Arroyoapr2014

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA APRIL 2014

GRAY POWER Old Age Gets a Makeover Elderly Athletes Who Bound Past Boundaries Financial Strategies for Elders Without Children Ojai’s Garden Getaways

INSIDE! Summer Camp Preview

arroyo VOLUME 10 | NUMBER 4 | APRIL 2014

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GRAY POWER 13 WHO WILL CARE FOR THE CAREGIVER WITHOUT CHILDREN? Strategies exist for childless boomers who wish to navigate old age comfortably, but planning ahead is key, experts say.

—By Rebecca Kuzins

19 A NEW TAKE ON OLD AGE More and more people over 65 are living healthier, more active lives with all the perks of their younger years --- fulfilling work and, yes, romance.

—By Bettijane Levine

55 ELDERLY ATHLETES

PHOTOS, TOP: Rick Cunningham, BOTTOM LEFT: Joe Atlas

Age is just a number for seniors who challenge themselves physically to reap a fuller life.

—By Kathleen Kelleher

60 OJAI’S GARDENS OF EDEN The city’s natural charms and spiritual ambience make it a Shangri-La for locals and visitors alike.

—By Irene Lacher

DEPARTMENTS 11

FESTIVITIES Pasadena International Film Festival, Hillsides and more

27

ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX

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KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Welcome spring with a hearty thanks to the nature gods.

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THE LIST “Mausoleum Night” in Altadena, Garden Conservancy tours, Burbank celebrates animation

ABOUT THE COVER: Photo by Stefan Schurr

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EDITOR’S NOTE

THIS WILL DOUBTLESS COME AS A SHOCK TO SOME PEOPLE IN GREATER LOS ANGELES, but everybody eventually grows old (unless they don’t, but that’s for another issue). Many folks face that prospect with dread, but there’s good news in store.

Thanks to advances in medicine, physical fitness and nutrition, those euphemistically named “golden years” are actually getting shinier and brighter for a lot of people. Despite persistent ageism in corporate America, many retirees are trading in their rocking chairs for a second career — and it’s often one that’s closer to their hearts. As Bettijane Levine learned, even the nomenclature is changing. “Old-age homes” have given way to “independent-” and “assisted-living communities.” And residents there aren’t just playing shuffleboard. A few continue to work and some even find romance, helped along by recent medical innovations that make sex possible, regardless of age.

Then there are older folks whose physical feats boggle the minds of their couch-bound juniors. Kathy Kelleher spoke to several elderly athletes to learn how much the human body can accomplish despite old age — people like 78-year-old Wayne Hunkins, whose 80th-birthday goal is to stair-race up the world’s 10 tallest buildings. Add to that the wisdom one presumably gleans after so many decades on the planet and no one can blame you for thinking, the best really is yet to come.

Of course, providing for old age can be complicated for the growing number of boomers without children to watch out for their interests. That’s a subject contributor Rebecca Kuzins has pondered herself, and in this issue, she solicits experts’ advice on strategies to ensure a comfortable old age. And the most important task, she learned, is simply this — plan ahead.

—Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher

PRODUCTION MANAGER Richard Garcia

arroyo

PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Rochelle Bassarear, Carmelita Reyes

SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kent Bancroft ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez

COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Samantha Bonar, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Carole Dixon, Lynne Heffley, Noela Hueso, Tariq Kamal, Kathy Kelleher, Rebecca Kuzins, Bettijane Levine, Elizabeth McMillian, Brenda Rees, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brenda Clarke, Joseluis Correa, Leslie Lamm ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Joanna Dehn Beresford ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Richard Garcia, Rochelle Bassarear

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

V.P. OF FINANCE Michael Nagami V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker

MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105

PAYROLL Linda Lam

ArroyoMonthly.com

ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Kacie Sturek OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 8 | ARROYO | 04.14

©2014 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

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FESTIVITIES

Elza and Michael Gross Kristin and John Weckworth

Mimi Kennedy

Terence Bernie Hines

David Toms

Hollywood stars and fans converged on the Westin Pasadena Hotel on Feb. 13 for the opening-night black-tie dinner gala launching the first Pasadena

Rodrigo Correia

Roxy Darr

Chad Hurley and Kevin Shea

International Film Festival. The evening, organized by festival founders Jessica Hardin and Marco Neves, included a performance by the Pasadena Symphony and Pops and an awards ceremony honoring actors Michael Gross, James

PHOTOS, Clockwise from top left: Mercedes Blackehart (Pasadena International Film Festival); Alberto Rodriguez/Getty Image (Oscar Wilde: Honoring the Irish in Film); courtesty of Hillsides

Marsters, Mimi Kennedy and Jay O. Sanders…Some 375 supporters raised more than $450,000 for Hillsides’ programs serving families in need at the organization’s annual dinner gala, “A Celebration of Art,” at the Langham Huntington, Pasadena on Feb. 22. After dinner spiced with a performance by dancers from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Hillsides board Chair Karen Tanji welcomed the crowd, followed by gala Chair Susan Pinsky, who introduced honorary gala committee members including her husband, Dr. Drew Pinsky, KNBC-TV Channel 4 anchor Colleen Williams and Clara and Hark Maarse of Jacob Maarse Florists, who donated flowers for the event… Hollywood’s Irish community celebrated two of their own — Conan O’Brien and YouTube founder Chad Hurley — on Feb. 27 at the US-Ireland Alliance’s ninth annual “Oscar Wilde: Honoring the Irish in Film” event in Santa Monica. Guests included Philomena Lee, played

by Dame Judi Dench in her recent eponymous biopic, and actors Sarah Bolger, Steven Luke

Dana Delaney and Joel McHale, who introduced O’Brien.

Hylda Queally, Sarah Bolger, Morgan O’Sullivan

Conan O’Brien and Joel McHale

Charles and Pam Burnett with Dr. Drew and Susan Pinsky 04.14 | ARROYO | 11

Who Will Care for the Caregiver Without Children?

Strategies exist for childless boomers who wish to navigate old age comfortably, but planning ahead is key, experts say.

BY REBECCA KUZINS

When my 87-year-old mother was no longer able to drive and perform other daily activities, there was never any doubt I would become her caregiver.

Family members — especially adult daughters — have traditionally been caregivers for their aging parents. But this reliance on family is becoming increasingly precarious for people like me, who have no children.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that at least 70 percent of people over age 65 will require long-term care at some point in their lives. But as more boomers enter old age — including a growing number of childless people — the number of available family caregivers won’t keep pace with demand. According to the AARP, in 2010 there were about seven family caregivers for each person 80 or older; that number is expected to drop to four caregivers in 2030 and three in 2050. The AARP also estimates that 16 percent of frail adults who are now 85 or older have no children to assist them, and by 2040

that number will increase to 21 percent.

And while people in my situation frequently talk about what they’ll do when they need caregiving, they often fail to adequately plan for old age. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that only 37 percent of older adults who are not in nursing homes or hospices — and only about 15 percent of all adults — have appointed a legal proxy designating someone to make health care decisions on their behalf.

So what should people without children do to

ensure they’ll have adequate care? Lawyers and others who work with the elderly maintain the fi rst, and most important, step in the planning process is to fi nd someone who can serve as your health care advocate, financial manager and surrogate child. This is the person you’ll list on your advanced directive for health care, power of attorney and other legal documents.

It is also advisable to designate an alternate who can take over if the principal agent is unavailable.

–continued on page 15

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“You have to think long and hard about whom you can trust explicitly with your care,” says John Lansing, a Pasadenabased elder law attorney.

“You are quite literally putting your life and well-being in someone else’s hands.”

–continued from page 13

“You have to think long and hard about whom you can trust explicitly with your care, such as medical decisions and possibly end-of-life issues, and your money: for example, paying your mortgage and filing your taxes,” says John Lansing, a Pasadena-based elder law attorney.

“This is a terribly important decision. You are quite literally putting your life and well-being in someone else’s hands.” The person you select, he adds, should be “someone you can trust, who is compassionate, devoted to your well-being, level-headed and not a pushover.”

Ruth A. Phelps, a Pasadena-based lawyer specializing in estate planning and elder care, echoes that strategy. “You should look around for people you think will be supportive and helpful,” she says. “What is your pool of available people? And that pool, when you think about it . . . sometimes is quite extensive.” Possible caregivers can be brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and other family members. They can be friends, but it is preferable to select younger people who are more likely to be alive when you need their help. Members of your church or temple, or the social groups in which you’ve been active, are other options.

But if no one you know personally is right for the job, you can hire a professional fiduciary, who charges an hourly rate, depending upon the task performed. Lansing, who has worked with many, estimates that Pasadena-area fiduciaries charge an average of $85 to $150 per hour for professional work (such as meeting with an investment advisor or certified public account on behalf of the client) and an average of $55 to $75 for clerical work.

A professional fiduciary can also be listed as an alternate agent in case your principal agent has died or is unable to carry out your wishes. He or she can be someone who works at a bank, trust company or other financial institution with a trust department, or a member of the Professional Fiduciary Association of California. Association members are certified licensed professional fiduciaries (CLPF), which means they’ve been licensed by the state’s Professional Fiduciary Bureau of the Department of Consumer Affairs. The association’s

website (pfac.pro.org) provides a list of these people and other helpful information.

After you’ve selected your agent (or agents), lawyers advise you to obtain two documents: an advanced directive for health care and a durable power of attorney. “The advanced health-care directive specifies who’s going to talk to your doctors, who is going to look at your medical records, who is going to be there in the hospital [advocating] for you if you need them,” says Phelps. The durable power of attorney is “your feet on the ground, [someone] who can sign your income tax returns, who can get money from your IRA.” The California advanced health care directive contains the name of your designated health-care agent; the name of your primary physician; your decision to donate or not donate your organs; whether or not you agree to diagnostic tests, surgical procedures and medication plans; and whether you agree to providers supplying, withholding or withdrawing artificial feeding and fluids and other forms of critical intervention, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A copy of this form and instructions for completing it are on the California attorney general’s website: ag.ca.gov/consumers/general/adv_hc_dir.

The California durable power of attorney form enables a designated agent to make financial decisions, including transactions involving real estate, other property, banking, business, insurance and annuities, retirement planning and taxes.

Lawyers also advise people to set up a will or a trust to specify who will receive your assets so as to avoid probate, a court-supervised process for asset distribution after death.

“People are concerned about probate because it requires a lengthy court involvement — at least a year, often more — and because probate is very expensive,” says Lansing. “The benefit of the trust is to control how your assets are distributed and to make sure your family doesn’t have to deal with probate.”

But it’s not enough to just designate your agents and obtain the necessary documentation. You must also have a conversation with the agents, informing them of your wishes –continued on page 17 04.14 ARROYO | 15

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–continued from page 15

— and be sure to send them copies of these documents. That way, your agents will be able to carry out your instructions. “Many of these decision makers don’t know a thing about the plans or don’t know how to get their hands on them,” says Mary Winners, a gerontologist and principal of About Senior Solutions, a Monrovia-based private-care–management business, who has seen the problems created when designated agents haven’t been told their responsibilities or seen relevant documents.

Old-age planning might also include the decision to purchase long-term care insurance, which covers the cost of help with basic tasks of everyday life (sometimes called “activities of daily life” [ADL]). These policies can offset expenses associated with nursing homes or in-home care. AARP estimates that it costs about $54,000 annually for a senior to reside in a nursing home, and about $30,000 a year for home care.

As people live longer, there’s a greater probability that they will eventually need some form of caregiving. However, according to the Congressional Research Service, only about 11 percent of people 55 or older have purchased private long-term-care insurance.

But purchasing this insurance can prove difficult. “If you’re ill, you can’t get it at all,” says Jess Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.

“And only a few companies will provide it for people [close] to the age of 80.”

The association estimates that in 2014 a 55-year-old single male will pay $925 a year for $164,000 worth of benefits, while a 55-year-old female will pay $1,225 for the same coverage. “Last year, leading insurers began charging women higher premiums,” says Slome.

“Women accounted for two-thirds of the $6.6 billion in long-term care insurance benefits paid out.” He also estimates that a 55-year-old couple would pay a combined average rate of $1,795 to $3,275 a year, depending on the amount of benefits available; combined average

costs for a 60-year-old couple range from $1,980 to $3,840 a year and for a 65-year-old couple from $3,620 to $5,940 annually.

“At a certain point, it’s cost-prohibitive,” says Lansing. If you take out a policy when you’re in your 40s, and maybe your 50s, and you don’t have any serious health conditions, then it might be worth it. You’re using your money to invest in a big pool of money in the event you need it.” While long-term care policies can be a godsend for people who can afford them, Lansing adds that if you’re in your 60s or older, “it may be not worth it.”

Many elderly persons who live alone consider moving in with others who can assist them if they need emergency health care, or who can share the responsibilities of grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning and maintaining a home. My childless friends and I sometimes joke that we will live together like the four women in The Golden Girls, and some elderly people are already creating these informal types of housing arrangements.

Others are choosing to live in more formal co-housing communities — typically a block of single-family attached homes, whose residents share a common area for cooking, dining and participating in group activities. Some of these communities specifically cater to the elderly.

Joani Brank of the Cohousing Association of the United States said about 120 cohousing communities are affiliated with her organization. Although only eight of those facilities are for seniors only, seniors live in many of the other communities. “All of the communities are multi-generational,” she says. “They all have accessible units for seniors.”

Brank, who is 76, cites the benefits she’s received by living in co-housing. After she broke her arm about three years ago, she recalls, she had trouble dressing herself. But help was right outside her front door. Says Brank: “I had at least five neighbors less than 50 yards from my front door who I could ask to help me get dressed.” ||||

My childless friends and I sometimes joke that we will live together like the four women in The Golden Girls, and some elderly people are already creating these informal types of housing arrangements.

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A New Take on Old Age More and more people over 65 are living healthier, more active lives with all the perks of their younger years — fulfilling work and, yes, romance.

BY BETTIJANE LEVINE

JUST A FEW DECADES AGO WE STOPPED DESCRIBING PEOPLE AS “OLD,” AND THE PHRASE “SENIOR CITIZEN” BECAME POPULAR. NOW, EVEN THAT SOUNDS FUSTY AND CONDESCENDING FOR THE BURGEONING GROUP — –continued on page 21 04.14 ARROYO | 19

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Although older people still retire from full-time jobs, often involuntarily, most are too energetic and intellectually active to retreat from their lifelong occupations and interests.

–continued from page 19

people who are increasingly active and productive throughout their seventies, eighties and beyond — who will soon account for 26 percent of the country’s population.

Sure, some people become mentally or physically incapacitated as their dotage encroaches. But the large numbers of those who remain reasonably healthy and active long into old age are a growing dynamic force in the nation’s social, economic and sexual warp and weft.

America has yet to calculate the eventual impact of all this, although our language is changing to better acknowledge this vibrant new cohort. The term “old age home” has all but disappeared. Instead, we now have “independent living” and “assisted living” communities — places where older people move, not to die, but to enjoy more amenities and a sense of community while starting a new chapter in life. Many of them are luxurious, much like living in a fine hotel, with spacious private apartments or homes, maid service, gourmet dining and elegantly appointed public areas.

The word “retiree” is starting to disappear as well, because it’s a passive-sounding leftover from the era when people were “pensioned out,” living their few remaining years doing nothing very productive. Although older people still retire from full-time jobs, often involuntarily, most are too energetic and intellectually active to retreat from their lifelong occupations and interests. They tend not to define themselves as retirees, preferring to describe their latest ventures and adventures. Indeed, older Americans now form the nation’s biggest category of emerging entrepreneurs and are among the most sexually active age groups. More about all that later.

Even the term “senior citizen” may be on its way out. “It’s falling out of favor,” says Dawneen Lorance, executive director at Villa Gardens, an upscale senior community in Pasadena. “I’ve recently been hearing the term ‘older Americans’ used instead.”

Corporate America tends to remain ageist, often considering job applicants over 50 to –continued on page 23

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–continued from page 21

be “over the hill,” according to CNN Money. But don’t tell the country’s 79 million baby boomers that old age starts at 50 — or even 65. A Pew Research trend survey revealed that the typical boomer believes old age doesn’t even begin until a person reaches his or her mid-seventies. Not surprisingly, 61 percent of boomers also say they feel nine years younger than their chronological age.

Boomers, who started reaching 65 in 2011, will redefine work’s relationship to aging, the Pew researchers concluded. Many older Americans have already begun sidestepping corporate ageism by starting independent ventures of their own. In February, the Senate Special Committee on Aging and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee held a joint hearing focusing on entrepreneurism and older Americans. Senators learned that Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 comprise the nation’s fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs. And those 65 and over are increasingly starting businesses using technology that allows them to work at their own pace, from wherever they want, making use of the experience they’ve acquired over the years. A recent MetLife Foundation study revealed that about 25 million people — up to age 70 — expressed interest in starting their own business or nonprofit within the next five to 10 years. That includes the new wave of what’s being called “artisanal capitalism.” Bay Area resident Pearl Malkin, age 90,

launched her craftsy Happy Canes business online, via Etsy, after raising seed money for the venture from a Kickstarter campaign.

Lorance, director of the Villa Gardens senior community, says that some of her residents continue to work, “although it’s not a huge trend there.” And Susanna Klein, executive director of the luxury Fair Oaks by Regency Park senior community in Pasadena, says she knows of at least one resident, a psychoanalyst, who continues to see her regular clients.

Arroyo Monthly spoke with the psychoanalyst, Dr. Sonia Thomas, who says she moved to Fair Oaks about a year ago after selling her home. “This is a luxurious life for me, because all my needs are met here,” she says. “It’s really a lovely place. I’ve even been given an office to use here in the complex, where I see a small number of patients in the afternoons.” Thomas is in her seventies, “but I certainly don’t feel it. In my business age is not a factor. You can work as long as you can think and can help.” Thomas says that her life in the independent living community “hasn’t altered that much from my life in my own home. I have my car, I come and go. I get my hair done, do all the usual stuff. I love theater and movies and I go just as much now as I did before.”

As more boomers reaching 65 still feel healthy and vigorous — and perhaps also –continued on page 25

Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 comprise the nation’s fastestgrowing group of entrepreneurs.

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“Sex and love are part of life from beginning to the end.”

— Susanna Klein

–continued from page 23

financially challenged — there’s bound to be a surge of successful independent enterprise that proves age is no barrier to productive living for those who remain unimpaired.

And the large numbers of vigorous, relatively healthy older Americans have led to another sexual revolution of sorts. Older single Americans — divorced people, widows and widowers — are seeking relationships in increasing numbers. Some take to online senior dating sites like ourtime.com, while others move to senior communities with the expressed hope of finding new love. “Sex and love are part of life from beginning to the end,” says Klein. “And here at Fair Oaks they flourish. I’ve been here for five years and have seen several romantic relationships develop and endure.”

Do these couples ever move in together? “Maybe just for the night. It’s not really necessary,” Klein says, since they share meals together and enjoy daily life in the many public areas.

“Sparks do fly here at Villa Gardens,” echoes Lorance. “Whatever goes on behind closed doors is private and nobody else’s business. But we definitely see connections made between our residents, and that’s because you’re really no different at 80 than when you were 50.”

At Regency Park Astoria senior residences in Pasadena, says Executive Director Dyan Summerell, “We have an engaged couple who met here and live here right now, and they say they plan to marry.”

Sex among oldsters, once a taboo subject — many believed old people didn’t engage — is now a very hot topic. With more years left and more zest for living them, the aged seem to be having sex in increasing numbers and frequency. Perhaps helping that along are the cosmetic innovations that have emerged, along with the medical advances that help them live longer, more energetic lives. Penile, breast, tooth and hair implants are helping them look as young as they feel. Viagra, Cialis and similar pharmaceuticals help

alleviate erectile dysfunction due to old age. And use of vacuum erection systems (known as penile pumps) has apparently risen significantly, with costs covered by Medicare.

(Medicare has reportedly been overpaying for them, spending $172 million from 2006 to 2011 at double the retail cost.) For women, there’s vaginal rejuvenation surgery (a recently introduced gynecological subspecialty) and new pharmaceuticals like Osphena, which relieves painful intercourse caused by vaginal aging after menopause.

It’s good news — except that most sexually active seniors apparently haven’t heard about safe sex. And if they have, they don’t think it applies to them. They’re too old to get pregnant, and they grew up in an era when the very word “sex” was verboten — and the term “safe sex” hadn’t been coined yet. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed a stunning statistic: In 2011 and 2012, 2.2 million Medicare beneficiaries received screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, and more than 66,000 received HIV tests. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show surprising increases in S.T.D.s among older Americans. From 2007 to 2011, chlamydeous infections in people 65 and older increased by 31 percent, and syphilis rose by 52 percent. The numbers are similar to those for 20-to-24-yearolds in the same time frame.

Since pregnancy isn’t a concern, the older guys don’t use condoms and the older women don’t worry about it. This has to change, experts say, because it’s not just unhealthy for the social security generation, it’s also costing the rest of us taxpayers too much money in Medicare doctors’ bills.

The bottom line is this: If you’re not yet 65, you can probably look forward to relatively exciting golden years. Your only task is to stay healthy and perhaps accumulate enough money to live in one of those fabulous independent living communities, where the monthly tariff includes your elegant private residence, daily gourmet dining room, maid service — and if you’re single, perhaps romance and some (protected) eldersex. ||||

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arroyo

™

SPONSORED BY

~HOME SALES INDEX~ HOME SALES

feb

feb

2013

2014

+19.9% ALTADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. ARCADIA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. EAGLE ROCK HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. GLENDALE HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. LA CAÑADA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. PASADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SAN MARINO HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SIERRA MADRE HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. SOUTH PASADENA HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE MEDIAN SQ. FT. TOTAL HOMES SOLD AVG PRICE/SQ. FT.

FEB ’13 43 $480,000 1397 FEB ’13 21 $810,000 1791 FEB ’13 15 $505,500 1570 FEB ’13 98 $480,500 1474 FEB ’13 14 $1,120,000 2759 FEB ’13 120 $491,500 1364 FEB ’13 10 $1,550,000 2499 FEB ’13 15 $525,000 1513.5 FEB ’13 10 $517,500 1434.5 FEB ’13 346 $421

HOMES SOLD

346 344

AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE ARROYO FOOTPRINT

HOMES SOLD

-0.58%

HOME SALES ABOVE $750,000

FEB ’14 23 $550,000 1587 FEB ’14 41 $623,000 1573 FEB ’14 19 $600,000 1236 FEB ’14 81 $467,500 1330 FEB ’14 20 $1,207,500 2154 FEB ’14 118 $593,500 1435 FEB ’14 11 $1,600,000 1932 FEB ’14 11 $738,000 1181 FEB ’14 20 $603,500 1361 FEB ’14 344 $505

ADDRESS

ALTADENA 2522 Boulder Road 3855 Old Toll Road 2204 Kengary Lane 1374 Hull Lane 1294 Sunny Oaks Circle 443 West Altadena Drive 2403 Porter Avenue ARCADIA 329 Arbolada Drive 365 Monterey Pines Drive 1100 Fallen Leaf Road 312 East Camino Real Avenue 1110 Rodeo Road 1768 Oakwood Avenue 116 East Camino Real Avenue 620 East Longden Avenue 1407 South 2nd Avenue 2225 Canyon Road 2235 Canyon Road 2410 Doolittle Avenue 61 East Arthur Avenue 1023 El Caballo Drive 624 Beverly Drive 290 West Foothill Boulevard 1232 Encino Avenue EAGLE ROCK 5020 Sierra Villa Drive 5252 College View Avenue 2271 Hill Drive 4963 Hartwick Street 5136 Highland View Avenue GLENDALE 1649 Opechee Way 2026 Rimcrest Drive 1564 Hillside Drive 1205 Cortez Drive 1620 Thurber Place 536 Milford Street 1033 Alcalde Way 1910 El Arbolita Drive 337 West Acacia Avenue 1321 Sonora Avenue 636 West Glenoaks Boulevard 894 Calle La Primavera 1224 North Everett Street 1421 Bruce Avenue 420 Palm Drive 1149 North Isabel Street 1480 Millar Drive LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE 4325 Woodleigh Lane 3707 Via Serrano Avenue 1845 Earlmont Avenue 600 Highland Drive 3650 Karen Sue Lane 3852 Keswick Road

CLOSE DATE

SOURCE: CalREsource

PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT.

YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

2/11/14 2/14/14 3/3/14 2/26/14 2/14/14 2/11/14 2/19/14

$1,205,000 $1,150,000 $999,000 $995,000 $825,000 $797,500 $750,000

4 5 3 4 3 9 4

2104 3650 2277 2611 1774

1926 1998 1952 1931 1960

2202

1947

2/19/14 2/27/14 2/28/14 3/5/14 2/28/14 2/14/14 2/14/14 3/5/14 2/27/14 2/11/14 3/6/14 2/12/14 2/3/14 2/3/14 2/25/14 2/26/14 2/14/14

$5,569,000 $5,000,000 $3,450,000 $3,280,000 $3,150,000 $2,500,000 $2,250,000 $1,920,000 $1,610,000 $1,450,000 $1,350,000 $1,250,000 $1,115,500 $988,000 $825,000 $820,000 $800,000

8 5 4 2 4 5 4 4 5 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 3

8903 5483 3617 1183 3865 5251 3041 1703 3644 2863 2428 1648 2309 2038 1680 1823 1573

1995 1996 1952 1940 1940 2000 1956 1947 1924 1961 1962 1960 1965 1973 1956 1962 1961

3/7/14 2/14/14 3/5/14 3/7/14 3/3/14

$1,000,000 $987,500 $850,000 $793,000 $760,000

5 1 3 5 4

3176 808 2032 1836 2128

1923 1922 1965 1922 1922

2/4/14 2/6/14 2/7/14 2/3/14 3/6/14 2/28/14 3/7/14 3/3/14 3/4/14 2/7/14 2/5/14 2/4/14 2/26/14 2/24/14 2/27/14 2/27/14 2/6/14

$1,640,000 $1,360,000 $1,315,000 $1,300,000 $1,140,000 $1,020,000 $995,000 $868,500 $860,000 $822,500 $820,000 $810,000 $779,000 $770,000 $770,000 $770,000 $761,500

2 7 4 4 4 8 4 3 8 3 2 4 3 3 5 5 5

1389 4259 2655 3430 2321 3763 2478 2028 4498 1819 2301 1943 1772 1742 2132 2173 3163

3/7/14 2/6/14 2/11/14 3/7/14 2/19/14 3/3/14

$5,708,000 $2,500,000 $2,450,000 $2,440,000 $2,270,000 $1,800,000

6 5 3 4 4 5

6820 5360 3216 3451 4097 4743

PREV. SOLD

$567,000 $341,000

12/10/99 4/11/97

$875,000 $570,000 $200,000

4/29/05 6/12/09 2/15/83

$1,080,000 $2,850,000

9/20/89 6/14/05

$848,000 $87,500 $1,450,000 $767,273 $949,000 $890,000 $1,088,000 $880,000 $915,000 $539,000 $190,000 $240,000 $260,500

9/17/12 12/17/71 6/28/02 1/24/03 3/16/11 11/19/04 2/2/11 11/10/04 7/16/13 5/10/01 8/8/85 4/5/96 8/4/97

$379,000 $399,500

10/13/11 8/9/89

$210,000

10/23/97

1926 1984 1936 1935 1947 1964 1948 1936 1966 1926 1949 1993 1928 1936 1911 1925 1936

$625,000 $1,220,000 $1,150,000 $1,300,000

1/28/10 9/6/13 4/25/08 11/16/04

2007 2001 1931 1957 1971 1925

$570,000

6/18/13

$700,000

9/15/09

$810,000

6/1/05

$1,335,000

7/3/06

$3,302,500 $2,500,000 $562,500 $1,518,182

7/22/05 3/7/11 8/9/85 3/18/13

$1,475,000

3/14/01

continued on page 28

The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2014. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.

04.14 | ARROYO | 27

continued from page 27

HOME SALES ABOVE $750,000 RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE ARROYO FOOTPRINT ADDRESS

CLOSE DATE

LA CAĂ‘ADA FLINTRIDGE 5776 Briartree Drive 2/28/14 2055 Sunnybank Drive 3/5/14 4582 Viro Road 2/18/14 1916 Tondolea Lane 2/12/14 5077 Commonwealth Avenue 2/14/14 916 Milmada Drive 2/14/14 4731 La Canada Boulevard 2/13/14 2261 Cross Street 2/6/14 PASADENA 2840 East California Boulevard 2/14/14 1202 Arden Road 2/14/14 550 Allendale Road 3/7/14 1010 Prospect Boulevard 2/4/14 1175 Arden Road 2/25/14 754 Vallombrosa Drive 3/5/14 748 Laguna Road 3/4/14 610 Westover Place 2/11/14 920 Granite Drive #314 3/7/14 3238 East Villa Knolls Drive 2/25/14 3780 Hampton Road 3/7/14 2111 East Woodlyn Road 3/4/14 1025 Atchison Street 3/4/14 703 South Los Robles Avenue 3/5/14 1500 Pegfair Estates Drive 2/10/14 920 Granite Drive #111 2/27/14 1218 Solita Road 2/28/14 3615 Thorndale Road 3/3/14 3575 Grayburn Road 2/26/14 705 South Mentor Avenue 3/5/14 1621 Oakdale Street 2/26/14 1795 San Pasqual Street 2/3/14 920 Granite Drive #203 3/3/14 457 South Marengo Avenue #6 2/26/14 2565 Las Lunas Street 2/26/14 1069 North Michigan Avenue 2/4/14 840 East Green Street #501 2/7/14 1719 Midlothian Drive 2/26/14 1225 Leonard Avenue 2/6/14 2211 East Woodlyn Road 2/6/14 264 South Craig Avenue 2/20/14 191 South Daisy Avenue 2/4/14 2152 East Washington Boulevard 2/25/14 529 North Chester Avenue 2/26/14 2040 North Altadena Drive 2/28/14 1040 South Orange Grove Blvd #3 2/28/14 3167 East Green Street 2/19/14 453 South Orange Grove Blvd #8 2/28/14 SAN MARINO 1111 Avondale Road 2/24/14 730 Chester Avenue 2/28/14 1895 Virginia Road 3/7/14 1486 Wembley Road 3/4/14 1400 Granada Avenue 2/18/14 1802 Carlisle Drive 2/25/14 1386 Bradbury Road 2/21/14 1617 Old Mill Road 3/7/14 1900 Sycamore Drive 3/5/14 1731 South San Gabriel Boulevard2/6/14 852 Sussex Road 2/6/14 SIERRA MADRE 1145 East Grandview Avenue 2/11/14 127 North Lima Street 3/7/14 37 West Highland Avenue 2/25/14 302 West Carter Avenue 3/5/14 35 East Alegria Avenue 2/19/14 108 East Sierra Madre Boulevard 2/14/14 SOUTH PASADENA 1822 Mission Street 2/14/14 826 Garfield Avenue 2/18/14 278 Camino Del Sol 2/20/14 1909 Illinois Drive 2/25/14 1521 Meridian Avenue 2/10/14 1721 Mission Street 2/28/14 28 | ARROYO | 04.14

SOURCE: CalREsource

PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT.

YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

PREV. SOLD

6/26/03

$1,525,000 $1,315,000 $1,269,000 $1,215,000 $1,200,000 $1,165,000 $971,000 $919,500

4 3 4 3 2 2 4 4

2993 2450 2266 2041 3160 1825 2002 1844

1966 1953 1945 1947 1951 1950 1950 1947

$8,820,000 $3,230,000 $2,275,000 $2,250,000 $2,250,000 $1,900,000 $1,850,000 $1,595,000 $1,575,000 $1,550,000 $1,400,000 $1,347,000 $1,327,000 $1,291,500 $1,197,500 $1,130,000 $1,050,000 $1,040,000 $1,010,000 $1,000,000 $986,000 $953,000 $950,000 $921,000 $916,000 $910,000 $900,000 $889,000 $870,000 $855,000 $839,000 $825,000 $820,000 $810,000 $806,000 $770,000 $762,000 $760,000

5 11 4 5 2 3 3 4 3 7 3 3 5 5 4 3 4 3 4 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 4 5 3 3 4 4 4 2 2 2 2

6978

1940

2722 3961 2348 3454 2967 2529 2470

1950 1914 1952 1948 1956 1942 2009

2167 2521 2577 3086 2486 2100 2353 1716 2140 831 1608 1872 1910 1645 2114 1098 1910 1860 2249 2017 1622 1968 2376 2388 1720 1604 936 1491

1947 1951 1927 1910 1971 2009 1927 1938 1942 1915 1921 1916 2009 2001 1941 1921 2006 1949 1951 1947 1924 1948 1948 1910 1953 1963 1948 1962

$4,210,000 $3,325,000 $3,100,000 $2,579,000 $2,280,000 $1,600,000 $1,598,000 $1,500,000 $1,380,000 $950,000 $900,000

9 4 4 4 6 3 2 4 3 3 2

3535 3557 2985

1955 1934 1947

1932 1791 2289 2265 1371 1798

$1,100,000 $1,085,000 $984,000 $975,000 $792,000 $738,000

5 5 3 2 3

$1,350,000 $1,175,000 $1,093,000 $1,060,000 $980,000 $925,000

4 4 3 3 2 4

$875,000 $620,000 $1,130,000 $1,130,000 $1,200,000 $350,000

12/22/00 4/11/06 10/3/12 8/22/06 3/9/94

$4,328,040 $82,000 $1,490,000 $1,600,000

4/22/04 2/13/70 12/29/06 12/4/09

$1,300,000

11/9/12

$1,244,545

3/19/12

$639,000

11/30/89

$601,000

12/28/12

$125,000

10/24/78

$410,000 $1,100,000

5/18/12 11/13/08

$502,000 $280,000 $511,000

10/30/12 3/31/00 5/28/10

$375,000

4/18/02

1938 1948 1957 1941 1941 1947

$1,300,000 $720,000 $865,000 $1,325,000 $985,000 $750,000 $1,021,500 $839,000 $415,000

6/7/02 12/13/99 3/25/04 12/12/08 9/18/12 11/25/03 6/30/08 6/16/05 10/14/92

2511 2535 1349 2544

1929 1994 1950 1967

$900,000 $175,000 $245,000 $700,000

1/5/07 12/31/91 6/22/95 5/28/08

2007 1951 1824 1821 1953 1960

1925 1921 1965 1964 1982 1908

$579,000

5/23/03

30 | ARROYO | 04.14

ARROYO

HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

PLAY OF LIGHT Finding the Mosaic of Senior Living Opportunities

Photo courtesy of Golden Oaks Apartments

BY JOANNA DEHN BERESFORD

IN HER 2008 BOOK, FINDING BEAUTY IN A BROKEN WORLD, TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS EXPLORES THE ART OF MOSAIC. SHE USES HER EXPLORATION TO “SEARCH FOR A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN IN AN ERA OF PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL FRAGMENTATION.” WILLIAMS DESCRIBES MOSAIC AS NARRATIVE, POETRY, ART, TRADITION, COMMUNITY, PRAYER, WORSHIP, SYMBOL, HOME. SHE OPENS WITH AN EVOCATIVE EXCERPT FROM T.S. ELIOT’S THE WASTE LAND: “THESE FRAGMENTS I HAVE

SHORED AGAINST MY RUINS.” AND YEAH, OF COURSE, SHE ALSO DESCRIBES MOSAIC, LESS METAPHORICALLY, AS AN ARRANGEMENT OF COLORFUL, BROKEN PIECES OF STONE, GLASS OR MARBLE; AND SHE EXPLAINS THE HISTORY AND TECHNIQUES OF THE CRAFT, ETC. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK SHE’S WORKING WITH A MASTER MOSAIC ARTIST IN RAVENNA, ITALY, NAMED LUCIANA. AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT WILLIAMS LEARNS FROM LUCIANA ARE THESE ESSENTIAL ASPECTS OF MOSAIC ART: –continued on page 33

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—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 31 •

The play of light is the first and last rule of mosaic

•

The line in mosaic is supreme

•

The distance from which the mosaic is viewed is important to its design, color, and execution

•

The surface of mosaic is irregular, even angled, to increase the dance of light on the tesserae

•

Each glass tesserae is a mirror, reflecting light

•

The background is very important in emphasizing the mosaic pattern

•

You can learn certain techniques in 15 minutes, but they take a lifetime to master

I thought of Williams’ book while learning about various older adult and retirement communities recently. The idea that many dazzling and differing pieces contribute to the whole; the rich interplay of light, color, distance and perspective; the quiet and enduring beauty that ultimately resonates from the work of art. For example, Sales and Marketing Director Lynn Richey actually describes the environment of Hillcrest, in LaVerne, in multifaceted, mosaic terms.

“Hillcrest has become the gathering place for cultural arts, education, intergenerational activities, and life enriching opportunities,” says Lynn. She adds that “Hillcrest

Photo courtesy of Hillcrest Retirement Community

–continued on page 35

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34 | ARROYO | 04.14

Photo Courtesy of Hollenbeck Palms

–continued from page 33 understands and appreciates the great value of having many opportunities to learn, grow, relax, rejuvenate, explore, and connect. That’s why we’ve created a wellness

grounds where residents and their guests stroll the garden paths.

“In everything we do, our residents’ needs and preferences come first,” says Arca-

model that addresses each part of your path to optimal well-being: Body, Mind, Spirit,

dia Retirement Village’s Rajni Kharbanda.”Assisted Living gives not only the resident the

Environment, Emotions, Relationships and Pursuits. This approach informs all that we do;

freedom from worry, but also the family freedom from worry.”

there is a wide and colorful variety of life enrichment opportunities, programs, activities, and events at Hillcrest.”

Lynn describes the components of the sprawling 50-acre Hillcrest community, which include a Village Center, Aquatic and Fitness Center, Chapel, residential homes, cottages, duplexes and apartments, and healthcare facilities. She also notes the

Rajni emphasizes the fact that Arcadia Retirement Village is not a hotel or a resort, but home, and she describes the unique dedication of the staff. “They are real heroes with their assistance and team work. For us, it’s not just a job or investment; it is a calling and our efforts always match our passion!”

Like the Arcadia Retirement Village, Golden Oaks “is more than a senior apartment

cohesive element of Hillcrest, saying simply that “The heart of Hillcrest lies in its culture of

community,” according to Jason Mak. They offer daily breakfast and weeknight dinners

kindness to others, which is demonstrated everyday.”

prepared by Chef Zaldana. Golden Oaks sponsors social activities and events, and an

Arcadia Retirement Village offers a similar collage of amenities: full-service dining room; housekeeping services; beauty and barber shop; library and entertainment rooms; transportation services; daily activities, programs and events; and spacious

ongoing engagement with the surrounding community.

“It’s quite simple,” says Jason. “We are located in the heart of South Pasadena, a town with a strong sense of community and family values; these attributes run deep in –continued on page 39 04.14 | ARROYO | 35

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—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

04.14 | ARROYO | 37

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Photo Courtesy of Hillcrest Retirement Community

–continued from page 35 the way Golden Oaks operates. Our engagement in the community directly benefits our residents living here. There is a vibrant farmer’s market on Thursday evenings, and our lobby serves as the polling place for the local elections. We love being where we are!”

The 8-acre, park-like campus of Hollenbeck Palms, a Continuing Care Retirement Community with majestic views of downtown Los Angeles, has offered similar, quality, independent and assisted living with 24-hour skilled nursing for over 123 years. Hollenbeck Palms provides mouthwatering meal services in their Grand Dining Room and the New Skyline Bistro every day. They also provide residents with numerous activities, an Exercise and Fitness Gym, Billiards Room, Sports Lounge, Putting Green, Art Studio, Ice cream Parlor and Game Room – just to name a few of the amenities!

Santa Teresita, originally established in 1930 as a Tuberculosis Sanitarium for young Hispanic girls has a long history of service in the San Gabriel Valley. The Santa Teresita narrative embodies its own mosaic patterns of beauty. The first sisters came from Mexico to flee religious persecution and created a home for the young women who were separated from their families and loved ones for months and sometimes years at a time.

“Even from our earliest days,” recounts Sister Emily, who provided me with all of this radiant information about the facility, “Santa Teresita was a vibrant home for those entrusted to our care. The young women who survived the ravages of the disease still return to visit us today, remembering the impact that Santa Teresita had

Photo Courtesy of Hollenbeck Palms

–continued on page 40

04.14 | ARROYO | 39

Photo Courtesy of Hollenbeck Palms

–continued from page 39 on their lives, not only by helping them recover physically, but forming them to be strong and faithful women.”

In 2004 Santa Teresita transitioned into the world of Senior Care, after serving as a general hospital to the community for fifty years. Sister Emily describes the facility as a “Neighborhood of care, offering a unique approach to senior care. Everything we do speaks of ‘LIFE’ to the full.” The Campus Life Enrichment Team is comprised of Pastoral Care, Senior Education, Activities Programs and intergenerational, family services that enhance the lives of residents and their families and the community.

Older adults and their families who want to explore the mosaic of residential opportunities available to them would be wise to seek the advice of Mikki Porretta, a Dilbeck Real Estate Agent who has created her own Silver Service Program, with a team that has served senior clients – and families, clients, loved ones of every generation – for more than a decade.

“Seniors want to live as independently as possible, and are very much with it on what is happening in this world, and not shy about expressing opinions and having lively discussions. As we progress through the moving process it is fascinating to hear about their lives, travels, careers and accomplishments. The good times and the worst of times – wars, life during the depression. I love the pace – it’s theirs – and it suits me fine. I love what I do.”

The play of light. The supremacy of line. The importance of perspective and landscape and reflection. And most of all, the lifetime achievement of mastery over the artform. These are the aspects of mosaic that glow metaphorically among the rooms, along the corridors, and over the gracious acreage of so many of the adult, independent and assisted living communities in the San Gabriel Valley and the greater Los Angeles region in general. My brief investigation of these facilities has demonstrated the colorful, multi-faceted joy of experience that can be found all around us, and that

Photo Courtesy of Hillcrest Retirement Community

only deepens over a lifetime.||||

40 | ARROYO | 04.14

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42 | ARROYO | 04.14

ARROYO SUMMER CAMP PREVIEW

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE SUMMER CAMP LIST. ALTADENA STABLES SUMMER CAMP FULL DAY, HALF DAY, HORSEBACK RIDING Each camper receives individualized riding instructions daily. They will also groom, bathe and be involved in many other activities focused around the horses. Campers will have the opportunity to care for an “equine buddy” during the week.

Ages: 5-18yrs. Date: June 16-20, July 14-18, July 28- Aug. 1. Time: 8:30am-2:30pm and ½ day 8:30am-12pm Tuition: Full Day $525.00, ½ Day $325.00.

3064 Ridgeview Drive Altadena, CA 91001 (626) 797-2012 www.altadenastables.com

A NOISE WITHIN SUMMER WITH SHAKESPEARE AND ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE FULL DAY, ARTS Stay active and have fun in the theatre with A Noise Within’s summer camps! Our conservatory-style programming including: acting, improvisation, stage diction, text analysis, kinetic exercises, and stage combat led by classically-trained professional actors, choreographers, and designers!

Ages: 6-9 and 10-18. Dates: June 23-July 12th and July 21st-July 25th. Times: 10am-4pm. Extended Day time: 9:00-5:00 (with reservations). Tuition: $360 and $850. Registration Deadline: Monday, June 16th 3352 E. Foothill Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 356-3104 education@anoisewithin.org www.anoisewithin.org

BARNHART SCHOOL SUMMER CAMP FULL DAY, ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPORTS, ADVENTURE LEARNING June Camp is challenger week. Each day, teams will take on challenges that will earn them points to exchange for prizes. During Mystery week, students will become detectives. Each day, there will be a mystery for each headquarters to solve. Camp weeks are designed to help students work collaboratively while having fun.

Ages: 5-13yrs. Dates: June Challenger week (June 16-20) August Mystery Camp (August 4-8).

Time: 7:30am-5:00pm. Extended Day time: 5:00pm-6:00pm Tuition: $275 per week. Registration Deadline: June 12, 2014 240 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia 91007 (626) 566-2348 jmorgan@barnhartschool.org www.barnhartschool.org

BETHANY CHRISTIAN CREATION EXPLORATION FULL DAY, HALF DAY (PRESCHOOL ONLY), ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS, SWIM LESSONS. Preschool Program: Weekly Themes & Field Tips, Swim, Tae Kwon Do, Library, Art, Chapel K-5th Grade Grads: Swim Lessons, Mad Science, Bricks 4 Kidz, Computer, Art, Cooking/Home Economics, Bible, Sports, Math, Spanish, Field Trips to places like Griffith Observatory, Long Beach

Aquarium, Raging Waters, the beach, and so much more!

Ages: PreK-5th Grade Grads, Dates: June 30 – Aug 15. Times: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Child Care available 7-8 am & 5-6 pm. Tuition: $250 per week, $60 per day or $40 per ½ day (preschool only) with a 2 day minimum.

93 N Baldwin Ave, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 (626) 355-3527 Email: PreK: Lynn Elliott, lelliott@bcslions.org K-5th Grade: Liane D’Arezzo , ms.darezzo@bcslions.org www.bcslions.org

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF PASADENA FULL DAY, HALF DAY, ARTS, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS, FIELD TRIPS, SWIM LESSONS, TECHNOLOGY AND TEEN CENTERS, COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES For the best summer experience for your child, choose the Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena. For one low fee we offer field trips, robotics, photography, recreational swimming and swim lessons, theme days, sports, indoor gymnasiums, plus breakfast and lunch and much more.

Ages: 6 yrs-18 yrs. Dates: Monday, June 2-Friday, August 1. Times: 8:00 am-6:00 pm. Tuition: Ages 6-12 $75 plus $5 per day/ $20 per week for early drop off (8:00-10:00am) Ages 13-18 FREE. 3230 E. Del Mar Blvd. Pasadena 91107 (Slavik Branch) (626) 449-1953 and 2020 N. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena 91103 (Mackenzie-Scott Branch) (626) 798-3925 info@bgcpasadena.org www.bgcpasadena.org

CAMP GAN SALOM FULL DAY, ARTS, SPORTS Camp Gan Shalom offers our community’s Jewish youth an opportunity to LIVE Judaism, not just learn about it! This happens through a diverse program offering everything from Judaic influenced arts and crafts, Ga-Ga, Jewish cooking, Shabbat celebrations and more. Weekly field trips and exciting camp activities ensure an exciting summer!

Ages: entering Kindergarten – 9th grade, Dates: June 23 – August 8, Times: 9:30 – 4:00 Extended Day time: from 7:30am – 9:00am and then from 4:00pm – 6:00pm. Tuition: $260/week (if register by May 15), $280/week (if register after May 16).

Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, 550 S. Second Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006. (626) 445.0810 ganshalom@jewishsgpv.org www.jewishsgpv.org

CAMP SHI’INI FULL DAY, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS, OUTDOOR ADVENTURE CAMP Camp Shi’ini is a 5-week Native American themed day-camp in Pasadena’s Arroyo Seco. Activities include horseback riding, canoeing, archery, swimming, hiking, totem pole painting, tepee building, athletics, and a month-long treasure hunt! Campers are picked-up directly from home in brand-new 2014 camp vans.

Ages: 4-13. Dates: June 23 - July 25. Times: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Tuition: 5 Days per Week $2,365, 3 Days per Week $1,545, 2 Days per Week $895. Registration Deadline: First-Come, First-Serve, Likely to fi ll-up in late-May.

– continued on page 45 04.14 | ARROYO | 43

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SUMMER CAMP PREVIEW – continued from page 43 1768 East Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104 (Camp Office), 600 Stoney Drive, South Pasadena, CA 91030 (Main Campsite) (626) 922-0945 camp@shi-ini.com www.campshi-ini.com

CHILD EDUCATION CENTER FULL DAY, ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPORTS The CEC brings you another exciting summer filled with adventures, learning friendship and fun.

Choose from our ten week Exploration Camp, our one week partnerships with Descanso Gardens and Altadena Stables, or after-summer-school opportunities infused with summer camp fun.

Ages: Entering First through entering Seventh grade. Dates: June 2- August 6. Times: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm. Tuition: Exploration camp rate is $375.00, but there are a variety of rates and schedules.

Registration Deadline: ongoing 140 Foothill Blvd. La Canada, CA 91011 (818) 354-3418 cec@ceconline.org www.ceconline.org

CLAIRBOURN SCHOOL CLAIRBOURN’S SUMMER ADVANTAGE FULL DAY, HALF DAY, ARTS, SPORTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS Clairbourn’s Summer Advantage Program includes Preschool and Kindergarten Programs designed to help young people be confident, successful learners, and the 1st-8th Grade Advantage Program offers 40 academic, developmental, and creative workshops. Give your child an advantage today!

Dates: June 23 to July 25. Half-day times: 9:00 to 12:00. Full-day times: 9:00 to 3:00. Tuition: Preschool program ½ day - $750, Kindergarten Program ½ day - $750, Kindergarten Program Full Day, $1250. For the 1st to 8th grade program, students may choose a maximum of six classes – each with their own cost level. Individual classes range in price from $290 to $340 depending on the materials and supplies involved. Registration Deadline: May 16 8400 Huntington Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91775 (626) 286-3108 jhawes@clairbourn.org www.clairbourn.org/summer/

CRESTVIEW PREPARATORY SCHOOL SUMMER BLAST AND VOYAGER CAMP FULL DAY, HALF DAY, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS, SUMMER CAMP ACTIVITIES What do you get when you pair a half day of academically focused classes with a half day of summer camp fun? Crestview’s Summer Blast Program! Students 2nd through 6th grade are welcome to join the fun and create a program that works for you. It’s the best of both worlds! Half day or full day options available.

Ages: Incoming 2nd through 6th grade. Dates: June 16th through July 18th. Times: 9:00 – 12:00 for Summer Blast classes; 12:00 – 4:00 for Voyager Camp. Half-day times: 9:00- 12:00. Full-day times: 9:00- 4:00 Extended on Wednesdays for field trips. Extended Day time: Day care available until 6:00.

Tuition: $950 for morning Summer Blast classes; $1100 for afternoon Voyager Camp; $2050 for full day; $200 deposit due upon enrollment. Registration Deadline: June 1st.

140 Foothill Blvd. La Canada, CA 91011 (818) 952-0295 schong@crestviewprep.org www.crestviewprep.org

DESTINATION SCIENCE FULL DAY, HALF DAY, NATURE & SCIENCE, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS The Fun Science Day Camp where kids have “Aha!” moments of creativity and discovery while building and playing with unique take-home toys, astonishing gadgets, and fantastic gizmos. Our top notch, enthusiastic educators and leaders make STEM learning an adventure! Themes include: Robots, Astronaut Training, Grossology, Rock n Roll Sound, Science Detectives & Curious Creatures.

Ages: 5 to 11. Dates: 6/23/14 to 8/15/14. Times: Half-day times: 9:00am to 12:00pm. Full-day times: 9:00am to 3:30pm. Extended Day time: 8:00am to 5:30pm. Tuition: Full-day: $329/week, (Half-day: $229/wk-savings below N/A to half day). Enroll in April Save $20/wk, 3+ Weeks Save $10/wk, Siblings Save $5/wk! Registration Deadline: Open 301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena, CA 91103 and 4469 Chevy Chase Dr, La Canada, CA 91011.

(888) 909-2822. info@destinationscience.org www.destinationscience.org

EMMAUS LUTHERAN SCHOOL EMMAUS LUTHERAN SUMMER ACADEMY AND CAMP FULL DAY, ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS We offer a balance of morning academics and afternoon camp fun, allowing students to maintain academics and enjoy summer vacation. Qualified teachers teach math, reading, science and history skills, test prep, and writing. Well-trained staff creates activities and enrichment classes. Weekly field trips and all classes included.

Ages: Ages 6-14. Dates: June 9-August 8, 2014. Times: 7:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Tuition: $155 per week, $135 for sibling per week. Registration Deadline: early registration deadline is May 2, 2014 ($45 registration fee due). After May 2, 2014, students accepted as long as space is available and $65 registration fee will apply.

840 S. Almansor Alhambra, CA 91801 (626) 289-3664 kit.hittinger@gmail.com www.emmauslutheranchurch.org

FLINTRIDGE RIDING CLUB FLINTRIDGE RIDING ACADEMY FULL DAY, RIDING, HORSEMANSHIP, GAMES & CRAFTS Campers learn to groom and care for horses, safety around horses, basic riding skills.

Ages: 6-13. Dates: June 16-20, July 7-11, July 28-August 1, August 11-15. Times: 9:00am-4:00pm.

Tuition: FRC/FRAP Members-$375/week, Non-Members $400/week. Registration Deadline: Until Filled 4625 Oak Grove Drive La Canada Flintridge, 91011 (818) 864-8300 fraprider@gmail.com www.flintridgeridingclub.org

FLINTRIDGE SACRED HEART ACADEMY FINE ARTS CAMP ARTS, GIRLS ONLY Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy is so very excited to offer a NEW fine arts camp this year. Campers select from a variety of art categories, including ceramics and sculpture, dance, ComedySportz (improv) and music (vocal and instrumental). Previous skills are not necessary, however the camp can cater to those girls with experience.

Ages: Rising 7th and 8th grade students; only girls. Dates: The camp runs in one-week sessions from July 7 – July 25. Times: 9am – 2:30pm. Tuition: $300 per session.

440 St. Katherine Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 Ben Coria, FSHA’s Visual and Performing Arts Chair, (626) 685.8367 bcoria@fsha.org www.fsha.org/artscamp2014

FLINTRIDGE SACRED HEART ACADEMY SPORTS CAMP SPORTS, GIRLS ONLY Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy’s Sports Camp is a fun opportunity to learn and develop athletic

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SUMMER CAMP PREVIEW – continued from page 45 skills in a variety of sports, including (but not limited to) soccer, dodge ball, volleyball, swimming and other water sports. Previous athletic experience is not necessary.

Ages: 6-12 yrs; only girls. Dates: Sports camp runs in one-week sessions from June 23 – July 18.

Times: 9am – 2:30pm. Tuition: $225 - $250 per session.

440 St. Katherine Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 Stephanie Contreras, FSHA’s Athletic Director, (626) 685-8375 scontreras@fsha.org www.fsha.org/sportscamp2014

GEF SUMMER SCHOOL, INC. ACADEMICS Summer School for High School students wishing to advance their education.

Ages: 9th-12th grade. Dates: June 9-July 11. Times: 7:30am-1:00pm. Tuition: $450 for 10 Units $225 for 5 Units. Registration Deadline: April 18 Glendale & Crescenta Valley High Schools office located at 223 N. Jackson, Glendale 91206 (818) 247-0466 shunt@gusd.net www. gefsummerschool.org

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN SCHOOL FULL DAY, ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS, GENERAL Join us for 9 weeks of summer fun! Campers will enjoy making great friends and memories while they do a variety of activities; arts, crafts, sports, science, computers, water days, cooking, American Sign Language, weekly field trips and daily tutoring!

Ages: Jr Kindergarten - 6th grade. Dates: June 16th – August 15th, 2014. Times: 8:30am -3:00 pm.

Extended Day time: Morning: 7:00 – 8:30am & Afternoon: 3:15-6:00 pm. Tuition: FULL WEEK: $115.00, DAILY $30.00, EXTENDED CARE: $5.00 PER HOUR (calculated in ¼ hr. increments).

6338 N Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA, 90042 (323) 255-2786 GSS.SummerCamp@gmail.com www.GoodShepherdLA.org

HIGH POINT ACADEMY’S SUMMER SESSION FULL DAY, HALF DAY, NATURE & SCIENCE, ARTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS, SPORTS Summer Session at High Point includes a variety of academic and enrichment classes for grades kindergarten through eight.

Ages: kinder through eighth grades. Dates: June 23 through July 18, 2014. Times: Classes 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Extended Care 8 a.m.-9 a.m. and 3p.m.-6 p.m. Tuition: $200 per class, $300 for extended care. Registration Deadline: May 16, 2014 1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road, Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 798-8989 Steve Sisson, Director ssisson@highpointacademy.org www.HighPointAcademy.org

INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT APPRENTICESHIP OVERNIGHT, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPECIAL NEEDS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS IEA’s Apprenticeship Program is a summer residential experience and college preparation opportunity that links gifted high school students from across the country with distinguished professionals who serve as mentors. Students work with professionals one-on-one or in small groups to gain hands-on experience in their field of choice.

Ages: Current 9th-11th graders. Dates: June 22-July 12, July 13-August 9, or June 22-August 9.

Tuition: $3,600 (financial aid available). Registration Deadline: April 7 569 South Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 403-8900 Apprenticeship@educationaladvancement.org www.educationaladvancement.org

INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT ACADEMY ADVANCED ENRICHMENT CLASSES FULL DAY, HALF DAY, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPECIAL NEEDS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS IEA’s Academy provides gifted elementary and middle school students with challenging enrichment classes that focus on exploration and the application of knowledge in many different disciplines.

Several classes are offered in each time slot, and students can build a schedule of one to four classes each day.

Ages: K-6th graders. Dates: June 9-26 (Session I); July 7-24 (Session II). Times: 9:30am-5:00pm.

Extended Day time: 9:30am-5:45pm. Tuition: $475-$1,300 (financial aid available).

569 South Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 403.8900 Academy@educationaladvancement.org www.educationaladvancement.org

INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT YUNASA SUMMER CAMPS FOR THE GIFTED OVERNIGHT, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPECIAL NEEDS IEA’s pioneering residential Yunasa summer camps unite highly able youngsters with experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children to explore and grow the intellectual, social, emotional, social, spiritual and physical aspects of their lives. The National Association for Gifted Children named Yunasa Best Gifted Program in 2013.

Ages: 10-15 years old. Dates: June 15-22 (Colorado) and July 27-August 3 (Michigan). Tuition: $1,500 (financial aid available). Registration Deadline: April 7 569 South Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 403-8900 Yunasa@educationaladvancement.org www.educationaladvancement.org

INSTITUTE FOR GIRLS HALF DAY, ARTS, GIRLS ONLY Make friends! Be creative! Build skills! Get empowered! Have fun!

• Mind, Body, Spirit, Friendship Adventures - grades 3-5 • Be R.E.A.L. (Relationships: Extraordinary, Authentic, Loving)™ - middle school girls • Express! A fun interactive theater arts workshop- grades 9-12 Ages: 3rd-12th grade. Dates: June and July. Half-day times: Mind, Body, Spirit, Friendship Adventures: June 23-27, 2014, 1:30pm-5pm; Be R.E.A.L. (Relationships: Extraordinary, Authentic, Loving)™ July 14-17, 2-4pm & July 18, 2-5pm; Express! July 8-11, 10:30am-1pm. Tuition: $300-$400. Registration Deadline: 1 week before each camp start date 95 N. Marengo Ave, Suite 100, Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 585.8075, ext 108 jnason@InstituteForGirlsDevelopment.com www.InstituteForGirlsDevelopment.com

JUSTINE SHERMAN & ASSOCIATES SUMMER FUNDAMENTALS ACADEMIC DAY CAMP HALF DAY, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS Children learn best when all of their senses are engaged, so we use a multi-sensory teaching style that includes visual, auditory and kinesthetic approaches in our programs to maximize acquisition and retention of academic skills. We offer intensive learning programs that address

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SUMMER CAMP PREVIEW – continued from page 47 both enrichment and remediation goals.

Ages: 6-13. Dates: July 7th – August 1st, 2014 (4 weeks). Times: 8am-1pm, Monday – Friday. Tuition: $3,600 (Full program). Registration Deadline: Friday, June 27th, 2014.

55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 (626) 355-1729 justine@justineshermanslp.com www. justineshermanslp.com

KIDSPACE CHILDRENS MUSEUM JPL OUTER SPACE CAMP (6/16-20), INVENTORS CAMP (6/23-27), CULTURE CAMP (6/30 – 7/3), GROSS ANATOMY CAMP (7/7 – 7/11), AMAZING ART CAMP (7/14 - 18), WATER WATER EVERYWHERE CAMP (7/28 – 8/1) FULL DAY, HALF DAY, ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE Enjoy Kidspace at its fullest; explore science, art, culture, and have fun! Get wet, construct your greatest invention, and discover the depths of your imagination! Go behind the scenes at Kidspace where you’ll make lasting memories by sinking your teeth into big challenges at this unique camp experience!

Ages: Varies. Check website for details. Dates: June 16 to August 1, Six different camps. Half-day times: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, or 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Full-day times: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Extended Day time: AM – 8:15 to 9:00 am, PM – 5:00 to 5:45 pm, cost: $125 per week/ $25 per day; for both AM & PM: $225 per week/ $45 per day. Tuition: Full-day - $425 per week/ $85 individual day; Half-day - $275 per week/ $55 per individual day. Registration Deadline: Friday before camp starts 480 N. Arroyo Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91103 (626) 449-9144 bapplegate@kidspacemuseum.org www.kidspacemuseum.org/hands-learning/summer-camps

LA CANADA PREPARATORY ACADEMIC SUMMER SCHOOL FULL DAY, ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS La Canada Preparatory (4th-8th grade) offers two three-week academic summer school sessions focused on the core subject of language arts, science, and math. Families have the option to focus on a single subject or can even add an assortment of enrichment classes to their student’s individualized program.

Ages: 4th-8th grade. Dates: June 23-August 1. Times: 9 am-3 pm. Half-Day times: 9 am-12pm or 12pm-3pm. Full Day time: 9 am-3 pm. Extended Day Time: 8 am-5:30 pm. Tuition: Three week full day $970.00/ Six week full day $1840.00.

4490 Cornishon Ave. La Canada 91011 (818) 952-8099 tlc@thelearningcastle.com www.thelearningcastle.com

LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER AT LA SALLE 2014 FULL DAY, HALF DAY, ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS Another school year is drawing to a close, but our outstanding summer faculty has proposed a wide variety of summer courses and camps to keep you engaged and active. We offer camps and courses in Visual and Performing Arts, one and two-week enrichment workshops, academic advancement and remediation, and our new series of Adventure Camps. Whether your goal is to write more cogently, dance more elegantly, or speak more persuasively, we have something for you.

Ages: Grades 5-12. Dates: Varies depending on the camp/course. Tuition: Varies depending on the camp and/or course. See our website for more information. Registration Deadline: May 30, 2014 3880 East Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 351-8951 www.lasallehs.org

LOS ANGELES COLLEGE OF MUSIC FULL DAY, ARTS SUMMER XPERIENCE FOR MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS OF ALL AGES 10+. Participants Get Hands-On Access from Top Industry Music Leaders and Talent. The Summer program offers two Music Sessions. The first session focuses on Music Performance or Music Production. The second session focuses on Songwriting or the renowned Drummer’s Reality Camp.

Ages: 10+. Dates: SESSION 1 June 23-27, Monday to Friday, SESSION 2 June 28-July 2, Saturday to Wednesday. Full-day times: 9am - 5pm. Extended Day time: Optional evening programs including rehearsals, open jams and special events. Tuition: $1095 per session. $985 Drummers Reality Camp Multi-session discounts available. Registration Deadline: May 1 300 South Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena, California 91105 (626) 568-8850 or 1-800-960-4715 (US only) info@Lacm.edu www.lacm.edu

LYCEE INTERNATIONAL DE LOS ANGELES LILA ECOLE DU SOLEIL FULL DAY, FRENCH LANGUAGE Ecole du Soleil - Summer Camp with a French twist! K-5th campers will experience half day activities such as tennis, science, soccer and water games mixed with half days of French lessons. Pre-K campers will participate in full days of fun in French! One field trip per week for both groups!

Ages: Pre-K to 5th Grade (based on 2014/2015 school year). Dates: 06/30/14 to 08/01/14. Times: Activities from 9:00am to 3:30pm (camp open from 7:30am to 5:30pm). Tuition: $350 full week, $240 part time (3 days/week), $90 single day. Registration Deadline: none 4155 Russell Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (323) 665-4526 morgan.pladys@lilaschool.com www.ecoledusoleil.com www.lilaschool.com

MARANTHA HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER ACADEMY AND CHALLENGE CAMPS HALF DAY, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS Maranatha’s Summer Academy program offers high school accredited courses in math, science, social science, English, and performing arts. Students have the opportunity to advance in their coursework and improve their academic standing. Also, Maranatha welcomes students, grades 4-9, to participate in eleven one-week Challenge Camps. High school coaches guide young athletes to develop technique and skill.

Ages: incoming 9th through 12th grades for Summer Academy, grades 4th -9th for Challenge Camps. Dates: Summer Academy- June 16 – July 25, Challenge Champs - ranges from June 16 to July 25 and are different for each camp: Cross Country (coed): June 16-27, time to be determined by coach, Softball: June 23-27, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Swimming (coed): June 23-27, Beginners 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Advanced 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Cheer: June 26-27, TBA. Girls’ Basketball: July 7-11, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Baseball: July 9-11, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Soccer (coed): July 14-18, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Boys’ Basketball: July 14-18, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Girls’ Volleyball: July 21-25, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Football: July 21-24, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Times: Summer Academy 8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m., some classes may vary. Challenge Camps Generally 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., see each camp listed above for times. Tuition: Summer Academy -$400 - $800 depending on course, Challenge Camp - $95 per camp. Registration Deadline: Summer Academy is offered on a fi rst come, fi rst serve basis with all program tuition due in full prior to Monday, June 16, 2014.

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SUMMER CAMP PREVIEW – continued from page 49 Challenge Camp is offered on a fi rst come, fi rst serve basis.

169 South Saint John Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 817-4000 info@mhs-hs.org www.maranatha-hs.org/summer

MAYFIELD SENIOR SUMMER @MAYFIELD FULL DAY, HALF DAY, ARTS, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS, GIRLS ONLY, CO-ED TEST PREP Mayfield’s Summer Institute is a vibrant, innovative, educational and fun program. Classes are designed to enrich mind and body during the summer months, while allowing middle school girls to experience an all-girls educational setting. Classes are available to young women entering grades 5-12 and can be tailored to a particular student’s summer schedule.

Ages: Grades 5-12. Dates: 6/23/14 – 7/24/14. Times: Flexible. Tuition: $30 Registration Fee. Ranges per class $100-$600. Registration Deadline: May 30, 2014.

500 Bellefontaine, Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 799-9121 clemmie.phillips@mayfieldsenior.org www.mayfieldsenior.org/summer

MCGROARTY ARTS CENTER MCGROARTY ARTS CENTER SUMMER SESSION ARTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS McGroarty Arts Center provides access to the arts through in-depth arts instruction and experiences. Affordable or free multidisciplinary arts instruction is offered to at-risk youth, children, and families, as are performances, exhibitions, and events that engage the greater public. The Center is a venue for artists to present their work, while preserving the legacy of John Steven McGroarty and his historic home.

Ages: 3 yrs – 99 yrs. Dates: July 7, 2014 – August 30, 2014. Times: Class Times Vary. 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. Tuition: Classes range from $50-$130 per session. Registration Deadline: Priority Donor Registration 5/22/14 General Registration 5/29/14.

7570 McGroarty Terrace, Tujunga, CA 91042 (818) 352-5285 rachelle@mcgroartyartscenter.org www.mcgroartyartscenter.org

ORME SCHOOL ORME TRADITIONAL CAMP OVERNIGHT This 2-week traditional summer camp is specifically designed for campers ages 9 - 14 who want the variety of experiences available at Orme. Activities include horseback riding five days per week, archery, paintball, target sports, hiking, sports, evening campfire programs, swimming, campers will attend Prescott’s “World’s Oldest Rodeo and Parade”, and a 4-day camping caravan to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and area cultural sites.

Ages: 9-14. Dates: June 22-July 6. Tuition: $1,850. Registration Deadline: June 1st HC 63 Box 3040, Mayer, Arizona, 86333 (928) 632-7601 ormecamp@ormeschool.org www.ormecamp.org

PASADENA LANGUAGE SUMMER LANGUAGE KIDS PROGRAM ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS We are offering language classes for children in Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish. These are full immersion classes with focus on conversation. For Mandarin and Japanese, we introduce some character writing. Our curriculum engages children through music, movements, drawing, role play, and story time. All our instructors are native speakers.

Ages: 4-12 years old. Dates: June 23rd - August 8th, 2014. Times: MW or TTh 9:00am-11:00am or 11:00am-1:00pm. Tuition: $435. Registration Deadline: June 19 46 Smith Alley, Suite 240, Pasadena CA 91103 (626) 844-5003 info@pasadenalanguage.com www.pasadenalanguage.com

PERFORMING ARTS WORKSHOP FULL DAY, ARTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS Voted LA Parent Magazine’s Best Camp for 2010! Spend your summer days in any of PAW’s awardwinning Camps: Musical Theater, Guitar, Rock the Mic, Filmmaking, Magic, Stage F/X Make-up, Puppeteers or Photography! The ultimate “Arts” experience from rehearsal to performance. Make friends and lifelong memories.

Ages: 5 to 15. Dates: June 16 to August 22 in 1 and 2 week sessions. Full-day times: Doors open at 7:30am, Camp Hours 8:30 to 3:00. Extended Day time: Until 5:00pm. Tuition: 1 week sessions $295, 2 week sessions $575. Registration Deadline: Prior to the start of each session. Sessions run from June 16 – Aug 22.

Pasadena Location – 301 N. Orange Grove Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91103 (310) 827-8827 performingartsla@aol.com www.PerformingArtsWorkshops.com

REALGIRL EMPOWERMENT CAMP FULL DAY, ARTS, GIRLS ONLY, YOGA, SELF-DEFENSE, DANCE, THEATER GAMES REALgirl is a groundbreaking, innovative and FUN camp designed to inspire and guide girls to reach their highest potential by learning to navigate issues including (but not limited to) body knowledge, the influence of the media, formation of healthy relationships, and the ability to be ‘captain of her own ship.’

Ages: 9-16. Dates: June 23-27 (ages 13-16), July 14-18 (ages 9-12), and July 21-25 (ages 9-12).

Times: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Tuition: $450 (Refer a friend and get $50 off tuition for both you and your friend). Registration Deadline: May 30, 2014 Westridge School (location of camp) 324 Madeline Dr. Pasadena, CA 91105 Home Office: 3842 Shannon Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90027 (323) 580-7048 realgirlprograms@aneabogue.com www.realgirlprograms.com

THE LEARNING CASTLE’S ACADEMIC SUMMER SCHOOL FULL DAY, HALF DAY, ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS Review, reinforcement and advancement are not only the primary goals of our Summer School Program, but also the fundamental ingredients for a successful transition between grades. With small, teacher-to-student ratios and an individualized approach, TLC/LCP’s program is the smart choice to keep your student sharp over the summer.

Ages: 4 yrs-3 grade. Dates: June 23-August 1. Times: 9 am-3 pm. Half day times: 9 am-12 pm or 12 pm-3 pm. Full day times: 9 am-3 pm. Extended day time: 8 am-5:30 pm. Tuition: Three week full day $970.00/ six week full day $1840.00, Three week half day $575.00/six week half day $1150.00.

4481 Cornishon Ave. La Canada 91011 (818) 952-8008 tlc@thelearningcastle.com www.thelearningcastle.com

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TOM SAWYER CAMPS, INC. FULL DAY, SWIMMING LESSONS, HORSEBACK RIDING, ARCHERY Tom Sawyer Camps strongly believe that “camp gives kids a world of good.” We provide unique opportunities to foster positive new relationships, build confidence and develop a sense of independence. We achieve this through a traditional outdoor program that includes horseback riding, swimming, hiking, group games, and much more. Please refer to our online brochure at www. tomsawyercamps.com Ages: 3 yrs going into 9th Grade. Dates: June 16-August 22. Times: 9:00am-2:00pm Pre camp, 9:00 am-3:00pm TSC TOO, 9:00am-4:00pm Summer Day Camp Outpost. Extended Day Time: 7:30am to start of camp at 9:00 am and end of camp up until 6:00pm. Tuition: Approx. $90-$100 per day.

707 W. Woodbury Rd. Unit F Altadena 91001 (626) 794-1156 info@tomsawyercamps.com www.tomsawyercamps.com

YMCA OF THE FOOTHILLS FULL DAY, HALF DAY, OVERNIGHT, ARTS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SPORTS, ADVENTURE Outside of your family, there is no place where your child should feel more at home than at Y Camp.

That’s why our camps are led by caring and trained youth developers who are dedicated to bringing out what is special and unique about your camper. We believe that being a Y camper means your child is surrounded by people who believe in his potential and encourage it every day.

Ages: 3 yrs to 14 yrs. Dates: Day Camp – 6/9/14 to 8/8/14 Resident Camp (Jr High) 7/6-7/12/14 Resident Camp (School Age) 7/13-7/19/14. Times: Day Camp 7am to 6pm. Tuition: Day Camp - $225 to $265 per week Resident Camp - $525 to 605 per week. Registration Deadline: Registration open until filled. Spaces are limited.

1930 Foothill Blvd. La Canada 91011 (818) 790-0123 camp@ymcafoothills.org www.ymcafoothills.org/camp

YMCA OF WEST SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SUMMER DAY CAMP FULL DAY, ARTS, SPORTS, ENRICHMENT AND ACADEMICS, NATURE & SCIENCE, SWIMMING LESSONS, DAILY RECREATIONAL SWIM, JUNIOR LIFEGUARD PROGRAM, EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENTS, EXERCISE PROGRAMS, GUEST SPEAKERS, DANCE CLASS, ARTS & CRAFTS, FUN FRIDAYS, WEEKLY FIELD TRIPS, WELLS FARGO “ HANDS ON BANKING” COMPUTER CLASSES, COOKING AND GOLD LESSONS (ADDITIONAL FEES) The Y Summer Day Camp is joined together by a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility. We believe that lasting personal and social change can only come about when we work together to invest in our kids, our health and our neighbors. We follow the Y VALUES of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility.

Ages: 4 years thru 8th grade. Dates: June 9th thru August 8th, 2014. Full-day times: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuition: Early Bird & Returning Families $1098, Standard Tuition $1198. Registration Deadline: June 9, 2014.

401 East Corto Street Alhambra, CA 91801 (626) 576-0226 val.ymca@gmail.com www.wsgvymca.org

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Elderly Athletes

Age is just a number for seniors who challenge themselves physically to reap a fuller life.

BY KATHLEEN KELLEHER

FOUR TIMES A WEEK AT 5:30 A.M., TOM ETTINGER ARRIVES AT A CHILLY POOL DECK AT THE PASADENA ROSE BOWL AQUATIC CENTER, WHERE THE 65-YEAR-OLD PREPARES FOR 90 MINUTES OF LAPS WITH HIS MASTERS SWIM TEAM. “MASTERS” IS A SPECIAL CLASS OF ADULT SWIMMERS, RANGING FROM NOVICES TO FORMER OLYMPIANS, WHO NAVIGATE SWIM LANES GROUPED BY SPEED AND ABILITY. “YOU SAY TO YOURSELF, ‘WHAT AM I DOING HERE? WHY AM I HERE?’” SAYS ETTINGER, A MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND FORMER COLLEGIATE SWIMMER WHO ALSO SWIMS IN OPEN-OCEAN COMPETITIONS AND POOL MEETS. “YOU ARE ON THE DECK AND IT GETS VERY COLD, BUT THEN WHEN YOU FINISH, THE ENDORPHINS KICK IN. YOU FINISH AT 7 A.M. AND YOU ARE FEELING LIKE [YOU] HAVE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING.”

Wayne Hunkins, 78, signed up for his first charity tower-running event last February, climbing the Empire State Building’s 1,576 steps in 28 minutes.

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“You are on the deck and it gets very cold, but then when you finish, the endorphins kick in. You finish at 7 a.m. and you are feeling like [you] have already accomplished something,” explains Tom Ettinger, 65.

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Ettinger is part of the country’s fastest-growing age group — people 65 and over, according to 2010 Census data. By 2030, one in five Americans will be 65 or older.

And more and more older Americans are spurning milder forms of exercise, like brisk walking and chair aerobics, in favor of pushing the envelope of athleticism. They do this despite inevitable age-related physiological changes, like the loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers (used in sprinting and explosive quick bursts of movement, like jumping), stiffer arteries and a decrease in VO2 max (the maximum oxygen consumption during exercise, a measure of aerobic physical fitness). Peak endurance performance holds until about 35 years of age, followed by modest decreases until 50 to 60 years of age, with progressive declines in the years after, according to physiologists. But while older athletes may not be able to maintain the endurance or intensity of their younger counterparts, they can still compete with slower but still impressive results. Indeed, they are models of what is possible physiologically as the body ages.

Whether it’s in marathons, swim competitions, open-ocean swim races, pool meets, stair-racing or triathlons, older athletes — sometimes called “Masters athletes” — are embracing the push and burn of intense fitness regimens to regain health, vigor and camaraderie and to blunt or reverse the ravages of time. Ettinger’s return to the pool in 2000 was inspired by his doctor’s assessment that he was pre-diabetic. Today, he’s no longer pre-diabetic; he stands 25 pounds lighter and is reawakened to the thrill of competitive swimming in his age division. It is, he says, all good.

For most people, exercise improves health, but before engaging in extreme sports or radical endurance feats, the older person, especially the uninitiated and sedentary, is advised to see a physician. No one should attempt such activities without carefully following a gradual, incremental training program, preferably guided by a doctor or

an experienced trainer, coach or team. Slow and steady is the best approach.

“Our experience is the benefits far outweigh the risks,” says Dr. David A. Goldstein, chief of geriatric, hospital, palliative and general internal medicine at Keck Medicine of USC. “Our bodies are capable of doing an awful lot as long as they are trained to do that. If you are just starting out, you need to see a doctor and have a regular comprehensive history of your heart and lungs taken before participating in rigorous exercise.”

Full-time trial attorney Wayne Hunkins, 78, began walking a couple of years ago when he realized he was so unfit he could barely get up off the floor. During a stroll, he noticed some stairs in a parking structure and decided to climb them. Within two months, he went from climbing six flights to 70 flights, taking the elevator down to spare his knees. He was hooked. He signed up for his first charity tower-running event last February, climbing the Empire State Building’s 1,576 steps in 28 minutes. Hunkins then went on to climb the Aon Center (63 flights) and the U.S. Bank buildings (74 flights), both in Los Angeles; the Bank of America building in Dallas (70 flights); and the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in Chicago (103 flights). Last November, Hunkins joined Mark Trahanovsky’s West Coast Labels team, one of the world’s fastest stairracing teams, and flew up the Figueroa at Wilshire building (53 flights). Trahanovsky, 53, a sales rep at Placentia-based West Coast Labels (WCL), founded the team in 2008 following a knee injury that ended his running career. Among WCL team members, Hunkins found fitness enthusiasts who matched his passion.

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Burj Khalifa, and to set records in all of them. Though there are sometimes no more than four competitors in his age group, it is still an impressive feat. Hunkins averages a bit more than 10 fl ights in three minutes. “One year after I started this, my cholesterol dropped from 221 to 170 and my resting heartbeat dropped 20 percent and my respiration rate dropped 10 percent,” says Hunkins, who also switched to a mostly vegan diet with occasional fish. “When my doctor got my blood tests back after a physical, he said, ‘What the hell did you do?’ I have become a bit of an evangelist.”

Hunkins says that he climbs one day, works out in a gym the next and rests on the third day. “As we get older, that recuperation rate is slower and you seriously need the day off,” he said.

Protecting against injury is something the older athlete does almost instinctively. Dr. Steven L. Smith, a Pasadena chiropractor, has dedicated much of his practice to this challenge. He co-founded Pasadena Pacers, a free running club, the oldest of its kind in the San Gabriel Valley. Smith co-created the club after his own competitive racing career was over, partly to give himself a push. “There are people like me [for whom] it takes everything I have to get out there and do it,” says Smith, 62, author of Run Healthy, Run Strong (Pacers Press, 2013). “I am trying to stave off the inexorable effects of dilapidation. These clubs have a social aspect to them that helps older folks. For a lot of these people, this is their church.”

Smith adds that crossing the finish line gives people a sense of accomplishment, which helps them feel they can do anything. Smith acknowledges that concerns about heart stress are not unfounded, adding that there are people with atrial fibrillation who are unaware of it. Anyone with a heart condition should be cautious about longer runs that put a person in a “high-intensity heart zone.”

A 2012 analysis of studies on long-distance running published in Heart, a British medical journal, tracked 52,600 adults over 30 years.

Researchers found recreational runners had a 19 percent lower death rate than non-runners. The bottom line: runners who clocked 20 miles or more a week had mortality rates equal to non-runners. A separate study found that runners who ran a 7.5-minute mile or faster had the same mortality risk as the average adult. The bottom line: runners who ran regularly but more slowly did have a lower death rate. On the other hand, faster, longer-distance running for longer periods of time may be stressing the heart. Still, death during a marathon is very rare: Only one in 100,000 marathoners dies during a race, according to a 2012 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In March, Robert Westheimer, 67, fi nished a half-marathon (13.1 miles) in Houston. He ran with his daughter and son-in-law, both 35.

Westheimer, who has survived cancer twice, beat his son-in-law by nine minutes. “I have to go out there and do it,” says Westheimer, a retired CPA who mentors disadvantaged young people in Houston.

“Staying fit in some way is an antidote [to aging and illness]. There is something inside me that is physiological — like a ticking clock — that says, do it now.”

Westheimer responds to that call by running three days a week, recovering on the off days by doing knee- and quadriceps-strengthening exercises prescribed by a physical therapist. He ran track in college and believes that 40 years of the sport has made it an intuitive, integral part of his life.

Though some studies indicate that running stresses the knees, many long-term studies show that runners with healthy knees when they start are not at higher risk for arthritis, even those like Westheimer who continue running beyond middle age.

Robert Westheimer, 67, finished a half-marathon (13.1 miles) in Houston with his daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Nathan Drever, both 35.

A July 2013 cross-sectional study of about 75,000 runners published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that there was no increased risk of osteoarthritis for runners, even marathoners.

What unites all of these older athletes is the drive not just to reverse or slow the aging process but to live a fuller, healthier, more energized life as long as possible. As people live far beyond the Bible’s entitlement of three score and ten — like Hunkins’ mother, who lived until 102 and was still walking a mile a day until she died — the vision and reality of how far we can extend our longevity expand as well. As Hunkins declares: “I am not going willingly.” |||| 04.14 ARROYO | 59

Various Aloe species in Ojai’s Taft Gardens 60 | ARROYO | 04.14

Ojai’s Gardens of Eden The city’s natural charms and spiritual ambience make it a Shangri-La for locals and visitors alike.

BY IRENE LACHER • PHOTOS BY RICK CUNNINGHAM

JANUARY HAD BEEN A ROUGH MONTH. I’D PLUNGED INTO THE POLAR VORTEX ON THE EAST COAST TO ATTEND A FAMILY FUNERAL, AND WHEN I RETURNED, I FELT THE NEED TO TAKE A DIFFERENT SORT OF BREAK FROM MY DAILY LIFE, TO REFLECT AND RECOVER. That ruled out SoCal’s luxe temples to consumerism, which certainly had their place, but not for this trip. Instead, my thoughts turned to the gentle city of Ojai, 90 miles to the northwest. Residents are so proud of Ojai’s natural beauty and its devotion to health and spirituality that they call it “Shangri-La.” (An incorrect urban legend casts the Ojai Valley as the location for Lost Horizon, the 1937 Frank Capra film about James Hilton’s fictional paradise, although film historian Kendall Miller says the movie did include an aerial shot.)

Actress Reese Witherspoon, who married agent Jim Toth at her former home there, described the city’s appeal to Elle Décor. “Time slows down,” she said. “It’s like having a little bit of Tennessee in California.”

Indeed, Ojai’s sleepy pace “may be too tranquil for a lot of people,” says lifelong resident Julia Whitman. “It can be considered boring after 5 o’clock at night.” Yet that’s part of what makes it a mecca for people who want to part ways with the proverbial rat race, for a weekend or even a lifetime. “The people here are about nature and the outdoors,” she says. “They love art, particularly artistic things that are inspired by nature. We pride ourselves on a beautiful environment.” Ojai’s most famous resident was, of course, an artist — Beatrice Wood, who has an arts center dedicated to her life and work.

Not surprisingly, the Emerald Iguana Inn, one of two boutique hotels in Ojai owned

by Whitman and her architect-husband, Marc, is — and this is a word I use sparingly — unique, inspired by the sensuous curves of Antoni Gaudí, the Barcelona-based architect who brought Art Nouveau to unparalleled heights in Europe. Marc Whitman “loves feminine organic design,” Julia says. “He doesn’t like sharp corners. He likes curves, round corners and arches. It makes it feel organic, like it was inspired by nature.”

Which made it the ideal headquarters for my pastoral sojourn. (Also, the fact that, unlike its family-friendly sister hotel, the Blue Iguana Inn, the Emerald is for adults only.) Set back from, but in walking distance to, Ojai’s art galleries, shops and restaurants, the Emerald Iguana began with a historic rock house –continued on page 37 04.14 ARROYO | 61

Meditation Mount Art Show

Australian Grass Trees in Ojai’s Taft Gardens 62 | ARROYO | 04.14

IF YOU GO: Where to stay: The Emerald Iguana Inn, 108 Pauline St., Ojai. Nightly rates range from $169 to $369. Visit emeraldiguana.com or call (805) 646-5277.

The Blue Iguana Inn, 11794 Ventura Ave., Ojai. Nightly rates range from $129 to $319. Visit blueiguanainn.com or call (805) 646-5277.

Emerald Iguana Inn

Where to dine: Azu, 457 E. Ojai Ave., exemplifies Ojai’s backto-nature philosophy with a lovely Mediterranean-inspired farm-totable menu spotlighting organic tapas and local wines and beers. If you’re sharing small dishes (and you should), don’t miss the hearty dates Azu stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon and the tender seared sea scallops in a blood-orange emulsion. Open every day for brunch, lunch and dinner. Visit azuojai.com or call (805) 640-7987.

While you’re there: Pop over to nearby Oxnard for whale-watching. Island Packers, 3550 Harbor Blvd. in Oxnard, runs three-hour tours to the Channel Islands in search of whales of every hue, from blue to gray. Make sure to pack your own ginger gum to ward off seasickness. Visit islandpackers.com or call (805) 642-1393.

Aloe speciosa in Ojai’s Taft Gardens –continued from page 61

built in 1906. The dozen rooms and cottages are built around a pool and decorated with teak furniture and other treasures Julia discovered or commissioned in Bali. My room, dubbed the Cricket, was an incredibly spacious two-story, one-bedroom cottage with vaulted ceilings, a private patio and a kitchen.

I arrived in Ojai close to the famous “pink hour,” when the valley is bathed in velvety fading light. Meditation Mount has some of the best views overlooking the valley, so off I went to catch the opening of an art installation in the International Garden of Peace, close to the entrance. It was the perfect place for local artist Brian Berman to mount an exhibition, because it was there that the Pacific Northwest sculptor and his wife, Lisa, decided to buy a second home in Ojai in 2011. “We sat there overlooking that beautiful view scented with oranges, and we said, ‘This is it,’” he recalls.

The show, which runs through mid-April, consists of 25 sculptures in various materials and sizes, most shaped like the letter “B” referencing the artist’s name, “planted” throughout the garden. Berman explained the work as “utilizing the feeling of being. Everything is just being, whether it’s an agave or an ant crawling on sand.

And we human beings get so involved in our thinking-and-doing process that we don’t come from a place of just being ourselves.”

Berman described how the garden setting was intertwined with the work. “There are some things that disconnect us from nature. Life, at least for the spiritual ap-

proach, is to overcome that,” he explained. “But all of the spiritual texts that I’ve encountered say we are already that which we are seeking. We’re looking for something that we already are. So that’s the message I get from the garden. This is the living Bible. I don’t have to read a book in order to get the message. That’s the beauty for me, and I’m not per se a tree-hugger.”

Meditation Mount is not Ojai’s only garden sanctuary. There’s also the 170-acre Meher Mount, a spiritual center dedicated to the late Indian guru Meher Baba, who remained silent for the last 45 years of his life. And the spectacular Taft Gardens, (805) 649-2333, founded by Julia Whitman’s father, the environmentalist and former Ventura real estate developer John Taft. Taft spent decades cultivating the 265-acre garden, dedicated to rare South African and Australian plants, which he donated to the Conservation Endowment Fund in the ’80s. He has a home in the nearby mountains and, most days he’s in Ojai, he still surveys the property, his Jack Russell terrier, Betty, at his heel.

The gardens lie at the end of a long paved street off Baldwin Road. I parked and checked in at an empty visitor’s hut, where I signed the guest book. Then I wandered among groves of plants like nothing I’d seen, a strange landscape out of a Dr. Seuss book. There were fire-red aloes and human-size grass trees from Australia with narrow trunks that seemed to undulate like the arms of a belly dancer. And there I found what I was searching for: an ironwork bench in a lovely shaded clearing, where I could spend some quiet time alone with my thoughts. |||| 04.14 ARROYO | 63

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Rites of Spring Take a tip from the Aztecs and welcome the season with a hearty thanks to the nature gods.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK | PHOTO BY JOE ATLAS

Spring looks a lot like winter in Southern California, especially this year. All the things I love about spring — warm sunny mornings, baby bunnies, blooming flowers — already happened in January. And although April is traditionally the month of showers, I am not convinced that this month’s rainfall will bring any drought relief, let alone spring flowers.

I blame myself for the lack of water. For my entire life I have ignored the traditional fertility rituals of my ancestors. I have paid no mind to the earth’s need for rejuvenation, nor considered I might need to offer the earth something in return for its bounty. Instead, I just drive to the store every week expecting there to be food for me. Our modern era has completely ignored the needs of the mysterious forces of nature.

We present no offering, make no sacrifices, light no bonfires, make no attempt to please the unseen powers.

Sure, we have many belief systems. Most of them share similar concepts, with rituals of the season that, though clearly based on pagan traditions, have little to do anymore with real fertility. Yes, the Easter egg is a symbol of rebirth. But how many of you are thinking about the rebirth of Californian agriculture as you draw invisible smiley faces on your hardboiled egg with a white crayon? Those chocolate bunnies are ancient fertility icons too, but no one thinks about fertility when enjoying them. (Except every teenage boy.)

We need to look back in time for a no-bull ritual that will please Mother Nature and increase our chances of rain.

The vernal equinox has long been a time of celebration and is very likely mankind’s oldest ritual. After a long dead season of winter (not here, but, you know, in the rest of the world), there is rebirth. Rain wets the earth’s whistle, grains sprout, fruits blossom and couples get busy (wink, wink). Fertility and reproduction of all kinds are celebrated, and life is reaffirmed.

We know such rituals took place as early as the second century B.C. The Zoroastrians at Ur (an ancient city in what is now Iraq) celebrated Nowruz, still celebrated today as the Iranian or Persian New Year. The Achaemenid (or First Persian) Empire, which stretched from the sixth century B.C. to around 330 B.C. and ultimately encompassed a vast region from India to Greece, documented Nowruz on the walls of the ceremonial capital of Persepolis with relief carvings of offerings brought to the emperor. In this tradition, Persian and Zoroastrian descendants all over the globe give thanks for spring with culinary offer64 | ARROYO | 04.14

ings, spring cleaning, family visits and bonfires (though not in brittle Southern California).

Bonfires are also lit in Northern Germany and the Netherlands to welcome spring, or, more precisely, to scare away witchy evil spirits, thereby ensuring a bountiful harvest. ' In traditional Slavic countries the pagan-derived spring ritual Smigus-Dyngus (the single greatest name of any holiday ever) is still celebrated, albeit now intertwined with ' Easter. Rituals during Smigus-Dyngus include dousing girls with water and whipping them with willow sticks decorated with ribbons. (The colorful ribbons make it totally dignified.)

The water is meant to call forth rain needed for a successful crop, while the whipping was said to bring about good health. (Rest assured, the girls retaliate the next day, drenching and whipping the boys. Awesome, right?) This tradition sometimes involves boys in bear costumes, because, of course, bears scare away evil and disease, and encourage crop growth.

Boys in bear costumes chase girls, march door-to-door collecting offerings, then finish by “drowning” a (faux) bear in a nearby pond. (No, I did not make this up.)

The Ute tribespeople of Utah and Colorado also use a bear in their spring ritual of a special bear dance that celebrates mating and fertility. The Hopis celebrate spring and call for rain with the flute ceremony, the snake dance and the Niman Katchina dance, which draws spirits out of the mountains to visit rain upon the crops. The eagle dance, common among

many tribes, encourages the bird to carry their request for rain to the gods.

The Saxon lunar goddess Eostre enjoyed a feast in her honor on the first full moon after the equinox, when she is believed to mate with the sun god, producing a child in nine months, at the winter solstice. Similar beliefs surround the ancient goddesses Ishtar, Isis and Inanna, all worshiped for their reproductive powers, and all invoking mythology around death and rebirth. Both the Persian tradition and Eostre the moon goddess likely led to the stories in the Book of Esther. The Romans celebrated Mithras, who was born at the winter solstice, then resurrected in the spring to lead those who worshiped him to the realm of light after death. (Sound familiar?) You can see how all these early rituals resembled each other, and how easily they were assimilated into the Christian tradition. That is because all the primary civilizations evolved along a similar path — with the possible exception of preColumbian Mesoamerica.

Within a very short 200-year reign, the Aztecs incorporated the rituals of preceding cultures into one amazing year-round demonstration of thanks-giving. Ingrained in their everyday existence was the belief that the earth continued its cycles as a direct result of blood offered to their pantheon. Crops succeeded, rain fell, the sun rose and the stars twinkled only if blood was spilled. Xipe Totec, one of several fertility gods, is also known as (brace yourself) “the flayed one.” Thanks to him, springtime transforms the earth’s dead brown skin into new fertile green skin. Just to be on the safe side, they celebrated Xipe Totec by wearing the skin of sacrificial victims (sometimes captives, sometime willing participants).

To these early cultures, sacrifice was not a violent, brutal act, but merely reciprocity for the sacrifice made by the gods during the birth of the fifth sun, when the earth as we know it was created. Like a cosmic thank-you note — written with the blood of your neighbor.

Our modern rituals do little to ensure we will have an abundant harvest. We don’t use them to ensure continuous water resources. We don’t think about the farmer’s well-being, or migrant workers’ rights. We worry less about whether or not our neighbors are fed than we do that someone might be cheating the food stamp system. We pay little attention to what we have done to the earth, and how our future generations will feed themselves. Really, we just expect our food to be there and become indignant when the store runs out of our favorite kale chips. If we look back through history and compare ourselves to our ancestors, we look awfully foolhardy.

Lest I be accused of launching a war on Easter, let me say that I still color eggs and put a carrot by the hearth for the bunny to snack on when he drops down the chimney to deliver his basket. (Everyone does that, right?) Still, the thing these ancient rites share, and what our modern rites lack, is gratitude to nature. So as you nibble on those Cadbury fertility icons, thank the moon goddess, ask the eagles for rain, turn off your backyard sprinkler and don’t forget your canvas tote bags. |||| Leslie Bilderback, a certified master baker, chef and author of Mug Cakes: 100 Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy your Sweet Tooth (St. Martin’s Press), lives in South Pasadena and teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

Green Goddess Dressing Pay tribute to the lords of the vernal equinox with this fresh herbaceous fl ash from the past. I think it is the perfect recipe with which to conjure forth good spring mojo, although it technically has nothing to do with spring. This recipe was created at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel in the 1920s in celebration of a local theater production of William Archer’s play The Green Goddess. Despite popular belief, it does not traditionally include avocado. However, if you want to add one to it, it couldn’t hurt.

INGREDIENTS 1 anchovy filet 3 scallions, chopped roughly ½ cup Italian parsley leaves ½ cup tarragon leaves ½ cup chervil leaves

Zest and juice of 1 lemon ½ cup best quality mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste) 2 or 3 grinds of fresh black pepper

METHOD Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving over baby greens or chilled steamed spring vegetables, or use as a dip for crudités.

04.14 | ARROYO | 65

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

THE LIST Mona Tavakoli

Golf with the Chamber

break take-home

April 4 — The

kids from 11:30 a.m.

Pasadena Chamber

to 2 p.m. daily. Sto-

of Commerce hosts

ries Under the Oaks

science projects for

features the Califor-

a golf tournament at Brookside Golf Club benefiting the business organiza-

nia Shakespeare Ensemble presenting

tion. Registration starts at 10:30 a.m.,

nature-inspired springtime stories from

and a shotgun start is scheduled for

11 a.m. to noon today and April 17, 18

noon. A cocktail reception and awards

and 19. A wildflower display in the

ceremony follow the tournament. Honda

California Natives Garden runs from

of Pasadena is donating a new car as

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 19; also that day,

the hole-in-one prize. The cost is $150 per

children can make crafts projects to

golfer, $600 for a foursome. The cocktail

take home from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., while

reception costs $50.

a wildflower-and pollinator-family walk

Brookside Golf Club is located at 1133

at 1 p.m. explores the roles that animals

Rosemont Ave., Pasadena. Call (626)

UNCORKED MELODIES

and insects play in plant pollination.

April 7 — The Muse/Ique orchestra, conducted by Rachael Worby, continues

and $4 for children 5 to 12; children 4

its Uncorked concert series at Pasadena’s Jacob Maarse Florists with “Beat-

and younger are admitted free.

One-Man Murderer-Madman-King

box/Bloom,” featuring the London-based Doric String Quartet. Worby con-

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Des-

April 11 — Caltech presents Shake-

ducts the ensemble and orchestra in a blend of classical music and beatbox

canso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818)

speare’s Murderers, Madmen and

sound at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, including a pre-concert cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m.,

949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.

Kings, a fast-paced

cost $50, free for members.

one-man show by

Jacob Maarse Florists is located at 655 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (626) 539-7085

Jazz that Rocks

Joshua Kane, evok-

or visit muse-ique.org.

April 12 — The Glen-

795-3355 or email leanne@pasadenachamber.org for information. Visit pasadena-chamber.org for sign-up forms.

Activities are free with Descanso admission of $9, $6 for seniors and students

ing some of the

dale Pops Orchestra

Bard’s most well-

presents “Fusion

known characters,

(323) 332-2065 or visit unboundproduc-

at Pasadena’s Ambassador Audito-

— Jazz that Rocks”

including Richard III,

tions.org.

rium, benefiting LOV Olive Branches

at Glendale’s Alex

Oberon and Henry V. The show at Beck-

Community Development Corpora-

Theatre. Rock meets

tion, a charitable organization serving

jazz as Matt Catingub and the orches-

at-risk youth and adults in the greater

tra fuse the music of Blood, Sweat and

Beckman Auditorium is located on Michi-

Devious Designer Drama at Boston Court

Pasadena area through music and arts

Tears, Steely Dan and Chicago in a

gan Avenue south of Del Mar Boulevard,

April 12 — The

education. The Youth Music Festival,

high-energy concert, starting at 8 p.m.

Pasadena, on the Caltech campus. Call

Theatre @ Boston

from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m, features DJ Kiss,

Tickets cost $10 to $75.

(626) 395-4652 or visit events.caltech.edu.

Court presents the

We “R” Remix, Malachi and winners

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N.

of this year’s SBS Music Competition.

Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (818) 243-

man Auditorium starts at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $45.

play Everything You Touch, the story of

2539 or visit alextheatre.org.

Party With the Departed

a vicious 1970s fashion designer: Victor

Tickets cost $10 for

April 12 — Unbound Productions pres-

pushes aside his glamorous protégé

adults; children 12

ents “Mausoleum Night” at the Moun-

and muse, Esme, in favor of an ordinary

and younger are

tain View Mausoleum in Altadena. The

Midwestern woman who inspires him

admitted free. The

scary-fun annual fundraiser includes

to make his work accessible to the

concert, at 6:30 p.m.,

Arts Fest Highlights Digital EFX Creators

a poker tournament, staged readings

masses. The play opens at 8 p.m. and

is headlined by South

April 19 and 20 —

of the company’s Wicked Lit series of

continues at 8 p.m. Thursdays through

African songwriter-guitarist Jonathan

plays and parodies, a silent auction,

Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through

Butler, with Steward, Andrae Crouch

Arts Festival spotlights the work of

snacks, libations and

May 11. Tickets cost $34, $29 for seniors.

and host Aundrae Russell. Tickets cost

digital artists, street painters, sculptors,

the premiere of the

Boston Court Performing Arts Center is lo-

$25, $50 for preferred seating.

photographers and other artists from

film The Dead Smile.

cated at 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. Call

Ambassador Auditorium is located at

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Saluting

The event runs from

(626) 683-6883 or visit bostoncourt.com.

131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Call (818)

Burbank’s reputation as “Animation

621-1005 or visit stephenbsteward.com.

Capital of the World,” an entire block

6 p.m. to midnight.

General admission tickets cost $25, $45 for the poker

Two Music Events for a Good Cause

tournament. Members receive a $5

Burbank’s Downtown

will be devoted to animation and visual EFX artists from feature films, video

April 12 — Gospel artist and pro-

Celebrating the Earth at Descanso

discount.

ducer Stephen B. Steward presents

April 12 through 20 — Descanso un-

as work from schools and studios. The

Mountain View Mausoleum is located

the Stephen B. Steward and Friends

veils a weeklong celebration of spring

event is hosted by Downtown Burbank

at 2300 N. Marengo Ave., Altadena. Call

Concert and SBS Youth Music Festival

and Earth Day, starting with spring-

66 | ARROYO | 03.14

games and television series, as well

–continued on page 68

03.14 | ARROYO | 67

THE LIST

WALK SUPPORTS AUTISM ADVOCATES

April 26 — Some 50,000 supporters are expected to join in the 12th annual Los Angeles Walk Now for Autism Speaks at the Rose Bowl. The fundraiser benefits Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization, dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders and funding research into their causes, prevention and treatment. Autism is the country’s fastest-growing serious developmental disorder. Registration starts at 8 a.m., entertainment and stage programs and the walk itself at 9 a.m., with rolling starts every 10 minutes through 11 a.m. Each walker who raises at least $150 receives a commemorative T-shirt. There is no cost to register.

Rose Bowl Stadium is located at 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena. Call (310) 9484426, email losangeles@autismspeaks.org or visit walknowforautismspeaks.org/ losangeles.

–continued from page 66

Partnership in collaboration with Cre-

Pasadena. Registration is required by

ative Talent Network. Admission is free.

calling (866) 402-6797. Visit pasadena

The festival is located on San Fernando

seniorcenter.org for information.

Boulevard between Angeleno Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank.

Fifties Fest for Foothills Needy Aid

Call (818) 238-5180 or visit downtown-

April 26 — Foothill Unity Center hosts its

burbank.org.

annual Golden Plate Awards gala at Pasadena’s Trinity Ballroom. The “Fabu-

Aging Gracefully

lous ’50s”–themed event, from 6 to 9

April 26 — The 2014 Pasadena Confer-

p.m., includes a classic car display, si-

ence on Aging, hosted by the Pasa-

lent and live auctions and oldies music.

dena Senior Center,

This year’s honorees include Cynthia

runs from 8 a.m.

Kurtz, president and CEO of the San

to 1:30 p.m. at the

Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership;

First Church of the

Colleen McEvoy, a longtime volun-

Nazarene. Work-

teer and the annual holiday benefit

shops will address

party host; the Jewish

brain fitness, scams and frauds, dating

Federation of the San

after 50, disaster preparedness, finding

Gabriel and Pomona

employment, Social Security, long-term

Valleys, Temple Beth

care, nutrition and many other topics.

David, Pasadena Jew-

Admission and parking are free, and

ish Temple and Center

the conference includes continental

and Weizmann Day School; and Sim-

breakfast and lunch.

plicity Bank. The center is the primary

The First Church of the Nazarene is

provider of food, case management,

located at 3500 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., 68 | ARROYO | 03.14

–continued on page 70

03.14 | ARROYO | 69

THE LIST

L.A. CHAMBER ORCHESTRA PREMIERES NEW WORKS, OLD MASTERS

Pianist Natasha Premski

April 26 — Pianist Natasha Premski performs Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, who also conducts Haydn’s Symphony No. 102 in B-flat major, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor and the premiere of “This Ease” by emerging composer Hannah Lash. Lash’s work was commissioned as part of the orchestra’s Sound Investment program, giving members the opportunity to observe, first-hand, the development of a new work, from the composer’s earliest ideas to the finished composition. The concert starts at 8 p.m. at the Alex Theatre, repeating at 7 p.m. April 27 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Ticket prices start at $25.

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (213) 622-7001 or visit laco.org.

–continued from page 68

crisis help and access to health care

Arlington Garden is located at 275

resources for those in need in 11 San

Arlington Dr., Pasadena. Call (888) 842-

Gabriel Valley cities. Tickets cost $150

2442 or visit opendaysprogram.org.

per person.

The Trinity Ballroom is located at 778 S. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626)

Palate-Pleasing Plates at Pasadena Restaurant Week

358-3486 or visit foothillunitycenter.org.

April 27 through May 2 — The Pasade-

Exploring Fabulous Gardens

Restaurant Week showcases the city’s

na Chamber of Commerce’s Pasadena

70 | ARROYO | 03.14

April 27 — The Gar-

reputation as a culinary destination.

den Conservancy

The event highlights the cuisine of

hosts self-guided

many Pasadena dining establishments,

tours of six private

appealing to diverse tastes in several

gardens in Pasade-

price ranges. Three-course dinners go

na, South Pasadena

for $26, $35 or $44; two-course lunches

and San Marino during the organiza-

cost $15, $20 or $25.

tion’s Open Days program. The tours

Some restaurants

run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to

offer a special deal

each garden costs $7, $35 for a book

or discount rather

of six tickets ($21 for members), free for

than a fixed-price

children younger than 12. Reservations

menu. Prices are sub-

are not required. Maps and tickets

ject to change and times may vary.

are available at Arlington Garden in

Visit pasadenarestaurantweek.com for

Pasadena.

a list of participating venues.

03.14 | ARROYO | 71

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