the Olympics, sports and politics often converge.   Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics crushed Hitler's racial superiority theory.  It was a personal triumph for Owens and a political triumph for those who supported racial equality.

The Olympics opening ceremony at Berlin was a fascist fantasy came true for Hitler.  The Rose Parade float would be a similar propaganda coup for the PRC government. 
 
Does the City of Pasadena have influence over the Tournament of Roses Association?

It was reported in the Pasadena Star News that "Bill Flinn, Chief Operating Officer of the Tournament of Roses, said earlier this month the City of Pasadena, which holds a Sister City relationship with Beijing's Xicheng District, played a significant role in bringing China into the parade."

It is clear from the report that the City of Pasadena does have influence over the Tournament of Roses Association. 
 
Does the City of Pasadena have influence over the PRC government?

The City of Pasadena has a sister city relationship with Xicheng, a district of Beijing.  It was reported that "Bill Bogaard, mayor of Pasadena, and Yunsheng Bai, Executive Deputy Governor of Xicheng (on behalf of Governor Lin Duo) have just signed a Memo of Understanding regarding the sister city relationship on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of their sister city relationship."

The Executive Board of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) is made up of top officials in the Communist Party of China and top officials in Beijing and other cities. 

Liu Qi, President of BOCOG is a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Wang Qishan, an Executive President of BOCOG  is the current Mayor of Beijing and a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee.

Liu Jingmin, an Executive Vice President of BOCOG is the Vice Mayor of Beijing.

Engaging China

We often talk about engaging China.  This should not be at the cost of ignoring China's violations of human rights.  Our engagement with China should be mutually beneficial to both peoples.  Such engagement should go beyond trade to include the rights of the citizens in their respective countries. 

Engaging China means expressing our concern for China's struggle for human rights and helping them keep their Olympics promise. 

Does pressure work?

Visual Artists Guild is a non-profit organization which champions the right of freedom of speech and expression.  Our experience in working on many cases of prisoners of conscience shows that international pressure is effective in helping China change its behavior. 

For instance, we, together with many other organizations, were successful in securing the release of human rights activist Harry Wu, the release of AIDS activist Wan Yan Hai and in securing a relatively light sentence for Singapore Strait Times journalist Ching Cheong.  We continue to work for the release of Ching Cheong.

When Mia Farrow, a Hollywood actress and a United Nations Good Will Ambassador denounced China for its support of the Sudan’s government, she called the Beijing Olympics the “Genocide Olympics”.   She warned director Steven Spielberg that he could “go down in history as the Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing Games,” a reference to the German filmmaker who made Nazi propaganda films.  Steven Spielberg responded by writing a letter to China’s President Hu.  As a result, China sent a team to Darfur. 
 
John Kamm, Chairman of the Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights organization, was at one time the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.  He was able to secure early release of prisoners of conscience through his numerous trade missions to China.  

These cases show that international pressure does work.

Appeal to the residents of Pasadena

The citizens of the City of Pasadena now have a rare opportunity to influence the behavior of China. 

We appeal to the residents of Pasadena to demonstrate to the world the core values of the City of Pasadena. 

Any association with the Beijing Olympics float of shame in the current situation will besmirch the reputation of the City.

We appeal to the residents of Pasadena to re-affirm the basic tenet of our American values in supporting those who are oppressed. 

Let the world knows that the City of Pasadena is willing to stand up for the people in China.

Let the world knows that the City of Pasadena is willing to speak for the people in China who cannot speak for themselves. 

Let the world knows that the City of Pasadena wants to help China keep its Olympic promise. 

Ann Lau,
Chair, Visual Artists Guild

SHOULD WE RE-CONSIDER THE BEIJING FLOAT? 
Joe Brown is President of the Pasadena Branch of the NAACP.

The author alone is responsible for opinions and information presented in this essay. Pasadena Now does not take editorial positions; rather, we serve the community by offering this forum for opinion and debate, open to all. We encourage your comments!

As it currently stands, on January 1, 2008, a Beijing-authorized float is to be paraded down Colorado Boulevard in the internationally famous Rose Parade, glorifying the Chinese communist regime in the name of the Olympics to an estimated 400 million television audience.
It is against what I believe the founding principles of our nation are, what I stand for as President of the Pasadena NAACP and what I served my country for — as a US ARMY sergeant.

Some have defended the Beijing float citing previous floats celebrating Olympic Games in Athens, Mexico City and Los Angeles in the Rose Parade.  It has been said by one elected official that he supported the Beijing Olympic float because “values represented by this long-standing, global tradition of athletic competition. The Olympics Games represent the finest value of human nature.”

I believe by allowing this communist country a float in the Rose Parade, Pasadena is also giving China an opportunity to exploit the Olympics for its politics.  Some people may argue differently, our Tournament of Roses president (Mr. Keedy)  has stated that, “The Olympics is the issue, not the politics, that sports are merely sports and we should stay clear of other concerns.”

In my opinion, The “Float” and Beijing games, however, represents just the opposite of humanity, and is only comparable to the 1936 Nazi Olympics in Berlin. The Beijing Olympics owns the conspicuous mark of being the only Olympics given to a host country based on a promise of improving “ human rights” conditions. Since that promise in 2001, I have yet to read, hear about or see the human rights condition in China improved.
A Rose Parade float cynically used as a propaganda tool for the Republic of China would become a float of shame that would forever taint not only the image of the Rose Parade but the image of the City of Pasadena as well.

Some have embellished the float as a cultural exchange. Mr. Alan Lamson, chair of the China Subcommittee of the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee, has said, “Our position is that it's much better to get to know someone, even if you disagree with them.”
Elected Pasadena and Tournament officials, are we simply following the money and forgetting how this will gravely weaken our moral stand and principles? I hope this doesn’t allow us to sell our principles, just to receive another cheap product, lead-coated toys, and toxic food.
Many continue to inform me that the U.S. is not perfect when it comes to human and civil right. This, I agree with. But there is a vast difference between imperfections in a democracy and deliberate crimes in a dictatorship. Others have tried to find a good thing or two to say about the Beijing Olympics. They have argued that the 1936 Olympics are best remembered for the heroics of Jesse Owens instead of Hitler’s exploitation of the Olympics. That is the same as finding a bright spot in the Holocaust in the heroics of Schindler. It is unconscionable to use the heroics of others to excuse our own inaction. Some have also tried to justify their support of the Beijing float by citing their good intention toward China. Just remember, support to oppressors, in any form, is a cruelty to the victims.
For Pasadena’s honor, for the Olympics spirit, for the men and women who have served in this country, and most importantly, for our own conscience, there is a choice: Revisit our position on this communist country and its propaganda float. I thought (and many other veterans agree) I was serving my country to defend against this type tyranny.

As late as the hour is, there can be no excuse to not act, it is time to add our voice to the international outcry. Many people have already taken actions. Congressional representatives Rohrabacher and Waters have independently introduced resolutions calling for boycott of Beijing Olympics. Mia Farrow’s letter opposing a “Genocide Olympics” has already slowed the Chinese regime’s aggression in Darfur. Steven Spielberg is reconsidering his role as artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics. Nobel Peace Prize winner Tutu is considering boycotting the Beijing Olympics over China’s support of Burmese despots.
The words of Dr. King still rings loudly in my ear, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

Joe Brown, 
President
Pasadena NAACP

OUTRAGED!

by Ricardo Veliz
I'm outraged. The Rose Bowl Parade Commission should politely tell the Beijing 2008 Olympics float people that they are not welcome because their country is violating human rights, and to look away from that issue is hypocritical, and downright disgusting.

More Background On PasadenaLivingMagazine.com

PasadenaLivingMagazine.com is a historical online magazine archive that offers readers a look at Pasadena, California, during the formative years of local internet journalism. Featuring articles, community news, restaurant reviews, cultural events, environmental reporting, and opinion pieces from 2006 and 2007, the website preserves an earlier version of Pasadena Now, a community news publication established in April 2004. Although Pasadena Now has since developed into a more extensive digital news organization operating at PasadenaNow.com, PasadenaLivingMagazine.com provides a distinctive glimpse into the publication's original editorial style, priorities, and relationship with the community it served.

The website is particularly interesting because it represents more than a collection of old articles. Its archived material documents the restaurants, neighborhood businesses, public debates, civic developments, and cultural activities that helped define Pasadena in the mid-2000s. Readers can revisit a period when independent online publications were beginning to challenge traditional newspapers by offering more immediate, geographically focused coverage. Pasadena Now was among the early participants in that transformation, combining local reporting with lifestyle journalism, event listings, business features, and community commentary.

For residents, historians, journalists, and anyone interested in Pasadena's cultural evolution, PasadenaLivingMagazine.com functions as a digital time capsule. It also illustrates how a relatively small independent publication developed an enduring presence in Southern California's competitive media environment.

The History of PasadenaLivingMagazine.com and Pasadena Now

The history of PasadenaLivingMagazine.com is closely connected to Pasadena Now, the online community publication founded in 2004 by James Macpherson and Candice Merrill. The founders recognized that the internet could provide a more immediate and accessible way to distribute local information than traditional printed newspapers and magazines. Their goal was to create a publication dedicated specifically to Pasadena, rather than treating the city as one of many communities within a larger Los Angeles news market.

Pasadena Now began publishing daily in April 2004, making it an early example of a continuously operating digital community news organization. The publication initially emphasized local events, nonprofit organizations, cultural activities, and community announcements. Its first reported event was the 2004 Gold Crown Awards ceremony, an indication of its original commitment to documenting local institutions and the people involved in civic life.

As the publication developed, its editorial coverage expanded to include municipal government, neighborhood development, schools, public safety, environmental issues, dining, shopping, entertainment, and opinion. This expansion reflected an effort to become a comprehensive information resource for residents who wanted to understand what was happening in their immediate community.

The archived material on PasadenaLivingMagazine.com dates primarily from 2006 and 2007, when the publication was still relatively young. The website identifies itself as an earlier home of Pasadena Now and directs readers to the publication's current website for contemporary reporting. This distinction is important: PasadenaLivingMagazine.com should be understood primarily as a historical archive rather than a separate, actively updated magazine competing with Pasadena Now.

The archive also provides evidence of how local digital publishing operated before smartphones, social media platforms, and mobile-first news websites became central to online information consumption. Articles were organized around recognizable newspaper and magazine categories, including city government, opinion, restaurant features, lifestyle, conservation, and community events. The presentation emphasized written reporting and practical information, often including addresses, telephone numbers, event dates, and detailed descriptions of local establishments.

Ownership, Founders, and Editorial Leadership

Pasadena Now was founded by James Macpherson and Candice Merrill, two Pasadena residents who developed the publication into a recognizable source of community information. Historical material identifies Pasadena Now, LLC as the publisher of PasadenaNow.com, and contemporary information continues to identify Macpherson and Merrill as the publication's co-publishers.

Macpherson, who grew up in Pasadena, brought entrepreneurial experience to the publication. Before establishing Pasadena Now, he worked in the apparel business, where he became familiar with international business operations and the use of overseas workers. That experience later influenced some of the publication's unconventional approaches to staffing and news production. Merrill played an important role in photography, event coverage, and the visual documentation of community life. Together, they combined editorial, business, and creative responsibilities to support an independent local news organization.

The historical staff information preserved on PasadenaLivingMagazine.com identifies Macpherson as publisher, Merrill as director of photography and calendar editor, Colleen Beatty in advertising, Steven Cischke and Danielle Gillespie as staff writers, and Brad Haugaard as technical advisor. These names help establish the publication's early organizational structure and demonstrate that the website involved multiple contributors rather than operating solely as a personal blog.

Pasadena Now's current organizational information identifies André Coleman as managing editor, along with other editorial and administrative personnel. The publication maintains its local news identity while operating on a larger scale than the original venture. However, the historical archive does not establish separate ownership for PasadenaLivingMagazine.com itself, so the archive's domain registration and present-day legal ownership should not automatically be equated with the current corporate structure of Pasadena Now.

Location and the Pasadena Community

The geographical focus of PasadenaLivingMagazine.com is Pasadena, a city in Los Angeles County situated northeast of downtown Los Angeles near the San Gabriel Mountains. Pasadena is internationally recognized for the annual Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl, its architectural heritage, cultural institutions, educational organizations, and distinctive neighborhoods. These characteristics provide the backdrop for much of the archived reporting.

Pasadena's location also places it near South Pasadena, San Marino, Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, and other San Gabriel Valley communities. The publication's coverage frequently extended beyond Pasadena's municipal boundaries when nearby cultural institutions, restaurants, or events were relevant to its readers. For example, archived articles discuss Firefly Bistro in South Pasadena and a Camerata Pacifica performance at the Huntington in San Marino.

This regional approach made practical sense because Pasadena's residents often participate in cultural and commercial activities throughout the surrounding area. The city serves as a center for shopping, dining, entertainment, education, and public events, while neighboring communities contribute additional destinations and institutions.

Unlike a restaurant, museum, or retail establishment, PasadenaLivingMagazine.com does not represent a physical attraction that visitors can tour. It is an online publication archive. Historical Pasadena Now materials identify a Pasadena-area operation and provide business contact information, but the archived domain should not be interpreted as a current public office or visitor destination.

Editorial Goals and the Philosophy Behind the Publication

One of Pasadena Now's defining principles has been its stated commitment to providing information that serves the entire community. The publication describes its role as delivering factual local reporting while making room for diverse opinions. Rather than adopting official editorial positions on political candidates or controversial public issues, it has historically sought to provide a forum in which residents can express different viewpoints.

This philosophy is visible throughout the 2007 archive. Alongside straightforward reporting about development proposals and environmental programs, readers encounter opinion essays addressing international human rights, the Olympics, and Pasadena's relationship with foreign cities. The publication distinguished these contributions from its own editorial positions, emphasizing that individual authors were responsible for the opinions they expressed.

The approach reflects a broader purpose of community journalism: giving residents access to information that affects their neighborhoods while encouraging discussion about public decisions. Local reporting can be especially valuable when it addresses issues that receive limited attention from metropolitan newspapers, including planning commission meetings, small-business openings, neighborhood events, and the activities of community organizations.

Pasadena Now has also emphasized free access to its content. Its published editorial policy states that the publication intends to remain available without a reader paywall. This accessibility supports its mission of providing information to a broad local audience, including people who may not subscribe to traditional newspapers or commercial news services.

Restaurant Reviews and Pasadena's Dining Scene

One of the most engaging aspects of PasadenaLivingMagazine.com is its coverage of restaurants and food culture. The archived articles reveal a dining scene characterized by independent establishments, innovative chefs, neighborhood favorites, and an interest in both international cuisine and contemporary California cooking. Rather than presenting simple business listings, the publication offered descriptive restaurant features that introduced readers to the people, dishes, and experiences associated with particular establishments.

A notable example is the September 2007 feature on Porta Via Italian Foods, located at One West California Boulevard in Pasadena. The article introduced the relatively new Italian delicatessen, co-owned and managed by Victor Ciulla and John Weithas, and described its emphasis on authentic Italian ingredients and prepared foods. The restaurant's offerings included specialty meats, cheeses, panini sandwiches, pasta, seafood, and ready-to-eat meals. Among the highlighted dishes were Italian meatballs prepared with several varieties of meat, an Italian cold-cut sandwich called the Autostrada, osso buco, grilled scampi, and traditional cannoli. The article also identified chef Octavio Beccera, formerly associated with the Patina Group, as a contributor to the menu's development.

Another detailed dining feature explored Firefly Bistro in South Pasadena, which had celebrated its fifth anniversary with a special food-and-wine dinner. The restaurant was associated with chefs Monique King and Paul Rosenbluh, whose approach emphasized modern American bistro cooking. The archived review described an elaborate tasting menu featuring scallops, foie gras, lamb, venison, artisanal cheeses, and carefully selected wines. The reviewer discussed both successful dishes and personal reservations about particular preparations, giving the article a more individual perspective than a conventional promotional announcement.

These features demonstrate the magazine's value as a historical record of Pasadena-area dining. Restaurant names, menus, ownership, and prices can change substantially over time, so the information should be interpreted as a snapshot of the businesses as they existed in 2007. The archive is especially useful for understanding what local diners were discovering, which culinary trends were attracting attention, and how neighborhood establishments presented themselves before restaurant-review platforms and social media became dominant influences.

Local Businesses, Shopping, and Lifestyle Features

PasadenaLivingMagazine.com also documented the development of independent businesses and consumer trends. Its coverage extended beyond restaurants to include specialty retailers, personal-care products, health services, and other businesses serving Pasadena residents.

One example is a feature on The Soap Kitchen, a business founded in 2004 by Dali Yu and located at 43 North Fair Oaks Avenue in Old Pasadena. The article described the company's emphasis on handmade soaps, shampoos, bath products, massage oils, and natural personal-care items. It highlighted a new Mint Verbena lip balm, discussing its ingredients and the growing interest among consumers in products marketed as natural and environmentally conscious.

The article is revealing because it captures consumer attitudes toward personal care during the mid-2000s. Interest in ingredient transparency, environmental responsibility, and alternatives to mass-produced cosmetics was becoming increasingly visible. The Soap Kitchen's business model, combining an Old Pasadena storefront with online retailing, also reflected the gradual integration of traditional neighborhood commerce with e-commerce.

Lifestyle coverage extended to practical health topics. An article by Pasadena chiropractor Dennis R. Buckley discussed the potential physical effects of carrying excessively heavy school backpacks. It offered advice on distributing weight, choosing appropriate straps, and reducing unnecessary items. Such material illustrates how the publication combined local expertise with general consumer education, making the website relevant to parents and families as well as readers seeking entertainment or shopping recommendations.

Arts, Entertainment, and Community Events

Cultural reporting was another important part of Pasadena Now's early identity. Pasadena and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley have long supported performing arts organizations, museums, galleries, music ensembles, and community festivals. PasadenaLivingMagazine.com reflects that environment through event announcements, performance previews, and coverage of cultural organizations.

Among the archived features is a preview of a Shumei Arts Council of America performance featuring shakuhachi musician and taiko drummer Marco Lienhard alongside taiko master Koji Nakamura. The event illustrates the area's interest in Japanese cultural traditions and its connection to international performing arts. The archive also includes information about Camerata Pacifica, the chamber music organization founded by Adrian Spence in 1990. A September 2007 announcement described a performance at the Huntington in San Marino featuring pianist Barry Douglas and compositions by Mozart, Beethoven, and Liszt.

The presence of these articles shows that the publication's cultural interests extended beyond commercial entertainment. Classical music, traditional Japanese performance, and other artistic programs were presented alongside restaurant reviews and neighborhood activities. Event calendars and previews helped readers discover performances they might otherwise have missed, while also providing publicity for cultural organizations.

This coverage had practical value for performers and event organizers. Smaller arts organizations often have limited marketing resources, making local publications important channels for reaching potential audiences. By offering event information and cultural features, Pasadena Now contributed to the visibility of Pasadena's creative community.

Environmental Reporting and Sustainability

Environmental issues were a recurring subject in the magazine's archived material. Pasadena's climate, urban landscape, and commitment to maintaining public green spaces made conservation a particularly relevant topic for local readers.

A March 2007 article on garden irrigation explained how automated watering systems could help property owners reduce unnecessary water consumption. It discussed the differences between overhead sprinklers and drip irrigation, the importance of watering schedules, and the advantages of delivering water directly to plant roots. Although the article was written nearly two decades ago, its central subject remains relevant in Southern California, where water conservation continues to influence residential landscaping and municipal policy.

The archive also covered electronic waste recycling. A community announcement promoted a free collection event near Brookside Park, where residents could dispose of unwanted computers, televisions, printers, cell phones, and other electronic equipment. This type of practical information helped connect environmental concerns with specific actions residents could take.

Another article celebrated Pasadena's recognition through the Tree City USA program. The 2007 report described awards associated with the city's urban forestry efforts and discussed the importance of maintaining street trees, park trees, and protected green spaces. The awards described in that article were honors received by the City of Pasadena, not awards given to PasadenaLivingMagazine.com or Pasadena Now.

Together, these features demonstrate that the publication viewed environmental reporting as part of everyday community life. Its coverage connected larger sustainability concerns with gardening, waste disposal, public landscaping, and local government programs.

Local Government, Architecture, and Historic Preservation

PasadenaLivingMagazine.com also preserves examples of local government reporting that are particularly useful for understanding the city's physical development. Pasadena has a significant architectural heritage, including historic commercial buildings, residential neighborhoods, and landmarks associated with the city's growth during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

A July 2007 article by staff writer Steven Cischke examined a proposed redevelopment project involving the historic Livingstone Hotel and an adjacent property on South Robles Avenue. The proposal involved constructing a six-story mixed-use building with 34 condominium units and commercial space while renovating the Livingstone Hotel for residential use. The Pasadena Design Commission requested additional information from the developer, and commission members expressed concerns about the proposed demolition of an adjoining building.

The article also discussed another development proposal involving the Pasadena Health Club property near Fair Oaks Avenue and Raymond Street. The proposed project included hotel rooms and condominiums, with design elements described as influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. Commission members questioned whether the architectural approach was appropriate for its surroundings.

These stories reveal the tensions that frequently accompany urban redevelopment. Pasadena's desire to accommodate new housing, commercial activity, and investment must be balanced against concerns about architectural character, historic preservation, and neighborhood identity. By documenting the discussion while proposals were still under consideration, the publication created a record of decisions and disagreements that might otherwise receive little attention outside municipal proceedings.

For researchers studying Pasadena's development history, such reporting provides valuable context. It identifies proposed projects, participating officials, architectural considerations, and community concerns at particular moments in time. However, an archived proposal should not be confused with a completed development; subsequent project outcomes require separate verification.

Public Opinion, Civic Debate, and International Issues

One of the most historically distinctive portions of PasadenaLivingMagazine.com concerns the controversy surrounding a proposed Beijing Olympics-themed float in the 2008 Rose Parade. The issue generated strong reactions because Pasadena's internationally recognized parade became connected to debates about China's human rights record and the approaching Beijing Olympic Games.

The archive includes an extensive essay by Ann Lau, chair of the Visual Artists Guild, arguing that Pasadena should use its relationship with Beijing and its influence over the Rose Parade to encourage improvements in human rights. Lau discussed political repression, religious freedom, the treatment of dissidents, and the relationship between international sporting events and government accountability.

Another opinion contribution came from Joe Brown, then president of the Pasadena branch of the NAACP. Brown also questioned whether the parade should include a float representing Beijing, arguing that the city's participation carried ethical and political implications. Additional commentary reflected frustration among residents who believed the issue deserved greater public attention.

These essays are important historical documents because they illustrate how an international political controversy became a local civic debate. Pasadena's sister-city relationship with Beijing's Xicheng District, the Rose Parade's worldwide visibility, and the involvement of local organizations gave residents a direct connection to an issue taking place thousands of miles away.

The publication's decision to provide space for these arguments also illustrates its community-forum philosophy. The essays represent the views and allegations of their individual authors, not independently verified findings or official editorial positions of Pasadena Now. Their historical value lies in documenting the arguments, concerns, and public discourse surrounding the controversy.

National Media Attention and the Outsourcing Controversy

Pasadena Now attracted attention well beyond Southern California in 2007 when founder James Macpherson adopted an unconventional approach to staffing local news coverage. He hired journalists based in India to report on Pasadena government proceedings using internet broadcasts, documents, and communications with local sources.

The arrangement became the subject of a May 11, 2007, Los Angeles Times article by Alex Pham. The report explained that two journalists, one in Mumbai and another in Bangalore, had been hired to cover Pasadena City Council meetings remotely. The strategy was intended to reduce operating costs while taking advantage of internet technology and the time difference between California and India.

The story generated debate within the journalism profession. Critics argued that reporting on a community requires direct familiarity with its institutions, residents, geography, and political culture. They questioned whether journalists located thousands of miles away could accurately interpret local events or develop the relationships needed for effective reporting. Supporters of remote production, meanwhile, pointed to the potential for digital tools to reduce costs and help small publications survive.

The controversy was covered by other media outlets, including The Guardian, which discussed the arrangement in May 2007. The Los Angeles Business Journal later examined the business model and the financial pressures that led Macpherson to experiment with overseas staffing. A December 2008 Los Angeles Times follow-up also explored the limitations of the approach and the reactions of local officials.

This episode became one of the most widely discussed aspects of Pasadena Now's early history. It highlighted an issue that remains relevant to journalism: how publishers can balance financial sustainability, technological efficiency, editorial accuracy, and the need for firsthand local knowledge. Although the technology has changed considerably since 2007, the underlying questions about remote reporting and newsroom economics continue to shape discussions about digital media.

Awards, Recognition, and Professional Reputation

Pasadena Now's founders received recognition for their contributions to the community and journalism. According to the publication's historical account, James Macpherson and Candice Merrill received the City of Pasadena's Harry Sheldon Humanitarian Award in 2007. Macpherson was also recognized with an Excellence in Journalism award from the Visual Artists Guild in 2008.

The same account identifies Macpherson as a recipient of the Pasadena Jaycees' Outstanding Young Man of the Year Award and notes his involvement with the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. These honors and affiliations help explain the founders' connections to the civic organizations and community institutions that the publication covered.

Recognition of the founders should be distinguished from awards received directly by PasadenaLivingMagazine.com. The available information does not establish a separate awards history for the archived domain. Likewise, the Tree City USA honors described in the website's environmental articles were municipal awards rather than publishing-industry recognition.

The publication's broader reputation has also been shaped by its longevity and its willingness to experiment with online journalism. Its early adoption of a digital-only format, extensive community coverage, and controversial staffing strategies made it a subject of discussion in both local and national media.

Popularity, Readership, and Online Presence

Pasadena Now's audience has grown substantially since its earliest years. The May 2007 Los Angeles Times report stated that Macpherson claimed approximately 45,000 monthly visitors at that time. This figure provides a useful indication of the publication's early reach, although it was a publisher-reported estimate rather than an independently audited circulation figure.

The publication's current About Us page reports more than 111,505 monthly readers, approximately 21,410 email subscribers, and 69,000 social media followers. These are Pasadena Now's published audience figures and should not be interpreted as independent measurements of PasadenaLivingMagazine.com's traffic. The archived website itself does not provide enough information to establish its present monthly visitors, search-engine visibility, or social media following.

Pasadena Now's longevity is another indicator of its position within the local media landscape. Since beginning daily publication in 2004, it has operated through major changes in online advertising, news consumption, social media, and the economics of local reporting. The publication describes itself as one of the older continuously operating community news websites in the United States.

Its modern website covers breaking news, city government, public safety, schools, business, arts, entertainment, real estate, and community organizations. This breadth of coverage helps distinguish it from websites devoted exclusively to restaurant recommendations, event listings, or neighborhood commentary.

How Pasadena Now Evolved Into a Modern Digital Publication

The relationship between PasadenaLivingMagazine.com and the current Pasadena Now website becomes clearer when examining the publication's later development. By its tenth anniversary in 2014, Pasadena Now had expanded considerably beyond its original emphasis on events and community organizations. The founders described their ambition to create a comprehensive source of information about Pasadena, incorporating a growing range of local subjects.

A particularly important milestone occurred in March 2020, when Pasadena Now launched a redesigned website. The publication explained that the redesign was intended to improve the mobile reading experience and accommodate increased demand for local information during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The updated presentation emphasized two complementary editorial products: comprehensive local news reporting and lifestyle coverage. Its lifestyle section, Pasadena Weekendr, focused on restaurants, homes, shopping, entertainment, cultural activities, and the people who make Pasadena distinctive. This separation reflected the same combination of news and lifestyle journalism visible in the 2006–2007 archive, but presented through a more modern publishing structure.

The redesigned website also emphasized school coverage and a comprehensive calendar of local events. In 2020, the publication described a six-person news team led by managing editor André Coleman, a significant development from its much smaller early operation.

As of 2026, Pasadena Now continues to publish current news and lifestyle material. Its reporting includes subjects such as housing, city government, education, emergency preparedness, local business, scientific research, and community recovery following the Eaton Fire. Pasadena Weekendr continues to feature arts, dining, entertainment, family activities, and event recommendations. These developments demonstrate the continuity between the publication's early ambitions and its present-day role.

The Cultural and Historical Significance of the Archive

The historical value of PasadenaLivingMagazine.com comes from its preservation of ordinary community life alongside major civic issues. Newspapers and magazines frequently become important historical resources because they document details that are not always recorded in official histories: the opening of a restaurant, a local business owner's ambitions, a concert announcement, a proposed building renovation, or a neighborhood discussion.

The archived restaurant features, for example, provide evidence of Pasadena's dining culture during a particular period. Business profiles preserve information about local entrepreneurs and changing consumer preferences. Government articles document development proposals and preservation debates. Environmental reporting reveals community concerns about water conservation, recycling, and urban forestry. Opinion essays capture the political and social arguments that influenced public conversation.

The website also illustrates the transition from print-centered local journalism to digital community publishing. In 2004, launching an independent online news organization required a different set of assumptions about audience behavior, advertising, production, and distribution than those associated with traditional newspapers. Pasadena Now's founders believed readers would increasingly expect immediate access to local information, and their publication developed around that expectation.

Today, digital-first journalism is commonplace, but PasadenaLivingMagazine.com helps show what an early local implementation looked like. Its historical presentation and preserved articles offer a useful contrast with contemporary news websites that incorporate responsive design, social media distribution, multimedia reporting, and sophisticated content-management systems.

Audience, Reader Experience, and Practical Uses

PasadenaLivingMagazine.com is likely to be most interesting to longtime Pasadena residents, former residents, local historians, journalism researchers, and people investigating the history of particular businesses or community organizations. Readers who lived in Pasadena during 2006 and 2007 may recognize restaurants, public controversies, cultural events, or individuals mentioned in the archived material.

Researchers can use the website as a starting point for examining historical developments. Someone studying the Livingstone Hotel, for example, could consult the archived Design Commission report and then compare it with municipal records to determine what happened afterward. A researcher interested in Pasadena's restaurant history could examine the Porta Via or Firefly Bistro features alongside contemporary newspaper reviews and business records.

The archive is less appropriate for readers seeking current restaurant menus, business hours, ticket prices, contact details, or event schedules. Much of the practical information belongs to 2007 and may no longer be accurate. Historical health and environmental articles should likewise be understood in the context of the information available when they were published.

The website does not function as a restaurant or retail business, so there is no dining menu, reservation system, or product catalog associated with the domain itself. Its restaurant articles contain historical menu descriptions, but those descriptions are not current offerings. Publicly available information also does not establish a meaningful body of independent consumer reviews specifically evaluating PasadenaLivingMagazine.com as an archive.

For current Pasadena news and event information, the main Pasadena Now website is the appropriate destination. For historical research and nostalgia, PasadenaLivingMagazine.com offers a different experience, allowing visitors to explore an earlier period in the publication's development.

PasadenaLivingMagazine.com and the Future of Local News Archives

The continued availability of historical digital content is increasingly important as websites are redesigned, publishing platforms change, and older material disappears from public view. Unlike printed newspapers held in libraries, early online publications can be lost when domains expire, databases are replaced, or website owners remove obsolete pages.

PasadenaLivingMagazine.com demonstrates the value of retaining material from a publication's earlier years. Even when the articles are no longer timely, they can remain useful as evidence of local history, cultural trends, editorial practices, and community priorities.

The archive also highlights the importance of distinguishing between historical reporting and current information. A restaurant review from 2007 can provide insight into the culinary culture of that period without confirming that the restaurant remains open. A municipal development article can document a proposal without proving that the project was completed. An opinion essay can preserve an important public argument without establishing every assertion in the essay as fact.

For readers interested in the broader history of journalism, Pasadena Now's development offers an instructive example of the opportunities and challenges faced by independent local publishers. Its experience includes early adoption of internet publishing, experimentation with international staffing, efforts to maintain free public access, and adaptation to changing reader expectations.

PasadenaLivingMagazine.com preserves an important chapter in the history of Pasadena Now and the development of online community journalism in Southern California. Through its collection of 2006 and 2007 articles, the website offers a detailed look at Pasadena's restaurants, independent businesses, cultural institutions, environmental programs, municipal government, and public debates.

The archive's significance is closely tied to the publication's founders, James Macpherson and Candice Merrill, who established Pasadena Now in 2004 with the goal of providing accessible, comprehensive information about their community. Their publication grew from an independent local venture into a longstanding digital news organization, attracting national attention for its unconventional business practices while continuing to emphasize Pasadena-specific reporting.

Although PasadenaLivingMagazine.com is no longer the principal destination for current Pasadena news, it remains a useful historical resource. Its articles preserve the people, places, controversies, and everyday experiences that shaped Pasadena during the mid-2000s. For anyone interested in the city's recent past or the evolution of local digital media, the website offers a distinctive perspective on how community journalism developed during the internet's early expansion.