05.30.19

PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS
BRIEFS
JAYLENE MOSELEY:
1949-2019
CANCER CLAIMS THE LIFE OF
BELOVED COMMUNITY ACTIVIST
AND BUSINESSWOMAN
BY ANDRÉ COLEMAN
Flintridge Center CEO, local commercial developer and
longtime social activist Jaylene Moseley died Saturday, one day before her 70th
birthday, following a battle with cancer.
Winner of multiple awards for her work in the community, Moseley also
founded the J. L. Moseley Co., which developed and managed commercial real
estate in Northwest Pasadena and Altadena.
“Jaylene ’s biggest legacy is the impact her work and her efforts had on
community-driven change and policies,” said former Pasadena City Councilwoman
Jacque Robinson-Baisley, a longtime friend. “She made it clear that it
was never about her as an individual but us, as a community, especially those
who needed that first, second or third chance to be successful.”
Before moving to Pasadena, Mosely grew up in Big Timber, Montana,
population 1,000, and attended Montana State University, where she majored in
music from 1967 to 1970. “I didn’t leave Montana until I was 20, when I decided
to see all 50 states,” Moseley is quoted as saying in the book “Hometown Pasadena:
The Insider’s Guide.”
“I worked when I needed money; I made it to 45 states in five years and then
I ended up staying in California because I liked its diversity and progressive and
creative people,” Moseley said. “I was just lucky in picking Pasadena.”
News of Moseley’s diagnosis was revealed last week in an email to her supporters.
“All of us have been touched in some way by Jaylene’s all-consuming dedication
to making our community a place that is free from the cycles of violence
and poverty, and it has been our honor and privilege to work beside her, and
under her gentle leadership, in trying to make that dream a reality,” according to
a statement issued by the center.
Moseley was involved in Pasadena and Altadena community affairs for more
than 25 years. As president of the nonprofit Flintridge Center, she helped the
community as it struggled with gang violence and the reintegration of prison
parolees into society. Moseley served as the managing director of the center
from 1986 through 2007.
In 2002, Moseley formed a coalition of students and residents to establish
afterschool activities at John Muir High School. The effort let to the creation of
Mustangs on the Move, consisting of 20 educational and enrichment programs.
Moseley was also a key part of then-Councilwoman Robinson-Baisley’s
Vision 20/20 initiative, which prepared more than 200 high-risk and gangaffiliated
individuals for construction trades.
Moseley’s numerous laurels for community leadership and sustainable
development practices include a 2019 County of Los Angeles award for more
than 30 years of dedicated service. In 2017, she was named the 41st Assembly
District Woman of the Year, presented by Assemblyman Chris Holden, 29th
Congressional District Woman of the Year Award from US Reo. Adam Schiff
in 2008, and in 2003 the Ruby McKnight Williams Award, presented by the
Pasadena NAACP.
Moseley is survived by her husband Alex Moseley, a local artist and craftsman.
Memorial services were pending at press time.
“She was a friend and mentor to not just me but countless others. My heartfelt
condolences go out to Alex, the Flintridge Center family and every youth,
young adult and person who deserved and earned the gifts of her heart through
her work in the community. She is surely missed by all of us who love her.” n
HAMPTON TO RUN AGAIN
DISTRICT 1 COUNCILMAN ANNOUNCES
INTENTION TO RUN FOR SECOND TERM
BY ANDRÉ COLEMAN
Pasadena District 1 City Councilman Tyron Hampton
announced this week that he is running for re-election.
Hampton has filed a candidate intention statement
with City Clerk Mark Jomsky.
Hampton was born and raised in Pasadena and
graduated from John Muir High School where he met his wife Tara Gomez-
Hampton. They have one daughter.
During his time on the council, Hampton, a small business owner, focused
on quality-of-life issues in his district. He opposed the NFL playing in the Rose
Bowl, and continues to maintain contact with his constituents by holding
frequent community meetings and walking his district.
Hampton currently sits on the council’s Public Safety Committee and the
Economic Development and Technology (EDTECH) Committee.
He also sat on an ad hoc committee formed by Mayor Terry Tornek to shore
up plans to implement sales tax funds earmarked for the Pasadena Unified
School District (PUSD). n
UNITED THEY STAND
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
rents and its allowance of arbitrary evictions.”
The campaign, states a press release issued last
Monday afternoon, “will focus on tenant power
of making sure rents cannot increase more than
inflation, and landlords can’t evict tenants without
cause.”
According to Pasadenans Organizing for
Progress (POP), a poll conducted by David Binder
Research revealed that 69 percent of local voters
support rent control and 82 percent support a law
that would block evictions without a valid reason.
“The survey results are not surprising,” said Ed
Washatka, chair of POP’s housing committee. “The
voters are telling the mayor and City Council that they
want them to pass laws that protect renters against
skyrocketing rent increases and unjust evictions.”
According to the poll, all racial groups support
rent control locally, with the lowest support coming
from white residents, who still overwhelmingly
support both measures at 65 percent. Seventy-four
percent of Asian Americans polled also supported
rent control and a fair eviction law. In the poll, 76
percent of African Americans supported the measures
and 78 percent of Latinos also said they supported
rent control and a law protecting tenants from unjust
evictions.
The poll also found widespread support for rent
control in all seven council districts.
Eighty-one percent of the respondents in
Pasadena’s District 5 favored rent control, followed
by 76 percent in Districts 1 and 3. Sixty-eight
percent of the respondents in District 4 support rent
control. In District 2, 66 percent of the respondents
said they supported rent control. In District 7,
61 percent of the respondents they support rent
control, as well as 58 percent in District 6.
According to POP, 700 local voters took part in
the poll.
“The political establishment is out of touch with
the reality of ever rising costs and unjust evictions
for immigrant and working class families and
families of color,” said Pablo Alvarado, POP board
member and executive director of the National
Day Laborer Organizing Network. “I hope that
our political leaders engage in a constructive and
honest dialogue to bring justice to the housing
market in our city.”
While state and local officials point to a housing
shortage as the cause of increased housing costs,
they disagree on the solution.
Suburbs across the state, including Pasadena,
helped stall a bill that would have forced
communities to allow mixed-use projects in single
family home neighborhoods.
Senate Bill 50, which would have prohibited
cities across the state from banning mid-rise
apartments within a half-mile of public transit
stations and allowed for four or more homes on
parcels of land in single family neighborhoods,
failed to advance out of the state Senate’s
Appropriations Committee on May 17.
THE COUNT
As of Monday, 4107 days after the war in Afghanistan ended …
2,245
American military
service members
(0 more
than last
week) were
reported killed
in Afghanistan
since the war
began in 2001,
according to The
Associated Press.
1,500
troops will be sent to
Iran, according to
The Associated
Press. According
to President
Trump, the troops
will have a “mostly
protective” role as
part of a buildup that
began in response to what the
US has said was a threat from Iran.
Critics claimed the bill would lead to a takeover
of local land use ordinances and result in increased
density.
The bill could return in January. Supporters
claimed it would have added much needed housing
and decreased costs.
According to a study out of UC Berkeley’s Urban
Displacement Project, Old Pasadena and most of
central Pasadena south of the 210 Freeway would
not have been impacted by the bill due to the
amount of existing apartment buildings in the area.
However, heading east past Lake Avenue,
many of the communities could have been vastly
impacted by the bill, including Allen Avenue near
Marshall Fundamental School, and neighborhoods
along the South Fair Oaks Avenue corridor below
Del Mar Boulevard all the way to the South
Pasadena border.
“We need to recognize there is a housing crisis
in California,” said Pasadena City Manager Steve
Mermell. “Without significant increase in residential
units home affordability will continue to diminish
and rents will continue to rise faster than incomes.
SB 50 was likely well intended but it was too blunt
of a solution. It would have crammed just too much
density on Pasadena, which has been a good actor
in terms of allowing growth and development.
I’m hopeful the recent actions in Sacramento will
allow time for the development of better legislation
that will effectively address the problem while
maintaining local land use control.”
Pasadena has taken some steps to protect
local tenants. In 2018, the Pasadena City Council
enacted an ordinance called the Pasadena Tenants
Protection Ordinance, which entitles some tenants
to compensation if landlords sell the building
resulting in tenant eviction.
Two separate attempts have been made over
the past two years by first the Glendale Tenants
Union (GTU) and later the Pasadena Tenants Union
(PTU) to initiate rent control in those cities, two
of the most expensive communities in the country
in which to rent. However, both efforts failed to
qualify petitions for their respective elections.
In May 2018, the PTU had only collected 8,679
signatures. At least 12,300 valid signatures were
required, according to City Clerk Mark Jomsky.
A similar effort in Glendale failed in October
2017 after Glendale City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian
deemed the petition “deficient and invalid.”
According to Kassakhian, the text of that
measure did not contain the ballot title and
summary by the city attorney. The text of the
measure also was not included anywhere in the
petition, a violation of the California Election Code,
Kassakhian said. Further, the petition did not
include a declaration by the author.
A one-bedroom apartment in Pasadena costs
about $2,100 a month and landlords in California
can increase the rent as much as they want. Some
local residents claim their rent has increased by
4
French citizens who joined ISIS
were sentenced to death
by a Baghdad court
on Monday. 12
others were
expected to be
tried this week,
according to
Reuters.
1
explosive-laden car wired to
explode was dismantled on
Sunday before anyone could
be injured, according to
FOX News. The Baghdad
Operations Command
said ISIS was behind the
attempt.
— Compiled by
André Coleman
8 PASADENA WEEKLY | 05.30.19