Pasadena Weekly-UPDATE

I am a fan of the Pasadena Weekly. But someone was asleep at the wheel when this article about CHAP (Community Health Alliance of Pasadena) was written.

The first three paragraphs are incorrect. Dr. Preedar Oreggio did not leave CHAP to work at Union Station. For the past couple of years, CHAP has employed Dr. Oreggio to work at Union Station twice a week, and pays him to do it.

I find it ironic that with all the hubbub about local news reporting (Look Ma! We’re on NPR!), even a simple item like this one got completely botched. I’ve no kind words for the writing style either.

Here’s what the article *should* say:

Community Health Alliance of Pasadena (CHAP) is a community clinic that provides health care for low-income and uninsured residents of the San Gabriel Valley. Many working people do not receive health insurance benefits, and CHAP is a valuable resource for primary medical and dental care. In addition to the comprehensive services provided at 1855 North Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena, CHAP extends its services to the homeless population at Union Station’s Adult Center, located at 412 S. Raymond Avenue. Dr. Preedar Oreggio provides basic medical care for the homeless, many of whom suffer from chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

On Friday, May 11, CHAP will honor ‘Health Heroes’ at its second annual ‘Celebrating a Healthy Community’ dinner-dance at the Westin Pasadena…

…and then the rest of it is OK — except the phone number is incorrect. Should be 626-398-6300.

So maybe we need the guys in India more than we think we do. Eyelevel Pasadena is ready to e-party with them and Rattling the Kettle will probably want recipes.

(Look Ma! They noticed us in Australia! and Great Britain! Even good ole Fox noticed us!)

(Full disclosure – I am a consultant for CHAP and help administer the homeless program.)

Looks like Earthlink is leaving Pasadena too…

Heard from Kevin Urich at the Pasadena Weekly:

Saw your blog and must say if that’s a ‘fan,’ I shudder to think what my ‘friends’ think, to say nothing of my actual enemies. But watch yourself a little bit and don’t confuse us with that other thing. For us I think it’s more of a problem with in-sourcing; pulling in real-life kids from the comforts of places like USC and PCC and La Verne and giving them a chance to do things that are sometimes a little above their present capabilities.

In that world mistakes happen, as was the case here. And I apologize for that. (The writer of the piece is) 19 or 20 and from La Verne. She’s pretty good. Cares a lot about stuff. Drives a long way to get here. But clearly she and I have to talk some more. I’m not going to show her the blog. Then again, I actually do tell all the kids when they come in here not to get involved in journalism. Maybe that would do the trick.

Please let everyone know that I’ve since taken the posting off the web. A correction will run next week at the bottom of the letters section. Feel free to post this to your blog if you so desire. Thanks for the heads up.
–KU