Memory Card Full

I'm really bad about deleting photos from my camera, even after I've uploaded them to the computer. Yesterday I got the "Memory Card Full" message, so I decided to share some with you from the past few weeks and months.

In the photo above, this merry threesome -- Nancy Melekian, Jan Sanders and Judy Kent -- and I had dinner together at Celestino on Saturday night. They all wore red, which was definitely photo-worthy. I didn't get the memo, so I showed up in fuchsia.


U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff was the guest in the elected official's chair last month for a KPAS "City Beat" taping. Left to right are "City Beat" producer/director Stuart Johnson, Schiff, your favorite host, André Coleman of the Pasadena Weekly and Frank Girardot of the Pasadena Star-News.

I was the auctioneer and Huell Howser was the MC at the Pasadena Senior Center's gala benefit. I only wore my fancy chapeau during the live auction and for this photo. You can come visit it in my office anytime!

The official crowning of the Rose Queen and her court is an elegant and exciting event every year. Here's Tournament of Roses President Jeff Throop and his wife Angel with the lovely young women at the close of the ceremony.


Ritch Wells, the City of Glendale's PIO, retired last month. I was asked to say a few words at his farewell party in the Community Room at the Glendale Police Department, which I was so happy to do. I presented him with a Pasadena City Hall tapestry blanket (on the table at right), then tearfully gave him a big hug. I sat on the interview panel for the Glendale PIO position about 15 years ago when Ritch was hired. The Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank PIOs meet for lunch quarterly to discuss shared issues and have a little fun. Ritch is now the alumni member of the group!


In October there was a Pasadena First: Buy Local open house where local business representatives met with city staff who provided advice on departmental purchasing needs.


Brian Biery and I used to work very closely together during the years when he headed up the Neighborhood Connections Office. After all, I'm all about community outreach and that office is all about neighborhood outreach. Now Brian is the director of community organizing for the Flintridge Center. We had lunch at the Pasadena Sandwich Company recently. He was checking my latest blog post when I shot this.


Joyce Wong was the graphic designer in the Public Affairs Office for a few years. She moved back home to Hong Kong to care for her ailing mother about five years ago. Ruby, in her 90s, bounced back and is in better shape than any of us, and Joyce decided to stay in Hong Kong anyway. She was visiting here a couple of weeks ago, and Linda Centell and I met her for dinner at Mijares.


Daryl Evans, the radio color commentator for the Los Angeles Kings, and the team mascot Bailey, addressed the Pasadena City Council in support of a new ice rink.


Ten PIO pals and I who have known each other about 25 years get together in Palm Springs every year to catch up with each other and enjoy some R&R. Here's the gang earlier this year having breakfast at our hotel before hitting the pool area. Starting at left front are Heather Morris, director of communications for the Port of Long Beach; Dave Liebler, director of public affairs and member services for the California State Association of Counties (CSAC); Sheri Benninghoven (leaning forward), former director of communications for the League of California Cities and now president of SAE Communications; Judy Rambeau Franz, former assistant to the city manager/communications for the City of Santa Monica (retired); Scott Summerfield (with our server), former PIO for the City of Newark and now principal at SAE Communications; Tom Manheim, director of communications for the City of San Jose; Karen George, former PIO for the City of Fremont and now PIO for the Anoka-Hennipen School District in Minnesota; yours truly; and Norm Franz, Judy's husband.

Not shown (because they couldn't make it this year) are Sue Schlerf, assistant city manager for the City of Reno; Mike Maxfield, former PIO for the City of Claremont (retired); and Debbie Thornton, former communications manager for the League of California Cities and now marketing director for Unify Corporation.

"City Beat"

I have been moderating "City Beat" on KPAS for many years, along with Barry Gordon who moderates every other program.

We did a taping today at the KPAS studio, which is at the Hens Teeth Square complex at the southwest corner of Los Robles and Woodbury.

Here's part of the control room just before taping began.



Here we are on the set. I'm getting my microphone attached by Oliver Brown, our engineer. That's Mayor Bogaard on the left, of course. On the right are James Macpherson, publisher of the web-based publication Pasadena Now; and Dean Lee, reporter with Mountain Views Observer. Producer Stuart Johnson and floor manager Davide Collioni, who also operated one of the cameras, were standing by.



So as not to slight the rest of our exceptional crew, Lilia Gaspar handled CG in the control room, Mike Bingley and Jimmy Aquino operated the other two cameras in the studio, and Kevin Brechner is our director extraordinaire.

After the taping, Kevin wanted me to review a segment of the program before I left the studio to come back to City Hall.



"City Beat" is the only Pasadena TV program where local issues are discussed by elected officials and journalists. Today we talked about the recent Sister Cities trip to Järvenpää, Finland, and Ludwigshafen, Germany; the MTA Board's decision to delay funding for the Gold Line extension to the east San Gabriel Valley; a possible PUSD bond measure for capital projects that, if approved by the Board of Education, would be on the November ballot; water conservation; and the Fourth of July.

The program repeats daily -- see the programming schedule at the KPAS link above -- and you can also see it via streaming video at that same link.