Rose Magazine

ROSE magazine l 2009

SUMMER

RESTAURANT SCENE, IN THE RAW

FEEDING FRENZY Pasadena eateries strategize survival as recession bites down

TWINS IN SPACE

A tale of two rovers that defied the odds

ROSE BOWL REVAMP

BANKING ON LUXURY

Scaled-back renovation plans ramp up focus on premium seats

SAN MARINO NOIR: Unravel 1985’s unsolved murder mystery

ARCADIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Proudly Presents

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 5:30 - 9:00 PM

LA County Arboretum 301 S. BALDWIN AVENUE, ARCADIA

Dining and dancing under the stars at the LA County Arboretum, featuring over 30 of the region’s top restaurants in an elegant and unique setting.

Ticket sales to benefit: Boy Scouts of America, Lucky Baldwin District & Arboretum Foundation.

“Taste of Arcadia, has grown to be a true Signature Event for Arcadia and a not to be missed evening ” Bob Harbicht, Arcadia Mayor & Councilman.

Presale tickets - $35 until July 31 st Buy your tickets early and save!

For tickets or event information, visit www.tasteofarcadia.com or call 626-447-2159.

THE STRENGTH TO BE OPTIMISTIC.

The Promenade Now Open 30 New Shops abercrombie Banana Republic Bare Escentuals Blu Salon & Aveda Stör Boarders Clarks Chico’s Coach Foreign Exchange GAP J. Jill Jos. A. Bank Talbot’s Tous Williams-Sonoma And More...

Macy’s Nordstrom JCPenney 400 S. Baldwin Ave. Suite 231 Arcadia CA 91007 626.445.6255 www.westfield.com

ROSE

magazine summer 09

FEATURES

10 INSIDER Can you find good live music in Old Pasadena these days?

16 STROLLING SOLOIST Street musician finds his spot on Colorado Boulevard

26 TALE OF TWO ROVERS Is there life after Mars for JPL’s Spirit and Opportunity?

29 BANKING ON LUXURY Scaled-back Rose Bowl plans ramp up focus on premium seats

34 FEEDING FRENZY Pasadena restaurants strategize survival as recession bites down

42 BY CONVENTION It’s been smooth sailing for the new Pasadena Convention Center

45 ROCKEFELLER FILES Cold-case murder investigation leads to man of many names

48 THE O-TEAM Lena Kennedy’s a long way from Hammond Street

DEPARTMENTS 40 EAT

Drink up with husband-and- wife sommeliers the Meeks

56 SHOP

Block shopping on E. Green, and real deals at the Rose Bowl Flea Market

62 SEEN

Black & White Gala Komen Race for the Cure Chocolate Chip Ball

BEST BETS 18 GO Don’t be late for these very important dates

20 THINK Mental stimulation without any pesky electrodes

52 PLAY Active endeavors for every persuasion

10 26 29 34 45

Coldwell Banker Arcadia Regional Office Proudly Congratulates the 2008 International Diamond & Sterling Society Agents

Jeff & Darlene Bowen Diamond Society

Janet Ho Diamond Society

Dean Griffith Diamond Society

Patrice Jacobs Diamond Society

Connie Hanson Sterling Society

John Kermgard Diamond Society

Susan Pruett Miali Sterling Society

Marti Moore Diamond Society

Hoss Nouhi Sterling Society

Carolyn Papp Sterling Society

Ash Rizk Sterling Society

Janie Steckenrider Diamond Society

15 E. Foothill Boulevard, Arcadia, CA 91006 • 626.445.5500 californiamoves.com Š 2009 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Owned and Operated by NRT, Incorporated. Coldwell Banker does not guarantee the accuracy of square footage, lot size, or other information concerning the condition or features of property provided by the seller or obtained from public records or other sources, and buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information through personal inspection and with the appropriate professionals.

Rose Magazine is a product of the Inland Custom Publishing Group, a division of the Inland Newspaper Group, and the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group, which publishes the Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Whittier Daily News.

San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group Publisher & CEO: Fred Hamilton Editor & General Manager: Steve Lambert Vice President of Sales & Marketing: Randy Heltsley Vice President of Circulation: Kathy Michalak Vice President of Operations: John Wartinger Finance Director: David Silk Managing Editor: Steve Hunt

ROSE magazine

Editor: Pia Abelgas Orense Assistant Editor: Evelyn Barge Photo Editor: Bernardo Alps Contributing Editors: Catherine Gaugh, Hector Gonzalez, Larry Wilson Writers: Dan Abendschein, Emma Gallegos, Frank C. Girardot, Lafayette C. Hight Jr., Claudia Palma, Maritza Velazquez, Janette Williams Photographers: James Carbone, William Hallstrom, Leo Jarzomb, Walt Mancini, Watchara Phomicinda, Sarah Reingewirtz Copy Editors: Emma Gallegos, Richard Irwin, Eric Terrazas Designers: Evelyn Barge, Mary Roy, Pia Orense Advertising Manager: Jesse Dillon Advertising Sales Executives: Jose Luis Correa, David Grant, Stephanie Rosencrantz, Mercedes Abarra, Ralph Ringgold, Candace Klewer, Paul Godinez, Robin McDonald, Kevin Grant, Raquel Sanchez, Hara Alarcon, Mary Dingledine Sales Assistants: Peter Barrios, Erica Jimenez

Inland Custom Publishing Group Publisher & CEO: Fred Hamilton General Manager: Steve Lambert Executive Editor: Frank Pine Managing Editor: Don Sproul Design & Operations Manager: Lynda E. Bailey Marketing Manager: Beverly Hornal Research Marketing Manager: Shawna Federoff Advertising Design: Christie Robinson CONTACT US: Editorial: (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2669 or Ext. 2472 therose@sgvn.com Advertising: (626) 578-6300, Ext. 4466 jesse.dillon@sgvn.com 911 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91109 www.therosemag.com Copyright 2009 Rose Magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Rose Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or artwork even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Printed by Southwest Offset Printing

ON THE COVER ROSE8 | SUMMER09

Design by Evelyn Barge Photography by Watchara Phomicinda

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INSIDER

Pounding the pavement

By LARRY WILSON

The search for live music in Old Pasadena

YOU can count on one hand, chopping off some fingers before you do so, Old Pasadena joints still extant that were there 30 years ago.

In 1979, you could get a fine burrito at El Toreo on Fair Oaks just south of the boulevard, for instance, and you could ... well, you could have been a kid just out of college working for Parsons.

And you could have been asked, “Kid, how’d you like to go work in Saudi Arabia?” And you could have answered, “Fat chance.”

And the counter could have been: “We’ll double your salary.”

And you could have said, “Hold that thought,” ambled across the street to the funky Loch Ness Monster, downed two cold ones at the dark-wood bar, weaved back across same street in the harsh smoggy 1970s daylight and told your boss, “Oh, what the hell.

I’ve always liked the desert.”

The only things different about the Loch Ness three decades on is that it’s now called the Old Towne Pub — “Loch Ness shots” are available — and there’s no longer sawdust on the floor, though there ought to be. I mean, only. I think those are the same full ashtrays on the patio. And the lack of change is a very good thing. Dingy, beer-smelly, you don’t want to use the head on a bet — I love the place. Sterility? Same-same chain ownership?

Not a problem, sir, as the waitresses say. And so the other night when I went out in search of one thing that’s very hard to find in Old Pas, the nice changes down the decades notwithstanding — live music — I headed straight for the Pub and a pint of Guinness.

Bingo. Just five guys in the place, and three of them were in the band, tuning up their Gibsons and plugging in to Zep-sized Marshall amps.

But it was early in the evening. Listened to their first cover, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and then “All Along the Watchtower,” and then — hey, Zep! — “Dazed and Confused” before heading out into the night with the option of a return.

Dozens of restaurants and bars within a few blocks — there had to be a band or a jazz combo or someone noodling at the ivories out there somewhere.

Well, there were a lot of sports bars with really big TVs. Down on Colorado, there was a place my 18-year-old daughter says gets going after 10; this was slightly before 10 and the doors were

not even open, the lights not on. Redwhite+bluezz down at Raymond and Green has jazz just about every night of the week but on that Tuesday ... well, it was either too late or too early, because there wasn’t any jazz.

The excellent and erudite drummer Paul Lines, yes, has jazz upstairs in the Paseo Colorado at his Pasadena Jazz Institute, but for the purposes of this scientific survey, it wasn’t Old Pas. It was my thesis and I’m sticking with it: For a nighttime neighborhood to be truly swinging, it should have lots of live music, especially the kind you can drop in on.

Kate had live music — just a guitar and a saxophone, but nice stuff — at her CrepeVine in the alley behind Jake’s, but Kate’s is gone.

Equator, further down that alley, is wildly hep and there were $1 martinis and by rights it ought to have live music, but that night, at least, it didn’t.

Now, here comes NeoMeze on the boulevard, and there’s swinging sounds coming out the doors, and indeed there’s a DJ with a glowing Apple laptop playing house-style numbers and a live drummer and a saxman grooving along. So I popped in. But I was the only person at the bar. Is it just hard to get people out on a Tuesday night? If it were a weekend, would there have been clubsters?

So it’s back to the Old Towne Pub, where on a recent Thursday night, it was not hard at all for hot L.A. surf bands The Jimbonaires and the Silver Surfers to get 150 people out for a weeknight gig. Yeah, there was just one bartender trying to serve all those thirsty sidewalk surfers, but the music was cooking.

And there was the selfsame BF Trio, and they’d moved on to “Angie” — “But ain’t it time we said goodbye?” — and no it wasn’t, because the very young band was having fun vamping as if they were foppish Englishmen themselves, and the skinny singer handed the mic at midnight to the beautiful girl at the bar, and she knew enough Britspeak to call herself “a bird,” and everyone laughed, and they finished with “Satisfaction,” written when their parents were young.

So, can you find music in Old Pas these days, the way we used to at Hazel’s and Chromo’s?

If you try sometimes, yeah, you’ll get what you need. R

Larry Wilson is public editor of the Pasadena Star-News and the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group.

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Local Experts Worldwide

SELECTED PROPERTIES

870 S. SAN RAFAEL: Pasadena. Elegant Mediterranean designed by Reginald Johnson, Roland Coate & Kaufman. 5bd/7ba. Majestic views, pool, and guest house.$4,900,000 WEB: 0274867 Maureen Hollingsworth

954 FLINTRIDGE AVE: La Canada. Spacious single level home in prestigious Flintridge. Beautifully updated, gated estate, 4bd/5.5 ba pool & pool house. $3,049,000 WEB: 0274948 Deborah Maxson

425 MADELINE DR: Pasadena. Traditional in West Pasadena Estates Area. Apprx. 1/2 acre lot. 5bd/4.5ba, fam rm, pool, lovely architectural detail. 3-car garage $2,500,000 WEB: 0274805 Polly Wheaton

443 BELLMORE WAY: Pasadena. On the Arroyo’s edge. Designed in 1936 by architect Theodore Pletsch & redesigned by Cynthia Bennett in 1990, 6bd/4.5ba $2,111,000 WEB: 0274800 von Ernst & Parker-Stanton

200 N. GRAND AVE: Pasadena. One of Pasadena’s most historic homes with a New York Brownstone feel located next to the heart of Old Town. www.200northgrand.com $1,999,999 WEB: 0274564 Jeff Maynard

1245 LINDA RIDGE RD: Pasadena. Great Linda Vista location nestled in the foothills. 4bd/2.75ba, secluded, mstr ste, lg lr, fam rm, kit, bkfst rm, mtn views. $1,299,000 WEB: 0274761 Cindy Salcido

33 WOODLYN LN: Bradbury.Lovely gated commmunity.

3bd/2.5ba, fdr, loft style office, media rm, gst hse, pool.

Almost 2 acres of land. www.33woodlynlane.com $1,295,000 WEB: 0274861 Scott Kleiman & Carol Ortega

1190 AFTON ST: Pasadena. Shepard & Morgan 1950 Traditional Ranch home on a 14,000+ flat lot. 3bd/3ba.

Beautifully maintained. www.1190Afton.com $1,250,000 WEB: 0274966 David Goldberg & Peter Martocchio

338 HIGHLAND PL: Monrovia. 4bd/2.5ba. Approx 2,423 sqft & 23,775 sqft lot, lr w/fpl, fdr, brkfst rm w/ built ins, French doors, hdwd flrs, pool & spa. $1,150,000 WEB: 0274970 Espi Bagwell

Here is what a client had to say…

“It’s a new world and real estate is right at the weather front: Listen, I work and have worked with people in so many tight corners – nonprofits up against funding challenges, people in industries like healthcare who have never had to deal with such intimidating challenges, and this is what I have observed: There are those who simply get depressed and negative and overwhelmed…and others who are in denial and act as if all the issues and challenges are temporary. Both are doomed, sad to say.

Those who acknowledge the new realities, and then re-interpret their value equation are the ones who adapt to the new environment.

Sotheby’s (Homes) is the class of the act – the most reputable, successful and ethical name in the business through the boom years: who else would you bet on to emerge as the front runner in a more complex and challenging environment?”

-Danny Abelson Professional Financial Planner, Abelson & Co. /Arlene Gibbs/Larchmont

PASADENA BROKERAGE 626.229.0909 I sothebyshomes.com/socal I 459 E. COLORADO BLVD., PASADENA CA 91101 USE THE WEB NUMBERS PROVIDED TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ON A PROPERTY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE sothebyshomes.com

“Great customer service” and an “excellent reputation.”

Sotheby’s International Realty has been named the most prestigious real estate company in The Luxury Institute’s 2008 survey.

GO compiled By CLAUDIA PALMA

No blackboards

needed Take in some STREET art during your Father’s Day weekend. Taking their talent to the streets, literally, hundreds of Southern California artists will participate in the 17th annual Pasadena Chalk Festival. Artists and teams will draw murals on the pavement with the hopes of impressing the judges and attracting crowds on the Paseo Colorado walkways. Chalk artists typically tackle the classical, the whimsical and everything in between.

10 a.m. to 7 p.m., June 20 and 21, 280 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Free.

(626) 795-9100, pasadenachalkfestival.com

ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES

EACH AND EVERY YEAR, DESIGN AND AUTO AFICIONADOS CONVERGE at the Art Center College of Design’s Car Classic but this year’s theme “By Air, Land & Sea” will attract aviation and nautical fans as well. The show will focus on the historic relationship between vehicles — no matter which terrain they were built for. Hundreds of cars, hot rods, motorcycles, aircraft and watercraft will be on display.

Designer experts will give presentations.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 19, Art Center’s Hillside Campus, Sculpture Garden, 1700 Lida St., Pasadena, $60.

(626) 396-2304, artcenter.edu/ carclassic

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family of foxes

If you think you have family problems, check out the Hubbards, a family in the post-Civil War South.

Lillian Hellman’s 1939 play “The Little Foxes” at the Pasadena Playhouse explores how greed and deception know no bloodlines — and the lengths one ruthless, well-heeled (and ruthlessly well-heeled) family will go just to succeed.

Through June 28, Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, $32-$42. (626) 792-8672, pasadenaplayhouse.org

Destroyer of obstacles

The timing couldn’t be better for the Pacific Asia Museum’s exhibit “Discovering Ganesha: Remover of Obstacles.” This exhibit features photographs of the most adored and worshipped deity in Hinduism by New York-based artist Shana Dressler. Dressler explores Ganesha festivals in Mumbai. Ganesha, also known as the elephant god, is called the lord of success and destroyer of evils. Those bank execs who pushed subprime loans might also want to take in the exhibit — Ganesha is the destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride. Through Sept. 20, Wed.-Sun.: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. $9 for adults, $7 for students/seniors, free on fourth Friday of the month. (626) 449-2742, pacificasiamuseum.org

Americafest 2009 Presented by

XBOX 360 83rd Annual 4th of July Celebration At the Rose Bowl Saturday, July 4, 2009 Family Festival – A full day of safe, affordable family fun Starts at 2 pm outside the Stadium 7 pm Drum Corps International Presents Five World Class Drum and Bugle Corps The Academy from Tempe, AZ Blue Devils from Concord, CA Pacific Crest from Diamond Bar, CA Bluecoats from Canton, Ohio Mandarins from Sacramento, CA 9 pm The Biggest Fireworks Show in Southern California produced by PyroSpectaculars by Souza

General Admission Tickets: $13 Adults; Children 7 and under Free (Parking is additional)

Advance Tickets on Sale Now:

TicketMaster (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com Rose Bowl Ticket Booth (Outside next to Gate B)

June 29th through July 4th Hours: June 29 through July 3 - 10am to 5pm July 4 - 10am to 9 pm Information (626) 577-3101 or www.rosebowlstadium.com Sponsors

Pasadena Star-News • XBOX 360 • CBS 2 • KCAL 9 • Newstalk 870 KRLA City of Pasadena • Smith Brothers Restaurants • Charter Communications

GO MORE UPCOMING EVENTS Relay for Life Pasadena Have 24 hours of fun at The American Cancer Society’s 25th Relay for Life. Join the round-the-clock celebration relay to honor cancer survivors and those who have lost their lives.

9 a.m., May 30, Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (800) ACS-2345, relayforlife.org/california

Los Angeles Concours d’Elegance Unleash your inner car buff. The Assistance League of Southern California will present its fourth Los Angeles Concours d’Elegance.

The showcase will feature 350 classic and exotic cars displayed over 25 acres and horseless carriages from the early 1900s.

10 a.m.-4 p.m., June 7, Pasadena Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, $25-$30, (323) 469-1973, laconcours.com

Pacific Serenades and Paul Chihara Chamber music ensemble Pacific Serenades ends its 2009 season with “Woven of Many Strands,” a world premiere of new work for piano quintet by television and film composer Paul Chihara (“China Beach,” “Shogun, the Musical”).

4 p.m., June 7, The Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Blvd., Pasadena, $32, (213) 534-3434, pacser.org

Kare Youth League’s Circus & Family Fair Have high-flying family fun at the Kare Youth League’s Circus and Family Fair. There will be food and games galore and the circus performance will feature the Peking Acrobats. Kare Youth League hosts year-

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round sports activities and programs.

5-10 p.m. June 12, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. June 13, Pasadena Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, $10, (626) 442-1160, kyl.org

Evening with Star Chefs The 46th annual “An Evening with Star Chefs” will feature fares from Pasadena Baking Company, Mi Piace, Castle Catering, El Cholo, Front Runner, Il Fornaio, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Celestino. Proceeds benefit programs for abused, neglected and abandoned children served by Rosemary Children’s Services.

6-10 p.m., June 27, Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, (626) 844-3033, Ext. 211, rosemarychildren.org

Cal Phil’s ‘Movie Magic’ The California Philharmonic continues its popular summertime tradition of performing excerpts from Hollywood blockbusters. This year’s “Summer Magic” will include scores from “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Lord of the Rings” and “Memoirs of a Geisha.”

7:30 p.m., Aug. 8, The Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, $20, (626) 300-8200, calphil.org

WEEKLY/MONTHLY EVENTS Guided tours of Tournament House Take a walk through 103 years of Tournament of Roses history with a guided tour of the 18,500-square-foot Italian Renaissancestyle home once owned by chewing-gum pioneer William Wrigley Jr. 2 and 3 p.m., Thursdays, Tournament House, 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, Free, (626) 449-4100

Villa Parke farmers’ market Buy tasty homemade foods at the Villa Parke farmers’ market, where every vendor is certified to sell only what they have grown.

8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Villa Parke, 363 E. Villa St., Pasadena, Free, (626) 449-0179, pasadenafarmersmarket.org

Fitness walk with Mayor Bill Bogaard Join the mayor and special guests monthly for a fitness walk around the Rose Bowl. All fitness levels are invited.

7:45-8:45 a.m., first Wednesday of the month, Rose Bowl Main Gate, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, Free, (626) 432-1508, upandmoving.org

Victory Park farmers’ market With more than 40 vendors that are certified to only sell what they have grown, this is a great place to find fresh produce.

8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Saturdays, Victory Park, Sierra Madre Boulevard and Paloma Street, Pasadena, Free, (626) 449-0179, pasadenafarmersmarket.org

Pasadena City College flea market Looking for antiques or collectibles? This flea market houses more than 450 vendors and is best known for its array of record vendors.

8 a.m.-3 p.m., first Sunday of the month, Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., East parking lots, Pasadena, Free, (626) 585-7925, pasadena.edu/fleamarket

PinkSlipMixer Pay It Forward Having a hard time finding a job? Share your job resources and power network at PinkSlipMixer’s monthly happy hour event.

6-9 p.m., June 24 & July 22, Bar Celona, 46 E. Colorado St., Pasadena, Free, (310) 406-7992, pinkslipmixers.com

Southern Belle or Southern Hell ?

The Claws come out when Family Fortunes are on the line.

Kelly

Starring McGillis and Julia

Duffy MEDIA SPONSORS

DIVERSITY SPONSOR

On Stage Now!

(626) 356-7529 WWW.PASADENAPLAYHOUSE.ORG

MUSIC ON THE SPOT The former lead singer of The Ink Spots finds himself playing on the sidewalk of Colorado Boulevard — and thanks God for it

by Maritza Velazquez

Photos by Sarah Reingewirtz

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Clint Stacy in Old Pasadena, above, and as lead vocalist of The Ink Spots, left.

Clint Stacy has always been an entertainer.

But this 78-year-old musician doesn’t need the glamour of bright lights and a big stage to feed his passion. All he needs is his music and an audience.

Every weekend, Stacy plays his trumpet on the sidewalk at Colorado Boulevard and Raymond Avenue, his notes blending with the sounds emanating from the surrounding nightclubs and the noise of passing traffic.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, some people — hurrying to a nearby restaurant or passing by after a long night at one of the local bars — stop to listen. In small groups, they gather around the musician, requesting songs or making conversation with the outgoing man.

Seated behind his music stand, his trumpet case open for tips, Stacy says there’s one thing people always ask him — “What is your best tune?”

“That’s a hard question!” he says. “I just thank God I can play. I try to make all of them my best tune.”

Stacy plays popular American jazz, rock, love songs and music from movies such as the “The Godfather.”

For four years, the Los Angeles resident who works as a barber during the day has frequented the same corner, finding inspiration and happiness from entertaining others.

“On the street — it’s a new experience,” Stacy says. “You get experience from the real world. Streetwalkers, beggars, the homeless — I give them all love. It makes me feel good that they enjoy my music.”

As the lead singer of The Ink Spots for 14 years, Stacy knows what it feels like to have people value his work. And on the street, that’s just what happens.

“It’s not about being the greatest trumpet player. People just appreciate my work. It’s a great experience,” he says.

In fact, up until four years ago, the New York City native hadn’t picked up his trumpet for almost 50 years. The last time was when he was a high school student in Birmingham, Ala. After he was discharged from the Army in 1957, he moved to California, where he began a career in music. From 1968 to 1981, he performed all over the country and abroad with Charlie Fuqua and Deet Watson of The Ink Spots, a popular R&B and rock-and-roll group.

He was single most of his life after a divorce in the late 1950s.

He remarried in 1995 and has a son, now 13 years old. His son’s passion for baseball inspired Stacy to contribute to youth athletic teams in Los Angeles. The tips Stacy earns from his curbside gigs go toward buying equipment for some of these teams, and to family, including an adopted son in the Philippines.

Stacy earned his barber’s license in cosmetology school, making full use of his GI Bill benefits. Now he’s studying music at Los Angeles Community College and his Pasadena performances serve as trumpet practice to brush up on his skills.

Stacy hasn’t given up on singing — he performs with a big band at weekend events like weddings and banquets. But whether it’s up on stage in front of a large crowd or on the sidewalk of a busy street, it makes no difference to Stacy.

“At my age and experience, I’m just thankful to God,” Stacy says. “I’m just glad to be alive, and in America. And that is my hallelujah. Give me the simple life. I appreciate better things, but I take what life gives me.” R

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THINKcompiled By EMMA GALLEGOS SHANGHAIED, IN REVERSE

Lisa See, the great-granddaughter of the patriarch of Los Angeles’ Chinatown, has a knack for digging up and fleshing out fantastic, if unfamiliar, moments of Chinese and Chinese-American history. In “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan,” she wrote about a language in the Hunan province that was the exclusive domain of women. See will be reading from her latest novel “Shanghai Girls.” The novel follows the lives of two women sold to suitors in Los Angeles to pay off their father’s debt during the American anti-communist fervor of World War II. 7 p.m., June 2, Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 449-5320, vromansbookstore.com

FAMILY FARE

W

e have few reservations in recommending any history lesson that ends with lunch at Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles — especially since the rest of the lesson sounds equally

tempting. The Pasadena Museum of History has come up with a creative way to show the differences in the lives of Armenians, African-Americans, Chinese, Europeans, Japanese and Latinos who settled Pasadena without fizzling into vague cultural generalizations. Sure, the six families chosen in “Family Stories: Sharing a Community’s Legacy” skew toward modern-day Pasadena business success stories, but it’s worth it to be able to observe the specific paths they’ve traveled to become active candidates in the Chamber of Commerce or the Elks Club. On Fridays, there will be tours of the exhibit with guest speakers from the families or community members. And it will all end in a restaurant with the appropriate cuisine for each of the six different cultures represented by the families. Through January 10.

Lunches on Fridays for $20. Call ahead to make reservations for the lunches. Pasadena Museum of History, 470 W. Walnut St., Pasadena, $8 nonmembers. (626) 577-1660, pasadenahistory.org

Drifting through

“Drift: Stories” marks South Pasadena-based writer Victoria Patterson’s shortstory debut. Her interconnected collection of stories follows characters just outside the affluent, privileged culture of her home turf in Newport Beach: waitresses, divorcees and a skateboarder named John Wayne with a drug habit. Rosie, an only child of divorced parents who struggles with alcoholism, is a recurring character whose drift from childhood to adulthood ties together the stories. 7 p.m., June 30, Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 449-5320, vromansbookstore.com

BORDER STORIES

Luis ALBERTO Urrea’s novel “The Hummingbird’s Daughter”was recently

Pasadena’s pick for its One City, One Story program. He’ll be coming back to read from his latest novel, “Into the Beautiful North,” which takes him back to the border and the setting of his best work. “Into the Beautiful North” takes place in a small Mexican town that has been all but abandoned by men, who have crossed the border to find work. A 19-year-old Nayeli goes north — in the tradition of the western “The Magnificent Seven” — to recruit men who will save a town from being overrun by bandits. 7 p.m., June 9, Vroman’s Bookstore. 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 449-5320, vromansbookstore.com ROSE20 | SUMMER09

SUMMER09 | ROSE21

THINK 18th Century hotshot

Samuel Johnson casts a long shadow on the English language — and anything written in it. Dr. Johnson — an affectionate title for a man who couldn’t even afford to complete an Oxford education — tackled just about every form and every subject a man in his day could: literary critic, essayist, poet, novelist, philosopher and lexicographer.

He was immortalized in “The Life of Samuel Johnson” by James Boswell as an intellectual hotshot who sparred with other thinkers in London taverns with snappy one-liners that live on today.

Just in time for the tercentenary of Johnson’s birth, the Huntington Library will be exhibiting a copy of the first edition of his groundbreaking dictionary in its original binding in their exhibit “Samuel Johnson: Literary Giant of the 18th Century.” There will also be diaries, personal letters and his most famous portrait “Blinking Sam” — a reference to Johnson’s poor vision — by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Through Sept. 21, 1151 Oxford Road, Library West Hall, San Marino.

(626) 405-2100, visit huntington.org

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Benny Chan doesn’t photograph anything you’ve never seen in Southern California. He’s an architectural photographer who shoots airports, parking garages and, in his exhibit “Traffic,” aerial shots of rush-hour traffic. Chan designed a camera to capture gridlock especially for the series at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. His geometric compositions hint at the darker side of those constructions, like the loneliness of a laundromat or the chaos of our traffic system. Chan captures the beauty and monstrosity of curlicues in an interchange — in a way Google Earth never has. Open through Sept. 20, Pasadena Museum of California Art, 490 E. Union Street, Pasadena.

(626) 568-3665, pmcaonline.org

Final frontier

The monthly von Kármán Lecture Series continues to bring its exploration of the universe to enlighten the earthbound masses. James Fanson will discuss the Kepler’s mission to find other Earth-like planets. Astrophysicist Charles Lawrence will take a giant step back and talk about how it is we (and by “we,” I think he means scientists) learn things about the universe. Leon Alkalai will discuss projects that are going on internationally to return to the moon with both humans and robots in tow.

“The Really Big Picture: Things We Know About the Universe, and How We Know Them,” 7 p.m. June 11 at the von Kármán Auditorium at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and 7 p.m.

June 12 at The Vosloh Forum at Pasadena City College.

“Exploring the Moon,” 7 p.m. July 16 at the von Karman Auditorium and 7 p.m. July 17 at The Vosloh Forum.

“From Legs to Wheels,” 7 p.m. August 20 at von Kármán Auditorium and 7 p.m. August 21 at The Vosloh Forum. jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.cfm ROSE22 | SUMMER09

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Pasadena Heritage

“Saving our Past for the Future” Pasadena Heritage and its members have helped Pasadena become internationally recognized for its architectural treasures, beautiful neighborhoods and a great place to live and visit. We welcome your support of our mission: To identify, preserve and protect the historic, architectural, and cultural resources of the City of Pasadena through advocacy, education and oral histories.

Upcoming Events:

July 19, 2009 Celebrating the Colorado Street Bridge

A unique celebration of Pasadena’s most beloved historic bridge and historic preservation will replace our traditional summer event on the bridge in 2009.

August 1, 2009 Old Pasadena Walking Tour

Join Pasadena Heritage for a 2 ½ hour tour of Pasadena’s historic Old Pasadena. Old Pasadena with its fascinationg array of historic buildings in a National Register Historic District and is one of the best examples of downtown revitalization in the country.

October 16-18, 2009 Eighteenth Annual Craftsman Weekend

Immerse yourself in the American Arts & Crafts Movement during Pasadena Heritage’s annual Craftsman Weekend. The Weekend includes bus and walking tours of historic neighborhoods, exclusive evening events in historic sites, and a Craftsman House Tour featuring six privately owned homes. Also, visit the largest Furnishings and Decorative Arts Show and Sale on the West Coast.

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Ashley Stroupe says the rovers have spawned a new field of science.

Life ON

Mars

Defying the odds, rovers Spirit and Opportunity mark their fifth year roaming the red planet

By JANETTE WILLIAMS

They’ve just turned 5, although they weren’t expected to survive longer than 90 days — fraternal twins who’ve faced physical problems and kept going, overcoming every challenge a hostile atmosphere and terrain can throw at them.

No wonder many Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists have developed an almost parental affection for Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity.

“Spirit is my favorite,” says rover-driver Dr. Ashley Stroupe of Pasadena. “She’s the one I learned on first — she’s the oldest sibling ... She has had to struggle for everything. She tried three times to find evidence of water, she’s had a broken wheel and other problems that make her the underdog. We cheer for her every achievement, it makes it that much more incredible.”

And yes, Stroupe says, the two golf cart-sized robot geologists are female.

“It just became apparent,” she says, laughing. “They’re twin sisters, rivals over getting the attention. They’ve got a whole bunch of parents, and each has a parent that favors that sibling.”

For Dina El Deeb of Temple City, a strategic engineer who’s training to be a rover driver, Opportunity is the ROSE26 | SUMMER09

favored one.

“The landing site was just incredible, from the day we landed, the pictures that came back immediately were unbelievable,” she says. “They looked like we just went to Nevada — not that we did!”

She agrees the rovers are female, with some male tendencies. “They act like a male basically if you give them too much to do,” she says. “Neither one of them can multi-task to save their lives.”

They also need about 16 minutes to fully wake up, El Deeb says. “Just like a human, they want time to wake up and if you overload the central processing unit they ‘fault out’ — just like a guy, ‘I can’t take it!’” she jokes.

The rovers have captured the world’s imagination since Spirit’s textbook landing on Mars’ Gusev Crater on Jan. 3, 2004, followed on Jan. 24 by Opportunity on Meridiani Planum, at the opposite end of the planet.

Their success helped guarantee the future of JPL, then shaken and demoralized by the highly public failures of two previous Mars missions.

Now the rovers have defied all predictions by performing complex missions and sending back stunning images and information years after they should have died.

They’ve even spawned a new field of science.

RENDERING COURTESY NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell

This synthetic image combines frames taken by Mars rover Opportunity’s panoramic camera inside the planet’s Endurance Crater in 2004.

The image was produced using “Virtual Presence in Space” technology developed at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“We call it ‘robot gerontology,’” Stroupe says. “It’s something we’ve never studied before ... we’ve never had the opportunity to learn how to operate one of those vehicles once they age and start to break down and not function.”

Spirit’s right front wheel doesn’t drive any more, she said, and one of the joints on Opportunity’s robotic arm doesn’t move properly, but they get around despite the problems.

“A lot of team members sympathize,” Stroupe jokes.

As the six-month Martian winter ends, Spirit and Opportunity are cranking up for a new set of challenges.

“Both of them are heading toward new science targets quite a distance away,” Stroupe says.

“Opportunity is hearded for Endeavor Crater, many kilometers across, that will take 1-1/2 to 2 years to get to.”

Spirit is already heading for the steep Von Braun hillock about 200 yards from the Home Plate area where it spent most of 2008.

The rovers are still going strong, but nothing lasts forever.

“Is their time runing out? I don’t even have that view any more,” El Deeb says. “I was one of the probably obnoxious people who didn’t think we’d make 600 meters or 90 days. I didn’t believe we’d be passing milestone after milestone after milestone. I’ve given up predicting.”

Stroupe says there will be “some mourning but quite a lot of celebration” when the rovers finally give out.

Photo by WALT MANCINI “We’ll celebrate the fact that Dina El Deeb says the rovers need both rovers achieved so much 16 minutes to fully wake up. more than we expected, helped change the way we look at the planet,” she says. “Now we know Mars used to be a much warmer, wetter place that could support life.

So of course we will be sad to see them go. But we have to be totally thrilled with the quality of work they’ve done.

“It will be like a New Orleans jazz funeral — sad and a celebration at the same time.” R SUMMER09 | ROSE27

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By Dan Abendschein

Seeing a new light The latest proposal for renovating the Rose Bowl

lowers costs by $100 million

and bets fans will shell out more for luxury

LOOKING DOWN at the Rose Bowl from the premiere view of the stadium’s press box, MANAGER Darryl Dunn is a happy man.

That’s because the latest plan for renovating the stadium is estimated to cost about $150 million, $100 million less than the other plans, and in his view, will be much less disruptive to surrounding neighborhoods. “We’re not going to have to blow anything up,” Dunn says gleefully.

The plan, the latest in a series of ideas for renovation over the last seven years, makes some key changes to the project. The main one is to leave the tunnels that allow passage into the stadium intact; previous plans involved expanding the width of

seats

the tunnels to allow more people to pass through safely. That would have caused more loud construction — not an ideal solution for area neighbors.

“It’s a bit of a turbulent community situation,” Dunn says.

“But we’ve heard the input of the neighborhood and we think this plan fits it as well as we can.”

The local neighborhoods have always had a bit of a tense relationship with the Rose Bowl, says Sharon Yonashiro, the former head of the Linda Vista/Annandale Association. Despite the tension, she adds, nobody wants to stop the Rose Bowl from doing the work it needs to survive as a stadium.

“Everyone understands the Rose Bowl needs renovation,”

PHOTO BY SARAH REINGEWIRTZ

Yonashiro says. “As long as they stay with the [environmental impact report] that has been approved, the association isn’t going to object to it.�

But, Yonashiro says, the fact remains that the Rose Bowl’s interests don’t always square with the interests of the neighborhood. One of her biggest concerns as a resident, she says, is an increase in events at the stadium. “People always say I should have known what to expect when I moved into a neighborhood near the Rose Bowl,� she says. “But when I moved here in 1982, UCLA had barely just begun to play there, and there wasn’t much else going on.�

These days, with a half-marathon, the Amgen bike race, concerts and other paid events, the Rose Bowl is getting busier. And that is an important part of its future, Dunn says. Seven years ago, the stadium brought in about $70,000 in non-football paid events.

Today it is about $700,000. That is not enough to ensure the stadium’s long-term finances, however, he says.

The stadium has faced the need to come up with a new plan to bring in more profit, as the possibility of having an NFL team play at the Rose Bowl has faded over the years.

Voters put a nail in the coffin in 2006 when they voted overwhelmingly against the pos-

PHOTO BY LEO JARZOMB

Darryl Dunn, CEO/General Manager of Rose Bowl Operating Company.

sibility of allowing a team to play there.

Keeping the stadium profitable is a priority for the city, which generates an estimated $58.6 million from the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game. But the city will have to sell the $150 million renovation plan to the community — the likely financing plan is to pay for it with a 30-year municipal bond.

Dunn says he believes the changes will result in an extra annual revenue of $5 million.

NEW FEATURES That extra annual revenue will mostly come from additional luxury box seating, a big feature in its new stadium design. To avoid raising prices all over the stadium, a

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small select group pays prices far above the average fan. Currently the stadium has only about 600 such seats, which are leased out to UCLA season-ticket holders. After the expansion, the stadium would have 3,000 under the current plan.

Aside from changing the luxury box, the current plan is more notable for all that it doesn’t change. The idea behind the plan is to make small, incremental changes that most won’t even notice, Dunn says.

In the case of the tunnels leading into the stadium, which all previous planners envisioned widening, it means they will be left alone. What will happen instead is that tunnels that lead directly onto the field will be expanded. Fans seated in the bottom rows of the stadium will file onto the field directly, separated from the players by a hedge wall that will be added. Making room for a fan entrance will require some of the lower seats to be torn out — but Dunn sees it as a case of losing lower-priced seating in exchange for more premium seats.

“We’re betting that some people will be willing to pay a premium price for the experience of being able to walk right on to the field,” Dunn says. The removal of those seats, as well as a couple of new sets of stairs that will be built to improve seat access, will

lower the seating capacity of the stadium.

However, the stadium currently seats more than 92,000, a huge number for modern stadiums, and the reduction would only bring it to about 89,000, according to Dunn.

Previous plans also called for the destruction of several outlying buildings on the property to create more space for fans to walk on the concourse to get to food vendors and the restroom. But the current plan will instead introduce a cafeteria-style eating area, meant to reduce lines and improve foot traffic between the concourse and the stadium.

FOLLOWING FENWAY The minimal-interference ideas behind the stadium design come from Janet Marie Smith, the Boston architect who oversaw the design for the groundbreaking Major League Baseball stadium Camden Yards, which hosts the Baltimore Orioles. That redesign put a new emphasis on designing stadiums to attract spectators who were as much interested in the feeling of just being at a ball park as they were in the game of baseball.

More recently, Smith worked on the renovation of Boston’s Fenway Park, which hosts the Red Sox. Fenway, like the Rose Bowl, was an early 20th-century stadium considered a historical landmark in its own right. While

other cities dynamited their older stadiums, Boston fans were deeply attached to Fenway and Red Sox management chose to go for a redesign that would involve subtle changes to the size of seats, tunnels and vendor areas.

Smith is currently wooing officials from the National Park Service on the possibility of getting Fenway listed as a historical landmark — she considers herself a historical preservationist, she said. That sort of thinking was entirely new from all the other plans that the Rose Bowl had been entertaining.

“The focus was all on leveling parts of the stadium and rebuilding from scratch,” Dunn says.

The new design also will include a few other perks for the historical-minded: two retro scoreboards that will mimic the appearance of boards that used to inhabit the stadium.

There will also be a visual history of the Rose Bowl circling the concourse, with bricks and plaques listing historical milestones.

But with just minimal changes overall, the Rose Bowl will maintain an unchanged historical purpose, a very unusual feat in America. “There are very few historical facilities that are still being used for the exact purpose they were built,” Dunn says. “We want a plan that ensures the long-term viability of the stadium and we think this is it.” R

SUMMER09 | ROSE31

Sunday June 21, 2009 from 9 am to 3 pm

F

INE

BY EVELYN BARGE

ON THE MAHOGANY BAR, A DRAINED BOTTLE OF ARGENTINE WINE STANDS FLANKED BY A SOLITARY STEMMED GLASS STILL STAINED WITH ITS REMAINS. They’re not conspicuous accoutrements in this Parisian-style crêperie and wine bar just off Colorado Boulevard in Mills Place Alley. But after an unnatural number of weeks left undisturbed, the empty vessels — lone reminders of a livelihood now gone missing — have begun to collect dust. It’s hard to spot them amid the quiet disorder of chairs placed bottom-up, tables pushed to the walls, entryways padlocked.

PHOTO BY

WATCHARA PHOMICINDA

Battered restaurant industry finding new ways to lure budget-strapped customers

A posting on the door confirms the evidence of loss: “I am so sorry to say that we have closed for business.” The message belongs to The Crepe Vine proprietor Kate Hagglund, who on January 31 toasted to the bistro’s last night in business after a more than three-year run.

With the local restaurant industry battered by recession, Hagglund is in good company, though even that may ring a bit too optimistic for the times. Suddenly vacant storefronts and glaring for-lease signs are popping up around Pasadena in an advancing epidemic that has claimed small, independent eateries and national chain restaurants alike.

The bleak economic landscape has surviving restaurant owners cautiously strategizing for an unclear future amid a downturn that even the most seasoned restaurateurs say is unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

NOTHING MORE TO CUT Hagglund well remembers them, the days of easy indulgence.

She rang up “steaks galore,” and no one flinched at being poured a $15 glass of wine. Instead, they ordered another.

But the winds of change were stirring, and Hagglund took notice when a giant — global financial firm Lehman Brothers — fell. After the 158-year-old company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 15, 2008, Hagglund says she sensed a difference right away.

“That was the day I could tell things were changing,” she says.

“I noticed that our clientele just sort of shifted a little bit.”

Adding insult to injury, Hagglund and her staff had already been forced to recoup after two kitchen fires — the first in March 2006, just four months after The Crepe Vine opened; the second in October 2007, forcing the staff to rework the entire menu. But, ultimately, it was the economy that would serve the fatal blow.

“A lot of people started bringing their own wine or splitting

entrees,” says Hagglund, who moved to cut expenses across the board. “Labor, hours, operating costs — you can only do so much. At a certain point, there’s nothing more to cut.”

It’s a scene that’s playing out in restaurants across the state and the nation, says Daniel Conway, spokesman for the California Restaurant Association. The unemployment rate for restaurant workers across the United States rose from 9.5 percent in November 2008 to 11.6 percent in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“You are seeing California be particularly hit hard, because the impact of the recession has been so difficult here,” he says, pointing to the deep reach of the housing meltdown and soaring unemployment rates in the state. “Personal, disposable income is what people spend when they go out to eat, and these days, people feel that they don’t have that.”

According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurant jobs comprise about 10 percent of California’s work force. The industry has been in decline now for 18 consecutive months, but the demand for jobs in restaurants is spiking, even as the number of available jobs dwindles.

“We’re seeing more and more layoffs across different industries, so it’s not just the typical high-school student looking to get a restaurant job for the summer,” Conway says. “Now they’re having to compete against their parents — against people twice their age, who might have an engineering background or a degree in the arts. … It’s a dynamic we’ve never really seen before.”

And, Conway says, many restaurant operators were already struggling to keep up with the rising cost of commodities, even before the economic downturn crept onto the stage. “A year ago, things like increased minimum wages and the high cost of gas and electricity were really starting to impact the industry,” he says. “A lot of those things have flattened out, but at this point, the consumer has been annihilated in the process.”

SUMMER09 | ROSE35

PHOTO BY SARAH REINGEWIRTZ

Brix 42 owner George Ghaby, left, with managers Andrew Pratt and Carl Mancuso.

THE REAL DEAL At first, the ripples of recession remained relatively contained. If there was a hint of trouble, it would have been hard to detect it among most of the properties managed by the Smith Brothers Restaurant Corporation.

For proprietors Bob and Gregg Smith — perhaps the most prominent restaurateurs in the Pasadena area — it was business as usual this time last year at the Parkway Grill, Arroyo Chop House and Smitty’s Grill, all upscale eateries that cater to the business crowd and local elite. Rather, it was the brothers’ moderately priced Crocodile Cafe, a longstanding casual-dining establishment on Lake Avenue, that first began to show symptoms of the coming troubles.

“Our fine dining was still increasing year to year,” Bob Smith says.

Conway says the shift mirrored national trends, which have refocused the brunt of belt-tightening onto upmarket eateries. “On the higher end, you still had people spending a bit more freely,” he says.

“We hadn’t yet seen the corporate cutbacks on things like business lunches, dinners and banquets.”

But toward the end of 2008, as the recession rolled full-steam ahead, the financial unrest began filtering upward. “Crocodile started showing an upturn,” Bob Smith says, “while fine dining started to go down.”

The Smith brothers, whose total properties employ an estimated 400 workers, say the contraction isn’t comparable to anything they’ve witnessed in more than three decades of restaurant ownership and expansion. “In the 35 years we’ve been doing this, there have been a lot of ups and downs. Typically, in downturns, we’ve still seen an increase in our top line,” Bob Smith says. “But that’s not happening this time.”

“This one is the real deal,” Gregg Smith interjects, languidly nodROSE36 | SUMMER09

ding his head.

But on South De Lacey Avenue, something can be heard — barely — just above the din of shuttering eateries on nearby streets. It’s the sound of, not one, but two restaurant doors creaking open amid the blustering winds of an economic tempest that’s forcing many others to slam firmly shut.

One, on the west side of the street, is the Smith Brothers’ latest creation, the Spitfire Saloon, a contemporary take on the Old-West hangout embellished with fine detailing and an ornate, antique bar as its centerpiece. It opened in December. Directly opposite the Spitfire, on the east side of De Lacey, is Brix 42, a casual, Euro-inspired gastropub and brewery with American comfort food offerings that opened in March.

The two restaurants moved in to fill vacancies left by now-defunct predecessors, including the very short-lived Dena House and Delacy’s Club 41. Brix falls squarely in the casual range on the dining spectrum;

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Spitfire trends toward the higher end. The owners of both say they’ve thought long and hard about how to draw customers into their establishments. “Before, so many people were going out that you just had to open your doors and you’d get a percentage of (customers) coming in,” says George Ghaby, owner of Brix 42.

“Now, people are picking one night of the week to go out … and you have to bring them in.”

LOW-PRICE LEADER At many eateries, that means a menu predicated on low price points. “You see a lot of restaurants emphasizing their value menu,” Conway says. “The message is that you can have the fun and convenience of dining out, but it’s still a wise use of scarce resources (for patrons).”

The offerings at Brix 42 run the gamut from a homemade pretzel to a pepper-crusted sirloin steak, but nothing on the menu is priced higher than $19.

(Most items ring up around $10.) Owner Ghaby, a longtime restaurateur who owned the popular Hill PHOTO BY SARAH REINGEWIRTZ Street Cafe in La Canada Flintridge for 15 years, has André Vener, owner of redwhite+bluezz, in the restaurant’s wine club vault. also rolled out recession specials and targeted discounts on almost every night of the week. befell the previous venture. “They knew exactly what was wrong with Ghaby is quick to disassociate Brix from the failed Dena House, the place,” Ghaby says. Overpriced food and a scattershot menu that which lasted a mere six months in the same spot, and says the former encompassed pan-Asian, Italian, American and Mexican cuisines were is a compelling lesson in what not to do when managing a restaurant the chief complaints among Dena House patrons. in an economic downturn. He hired two former Dena House manConversely, Brix 42 focuses exclusively on affordable American comagers — Andrew Pratt and Carl Mancuso, also formerly of the Hill fort food. Ghaby also says that, while he wanted to create a comfortable Street Cafe — and consulted with them on avoiding the pitfalls that dining environment, he didn’t want the result to be a fine-dining-type

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restaurant that wouldn’t see enough traffic in a stagnant economy.

And even for owners of higher-end dining properties, an updated menu with lower-cost specials is a key survival strategy.

Gregg Smith says the Spitfire Saloon’s low-priced menu items, including a selection of sandwiches and burgers in the $10 range, are a hit with customers: “Our guests comment on them, and they really appreciate them.”

A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS Looking ahead, the forecast remains uncertain as to when the industry can expect to see some relief.

The Smith brothers debate that matter among themselves in their well-appointed Marengo Avenue office on the sixth floor of the historic Citizens Business Bank building. “It’s a difficult market for all restaurants, and in fact all businesses,” Bob Smith says.

Nearly all owners agree that, at some undetermined point, the economy will bounce back — though Bob Smith might hesitate to employ such a dynamic verb. “We’re seeing in our own perspective that this will be much more than just a slight adjustment,” he says.

“There will be a fundamental change going forward.”

Today, both brothers take solace in years of “fairly conservative” business practices — for example, they finance all their ventures with equity, not debt — affording them the cash reserves that smaller entrepreneurs are lacking. And owning multiple restaurants means built-in marketing opportunities and a strong customer base across all six of their restaurants, five of which are in Pasadena. The sixth is in the wealthy community of Bel Air. Independent restaurants in Pasadena are also following that lead — acting not as rivals competing for a portion of the available customers, but as comrades working in tandem to bring the masses into the city

and to keep them there. It’s an effort that began before the current recession, but the downturn has provided a renewed sense of importance for the mission.

“It’s all about building up Pasadena as a destination for good food and nightlife,” says André Vener, owner of redwhite+bluezz, an upscale wine bar, grill and jazz club on Raymond Avenue. Vener and his staff have been deeply involved in the restaurant community, helping to put on events like The Old Pasadena Wine and Jazz Walk, which last year allied eight participating restaurants and wine bars.

“Restaurants are banding together more,” says Nan Marchand, executive director of the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau. “They do understand it’s a crisis mode and you do have to be collaborative.

The idea is this: All boats are gonna float.”

“It’s one of the things that we’ve not done in the past as strongly,” she says. “Now, (restaurants) are willing to look at different marketing ideas, at working together to maintain the market share.”

Vener, former CEO of the California Philharmonic, has some theories on why his share has remained buoyant: “The reason why during tough times we’ve been stable, I think has got to be that we’re among the last ones standing. That’s got to be a little factor in it.”

And the restaurant has done anything but abandon its fine-dining mission, he says. “There is a need to cut corners and be smart, but you can’t cut staff or quality — never quality,” Vener says. Instead, he’s made subtle but key adjustments, such as serving an 8-ounce filet rather than a 10-ounce one.

Vener says he is planning more events, like the Wine and Jazz Walk, to raise awareness of Pasadena as a dining and entertainment destination, an effort he hopes will sustain the flagging industry.

“It doesn’t help me to have empty restaurants surrounding mine,” Vener says. “It helps when everyone is full.” R

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Pasadena, CA 91101 SUMMER09 | ROSE39

EAT

PHOTO BY WALT MANCINI

Q&A: ROSE AND RUSS MEEK Sommeliers, redwhite+bluezz

Pairings

By Lafayette C. Hight Jr.

The southeast corner of Green Street and Raymond Avenue emits a certain warmth, a vibe generated by a combination of music, food, wine and the patrons themselves.

The redwhite+bluezz wine bar emulates the type of jazz clubs made famous in places such as the Big Apple and Chicago. It is also a partnership run by three local families: the Venners, the Zeilstras and the Meeks.

The latter are the husband-and-wife sommelier team, laden with credentials from the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), who select the nearly 300 varieties of fermented grapes for which the restaurant is known.

Russ Meek, 32, got his start at The Parkway Grill and initially came to redwhite+bluezz as a pre-opening consultant three years ago. Marie Meek, 28, worked at the Smith Brothers Restaurants for about five years. They recently became the proud parents of Russell IV. ROSE: When did you know you wanted to be a sommelier?

RUSS MEEK: I was more of a foodie guy who happened to be a bartender. I was headed to med school.

R: What made you decide to pursue the restaurant business, ROSE40 | SUMMER09

rather than medicine?

RUSS MEEK: It was my wife’s suggestion that we get serious, get an education, take our pretty extensive experience and make a run at the high end of the hospitality industry.

R: Between the two of you, who has the greater wine knowledge?

RUSS MEEK: Marie does. Of the 1,000 varieties of Italian wines, she could probably rattle off 300. I think it’s a really neat thing. In terms of females in Pasadena, working, she’s probably No. 1 as far as advanced education in wine.

MARIE MEEK: He still knows more than I do. My drinking days diminished for a while (and) I can’t put myself up with there with master sommelier (Elizabeth Schweitzer of Monrovia). I haven’t gone there. That’s a whole ’nother ball of wax. To get your master it’s about five years of schooling.

And you have to be invited in.

R: You describe your job as helping people find a new love.

How do you do that?

RUSS MEEK: You might want a special vineyard example that really delivers a peak experience and takes over the evening.

Wine certainly has that capacity to take over an evening. Or to make somebody’s experience.

MARIE MEEK: Just getting a person to try a new wine or a new cocktail, something that they wouldn’t normally order. I enjoyed educating them on what they were drinking.

R: Do customers bring in wines to try and stump you?

RUSS MEEK: I’ve got three or four different regulars who work in national security in different parts of the world. They’ll come from Romania and bring me some Swiss Alps Merlot. I get blind tasted on things at least once a week in the dining room.

R: What does the redwhite+bluezz wine list look like?

RUSS MEEK: We’ve got some top billing for wine lists. It’s not for having the longest list or the most amount of pages. It’s because you can walk in the door and say anything, or from at least the 50 most important regions in the world, and we have it.

MARIE MEEK: We try and focus on every area in the world.

We are going to get random wines from Germany (for example) that you wouldn’t normally have.

RUSS MEEK: What you try to seek out is the balance. Depending on your particular type of palate you might like some different nuances in the wine.

R: If someone walks into the restaurant with no experience with wine, and don’t know their tastes, what do you do?

RUSS MEEK: What I do generally is start with a German Riesling. It can be an epic versatile wine. It can age for 20 years … and it does in general have a hint of sweetness on the finish.

It is a powerful, serious wine packed with the vineyard essence.

For a red, a Pinot Noir. Then I’ll go completely in the opposite direction, like a big Shiraz, which is just ink in a glass. It stains your teeth. I think it’s divining palates by investigating. You work two different sides of the spectrum and you find out where that person’s palate is going.

R: What if a couple’s palates are extremely different?

RUSS MEEK: They’ll look at each other and say we’re not compatible. But why do you need to be compatible on one bottle of wine when you can taste 10? There are no rules, no order. Bounce back and forth, taste all of the characteristics, see which you like the best.

R: What’s your all-time favorite wine or spirit, regardless of region?

MARIE MEEK: The 1990 Dunn Howell Mountain, a cabernet from Napa Valley. It’s just a really bold, rich cabernet that takes about two hours to open up, probably longer. It starts off smelling like a wet dog. Then it turns into chocolate and rich dark berries. And the tannins are really soft.

RUSS MEEK: George T. Stagg Bourbon. It’s probably the spirit world’s most amazing display of power and complexity. It’s 150 percent proof, which is 75 percent alcohol. It’s jaw-dropping how it can possibly be balanced with such intensity. We will soon be one of two restaurants in Southern California to serve it — there are only 400 bottles produced per year. If you can get it, you become a destination place for bourbon lovers. R

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Pasadena Convention Center

when things go

according

to plan

By JANETTE WILLIAMS

When the California Police Chiefs Association gathered in early March for the inaugural event at the new Pasadena Convention Center, the paint was hardly dry on the glitzy $150 million complex.

With on-budget construction completed six weeks ahead of schedule, a fast-track occupancy permit gave just enough time to prepare for a full program of workshops, lectures, even a full-scale trade exhibit complete with helicopters and emergency vehicles. It didn’t really hit the team behind it all until 700 people were seated for the banquet where Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian was sworn in as the association president.

“There was a fabulous head table, a video, flowers, table decorations, the food was fabulous, the service was fabulous,” says Tom Seifert, chairman of the Pasadena Center Operating Company, the nonprofit that manages operations at the center, Pasadena Civic Auditorium and Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau.

What could possibly go wrong? Well, nothing, Seifert says.

“I kept thinking, I don’t know how they did this, how did they pull this off,” he says. “Literally the first week I was wondering, will the other shoe drop?”

Mike Ross, the PCOC’s chief executive officer, says considering the rush to get things ready, he was just surprised there were no major surprises. “The concession stands worked, all the water worked, the lighting worked,” he says. “We had Stephen Hawking here, 4,500 people ... a perROSE42 | SUMMER09

fect example of an event we were never able to have — two major events in the first two weeks that drew thousands of people.”

The project’s smooth finish is in contrast to the rocky start for the convention center, which broke ground in August 2006 after seven years of planning. Skyrocketing construction costs and disagreements over the design had jeopardized the long-awaited project to replace and double the size of the 1973 center — and get rid of the bunker-like entrances on the plaza fronting the historic Civic Auditorium. Now it provides 85,000 square feet of exhibit space, 28 “breakout” rooms for smaller conferences and a new 25,000-square-foot ballroom.

Even in the present economic climate, Ross says, they’ve had no cancellations and expect revenues to grow by $1 million over last year’s total of just under $3 million. (The center — plus a giant tent — stayed open during construction.)

“There’s more space, and we have a lot of business on the books right now,” he says.

“There’s a full sales and marketing effort ... and although these are aggressive numbers, we expect to have $1 million more in business.”

People may be traveling less, Ross says, but much of the convention center’s business is with California-based associations.

“And we’ve got a lot of the same events coming back,” he says. That included the 33rd Annual Home Show, which — at the suggestion of Executive Director James Canfield — was free to the public as part of the gala opening celebration of April 3-5. New events include six high school proms, Ross says, and “several large fundraisers” are under discussion.

Mayor Bill Bogaard gives credit to the convention center management, and the volunteers of the PCOC, for their work in shepherding through the project built by Clark Construction — the same company that retrofitted City Hall.

“We are proud,” Bogaard says. “They have helped create a conference facility that serves the purpose of Pasadena, and strengthens the economy.”

Bogaard says he and the City Council will “monitor the bookings closely,” and have asked management to keep them well informed on how things are going.

“Obviously, the times do seem challenging for business meetings, but the project is structured to take into account a start-up period,” Bogaard says. “We expect there will be some open days in the months ahead, but I sincerely hope they will be filled after a few months and the new facility will rise with a strengthening economy when that occurs.” R

Pasadena Convention Center

Opening Gala APRIL 3, 2009

ABOVE: L.A. County Supervisor MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH and wife CHRISTINE. RIGHT: JOHN KIRKHAM, LEANN LAMPE, JANET ZALDUA, DIANNE PHILIBOSIAN, and Pasadena Center Operating Company Chairman TOM SEIFERT.

ABOVE: Board members and city officials at the Convention Center’s ribbon cutting ceremony.

PHOTOS BY BOB PAZ

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A San Marino couple disappeared in 1985; The man who may know their fates has one face but many names Fast forward.

July 28, 2008 — An AMBER ALERT has been issued in Boston for 7-year-old Reigh Rockefeller, allegedly kidnapped by her father, Clark Rockefeller. Police claim that Clark Rockefeller was on a supervised visit with his daughter when he pushed a male social worker and abducted Reigh into the back of a waiting SUV on Marlborough Street.

The seemingly disconnected stories merged a week later, when authorities announced that Rockefeller was Chichester and finally in custody.

SUMMER09 | ROSE45

THE SUSPECT Clark Rockefeller was many things. A connoisseur of fine art, a member of the most exclusive social clubs, a man of mystery who lived a pampered existence among society’s elite. The husband of bond trader Sandra Mills Boss, Rockefeller had everything — from the time they married in 1995 until the pair divorced in January 2007.

As part of a settlement reached in December 2007, he took $800,000 cash, but annually would only be allowed three supervised visits with his daughter Reigh. Police say it was a restriction Rockefeller couldn’t swallow. They believe that on July 27, he took his daughter and fled.

Almost immediately the FBI got involved. Rockefeller’s past was probed. Nothing was as it seemed. “During the course of AP the investigation we did as much John and Linda Sohus, in an undated photograph taken sometime before PHOTO their disappearance in 1985. background as possible to deterBoston authorities have mine which direction we needed charged him with parental abto go,” FBI Special Agent Noreen Gleeson says. “He was good. We duction, assault and battery, were a lot better.” as well as supplying a false Every interview led to a new twist. “We would go down a path, name to officers. His trial was turn around and start down a new path,” Gleeson says. After agents expected to begin May 26. distributed Rockefeller’s picture, the phone calls began to stream in.

Although Rockefeller has enThere were the New York brokers who remembered Rockefeller as tered a not guilty plea in the Christopher Crowe. There was the family in Connecticut who recase, there have been plea bargain called him as exchange student Christian Gerhartsreiter. Finally, there discussions, and the possibility of an insanity defense, were the homicide detectives in Los Angeles who believed Rockefeller officials say. had been Christopher Chichester, a person of interest in the likely murder of John Sohus.

THE PAPER TRAIL “It soon became apparent that many people recognized him under After cracking open their investigative blue book, detectives first many different names,” says Jake reviewed notes provided by San Marino investigators. They began to Wark, a spokesman for the Suffolk re-interview witnesses. In and of itself, the Sohuses’ disappearance in County District Attorney’s Office.

February 1985 wasn’t all that remarkable. The couple, who lived with A portrait began to emerge, John’s mother on Lorain Road, told friends they were leaving town.

Gleeson says. Information placed In a 1995 interview for the television program “Unsolved MysterRockefeller and his daughter in ies,” Linda’s friend Sue Bermudez Coffman recalled the sudden deparBaltimore. He had already morture. “Linda called me and informed me that John had a job with the phed into Chip Smith, a real estate government and she couldn’t release any information to me. All she speculator who owned a catamaran could tell me was that ‘he’s got a job with the government and they berthed in the city’s Anchorage want us both. And we have to go to New York,’” Bermudez Coffman Marina. Gleeson say agents tracked said on camera.

Rockefeller to an apartment. They Weeks passed. No one heard a word. Family and friends who conused a ruse to get him out and take tacted John’s mother, Didi, a reclusive alcoholic, were told the couple him into custody. Fingerprints was on a “secret mission” and couldn’t communicate with family. Didi from a wine glass matched those Sohus told them her information came from an unidentified source. In on immigration documents from the 1970s. There was a match with April 1985, San Marino Police took the first missing persons report. In prints in the cold case file, taken from the guest house where he once May, Bermudez Coffman received a postcard purportedly written by lived. Chip Smith was Rockefeller. Rockefeller was Gerhartsreiter.

Linda. It was postmarked Paris. “Dear Sue. Kinda missed New York, Gerhartsreiter was Chichester.

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John and Linda.”

For several weeks after the disappearance, Christopher Chichester continued to live in a guest house in the back of Didi’s home. When he vanished in April with John’s truck, Didi filed a missing persons report of her own. Weeks and months passed. Didi sold her home and moved to La Puente where she lived in a trailer park. She wrote out a will and disinherited her son.

Three years after John and Linda disappeared without a trace, Didi was dead.

CHICHESTER No one remembers exactly when Christopher Chichester first arrived in San Marino. It was cerFILE PHOTO tainly the early 1980s. Those who knew him would never forget him. In 2008, homicide investigators look for evidence in the disappearance of John and Linda Sohus in the back yard of a home at 1920 Lorain Road in San Marino.

“What he was looking for was to marry somebody here to get a family were nothing more than a collection of fabrications. Each story green card,” recalls Carol Campbell, who once went on a date with seemed more fantastic than the one that had preceded it. “We were in Chichester. his car, it was a beige Datsun,” Campbell says. “He was going on and To Campbell, the small-framed, bespectacled blond man with the on about his nobility. I was like, ‘Why are you driving this?’ It was like odd accent was nothing more than a con man. His stories of being his office. There were Post-It notes everywhere ... a whole bunch of related to British nobility and tales of his super wealthy European mail.” The tall tales didn’t bore Campbell as much as concerned her.

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“I knew he was lying,” she says. “I wondered how he got the trust of our fathers. He was a complete pathological liar, creepy.”

Somewhere along the line, Chichester moved into Didi Sohus’ guest house on Lorain Road. He attended the Church of Our Savior on Roses Road in nearby San Gabriel. He hosted a cable access television show and once interviewed Los Angeles Police Chief Darryl Gates.

Jann Eldnor, a San Marino hairstylist, describes Chichester as vain and talkative. “Many people always come up to talk shop with me even if they don’t need haircuts and he was one of them,” Eldnor says. “He was a picky guy; he had to have (a haircut) every two weeks.

He was a typical European. He always dressed immaculate. He really looked like something.”

His Nordic accent was faintly detectable. Eldnor describes Chichester as mature for his age. “He was only 25 or 26 at the time but acted like he was in his 40s,” Eldnor says.

Like Campbell, Eldnor recalls Chichester’s tall tales of inherited wealth, and royal blood lines. “He was always talking big that he was royalty,” Eldnor says.

Just before leaving San Marino, Chichester paid a last visit to Eldnor. “He come up to me one evening and said, ‘This will be my last haircut. Somebody died. There’s a big estate and I have to leave. I don’t know if I’ll ever come back.’”

CHIPPING AWAY Their investigation reinvigorated with the August arrest of Rockefeller, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detectives flew to Boston to interview their person of interest. They were met by Rockefeller’s attorney Stephen Hrones, who told them his client had no memories of his life before 1995 and would not meet with them.

In late August 2008, detectives teamed with coroner’s investigators.

Using a sonar device, they searched for more bones possibly buried in the back yard of what was once Didi Sohus’ home. Their dig revealed nothing.

In November, homicide detectives appeared in Suffolk County Court seeking access to Rockefeller’s sealed divorce records. A AP PHOTO judge denied access.

Boston authorities note Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, who calls himself Clark Rockefeller, appears in their kidnapping case is municipal court for a pre-trial hearing moving rapidly through in Boston on Sept. 3, 2008. the criminal justice system. “It’s not dragged out the way many cases do,” Wark says. “If he beats the rap, the ball may be in L.A.’s court a lot sooner than they think.” Nonetheless the search for answers in the disappearance and murder mystery continues. Sheriff’s homicide Sgt. Tim Miley sums up his team’s progress: “We are still chipping away at it.” R

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by NRT, Incorporated. Coldwell Banker does not guarantee the accuracy of square footage, lot size, or other information concerning the condition or features of property provided by the seller or obtained from public records or other sources, and buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information through personal inspection and with the appropriate professionals.

SUMMER09 | ROSE49

PROFILE lena kennedy

With the ‘O Team,’ she helped Barack Obama — and Pasadena — get to the White House

Long way from Hammond St.

By Pia Abelgas Orense | Photo by walt mancini

As Lena Kennedy stood IN THE MIDDLE of Chicago’s Grant Park late in the night NovEMBER 4, 2008, she remembered WHAT brought her there in the first place: Two years ago, she saw a man she knew would make history.

“From the beginning, I knew Barack Obama was going to be the next president,” she says. “I would tell people, ‘Trust me on this, he will be the next president.’”

Kennedy was so certain of this in December 2006 that she changed her allegiance from Hillary Clinton, then considered the shoo-in for the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, to Obama, a freshman senator from Chicago.

She wrote a proposal to Obama’s Los Angeles campaign team to hold a fundraiser in a Pasadena home. When it was approved, Kennedy’s — and ultimately Pasadena’s — role in Obama’s rise to presidency was set in motion.

Kennedy formed the “O” Team, a group of local individuals — most of whom raised $25,000 each for Obama — who helped organize fundraisers in the Pasadena area for Obama, his wife Michelle and Pasadena-born Gov. Bill Richardson.

Once Obama became the Democrat’s presumptive nominee for president, Kennedy’s focus shifted.

“I knew that we had to work hard to get the Hillary Clinton supporters to support then-Senator Obama,” she says.

She collaborated with Sherry Lansing, former president of Paramount Studios, to host the Women for Obama unity event, an effort aimed to getting Clinton supporters on board the Obama campaign.

“It was really exciting, interesting, and very hard to, within your own party, really work hard to help all of us understand that it’s not about us, it’s about our country and we have to put our differences aside,” Kennedy says.

Kennedy, who was named co-chair of the National Women’s Leadership Initiative, said the past two years have been the most exciting time of her life thus far.

“One of my issues is really I want women to get engaged and involved, especially women of color,” she says. “And it’s happening now. People are now calling me, asking ‘What’s ROSE50 | SUMMER09

next, Lena? How can I stay involved. I’m ready.’”

Kennedy was a major player in Pasadena’s efforts to raise funds for Obama, but when she became part of the campaign’s national finance committee, she realized there was another barrier that had to be broken: wealth, or the lack of it.

“I come from a family of substance, not wealth,” she says.

“But Obama created a fair playing field. He said it’s not your money that will make a difference. It’s your commitment.”

Her humble roots make her wonder at what she’s accomplished the past two years.

“Who would have thought? Little ol’ Lena?” she asks.

She is the sixth of 10 children, the daughter of a postal worker and a stay-at-home mom. Their house on West Hammond Street in Pasadena, which their father bought in the 1940s, was small, a tight fit for a family of 12. But her brother John, who became a former president of the Pasadena NAACP, once told her, “Never be ashamed of where you come from.”

It is from John, No. 8 among the siblings and one of only two boys, that Kennedy says she gets her tenacity. The commitment to public service comes from their mom.

For Kennedy, that public service came with a price.

When she answered Obama’s call to organize communities at a grass-roots level, she made a sacrifice — she gave up her job. Because she had no income for two years, her 16-year-old son, Jonathan, had to give up a private-school education.

Despite the personal challenges, Kennedy has no regrets.

Having Obama in the White House, she says, will make a difference for her son.

“The price we pay is small compared to the reward we get,” she says.

She’s now getting back on her feet, managing her own consulting business, L.L. Kennedy & Associates, and writing a book about the past two years, the O Team and the role Pasadena played in the presidential campaign.

“Pasadena came together and made a difference – young, old, white, black ...,” she says. Because of this, “President Obama knows Pasadena.” R

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Kickin’ it

BOOT your fitness into high gear with workouts taught by the pros.

Classic Kickboxing owner Mauricio Gonzalez is a five-time Columbian National Tae Kwon Do champion and a U.S. national kickboxing and muay thai champ. Burn loads of calories with the intense boxing and boot camp classes at this Old Pasadena studio, where “Million Dollar Baby” was shot. You can also jump in the ring and train with the pros with private lessons.

Classic Kickboxing offers a variety of bundled packages and membership plans if you want to take unlimited classes and keep up a nonstop schedule worthy of its own cinematic montage. Give it your best shot: the first class is free. Classic Kickboxing, 91 E. Union St., Pasadena.

(626) 796-6387, classickickboxing.com

LAUGHTER YOGA

With the doom-and-gloom climate of the economy,

Below: The Pasadena Roving Archers, founded in 1935, holds a beginning Saturday morning class March 14, 2009 in the Lower Arroyo. The club offers a free Saturday morning archery class for beginners.

you have to remember to laugh.

On gloomier days, you have to remember to breathe. Laughter Yoga promises to help you with both. Yes, it’s just what it sounds like, and yes, it’s already caught on in 350 groups across the country.

The local chapter, the Pasadena Laugh Club, meets every Friday for an hour.

There’s no comedy needed to laugh, although some of the exercises might make you feel a little silly. Walk around laughing while holding out your empty pockets and you’ve nailed the

dark “No Money Laughter.” With “Appreciation Laughter” you show appreciation to others in the group by hugging and speaking in laughter language.

We’re sure you’re already fluent, you’re just out of practice.

No registration is needed. To join, all you have to do is show up. No joke. Free. Fridays, Flintridge Foundation, 236 W. Mountain Ave., Suite 116, Pasadena. (626) 755-5999, laughangeles.com

Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz

ARCHERY

Become a bowman with free beginning archery classes courtesy of the Pasadena Roving Archers. Every weekend at beautiful Lower Arroyo Park, participants learn about this ancient art. Classes are from 9 to 11 a.m. every Saturday morning for ages 10 and up. But these sessions fill up quickly, so make sure to snag a spot and get fitted with your equipment by 8:15 a.m.

Saturdays, 9-11 a.m., Lower Arroyo Park, Pasadena. (626) 577-7252, rovingarchers.com

Left: Laughter Yoga at The Pasadena Laugh Club. Below: Dance instructor G. Madison leads his Hip Hop Salsa Fusion dance class at the Athletic Garage Dance & Body Work studio in Pasadena.

PHOTO BY JAMES CARBONE

ATHLETIC GARAGE

Drop the weights and head to the Athletic Garage, a unique facility with a vast menu PHOTO BY WILLIAM HALLSTROM

Moonlight Walks

W

hen the werewolves are out,

of fun workouts. A dance and body work studio, get into shape with dance classes like the “Hip Hop Salsa Fusion,” or “Cardio Funk.” All classes are on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you can take a pilates one day and a hip hop class the next. Each class costs between $15 and $20, with special rates for those who buy 10 or more at a time. Athletic Garage, 121 Waverly Ave., Pasadena.

(626) 229-9769, athletic-garage.com

so are hikers at the Eaton Canyon Natural Area. Now through October, guided once-a-month Moonlight Walks take place on Fridays closest to the full moon. You can explore this beautiful 190-acre natural area at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, which is home to an abundance of rocks, minerals, plant life and wildlife like the California king snake, big brown bat and gray fox. Groups of 10 or more must make reservations. 7:30 p.m., full moon Fridays. Call or go online for a schedule. Eaton Canyon Natural Area, 1750 North Altadena Dr., Pasadena. $2 suggested donation. (626) 398-5420, ecnca.org

ICE SKATING

Figure skating isn’t the only thing going on at the Pasadena Ice Skating Center. A former 1930s ballroom, this historic rink offers a host of fun activities like broomball and hockey. Spend a leisurely afternoon at the rink, or take one of the Learn to Skate classes to jumpstart your skills. Public sessions are held every day, and admission is $7. Once-a-week Cheap Skate sessions include skate rentals.

Pasadena Ice Skating Center, 310 E. Green St., Pasadena.

(626) 578-0801, skatepasadena.com SUMMER09 | ROSE53

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SHOP compiled By EVELYN BARGE

Photos courtesy of GelaSkins

a vintage

jewel Arnold’s Fine Jewelry is celebrating 100 years in Pasadena. In the last century, the store has moved a couple times, but the family ownership has remained exactly the same.

Proprietor Bruce Arnold is a third-generation jeweler, but his in-store design team is adept at fashioning modern pieces his grandfather could not have imagined. Arnold’s Fine Jewelry, 350 S. Lake Ave., Suite 110, Pasadena. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (626) 795-8647

European lingerie and all it inspires are the domain of a quaint unmentionables boutique run by Ellen Sepulveda. Prime finds include Betsey Johnson nighties and the funky designer’s hard-to-find swimwear line. Another essential item for stockpiling: Spanx, always available here, too.

Risqué is the perfect place to plan a bridal shower or bachelorette party, and Sepulveda is your right-hand-gal to get the party done.

Also ask about her registry service. Risqué, 1045 E. Green St., Pasadena. Weekdays, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:30 a.m.6 p.m.; Closed Sundays. (626) 796-1100

ROSE56 | SUMMER09

Skin is in

Transform your mobile device with a stylish protective cover that could hang in a local art gallery. Contributing L.A. artist Nathan Spoor says GelaSkins are mini, “street-friendly” works of art, with stellar print quality. Visit gelaskins.com for online ordering and retail locations

1045 E. GREEN

Risqué

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1035 E. GREEN

Boutique Divas SIGNATURE PIECES fill the racks and displays at Boutique Divas, a shop that envisions itself on a posh Parisian sidewalk. Owner and designer Deborah Myles-Green crams everything en vogue, everything glamorous into her store without reservation. Her eye for fashion starts with the runways and extends into vintage cuts. During any season, Myles-Green says she aims to provide the anti-mall experience. Boutique Divas, 1035 E. Green St., Pasadena. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Closed Sunday. (626) 793-3222

PHOTOS BY

WALT MANCINI

1039 E. GREEN

Anomaly Studios THIS PIERCING PARLOR IS ONE OF THE AREA’S SAFEST PLACES TO GET JABBED WITH METAL, REALLY. The professionals at Anomaly Studios handle first-time ear piercings for the young‘uns, as well as more complex body piercings and modifications for the older set — and they do it all with an at-ease smile. Upstairs is an airy, lofted hair salon. Anomaly Studios, 1039 E. Green St., Pasadena.

Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Closed Sundays. (626) 793-3222

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SHOP

More than 2,000 vendor booths and miles of bargains make the Rose Bowl Flea Market a thrifty shopper’s bliss

Another’s treasure GLASS ACTION STUDIO Fused-glass window vases in a stellar array of colors and mosaics brighten up a window, wall or mirror – anywhere you can stick a suction cup. Hang them in rows for a dramatic punch of color. glassactionstudio.etsy.com

ZANNEDELIONS Delicate, one-of-a-kind twisted wire jewelry handcrafted by a Joshua Tree artist; Each is a masterpiece for your collection. Bold color selections and unusual arrangements that vary from piece to piece ensure these creations won’t be duplicated anywhere else. zannedelions.com CAUGHT MY FANCY French provincial meets shabby chic in a fanciful showcase of unique furniture and accessories, which are over-the-top feminine mixed with a hint of raw deconstruction. caughtmyfancy.com LISA’S CHIC BOUTIQUE Notify your inner (or actual) tween. “Twilight”-inspired cigar-box purses are the perfect place to store forbidden-love notes.

Big, beaded handles, golden tassles and traditional box clasps are highlights, even on non-“Twilight” purses.

Those are available, too. lisaschicboutique.com CITY ART PHOTOGRAPHY Put it into words – or pictures, rather. Original photographs of letters spell out your hometown, alma mater, favorite phrase or even name. City names, like Pasadena, are composed entirely of photos taken within that city. cityartphotography.com DCZ BEADS & DESIGN Elegant jewelry is crafted from hand-blown glass beads that are miles from ordinary. dczbeads.com

ROSE60 | SUMMER09

STAFF PHOTOS

the savvy shopper MARK YOUR CALENDAR

The Rose Bowl Flea Market is held outside the stadium every second Sunday of each month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 2,000 vendors and 20,000 buyers congregate to buy, sell and browse.

HAVE AN OBJECTIVE

With more than 2,000 booths ranging from antique furniture to vintage buttons, it’s easy to get distracted if you don’t have a plan. You’ll run out of time and, inevitably, out of money.

Decide what you’re looking for, and make a shopping list ahead of time.

BRING CASH

Not all vendors are created equal.

Few will be able to scan your Visa or MasterCard, and many simply prefer cash payments. You’ll also feel silly pulling out the plastic to pay for a $1.50 bargain buy. There are ATM machines just outside the Rose Bowl gates, but don’t forget about those pesky bank fees.

BE AN EARLY BIRD

Shoppers may begin their hunt as early as 5 a.m., with the special Preview VIP Admission rate of $20. At 7 a.m., the price drops to $15, and at 8 a.m. it falls to $10. Regular admission starts at 9 a.m. and costs $8, but you may lose out on some of the rare items that will disappear before then.

STRIKE A BARGAIN

There are plenty of great deals to be had without haggling, but bargaining is part of the true flea market experience. It is not considered bad manners to negotiate with the seller, and many vendors expect or enjoy bantering with their customers.

SLOW YOUR ROLL

Once you nab your most-sought-after items, take time to catch your breath and explore the grounds. Browse from booth to booth for unusual items, people-watch for celebrity shoppers and take in the green areas around the stadium.

PHOTOS BY SARAH REINGEWIRTZ

— From R.G. Canning Attractions SUMMER09 | ROSE61

SEEN

PASADENA FORWARD Black & White Gala

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THE BLACK & WHITE GALA was held on April 25 at the Pasadena Jazz Institute. Pasadena Forward offers financial and logistical support to local civic and charitable agencies and the Pasadena Marathon was conceived as a large-scale fundraiser to further the organization’s mission.

1. TRICIA KEANE, Pasadena Forward Advisory Board, CANDICE ROGERS, volunteer and MELISSA CARTER, volunteer. 2. ISRAEL ESTRADA, Pasadena Forward executive director, TAHRA GORAYA, 21st Senate District director.

3. ISRAEL ESTRADA with staff LI MINOT, KAITY HAGEN AND MIA DUNN. 4. Pasadena Forward Board of Directors, MARIE-HELENE ROUSEEAU, VIKEN YOUSSEFIAN, MICHAEL CHUNG, ISRAEL ESTRADA, TOM PURNELL, DIANE UNDERWOOD, JUDY LIN and LYLE KAN. PHOTOS BY DEXTER EMOTO

4

4T H ANNUAL

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J U N E 7 , 2 0 0 9, S U N D AY, 1 0 A M – 4 P M R O S E B O W L S TA D I U M A N D B R O O K S I D E G O L F C O U R S E , PA S A D E N A

A stunning array of 350 cars on 25 acres of lush, green lawns 35 classes of Horseless Carriage, Pre-war and Post-war Classics, Exotics and more

Purchase Tickets Online at www.LAConcours.com General Admission: $25; $30 at the gate.

Children under 12: free admission

More than 50 vintage race cars

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Vendors, food and beverages

No pets allowed; free parking

Ticket purchase and vendor information:

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® This event is managed entirely by volunteers, and all proceeds go directly to the eight services of Assistance League of Southern California, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1919 that impacts the lives of over 100,000 people in need each year.

ROSE62 | SUMMER09

SEEN

From left: Alez Zucco, Annette Johnson, Alison DeVriendt, and Tracy Albert sample the chocolate.

The Junior League of Pasadena hit a sweet spot with their inaugural Chocolate Chip Ball on March 22.

Just entering the portals of Castle Green was enough to set the taste buds quivering as the scent of all things chocolate — truffles, mousses, cupcakes, tartlets and even chocolate martinis — dreamed up by five local chocolatiers drew the crowd into the tasting room.

The event was staged to benefit the Junior League’s “Girls Rock!” programs.

Photos by JAMES CARBONE

Chocolate Chip

Ball Jennifer Hoyt of Los Angel es, right, tries a chocol ate muffin.

Mary Jackson of San Gabriel drinks a chocolate martini.

Above from left: Sherry Gray, Kristen Todd, Patricia Gonzalez and Katrina Onderdonk enjoy the scene.

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Rosemary Children’s Services Presents:

46th Annual “An Evening with Star Chefs” Saturday Rosemary Children’s Presents: June 27,Services 2009 | 6:00 P.M.

46th Annual “An Evening with Star Chefs”

Rosemary Children’s Services Presents: Rosemary Services Prese Rosemary Children’s Services Presents: Enjoy a fabulous evening of gourmet food createdChildren’s by the

46th46Annual “An“An Evening with Star Chefs” thmusic, dancing, wine, th area’s finest chefs, along with live Annual “An Evening with Star Annual Evening with Star Chefs” S46 ATURDAY opportunity drawings and spectacular auctions held at the historic Santa Anita Park.

JUNE 27, 2009 6:00 P.M.

SATURDAY S

SATURDAY

ATURDAY All proceeds benefitfood the children of Rosemary Enjoy a fabulous evening of gourmet created byand thefamilies area’s finest chefs, along with live music, dancing, wine J UNE 27, 2009 6:00 P.M. Children’s Services.

JUNE 27, 2009 6:00 P.M JUNE 27,and2009 6:00 opportunity drawings spectacular auctionsP.M. held at the historic Santa Anita Park.

Enjoy a fabulous evening of gourmet foodbenefit created by children the area’sand finest chefs,ofalong with live music,todancing, wine, All proceeds the families Rosemary Children’s Services.

Visit our website at www.rosemarychildren.org learn more Enjoy evening of gourmet food created Enjoy a fabulous evening of gourmet food created by the area’s finesta fabulous chefs, along with live music, dancing, wine,by the area’s finest che opportunity drawings and spectacular auctions held at the historic Santa Anita Park. about this exciting event. opportunity drawings spectacular auctions opportunity drawings and spectacular auctions held at the historic Santa Anita Park.and Visit our website at www.rosemarychildren.org to learn more about this exciting event.held at the historic Santa All proceeds benefit the children and families of Rosemary Children’s Services.

All proceeds benefit the children and families of Rosemary Children’s Ser All proceeds benefit theHosted children families ofby: Rosemary Services. by:and Wendy Burch, KABC andChildren’s The Good News Foundation Hosted Wendy Burch, KABC and The Good News Visit our website at www.rosemarychildren.org learn more about this exciting event. call 626.844.3033 x211 For informationFoundation. ortotickets callFor 626.844.3033 x211 information or tickets Visit our www.rosemarychildren.org to learn more about this e Visit our website at www.rosemarychildren.org to learn more about thiswebsite excitingatevent. www.rosemarychildren.org www.rosemarychildren.org Hosted by: Wendy Burch, KABC and The Good News Foundation Hosted by: Wendy Burch, KABC and The Good News Foundation Hosted by: Wendy Burch, KABC and The Good News Foundation For information orHonorary tickets call 626.844.3033 x211 Chairman: For information or tickets call 626.844.3033 x211 For information or tickets call 626.844.3033 x211 www.rosemarychildren.org Congressman Adam Schiff, www.rosemarychildren.org www.rosemarychildren.org Representing California’s 29th District Honorary Chairman: Honorary Chairman: Congressman Adam Honorary Chairman: Honorary Chairman: Congressman Adam Schiff, Schiff, Representing Congressman Adam Schiff, Congressman Adam Schiff, Representing California’s 29th District California’s District29th District Representing29th California’s Representing California’s 29th District SUMMER09 | ROSE65

SEEN

Race for the Cure

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3

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at the Rose Bowl on March 15 raised funds and spirits for the fight against breast cancer. The race also paid tribute to cancer survivors. Celebrities at the event included Poppy Montgomery (“Without A Trace”), Emily Procter (“CSI Miami”) and Judy Reyes (“Scrubs”). American Idol’s 2006 winner, Taylor Hicks, was the musical guest.

1. Breast cancer survivors cheer on Taylor Hicks as he performs at the Rose Bowl Race for the Cure festivities.

2. From left, Jamie O’Neal, Judy Reyes, Taylor Hicks, Emily Procter, and Poppy Montgomery pose for pictures.

3. Cynthia Chambers, president of the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, watches performers at the Rose Bowl.

4. Taylor Hicks performs.

5. A group of 60 walk with Jill Anderson, 36, of Woodland Hills, who just had a double mastectomy and is fighting breast cancer.

6. Stacy Kimmel of Pasadena and her daughter Guinevere Cobias, 6, watch Jamie O’Neal perform a song in Kimmel’s honor.

Photos by

Sarah Reingewirtz