January 2021 | Health and Wellness
Fine living in the greater Pasadena area
RETHINKING
Health
WELLNESS EXPERTS PLANNING ZOOM EVENTS TO IMPROVE WELL-BEING
FAMILY TRADITION
DR. YAWEN CHENG IS A FIFTH-GENERATION ACUPUNCTURIST
+ SHIRO
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VOLUME 17 | NUMBER 1 | JANUARY 2020
06 06 RETHINKING HEALTH
Wellness experts planning Zoom events to improve well-being —By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
08 COVID-19 AND DIABETES
The latest information about the risks —By Jenny Peters
10 FAMILY TRADITION
Dr. Yawen Cheng is a fifth-generation acupuncturist —By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
12 CHANGING LIVES
Diana Brandin gives the hard of hearing equal access to the spoken word —By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
14 ‘AN ENDING BECOMES A BEGINNING’ Isela Mena’s daughter set to be honored on sculpture —By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
16 PAST MEETS PRESENT
This historic English country-style home is filled with charm and character —By Kamala Kirk
20 HIDDEN GEMS
Vintage Treasures & Antiques Arcadia sells one-of-a-kind items —By Kamala Kirk
22 IN GOOD TASTE
‘Mota’ carries on Yamashiro’s traditions —By Frier McCollister
26 ‘SONGS FROM THE SEA OF CORTEZ’
Old Californio finishes long-shelved album that unexpectedly speaks to 2020 —By Bliss Bowen
27 A NEW LEADER
Barbara Damerel takes the reins of Pasadena Showcase Home —By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
D EPARTMENTS
24 CULINARY CUPBOARD Sugar and Spice 25 CULINARY CUPBOARD Good Life Good Food
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fine living in the greater pasadena area
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christina Fuoco -Karasinski ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Torres CONTRIBUTORS Bliss Bowen, Emily Chavez, Kamala Kirk, Frier McCollister PHOTOGRAPHERS Luis Chavez ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Lisa Chase, Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb OFFICE MANAGER Ann Turrietta ON THE COVER: Marcus McDuffie photo by Luis Chavez
TIMES MEDIA GROUP PRESIDENT Steve Strickbine V.P. OF OPERATIONS Michael Hiatt ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Zac Reynolds CONTACT US EDITORIAL christina@timespublications.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 161 South Pasadena, Ste. B, South Pasadena, CA 91030 ArroyoMonthly.com ©2021 Times Media Group All rights reserved.
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H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S
RETHINKING HEALTH
WELLNESS EXPERTS PLANNING ZOOM EVENTS TO IMPROVE WELL-BEING BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Marcus McDuffie founded Aion Training in Pasadena. He and fellow businessman Jacob Saldana are planning to host health and wellness Zoom meetings.
Photo by Luis Chavez
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arcus McDuffie and Jacob Saldana want to shift the conversation about health. Many consider taking care of their health as going to the doctor every couple months. These Pasadena-area businessmen want to change that. “We’re going to collaborate and see how we can change the narrative around health and fitness in 2021,” says Saldana, who co-founded Pasadena’s Space B.A.R. Wellness and Fit Bar Superfood Café. “We want to get people together not only for a workout but a deeper conversation on what health looks like and what we feel is necessary to lead a healthy, wholistic lifestyle.” McDuffie, who owns Aion Training in Pasadena, and Saldana are planning a Zoom, four-week wellness workshop. McDuffie will focus on training, while Saldana will offer recovery advice.
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Photo courtesy Jacob Saldana
Jacob Saldana is the cofounder of The Fit Bar Superfood Café and Space B.A.R. Wellness Center. He hosts the Bar C.O.D.E. Collective Podcast.
Photo by Luis Chavez
“We’re going to invite a nutritionist, a clinical psychologist or a motivational speaker who has ties to the health and wellness industry,” McDuffie says. “We want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Life threw us a crazy curveball in 2020.” Saldana wants to focus on breathing techniques—but not the “woo, woo super spiritual side of breathwork.” “I want to show people how to breathe optimally,” he adds. “To slow their breath down and see what happens to blood gases when you do that. That gas plays a role in overall fitness. “A lot of these things have come to fruition, based on my own journey. We opened our first gym about 10 years ago. We started there and then segued into nutrition. I realized that fitness in and of itself, that going to the gym, wasn’t the only way of taking care of yourself.” He took a deep dive into nutrition and the fitness bar came to life. Saldana discovered breathwork after his negative self-talk became overbearing. Saldana is looking forward to hosting the events, which are in the preliminary stages. “We know that mindset nutrition and movements are important pillars to this,” he says. “We’re bringing a more approachable approach to breath work. By just having these events, hopefully they can be reoccurring, not just one and done. “I like to keep it very real. I’m honest with people asking questions. It may not be the answer that people want to hear. We want to give better advice and lead with the truth—with no strings attached.” The presentation will be open to the public, but McDuffie’s and Saldana’s clients will take priority. “We have to say, ‘Enough is enough,’” McDuffie adds. “We can’t just live reactively. We should be doing some type of meditation, some type of journaling. We need to focus on the health of our body and the health of our mind.” Saldana contends health and fitness is free and readily available, like walking. Whenever something is free, Saldana says, there’s an opportunity for people to “twist things in order to sell things.” “They’ll say, ‘This expert is needed, or this diet is needed or this supplement is needed,’” Saldana adds. “It gets confusing for people. We see it in front of us right now. There are contradictions in the media—this diet is best. The messages are contradicting each other. It’s pretty frustrating. We’ve lost sight of why we’re doing it in the first place.” Folks should go for walks, sleep well and hydrate, he adds. “These things are very doable if we can shut out some of the noise and distractions,” Saldana says.
Aion Training 2620 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena 951-263-8319, aiontraining.com Space B.A.R. Wellness Center and The Fit Bar Superfood Café 600 E. Colorado Boulevard, Suite 110, Pasadena 626-500-9443, spacebarwellness.com 01.21 | ARROYO | 7
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H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S
COVID-19 AND DIABETES THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT THE RISKS
Dr. Fouad Kandeel is a professor in the Department of Clinical Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at City of Hope.
Photo courtesy Dr. Fouad Kandeel
BY JENNY PETERS
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n March, as the novel coronavirus began to spread across the United States and the world, Dr. Fouad Kandeel, professor in the Department of Clinical Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at City of Hope, discussed how COVID-19 might affect people with diabetes. Much of what he shared then still holds true, including the basic reality that people with diabetes are at greater risk of contracting the virus. “Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients can have difficulty in fighting infections, including viral infections, if their blood glucose is not well controlled,” explains Kandeel, the Arthur D. Riggs distinguished chairman in diabetes and metabolism research. “And typically, type 2 patients tend to be older. And older patients tend to have a worse disease course when they contract a viral infection. The incidence of type 2 diabetes gets higher with age; by the age of 70, 40% of the population has type 2 diabetes. Type 2 patients who are older have additional risk related solely to their age and other pre-existing conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.” New information comes to light But in the ensuing eight months of the pandemic, new information has come to light, Kandeel says, via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and various scientific studies being done across the globe. Perhaps the most disturbing fact is a finding Kandeel calls “a significant concern.” “It seems that COVID can kick in a mechanism for establishing diabetes in people who do not have diabetes,” he says. “The CDC says that the data on this is not well established or clear.” But in June, an international group of diabetes experts announced the launch of CoviDIAB, a global registry of COVID19-related diabetes. The registry’s aim is to investigate the development and extent of “new-onset diabetes due to coronavirus infection.” It plans to expand to include patients with pre-existing diabetes who present with “severe acute metabolic disturbance.” Scientists speculate that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may cause multiple alterations of glucose metabolism that could intensify the symptoms of pre-existing diabetes (such as diabetic ketoacidosis) or lead to new disease in previously nondiabetic individuals. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August, “Greater incidences of fasting glycemia and acute-onset diabetes have been reported among patients with SARS coronavirus pneumonia than among those with non-SARS pneumonia.” It is unknown at this time whether these alterations in glucose metabolism persist after the COVID-19 infection has resolved. In addition, Kandeel says it has become clear in the last six months that contracting the coronavirus is even more dangerous than doctors first believed for people with either type 1 or type 2
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diabetes. “The CDC is acknowledging the fact that the disability caused by COVID-19 disease in those with diabetes is much more significant than in nondiabetic individuals. And the mortality from COVID-19 in diabetics is probably three to four times higher than in nondiabetic people,” he says. “The nondiabetic population’s mortality rate (from coronavirus) is 2% to 3%. And the diabetic population’s is 7% to 8%. So obviously, the most important thing for patients with diabetes is to keep themselves out of trouble,” Kandeel says. Staying healthy this winter and beyond As Kandeel advised in March and reiterates, for diabetics the key to keeping “out of trouble” is two-pronged. First, he emphasizes, it is important to keep inflammation in the body down to a minimum. “Diabetes, really, is an inflammatory disease. Whether it’s type 1 or type 2, there is lots of inflammation in the body. So that makes diabetic individuals very vulnerable—if they get hit with another infection, the environment in their bodies is the right environment for this virus to take off,” Kandeel says. “It’s really important for the diabetic to understand that if they are in an inflammatory state before COVID, and then you add COVID to that, you’re adding fuel to the fire.” He outlines the keys to staying healthy in the time of COVID-19, which he says everyone needs to continue to follow, as the scientific reality is that “this is a disease that’s likely to be with us probably for at least another year, that’s likely to keep controlling our life for another year. “It’s really very important to follow the guidelines, because we have no effective treatment at the present time. And we have no way of actually preventing the disease from spreading, except for social distancing, wearing masks, and cleaning and washing our hands after everything we do and making sure that we remain in a protected environment.” His specific advice for people with diabetes hasn’t changed from March, and bears repeating. “The key to all of this is certainly protection, and better control of diet, better control of lifestyle, better control of blood sugar,” Kandeel says. “Eating well, maintaining a high level of physical activity as much as possible, taking your medication, controlling your blood glucose and blood pressure. This is the best way to go forward and not to let your guard down throughout much of 2021.” And in this time of pandemic shortages coming and going, Kandeel suggests that all diabetes patients do one more thing to stay healthy and safe. “The general recommendation is that everybody should have about a month’s supply of their medication on hand, whether it’s insulin or an oral agent or something like that. So that should any shortage happen in one of the supply chains, the patient is safe and protected until another source of supply has been identified and established.”
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H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S
Family TRADITION DR. YAWEN CHENG IS A FIFTH-GENERATION ACUPUNCTURIST
Dr. Yawen Cheng offers acupuncture to help with a variety of ailments ranging from allergies to chronic pain.
Photo courtesy Dr. Yawen Cheng
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
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hen Dr. Yawen Cheng was a child in Taiwan, she relied on her family to help her heal from injuries or illness. “When we were little, if we had any illness, my grandma, grandpa or mom would do the needle on us,” Cheng says, referring to acupuncture. “It’s a tradition you grow up with.” Cheng is carrying on her family tradition as a fifth-generation acupuncturist at Dr. Yawen Cheng Acupuncture & Chiropractic in Arcadia. “It’s our family tradition,” Cheng says. “I’m hoping my daughter will be able to do that. I asked her about it, even though she’s only 10. She’s interested. I said, ‘Why do you want to do the same thing as me?’ She said, ‘You’re always so happy when you go to work. You always have people who are so nice.’” Cheng has been an acupuncturist for nearly 20 years and her daughter, Elizabeth, is right. Her mom enjoys her job because she gives patients relief from pain. “People come back and tell me they feel much better,” Cheng says. “They feel good about their treatments. They give me the positive feedback about their treatment. They refer patients to me. That makes me happy because that means they’re not just happy with their service, they’re happy with me.” Acupuncture, she says, is very effective with balancing the body to help it heal on its own. She has advice for those who are leery of acupuncture because it involves needles. “They hear the word ‘needle’ and they think it’s like getting a shot,” Cheng says with a laugh. “I always explain the needles we use are totally different than a needle that’s used to give injections. The injection needle has a hole in there so the liquid can pass through it and have the blood or medicine go into the circulatory system. “Our needles are very small, like hair. When you put the needle in, you avoid the blood vessels and nerves. That takes a lot of experience. When you don’t touch those structures, it’s almost pain free.” Cheng offers a multidisciplinary approach to health care, channeling the expertise and techniques from a variety of fields. Acupuncture, chiropractic, Western medical procedures, Eastern medicine and nutrition each have their unique place in the healing process. By integrating procedures and techniques, Cheng helps in “conquering your conditions,” as she says, and provides patients with total health care. “I’m also a chiropractor,” she says. “It’s a very good complement for both professions. Some patients feel a little out of alignment, bone structure wise. There are certain times when I combine acupuncture and chiropractic medicine together to achieve the maximum benefit. It’s a fun job. It’s a nice job.” Lately, she has seen patients for stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s making a lot of people uncomfortable,” she adds. “I also work with boosting their immune system.”
Speaking of COVID-19, Cheng reduced her workload to take all the recommended precautions. In between patients she and her staff clean the facility. She has been seeing fewer patients as well because many of her clients work from home and they don’t venture out as much. “Definitely some of the people see me because I’m close to their work,” she adds. “Of course, some of them live far away. Some of the parents are staying home for their kids. It’s gradually increasing, so that’s good. I hope everything returns to normal soon.”
Dr. Yawen Cheng Dr. Cheng Acupuncture & Chiropractic 51 N. Fifth Avenue, Suite 305, Arcadia 626-292-6899
SEEKING HELP
According to Dr. Yawen Cheng, acupuncture can help with the following conditions: Infertility Nausea Stress/anxiety Depression Chronic fatigue syndrome Side effects of cancer treatments Headache/migraine Sciatica/lower back pain Fibromyalgia/chronic pain Arthritis/painful joints Frozen shoulder/bursitis Carpal tunnel syndrome Tennis elbow Degenerative disorders PMS/menopause Allergy Hypertension Stroke rehabilitation Bell’s Palsy Insomnia/night sweats Respiratory disorders Sport/work/auto injuries
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H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S Diana Brandin of Diana Brandin Realtime Captioning and ASL has changed people’s lives with her services.
Lives
DIANA BRANDIN GIVES THE HARD OF HEARING EQUAL ACCESS TO THE SPOKEN WORD BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
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Photo courtesy Diana Brandin
CHANGING
iana Brandin offers a challenge. Put cotton balls carefully in your ears and then try to hear your loved ones speak. Or, imagine seeing “Hamilton” and the sound system goes out. That’s what it’s like to be hard of hearing. “Nobody would be able to hear and that would be really frustrating,” she says about the “Hamilton” scenario. “You could just hear a little bit of murmuring on the stage. That’s it. “Every day, persons with deafness or who are hard of hearing find activities, school or communicating in the workplace difficult for them. Sign language and captioning is what helps them.”
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Photo courtesy Diana Brandin
From its inception in 2004, Diana Brandin Realtime Captioning has focused on helping as many persons as possible to have equal access to the spoken word. Independently and collectively, she has worked and continues to work with several captioning agencies to play a major role in assisting others to have equal access to the spoken word, or “communication access,” as described by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “We’ve gone on-site and remote, captioning for people in educational and business settings,” she says. “With COVID happening, there’s an increased demand because everything went virtual. “People take for granted their hearing. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, they don’t have the opportunity to do that. They stare at the interpreter or the captions. We offer transcripts. They need to participate in sync with everyone else. If someone’s voting in a meeting and the (leader) says, ‘Say aye,’ you don’t want them to be delayed or not have their vote count.” Not being able to hear can leave folks feeling isolated or cut off from friends. Especially in these times of social distancing, staying connected by phone is important. One couple told Brandin they were thrilled with her captioning service because their daughter, who was in the ninth grade, laughed in class for the first time. She was also getting to sleep earlier because she didn’t have to stay up late, struggling to learn what had been covered by the teacher. “That really touched my heart,” Brandin says. She works with persons of all ages, education levels and occupations. “So many different people use sign language and captioning just to understand what’s going on,” Brandin says. “With COVID, people are experiencing a lot of frustration and tenseness because their lives have changed. They can’t go to the grocery store or movies. They’ve had to make adjustments. Everybody has. Having captioning enables them to be able to participate at anything.” The year 2020 was ADA’s 30th anniversary. Brandin reflects on it, saying the act made it possible for people to have a fuller life. “This country is excellent about that,” she says. “I’ve worked with local colleges that have a large international body of students. Students would marvel and say, ‘This is so wonderful.’ Students would not get this service if they stayed in their home country. “Other countries don’t even have wheelchair ramps. Elevators accommodate people, and a lot of technology is changing the landscape. There are Zoom meetings for which we provide sign language (interpretations) and captioning.” Brandin has been providing these services as a team since 2009, but solo since 2004. Her business has blossomed to work with schools, businesses, nonprofits, courts, private events, weddings and funerals. “Pretty much anywhere people are speaking, that’s where our services will come in handy to them,” she says. At funerals and weddings, for example, Brandin installs screens on-site or offers the service on tablets or smartphones. Funerals, these days, are via Zoom, so they click on captioning or Brandin provides a link to a private device. Captioning was a logical progression for Brandin. She took courses in court reporting but heard about captioning. In 2004, her first real-time captioning assignment was a continuing legal education class.
Diana Brandin’s clients can read captions on mobile devices, smartphones, tablets, laptops, projectors or jumbotrons.
“The attorney we worked with was extremely kind and was very helpful, as he had worked with captioners before,” she recalls. “He was the perfect client back then, and still is today.” In her business’ infancy, she worked primarily with several captioning agencies. Brandin mentored soon-to-be captioners to help them become gainfully employed. “To this day many captioners thank us for the experience they gained working with us,” Brandin says. As the demand for Brandin’s talents increased, it became necessary to grow from a solo operation to a team of on-site and remote captioners. In 2006, she ventured into remote real-time captioning services for classrooms and businesses. Brandin added remote captioning for livestreamed videos, conferences and webinars. “Clients enjoy viewing captions on their mobile devices, smartphones, tablets, laptops, projectors, jumbotrons or other display devices in a variety of settings,” she says. “I am personally so excited about the technology. It’s amazing.” Diana Brandin Realtime Captioning and ASL 818-279-8163 db.realtimecaptioning@gmail.com onpointcaptions.com 01.21 | ARROYO | 13
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H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S
From bottom, Rhonda Kingfisher, Renee Burchell and Isela Mena. The three women are bonded by the generosity of Mena’s daughter, Mariee. Mariee died in a motorcycle crash and donated her organs. Burchell’s daughter, Krissy, received Mariee’s heart and Kingfisher’s son, Curtis, received a kidney.
‘AN ENDING BECOMES A BEGINNING’ ISELA MENA’S DAUGHTER SET TO BE HONORED ON SCULPTURE
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dam and Isela Mena remember their daughter, Mariee, as having a never-ending smile and a contagious laugh. She loved her friends and family, and she had a giving soul. Mariee died three days after sustaining a severe head injury in a motorcycle crash on October 6, 2009, in Oklahoma. The Escondido native was preparing to earn her master’s degree at Oklahoma University when she died at age 26. She just finished her bachelor’s degree at OU, for whom she played softball on a scholarship. “She was a passenger,” Isela says. “In Oklahoma, they don’t have a helmet law. The car just didn’t yield. It was an accident. It wasn’t intentional.” Mariee’s giving nature is eternal. Her final act of giving was offering her organs to those in need. “She was an organ donor,” Isela says. “She placed a little red heart on her driver’s license, indicating she wanted to be an organ donor.” Mariee, whose brother, Steven, lives in Pasadena, will be a fluorograph honoree, which is a deceased donor whose photo is highlighted on a sculpture at Tournament House. She’s honored by LifeShare Transplant Donors
Services of Oklahoma. Donate Life’s 2021 theme is “Community of Life,” and it will be part of the Tournament of Roses 2021 TV special, “The Rose Parade’s New Year Celebration presented by Honda.” The Donate Life community is preparing a tribute for this event, with a floral sculpture that honors donors and donation health care professionals. This sculpture will be available to view at the Tournament House in Pasadena on New Year’s Day. Award-winning float designer, Charles Meier, created the sculpture’s beautiful design; and Fiesta Parade Floats will produce it this year. The 2021 Donate Life Rose Parade floral sculpture, “Community of Life,” features a vibrant floral honeycomb built by bees, sharing the important message that we are stronger when we work together as a community. Twenty-one hexagonal memorial portraits of donors are interwoven within the honeycomb, symbolizing the life donors give through organ, eye and tissue donation. Much like the families and donors who have given the gift of life, bees epitomize a harmonious community that helps and benefits others.
Photo courtesy Isela Mena
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
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Saving lives Isela says LifeShare Transplant Donors Services of Oklahoma was “amazing.” During the three days Mariee was on life support, the organization kept in touch with Isela. “She survived three days,” Isela says. “They asked me if I wanted to bathe her. They gave me a warm washcloth and water and soap and wash her legs and see all those little scars she got when she was little. “She just had a manicure and pedicure. I wiped her face and remembered the chicken pox scar she had on her forehead. I even walked with her down to the operating room.” She donned a blue gown, a cap and booties for the walk. Isela had accompanied her daughter for surgeries before –she tore her ACL and meniscus—but this was different. “I just focused on all the amazing things she did,” Isela says. “The biggest one was she was going to be giving life to others. I was so proud of her. What a selfless act. When we reached the surgery room, they were right there, quietly. I thanked them. I was able to place my hand on her heart and feel it beat one more time. I’ve had that precious memory ever since.” Mariee saved six lives that day, including Krissy Bagley, a then-23year-old with cardiomyopathy. “Krissy calls her heart her ‘forever heart,’” Isela says. “Her mom and I are now BFFs.” A kidney went to Curtis Kingfisher in Oklahoma. He was 12 at the time; he is now 23 and a close member of the Mena family. The family met after Curtis’ dad, Floyd, was reading the newspaper
while they were waiting in the recovery room during his son’s transplant. “There was an article about Mariee Mena and her accident,” Floyd remembered. “I think God wanted us to know who Curtis’ donor was.” On October 31, 2009, Make-A-Wish sent Curtis to the University of Oklahoma to be a Sooner for a Day. He toured the coaches’ offices, the Switzer Center, locker rooms and more. He met the coaches and players and made the coin toss at the start of the game against Kansas State. “He was so little,” Isela recalled. “We met him when we Mariee Mena played softball for traveled to Oklahoma to get our Oklahoma University before she died daughter’s things to bring them in a motorcycle crash. She donated home. I was scared to meet him. her organs. I prayed really hard and the little boy wouldn’t let go of me.” The other kidney went to a 63-year-old female; the liver to a 55-yearold female; and the lung to a 65-year-old female. The pancreas went to diabetes research. “It showed a selfless act of one can change the lives of so many,” Isela says. “An ending becomes a beginning.” Photo courtesy Isela Mena
Just like busy bees, donation health care professionals devote every single day to make donation and transplantation possible; and the names of six health care professionals will be featured within the floral sculpture.
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R E A L E S TAT E David and Rebecca Ebershoff’s English country-style home in Pasadena is located on two-thirds of an acre and is surrounded by other historic properties and estates.
Present PAST MEETS
THIS HISTORIC ENGLISH COUNTRY-STYLE HOME IS FILLED WITH CHARM AND CHARACTER BY KAMALA KIRK
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Photo by Luis Chavez
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ebecca and David Ebershoff moved to Pasadena from San Marino in 1976 after buying a larger house that had enough space for them and their four children. Located on approximately two-thirds of an acre, the stunning English country-style home is surrounded by other historic properties and estates designed by notable architects. The exterior features a brick façade, an expansive front lawn and a long driveway that leads up to the entrance. “One of the things we were drawn to was the location of the home,” Rebecca says. “It was convenient and close to many things, including the schools. The entire neighborhood has a nice open feel to it with a lot of trees.” The Ebershoffs were also attracted to the home’s interesting architecture and interior details, which included all the original wood, moldings, hardware and tiles. “Nothing had been painted over, although the house did require a lot of work,” David says. “The people we bought the house from had only lived there for a few years, but the owners before them were the Hopper family, who had lived there from 1916 to 1971. They had three daughters and a son, just like we do. Some people still refer to it as the Hopper house.” Built in 1912, the house originally had two stories, but the Hopper family added a third story for their servants and divided it into an area where three people could live. Over the years, the
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The Ebershoffs have decorated their home with old English furniture and antique heirlooms, including a restored piano that belonged to David’s grandmother.
Among the home’s unique features is a stunning entryway with restored oak paneling.
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Ebershoffs have made various updates to their 5,900-square-foot home, including expanding the kitchen to almost double its size, but they have stayed true to the home’s original character. “We had a tile expert come to the house one time, and he told us that our tiles were made by the Grueby Faience Company in Boston,” David shares. “The tile in our breakfast room is a beautiful green shade, and it surrounds two fireplaces—it’s very unique. Throughout the years, we’ve redone every room in the house so it’s very up to date style-wise. It’s 108 years old. We’ve kept all the wood and restored it as well.” The brick walls that border the property are all original to the home, which was built with brick on a wood frame, an original building method brought over from England. Most recently, the Ebershoffs had new plumbing installed throughout the entire house. “It wasn’t something that we had expected to do, but we learned that we weren’t getting adequate water,” Rebecca says. “We had a thirdgeneration plumbing company do an incredible job. That’s probably the biggest renovation that comes to mind. We’ve always maintained the integrity of the original home as much as possible. All of the doors and windows have original hardware, and all of the fixtures are originals as well.” The home’s unique features include a stunning entryway with restored oak paneling and the long pantry that connects to a breakfast room overlooking the backyard, which has an original ash tree as the centerpiece. “When we bought the house, the landscaping had incorporated a number of English vegetations and trees to complement the architecture,” Rebecca says. The home has made numerous appearances on television over the years, including “The Rockford Files,” “Shameless,” and the 2015 film “Secret in Their Eyes” starring Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman. “A few years ago, we invited our granddaughter out from Chicago to celebrate her birthday while they were filming ‘Secret in Their Eyes’ at our house,” David shares. “She got to be on the set and sit behind the camera. She said it was one of the best days of her life.” Their home’s exterior was also featured in the 2008 Steven Spielberg film “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” where it served as Jones’ Connecticut residence. During the 1984 Summer Olympics, the Ebershoffs hosted the gala for the Canadian Ballet Company on the grounds of their home. The event remains a fond memory for the couple. “It was a beautiful night,” David says. “After the Canadian Ballet Company performed at the Pasadena Civic Center, all of the dignitaries from the Canadian Consulate came over and were in a celebratory mood. It was very special.” The Ebershoffs have also hosted numerous book signings at their home over the years for their son David, a well-known author whose debut novel “The Danish Girl” was adapted into an Academy Awardwinning film. As a kid growing up at his parents’ house, David enjoyed spending time with their neighbor, the late Harriet Doerr, who was the granddaughter of railroad magnate Henry Edwards Huntington. “Harriet earned her degree from Stanford at the age of 67 and published her first novel when she was 74,” Rebecca says. “She was a very interesting woman, she never wanted anyone to know that she was a Huntington—she wanted her own identity. Our son became interested in writing through her and she helped influence his career as an author.” During the 45 years they’ved lived in their home, the Ebershoffs have decorated with various items that they have picked up during their travels, along with antique heirlooms such as a restored piano in the living room that belonged to David’s grandmother. “It’s a little eclectic, we have some old English furniture and periodpiece clocks, including two 18th century English clocks,” David says. “Our daughter and son-in-law lived in the Middle East for several years, so we have Persian rugs that we brought back from there.” Rebecca adds, “We have antique pieces in the house that come from both of our families and we’ve raised four children here, so this home is filled with many memories. It’s a very comfortable home to live in, and we’ve immensely enjoyed living here for almost half a century.”
Photos by Luis Chavez
Built in 1912, the home’s interior details include all the original wood, moldings, hardware and fixtures.
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BUSINESS Raquel McLaughlin, left, and her mother, Jeanette Beraha, own Vintage Treasures and Antiques Store.
Gems
HIDDEN
VINTAGE TREASURES & ANTIQUES ARCADIA SELLS ONE-OF-A-KIND ITEMS aquel McLaughlin and her mother Jeanette Beraha are not only best friends, they’re also business partners. In 2014, they opened Vintage Treasures & Antiques Arcadia, a boutique that sells highquality vintage clothing, accessories, costume jewelry and various items for the home. The idea for the business was inspired by their mutual passion for vintage shopping and estate sales. “Whenever my mom and I would travel to places together, the first thing we would do was visit an antique store,” McLaughlin says. “We had a lot of admiration for those businesses. It’s so much fun because every store is completely different and you’re never going to find the same thing. We’re always having fun and doing things together, and opening this store just felt really natural. It’s an enjoyable way to spend time with customers while they come in and play dress-up.” One of McLaughlin’s favorite childhood memories was watching her mother get dressed up in stylish outfits whenever she would go out. Beraha, who has always loved fashion, worked at Bullocks Wilshire in the late 1960s. “Bullocks was one of those iconic high-end stores that paid a lot of attention to detail,” McLaughlin says. “They would wrap everything in tissue paper and give you these beautiful hatboxes. It was the epitome of luxury.” After Beraha retired from the corporate banking world decades later, she kept busy with various community activities, including the Woman’s Club of South Pasadena, but found herself wanting to do more. She ultimately decided to turn her passion for vintage and antique shopping into a business with her daughter. “I’ve always been fascinated by women’s styles from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s because they always looked so elegant,” Beraha says. “We sell a lot of vintage hats, jewelry and tablecloths from those eras, and people love them because of their quality. We have the passion and the drive to find beautiful things that are different. I look for unique items that I know our customers won’t be able to find anywhere else.” McLaughlin, who grew up in Alhambra and now lives in Arcadia, says that the decision to open their business on this side of town came from the desire to have a quality vintage store closer to home. She and Beraha would drive across town to go shopping in Los Feliz, Echo Park and the Westside, where all the vintage stores where located, but when it came time to choose a location for their shop, they wanted a place that wouldn’t require their customers to have to drive far away. “We love the diversity and mission statement of Arcadia,” McLaughlin says. “We’re located in a beautiful environment surrounded by nature and peacocks. Our store overlooks the foothills; it’s a wonderful place to be.” When Vintage Treasures & Antiques Arcadia debuted, the store occupied a one-room space and primarily sold vintage clothing, hats and costume jewelry. Over the years, they expanded to sell other items, such as homewares, fine China and collectibles, and when the business next door eventually left, they took over the space and turned it into a midcentury modern furniture showroom. “We really take the time to hand-pick and curate the items that we sell,” McLaughlin explains. “Our items are never donated—we put a lot of time and work into each piece in our store. Some things have to be
Photo by Luis Chavez
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BY KAMALA KIRK
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Photos by Luis Chavez
cleaned and restored. Our customers come here to find items that they’re not going to find anywhere else.” Another special aspect of shopping at Vintage Treasures & Antiques Arcadia is the personalized approach that Beraha and McLaughlin offer to customers. They’re both experienced wardrobe consultants who enjoy giving feedback and providing suggestions so that every client leaves feeling satisfied with their purchase. “When you buy online, you can’t touch, feel or try on the items before you buy them,” McLaughlin says. “People love the experience of coming in here and really getting a feel for what they’re buying. If they’re purchasing a vinyl record, for instance, they can listen to it here first. We give them that traditional service that you can’t get over the internet. We’re all about preserving the quality and integrity of antiques and vintage furniture, but we also offer the education to go along with it, whether it’s what clothing and accessories can be worn together or how to maintain and care for items.” Like all other brick-and-mortar businesses, Vintage Treasures & Antiques Arcadia has been greatly impacted by COVID-19, but Beraha and McLaughlin are extremely grateful for the outpouring of support from the local community and their longtime customers who continue to come in and shop. While social distancing and other safety protocols are being carefully followed in the store, they continue to offer that personalized touch to every shopper’s experience. To reach more customers, Beraha and McLaughlin have also been utilizing social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to sell items, and they offer additional services including estate sales, vintage style photo shoots and decorating. They have also done set design work with production companies in the entertainment industry. Prior to the pandemic, Vintage Treasures & Antiques Arcadia would host annual ladies tea parties, luncheons and fashion shows for their friends and customers. While they currently aren’t able to throw events, McLaughlin looks forward to being able to host them again in the future once it’s safe to do so. Because more people are staying home at present, McLaughlin has seen more customers buy furniture and décor. She’s also seen an increase in male customers who are more interested in vintage shopping. “Vintage clothes are for everyone; it doesn’t matter what age you are,” she says. “A lot of our older customers enjoy spending time in our store because it brings back fond memories for them. Someone will come across an album that they listened to when they were in high school or they’ll see a pair of gloves that their grandmother wore for church services. Our younger customers want to develop their own unique style and not look like everyone else, and they’re drawn to vintage items because of the quality of the materials. We also have a lot of people who are more eco-conscious and want to do their part to help save the environment by repurposing vintage clothing and items.” Beraha and McLaughlin also pride themselves on offering competitive prices that are lower than other vintage stores. “We want to keep things fair and fun so that everyone can find something no matter what their budget is,” McLaughlin says. “We want to cater to everybody. We’ve found that more people are looking for special items that move them and touch their hearts. I really love how an item that one person wants to get rid of becomes another person’s treasure. Maybe it’s a dining table that you don’t have a connection with anymore, so you sell it to us, then another person walks into our store and thinks it’s the most perfect table they’ve ever seen, so they take it home and it becomes their go-to table for many years—that always warms my heart.” Adds Beraha, “I enjoy all of the wonderful people that come into our store every day and the opportunity to spend time with them. Many of them become lifelong customers and friends. I love everything about owning this business; it gives me an incentive to come to work every single day.” Vintage Treasures & Antiques Arcadia 340 E. Foothill Boulevard, Arcadia 626-437-7905 Follow @vintagetreasuresarcadia on Instagram
Vintage Treasures and Antique Store overflows with quirky items.
Customer Uzuri Amini shops at Vintage Treasures and Antiques Store.
Rings and other jewelry are aplenty at Vintage Treasures and Antiques Store. 01.21 | ARROYO | 21
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DINING
IN GOOD
Taste
‘MOTA’ CARRIES ON YAMASHIRO’S TRADITIONS BY FRIER MCCOLLISTER
Luis Alfonso Banuelos Ortega, otherwise known as “Chef Mota,” heads up the kitchen at South Pasadena’s venerable fine-dining fixture Shiro. 22 | ARROYO | 01.21
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Photo by Luis Chavez
S
herrill Bailey calls Hideo “Shiro” Yamashiro a genius in many ways. “He’s a fascinating guy,” says Bailey, the co-owner and general manager of South Pasadena’s venerable fine-dining fixture Shiro. Shiro’s 73-year-old founder and original, classically trained chef, Yamashiro is a native of Okinawa and is an alumnus of Ma Maison. He also cooked with Wolfgang Puck before opening his namesake flagship on Mission Street in 1987. Using classical French techniques combined with his own takes on Japanese cuisine, Yamashiro created a sophisticated menu that quickly won over the locals. He left the kitchen in 2006. By then, Shiro already partnered with Bailey, who started at the restaurant as a server in 1991. His cousin from Tokyo, Irene Yokia, began assisting Bailey front-of-house in 2001 and took Shiro’s remaining share of the business when he chose to leave to open a new restaurant, Orris, on Sawtelle Boulevard in 2007. Bailey and Yokoi refer to each other independently as “best friends” and all but complete the other’s sentences in conversation. Nearly 15 years after the master’s departure, the operation continues to thrive. But how? Much of that credit can be attributed to chef Luis Alfonso Ortega Banuelos, otherwise known simply as “Mota.” Born and raised in rural Zacatecas, Mexico, Banuelos arrived in the United States in 1997 at 17 and began working as a dishwasher at Shiro restaurant. As shy as Shiro himself is elusive, getting the story from Banuelos is not easy. Local hero chef Onil Chibas of Deluxe 1717 and “Wonderful Wednesdays” helped with some unique insights here. Chibas consulted with Bailey and Yokoi after closing his own restaurant, Pasadena’s Elements, in 2012 and assisted with general management at Shiro for a year or so. “I don’t know him very well,” Chibas says about Yamashiro. “He’s an interesting guy. He’s a real classically trained French chef. At a certain point, he became a victim of success with that crazy catfish.” He is referring to the dish that defines the menu, a whole grilled catfish served with ponzu and cilantro. It’s easily Shiro’s most popular entrée. “(Finally, Shiro said,) ‘I’m more than this damn catfish,’” Chibas adds. Regarding the evolution of Banuelos, Chibas is emphatic. “It’s an incredibly unusual story,” Chibas says. “What Shiro created with Banuelos is a really fine chef. The food and the consistency are unparalleled. It’s never wavered. It’s so impressive what (Banuelos) does.” Chibas attests to the attention and acuity applied by Bailey and Yokia to their regular patrons. The preferred table locations, cocktails and menu items of their regulars are routinely recalled on arrival. “The level of knowledge they have on each guest is incredible,” Chibas says. “It’s mind boggling.” Indeed, the service is impeccable. At least when there are tables. The pandemic and the local whipsaw of lockdowns and reopenings has been particularly challenging for the fine-dining sector. Bailey and Yokoi quickly pivoted to takeout-only service in March. South Pasadena finally placed K-Rail barricades in September to create a dining lane in front of the restaurant, which sat 35 to 40 guests. “It was working pretty well, especially on the weekends,” Bailey says. Then the new modified lockdown was imposed in November, which banned outdoor dining with no clear end in sight.
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Luis Alfonso Banuelos Ortega’s black truffle ravioli in a duxelle mushroom sauce is a favorite with the regulars.
Freshness, care and attention inform the food here, and so it has been for decades. The restaurant is known for its seafood preparations, and Banuelos, like his mentor, visits the wholesale fish market daily to source fresh selections for the evening’s menu. “Do you know how hard it is to serve cooked fish without it being overcooked? (Banuelos) does it every time,” Chibas says. That said, should the charbroiled ribeye or prime filet appear on the nightly menu, know that they are sourced from locally renowned wholesale butcher Alexander Prime Meats and are dry-aged in-house for a minimum of three weeks. Finally, with some gentle coaxing from Bailey, “He’s a shy guy,” she reminded. Banuelos was moved to speak. “Growing up in a large family, food was the main ingredient in bringing our family close,” Banuelos says. “I learned from my mom that with so little you could do a lot, if done with love. (Working at) Shiro’s restaurant is the only job I’ve ever had. It’s given me everything and more (than) I could dream of.” Banuelos reflects on his mentor. “I have a great relationship with Shiro,” Banuelos says. “I admire him for his hard work and dedication to the cuisine. I thank him for believing in me and teaching me everything I know today. From how to handle a knife to how to pick the fresh food for our menu, I’ll forever be thankful for all his teachings and advice.” Banuelos shares his passion for food with his 10-year-old daughter, Valerie Vanessa. Beaming, he adds, “She shares the love for food like me and that makes me proud.” By the way, she also recommends the catfish and the filet mignon on dad’s menu. Banuelos points to one of his own creations: black truffle ravioli in a duxelle mushroom sauce, another favorite with the regulars. At the final moment in the conversation, Yamashiro materializes. “I’m an old man,” he declares imperiously. “As a business, cooking is no fun. As a hobby, cooking is fun. I’m an old man, but I still like to cook as a hobby.” As to his remarkable protégé, “Banuelos was a slow starter, but he does a great job. He’s a very talented person.” Bailey reflects on the past year at the restaurant. “We are really fortunate because we have had such a loyal clientele,” she says. “It’s just amazing how the community has stood up for us and supported us and want to keep us here. So, we’re really blessed and grateful.” For Arroyo readers, that gratitude is expressed with a hard-won recipe from Yamashiro and Banuelos: Pommes Dauphinoise, another classic favorite with the regulars. Try it at home. And don’t forget Banuelos’ secret ingredient: love.
Loup de mer, or French seabass, is covered with caper butter sauce.
Scalloped potatoes, or pomme Dauphinoise, is a popular side dish at Shiro.
POMMES DAUPHINOISE Scalloped potatoes a la Shiro
INGREDIENTS 6 RUSSET POTATOES, SLICED THIN 6 CUPS HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM 2 OUNCES WHOLE MILK
1/2 TEASPOON MINCED GARLIC 1 TEASPOON WHITE PEPPER 3 TEASPOON SALT
Photo by Luis Chavez
METHOD PRE-HEAT THE OVEN TO 350 DEGREES. IN A RIMMED BAKING PAN, ARRANGE THE POTATOES IN LAYERED ROWS. ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS. BAKE FOR 45 MINUTES, UNTIL BROWNED AND BUBBLY. (THIS IS A RESTAURANT RECIPE THAT MAKES ABOUT 15 PORTIONS, BUT IT CAN BE EASILY CUT IN HALF FOR A SMALLER BATCH.) 01.21 | ARROYO | 23
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CULINARY CUPBOARD
SUGAR AND
Spice BY EMILY CHAVEZ
SPICED COFFEE CAKE MUFFINS YIELD: 12 | ACTIVE TIME: 25 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS FOR THE MUFFINS 1 1/2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR 1/2 CUP LIGHT BROWN SUGAR 2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER 1 TEASPOOON CINNAMON 1/4 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1/4 TEASPOON SALT 3/4 CUP MILK 1/3 CUP CANOLA OIL 2 LARGE EGGS
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SPICE SWIRL
2 TABLESPOONS GRANULATED SUGAR 1 1/2 TEASPOON CINNAMON
1/2 TEASPOON NUTMEG 1/2 TSP ALLSPICE
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING 1/2 CUP EXTRA-FINE SUGAR 1/3 CUP LIGHT BROWN SUGAR 1 TEASPOON CINNAMON 1/4 TEASPOON SALT
1/2 CUP (1 STICK) UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED 1 1/2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
INGREDIENTS FOR THE GLAZE 1/4 CUP CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR OR EXTRA-FINE SUGAR
1/2 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT 1 TEASPOON MILK
TO ASSEMBLE 1. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 375 DEGREES F. LINE A MUFFIN TIN WITH PAPER LINERS OR COAT WITH NONSTICK SPRAY; SET ASIDE. 2. TO MAKE THE CRUMB TOPPING, WHISK TOGETHER SUGARS, CINNAMON AND SALT IN A MEDIUM BOWL. WHISK IN MELTED BUTTER. ADD FLOUR AND STIR USING A RUBBER SPATULA JUST UNTIL MOIST. SPREAD OUT MIXTURE ON A PLATE OR TRAY TO DRY UNTIL READY TO USE. 3. TO MAKE MUFFINS, TOGETHER FLOUR, SUGAR, BAKING POWDER, CINNAMON, BAKING SODA AND SALT IN A LARGE BOWL. 4. IN ANOTHER BOWL, WHISK TOGETHER MILK, CANOLA OIL AND EGG. POUR MIXTURE OVER DRY INGREDIENTS AND STIR USING A RUBBER SPATULA JUST UNTIL MOIST. 5. FOR THE SPICE SWIRL, COMBINE THE SUGAR, CINNAMON, NUTMEG AND ALLSPICE IN A SMALL BOWL. 6. BEGIN TO ASSEMBLE THE BATTER INSIDE THE MUFFIN TIN BY SCOOPING 2 TABLESPOONS OF BATTER INTO EACH CUP. PLACE A TEASPOON OF SPICE SUGAR MIXTURE ON TOP, GIVE IT A QUICK SWIRL, AND TOP WITH MORE MUFFIN BATTER, FILLING EACH SECTION OF LINER 3/4 TO THE TOP. 7. SPRINKLE WITH THE CRUMB TOPPING; GENTLY PRESS THE CRUMBS INTO THE BATTER. PLACE INTO THE OVEN AND BAKE FOR 15 TO 17 MINUTES OR UNTIL A TESTER INSERTED IN THE CENTER COMES OUT CLEAN. 8. TO MAKE THE GLAZE, COMBINE CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR OR EXTRA-FINE SUGAR, VANILLA AND MILK. WHISK UNTIL SMOOTH. IF THE GLAZE IS TOO THIN, ADD MORE CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR AS NEEDED. IF USING EXTRA-FINE SUGAR, GENTLY WARM THE MIXTURE FOR SUGAR GRANULES TO DISSOLVE. 9. WHEN THE MUFFINS ARE DONE, COOL FOR 10 MINUTES AND DRIZZLE THE GLAZE ON EACH MUFFIN. 10. ALLOW GLAZE TO SET BEFORE SERVING.
Photos by Luis Chavez
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he classic coffee cake is reimagined here with warming spices and a perfectly sized portion. Quick to whip up, these spiced coffee cake muffins have been my standby treat on crisp winter mornings with a cup of fresh coffee. The addition of nutmeg and allspice deepens the warming aroma and flavors, taking these muffins to the next level and balancing out the sugary sweetness. A key component of any coffee cake is texture. The tender crumble top must rest upon a soft, almost creamy muffin. My secret is using extra-fine sugar in the crumb topping so I’m not crunching down on a mouthful of whole sugar granules with each bite. But there is no need to go out and buy a special ingredient. Simply pulse standard granulated sugar in a food processor until it is extra fine.
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CULINARY CUPBOARD
GOOD LIFE
Good Food
KICKING OFF THE NEW YEAR GUILT FREE
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BY EMILY CHAVEZ
ith the New Year comes an overwhelming amount of compromise. Choosing between sleeping in and going to the gym is hard enough, but when it comes to these organic, gluten-free coffee chocolate muffins, there is no compromise necessary. The fiber, vitamin E and magnesium content in almond flour brings balance to the sweet side of these muffins. Antioxidants, protein and fiber in the cacao powder plays a vital role in keeping the treat guilt free because of its restorative properties. When the nuttiness of the almond flour is combined with two of my go-to flavor favorites, chocolate and coffee, the decadent flavor of these muffins is raised to another level. So put the ultra-processed and preservative-ridden muffins aside and make room for an on the go breakfast you can eat guilt free. ORGANIC GLUTEN-FREE COFFEE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS YIELD: 12 MUFFINS | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES BAKE TIME: 20 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES
ALL–ORGANIC INGREDIENTS 2 CUPS ALMOND FLOUR 2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER 2 TEASPOONS BAKING SODA 3/4 CUP CACAO POWDER 3/4 CUP CANE SUGAR 1 TEASPOON SALT 2 EGGS, ROOM TEMPERATURE 1/2 CUP MILK 1/2 CUP CANOLA OIL 1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT 1 CUP BREWED COFFEE, ROOM TEMPERATURE
Photos by Luis Chavez
DIRECTIONS PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. MIX EGGS AND ALL LIQUIDS IN ONE BOWL. ADD DRY INGREDIENTS AND MIX UNTIL JUST COMBINED AND ONLY SLIGHTLY LUMPY. FILL MUFFIN LINERS IN TIN AND BAKE FOR 20 MINUTES OR UNTIL THE MUFFINS RISE AND SPRING BACK WHEN PRESSED ON.
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A R T S & C U LT U R E
A NEW LEADER BARBARA DAMEREL TAKES THE REINS OF PASADENA SHOWCASE HOME BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
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olunteering is nothing new to Barbara Damerel. She served 39 years in the Huntington Hospital gift shop, and on the board for the Hill Haribson House in San Marino. She’s also focused on San Marino Schools, the Girl Scouts and the San Marino Chapter of the National Charity League. Damerel says she feels she found her calling as president of Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts (PSHA) for the 2020-21 term. “It’s exciting to be able to be the president during these challenging times because I know we’re not going to walk the same path we’ve walked for 56 years,” Damerel says. “I hope to be able to see the organization through these trying times. We’ll have to implement new fundraising ideas to complement what we do.” Damerel owned an insurance business for 11 years. Previously she was on the sales and leasing side of the automobile industry for 28 years. She joined Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts in 2003 because she liked its mission of promoting music and music education. “I can’t sing, but my husband’s grandmother sang on the test record for Thomas Edison,” Damerel says of the late Gertrude Darsie. “She used to have a Steinway grand piano in her living room and gave free vocal lessons to promoting opera singers. “It’s been an appreciation of something I can’t do, but I realize how important it is for people who can.” Damerel and her husband, Jeffrey, live in Darsie’s San Marino home. Damerel has held numerous board and committee positions over the years, including benefit chairwoman for the 2019 Pasadena Showcase House of Design in Descanso Gardens. “Over the years I have observed how resilient PSHA is as an organization while undertaking a fundraiser of such an enormous size and scope as the Pasadena Showcase House of Design,” Damerel says. “I have been awed by the resourcefulness and dedication of the allvolunteer membership as we find solutions to nearly insurmountable problems. Now, with all the issues presented by the pandemic, we have once again faced adversity and pivoted to present the 2020 Showcase House as an innovative and comprehensive virtual tour. It took quick thinking, creativity, a committed team and a devoted membership to bring it to fruition. I am grateful to and proud of the many members who give so generously of their time and talents to ensure PSHA is able to continue to support music programs in the community.” COVID-19 forced PSHA to pause its music programs for safety reasons, but the organization’s members are proud of conducting the Gifts & Grants program. It offers grants to arts organizations. “We will continue to find new ways to meet our goals in this unprecedented set of circumstances,” Damerel says. “We know the loyalty and support of our visitors, designers, resources and, of course, our members, will see us through.” Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts was created to bring the joy of music to children and adults through exposure, education and experience. Since 1948, it has donated more than $23 million and countless volunteer hours dedicated to reaching 6,000 elementary school students and musicians aged 16 to 24 annually. Info: pasadenashowcase.org
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A R T S & C U LT U R E
‘SONGS FROM THE SEA OF CORTEZ’ OLD CALIFORNIO FINISHES LONG-SHELVED ALBUM THAT UNEXPECTEDLY SPEAKS TO 2020 BY BLISS BOWEN
E
ven under normal circumstances, resuscitating creative projects long left unattended is a challenge. When local rockers Old Californio re-entered the studio this year to finish their long-shelved album “Songs from the Sea of Cortez,” it helped that most of the instrumental tracks were recorded and all but three already had vocals. Still, save for some isolated gigs at a Utah saloon, guitarist Woody Aplanalp, bassist Jason Chesney, singer and songwriter Rich Dembowski and drummer Justin Smith hadn’t all worked together since 2013, and the logistics of overdubbing and mixing tracks were complicated by coronavirus restrictions. Most of those sessions took place at Aplanalp’s San Gabriel studio. It was Aplanalp who suggested the band start working together again; Dembowski describes the album as “Woody’s baby in a lot of ways.” They shouldered responsibility for getting it finished. Chesney adds remotely recorded tracks from Nesmith Ranch in Monterey, where he’s been holing up since the pandemic shutdowns hit, and Smith supplied more vocals and percussion from his home studio in Altadena. “The conditions we’re in right now are a little limiting,” Dembowski acknowledges, “but fun and creative.” The original tracks were “all live takes,” according to Aplanalp, recorded in Dembowski’s house in Pasadena. Drums and piano were set up in the dining room and living room, amps in the bathroom, and a mobile soundboard in the spare bedroom—and as they describe that close, convivial process now, when we’re all hunkered down under stay-at-home orders and nightclubs have been shuttered since March, it sounds unreachably exotic. Dembowski likens revisiting the world of those early recordings to entering a “time capsule.” He cites the organic sound of the Byrds, the Outsiders and especially Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance when explaining why he wanted to record in the living room. Funnily enough, the “close-to-the-ground” honesty of those seminal influences parallels Old Californio’s present desire to “get back to basics” and play for the love of making music with people they care about. “Songs from the Sea of Cortez” takes its title from the 1951 book “The Sea of Cortez: A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research,” an uncommon collaboration between Pulitzer- and Nobel Prize-winning novelist John Steinbeck—one of Dembowski’s chief lyrical influences—and marine biologist Edward Ricketts. Like the book, it is thoroughly informed by California as a geologic reality as well as its history as a mecca of cultural, political and creative reinvention. Opening track “Saint Cecelia” sends up a prayer to the patron saint of musicians, sweetened with jangly guitars, fiddle and harmonies. The philosophical “Too Tired” ponders when enough is enough; when do you finally give up on what isn’t working? The country-wheeled “Broke, Blessed and Penniless” could be a make-the-best-of-it anthem for 2020, while “A Savage Grace” is an uncommonly literate rocker about personal agency and fate. It, too, speaks from the past to the present, over acoustic fingerpicking that gradually swells to a crescendo of martial drumbeats and Aplanalp’s angry guitar: “I will tell no lies I come not to preach but bring only opinion And I believe in the right Of every man to sit in abnegation … Ah, but this cannot be Our final end, you and me To be victims of our own plight Slaves to our own appetites”
Old Californio “It is very relevant in terms of a mythological place we’ve got to make new for ourselves, because tomorrow is challenging and we can’t rely on old concepts,” Dembowski muses. “We have to reinvent ourselves now, and it’s a little bit scary.” Back when Old Californio originally began recording, the band was a familiar presence at area venues such as Buccaneer Lounge, the Echo, Old Towne Pub and T. Boyle’s Tavern. Their penchant for 1960-’70s psychedelic pop, California country-rock and namechecking local landmarks informed their 2009 album “Westering Again” and 2011’s “Sundrunk Angels.” “Westering” included “Just Like Joseph Campbell,” a tribute to the late mythologist; his work influenced “Songs from the Sea of Cortez,” too, notably “Lyre of Orpheus.” “I like the idea of when we were brave enough to see ourselves in the stars, and can we get there again?” Dembowski explains. “That’s a big undercurrent (in) ‘Sea of Cortez’ … mythology, telling mythological stories. How do we reinvent ourselves through storytelling, through narrative? That is really what draws us all together.” “Lyre of Orpheus” ends with an evocative guitar solo Aplanalp layered over Chesney’s rubbery bass line. At Smith’s suggestion during overdubbing, he augmented that with a slide harmony—giving it, he says, “a sound that we hadn’t heard before in our band.” “There’s more music coming,” he emphasizes. “We’ve been working on a lot of new material.” That includes two singles issued November 29: the mariachi-infused “Sweet Cantico” and the soothing “Old Californio’s Lonesome Rambling Ways.” Last week they released “Songs from the Sea of Cortez” through Bandcamp (oldcalifornio.bandcamp.com). Per Dembowski, it will be available January 1 on Amazon, Spotify and other streaming platforms. Looking backward to Steinbeck and Ricketts’ collecting sojourn may have seeded the album’s songs. But it was recently re-reading the book—at a time when “people were trying to have their voice heard somehow”—that sparked fresh awareness in Dembowski of his Hispanic roots as well as California’s Indigenous, Mexican and Spanish heritage and its present-day diversity. “These are trying times. Our life is different and weird. But you look around at the pace of geology, and the turning of the sun and the stars—it’s something pretty constant to tune in to. That’s still an inspiration.” 01.21 | ARROYO | 27
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PA I D A DV E R T I S E M E N T
COLD IS COMING, PROTECT YOUR PLANTS Even in sunny California, frost can happen. Deciding the best steps for action before the cold hits is the best way to protect from, and mitigate frost damage- But there are steps you can take during and afterwards to keep your landscape safe during the winter. Before the Frost: Mulch your plants. Creating an insulating barrier between the cold and roots is your first line of defense. Mulching regulates the temperature of the roots below, and by holding in above-freezing moisture, mitigates root damage. Then cover your plants (if you can.) A protective barrier like frost cloth will insulate heat. Just don’t let the foliage touch the cloth. If you don’t have time to do all your plants, just cover the centerpieces of your landscape design. Finally, water your plants. Well-hydrated plants survive frost conditions better than thirsty plants. During the Frost: Rinse your plants. As strange as it may sound, the water that is
being sprayed on the plants is obviously warmer than the freezing air. Freezing water actually produces a small amount of heat close to the plant and the layer of moisture on the plants is actually is freezing before the leaves & vascular system of the plants freeze. At our nursery, we have overhead sprinklers to turn on during the frost, which is also common practice for many citrus growers. After the Frost: In the event that one of your plants suffered from wilt or damage, wait before you prune. In fact, wait until Spring in order to trim back any plants or trees that may have become damaged. Dead plant material will provide protection to vital inner layers, and waiting to prune will help you understand how much damage was taken during the freeze, allowing you to better plan for next year. While we don’t usually see temperatures drop that low in California, it’s important to understand the principals of protection and mitigation of cold damage to keep our landscapes looking beautiful year-round. It only takes one severe freeze to cause damage and compromise your hard work.
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