Arroyo Monthly March 2006

arroyo M O N T H L Y

MARCH 2006

Stars of the

San Gabriel Valley

Oscar winner Marlee Matlin on acting, charity and family Bradley Whitford of “The West Wing” Charity spotlight on AbilityFirst San Marino League’s Silver Jubilee Art Walk

P U B L I S H E R’ S N OT E

THANK YOU, PASADENA for voting us

“BEST EYEWEAR” n the 4 a.m. silence, it’s just me, myself and my insomnia reviewing photos for this month’s issue of Arroyo.

It’s the utter soundlessness where there are no cars racing, no children screaming, no telephones ringing.

There is nothing to invade and pervade and round out the fabric of my senses.

As if planned, up pops a photo of Marlee Matlin, a true treasure, Girl Scout extraordinaire, Oscar winner, philanthropist, our Personality feature this month and our cover.

Now, I must admit, I have been smitten with Ms. Matlin since I saw her in “Children of a Lesser God,” but it wasn’t my prejudice that made me stare a long time at this picture. It was the quiet that surrounded me, the absence of a sense of sound that made me see more than what I usually see.

In this picture, I saw a person with a disability who didn’t believe in the barriers of that disability. I saw grace and confidence and determination that took her to the very pinnacle of success in her career. I saw a support system that nurtured a child to have such grace and confidence.

And I saw a soul that gives back to her community, and to those who are less fortunate.

Every picture tells a story.

If it is at all possible that you can find a quiet and still spot to read through this issue of Arroyo, I encourage you to do so. Go someplace where there is absolutely no sound, and as you read, see if the words find more meaning. See if the pictures are more revealing. Smell the air. Feel the paper. Check your senses.

Then, check your conscience. Someone had the sense to stand behind Marlee Matlin in her youth. Something helped her find her confidence to go out and change perceptions.

It is obvious that the children of a lesser God really benefit from your contributions of time or money, and I hope that your help can bring us more Marlee Matlins.

Thank you for indulging me on my soapbox.

—Dale Tiffany

I

ARROYO MONTHLY PUBLISHER Dale Tiffany • EDITOR IN CHIEF Julie Riggott • ART DIRECTOR Agnes Carrera CONTROLLER Michael Nagami • HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Leslie Lamm • ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Linda Martin ACCOUNTING Valerie Steffens, Ellen Biasin, Laila Abdanan ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Fred Bankston, Elizabeth Chase, Christina Diep, Drita Gjeloshaj, Wai Sallas, Charlie Spradling CONTRIBUTORS Jenine Baines, Nancy Davis, Jacqueline Fox, Greg Gillooly, Carl Kozlowski, Pat Loeb, Brenda Rees, Hank Schlinger, John Sollenberger, Tracy Wilcoxen EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nikki Bazar • COPY EDITOR Heather Holmes ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Yvonne Guerrero, Jay Cribas, Joseph Mendoza GROUP PUBLISHER David Comden

CONTACT US ADVERTISING publisher@arroyomonthly.com • EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 • FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 www.ArroyoMonthly.com

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M O N T H LY

16 CULTURE San Marino resident and Emmy-winning actor Bradley Whitford has played a politician for seven years on “The West Wing.”

18 CHARITY AbilityFirst has been helping the special needs community since 1926.

38 PERSONALITY Oscar winner Marlee Matlin balances celebrity, philanthropy and family in the San Gabriel Valley.

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12 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH How super is Supernanny?

14 BOOKS Behind the scenes at the Academy Awards 34 ON LOCATION A look at the San Gabriel Valley’s place in TV and film

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44 THE LIST Wisteria Festival, Cal Phil, Mark Twain, ArtNight and more

46 NESTING Cheryll Wegge’s cottage at the Huntington Hotel is part of the San Marino League’s Silver Jubilee Art Walk.

48 FILMING Pasadena as the location for the American dream Cover Photo: Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin Photo by Michele A. H. Smith

6 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 7

giving back Another beautiful gala at Art Center Wind Tunnel

Brenda Berg, Girl Scouts Mt. Wilson Vista Council Chief Executive Officer

Honoree Marlee Matlin

Tracy Mason, Andrea Ferraco, Ceci Montalvo and Cheri Fortner

GIRL SCOUTS – MT. WILSON VISTA COUNCIL INAUGURAL BENEFIT DINNER More than 340 Girl Scout parents, supporters and local political and business leaders attended Girl Scouts – Mt. Wilson Vista Council’s “Ever Upward” inaugural benefit dinner on Friday, Feb. 10, at the Wind Tunnel at Art Center College of Design’s South Campus in Pasadena. The fabulous evening included an exciting silent and live auction that raised $60,000 and a program honoring Bruce Corbin, Chairman, LA/OC Charitable Contributions, Union Bank of California Foundation; Marlee Matlin, Academy Award-winning actress; and Mary Lou Steinmetz, Co-Founder, Steinmetz Foundation, for their continuing support of the Girl Scouts and their interest in community betterment. The funds raised from this event will benefit the Council’s ongoing programs offered to more than 9,000 girls ages 5 to 17 in the San Gabriel Valley under the guidance of over 4,000 volunteers. Actors and Girl Scout parents Jane Kaczmarek and Bradley Whitford served as honorary co-chairs. Antoinette Adams and Robyn Ratcliffe Manzini served as benefit chairs. For more information or to donate to the Girl Scouts, call (626) 445-7771 or visit www.gsmwvc.org.

Girl Scouts Catherine Barth and Rebecca Felix

Annette Castro Ramirez, Linda Blinkenberg and Nancy Neal Davis

8 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

Congressman Adam Schiff and honoree Bruce Corbin

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T o

giving back

Kandis Jaffrey (Benefit Chair), Steve Baumann (Executive Director of Kidspace Children’s Museum), Jane Popovich (President, Board of Directors), Bradley Whitford, Sheridan Link (Benefit Chair), Cathy Lloyd (President, Circle of Friends)

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a volunteer organization for Kidspace Children’s Museum, raised over $390,000 at its annual benefit fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 4, at Parkway Grill restaurant, capping the biggest fund-raising year in the history of the Circle of Friends. Over 450 guests revisited the quintessential high school event – “Blast to the Past….Return to Prom Night.”The benefit, emceed by Bradley Whitford of NBC’s “The West Wing,” included a night of silent and live auctions, a sumptuous dinner provided by Gregg Smith and the Parkway Grill and a grand raffle gift certificate of $5,000 donated by Asanti Fine Jewelers.

The funds raised are designated to Kidspace Children’s Museum. For more information, please visit www.kidspacemuseum.org.

Lynette Sohl with Nelson Holdo of Asanti Fine Jewelers

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Guillermo Tudela, Kelly Lieu and Ahmed Mitchel-El Jr

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE opened Feb. 13, at 369 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena.

The local community welcomed the newest Ruth’s Chris during pre-opening charity events, which raised more than $4,000 for the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity. Among the invited guests were three local families who will have homes built by Habitat in 2006: Juan Montenegro and Maria Salazar, Enrique and Bertha Faust and Jesus and Teresa Diaz.

Supporters included Don Goodman, President and CEO of Disney Imagineering and Theme Park Development, and his wife, Andy. Ruth’s Chris General Manager Linda Jordan and Habitat Executive Director Sonia Yates are committed to working in partnership to create future programs to assist the local Habitat for Humanity community. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.

Darlene Hubanks of Habitat for Humanity introduces Habitat recipients, the Diaz family.

Enrique and Bertha Faust and their son Christian, Habitat recipients

Craig Miller , CEO, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Juan Montenegro, Maria Salazar, Sonia Yates, Don Goodman and Randy Schenk

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BY HANK SCHLINGER, Ph.D. TELEVISION SHOWS IN WHICH NANNIES GO INTO CHAOTIC homes with out-of-control children and restore order have become very popular. In particular, ABC’s “Supernanny” has captured the public’s imagination. But how good is the advice she offers?

It’s difficult to tell how effective her methods are by watching the show because it is slickly produced and edited. Also, we don’t know how the children and parents behave in the absence of the TV cameras.

But we can evaluate Supernanny Jo Frost’s approach to parenting based on her top 10 rules for caring for children. I’ll discuss some of them in a multi-part series.

First of all, as Frost admits, her approach is based on personal observations rather than theory. While personal experience is not bad per se, it is subjective, biased and prone to error, while scientific knowledge is objective, unbiased and based on repeatable experimental results. Would you prefer that someone treating you for an illness only have experience with sick people or years of medical training and knowledge of medical science?

So it is with parenting: Behavior science is better than the trial and error of experience. Let us look at Supernanny’s first rule and evaluate it against what behavior science has discovered.

Frost’s first rule is that parents should use “attention, praise and love” as rewards rather than “sweets, treats and toys.” This is a good suggestion, but it’s important to use rewards appropriately. Attention and praise can be considered rewards only if they are given immediately after the desired behavior and result in an increase in the behavior.

Attention is the best reward because it is free, can be given immediately after the behavior and children crave it. As most parents discover, children will do almost anything for attention, including throwing tantrums, cussing and fighting with siblings. Unfortunately, parents frequently ignore their children’s good behavior. Then when bad behavior occurs, the parents pay attention to it (because they want it to stop), which often ensures that it will happen again.

Attention can consist of simply interacting with your child or using specific praise. For instance, instead of saying, “You’re such a good girl,” it’s better to say, “I really like the way you picked up your clothes and put them in the drawer.”

The most important thing to remember is: Make sure you attend immediately and positively to your child’s good behavior, and not to her bad behavior, and then make sure the behavior actually occurs again. AM Dr. Schlinger is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and teaches psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. Contact him at hschlin@calstatela.edu.

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Behind the

scenes

Steve Pond takes readers on a tour of the Oscars in ‘The Big Show.’

BY ROBYN KAMIMURA THE GRANDEUR OF THE OSCARS NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE. This evening of grandiose entertainment carries a personality all its own: vibrant, controversial and always unpredictable.

Yet long before the glitz and glamour of the grand production come the treacherous waters of pre-production. For months in advance, people frantically prepare for an event paralleling only the Super Bowl in popularity. During this time, studio executives, Academy members, presenters and performers alike are gathered up for the big night, all under the watchful eyes of reputable producers like Gil Cates, the innovative yet disgraced Allan Carr and even personalities like the flamboyant Quincy Jones, among others. Hosts like Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg are carefully chosen, while still many more stand-ins, seat-fillers and extras are screened, trained and brought in as safeguards.

Cutting through the heart of it all, “The Big Show” by Steve Pond delves deep into the Oscars, shedding light on the intricacies of the multi-million dollar show. As the only journalist granted long-term access into nearly every behind-the-scenes activity over the years, his firsthand experience captures the very essence of the Academy Awards in all of its complex resplendency.

His prose — fast-paced, concise and thoughtfully laid out — relays a large amount of information in as effective a manner as possible.

Beginning with the 61st Annual Academy Awards, we’re taken on a whirlwind journey through a mass of delicate egos, artistic temperaments and some of the most dazzling productions in the history of the ceremony — many with unexpected surprises. All the while, Pond gallantly forges ahead, deconstructing the show from the inside out and shrewdly illustrating the delicate balance between tasteful elegance and over-the-top theatrics.

From Martin Landau ignoring frantic signals to end his acceptance speech to David Letterman’s questionable on-stage antics as host, this singular book brings you directly into the thick of events, allowing you to share Oscar moments with the likes of Spielberg, Capra, Scorsese and countless other participants. Pond’s book holds you in a state of curious fascination until the turn of the final page.

For more in-depth reading on pioneers in the entertainment industry, try any of Joseph McBride’s well-researched and critically acclaimed biographies on Steven Spielberg, Frank Capra, Orson Welles and John Ford. AM Robyn Kamimura is assistant promotional director at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Contact the bookstore at (626) 449-5320.

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{

C U LT U R E

Playing the role of a

politician

Emmy-winning actor Bradley Whitford spent seven years in Hollywood’s presidential administration on ‘The West Wing.’

BY CARL KOZLOWSKI

d 16 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

ESPITE ALL THE POLITICAL DRAMA IN THE REAL world, San Marino resident Bradley Whitford has experienced plenty more as part of his day job. But it's not typical office politics that he has to deal with, for as an Emmy-winning actor on “The West Wing,” he has found a place in the homes of tens of millions of Americans as Josh Lyman, advisor to Josiah Bartlett, perhaps America's greatest fictional president ever.

Yet in May, Whitford's run with the series will come to an end, as NBC has already announced its cancellation. The current season has largely focused on the race to find Bartlett's successor, setting up a logical end to the show that has won more Emmys than any other program in TV history.

“This show has exceeded my wildest expectations,” says Whitford, “because it's been about something that is important and has been increasingly urgent because people since 9/11, wherever they are on the political spectrum, believe government matters.”

“The show has gone through an interesting shift,” he says, “because we began during the Clinton presidency and were considered sort of the moderate, ethically pure fantasy of the Clinton administration. I actually don't think the country has swung as far to the right as people say, but it became sort of

the alternate, pathetically inadequate fantasy government for people of a different political persuasion than, say, Karl Rove.”

Whitford was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin — an experience that he looks back on fondly and considers as the inspiration for his decision to settle in Pasadena rather than in the typical Hollywood-star environs of Malibu or the Hollywood Hills. He and his wife of 14 years, actress Jane Kaczmarek of “Malcolm in the Middle” fame, chose to raise their three children in San Marino because they feel it is a more natural place for them to grow up.

“We were living in Hollywood, and we started going to All Saints Church and through that discovered some of the schools. I grew up in Madison, which is ironically the size of Pasadena,” explains Whitford. “It felt more Midwestern, and it was more about raising kids out here rather than the creepy Hollywood scene you get on the Westside. … I really love Pasadena, having a little city that has an identity, and it's a great place to raise a family. I think it's really convenient living here, driving into L.A.” When considering the parallels and differences between the real Bush and Clinton presidencies and “The West Wing’s” Bartlett administration, Whitford notes that sometimes the —Continued on page 20 real world is stranger than fiction.

Bradley Whitford on the set of “The West Wing” Photo courtesy of Mr. Whitford

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 17

{

CHARITY

first

Putting

abilities

AbilityFirst has been looking beyond their clients’ disabilities since 1926, bringing a can-do spirit to the special needs community.

BY HILARY JONES ~ PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER RAINONE

u 18 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

PON MEETING THE FOUR WOMEN OF THE Smith family, it is immediately apparent that they are a force to be reckoned with. Four generations strong, they are a tight-knit group mobilized in support of one of the family’s youngest members, 14-year-old Shawn Marie Stinson.

Shawn, an eighth grader at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Pasadena, is developmentally disabled. Although she has never been formally diagnosed, Shawn faces substantial adversity. She functions at the level of a 4- or 5-year-old; her communication skills are severely limited, and she requires constant care and supervision.

The Smith family turned to AbilityFirst for help with this considerable challenge. Shawn is now a participant in AbilityFirst’s after-school program at the Lawrence L. Frank Center in Pasadena.

All of the Smith women are devoted to AbilityFirst: Shawn’s aunt, Julie Benn, is the special events coordinator, and Shawn’s mother Jacqui Stinson, grandmother Julie Smith and great-grandmother Julia Shaw work as volunteers.

“When we found AbilityFirst, we had been searching for the right place for Shawn for years,”

Shawn Marie Stinson and Sarah Saewert, activity coordinator at AbilityFirst

Shawn Marie Stinson, Jacqui Stinson, Julie Benn, Julia Shaw, Julie Smith and Lori Gangemi says Smith. “It became such a lifesaver in our family.”

According to AbilityFirst CEO Lori Gangemi, this attitude is not uncommon among the families that come to its centers.

“They talk about life before AbilityFirst and life after AbilityFirst,” she says.

For Benn, the reason they have all committed themselves to serving this agency is simple.

“Everything that we do is geared towards our family and how we support each other,” she says.

AbilityFirst was established in 1926 as the Crippled Children’s Society by Lawrence L. Frank and Paul Dietrich, two Los Angeles-area Rotarians.

In 1999, the society’s name was changed to AbilityFirst, symbolic of the agency’s mission to focus on the clients’ abilities rather than their physical or developmental disabilities.

AbilityFirst is a local agency, with 23 centers spanning four Southern California counties.

Despite its relatively small size, the scope of programs and activities it offers is vast. The agency has programs for every stage of its clients’ lives, from after-school programs for children as young as 5 to group homes serving senior citizens with

special needs.

At the Lawrence L. Frank Center, Shawn participates in an after-school program where she learns life skills, or what Smith neatly terms “things people need to know to survive in the world.”

These are the really important things, such as how to count and spend money, how to get along with others and how many blocks you have to walk to get to Target.

“Programs like this give our kids the ability to be within the community. For so long they institutionalized them, and so there were no programs like this around,” says Stinson. “This is our way of keeping them in our homes, in our community, without just putting them away somewhere.”

In addition to the daily after-school program, children at the Lawrence L. Frank Center also have the opportunity to surf, kayak and rock climb in the summer, and put on plays, talent shows and other productions in the months when the weather is not so warm. The AbilityFirst drill team is a popular feature at the center, and one of Shawn’s personal favorites.

“It gives her independence and control of some things in her life because this is her place. She

doesn’t have a lot of things that are just for her, and this is just for her,” says Stinson.

In addition to offering a long list of social and recreational activities, AbilityFirst also brings the talents of a devoted staff to the table.

“These are her people,” says Shaw, who describes the AbilityFirst staff as an extended family.

When asked what keeps him coming back, a smile spreads across Program Supervisor Pil Mendez’s face.

“The kids and the kids,” he states simply, nodding toward a nearby table full of young children, many of whose faces are smeared with purple popsicles.

For Shawn and other children like her, having a developmental disability amounts to a lifetime of challenge and sacrifice, not only for themselves but also for their families. The scope of the sacrifice required from the families of children with special needs is often difficult to imagine; it is a financial and emotional struggle, putting a strain on a family’s budget as well as their time and energy.

Regardless of how much Shawn enjoys the numerous exciting activities AbilityFirst has to offer, the agency gives her —Continued on page 33 ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 19

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“If we did an election on the show where what happened in 2000 happened and one of the candidates' brothers happened to be governor of the deciding state, it would be just unbelievable,” says Whitford. “Our show tears things not from headlines but from [stories buried inside the newspaper]. [Show creator] Aaron Sorkin really shied away from feeling that the show was a response to what was happening.”

Whitford says that he's always been surprised that neither critics nor the show's fans have ever really considered the show in the way he does: as a “backstage comedy about the amount of time politicians have to spend creating the perfect moment to present their ideas, which makes it

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Nearly everywhere he goes, people ask him if either the actor who plays the show's president, Martin Sheen, or Whitford himself will ever consider running for office — a decision he has no interest in.

show business, and that's sad.”

Nearly everywhere he goes, people ask him if either the actor who plays the show's president, Martin Sheen, or Whitford himself will ever consider running for office — a decision he has no interest in.

Now that the show is going off the air after seven hectic seasons, Whitford is looking forward to spending more time with his family.

Amazingly, Kaczmareks' own seven-year run on “Malcolm in the Middle” is coming to an end with its last episode airing the same night as Whitford's final “The West Wing.” And even stranger still, Whitford has won an Emmy for his role, while Kaczmarek has earned the goodnatured nickname of “the Susan Lucci of prime-time” because she has been nominated six straight seasons without a win.

“It's been an extraordinarily bizarre thing,” says Whitford. “We were picked up the same week for our pilots, and now we're ending together.

And the trajectory of the shows, from starting to their peaks to their passing on, has been identical. Now I just want to shake my Etch-ASketch for a while and spend time with my children.” AM Read about Bradley Whitford’s involvement with local charities in Giving Back (pages 8 and 10).

Great Schools • Great Community • Great Homes

La Cañada Flintridge

MAGNIFICENT MEDITERRANEAN VIEW ESTATE 825 St. Katherine, La Cañada Flintridge Breathtaking panoramic views distinguishes this approximately 6,800 sq. ft. home which features 5 bedrooms, 6 baths and 5 fireplaces. Other amenities include a two story entry with marble floor, an oak paneled library with coffered ceiling, and a gourmet kitchen to delight the chef. The staircase leads to a luxurious master suite, graced by a fireplace and a wall of French sliders opening to a balcony overlooksing the nearly 1.5 acres and 180 degree view of the San Gabriel Mountains. The meticulously landscaped grounds include a pitch and putt golf course and beautiful pool and spa. La Cañada schools.

Offered at $3,795,000

SPECTACULAR CALIFORNIA TRADITIONAL 887 Monarch Drive La Cañada Flintridge This traditional style home has been totally remodeled with the utmost taste. This home is situated behind gates, for the ultimate in privacy, on a gentle rolling lot of one-half acre, with a koi pond and many outdoor entertaining areas. There are over 5500 sq. ft. of living space that feature 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 2 fireplaces, family room and den/office. La Cañada schools.

Offered at $2,500,000

GRACIOUS TRADITIONAL 2199 Fairhurst Drive, La Cañada Flintridge This is a must-see, well maintained home, located high above Foothill on a private cul-desac drive. Great floor plan for everyday living with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, family room, 2 fireplaces, and central heat & air conditioning. There is covered parking to accommodate 6 cars. Glendale Blue Ribbon schools.

5039 Louise Drive, La Cañada Flintridge Charming "Father of the Bride" style home built in 1938 with a center hall floor plan. This home is located in a serene setting with highly sought after canyon views.It has been tastefully updated while keeping the quality original details.

The floor plan is perfect for indoor/outdoor entertaining. Special features are 4 bedrooms, and a play room, 3 baths, formal living & dining rooms, hardwood floors, 2 fireplaces, and a family room.

Offered at $950,000

Offered at $2,195,000

QUIET COZY RETREAT

Janice McGlashan Executive Sales Director Previews Specialist

jmcglashan@coldwellbanker.com

Your La Cañada Flintridge Specialist Homes, properties and estates in ALL price ranges direct

818.949.5230

cell 818.512.2375

711 Foothill Blvd. La Cañada Flintridge

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Michael Hollis Fine Art — This exceptional gallery is devoted to presenting the best of representational art, with the philosophy of supporting young and established artists who embody a solid basis of skills (drawing, painting and sculpting).The Michael Hollis Gallery displays Academic and Contemporary Realism along with the very best of today’s artists in the tradition of plein-air and landscape art. 238 Pasadena Ave., South Pasadena. Call (626) 441-4333, or visit www.michaelhollisfineart.com.

One West California Boulevard Tirage Fine Art Gallery — has one of California’s largest selections of contemporary, representational fine art with an emphasis on California and European landscapes and Italian engravings. With renewed public interest in original artworks painted “en plein air,” this is where you can find traditional landscapes, still life and figurative paintings, featuring nationally recognized representational artists in oil, pastel, watercolor and sculpture. Call (626) 405-1020. Bruce Graney Antiques — Walk into a magnificent world of French, Italian, Dutch and English antiques and accessories, oil paintings, mirrors and chandeliers. You’ll also find one of the largest collections of Grandfather clocks East of the Mississippi! Designers and their clients welcome. One W. California Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-9547.

ONE WEST CALIFORNIA BOULEVARD PASADENA

TWO SEPERATE SHOWROOMS OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF STYLES AND PERIODS. INCLUDING AMERICAN, ENGLISH, MEDITERRANEAN AND CONTINENTAL FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES, ALONG

TIRAGE GALLERY 626-405-1020

WITH 19TH AND 20TH

www.tirageart.com

PLEIN AIR AND REPRE-

BRUCE GRANEY ANTIQUES

626-449-9547

CENTURY EUROPEAN, SENTATIONAL PAINTINGS ENGRAVINGS AND SCULPTURE.

www.brucegraneyantiques.com Bruce Graney Antiques

Southern California’s Best Address For Antiques & Fine Art

G.H. Wilke & Co. — Tucked away in San Gabriel this jewel box of a store has been a mainstay of the San Gabriel Valley, overseen by three generations. Wilke’s present owners, Tracy R. Wilke and goldsmith Dario Pirozko, have created an atmosphere of comfort and trust for their multi-generational clientele. Drawing from sources all over the globe, G. H. Wilke & Co. specializes in unusually colored stones, modern designs and elaborately fashioned estate jewelry. Treat yourself or a special someone to a custom design by Dario or choose a masterpiece already created. They’d love to see you! 612 W. Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel. (626) 284-9444.

THOMAS R. FIELD American Antiques

www.thomasrfieldantiques.com Thomas R. Field — The most beautiful room settings of American Antiques and folk art can be found here at Thomas R. Field. A national clientele has found this furniture complements many styles English, French and more giving an eclectic feel to traditional as well as the most modern of homes. The philosophy of Thomas R. Field is “objects of art fit anywhere.” So come in and walk among grandfather clocks, paintings, sculptures and weather vanes and celebrate the American Heritage. Small antiques and accessories are available for wonderful gifts! Certified appraisal services-estate dispositions. 1127 Mission —Continued on page 24 St., South Pasadena. (626) 799-8546.

The only shop in Southern California offering a full range of 18th and 19th century American antiques and folk art.

Certified appraisal services...estate dispositions Purchasing and brokering fine examples of American antiques and folk art.

1127 Mission St. South Pasadena 91030 (626) 799-8546

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737/552/5444

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Michael Hollis Fine Art — This exceptional gallery is devoted to presenting the best of representational art, with the philosophy of supporting young and established artists who embody a solid basis of skills (drawing, painting and sculpting).The Michael Hollis Gallery displays Academic and Contemporary Realism along with the very best of today’s artists in the tradition of plein-air and landscape art. 238 Pasadena Ave., South Pasadena. Call (626) 441-4333, or visit www.michaelhollisfineart.com.

One West California Boulevard Tirage Fine Art Gallery — has one of California’s largest selections of contemporary, representational fine art with an emphasis on California and European landscapes and Italian engravings. With renewed public interest in original artworks painted “en plein air,” this is where you can find traditional landscapes, still life and figurative paintings, featuring nationally recognized representational artists in oil, pastel, watercolor and sculpture. Call (626) 405-1020. Bruce Graney Antiques — Walk into a magnificent world of French, Italian, Dutch and English antiques and accessories, oil paintings, mirrors and chandeliers. You’ll also find one of the largest collections of Grandfather clocks East of the Mississippi! Designers and their clients welcome. One W. California Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-9547.

ONE WEST CALIFORNIA BOULEVARD PASADENA

TWO SEPERATE SHOWROOMS OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF STYLES AND PERIODS. INCLUDING AMERICAN, ENGLISH, MEDITERRANEAN AND CONTINENTAL FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES, ALONG

TIRAGE GALLERY 626-405-1020

WITH 19TH AND 20TH

www.tirageart.com

PLEIN AIR AND REPRE-

BRUCE GRANEY ANTIQUES

626-449-9547

CENTURY EUROPEAN, SENTATIONAL PAINTINGS ENGRAVINGS AND SCULPTURE.

www.brucegraneyantiques.com Bruce Graney Antiques

Southern California’s Best Address For Antiques & Fine Art

G.H. Wilke & Co. — Tucked away in San Gabriel this jewel box of a store has been a mainstay of the San Gabriel Valley, overseen by three generations. Wilke’s present owners, Tracy R. Wilke and goldsmith Dario Pirozko, have created an atmosphere of comfort and trust for their multi-generational clientele. Drawing from sources all over the globe, G. H. Wilke & Co. specializes in unusually colored stones, modern designs and elaborately fashioned estate jewelry. Treat yourself or a special someone to a custom design by Dario or choose a masterpiece already created. They’d love to see you! 612 W. Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel. (626) 284-9444.

THOMAS R. FIELD American Antiques

www.thomasrfieldantiques.com Thomas R. Field — The most beautiful room settings of American Antiques and folk art can be found here at Thomas R. Field. A national clientele has found this furniture complements many styles English, French and more giving an eclectic feel to traditional as well as the most modern of homes. The philosophy of Thomas R. Field is “objects of art fit anywhere.” So come in and walk among grandfather clocks, paintings, sculptures and weather vanes and celebrate the American Heritage. Small antiques and accessories are available for wonderful gifts! Certified appraisal services-estate dispositions. 1127 Mission —Continued on page 24 St., South Pasadena. (626) 799-8546.

The only shop in Southern California offering a full range of 18th and 19th century American antiques and folk art.

Certified appraisal services...estate dispositions Purchasing and brokering fine examples of American antiques and folk art.

1127 Mission St. South Pasadena 91030 (626) 799-8546

A RT, A N T I Q U E S & J EW E L RY —Continued from page 23

John Moran Auctioneers — Expertly serving their clients since 1969, John Moran Auctioneers is a full service auction house offering quality objects and complete personalized dedication. Monthly Estate and Fine Furniture auctions are where collectors, dealers, decorators and others gather to buy the finest antiques, silver, American Indian, oil and watercolor paintings, jewelry, unusual accessories and so much more! Three times per year, this very well respected auction house holds an auction for exceptional California and American Paintings, many times setting records for the artists they represent. They will also either consign or purchase estates. Please visit John Moran Auctioneers on their website www.johnmoran.com. 735 W. Woodbury Road, Altadena. (626) 793-1833.

Whites Gallery — Serving the community since 1944, new owner, Miguel Perez, offers the most complete and comprehensive fine art framing and restoration services in the San Gabriel Valley. Nestled in the charming town of Montrose, Whites Gallery specializes in archival conservation and custom framing, sophisticated matting, shadow boxing and other creative display solutions for unique and unusual works of fine art. Additionally, Whites offers custom finishing and the gilding of frames, elaborate frame design, stretching and mounting of fabric art (canvas, needlepoint, etc.) and the restoration of fine art and antiques. You can also experience an exquisite collection of fine art on display. 2414 Honolulu Ave., Montrose. Call (818) 957-4071.

Whites

ART FRAMING & RESTORATION

WF

R

Restoration, Framing, and Installation of Fine Art

2414 Honolulu Ave. Montrose, CA 91020 Tel 818.957.4071 Fax 818.957.8100 framingandrestoration@gmail.com

“Venetian beads made from Murano glass�

The San Gabriel Bead Company We carry a large selection of Swarovski crystals, vintage German glass, handmade artisan beads, semi-precious gemstones, sterling silver and more! For the beginner or the advanced, we offer over 100 workshops each quarter.

Call us for a current workshop schedule!

325 E. Live Oak Ave., Arcadia 626.447.7753 www.beadcompany.com Tu-Fri 12-9pm, Sat 10-6pm, Sun 12-5pm

Exclusively Ours

Bring in in this this ad adfor for15% 15%off off your yourpurchase purchaseofofbeads. beads Expires 12-31-05.

03/30/06 Expires

Denim to Dresses... and everything in between!

544 Westt Greenn Streett Oldd Pasadenaa 626.. 449.32244 Between DeLacey & Fair Oaks ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 25

2 0 0 6 8 * / % 4 6 3' 4 "* - * / ( 4

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$1,799 QQ

• 7 & 14-day Mediterranean sailings - April 23 through November 5, 2006 from $1,799 PP Sailing from:L isbon,Malaga, ` Barcelona, Marseille, Nice, Rome • 13 & 14-day Transatlantic sailings - April 9 & November 26, 2006 from $1,149 PP Sailing from: Barbados and Lisbon C T R # 1 0 1 62 0 2 - 8 0

Automobile Club of Southern California - AAA Travel Agencies: 801 E. Union Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 • 626-744-2868 1233 E. Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205 • 818-525-5431 2112 Montrose Ave., Montrose, CA 91020 • 818-525-390 2

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The fare mentioned is per person, cruise only, in US dollars based on double occupancy in category B, includes non-discountable amounts and is valid on select sailings only. $1,799 fare is valid on the Wind Surf April 30, 2006 sailing only. Fare includes Early Booking Incentive (EBI) savings. Fares are capacity controlled and can change at any time. Government fees and taxes are an additional ($17.96-$267.73).

Discounted rates for thirds and singles are available. Offers may be withdrawn at anytime. Cancellation penalties apply, see brochure for details. Certain restrictions apply. Ships’ Registry: Bahamas.

26 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 27

Your home...

Y O U R Lee Mink & Associates brings an experienced design team to your home to help your dreams become a reality. Their signature style is good taste — interpreted with your lifestyle in mind.

Whether the project encompasses an entire property or one room, the designers seek out inspiring and varied design concepts. Clients also enjoy beautiful custom designed furniture, bedding and window treatments, as well as an offering of furniture from Europe, the United States and around the world. For your home remodel, office interior, vacation property or refurbishing, call Lee Mink & Associates at (626) 796-3900.

Adesso Eclectic Imports — Suad and Selma Cisic, bring the furniture styles and global accessories of Italy, Spain, France and Argentina to their delightful sun-filled shop. You feel the hospitality as you walk in, making the discovery of magnificent antiques and clean-lined mid-century pieces all the more special. Large gold mirrors, warm woods and colored glass chandeliers are all here, as well as many fascinating accent pieces. Let this beautiful couple lead you through their destination for the seekers of the avant garde and unusual. Designers and their clients welcome. 38 E. Holly St., Pasadena.

Call (626) 683-3511. Open Tues-Sun 11-5.

C A S T L E

Expression in Wood — Since 1977, this exceptional manufacturing company has specialized in magnificent traditional cabinetry, priding themselves on customer service, attention to detail and quality that exceeds the expectations of their clients. Kitchen cabinetry is a specialty; they also design and build bathrooms, libraries, entertainment centers and every type of cabinetry for your home or office. The finished product is an “expression in wood.” 248 Kruse Ave., Monrovia. Call (626) 303-8000, or visit www.expressioninwood.com.

Carol Cobabe Design — With a philosophy of “good design resulting in the creation of harmony in one’s environment,” Carol’s goal is to enrich, inspire and instill feelings of comfort.

With an extensive career since 1988, her discipline of using the basic elements of space, color, texture, light and nature succeeds in reflecting the unique style and purpose of each client.

Carol’s work has been published in Designers West, Better Homes and Gardens, Window and Wall Ideas and F. Schumacher’s Classic Directions. She has participated in several Showcase Houses, the Los Angeles Assistance League Design House, the Venice Family Clinic

Design House and Little Company of Mary Design House in Palos Verdes. Carol is also the winner of the coveted First Place Award of the L.A. Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Call (626) 441-6052.

bolster its development. They approach each project as environmentally as the job allows in design, materials selection, irrigation and plant choices.

Call (818) 353-7030, or see their wonderful designs at www.candklandscapedesign.com.

Arroyo Hardware — Owner Joe Pardee has made his store a one-stop shop for all your needs.

You’ll find locks from Baldwin, Schlage and Heritage as well as beautiful waterwalls and fountains. Also on display are decorative mailboxes, cabinet pulls, knobs, bath towel bars, builder’s hardware and address plaques. 2235 N. Lake Ave. #107, Pasadena. Call (626) 398-8390.

Divine’s Furniture — Although Divine's is Monterey Park's best-known landmark since 1932, it is the San Gabriel Valley's best-kept secret. They offer a wide selection of American and European fine quality furniture, antiques and one of the largest selections of Tiffany-style lighting. Browse in their large showrooms to get decorating ideas. Real quality can be purchased at reasonable prices with the help of their experienced and knowledgeable staff. Come see what you've been missing. 802 E. Garvey Ave. Call (626) 280-8484.

C & K Landscape Design is a full service, custom design/build landscape and maintenance company providing high-end services throughout Los Angeles since 1997. Their specialty is creating unique, outdoor living spaces strongly connected with the home and garden.

Integrating drought tolerant, California-native plants; well-planned water conserving irrigation systems; and post-installation management ensures the success of your new outdoor space. C & K runs your project from design phases, construction and the maintenance to preserve and

Bsun Media Systems — Reward yourself with a well designed home entertainment system.

Movies, music, lighting control, security cameras, thermostats and more all controlled by an elegant touchscreen, or from your laptop anywhere in the world. Imagine it, or let us make it your reality.

2417 Honolulu Ave. Call (818) 249-8009. Visit us at www.bsunmedia.com.

Divine’s Est. 1932

10,000 sq. ft. Showroom

Largest Selection of Tiffany Style Lighting Antiques and Fine Quality Pre-owned Furniture • Drexel • Karges • Henredon • Baker • John Widdecomb • Stickey • and many more

Furniture/art/home decorations gallery 38 E. Holly Street, Pasadena 626.683.3511 www.adessoimports.com

C & K specializes in creating custom outdoor living spaces.

We manage all aspects of your project from start to finish. Our in-house design and construction teams work together to bring your project to reality in a cohesive professional manner

Open 7 days a week 802 E. Garvey Ave., Monterey Park

626-280-8484 divinefurniture.com

Your home...

Y O U R Lee Mink & Associates brings an experienced design team to your home to help your dreams become a reality. Their signature style is good taste — interpreted with your lifestyle in mind.

Whether the project encompasses an entire property or one room, the designers seek out inspiring and varied design concepts. Clients also enjoy beautiful custom designed furniture, bedding and window treatments, as well as an offering of furniture from Europe, the United States and around the world. For your home remodel, office interior, vacation property or refurbishing, call Lee Mink & Associates at (626) 796-3900.

Adesso Eclectic Imports — Suad and Selma Cisic, bring the furniture styles and global accessories of Italy, Spain, France and Argentina to their delightful sun-filled shop. You feel the hospitality as you walk in, making the discovery of magnificent antiques and clean-lined mid-century pieces all the more special. Large gold mirrors, warm woods and colored glass chandeliers are all here, as well as many fascinating accent pieces. Let this beautiful couple lead you through their destination for the seekers of the avant garde and unusual. Designers and their clients welcome. 38 E. Holly St., Pasadena.

Call (626) 683-3511. Open Tues-Sun 11-5.

C A S T L E

Expression in Wood — Since 1977, this exceptional manufacturing company has specialized in magnificent traditional cabinetry, priding themselves on customer service, attention to detail and quality that exceeds the expectations of their clients. Kitchen cabinetry is a specialty; they also design and build bathrooms, libraries, entertainment centers and every type of cabinetry for your home or office. The finished product is an “expression in wood.” 248 Kruse Ave., Monrovia. Call (626) 303-8000, or visit www.expressioninwood.com.

Carol Cobabe Design — With a philosophy of “good design resulting in the creation of harmony in one’s environment,” Carol’s goal is to enrich, inspire and instill feelings of comfort.

With an extensive career since 1988, her discipline of using the basic elements of space, color, texture, light and nature succeeds in reflecting the unique style and purpose of each client.

Carol’s work has been published in Designers West, Better Homes and Gardens, Window and Wall Ideas and F. Schumacher’s Classic Directions. She has participated in several Showcase Houses, the Los Angeles Assistance League Design House, the Venice Family Clinic

Design House and Little Company of Mary Design House in Palos Verdes. Carol is also the winner of the coveted First Place Award of the L.A. Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Call (626) 441-6052.

bolster its development. They approach each project as environmentally as the job allows in design, materials selection, irrigation and plant choices.

Call (818) 353-7030, or see their wonderful designs at www.candklandscapedesign.com.

Arroyo Hardware — Owner Joe Pardee has made his store a one-stop shop for all your needs.

You’ll find locks from Baldwin, Schlage and Heritage as well as beautiful waterwalls and fountains. Also on display are decorative mailboxes, cabinet pulls, knobs, bath towel bars, builder’s hardware and address plaques. 2235 N. Lake Ave. #107, Pasadena. Call (626) 398-8390.

Divine’s Furniture — Although Divine's is Monterey Park's best-known landmark since 1932, it is the San Gabriel Valley's best-kept secret. They offer a wide selection of American and European fine quality furniture, antiques and one of the largest selections of Tiffany-style lighting. Browse in their large showrooms to get decorating ideas. Real quality can be purchased at reasonable prices with the help of their experienced and knowledgeable staff. Come see what you've been missing. 802 E. Garvey Ave. Call (626) 280-8484.

C & K Landscape Design is a full service, custom design/build landscape and maintenance company providing high-end services throughout Los Angeles since 1997. Their specialty is creating unique, outdoor living spaces strongly connected with the home and garden.

Integrating drought tolerant, California-native plants; well-planned water conserving irrigation systems; and post-installation management ensures the success of your new outdoor space. C & K runs your project from design phases, construction and the maintenance to preserve and

Bsun Media Systems — Reward yourself with a well designed home entertainment system.

Movies, music, lighting control, security cameras, thermostats and more all controlled by an elegant touchscreen, or from your laptop anywhere in the world. Imagine it, or let us make it your reality.

2417 Honolulu Ave. Call (818) 249-8009. Visit us at www.bsunmedia.com.

Divine’s Est. 1932

10,000 sq. ft. Showroom

Largest Selection of Tiffany Style Lighting Antiques and Fine Quality Pre-owned Furniture • Drexel • Karges • Henredon • Baker • John Widdecomb • Stickey • and many more

Furniture/art/home decorations gallery 38 E. Holly Street, Pasadena 626.683.3511 www.adessoimports.com

C & K specializes in creating custom outdoor living spaces.

We manage all aspects of your project from start to finish. Our in-house design and construction teams work together to bring your project to reality in a cohesive professional manner

Open 7 days a week 802 E. Garvey Ave., Monterey Park

626-280-8484 divinefurniture.com

Southern California’s

Most Respected Masonry Specialists!

General Contractor Lic # 783578 B, C-29

Chimneys • Walls • Driveways • Planters • Patios • Walkways • Landscaping Brick • Block • Stone • Concrete 2005 Lincoln Ave. Pasadena • 626. 296.7700 www.bostonbrick.com

ARROYO

BUILDERS HARDWARE & SUPPLY LOCKS

ACCESSORIES

DECORATIVE MAILBOXES

BALDWIN SCHLAGE ROCKY MOUNTAIN BOUVET ASHLEY NORTON HERITAGE EMTEK Many products available to finish your building project or simply update your house.

Lake Avenue

Calaveras

Washington

CUSTOM PLAQUES

MANY OTHER MANUFACTURERS AVAILABLE ARROYO LOCKSMITHING LIC#801989

Walk-In Hours Thurs. + Fri. 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

An entirely different shopping experience for your home theater

Open to the public.

Showroom hours: Mon-Sat 11:00 - 5:00 Private Appointments Available

2235 N. Lake Avenue. Suite 107 (Lake and Calaveras)

2417 Honolulu Ave. • Montrose, CA 91020 ph: 818.249.8009 • Brad@bsunmedia.com www.bsunmedia.com

Call for information or appointment 626-398-8390 5 Lights north of Washington

Village Jewelers

BEAUTIFUL LINGERIE H A S A A D D R

N E W E S S

Village Jewelers specializes in high-end high quality handmade and unique jewelry We specialize in engagement rings, wedding bands and much more Also available: Loose Diamonds • Bulova

(818) 243-5509 1417 W. Kenneth Rd. Glendale 10% off on all diamond jewelry with this ad Limit one coupon per customer. Exp 5-30-06

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 31

Safer than Mesotherapy Introducing the Cellubike

$95*

Treatments on Featured Extreme r Makeove

per session

• Based on a Purchase of a Series • Expires 3/31/06

Bikini

$95*

Laser Hair Removal *New Clients One Coupon Per Person • Expires 3/31/06

$49.95

Microdermabrasion For Your Convenience and Privacy, We Offer a Private Entrance

Gift Certificates Available • 0% financing • All major credit cards accepted

$85 value • Expires 3/31/06

(Dr. Partamian, M.D., Medical Director)

• Live entertainment/Karaoke • Corporate parties • Birthday parties • Billiards • Video Games • Dart ball • Tournaments • Open Bowling • Bumper Bowling • Restaurant

Tired of the routine office party?

Avoid the hassle of a complicated reservation!

A party at All Star Lanes will motivate and excite your staff.

You’ll have the time of your life.

To reserve your event, please call (323) 254-2579 visit www.allstarlanesbowling.com 32 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

• Large screen TV’s ...and much more

4459 Eagle Rock Blvd.

Los Angeles CA 90041

PUTTING ABILITIES FIRST —Continued from page 19

and her family something much more profound than just fun and games.

“It’s given me hope and peace of mind,” says Smith. “It gives me a great sense of reassurance that Shawn will always be taken care of.

AbilityFirst has the ability to do that. They have created a wonderful, wonderful world for special needs people.”

So, while Gangemi says that AbilityFirst serves 1,700 people, after talking to the women of the Smith family, it’s clear that this is a vast underestimate. That number only refers to the people who participate in AbilityFirst’s programs and fails to take into account the countless family members who gain just as much from the agency as their loved ones do.

“Now I have a life,” says Stinson. “Now I’m able to work and do things. Before my life was always so limited because it went according to her school schedule, her doctors, her therapists. [AbilityFirst] gave me a part of my life back.” AM

hairr • skinn • nailss • goods Topp stylistss fromm thee Pasadena areaa joinn togetherr too openn a neww artisticc salonn specializingg in thee laatestt cutting,, coloring,, skin caree andd make-upp techniques.

Speciall eventt hairr andd make-up andd skinn caare. *Thankingg thee communityy for

For more information about AbilityFirst, call (626) 449-5661, or visit www.abilityfirst.org.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES With state funding already limited and further budget cuts a constant threat, AbilityFirst depends heavily on fundraising and volunteers. “Being nonprofit, we have to keep our staff very lean and keep our costs down, and we’re only able to do that because of volunteers,” says CEO Lori Gangemi. Thanks to the efforts of AbilityFirst’s dedicated volunteer coordinators, there are many upcoming opportunities for giving.

About 500 people have signed up to “run, walk, bike or wheel for AbilityFirst” in the LA Marathon on Sunday, March 19. To sponsor the AbilityFirst marathon team or an individual runner, visit the AbilityFirst marathon donation site at www.abilityfirst.org/donate_marathon.htm, or call the number listed below for more information.

AbilityFirst’s 21st Annual Golf Classic will take place Monday, April 3, at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles. The event offers lunch, cocktails and a day on the fairway. Enter as a foursome or individual golfer. Call now to reserve your space.

Can’t make it to one of the fundraising events? There are still plenty of other opportunities to get involved. AbilityFirst welcomes volunteers at almost all of its many centers, providing an opportunity to work with the clients. Volunteers can help with reading, arts and crafts, mentoring and more.

Volunteers are also needed to serve on the AbilityFirst Board and Committee to help organize and plan the many fundraising ventures put on by AbilityFirst every year.

AbilityFirst also accepts donations of cash, stock, property and other planned gifts.

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For more information or to find out about other ways to get involved, please contact Special Events Coordinator Julie Benn at (626) 396-1010, ext. 334.

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 33

O N L O C AT I O N

East of Hollywood

BY CARL KOZLOWSKI

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(OME THEATER n &LAT SCREEN AND PROJECTION ($4

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,IGHTING CONTROL AND OTHER hSMARTHOMEv TECHNOLOGIES

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PASADENA HAS A RICH HISTORY WITH HOLLYWOOD, stretching back to the earliest days of TV and film as both a quick and stylish getaway for the stars and a location for filming.

The Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) lists a total of 374 TV and film productions that have shot at least some of their scenes in Pasadena.

Films run the gamut from Charlie Chaplin's 1921 classic “The Kid� to 2005's smash hit “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.� The Coen Brothers' 1998 cult classic, “The Big Lebowski,� centered its climax around a mad dash for Pasadena, and Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly raced through Pasadena’s streets in all three “Back to the Future� films. In “Kill Bill: Vol. 1,� Uma Thurman and Vivica A. Fox engage in a wild, knife-throwing battle in a quiet neighborhood in Pasadena. Serial killer Michael Myers' boyhood home and rampaging grounds in the horror classic “Halloween� are found in South Pasadena. “The Man From Elysian Fields,� a vastly overlooked gem starring Andy Garcia as a married writer whose life is turned upside-down when he becomes a hired escort to the lonely wives of the wealthy, was Roger Ebert's best film of 2002 and spotlighted Pasadena's environs to beautiful effect. “Good Night, and Good Luck,� which has received numerous Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture and two for its co-writer/director, George Clooney, is still in theaters. Some key scenes were shot in Pasadena's Masonic Hall, as Clooney brought the sharp styles of the 1950s to the Crown City.

Hollywood is known for twisting reality, and Pasadena has managed to pass for plenty of locations across America. For instance, the 2003 CBS TV series “The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire� actually shot some exteriors here. However, a 2001 Fox soap opera that was actually called “Pasadena� was shot in Vancouver, Canada. But it's hard to imagine NBC's recent series “The Book of Daniel� without its key church scenes shot at All Saints Church. TV's “Batman� wouldn't have a home without Wayne Manor in the ritzy part of town. And where would the decade-long military series “JAG� have had its naval headquarters if not for the San Gabriel Valley Red Cross headquarters? For a decade on Fox, America's teens followed the tangled lives of Brandon and Kelly Walsh on “Beverly Hills, 90210� — even though their house was actually in Altadena.

Other San Gabriel Valley cities also have a rich cinematic history.

Sierra Madre has played home to "Happy Texas" and "Mississippi Burning."

But it's most famous as the seemingly idyllic yet utterly terrifying town where the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" first took place in the 1950s.

The lush vegetation of the L.A. County Arboretum provided a jungle setting for "Tarzan," while also appearing exotic enough for "Safari" and the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby classic "On the Road to Singapore." Of course, Arcadia was also home to the Emmy-winning CBS series "Joan of Arcadia."

If you want to find a setting for some prime recent films, try San Marino and its historic Huntington Library, where scenes from the actioncomedy megahit "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and the Oscar-nominated "Memoirs of a Geisha" were filmed.

Finally, two of my favorite films, "Grosse Pointe Blank" and "American Beauty," were shot in the quiet and largely unspoiled town of Monrovia — well, except for the night Will Ferrell went streaking in "Old School." AM

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ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 35

INTERIOR DESIGN

Paying attention to your

home

Less clutter and more color can refresh your interior design.

BY LEE MINK

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YOUR HOME IS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU. SO WHAT ARE YOU doing to nurture that relationship? From a small apartment to a mansion, a home starts to glow when you give it attention.

Clear the clutter first Clutter is a fact of life. We all have photos, match boxes, business cards, loose change, coupons, invitations and mementos — to say nothing of essential clutter like receipts, warranties and recipes. A bigger home isn’t the answer.

To reduce clutter, eliminate all but the essentials and then find room for those things that you cannot or must not toss out. If the task seems unbearable or overwhelming, start with one room, closet or drawer at a time and work your way through the clutter. You can also enlist the support of an objective family member or friend to help you edit out the nonessentials to throw away, donate or put to better use.

Add color to update Once you’ve removed enough clutter to see a clear palette, can you see the areas crying out for attention? Off-white walls? Dingy flooring?

Dull or dirty sofa? Dead house plants?

Color is what we use on ourselves to look our best and attract love and attention: hair, nail and makeup colors for the ladies and shirt, tie and baseball cap colors for men. Our homes deserve as much attention.

Looking through magazines for color schemes that you are drawn to will help you choose a palette. Start by selecting a color for the walls.

Remember, it is not permanent — it is just paint. Try one color on one wall and another patch of color on an opposite wall. How do they make you feel? Colors evoke emotion, from the tranquility of blues and greens, to the passion of reds and purples and the sunny glow of yellows and golds.

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Refresh the relationship Now try to imagine your sofa against that paint color. Pretty bad?

Maybe it is time to make a change. From catalog slipcovers to custom ones, re-upholstery of your old frame or an entirely new piece, think through your options and consider the price as well as the years of comfort a refreshed or new piece will give in return.

Each subsequent piece you add needs to be carefully thought out.

Dressed up with throw pillows and accessories, your home will start to look like it matters to you. AM

MOTIVATED LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER IS LOOKING FOR a commercial building in the greater Pasadena area to move into and be owner/operator. The general parameters are 4,000-12,000 square feet with parking. Please call if you own or represent a specific property that fits this criteria.

Call: 805-218-7297 36 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

Lee Mink, ASID, heads Lee Mink & Associates Interiors, which provides residential and commercial design, space planning, and custom designed furnishings services. She can be reached at (626) 796-3900 or leeminkdesign@sbcglobal.net.

{ A DV E RTO R I A L }

How the Body Works

By Sheila Yonemoto, PT "Do you exercise regularly, eat well, and get enough sleep? Ask about our new program called FirstLine. It will help you transition into a healthier lifestyle. Remember, your health is your most valuable resource!"

Many ailments improve with exercise, eating and sleeping. People hear this all the time, but you actually need to feel the beneficial effects to turn you into a believer. At YPT we have embarked on a program to help people transition from theory to practice. Sometimes it takes a little guidance from others to get on the path to healthy living.

Take a little inventory of your health habits to see if you are moving in the right direction. If not, find out what improvements are needed.

For starters, learn as much as you can about the human body.

Life is movement. The body is designed to create movement using a network of systems similar to a city. The body has blueprints (DNA) to guide the design. Building materials are needed to create structures, roads, energy systems, information systems, defense systems, and sewage systems. The building materials may vary in quality, quantity, cost, and availability and will ultimately affect the design or appearance. Just as a cup looks different if made of tin or glass, certain foods will change a person's looks, such as consuming excess sugar and fat versus high fiber and vitamins.

Energy is necessary to cause movement. Gasoline powers a car and oxygen powers our bodies. Movement will also create more movement.

Notice how your limbs feel while sitting still versus when doing vigorous exercise.

Safety and defense systems ensure the process of living. We have external defenses such as sense organs and skin, and internal defenses supplied by the immune system (chiefly the spleen, thymus gland and lymph). Notice how we react when caressed versus strongly grabbed.

A sewage system is necessary for recycling and removal. The liver and kidneys filter the blood removing non-nutrients from the body, while the colon and bladder remove waste. The liver may not function as well when overloaded with alcohol, pollution, or chemicals (medication, preservatives, etc). The colon functions better with a high fiber diet. Did you know it is normal to have 2-3 bowel movements per day?

A communication network coordinates external and internal environments. The sense organs and nervous system act as a hardwire system.

The gland/hormone system acts as a mobile unit messenger. Reaction time differs with different perception/awareness levels. Hormones and glandular secretions are involved with metabolism of food, immune function, sexual function, muscle function and the defense system, to name a few.

Finally, there is the leadership guiding the direction, decision-making and coordination of effort, governed by the committee of the brain, heart and gut. Obviously, these function better when information comes in quickly and accurately. It’s clear the organs must be inter-dependent to work well together.

Bodies like cities vary significantly in size, design and function. What kind of “city” are you planning to build?

Sheila Yonemoto, P.T., has been a physical therapist for over 26 years, specializing in Integrative Manual Therapy utilizing a holistic approach. She can be reached at Yonemoto Physical Therapy, 55 S. Raymond Ave, Suite 100, Alhambra. Call (626) 576-0591 for a FREE Consultation, or visit www.yonemoto.com for more information.

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 37

{

PERSONALITY

A

winning

combination Marlee Matlin has an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an extraordinary career. But she balances her celebrity with charity and the most important thing in her life: her family.

t 38 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

BY JULIE RIGGOTT

HOUGH SHE BEGAN ACTING AT THE AGE OF 7, MARLEE Matlin considered becoming a police officer while studying in junior college. Shortly after a teacher pointed out the challenges she might face because of her deafness, one of her brothers “literally dragged” her to an audition for a play called “Children of a Lesser God.” She won the role of Lydia and was soon discovered by a casting director to star in the film of the same name.

Matlin’s film debut in “Children of a Lesser God” won her the Academy Award for Best Actress at the age of 21, making her the youngest recipient and one of only four actresses to receive that honor for a debut. Since then, Matlin has enjoyed an impressive acting career, guest-starring on such shows as “ER,” “Law and Order,” “Seinfeld” and “Desperate Housewives,” and she currently plays a pollster on “The West Wing.” She has defied stereotypes and even played a character who was not deaf in “Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story.” Her most recent film was 2004’s “What the Bleep Do We (K)now!?”

Matlin is also heavily involved with charities, including the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Anthony Shriver's Big Buddies, the Special Olympics, VSA Arts and the Authors’ Fund at the Polytechnic School in Pasadena, which gives children the opportunity to meet some of their favorite writers.

She’s also on the boards of the American Red Cross and Easter Seals and was honored for her contributions to the Girl Scouts - Mt. Wilson Vista Council at their February gala (see

Giving Back on page 8).

Matlin lives in the San Gabriel Valley with her husband and their four young children. She communicated with Arroyo Monthly via email.

Arroyo Monthly: As a child, did you know you wanted to pursue a career as an actress? If so, why?

Marlee Matlin: I can't say that I KNEW I wanted to be an actress at that age; I just knew that I liked it and that I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged my dream. The word “can't” simply wasn't in our family's vocabulary.

I also remember how much I enjoyed being able to play out my fantasies on stage. At home, I would often lock myself in the bathroom and play out my own stories in front of the mirror; what better scene partner could I ask for than one who signed back to me? But how could I do this with other kids if I was deaf and other kids couldn't sign?

Fortunately, I had a place to go. The Center on Deafness, one of the first theater programs of its kind for deaf and hearing children, was located just a few miles from our house in the suburbs of Chicago where I grew up. There, children both hearing and deaf were encouraged to perform together, and plays were done in sign and voice. The Center was where I really got my wings to fly and explored acting to its fullest.

You entered the film world in a momentous way, earning the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden

Marlee Matlin, Robyn Ratcliffe Manzinni, Jane Kaczmarek and Antoinette Adams at the Girl Scouts - Mt. Wilson Vista Council benefit in February Photo by Michael Germana

Globe for your role in “Children of a Lesser God.” How did you deal with that sudden fame? And how did it affect your career? It was certainly a great honor, and I was given the opportunity to meet so many nice people who were deeply moved and affected by the film. But there were also aspects of “fame” that were not easy: the intense scrutiny of what my honor meant in Hollywood. Many journalists took exception to my win and wrote that my Oscar honor was a result of a pity vote. Others used the opportunity to examine the lack of roles for people outside of the mainstream and came to the conclusion that I would never work in Hollywood again; the reality was there was no work for deaf actors. That was the part of fame I did not like — the intense scrutiny and analysis. But with the win also came a great number of valuable friendships — friends like Henry Winkler and Whoopi Goldberg. From them I learned that it was about doing what was right for yourself rather than what others saw as a “handicap.”

Through my journey, I came to realize an important lesson: The greatest handicap of deafness does not lie in the ear, it lies in the mind.

when the character was not written for a deaf person? If they did not respond to me as an actor who happened to be deaf, who could do any role if the time and opportunity presented itself, then I moved on. … Acting is really all about being in the right place at the right time, and if it's not right, you can't force it.

Well, almost. A good example of where I just had to make my point was one in which the casting director was not willing to meet me on a film; even the director was hesitant because the role was not written deaf. It just so happened that I knew the star who was also the executive producer and asked him to help change their minds; I wanted the role that much.

That little arm twisting got me the meeting. In the end, it didn't work out; the part of the woman who has thoughts of suicide played by me proved to be too daunting for the director because she was afraid the audience would think [the character] was suicidal because she was deaf. But that was her decision, and I respected it. For me, it was about having the OPPORTUNITY, and I was glad for it. Ultimately, acting should be about having access; the rest is left up to a lot of talent and a lot of luck.

impairment has been anything but a disability. Do you think that says something about Hollywood’s willingness to include diversity?

Or does it speak more to your acting talents?

I think Hollywood still is “deaf” to diversity. Recent statistics about how many roles don't go to women, minorities and disabled actors bear that out. But again, we're talking Hollywood, and at the end of the day it's about profits. I hold no grudge against the lack of diversity, but I would hope that the work of people like myself, Halle Berry, etc. can help change the minds of people who hold the purse strings and, ultimately, the casting strings in Hollywood.

Early on in your career, was it difficult for casting directors to accept your deafness

With your impressive list of roles, awards and nominations, it seems that your hearing

You’ve said that having children is very —Continued on page 47 important to you.

Is there a role that you really wish you could play? There's one role that I've had my eye on — something different — which would involve me tackling a Broadway musical. I wouldn't actually sing, but I would sign along to music, much in the same way actors did in the recent and successful revival of “Big River” on Broadway. I'm currently talking to some producers about the idea. Keep your fingers crossed!

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 39

{

TA B L E TA L K

A taste of

life

Elements Kitchen offers something for your every mood.

BY TEENA APELES ~ PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER RAINONE FORMER FIT MODEL CAROLE GROGAN AND musician Onil Chibás know all too well about life on the go and the importance of staying healthy. Both were important factors to these California School of Culinary Arts graduates when they started their catering business last year and opened Elements Kitchen in late December. At their big kitchen, small dining location — there’s a single table with seating for three inside and three tables for two outside — they offer an array of appetizing dishes for active people who appreciate “eating out” in the comfort of their own home.

Elements Kitchen 107 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 110, Pasadena (626) 440-0100 Online ordering: www.elementskitchen.com

Moroccan chicken soup with root vegetables Ingredients: 2 Tbl 2 ea

2 ea 1 ea 1 ea 1 ea 6 cups 1 ea 1 pinch 1 pinch 1/2 Tbl 2 Tbl 2 Tbl

olive oil boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally in half carrots, diced parsnip, diced turnip, diced sweet potato, diced chicken stock cinnamon stick paprika saffron threads lemon juice parsley, chopped cilantro, chopped salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Sear both sides of the breasts until golden and just cooked through. Remove from pan and let cool.

Pour chicken stock into the pan the chicken was seared in. Add the vegetables, the cinnamon, the paprika and saffron. Let simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Dice the chicken. Add to the soup. Add the lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot with crusty bread. Serves 4 to 6.

40 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

How did the idea behind Elements Kitchen develop?

Grogan: The elements food, art and nature are part of the concept we started with.

We’re both artists, and we both love nature and how things grow and gardening in itself. There are just so many things that combine to make a nice dining experience.

Your menu is a veritable “united nations” of dishes, with everything from linguini and plantains to fried rice and roast beef.

Why is it so diverse?

Chibás: I think it reflects who we are. I’m Cuban.

Carole has a Russian background. The other chefs we work with, Marcus Scott and Yi-Fan Chu, are American and Asian. It is a whole melting pot if you just look around at Elements at the whole crew. And we just like all kinds of food — we have different moods.

You likely have one of the smallest restaurants in the city. Why did you choose this space?

Chibás: We wanted a kitchen to work out of for our catering, but we wanted to diversify Elements so that we weren’t just doing catering. So we thought, let’s do some prepackaged food that people can pick up and take, and let’s put one table in, because some people will want to eat here anyway.

Grogan: In general, we get a lot of working singles, working couples, small families with a kid, single moms with a child. They want to provide really healthy meals for their family if they have children, but they don’t want to go to a restaurant or prepare something themselves. Same with singles who don’t want to go to a restaurant by themselves.

What sets your food apart from other places?

Grogan: Probably the diversity. We try to hit a lot of different moods that people have concerning how they want to eat when they’re thinking of taking food home. If you go to the gym and work out really hard, ... you don’t want to eat a Quarter Pounder® with cheese, you want to eat something really healthy. We offer a quinoa salad, which is incredibly healthy but also delicious. Or if you’ve had a hard day at work and you just want to crash on the sofa and want something that’ll make you feel really good inside, like chicken pot pie, it’s that comfort food. Or if you just want to try something new, we combine a lot of different ethnicities in our food. Our lemon saffron chicken with the coconut chili sauce is sort of an Asian sauce with a Mediterranean or Moroccan starch, so it’s kind of a lot of cultures brought together, an experimental level of trying food.

Chibás: It’s a hybrid. I think the other thing too is that a lot of our dishes are familiar but done at a high level, such as chicken pot pie or macaroni and cheese. You want people to take a bite out of these and say, “Wow, that is incredible.” AM

MERRIMENT

The ice

wine

cometh

Vintage choices for winter

BY GREG GILLOOLY THE PERFECT WINE TO SIP WHILE WATCHING THE WINTER Olympic Games might have been made in the dead of winter in Germany, Austria or Canada. Ice wine is made from grapes that have been frozen on the vine and pressed before they thaw. The pre-thaw pressing causes the frozen water to be removed from the grape juice, which in turn concentrates the sugar and acids. The resultant wine is a sweet, honey-like concoction that perfumes the air the minute the bottle is opened. The high sugar level in the unfermented juice leads to a slower than normal fermentation (months instead of days or weeks). Because of the lower yield of grape juice and the difficulty of processing, ice wines are significantly more expensive than table wines.

The most famous (and expensive) ice wines are German Eisweine, but ice wine is also made in the United States, Austria, New Zealand and Canada, which has become the largest ice wine producer in the world.

Natural ice wines require a hard frost to occur sometime after the grapes are ripe, which means that the grapes may hang on the vine for several months following normal harvest. If a frost does not come quickly enough, the grapes may rot. If the frost is too severe, no juice can be extracted.

Some winemakers use cryoextraction (that is, mechanical freezing) to simulate the effect of a frost. In Germany and Canada, the grapes must freeze naturally to be called ice wine.

Typical grapes used for ice wine production are: Riesling, considered to be the most noble variety by Germans; Vidal Blanc, highly popular in British Columbia and Ontario; and Cabernet Franc. Ice wines from white varieties tend to be pale yellow or light gold. The red varieties tend to have a light burgundy or pink color.

Inniskillin Ice Wine, Cabernet Franc 2004, Niagara Peninsula: This deeply sweet but remarkably well balanced and elegant red wine almost attacks you with luxurious flavors of raspberries and blackberries and then honey, cinnamon and candied fruits on the long finish. Full-bodied, with just the right amount of natural acidity, the wine is drinking nicely now but should cellar comfortably until 2012. Score: 93 ($79.99/500ml) Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Eiswein 2002 , Monchof, Mosel Valley, Germany: Deep golden in color, this wine is so thick that it seems to seep rather than pour from the bottle. This remarkably full-bodied ice wine has exquisite balance between honey, tropical fruits, raisin and spices in its flavors and aromas and plenty of lively acid. One of the best from Germany. Drink now or in the next 6 years. Score: 94. ($99.99/375ml) Muscat Vin de Glaciere 2004, Bonny Doon Vineyard, California: The Muscat grapes for this wine were picked at normal sugar levels, frozen to 10 degrees in a giant freezer at the winery and subsequently pressed while frozen. This year’s model has racy and exaggerated notes of apricot, elderflower and pineapple. Score: 90 ($17.99/375ml) Greg Gillooly can be reached at pivotalgg@earthlink.net.

155 N Raymond Ave. Old Pasadena • (626) 844-9333 w w w. h e r i t a g e w i n e c o m p a n y. c o m

Best Wine Bar in Pasadena Stop by and savor the Wine Country Experience in Old Pasadena. Dozens of new wines arrive every week, with over 50 available each day for tasting.The press has called Heritage Wine Bar “the most down-to-earth accessible wine bar that continually draws the movers and shakers to it’s after work wind-down.”

SELECTION

SELECTION

SELECTION

As experienced wine professionals, we navigate the vast ocean of over sixty thousand current offerings to find exceptional wines and exceptional values.

We look for distinctive wines in every price category.

We believe that too many consumers are willing to settle for mainstream, mass-produced wines. Our selections often come from off-the-beaten path locales and, we suppose, are not for everyone. But if you have taste for good wines, stop by our store!

We make buying wine fun and easy.

For more information on any of these gift ideas, please feel free to call us at

1-800-630-WINE ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 41

{

SHOPPING

join the A-list

In celebration of the 78th Annual Academy Awards on March 5, better pop the champagne and write that acceptance speech because you’re headed for stardom with this list.

MULTI-TASK, MULTI-TASK, MULTI-TASK! Stars have to juggle all sorts of engagements, from guest appearances on Leno to premiere after-parties. With the TMobile Sidekick II, members of the A-list can e-mail their agents, take pictures of their precious pets and set their ring tones to songs from their own best-selling albums. But most importantly, they can look completely stylish while getting so much accomplished because the limited edition Sidekick II is designed by the haute clothing line, Juicy Couture. This cute pink handheld ($399.99) has a color screen, speaker phone and games galore. T-Mobile, 33 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 844-4651.

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“What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realize that your outfit cost more than your film.”

JESSICA YU, ON WINNING THE OSCAR FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT IN 1997

BE NARCISSISTIC “I hate to watch myself on screen,” said Naveen Andrews (who plays Sayid) on ABC’s hit show,“LOST.” True, it is a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Now you can feel his pain, with Seura’s television and mirror in one. Seura has partnered with Sharp® electronics to create a mirror that discreetly and aesthetically incorporates a LCD television into a room, without taking up any extra wall space. When the television’s off, all you see is your lovely reflection, but turn it on, and you can watch yourself watching TV. Price is $3,000 to $15,000 depending on size of mirror and LCD screen. Custom framing is also available. Plaza Kitchen & Bath, 676 E. Green St., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 396-1772.

42 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

Oscar goes to...

and the

BY TRACY WILCOXEN

MAKE A QUICK GETAWAY Stars need powerful rides in order to outrun the paparazzi. The Maserati Coupe GT ($105,000) is up to the challenge, with an eight-cylinder engine that can go 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds.

Of course, celebrities must keep themselves entertained on the road, too. For that, Maserati equips all its cars with a color-screened information center, which controls the sound system, CD player and climate with the touch of a button. The GPS satellite navigation and six-speaker Auditorium sound systems are optional. You might have to bring up this year’s bonus with your agent, but it’s definitely worth it. Maserati of Pasadena, 300 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 796-2611.

WORK THE RED CARPET Everyone knows that the most important part of attending the Academy Awards isn’t who brings home the Oscar — it’s who worked the red carpet. What better way to steal the spotlight than in this beautiful, red silk dress by Rose & Lula ($261).

Looking captivating is easy. Now you can concentrate on the important things, like not tripping in front of all the cameras in those stilettos. Frockx, 1111B Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818) 949-4429.

{ FLAUNT YOUR BAGGAGE IN PUBLIC Celebrities, being constantly in the public eye, are trendsetters by default. That’s why they will jump for these Nicola Cerini bags ($120 to $230), imported from Australia. The bags are made from plastic, PVC, seatbelt webbing and colorful textiles created by the designer, who donates a portion of profits to Tree Project, dedicated to the re-vegetation of the Victorian countryside. So, stars can lead their jet-setting lifestyles, knowing that they are philanthropic fashionistas. The only American outlet for Nicola Cerini bags is Blue Heeler, 5058 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles. Call (323) 982-9111.

PUT YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD The downside to being a celebrity is being constantly on display. Because of this enormous responsibility, stars must take special care of themselves. Tuscany Spa offers a wonderful array of services, from facial rejuvenation to hot stone therapy. And, of course, it offers products to take home because even celebs have to take matters into their own hands once in a while. That’s why there’s the Bare Escentuals Retro Lounge kit ($24), Complete Makeup set ($48) and Eminence Sweet Rose facial cleanser ($36) and moisturizer ($74). The spa also serves tea and scones to patrons after the treatments, so celebs can take a moment’s retreat from their frenzied lives. Tuscany Spa, 2210 Florencita Ave., Montrose. For appointments, call (818) 248-5500.

Celebrate your favorite flicks with the following items from this year’s nominated films.

CASH IN Even if you’re not playing at Folsom any time soon, it’s never too late to learn how to strum. And if watching Joaquin Phoenix work those strings doesn’t inspire, then nothing will. So, get a black shirt, scribble some catchy lyrics and grab a beauty of a guitar like this Washburn D10S Acoustic ($349.90). Made with a mahogany neck and a rosewood fingerboard, it has an exceptional tone that will be the perfect accompaniment to your own rendition of “Ring of Fire.” Guitar Center, 2660 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 535-0108.

TRUMAN SHOW Philip Seymour Hoffman’s brilliant portrayal of Truman Capote is most certainly Oscar-worthy, not only for his commitment to the character, but also for reviving interest in Capote’s literature. While “In Cold Blood” is his most-revered, and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” may be the most well-known, Capote’s collection of short stories is an absolute gem.“The Complete Stories of Truman Capote” ($24.95) from Random House, contains many of Capote’s best-loved short fiction, including the touching holiday classic “A Christmas Memory” and the beautifully written “A Diamond Guitar.” Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-5320.

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 43

{

SHOPPING

join the A-list

In celebration of the 78th Annual Academy Awards on March 5, better pop the champagne and write that acceptance speech because you’re headed for stardom with this list.

MULTI-TASK, MULTI-TASK, MULTI-TASK! Stars have to juggle all sorts of engagements, from guest appearances on Leno to premiere after-parties. With the TMobile Sidekick II, members of the A-list can e-mail their agents, take pictures of their precious pets and set their ring tones to songs from their own best-selling albums. But most importantly, they can look completely stylish while getting so much accomplished because the limited edition Sidekick II is designed by the haute clothing line, Juicy Couture. This cute pink handheld ($399.99) has a color screen, speaker phone and games galore. T-Mobile, 33 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 844-4651.

{

“What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realize that your outfit cost more than your film.”

JESSICA YU, ON WINNING THE OSCAR FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT IN 1997

BE NARCISSISTIC “I hate to watch myself on screen,” said Naveen Andrews (who plays Sayid) on ABC’s hit show,“LOST.” True, it is a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Now you can feel his pain, with Seura’s television and mirror in one. Seura has partnered with Sharp® electronics to create a mirror that discreetly and aesthetically incorporates a LCD television into a room, without taking up any extra wall space. When the television’s off, all you see is your lovely reflection, but turn it on, and you can watch yourself watching TV. Price is $3,000 to $15,000 depending on size of mirror and LCD screen. Custom framing is also available. Plaza Kitchen & Bath, 676 E. Green St., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 396-1772.

42 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

Oscar goes to...

and the

BY TRACY WILCOXEN

MAKE A QUICK GETAWAY Stars need powerful rides in order to outrun the paparazzi. The Maserati Coupe GT ($105,000) is up to the challenge, with an eight-cylinder engine that can go 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds.

Of course, celebrities must keep themselves entertained on the road, too. For that, Maserati equips all its cars with a color-screened information center, which controls the sound system, CD player and climate with the touch of a button. The GPS satellite navigation and six-speaker Auditorium sound systems are optional. You might have to bring up this year’s bonus with your agent, but it’s definitely worth it. Maserati of Pasadena, 300 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 796-2611.

WORK THE RED CARPET Everyone knows that the most important part of attending the Academy Awards isn’t who brings home the Oscar — it’s who worked the red carpet. What better way to steal the spotlight than in this beautiful, red silk dress by Rose & Lula ($261).

Looking captivating is easy. Now you can concentrate on the important things, like not tripping in front of all the cameras in those stilettos. Frockx, 1111B Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818) 949-4429.

{ FLAUNT YOUR BAGGAGE IN PUBLIC Celebrities, being constantly in the public eye, are trendsetters by default. That’s why they will jump for these Nicola Cerini bags ($120 to $230), imported from Australia. The bags are made from plastic, PVC, seatbelt webbing and colorful textiles created by the designer, who donates a portion of profits to Tree Project, dedicated to the re-vegetation of the Victorian countryside. So, stars can lead their jet-setting lifestyles, knowing that they are philanthropic fashionistas. The only American outlet for Nicola Cerini bags is Blue Heeler, 5058 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles. Call (323) 982-9111.

PUT YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD The downside to being a celebrity is being constantly on display. Because of this enormous responsibility, stars must take special care of themselves. Tuscany Spa offers a wonderful array of services, from facial rejuvenation to hot stone therapy. And, of course, it offers products to take home because even celebs have to take matters into their own hands once in a while. That’s why there’s the Bare Escentuals Retro Lounge kit ($24), Complete Makeup set ($48) and Eminence Sweet Rose facial cleanser ($36) and moisturizer ($74). The spa also serves tea and scones to patrons after the treatments, so celebs can take a moment’s retreat from their frenzied lives. Tuscany Spa, 2210 Florencita Ave., Montrose. For appointments, call (818) 248-5500.

Celebrate your favorite flicks with the following items from this year’s nominated films.

CASH IN Even if you’re not playing at Folsom any time soon, it’s never too late to learn how to strum. And if watching Joaquin Phoenix work those strings doesn’t inspire, then nothing will. So, get a black shirt, scribble some catchy lyrics and grab a beauty of a guitar like this Washburn D10S Acoustic ($349.90). Made with a mahogany neck and a rosewood fingerboard, it has an exceptional tone that will be the perfect accompaniment to your own rendition of “Ring of Fire.” Guitar Center, 2660 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 535-0108.

TRUMAN SHOW Philip Seymour Hoffman’s brilliant portrayal of Truman Capote is most certainly Oscar-worthy, not only for his commitment to the character, but also for reviving interest in Capote’s literature. While “In Cold Blood” is his most-revered, and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” may be the most well-known, Capote’s collection of short stories is an absolute gem.“The Complete Stories of Truman Capote” ($24.95) from Random House, contains many of Capote’s best-loved short fiction, including the touching holiday classic “A Christmas Memory” and the beautifully written “A Diamond Guitar.” Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-5320.

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 43

{ List THE

A highly selective preview of upcoming events

WISTERIA FESTIVAL BLOOMS IN SIERRA MADRE March 12 | Sierra Madre It’s time for the Sierra Madre Wisteria Festival. This annual street fair and display of horticultural wonderment celebrates what is purportedly the world’s largest plant. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors are invited to stroll under the ample arms of the 112-year-old plant, which boasts more than a million exquisitely fragrant lavender blossoms. The plant takes up 2.5 acres and weighs 250 tons. It even made the 1990 edition of the Guiness Book of Records as the world’s largest blossoming plant. In addition to vine viewing, fun activities will fill the day along Sierra Madre Boulevard near the corner of Baldwin Avenue. An Art & Garden Faire will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Local restaurants will have indoor and outdoor dining, a student art sale will be held at the Creative Arts Group and local bands will play live music. Advance reservations are required, with limited tickets available for $7 from the Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce (children 5 and under free). A shuttle bus is available to take visitors to the wisteria vine, located at a private residence about a mile from downtown Sierra Madre. Call (626) 306-1150, or visit www.sierramadrechamber.com.

ROUTE 66 ART AUCTION March 4 | Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock hosts its fourth annual Route 66 Art Auction. A silent auction at 7 p.m. and a live auction at 9:30 p.m. will include artwork from more than 100 established and emerging artists. A Taste of Eagle Rock will feature food and a no-host wine and martini bar. A membersonly preview reception runs from 6 to 7 p.m. The public is welcome to come at this time and purchase a membership starting at $35. Admission to the auction is $20 or free to members. Proceeds benefit the Center’s innovative programming. Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock. Call (323) 226-1617, or visit www.centerartseaglerock.org.

“DEATH OF A SALESMAN” Mar. 7 | Boston Court The Theatre @ Boston Court presents a star-studded cast, including sitcom stars Michael Gross and Bonnie Franklin, in a reading of Arthur Miller’s classic play, “Death of a Salesman,” directed by the City of Pasadena’s Program and Grants Coordinator Ernest Figueroa. Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 683-6883, or visit www.bostoncourt.org.

CELEBRATING PASADENA ART March 10 | Pasadena ArtNight Pasadena features open houses at some of the city’s finest cultural institutions from 6 to 10 p.m. Participants

44 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

include Armory Center for the Arts, Armory Northwest, Art Center College of Design, Norton Simon Museum, One Colorado, Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena City College, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena Museum of History and The Pasadena Symphony. Free shuttles run throughout the night, making stops at each venue. The event is also free. In addition, local restaurants will offer ArtNight discounts. Call (626) 744-7887, or visit www.artnightpasadena.org.

WANT SHAKESPEARE? “AS YOU LIKE IT” March 17 through April 16 | Pasadena Playhouse See William Shakespeare’s masterpiece, “As You Like It,” in a hilarious new light in this adaptation by Alison Carey.

Cornerstone Theater Company, in association with Pasadena Playhouse, presents the world premiere on March 17, with previews March 10 through 16. The setting switches from merry old England to contemporary Southern California, and the Bard’s themes of love, liberation and gender confusion are presented in the context of a modern America obsessed with states red and blue, political power and cultural identity. Bill Rauch directs. Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-7529, or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.

HAL HOLBROOK’S “MARK TWAIN TONIGHT!” Mar. 18 | Caltech Beckman Auditorium

FROSTIG COLLECTION BENEFITS KIDS March 16 & 26; April 9 | various locations Architect Frank Gehry and artists Robert Graham and R. Kenton Nelson (cover story, January Arroyo) have created artwork to benefit Pasadena’s Frostig School for children with learning disabilities. The Frostig Collection 2006 premieres March 16 at Santa Monica’s Berman Turner Projects at Bergamot Station from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The event will also include the auction of the original Plexiglas model of Gehry’s bronze sculpture. Subsequent events will be at the Pour House Foundry (which cast the 2005 collection) in Vernon from 2 to 5 p.m. March 26 and from noon to 3 p.m. April 9 at the Mendenhall-Sobieski Gallery in Pasadena. The April 9 event includes a tour of R. Kenton Nelson’s studio at the Castle Green. For more information, call (626) 791-9163, or visit www.thefrostigcollection.org.

Caltech welcomes Hal Holbrook’s off-Broadway hit, “Mark Twain Tonight!” which was first performed in 1959. Every year, Emmy-winner Holbrook tours his one-man show, adding and changing the material for each performance.

Holbrook expounds on topics of Twain’s day that still resonate today, capturing precisely the wit and humor that fixed Twain as the grandfather of comedic social commentary. Caltech Beckman Auditorium, 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena. Call (888) 2-CALTECH, or visit www.events.caltech.edu.

ART CENTER CONFERENCE March 23 through 26 | Art Center College of Design Adam Gopnik, staff writer for The New Yorker and bestselling author of “Paris to the Moon,”will deliver the keynote lecture in the Art Center Design Conference at the school’s south campus. This year’s conference, “Stories from the Source: Radical Craft,” will host some of the world’s leading designers, technologists, scientists, journalists and business executives in an examination of advanced craft as an antidote to slick mass production and mass culture. Art Center South Campus, 950 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 396-4229, or visit www.artcenter.edu/designconference.

YWCA HONORS WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE March 24 | Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel The YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley celebrates its centennial this year, making the 32nd annual Women of Excellence Awards Luncheon all the more special. A reception starts at 11 a.m., with lunch and the program at noon.Women will be honored for their accomplishments and contributions to the fields of business, communications, community service, education, government and public service and law. In addition, John Muir High School senior Marisol Salcedo will receive the Mary Huggins Gamble Award. Proceeds help to improve and expand the work of the YWCA. The event is at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel, 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena. To purchase tickets, a table or tribute ads, call (626) 296-8433, or visit www.ywca-pasadena.org.

CALIFORNIA PHILHARMONIC’S “VIVA ITALIA!” Mar. 24 & 25 | Ambassador Auditorium The California Philharmonic Orchestra presents Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto, melodies from the “Cinema Paradiso” soundtrack, the theme from “The Godfather” and some of Frank Sinatra’s favorites as part of this Ambassador Series concert. Tickets

range from $30 to $90 for this journey from 18th-century Italy to La Cosa Nostra. Ambassador Auditorium,131 S.St.John Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 300-8200, or visit www.calphil.org.

tion with special visual effects. The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1150 Oxford Road, San Marino. Call (626) 405-2100, or visit www.huntington.org.

SHAKESPEARE LEAGUE PRODUCES “ANNIE” BENEFIT

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES

March 24, 25 & 26 | San Gabriel Civic Auditorium The Shakespeare League presents the hit musical “Annie” in three performances at the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium.

League members will perform some of the roles in the play about the loveable moptop, which is presented with a live orchestra. The performances will benefit Villa Esperanza and Wellness Community Foothills. Bill Shaw directs, with musical direction by Richard Allen. Choreographer is Rikki Lugo, and Shakespeare League producers are Donna Scarantino and Sue Mertz. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday, March 24, 1 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 25 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26.

Tickets are $30 to $40. San Gabriel Civic Auditorium, 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel. Call (626) 281-6053.

“SENSATION & SENSIBILITY” Through May 14 | Huntington Library The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens presents an exhibition of late 18th- and early 19thcentury painter Thomas Gainsborough’s work on the theme of cottage doors through May 14. The exhibit, titled “Sensation and Sensibility: Viewing Gainsborough’s ‘Cottage Door,’” includes a sound-and-light show and tent room with mirrors and glowing lamps to help reflect his time’s fascina-

Mar. 13 | Pasadena Civic Auditorium As executive director of the international humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders, Nicolas de Torrente has traveled to Somalia, Liberia, Iraq and Afghanistan in investigation of humanitarian crises around the world.

“Humanitarian aid,”de Torrente once said,“is distinct from any attempt to win over ‘hearts and minds’ by providing aid in that it does not have any other agenda than helping people, whoever they are and wherever they may be, on the basis of need alone.” Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-7360, or visit www.speakersla.com.

ON THE HORIZON… The Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Asian culture at the Rose Bowl April 1 and 2. The long list of entertainment includes a runway fashion show, the Pasadena Youth Orchestra, a Japanese Village and a Kid’s Fun Zone. For more information about this free event, call (626) 683-8243, or visit www.pasadenacherryblossom.org.

Artist David Jonason will stage his third solo exhibition with paintings of Pasadena’s landmark buildings, opening April 8 at the Blinn House in Pasadena. A fundraising dinner to honor the Blinn House’s 100th anniversary will be held April 1. For more information, call (626) 796-0560.

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 45

{ List THE

A highly selective preview of upcoming events

WISTERIA FESTIVAL BLOOMS IN SIERRA MADRE March 12 | Sierra Madre It’s time for the Sierra Madre Wisteria Festival. This annual street fair and display of horticultural wonderment celebrates what is purportedly the world’s largest plant. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors are invited to stroll under the ample arms of the 112-year-old plant, which boasts more than a million exquisitely fragrant lavender blossoms. The plant takes up 2.5 acres and weighs 250 tons. It even made the 1990 edition of the Guiness Book of Records as the world’s largest blossoming plant. In addition to vine viewing, fun activities will fill the day along Sierra Madre Boulevard near the corner of Baldwin Avenue. An Art & Garden Faire will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Local restaurants will have indoor and outdoor dining, a student art sale will be held at the Creative Arts Group and local bands will play live music. Advance reservations are required, with limited tickets available for $7 from the Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce (children 5 and under free). A shuttle bus is available to take visitors to the wisteria vine, located at a private residence about a mile from downtown Sierra Madre. Call (626) 306-1150, or visit www.sierramadrechamber.com.

ROUTE 66 ART AUCTION March 4 | Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock hosts its fourth annual Route 66 Art Auction. A silent auction at 7 p.m. and a live auction at 9:30 p.m. will include artwork from more than 100 established and emerging artists. A Taste of Eagle Rock will feature food and a no-host wine and martini bar. A membersonly preview reception runs from 6 to 7 p.m. The public is welcome to come at this time and purchase a membership starting at $35. Admission to the auction is $20 or free to members. Proceeds benefit the Center’s innovative programming. Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock. Call (323) 226-1617, or visit www.centerartseaglerock.org.

“DEATH OF A SALESMAN” Mar. 7 | Boston Court The Theatre @ Boston Court presents a star-studded cast, including sitcom stars Michael Gross and Bonnie Franklin, in a reading of Arthur Miller’s classic play, “Death of a Salesman,” directed by the City of Pasadena’s Program and Grants Coordinator Ernest Figueroa. Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 683-6883, or visit www.bostoncourt.org.

CELEBRATING PASADENA ART March 10 | Pasadena ArtNight Pasadena features open houses at some of the city’s finest cultural institutions from 6 to 10 p.m. Participants

44 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

include Armory Center for the Arts, Armory Northwest, Art Center College of Design, Norton Simon Museum, One Colorado, Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena City College, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena Museum of History and The Pasadena Symphony. Free shuttles run throughout the night, making stops at each venue. The event is also free. In addition, local restaurants will offer ArtNight discounts. Call (626) 744-7887, or visit www.artnightpasadena.org.

WANT SHAKESPEARE? “AS YOU LIKE IT” March 17 through April 16 | Pasadena Playhouse See William Shakespeare’s masterpiece, “As You Like It,” in a hilarious new light in this adaptation by Alison Carey.

Cornerstone Theater Company, in association with Pasadena Playhouse, presents the world premiere on March 17, with previews March 10 through 16. The setting switches from merry old England to contemporary Southern California, and the Bard’s themes of love, liberation and gender confusion are presented in the context of a modern America obsessed with states red and blue, political power and cultural identity. Bill Rauch directs. Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-7529, or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.

HAL HOLBROOK’S “MARK TWAIN TONIGHT!” Mar. 18 | Caltech Beckman Auditorium

FROSTIG COLLECTION BENEFITS KIDS March 16 & 26; April 9 | various locations Architect Frank Gehry and artists Robert Graham and R. Kenton Nelson (cover story, January Arroyo) have created artwork to benefit Pasadena’s Frostig School for children with learning disabilities. The Frostig Collection 2006 premieres March 16 at Santa Monica’s Berman Turner Projects at Bergamot Station from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The event will also include the auction of the original Plexiglas model of Gehry’s bronze sculpture. Subsequent events will be at the Pour House Foundry (which cast the 2005 collection) in Vernon from 2 to 5 p.m. March 26 and from noon to 3 p.m. April 9 at the Mendenhall-Sobieski Gallery in Pasadena. The April 9 event includes a tour of R. Kenton Nelson’s studio at the Castle Green. For more information, call (626) 791-9163, or visit www.thefrostigcollection.org.

Caltech welcomes Hal Holbrook’s off-Broadway hit, “Mark Twain Tonight!” which was first performed in 1959. Every year, Emmy-winner Holbrook tours his one-man show, adding and changing the material for each performance.

Holbrook expounds on topics of Twain’s day that still resonate today, capturing precisely the wit and humor that fixed Twain as the grandfather of comedic social commentary. Caltech Beckman Auditorium, 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena. Call (888) 2-CALTECH, or visit www.events.caltech.edu.

ART CENTER CONFERENCE March 23 through 26 | Art Center College of Design Adam Gopnik, staff writer for The New Yorker and bestselling author of “Paris to the Moon,”will deliver the keynote lecture in the Art Center Design Conference at the school’s south campus. This year’s conference, “Stories from the Source: Radical Craft,” will host some of the world’s leading designers, technologists, scientists, journalists and business executives in an examination of advanced craft as an antidote to slick mass production and mass culture. Art Center South Campus, 950 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 396-4229, or visit www.artcenter.edu/designconference.

YWCA HONORS WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE March 24 | Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel The YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley celebrates its centennial this year, making the 32nd annual Women of Excellence Awards Luncheon all the more special. A reception starts at 11 a.m., with lunch and the program at noon.Women will be honored for their accomplishments and contributions to the fields of business, communications, community service, education, government and public service and law. In addition, John Muir High School senior Marisol Salcedo will receive the Mary Huggins Gamble Award. Proceeds help to improve and expand the work of the YWCA. The event is at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel, 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena. To purchase tickets, a table or tribute ads, call (626) 296-8433, or visit www.ywca-pasadena.org.

CALIFORNIA PHILHARMONIC’S “VIVA ITALIA!” Mar. 24 & 25 | Ambassador Auditorium The California Philharmonic Orchestra presents Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto, melodies from the “Cinema Paradiso” soundtrack, the theme from “The Godfather” and some of Frank Sinatra’s favorites as part of this Ambassador Series concert. Tickets

range from $30 to $90 for this journey from 18th-century Italy to La Cosa Nostra. Ambassador Auditorium,131 S.St.John Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 300-8200, or visit www.calphil.org.

tion with special visual effects. The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1150 Oxford Road, San Marino. Call (626) 405-2100, or visit www.huntington.org.

SHAKESPEARE LEAGUE PRODUCES “ANNIE” BENEFIT

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES

March 24, 25 & 26 | San Gabriel Civic Auditorium The Shakespeare League presents the hit musical “Annie” in three performances at the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium.

League members will perform some of the roles in the play about the loveable moptop, which is presented with a live orchestra. The performances will benefit Villa Esperanza and Wellness Community Foothills. Bill Shaw directs, with musical direction by Richard Allen. Choreographer is Rikki Lugo, and Shakespeare League producers are Donna Scarantino and Sue Mertz. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday, March 24, 1 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 25 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26.

Tickets are $30 to $40. San Gabriel Civic Auditorium, 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel. Call (626) 281-6053.

“SENSATION & SENSIBILITY” Through May 14 | Huntington Library The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens presents an exhibition of late 18th- and early 19thcentury painter Thomas Gainsborough’s work on the theme of cottage doors through May 14. The exhibit, titled “Sensation and Sensibility: Viewing Gainsborough’s ‘Cottage Door,’” includes a sound-and-light show and tent room with mirrors and glowing lamps to help reflect his time’s fascina-

Mar. 13 | Pasadena Civic Auditorium As executive director of the international humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders, Nicolas de Torrente has traveled to Somalia, Liberia, Iraq and Afghanistan in investigation of humanitarian crises around the world.

“Humanitarian aid,”de Torrente once said,“is distinct from any attempt to win over ‘hearts and minds’ by providing aid in that it does not have any other agenda than helping people, whoever they are and wherever they may be, on the basis of need alone.” Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-7360, or visit www.speakersla.com.

ON THE HORIZON… The Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Asian culture at the Rose Bowl April 1 and 2. The long list of entertainment includes a runway fashion show, the Pasadena Youth Orchestra, a Japanese Village and a Kid’s Fun Zone. For more information about this free event, call (626) 683-8243, or visit www.pasadenacherryblossom.org.

Artist David Jonason will stage his third solo exhibition with paintings of Pasadena’s landmark buildings, opening April 8 at the Blinn House in Pasadena. A fundraising dinner to honor the Blinn House’s 100th anniversary will be held April 1. For more information, call (626) 796-0560.

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 45

NESTING

The

historic

Huntington cottages Interior designer Cheryll Wegge opens her home for the San Marino League’s Silver Jubilee Art Walk.

A

BY JENINE BAINES ~ PHOTOS BY EVANS VESTAL WARD

FTER A LONG, GRUELING DAY, WHO HASN’T ARRIVED HOME AND, while staring bleakly at the leftovers in the refrigerator, thought, “I wish I could order room service?”

When interior designer Cheryll Wegge has one of those days, she isn’t limited to takeout. As the owners of one of 13 historic cottages tucked behind the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, Wegge and her husband Bud have access not only to room service but to all the hotel’s amenities.

However, it wasn’t being a stone’s throw from tennis courts and award-winning restaurants that enticed the Wegges to purchase one of the landmark properties that were owned by the Huntington Hotel until the mid 1990s.

“Both my husband and I have been Pasadena residents forever,” explains Wegge, “and we’ve always been fond of the hotel. Bud and I went to Cotillion [for dance and social etiquette education] there. Years later, so did our children.”

Tantalized by the prospect of having the grand hotel play an even larger role in their lives, the couple took the plunge not once but three times. They sold their first two cottages and purchased their current home to accommodate visiting children and grandchildren. Christened “Spalding” in honor of the original resident’s sporting goods company (each historic cottage is named), the house resembles an English country cottage on a garden lane. But appearances are deceiving. The property is almost 7,000 square feet, stepped down the hillside in three levels.

“We’ve kept the footprint of the house,” says Wegge of the two-year renovation. “But we’ve opened up the rooms and made it so there aren’t so many cut up little spaces.”

The distinctive and entrancing rooms include an airplanethemed room, a library paneled with antique pine doors that Wegge grabbed as the shipment arrived at an antique store and a wine cellar that was originally a safe installed when the owner of Santa Anita Park rented the cottage.

Wegge sometimes describes her English cottage as a “French Normandy.” The patisserie-style kitchen boasts Gallic accoutrements such as a zinc sink, and the beams were cut from bark beetle-infested trees on the Wegges’ Lake Arrowhead property.

Is a fourth cottage in Cheryll Wegge’s future?

The designer laughs. “Everyone asks that. This is my last. … I hope.” AM Architecture, garden and design buffs can tour some of the Huntington cottages during the San Marino League’s Silver Jubilee Art Walk, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 17 and 18. The event benefits the San Marino League, which provides scholarships for students at Art Center College of Design and endows the Japanese Garden at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.

Tickets are $35. For more information, call (626) 578-8510.

46 ~ MARCH 2006 ~ ARROYO

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Marlee Matlin plays Joey Lucas on “The West Wing.” ©Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

How does being a celebrity affect your role as a mom? I now consider what effect the work will have on my time with my family. At the same time, I'm a great multi-tasker and have a great husband who shares parenting with me 100 percent. So if I need to go away for a film commitment or TV show, I don't need to worry as much as some might think I would. But I am more aware of the roles I take on as a result of being a mom. I'm concerned what kids are watching these days and very aware of excessive violence, images and language. I choose my roles more carefully now and consider what impact they will have on younger audiences.

You’ve done a lot to support accessibility for the hearing impaired by advocating for federal legislation for closed captioning. How did you get involved with that effort? Simple. I wanted to be able to watch TV like everyone else. When I was 12 years old, I wrote a letter to President Ford asking him to close-caption TV. I wanted to be able to watch what my parents and friends watched. Years later, when I had the opportunity to use my public persona to get a message out, this time in Capitol Hill, I used it to highlight the fact that there were 27 million hearing impaired people in the United States and none of them had access to the words that came out of our TVs, which helped shaped our world. Well, it worked, and the bill to make sure all TVs were equipped with closed caption chips passed.

Today, I am proud that I was part of the effort to make all TV accessible to millions of hearing impaired people in the U.S. But closed captioning has proved to be much more. It's also served as a teaching tool to speakers of English as a second language as well as to children learning to read.

When and why did you first get active with charities? I've always been involved in helping. When we would perform with the Center on Deafness in other cities or states, we would often visit hospitals and schools.

It was great to see the smiles of kids and adults who were in less fortunate situations. Ever since then, I realized the importance of reaching out to those whom society has traditionally left behind. Charity work can help bring those less fortunate to the mainstream and help people realize their dreams, just as it did for me. AM

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ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 47

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MANY PEOPLE RECOGNIZE PASADENA AS THE HOME OF THE most famous architects, scientists and parade in the world. However, Pasadena has another secret identity. I discovered it one spring day, my first day on the job as Pasadena’s film liaison back in 1991. As I drove by beautiful colonial homes with white picket fences, by dazzling mansions with yards the size they can only dream of in Beverly Hills and by historic buildings in bustling business districts that looked like they had been lifted intact from another, more perfect time, everything felt oddly familiar.

Then I realized I had seen Pasadena thousands of times before — in films, television shows and commercials ever since I was a youngster growing up in a small town in Ohio.

And I knew immediately what these romantic images of Pasadena represented to millions of people around the world. Pasadena, incognito, represented the prototypical American city or the epicenter of the imagemaking around the American dream.

From the epic “Gone with the Wind” to “Father of the Bride” and, yes, to the TV series “American Dreams,” Pasadena has provided idyllic imagery for filmmakers since D.W. Griffith set up camp here in 1912. And the dream-making has continued non-stop, with almost 600 film projects hosted each year in the Crown City and almost 1,000 production days.

But Pasadena is not just the backdrop or image provider, many Pasadena residents themselves participate. In 2001, an audit by the Motion Picture Association of America identified a Pasadena film production and vendor payroll of $333 million for that year. Additionally, many churches, nonprofit agencies and other community organizations host location rentals, helping to enhance the good work they do for our community.

Renting your home or business can mean big bucks with pay ranging from $500 to $15,000 per day depending on the size and uniqueness of your property. And the first 14 days of property rental are free of State and Federal taxes.

This incentive, as well as the benevolence of a community that cares about this important engine of the Southern California economy, has kept Pasadena in the picture for several decades. The alleys of Old Pasadena served as a backdrop for such wildly different productions as “Paper Moon” and “Pulp Fiction.” The Castle Green has been featured as the Hotel de Cuba in “Bugsy” and as the vehicle for a spy’s quick getaway in the TV series “Alias,” with the requisite dramatic staircase and tower chase.

City Hall was on the scene for “Mission Impossible,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator.”

From its perfectly preserved bridges to its high-tech laboratories, the incredible imagery of Pasadena will always be in the picture. AM Ariel Penn is the film and special events manager for the City of Pasadena.

She can be reached at apenn@cityofpasadena.net.

ARROYO ~ MARCH 2006 ~ 48

EST. 1888

Mission Station is a Gold Line Express Service Time-saver Metro Rail’s first Express service will shave five minutes off Metro Gold Line commutes, a 15 percent savings.

Weekday-only Express service will consist of six trains running every half hour in both directions during the morning and afternoon rush hour periods. Express Trains will supplement Metro’s existing non peak-hour train service running every 15 minutes during these times. No additional fares will be required to utilize limited stop service.

Commuters on Metro Gold Line Express Trains can park at a new parking structure at the Mission Meridian Village in South Pasadena with 140 free spaces.

New shops have opened around Mission Station. And Family Fair Gifts & Candies is right next to the tracks! Check it out.

For a timetable of Metro Gold Line Limited Stop service, visit www.metro.net or call 1-800-COMMUTE.

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SOFA INTERIORS — Relax! Now there is a sensible, satisfying way to buy all your home decorating needs. Create your own custom upholstered furniture, drapery or bedding! Let your imagination soar! Sofa Interiors, with locations all over the Southland, has hundreds of frame styles and thousands of designer fabrics to choose from! They also offer shades, valances and draperies that you can coordinate with your furniture! A true one-stop shop! You get exactly what you want and they stand proudly behind their work, guaranteeing your complete satisfaction. The possibilities are endless during their biggest sale of the year. Please see ad for the location nearest you. Call for your free consultation with this advertisement.

PLAZA KITCHEN & BATH — Finally, a large gracious showroom of semi-custom to custom cabinets, plumbing fixtures, lighting, counter tops and hardware is here. Experts Nick Eden and Peter Bedros (over18 years experience apiece) cater to tastes from very contemporary to elegant traditional. A few manufacturers on display include cabinets from Dynasty, Omega and Durasupreme; plumbing fixtures by Mico Designs and Jado; bath tubs by Water Dance, Finishing Touch and Aquatic Industries with counter tops of granite, limestone and travertine.

Designers welcome. 676 Green St. (626) 396-1772 Open Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat. 10-4.

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CAROUSEL FLOORS — This family-owned company, in business for over 35 years, provides a superb selection and remarkable service. For hardwood, select from all the top names, pre-finished or finished by expert craftsmen. Carousel is a Mohawk Color Center carrying Fabrica, Karastan, Masland and Schumacher to name a few. For area rugs their motto is: “If you can think it we can make it.” Free consultations. Designers welcome. 676 E. Green St. (626) 7958085 Open Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat. 10-4 or by appt.

CRUISEONE is part of the world’s largest cruise retailer and able to offer the greatest savings for every cruise line and travel destination. Independent Cruise One representative, Bob Iannacone, is an Accredited Cruise Counselor with CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) and a specialist in European, Alaskan and Hawaiian cruises. He also provides fund-raising travel opportunities for cultural, educational, religious and other organizations. 762 E. Colorado Blvd.

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100’s of frame styles 1000’s of designer fabrics and leathers to chose from.

The possibilities are truly endless during our

biggest sale of the year.

SOFA INTERIORS — Relax! Now there is a sensible, satisfying way to buy all your home decorating needs. Create your own custom upholstered furniture, drapery or bedding! Let your imagination soar! Sofa Interiors, with locations all over the Southland, has hundreds of frame styles and thousands of designer fabrics to choose from! They also offer shades, valances and draperies that you can coordinate with your furniture! A true one-stop shop! You get exactly what you want and they stand proudly behind their work, guaranteeing your complete satisfaction. The possibilities are endless during their biggest sale of the year. Please see ad for the location nearest you. Call for your free consultation with this advertisement.

PLAZA KITCHEN & BATH — Finally, a large gracious showroom of semi-custom to custom cabinets, plumbing fixtures, lighting, counter tops and hardware is here. Experts Nick Eden and Peter Bedros (over18 years experience apiece) cater to tastes from very contemporary to elegant traditional. A few manufacturers on display include cabinets from Dynasty, Omega and Durasupreme; plumbing fixtures by Mico Designs and Jado; bath tubs by Water Dance, Finishing Touch and Aquatic Industries with counter tops of granite, limestone and travertine.

Designers welcome. 676 Green St. (626) 396-1772 Open Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat. 10-4.

CAROUSEL CUSTOM FLOORS Quality Without Compromise

Plaza

KITCHEN BATH Your ultimate source for fine home products

CAROUSEL FLOORS — This family-owned company, in business for over 35 years, provides a superb selection and remarkable service. For hardwood, select from all the top names, pre-finished or finished by expert craftsmen. Carousel is a Mohawk Color Center carrying Fabrica, Karastan, Masland and Schumacher to name a few. For area rugs their motto is: “If you can think it we can make it.” Free consultations. Designers welcome. 676 E. Green St. (626) 7958085 Open Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat. 10-4 or by appt.

CRUISEONE is part of the world’s largest cruise retailer and able to offer the greatest savings for every cruise line and travel destination. Independent Cruise One representative, Bob Iannacone, is an Accredited Cruise Counselor with CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) and a specialist in European, Alaskan and Hawaiian cruises. He also provides fund-raising travel opportunities for cultural, educational, religious and other organizations. 762 E. Colorado Blvd.

(626) 683-2800 or (800) 840-9995, or visit www.clworld.com.

CUSTOM DESIGNED SOFAS, SECTIONALS, CHAIRS, SOFA BEDS SLIP COVERS REUPHOLSTERY ACCESSORIES DRAPERY & BEDDING

KITCHEN CABINETS COUNTER TOPS LIGHTING PLUMBING FIXTURES APPLIANCES HARDWARE

CRUISE IN TRUE LUXURY ON ALL-SUITE SHIPS Many fall Mediterranean cruises offer FREE economy air, $1000 from the cruise price or special Business Class air pricing.

Factory Direct Showrooms

PASADENA

GLENDALE

626.795.7099 644 East Colorado

818.502.1211 5406 San Fernando Rd.

STUDIO CITY

VALENCIA

818.487.2708 12344 Ventura Blvd.

661.254.9090 27051 McBean Pkwy.

www.sofainteriors.com

CAROUSEL CUSTOM FLOORS has been on Green Street at El Molino under the same ownership for over 35 years.

In the Playhouse District Cruise One

762 Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena, CA 91101 626.683.2800 • 800.840.9995 www.c1world.com

676 E. Green Street • Pasadena (626) 795-8085 M-F 10-5 SAT 10-4 OR BY APPT. CONTRACT LIC: 283612

FAUCETS AVAILABLE FROM MICO, WATER DÉCOR HANSGROHE AND MORE CABINETS AVAILABLE FROM RON BOW (VANITY CABINETS), ROBERN (MEDICINE CABINETS), OMEGA DURASUPREME AND MORE

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