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.

Looking for Something to Do?

Saturday, May 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – If you’ve been itching to get rid of those old computers, keyboards, printers, monitors, laptops, scanners, shredders, fax machines, phones, answering machines, TVs, VCRs, cassette players, stereos and other electronic equipment, as well as used household batteries, bring them to our e-waste recycling event in the Brookside Park parking lot!


Saturday, May 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – It’s Family Fun Day at La Pintoresca Park and La Pintoresca Branch Library! Bring the kids for skate park and basketball competitions, arts and crafts, live entertainment, food, prizes and much more!


Monday, May 31, at 11 a.m. – The Pasadena chapters of the Vietnams Veterans of America and the Navy League will host a wreath-placing ceremony at the Pasadena Vietnam Memorial at Memorial Park on Raymond Avenue between Walnut and Holly streets.


Wednesday, June 2, at 7:30 a.m. – Walk around the Rose Bowl Loop with Mayor Bill Bogaard and the Pasadena/Foothills Chapter of the United Nations Association. Meet at Gate A.


Sunday, June 6, from 1 to 5:30 p.m. – The CPR Awareness and Health Fair at Victory Park, 2575 Paloma St. (in the gymnasium and on the park grounds), will include hourly hands-only CPR training with mannequins, yoga and karate demonstrations, indoor boot camp, blood pressure and spinal screenings, arts and crafts, and much more. This event is co-sponsored by Pasadena City Councilman Steve Haderlein.


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.

Please note all events are free.

The photo of the mayor's walk is courtesy of the Pasadena Weekly.

Mystery History -- Solved

I stumped everybody this week. It was a bit of a trick photo because it's so out of context.

In the photo above, shot in 1982, Pasadena's first female mayor plays ball with her five-year-old son Sam.

Loretta Thompson Glickman became mayor of Pasadena in March of that year. This photo is from Jet Magazine:


The fact that Pasadena's first female mayor was African American was big news. All of the black-and-white photos, with the exception of the one at the bottom, in this post are from a feature in Ebony Magazine.

Here she is in the City Hall tower.



From the Ebony article:

It was encouragement and support from a lot of people that made Mrs. Glickman consider a political career. Two of those who urged her on were Paul Law, now a retired Pasadena city employe and businessman, and the Rev. David Scott, who is affiliated with Pasadena's First A.M.E. Church.

Mrs. Glickman is a former jazz singer in small local clubs, and she toured with the New Christy Minstrels before giving up her career in 1975 to start her family. Two years later she heeded the urgings of Law and Rev. Scott and other neighbors and began campaigning for office as city director from District 3 in Northwest Pasadena, a predominately Black area. She won and was reelected last year. She served as vice mayor for a while before being elected Mayor by her fellow city directors.

She had two sons: the other in this photo is Jason, 6.


During her political career she made local government more accessible to residents of Northwest Pasadena, resulting in residents becoming more politically astute and more involved in civic affairs. She served on the Pasadena City Council until 1989.

Here's her photo from the Hall of Mayors:


Sadly, she passed away March 18, 2001, in Lubbock, Texas, where she moved after being remarried. I wrote a tribute to her in the May 2001 issue of Pasadena in Focus.

I'm Fabulous! (According to THE Magazine)

Last night I was among the honorees at THE Magazine's 50 Fabulous Women of Influence event. It was so nice to be among so many other hard-working San Gabriel Valley women and hundreds of guests.

There was food, wine and friendship during a big reception outdoors in the Metro right of way*.

After THE Magazine Publisher Steve Tobia opened the formal program, Mayor Bill Bogaard spoke to the gathering of 300 people.


Each of the 50 women** was introduced and presented with roses from Piccolo and certificates from U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and California Senator Carol Liu.

Thanks to so many people who came to support me, including (left to right below) Vannia De La Cuba, field representative to Pasadena Vice Mayor Victor Gordo; Tom Coston; and Pasadena City Councilwoman Jacque Robinson, as well as Ben Green, Judy Kent, Jan Sanders and many more.


The really cool thing about the evening was that each of the honorees chose a favorite local charity, and people made pledges to support them. Mine was Mothers' Club Family Learning Center. I was president of the board of directors several years ago and recently co-founded an advisory group made up of all the former board presidents.

I can't even tell you how many people I cajoled, I mean dragged, I mean encouraged, I mean insisted on making a pledge to Mothers' Club! I purposefully cropped this photo to protect the privacy of the pledgers. It resulted in many hundreds of dollars for Mothers' Club and more than $25,000 cumulatively for all 50 of the local charities.


I want to give a special shout-out to Sarah Orth, development director at Mothers' Club. She stood there all evening at our little table, providing brochures and verbal information to all my pledgers.


*The asphalted alleyway above underground Metro Gold Line tracks. After receiving permission from Metro, the chain-link fencing has been removed and the City of Pasadena has been installing benches, planters and other items to create a more engaging sense of place.

** Agnes Grohs, entrepreneur/humanitarian; Amanda Stephanovich, pharmaceutical executive/community volunteer; Ann Erdman, public information officer/community advocate; Anna Addis, management executive/community advocate; Barbosa Polverini, local developer/arts advocate; Cherie Saxton, artist/education advocate; Christina Avaness, nutritionist/author; Christy Zamani, non-profit executive/youth advocate; Deanne Carnighan, educator/arts entrepreneur; Debbie Manners, non-profit executive/health advocate; Diane Cullinane, medical director/health advocate;Dianne Philibosian, educator/youth advocate; Dolores Hickambottom, lifelong community activist and advocate; Doreen Garcia, non-profit executive/substance abuse prevention advocate; Elsie Benton, non-profit executive/substance abuse prevention advocate; Felicia Williams, green energy executive/environmental advocate; Franci Levine Grater, community volunteer; Gail Ellis, college counselor/philanthropist; Gale Kohl, restaurateur/community volunteer; Heather Sturt Haaga, artist/non-profit executive; Helen Morran-Wolf, non-profit executive/community volunteer; Houry Aposhian, banking entrepreneur/community volunteer; Irene Quinones, educator/youth advocate; Jacqueline Bracy, OB-GYN/women's health advocate; Jeri Nichols-Sutherling, healthcare executive/disabled-youth advocate; Jill Underwood, hospital executive/animal advocate; Joy Sullivan, entrepreneur/community volunteer; Joyce Chang, multicultural entrepreneur; Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, artistic director/arts advocate; Julie Giulioni, parent/education advocate; Karen Davis, civic leader/mentor; Linda Taix, fitness entrepreneur/community volunteer; Liz Rusnak Arizmendi, auto executive/community volunteer; Mercy Tolentino Steenwyk, entrepreneur/mentor; Mikala Rahn, educator/education advocate; Nikki Vitale, fashion entrepreneur/community volunteer; Pat Anderson, chamber executive/civic leader; Patti Carmalt-Vener, psychotherapist/arts advocate; Rachel Fine, non-profit executive/youth advocate; Sandra Troup, interior designer/community leader; Sharon Hawkins, healthcare entrepreneur/seniors advocate; Sindee Riboli, entertainment executive/community volunteer; Sue Mossman, heritage advocate/civic leader; Susana Porras, non-profit executive/teen advocate; Tahra Goraya, state senate district director/community advocate; Terre Osterkamp, OB-GYN/education advocate; Ursula Hyman, attorney/community volunteer; Valereen Essandoh, executive/philanthropist; Wenonah Valentine, non-profit executive/youth health advocate; and Yolanda De Garcia, AIDS awareness advocate.