San Marino News, CA Local News

Things to do in the San Gabriel Valley area, Jan. 31-Feb. 7

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 07:18:53 +0000

Here is a sampling of upcoming things to do in the San Gabriel Valley.

Grand National Roadster Show: O’Reilly Auto Parts sponsors the 75th annual “longest-running indoor car show in the world,” and presented by Meguiar’s, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 31 and Feb. 1-2. The show includes hot rods, customs, lowriders, muscle cars, trucks and motorcycles. Parking $10. Admission $40 ages 13 and older; $10 ages 6-12; free for ages 5 and younger. Tickets are available online: rodshows.com, and also at participating O’Reilly Auto Parts stores (www.oreillyauto.com). Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona. rodshows.com/gnrs

DineLA Restaurant Week 2025: Participating restaurants offer a special lunch/dinner menu, today through Feb. 7. Reservations are recommended. Meal times and prices vary by restaurant (restaurants offer set prices for lunch/dinner; $15, $25, $35, $45, $55, $65+). Beverages, tax and tip are extra charge. Facts: www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela/FAQ. Find list of restaurants by cuisine, neighborhood, price and dining option (indoor or outdoor): www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela

Circus Vargas – Hollywood Dreams: Ring master Johnathan Lee Iverson sets the excitement for the all new 2025 show that spotlights the “golden age of cinema,” 4 and 7 p.m. Jan. 31. Performances: 12:30, 3:30 and 7 p.m. Feb. 1; noon, 3 and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 2; 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3. Tickets start at $35; $30 for ages 60 and older; $25 for ages 2-10. Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia. https://circusvargas.com/

Vroman’s Bookstore: John McMahon discusses and signs “Head Cases,” 7 p.m. Jan. 31. Kim Dower discusses and signs “What She Wants – Poems on Obsession, Desire, Despair, Euphoria,” 4 p.m. Feb. 1. Jacqueline Winspear discusses and signs “The Comfort of Ghosts,” 7 p.m. Feb. 4. Rebecca Serle discusses “Expiration Dates,” 6 p.m. Feb. 6 (event is ticketed and virtual; details: tinyurl.com/yc8r4pws). Dinah Lenney discusses and signs “Snapshots – An Album of Essay and Image,” 7 p.m. Feb. 7. Location, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-5320. www.facebook.com/vromansbookstore. vromansbookstore.com

Laugh Factory Covina: “Comedy Madness,” 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 31. Jesus Sepulveda, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Feb. 1. Jerry Garcia, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Feb. 7 and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Feb. 8. Minimum age: 18. Check the website for ticket prices. Two-item minimum for all shows. Location, 104 N. Citrus Ave., Covina. 626-339-0093. https://www.tixr.com/groups/laughfactorycovina

San Gabriel Lunar Lantern Festival: Celebrate the “Year of the Snake” and enjoy lantern displays, performances, food and shopping, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Feb. 1 and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 2. San Gabriel Mission District, 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel. www.sangabrielcity.com/1517/Lunar-New-Year. Flyer: tinyurl.com/83ud7xdu

Black History Month Celebration – Forest Lawn-Glendale: The event begins with a community resource and networking fair, 4-6 p.m., and followed by the dance and musical performances, poetry and guest speakers, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1. Free admission. Location, inside the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection, 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale. 855-800-5296. www.forestlawn.com. forestlawn.com/all-events/

Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band: 7 p.m. Feb. 1. Tickets $58. Haugh Performing Arts Center, Citrus College, 1000 W. Foothill Blvd., Glendora. 626963-9411. www.haughpac.com. https://tickets.haughpac.com/events

Pasadena Bead and Design Show: Find antique and handcrafted beads, hand-sewn clothing, jewelry findings, classes, demonstrations and workshops, March 28-30 (rescheduled dates). Pasadena Convention Center, Exhibit Hall, 300 E. Green St. Email: info@beadagio.com. See the Jan. 10 post on rescheduling: www.facebook.com/beadanddesign. www.beadanddesign.com/shows/pasadena.php

Ongoing events

Armory Center for the Arts: See contemporary art exhibitions and learn about community-based art education. Gallery hours: 2-6 p.m. Friday, and 1-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Free admission. Location, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. For more information, 626-792-5101. armoryarts.org

Descanso Gardens: Hours: 9-5 daily. Admission $15; $11 ages 65 and older and students with ID; $5 ages 5-12. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. 818-949-4200. descansogardens.org. www.facebook.com/DescansoGardensLA

The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens: Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday (closed on Tuesday). Reservations required on Friday-Sunday. Admission is by timed entry (no walk-ins): $29; $24 ages 65 and older and students ages 12-18 with ID; $13 ages 4-11. Location, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. huntington.org

Kidspace Children’s Museum: Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Timed tickets are required. Admission $15.50 ages 1-61; $13.50 ages 62 and older. Location, 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-9144. kidspacemuseum.org

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden: Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (last entry is 4:30 p.m.). Admission $15; $11 ages 62 and older and students with ID; $5 ages 5-12. Admission may be purchased online. Location, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. 626-821-3222. arboretum.org/visit/hours-and-admission. arboretum.org

Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and Thursday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Plan your visit information here: tinyurl.com/mr3uwzs3. Admission $23; $19 ages 65 and older and students ages 18 and older with a valid ID; free for ages 17 and younger (reserving/purchasing an advance, timed-entry online is recommended; these prices are for residents of Los Angeles County with an ID). Location, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-857-6010. www.lacma.org

Monrovia Historical Museum: Discover Monrovia’s amazing history. Docent-led tours are available. Hours: 1-4 p.m. Thursday and Sunday. Free admission. Location, 742 E. Lemon Ave. For more information, 626-357-9537. monroviahistoricalmuseum.org. Updates: www.facebook.com/monroviahistoricalmuseum

Natural History Museum Los Angeles County: Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Sunday (but closed on the first Tuesday of the month and some holidays). Admission $18; $14 ages 62 and older and ages 13-17; $7 ages 3-12; free for ages 2 and younger, but a ticket is required. Location, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. nhmlac.org

Petersen Automotive Museum: Ongoing special exhibits: “Best in Low: Lowrider Icons of the Street and Show,” through April 2025. “Super/Hyper: The Ultimate Automobiles” and “Alternating Currents: The Fall and Rise of Electric Vehicles” and “Modern Concepts: Future Visions from the Recent Past” (all three through July 2025). “Cars Are Beautiful: Mr. Brainwash @The Petersen,” through 2026 (www.petersen.org/cars-are-beautiful-exhibit). Hours through Jan. 2: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (except closed on Christmas). Admission $21; $19 ages 62 and older; $13 ages 12-17; $12 ages 4-11 (a valid ID is required for ages 12 and older; www.petersen.org/tickets). Location, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-930-2277. www.petersen.org

John Rowland Mansion: The historic home is open for showings at noon and 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month. Park at the Hacienda La Puente School District lot. Location, 16021 Gale Ave., City of Industry. 909-241-7961. lpvhistoricalsociety.org

Rubel Castle: The castle is an elaborate folk-art medieval castle in the foothills of Glendora, with 5-story tall towers solidly built out of junk and river rocks by the late Michael Rubel and his friends. The castle offers eight guided tours each month; by appointment-only. Admission $20 for adults; $10 ages 8-18; cash-only. The property is not Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible (see website for details). Location, 844 N. Live Oak Ave., Glendora. Glendora Historical Society voicemail, 626-963-0419. rubeltours.org

Norton Simon Museum: Exhibits: “Plugged In: Art and Electric Light,” through Feb. 17. “Mariana: Velázquez’s Portrait of a Queen from the Museo Nacional del Prado,” through March 24. Hours: noon-5 p.m. Thursday; noon-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday-Monday. Admission $20; $15 seniors; free for students with ID and ages 18 and younger. Location, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-6840. nortonsimon.org

USC Pacific Asia Museum: Ongoing special exhibit: “Cai Guo-Qiang: A Material Odyssey,” is based on the artist’s gunpowder painting and drawings, through the lens of scientific research conducted by Getty, through June 15. The exhibition fills most of the USC PAM galleries with a selection of the artist’s work, as well as scientific imagery that explores the nature of gunpowder, its influence on his work, and how his process has evolved through the last four decades. Museum hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Timed tickets for the special exhibit are required; some walk-up admission may be available: (pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu/exhibitions/cai-guo-qiang-a-material-odyssey/). Admission $20; $15 ages 65 and older and students with ID; free for ages 17 and younger. Location, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. 626-787-2380. pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu

Send calendar items to handres@scng.com. Please send items at least three weeks before the event. Please list phone, email and/or website for additional information.

Monterey Park leaders laud helpers, community on anniversary of massacre

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:59:45 +0000

Jim Goodman still speaks like the police officer he was when he remembers Jan. 21, 2023.

“All was well until 10:15 when a male Asian entered the location,” the retired San Gabriel police officer told a crowd of about 100 gathered Tuesday night to mark the second anniversary of the mass killing at Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park.

Goodman was shot in the left foot and back as he shielded his dance partner Hattie Peng.

“I am about 80% healed, I still have a few problems, and it took me 10 months before I danced again,” he said.

City officials, led by Mayor Vinh T. Ngo, who convened the vigil on the front lawn of City Hall said healing from the trauma of the mass shooting continues and won’t end until every last person who needs it is helped. They also espoused action and activism for gun violence prevention.

Vinh T. Ngo mayor of Monterey Park speaks during a memorial vigil in front of city hall of the second anniversary of the mass shooting in Monterey Park on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/ SCNG)

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Councilmember Henry Lo called the tragedy “one of the darkest moments in the life of this community.” Since he lived 10 minutes from the ballroom, he said he will never forget the sound of helicopters hovering above searching for the shooter, as well as sirens from first responders roaming the city.

“While our recovery is a long process, I think Monterey Park has shown the world what we’re all about,” Lo said, commending residents for continuing to support each other. “What I’m often reminded of is during the the worst times, we see also the best of us.”

Lo said he is horrified that there have been more than 1,000 mass shootings since the massacre in Monterey Park.

“That’s something that should make us take pause and task our leaders to do better,” he said.

The Monterey Park City has spoken out against gun violence and sends messages of support to other towns and cities where mass shootings have occurred.

Councilman Jose Sanchez read the names of the 11 people killed at Star Ballroom: Xiujuan Yu, 57; Hongying Jian, 62; LiLan Li, 63; Wen-Tau Yu, 64; MyMy Nhan, 65; Muoi Dai Ung, 67; Valentino Marcos Alvero, 68; Diana Man Ling Tom, 70; Ming Wei Ma, 72; Yu-Lun Kao, 72; and Chia Ling Yau, 76. Nine people were seriously injured.

The gunman, Huu Can Tran of Hemet, 72, killed himself the next day.

“Today, I mourn and honor the 11 lives lost, all of Asian descent, and hold their memory close,” Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, said in a statement Tuesday. “My heart is with the victims’ families and survivors as they continue to navigate the grief and trauma of that day. What should have been a joyous Lunar New Year celebration — a cherished time for the Asian American community — was tragically overshadowed by a night of senseless violence that altered our community forever.”

Juiling Chen, a clinician with the Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Centers, said there is definitely more awareness and openness about mental health in Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities.

“But there is still stigma, it’s a work in progress,” she said.

The center worked with Brandon Tsay, who disarmed the gunman when he targeted the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio in Alhambra, and Tsay was later lauded by President Joe Biden for his “incredible act of courage.” Biden later invited him to that year’s State of the Union.

Tsay was later honored at several local gatherings, including the Asian Americans Advancing Justice gala. The nonprofit Medal of Honor recognized him as its Single Act of Heroism Honoree at its 2024 Citizen Honors Awards. The Alhambra Police Department awarded him its Medal of Courage.

Tsay helped the center hold self-defense classes for senior citizens and offer programs on mental health for a community wary of talking about it.

Mayor Pro Tem Elizabeth Yang exhorted anyone who is feeling guilt or self-judgment because of the shooting to reach out, “share your stories and remember the 11 lives taken from us that evening.”

Councilman Jose Sanchez said the impact of the event continues to be felt 730 days later. He said this year’s Lunar New Year, observed from Jan. 29 to Feb. 12, recognizes the Chinese zodiac animal the snake.

“Much like the snake sheds its skin, our community has been shedding layers of grief and pain but steadily moving towards healing,” Sanchez said. “Our community has shown remarkable light. We’ve held each other up and celebrated the small victories in our healing process. It’s a testament to the strength of our bonds.”

This month, the Chinese Service Center, after speaking with family members of the victims as well as survivors, released a survey to the public to assess their preferences for a permanent monument to the victims. People can submit their answers through February at montereypark.ca.gov.

For the immigrant community and Asian Americans in the San Gabriel Valley, the tragedy tinges the holiday with heavy symbolism, since the belief is that what happens during this period sets the tone for the rest of the year.

“Tonight we mourn and remember,” Councilmember Thomas Wong said. “Let us continue to come together as a community, as neighbors, as a city to pour out love and support for one another, let us continue to turn our shared pain into shared purpose, to commit to work to make sure no other community has to experience mass gun violence. Let the memory and the light of our lost aunties and uncles guide and inspire us as we continue to come together to build a community of joy, hope, peace and love and a community that continues to dance.”

Monterey Park leaders laud helpers, community on anniversary of massacre

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:59:44 +0000

Jim Goodman still speaks like the police officer he was when he remembers Jan. 21, 2023.

Goodman was shot in the left foot and back as he shielded his dance partner Hattie Peng.

“I am about 80% healed, I still have a few problems, and it took me 10 months before I danced again,” he said.

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Lo said he is horrified that there have been more than 1,000 mass shootings since the massacre in Monterey Park.

“That’s something that should make us take pause and task our leaders to do better,” he said.

The Monterey Park City has spoken out against gun violence and sends messages of support to other towns and cities where mass shootings have occurred.

The gunman, Huu Can Tran of Hemet, 72, killed himself the next day.

“But there is still stigma, it’s a work in progress,” she said.

Tsay helped the center hold self-defense classes for senior citizens and offer programs on mental health for a community wary of talking about it.

Mayor Pro Tem Elizabeth Yang exhorted anyone who is feeling guilt or self-judgment because of the shooting to reach out, “share your stories and remember the 11 lives taken from us that evening.”

Things to do in the San Gabriel Valley area, Jan. 10-17

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 15:00:59 +0000

The Rose Bowl Flea Market opens early on Jan. 12, 2025 in the spaces around the bowl itself. In the file photo, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

The unprecedented wildfires burning in Southern California are impacting many events. Please check in advance before attending events to make sure they have not been moved, postponed or cancelled.

Here is a sampling of upcoming things to do in the San Gabriel Valley.

Laugh Factory Covina: Jiaoying Summers, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Jan. 10; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 11; 7 p.m. Jan. 12. Spanglish with Paul Rodriguez and Friends, 7 p.m. Jan. 19. Minimum age: 18. Check the website for ticket prices. Two-item minimum for all shows. Location, 104 N. Citrus Ave., Covina. https://www.tixr.com/groups/laughfactorycovina

Yoga Expo LA – Believe 2025: The all-day yoga and wellness convention offers first come, first served classes, meditation, speakers and a yoga-related marketplace, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 11. Admission $70.14 ; $115.35 VIP pass. Pasadena Convention Center, Exhibit Hall, 300 E. Green St. Details and purchase admission on Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/2sj9nwtn. theyogaexpo.org/los-angeles-2025

Rose Bowl Flea Market: Find collectibles or new treasures, 5 a.m. Jan. 12 (also, every second Sunday of the month). Admission $21.10 for early admission, 5-8:45 a.m.; $13.72 for admission, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; free for ages 11 and younger. Purchase is online-only. Location, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena. rosebowlstadium.com. rosebowlstadium.com/events/calendar/list. Details and to purchase admission: tinyurl.com/3h9s4krw

Vroman’s Bookstore: Robert Crais discusses and signs “The Big Empty,” 7 p.m. Jan. 13. Matthew Kennedy discusses and signs “On Elizabeth Taylor – An Opinionated Guide,” 7 p.m. Jan. 14. Gayle Forman discusses and signs “After Life,” 7 p.m. Jan. 15. Jami Attenberg discusses “A Reason to See You Again,” 7 p.m. Jan. 16. Deb Miller Landau signs “A Devil Went Down to Georgia – Race, Power, Privilege, and the Murder of Lita McClinton,” 7 p.m. Jan. 17. Christine Mari signs “Halfway There,” 2 p.m. Jan. 18. Location, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-5320. vromansbookstore.com

Pasadena Bead and Design Show: Find antique and handcrafted beads, hand-sewn clothing, jewelry findings, classes, demonstrations and workshops, 10-6 p.m. Jan. 17-18 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 19. Admission $10 in advance online; $12 at the door; free admission for ages 17 and younger. Pasadena Convention Center, Exhibit Hall, 300 E. Green St. www.facebook.com/beadanddesign. www.beadanddesign.com/shows/pasadena.php

Third@First Concert Series – Chamber Music Festival: Pianist Junko Ueno Garrett and musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic perform “Souvenirs from Prague,” a program by Dvorák, Martinu and Popper, 4 p.m. Jan. 18. Free admission. Voluntary donation at the concert or on the website. First United Methodist Church of Pasadena, 500 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. www.thirdatfirst.org

Ongoing events

Sturt Haaga Gallery of Descanso Gardens: “Days of Reverie” is an exhibition by artists Catherine Ruane, Debbie Korbel, Jason Jenn, and Jill Sykes. The exhibit runs through Jan. 26. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. For more information, descansogardens.org

Monrovia Historical Museum: Discover Monrovia’s amazing history. Docent-led tours are available. Hours: 1-4 p.m. Thursday and Sunday. Closed on Dec. 26 (tinyurl.com/3kkw2xux). Free admission. Location, 742 E. Lemon Ave. For more information, 626-357-9537. monroviahistoricalmuseum.org

Norton Simon Museum: Exhibits: “Look Alive! A Still-Life Comparison,” through Jan. 13. “Plugged In: Art and Electric Light,” through Feb. 17. “Mariana: Velázquez’s Portrait of a Queen from the Museo Nacional del Prado,” through March 24. Hours: noon-5 p.m. Thursday; noon-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday-Monday. Admission $20; $15 seniors; free for students with ID and ages 18 and younger. Location, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-6840. nortonsimon.org

USC Pacific Asia Museum: Ongoing special exhibit: “Cai Guo-Qiang: A Material Odyssey,” is based on the artist’s gunpowder painting and drawings, through the lens of scientific research conducted by Getty, through June 15, 2025. The exhibition fills most of the USC PAM galleries with a selection of the artist’s work, as well as scientific imagery that explores the nature of gunpowder, its influence on his work, and how his process has evolved through the last four decades. Museum hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Timed tickets for the special exhibit are required; some walk-up admission may be available: (pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu/exhibitions/cai-guo-qiang-a-material-odyssey/). Admission $20; $15 ages 65 and older and students with ID; free for ages 17 and younger. Location, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. 626-787-2380. pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu

Friends of the Pasadena Public Library Bookstore: Stock up on used books, DVDs, CDs, LPs and children’s books. Store hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday. Proceeds from sales help fund library programs. The bookstore is at the Jefferson Elementary School campus, 1500 E. Villa Ave., between Hill and Allen avenues, Pasadena. For more information, email Adrienne at phrogg8@gmail.com.

Altadena Neighborhood Farmers Market: The nonprofit Raw Inspiration offers the market as a way for children to learn the value of organic gardening and healthy eating. Winter hours: 3-7 p.m. Fridays. Free admission. Location, 587 W. Palm Drive, Altadena. For more information, email info@rawinspiration.org. rawinspiration.org. rawinspiration.org/locations/

Farmers Market at Mt. SAC: Hours, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Mt. San Antonio College, parking Lot B, 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut. For more information, 909-869-0701. www.rccsgv.com/farmers-market/

Send calendar items to handres@scng.com. Please send items at least three weeks before the event. Please list phone, email and/or website for additional information.

Homicide suspected in death of woman found after San Marino house fire

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:38:42 +0000

A San Marino woman whose body was found after a house fire is a homicide victim, authorities said Tuesday.

There was trauma to her upper body, Sheriff’s Lt. Steve De Jong said, adding the woman’s death has been ruled as a homicide. But a cause of death has not yet been released pending further examination and testing by the medical examiner’s office, he added.

Detectives are also trying to determine what weapon was used, De Jong said. No one has been arrested.

The medical examiner’s office still has not publicly identified the woman as of Tuesday afternoon. But De Jong described her as being in her 50s.

The woman’s husband took their children to baseball practice on Monday morning and returned to find their home in the 2000 block of Lorain Road on fire, according to the lieutenant.

Firefighters put out a fire in a back room and discovered the body.

Authorities asked anyone with information about the case to call sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or go to lacrimestoppers.org

San Marino house fire leads to discovery of woman’s body

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:43:39 +0000

Firefighters putting out a blaze at a San Marino house on Monday morning, Jan. 6, found a woman’s body inside.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide detectives are assisting San Marino police with the investigation into the woman’s death.

The house fire, in the 2000 block of Lorain Road, was reported around 9:45 a.m.

Arriving firefighters saw smoke coming from the back, San Marino fire Chief Mario Rueda said. It took about 15 minutes to put out the fire.

Police who responded to the fire were flagged down by the woman’s husband who was out front, sheriff’s Lt. Steve De Jong said, adding the man told police his wife was inside.

The husband had apparently taken his children to baseball practice and came home to find the house on fire, De Jong said.

The woman was found in a back room where the fire broke out, according to the lieutenant.

The medical examiner’s office had not yet publicly identified the woman. Authorities haven’t determined yet what started the fire.

Best of 2024: Great dining experiences in the San Gabriel Valley

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 18:14:01 +0000

It was 165 years ago, back in 1859, that Charles Dickens perfectly anticipated 2024 in the opening words of “A Tale of Two Cities,” writing: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

What can I say to sum up the 12 months we’ve just lived through that approaches such literary perfection?

Personally, it’s been a year when I’ve spent far too much time visiting friends and relations in hospitals and rehab facilities. I’ve been to far too many funerals. It’s been a year of (perfect understatement) political chaos and uncertainty.

But the year has not been all darkness and despair. There have been a multitude of events to cheer: both the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics in Paris — a glorious celebration of our past, our present and (hopefully) our future. The Dodgers won the World Series. And I could always find solace throwing myself into a great meal.

Though Covid isn’t gone — far from it — we’re still getting our vaccinations, and happily going out with those friends and relations who aren’t hospitalized for a joyous feed. I’ve written about restaurants for a long time. And I never — never! — lose that sense of excitement when going to someplace new, or when introducing a good eater to a madcap discovery.

We are blessed to live in a part of the world where food is never dull. Where Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is a punchline. And our local chefs do wondrous things with tater tots. Eating well is always a bright light in a world where darkness is the norm.

What restaurants brought me the most joy during the past year? Bear with me while I recall every bite…

At HK Macau Bistro in San Gabriel, beverages, condiments and other items are available at a counter that resembles a city bus. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)

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At HK Macau Bistro in San Gabriel, beverages, condiments and other items are available at a counter that resembles a city bus. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)

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HK Macau Bistro

708 E. Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel; 626-225-3228

At HK Macau Bistro, which is open until 2 a.m. every day of the week, some of the dishes fall into the fascinating middle earth of what the menu refers to as “Western flavor,” which is Western dishes prepared with an Eastern twist. Some examples:

Rotisserie chicken, not served with mashed potatoes, but with red rice (the menu calls that “Macau style”);
Pork and chicken katsu, which is Japanese;
Baked ox tongue with rice, topped with a cheese and tomato sauce;
Portuguese-style stir-fried cod with potatoes (Macau was a Portuguese colony for four centuries);
And, eight curry dishes, which may or may not be Indian (the flavors seem to bounce around your mouth like pinballs).

Actually, no matter where you look, there are different culinary influences that seem to drop by like unannounced visitors. The curry beef brisket lo mein; is it an Indian-Jewish-Chinese dish? The Spam with egg and instant noodles, which sounds kind of Hawaiian. The tomato and beef with egg over fried macaroni, which seems a bit like something I would have made out of leftovers when I was in college, though it tastes a lot better. (My main ingredient back then would have been ketchup.) And, the chicken in cream sauce over rice.

Even the beverages — which include a choice of Ovaltine and Horlicks, both separately and together in one beverage — are multi-culinary. Those beverages are served from a food truck inside the restaurant, built to look like a big, red city bus. There’s a stylized Hong Kong skyline painted on one wall. There are signs on the walls highlighting different streets and neighborhoods in Hong Kong and Macau.

There’s also a table decorated with a Chinese casino game; is that pai gow? There are plates that read, “Winner takes all.” All that’s missing is the harbor and the ferries. But the life of Hong Kong is still here, with dishes flying out of the kitchen and customers joyously greeting friends.

HK Macau Bistro is a world unto itself. It’s fun, it’s tasty, and built around an obsession with pineapple buns that aren’t made with pineapple — a dish eaten by just about everyone who goes to HK Macau. It’s a curiosity on many levels. Not the least of which is that it contains no pineapple.

It’s called a pineapple bun because the top of the bun bears a (vague) resemblance to a pineapple. It seems to date back to the early 1940s — at the height of World War II — when the Tai Tung Bakery in Hong Kong started making what are properly called crispy skin buns. But customers called them pineapple buns. And the name stuck.

I went early in the morning. I want to go back late at night. Like Hong Kong itself, I suspect the crowd shape shifts. But the buns remain the same.

At Mari Vees in San Marino, they serve classic American breakfast and lunch dishes — all well-prepared, tasty and very satisfying, says restaurant critic Merrill Shindler. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)

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Mari Vees

2150 Huntington Drive, San Marino; 626-234-2085, www.marivees.com

Cozy Mari Vees may be the only breakfast shop in the San Gabriel Valley that doesn’t offer avocado toast. But then, it also doesn’t offer gut-busting pancakes layered 6 inches thick with outlandish ingredients. Or French toast turned into Rose Parade floats with an excess of whipped cream, nuts and berries.

When it comes to breakfast spots, Mari Vees is pleasantly retro, without actually being trapped in a time warp. It’s a comfort zone for today, with a sense of the past, yet enough wit to include a nearly elegant version of Loco Moco — as if such a thing were actually a possibility. It reaches the top without going over.

And it creates a fine “omelet” (at one point on the menu), and “omelette” (at another). However you spell it, this is an omelette (my spelling of choice), that satisfies simply because it’s so satisfying without being in the least bit showy.

The point here is to eat well, at a reasonable price, in a sunny space with a fair cross-section of locals, and a staff that seems seriously concerned with your being well fed. I was asked so many times if I wanted a splash of their very good “brewed” coffee that I felt obliged to say yes. One cup is usually enough. But a second never hurts.

Mari Vees offers a compendium of much-loved dishes — food most of us could make at home … but with more stress and arguably not as well as the kitchen here manages with such ease.

One sleepy Sunday, I felt a yen for the Good Morning Omelette — as simple a breakfast as I could imagine in these overworked times. It’s just what it sounds like: a classic French omelette, soft and fluffy, with a choice of four fillings drawn from a list of nine (cheddar, Monterey jack, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, jam, peppers and onions caramelized to the point of sweet liquefaction). I chose mushrooms, peppers and jack. It was just … perfect, along with a dash of mildly spicy Cholula sauce.

There’s an American breakfast of two eggs, any style (over easy for me), with double-smoked bacon, crispy spuds and sourdough toast. The Southern Comfort breakfast consists of buttermilk biscuits topped with sausage gravy, two eggs and more potatoes — though I do wish they’d offer grits, which is the defining Southern breakfast dish. (That and sweet tea to wash it all down.)

The breakfast burrito is a log of food, packed with three eggs, sausage, bacon, cheddar and potatoes, with chips and salsa. The “classic” eggs Benedict is devoid of fuss and bother — just a textbook Benedict without a chef’s need to make it sui generis. Mari Vees satisfies by being nothing more than what it is.

This is the anti-IHOP. This is breakfast as breakfast should be. This is a casual café that gets everything right.

Star Leaf Asian Cuisine in Pasadena is a southeast Asian Eclectic with dishes that push well-spiced flavors to the edge — and astonish in the process, says restaurant critic Merrill Shindler. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)

Woman, 86, critically injured after unprovoked punch in Pasadena, police say

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 11:31:21 +0000

Police arrested a man on suspicion of punching and critically injuring an 86-year-old woman on a Pasadena street on Saturday, Nov. 23.

She has a life-threatening head injury, Pasadena police Lt. Matt Campeau said. It was unclear if her injuries were from the punch or falling down.

Shortly after 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, officers responded to the reported assaulted at Green Street and Fair Oaks Avenue. They found the woman, a Pasadena resident, conscious but unresponsive, Campeau said.

Witnesses told police the suspect approached and punched her without provocation, Campeau said.

The woman and a friend planned to take the bus to go somewhere to eat, said Lt. Monica Cuellar, a spokeswoman for Pasadena police.

The woman was waiting at a bus stop on Fair Oaks Avenue when the suspect attacked her, Cuellar said. Her friend was crossing the street using a walker, she added.

Officers found the suspect, a 40-year-old homeless man, nearby and arrested him on suspicion of felony assault and elder abuse, the lieutenant said.

As of Monday, Nov. 25, he was being held at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. His bail was $155,000.

Election 2024: ‘Fresh faces’ poised to represent San Gabriel Valley in Sacramento and D.C.

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 19:39:17 +0000

With several incumbents terming out in state and federal offices across the San Gabriel Valley, a new slate of representatives is set to bring fresh perspectives to representing the region.

Key races with “new faces” include the 31st Congressional District, State Senate District 25, as well as State Assembly Districts 41 and 53.

All candidates in these races are non-incumbents, and while not every contest has a clear winner yet, post-election night updates from the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office continue to shed light on the results, with the latest batch released at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7.

LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: See a chart of the latest vote counts

In some cases, however, the outcomes are becoming clear. For instance, Democrat Gil Cisneros has been declared as the winner in Congressional District 31, succeeding longtime Rep. Grace Napolitano in representing a district that spans communities like El Monte, Baldwin Park, West Covina, Monrovia, Azusa, La Verne and Irwindale. Cisneros was competing against Republican Daniel Jose Bocic Martinez.

Former Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros is running against Republican attorney Daniel Jose Bocic Martinez. Photos: Courtesy images

During a phone interview Thursday, Cisneros said that he is excited about the opportunity to serve.

“I’m excited that the people of the 31st District put their faith in me to be their representative in Washington, D.C., to be their advocate, and to be their voice,” he said. “It’s not a responsibility that I take lightly, and I’m excited about the opportunity that we have to go back and make a difference and support the people here back home.”

Cisneros outlined his top priorities, which include strengthening the economy, protecting the environment and “common sense gun legislation”, as well as securing funds for local jurisdictions to support infrastructures and services in the district.

Though not an incumbent for this particular district, Cisneros brings extensive political experience, having previously represented California’s 39th Congressional District and served in the Biden Administration as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

Reflecting on the transition, Cisneros said he has “big shoes to fill in Grace Napolitano,” who has “been a staple here in the San Gabriel Valley for a long time.”

“But I think the perspective that I bring, my background not only in national security, my business background, my experience as a veteran, are all things that I will be able to bring to the table that I think will enable for me to help the community more, having the insight on these things and then having a different perspective than previously,” Cisneros added.

Another race featuring non-incumbents is State Senate District 25, where Alhambra Mayor Sasha Renée Pérez, a Democrat, is running against Crescenta Valley Town Councilmember Elizabeth Wong Ahlers, a Republican.

This race determines the successor to state Sen. Anthony Portantino, who has reached his term limit.

Crescenta Valley Town Councilmember Elizabeth Wong Ahlers, a Republican, is battling it out with Alhambra Mayor Sasha Renée Pérez, a Democrat, for the District 25 seat.

According to the second post-election night result released by the registrar’s office Thursday afternoon, Pérez continued to lead with nearly 60% of the votes, while Ahlers had received around 40%.

Senate District 25 represents parts of the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Pomona valleys in northeastern L.A. County. The district includes all or parts of Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Monrovia, Glendora and Claremont.

In another race, longtime Assemblymember Chris Holden is terming out of his District 41 seat.

Former Altadena City Councilmember Michelle Del Rosario Martinez, a Republican, is running against Democrat John Harabedian, former mayor of Sierra Madre, to succeed Holden.

Former Altadena City Councilmember Michelle Del Rosario Martinez, a Republican, is running against Democrat John Harabedian, former mayor of Sierra Madre.

As of Thursday afternoon, Harabedian led with around 64% of the votes, while Martinez held nearly 36%.

This district represents voters in Pasadena, Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Monrovia and Sierra Madre in L.A. County and Rancho Cucamonga, Wrightwood and San Antonio Heights in San Bernardino County.

In State Assembly District 53, Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, D-Pomona, has reached his term limit. His wife, Michelle Rodriguez, a commissioner for the California Police Officer Standards and Training Commission, is vying to succeed him. She faces off against Nick Wilson, a law enforcement educator.

Republican law enforcement educator Nick Wilson and Democrat Michelle Rodriguez, a commissioner for the California Police Officer Standards and Training Commission.

As of Thursday afternoon, Rodriguez, a Democrat, holds a strong lead with nearly 63% of the votes, while Wilson, a Republican, trails with around 37%.

In a statement to SCNG Thursday, Rodriguez expressed gratitude for the support of her community, saying she feels “proud and honored that my neighbors and voters elected me to the State Assembly.”

“As a working-class mom who has dedicated her life to safer schools and neighborhoods, I’m not a typical candidate,” she said. “The voters clearly wanted a voice like their own in the State Assembly — someone who understands what it is like for working families to make ends meet with the high cost of living.”

The 53rd Assembly District is home to approximately 475,714 people living in Pomona, Ontario, Chino, Upland, and Montclair.

Breakfast and lunch classics are big at this San Marino restaurant

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 19:25:23 +0000

The sweetly cozy Mari Vees may be the only breakfast shop in the San Gabriel Valley that doesn’t offer avocado toast.

Then again, it also doesn’t offer gut-busting pancakes layered 6 inches thick with outlandish ingredients. Or French toast turned into Rose Parade floats with an excess of whipped cream, nuts and berries.

It reaches the top without going over. And it creates a fine “omelette” (at one point on the menu), and “omelet” (at another). However you spell it, this is an omelet that satisfies simply because it’s so satisfying without being in the least bit showy.

The point here is to eat well, at a reasonable price, in a sunny space with a fair cross-section of locals, and a staff that seems seriously concerned with your being well-fed. I was asked so many times if I wanted a splash of their very good “brewed” coffee that I felt obliged to say yes. One cup is usually enough. But a second never hurts.

Mari Vees offers a compendium of much-loved dishes — food most of us could make at home … but with more stress and arguably not as well as the kitchen here manages with such ease.

At Mari Vees in San Marino, the menu features a dozen egg dishes, including a variety of omelets. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)

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At Mari Vees in San Marino, the menu features a dozen egg dishes, including a variety of omelets. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)

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One sleepy Sunday I felt a yen for the Good Morning Omelette — as simple a breakfast as I could imagine in these overworked times. It’s just what it sounds like — a classic French omelet, soft and fluffy, with a choice of four fillings drawn from a list of nine (cheddar, Monterey jack, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, jam, peppers and onions caramelized to the point of sweet liquefaction). I added mushrooms, peppers and jack. It was just … perfect, along with a dash of mildly spicy Cholula sauce.

And it was made even better with a side of happily crispy cubed country potatoes, and slices of lightly toasted sourdough, spread with butter. As Julia Child used to advise: “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces — just good food from fresh ingredients.” And that’s the mantra at Mari Vees.

The pancakes are jazzed up with your choice of wild blueberries, bananas, walnuts or chocolate chunks — though frankly, all they called for were the warm maple butter that’s one of the prides of the house. It comes with the blueberry French toast — so well browned, so softly crunchy — where it’s described as “our famous maple butter.”

There are huevos rancheros, a Spanish scrambled, a BLT with an egg and chilaquiles. Breakfast is served all day. Lunch doesn’t begin till 10 a.m., making it a late breakfast for those who sleep in, topped with the house pride: the burger called “The Champ!!!” The menu tells us it’s the “winner of the LA vs. SF Burger Battle … as seen on the Food, Cooking & Travel channels.” It’s a heap of grass-fed beef, cheddar, pastrami, bacon, avocado, a fried egg, mustard and onions, served on a brioche bun with fries as crunchy as the country potatoes. (My roots demanded ketchup as well. Mustard just isn’t enough.)

The rest of the lunch menu is as down-home as the breakfast selections — a chipotle grilled chicken sandwich, a tuna melt panini, an old school club sandwich; tacos with grilled fish, steak or chicken; a Caesar salad. And, you’ll find touches of modernism in the kale salad and the chicken Caesar wrap.

There’s vanilla ice cream for dessert. Which reminds me of a friend from my distant past who always ordered dessert with his breakfast. It seemed a quirk that wasn’t really a quirk. This was back in the days when I thought Cocoa Puffs were a reasonable breakfast option. The churros on the menu at Mari Vees are probably more sensible.

Mari Vees satisfies by being nothing more than what it is. This is the anti-IHOP. This is breakfast as breakfast should be. This is a casual café that gets everything right.

Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.

Mari Vees

Rating: 3 stars
Where: 2150 Huntington Drive, San Marino
Information: 626-234-2085; www.marivees.com
When: Breakfast and lunch, Tuesday through Sunday
Details: Coffee and soft drinks; no reservations
Atmosphere: You can expect classic American breakfast and lunch dishes — well-prepared, tasty and very satisfying.
How much: About $20 per person
Suggested dishes: 2 Pancakes and French Toast ($17-$19), 12 Egg Dishes ($18-$22), Loco Moco ($22), Country Fried Steak ($19), Chilaquiles ($18), 2 Burgers ($18-$25), 3 Sandwiches ($18-$19), 3 Tacos ($18-$20), 1 Chicken Caesar Wrap ($18), 2 Salads ($16-$18), 3 Desserts ($4.50-$7)
Credit cards: MC, V
What the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional. Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)

Column: Pasadena Humane’s ‘Waggin’ is a classic at this car show

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 16:39:51 +0000

Pasadena Humane alums pose with classic cars at the San Marino Motor Classic in Lacy Park. This annual dog-friendly event benefits the animals at Pasadena Humane. Our Wiggle Waggle Wagon will be there this Sunday, Aug. 25, with adoptable dogs. Get your tickets at the door or purchase online in advance for a discount! Learn more at sanmarinomotorclassic.com (Photos are courtesy of Pasadena Humane)

This weekend, I’m headed to one of my favorite annual events — the San Marino Motor Classic. The event is a highlight of the year for 150 of Pasadena Humane’s staff and volunteers who look forward to helping facilitate the premier automobile showcase.

Pasadena Humane is fortunate to be one of the non-profit beneficiaries. The San Marino Motor Classic has donated more than $1.2 million to our organization over the past 12 years.

Like me, I imagine many of the participants from Pasadena Humane started volunteering at the Classic because of their love for animals. But, they continue to come back year after year because they’ve fallen in love with the cars.

The first time I attended the San Marino Motor Classic was 5 years ago, the day before I officially started my position at Pasadena Humane. As if I needed further reminding, it became obvious I was not in Virginia anymore.

I was dazzled by the spectacular display of hundreds of classic and collector automobiles spread throughout San Marino’ Lacy Park. And, I was star-struck by meeting car aficionado and former late-night TV host, Jay Leno.

Mr. Leno was kind enough to pose for a photo with a pup from Pasadena Humane. Blue’s newfound celebrity status helped him quickly find a new home after having been overlooked for months in the shelter.

The San Marino Motor Classic is dog friendly, making it a great way to spend the day with your pup. Or you can bring a new pet home.

As always, our 35 ft. mobile adoption RV, the “Wiggle Waggle Wagon,” will be onsite with adoptable dogs. The Waggin’, as we affectionately call it, is hard to miss. It towers high above the classic cars, adorned with larger-than-life animal photos.

A feat of automotive ingenuity of its own, this mini shelter and billboard on wheels safely transports adoptable dogs (and sometimes cats and critters) to offsite events in our community every weekend.

Longtime Pasadena Humane staff member Marlin Miller is at the helm of our mobile shelter. For the past 14 years, Marlin has combined his love of driving large vehicles with his passion for connecting homeless pets with new families.

Marlin is joined by a group of dedicated mobile adoption volunteers, many of whom have been volunteering for more than a decade. Mary Ann Ortolano is one of those incredible Waggin’ volunteers. She’s been helping with mobile adoptions since 2009.

Mary Ann loves to spend her weekends helping dogs find new homes. She especially enjoys giving the shelter animals a day outside of the kennels. She and other volunteers are able to learn more about the dog’s personalities and teach basic commands while introducing the dogs to lots of potential adopters.

The mobile volunteers are like family to Mary Ann. United in their bond to help shelter pets find loving homes, they spend most weekends together working towards a shared goal. As Marlin says, “It doesn’t matter about one’s age or cultural background; we are all linked by the same passion.”

Marlin, Mary Ann and the rest of the mobile adoptions team expect a busy day at the San Marino Motor Classic. Thousands of visitors will stop by the Waggin’ to meet the adoptable pups and learn more about the shelter’s programs and services.

The San Marino Motor Classic is from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday, August 25. Lacy Park, 1485 Virginia Road, San Marino.

Cruise on over and get your tickets or purchase online in advance for a discount! Learn more at sanmarinomotorclassic.com

Dia DuVernet is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane. pasadenahumane.org

Meet Odora, the corpse flower ready to raise a stink at The Huntington

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 19:54:29 +0000

A botanical celebrity is getting ready for its close-up, and you only have days to take in its smelly appeal.

The newly-christened Odora, one of 43 resident corpse flowers at The Huntington Library, Art Gallery, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, was moved to the conservatory on July 10 for the public to view, alongside another specimen — Stankasaurus — in its fruiting stage.

This is the first time both flowering and fruiting stages of the plant are on display.

Brandon Tam, associate curator of The Huntington’s orchid collection, predicts the corpse flower, or Titan Arum, will stink up the place by this weekend.

Visitors check out the Corpse Flower at the Huntington in San Marino, CA on Monday, July 15, 2024. Brandon Tram, Huntington Botanist, says the flower may bloom by the end of the weekend. The rare flower gets it’s name by the pungent aroma it give off when it first blooms. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

“We’d love for people to understand the typical life cycle of this amazing plant,” he said.

The curious and brave only get a couple of days to see and smell the big, stinky show. Corpse flowers bloom for only about 24 hours every two or three years. Native to Indonesia, the tropical plant attracts a crowd any time it blooms, not only for its size and shape, but also for its distinct putrescence.

Tam said the stench is akin to boiled cabbage, dead rat or restaurant dumpster.

“The smell comes from chemical compounds dimethyl trisulfide and dimethyl disulfide,” he said, chemicals with notes of garlic and overripe cheese.

“The spadix, the baguette-looking part of the plant, heats up and distributes the smell to attract pollinators, and it’s usually strongest at night and the early morning,” Tam said. “Plants really have a mind of their own when it comes to assuring its lineage continues and have gone through many years of evolution.”

Among its unique elements: the corpse flower’s small red fruit is poisonous to humans but is a tasty snack for the rhinoceros hornbill bird. Its red bloom, designed to mimic a bloody carcass, attracts pollinators with equally vivid names such as carrion beetles, flesh flies and sweat flies.

Experts at the #HuntingtonLibrary expect its #Corpseflower to bloom by this weekend. The giant flower is known for its intense death-like aroma when it first blooms. #thehuntington pic.twitter.com/MS0SvcRJYb

— David Crane (@vidcrane) July 15, 2024

Odora is the 26th corpse flower at The Huntington since 1999. It has successfully nurtured blooms every year since 2018, growing its collection to 43 mature specimens and sharing plants as well as research with other botanical gardens.

“This is our 25th year growing corpse flowers, and it’s been trial and error, and experience, really, learning how best to propagate and protect this plant,” Tam said.

Each plant is different, Tam said. Odora is a bit of an overachiever. Tam estimates it will grow about 30 more inches before it blooms, or about 6 inches a day.

Stankasaurus Rex earned its name from its 8-foot height.

Two Corpse Flowers on display at the Huntington in San Marino, CA on Monday, July 15, 2024. The flower on the right bloomed last year and has produced seed pods, the flower on the left should bloom by the weekend according to Brandon Tram, Huntington Botanist. The rare flower gets it’s name by the pungent aroma it gives off when it first blooms. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Last year’s bloomer was named Allan the Amorphophallus, after the character of Ken’s best friend in the movie “Barbie.”

The Huntington’s success with the Amorphophallus titanum, cultivating just the right tropical conditions when it comes to light, water, temperature, and humidity, branches right into the center’s missions of research, education and conservation.

Tam calls the corpse flower a “gateway plant” for visitors to explore the wonder and diversity of the plant kingdom.

“It’s a whole wild world of discovery,” he said.

Last year’s crowds numbered in the thousands, eager to smell the stink for themselves. And The Huntington informs anyone with a hankering to grow their own stinky specimen that yes, you can buy it online, but “this rare plant is for plant enthusiasts who want a challenge and will be committed to nearly a decade of nurturing and pampering this rare and attractive giant.”

Get a heads up and catch an online bloom watch at huntington.org/corpse-flower.

Explore these 7 Southern California botanical gardens offering a bit of tranquility

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 10:48:24 +0000

For many Southern California residents there is a natural oasis just a short drive away — the region’s many botanical gardens offer an escape from the daily grind of the urban jungle with a stroll through their grounds.

And in most cases, it’ll cost less than a meal to treat yourself to an afternoon taking in Mother Nature’s beauty — and the stress release of being out in the open, stretching your legs, is certainly cheaper than a spa day.

These large gardens bring some of the most interesting and beautiful plant life from around the world to Southern California, but they also showcase the natural vegetation that makes our region special. Most also hold classes and events helping residents with their own gardens, teaching about conservation and connecting people with nature.

Here are seven of the botanical gardens offering a bit of tranquility in busy SoCal:

Walking through the oak grove at the Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, CA, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Summer roses in bloom at the Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, CA, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
An orange Day-lily opens in the sun at the Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, CA, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Poppies in bloom at the Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, CA, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Serine shade in the Japanese Gardens in Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, CA, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Poppies in bloom at the Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, CA, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Visitors crowd in to see the tulips at the Descanso Gardens on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The tulips are now at thier peak at the gardens. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Visitors crowd in to see the tulips at the Descanso Gardens on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The tulips are now at thier peak at the gardens. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Visitors crowd in to see the tulips at the Descanso Gardens on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The tulips are now at thier peak at the gardens. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Tulips at the Descanso Gardens on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The tulips are now at thier peak at the gardens. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Flowers at the Descanso Gardens on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The tulips are now at thier peak at the gardens. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Tulips at the Descanso Gardens on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The tulips are now at thier peak at the gardens. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Visitors crowd in to see the tulips at the Descanso Gardens on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The tulips are now at thier peak at the gardens. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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Descanso Gardens

Descanso Gardens is located in La Cañada Flintridge and sits on 150 acres of both cultivated and natural landscape surrounded by local mountains. Many paths and trails wander through the woodlands and gardens of colorful native flowers. There is a forest of ancient trees, a collection of rare and unique breeds of camellias and the gardens’ own hybrid breed of drought-tolerant lilacs.

Blooming this month are many varieties in its 5-acre rose garden and pansies, daisies and others in its promenade collection.

Address: 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Admission: General admission is $15; there are a variety of discounts for seniors and students and children ages 5 to 12 are $5. Advance tickets are required and must be reserved online.

Information: descansogardens.org

Cherry blossoms in the Chinese garden at the Huntington Library on Wednesday, March 278, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Visitors stroll among cactus in the desert garden at the Huntington Library on Wednesday, March 278, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Wisteria fills the air with fragrance in the Japanese garden at the Huntington Library on Wednesday, March 278, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
including ArroyoFest 2 that attracted nearly 50,000 people to walk and bike on a closed part of the 110 Freeway on Oct. 29, 2023.

CicLAvia hit the San Fernando Valley in 2019. (Photo: Courtesy CicLAvia).

Those not funded included two events planned for the San Fernando Valley, one on Ventura Boulevard for December and another in Northridge scheduled for May 2025. Events in Wilmington, Long Beach, Hawthorne, Lincoln Heights and MacArthur Park also were not funded.

The Metro board of directors approved spending just under $5.5 million for 16 open streets events for 2024-2025 without discussion. Chair and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass denied those who wanted to speak, saying they had their chance to make one-minute comments at the Metro Planning and Programming Committee on Jan. 17.

Since the cost of law enforcement coverage, insurance and street controls such as barricades and signs has risen, Reutimann expected a bump in funding, not cuts. He asked Metro to increase its total awards by $2 million. Metro’s annual budget is $9 billion.

“These events introduce tens of thousands of people to Metro service,” he told the committee. “We cannot do ambitious events like the ArroyoFest under current funding levels.”

People on foot and bicycles enjoy ArroyoFest and the use of a closed portion of the 110 Freeway at Ave. 52 to walk and bike on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. A woman looks at her selfie with the crowd behind her. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Others agreed that Metro was shorting events that introduce residents to pollution-free transportation, such as walking, bicycling or using battery-operated scooters. Also, ActiveSGV events are paired with Metro rail lines. For example, most of the 4,000 10K racers in the recent ArroyoFest rode Metro rail to the South Pasadena A Line Station, where the event began.

“This is the best marketing for services that Metro provides and for getting people out of their cars. We need 10 times more funding than this. And this is such a small amount of money,” said Eli Lipmen, executive director of the nonprofit Move LA, speaking at the committee meeting.

Some ActiveSGV open streets events are funneled through the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG), which helps with contracting. The ActiveSGV and SGVCOG’s “626 Golden Streets, Mission Meets Eclectic” planned for April 28 received $400,000, 20% less than the $500,000 requested. That event scored very high in Metro’s ranking for proposed events.

“Our application scored well but our events are being recommended for partial funding,” said SGVCOG spokesperson Ricky Choi at the committee meeting.

The committee agreed with the staff recommendation to cut most of the requests by 20%, especially those from nonprofits and governmental agencies that had experience with putting on similar events in the past. The full board voted in favor of the awards as recommended by staff, without modifications.

Ray Sosa, Metro’s chief planning officer, explained that the new approach was intended to spread the monies around to include other areas that hadn’t had an open street event. “We took this approach to try to reach as many new users as possible,” he said. He hoped the experienced organizers would find other sources of funding to make up the gap.

L.A. County First District Supervisor and LA Metro board member Hilda Solis was pleased that a new open streets event planned for East Los Angeles for fall 2025 was funded at $400,000, the requested amount. “I’m glad to see East Los Angeles is included,” she said at the committee meeting. “It’s a large, unincorporated area and where we are trying to get them to use public transportation.”

Third District Supervisor and LA Metro board member Lindsey Horvath noted that L.A. events, known as “CicLAvias” received most of the awards. Of the 16 funded, nine were “CicLAvia” events. Also, the city of West Hollywood, where Horvath served on the City Council, received $400,000, a 20% cut from the requested amount, for its “Meet the Hollywoods “CicLAvia” planned for Aug. 24.

“I love ‘Ciclovia.’ I try to go to a lot of them and I certainly see the value of them,” Horvath said at the committee meeting.

Bicyclists, roller skaters and pedestrians strolled between East and West Hollywood during the CicLAvia Meet The Hollywoods event on Sunday, Aug. 21 2022. The event connected Hollywood through Hollywood Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, contributing photographer)
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Reutimann said he’s not sure if open streets events that were planned for 2024 or 2025 can still take place because of the drop in funding from Metro. He said he cannot skimp on public safety, as threats from active shooters and cars ramming through barricades become higher level concerns these days.

Instead, he’s considering cutting out games and arts, such as crafting tables, kids’ rides and live music, he said.

Despite calls from many who wanted to see a third ArroyoFest on the closed 110 Freeway in Pasadena, South Pasadena and Los Angeles, Reutimann said he can’t risk putting in an application next year if grants are leveled at $400,000 or less.

“They know that public safety costs have gone up. How can they expect us to do these events for less money?” he said in an interview after the vote.

In the last 10 years, LA Metro has spent $26 million on open streets events, the staff reported.
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The Huntington is adding a major attraction to its Japanese Garden

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 13:51:34 +0000

The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens has a new attraction that will bring the essence of a 17th century farming village to San Marino.

It is called the Japanese Heritage Shōya House, and it will open to the public on Saturday, Oct. 21.

The house was built around 1700 in Marugame, a city in Japan’s western Kagawa Prefecture. A shōya was a village leader, according to Robert Hori, gardens cultural curator and program director for The Huntington.

“The Japanese Heritage Shōya House will take the visitor back in time,” he said in a phone interview. “What we have created is a rural village setting, which includes the house, walls, a gatehouse and terraced rice fields that would have surrounded it when it was originally built.”

The Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington is seen on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington is seen on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington is seen on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington is seen on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A recreated water canal is seen at the Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A woman leaves a recreated gatehouse at The Huntington’s Shoya House on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino where a cover crop of Cosmos blooms. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Japanese planes used to shape and smooth wood are seen in The Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington is seen on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Japanese farmers use composting toilets as part of their sustainable living village as seen at the Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A woman checks out the Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington is seen on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Jana Monji, of Torrance, walks in the Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Japanese Heritage Shoya House at The Huntington is seen on Friday, October 13, 2023 in San Marino. The 320-year-old historic family home from a small farming community was donated by Los Angeles residents Yohko and Akira Yokoi and since 2019 was rebuilt by Japanese artisans and local construction crews. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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The project is an addition to the nine-acre Japanese Garden that railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington created on his estate in 1912.

With its tea house and moon bridge, the Japanese Garden is one of the Huntington’s major attractions, along with the paintings “Pinkie” and “The Blue Boy,” a Gutenberg Bible and a Shakespeare first folio.

The Japanese Garden has always had a Japanese house, but the structure Henry Huntington installed, while built in Japan, was never a residence, Karen R. Lawrence, president of the Huntington, said at a press preview of the Shōya House.

“This is completely different. This the real deal.”

The Shōya House literally takes the Japanese Garden in a new direction. It opens a new 2-acre section of the 207-acre property to visitors between the original Japanese Garden and a Chinese Garden that was enlarged as part of a major expa

A certain trip to Huntington Library ended in a $40 million gift – and a new vision for its future

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 16:07:36 +0000

It was about a year ago when a special visitor showed up at The Huntington.

Amid the sprawling San Marino library, its museum and botanical gardens was finance giant Charlie Munger, getting a tour around the San Marino property led by the longtime institution’s president Karen R. Lawrence.

Nothing like a nice tour of such a bountiful and historic site, and if you’ve got some pull a personalized one doesn’t hurt.

There’s the art museum and its 45,000 pieces spanning centuries of art. There’s the library itself, with more than 11 million items spanning from the 11th century. There’s botanical gardens — all 130 acres — even its smelly corpse flower.

It turns out, Munger — the storied onetime Berkshire Hathaway billionaire known for giving much of his fortune to causes he cares about — has a little pull.

Make that a lot a lot of pull. But more on that later.

While the 99-year-old, who lives not from from the library in Pasadena, was hanging out with Lawrence that day, something struck him. It wasn’t something he saw. It was a vision for the future of the library grounds.

Charlie Munger (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, FileAssociated Press)

Lawrence told him about a long-sought goal to provide more affordable housing for the more than two dozen scholars from around the country and the world who each year earn fellowships to study their field for several months based at The Huntington.

There was only one problem, Munger learned.

In an era when housing around San Marino and Pasadena is getting pricier and pricier, it’s harder and harder for these scholars — 30 each year all told — to take the fellowships.

They often can’t afford to because it’s too expensive to live nearby. (By the way, average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Pasadena is $3,306, according to rent.com, and if you’re scholar looking for a home the median price of one in San Marino is $2.5 million. Thankfully, that’s down almost 4% from last year, according to Redfin. But you’d need to be a scholar with some dollars.)

Many months after Munger’s visit, The Huntington this week got a robust share of Munger’s goodwill — 77 shares of it to be exact.

Munger gave 77 Class A Berkshire Hathaway shares to the San Marino museum, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. At Thursday’s closing price of $523,545.06 a share, that made the gift worth more than $40.3 million, assuming they were cashed in immediately.

And just like that, a vision that was more of a dream is in the pipeline to become reality.

“This is like huge for us,” said Huntington spokeswoman Susan Turner-Lowe, reflecting on what is not the first time The Huntington has been the beneficiary of Munger family gifts. “None of this would be possible unless we received this gift. He saw the need.”

A decade ago, Munger, who lived in Pasadena, gave the Huntington museum nearly $33 million worth of Berkshire stock to help pay for a new education and visitors center.

Turner-Lowe said the tradition of giving to The Huntington is rooted with Munger’s late wife Nancy, a philanthropist born in Los Angeles and who served as a trustee of the Huntington Library, a legacy that continued with daughter Wendy Munger, who is among trustees emeriti there.

“She was the most passionate of trustees and supporters of the place,” Turner-Lowe said. “She believed in what it was doing and its capacity to do more, and he began to feel similarly.”

People walk throughThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino Friday, Oct 6, 2023. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

As an Associated Press story reporting the donation noted, once a billionaire, Munger’s fortune never rivaled his best friend Warren Buffett’s, who controls Berkshire Hathaway, the Omaha, Neb.-based conglomerate that owns dozens of companies, including BNSF railroad, Geico insurance and several utilities. There’s also the well-known brands such as See’s Candy and Dairy Queen.

But Munger lost his billionaire status long ago as he steadily gave away his fortune, and roughly $1 billion of his stock went into a charitable trust in 2010 after his wife died, according to AP.

After his latest donation, Munger still held 4,033 Class A Berkshire shares. But back in 2000 he held 15,911 shares, which would be worth more than $8.3 billion today if he’d hung onto it all.

Instead, much of that wealth has gone to an array of places, including UC Santa Barbara, the University of Michigan Law School, Standford University.

As for the donation, it doesn’t hurt that Munger is a local resident, so taking in The Huntington that day many months ago was really about something right in his own backyard, the same region where some of his own children live.

It also doesn’t hurt that such a financial force – who turns 100 years old in January — is looking at a world beyond him, and saw a glimpse of it in the scholars who each day use the library to research and write books, to study history and art. Already, the library is beginning the planning for what still will take at least a couple of years to come to fruition as The Huntington works out plans for the living quarters. Cost so far is expected to be somewhere in the ballpark of Munger’s gift.

Turner-Lowe called his, his wife’s and the family’s philanthropy prescient.

“We are so grateful to be on the receiving end of that,” she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

$40 million gifted to The Huntington Library in San Marino by Berkshire Hathaway’s Charlie Munger

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 10:01:22 +0000

By Josh Funk

Investor Charlie Munger, who’s been Warren Buffett’s right-hand man for more than five decades, has made a $40 million gift to The Huntington Library and Art Museum, which he’s supported in the past.

For update, see: A certain trip to Huntington Library ended in a $40 million gift – and a new vision for its future

Munger gave 77 Class A Berkshire Hathaway shares to the San Marino museum, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

At Thursday’s closing price of $523,545.06 a share, that made the gift worth more than $40.3 million.

A decade ago, Munger, who lived in Pasadena, gave the Huntington museum nearly $33 million worth of Berkshire stock to help pay for a new education and visitors center. Huntington spokeswoman Susan Turner-Lowe said this latest donation will be used to build more than 30 residences for visiting scholars to use while they spend time at the museum doing research.

Charlie Munger (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, FileAssociated Press)

Turner-Lowe said scholars often spend a school year studying at the Huntington and the expensive rental market in Los Angeles has made that difficult to afford. She said this is “a long-time dream that is in the process of being fulfilled in a major way.”

Once a billionaire, Munger’s fortune never rivaled his best friend Buffett’s. But Munger lost his billionaire status long ago as he steadily gave away his fortune, and roughly $1 billion of his stock went into a charitable trust in 2010 after his wife died.

After his latest donation, Munger still holds 4,033 Class A Berkshire shares. But back in 2000 he held 15,911 shares, which would be worth more than $8.3 billion today if he’d hung onto it all.

Munger, who is known for his quick wit and acerbic manner, will turn 100 in January. He often quips that “I have nothing more to add” after some of Buffett’s more long winded answers at Berkshire’s legendary shareholder meetings, but he’ll also cut right to the heart of an issue in his own answers. For instance, he’s called cryptocurrencies “evil” and “stupid because they’re likely to go to zero” and are far too “useful to kidnappers and extortionists and so forth.”

The conglomerate that Munger helped Buffett build owns dozens of companies, including BNSF railroad, Geico insurance and several major utilities along with well-known brands like See’s Candy and Dairy Queen along with numerous manufacturing firms. Although Berkshire is based in Omaha, Nebraska, where Buffett lives, Munger has long lived in southern California, so much of his charitable giving has been focused on the West Coast.

It stinks in San Marino as The Huntington’s corpse flower blooms

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 16:17:37 +0000

How something so alive can smell so dead she’ll never know, but Jennifer Esqueda is so here for it.

The horticulture major from Orange Coast College missed work Monday to get a whiff and an eyeful of The Huntington’s corpse flower, which began blooming Sunday afternoon.

Gunilla Hamaoui, 77, of Woodland Hills, takes a selfie with the The Huntington’s corpse flower in San Marino on Monday, August 28, 2023. This is the 21-year-old Amorphophallus titanum’s first bloom. The garden has 43 corpse plants. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
People witness the The Huntington’s corpse flower bloom in San Marino on Monday, August 28, 2023. This is the 21-year-old Amorphophallus titanum’s first bloom. The garden has 43 corpse plants. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dan Dowden, of Los Angeles, and his 4-year-old daughter Greta visit check out The Huntington’s corpse flower bloom in San Marino on Monday, August 28, 2023. This is the 21-year-old Amorphophallus titanum’s first bloom. The garden has 43 corpse plants. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A woman photographs the The Huntington’s corpse flower bloom in San Marino on Monday, August 28, 2023. This is the 21-year-old Amorphophallus titanum’s first bloom. The garden has 43 corpse plants. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Huntington’s corpse flower blooms in San Marino on Monday, August 28, 2023. This is the 21-year-old Amorphophallus titanum’s first bloom. The garden has 43 corpse plants. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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“I am really excited,” said Esqueda, 26, of Costa Mesa. “It’s a great experience to be able to see something like this. And the closest I can describe the smell to is a dead rat, and yes, I’ve smelled a dead rat.”

Esqueda visited The Huntington last week, hoping to catch the smelly unfurling. She said aside from lots of photos, she will also buy a t-shirt and pin from the bookstore to commemorate her successful expedition.

Brandon Tam, associate curator of the orchid collection, fielded questions from guests, explaining each plant takes 4-6 years to flower and that The Huntington has 43 mature specimens of the corpse flower, known formally as Amorphallus titanum or Allan the Amorphophallus to fans. The last corpse flower to bloom on premises was 2022’s Scent-tennial.

“It stinks, it blooms infrequently and it grows quickly, that’s why people are so fascinated and enticed by it,” Tam said.

The corpse flower can grow up to 8 feet tall and blooms for only about one to three days a year. It has been called the world’s largest flower.

The online bloom watch, live-streamed on YouTube and Instagram the past couple of weeks, brought longtime member Aaron Corder of Pasadena to the garden.

“I’ve been following on Instagram and geeking out about it, so I had to get down here and check it out,” Corder said. “I had to come and smell how potent it is.”

His verdict? An earnest and appreciative “Phew.”

Bryce Dunn, conservatory gardener, was the first to witness the corpse flower’s activity from its spot in the Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory. He said it was amazing how widely and quickly the plant head opened within hours.

As for the aroma, Dunn said the plant, which is native to Sumatra, Indonesia, smells like a bunch of food items left to bake in the sun, or what you’d get a whiff of passing a restaurant dumpster.

Dulce Arzola of Highland Park and Mimi Chakravorty of Pasadena came armed with iced coffees to beat the 103-degree heat and tropical humidity in the conservatory.

“It was cool to see, and I smelled it when I walked in,” Chakravorty said.

Arzola admired the plant’s maroon petals but said she smelled worse things on the sidewalks of L.A.

Warren Smuzynski drove from Orange County to visit The Huntington for the first time. He said he comes away impressed with the massive bloom and gardens itself.

For Tam, all the malodorous excitement is a chance to talk about plant conservation. The Huntington exhibited the first corpse flower to ever bloom in California in 1999. It built on that success by hand-pollinating the plant with its own pollen and then sharing specimens of this rare species with other educational institutions such as Moody Gardens in Texas and San Antonio Zoo. The Fullerton Arboretum on the grounds of Cal State Fullerton and San Diego Botanic Gardens in Encinitas also have corpse flowers in their collections. At Cal State Long Beach, a corpse flower known as Phil first bloomed in 2019.

Seeing and smelling a corpse flower is a spectacular event, Tam said, and like many elements in Mother Nature, timing is everything.

Esqueda, the aspiring botanist who missed work to be at the nature show, said playing hooky to spend time in a garden is always worth it.

“Plants make the world more beautiful, and aside from cleaning our air, there’s so much to learn about them,” she said. “We wouldn’t be here without plants.”

As Hurricane Hilary looms, Huntington Library doubles down on effort to protect its trees

Sat, 19 Aug 2023 12:00:37 +0000

Two days before the likely first tropical storm to hit this area in 84 years barrels down in Pasadena, Nicole Cavender and Shadi Shihab knew one thing: they were ready. They will be on call this weekend, ready to protect the nearly 1,000 tree species that belong to one vital part of the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.

“We’re confident we’ve done all we can, knowing all the work we’ve been doing,” said Cavender, who is director of The Huntington’s botanical gardens.

Nicole Cavender, director of The Huntington’s botanical gardens, explains why a mature Coast Live Oak died in the Desert Garden last month. A campaign launched to help save and maintain the garden’s historic tree canopy ends on Sept. 6. (Photo by Anissa Rivera)

That conviction comes from going over the work done since The Huntington’s historic tree canopy was battered by the windstorms of 2011 and severe droughts that punctuated the 2000s.

Shihab, the garden’s superintendent, said they lost 60 trees from the torrential rains and heavy winds that battered Southern California this winter and spring alone.

More than a dozen powerful storms unleashed rain in excess of 40 inches, which contributed to the loss of 35 trees, including 11 mature Coast Live Oaks, some of which were standing before Henry and Arabella bought the grounds more than 100 years ago.

The loss of these storied giants was significant, according to Keisha Raines, communications associate at The Huntington.

That’s the clarion call behind HARP, or Huntington Arboreal Recovery Project, a campaign to raise $50,000 by Sept. 6. The money will be used to replace fallen trees, manage mature trees and maintain the native and rare, non-native trees in the collection.

The Diane and Ron Miller Charitable Fund will match every gift up to $10,000.

“Every tree needs a champion, every tree needs to be cared for,” Cavender said.

Shadi Shihab, superintendent of The Huntington’s botanical gardens, checks on the pruning of trees in the Australian Garden at The Huntington, days before the arrival of a tropical storm on Sunday, the first to hit this area in 84 years. (Photo by Anissa Rivera)

Tree-tending never ends for the Huntington team, which documents, lists and maps every tree in their collection.

“Everywhere you see trees, we’re working on it,” Shihab said. He keeps a photo catalog of beloved trees of The Huntington on his phone, like a proud parent.

Unfortunately, he also has photos of work showing expensive damage from extreme weather. Shihab points out stumps from trees that have fallen down and could not be saved after storm surges. Cavender walks around one live oak in the Chinese Garden they were able to save, but only after much study and discussion.

Cavender, who has a doctorate in horticulture and crop science, can list the importance of trees, from breathing clean air, enjoying shade, filtering water and providing a home for wildlife.

Then there’s the natural and cultural history on the grounds. One Coast Live Oak tree in the Chinese Garden is 200 years old. The 112-foot-tall Queensland kauris, an official California Big Tree, towering over the Rose Garden was planted in 1890.

And then there are 12 Montezuma Cypresses in the Rose Garden and near the lily ponds, direct descendants of the trees the Mexica planted in Chapultepec in 1450. Shihab’s predecessor, William Hertrich brought their seeds to The Huntington in 1912.

The new campaign is a plea to all tree lovers, said Marina Kohler, director of donor engagement.

“Trees are getting hit right now,” Cavender said. “We’re seeing this is a global phenomenon, from diseases to climate, extreme temperatures, rainfall, drought. They’re not that different from us. When we’re overly taxed, we get sick. Same with trees. And trees are irreplaceable.”

Shadi Shihab, superintendent of The Huntington’s botanical gardens, points out the completed pruning done on a eucalyptus tree in The Huntington’s Australian Garden. (Photo by Anissa Rivera)

The campaign to maintain an important public green space will preserve the Huntington’s trees for the next generation, too.

“We have to think beyond our lifetimes,” Cavender said. “What protections can we put in place that will take care of trees after we’re gone? Then we do the right thing.”

For more information, call Marina Kohler at 626-405-3497 or email mkohler@huntington.org. Donate by phone at 626-405-2290 or contact advancement@huntington.org. Mail Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, Attn: Office of Advancement, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108.

Pasadena Crash Leaks 1,300 Gallons Of Fuel Into Alhambra Wash

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 17:30:56 +0000

PASADENA (CBSLA) — A crash in Pasadena Sunday afternoon caused a spill that sent hundreds of gallons of fuel draining into the Alhambra Wash.

Dec. 19, 2021. (city of Alhambra/Twitter)

At around 3:15 p.m., a vehicle struck a fuel pump at the Union 76 Gas Station on Arroyo Parkway and Glenarm Street, according to the city of Pasadena.

A witness told CBSLA that a female driver behind the wheel hit the pump in such a way that it disabled the mechanism that would normally prevent gasoline from spilling as it did. The emergency shutoff malfunctioned, and authorities were instead forced to cut power to the gas station.

The city said the collision caused about 1,300 gallons of fuel to spill and then drain into the Alhambra Wash.

Hazmat crews with the city of Pasadena and Los Angeles County responded, as a portion of the intersection was closed. The spill was partly contained Sunday night. Cleanup efforts were expected to continue well into Monday afternoon, the city of Alhambra said.

(city of Alhambra)

During the cleanup process, residents in the surrounding area were advised to stay indoors and close windows. Anyone who reports feeling sick from the fumes should call 911.

LA County Hazmat and a private contractor will continue the clean up on the gasoline spill until 2pm today. They are coordinating the cleanup throughout the wash, starting in Pasadena, passing through Alhambra and ending in San Gabriel. All Alhambra crews have been released. pic.twitter.com/zDMsmKZ6jE

— City of Alhambra (@cityofalhambra) December 20, 2021

Corpse Flowers Stinkie, Green Boy Bloom At The Huntington Library

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 16:21:54 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) — Corpse flowers Stinkie and Green Boy are blooming at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

(credit: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens)

Green Boy was in full bloom on Tuesday and is now closing up, but Stinkie was “just beginning its magnificent bloom,” museum officials announced Wednesday. The flowers, which emit an odor comparable to rotting flesh to attract pollinators, bloom for just up to 36 hours.

This putrid pair are the latest corpse flowers to bloom at the Huntington Beach just this month. Stankosaurus Rex bloomed on July 5, but visitors interested in seeing the stinky sight can probably come back next summer — the Huntington Library has 43 seedlings and can have a flower bloom as often as once a year. Mature corpse flowers can bloom every four to six years, according to Botanic Specialist Brandon Tam.

A live stream of the corpse flowers is available at the Huntington’s website or on YouTube. Limited in-person viewing is available in the library’s Conservatory from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Tuesday, and masks are required.

2 Corpse Flowers Expected To Bloom At The Huntington Library In San Marino This Week

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 21:21:27 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) — Get ready to hold your noses again – not one, but two corpse flowers are getting ready to give off their dreadful stench this week, just a couple of weeks after one bloomed at the Huntington Library in San Marino.

Green Boy and Stinkie are expected to bloom late this week, as their growth has already begun to slow down, according to officials from the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens.

It can take a corpse flower as much as 18 years to mature, but once it reaches maturity, it can bloom every four to six years, the Huntington Library’s Botanic Specialist Brandon Tam said. And when it does bloom, the corpse flower gives off a stench redolent of rotting flesh, which is apparently perfect for attracting pollinators like flesh flies, carrion beetles, and sweat bees.

The pungent pair’s bloom follows just a few weeks after Stankosaurus Rex gave the world a whiff of its putrid pulchritude. The library’s corpse flower #12 bloomed on the evening of July 5, peaking at about 4 a.m. the next morning. Because even though it takes years for the corpse flower to bloom, the stinky sight lasts only up to 36 hours.

The corpse flower, which is native to Sumatra and Indonesia, is considered to be an endangered species with just 1,000 left in the wild, Tam said. Seedlings have been distributed to botanic gardens throughout the country, and the Huntington Gardens has 43 seedlings.

“So we can have one bloom in each year,” Tam said.

The two corpse flowers are available for in-person viewing at limited capacity and masks starting Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the library’s Conservatory. Reservations are not required on weekdays.

However, for corpse flower fans who just want to watch the magic happen – and not smell it – The Huntington has a livestream available online on their website and YouTube.

Stinky Surprise: Corpse Flower Set For Rare Bloom At San Marino’s Huntington Library

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 13:44:16 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) – The notorious Corpse Flower is ready to bloom at the Huntington Library in San Marino for just the twelfth time in the last 22 years.

A live feed of the Corpse Flower at the Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif., on June 29, 2021. (Credit: Huntington Library/YouTube)

The plant, nicknamed “Stankosaurus Rex” because of its notorious smell, is now 71 inches tall.

The bloom is rare. This will mark just the 12th corpse flower to bloom at the Huntington Library since August of 1999. It last bloomed in September of 2020.

The Amorphophallus titanum, also known as a Titan Arum, has been called the world’s largest flower, but is technically an “inflorescence,” or a cluster of flowers. It can reach more than 8 feet in height when it blooms, opening to a diameter of 4 feet.

When in one of its ultra-rare blooms, it gives off an odor akin to rotting flesh, attracting insects that pollinate the flowers deep inside.

The blooming plant produces two key gases — dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide — that also are present in decomposing animals and vegetables, Turner-Lowe said.

What prompts a particular plant to start the blooming process largely remains a mystery, Turner-Lowe said, but the corpse flower tends to bloom during hot weather.

Once it blooms, it will be opened to the public for a limited in-person viewing in the Conservatory. The Conservatory is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Tuesdays.

Only the front of the Conservatory (where the corpse flower is located) is open to visitors.

Reservations are not required to visit weekdays, but reservations are required for weekends and the Monday holiday.

A live stream of the corpse flower is available here.

The flower was first displayed in the United States in 1937 at the New York Botanical Garden.

Huntington Library Reopens For First Time In Over A Year

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 20:37:38 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) – The famous Huntington Library in San Marino became the latest Los Angeles area museum to reopen to visitors for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic took hold back in March of 2020.

FILE — The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens on March 8, 2021, in San Marino, Calif. (Getty Images)

The Huntington Art Museum and Botanical Gardens reopened three of its gallery spaces Saturday. Among the highlights on display is the newly restored “The Blue Boy” portrait by Thomas Gainsborough.

Also open is the “Made in L.A. 2020” exhibition, featuring the work of L.A. area artists.

The themed botanical gardens are also open.

According to the museum, capacity was being limited to 25% and tickets must be reserved online in advance.

Tickets range in price from $25 to $29 for adults, and $21 to $24 for students and seniors. Children ages 4 to 11 pay $13, while children age 3 and under get in free.

Huntington has a collection of 42,000 pieces of art and 11 million rare books. Its botanical gardens covers an area of 120 acres.

Meanwhile, the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades will reopen this coming Wednesday. The Getty Museum is expected to reopen next month.

Pursuit Starting In San Marino Leads To Standoff In Montebello

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 04:34:13 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) – A pursuit initiated by San Marino police has ended in a standoff outside the emergency room at Beverly Hospital, 309 W. Beverly Blvd., in Montebello.

It started around 7:30 p.m. Saturday in San Marino, south of Pasadena. Police chased the suspect to the parking lot of the hospital and were in a standoff as of 8:30 p.m.

It is unclear if the driver has a weapon.

The standoff ended around 8:40 p.m., police said.

(This is a developing story. Check back for updates.)

The Huntington Prepares For Bloom Of Stinky ‘Corpse Flower’

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 20:09:51 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) — If a corpse flower blooms at the Huntington Library and no one is there to smell it in person, does it really stink?

The Huntington has launched #BloomWatch in anticipation of its amorphophallus titanum, or corpse flower, blooming in its conservatory. But, with indoor spaces at The Huntington closed to visitors, the watch will be online only.

Well, it's official. 2020 stinks.

An Amorphophallus titanum (aka #StinkyPlant) is gearing up for a big bloom in our Conservatory. Visitors won't be able to see the plant in person, but everyone can join the virtual #BloomWatch here: https://t.co/0KAUxY1Uko pic.twitter.com/Y88ldSSYLi

— The Huntington (@TheHuntington) August 28, 2020

The corpse flower had been measured at 22 inches Wednesday, but grew 3 inches since then. The bloom can reach more than eight feet in height and four feet in diameter. It’s been called the world’s largest flower, and when it blooms, it exudes a foul stench that’s been compared to the aroma of rotting meat.

While the watch is on, there’s no hurry just yet to tune in — Huntington spokeswoman Lisa Blackburn says the flower has about three more feet to grow before it flowers, which could take about 10 to 14 days.

The most recent bloom of the corpse flower at The Huntington was in July 2019.

The Huntington’s gardens are open to the public, but timed tickets must be reserved in advance and visitors must wear masks and observe physical distancing guidelines. Indoor galleries and high-touch outdoor spaces – like the conservatory where the corpse flower is located – remain closed.

A live feed has been set up so the corpse flower’s bloom can be watched in real time.

San Marino Fourth Of July Decorations Featuring Mannequin Of President Donald Trump Sparks Controversy

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 03:33:57 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) — The city of San Marino is hosting a home decorating contest ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.

Typically, the city holds a ceremony with traditional fireworks and a community gathering, but that’s not possible this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead, the recreation department is offering residents their own free home decorating starter kit to encourage them to display their patriotism for neighbors to see.

One home, in particular, has gotten a lot of attention for including a mannequin of President Donald Trump holding an American flag.

A mannequin display showing President Donald Trump holding an American flag was displayed outside a San Marino home. (Courtesy: CBS2/KCAL9)

Leslie Antosy-Flores said she was excited about the friendly competition and put out flags, banners and a depiction of Trump to show her enthusiasm.

“Of course we have our President Trump. He needs to be recognized since he is our president,” Antosy-Flores said.

The San Marino resident said she has been criticized for the decorations and that she doesn’t believe she did anything wrong.

“I did have somebody yell at me and call me a racist. All I’m doing is displaying him with an American flag. I didn’t do anything with any political agenda,” she said.

Antosy-Flores said she removed the display of Trump several times because of people yelling.

Another San Marino resident, who put up a six-foot eagle outside his home, supported her display.

“I think anyone who wants to show their patriotic spirit, God bless them for showing that for this administration, for our country, no matter their opinion,” Scott Solan said.

Opponents of President Trump have characterized using his likeness as a symbol of racial division in this country.

San Marino City Councilmember Susan Jakubowski said in response to the backlash over the display that people are able to decorate in any way they wish as long as it’s not offensive.

“I think now more so than ever we are all agreeing to be different to get along and this community like every other community has all different beliefs,” Jakubowski said.

The city gave out 300 starter kits to residents filled with sidewalk chalk, American flags, a pennant banner, one roll of patriotic crepe paper, and a participating home lawn sign.

San Marino city leaders say they hope to continue this competition in the years to come.

Winners for the home decorating contest — in the categories of Most Creative, Most Patriotic, Judge’s Choice, and Honorable Mention — will be announced on July 2.

The top four finalists in each category will receive a gift card from a local business and a recognition lawn sign.

Huntington Library Will Reopen Gardens To Members

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 21:48:09 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) — The Huntington Library has reopened, but there are limits and changes.

The Huntington reopened its gardens to its members Wednesday, and will open to the public on July 1.

Visitors are being asked to stay away if they feel sick, and people who do visit will be required to undergo temperature checks and urged to keep 6 feet apart from other people, wearing face coverings and wash their hands often.

Guest passes are not being permitted during the June member reopening, and all guest passes will require advance reservations starting in July. Non-member tickets will be available for purchase starting on June 28.

While the Huntington’s extensive gardens have reopened, the Children’s Garden, research library and several galleries will remain closed.

Friends, Family Of Man Killed By Teenage Street Racers Say Probation Is Not Enough

Sat, 04 Jan 2020 06:39:04 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) — Friends and family of a man killed while jogging in San Marino said probation was not enough for two 17-year-old boys who killed a man and dog after crashing into each other during a street race.

The tragic crash happened last July when 49-year-old Gabriel Crispo and his girlfriend, Martha, were jogging down the median on Huntington Avenue with their 5-year-old dog. Two 17-year-old boys were street racing when they crashed and flew into the center median, killing Crispo and the dog.

“You know, we know they’re juveniles,” Christy Neville, Crispo’s friend, said. “They’re not gonna be going to jail.”

But Crispo’s friends and family had been holding onto hope that the two boys would face severe consequences for their life-ending actions.

“To me, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime,” Neville said.

The boys were ultimately sentenced to probation — one for 30 days and the other for 60 days — allowed to return home and attend work service and hospital morgue programs.

“You can’t teach kids that it’s OK to go out and street race and if you kill someone all you’re gonna get is community service or probation,” Neville said.

Crispo was a longtime teacher at Pasadena City College and Don Bosco Tech.

He was adored by his friends and cherished by his girlfriend of 15 years who said what happened should serve as a lesson to teenagers that street racing is not a game, and that a car can be a lethal weapon.

But, she said, probation alone does not make that point.

“I mean, how is that going to teach our kids of the future not to street race,” Neville said.

The boys also have to write apology letters to Crispo’s family, and Neville said she hopes they dig deep.

“They’re still going to school and living their life,” she said. “And Martha’s without the love of her life, and she lost her dog.”

Off-Duty Alhambra Officer Shoots Himself While Being Pursued By Off-Duty Deputy In San Marino

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 00:45:58 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) – In a bizarre series of events, an off-duty Alhambra police officer accidentally shot himself while being pursued by an off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy for speeding in San Marino late Sunday night in what was initially reported as a road rage confrontation.

Just after 8:30 p.m., an off-duty L.A. County Sheriff’s deputy noticed a Subaru speeding in the area of San Gabriel Boulevard and Duarte Road and decided to give chase in his Mercedes with the intention of asking the driver to slow down, San Marino police told CBS2 Monday.

Investigators on scene of the accidental shooting in San Marino, Calif. Sept. 23, 2019. (CBS2)

The deputy caught up with the Subaru and motioned for its driver, who turned out to be an off-duty Alhambra police officer, to roll down his window.

The officer told investigators that he feared for his safety and tried to pull out his gun, at which point it accidentally discharged, and he shot himself in the torso, police said.

The officer was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries and he is expected to survive. The deputy was not hurt.

Records indicate the owner of the Subaru is an Alhambra police officer, but officials told CBSLA’s Dave Lopez they would not comment on any such information.

San Marino police also did not release the officer’s identity.

The deputy is assigned to the LASD Courts Services Division, police said.

Neither the deputy or the officer have been arrested or charged. There’s no evidence that either man knew the other was law enforcement, police said. The incident was initially reported as a road rage confrontation, but police later clarified to CBS2 that was not the case.

San Marino police are continuing to investigate.

2 Teens Arrested For Killing Jogger While Street Racing In San Marino

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 06:59:34 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) — Two teenagers are under arrest on manslaughter charges after allegedly killing a college teacher and his dog while street racing in San Marino Thursday morning.

July 4, 2019. (CBS2)

The two boys, age 17, are facing vehicular manslaughter charges, San Marino police report. The victim was identified as 49-year-old Gabriel Crispo, who taught at Pasadena City College. His girlfriend’s dog also died in the wreck.

According to police, a white Mercedes was racing a blue Toyota on Huntington Drive, near Kenilworth Avenue, when the accident occurred at around 10:35 a.m.

Investigators say security video shows the driver of the Mercedes attempt to cut off the Toyota before losing control and flying across the center median, where the car struck and killed Crispo while he jogged with his girlfriend’s dog.

Both drivers were arrested at the scene.

“Every morning for the rest of their lives, they’re going to wake up and they’re going to realize that they killed somebody,” San Marino Police Chief John Incontro said. “Their actions, at 17 years old, resulted in the death of someone.”

Suspect Arrested After Threat Cancels Classes At San Marino High School

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 18:20:25 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) – A suspect has been arrested after an alleged threat forced classes to be temporarily canceled at San Marino High School Monday morning.

At around 8 a.m., the school, located at 2701 Huntington Dr., was placed on lockdown after San Marino police contacted Principal Issaic Gates regarding an anonymous violent threat which had been made against a specifically named student and potentially his friends.

San Marino High School on lockdown. March 4, 2019. (CBS2)

Just after 9:30 a.m., the school made the decision to cancel classes for the day.

“A decision was made to cancel classes and close the high school until further notice,” the school wrote in a statement.

However, a little after 10 a.m., police reported that a suspect had been arrested on charges of making criminal threats. Police determined there were no “existing threats,” the lockdown was lifted and classes were allowed to resume.

Students were told to return to campus by fourth period, which begins at 11:10 a.m.

The suspect was not identified. It’s unclear if the person is a student at the school.

Meanwhile, in a previous statement, the school said it wanted to dispel rumors that there was an active shooter on campus.

“There are incorrect rumors going around that there is an active shooter at the high school,” the school wrote. “The high school is on lockdown only as a precaution.”

Massive Tree Falls In San Marino Causing Nearly 4,500 To Lose Power

Sun, 12 Aug 2018 00:24:10 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) — Authorities say a large tree fell in a San Marinon neighborhood Saturday afternoon taking a lot of power lines with it.

CBS2’s Adrianna Weingold reported from the scene were she said about 4,300 customers lost power after the tree fell. By 5 p.m., that number dwindled to less than 300.

The massive tree reportedly fell around 2:30 p.m. in the 800 block of Roanoke Road.

Officials could not say when power would be fully restored but said it would be “at least a couple of hours.”

The City of San Marino Police Department said all power was restored just after 7:20 p.m. At that time, they also said the road remained close due to the on-going tree removal.

San Marino School Board Member Under Investigation For Sexual Harassment

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 21:45:26 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) – A longtime member of the San Marino Unified School board is under investigation over allegations of sexual harassment.

The San Marino Police Department confirmed Monday that it had opened a criminal investigation into a school board member, but did not name the person. However, the Pasadena Star newspaper identified the board member as Chris Norgaard.

According to the newspaper, Norgaard is under investigation for claims of sexual harassment and battery. The details of the allegations were not disclosed by police or the school district. No charges have yet been filed.

The police department was notified of the allegations on Jan. 19.

“You know as much about these allegations as I do,” Norgaard told the Pasadena Star this week. “I have no idea what this is about, which is very frustrating to me.”

The district told the Pasadena Star that Norgaard is not allowed onto school district property at this time. Norgaard has been a board members since 2003 and works as a lawyer in downtown Los Angeles, according to the district’s website.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call San Marino police detectives at 626-300-0722.

Caught On Tape: Armed Robbers Hit Verizon Store, Clerks Ordered To The Floor

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 05:47:46 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) — A Verizon store in San Marino is popular with customers.

Unfortunately for the owners and clerks who work in the store, the property is also becoming popular with robbers. The store was just hit for the third time in seven months.

KCAL9’s Elsa Ramon reported from the location .

Detectives told her it’s happening to a lot of Verizon stores all over Southern California.

Two men — on a very warm day — approached the front entrance wearing hoodies. It soon became clear the men were not there for phones.

A man in a dark hoodie casually walks up to the register, pulls out a semi-automatic handgun and orders everyone to the floor.

While he aims the gun at the employees, his accomplice in the camo hoodie makes his way to the safe in the back of the store.

Within 2 1/2 to 3 minutes detectives say the thieves escaped through the back of the store with bags full of merchandise. The men are then seen hopping into a Chevy Impala LS with paper plates.

The employees remain down on the ground for several minutes, before they realize the two men were gone.

Susana Jako says she heard about the robbery and sayd her peace of mind is now shaken.

“We’re looking around you don’t feel safe anymore. You don’t know which store it’s going to happen in once you’re in,” Jakso said.

The brazen robbers had no problem pressing their luck. The Verizon store;s location? Just a a few doors down from the San Marino Police Station.

“I hear about it happening more and more around different areas but like I said, this areas is pretty safe. I never thought in my mind that something like this was going to happen,” Jako said.

Detectives told Ramon that two men are being prosecuted for one of the robberies at the Verizon store.

A representative for Verizon said they believe they were being targeted because unlike some phones, theirs work overseas and that’s where he believes they are being re-sold.

Boy, 12, Shocks Another Child With Stun Gun Disguised As Smartphone

Fri, 19 May 2017 17:03:53 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA.com) — A boy brought a stun gun designed to look like a smartphone to a school in San Marino, prompting a police investigation.

A parent reported last Saturday that a 12-year-old boy had shocked another child with a stun gun by the lunch tables near the basketball courts at Huntington Middle School, San Marino police said Thursday.

The police investigation determined the stun gun was used in a joking manner, with no threatening intent, but possession of a stun gun by a minor is illegal, so the investigation soon shifted to determining where the child got the device.

Officers say the boy bought the stun gun at the “As Seen On TV Products” store at the Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Center in Arcadia. The store owner confirmed she sold the device to the boy, but said she didn’t realize it was illegal to sell a stun gun to a minor.

San Marino police officials say the investigation is ongoing, and appropriate charges, if any, will be determined after the case is reviewed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

San Marino Burglary Spree Has Police On High Alert

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 02:43:14 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA.com) – More than two dozen burglaries in the San Marino area so far this year has prompted authorities to increase patrols and ask residents to be more cautious.

San Marino police reports that there have been 25 residential burglaries and six attempted burglaries between January and March. The number of burglaries marks a 38 percent increase over the same period last year, when there were 18. There has also been an increase throughout the entire San Gabriel Valley.

“It’s been a dramatic increase,” San Marino police Sgt. Tim Tebbetts told KCAL9 Thursday.

On March 4, four suspects were arrested on burglary charges thanks to a neighbor who reported suspicious activity, police said.

No one has been home during any of the burglaries. However, Tebbetts said some of the suspects who have been arrested are believed to be gang members so the burglars should be considered dangerous. The peak time for the burglaries has been between the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

San Marino police released surveillance video of some the burglaries and are asking for the public’s help.

“Even though a lot of them are wearing hoodies and trying to protect their identity, somebody knows who they are,” Tebbetts said. “And if you can recognize that person, the way they walk, piece of clothing that they’re wearing, anything that’s going to beneficial for us to even take a look at is going to help us.”

Tebbetts says if you see something unusual taking place, don’t approach the person, just contact police.

Suspected Gunman Arrested After Leading Police On Wild Chase Through San Gabriel Valley

Thu, 03 Mar 2016 23:45:45 +0000

PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — A suspected gunman was arrested Thursday afternoon after leading police on a wild, high-speed pursuit through the San Gabriel Valley.

Police started chasing a Black Kia at about 2:20 p.m. in the 400 block of Tremont Street in Boyle Heights after someone reported seeing a man armed with a gun, according to Officer Matthew Ludwig of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The chase went on the Arroyo Seco (110) Parkway and surface streets. At one point, a passenger jumped out of the vehicle and was arrested.

When the pursuit reached San Marino, the Kia crashed into a White Mercedes at the intersection of Huntington Drive and Winston Avenue.

After the collision, the driver bailed out of the Kia, ran a few blocks through a residential neighborhood and tried to hide inside a HoneyBaked Ham store at 480 S. Sierra Madre Boulevard in Pasadena.

With guns drawn, officers surrounded the building and rushed inside looking for the suspect. Minutes later, an officer is seen wrestling the suspect to the ground outside the store, handcuffing him and taking him into custody.

San Marino Woman Knocked Around During Overnight Home-Invasion Robbery

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 15:49:46 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA.com) — Police say two men broke into San Marino home and knocked around the female resident while ransacking the place.

Police were called out to a home in the 1800 block of Sharon Place at about 1:10 a.m. Tuesday after a victim reported seeing two men in her bedroom closet, San Marino police Sgt. Tim Tebbetts said.

The woman told police she was sleeping in a spare bedroom when she heard a noise from the living room and walked out, thinking it was her husband. She saw a man wearing all dark clothes, going through a bedroom closet, Tebbetts said.

He grabbed her by the hair and forced her into her bedroom, where she saw a second man walking out from her bathroom. Tebbets said the first robber demanded she open the safe, and when she refused, he struck her face against the safe and ordered her to open it again.

Police say she ultimately opened the safe and thrown on to her bed, where she was struck again by the robber and told not to leave. After removing items from the safe, the robbers fled the location and the woman called police.

The first robber was described as a man, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10, wearing dark clothes and gloves, with a medium build. The second robber was also described as a man, between 6 foot and 6-foot-2, also wearing dark clothes and gloves with a thin build.

Anyone with information about the robbery can call Sgt. Tim Tebbetts or Detective Gomez-Lara at (626) 300-0722.

San Marino High Student Claims Teachers Failed To Report Rape Allegations

Mon, 08 Jun 2015 17:10:07 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Attorneys for a former San Marino High School student have filed a lawsuit alleging school officials were indifferent to her claim that she was raped by a fellow member of the campus debate team while they were in a relationship.

The lawsuit filed last week against the San Marino Unified School District in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges gender discrimination and seeks unspecified damages.

Starting in Oct. 2011, the plaintiff began dating her alleged assailant, who “forced (her) to have sex with him, against her will, on multiple occasions” by the following summer, according to the suit.

After the relationship ended in Nov. 2012, the student revealed what happened to a teacher in March 2013, the lawsuit states.

In response, the teacher said, “Honey, you were raped” and talked about the culture of rape and its occurrences on college campuses, according to the lawsuit.

While the teacher urged the plaintiff to discuss the alleged assault with her friends, she “advised that the police would not believe (her) and showed (her) articles supporting this position,” the suit states.

The teacher also failed to inform administrators about the plaintiff’s allegations despite the student’s ask for help in doing so,” according to the suit.

The lawsuit also states that the plaintiff informed several other teachers about the allegations, but none of them encouraged her to go to police.

According to the suit, the trauma from the alleged attacks caused the plaintiff to be late to classes or skip them altogether, and forced her to quit the debate team.

Bamboo To Go? The Huntington Botanical Gardens Provide Food For San Diego’s Giant Pandas

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 17:35:45 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA.com) — Three of the San Diego Zoo’s star attractions are ordering their meals to go from a local garden.

Once a week, a team from the zoo’s browse horticulturists, which are specialists in growing dietary plant material for zoological collections, make a trek from San Diego to San Marino to obtain bamboo from The Huntington Library’s Botanical Gardens.

The Huntington’s plant collections include nearly 70 different species of bamboo, many of them native to China, offering a range of delicacies for the zoo’s giant pandas Bai Yun, Gao Gao and three-year-old Xiao Liwu.

“When the zoo dietician contacted us about harvesting some of our bamboo, we were happy to help,” David MacLaren, curator of Asian Gardens at The Huntington, said in a statement. “We’ve got plenty of bamboo to spare, so it’s great to be able to donate some of our surplus growth to such a worthwhile cause.”

The Huntington’s harvest supplements bamboo grown in the San Diego Zoo’s own groves and vegetation obtained from the San Diego Botanic Garden and other sources.

“The zoo has a limited supply of what they feed the pandas there, and they said it was almost like giving somebody a chocolate chip cookie who has been rice crackers,” MacLaren said.

The pandas eat up to 50 lbs of bamboo per day.

The Huntington Acquires Henry Fuseli’s ‘Three Witches’

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 22:52:12 +0000

SAN MARINO (AP) — Southern California’s Huntington Library has acquired an early version of Anglo-Swiss painter Henry Fuseli’s classic “The Three Witches” and will put it on display beginning Saturday.

Huntington officials said Tuesday the painting also known as “The Weird Sisters” appears to be a full-size study made about 1782.

That was sometime before Fuseli created the two known final versions of his scary looking work depicting the witches of Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth.”

One of those is at England’s Royal Shakespeare Company. The other is at Zurich’s Museum of Modern Art.

This one, acquired from a private collection, has never been displayed publicly.

Although the Huntington is known for its 18th century British paintings, this is its first work by Fuseli, one of the most celebrated artists of that period.

Flower With Scent Of Dead Body Set For Rare Bloom

Sat, 16 Aug 2014 19:16:25 +0000

SAN MARINO (AP) — A gigantic flower that smells like rotting flesh will soon bloom at botanical gardens near Los Angeles.

The “corpse flower” is rare not just for its pungent odor, but also because it blooms so infrequently.

The Pasadena Star-News reports that officials at the Huntington gardens in San Marino expect that within the week, their flower will fully unfurl, reaching about 5 feet.

According to the Huntington, there have been only about 20 corpse flower blooms in the United States. The plant is native to Indonesia.

San Marino Mayor Resigns After Video Captures Him Throwing Dog Waste In Neighbor’s Yard

Wed, 18 Jun 2014 06:45:01 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA.com) — The mayor of San Marino has stepped down after he was captured on surveillance video tossing a bag of dog waste onto his neighbor’s walkway earlier this month.

Dennis Kneier announced his immediate resignation Tuesday in a letter to the city and the City Council.

“As is well known, early in the evening of Saturday, June 7, I had a lapse of judgment and discarded dog waste on a neighbor’s walkway,” Kneier wrote. “It was insensitive, disrespectful and wrong. I have apologized to my neighbor for my action, and I will pay a fine for littering. I can understand why this matter has some questioning my ability to lead the council. I want to assure you that something like this will not happen again.”

Philip Lao, Kneier’s neighbor, has said that the two men have been embroiled in a feud since 2008 because he disagrees with some of the mayor’s proposals.

Vice Mayor Eugene Sun will assume mayoral responsibilities through June 27, when the council will select a new mayor and vice mayor.

Kneier will remain a councilman until his term ends in November 2015.

Caught On Video: San Marino Mayor Creating A Stink After Throwing Dog Waste Into Neighbor’s Yard

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 03:59:00 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA.com) — The mayor of San Marino is in the doghouse after surveillance video caught him throwing dog feces onto his neighbor’s yard.

Some residents are even calling for his resignation.

“What in the world were you thinking?” a San Marino resident said at a crowded meeting Wednesday night at City Hall. “What procedures do we go through to have him resign?”

(credit: CBS)

Mayor Dennis Kneier’s neighbor Phillip Lao says the two have been embroiled in an ongoing feud since 2008 because he disagrees with some of the lawmaker’s proposals.

Lao says he’s filing harassment charges against the mayor and the city.

“If I were in his place I would resign, in shame,” Lao said.

The mayor apologized at the start of Wednesday’s meeting.

“I have absolutely regretted that action. I have apologized to the property owner to which the bag ended up,” Kneier said.

But a few residents spoke out, saying an apology wasn’t enough — they want Kneier to step down from his post.

Some people at the meeting spoke in the mayor’s defense, saying he and his wife have worked hard for the residents in San Marino.

“There are few people in this community who have dedicated as much time as Liz and Dennis,” one resident said.

The mayor did not comment whether he would consider resigning despite multiple inquiries.

San Marino Mayor Caught On Camera Throwing Dog Feces On Neighbor’s Walkway

Tue, 10 Jun 2014 06:33:58 +0000

SAN MARINO (CBSLA.com) — The mayor of San Marino was caught on camera throwing dog feces in his neighbor’s yard.

The video shows Mayor Dennis Kneier tossing the bag of dog waste onto Philip Lao’s walkway.

“I’m the kind of guy that’s always picking up trash and I reached down and picked it up and I am walking down the street . . . and in a moment of stupidity, I guess I was tired of carrying it, I disposed of it on his walkway. It was a mistake,” he said.

Lao, who captured the incident on his home surveillance system, told CBS2 that he thinks it was retaliation because he opposes a neighborhood dog park at nearby Lacy Park.

The mayor said he’s written an apology to Lao, which was also published in the local newspaper.

“To think that what I did, which again I say was a lapse of judgement, had anything to do with how I feel or may feel in the future and he feels about a dog park is just so far from the truth I can’t believe it,” Kneier said.

The video was handed over to police, but Lao declined to file charges.

Luxury Listing: $17M San Marino Estate

Fri, 23 May 2014 00:41:23 +0000

CBS2’s Suzanne Marques takes viewers inside a beautiful $17 million estate in San Marino.

Home Invasion Robbery Suspect Allegedly Tied Up Housekeeper At Knifepoint

Thu, 24 Apr 2014 00:14:44 +0000

ALHAMBRA (CBSLA.com) — A 24-year-old man faces life in prison for allegedly breaking into a San Marino home and then demanding money from a housekeeper at knifepoint, authorities reported.

Yongcheng Huang pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to two counts of false imprisonment by violence and one count each of first-degree burglary,home invasion robbery, kidnapping for ransom and attempted home invasion robbery, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Huang allegedly forced his way into the home last Friday, tied up the housekeeper, demanded money from the woman and then waited for the homeowner to return when she said she didn’t have any cash.

The homeowner came home and allegedly gave $900 to Huang. Prosecutors say the suspect fled the scene and was arrested soon afterward.

Huang is due back at the Alhambra courthouse on May 13, where a judge will schedule a hearing date.

Prosecutors say Huang faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Rockefeller Imposter Sentenced To 27 Years To Life For San Marino Murder

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 17:13:16 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A con man who posed as a member of the famous Rockefeller family was sentenced Thursday to 27 years to life in prison for the murder of a San Marino man 28 years ago.

Christian K. Gerhartsreiter was found guilty of murdering John Sohus in February 1985 in April.

Gerhartsreiter, 52, was living in a guest cottage at the home of Sohus’ mother in San Marino in 1985 when Sohus and his wife went missing.

Witnesses said the man, who then called himself Chris Chichester, vanished.

Sohus’ bones were unearthed during excavation of a swimming pool on the property in 1994. His wife is still missing.

Gerhartsreiter was eventually found on the East Coast, living under aliases such as Christopher Crowe, Chip Smith and Clark Rockefeller.

He had married a wealthy woman and controlled her funds, but his identity unraveled when he kidnapped their daughter during a custody dispute. She testified that he became increasingly paranoid when police begin inquiring about him.

When he was unmasked, he became the subject of magazine articles, true crime books and TV movies that sought to explore his bizarre story and get to the heart of the man behind the pseudonyms.

The resulting publicity led California authorities to revisit the Sohus disappearance. They realized the man in custody in Boston was not an heir to the Rockefeller fortune but was the man who had lived in San Marino decades earlier.

Gerhartsreiter was charged with Sohus’ murder in 2011 while he was serving time in Massachusetts for the kidnapping of his daughter. He was close to the end of his sentence when he was extradited to California.

San Marino News, CA Local News

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