Arroyoaug2013 by Southland Publishing

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA AUGUST 2013

YOURS, MINE AND WHOSE? Savvy Estate-Planning Strategies for Blended Families

ONLINE SCHOOLS THAT GO THE DISTANCE Caltech Joins the Journey GUITAR STAR CARL VERHEYEN The Solo Life of Supertramp’s G-Man

arroyo VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 8 | AUGUST 2013

12 52

EDUCATION AND PARENTING 12 STORYTIME WITH MR. STEVE! Steve Ross’ lively readings at Vroman’s bring children’s lit to life. —By Ilsa Setziol

25 SCHOOLS THAT GO THE DISTANCE Find out why Caltech joined the online education craze and explore some of the resources available to lifelong learners. —By Tariq Kamal

38 YOURS, MINE AND WHOSE? Avoid these estate-planning pitfalls of particular concern to blended families. —By Bettijane Levine PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Ilsa Setziol, Misha Gravenor, Peter D. Figen

52 FROM THE SIDE TO THE SPOTLIGHT Guitarist Carl Verheyen deftly balances creative solo work with his longtime gig playing with Supertramp. —By Michael Cervin

DEPARTMENTS 11

FESTIVITIES Pasadena Heritage salutes the “Pillars of South Orange Grove.”

ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS A Navy-borne voyage into the third world alters Leslie Bilderback’s view of home.

WINING AND DINING Little Beast brings an inventive menu and homey atmosphere to Colorado Boulevard.

THE LIST Val Kilmer as Mark Twain at Pasadena Playhouse, the Cal Phil performs works by some of Broadway’s best, the refreshing Watermelon Festival and more

ABOUT THE COVER: Photo by nautilus_shell_studios, © www.gettyimages.com

08.13 | ARROYO | 7

EDITOR’S NOTE

THIS ISSUE PAYS HOMAGE TO BOTH THE OLD AND NEW IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION — saluting the staying power of the tried and true, while exploring newly carvedout corners of the knowledge universe. Steve Ross of Vroman’s Bookstore offers ample evidence that sometimes low tech is still the way to go when it comes to nourishing young children’s brains. As Ilsa Setziol explains, Ross’ decades reading children’s books aloud have made “Storytime with Mr. Steve” an institution at the independent bookstore. What does it take to keep kids’ attention in these ADHD-riddled times? Well, Mr. Steve’s flowered shirts don’t hurt. Neither does his genuine passion for the task at hand — spurring on kids’ nascent imaginations with readings that bring the books to life. Of course, the Internet has vastly expanded educational opportunities beyond face-to-face encounters. Tariq Kamal looks at the burgeoning number of websites that offer courses from some of the world’s top institutions, usually for free. So close down your game page and check out courses like “9/11 and Its Aftermath” from Duke University, “Volcanic Eruptions” from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München or “Roman Architecture” from Yale — just a few of the 408 classes offered by Coursera.org. The trend is catching on with children of all ages, including actual children. As Kamal notes, the nonprofit Khan Academy, created by MIT and Harvard Business School graduate Salman Khan, is helping kids everywhere get a better start in life with more than 3,000 videos on subjects ranging from algebra to world history. Certainly parenting is one of the toughest jobs on the planet, and parents of blended families can have challenges beyond those in traditional nuclear kinship groups. One involves parenting from the great beyond. Indeed, it may not be fun, but it’s never too early to make sure your kids are taken care of after you’re gone. So Bettijane Levine consulted with Arroyoland attorneys and reports back on issues of particular concern to the growing population of Brady Bunches. —Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kent Bancroft ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez PRODUCTION MANAGER Richard Garcia PRODUCTION DESIGNER Rochelle Bassarear COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Carole Dixon, Lynne Heffley, Noela Hueso, Carole Jacobs, 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

arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING 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, Monica MacCree OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 8 | ARROYO | 08.13

08.13 | ARROYO | 9

10 | ARROYO | 08.13

FESTIVITIES Valley Hunt Club President Don Crumrine, Lucy Crumrine and Rosemary Schroeder

Fran Scoble and Westridge School for Girls Head of School Elizabeth McGregor

“What Bridge?” by Kenton Nelson

More than 240 preservation supporters converged on the Ambassador West Mayor Bill Bogaard

campus July 13 for Pasadena Heritage’s “Pillars of South Orange Grove” gala celebrating the leafy boulevard nicknamed “Millionaire’s Row.” The alfresco dinner reception honored five organizations that have helped nurture the avenue’s evolution into a cultural hub of Pasadena — the Tournament of Roses Association, the West Pasadena Residents’ Association, Westridge School for Girls, the preservation-friendly real estate developer City Ventures and the controversial Valley Hunt

PHOTO: :Dolores Payne (Burton Payne ); courtesy of Pasadena Heritage (Pillars of South Orange Grove); J6 Creative (Kenton Nelson painting)

Club, which founded the world-famous Rose Parade in 1890. The event, where Kenton Nelson’s latest Colorado Street Bridge painting, “What Bridge?” was unveiled, raised some $40,000 for Pasadena Heritage’s preservation programs and projects... Burton R. Payne recently donated $1 million from his family’s foundation to Glendale Memorial Hospital in memory of his late wife, Dolores K. Payne. The gift will benefit the facility’s Cancer Center, where she was treated.

Burton Payne

Claire Bogaard, Katie Harp McLane and Bill Ellinger III

Rich and Kim Chinen, Teresa Lamb Simpson and Catherine and William B. Flim

Jon Wright, Pasadena Heritage Executive Director Sue Mossman, City Ventures Vice President of Development Ben Bensley and Sarah Bensley 08.13 | ARROYO | 11

Storytime with Mr. Steve! Steve Ross’ lively readings at Vroman’s bring children’s lit to life. STORY AND PHOTOS BY ILSA SETZIOL

TWICE A WEEK, THE USUAL HUSHED, CONTEMPLATIVE AIR OF VROMAN’S BOOKSTORE IN PASADENA RUPTURES AS LITTLE WILD THINGS STORM THE PLACE. THEY HUFF UP THE BIG STAIRS TO THE CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT AND HOME IN ON THE GUY KNOWN FOR HIS SHIRTS WITH BRIGHT GRAPHIC PRINTS. (THEY’LL EAT HIM UP, THEY LOVE HIM SO.) IT’S STORYTIME WITH MR. STEVE, WHERE HE DEFTLY PERFORMS THE MAGIC TRICK OF BECALMING THEM WITH FANTASTIC TALES.

–continued on page 15 12 | ARROYO | 08.13

PHOTOS:

For a quarter century, Steve Ross has delighted children (and parents) with his readings at Vroman’s. In the late ’80s, when he took a job selling books there, he had no inkling he would become an influential educator, even drawing classes from nearby McKinley Elementary. At 46, he still has a youthful demeanor and unflagging enthusiasm for a good story. (He’s also the store’s bargain book buyer, which explains Vroman’s fantastic selection of bargain kids’ books.) On a Wednesday in June, his audience consists of half a dozen girls in headbands, pink shirts and sparkly shoes, plus boys sporting Disney Cars tennis shoes and superhero shirts. Most listen attentively for an entire hour as Ross bursts into highly interactive and animated readings of Mouse Paint, The Day Louis Got Eaten, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, Dragons Love Tacos, Fish Out of Water and other books for kids under six. He voices the mice in squeaky tones, punctuates the action with vocal pops and boings, renders Pete the Cat with a surfer dude voice, gets the kids to count Pete’s buttons, prompts them to identify colors in the pictures and encourages the audience to shout out the stories’ refrains. “The more parts there are to the story that you can engage the kids in [the better],” he says. “If there’s a phrase that gets repeated a lot, that’s fantastic. My storytime’s full of these pregnant pauses while I wait for the kids to chime in.” Parents sip lattes and check email, but they’re listening too, smiling at twists on familiar fairy tales (The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig) and humorous asides added for their amusement. Robert Baumgartner brings his three-year-old daughter nearly every week. “It’s helped me tell stories better at home,” he says, noting that he has become a more animated reader himself, copying some of the voices Ross uses. “And we’ve actually gotten books I wouldn’t have picked up if he hadn’t read them.”

PHOTOS:

08.13 | ARROYO | 13

–continued from page 12

Ross’ storytelling panache owes a debt to his mother, Irene, who he says has a vivid imagination and a passion for entertainment — books, movies, stories of all stripes. She read to her two young sons about pretty much whatever they were interested in, deploying a range of goofy voices and accents. “Her Dracula was Bela Lugosi on steroids,” he recalls, “and she did [Boris] Karloff for Frankenstein.” He can still hear the sound effects she made for vampire hunter Van Helsing stabbing Dracula. “Once you hear [that],” he laughs, “you know your mom is really, really cool.” Ross’ readings are more than entertainment — reading aloud to little kids not only helps them build linguistic skills, it also correlates strongly with their future school success, according to Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook. Among the many research papers that back this assertion is a 1985 National Academy of Education report, Becoming A Nation of Readers, which concluded “the single most important activity for building knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” Ross grew up in San Gabriel and Temple City, where he still lives behind his parents’ home. Young Ross loved action TV shows and movies, such as Shazam and Star Wars, which debuted when he was 10 and “changed everything.” “I wanted to read stuff that was like Star Wars,” he recalls. “But the pulp magazines that it was based on weren’t considered good literature.” Teachers tried to steer him to classic books like A Wrinkle in Time, but they bored him. “With all due respect to Wrinkle in Time,” he says with a laugh, “it’s hippie, touchy-feely sci-fi, not blowing-up-robots-and-spaceship sci-fi. There’s not a sword fight to be found.” Then he discovered Hey Kids, Comics! at the grocery store. They cost only 25 cents and were action-packed. For the first time, he became an avid reader, albeit of comic

books. “But the way comics were written then, the vocabulary was so sophisticated,” he says, explaining that they were penned by recent college grads who hadn’t really had such a young audience in mind. Ross’ hip mom, who worked briefly as a substitute teacher, thought many classics were overrated and encouraged his interest in pop culture and science fiction. He remembers the copies of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars series she picked up for him at a garage sale. They became “the Rosetta Stone to just about everything I had loved before and since,” he says. These days Ross is pleased to be able to refer middle school boys to a banquet of adventure stories, including series like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Alex Rider, Skulduggery Pleasant and Ranger’s Apprentice. And comics and graphic novels are now more acceptable. But he regrets that popular superhero stories are no longer the complex and subversive lore he remembers. “When I read an old Avengers or Spider-Man comic, I often felt like Stan Lee was trying to impart a message to me amidst the mayhem,” he says. “Now I feel like the message is: Buy more products.” Vroman’s sells plenty of classics, and Ross recommends those too, but he’s still most passionate about exciting books with interesting visuals, even for little kids. His storytime picks are usually funny, sound-rich and brilliantly illustrated. They’re mostly recent releases — books parents often don’t know of and libraries might not offer. (But, of course, no violence or scary stuff for the little ones.) Among his signature read-alouds are Mo Willems’ goofy, interactive, comic-style pigeon books (e.g. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus). Ross’ passion inspired him to create his own comics and movies, so as a teenager, he took Saturday classes at Art Center College of Design, which he hoped to attend after –continued on page 16 08.13 | ARROYO | 15

Mr. Steve’s Read-For-Fun Storytime Playlist (In No Particular Order) WARNING: May not (necessarily) be educational! 1. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems Sometimes we don’t get to live our dreams, no matter how hard we attempt to bargain, trick, cajole or throw a tantrum. But sometimes, not living our dreams is actually for the best. (To be honest, almost all of Mo Willems’ books are storytime favorites.)

2. A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer Long in page count, but using short words and repetitive language, this is a brilliant, blazingly fast-paced comedy of escalation [in which a boy ignores advice not to overfeed his fish and it grows to epic proportions].

3. The Mud Fairy by Amy L. Young On the surface, The Mud Fairy has all the pink and girly-girl trappings shared by books about corporate-owned princesses and fairies. However, the message here is that it’s okay to be a tomboy, and to get a little muddy along the way.

4. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen A bear has lost his hat; he wants it back. That simple premise leads to a jaw-dropping conclusion (which is told so obliquely, it’s actually implied — “off-camera” gruesomeness shouldn’t upset most readers).

5. Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy by David Soman, illustrated by Jacky Davis I love all of the Ladybug Girl books, but this superhero mash-up rivals The Avengers! (Okay, not really.) A spunky heroine — who bucks [princess]

–continued from page 15

stereotypes — and her playmate Sam learn to resolve conflicts and

coursework at Pasadena City College. But after a financial setback, his family couldn’t swing Art Center tuition, leading Ross to seek out collaborators to illustrate and publish his stories. Comics artist Ben Dunn invited him to contribute stories and dialogue to his Ninja High School series (Eternity Comics), one of the first anime/magma–inspired comics published in the U.S. The resulting series, about a trio of Ninjas, was called Zetraman. Ross, whose maternal great-grandparents were from Mexico, also collaborated on one of the first comics with a lucha libre/Mexican wrestling theme. He’s currently working on a steampunk version of Tom Sawyer. (Steampunk is a science-fiction subgenre that melds Victorian and futuristic technologies.) Any portrait of Mr. Steve would be incomplete without a nod to his passion for guinea pigs. He’s been a “pig daddy” to 10 and recommends Paddington Bear creator Michael Bond’s The Tales of Olga de Polga (out of print in the U.S., but easy to buy online from the U.K.). “When the time is right,” he says only half-joking, “I will write The Great Guinea Pig Epic Saga. It will be a cross between Watership Down, The Hunger Games, The Road Warrior and Atlas Shrugged.” After all these years, it’s clear Ross still enjoys reading children’s books. That’s not only a blessing for kids, but a boon to Vroman’s. In this era of electronic media, children’s books are an expanding piece of the store’s sales. “Parents still want to share beautiful picture books with their children,” says Allison Hill, Vroman’s president and COO, adding “there are children who have grown up with [his] storytime and grew into teenagers who would only take recommendations from Mr. Steve.” True, some teens want to forget that they ever liked Peter Rabbit (or the guy who wedged into Peter Rabbit and other character costumes at storytime special events). “They hit this age where they don’t want to know me,” he says with a laugh, “but I’m hoping as they get closer to college age, I’ll become ironic like Mr. Rogers.” Whether they’re reluctant or eager, Ross enjoys chatting with his alums (some are now in college) when they visit the store. Many are doing well in school, he notes, “and are reading tomes that are heftier than Where the Wild Things Are — for pleasure!” He credits the family members who brought his brood to storytime, but he also feels proud that he helped show them that reading can be fun. ||||

discover common ground by playing superheroes.

6. Enemy Pie by Derek Munson, illustrated by Tara King Written before bullying officially became an issue, this brilliant and wickedly clever story of conflict resolution is practically a manual for “getting rid” of your worst enemy (by making him a best friend).

7. The Dumb Bunnies by Sue Denim, pictures by Dav Pilkey The cover blurb declares, “This Book Is Too Dumb to Win an Award,” but it’s actually chock-full of doublespeak, puns, sly visual gags and hilarious surprises.

8. I Hate Picture Books by Timothy Young Reluctant readers, your “voice” has arrived! The author makes many valid points as to why some kids have a hard time relating to classic stories. I believe that most reluctant readers just haven’t found that perfect book among the mainstream’s approved offerings.

9. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Alex Schaffer A mouse tricks his way out of being eaten. Clever mouse, clever scam, clever story, clever rhyme scheme, clever illustrations. I just love to read this one out loud!

10. Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers I wanted to have an Oliver Jeffers book on this list, and it was a toss-up between this one and Stuck. After recommending so many books about conflict resolution, superheroes, subversion and animals trying to eat each other, I thought I’d pick a nice friendship story about a boy and a lost (actually, lonely) penguin that ends with a hug and makes you go, “Awwwww.” — Steve Ross All books are carried by Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-5320 or visit vromansbookstore.com.

16 | ARROYO | 08.13

arroyo

™

SPONSORED BY

~HOME SALES INDEX~ june

june

2012

2013

+22% 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.

JUNE ‘12 47 $385,000 1464 JUNE ‘12 33 $680,000 1801 JUNE ‘12 18 $552,500 1649 JUNE ‘12 114 $462,500 1470 JUNE ‘12 24 $950,000 2167 JUNE ‘12 177 $566,500 1574 JUNE ‘12 11 $1,813,500 2837 JUNE ‘12 10 $508,750 1454 JUNE ‘12 11 $593,000 1418 JUNE ‘12 445 $386

HOMES SOLD

AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

HOME SALES ABOVE $900,000 RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE ARROYO FOOTPRINT

445 504

+12%

HOMES SOLD

HOME SALES

JUNE ‘13 42 $655,500 1667 JUNE ‘13 51 $828,000 1860 JUNE ‘13 11 $538,000 1308 JUNE ‘13 138 $520,500 1376 JUNE ‘13 35 $1,460,000 2524 JUNE ‘13 171 $551,000 1429 JUNE ‘13 16 $1,850,000 2634 JUNE ‘13 16 $801,000 1587 JUNE ‘13 24 $748,000 1543 JUNE ‘13 504 $492

ADDRESS ALTADENA 609 Hartwell Court 2880 Holliston Avenue 3706 Sunset Ridge Road 1664 East Loma Alta Drive 2140 Pinecrest Drive 2397 Highland Avenue 1200 Boston Street ARCADIA 1241 Louise Avenue 2113 South 5th Avenue 320 East Duarte Road 505 Coyle Avenue 1235 South 5th Avenue 1811 Chantry Drive 1680 Alta Oaks Drive 1003 Alta Vista Avenue 626 Gloria Road 920 South 5th Avenue 123 Sierra Madre Boulevard 342 East Haven Avenue 1209 Magnolia Court 2300 South Santa Anita Avenue 1440 Carmelita Place 1061 Fallen Leaf Road 47 Hacienda Drive 18 East Longden Avenue 830 West Orange Grove Avenue GLENDALE 1636 Ben Lomond Drive 1520 North Pacific Avenue 1838 Verdugo Knolls Drive 3164 Hollyburne Court 905 East Chevy Chase Drive 811 Harrington Road 1350 Andenes Drive 3436 Country Club Drive 1308 Greenbriar Road 1545 North Columbus Avenue 942 Calle Simpatico LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE 1103 Atlee Drive 355 Santa Inez Way 4739 Oakwood Avenue 4642 Encinas Drive 4440 Chevy Chase Drive 4448 Oakwood Avenue 2137 Cross Street 300 Starlane Drive 4921 Angeles Crest Highway 5653 Bramblewood Road 819 Parkman Drive 5420 La Forest Drive 4100 Dover Road #R 4836 Revlon Drive

CLOSE DATE

SOURCE: CalREsource

PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

06/25/13 06/28/13 06/26/13 06/19/13 06/26/13 06/26/13 06/27/13

$939,500 $1,068,000 $1,162,500 $1,175,000 $1,395,000 $1,450,000 $1,495,000

4 9 5 3 5 6 4

2507

1998

3881 2148 3126 3078 3277

1999 1949 1928 1911 1930

06/24/13 06/14/13 06/04/13 06/24/13 06/14/13 06/05/13 06/27/13 06/25/13 06/06/13 06/28/13 06/06/13 06/18/13 06/21/13 06/14/13 06/06/13 06/28/13 06/24/13 06/05/13 06/07/13

$1,020,000 $1,030,000 $1,150,000 $1,220,000 $1,288,000 $1,310,000 $1,328,000 $1,350,000 $1,400,000 $1,430,000 $1,450,000 $1,710,000 $1,850,000 $2,030,000 $2,800,000 $4,100,000 $4,170,000 $4,190,500 $4,600,000

3 5 2 4 3 3 2 5 3 3 5 2 5 6 5 7 5

2303 2546 1118 2014 1860 2095 2007 3538 2513 1735 2847 944 4725 2913 3842 7769 6729

1958 1951 1942 1950 1959 1955 1951 2001 1951 1956 1973 1940 2006 1928 1948 1938 1991

06/19/13 06/20/13 06/13/13 06/25/13 06/19/13 06/14/13 06/14/13 06/14/13 06/25/13 06/14/13 06/21/13

$939,000 $962,000 $993,000 $998,000 $1,115,000 $1,125,000 $1,125,000 $1,125,000 $1,130,000 $1,250,000 $1,350,000

4 6 4 4 8 4 6 4 4 3 4

2426 2305 2514 3070 4631 4136

1928 1923 1924 1986 1929 1991

3399 2866 2532 3092

1986 1964 1941 1990

06/07/13 06/19/13 06/21/13 06/28/13 06/05/13 06/27/13 06/21/13 06/28/13 06/19/13 06/26/13 06/21/13 06/05/13 06/11/13 06/25/13

$1,000,000 $1,020,000 $1,044,000 $1,088,000 $1,125,000 $1,130,000 $1,150,000 $1,170,000 $1,200,000 $1,299,000 $1,305,000 $1,368,000 $1,460,000 $1,490,000

2 4 3 3 4 3 6 3 4 4 3 4 4 3

1488 1856 1574 1695 1691 1998

1950 1939 1952 1949 1950 1947

2359 2793 2971 2162 2265 2524 1830

1967 1947 1966 1948 1954 1941 1949

PREV. SOLD

$950,000 $146,200 $1,075,000 $680,000

04/18/2006 12/19/1978 07/07/2009 06/02/2008

$498,500 $1,320,000

11/15/1996 08/15/2007

$855,000 $750,000

07/28/2008 09/29/2006

$88,000

08/09/1979

$870,000 $920,000 $650,000 $820,000

06/27/2006 08/06/2004 07/13/2001 03/19/2002

$569,500 $230,000 $1,350,000 $682,000 $610,000 $1,750,000 $440,000 $1,200,000 $1,498,000

08/25/1998 05/01/1991 05/25/2007 03/01/1994 05/27/1993 03/19/1996 02/05/1986 11/30/2010 02/26/2010

$415,000

11/27/1996

$825,000 $1,115,000 $180,000

05/29/2009 07/26/2006 05/05/1989

$580,000

05/13/1998

$389,500 $1,125,000

05/17/1995 11/27/2007

$616,000

01/31/2003

$850,000 $399,000

05/27/2010 12/02/1998

$730,000 $595,000 $906,500 $130,000

09/29/2004 07/26/1988 05/14/2008 07/17/1984

$665,000

11/09/2010

$860,000 11/01/2012 continued from page 18

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 2013. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.

08.13 | ARROYO | 17

continued from page 17

HOME SALES ABOVE $900,000 RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE ARROYO FOOTPRINT ADDRESS LA CAĂ&#x2018;ADA FLINTRIDGE 645 Durwood Drive 378 Mellow Lane 5213 Diamond Point Road 1051 Oxford Way 526 Paulette Place 4421 Hobbs Drive 3883 Hampstead Road 839 Chehalem Road 1516 Sugar Loaf Drive 450 Palmerstone Drive 4923 Hampton Road 4276 Woodleigh Lane 1322 Padres Trail 4884 Commonwealth Avenue 895 Greenridge Drive 796 Greenridge Drive PASADENA 17 South Grand Avenue 155 Cordova Street #202 1470 East Del Mar Boulevard 2110 Kinneloa Canyon Road 615 Eaton Drive 700 East Union Street #404 1095 North Marengo Avenue 515 Palmetto Drive 149 Glen Summer Road 681 Norwood Drive 155 Cordova Street #402 1175 Afton Street 1627 La Loma Road 1195 South Oak Knoll Avenue 1271 Glen Oaks Boulevard 616 South Los Robles Avenue 155 Cordova Street #201 849 Michigan Boulevard 920 Granite Drive #205 920 Granite Drive #108 920 Granite Drive #401 1301 Mt. Vernon Place 747 Old Mill Road 1185 Rancheros Road 675 Linda Vista Avenue 726 South Oakland Avenue 1765 East California Boulevard 880 Laguna Road 3267 New York Drive 1571 Oakdale Street 190 San Miguel Road 333 South San Rafael Avenue 999 Linda Vista Avenue 3219 Fairpoint Street 65 South San Rafael Avenue 527 South San Rafael Avenue SAN MARINO 1955 Rose Avenue 1380 Winston Avenue 2625 Monterey Road 2335 Longden Drive 1610 Las Flores Avenue 2360 Sherwood Road 1832 West Drive 1625 South Euclid Avenue 2750 Doresta Road 2138 Melville Drive 2750 Lombardy Road 1906 East California Boulevard 1416 Wembley Road 2330 Roanoke Road 1675 Westhaven Road 1305 Circle Drive SIERRA MADRE 520 North Michillinda Avenue 610 Auburn Avenue 448 West Highland Avenue 390 Olive Tree Lane 440 Ramona Avenue SOUTH PASADENA 1441 Oakcrest Avenue 1011 Park Avenue 2021 Le Droit Drive 1551 Diamond Avenue 1234 Blair Avenue 500 Alta Vista Avenue 1171 Huntington Drive #A 515 Meridian Avenue 875 Flores De Oro 240 Hillside Road

18 | ARROYO | 08.13

CLOSE DATE

SOURCE: CalREsource

PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

06/05/13 06/19/13 06/04/13 06/14/13 06/07/13 06/26/13 06/24/13 06/25/13 06/18/13 06/28/13 06/26/13 06/05/13 06/19/13 06/28/13 06/26/13 06/21/13

$1,525,000 $1,550,000 $1,600,000 $1,600,000 $1,645,000 $1,650,000 $1,730,500 $1,828,500 $1,838,000 $1,920,000 $1,935,000 $2,000,000 $2,058,000 $2,190,000 $2,440,000 $3,500,000

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

2717 2985 2855 3911 2898 1893 2668 3844 4271 3460 3246 2794 2722 0 4797 5580

1955 1956 1966 1949 1952 1940 1954 1950 1957 2004 1939 1948 1956 1988 1997 1997

06/12/13 06/18/13 06/14/13 06/14/13 06/18/13 06/12/13 06/27/13 06/24/13 06/03/13 06/21/13 06/28/13 06/18/13 06/27/13 06/26/13 06/17/13 06/07/13 06/25/13 06/03/13 06/04/13 06/13/13 06/06/13 06/27/13 06/04/13 06/10/13 06/28/13 06/18/13 06/06/13 06/05/13 06/24/13 06/14/13 06/21/13 06/26/13 06/14/13 06/21/13 06/05/13 06/07/13

$900,000 $908,000 $960,000 $965,000 $975,000 $995,000 $1,030,000 $1,031,500 $1,045,000 $1,050,000 $1,050,000 $1,052,500 $1,080,000 $1,100,000 $1,180,000 $1,190,000 $1,200,000 $1,250,000 $1,275,000 $1,280,000 $1,345,000 $1,380,000 $1,400,000 $1,425,000 $1,450,000 $1,500,000 $1,565,000 $1,600,000 $1,700,000 $1,710,000 $1,717,500 $1,750,000 $1,775,000 $1,850,000 $2,695,000 $4,400,000

2 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 5 2 2 3 2 2 3 3 4 6 6 3 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 7 6

2720 1780 2201 2183 2402 1340 2427 2349 1785 1714 1720 1553 1575

1921 2010 1922 1958 1938 2006 1915 1921 1948 1925 2010 1945 1939

2455 2180 2250 1387 1550 2540 2190 2341

1952 1982 2010 1922 2009 2009 2009 1949

2901 2888 2493 2150 3130 2929 3480

1947 1908 1951 1948 2005 1925 1937

2616 3111 5411 6956

06/21/13 06/20/13 06/05/13 06/07/13 06/17/13 06/18/13 06/28/13 06/14/13 06/21/13 06/26/13 06/06/13 06/27/13 06/25/13 06/28/13 06/04/13 06/07/13

$1,080,000 3 $1,280,000 2 $1,323,000 4 $1,350,000 3 $1,470,000 3 $1,780,000 3 $1,800,000 3 $1,850,000 5 $1,850,000 3 $1,850,000 5 $1,950,000 2 $2,137,000 4 $2,620,000 3 $2,625,000 4 $2,938,000 4 $4,600,000 13

06/10/13 06/07/13 06/21/13 06/25/13 06/18/13

$995,000 $1,332,500 $1,697,500 $1,740,000 $2,040,000

3 7 3 4 4

06/19/13 06/28/13 06/18/13 06/18/13 06/26/13 06/26/13 06/21/13 06/07/13 06/25/13 06/21/13

$915,000 $1,028,000 $1,081,000 $1,180,000 $1,300,000 $1,345,000 $1,518,500 $1,530,000 $1,550,000 $1,850,000

PREV. SOLD

$1,545,000 $200,000 $600,000 $1,770,000 $1,399,000 $880,000 $1,000,000 $1,650,000 $905,000 $400,000 $1,900,000

07/26/2007 07/31/1985 12/05/1997 09/02/2005 08/19/2011 09/30/2011 10/15/2003 12/14/2005 10/28/1994 03/03/1992 07/27/2006

$950,000

02/26/1999

$1,650,010 $1,700,000

07/22/2003 11/24/1999

$110,000 $458,000 $829,000 $975,000 $1,370,000

12/23/1980 12/13/2000 08/11/2010 12/30/2010 04/20/2007

$780,000 $782,000

04/12/2012 05/06/2005

$985,000 $812,500

08/30/2005 07/08/2011

$530,000 $407,000

12/27/1991 04/29/1998

$1,378,000 $1,225,000 $950,000 $600,000

06/24/2005 04/28/2004 12/03/2012 06/07/2000

$1,250,000 $965,000 $1,165,500

05/19/2006 12/31/2012 02/10/2006

$750,000

05/20/1993

1913 1887 1927 1936

$1,501,000 $1,450,000 $1,925,000 $565,000

07/15/2005 01/27/2011 10/15/2003 02/11/1980

1649 1661 1948 1534 1860 2904 2165 3012 2675 2519 2795 3050 3680 2634 3270

1948 1937 1928 1940 1936 1936 1928 1927 1936 1933 1948 1929 1947 1939 1928

$860,000 $1,328,000 $1,053,000 $968,000 $1,250,000

06/03/2011 06/28/2007 12/28/2012 08/10/2009 04/10/2008

$949,000 $1,462,500 $1,325,000 $1,000,000 $715,000 $1,778,000 $395,000 $1,198,000 $5,050,000

01/05/2001 10/26/2007 06/17/2009 07/19/2002 08/27/1999 12/08/2005 03/07/1986 04/25/2003 02/15/2007

2345

1948

2686 3053 3474

1890 1887 2006

$1,000,000 $1,250,000 $475,000

05/13/2008 12/01/2004 11/15/1999

$439,000

08/03/2001

1280

1938

3 2 3 2 8 8 5 3

1516 2173 3197 2413 4676

1923 1912 1923 1958 1923

$875,000 $558,500 $860,000 $283,000

08/18/2005 11/06/2002 12/21/2004 05/16/1991

3209 3095

1975 1935

$740,000 $1,160,000 $360,000 $127,000 $1,818,000

05/04/2011 12/30/2005 06/18/1993 09/17/1975 11/05/2009

yo arro arroyo HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

PROJECTS AND PRODUCTS! AND THE LONG ROAD HOME

PHOTO: Courtesy of Jeanette Chasworth, The Color Whisperer

BY JOANNA DEHN BERESFORD

SUMMERTIME TENDS TO INSPIRE A SENSE OF ADVENTURE. WHEN WE WERE KIDS THIS MIGHT HAVE MEANT EXPLORING CREEKS, FIELDS AND FORESTS BEYOND OUR OWN BACK YARDS. OR TRAVELLING FURTHER AWAY, TO DISCOVER EXOTIC DESTINATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY OR THE WORLD. FOR SOME PEOPLE IT ALSO MEANS LAUNCHING IMPORTANT PROJECTS AT HOME – EVERYTHING FROM CLEANING OUT CABINETS IN THE GARAGE,TO BUILDING A NEW ROOM, OR REDECORATING THE OLD ONES. RECENTLY MY SENSE OF ADVENTURE LED ME ON A QUEST TO DISCOVER WHAT SOME OF MY FAVORITE LOCAL DESIGNERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON. I ASKED THEM ABOUT CURRENT PROJECTS AND PRODUCTS, AND I ALSO ASKED THEM, AMIDST THEIR VARIOUS FLURRIES OF ACTIVITY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT STAY THE SAME, SEASON AFTER SEASON,AND YEAR AFTER YEAR. HERE’S A WHIRLWIND ASSESSMENT OF WHAT I LEARNED… –continued on page 21

08.13 | ARROYO | 19

PHOTO: Courtesy of Cynthia Bennett & Associates

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 19 Amazing Projects: One of the most ambitious projects I encountered is the Cynthia Bennett & Associates’ renovation of a “1½- story, quasi-Tudor home built in the 1940s, with very little authenticity, into a classic French 2-story, stone clad townhouse.” The renovation includes a slate roof, copper gutters, new bedroom, new bath, new office, new door and new details. And none of that is the hard part of the project. The hard part, according to Cynthia, has to with the chronology of this particular enterprise. “The reason this project has been so interesting,” says Cynthia, “is that all of this has to be done with the rest of the interior kept in as perfect shape as possible, because the original home had already been very recently remodeled and completely redecorated by Cynthia Bennett & Associates. This is backwards!” Talk about building your castle in the air. Cynthia and her team, including architect, space planner, interior designer and project manager, have succeeded in building new foundations and footings under the house, and bringing structural supports through the –continued on page 23

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—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 21 walls “almost without a glitch,” she says. Clearly both the design/construction team and the clients are thrilled with the results of their efforts. Redesign projects aren’t always as overwhelming as the Tudor-French conversion. Jeanette Chasworth, The Color Whisperer, and author of What’s Color Got to Do With It, takes on her redesign projects with, not surprisingly, a unique focus on the transformative effects of color. “I’m passionate about helping people rediscover their power through the use of color,” says Jeanette. She compares a recent kitchen design to “Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers – a dance of warm and cool colors, different textures, all blending together seamlessly. The floor featured a bronze texture, which flowed together with slate blue and German silver cabinets, richly textured granite countertops, topped with a mix of colored tiles.” Carolyn Von Der Ahe, of Von Der Ahe Interiors, is delighted by an ongoing project that involves augmenting and updating antiques and artwork for a client.“I love pulling history –continued on page 44

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Schools that Go the Distance Find out why Caltech joined the online education craze and explore some of the resources available to lifelong learners. BY TARIQ KAMAL

CALTECH HAS JOINED THE GROWING NUMBER OF PRES-

SPAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THROUGH COLLEGE AGE.

TIGIOUS SCHOOLS THAT OFFER MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE

THE CONCEPT OF ONLINE EDUCATION APPEARS TO BE

COURSES (MOOCS). THESE MOSTLY COLLEGE-LEVEL

GAINING ACCEPTANCE. A RECENT POLL CONDUCTED BY

COURSES ARE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC,

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE LOS

USUALLY FOR NO COST, AND THEY ATTRACT TENS OF

ANGELES TIMES FOUND THAT 59 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS

THOUSANDS OF REGISTRANTS. AND SITES ARE BEGIN-

WERE IN FAVOR OF EXPANDING ONLINE COURSES TO RE-

NING TO SPRING UP FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, SUCH AS

DUCE COSTS FOR CALIFORNIA’S CASH-STRAPPED PUBLIC

THE MUCH-VAUNTED KHAN ACADEMY, WHOSE STUDENTS

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. –continued on page 27 08.13 | ARROYO | 25

–continued from page 25

Cassandra Horii, founding director of Caltech’s Center for Teaching and Outreach, sees MOOCs — which are generally not accepted for course credit — as the next logical step in a decades-long pursuit of new ways to connect with all types of students. “Caltech has reached out digitally for many years,” she says. “It really has been driven by the faculty. They want to use online technology in new ways.” Yaser Abu-Mostafa, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science, launched Caltech’s first MOOC last year: “Learning from Data” serves as an introduction to machine learning (a form of artificial intelligence) and includes 18 lectures, homework assignments and a final exam. The subject matter is incredibly challenging and there’s no tangible reward for completing the course. But thousands of students did so, and more than 100,000 have audited. So what makes MOOCs so popular? Part of the appeal for adults out in the real world is instructors’ ability to offer information and materials not typically available from a Wikipedia page or documentary film. Depending on the format, MOOCs can also offer opportunities to interact with professors, teaching assistants (TA) and fellow students. Ryan Trainor, a Caltech graduate student in astronomy, served as a TA for “Galaxies and Cosmology,” a MOOC created by Professor S. George Djorgovski. The course is one of three Caltech hosts on Coursera. org, a site that offers hundreds of courses from a long list of universities, including Princeton, Yale and Stanford. Trainor says partnering with Coursera makes producing a MOOC “much easier than starting from scratch,” noting that the site offers several features that help instructors replicate the experience of a traditional classroom. “The most obvious difference is not having direct contact — no facial expressions or visual cues,” he says. “You have to figure out if the students are following along.” To that end, instructors may punctuate their lectures with quizzes and create online forums that allow students to ask questions. With 28,000 students from around the world enrolled in “Galaxies and Cosmology,” many questions

are answered by other students within minutes, regardless of the time of day. The astronomy course attracted a diverse group whose only common trait was an interest in the subject, Trainor says. Horii says “Drugs and the Brain,” another Caltech MOOC, drew in teens and octogenarians — spanning the spectrum of educational levels, including medical school. MOOCs have granted Caltech “another level of international outreach,” helped alumni reconnect with the school and allowed potential students to get a glimpse of the work that lies ahead, she adds. No one is charged tuition, which begs the question: Are Caltech’s professors giving away what their on-campus students pay to get? Horii has no such concerns. “Students who come to campus have an experience well beyond what you get online, including working in labs and conducting hands-on research,” she says. Indeed, there are limitations to the types and effectiveness of courses that can be offered online. Horii hopes future advancements will lead to “online immersive spaces” that can make a MOOC possible for subjects that require lab time, including certain mechanical engineering and robotics courses. As Robert Talbert wrote of Khan Academy, a site that produces brief video tutorials for K–12 students, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, “Khan Academy is not a substitute for an actual course of study in mathematics. It is not a substitute for a live teacher. And it is not a coherent curriculum of study that engages students at all the cognitive levels at which they need to be engaged. It’s okay that it’s not these things. We don’t walk into a Mexican restaurant and fault it for not serving spaghetti.” MOOCs have already contributed to the advancement of “flipped” classrooms, which allow students to watch prerecorded lectures when and where they choose; actual classroom time is reserved for interactive problem-solving. At Caltech, the idea — and the technology — is catching on. “Faculty and students are excited that MOOCs have made it possible to ‘flip’ classes,” Horii says. “Online tools are blowing the lid off the perception of how courses should work.” –continued on page 29 08.13 | ARROYO | 27

28 | ARROYO | 08.13

–continued from page 27

Online Classrooms Massive open online courses are designed by instructors and shared on a wide variety of webbased platforms. Some, including many of those produced by Caltech faculty, can be found on YouTube or the schools’ own websites. The rest can be accessed via sites specifically designed for the medium. Here are several you can explore today: AcademicEarth.org Sometimes referred to as the “Hulu of education,” Academic Earth offers video-based courses produced by instructors from prestigious colleges in the U.S. (e.g., Columbia and Dartmouth), India and Ireland. The site is graphically appealing, easy to navigate and includes subjects from a wide range of disciplines. Academic Earth also offers “playlists” of its most popular courses, including such heady topics as “Living a Good Life,” “Love Is in the Air” and “The Nature of Evil.” Coursera.org Coursera lists nearly 400 courses on a wide range of subjects, from artificial intelligence to “A Brief History of Humankind.” The focus is on math and science, but there are several MOOCs in the arts, humanities, music and more. The site’s designers stress the importance of interaction, offering pop-up quizzes and online discussion forums to keep students engaged. In addition to the open courses, Coursera has partnered with UC Irvine, Duke University and the University of Pennsylvania to offer a handful of classes for college credit. EdX.org EdX is a MOOC platform launched as a cooperative venture between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. The course catalog includes MOOCs from both schools as well as UC Berkeley, Kyoto University and many more. The site’s founders designed edX as a strictly noncommercial enterprise; in fact, the site’s source code is freely available for other institutions to copy and repurpose. FacultyProject.org The Faculty Project is a relatively small-scale MOOC provider organized by 14 professors from 12 U.S. colleges, such as USC and Vassar. The site includes courses on history, economics, language, music, math and science. Business owners might want to start with this site, which offers such courses as “Entrepreneurship — From Idea to Launch,” “Foundations of Business Strategy” and “Operations Management.”

Open.ac.uk The Open University’s story begins well before the digital age. The school itself was founded in 1969 and is the largest in the U.K., with more than 250,000 students, most of whom complete their studies off-campus. The OU is widely regarded as a pioneer in distance learning. The school produced countless radio and TV broadcasts from 1971 to 2006; today, the OU has embraced the MOOC model and lists more than 600 such courses in its online catalog.

KhanAcademy.org Launched by MIT and Harvard Business School graduate Salman Khan in 2006, Khan Academy offers a unique take on the MOOC concept. The site offers thousands of videos, all hosted by YouTube, but most are only a few minutes long. Khan’s “micro-tutorials” are designed to be enjoyed by students of any age but they’re accessible to youngsters. Khan Academy’s staggering number of courses and wide reach has allowed it to deliver more than 200 million lessons, earning an endorsement from Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates.

Udacity.com

OCWConsortium.org

Wikiversity.org

The OpenCourseWare (OCW) Consortium is a MOOC platform with an international emphasis. The site allows students to search for courses by subject as well as language and source; for example, there is a long list of MOOCs for Spanish speakers. The OCW Consortium also offers a directory of sites maintained by individual institutions, including the site’s many partners in the U.S., such as Johns Hopkins and Michigan State.

This site is similar to other MOOC providers in offering free courses to any interested party. However, anyone can contribute to Wikiversity, including teachers and students at every educational level. The result is a less formal, more work-in-progress site with great potential. Like the OCW Consortium, Wikiversity is an international project; there are Wikiversities in 14 languages. ||||

Udacity offers a long list of college-level business, computer science, math, physics and psychology courses. Once a course is added to Udacity’s catalog, it can be started and completed at any time; most other sites operate on a set calendar. Udacity also distinguishes itself by issuing certificates of completion and tracking each student’s progress through the site’s My Courses interface. Like Coursera, Udacity places a heavy emphasis on interactive features.

08.13 | ARROYO | 29

30 | ARROYO | 08.13

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

Education & ENRICHMENT AND SUMMER CAMPS

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Art Classes of Pasadena Art Classes of Pasadena is open year round, 7 days a week, with classes in traditional drawing, watercolor, oil painting, cartooning and computer arts. These classes are available on a continuous open enrollment basis, so you can join any time! Expanded hours in summer. See website for details. Ages 4 to Adults. $20/hr base price for classes (discount package available). 3763 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 993-4021 or www.artclassesofpasadena.com Altadena Stables Altadena Stables is a full-service facility and offers a safe and friendly environment for your riding enjoyment. Boarded horses are attended to 24/7 by experienced caretakers who live on the property. The location is next to the Arroyo Seco and its beautiful forest trails. Instruction is provided on reliable stable horses by skilled professionals and trainers, who offer lessons, camps, clinics and groups for riders of all ages and skill levels www.altadenastables.com (626) 797-2012 Barnhart Barnhart School offers a private elementary and middle school education for children in kindergarten through 8th grade from the Arcadia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and other San Gabriel Valley communities. Distinguished programs of Barnhart School are the Writers’ Workshop, the 7th grade Biotech project sponsored by Amgen, Spanish at all grade levels with a conversation club in 8th grade, early literacy emphasis, the Virtues character development program, and continued integration of technology, arts, and physical education. 240 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia. barnhartschool.org (626)446-5588 Child Educational Center The Child Educational Center (CEC) offers innovative, child-centered and nurturing care in Pasadena and La Canada in relaxed, child-centered environments at seven sites in Pasadena and La Canada. Their programs, designed for children 6 weeks -

grade 6, provide outdoor learning, excellent ratios, highly qualified teachers. Schoolage children engage in a variety of activities and have opportunities for homework support and plenty of physical activity. Transportation is provided from many area schools. www.ceconline.org (818)354-3418 Chyten Educational Excellence Dedicated to giving students personal attention and exceptional customer service, Chyten offers premiere tutoring services. Neil Chyten started tutoring in the Boston area 25 years ago. Chyten has grown to 36 locations from coast to coast. Chyten Educational Services only hires experienced teachers who hold master's degrees or PhDs. They tutor on all subjects and work with ages from kindergarten through adult. We special focus on test preparation, practice tests, study skills and college counseling. 400 N. Santa Anita Ave, Arcadia 626-445-1000 www.chyten.com Diana Brandin Realtime Captioning / OnPoint Captions Speech-to-text services. Since 2004, serving persons who are Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Late-Deafened, or ELL students in San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles, Orange County and more! Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) - closed-captioning onsite and remotely for live events, or pre-recorded audio & video. Classrooms, businesses, neighborhood council meetings, court and more! ADA Accessibility. Captions displayed on laptop, smartphone, tablet, monitor, projector-to-screen, jumbotron. www.OnPointCaptions.com FREE DEMOS. Call now!! (818)279-8136 Drucker School of Management The Drucker School of Management in Claremont offers a world-class graduate management education through our MBA, Executive MBA, Financial Engineering, and Arts Management degree programs. Our programs infuse Peter Drucker’s principle of management as a liberal art along with our core strengths in strategy and leadership. We offer individualized, flexible course scheduling, an innovative curricu–continued on page 33 08.13 | ARROYO | 31

32 | ARROYO | 08.13

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

Education & ENRICHMENT AND SUMMER CAMPS

–continued from page 31 lum focusing on values-based management, and the opportunity to learn from world-renowned faculty. To learn more, visit us at www.drucker.cgu.edu. Emmaus Lutheran School Since 1943, Emmaus Lutheran School has nurtured students with rigorous academic standards and Christian based life skills to produce well-rounded students whose academic careers hold no limits. Our graduates go on to schools including Johns Hopkins University, West Point and USC. Before and after school care, sports, student government, field trips, music, art, and SMALL CLASSES and INDIVIDUALIZED CARE help students become anything that they want to be. Join the Emmaus family! Visit our website: www.emmauslutheranchurch.org. 840 So. Almansor St., Alhambra, Ca 91801. (626) 289-3664 Flintridge Montessori Preschool We offer one of the most outstanding Preschool and Kindergarten Montessori programs within the Los Angeles area. We serve ages 2-6 with a student capacity of 120. Our Mission is to provide children with quality education and attentive care in an atmosphere of love, which promotes learning and successful socialization. In addition to encouraging academic achievement, we strive to help the children develop joy in sharing and take pride in self-reliance. Visit us today and take a tour. 1739 Foothill Blvd. La Canada (818) 790-8844 www.Flintridge-montessori.com Fusion Academy & Learning Center Fusion Academy & Learning Center is a one-to-one, college-prep private school for grades 6-12 for students who are better suited in an alternative to traditional environment. With the ultimate in flexible scheduling, classes are self-paced and personalized for each student’s individual interests, emotional health, and learning style. Fusion offers enrichment classes for both private lessons and courses for credit, a

state-of-the-art recording studio, a full mixed-media art studio, and teacher-assisted Homework Café®. Learn more: (323)258-2012 www.FusionPasadena.com Hair Angels The Hair Angels is a professional head lice removal service, which provides a fast and guaranteed treatment for lice. With years of experience, we’ve successfully helped thousands of families win their battle against lice. We offer two convenient treatment options. Clients can choose between in-home or salon service. Our meticulous technicians are extensively trained in the most effective lice removal method, The Shepherd Method tm and it’s completely non-toxic. We quickly and effectively remove your family’s lice in one visit, and guarantee your child back to school immediately after treatment. End the struggle today and call The Hair Angels for help! (877)543-8881 259 Sierra Madre Villa Ave Pasadena, Ca www.thehairangels.com High Point Academy Since 1965, High Point Academy has offered a whole-child approach to education with emphasis placed on core subjects as well as technology, art history, instrumental and choral music, daily PE, foreign language, green living and community service. HPA is co-educational and serves students in grades kindergarten through eight. We invite you to learn more about us at www.HighPointAcademy.org and would love to have you join us for a tour! Justine Sherman & Associates Justine Sherman & Associates is a nonpublic agency that serves the speech-language, educational, and orofacial myofunctional needs of clients throughout the San Gabriel Valley and various regions of Los Angeles County. We provide our clients and their families with the therapy and support programs necessary to achieve their maximum potential by designing and carrying out customized treatment plans with –continued on page 34 08.13 | ARROYO | 33

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

Education & ENRICHMENT AND SUMMER CAMPS

–continued from page 33 specific measurable goals. These goals are achieved through individual or group therapy sessions conducted by our certified and licensed speech-language pathologists in a warm and caring environment. Please call (626)355-1729 for a consultation or visit us at www.justineshermanslp.com

clearly, think critically and creatively, and effectively express their knowledge in two languages and through two cultures. A bilingual education paves more pathways in the brain, resulting in better academic performance. Give the Pasadena campus a call to schedule a tour (626) 793-0943 or visit us on the web at www.lilaschool.com.

Kidspace Children's Museum Our mission is to provide creative environments that inspire learning through self-directed, interactive experiences and play in the arts, sciences and humanities that enrich children, families and the community. Southern California's premier children's museum offers over 3 acres of interactive learning environments with age-appropriate programs and activities for children pre-k to grade 4. A trip is your child’s all-access pass to a full day of learning and play! (626) 449-9144 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena - www.kidspacemuseum.org

Maranatha High School Maranatha High School Gives iPads to Every Student! Maranatha is one of the first schools in the nation to utilize iPad Minis school wide. Maranatha students will not only read their textbooks on their Minis, but engage in digital across the curriculum. Maranatha is an intentionally Christian, college prep school with 34 AP and Honors courses. The school boasts 18 competitive sports and award-winning performing and visual arts programs. Come visit the exquisite campus near Old Town Pasadena. (626)817-4000 - www.maranatha-hs.org

La Salle High School La Salle High School is dedicated to excellent student performance in academics, arts and athletics. La Salle Summer Academic Institute is for 5th to 12th graders. Courses provide opportunities to home skills and learn new concepts in the more relaxed environment of summer. Students earn high school academic credit in some courses, and many courses satisfy UC standards. Sports Camps are available throughout the summer for student athletes. (626) 696-4300 www.lasallehs.org

Options A Child Care and Human Services Agency was founded in 1981 and today serves 10,000 + children per day with 750 + professional staff. Services include: • Free child care referrals for parents • Training and subsidies for licensed family child care providers to provide nutritious meals • Training and quality improvement programs for child care providers • Voucher child care programs allowing parental choice in selecting care for their children For information, call (626) 856-5900

Lycée International de Los Angeles Students at LILA (Lycée International de Los Angeles), an international, French immersion school with five campuses (Pasadena, Burbank, Los Feliz, Orange County, and West Valley), benefit from a full immersion program. The goal of this Preschool–12th grade school is to create modern “Renaissance Students” who are able to reason 34 | ARROYO | 08.13

Our School Our School was established in 1977 and is a product of over thirty six years of experience. The materials are selected to expose your child to progressive educational –continued on page 36

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—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

Education

& ENRICHMENT AND SUMMER CAMPS

–continued from page 34 steps, warm and understanding teachers with an education to better your child's individual needs. It is our goal to provide your child with a well-rounded program to meet their social, emotional and academic needs as well as a warm and comforting environment. 1800 E. Mountain Street, Pasadena, CA 91104 (626)798-0911 Pasadena Language Center We offer over 30 languages for adults and children. Our small group classes are perfect for beginner, intermediate and advanced students. Our language programs include weekly classes, intensive classes, weekend immersion, full immersion classes, kids classes, ESL classes, or private instruction. We keep the rates affordable so that anyone can learn a new language. Pasadena Language Center, 46 Smith Alley, Suite 240, Pasadena. Call (626) 844-5003 or visit pasadenalanguage.com Pasadena Waldorf School Pasadena Waldorf School ignites a life-long love of learning; the arts -infused curriculum advances from play-based early childhood classes to a vigorous academic program through middle and high school. Lively lessons inspire creative thinking, and students distill concepts of knowledge through joyful learning experiences. Call the Admissions Office (626)794-9564 to tour the school many a parent has said is “the kind of school I wish I went to.” 209 E. Mariposa St., Altadena 91001 www.pasadenawaldorf.org Providence High School Providence High School is located right next door to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center. We offer a full college prep program including, media, medical, and technology focus programs. PHS equips students with the self-confidence and perseverance to succeed academically and socially in college and life. Our superior academics,

36 | ARROYO | 08.13

as well as award winning visual and performing arts and competitive sports, make PHS an excellent choice. Here at PHS, you will find out what inspires you! 511 S. Buena Vista, Burbank 91505. (818)846-8141 Providencehigh.org Ramona Convent As L.A.’s premier interdependent Catholic girls’ school, Ramona Convent teaches each student to think about ideas, people, the world, and herself as integral parts of a much larger whole. As we have for 123 years, Ramona kindles each girl’s intellect, college readiness, and poise through critical reading, thinking, writing, and problem solving, and accompanies each young woman on her self-internalized journey toward full development. We warmly invite you to visit and meet Ramona for yourself! 1701 W. Ramona Road, Alhambra (626)282-4151 www.ramonaconvent.org Woodbury University Woodbury University empowers people to do extraordinary things. We transform students into liberally educated professionals and socially responsible citizens by integrating transdisciplinarity, design thinking, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement into all programs. We achieve academic excellence by creating external partnerships, implementing effective internal processes, and ensuring quality in all programs and services. Successful Woodbury graduates are ambassadors for the university. They are innovative leaders who help individuals and communities flourish. They are known for being strong communicators, ethical thinkers and creative problem-solvers with a deep commitment to sustainability and social justice. They are knowledgeable in their disciplines and eager for collaboration and continuous learning. They integrate professional skills with global citizenship, entrepreneurial energy, and intellectual curiosity. www.woodbury.edu 7500 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504 (818) 767-0888 ■

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Yours, Mine and Whose? Avoid these estate-planning pitfalls of particular concern to blended families. BY BETTIJANE LEVINE

IT’S TOUGH ENOUGH TO PARENT WHILE ALIVE. DOING IT FROM THE GREAT BEYOND IS ALMOST, BUT NOT TOTALLY, IMPOSSIBLE. IN THIS FAMILY-ORIENTED VALLEY, WHERE THOUSANDS OF WELL-CARED-FOR KIDS FROM CURRENT AND PRIOR MARRIAGES LIVE IN BLENDED OR ORIGINAL FAMILIES, ATTORNEYS SAY THAT EVEN YOUNG PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN ARE OFTEN SAVVY ENOUGH TO MAKE LEGAL PROVISIONS FOR GUARDIANSHIP AND DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS IN THE EVENT OF UNFORESEEN TRAGEDY. (IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE SO YET, GET THEE TO AN ATTORNEY.) –continued on page 41 08.13 | ARROYO | 39

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“Sure, it’s distressing to think about all this,” says Pasadena attorney Heidi Bitterman. “But don’t think of [it as] making these plans out of fear. Make them out of love — love for the people you want to protect.” –continued from page 39

But precisely because they’re healthy, busy and still building their empires, these parents tend to feel invulnerable, estate planners say. Parents make broad provisions, intending to update and refine them at a later date as their fortunes and progeny increase. But what often happens is they leave too many legal loose ends. “This is an area parents don’t really want to think or talk about,” says Heidi Bitterman, a trust and estate attorney in Pasadena. “Yes, they’re concerned, but they are busy living their lives, caring for their children, and this doesn’t seem an imminent problem. It’s something they think they can do next month, next year, at the end of summer vacation — the same sorts of reasons we give ourselves for not going to the gym. Making a definitive plan can be crucial for those you love most. Consider Sopranos star James Gandolfini, a father of two, who probably had no inkling when he signed an updated estate plan in December that he had only six months left to live. He was 51 when he died in Italy on June 16. And although his plan is now being called “a financial disaster” by some experts because about $30 million of his $70 million estate will reportedly go to the government in taxes, at least he tried to do the right thing. With specific bequests he made in his will, the actor left no doubt for surviving family and friends about how much he cared for them. His son, Michael, from a previous marriage, receives all of Gandolfini’s clothing and jewelry, plus $7 million in untaxable funds from a life insurance policy, along with real estate owned by the late actor. Michael and the 10-month-old daughter from Gandolfini’s second marriage, Liliana, each receive a 50 percent stake in an Italian property now held by a trust. “It is my hope and desire that they will continue to own said property and keep it in our family for as long as possible,” Gandolfini states in his will. So Gandolfini’s children know their father wanted them not to sell the Italian property but rather keep it in the family. What you don’t put in your estate documents can be as important as what you do. Without such specifics, the surviving family is left to wonder, “What would Mom or Dad have wanted us to do?” Marlene Cooper, an estate planning attorney in Altadena, says she has drafted “all sorts of trusts and wills where individuals express their wishes” to be carried out after death. “I’ve drafted some that say, I want the children raised in the Catholic faith, I want them to go to private schools or I want them to stay in the same neighborhood where they’ve been growing up.” And if there are two surviving adults involved, the one who’s raising the kids and the other a trustee in charge of the estate money, Cooper says your

James Gandolfini

documents need to be very specific to avoid disputes that can easily arise. For example, a mother may register her child at an elite private school and the trustee in charge of funds can try to block it, arguing that $28,000 per year for private kindergarten is way too expensive. If specifics are spelled out in the deceased father’s plan, that at least gives the mother a leg to stand on, Cooper says. Financial estate planning is way too individualized and complicated to tackle in any depth here but, ultimately, there are two main issues for parents to consider, says Bitterman. The first is guardianship of minor children, and the second is protection and distribution of assets in case of catastrophe. Both sound simple but can get extremely complex if details aren’t in place, she says. And while it’s statistically true that most parents will never have to worry about all this until decades into the future, life presents too many surprises to leave it all to chance. “Parents should know that a will is the only legal document that allows you to nominate the guardian of minor children,” Bitterman says. “We don’t do it through a trust or through any other documents. So even if they’re not ready for estate planning, they should do a simple inexpensive will that names guardians in the event of the parents’ death.” The law is pretty straightforward on guardianship. It states that if one biological parent dies, guardianship automatically defaults to the surviving biological parent. But in cases –continued on page 42 08.13 | ARROYO | 41

–continued from page 41

where there are minor children from a prior marriage, the matter of guardianship can get messy, Bitterman says. “In the unlikely case where divorced parents are both suddenly gone, both should have wills naming the same guardian for the children of that first marriage.” Other problems can arise that are unique to blended families. In some cases a divorced parent remarries and retains primary custody of a child from the previous marriage. The child goes to school from that parent’s home, where he or she builds a stable life and friendships. If that biological parent dies, does the child remain with the stepparent or go to the home of the surviving biological parent? The stepparent may love and want to keep the child, the child may want to continue living primarily in that home. But courts generally award custody to the surviving biological parent. These are issues that can be addressed in legal documents where the divorced parents agree in advance to contingency plans for their offspring. “Sure, it’s distressing to think about all this,” says Bitterman. “But don’t think of [it as] making these plans out of fear. Make them out of love — love for the people you want to protect. That may change your mindset and allow you to move forward.” The essentials for parents to understand, attorneys say, is that there are multiple ways to provide for your current spouse while reserving assets for children from current and previous marriages. “If you plan properly, you can protect for your biological children as much of your assets as you wish. Without that planning, you have no guarantee that they will receive anything,” Bitterman says. For example, if your plan just says everything goes to your wife during her lifetime, and the remaining amount is to be equally divided among all your kids, you may be asking for trouble, she says. “Especially if dad was wealthy and has kids from a previous marriage, I guarantee those children will be watching the widow like a hawk. They’ll be worried that she’s spending all the money their dad really meant for them to have.” 42 | ARROYO | 08.13

In general, one can create a trust that provides the current spouse access to funds generated by the estate while protecting the principal for the deceased parent’s biological children, says Bitterman. Cooper discusses what’s sometimes referred to as a “community property agreement,” where all community property is designated as such, and property accumulated before marriage or during marriage by gift or inheritance is designated as separate. “If you have a joint trust,” she says, “there are mandatory provisions which state that on the death of a spouse, that spouse’s estate would be segregated from the surviving spouse’s estate. Each estate would have the spouse’s respective half of the community property, and all of his or her separate property.” Attorneys say that it’s wise, when possible, to share certain key elements of your estate plan with your grown children and your spouse, so that everyone knows your intentions. You might tell them all in advance, for example, that you want the vacation home you inherited from your parents to go to your biological children, rather than your second wife. Or if you have a particularly valuable work of art that one of your children adores, and you want to leave it to that child, tell the others that’s what you’re planning and why. At least they’ll have time to absorb and understand your motives, and perhaps you’ll prevent sore feelings after you’re gone. Of course, there’s no way to guarantee that even your best efforts won’t go awry in some way or other. It depends partly on the competence of your estate planner and partly on relationships in the family you leave behind. Although all indications are that Gandolfini presided over a very loving blended family while he lived, unconfirmed reports already talk of a feud brewing between his first and second wives about allocation of assets in his will. And experts predict that after the tax man takes his cut of the actor’s estate — estimated to be about 55 percent, including state and federal levies — much of what he left to his beneficiaries will have to be sold to pay taxes. ||||

PHOTO: Courtesy of Von Der Ahe Interiors

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–continued from page 23 into a room,” she explains.“Two pieces we added were from Brooke Astor’s private home, purchased through Sotheby’s, which we restored and recovered in beautiful, current fabrics.” They also restored a set of 19th century French chairs in rich velvets and suedes, then blended these with contemporary pieces, including an acrylic table and blown glass lamps. For Carolyn “the mix of old and new is absolutely stunning and such a reflection of melding our past with our future, which greatly inspires me.” Cool Products: That blending of old and new provides a foundation for the concept of architecture and design as an evolving artform, and it’s reflected in some of the products that designers described for me this month. “One idea we hold close to is the use of the occasional antique,” says Courtney Strong Thomas, who partners with her mother, Annsley Strong, at Strong Studio Designs. “It’s not a new idea, but it is one that always brings depth and character to any size space. We recently paired an antique Art Deco chaise with a custom-designed, contemporary ‘c–continued on page 47

44 | ARROYO | 08.13

46 | ARROYO | 08.13

PHOTO: Courtesy of Strong Studio Designs

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 44 table’ and while the room in its entirety lent itself to more modern stylings, the chaise paid respectful homage to the past.” Carmel Chow, of Foothill Tile & Stone, expresses a similar sentiment, noting how advances in technology have facilitated beautiful notions of reinvention in the kinds of materials and products they use. “We obviously love to work in all media of tile,” she says. “Creative new technologies meeting with tradition has really revolutionized the tile industry over the past ten years. We are seeing amazing colors, sizes and shapes in glass and artisan tile. Pair these with natural stone, or add a splash of glass mixed with stone, an embossed tapestry tile or a linen finish, and you can transform the banal into the beautiful.” Gary Atachian, of Design Resource Gallery and Hillside Furniture Company, is a second generation furniture maker. He remembers going to his father’s factory in Lebanon and helping the workers. He discovered his own passion for the craft there, and carries on the tradition of fine, custom craftsmanship today, creating both traditional and contemporary furniture. –continued on page 48

08.13 | ARROYO | 47

PHOTO: Courtesy of Foothill Tile & Stone

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–continued from page 47 “I started Hillside by taking traditional ideas, then looking at them in time, thinking of unique and more eclectic pieces that no one has ever seen before,” Gary says. One of his most recent pieces is a table base inspired by a World War II naval mine. Like nearly all of their designs, the table base is finely crafted from alder wood, finished in one of 40 different hues, then in this case, topped with gleaming glass. For many of the designers, reinvention is not only an aesthetic adventure, it’s an environmentally conscientious one as well. “My clients and I love to repurpose antiques,” explains Carolyn Von Der Ahe. “We find fabulous old items like armoires, chests, or mirrors and lacquer them in serene colors or bold statement colors. We turn chests into bars. We take old chairs and give them new legs and recover them in current fabrics. Not only does it bring depth and uniqueness to the room, it is truly the best ‘green’ solution in design.” –continued on page 50

48 | ARROYO | 08.13

–continued from page 48 Eternal Returns: Their responses to my question, “what do you know for sure about the art and business of design,” were remarkably similar. “One thing that I ‘know for sure,’” says Cynthia Bennett, “is that it is ever changing. Design seems to go in cycles, and everything that was once in, goes out, and everything that is definitely out, comes back again later, more popular than ever.” Courtney and Annsley Strong agree. “Design moves in cycles,” according to Courtney. “It tends to explore ideas from our past, refresh them and re-introduce them so that what’s old is new again.” Almost all of them also emphasize the importance of making the design of your home your own. “Your home is an extension of you, a reflection of you. It becomes part of the family. Its job is to tell your story and support you. We all have a relationship with our homes, whether that is a small condominium or an actual castle, manor or estate,” says Jeanette Chasworth. In other words, no matter what kinds of summer projects and adventures we pursue, most of them, eventually, will lead us back home. AH&D

50 | ARROYO | 08.13

PHOTO: Courtesy of Design Resource Gallery and Hillside Furniture Company

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

08.13 | ARROYO | 51

From the Side to the Spotlight Guitarist Carl Verheyen deftly balances creative solo work with his longtime gig playing with Supertramp.

PHOTO: Peter D. Figen

BY MICHAEL CERVIN

52 | ARROYO | 08.13

QUIETLY RESIDENTIAL AND OFF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY RADAR, LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE RARELY SHOWS OFF ITS HOMEGROWN TALENT. BUT IT WAS IN THIS BEDROOM COMMUNITY THAT CARL VERHEYEN, A PROLIFIC SOLO ARTIST AND GUITARIST FOR THE MASSIVELY POPULAR ROCK BAND SUPERTRAMP, LEARNED TO PLAY GUITAR. AS ONE OF LOS ANGELES’ TOP STUDIO MUSICIANS, HE HAS PERFORMED ON SOUNDTRACKS OF MORE THAN 80 FILMS, INCLUDING SUCH HITS AS L.A. STORY, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, GLADIATOR AND HANNA MONTANA: THE MOVIE. THAT DOESN’T EVEN INCLUDE THE MORE THAN 100 TV SHOWS THAT HAVE BROADCAST HIS GUITAR WORK, NOTABLY AMONG THEM, GET SMART, FRASIER, LOST AND SEINFELD. AND THIS MONTH MARKS HIS ELEVENTH SOLO CD RELEASE, MUSTANG RUN, A COLLECTION OF INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS FROM THIS

Verheyen prepares for a show with Supertramp.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Carl Verheyen

GUITAR VIRTUOSO. “It was great to be from La Cañada as a kid,” he says. “We could blast down to [L.A.’s] one and only Guitar Center for my guitar strings.” Verheyen grew up in La Cañada from ages two to 19, attending St. Francis High School, then Pasadena Community College. He now lives in Topanga Canyon. Verheyen always unequivocally considered music to be his path. “I got my first guitar and first guitar lesson on my eleventh birthday, after two years of begging for one,” he recalls. He took early lessons from Arroyo resident John Merrill, who at the time was in a band called the Peanut Butter Conspiracy (the group managed to scrape the bottom of the Billboard top 200). “The lessons were $2.50 for a half-hour. He was such a cool, inspiring guy, and he showed me the basics.” Verheyen also took guitar lessons in Montrose at Grayson’s Tune Town. Val Grayson and his chainsmoking wife, Adeline, started the mom-and-pop music shop in 1953 and the family still operates it today. Band lessons at St. Francis High School might have helped the budding musician, but the Catholic parochial school didn’t offer music programs. “At the time it was nothing but football,” he says. But the La Cañada Youth House did offer Verheyen and his upstart band the chance to play at dances every Friday evening. “There were three of us and we’d get a total of $20,” Verheyen says. His band’s dance circuit also included La Crescenta High School, Pasadena High School and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. St. Francis did offer a stage of sorts: the opportunity to perform at First Friday Mass, which the band eagerly embraced — “anything to play to get out of class,” he says. While skipping classes isn’t the usual road to success, it has served Verheyen well, leading him toward becoming a top studio musician, or “side man.” “You don’t see the music before you arrive in the studio, and only sometimes they’ll tell you what it’s about,” he says. Such is the impromptu life of side men, who are subjected to a kind of instru-

mental guerrilla warfare, requiring the keen ability to get in, nail the part correctly the first time and get out. “I was hired on the Disney film Ratatouille and they said the music was Django Reinhardt, hot nightclub, gypsy jazz.” Such versatility is de rigueur. “On the same day gigs might be country, heavy metal, jazz, blues or rock ’n’ roll.” It’s a fast-paced nine-to-five job and there is no room for error. One particular studio gig in 1985 paid longterm dividends. “I was doing studio work and the engineer was a British guy. We traded phone numbers and that was that.” Less than two hours later, Verheyen got a call from Supertramp’s office asking him to audition the next morning at 10 a.m. The band had already auditioned 17 guitar players and wasn’t satisfied with any of them. When Verheyen arrived, he apologized that he hadn’t had time to learn any of Supertramp’s songs. Blowing off their own catalog in favor of the blues, the band invited him to simply jam. That same evening, Supertramp offered him the job. “I went from playing for 60 people a night in little L.A. clubs to 20,000 people the first gig.” And what musician doesn’t dream of commanding a vast hall of adoring fans (not to mention healthy paychecks)? Fortunately for Verheyen, his path to the spotlight worked out better for him than other routes that tempt side men. “Everyone wants to get signed to a major record label and in many cases that’s the quickest way out of the business,” he says. Similarly, getting a steady gig like The Tonight Show band can also relegate you to unknown status “because as a side man, everyone knows you’re spoken for,” adds the late-night TV vet. The trick, one Verheyen has deftly accomplished, is to effortlessly weave together all three aspects of musicianship — work as a solo artist, side man and band member — thereby ensuring longevity in the tumultuous music industry. That’s not to say being a side man is necessarily what young musicians want to –continued on page 55 08.13 | ARROYO | 53

54 | ARROYO | 08.13

Above: Verheyen, third from left, with Supertramp. Right: The La Cañada native was a teen guitarist with high aspirations.

PHOTOS: courtesy of Carl Verhayen

–continued from page 53

do when they grow up, because you’re still a hired gun performing someone else’s material. So what is it like playing with an international rock back band, where you’re still playing someone else’s material? “The challenge is to have a perfect show — to nail the vocals and harmonies, guitar parts and blow everybody away,” Verheyen says. Indeed, concertgoers expect to hear the music played exactly like the record, and any deviation is frowned upon. “I do have some creativity with Supertramp, but that band has a signature stamp,” he says. So he looks to his solo career for his pure creative outlet. Drawing on his mastery of guitar (including slide and Dobro), mandolin, banjo and ukulele, Verheyen works out new music for his solo projects at his favorite “labs” — The Baked Potato in Studio City and The Canyon Club in Agoura. (Verheyen also played at The Ice House in Pasadena when it presented music along with comedy, and he recently taught a master-class guitar workshop at the L.A. Music Academy on Fair Oaks.) It has all culminated in Mustang Run, his eleventh release. The CD is all instrumental tracks — rock ’n’ roll, jazz and blues — and all but one are his own compositions. And when he goes out on the road for his own music, he finds solo performances to be even more gratifying than playing before Supertramp’s mammoth crowds. “There’s a real joy to playing in Brussels or Boston and people come to hear something you wrote in your kitchen 10 years ago,” he says. The audiences may be smaller, but they’re loyal. Says Verheyen, “In this moment, in this town, playing for these people, it’s a privilege.” |||| 08.13 | ARROYO | 55

56 | ARROYO | 08.13

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

A Mission of Mercy A Navy-borne voyage into the third world alters this columnist’s view of home. BY LESLIE BILDERBACK Leslie Bilderback and Navy crew

I just got home from another Navy training trip. (Regular readers may

ian doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, disaster relief specialists

recall some of my previous adventures in Italy, Japan, Cuba and the

and dietitians (plus one chef) brings badly needed healthcare and

Persian Gulf.) While I still spent the majority of my time training the

aid to the poorest islands in the South Pacific. I was on board for only

Culinary Specialists (CS) of the USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) in both

three weeks, but the mission lasts six months.

basic and advanced culinary arts (they get little culinary training

days to reach the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). During transport, I spent 12 to 14

I boarded in New Caledonia, a French island northeast of Australia, and sailed for six hours a day training the young cooks responsible for feeding the 700 crew and passengers.

in boot camp, and food service in the Navy needs a lot of help),

It was a great group, which included — among the disgruntled bottom-rung enlisted sailors — a handful of conscientious food enthusiasts.Together we worked on improving the awful

this trip was unique. It was classified as a humanitarian mission and

food dished up by the Navy, experimented with flavors of the region and practiced some classic techniques. (We made croissants, sourdough, gravlax, fondant and cream puffs from

transported staff from international military and non-governmental

scratch, to name just a few.) The unusual product hitting the chow line was immediately apparent, and for the first time in my Navy training career I was asked to hold classes for

organizations (NGOs) that are members of the Pacific Partnership.

the crew at large. Afternoon baking classes became quite popular, especially among the Pacific Partnership passengers, who really had nothing to do while underway except watch

Begun as a response to Southeast Asia’s 2004 tsunami, the Pacific

movies and work out in the gym. Once we hit land, these people worked their asses off. Offer-

Partnership program has expanded to include not only

ing classes was the least I could do. In addition to my job as a culinary instructor, I

relief efforts, but also medical, engineering

was brought along as a nutrition advocate. On the island of Majuro, the Air Force dietitian and I

and civic assistance.This international

visited the hospital kitchen to review the menu and ensure it was

group of both military and civil-

adequately addressing the country’s devastating diabetes crisis. It was –continued on page 58

08.13 | ARROYO | 57

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

–continued from page 57 not. RMI recently declared a national health crisis. Seventy-five percent of the women and

focused on high-fiber content, using brown rice and local ingredients.

50 percent of the men are obese.Thirty percent of people over the age of 15 have type

I explained repeatedly, with the help of translators, how important diet was in fighting

2 diabetes, and 50 percent over the age of 35 suffer from it.The majority of the surgeries

diabetes. I urged them to consider the health of their children and future generations. It was

performed throughout these atolls are diabetes-related amputations.

an uphill battle, to be sure, especially with the older women, who just laughed at me. White

The reason? The islands are so overcrowded that there is no longer room for agriculture.

rice has been a staple of their diet for decades. It’s the only really affordable food on these

As a result, the indigenous food supply cannot support the population. Imported processed

islands, where the minimum wage is US$2 an hour, and the average family has 10 mem-

foods are cheaper than imported produce, and there is little to no nutrition education. Case

bers. But the younger generations — young parents and teenagers — seemed genuinely

in point, the hospital we visited was serving diabetic patients white rice, white bread, white

concerned, willing to listen and willing to try.

potatoes and bananas.

Unfortunately, the problem runs deeper than simple dietary choices.The local markets

On top of that, the islands have no health department, zero health standards and no

carry brown rice, but not in sufficient quantities, and not at reasonable prices.The country

sanitation requirements, resulting in perhaps the filthiest kitchens I have ever entered. A U.S.

receives aid, but the politicians are dubious. For the most part my efforts seemed

Army preventive medicine team was with us inspecting local eateries and swabbing door-

futile, and I ended the days feeling defeated and angry. What on earth was I doing here?

knobs and food prep surfaces for traces of disease — of which they found plenty. (Thank

What could I possibly do? It’s one thing to know that the third world exists. It’s another thing

goodness for MREs [meals ready to eat]. While I am usually game to try anything, I am not

to enter and challenge it.

up for E. coli.)

Long boat rides back and forth between the ship and the islands afforded me ample

At each island the Pacific Partnership set up a health fair, providing free medical testing

time to discuss my concerns with the other members of Pacific Partnership. I was not the

(blood pressure, body mass, eyesight, dental, family planning and mental health) and

only one who found the realities of these nations hard to cope with. But there was a consen-

handing out free eyeglasses, hygiene and first aid products. A Navy Band came along to

sus that our presence was of some immediate use. At the very least, people there saw that

draw in the crowds, which ranged from 200 to 500 a day. Doctors and nurses met with local

someone else in the world gave a crap about them.

medical staffs for training and consulted on various cases. Dentists performed hundreds

What did I get out of it? An appreciation for life in the United States. Sure, it’s not perfect.

of procedures a day, mostly extractions.Veterinarians spayed and neutered hundreds

But I will never again complain about food prices, or traffic, or crowds, or the weather. We’ve

of animals a day. (I helped spay puppies on the island of Ebeye.They don’t usually spay

got it pretty damn good. Most of all I was happy to have met people who put aside their

puppies, but the pet overpopulation is as bad as that of the people.) Navy, Air Force and

own lives to help those who can’t help themselves, and I’m honored to be among them. ||||

Army personnel constructed or repaired exercise facilities, including a number of basketball courts and rugby fields, for the region’s favorite sports. And me? I sat at a table with two piles of rice — one white and one brown — and tried to get the Marshallese to buy into the idea of a high-fiber diet. I prepared cheap dishes that

Whole Wheat Breadfruit Bread The breadfruit (also known as ulu) is a unique crop with an illustrious past.Trees produce a high yield of giant green pods containing a bland, potato-flavored, highly fibrous fruit. In the South Pacific it is used much like a potato would be — boiled in stews, mashed as a side dish and fried into chips. So prolific is this crop that a scheme was concocted to transport breadfruit saplings to the Caribbean in an attempt to provide the sugar plantations with a cheap source of food for its slaves. Unfortunately, they entrusted the saplings to Captain Bligh and his ship, H.M.S. Bounty.You can find it locally at Pacific Island Market in Long Beach, Boutique Samoa Market in Anaheim, Polynesian Market in Carson and Polynesian Flava in San Bernardino, throughout Little India in Artesia and occasionally at Grocery Warehouse in Echo Park. INGREDIENTS 2 cups diced breadfruit 3 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons grated ginger ½ cup vegetable or olive oil 3½ cups water

1 package instant yeast 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 3 pounds whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon salt

METHOD 1. Boil the breadfruit until tender, then drain, cool and mash into a purée with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon. Set aside. 2. Chop the garlic, combine it with the ginger and oil in a sauté pan and heat until it just begins to brown. Remove from heat and cool. 3. Combine mashed breadfruit with water, yeast and sugar. Stir and set aside for a few minutes, until foamy. Add ¼ cup of the garlic-ginger oil, half the flour and salt, and stir until a paste is formed. Turn the paste out onto a floured work surface and begin to knead, adding more flour slowly, as needed, until a soft (but not sticky) dough is formed. Knead 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl, cover with a warm damp towel and allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. 4. Preheat a griddle on high. (A grill or frying pan will work too.) Turn risen dough out onto a floured work surface and cut into 6 to 8 pieces. Flatten each piece out with fingertips into a disc 1/8-to-1/4–inch thick. Coat each side of the dough with garlic-ginger oil, place on preheated griddle and cook until golden brown on each side. In the Marshall Islands we served this bread with a brown-rice pilaf made with pumpkin and garbanzo beans, and a relish of Japanese cucumber and coconut milk. 58 | ARROYO | 08.13

Leslie Bilderback, a certified master baker, chef and cookbook author, can be found in the kitchen of Heirloom Bakery in South Pasadena. She teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

08.13 | ARROYO | 59

WINING & DINING

Pan-roasted diver scallops paired with cauliflower

Foodie and the Beast Little Beast brings an inventive menu and homey atmosphere to Colorado Boulevard. BY IRENE LACHER • PHOTOS BY MISHA GRAVENOR

Eagle Rock seems to specialize in a particularly marvelous kind

Lowenthal and Deborah Schwartz, his wife and co-owner, took over the 1911 Craftsman on Colorado Boulevard that had housed Larkin’s and named their new venture

of dining experience — hip restaurants with great food and

after their son, Miles, whom they’d nicknamed “little beast.” The couple did a detailed remodel, preserving the former home’s early-20th-century charm (they even have the

casual family-friendly ambience, where you can while away

original deed), while building in comforts for its early-21st-century clientele, with higher

the hours, often on outdoor patios tucked away from traffic. No

vines, surrounded by cool concrete walls and topped by strings of lovely white lights that

ceilings, industrial-chic lighting, banquettes and a lovely open-air patio with flowering “buzz” overhead like so many fireflies. They had reason to be optimistic about their invest-

need to bring out the stilettos simply because you have a yen

ment: their pop-up restaurant down the road apiece last summer had generated five-star Yelpers, among other enthusiasts. So perhaps it isn’t surprising that on a Wednesday eve-

for a great meal. Indeed, Sean Lowenthal, chef-owner of the

ning a mere month after opening, the restaurant was already pretty packed with friends, families and couples. (And stay tuned for the addition of Sunday brunch.)

recently unveiled Little Beast, prides himself on delivering on a

Lowenthal certainly has experience catering to high-maintenance palates; his CV includes the Chateau Marmont, Soho House and the Greenbriar Inn in Boulder,

tasty oxymoron — casual fine dining. 60 | ARROYO | 08.13

Colorado. Following his own muse for his first self-owned restaurant, the chef has de-

Little Beast 1496 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock (323) 341-5899 littlebeastrestaurant.com Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m. Small plates: $6 to $14, main courses: $14 to $25

signed a summer menu as individual as he is, accompanied by a nicely and concisely edited wine list. With the possible excep-tion of the Little Beast Burger, r, he has assembled small and d large plate offerings that you u likely have never seen before in quite uite those configurations. His excellentt BLT sits on a

English pea risotto

Chef Sean Lowenthal

bed of grilled romaine, dotted ed with slices of heirloom tomato, bites of applewood-smoked bacon and a

tender pan-roasted diver scallops paired with cauliflower both roasted and puréed

creamy bacon-tomato vinaigrette. Think you’ve had hummus? Not until you’ve tried

had my vegetable-hating companion (don’t ask) cleaning her plate.

his tangy version, spiked with chipotle and cilantro and served with housemade

For dessert, we really lucked out with the day’s special: a vanilla brioche bread

pita crisps (surprisingly soft on the inside) dusted with smoked paprika. And do not

pudding with caramel sauce. I generally avoid superlatives, but Lowenthal’s buttery

miss the burrata and peaches; the creamy cheese practically melts on your tongue,

version may be the best I’ve ever had, so you might want to encourage the kitchen

combining almost fatedly with the sweet seasonal peaches. The flavors popped

to give it a permanent place on the menu — although I know that I will be happy to

even more against my glass of fruity Chateau de l’Estagnol 2011 Côtes du Rhône.

motor through the rest of the dessert menu on my return visits.

Lowenthal is clearly over the spare plates of pretty food still popular in some pricier restaurants; he believes in generous portions, so if you’re inclined to design your own

************** For those who like a splash of culinary celebrity with their dinner, there is the

tasting menu, which I highly recommend, you might want to go for half-orders of main

third annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival, where Thomas Keller, Michael

dishes, which are still ample. One of his specialties is English pea risotto, which was

Mina, Rick Bayless, John Sedlar, Susan Feniger, Giada De Laurentiis and Curtis

unavailable during my visit. But I was quite happy with the the velvety sweet corn ri-

Stone are just a few of the big names who’ll be serving up delicious experiences

sotto with pecorino, chervil and Meyer lemon, enlivened with chunks of crab. And the

from Aug. 22 to 25. You can peruse the schedule and buy tickets at lafw.com.

||||

08.13 | ARROYO | 61

THE LIST

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

This Gamble Tour A Sure Winner

Classical Mystery Tour

tor Vener, finishes its Festival on the Green summer season at Santa Anita Park with a

Aug. 1 through 18 —

pair of concerts.

For the first time ever,

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for live jazz and

the Greene & Greene–

dining, on guests’ own picnics or meals

designed Gamble House opens the doors

bought on premises. Beverages are avail-

of its servants’ quarters to visitors, allowing

able for purchase at full bars located

guests to view the home from its workers’

onsite. Concerts start at 7:30 p.m.Tickets

perspective. See the custom-designed fur-

cost $20 to $88.

niture, original laundry sinks and coal room,

Aug. 10 — “Rodgers, Hammerstein and

and learn how the family lived.Tours run

Gershwin” features works by those three

Thursdays through Sundays, every half-hour

master composers of Broadway, including

from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesdays at

selections from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s

12:15 and 12:45 p.m., from today through

Oklahoma!,The Sound of Music, South

Aug. 18. Admission costs $20 per person,

Pacific and Carousel.The orchestra also

free for children 12 and younger.

showcases Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue

The Gamble House is located at 4

and An American in Paris. Special guests

Westmoreland Pl., Pasadena. Call (626)

include Broadway stars Kim Huber and

793-3334, visit gamblehouse.org or email

James Barbour, with pianist Bryan Pezzone.

gamblehs@usc.edu.

Aug. 24 — The season finishes with “Les Miz and Bernstein.” The program includes

Tying the Knot, Part II

songs from Les Misérables and Leonard

Aug. 2 — Part II of

Side Story. Randal Keith and Melissa Lyons,

“I Do! I Do! Pasadena

who performed in the Broadway and na-

Bernstein’s Candide, On the Town and West

gowns on loan from local residents, bridal

A CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR

shops and designers, creating a chronicle

Aug. 10 — The Pasadena Pops concert season rolls along at the L.A. County

of bridal fashion, decade by decade.

Arboretum, as the orchestra presents “Classical Mystery Tour,” a fab foursome whose

Designers include William Cahill, Priscilla of

members look and sound like The Beatles.The group and the Pops perform some

Chamber Festival Beat Goes On

Boston,Vera Wang, Alexander McQueen

30 Beatles tunes, from “Penny Lane” to “Yesterday” and beyond. Martin Herman is

Southwest Chamber

and Monique Lhuillier. Look for special tours

scheduled to conduct.Tickets cost $20 to $100. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Concerts

Music’s Summer Festi-

and programs surrounding the exhibition

start at 7:30 p.m. Guests may bring picnics or pre-order meals from one of the Pops’

val at the Huntington

on the museum’s website.

restaurant partners for onsite pickup (see website for details) or purchase items from

presents four concerts this month, starting

The Pasadena Museum of History is lo-

an onsite food truck.

at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays on the

cated at 470 W. Walnut St., Pasadena. Call

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at 301 N. Baldwin

Huntington Loggia. Lawn seating is also

(626) 577-1660 or visit pasadenahistory.org.

Ave., Arcadia. Call (626) 793-7172 or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.

available. Lawn ticketholders may bring

Ties the Knot: 1950 to Present Day,” opens today at the Pasadena Museum of History and continues through Oct. 20.The exhibition features wedding

tional tour of Les Misérables, are scheduled to appear. Santa Anita Park is located at 285 W. Huntington Dr., Arcadia. Call (626) 300-8200 or visit calphil.org.

picnics; pre-concert dinners at the Hunting-

Walking Through History in Old Pasadena

itage.org for reservations and meeting

is free. Union Station Homeless Services as-

ton Tea Room can also be reserved for an

location.

sists homeless citizens with temporary and

additional $60.Tickets cost $65 for Loggia

transitional housing, medical and mental

seating, $28 for the lawn. Aug. 10 and 11 — The orchestra performs

Aug. 3 — Pasadena Heritage hosts walking

Homeless Hub Marks Milestone

health services and numerous other pro-

original downtown, on the first Saturday of

grams for individuals and families in need.

works by Richard Wagner, Max Reger and

each month.The group was instrumental

Aug. 4 — Union Station

Union Station Homeless Services’ Family

Johannes Brahms.

in saving the area’s historic structures from

Homeless Services

Center is located at 825 E. Orange Grove

Aug. 24 and 25 — The program features

celebrates its 40th

Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 240-4550 or visit

music by Benjamin Britten, Hans Werner

unionstationhs.org.

Henze and Leos Janácek.

tours of historic Old Pasadena, Pasadena’s

demolition some 30 years ago, helping to transform it from a dingy, run-down

anniversary with an afternoon block party

neighborhood into a shopping and dining

from 2 to 5 p.m.The event at its Pasadena

destination.Trained docents lead the tours,

Family Center includes a barbecue and

starting at 9 a.m.The cost is $15 ($12 for

family-friendly activities.The public can

Rodgers, Hammerstein and Les Miz on the Green

and Botanical Gardens is located at 1151

members). Reservations are required.

meet the staff and hear inspirational stories

Pasadena’s California Philharmonic Or-

or visit swmusic.org.

Call (626) 441-6333 or visit pasadenaher-

from the organization’s alumni. Admission

chestra, under the direction of Maestro Vic-

62 | ARROYO | 08.13

The Huntington Library, Art Collections Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (800)726-7147

–continued on page 65

08.13 | ARROYO | 63

64 | ARROYO | 08.13

THE LIST Val Kilmer as Mark Twain

KILMER DOES TWAIN Aug. 21 through 24 — Val Kilmer comes to the Pasadena Playhouse with his oneperson show, Citizen Twain, exploring the iconic American writer’s fiction, his journey to acceptance, forgiveness and enlightenment and the self-reflection and engagement inspired by his relationship with Mary Baker Eddy. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday.Tickets cost $30 to $75, with a meetand-greet with Kilmer following the performances for an additional $25 per person. The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.

–continued from page 62

August Art Blast

sues of environmentalism and sustainability.

Aug. 10, 11 — The

Pasadena Museum of California Art is

Pasadena Museum

located at 490 E. Union St., Pasadena. Call

of California Art hosts

(626) 568-3674 or visit pmcaonline.org.

three exhibitions that 5. A reception for all three is scheduled for

Long Day’s Journey into Words

7 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Reception admission

Aug. 14 — A Noise

costs $5.

Within closes out its

open Sunday and continue through Jan.

“Sam Francis: Five Decades of Abstract

“Words Within” play

Expressionism from California Collections’

reading series with a reading of Long Day’s

showcases the work of one of the most influ-

Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neill. Resi-

ential painters of light and color.The exhibi-

dent artists and actors from the company’s

tion includes paintings and works on paper,

current productions perform the readings.

including the last series he finished in Santa

The semi-autobiographical play for which

Monica shortly before his death in 1994.

the playwright posthumously won his third

“Somewhere In Between” is a video installa-

Pulitzer Prize tells the story of one pivotal

tion by Bia Gayotto, in which she investi-

day in the life of the dysfunctional Tyrone

gates how people respond to navigating

family, its downward plunge into addiction

and inhabiting two or more places and

and disease and the haunting nature of

cultures. Gayotto drew on interviews with

the family members’ pasts.The free reading

people who identify as bi- or multi-cultural

starts at 7 p.m.

and live along Route 66 between Pasa-

A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill

dena and Santa Monica.

Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-3121 for

“Ignite! The Art of Sustainability” features

reservations and visit anoisewithin.org for

works by 12 California artists in a variety of

information.

media who have focused their art on is-

–continued on page 66

08.13 | ARROYO | 65

THE LIST

–continued from page 65

Letters from Zora

days program presents its final installment

Aug. 15 through

of the year, melding Asian and Western

18 — The Pasadena

entertainment with art and offering access

Playhouse and One

to all museum galleries from 7:30 to 10:30

Pearl Sphinx produc-

p.m., as well as a cash bar and edibles

tion of Letters from Zora, about noted

from food trucks. Cocktail or Asian attire is

African-American author, anthropologist

welcome at the indoor/outdoor event, de-

and voodoo priestess Zora Neale Hurston,

signed for adults. DJ Jeremy Loudenback

runs for a limited engagement.The play

spins Asian dance mixes, and instructors

dramatizes Hurston’s letters about her

teach guests the moves. Look for Chinese

then-controversial views on integration, seg-

lion dancers and other surprises. Admission

regation and social justice and highlights

costs $15 (free for members).

her artistic triumphs despite abject poverty

Pacific Asia Museum is located at 46 N. Los

and self-doubt. Letters from Zora, written

Robles Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-2742

by Gabrielle Pina and directed by Anita

or visit pacificasiamuseum.org.

Dashielle-Sparks, stars Vanessa Bell CalMcCurdy. Showtimes are 8 p.m.Thursday

A Towering Performance

and Friday, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday and

Aug. 17 — Muse/ique,

2 p.m. Sunday.Tickets cost $30 to $75.

the orchestra founded

loway, with live music composed by Ron

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39

by Artistic Director

S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-

and Conductor Rachael Worby, presents

7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.

an eclectic 7:30 p.m. concert at Caltech’s Beckman Mall, showcasing guest perform-

A Lion’s Share of Watermelons

er Ellis Hall, pianist and former lead singer

Aug. 16 through 18 —

Your Senses with Ellis Hall” features a blend

The Sunland-Tujunga

of soul by Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and

Lions Club celebrates

Stevie Wonder, plus works by Beethoven,

with the funk group Tower of Power.“Lose

its 52nd annual Watermelon Festival.The

Vivaldi and Bach. Surprise guests are also

three-day event, at the Rose Bowl for the

expected. Gates at the outdoor venue

first time, fetes the glorious gourd with com-

outside Beckman Auditorium open at 5:30

petitions for carving, recipes, seed-spitting,

p.m. for dinner, which can be ordered in

watermelon eating and wearable art. Also

advance or brought by guests.Tickets cost

on tap are nightly prize drawings, the coro-

$10 to $96, $10 for students.

nation of the Watermelon Queen and her

Beckman Mall is located at 332 S. Michi-

court, a marketplace, local and national

gan Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 539-7085 or

touring bands and food and beverages.

visit muse-ique.com.

Paid admission includes watermelon slices and a spin on the Watermelon Wheel for a

Cooking for the Kids

chance to win prizes and raffle tickets. Pro-

Aug. 31 — The Langham Huntington, Pasa-

ceeds support the club’s youth and com-

dena hosts “Summer Sweets and Treats,”

munity activities, disaster relief and health

a cooking program for kids ages eight

and vision conservation efforts locally and

through 12, starting at 10 a.m. Pastry Chef

worldwide.The event runs from 4 to 10 p.m.

John Quinn helps young chefs create cake

Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and

pops with a variety of flavors and frostings.

Sunday. Admission costs $10 for adults, $5

The two-hour class includes cooking instruc-

for children at the gate ($8 adults, $4 for

tion, recipe preparation, baking techniques

children in advance).

and pastry presentation.The cost per child is

Rose Bowl Stadium is located at 1001 Rose

$60, and advance reservations are required.

Bowl Dr., Pasadena. Call (818) 353-4554 or

The Langham Huntington, Pasadena

visit lionswatermelonfestival.com.

is located at 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena.To register, call (626) 585-6218;

66 | ARROYO | 08.13

Fusion Friday Finale

visit pasadena.langhamhotels.com for

Aug. 16 — Pacific Asia Museum’s Fusion Fri-

information. ||||

68 | ARROYO | 08.13