Read!

Catherine Hany, communications manager for Pasadena public libraries, came up with a fun campaign to help everyone embrace the power of reading.

It features Mayor Bill Bogaard and every member of the Pasadena City Council. Posters are at local libraries.















And speaking of reading, get your children and teens signed up for our free summer reading program. They'll not only keep their reading skill levels where they need to be during summer break, they'll be involved in activities galore! Learn more here.

Mystery History -- Solved!

Susan wins with her 7:58 a.m. Tuesday guess "It's 1986 and the City of Pasadena is celebrating its 100-year anniversary."

In the photo above, which I converted to black and white for this posting*, a huge ceremony commemorates the event and thousands of balloons are released from Centennial Square in front of Pasadena City Hall. Centennial Square was so named because of the 100th anniversary celebration.

Here's the color photo:



Judy Kent, field representative to Mayor Bill Bogaard, served on the Centennial Committee at the time and loaned me the photo below, which she shot.



And current City Councilwoman Margaret McAustin loaned me a very nice card (cover and inside are below) thanking her for her efforts with the centennial celebration.




This post is all leading up to Pasadena's 124th birthday celebration this coming Saturday, when a special party will be open to the entire community from noon to 4 p.m. at the Pasadena Museum of History, presented in conjunction with the City of Pasadena.

The free event will offer food and fun for all ages, including a special City Hall birthday cake made for this occasion by students of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts; live entertainment by students from California College of Music; Robinson family stories told by Delano Robinson, widow of Mack Robinson and sister-in-law of the late Jackie Robinson (she'll also show precious memorabilia); family-oriented crafts workshops where you'll make a time capsule to take home; favorite foods and other treats from local restaurants; the current museum exhibition Pasadena Patron: The Life and Legacy of Eva Scott Fenyes; and much more.

Admission to the event is free! Find more information here.


Mystery History photo courtesy of whyaduck/Joe.

Mystery History

Where are we? And what's happening?

The first person to guess correctly will win a fabulous prize!

I'll have the full scoop on Thursday.

The Heat is On!

Are you following the spring/summer watering rules for Pasadena? It's mandatory!

If you live in Pasadena, learn more about how to conserve water on your property during our free H2O Academy for Savvy Water Savers on Saturday, June 12, from 9 a.m. to noon. Register here.

Looking for Something to Do?

Friday, June 4, at 10 a.m. – U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff will host a press conference at Eaton Canyon Nature Center, 1750 N. Altadena Dr., to kick off the Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study with the National Park Service to determine which portions – including the San Gabriel Mountains – may be eligible for inclusion in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.


Saturday, June 5, at 9:30 a.m. -- Come see the incredible improvements to the Metro Gold Line Fillmore Station!


Sunday, June 6, from 1 to 5 p.m. -- Several years ago the Pasadena City Council designated the Castle Green as an official City of Pasadena Historic Treasure. It's only open to the public twice a year for tours that help fund exterior restoration. This Sunday's your chance to see inside!


Sunday, June 6, from 1 to 5:30 p.m. -- Our free health fair includes CPR training, diabetes screenings, tips for healthy living and much more!


Tuesday, June 8, at 8 a.m. – If you own a small business, plan on attending this month’s workshop – Healthy Business, Healthy You – in the Press Box (west side, second floor) of the Rose Bowl Stadium.


Wednesday, June 9, at 1 p.m. – This week’s free movie in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St., is “A Beautiful Mind” (2001, pg-13) starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris in the fact-based story of a brilliant mathematician whose secret work turns his life into a living nightmare.


Wednesday, June 9, at 1:30 p.m. -- Pasadena police officers will carry the Special Olympics torch as it makes its way through Southern California.


Friday, June 11, from 1 to 5 p.m. – The California Commission on the Status of Women will conduct a public hearing at Pasadena Central Library, to learn what issues women and girls are facing and what role the state can play in addressing them.


Saturday, June 12, at 4 p.m. -- To celebrate Pasadena's 124th birthday, the City of Pasadena and the Pasadena Museum of History are hosting a party for the community that includes live music, crafts workshops, untold stories of Pasadena and a very special birthday cake! Admission is free.


Through June 20 -- Allendale Branch Library, 1130 S. Marengo Ave., is closed for installation of a new HVAC system. If this is the library nearest your home, the next closest locations are Hill Avenue Branch Library, 55 S. Hill Ave.; San Rafael Branch Library, 1240 Nithsdale Rd.; and Pasadena Central Library 285 E. Walnut St.


See a full listing of community events (and even add your own) at www.cityofpasadena.net/calendar.

Mystery History -- Solved

Mike wins with his 7:21 a.m. Tuesday guess "We're at Burbank Airport. As for what's happening -- a Memorial Day airshow?"

In the photo above, planes perform in an air show during grand-opening ceremonies at Burbank Airport on Memorial Day weekend in 1930.

Here's a photo that gives a better idea of the size of the crowd:



What's in a name? Dubbed Bob Hope Airport in 2003, it originally opened as United Airport in 1930, having been built by the forerunner of United Airlines. The name became Union Air Terminal in 1934 and was changed to Lockheed Air Terminal in 1940 when Lockheed Aircraft Corporation bought the airport. In 1967 Lockheed dubbed it Hollywood-Burbank Airport and it became Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport in 1978.


An 80th anniversary banner was unveiled at the Bob Hope Airport last Friday and will remain in place throughout the summer.


The nine-member Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, which owns and operates the airport through a joint powers agreement, has three members representing each city. Pasadena's members, appointed by the Pasadena City Council, are Joyce Streator (president), Chris Holden and Francis D. Logan. I replay airport authority meetings on KPAS Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 p.m.

There was a special 80th anniversary celebration at Bob Hope Airport yesterday.

Many thanks to Victor Gill, my counterpart at Bob Hope Airport.

Mystery History

Where are we? And what's happening?

The first person to guess correctly will win a fabulous prize!

I'll have the full scoop on Thursday.