Arroyo Monthly February 2009 by Southland Publishing

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ARROYO VOLUME 5 ~ NUMBER 2

M O N T H LY

38 10 THEATER: Blues in the Night: Leslie Uggams returns to the Pasadena Playhouse for the West Coast premiere of “Stormy Weather,” a musical based on the life of legendary chanteuse Lena Horne. –By Jenine Baines

14 L’AMOUR: The Love Lab: Our intrepid reporter goes behind the doors of eHarmony Labs to find out whether researchers can illuminate the mysteries of the human heart. –By Ilsa Setziol

32 HISTORY: Signatures With a Sentiment: Abraham Lincoln’s autographed papers join photos, campaign literature, even funeral orations in a new exhibition at the Huntington. –By Gary Dretzka

35 PERSONALITY: A Soldier’s Tale: TV actor James Reynolds leads a national campaign to rally the troops — of citizens — to visit hospitalized veterans. –By Carl Kozlowski

DEPARTMENTS 8 FESTIVITIES The Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, Five Acres

38 TRAVEL A weekend in Laguna Beach includes visits to an eco-friendly hotel, a seal sanctuary and a restaurant swooningly close to the waves.

40 THE LIST “Matisse’s Amours” at the Norton Simon, Valentine’s Day dinner at Descanso and more

42 KITCHEN CONFESSIONS New Orleans’ spicy cuisine isn’t all that hot — but oh, the joys of the muffaletta. ABOUT THE COVER: PHOTO: Melissa Valladares

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 5

NIGHT OF ROMANCE!

EDITOR’S NOTE

Perhaps you think it’s better to let Einstein’s successors unravel such conundrums of today’s economy as derivative securities and solutions to the meltdown. In that case, you’d have plenty of company. If you think that’s tough, how about cracking this nut – the mysteries of the human heart? Now that we’re closing in on Valentine’s Day, a young man’s fancy naturally turns to thoughts of love – and so does an editor’s, as it turns out. So I was interested to learn what Ilsa Setziol would find when she went behind the doors of eHarmony’s love lab, where the Pasadena-based dating service explores the science underlying relationships. See for yourself in this issue. February also brings diva Leslie Uggams to the Pasadena Playhouse to reprise her heralded performance as Lena Horne in the new musical “Stormy Monday.” On the eve of the show’s West Coast premiere, Jenine Baines sat down with Uggams to discuss her onstage transformation into her childhood idol. Also this month, Jana Monji visits Altadena’s homegrown auction house, John Moran Auctioneers; Carl Kozlowski tags along with TV actor James Reynolds as he

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visits hospitalized veterans to spread the word about a national campaign to support our ailing former troops; and Gary Dretzka examines the paper trail left by the morerelevant-than-ever 16th president in “The Last Full Measure of Devotion: Collecting Abraham Lincoln,” a new exhibition at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. — Irene Lacher

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher PRODUCTION MANAGER Yvonne Guerrero ART DIRECTOR Joel Vendette • JUNIOR DESIGNER Evelyn Duenas WEB DESIGNER Maricela Estrada COPY EDITOR John Seeley STAFF WRITER Carl Kozlowski CONTRIBUTORS Karen Apostolina, Jenine Baines, Leslie Bilderback, Michael Burr, Michael Cervin, André Coleman, Caroline Cushing, Mandalit del Barco, Gary Dretzka, Brad Eastland, Jessica Hamlin, Lynne Heffley, Bettijane Levine, Jana Monji, Arlene Schindler, Kirk Silsbee, John Sollenberger PHOTOGRAPHERS Johnny Buzzerio, C.M. Hardt, Melissa Valladares ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Fred Bankston, Dana Bonner, Elizabeth Guzman, Leslie Lamm, Rochelle Reiff, Alison Standish ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Maricela Estrada, Carla Marroquin VP OF FINANCE Michael Nagami • HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker BUSINESS MANAGER Angela Wang ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Archie Iskaq OFFICE ASSISTANT Emma Luna PUBLISHER Jon Guynn

CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com • EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 • FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 www.ArroyoMonthly.com ©2008 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

6 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

FESTIVITIES

More than 200 supporters of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music converged on Castle Green on Jan. 11 to celebrate the school’s 25th anniversary. Notables included Jane Kaczmarek, who served as emcee, and Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard and Teresa Lamb from the office of U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), who jointly presented a commendation to the conservatory’s executive director, Stephen McCurry. Topping off the evening were performances by individual students, a chamber ensemble and the youth guitar and cello orchestras.

1. Jane Kaczmarek and members of the orchestra 2. Executive Director Stephen McCurry with board member Gretl Mulder, Adelaide Hixon and board Chairman Linda Dickason 3. Advisory board member Julie Campoy with board member Jennifer Johnson 4. Mary Lois Nevins with board member Henry Eversole and Mary Eversole 5. The youth guitar orchestra with faculty member Felix Bullock

3 4

supporters of Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services to compete in flag football at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 10. This year’s event, which pitted the red-shirted Benefactors against the Patrons in blue, raised more than $25,000 for the Pasadena-

Danny’s Shoes Foundation donated 90 toys to Five Acres’ abused and at-risk children at the residential treatment center’s holiday party in Altadena on Dec. 16. The nonprofit foundation was launched by Andrew Macias of Winnetka and his daughter, Stephanie, in honor of Macias’ father.

based charity. The benefit’s founder, Todd Doney, vice chairman of CB Richard Ellis, thanked the crowd, which included many of his colleagues. “It was great to see all these big players in the real estate industry come out and literally put their bodies on the line to support this event,” Doney said.

Todd Doney with Patron teammates

8 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

Five Acres board members Michele Hall, Ryan Dietz and Pamela Scott

PHOTOS: Pasadena Conservatory by Rick Meyer; Hathaway-Sycamores by Orly Olivier

The fourth annual Battle of the Bowl brought out 50

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ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 9

THEATER

BLUES IN THE NIGHT LESLIE UGGAMS RETURNS TO THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE FOR THE WEST COAST PREMIERE OF “STORMY WEATHER,” A MUSICAL BASED ON THE LIFE OF LEGENDARY JAZZ SINGER LENA HORNE. BY JENINE BAINES PHOTOS BY MELISSA VALLADARES

Black Magic

LESLIE UGGAMS RECALLS GROWING UP IN A HOME WHERE LENA HORNE WAS “LIKE A GODDESS.” “IT WAS LENA, LENA, LENA, LENA,” THE TONY AND EMMY AWARD–WINNING SINGER AND ACTRESS SAID NOT LONG AGO. “ANYTIME SHE WAS IN A MUSICAL, I WENT TO THE THEATER TO SEE LENA HORNE. WHEN SHE WAS IN A MOVIE, I WAS THERE. TO THIS DAY, I WATCH LENA’S MOVIES WHENEVER AMERICAN MOVIE CLASSICS RUNS THEM.” Naturally, Uggams’ childhood idol was deeply imprinted on her artistic memory when she signed on to portray Horne in “Stormy Weather,” the new musical chronicling the life of the iconic entertainer, which runs through March 1 at the Pasadena Playhouse. And yet that was only the beginning of her transformation for the role. “I read every book [about Horne] that was out there,” she says. “I studied what made her who she is. And, then, through what I learned, I strive to capture the essence of Lena. “Of course, no one can be Lena,” she adds with a smile. “I’m not Tina Fey.” Horne crafted a career from popularizing great American standards by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer and Rodgers & Hart; in the show, Uggams feasts on such classics as “The Lady is a Tramp,” “They’ll Be Some Changes Made,” “From This Moment On,” “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man O’ Mine,” “That Old Feeling,” “Come Rain or Come Shine” and, of course, “Stormy Weather.” Uggams’ performance in the world premiere production in Philadelphia a year ago had critics singing her praises. “Uggams gives us the flashing smile, the widening eyes and the sensational phrasing of Horne’s legendary delivery,” Toby Zinman wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer. It was Horne’s charismatic stage presence that inspired playwright Sharleen Cooper Cohen to write “Stormy Weather” after catching a PBS documentary on the chanteuse in 1995. The show, which has its West Coast premiere in Pasadena, traces the singer from her history-making career at MGM, her disenchantment with Hollywood and subsequent comeback and her experiences with interracial marriage and the blacklist. “We see Lena reliving moments of her life, coming to terms with its mistakes and successes and realizing what she has to do to move on,” says Cohen, who has not met Horne, now a recluse in New York City, although she did receive a nod from Horne’s daughter, journalist Gail Lumet Buckley. “It’s the story of a survivor who found the strength, during a very difficult time in her life, to go on and have her hugest success ever.” That success was her 1981 one-woman show on Broadway, “The Lady and Her Music,” which ran for 333 performances. Not only did Horne receive a special Tony award for the production, but at 91, she still holds the record for the longestrunning solo performance in Broadway history. “Lena not only pulled herself up but, at 64 years old, sang better than she ever had before,” Uggams says. “You’re going, ‘Oh my God, Lena’s singing her behind off.’ This is amazing.” Uggams, 65, won the role in 2004, after Wendy Franklin, Barbara McNair and Phylicia Rashad tackled it in readings while the musical was being developed. She participated in a workshop and two readings at the Manhattan Theatre —CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 11

THEATER

Black Magic

10 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 11

THEATER

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Club and went on to the world premiere at Philadelphia’s Prince Music Theater last February. “It was then we knew we had found the one woman who could fulfill this role,” Cohen says. When the show snagged Uggams (who last appeared in Pasadena in “Blue” in 2002), that sealed the deal for the Pasadena Playhouse. (The production, directed by Michael Bush, also features Nikki Crawford and Dee Hoty.) “One of my early concerns about the project was that it would be difficult to find someone who could embody the musical power, beauty, emotional complexities and theatricality of Miss Horne,” says Sheldon Epps, the playhouse’s artistic director. “That concern was erased by the knowledge that Leslie would play the role.” And has Horne herself seen “Stormy Weather”? Uggams is asked the question after a recent rehearsal at Screenland Studios in North Hollywood. The singer takes a sip of tea, then laughs deeply. “According to Sharleen, when she first put the musical together many years ago, she sent a message inviting Lena to come see it. The message she got back was: I lived it.” When Horne signed with MGM in 1942, she became the first African American performer to sign a longterm contract with a major Hollywood studio, but it never cast her in a leading role. She was relegated to scenes that could be edited out, to accommodate the studio’s fears that Southern audiences would not accept blacks playing non-menial roles. On loan to 20th Century Fox the next year, Horne starred in the allblack musical “Stormy Weather.” Both the film and title song, sung by Horne toward the end of the movie, became huge hits. Nevertheless, Horne grew –MICHAEL BUSH disenchanted with Hollywood and left to perform primarily in nightclubs and on television, including her own special in 1969. “Finally, I wouldn’t work for places that kept us out,” she told Brian Lanker in “I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America” (Stewart Tabori & Chang; 1989). “It was a damn fight everywhere I was, every place I worked, in New York, in Hollywood, all over the world.” The singer also grappled with prejudice in her personal life, blacklisted because of her association with actor and outspoken leftist Paul Robeson. She also kept her marriage to her second husband, MGM conductor and arranger Lennie Hayton, a secret for three years because Hayton was white. “We look at people and we go, ‘Oh God, they’re so fabulous, what a life they must have,’” says Uggams, who has encountered Horne “lots of times,” including at the jazz singer’s 80th birthday celebration at Lincoln Center. “But we don’t really know what’s going on in their lives. One of the things I hope audiences gain from ‘Stormy Weather’ is to learn to love yourself and really know who you are.” From an early age, Uggams knew the “the-a-ter,” as she will sometimes deliberately, over-elegantly pronounce it, was where she belonged. In 1967, fresh from rave reviews in a Berkeley, California, production of “The Boyfriend,” Uggams was cast in the lead of “Hallelujah, Baby!,” the Broadway musical that made her a star. Ironically, Jule Styne wrote it for Lena Horne. “Hello? What’s that about six degrees of separation?” says Uggams. She was asked to audition after Horne left the project and its producers decided to cast an unknown. The part earned Uggams a Tony for best leading actress in a musi-

“LENA LED THE WAY; LESLIE FOLLOWED. WATCHING LESLIE PLAY LENA, YOU WITNESS THE TORCH BEING PASSED.”

12 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

cal. She went on to other leading roles on Broadway in “Blues in the Night,” “Jerry’s Girls,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “King Hedley II,” for which she received a Tony nomination. Her most recent Broadway appearance was in 2005’s “On Golden Pond” opposite James Earl Jones, for which she had less than two weeks to prepare. That didn’t stop her from dazzling the critics. As Variety wrote, “Uggams is startling, learning the role in only seven days [she] was truly convincing with only three previews under her belt.” She had plenty of professional cred to draw on. By age six, she was already appearing on television as the niece of vocalist Ethel Waters on Waters’ ABC show, “Beulah,” the first sitcom ever to star an African American. (While Horne made the song “Stormy Weather” famous, Waters first recorded it in 1933.) Uggams’ later television credits included early appearances on such mainstays as “The Milton Berle Show” and “Sing Along With Mitch,” as well as guest appearances on variety shows and specials hosted by a veritable Who’s Who of mid-century entertainment, including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Carol Burnett. In 1969, Uggams hosted a show of her own, “The Leslie Uggams Show.” Her appearance as Kizzy in the 1977 miniseries “Roots” earned her the Critics Choice Award for best supporting actress, as well as Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. But, as Uggams learned, after appearing as Rose Keefer — a deadbeat mother who’d abandoned her children but now suddenly reappeared in their lives married to a hit man — in a 12-week run on ABC’s “All My Children” in 1996, there’s no business like the soap opera business. “I had such a good time doing that,” Uggams recalls. And soap opera fans are the best fans you could ever want. I never was so popular.” So, if she had to make a choice, which would she pick — television or the stage? “I enjoy it all,” replies Uggams. “But straight plays come to me very interestingly. When I moved back to New York after living here in L.A. for a while, opportunities opened up for me to do dramatic roles that I could never get when I was living in Los Angeles. You’d think that after doing “Roots,” I’d be offered opportunities, but I wasn’t.” Still, she’s the first to admit that she has had a great run: a successful career, a happy marriage to her Australian-born manager, Grahame Pratt, since 1965; and two children, Danielle and Justice Pratt, who have inherited their mother’s love of performing. But for Uggams, retirement is not an option. After all, she’s scarcely a year older than Horne was when she starred in one of her greatest triumphs, “The Lady and Her Music.” And with “Stormy Weather,” Uggams has done well to follow Horne’s lead. “Leslie came of age during the 1960s, at the same time as Lena’s involvement with the civil rights movement,” says director Bush. “Lena led the way; Leslie followed. Watching Leslie play Lena, you witness the torch being passed.” AM “Stormy Weather” runs through March 1 at the Pasadena Playhouse, located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Tickets range from $63 to $73. A “Conversation with...Leslie Uggams” takes place on the playhouse patio Wed., Feb 11, from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Admission is $10. Call (626) 356-7529 or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.

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L’AMOUR

I THINK MY HUSBAND AND I ARE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR. HE’S SURE WE’RE VERY DIFFERENT. WE ACTUALLY ARGUED ABOUT THIS ONCE ... SO I GUESS THAT MAKES HIM RIGHT. WE’RE BOTH INCREDIBLY STUBBORN. IT’S JUST THAT HE’S UNYIELDING IN A PASSIVE, PROCRASTINATING WAY, WHEREAS I SPORT PIG-HEADEDNESS IN A TYPE A, IN-YOUR-FACE MANNER. Are we beating the odds or are we doomed to failure? Hoping to find the answer, I’m waiting in eHarmony’s softly lit lobby. I’m here because I was intrigued by a study I found online that was conducted by eHarmony Labs, the research arm of the Pasadena-based dating website that claims to match couples using “scientifically based predictors of long-term relationship success.” The study, published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, had concluded that the more similar partners were in their personality and the ways they responded to emotional situations, the more satisfied they were in their relationships. I’m a relentless self- and spouse-improver, so I’ve come to speak to one of the study’s authors. Nearby are four windowless rooms outfitted with video cameras, couches and comfy chairs. An adjacent room houses computers, large monitors and recording equipment. When eHarmony installed the set-up a year ago, the company was about to zoom in for a closer look at couples’ interaction. It hired five research scientists with Ph.D.’s in psychology from various California universities and asked them to advance the scientific understanding of what makes relationships succeed or fail. It was the beginning of eHarmony Labs.

OUR INTREPID REPORTER GOES BEHIND THE DOORS OF EHARMONY LABS TO FIND OUT WHETHER RESEARCH CAN ILLUMINATE THE MYSTERIES OF THE HUMAN HEART. BY ILSA SETZIOL

14 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

Illustration: Erik Cyree

The Love Lab

As I wait to be called, I look around the waiting room. On a nearby flat screen, attractive couples talk about how eHarmony’s patented matching system helped them find the loves of their lives. They had filled out the company’s extensive survey about their personalities and predilections, rating themselves on everything from physical appearance to how easily they get upset. Interesting. I met my husband when computers were barely networking among themselves, let alone helping others. There was nothing rational about

the selection process. I caught his eye when I ripped off some of my clothing in a performance of “The Crucible” in downtown Los Angeles. I’m contemplating the silver lettering on the lobby wall — “dreamintellectenergymotionchemistryromance” — when an eHarmony publicist breezes in and introduces me to the company’s senior research scientist, Gian Gonzaga, who holds a doctorate in personality /social psychology from UC Berkeley. We duck into one of the lab’s observation rooms. As we settle into red armchairs, I blurt out, “Why is being similar better?” “When someone else is like you and has the same attitudes,” Gonzaga explains, “that validates the attitudes that you have …They’re making you feel better about yourself. The second reason — I think this is the most powerful thing for long-term relationships — is that people get each other. If we are the same kind of person and we see the world in the same ways, we can actually coordinate our behavior to deal with things because we can anticipate and understand what the other person is going through.” And you can’t say Gonzaga doesn’t walk the walk: Last June, he married fellow researcher Heather Setrakian. eHarmony’s research, backed up by several academic studies, indicates that it’s important for couples to share personality traits and values. The company also matches couples based on attitudes and interests. The lab’s research is designed to improve its matching service, inform its advice websites and spur the development of new products and services. One of the main ways it gathers information is by observing how people behave when they’re together. “If you want to understand couples,” Gonzaga says, “you have to see them interact with each other — how they resolve conflict, comfort each other during hard times, celebrate during good times — to understand what makes the relationship work.” Gonzaga, 38, has the ebullience of someone getting paid to do cool stuff, like eavesdrop on people. He ushers me down a hall into the control room and clicks on a video file stored on a computer. On the screen, a researcher asks a slim, young man we’ll call “Steve” to tell his fiancé about something good that happened to him recently. It’s an interaction scientists call “capitalization” — sharing and validating good news — and new research has shown it to be an important predictor of relationship success. The researcher leaves the room, and Steve, a warehouse worker, tells “Maria” about being complimented at work. STEVE: I did two pallets. I had to build it and wrap it. I brought it to him. He liked the way I stacked it. He’s like, “These are almost perfect.” MARIA: You always do a good job at everything. That’s why I think you can do greater things with your abilities. Gonzaga pauses the video and comments on it: “The great thing she does in this interaction is she doesn’t just compliment, she draws the line from what he did and links it to the fact that he has a good ability. That’s a powerful example.” This pair is part of a large — and expensive, although the company declines to disclose the cost — five-year study of marriage. A year ago, Steve and Maria were among some 400 engaged couples who filled out extensive questionnaires. eHarmony researchers hope to correlate survey answers with interactions later observed in the lab. “Can we predict if they’re going to provide each other really good social support?” Gonzaga says. “Can we predict when they’re going to solve conflict better? If we can do that, we can offer a better product to people.” This is fascinating and significant research, but I’m still hung up on the importance of similar personalities. Could I tolerate another me in the house? —CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 15

L’AMOUR

OUR INTREPID REPORTER GOES BEHIND THE DOORS OF EHARMONY LABS TO FIND OUT WHETHER RESEARCH CAN ILLUMINATE THE MYSTERIES OF THE HUMAN HEART. BY ILSA SETZIOL

14 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

Illustration: Erik Cyree

The Love Lab

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can really help us understand something as ephemeral as love, something as ephemeral as what makes a relationship good. And you can actually use science in a way that helps make relationships better.” He shows me a video of two researchers role-playing the capitalization interaction. It’s part of a study in which eHarmony scientists tried to teach people skills that make a relationship work.

schools. He says he’s impressed with the research team at eHarmony Labs but adds: “There’s a certain complexity and magic that happens in relationships that are very hard to limit to a psychological test. I don’t know that you could truly measure what makes a relationship work. I think what makes relationships interesting are the differences, in complementary ways.” Pylko does, however, believe that similar values and intellectual abilities — and my husband and I are alike in those respects — are helpful. According to eHarmony, similar people are more likely to get together in the first place because their attraction is stronger. In another study, eHarmony scientists brought together strangers for quick chats, similar to a “speed dating” arrangement. They evaluated what made couples want to meet again and tried to project whom someone would click with. “It isn’t a perfect prediction,” Gonzaga says, “but that sort of clicking at the beginning — which we think is a lot about people understanding each other really quickly — that does seem to predict that, if a relationship occurs, it seems to make [it] strong.”

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“THERE’S A CERTAIN COMPLEXITY AND MAGIC THAT HAPPENS IN RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE VERY HARD TO LIMIT TO A PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST. I THINK WHAT MAKES RELATIONSHIPS INTERESTING ARE THE DIFFERENCES, — IN COMPLEMENTARY WAYS.” eHarmony researcher Gian Gonzaga

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Two of us pacing the hallway at 3 a.m.? What if my husband were married to someone as absent-minded as he is? Would he have a career? Any undecayed teeth? More to the point, I wonder if it’s a good idea genetically. I pity the kid with two depressed parents or more than one Type A parent. And I worry about a world where different people are discouraged from commingling. My husband is the son of migrant farm workers; I’m the offspring of two people with graduate degrees. I like to think it will give my son a richer understanding of the world. Am I out of touch? Deluded? Maybe I should see a shrink … or at least meet one for coffee. I catch up with psychiatrist Timothy J. Pylko at Peet’s on Lake in Pasadena. He confesses he’s also a bit surprised by some of the research. “I can only talk anecdotally,” he said, “but I see complementary personalities” working well. He means complementary, but different; “Oftentimes, someone who is very gregarious and outgoing is balanced by someone who is a little bit more introverted.” Pylko counsels individuals and couples at San Marino Psychiatric Associates and is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA and USC medical

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match so much as rule out certain choices. “And they’re not as accurate as one would like to believe,” he adds. He sees similar political and religious views as helpful, although not necessary. “What’s most significant is an X factor that no one has been able to put their finger on. It’s outside of awareness.” Therapy patients, of course, don’t typify a cross-section of the population. These couples are having trouble — and are willing to get help. Still, I’m not convinced researchers have come up with an algorithm for love. And I’m wondering about an eHarmony ad in which an off-screen voice intones: “With our in-depth questionnaire, we get to know the real you.” Pasadena psychologist Barbara Janetske says she has studied the methodology behind psychological surveys. Perusing the eHarmony matching questionnaire, she says, “A survey of oneself is just that — an estimate of how individuals view themselves.” She says that a true scientific evaluation of personality would include methods for checking accuracy, something too invasive for a dating service. Gonzaga says eHarmony instructs people to be honest at the beginning of its survey. He thinks most people are fairly self-aware and generally honest but adds “that’s part of why we want to bring people into the laboratory. Science

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“I just don’t believe it,” says Walter E. Brackelmanns, a clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA. He says he has reviewed several of the studies, but “my experience — in 25 years as a couples expert — says similarity is not what attracts people.” Brackelmanns recommends dating services, but he says they don’t

SHE: I called up TIVO today and convinced them to drop off our TIVO box a whole week early. HE: That’s great! SHE: I was able to figure out how to get all of our shows. HE: No way! SHE: I figured out how to download the new pilots. HE: I can’t believe you figured that out. I’m so proud of you!

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I laugh. It’s so over the top. Still, I’m thinking, Hey, I could do a better job of capitalizing. It’s a way to demonstrate respect. Research — undisputed, in this case — has shown respect to be a key ingredient in successful relationships. It has certainly helped this person who’s sure she’s right live with another who often knows she’s wrong. AM ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 17

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materials designed to add beauty to your home and lifestyle. Give us a call at (626) 4478181 or visit www.arcadiapoolz.com to create your perfect haven of relaxation. Carousel Floors This family-owned, 38-year-old company provides a superb selection along with remarkable service. For hardwood, select from all the top names, including Appalachian Hardwood Floors, pre-finished or finished by expert craftsman. For linoleum, Marmoleum is a natural, eco-friendly, stylish flooring with multiple patterns. Carousel is a Mohawk Color Center, carrying Fabrica, Karastan, Masland and Schumacher to name a few. Free consultations; designers welcome. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat.; or by appointment. 676 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (626) 795-8085.

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Dreammaker Bath & Kitchen Owner Steve Clemens has successfully serviced the San Gabriel Valley since 1992 as Canyon Oak Construction, Inc. We're committed to creative excellence coupled with the top-quality products and services you expect. We'll take you from start to finish your project with expert design and planning, superior products, and quality workmanship from a team of highly qualified professionals! From lighting to flooring, cabinets and countertops, plumbing faucets and fixtures we never cut corners and provide nothing but top-quality, name-brand products. Dreammaker-SGV.com or call (626) 398-9237 Ferguson Bath & Kitchen Make sure to visit the Ferguson showroom, which has been serving Pasadena for 15 years. Let Ferguson showroom staff Sarah and Antaya help you with your appliances, sinks, faucets, tools, accessories, environmentally safe tankless water heaters, and commercial and residential lighting needs. Ferguson Pasadena is your one-stop shop from underground to finish. Ferguson Pasadena is small, but flexible. Visit us at 157 Vista Ave. or at www.ferguson.com or call (626) 795-9551. Garden View Landscaping, Nursery, Pools Specializing in landscaping, nurseries and pools, Garden View Inc. can take you from a design idea or concept to a fully finished, detail-oriented garden. Garden View & their clientele are recipients of 60 awards from the California Landscape Contractors Association. Complete & integrated outdoor construction, nursery & maintenance. The intent of the company is to provide high-quality interrelated outdoor services. The synergy between having their own designer/project managers, in-house crews, their own large nursery, and being a licensed pool builder coupled with Mark’s almost daily job visits provides for efficiency, competitive pricing, quality & schedule control (626) 303-4043. GAROCCO, INC. is Pasadena’s premier exterior design/build firm. Known for their outstanding pools, Garocco, Inc. has now opened their new design studio located in the Playhouse District, at 656 E. Green Street. From distinctive environments, outdoor kitchens, swimming pools and garden design to water features, Gar Sewell, CEO and lead designer, can fulfill all your landscape needs. Gar’s Monthly Tip – Choosing your pool contractor and the best time to buy: When remodeling or building a pool, February is by far the best month to do so. If you have any questions or concerns you can visit Gar personally at Garocco, Inc.’s new Design Center. (626) 398-5050. www.garocco.com —CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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Hideaway House Our new showroom features 10,000 square feet of fine antique furniture and decorative items. All pieces are hand-picked by Brian and Barbara Proper. Brian, born and raised in England, grew up around quality pieces and the people who know their every detail, including when and how to repair and care for them. Barbara, in addition to a professional career, practiced interior decorating. Celebrating our 35th year in our new location in Pasadena, 165-175 S. Fair Oaks Ave., or call (626) 356-3100. Historic Lighting Our long dedication to the Arts & Crafts revival has been inspired by the original Craftsman movement centered in the Pasadena area. Our showroom blends quality production home furnishings with representation of individual artisans. Our close relationships with noted local craftsmen allow us to offer individual pieces not readily available elsewhere. Lighting and interior design services are available. Working from architectural plans and photographs or actual site visits, we can assist clients with their Craftsman and Bungalow-style projects, both old and new. Historic Lighting is located at 114 E. Lemon Ave., Old Town Monrovia, (626) 303-4899. James V. Coane, Architects Since 1994, James V. Coane, Architects in Pasadena has specialized in: custom residences, estates, historic renovations and expansions, residential and apartment interiors, multi-family residential, corporate interiors, retail and small commercial building design. Primarily working in Pasadena and West LA, their projects stretch to Santa Barbara, Newport Beach, Aspen and Beijing. An American Institute of Architects awardee, and named Best Architect by Pasadena Weekly, their projects have been featured in Architectural Digest and other magazines and used as locations for filming and fashion shoots. Well-versed in historical and modern architecture and design and known for their attention to detail. Visit www.jvca.com or call (626) 584-6922. Kitchen Tune-Up is one-stop shopping if you’re looking to change your kitchen. A Tune-Up is a process in which existing wood cabinets are made to look as close to new as possible. We also offer refacing, custom cabinets, bathroom vanities and cabinets as well as home entertainment centers and closets. We have a wide selection of popular countertops, including Livingstone, Corian, Caesarstone and Silestone. We can add pullout drawers, spice cabinets, even that island you’ve been dreaming about and we have in-house designers who can help transform your vision into reality. We are Steve and Megan Morelock. Please call for a complimentary consultation at (626) 533-4402. —CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

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Modern Lighting has been serving Southern California’s lighting needs since 1946. Modern has all types of fixtures in every price range and 100-plus manufacturer lines. If it can’t be found among the 3000 fixtures in our HUGE showroom, we can make it for you, custom-designed. We also have stocks of light bulbs to complement the fixture. We continually watch the marketplace for the best buys while keeping quality consistent, so we keep prices low. Our staff has decades of lighting experience. Feel free to contact us if our service is what you need. Call (626) 286-3262 Mother Magnolia A private residential landscape design and construction firm operating here since 1999, Mother Magnolia’s passion is creating an outdoor space for you to enjoy. Your outdoor space should be your refuge, a place with power to rejuvenate. Our reliable and dedicated in-house designers, experienced masons, irrigation specialists, and landscape technicians will make your landscape vision a reality. Or, if you have a design prepared, we will provide construction bids. Fully bonded and insured, 3-time winner of HGTV’s “Landscaper’s Challenge,” and a member of the California Landscape Contractors’ Association, Angie’s List, and the Better Business Bureau. Call (626) 2962617, or visit www.mothermagnolia.com. Nott & Associates The “Design/Build” team of Tom and Jeffrey Nott specializes in custom homes in Pasadena. Tom Nott received his Bachelor of Architecture at USC, and has worked for decades on major projects, including some for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the L.A. Subway and countless commercial parks. Jeff began in the field at age 12, attended UCLA and UCSB and has built custom homes with distinguished designers in Beverly Hills and Bel-Air. Together they have completed over 130 projects in South Pasadena alone. Nott and Associates provides complete design through construction services, fulfilling your vision and appreciating your budget. Visit www.NOTTASSOCIATES.com or call (626) 403-0844. Prime Building Materials a family-owned business serving the Southern California building industry for over 20 years with pride and traditional values. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff works with homeowners, developers, landscape contractors, general contractors, designers and architects alike to achieve your exact goals and dreams. Our huge supply yard features materials for all phases of building and home improvement, with a specialty showroom. From formal residential landscapes and masonry to large tract home developments, we can provide everything needed for the perfect living environment. Five locations to serve you. Call us at (626) 284-2222 for a free consultation or estimate.

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Romani Restoration offers expert, personalized restoration of your Craftsman, Bungalow, or Revival Home. We refinish all types of woods, walls, ceilings, doors, and furniture to match existing woods. We also restore antique furniture and offer French Polish. Trained with European methods in color and restoration, Marco Romani has pleased homeowners with lasting, one of a kind work for over 25 years. Sofa Interiors For over 15 years, our goal has been to offer furniture of outstanding value. Being a small business with family values, we give each furniture piece the extra attention to details. Your fabric is individually hand-cut and your frame hand-constructed. All materials are made in the USA. Our design experts offer in-home consultations, view your rooms, colors, style preferences and lifestyle needs and bring the fabrics to your home! We deliver within 3 to 4 weeks of the order. Visit us at 644 E. Colorado Blvd. or in Glendale or call (626) 795-7099. For more information visit www.sofainteriors.com. Snyder Diamond The long-established resource for kitchen and bath has moved to the historic former Thomasville building at Arroyo Parkway and Bellevue. Discover the latest built-in appliances, decorative bath and fine hardware . . . everything from distinctive personal solutions to best buys on popular brands. Here you’ll find 17,000 square feet of ideas and inspiration, including The Living Kitchen, California’s first store-within-astore experience created exclusively by Sub-Zero and Wolf. The showroom also features a traditional parts counter, fully stocked with plumbing repair parts, hard-to-find items and a knowledgeable staff, ready to solve your most complex plumbing problems. Visit www.snyderdiamond.com or call (626) 795-8080.

START to FINISH The Shortest Distance Between You and Your Dream Home is Nott & Associates. We’ve Been Designing and Building Homes for Over Thirty Years and Would Like to Build Yours, from Start to Finish.

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HISTORY

Signatures with a Sentiment

(This page) Abraham Lincoln posed for a portrait with his White House secretaries, John G. Nicolay and John M. Hay, circa 1863. (Opposite) A handwritten sentiment about slavery was signed and dated by Lincoln on Mar. 22, 1864, little more than a year before his death. (Opposite background) A broadsheet offering a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the capture of Lincoln’s assassins, issued by the War Department on Apr. 20, 1865 Photos courtesy of the Huntington Library Art Collections and Botanical Gardens

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S AUTOGRAPHED PAPERS JOIN PHOTOS, CAMPAIGN LITERATURE, EVEN FUNERAL ORATIONS IN A NEW EXHIBITION AT THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY. BY GARY DRETZKA

EVEN BEFORE THE FIRST COMPARISONS WERE DRAWN BETWEEN BARACK OBAMA AND ILLINOIS’ MOST ICONIC ELECTED OFFICIAL, THE BICENTENNIAL OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S BIRTH WAS SHAPING UP AS A MAJOR EVENT FOR DOZENS OF MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AFTER ALL, IT ISN’T EVERY DAY THAT A POLITICIAN’S JOURNEY FROM A LOG CABIN TO THE WHITE HOUSE — FROM RAILThe historical confluence has been a cheering development for the SPLITTING TO MARTYRDOM — TURNS 200. Then the election of the 44th president made connecting the dots with the 16th virtually a national sport. Among the Huntington Library, Art Collections things they held in common were their humble roots and tours of duty in Springfield, Chicago and the nation’s capital. and Botanical Gardens, one of the Both would be required to use their considerable oratorical skills to counter criticism that they lacked the experience needcountry’s most important repositoed to navigate the choppy waters of Washington politics and national crises. ries of Lincoln materials. On Feb. 7, If such historical symmetry could be bottled, the 2009 vintage promised great things for the combined legacy of the Huntington unveils its bicententhe Prairie State’s favorite sons. The same Bible on which Lincoln took the oath of office was borrowed from the nial exhibition, “The Last Full Library of Congress for the swearing in of Illinois’ former junior senator. Because of the inauguration’s proximity to Measure of Devotion: Collecting Lincoln’s birthday, anticipation of one landmark occasion served as a promotional tool for the other. The optimism of Abraham Lincoln,” which runs curators, museum administrators and Lincoln scholars was further validated when Obama quoted from Lincoln’s first through April 27. But Olga Tsapina, inaugural address in his victory speech: “We are not enemies, but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must the Norris Foundation curator of not break our bonds of affection.” American Historical Manuscripts at the Huntington, is reluctant to hang hopes for the show’s draw on such an intangible hook as coincidences of history — not that she thinks Lincoln needs the help. “I don’t particularly like political analogies,” allowed Tsapina, sitting in a room dominated by the musty odor of books written before most living Americans were born. “There are certain physical similarities, but, otherwise, everything about the two men is different. For one thing, Lincoln was given a narrow mandate, while Obama’s was overwhelming.” Still, she adds, “By quoting from the speech, he was bringing Lincoln to life for those who were listening to it. He saw Lincoln as a living mind, not just a monument.” The material compiled for “The Last Full Measure of Devotion” demonstrates how much our collective understanding of Lincoln differs from the man who struggled as much with his own conscience and core beliefs as he did with those who opposed his views on slavery. “Today, people tend to be reverential … [They] get down on their knees and genuflect before images of Lincoln,” Tsapina says. “I was always suspicious of the textbook image of the man. I became fascinated by how shrewd he was and his moral convictions. He didn’t form his principles easily, but, once he did, he pushed them very hard … bargaining and promising things to people in

32 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

exchange for their votes.” Indeed, the horse-trading that preceded the passage of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery so offended Rep. Thaddeus Stevens — an ardent supporter of the measure — that he declared: “The greatest measure of the 19th century was passed by corruption, aided and abetted by the purest man in America.” Tsapina, whose primary interest is 18th-century history, points out that Lincoln’s sterling reputation took time to flower. “It wasn’t until the first centennial of his birth that Lincoln’s image would become an all-pervasive symbol for good, here and around the world,” she says. “It would then be used to promote political candidates and an array of products — including Liberty Bonds — as well as opposing sides of a controversial cause, like Prohibition.” Evidence of such exploitation is presented in the Huntington’s exhibition, which also includes letters, manuscripts, printed works, photographs, posters, funeral-service orations, campaign literature and other ephemera. The material is taken from the Huntington’s encyclopedic holdings, which rank with the collections of the Library of Congress and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois, as the nation’s most important. The exhibit also pays tribute to friends and aides whose deep love of the president was reflected

in their obsession with saving souvenirs and key documents from his campaigns and administration. Their foresight would be rewarded by more serious collectors of Lincolniana, who, in turn, would provide source material for private and public research collections. Between 1914 and 1924, Henry E. Huntington aggressively pursued the repositories of William H. Lambert and Judd Stewart, two of the top collectors known as the “Big Five.” Through his agent, George D. Smith, Huntington also was able to cherry-pick lots from other collections put up for auction by private archivists, such as Lambert, who “lived for the thrill of the hunt,” Tsapina says. “Mr. Huntington was an Anglophile whose interests ultimately led to the colonies and Civil War,” she says. “He wasn’t interested in relics or memorabilia. He wanted to build a museum that would house important research collections and fit into his concept of this being the Athens of the West. Unlike our blockbuster, ‘The Last Best Hope of Earth: Abraham Lincoln and the Promise of America,’ in 1993, this is an unsponsored library exhibit, in a smaller venue. Expect a lot of reading.” —CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 33

HISTORY

Signatures with a Sentiment

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S AUTOGRAPHED PAPERS JOIN PHOTOS, CAMPAIGN LITERATURE, EVEN FUNERAL ORATIONS IN A NEW EXHIBITION AT THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY. BY GARY DRETZKA

32 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 33

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That isn’t to say, however, that people attending “The Last Full Measure of Devotion” need to bring along a bottle of Visine to fully enjoy the show. Among the noteworthy specimens on display are a “souvenir” copy of the 13th Amendment signed by Lincoln; speeches on “Negro equality” prepared for his debates with Stephen Douglas; his notebook on slavery; a pass that was issued to friend and self-appointed bodyguard Ward Hill Lamon, sending him to Richmond the week the president was assassinated; a piece of rail purportedly split at a Republican fundraising gathering; a letter to Ulysses S. Grant, dated April 14, 1864 (“And now with a brave Army and a just cause, may God sustain you”); a handwritten, state-by-state estimate of Electoral College votes from 1864; a bronze life mask; casts of his hands; and a strand of hair taken from his dead body. Souvenir collecting was as popular a hobby in the 19th century as it is today, and Lincoln and his personal secretaries contributed to the fervor by giving away his autograph to nearly everyone who Often referred to as Lincoln’s “death warasked for it. The first request for a “signa- rant,” this handwritten pass dispatched ture with a sentiment” came in December, Ward Hill Lamon, Lincoln’s friend and selfappointed bodyguard, to Richmond, Va., on 1848, when he was still a congressman. April 11, 1865. Lamon was still away from Amused by the gesture, Lincoln sent a let- Washington three days later, when the president was fatally shot at Ford’s Theater. ter to the correspondent, a Philadelphia clerk, with a note attached: “I am not a very sentimental man, and the best sentiment I can think of is that if you collect the signatures of all persons who are no less distinguished than I, you will have a very undistinguishing mass of names.” So little intrinsic financial value was accorded Lincoln ephemera at the time that many important items were freely given. Souvenir collectors were encouraged to keep chunks of wood chipped off the gallows used in the executions of conspirators in the assassination. At the time, prison authorities felt that was a more cost-efficient way of dismantling the gallows. If this was an extreme example of the craze, it was far less unusual to find Lincoln and other elected officials autographing documents at fairs and benefits to raise money for their political parties and relief organizations. But no such luck for contemporary souvenir hunters. It’s extremely unlikely the Bible used by Lincoln and Barack Obama will ever be sold to a collector, let alone wind up on eBay. Indeed, people are already hording Obamiana, with a clearer eye for profits down the road. AM “The Last Full Measure of Devotion: Collecting Abraham Lincoln” runs from Feb. 7 through April 27 in the Library West Hall of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. Curator Olga Tsapina will lead a private tour of the exhibition on Feb. 26 at 4:30 p.m. Tour tickets cost $25, $15 for members; call (626) 405-2128 to register. The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Visit www.huntington.org or call (626) 405-2100.

34 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

PERSONALITY

TV ACTOR JAMES REYNOLDS LEADS A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO RALLY THE TROOPS – OF CITIZENS – TO VISIT HOSPITALIZED VETERANS.

Photo: Lesley Bohm

BY CARL KOZLOWSKI

On a recent winter afternoon, Jeanne Crosby was savoring two reasons for celebration. For starters, the 88-year-old World War II veteran was anticipating a bedside visit from Emmy Award–winning actor James Reynolds at Wadsworth Hospital on the grounds of the Veterans Administration complex in Westwood. When the star of NBC’s long-running soap opera, “Days of Our Lives,” came by to sign a headshot and pose with her for a photo, she proudly waved a copy of the flyer announcing his visit and revealed the second reason. “The flyer had the right date, but it said you were coming on Tuesday, not Thursday,” Crosby, who’d served as a supplies clerk in New Guinea, said with —CONTINUED ON PAGE 36 ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 35

PERSONALITY

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

36 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

Top: Wesley Staples shakes Reynolds’ hand. Bottom: Reynolds visits Jeanne Crosby. Opposite: Reynolds poses with Brad Christensen.

of Our Lives.” Reynolds has portrayed Salem’s mayor and sheriff for the past 25 years, making Carver the longest-running role played by any black actor in the history of television. Not only has the part given his career stability — a rare treasure for an actor — it provided him with the wherewithal to launch the Fremont Centre Theatre with his wife, actress Lissa Layng. In addition to mounting its own slate of shows, the 11-year-old theater presents a couple of plays each year by Ray Bradbury’s Pandemonium Theatre Company, with which it has an exclusive contract. Also coming to the Fremont Centre on Feb. 24 is a panel discussion on the historical role of African American soldiers, moderated by Reynolds and presented by the Pasadena Museum of History. As Reynolds walked the halls of Wadsworth Hospital one last time before heading to his car, he expressed admiration for generations of American soldiers and optimism that, in the wake of the recent scandal about veterans’ shoddy care at Walter Reed Hospital, they will fare better under the new Obama administration. “I think the incoming administration is making it a high priority to take care of our servicemen and women, both in service and long after,” he said. “The controversy at Walter Reed Hospital and proposals to cut back on veterans’ care are unconscionable anytime, but especially in time of war. We should always take care of our veterans. It’s something we have to do.” AM To mark Black History Month, the Pasadena Museum of History presents a panel discussion moderated by James Reynolds on “Facing Two Wars — One Against the Enemy, One Against Prejudice: Chapters from African-American Military History” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Fremont Centre Theatre. Panelists include Altadena residents O. Oliver Goodall, a former pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen, and Bruce Dennis, who served with the Buffalo Soldiers during World War II. Tickets cost $20, $15 for museum members. The Fremont Center Theatre is located at 1000 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena. Call (626) 577-1660, ext. 10, or visit www.pasadenahistory.org.

Photos: Petet Mitchell

feisty charm. “I’m the one who pointed it out and had them fix it. My mind still works!” The anticipation of such rewarding moments persuaded Reynolds to serve as this year’s U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs spokesman for hospitalized veterans. Under the auspices of the federal Armed Forces Entertainment agency, he makes regular visits to local veterans and soldiers at military bases and hospitals around the world. In so doing, he hopes to encourage others to honor veterans with their own visits to VA hospitals. In his recent three-hour tour, the 62-year-old actor led by example, dropping in on dozens of veterans. He said his goal was not only to lift the spirits of patients but to publicize the Tribute to Hospitalized Veterans’ Week, which runs from Feb. 11 through 17. The overlap with Valentine’s Day “makes it the perfect time to honor the soldiers,” said Reynolds, also co-artistic director of South Pasadena’s Fremont Centre Theater. “It’s relatively new for me to help through the VA, but I’ve been involved with veterans for quite some time,” he added. “I just got back 18 hours ago from a 21/2-week trip to bases in Kosovo and Germany. [I visited] injured troops who were being transferred to further care at home in the States. I usually do handshake tours, just greeting people, but you will never find a more appreciative audience.” Indeed, Reynolds’ warm presence sparked a bonfire of smiles, handshakes and autograph requests at Wadsworth. He went from room to room — some housing as many as four veterans, most of them elderly and suffering from an array of health issues. Reynolds said it’s important that other people follow suit. “The truth is, everybody needs more volunteers,” he said. “We’ve found out government is limited in what it can do. Just sitting and talking, reading to people [is helpful]. I’m always impressed with how veterans just want to talk to you and tell you their stories. I listened to a guy today who served with Audie Murphy [the much-decorated World War II soldier] as his platoon commander. It can be extremely rewarding for volunteers — not just feeling good for having done something, but [the vets] enrich your lives.” Reynolds’ sympathy for veterans’ issues sprang from his personal experience as a Vietnam vet who served during the mid-’60s. “I grew up in the small farming town of Oskaloosa, Kansas, and I joined the Marine Corps after high school because I wanted to learn how to become a reporter,” he recalled. “I was a combat correspondent for eight months, which were full of dangerous moments. I did everything from cover small-scale actions to large-scale, to escorting civilian correspondents. That was great experience because I was a kid, barely 18.” When Reynolds returned to the U.S., he attended Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, where he changed his career plans. He decided to go “where all the girls were,” and he found them in the theater department. After graduation, he quickly landed acting roles in local and regional theater and reported on entertainment for small newspapers in Kansas and Colorado. Reynolds’ acting career shifted into high gear in 1974, when he landed a supporting role in the Charles Bronson action film “Mr. Majestyk,” portraying an African-American prisoner who helps Bronson’s character break out of jail. His performance led to other offers, including the role of Abe Carver on “Days

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TRAVEL The toasty lobby lounge at Seven4One. (Top right) Splashes’ panoramic view surrounds the dining room. (Bottom right) Aquaterra Spa’s couples’ treatment room

Days before I left town for a brief idyll at Seven4One in Laguna Beach, the sleek new boutique hotel emailed me a questionnaire, asking about the kinds of things that might come up on a first date: Did I like cool jazz? How did I take my coffee? What newspapers did I read? Then there were questions suitable for dates farther down the road: Down feather pillows or foam? Seven4One (www.seven4one.com) prides itself on its ability to anticipate

38 ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ ARROYO

gled by gill nets, maimed by sharks or stricken with illness or malnutrition. Outside the facility are several large pools, where a couple of elephant seals eyed us warily and half a dozen seals on the mend lay in the sun, piled on top

sustainability. Former banker and co-owner Daniel Sussman, who turned to a sec-

of each other like a tangle of kittens. We drove down Laguna Canyon Road to the Laguna Canyon Winery, which

was a natural strategy for the hotel’s location. “Laguna Beach is a very earthy,

sources grapes from vineyards in California, Oregon and Washington. It’s owned by a

environmentally conscious city,” he says. “We have the ocean, the Surfrider

couple of Canadian brothers, Marlowe and Darren Huber, who decided to locate their

Foundation [which battles ocean pollution]. We’re in the heart of this art colony. We

winery close to their end users of choice — fine wine enthusiasts with means. The

need to be green.”

Hubers have collaborated with local celebrity marine-life artist Wyland on a limited edition of wines — Wyland lends his name and designs the labels — to benefit ocean

stamp on everything from its custom-made memory-foam mattresses and four-

preservation. We were particularly impressed with the collection’s full-bodied 2004

inch pillow toppers to low-flow, dual-flush toilets, carafes of ice water instead of

“Oceano,” a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah with a nice balance

bottles and refillable dispensers of Molton Brown bath treats.

between fruit and oak.

Sussman and Brent Eneix, his partner in Seven4One’s parent company, the

BY IRENE LACHER

sea lions who have been nearly stran-

hotel’s pampering — so is the planet, thanks to its commitment to environmental

To that end, Seven4One follows a stringent eco-friendly regimen that leaves a

A WEEKEND IN LAGUNA BEACH ENCOMPASSES VISITS TO AN ECOFRIENDLY HOTEL, A SEAL SANCTUARY AND A RESTAURANT SWOONINGLY CLOSE TO THE WAVES.

Center, which rescues ailing seals and

guests’ needs, and people who stay there aren’t the only beneficiaries of the

ond career as a hotelier after the thrills of early retirement paled, says going green

A Coastal Retreat

The next morning, we visited the nonprofit Pacific Marine Mammal

After all that effort tasting wines, clearly a massage was in order, so we headed

Brendan Group, bought the property in January. It used to be Eiler’s Inn, which

to the Aquaterra Spa at the Surf & Sand Resort (www.surfandsandresort.com). The

had been shuttered after 60 years as a bed and breakfast (Eiler’s was named after

Surf & Sand is a longtime fixture of the Laguna Beach coastline, but it makes a point

a local guy with flowing white hair, who was legendary for standing on the side of

of surfing the wave of contemporary design and amenities. Indeed, my “hot shell

the Pacific Coast Highway, greeting people whizzing by in their cars). Sussman

massage” was a revelation and a welcome variation on the more common hot stone

and Eneix gave the place a complete overhaul, decorating it in minimal chic,

massages. I’ve found the latter to be warm and relaxing, but they tend to come up

using a palette of cool pale gray and white punctuated by splashes of color from

short when it comes to the therapist’s manual contact with muscle. This 75-minute

work by local artists.

massage — which used smooth shells heated with an insert of dried kelp and algae

The place feels like a miniature version of the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood, without the noise and the attitude. The hotel’s 12 rooms are built around an outdoor courtyard designed for gatherings, with a cozy fireplace and

— was a liquefying blend of both, with the therapist warming the skin with a shell in one hand and then kneading it with the other. So much leisure whetted our appetites, so we crossed the courtyard to the

lounge furniture. It was uninhabited during my midweek visit, so I couldn’t tell

resort’s Splashes Restaurant, where Executive Chef Lewis Butler presides over a

whether a lively party could pose a headache for guests, but hotel staff assured

fusion-style menu described as American Coastal Cuisine. The venue alone is

me that the surrounding rooms’ Milgard energy-efficient windows muffle sound.

worth a visit. Its outdoor terrace is swooningly close to the waves, unlike many

My room, the Sky Suite, overlooks the back terrace, which offers a fine view of

eateries set back from the Los Angeles coastline. We selected the tasting menu

the ocean and setting sun. But since I arrived on a news-filled day, my companion

which, on our evening, consisted of richly flavorful dishes of parmesan-crusted

and I only had eyes for the 42-inch flat-screen TV in the airy sitting room. As we

salmon over lobster angel hair pasta, braised beef short rib with lump-crab gnoc-

flipped from CNN to MSNBC, hotel staff brought up a fine platter of cheese and

chi and scallops with a salt-cod croquette.

sausages sourced locally by Chef de Cuisine Jessica Alexander, formerly a sous

After such a satisfying meal, we yearned to be horizontal. So back we went to

chef at the Montage Resort. (Seven4One doesn’t have a designated dining room,

the Seven4One, where we fell into a sound sleep, knowing we’d done our part that

but Alexander’s small-plate menu is also served in the intimate lobby lounge.)

day to protect the planet. AM ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2009 ~ 39