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.

Mystery History -- Solved

Happy Thanksgiving!

JM comes closest with his/her guess "The field of the Rose Bowl or at Tournament House and this is part of the Rose Queen selection. Sorry, don't know the year." (JM, please email me at aerdman@cityofpasadena.net and I'll tell you about your fabulous prize.)

In the photo above, contestants for Rose Queen of 1930 pose in late 1929 inside a giant question mark.

The winner was Holly Halstead, below (and third from the bottom in the question mark).


She passed away in July 2004 at 95. From an article the following week:

When Holly Halstead Balthis reigned as the queen of the Tournament of Roses in 1930, the Rose Bowl was only 7 years old, and, as she once noted, Old Town Pasadena was new.

Mrs. Balthis, the oldest living Rose Queen, died at age 95 of natural causes Friday at her home in Laguna Beach, said her son and sole survivor, Frank Balthis Jr.

Mrs. Balthis never dreamed her stint as Rose Queen would mean much once it ended.

"I thought it was a short deal, New Year's Day, and that'd be it," she said in a 1986 interview. "But it's something that stays with you all your life."

Indeed, in recent decades Mrs. Balthis was considered "the grand dame" of the Tournament of Roses. She remained active in tournament functions up until her death and each year welcomed the new queen.

Mrs. Balthis was born in Pasadena in 1908 and graduated from Pasadena High School in 1925.

"At first I felt overwhelmed and honored, but I think I really did it because of my dad," she said. "He was so proud of the fact he had been an early comer to Pasadena."

Her escort was her future husband, Frank S. Balthis, a Harvard law student who would later become a Superior Court judge and an appellate court justice.

Halstead Street in Pasadena was named after her father, Richard Halstead, who was a prominent businessman.

The grand marshal of the 1930 Rose Parade was James "Sunny Jim" Rolph, mayor of San Francisco.


Every week my Mystery History posts have something to do with City of Pasadena operations. So how does this post apply?

The City of Pasadena and the Tournament of Roses Association have a long-term contract. As we get a little closer to the end of the year, I'll go into more detail about that.

Suffice it to say that we're going into high gear here at City Hall. Every year, as the T of R maneuvers the monumental task of planning the parade and the game, the City of Pasadena is behind the scenes inspecting grandstands, barricading streets, planning traffic control, managing public safety, cleaning streets afterwards, you name it.

The New Year's Day operations manuals for the Public Works Department, Police Department, etc., are voluminous.

And do you know the City of Pasadena owns the Wrigley Mansion (Tournament House)?


Here's 2010 Rose Queen Natalie Innocenzi at her coronation earlier this month.


Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger will serve as grand marshal.


New Year's Day is just over a month away. We're off and running!


Many thanks to Pasadena Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library and Tournament of Roses Association.

Mystery History -- Solved

Cybele wins! She got it right on the money (she was savvy enough to follow her hunch and double-check here).

In the photo above, 1941 Rose Queen Sally Stanton pins E.O. Nay, who was grand marshal that year.

He was the chairman of the Board of City Directors* at the time. He served as chairman longer than anyone else in Pasadena history -- from 1932 to 1941.

He was proclaimed Pasadena's #1 citizen in 1938 when he was presented with the Arthur Noble Award.

This is from the Pasadena Post:

Three hundred fifty friends, including county and city officials, applauded the public-spirited man who has headed the municipal government for the past seven years as his boyhood friend, Judge Edwin F. Hahn, presented him with the burnished gold medal, signifying outstanding public service.

A huge plaque with the names of Arthur Noble Award winners hangs in the council chamber at Pasadena City Hall.




In accepting the award he said, "I owe everything I am and expect to be to Pasadena. This city is very dear to me. I have watched it grow from a country cross-roads to a modern city. While I haven't acquired a great deal of worldly goods, I have acquired a wealth of friends, which are to me life's greatest treasure. What more could a city do for any man?"

Born in Minneapolis, Edward Oscar Nay came to Pasadena with his family in 1884 when he was 11 years old and lived here the rest of his life.

He was proprietor of a major plumbing and heating firm that he founded in 1896. He was first elected to the Board of City Directors in 1931 and again in 1933 and 1937.

His civic leadership included serving on the committee that helped establish the Metropolitan Water District and pushing the Morris Dam project forward.

His passing was felt greatly.

From the Feb. 24, 1941, Pasadena Post:

Edward O. Nay, Pasadena's No. 1 citizen, chairman of the Board of City Directors for the past nine years, and grand marshal of the 1941 Tournament of Roses, is dead. The end came to the widely-esteemed man early yesterday morning while he slept at his home, 745 South Oakland Avenue. He was 68.

His wife, Mrs. Mae K. Nay, went to his bedside about 8 a.m. to wake him. She telephoned the Emergency Hospital and the city ambulance, with Dr. Paul Osiek in charge, and the fire department inhalator squad were dispatched, in vain. The physician estimated Mr. Nay had been dead three or four hours. He had been ill in the past few months with a heart ailment...

...It was during Mr. Nay's chairmanship that Pasadena became known as America's No. 1 city in "goodness of life." This point was brought out recently when a group of citizens urged through petitions that Mr. Nay run again this year for the office of city director. He had declined, at least partly because of ill health.

Here is his photo on the wall in the inner sanctum.


On Feb. 24 and 25, 1941, city flags were flown at half staff and municipal offices closed at 2:30 p.m.

* The Board of City Directors had previously been called the City Council, a name that would not be resurrected for another 50 years.

** In 1924, retired attorney and businessman Arthur Noble (1851-1936) endowed the award to be given for "notable service promoting the beauty or general welfare of the city."

Pasadena Police to the Rescue

When 2006 Rose Queen Camille Clark (center in photo) called 9-1-1 last week to report that someone was breaking into her home, one of our Pasadena Police Department dispatchers stayed on the line with her for more than 20 minutes until the suspects had been apprehended.

First on the scene was one of our helicopters.

The flight crew saw the suspects fleeing the property and quickly radioed patrol officers with the location. Three suspects were taken into custody quickly. Another suspect, who was in a car, drove directly toward an officer.

The quick-thinking officer fired several shots at the suspect's vehicle before the guy finally was stopped by another officer who had blocked the road with his patrol car. That suspect was booked for attempted murder.

During a press conference yesterday at our police heliport, Police Chief Bernard Melekian and other Pasadena police officials announced that they are reasonably certain the suspects are responsible for dozens of burglaries in the San Gabriel Valley.

Pasadena PD and L.A. County Sheriff's Department had received warrants to do searches as part of the criminal investigation. Many items confiscated during the searches were on display during the press conference, including automatic rifles, handguns, jewelry, cell phones, digital cameras and a guitar, all totaling between $70,000 and $200,000 in value.

Also confiscated and on display were what police think are some of the tools of the burglars' trade, including skull caps, a crow bar, gloves and walkie-talkies.

Chief Melekian also read a statement of thanks from Ms. Clark's parents.

Let's hear it for Pasadena PD!!!!