Word is the Bakewell Company had been notified by Century Housing prior to Monday night's council meeting that its financial partner was backing out, but the company broke their silence this evening:

Joint Statement Regarding Tom Scott Villages @ Heritage Square

This statement is presented jointly on behalf of The Bakewell/Century Housing Partnership (The Bakewell Company of California, LLC & Century Housing Corporation).

On January 17, 2007 the partnership known as Bakewell/Century submitted a proposal to bring a first class mixed use development to the residents of Pasadena. Hundreds if not thousands of man hours have gone into insuring that this project would not only be good for the residents of the Northwest but also good for all of Pasadena and its residents. Throughout this process we have competed honorably and earnestly and with the best of intentions.

[Follow the link below to continue reading]

However, since the time we began this process Century Housing and its Board of Directors have decided to take a look at its overall business strategy and have decided to move the company back to its original business practices and concentrate on providing financing for affordable housing rather than continue in the development business.

While the delays in this process have affected our decision not to go forward as part of the Heritage Square Development Team, this decision is part of a global restructuring of the company and in no way should be seen as a criticism of the City of Pasadena, our partners The Bakewell Company or this process in general. Although Century is withdrawing from other developments as well, we are confident that all of the projects we have been involved with will still be completed and these communities will ultimately be afforded the quality developments that are so desperately needed.

As for Tom Scott Villages @ Heritage Square specifically, it is our understanding that our partner The Bakewell Company intends to continue moving forward, working with city staff to define this development, work out the remaining financing issues and hopefully at the September 10th meeting enter into an exclusive negotiating rights agreement to bring this project to fruition. Furthermore, we have discussed with The Bakewell’s the possibility of Century remaining involved in the project on the financing side of the affordable housing units. While nothing is locked in at this point, given our new company direction, working with The Bakewell’s and their team on the financing remains a very real possibility for Century on this project.

Century Housing has committed to providing The Bakewell Team all of the information and resources that we have put together to date to continue moving this process forward and we wish everyone involved in this process the best of luck and trust that our withdrawing from the project does not hinder the continuing negotiations of bringing this desperately needed project to the residents of Northwest Pasadena.

From this point forward Danny J. Bakewell, Jr. – President and Chief Operating Officer of The Bakewell Company will be the contact person regarding this project and if there are any further question please feel free to contact him at (323) 291-6803.

Sincerely,
Century Housing Corporation &
The Bakewell Company

Posted by Todd at 6:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Just in from John Li, president of the Caltech Falun Club, who invited the council Monday night to a 'celebration' on the steps of City Hall:

From: John Li Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 4:35 PM Subject: News Conference postponed

Dear Mayor Bogaard and Council Members:

Thank you so much for your concerns on the human rights issue in China regarding the Olympic float in Rose Parade.
Because it needs 10 days to get a permit to use a sound system for the news conference, we have to postponed the news conference in front city hall of Pasadena from this Thursday to another date to be determined.

Chinese people are waken up! Over 24 million Chinese people have submitted statements withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party or its affiliated organizations. Shall we stand on the side of Chinese people or the CCP government? Shall we allow a sinking CCP boat to float in our free land? The answer is NO! We need your support on human rights in China. Genocide and Olympics cannot coincide in China!

I hope someone could forward this email to City Manager Cynthia J. Kurtz, council members Steven G. Madison and Sid Tyler. I do not have their emails.

Thanks!
Best,

John Li
President of Caltech Falun Club

Posted by Todd at 6:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cribbed from CNET News: House panel approves legal shield for bloggers

WASHINGTON--A congressional panel on Wednesday voted, against the Bush administration's wishes, to shield journalists including advertising-supported bloggers from having to reveal their confidential sources in many situations.

By a voice vote only after politicians spent nearly two hours airing various misgivings, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee approved an amended version of the Free Flow of Information Act. Chiefly sponsored by Reps. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.), it proposes protection for a wider set of people than previous years' versions.

"Today, we are reclaiming one of the most fundamental principles enshrined by the founding fathers in the First Amendment of the Constitution," Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said before the vote.

In response to concerns raised by the Bush administration and other politicians, the revised bill attempts to exclude the "casual blogger" from reaping those benefits by stipulating the protections apply only to those who derive "financial gain or livelihood" from the journalistic activity, Boucher said Wednesday. That broad rule could, however, include part-time writers who receive even a trickle of revenue from Google Ads or Blogads.com.

... snip ...

But in an age in which it's relatively easy and inexpensive to slap advertisements on blogs and meet the "financial gain" standard, several politicians questioned on Wednesday whether that language will make much of a difference. Anyone "could start a blog and request advertising on that blog, and whether they get it or not, would be considered a journalist under this bill," Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said before voting against the bill.

Posted by Todd at 5:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

After 10 months of exile in North Hollywood I return to Pasadena in 12 days. That -- oddly enough -- seems to be the day foretold of the Proctor's return. I think a proclamation is in order.

Posted by Todd at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)