Pasadena Weekly 12.01.22

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski christina@timespublications.com

DEPUTY EDITOR Luke Netzley lnetzley@timespublications.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Laura Latzko, Kaila Mellos, Christopher Nyerges, Morgan Owen, Ellen Snortland

ART ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Torres storres@timespublications.com

ZAC REYNOLDS Zac@TimesPublications.com (626) 360-2811

Positively speaking: I should read instructions

By Ellen Snortland Pasadena Weekly Columnist

Darkness surrounds our entryway as we negotiate four over joyed, hungry dogs. How dare we be out past their dinner time? The smell of canned dog food makes me unusually queasy as I dish up their meals.

“Ugh. I feel terrible,” I say. “Me, too,” Ken says. “Do you have a headache? Are your muscles sore?” “Yep,” he says. “I suppose I should take a COVID test,” I say. We’d just returned from an after noon and evening of great, unmasked fun and gut-busting laughter with our cherished friends; it had been years since we’d last visited them. The day’s centerpiece was watching “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” which we all unabashedly loved.

I go into our bathroom to get a Costco COVID-19 test kit. The box says, “Easy to Use. Accurate. Quick Results.” What else would it say: “Super difficult. Hit and Miss. Time-Consuming”? I stick the dreaded swab up my nostrils and simultaneously twirl, rotate, swab, giggle and itch. If nostrils were meant for that kind of exca vation, they’d be designed differently. I then swirl the stick in the handy-dandy tube of reagent, drip four drops of nostril juice onto the “test cassette,” then set the timer for 15 minutes. When time’s up, Ken looks at the tester; I don’t want to know. I’m negative… phew!

In retrospect, it had been an unusually social weekend for us. The previous Friday, we were at the 9:30 a.m. showing of “Wakanda Forever,” along with a packed house of mostly unmasked folks.

That evening we had a big dinner at Maria’s Italian Kitchen with a group from the Theater Ministry of All Saints Episcopal, Pasadena. (It’s hard to wear a mask and eat at the same time!) We spent 90-plus minutes meeting new people while the smells of garlic, olive oil and melted cheese wafted among us. Afterward, we went to A Noise Within’s stellar production of August Wilson’s “Radio Golf” featur ing more barefaced audience members.

On Saturday, I had a wild and crazy night of lutefisk and melted butter at the Sons of Norway Lodge in Van Nuys. Uff da! Ya sure, ya betcha — lots of COVID-19 cooties opportunities! I’ve since heard that lutefisk can annihilate any virus known to humankind and even some unknown viruses, so I shouldn’t have been concerned.

On Monday, Ken wakes up feeling like dog poo: a 103-degree fe ver, chills, sore throat, muscle aches and cough. Whoa. He tests, and ding, ding, ding! COVID-19 has a winner, as our almost three-year streak of good luck runs out. I test myself and am also positive.

Arggh! The first thing we both think of is choir. We are choir nerds and can’t stand the thought of not rehearsing and being with our colleagues, even though we all wear masks. But given that choir singing can be deadly, labeled early in 2020 as a “super spreader event,” we must let that go. Our doctor gets us on Paxlovid; we take the two daily doses faithfully for five days straight. Ken has been hit by the COVID-19 freight train. Me? It’s more like a skateboard. I’m practically asymptomatic, although not completely.

We are ordered to rest! I take our doctor’s instructions seriously and mostly stay in bed for five days straight, reading and sleeping. My dear ex and his angelic wife send us six bags of groceries, so we don’t have to shop or cook. I’m scared, though; in our 14 years of marriage, I had never seen Ken that sick. When he feels better, I order him around: go back to bed! Let me get that for you! Don’t lift that, or else!

I test after the Paxlovid runs out. Ken hears me yell, “Oh no! I’m still positive!” He tests; he’s negative. He says, “Wait, what did the tester say?” I say, “There’s a line next to “C” for COVID.” “That’s not what the C is for. It’s for ‘control,’ not COVID. If you’d had a line next to T, that would mean you’re positive,” he says.

I feel so stupid! There’s an apt acronym: RTFI. As in, “Read The (expletive) Instructions.” Mortified, I tell my bestie I probably don’t

have COVID-19. I think I could write a column about it — what does she think? “I think it would relieve people who make stupid mistakes to know they aren’t alone.”

I do a telehealth check-in with my doctor. She says, “You had symptoms, so I’m not convinced you didn’t have the virus. Since you both had the bivalent booster a few weeks ago, it’s possible the viral load was too light for the test to detect.” I won’t really know until I have an antibody test in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, I’m renewing my commitment to masking. I was a mask zealot from day one, and it worked. I’m not gambling with my or anyone else’s health.

• At 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, please attend a free, staged reading of my award-winning solo show, “Now That She’s Gone,” at All Saints Episcopal of Pasadena… masked, of course. It’s an encore, so many people wanted to see it. The performance will be followed by a reception.

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

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

‘V’ for victim

Editor:

This is regarding a Nov. 26 published report about Kanye West bringing a white supremacist along to Trump’s estate.

It isn’t enough to be impeached twice and have betrayed your country, now the former president, invites Holocaust denier and white supremacist, Mr. Fuentes, and partner, anti-Semite Kanye West to his home for dinner while running for president of our country. Where was Ms. Greene and Paul Gosar?

Someone who has become so rich, famous and powerful should be filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude, but not Donald Trump, he has always believed, whether as a businessman or candidate that he’s being treated unfairly.

Trump is a grave threat to our way of life and has the gall to team up with these losers as he runs for president. He is a whiny, weak loser. This is certainly what Mike Pompeo was counting on when he tweeted the day after Trump’s announcement, “We need more seriousness, less noise, and leaders who are looking forward, not staring in the rear-view mirror claiming victimhood.”

In the end it is up to the American people! Do you want this un-American as pres ident?

Dr. Richard A. French Pasadena

Political Dumbo: It’s not a game

Editor:

We find it apropos that a self-appointed spokesperson for the mayor and council would disparage District 3 residents for exercising their constitutional right to protest political inconsistencies in city policies.

It is similar to the Kyrie Irving fiasco, where he thought he was more intelligent than everyone else and the average person is just dumb.

Disrespecting residents and their supporters is an old tactic used to obfuscate the real facts. Let’s take a look.

There was an hour-long District 3 community meeting (see Pasadena City Council District 3 Appointment, Our Voice Matters, Oct. 27, YouTube), where the main theme was the process for appointment was flawed for a number of reasons, including lack of the District 3 community being heard.

In the video, the mayor defended this lack of listening by suggesting that he can look across the street at District 3 and it is a neighborhood he can speak for (see video in YouTube community meeting).

Felicia Williams suggested she spoke to prominent people (not necessarily in Dis trict 3), who suggested what they wanted in a council appointment and that loud voic es at council were not necessarily ones that should be listened to (see YouTube video).

Andy Wilson, who initially urged the council to get input from the community, made a complete turn around and ignored any and all community input. There are other councilmembers who were complicit in ignoring District 3 input, but this is not the major point.

In all of this, no one has reminded the council that—different from any of the other processes for replacement of a councilmember—if there was a specific targeted out reach to the district for its input. That led District 3 constituents to believe that their voices would be heard.

This was just false advertising, like a car salesman’s bait and switch. Only two of the seven councilmembers took this advertisement to the community to heart and voted their conscience.

Mayor Victor Gordo made it clear that the charter, which he hides behind, only states that the council must appoint a councilmember within 75 days — not that we (the council) must listen to the people of any district, or District 3 in particular in this instance, in making the appointment.

We have no moral, ethical or legal obligation to listen to District 3 input (hence, a need for charter change which the community group champions!).

Looking closely, the law allows the council to do whatever it wants. It was the coun cil who brought about this conflict by saying it wanted the community’s input. That led them to believe they would consider it.

The community thought that morally and ethically this would happen and not be an issue. The community was wrong and they’re, of course, upset now. Not under standing that the law is not always fair it is just the law!

Again, it is the process that is flawed not the applicants. Justin Jones is our District 3 councilperson until Dec. 12 and will be respected as such. His service to our com munity is not tainted. It is the process and lack of accountability that is at issue here; that’s on the council! Stop your divisive rhetoric for your own political agenda and look at the facts.

Don’t call our applicants who want to serve our community as villains and pit them against each other in this flawed process. Applicants, step forward and articulate why you should represent District 3 and tout your community support to do so or your

council support, but be honest!

This red herring put forward of unconstitutionality as the community’s only issue is just that. It is clear that the charter needs changing and that there is an argument to be made that it could be unconstitutional in its current form — and maybe even a violation of the voting rights act.

Even the council has agreed that the charter must be amended to come in tune with the intention of one person one vote.

This further idea of disparaging supporters of District 3 from other districts or other neighborhoods like Altadena is again divisive.

Mayor Gordo himself is an advocate of neighborhoods as he commented he looks across the street from his district and sees District 3 as his neighborhood and can speak for them (see appointment council meeting).

Altadenans are our neighbors and part of our neighborhoods, as is evident in the PUSD elections and attendance in our schools. Many Altadenans moved from Pasade na due to the affordable housing crisis in Pasadena and skyrocketing rents.

Many of them spend more time working in Pasadena than they do at home. And, remember, just as a member of the community can move from one district to another a month before the application process to a district to run for council, so can a mem ber of Altadena. When the PPD crossed Altadena boundaries to beat Chris Ballew it seemed clear that we are a neighborhood. Why would it be in question now? Stop trying to divide us. This country — and city — has enough division.

This is not a “game.” Politics affect our lives and those playing games and making backroom deals need to stand down. Affordable housing, homelessness and public safey were high priorities for District 3 but were not even discussed in the appoint ment process. The passage of Prop H, as Mr. Paparian says, is a whisper of the change to come. Don’t be surprised if it becomes a shout!

Ignoring districts and underserved communities are not something new in Pasade na. The long struggle for civilian oversight of the PPD, Prop H and justice for Anthony McClain are just a few examples of the struggles of our communities to be heard!

And, by the way, there were two members of the council who agreed with the Dis trict 3 residents that the district must be heard. One of them openly stated it might not have been his choice but, this is about District 3.

Coincidentally, both are attorneys in their private lives. Are you also asking them to stand down. Are they too misguided? District 3 is happy and honored to be put side by side in their company in this matter.

How arrogant and presumptuous of a political pundit with a bully pulpit to cast aspersions on a group he has never met with, nor attended their meetings and appar ently did not view the video of the community meeting where the process and not the candidates was the main focus of the conversation.

There is a new process coming down the pike. Mayor Gordo has decided to swear in the new councilmembers and immediately vote on the appointment of a District 3 councilmember on Dec. 12 or Dec. 15.

This time just be honest with the people. Let them know that your choice as before will depend on the needs of the council as articulated by the mayor and others (see appointment council meeting video)—not the will of District 3. This might allow us to avoid further conflict.

The people will have their say soon. The question is whether it is on Dec. 12 or Dec. 15 — or in 2024.

Martin A. Gordon Pasadena Community Coalition

Mayor Gordo to hold annual Tree Lighting Ceremony

By Luke Netzley Pasadena Weekly Deputy Editor

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo has welcomed families and friends throughout the city to come together on Friday, Dec. 2, for the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at City Hall.

The free celebration will feature crafts for children provided by Armory Center for the Arts, light refreshments, festive photo stops throughout the event and an appearance from Santa Claus.

There will also be live entertainment from local singers, dancers and groups like Pasadena’s Afterschool Adventures Program, Rosebud Academy choir, Willard Elementary’s Rising Stars, Pasadena LEARNs and Elements Dance Space. Retired police lieutenant Rodney “Rodney D” Wallace and retired sergeant Glen Thompson will serve as the night’s emcees.

“I invite all residents of Pasadena from every walk of life to come to the tree lighting and join together as we continue to come out of COVID in a very difficult time in our individual and collective lives,” Mayor Gordo said.

The Pasadena Fire Department will be in attendance and collecting dona tions of new, unwrapped toys, sports equipment and gift cards for the annual Spark of Love Toy Drive, which seeks to provide a present-filled holiday expe rience for local underserved children.

“This is an opportunity for all of us to launch into the holiday spirit,” Mayor Gordo described.” For me, it’s an honor and a privilege to serve as mayor of Pasadena, and this is one of those events that makes me very proud because people come out and are joyful and kind to one another. And it’s

people from every part of the city and every walk of life that take the time to attend the tree lighting ceremony. So I’ve always enjoyed it, and it’s very much an honor and a privilege to be a part of it.”

Mayor Gordo will light the city’s official tree at 6 p.m. Those who can’t make it to the ceremony are encouraged to watch via a live broadcast start ing a 5 p.m. on KPAS TV, Charter Spectrum Channel 3 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, or through pasadenamedia.org and OTT Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV Pasadena Media apps.

Those in attendance are encouraged to tweet their best tree lighting and Santa photos to @PasadenaGov on Twitter using the hashtag #TreeLight ing2022 for their photos to be shared with the rest of the community.

“This is an annual tradition where we celebrate togetherness, where we cel ebrate one another and our backgrounds, our families, our friends, and look forward to a great holiday season as we enter 2023,” Mayor Gordo said. “This is the beginning of a series of community events that, year after year, bring us together as residents of Pasadena.”

The Mayor’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

WHERE: City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Avenue, Pasadena

WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2

INFO: cityofpasadena.net

PASADENA | ALHAMBRA | ALTADENA | ARCADIA | EAGLE ROCK | GLENDALE | LA CAÑADA | MONTROSE | SAN MARINO | SIERRA MADRE | SOUTH PASADENA

The annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony will bring members of the community together at City Hall on Friday, Dec. 2.

By Morgan Owen Pasadena Weekly Staff Writer

City Manager Miguel Marquez has appointed Eugene Harris to serve as Pasadena’s new chief of police and Sidney Jackson as general manager of Pasadena’s Water and Power (PWP). The pair will serve Pasadena’s 136,000 residents for the foreseeable future.

Harris, whose term as police chief will begin Tuesday, Jan. 3, will succeed Interim Police Chief Cheryl Moody after she announced her retirement this past May. Moody, who served with the Pasadena Police Department for 30 years, was the first woman to be appointed as both deputy chief and interim chief.

Harris also brings with him a 30-year career in law enforcement, which he began after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps. Harris served for 23 years in the Monterey Park Police Department, where he achieved the title of captain. In 2016, he was named the chief of police for the city of San Gabriel. Harris is also a West Point Leadership Program graduate, POST-Command College graduate, and a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

“Chief Harris is a well-known leader in law enforcement,” Márquez said. “His inter personal and communication skills and his proven approach to proactive and community policing will bring about the effective implementation of ever-evolving best practices to keep our community safe.”

In their search for a new PWP general manager, Pasadena looked nationwide to find Sidney Jackson, who has worked primarily in the Midwest until now. Jackson’s tenure as the next general manager will begin in early January. In the meantime, Jeffrey Knight linger will continue to serve as PWP’s interim general manager.

Jackson earned a BA in Electrical Engineering from Kansas State University and an MA in Business Administration from the University of Missouri. Jackson’s working quali fications come from his tenure as the chief operations officer and deputy general manager at Austin Energy. He has also served as the chief operations officer at Rochester Public Utility, where he gained experience with both water and electric utilities.

“I am honored to join the city of Pasadena and lead one of its most important depart ments whose work directly impacts our residents each and every day,” Jackson said. “We will be committed to excellent customer service, to making sound financial and technical decisions, and to contributing to the greater good of our city and its residents.”

Harris also expressed his excitement to begin serving the city of Pasadena.

“I am honored to be entrusted with this amazing opportunity and am humbled by the responsibility to our residents, visitors and the men and women of our department,” Har ris said. “Together, we will continue to enhance the culture of proactive community po licing and exceptional service to our stakeholders. I look forward to joining the Pasadena community and serving alongside the professionals of the Pasadena Police Department.”

This ‘Biblical plant’

belongs

in everyone’s yard

By Christopher Nyerges Pasadena Weekly Contributing Writer

Aloes are members of the aloe genus, of which there are about 500 world wide. Botanists classify aloes as a part of the large lily family.

In general, aloes are native to Africa and the Middle East. Though the aloe vera is the most commonly used aloe for medicinal purposes, all species can be used similarly.

To treat various skin conditions on people and animals, the fleshly leaf is cut open, and the fresh gel or juice from the leaf is put directly on the skin to treat sunburn, burns from hot oil, skin sores, diaper rash, bed sores, even poison oak rash.

According to Dr. C. Norman Shealy, the properties of aloe are also antiseptic and antifungal, and can also be applied to eczema, acne, wrinkles, itchy skin and infected cuts.

The properties of aloe are a broad mix of antibiotic, astringent, pain inhibitor, emollient, moisturizer and antipruritic (reduces itching).

It apparently works because of the polysaccharides present, the main one of which is a glucomannan. Other ingredients of the aloe include aloin, galactose, uronic acids, and pentoses. The miracle qualities of the aloe are not believed to be the polysaccharides alone, but the synergistic effect of these and other com pounds in the leaf.

As a young child in the late ’50s and ’60s, my mother made a point to always have aloes growing in her little garden. She would cut a leaf and apply it to our sunburns, and to minor cuts and scratches that would occur in a family of five boys.

A registered nurse, my mother shared with me one of her most noteworthy experiences with the aloe vera plant. My mother, Marie, worked at a Pasadena retirement home as the staff nurse.

“A housekeeper who lived on-site told me about a hive-like condition of her skin that had been causing her to itch for about three months. She said it was ‘burning like fire’ but she declined my offer to apply aloe to the rash.”

My mother explained that the woman preferred to have the doctor check it out, which he did within the week. “The doctor came and prescribed Atarax (internally) for the itching and allergies, and cortisone (externally), which was applied as a cream. The doctor also prescribed tranquilizers for sleep,” my moth er further explained.

After about 45 days, the woman, Lucille, told my mother that she still could not sleep at night, and that the rash hadn’t improved. “I offered once again to apply the fresh aloe to the rash, and this time Lucille said, ‘Yes, please, bring me anything!’ I noted that Lucille’s skin was hot to the touch, and there were big red spots all over,” Marie told me.

My mother applied the aloe to Lucille’s skin at 7:30 a.m. “I took a fresh succulent Aloe vera leaf, slit it open, and rubbed the gel on Lucille’s arms, legs, back, neck — almost her entire body. Lucille told me with great relief that her skin immediately felt better. By 3:30 that afternoon, all the visibly red spots were gone, and Lucille told me that all of the burning itching was gone. The next day, Lucille told me that that night was the first night she’d slept in the previous approximately 45 days!” my mother explained.

When the doctor arrived later that day, Marie told him that Lucille’s rash had cleared up, and she admitted to having applied aloe juice. My mother also told me that she was personally hesitant to do anything that the doctor didn’t pre scribe because that could have resulted in a loss of her license. The doctor was somewhat taciturn as he examined the patient, and, without commenting on the aloe, told my mother, “It’s good that the medicine finally worked.” Really?!

My mother always had a laugh retelling this story about a doctor who couldn’t see the obvious. She used aloe vera, and various other herbs, many times with staff and patients after that, and she earned the unofficial title of the hospital’s “witch doctor.”

This is just one of hundreds of real-life examples where aloe promoted heal

Urban farmer Julie Balaa applies the aloe gel to her skin.

Christopher Nyerges/Contributor

ing of the skin from various conditions.

Aloe is so commonly available today that you have probably seen one at your local supermarket. If not, every garden supply shop and nursery sell them. The leaves are formed in a rosette of fleshy succulent, lance-shaped leaves, up to a foot and longer in length, with somewhat soft spines on the margins.

The flowering stalk arises a foot or more high on leafless stalks. Most of the flowers are a shade of orange or yellow. The most commonly known aloe is the aloe vera, meaning, “true aloe.”

Processing

To treat the skin for burn, scratches, or poison oak, all that is needed is to take a leaf, cut off the margins and then split the leaf. Then merely wipe the wet insides onto your skin, and let it dry on your skin.

Advice for growing

Aloes are easy to grow indoors, in pots, and outdoors where it does not freeze. They need well-drained soil and some sun. Each plant multiplies each season, in the same manner as a garlic bulb multiplies, and if the conditions are right, you’ll soon have enough aloes for your whole neighborhood. Because aloes reproduces so easily and rapidly, these plants could be an article of trade in a situation where your everyday currency is of no value.

Cautions

However, consuming the juice made from the aloe plant, especially if you do it yourself, could cause stomach ache or digestive pain. According to Shealy, “The gel is safe, but preparations of the whole leaf are strongly laxative and should not be used for long periods or during pregnancy.” The whole plant contains the laxative anthraquinonem, which can also result in diarrhea and intestinal cramps if used in excess.

Christopher Nyerges has been teaching ethnobotany since 1974. He is the author of “Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants,” and other books on the uses of wild plants. He can be reached at schoolofself-reliance.com.

Photo by Eric Pargac. Trisha Miller.

South Lake Avenue turns into a winter wonderland

By Kaila Mellos Pasadena Weekly Staff Writer

South Lake Avenue businesses are inviting celebrants to their annual Holiday fest on Saturday, Dec. 3, to promote the many stores and restaurants.

“Our holiday celebration always gets event attendees into the holiday spirit and invites everyone to explore the district while creating memories with friends and family,” said Gina Tleel, South Lake Business Association executive director.

“Holidayfest is a great way to support local Pasadena businesses while enjoy ing the magic of the holiday season. This community building experience also inspires guests to start tackling their holiday shopping lists by taking advantage of special in-store promotions and dining specials offered the day of the event.”

South Lake Avenue has an array of complimentary family activities, including photos with Santa and a snow globe-making station.

“We broke up the district and themed the courtyards in which we are offering complimentary activities throughout South Lake Avenue,” Tleel said. “The inten tion was to get people inspired to walk around, learn about us, start tackling their holiday shopping. It really gets people in the holiday mood, and we all deserve that after a rough two years.”

There will also be a live music stage at The Shops on Lake, with four sched uled sets throughout the day starting at 1 p.m. The lineup includes Quitapenas, a tropical Afro-Latin band influenced by the 1960s to 1980s music; Dreaming of You, a Selena tribute band; Las Cafeteras, a band that has a little influence from everywhere, and between sets, DJ William Reed.

Holidayfest will also have three live raffles in the Macy’s Courtyard between 2 and 5 p.m. To enter, shop throughout the day and submit a photo of receipt(s) to the South Lake Avenue website. There is a wide variety of prizes to win, including but not limited to two one-hour service vouchers valued at $250 from Massage Envy, two free CAVA Bowls valued at $30 from CAVA, five Class Package & Swag valued at $300 from Barry’s, and 10 free ice coffees, one dozen donuts valued at $60 from Dunkin Donuts.

“You’ll do your shopping, whether it just be a cup of coffee or you can start tackling a shopping list over at Macy’s,” Tleel said.

“You just take a photo of your receipt, you submit it through our website, and that’s how we will be selecting the raffle winners up to three times. We have over $4,000 in prizes we’re giving away.”

Tleel said it’s important to organize the day, considering the number of activi ties in the South Lake Avenue district.

“Are you going to tackle Santa’s Village? Are you here for the live music? We offer so much more than you have to plan your day,” Tleel said.

“It’s how you plan your day and squeeze it all in within five hours for families and friends to prioritize what’s meaningful for them that day. Is it to enjoy photo opportunities with the holiday characters like Santa? Or catching live music?”

Holidayfest

The Shops on Lake, 345 S. Lake Avenue southlakeavenue.org Districtwide

Holiday Artisans Market Cookie Decorating

The Commons, 140 S. Lake Avenue

Winter Workshop Ornament Making Pasarroyo, 251 S. Lake Avenue

Snow Globe Station

By Burlington Arcade, 396 S. Lake Avenue

Music Stage Quitapenas (1 p.m.), Las Cafeteras (4 p.m.), DJ William Reed (all after noon), as well as the Selena tribute, Dreaming of You (2:30 p.m.).

Santa will be in attendance at this year’s Holidayfest.

Holidayfest will bring family activities and music to South Lake Avenue.

Holidayfest was made to support local businesses during the holidays.

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Pasadena Weekly Executive Editor

The Sierra Madre Middle School instrumental music program received a $2,500 check from The Oboe Foundation last month.

Music director Chad Prado received the check in the auditorium with students, parents and teachers in attendance. According to The Oboe Foundation, it is helping the district provide enough instruments to meet the demand. The check will be used to pur chase these instruments.

The Oboe Foundation is a 501(c)3 that provides support to instrumental music pro grams in schools, focusing on instructional and developmental opportunities for students through strategic partnerships, community association and educational outreach. The founder and president, Brad Ratliff, was the president of the 2017 Tournament of Roses and

Accepting the check are, from left, Susan Ratliff, Oboe Foundation president Brad Ratliff, student Julien Fiore, music director Chad Pra do and student Michael Crowley.

The Oboe Foundation/Submitted

Shen named breast program medical director

By Pasadena Weekly Staff

Dr. Jeannie Shen, a fellowship-trained breast surgeon who is board certified in general surgery, has been appointed medical director of the breast program at Huntington Cancer Center, an affiliate of Ce dars-Sinai, and medical director of Hunting ton Hospital International Health.

“Dr. Shen will support the growth and vision of a comprehensive breast program for the San Gabriel Valley, expanding the com munity’s access to quality cancer diagnostics, treatments and innovative cancer care,” said Dr. Armando E. Giuliano, regional medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Breast Oncology Program.

Shen earned her medical degree and served a general surgery internship and her general surgery residency at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, and completed a breast surgical oncology fel lowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. When Shen trained in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the idea of a breast surgery specialist was fairly new.

Dr. Jeannie Shen

“At the time, no special training was suggested for physicians who wanted to go into breast surgery,” Shen said.

“But I wanted to be the very best breast surgeon I could be, so I applied for a fellowship. At MD Anderson Cancer Center, I was their second breast surgical oncology fellow, which shows you how new breast fellowships were.”

Shen, who is American-born Chinese and speaks Mandarin fluently, said many of her patient visits are about education — and are often conducted in Mandarin.

“Many patients come in well informed, but there’s just so much to know,” Shen said. “Sometimes it can be difficult for patients to understand what applies to them and what doesn’t. After one recent consult, my patient told me, ‘We’ve been researching online for a week, but now we actually understand what we were reading. We understand the plan, and we feel very optimistic.’”

Shen also is a trained medical acupuncturist and has collaborated with Huntington Can cer Center’s integrative oncology nurse practitioner in clinical trials to test acupuncture as a complementary therapy to address nausea and other common side effects that can occur after breast surgery.

For Huntington Cancer Center’s breast program, Shen said she hopes to maintain a team of high-quality physicians for surgery, reconstruction, and medical and radiation oncology; to provide complementary supportive services; and to open up access for San Gabriel Valley patients to innovative treatments. As medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Interna tional Health Program at Huntington Hospital, she hopes to broaden the program’s reach further.

“Cedars-Sinai serves one of the most diverse patient populations in the country,” said Dr. Dan Theodorescu, director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the PHASE ONE distinguished chair.

“As medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Cancer International Health Program, Dr. Shen will develop initiatives to bring the clinical care and groundbreaking research — such as the Molecular Twin precision medicine initiative — that Cedars-Sinai Cancer is known for, to our patients here and internationally.”

Shen advised women newly diagnosed with breast cancer not to panic.

“The majority of breast cancers identified on screening mammograms are early stage, and the prognosis is very good,” Shen said.

“Increasingly, breast cancer treatment plans are personalized and developed to ensure the most effective treatment, while minimizing long-term side effects.”

Shen’s breast cancer prevention advice is to maintain a healthy weight and make time for regular physical activity — at least 30 minutes per day.

“I know we women are busy with our careers and being good mothers, good daughters, good sisters and good wives,” Shen said.

“But find time to take care of yourself and prioritize your health. If you are not healthy, you can’t take care of others.”

ARTS & CULTURE

Rockers Sponge are ‘ecstatic’ about Everclear’s kindness

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Pasadena Weekly Executive Editor

Sponge lead singer Vinnie Dombroski is a firm believer in 1990s rock. Their songs like “Plowed,” “Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain),” “Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)” and “Have You Seen Mary” have heart like other bands of its time, the Detroiter said.

Fans’ children are picking up on this now and relating to the music of that era.

“A lot of young folks really feel the heart of the music of the 1990s,” Dom broski said. “I would say a lot of people don’t, though. The ’80s were special. The ’70s were special, but the ’90s was jaw-dropping cool. There was so much great music and great art and there were a lot of opportunities for bands to go out there and do big records.”

Sponge is playing a gig with another 1990s heavyweight — Everclear — at the Whisky A Go Go on Thursday, Dec. 1. The two bands are longtime friends who frequently tour together.

“Those fellas have been so good to us,” Dombroski said.

“We recently did five dates with the fellas and our van was broken into. Gui tars with so much sentimental value were stolen. We may be getting them back, I hear. But Art (Alexakis, Everclear singer) gave us his Les Paul to play. For the next three shows, we borrowed guitars from Art and Freddy (Herrera, Everclear bassist) — a Les Paul and a bass — to do our shows. They’re great guys and to go out there and play the Whisky with them is something I’m really looking forward to.”

The feeling is mutual for Alexakis, who said Everclear toured with Sponge in 1995, right after the release of “Sparkle and Fade.”

“Our first tour was with Sponge, whose song ‘Plowed’ was a big hit at the time,” said Alexakis, a Pasadena resident whose band is celebrating its 30th anniversary. “We show up in Cincinnati and our bus was there. I had never been on a bus before. It was a big deal, but it was a 1967 crappy American Eagle bus, which was almost a danger to society.

“At the time — this is the coolest thing ever — Sponge’s bus was parked next to us. Vinnie hugged and welcomed us to the tour. They brought us a bottle of wine. They didn’t know I was sober. They treated us like brothers that whole tour. That’s how Vinnie and the band are. He’s 100% the real thing.”

At the Whisky, Dombroski anticipates playing the hits, as well as deep cuts from their eighth studio record, “The Beer Sessions” (2016). He may also pay tribute to the storied venue, which Sponge has played several times.

“If I want to do anything out of left field, it would be a song from the Doors,” he said. “To play on the same stage as Jim Morrison, it freaks me out a bit.

“But everybody there treats us so well. To go out there, not only is it cool to play with Everclear, it’s like seeing all of our friends.”

In Sponge, Dombroski is joined by guitarist Kyle Neely, guitarist Andy Pata lan, bassist Tim Patalan and drummer Dave Coughlin. Together, they’re plan ning the 30th anniversary of their album “Rotting Pinata” in 2024. The celebra tion will begin in 2023, when they were penning the songs.

“Everything we do is in anticipation of the 30th anniversary,” Dombroski said about Sponge’s debut album.

“Looking back, I wish I had a little more wisdom, but everyone says that though. I would have changed some things I suppose. It’s been a great run with tons and tons of fans and dates. I’m so appreciative of everything we have going on. I say it’s full steam ahead, though, into the future.”

Everclear w/Sponge

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1

WHERE: The Whisky A Go Go, 8901 W. Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood COST: Tickets start at $40; all ages

INFO: whiskyagogo.com

Detroiters Sponge are long-time friends with Everclear, with whom they will play at The Whisky A Go Go on Thursday, Dec. 1.

Jack Rutberg etches place in Pasadena art history

By Luke Netzley Pasadena Weekly Deputy Editor

For gallery owner Jack Rutberg, the sale of art is a historic and noble pursuit. He believes art can evoke everlasting emotion, a philosophy that he carries with him to the newest location of the Jack Rutberg Fine Art Gallery at the corner of Pasa dena’s South Lake Avenue and California Avenue.

“Anyone that hasn’t been brought down to their knees by particular works of art, just hasn’t been out there to really engage it,” Rutberg said. “It’s a rare experience, by the way. I’m not suggesting that it’s a common experience where your breath is taken away, but if you ever have the experience, then you have a bar with which to judge.

“The first time I ever held an etching in my hands, an original etching by Rem brandt, I remember it so distinctly. It gave me this connectivity. It gave me this con nection to history. It’s a bit of immortality that you’re touching into because hundreds of years have passed, and the lives of others have protected this work so that I had the privilege to hold it, and I then am the conduit with which others were protected for posterity. That’s a powerful, powerful dynamic.”

The Jack Rutberg Fine Arts gallery was founded in 1979 on La Brea Avenue and has since become a resource for artists, collectors and historians alike. With an emphasis on connectivity and education, the new Pasadena space will look to continue showcas ing modern and contemporary European, American and Latin American artists with museum-quality exhibitions.

“The space that we had was quite large,” Rutberg recalled. “We’ve moved into a very intimate space…Our very first exhibition, which I haven’t titled or anything like that, what I’m really doing is opening the doors and people will see a range of what we deal in. And the hope in doing that is that any museum-level collector, any beginning col lector or just the person that wants to come through and enjoy themselves will think to themselves, ‘Wow, I can participate here.’

“When people read in the media…about the uber wealthy, the multimillion or hun dred-million-dollar painting…this is not…That’s really not the art world. And what is in my gallery right now is a real wide range of works that span about a hundred years, but they’re all modern masters.”

Rutberg prides himself in making museum-quality art more accessible and creat ing a space that welcomes in people of all backgrounds, whether they are a seasoned collector, a new collector with a minor budget or a visitor simply enjoying the art.

“I do think that what has been lacking in Pasadena has been the gallery world where collectors can engage art of the level, or the same artists, as these museums,” Rutberg said. “They can’t engage it in Pasadena at an art gallery. And without art col lectors, there’s no support for the museums…We all evolve somewhere. In music, we start with nursery rhymes. We make first steps, but it’s the art collectors who end up being the great patrons of these museums, small and large, actually.”

Rutberg explained that when someone acquires a work of art from him, he feels an overwhelming sense of thankfulness. He’s thankful not only for the sale and the opportunities that come with commerce, but also for the idea that another person is carrying on the torch of preservation. He described art collectors as “the caretakers for the future,” whether they’re acquiring a piece for $500 or $500,000.

The gallery is a frequent lender to museum exhibitions and is now located in the neighborhood of several cultural institutions known across the world, namely the Norton Simon Museum and the Huntington Library, which Rutberg calls the “Ver sailles of Southern California.”

“What I have done was move away from the street front gallery,” he explained. “Af ter 50 years of doing this, what I want above all is peace and beauty and aesthetics and comfort. And I think Pasadena is a wonderful place (for that). It feels like LA of old.”

With the new gallery space, Rutberg is eager to contribute to the artistic and cultur al history of Pasadena and its surrounding communities while providing a new home for the rich tapestry of artists and art enthusiasts throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

The gallery’s collection, which contains paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures of varying price ranges, includes pieces by Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Georges Bra que, Francisco Zúñiga, Jordi Alcaraz, George Grosz, Gustavo Montoya, Jerome Witkin, Paul Klee, Robert Motherwell, George Condo, Reuben Nakian, Ruth Weisberg, Patrick Graham, Peter Krasnow, Hans Burkhardt, and many others. While several of the names in the Jack Rutberg Fine Arts gallery are of the most famous in human history, Rutberg insists that visitors focus on their emotional connection to the pieces them selves.

“A great artist taught me early on that great art is subversive,” Rutberg recalled. “That’s not a negative thing. It subverts you from the place in which you’re standing. It takes you someplace. And now I don’t want to load everything up on this intense

Jack Rutberg has owned Jack Rutberg Fine Arts since 1979.

Rutberg’s gallery holds an array of modern and contemporary art.

emotional journey, but those are the qualities that we have. When a parent looks at their child or when you look at your loved one, there are times that, when it’s really right, you look at them and say, ‘Wow.’ And why not? Why not with the things around you, objects.

“To have things that are purely benign around us, it’s really boring...I can sit in my living room, and I’m not going to tell you this happens every day, but there’re those oc casions where I look up at a work of art that I’m moved by, and there’s a wow factor… It’s not narrative. It’s evocative. And I’ve always been drawn to works that have that quality.

“(It has) to go from the head to the gut. Sometimes it just stays in the head, and I find that really boring. It has to go at least to the gut, and if it bypasses the heart, there’s something missing there.”

Rutberg is a firm believer that physical objects can be charged with emotion, car rying with them the tremors of past experiences and memories. He is able to continu ously find such connections through works of art and expressed a desire to share that with others.

“The one experience that almost anybody can imagine about a charged object is that first time when you had a crush or were in love, and you walked down the beach with this person, and you might have picked up a stone or a shell or something and took it home and put it on your windowsill,” he explained. “Through that shell is evoked that whole magnificent feeling. It’s charged with that history, with that experi ence. And that’s what a great work of art does. And anybody can understand that…it’s not just about the beauty, but everything that comes through that object.

“We invest symbolism in objects, and sometimes people really regard these sym bols in very inspiring ways. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a flag that has to do with patriotism, a crucifixion, a mandala…all these various symbols are charged for some people, and I think that art, without the load stone of that kind of dogma, shall we say…it moves you from that point, that place. You stand in front of something, you come loaded with your own experience, and all of a sudden the right picture suddenly moves you into a different state.”

Rutberg expressed that the need for such a connectivity is heightened in a city like Los Angeles, which has “always been a place about the next 10 minutes.” It’s a city that he described as constantly looking to the future, where industries like music, film and aerospace have reigned supreme, along with consumerism and pop culture.

“That’s very fleeting, and that’s why I feel such importance in having the objects around you that are charged and sustain you,” Rutberg said. “I think we all should demand and search for and hope for the sublime, and that experience will be different for different people, but I think that’s the thing that has been missing.

“I hope we give that opportunity in the most casual way to people. I’ve always loved it when children would be brought to the gallery…We did fantastic music series, lectures, and I would receive students. Sometimes they would be grad students in a group, and sometimes literally grade school kids. And you know what? They were equally engaged.

“People cannot desire that which they do not know exists, and we just have to be given an opportunity to consider things. That’s all.”

Jack Rutberg Fine Arts

WHERE: 600 South Lake Avenue, #102, Pasadena

HOURS: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday

INFO: jackrutbergfinearts.com

Pasadena named fourth most creative city in the country

By Luke Netzley Pasadena Weekly Deputy Editor

From esteemed establishments like the Huntington Library and Norton Simon Mu seum to a bounty of rising creatives, Pasadena has long been a home for the arts.

In a new report conducted by project management software Workamaji that analyzed the state of different cities’ creative economy and atmosphere, Pasadena was named the fourth most creative city in the country.

The report ranked 175 cities based on population size alongside metrics such as access to creative talent and industries like music and film. The metrics were used to create an index that took into account social and environmental factors that could foster creativity in a city’s residents.

“It’s important to understand how extrinsic factors can stimulate our creativity,” said Esther Cohen, director of marketing at Workamaji. “While we often think of creativity as a trait, studies have shown that specific environments and emotions can make you more or less creative.

“Everything we experience can be a stimulus for innovation. From a play to a city’s street art scene – these kinds of experiences promote a greater sense of well-being, encourage team collaboration, increase productivity, and enable creativity in countless ways.”

The full analysis also accounted for each city’s number of museums, Cannes Lions Winners in 2022, artists and musicians, and film and music festivals per capita.

With theatres like the Pasadena Playhouse, A Noise Within and Boston Court, institutions like JPL, Caltech and ArtCenter, and yearly events like the biannual Art Night and New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses, Pasadena ranked above the likes of Los Angeles and Chicago.

Glendale also placed within the top 10 as the eighth most creative city in the coun try. Atlanta topped the list in first place due to its street art scene, musical heritage and high number of art galleries and art schools per capita.

The report explained that “extrinsic factors” like color, space, lighting and sounds can stimulate creativity, citing a recent shift from cubicle-packed offices warmer and more welcoming work environments in many organizations as an example.

It also stated that joyful experiences, such as watching a play or visiting an art show, can improve an individual’s productivity and quality of life, citing a study that found that the sensation of pleasure caused by pleasant environments is directly related to the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.

While improving residents’ quality of life outside of work, creative environments can also benefit companies and their employees. Extrinsic factors promoting creativity can help encourage collaboration and prevent burnout, which one survey said in creased by 10% during the pandemic.

“We know creativity is crucial for organizations to survive in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace,” Cohen explained. “While essential in industries like arts, design and marketing, any professional in any industry can surely benefit from a cre ative boost.”

The gallery is on the corner of South Lake and California Avenue.

Guest saxophonist Craig Durst

PCC students gain hands-on experience at concert

By Laura Latzko Pasadena Weekly Contributing Writer

Pasadena City College professor Mary Durst doesn’t just have her students perform in a classroom for their finals. Instead, she gives a chance play in the community each year.

This year’s show on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Green Street Restaurant will feature solo vocalists and a jazz combo with the drums, bass, synthesizer, saxophone and piano. They will perform jazz standards and holiday classics.

Mary said the live performance gives the singers and musicians exposure to differ ent aspects of doing a live performance.

“The band is learning how to accompany a singer, and the singers are learning how to communicate with the musicians and direct the band,” Mary said.

Mary’s class meets every Wednesday night for three hours throughout the semes ter.

Professional piano player Alexandra Caselli has worked closely with the perform ers throughout the semester. She will perform with the jazz combo on the night of the finals show.

Mary’s husband, Craig Durst, a professional saxophone player, and jazz faculty from the college also sit in with the jazz combo during their classes. Craig will join the jazz combo during the finals show.

As part of the class, the students choose their own songs and arrange them for the band. It’s a collaborative process, where Mary, the piano player, the other students

“Sometimes, we will change the groove or try different things that fit each singer. And then the musicians, they always have their input,” Mary said.

The singers ultimately decide the direction of their songs.

“They actually have to chart the music, which means they have to write it out with their intro and the body of the song and decide which kind of groove it is, if they want a bosa nova or swing. They get very creative with that.”

Each singer will do two songs. During the four weeks leading up to the perfor mance, the students have dress rehearsals, where 40 songs are polished.

Along with the music, students are taught to think about other types of prepa rations, such as transportation to and appropriate dress for gigs. Mary stresses the importance of being organized, especially with having equipment ready for the shows.

“The life of gigging, it’s definitely an art,” Mary said.

Over the years, many of her students have gone on to make a living as musicians or singers.

During the semester, her current students played for classmates, faculty and staff at PCC as part of free October and November shows.

At noon Tuesdays at the college, different music and choir classes perform for the school community.

“A lot of students from all over campus come and gather there at noon, eat their lunch and listen to the music,” Mary said. “And then, we get to practice in front of a real audience.”

Students and faculty often attend the finals show. Sometimes, they will make it an end-of-the-year celebration.

Mary has been teaching the class for about 16 years. Over the years, her students have performed at different spaces, including Café 322, Plate 88 Kitchen and Bar and the Arcadia Blues Club.

The instructor is also an experienced vocalist who has performed in venues around Southern California.

Before the pandemic, she and her husband performed in Orange County, Califor nia. Recently, they have been focusing more on studio work.

When she came on at PCC, Mary wanted to give her students hands-on experience.

“I can teach them voice lessons all day long, but how do you count off a song? How do you read the room? How do you sing to a crowd and bring on the proper expres sion to engage your audience?” Mary said. “I started to try to find places where we could take them out, and they could do it for real. Even though they aren’t getting paid, it feels like a real gig.”

Students sing and play at different levels, and many are in the school’s jazz and commercial music program. Mary said over the years, she has worked with students from different disciplines, including business majors.

Each year, the finals show draws a crowd of locals. Some people have been coming to see the students for years.

“There are a lot of a neighborhood people that come there when they hear we are going to be there,” Mary said. “There are some local people that come out to see the show because they know what it’s all about. They know that it’s going to be good, and some of them are ballroom dancers and get up and dance.”

Vocalist and Jazz Combo Finals Performance

WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7

WHERE: Green Street Restaurant, 146 Shoppers Lane, Pasadena PRICE: Free admission, but guests should expect to purchase food and drinks. Reservations highly recommended.

INFO: greenstreetrestaurant.com

Pasadena City College professor and director Mary Durst

and members of the jazz combo give feedback.

Linda Vista Arts Display Exhibit

DECEMBER

Come support local artists and their work with Linda Vista’s exhibit of watercolor and oil paintings. The artists bring their own style and flavor to their piece, meant to invoke nature, man or the abstract.

Linda Vista Branch Library, 1281 Bry ant Street, Pasadena, free, cityofpasadena.net/library/

Conversation@PAM: Exploring Late Modernism Through the Lens of Wayne Thom DEC. 1

Renowned architectural photogra pher Wayne Thom comes to Pasadena to present his stories of photography, tell ing audiences the tale of how he came to capture Los Angeles’ skyscrapers to film.

USC Pacific Asia Museum, 49 N. Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, free, 6:30 p.m.

Johnny Cash Holiday Tribute DEC. 3

Celebrate the season in style with the back-to-back hits of one of the greatest country singers, Johnny Cash. Drink and food specials available.

The Mixx, 443 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, ticket prices vary, 6 to 8 p.m., themixxclub.com

Get Real! Virtual Reality at PPL DEC. 3

Discover the strange and blossom ing world of virtual reality without the

Upcoming Events

Have an event for the calendar? Send it to christina@timespublications.com

need to purchase an expensive headset of your own. Discover the planet Mars in a walking tour, visit the International Space Station, or learn the art of guided meditation. Intended for teenagers 13 and older.

Jefferson Branch Children and Teen Services, 1500 E. Villa Street, Pasade na, free, 4 to 5 p.m., cityofpasadena.net/library/

Holidayfest DEC. 3

Pasadena celebrates the holidays with food, wine and family-friendly activities to get the city in the holiday spirit. Enjoy extra holiday promotions offered by South Lake Avenue stores, and a large variety of prizes that can be won by sub mitting your receipt to the holiday raffle entry form.

South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, free admission, noon to 5 p.m., southlakeavenue.org

Teddy Bear Tea DEC. 3

Teddy Bear Tea is a seasonal celebra tion with tea, sandwiches, scones and sweet treats for the whole family. Santa Claus will appear to listen to the Christ mas wishes of the children, and each child will receive a teddy bear to take home as a memento of the experience.

The Langham Huntington, 1401 S. Oak Knoll Avenue, Pasadena, $85 admis sion, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., langhamhotels.com

Pasadena City College Flea Market DEC. 4

With over 400 collectors and count less intermingling shoppers, the Pasa dena City College Flea Market promises a little something for everyone, ranging from high-end antiques to rummage sale items.

Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colora do Boulevard, Pasadena, free admis sion, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 626-585-7906, pasadena.edu/community/flea-mar ket/

Introduction to Herbalism DEC. 5

Learn the basics of herbalism and the secrets of folkloric and traditional use of plants as medicine. Figure out the importance of sustainability, quality, practical application and forms of ex traction, as well as how to identify plants based on using the five senses.

Lamanda Park Branch Library, 140 S. Altadena Drive, Pasadena, 11 a.m. to noon, free, cityofpasadena.net/library/

Tuesday Musicale of Pasadena Concert DEC. 6

Bring the family and join Tuesday Musicale for a free concert of “Anniver saries” by Leonard Bernstein, as well as songs by Beethoven and Mel Torme. Altadena Baptist Church, 791 E. Calaveras, Altadena, 12:30 p.m., free, 626-797-1994, tmpasca.org

Saturday Night Fever: Boogie Wonderland Dance Party DEC. 10

Disco lives on at The Mixx Club with this selection of ’70s and ’80s hits from disco, Italo disco, nu-disco and funk. The performance features two DJs, go-go dancers, and a wall-sized screen chock full of fun disco visuals.

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

Prem Rawat Birthday Event DEC. 10

Author, international speaker and peace ambassador Prem Rawat will be celebrating his 65th birthday with a presentation at the Pasadena Civic Audi torium. Listen to his thoughts on inner strength, choice, appreciation and hope. The Pasadena Civic, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena, 11 a.m., ticket prices vary, ticketmaster.com

Rose Bowl Flea Market DEC. 11

For over 50 years the Rose Bowl Flea Market has been the most well-attended and vendor-profitable flea market in the country. The market is known all over the world because of its quality of ven dors, 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

Anime Pasadena

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Pasadena Weekly Executive Editor

Anime Pasadena landed at the Pasadena Convention Center recently, bringing together fans, stars and artists for two days. The turnout thrilled the hosts at Pasadena Center Operating Company. “Anime Pasadena is a phenomenal event, bringing major anime celebrities together with their dedicated fans of all ages, races and backgrounds,” said Mi chael Ross, CEO of the Pasadena Center Operating Company. “We are very happy to see a weekend filled with excited attendees dressed in their intricate cosplay costumes in Pasa dena. This time, we’ve expanded their footprint to take up more space to accommodate the weekend’s festivities. We are profoundly honored to create a home for the passionate anime and cosplay audience to meet, gather and connect with each other.”

courtesy of Visit Pasadena

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