Pasadena Weekly 09.01.22

Police seek tips in Thomas’ murder

By Pasadena Weekly Staff

The Pasadena Police Depart ment is seeking the public’s help in the May 2 death of 28-year-old Eric Lynn Thomas of Pasadena.

Thomas was found shot at 8:42 p.m. May 2 in an apartment com plex’s common area in the 1700 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue after the department received 911 calls and a “shots fired” alert from the recently activated “ShotSpotter” gunfire detection system.

Thomas was unresponsive and pronounced deceased at the scene.

During the follow-up investiga tion, detectives from the Pasadena Police Department’s robbery/ho micide unit recovered surveillance video from the area of the homi cide.

Following examination of video footage, it was determined the homicide suspect(s) fled the scene after the shooting in a white 2016-20 Hyundai Tucson.

The primary suspect was described to be a Black man, with a light complex ion, about 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-1, weighing between 180 and 200 pounds. At the time of the murder, the suspect was wearing light-colored sweatpants and a dark hoodie. The Pasadena Police Department recently released a composite sketch of the suspect.

The Pasadena Police Department’s robbery/homicide unit encourages anyone with information regarding this murder to call 626-744-4241. Tips can be report ed anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or use a smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile app on Google Play and the Apple App Store or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org.

The Pasadena Police Department recently released a composite sketch of the suspect in Eric Lynn Thomas’ murder.

Being in print is a lot more meaningful than grouching on Facebook. Send compliments, complaints and insights about local issues to christina@timespublications.

Oh, the places we’ve gone

By Ellen Snortland Pasadena Weekly Columnist

It is 80 degrees at 6 p.m. as we sit on our front porch watching the dogs play. I ask my husband, “Do you ever wonder what our government, the Russians, and global hackers around the world think of my unusual collection of friends on social media?” Ken says, “Not really. Why?”

“Well, I write for the Pasadena Weekly, the LA Downtown News and Pakistan’s International Culture and Art magazine. Doesn’t that seem a bit odd?” Ken says, “I guess so. We have many Israeli friends, too; that might raise a few eyebrows.” I add, “Oh, and we’ve got friends in North and South Dakota, which may strike snoopers as the most bizarre.”

Wait, what? Back up. Dear reader, yes — you read that correctly. I have a monthly column in a Pakistani magazine, as one does. This year International Culture and Art celebrates the establishment of Pakistan.

It’s Pakistan’s 75th anniversary, and it’s a country I love. If you want a treat and are a Marvel Cinematic Universe geek, don’t miss “Ms. Marvel” on Disney+, which is exciting, funny and touching. The main story involves Pakistani Americans living in Jersey City, New Jersey. However, the show also grippingly conveys the horror of the Partition, a shattering historical event few Americans know of. It was the result of how badly the Brit ish colonizers botched splitting up India. This show has the only depiction I’ve ever seen of the Partition and the heartbreak that almost every Pakistani and Indian family I know has endured. Millions were displaced, and between 1 to 2 million people died.

The country is not a tourist destination for most people; I am one of the only Americans I know who has visited. In 2016, when Drumpf won, my co-producer husband Ken and I traveled to Pakistan to screen our film “Beauty Bites Beast” in Islam abad and then Lahore. If you’d told me decades ago I would be presenting my work at the International Islamic University of Islamabad (IIUI) in Pakistan, I would have called you wacky. How could that possibly happen?

Friendship, my friends, friendship.

Filmmaker and Pasadena school board member Jennifer Hall Lee hosted a U.S. State Department-sponsored delegation of women from Islamabad to Los Angeles. They were part of a think tank called “Critical Thinking Forum.” Ms. Lee also booked the founder of CTF, Dr. Munazza Yaqoob, to be our Airbnb guest at our home in Altadena. We showed Dr. Yaqoob “Beauty Bites Beast” in our den, and voilá! She decided her students needed to see the film and asked if we would come to Islamabad. Sure! There, we met our now-brother Azam Qadri, who took us under his wing while in Islamabad, even driving us into the foothills of the Himalayas.

We were a part of the U.N. initiative to end violence against women and, as such, screened “Beauty Bites Beast” with the U.N. chapter in Lahore. Azam Qadri introduced us to Kiran Khan, who hosted us in Lahore; Kiran is the founder and editor of the International Culture and Art Magazine. There’s that friendship factor again.

I’m proud to report that the message of “Beauty Bites Beast” is global. As we say in the film, “Think globally, act locally — there’s nothing more local than one’s own body.” If we could help women stop violence as it was occurring, within one generation, families and societies could and would be transformed. It only takes one person to take that stand in each household. It takes the self-authority of someone who will say “Enough” to family or social violence.

Although there’s some controversy about the degree of vio lence in my late father’s immediate family, my dad told me that his grandfather used to beat the hell out of him. “Spare the rod, spoil the child” was not atypical in that generation. However, my dad told me in one of our heart-to-hearts that he vowed to end violence in his family after his experience with his grand father. I was never spanked and was spoken to with gentleness and respect. My dad said, “It stops with me.” Not accidentally, my mission in life is to teach women the tools to set emotional, verbal and — when push comes to shove — physical boundaries.

Pakistani audiences gasped, laughed and cried in the same places American audiences do. As Randy Mamiaro, a former suited instructor for IMPACT Personal Safety Los Angeles, says in our movie, “Women all over the world share basic needs. They want a safe life, and they want to be powerful in their own lives. I’ve done this class for movie stars. I’ve done this class for the average suburban soccer mom. And now I’ve done this class for Mexican factory workers, and they’re all the same.” And Paki stani women and girls are just like all of us, too.

Back on our Altadena porch: “Can you believe we would love to revisit Pakistan?” Ken pauses, then says, “Maybe when things have settled down politically, don’tcha think?”

“Yes… meanwhile, we stand for friendship.”

Ellen Snortland has written this column for decades and also teaches creative writing. She can be reached at: ellen@ beautybitesbeast.com. Her award-winning film “Beauty Bites Beast” is available for download or streaming at vimeo.com/ ondemand/beautybitesbeast.

DINING

‘Let there be brunch’ at Popping Yolk Cafe

By Kateri Wozny Pasadena Weekly Contributing Writer

Jason Tsai has always enjoyed the brunch culture in Cal ifornia. In fact, the slogan for his family-owned brunch restaurant, Popping Yolk Cafe, is “let there be brunch.”

“I used to go to different brunch spots on the weekend,” Tsai said. “That’s how I feel about California: Everyone brings in their own culture of food to this community.”

Tsai moved to Southern California from Taiwan about 16 years ago. After opening his coffee shop Fika Fika in Arcadia in 2019, he soon opened his first Popping Yolk Cafe in Al hambra. The Hacienda Heights location was opened in 2020, followed by Pasadena this past March. About 80 employees work between the three locations.

“I tell my employees our message is good food, good mood,” Tsai said. “The Pasadena community has a huge brunch demand, and (all locations) have been very popular since we opened.”

While the Alhambra location has a trendy, modern en vironment, Tsai wanted to make the Pasadena location his concept restaurant with an old school yet modern California vibe.

“Yellow is the signature color, and we used wallpaper, hand-drawn flowers by my partner, Avis Tao, and a pas tel green on the plaster,” Tsai said. “The furniture is also custom-made. The place just has a very fresh, relaxing and young vibe.”

Popping Yolk uses all fresh ingredients from local mar kets, while the strawberries and oranges come directly from the farm.

“It’s not just traditional American cuisine; we infuse dif ferent and trendy ideas into our restaurants,” Tsai said.

The menu has a variety of brunch dishes, including unique egg Benedicts ($16-$19) such as the BBQ pulled pork Benedict with a poached egg, BBQ pulled pork, En glish muffin, spring mix, butter and hollandaise sauce; the fish fillet Benedict with a poached egg, deep-fried fish fillet, coleslaw, tartar sauce, butter, English muffin and hollandaise sauce; the Nashville hot chicken Benedict with a poached egg, Nashville hot chicken, coleslaw, English muffin, butter, pickled cucumber, honey spicy mayo sauce and hollandaise sauce; and the teriyaki chicken Benedict with a poached egg, teriyaki chicken, spinach, butter and hollandaise sauce.

“The egg benedict is a signature brunch item,” Tsai said. “Nashville hot chicken is a trend, and the breakfast has more than 10 different ingredients in the flavor.”

Omelettes ($15-$19) are also served, including the BBQ pulled pork omelette with BBQ pulled pork, BBQ sauce, mushroom, spinach and toast; the California omelette with cherry tomato, avocado, pesto, spinach, mushroom and toast; and the kimchi Spam omelette with Spam, kimchi, Korean chili mayo, mixed cheese and toast.

“The California Omelette is the most healthy and most

Jason Tsai’s menu includes modern twists like the Nashville hot chicken Benedict.

common one,” Tsai said. “The kimchi omelette is also good because it has a vari ety of Korean flavors.”

The crunchy French toast ($8 for a half, $15 for a full) is another popular item, with the house version having deep-fried toast, mixed berries, maple syrup and condensed milk and the toffee banana version having deep-fried toast, toffee banana, maple syrup and toffee sauce.

“It’s a French toast that is very crunchy on the outside and very soft on the inside,” Tsai said.

Other items include the classic breakfast ($17) with bacon, sausage, cherry tomato, garden springs, country fried potatoes, toast and a choice of a scrambled or sunny side up egg; crepes and waffles ($11-$15) with the crunchy honeycomb crepe having fresh strawberry, cereal, crunchy honeycomb, whipped cream and caramel sauce; From the Charbroiler burger sandwiches ($15-$19) with the Pop ping Yolk Burger having Angus beef, egg, grilled mushroom, cheddar and honey mustard sauce; and salad and snacks ($4-$9) consisting of the garden spring mix, arugula, and seasoned sweet potato or Cajun fries.

“The Popping Yolk Burger is popular because our patties are juicy, homemade and has a sunny side egg,” Tsai said. “Our potatoes are also from scratch, and they are more fluffy because it’s fresh.”

A variety of beverages ($4-$14), including coffee, tea, fresh juice, cocktails, beer and wine are also served.

“Our orange juice is very fresh, and the bottomless mimosas do very well,” Tsai said. “The coffee is custom made and is a product of Fika Fika, where I roast my own beans.”

In the future, Tsai plans to open more Popping Yolk Cafe locations across Cali fornia and franchise the business.

“We want to grow everywhere,” Tsai said. “Popping Yolk has potential, and we want to share the brand and food in different communities.”

Modern morality play has Antaeus artists exploring the meaning of living

By Bridgette M. Redman Pasadena Weekly Contributing Writer ARTS & CULTURE

Imagine performing in a show where you won’t know if you are the lead actor until after the curtain rises. It is exactly the situation you’d find yourself in if you were one of five actors performing in “Everybody” at Antaeus Theatre Company.

Jennifer Chang is directing the LA premiere of Branden Jacob-Jenkins’ criti cally acclaimed play. It will run from Friday, Sept. 16, to Monday, Oct. 17, with previews from Sunday, Sept. 11, to Thursday, Sept. 15.

Based on 15th century morality plays, the story follows the journey of Ev erybody as they search for Somebody to join them on their appointment with Death (Anne Gee Byrd), while God (Cherish Monique Duke), Time (Dawn Didawick) and Love (Alberto Isaac) look on.

Each night, there will be an onstage, in-play lottery assigning the parts of Everybody and the Somebodies, a device the playwright built in to emphasize the randomness of life and death.

The Crunchy French Toast is a Popping Yolk Cafe bestseller.

Death, in the person of Anne Gee Byrd, peeks around a corner as part of the Antaeus Theatre production of “Everybody.”

Popping Yolk Cafe/Submitted

“Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ sense of humor and his point of view about the world makes his plays feel like they’re working on multiple levels,” Chang said. “It is an adaptation, so he’s taking this old material, playing homage to it and then speaking to a modern-day audience where the similarities and the differences are what we’re grappling with as human beings.”

Chang is a founding member and co-artistic director of Chalk Repertory The atre and recently directed “On Gold Mountain” for the Los Angeles Opera. She was slotted to direct at Antaeus for the first time when the pandemic hit and the show she was working on was canceled. Now she is back with the organization directing a different work, one that she is thrilled to be doing as she has long been a fan of Jacob-Jenkins’ work. This play was a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize.

Chang describes the humor of “Everybody” as being elevated and clever. The cast, she said, is committed to making sure that they are illuminating the play wright’s words and bringing in fun, specificity and spectacle.

She appreciates the way Jacobs-Jenkins draws upon the past, connecting to theatrical history and development.

“I look at theater as being a longitudinal art,” Chang explained. “There’s so much that is passed on. Theater and the craftsmanship of it gets handed down and you learn from previous storytellers.”

She finds the challenge of the lottery to be exciting. With five actors — Lisa Sanaye Dring, Nicole Erb, Harry Groener, Antonio Jaramillo and Gerard Joseph — having their parts assigned each night during the show by lottery, there are 120 different possible combinations of how the story can play out. Each night one of those actors will be Everybody and the others will take on multiple roles such as Friendship, Strength, Kinship, Cousin, Beauty and Stuff.

Part of the puzzle of the piece is figuring out how to rehearse. They created tracks of parts that each of the five actors have to learn. In the first couple days of staging the show, they roughly sketched out all the different ways the play could be blocked. They identified places where there felt like there were rhythmic paus es so they could rehearse smaller sections of the show.

“We would rotate through and go back and do the same chunk, working through it with people in different parts,” Chang said. “Once I got through that, we’d move forward to where there was another logical pause.”

She soon discovered that there was a different alchemy for the play as different people stepped into different roles. Even a person’s height could affect how each scene was blocked and how people needed to stand in relation to each other. The stage picture would change depending on who was performing what role. She wrestled with the balance of how much freedom she could let each actor retain.

“Where is their freedom in the different iteration of the part assignments?” Chang asked herself during rehearsals. “There are certain truths that we need to embrace about the blocking, and there are a lot of places where the actors must stand in a particular configuration. But they have room to move.”

However, it isn’t just the stage picture that changes as different people take on different roles. Chang said the humor and rhythm of the scene totally changes with different actors. They’ve worked together on where certain things must be the same and where there is room for the feel of the scene to alter with each actor.

“It really does change because there’s 120 different permutations of casting,” Chang said.

Antaeus’ production of “Everybody” is being set in Glendale, the theater com pany’s home. Scenic designer Nicholas Ponting has created a set that is literally the street on which the theater exists.

“As part of the fun, to make it clear that this play really is about everybody — about all of us — we’re setting it in Glendale,” Chang explained. “We hope that as audiences enter the theater, they’ll be reminded of the street they just left behind.”

Chang said that she is a big believer in localizing her politics, which is one rea son she wanted to have the play set in Glendale. It’s a way for Antaeus to explore who and what the community is. Throughout the play, there will be touches of Glendale woven through for audiences to find.

“Everybody” is a play, Chang said, that has some big ideas about life and death and how we go about living our lives.

“I’m hoping to really celebrate in the play all the twists and turns that life can take that can be silly, funny, beautiful, frightening, ugly and vulnerable. All of those colors can shine through in this play. It’s a very quirky play, not the usual journey.”

“Everybody” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

WHO: Antaeus Theatre Company

WHERE: Kiki and David Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 East Broadway, Glendale

WHEN: Fridays through Mondays from Friday, Sept. 16, to Monday, Oct. 17

TICKETS: $40

INFO: 818-506-1983 or antaeus.org

Jennifer Chang directs “Everybody” for Antaeus Theatre Company.

Anne Gee Byrd plays Death in the modern morality play “Everybody.”

‘Animal Farm’: Orwell classic gets musical treatment at A Noise Within

By Bridgette M. Redman Pasadena Weekly Contributing Writer

ANoise Within knows how to delight with the way it presents and inter prets classic literature.

From Saturday, Sept. 3, to Sunday, Oct. 2, the theater company will produce “Animal Farm” on their stage in a way designed to surprise their audiences and re-tell a satire that continues to be rele vant nearly 80 years after George Orwell first wrote it. This version is the Peter Hall adaptation, a musical written in the 1980s with lyrics by Adrian Mitchell and music by Richard Peaslee.

Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, the co-artistic director of A Noise Within and director of “Animal Farm,” has been wanting to do “Animal Farm” for some time. The satire takes place on a farm where the animals oust the human farmer in hopes of achieving better labor and political opportunities. It’s an allegory that has lost none of its relevance even though it was originally written in response to the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalin.

“When we identified this particu

lar translation, I just fell in love with it because it’s really true to the novel,” Rodriguez-Elliott said. “It has substance at every level and is an adaptation for all ages. The music, as is often the case with music, really amplifies the message. (The stage version) elevates the humor and the pathos in the play. It gets me out of this world of realism. … It really embraces the language of the piece.”

“Animal Farm” can be described as a roadmap charting the fall of idealism and the rise of tyranny. Led by the idealistic pig Snowball (Stanley Andrew Jackson III), the animals take over the farm from the cruel Mr. Jones (Bert Emmett). Their plan goes well at first. All the animals — the horses (Geoff Elliott, Nicole Javier, Deborah Strang), goat (Philicia Saun ders), donkey (Jeremy Rabb), cat (Sedale Threatt Jr.), raven (Cassandra Marie Murphy), cows, sheep, hens and pigeons — are equal and content. Then, some of the pigs, led by Napoleon (Rafael Gold stein) and Squealer (Trisha Miller), begin

to give in to the temptation of tyranny. They infamously amend the slogan “All animals are equal” to end with “but some are more equal than others.”

Rodriguez-Elliott was also attracted to the theatricality of the piece, of how well it plays out on stage. Audiences are invited to use their imagination and to participate in a form of storytelling that departs from realism in a variety of ways that make for great stage moments.

“You have actors playing animals — that’s always a very intriguing thing in terms of how do you articulate that physically and emotionally. That element of the piece is very engaging,” Rodriguez-Elliott described. “It’s a very ensemble-driven piece. You’ve got these animals in this farm environment, and all they have as tools to tell the story are whatever objects live in this very spare and barren space that they’re in. That lends itself a great deal to the actors bringing their imaginations to it and the audience as well in terms of how they

interact with the story.”

Rodriguez-Elliott explained that the music adds to the show’s theatricality. At times, she said, it can feel very Brech tian, referring to the German theater artist Bertolt Brecht, who wrote “The Threepenny Opera” with Kurt Weill, best known to Americans for “The Ballad of Mack the Knife.” At other moments, Rodriguez-Elliott said, the show feels like a vaudeville, something that really hits home with the themes of the show.

“There’s music and wonderful cos tumes and a lot of humor,” Rodriguez-El liott said. “It invites you in because it is so entertaining. But then the reality of the animals’ situation — and of our own —sneaks up on you. The tactics employed by the pigs as they create a ‘tyranny of the minority’ are instantly recognizable: the simplistic slogans, the creation of perceived enemies, the fake news. With midterms taking place this fall, this play is once again uber-timely. It’s a call to action.”

Rafael Goldstein plays Napoleon, a pig who plays on the other animals’ idealism to become a tyrant.

One of the horses, played by Nicole Javier, bares her breast in the production of “Animal Farm” at A Noise Within.

It’s a show she wants to see on A Noise Within’s stage because of how fresh it feels, and that it is a response to “the in sanity and the absurdity of the times that we’re living in.” It’s not, she said, a show that will feel historical at all.

“The story is really immediate and on going and so relevant,” Rodriguez-Elliott described. “I think particularly for us as Americans in the kind of world that we’re living in right now, it just feels incredibly timely and fresh, because it really is. It’s addressing the fragility of the democratic process and that is something that is not foreign to us right now.”

While she admits the show didn’t resonate with her when she was in middle school, it has with her children, and she feels that it will resonate more with a younger audience because their genera tion has become more politically engaged than hers.

“They see a world around them that’s changing,” Rodriguez-Elliott said. “In that way, it will resonate with young people, and I think it will feel eerily familiar for adults. The message is so profound and it’s a bit of a wake-up call to say, look, you better be politically engaged, you better not get complacent, because these are the kind of things that can happen. We’re see ing those things happen right now, things we adults never thought were possible.”

She points out that the show tells the story of any dictatorship, so you don’t have to be of any particular political persuasion. If you don’t think it is a story about today’s world, you might recognize it as the rise of Castro or another dictator. Not only will the show resonate, she said, but it is also wildly entertaining.

The production is highly physical and has a lot of dramatic movement and dance in it. She describes herself as lucky to be

working with a resident company with whom she has a lot of experience. They have a shared language that helps them develop the physicality of the show.

“They enhance the process in beautiful ways,” Rodriguez-Elliott said. “We also have some wonderful guest artists that we’ve never worked with before who bring their own special voice to the process as well. They’re all very physically adept and very brave. This play is really an athletic event, and it demands a lot of the actors. We have a group that is really eager to jump in and play.”

“Animal Farm” opens a season for A Noise Within that is themed “Daring to Love.” It fits, Rodriquez-Elliott explained, because the characters in the show find themselves in an environment of oppres sion and neglect and they dare to come together to create change in the world that they live in against all odds. Even tually, that idealism becomes perverted, but what they start with is the daring and courage to change their circumstances and create a world according to their own vision.

A show that isn’t often done, Rodri guez-Elliott hopes that Pasadena audienc es will make it a point to see one of the productions in the run.

“It’s a rare opportunity to revisit this incredible work by George Orwell in what I think is a surprising way,” Rodriguez-El liott said.

There will be post-performance conversations with the artists on Friday shows starting Sept. 9. An Insiders Dis cussion Group will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, on Zoom. There will also be 10 student matinees on select Tuesdays through Thursdays in Septem ber.

“Animal Farm” by A Noise Within

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 3, to Sunday, Oct. 2 (previews from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2)

WHERE: 3352 E. Foothill Boulevard, Pasadena

TICKETS: $25 and up, $18 for students

INFO: anoisewithin.org | 626-353-3100

With a bit of vaudeville, a bit of singing and a lot of storytelling, A Noise Within brings “Animal Farm” to its stages. From left to right are Kasey Mahaffy, Rafael Goldstein and Nicole Javier.

By Ron Sanzone Pasadena Weekly Contributing Writer

Coming off an 8-4 season that culminated in a Holiday Bowl invitation, UCLA is carrying momentum into the 2022 football season. While the sea son finished with the disappointment of withdrawing from a Holiday Bowl matchup against North Carolina State due to COVID-19 issues, on the field the Bruins won the last three games of the regular season with thrashings of Pac-12 rivals Colorado, USC and California.

Off the field, there were two significant conference developments in the off season. UCLA, along with USC, announced during the summer that it will be leaving the Pac-12 Conference for the Big Ten Conference in 2024. Between now and then, the Bruins will encounter a new format in its quest to reach the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Pac-12 North and South divisions will remain intact for scheduling purposes, but instead of the winner of each division playing in December for the Pac-12 championship, the game will instead pit the two teams with the best overall conference records against each other.

After struggling in his first four years at UCLA, head coach Chip Kelly found his stride last year. Despite significant turnover on the roster due to graduation and transfers, he has cause for optimism heading into the upcoming season. Per haps the greatest source of high expectations is a familiar face to Bruins’ fans.

One of the most exciting dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, fifth-year senior signal caller Dorian Thompson-Robinson enters 2022 on the preseason watch lists of both the Maxwell Award, which recognizes the best player in the nation, and the Davey O’Brien Award, which recognizes the best quarterback in the nation. He is looking to build on an impressive 2021 campaign in which he

was named second-team All-Pac-12. He led the conference in passing efficiency in the process of throwing for 2,409 yards and 21 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He also piled up 609 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground.

Last year’s two leading receivers, wide receiver Kyle Phillips and tight end Greg Dulcich, and third leading rusher, running back Brittain Brown, have departed for the NFL. To effectively run Kelly’s fast-paced offense in 2022, Thompson-Rob inson will need help from new and returning offensive weapons such as tailback Zach Charbonet, graduate transfer wide receiver Jake Bobo, and Kazmeir Allen, who will lineup as both a running back and wide receiver.

Charbonet, who is on the preseason watch lists for both the Maxwell Award and the Doak Walker Award, which recognizes the nation’s top running back, ran for 1,337 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2021. Bobo, who is on the preseason Bilet nikoff watch list, which recognizes the nation’s best receiver, had 74 receptions for 794 yards while earning third-team All-ACC honors at Duke. Allen, who is on the preseason Paul Hornung watch list for the nation’s most versatile player, had a combined 394 rushing and receiving yards last season, numbers that are likely to increase with a larger workload in 2022. Charbonet is a preseason first-team AllPac 12 selection and Bobo is a second-team selection.

The play of the offensive line may well determine whether the Bruins can lead the Pac-12 in scoring for a second consecutive year. Left tackle Sean Ryhan is off to the NFL and will be difficult to replace. But UCLA found a capable candidate in Rutgers transfer Raiqwon O’Neal. O’Neal will join a group that includes Ore gon transfer Jaylan Jeffers and retuning linemen Sam Marrazzo, Atonio Mafi and John Gaines II.

After finishing last season eighth in total defense in the conference, UCLA’s defense is getting a much-needed makeover in 2022. New defensive coordina tor Bill McGovern is bringing nearly four decades of college and NFL coaching experience with him to Westwood this fall. With eight transfer players and three freshmen, there will be plenty of personnel changes on the defense as well.

North Texas transfer Gabriel Murphy (53 tackles, 7.5 sacks), Harvard trans fer Jacob Sykes and Duke transfer Gary Smith III have been brought in to join returning edge rusher Bo Calvert (38 tackles, 4 sacks) in reinforcing the defensive line. Hawaii transfer Darius Muasau (108 tackles, 7 sacks) will bring experience and talent to a linebacking corps that returns Kain Medrano and JoJo Vaughns. Muasau has been selected as a preseason second-team All-Pac-12 linebacker

The Bruins’ secondary needs to improve on last year’s performance. Talented sophomore cornerback Devin Kirkwood flashed future star potential in 2021 and will join Wyoming transfer Aziz Hearn (nickelback), Oregon transfer Jaylin Davies (cornerback) and returners John Humphrey (cornerback), Mo Osling III (safety) and Stephan Blaylock (safety) in a revamped secondary.

UCLA’s special teams projects to be a strength despite the loss of punter Luke Akers, who transferred to Northwestern. Redshirt junior Nicholas Barr-Mira is not only expected to resume his role as the team’s place kicker, but also take over as the new punter. Freshman Chase Barry is another option at the punting position. RJ Lopez is expected to handle kickoff duties for a second consecutive season. With the departure of Kyle Phillips to the NFL, Logan Loya is in line to replace him as the team’s punt returner. Swiss army knife Kazmeir Allen will resume his role as kick returner.

QB Chase Griffin is a believer, first

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Pasadena Weekly Executive Editor

UCLA quarterback Chase Griffin is a hidden gem. Since joining the program in 2019, he saw action in four games in 2020, but his intellectual, athletic and emotional depth belies that.

He volunteers with the LA Food Bank, was named the NIL Student-Athlete of the Year, since he was 4, has played the violin.

“It all comes down to my personal values,” Griffin said about his passions.

“I’m a believer. I’m a Christian. I try to follow Christ. I think everyone falls short, but I look to see what I can do to benefit others through philanthropic projects. Growing in economic value is something I look forward to in life. I want to contribute to public service while maintaining my faith.”

Born in Santa Monica to William and Christine Griffin, the athlete knew football was his future in the fifth grade after a stint with soccer.

“I loved soccer games on Saturday, but my favorite parts were watching those football games on Sunday,” he said. “I grew up loving football. At an early age, I learned how to train, play a sport and dominate. I’ve always had that fire.”

Listed as a three-star recruit by a variety of outlets, including ESPN.com, Griffin was the Gatorade Texas and Central Texas player of the year. As a senior at Hutto High School in Round Rock, Texas, he threw for 4,051 yards and 51 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for 415 yards and eight touch downs. Throughout his career in high school, he threw for over 10,000 yards.

A natural-born leader, Griffin said the role of quarterback translates well to his personality, talents and presence.

“I want to make everyone else on the field better,” he said.

Approaching his senior year, Griffin is proud that he has im proved with every off season.

“Part of that comes with age,” he said. “Every single practice, I come up here and want to do well for the coaches, film and everyone else.

“The person who holds me to my highest standard is myself. Two years ago, I played at a good level, well enough to win a game at my first start. It was a huge dream of mine. I’m two years better, older, faster and stronger. I’m not sure when 11 is going to be out there on the field, but I’m going to play hard when I do. I’ve never shied away from that since the fifth grade.”

Griffin is just as focused off the field. He was named to the athletic director’s honor roll in winter, spring and fall 2019; winter, spring and fall 2020; and winter, spring and fall 2021. He earned a spot on the 2020-21 Pac-12 fall academic honor roll, and named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar for 2020.

He was named the NIL Student-Athlete of the Year, taking ad vantage of the name, image and likeness rules as well as anyone else.

“The most fun part is being myself and that is adding value to brands, initiatives or athletics and my team,” Griffin said. “It’s been a big journey. I define my own values with life in general.”

Griffin’s career objective is to work on Wall Street, as he earned his undergraduate degree in public affairs and is enrolled in the transformative coaching and leadership graduate program in the school of education.

Learning to produce music with the program FL Studio, Grif fin is passionate about music and film as well. He longs to make it to the NFL, but knows no matter what, he will be successful.

“Each one of my steps leads me closer,” he said. “I know, however, that I’ll keep a good heart and a good mind. Frankly, I just want to find ways to provide for my family in a way that’s sustainable.”

UCLA quarterback and NIL Student-Athlete of the Year Chase Griffin looks ahead to the 2022 season with optimism and drive.

GENRE: Magical Realism

GENRE: Magical Realism Fictional Memoir

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In Own Words--read by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly. the story evolves, he discovers that he can,

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Words--read by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art of surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly.

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Wordsread by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art of surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly. As the story evolves, he discovers that he can, during flight, by way of olfactory engendered clairvoyance, accumulate and store inter nally essential love; eventually he is able to bestow this love. The following excerpts, inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, occur in the story when the protagonist is beginning to collect such essences of primal bliss.

GENRE: Magical Realism Fictional Memoir

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Words--read by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art of surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly. As the story evolves, he discovers that he can, during flight, by way of olfactory engendered clairvoyance, accumulate and store internally essential love; eventually he is able to bestow this love. The following excerpts, inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, occur in the story when the protagonist is beginning to collect such essences of primal bliss. EXCERPTS

As the story evolves, he discovers that he can, during flight, by way of olfactory engendered clairvoyance, accumulate and store internally essential love; eventually he is able to bestow this love. The following excerpts, inspired by

Bruins football returns, Pasadena’s sports bar scene reignites

By Luke Netzley Pasadena Weekly Deputy Editor

For fans without a ticket to UCLA Bruins Football’s home opener at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 3, watching the game at a sports bar can serve as a social and lively alternative to the roaring grandeur of the stadium. Few feelings come close to celebrating a touchdown with friends and strangers alike cheering in joyous unison, and Pasadena is home to a plethora of bars and restaurants whose walls hold the perfect space for game day exuberance.

Barney’s Beanery

As a staple of the Los Angeles restaurant scene for over a century, Barney’s Beanery is one of Pasadena’s premier UCLA gameday destinations. The bar/ restaurant chain was born in West Hollywood in 1920 and spread throughout the county, eventually landing on Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard in 2006. Since then, Barney’s has grown a loyal following with its pub-style trivia and karaoke nights at 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Along with its menu of draft beers and comfort foods like hot wings, pizza and its classic chili, Barney’s is home to pool tables, televisions showing a host of sporting events, including the Bruins’ opener against Bowling Green, a speakeasy design and energetic atmosphere to match.

99 E. Colorado Boulevard, barneysbeanery.com

Lucky Baldwin’s Pub

Founded in 1996 amongst the quaint alleyways and shopping plazas of Old Pasadena by business partners David Farnworth and Peggy Simonian, Lucky Baldwin’s Pub has become a go-to location for traditional English meals such as bangers and mash, fish and chips and Irish bacon, and beers like Fuller’s, Boddingtons and Guinness. The British pub also serves Belgian and craft beers, offering over 60 beers on tap, and celebrates European festivities throughout the year, like Belgian Beer Festival, Oktoberfest, IPA Fest and Sweet & Sour Fest.

Open until 1:30 am every day, Lucky Baldwin’s Pub is one of Old Pas’ pop ular late-night spots boasting a two-story, indoor-outdoor layout and plenty of televisions to catch the biggest games.

17 S. Raymond Avenue, luckybaldwins.pub

Slater’s 50/50

Just a five-minute drive from the gates of the Rose Bowl Stadium, Slater’s 50/50 is a sporting hub for Old Pas. Known for its “50/50 burger,” which is 50% ground bacon and 50% ground beef, Slater’s 50/50 placed in the top three for the “Favorite Innovative Burger” category of Pasadena’s 2022 Cheeseburger Challenge, a competition judged by over 2,200 of the city’s burger lovers.

The nationwide “rebel gastropub” opened in Pasadena in 2012, bringing its electric gameday atmosphere and diverse menu of wings, flatbreads, burgers, milkshakes and more to the San Gabriel Valley. Guests to the Pasadena location can also bring their own bottles of wine. The corking fee of $20.

61 N Raymond Avenue, slaters5050.com

Yard House

Named as the “Best Sports Bar” in the Best of Pasadena 2021 list, Yard House is home to the “world’s largest selection of draft beer” alongside a robust menu of California-inspired dishes like the poke nachos, firecracker shrimp and vam pire taco.

The high-end American sports bar is located in the Paseo outdoor mall in Downtown Pasadena. With free parking for 90 minutes with validation, a dense craft cocktail list and 3,000 gallons of beer flowing through the keg room to over 100 taps at the center-island bar at any given moment, Yard House is an ideal location for UCLA gameday action.

300 E. Colorado Boulevard, Suite 220, yardhouse.com

As the emotional roller coaster of another UCLA Bruins football season returns for 2022, so does the agony, ecstasy and comradery found in Pasadena’s bustling sports bar scene. The Bruins’ first home game against Bowling Green serves as a perfect opportunity for fans to come together again and not only celebrate the start of a new season after the summer break, but to celebrate the ability to watch it side by side after two years of the pandemic.

This Ain’t No Picnic Festival

Goldenvoice’s This Ain’t No Picnic Festival took over Brookside at the Rose Bowl on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28, cele brating artists from the genres of cutting-edge indie, hiphop, dance, underground and everything in between. Across five stages, the festival featured performances from a star-stud ded lineup plus Despacio os Happiness, a 50,000-watt vinyl-on ly soundsystem designed by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Soulwax’s Stephen and David Dewaele (aka 2ManyDJs).

Phoebe Bridgers

Wet Leg

Tinashe

Le Tigre

Rachel/Submitted

Tyler Borchardt/Submitted

Quinn TuckerSubmitted

CALENDAR

Upcoming Events

Take & Make

ALL SEPTEMBER

All month long, swing down by the library and learn to make your own art projects at the San Rafael library. This Latino Heritage Month, learn to make rocking paper plate llamas from Peruvian culture and day of the dead skeleton puppets linked to the spirits of the ancestors.

San Rafael Branch Library, 1240 Nithsdale Road, Pasadena, free, cityofpasadena.net/library

Video Game Club

SEPT. 1

Join fellow teenagers for all kinds

of games together on the Nintendo Switch. Drop by any time with no reg istration required. Meet new people your age and find new experiences to gether while playing modern classics. Hastings Branch Library, 3325 E. Orange Grove Boulevard, Pasadena, free, 4 to 6 p.m., cityofpasadena.net/library

The Ultimate ’80s Tribute Show with Past Action Heroes SEPT. 2

This Labor Day weekend, celebrate the action heroes of the past with good drinks and the biggest LED screen in town.

The Mixx, 443 E. Colorado Boule vard, Pasadena, ticket prices vary, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., themixxclub.com

Pasadena City College Flea Market SEPT. 4

With over 400 collectors and countless intermingling shoppers, the college flea market promises a little something for everyone, ranging from high-end antiques to items you’d find in a typical rummage sale.

Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colo rado Boulevard, Pasadena, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 626-585-7906, pasadena.edu/community/flea-market

Mount Wilson Observatory’s Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome.

SEPT. 4

Enter the iconic vaulted dome of the Mount Wilson Observatory for a concert of all the old classics. Cécilia Tsan has curated an extensive presen tation of the Ravel String Quartet for all ages to enjoy.

Mount Wilson Observatory, 100 Mount Wilson Circle Road, Mount Wilson, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., $50 admission, mtwilson.edu

Homework Help (K-Middle School) SEPT. 6

With school finally back in session, many students may find themselves struggling with a new grade and new work to do. Get them the help they need at the library and make sure they don’t fall behind with additional home work help.

La Pintoresca Branch Library, 1355 N. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., free, cityofpasadena.net/library

“America’s Got Talent” Filming SEPT. 6

Become a part of primetime televi sion history and join the audience for the hit show “America’s Got Talent.” Join celebrity judges Terry Crews, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofía Vergara and Howie Mandel for an unforgettable event seeing the talent in America.

Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena, 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., free admission, on-camera-audiences.com

Free Health Screening SEPT. 8

Get a free health check and make sure everything is in good shape with a free health screening by the registered nurses at Huntington Health. Blood pressure tests, blood glucose screen ings, referrals, and health education are all available for free. A two-hour fast minimum is required for blood glucose testing.

La Pintoresca Branch Library, 1355 N. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., free, cityofpasadena.net/library

A Special Beatles Live Tribute & Happy Hour Live Show SEPT. 9

Enjoy food and drink at Mixx Club

Happy Hour with two hours of classic tunes by the Beatles. Enjoy rare music from the band as well as free admission to party under the biggest LED screen in town.

The Mixx, 443 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, free admission, 6 to 9 p.m., themixxclub.com

Brick Fest Live

SEPT. 11 TO SEPT. 12

Brick Fest Live is the premiere con vention spot for all kinds of fun activi ties, as well as exclusive Lego merchan dise. The con features life-sized models of popular characters made exclusively with Lego blocks, as well as photo ops and, of course, plenty of building.

Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena, ticket prices vary, brickfestlive.com/2021-2022

Rose Bowl Flea Market

SEPT. 11

For over 50 years the Rose Bowl Flea Market has been the most well-attend ed and vendor-profitable flea market in the country. The market is known all over the world because of its quality of vendors and great shoppers of all ages.

Rose Bowl Stadium, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, $20 for VIP early admission from 5 to 8:30 a.m., $10 for general admission from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., rosebowlstadium.com

Jackbox Games for Teens

SEPT. 14

Join in on super fun and comical social games from the Jackbox Party Pack, including Quiplash, Fibbage and Trivia Murder Party. Get weird with it and make some new friends through social comedy.

Hastings Branch Library, 3325 E. Orange Grove Boulevard, Pasadena, free, 3:30 to 5 p.m., cityofpasadena.net/library