San Marino News, CA Local News

Assemblymember Mike Fong honors 14 teachers for transformative work

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:50:04 +0000

Assemblymember Mike Fong, D-Alhambra, recognized 14 local teachers at the third annual Outstanding Educators Award, praising their work in the nine-city 49th Assembly District.

Selected from hundreds of nominees, “all of them are truly amazing, doing tremendous work transforming lives throughout the district,” Fong said.

The awards highlight the dedication and leadership of educators who go above and beyond to support their students from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade, organizers said.

The event was held Sept. 13 at Garvey Community Center in Rosemead.

Despite working during a challenging time in education, budget-wise, Fong praised the teachers for supporting and inspiring their students, “teaching them kindness and curiosity, helping them learn teamwork and uplifting their voices.”

Awardee Tony Wong teaches Advanced Placement (AP) calculus classes at Arroyo High School in El Monte. An educator for more than 40 years, he arrived at Arroyo in 1998. He remembers finding only a handful of students enrolled in the AP Calculus program.

“The common belief was that the class was only for ‘genius’ students,” the Rosemead resident said. “My mission was to shatter that myth.”

Wong grew the college-level classes over the years, seeing interest rise until Arroyo offered five classes, with passing rates at 95%, consistently the highest in the El Monte Union High School District, Fong said.

Wong launched a third-level AP course in 2006, Multivariable Calculus, which was approved by the UC and Cal State systems. Because of the small initial enrollment, he taught it for free during his conference hour, combining it with his Calculus BC class. By 2013, the third class had grown to 23 students, making the combined teaching model unworkable, and the course was discontinued.

“Being recognized by the state Assembly is a tremendous honor. As I mentioned at the award ceremony, while my name is on the award, this award truly belongs to so many others,” Wong said. “It belongs to the dedicated staff at Arroyo High School who have supported me. It belongs to the parents who are so committed to their children’s education. And most of all, it belongs to my students who work so hard every year to achieve a passing rate on the AP Exam that is consistently 15 to 20 percent higher than the national average.”

Helping students build a strong foundation of skills in math and motivating them to succeed remains a pillar of his teaching philosophy, making his work demanding rewarding, Wong said.

“What I love most is breaking down the barrier students face,” he added. “It’s about showing them that AP-level work isn’t just for a select few. When I can take students that lack confidence or a solid foundation and guide them to not only pass the AP exam, but to truly understand and appreciate the material, that’s the most fulfilling part of my job. Seeing them achieve something they never thought was possible is what makes every challenge worthwhile.”

Other awardees include Amanda Alvarez from Emma Shuey Elementary, Rosemead School District); Anthony Dima (Dana Middle School, Arcadia Unified School District); Ashley May Dimkich (Emperor Elementary School, Temple City Unified School District); Gabriel Cabrera (Washington Elementary School, San Gabriel Unified School District); Helena K. Yee (Arroyo Vista Elementary School, South Pasadena Unified School District); Jenna Dizon (McKinley Elementary School, San Gabriel Unified School District); Julie Ann Poladian (Valentine Elementary School, San Marino Unified School District); Karen A. Reid (Emma Shuey Elementary School, Rosemead School District); Kellee Sung (Valentine Elementary School, San Marino Unified School District); Kristen McClure (La Rosa Elementary School, Temple City Unified School District); Mark Trulson (Alhambra High School, Alhambra Unified School District); Oscar Pinto (Potrero Elementary School, El Monte City District); and Ryan Orozco (Mark Keppel High School, Alhambra Unified School District).

You can tour more than 75 historic California sites, all for $20

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 19:21:00 +0000

As far as historic tours go, this one’s a bargain. The fourth annual Doors Open California kicks off this weekend and offers access to more than 75 sites up and down the Golden State for $20 per person.

The California Preservation Foundation is challenging fans of historic architecture, design and cultural heritage to visit as many of the sites as they can starting Sept. 6 and running weekends through the month.

For some locations, this is the only time the public can go behind-the-scenes and see museum vaults and otherwise-closed buildings.

This opening weekend focuses on sites in the Sierra Nevadas and eastern California. Pasadena, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Inland Empire tours are set from Sept. 13-14. The San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, San Luis Obispo, and San Jose focus of the event happens Sept. 20-21 with special programming at certain sites set for Sept. 27-28.

Amy Rowland climbs the stairs of the Rowland Mansion, the 1855 home of her pioneer ancestor John Rowland, whose portrait hangs on the door at left. (Photo is courtesy of House Museum)

Friends of the Michael White Adobe presents “Adobe Resurrection” open house on Sept. 13. The Michael White Adobe is one of 38 remaining 19th-century adobes in Los Angeles County and is typically closed to the public.

The South Pasadena stop of the tour is new this year, too. Visitors can explore the South Pasadena Historical Museum that is housed in the oldest building in town, circa 1886. Dubbed “South Pasadena’s Attic,” the museum will have docents on hand to point out unusual objects in the collections and archives. Film aficionados will recognize the Meridian Avenue structure, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, from its cameo in the 1987 film “Halloween.”

In Pasadena, tour highlights include the 1906 Blinn House, home of Pasadena Heritage, and the only home west of the Mississippi designed by architect George Washington Maher. The rarely-accessed second and third floors of the building will be open during its Doors Open tour on Sept. 13. Attendees can also go on a self-guided walking tour of the Ford Place Historic District.

Mission San Gabriel gets its star turn on Sept. 13, with a reveal of its post-fire restoration finds, such as original Tongva pigments under whitewash and earthquake repairs using railroad ties. The 1771 mission church also boasts “mission grapes” in the garden, grown from plantings made by St. Junipero Serra himself. Members of the restoration team will lead tours here.

In the City of Industry, guests can get a “two-fer” in “Bridges to Early San Gabriel Valley History: Workman & Rowland Houses” from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 13 and 14. Descendants of the pioneer Rowland and Workman families are among the locals working to preserve the 1855 brick Rowland House, the oldest surviving brick structure in southern California, according to Amy Rowland, a sixth-generation member of the family that owned nearly 50,000 acres of east San Gabriel Valley from the early 1840s to the mid-1870s. The tour will also include the 1842 Workman family adobe on the grounds of the Homestead Museum.

Attendees will discover the remarkable back stories of family members, the La Puente rancho and greater Los Angeles during the transition years from the Mexican to the American periods, as well as enjoy these early architectural gems.

To register, and for more information, visit californiapreservation.org/doca.

You can tour more than 75 historic California sites, all for $20

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 19:21:00 +0000

For some locations, this is the only time the public can go behind-the-scenes and see museum vaults and otherwise-closed buildings.

Amy Rowland climbs the stairs of the Rowland Mansion, the 1855 home of her pioneer ancestor John Rowland, whose portrait hangs on the door at left. (Photo is courtesy of House Museum)

To register, and for more information, visit californiapreservation.org/doca.

San Gabriel Valley football: Week 0 schedule, Aug. 21-23

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 12:44:00 +0000

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

All games start at 7 p.m. unless noted.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Glendora at Chino Hills

Whittier at Temple City

Whittier Christian at San Gabriel

Bosco Tech at Rosemead

La Puente vs. Covina at Covina District Field

Glenn at Mountain View

El Segundo at South Pasadena

Century at Gabrielino

FRIDAY’S GAMES

South Hills vs. El Rancho at SoFi Stadium, 8:45 p.m.

Arcadia at El Monte

St. Paul at Bishop Amat

Bonita at Muir

Sonora at Brea Olinda

Burbank at San Dimas

Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Pasadena

Charter Oak at Canyon

Damien at Aquinas

Duarte vs. Azusa at Citrus College

Ganesha at Diamond Ranch

Keppel at Baldwin Park

La Salle at La Canada

Lakeside at Pomona

Los Altos at Wilson

Maranatha at Arroyo

Brentwood at Monrovia

Nogales at California

Norwalk at Montebello

Heritage Christian at San Marino

Pioneer at Santa Fe

Schurr at Rio Hondo Prep

St. Bonaventure at St. Francis

Upland at La Habra

Walnut at Garey

Workman at Western Christian

Northview at Green Valley

South Gate at La Mirada

La Serna at Rancho Bernardo

Mendez at Bassett

West Valley at Sierra Vista

SATURDAY’S GAMES

El Dorado at Diamond Bar

South El Monte at Alhambra

From bouncing balls to acid-base volcanoes, these Flintridge Prep students bring science to homeless shelter kids

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 06:01:53 +0000

William Krause, 17, of Pasadena, demonstrated how he and others from a nonprofit student group unlock their inner science nerd for the benefit of homeless children.

He described the workings of a homemade science experiment that awakened the minds — and the taste buds — of elementary and middle school kids living in transitional housing shelters in Pasadena, Glendale and Highland Park. This one involved a Papa John’s Pizza box, some wire, and generous amounts of aluminum foil.

Members of Project WORTHY a volunteer group that helps homeless youth by bringing them live science experiments are working together during the team workshop at the founder of the group Isaac Jung’s parents’ house in San Marino on Aug. 14, 2025 (Photo by Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer)

Isaac Jung, founder of Project WORTHY, demonstrates to youth how hydrated water beads, due to osmosis, disappear in water because of similar refractive indexes. In the background, capillary action, adhesion, and cohesion work together as colored water travels up strips of paper towel to create a “walking rainbow.” The demonstration before transitional homeless kids took place on Nov. 24,2024 at Door of Hope’s Highland Park home. (photo courtesy of Project WORTHY).

Students use coffee filters and strips of paper towel to explore chromatography, which separates the pigments in a mixture on Nov. 13, 2024 at Door of Hope’s Highland Park transitional house. Project WORTHY Operations Manager Claire Jung explains how each dye travels at a different speed depending on the strength of its absorption to paper and solubility in water. (Photo courtesy of Project WORTHY)

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“First, open it up and the sun will reflect off this,” Krause explained, dragging the box from the prep table onto the sunlit driveway of group founders Isaac Jung and his sister, Claire Jung’s parents’ San Marino home on Thursday, Aug. 14.

About 25 teenagers from Flintridge Preparatory School in La Cañada Flintridge who deliver live science lessons to kids in shelters was preparing for this school year’s program by sorting materials, ingredients and supplies into Ziplock bags and cardboard boxes for each volunteer’s lesson. And yeah, that included packing the solar ovens.

“It helps trap the heat,” Krause continued, practicing his presentation out loud. The contraption was used to cook up solar s’mores at a recent summer fair hosted by Door of Hope, a Pasadena-based transitional housing nonprofit for homeless families, he said.

“The material traps the heat and it melted the marshmallow and melted the chocolate. They were really tasty too. Some premium s’mores from the science,” he explained.

The group is called Project WORTHY, which stands for WORking Together for Homeless Youth, and the teenaged overachievers have been sharing their love of science with kids experiencing homelessness since May 2023.

Isaac Jung, a senior at Flintridge Prep, got the idea for the group after teaching science virtually at the Duarte-based City of Hope’s Saturday Science Program during the COVID pandemic. When sessions transitioned to in-person, he asked if he could expand into homeless shelters, since he was already volunteering at Union Station, a homeless shelter in Pasadena.

The light bulb went off in his head: Many experiencing homelessness were families with young children. Children who often never see the inside of a classroom. So he decided to create a mobile program that brings science to them. When City of Hope declined use of their proprietary science lessons, he started creating his own.

He was welcomed in by Door of Hope and began monthly STEM lessons during childcare hours, while parents attended job-training workshops or counseling sessions. (STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.) The Jungs used the science books they had around the house and from school to create 30 unique experiments. Everything from chemical reactions teaching acids vs. bases, to physics lessons demonstrating Newton’s laws, gravity, energy, the water cycle and the scientific method.

At the prepping table in the Jung’s garage, Everson Li, a junior, was packing up the experiment demonstrating the force of gravity for a volunteer tutor. He took a baseball and a golf ball and dropped them from the same height. Both landed at the exact same time.

Why?

Because as long as there’s no air resistance, the acceleration of gravity is constant for all objects, regardless of their mass.

“When we had them guess which one falls faster, they’d pick the bigger one. But they both fall at the same time,” Li explained.

Project WORTHY is not falling like those balls, but rising, perhaps defying gravity. They’ve opened a chapter in West Los Angeles last year and are in the process of starting one in Orange County, said Isaac Jung. Chapters also have launched in Sacramento and the Silicon Valley.

If one wonders how a bunch of enthusiastic high schoolers playing with borax balls, lava lamps and hitting Styrofoam with acetone informs homeless kids about science and life, the members of Project WORTHY are eager to tell you.

“This is about more than science. It’s about compassion, education, and youth leading the way in making a difference,” said Isaac Jung, in a written response.

“It really teaches you a lot of life skills,” said his sister, Claire Jung, co-founder and chief operations officer. “It teaches them the possibilities that are out there.”

Sometimes there are clear principles, such as the heat energy inside the sun that can cook a delicious batch of s’mores, or the constancy of gravity giving re-assurance to kids’ with a wavering, uncertain future. Other times, it’s more about providing excitement to wake up the mind.

Krause was measuring baking soda into plastic bags, which was later packed in a box with vinegar during Thursday’s prep session. Mixing the two ingredients into a cardboard mold resembling a volcano causes a chemical reaction.

These materials may be used by Eric Xie, 16, president of the newest chapter in West Los Angeles started about one year ago. You could say it’s his favorite science experiment.

“We do that one, yeah, part of a lot of hands-on activities,” Xie said on Thursday, Aug. 14. He and a few other volunteers conduct science lessons in front of elementary school kids living at Alexandria House, which is located in Los Angeles near Koreatown. The interim shelter is a transitional home for women and children who come from the streets or from emergency shelters.

“The vinegar and baking soda create an explosion that bubbles out of the cardboard volcano,” he said, adding: “The kids like stuff that is really exciting.”

Isaac and Claire nurture Xie’s chapter with instructional slides and sample experiments he can try out. Often he obtains supplies himself. He’s preparing to restart the West

SGV football preview: Ranking the area’s top wide receivers

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:43:41 +0000

A look at the top five wide receivers in the San Gabriel Valley area going into the high school football season.

TOP 5 WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Travon Garrison, Damien, Junior

The 6-foot, 185-pound junior tops the list after an incredible sophomore season. He earned All-Baseline League first team honors and established himself as quarterback Isaiah Arriaza’s top target. He’s received offers from Washington, Utah, Colorado State, West Virginia, San Diego State and others. Garrison hauled in 46 receptions for 978 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago as the team finished 8-3 and reached the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.

The Spartans have others who could easily be ranked in the top five, including senior Eric Osorio, who was one of Bishop Amat’s top receivers as a junior before transferring to Damien and sitting out last season. Osorio, some may argue, is the No. 2 receiver in the SGV. And there is also Gavin Williams, a two-way standout and senior slot receiver Rayray Ahumada. The Spartans’ passing is attack is going to be scary.

2. Isaiah Lucero, Northview, Senior

The Vikings’ senior was also ranked as the No. 2 defensive back in the San Gabriel Valley. He earned Valle Vista League defensive player of the year honors a year ago. He is committed to Fresno State. At wide receiver, he put up some of the best numbers in the SGV last season. Lucero was one of two players in the SGV to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. He finished with 60 receptions for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s as electrifying as they come.

This season he will have his brother, senior Robert Lucero, at quarterback. The chemistry should be off the charts. Also watch for senior Matthew Olivas Jr., who transferred from Covina to Northview. Olivas was one of the area’s top receivers last year with 64 receptions for 937 yards and 12 TDs. Jaishon Bledsoe gives them a solid receiving trio.

Isaiah Lucero #1 of Northview runs for yardage against Baldwin Park in the first half of a prep football game at Baldwin Park High School in Baldwin Park on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/ SCNG)

3. Deveon Blaylock, Muir, Junior

The junior, a transfer from St. Francis, is as dangerous as they come after the catch, showing lots of quickness, and is a terrific route runner. He had 70 receptions for 844 yards and nine touchdowns last season and finished with 1,035 all-purpose yards. He’s more of a slot receiver listed at 5-foot-9, 150 pounds. Blaylock’s chemistry with quarterback Trey Gamble, a junior transfer from Canyon Springs, Nev., will be key. The two looked fantastic during the summer.

4. Antonio Reasby, Charter Oak, Sr.

The Chargers boasted two of the area’s top receivers last season, Legends Lyons and Marquise Bradley. Both players earned Division I college scholarships. Now it’s Reasby’s time to shine. Though he was third on their depth chart last season, Reasby delivered solid value, hauling in 53 receptions for 806 yards and five touchdowns. Now he will be the No. 1 target for quarterback Corin Berry, a Purdue commit. At 5-foot-10, Reasby’s quickness and cutting ability make him a difficult cover.

Jerry Rojo, a senior transfer from Bishop Amat, could also be in the top five receiver conversation. Rojo led Amat in receiving and earned All-Serra League honors with 37 receptions for 561 yards and eight touchdowns.

Antonio Reasby #4 of Charter Oak catches a pass over Jordan Juarez #10 of Colony for a first down in the first half of a prep football game at Charter Oak High School in Covina on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/ SCNG)

5. Blake Rogers, La Habra, Junior

Rogers is coming off a terrific sophomore season. He will benefit from having a quarterback like DJ Mitchell, who holds offers to Auburn, Arkansas, Utah and others, throwing to him. Rogers, listed at 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, had a team-best 29 receptions for 532 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. The best is yet to come.

The Highlanders also have Bryce Vasquez, a junior transfer from Servite, who is expected to do big things.

La Habra’s Blake Rogers breaks a tackle and runs the ball for a large gain against Newport Harbor on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Others to watch: It could be argued that St. Francis’ Mason Maddox should be in the top five rankings. Maddox holds an offer from Colorado State and will be the Golden Knights’ top receiver. La Serna senior Zeb Bontemps is back after earning All-Del Rio League first team honors. Bontemps had 30 receptions for 452 yards and four TDS a year ago and will be the team’s top target this year. Another strong contender for top five could be St. Paul’s Gavin Lannon, a transfer from Damien who is coming off a strong junior season. Pioneer’s Jose Rojas helped lead the Titans to the Division 14 title with 54 receptions for an area-leading 1,079 yards and 15 TDs. Baldwin Park’s Elvis Diaz is a big-time threat. Cantwell Sacred Heart’s Miles Galbraith should have a big senior year after catching 52 passes for 829 yards and eight touchdowns. Schurr returns its top receiver, senior Caesar Aguila. Also watch for Pasadena’s Kyle Robertson, who was injured last season but he turned heads during the summer. Bishop Amat’s Mason Zertuche and Raymond Castro are the team’s top targets. Others to watch include Monrovia’s Troy Grise, La Canada’s Jakob Kim, La Puente’s Ivan Lopez, and Bonita’s Cole Teague.

Things to do in the San Gabriel Valley area, Aug. 1-9

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:00:49 +0000

Friday

The Huntington: Last chance to see: “Don Bachardy: a Life in Portraits,” through Aug. 4 (www.huntington.org/exhibitions/don-bachardy-life-portraits). Ongoing: “Stories from the Library: The Tales Through Time,” the Huntington’s Ellesmere Chaucer, through Dec. 1 (www.huntington.org/exhibitions/stories-library-tales-through-time). More exhibits: www.huntington.org/exhibitions. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday (closed on Tuesday). Reservations required on Friday-Sunday; holidays. 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 (respectively by ages on Friday-Sunday and holidays: $34; $28; $15). Location, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. huntington.org

DineLA Restaurant Week Summer 2025: Participating restaurants offer a special lunch/dinner menu, through Aug. 8. 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. Frequently asked questions: tinyurl.com/3pthcjtn. Find list of restaurants by cuisine, neighborhood, price and dining option (indoor or outdoor): www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela

Concerts and Movies – Alhambra Park Bandshell: City of Alhambra presents upcoming concerts, 7 p.m.: Radio Royalty, Aug. 1; Sangria Band, Aug. 8. Upcoming movies, 7 p.m. for pre-movie entertainment (movies start at dusk): “Kung Fu Panda 4” (2024), Aug. 2; “Hercules” (1997), Aug. 9. Free admission. Bring a blanket or low-back lawn chair for seating. Location, 500 N. Palm Ave., Alhambra. 626-570-3242. Concerts flyer: tinyurl.com/pn5ykhu8. Movies flyer: tinyurl.com/ys62vmhh

Laugh Factory Covina: Willie Barcena, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Aug. 1, and also, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Aug. 2. Mark Hayes and Friends: Leo Dottavio, Jackson McQueen, Danny Mullen, 7 p.m. Aug. 3. Jeff Garcia, 8 p.m. Aug. 7. Minimum age: 18. Check the website for ticket prices (regular and VIP). Two-item minimum for all shows. Location, 104 N. Citrus Ave., Covina. 626-339-0093. www.tixr.com/groups/laughfactorycovina

Saturday

CatCon – Pasadena Convention Center: The 10th anniversary celebrating cats with cat-loving celebrities, cat adoptions, exhibits and workshops on cat health, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 2-3. Note: Attendees may not bring their own cats to the event. Admission $47.93 ages 13 and older; $11.42 ages 5-12; VIP pass for adults for both days, $19.95. Location, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. FAQ: www.catconworldwide.com/catcon-faq/. catconworldwide.com. Details and purchase tickets on Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/mu3ujufm

Sunday

Pasadena City College Flea Market: Find antiques, vintage collectibles, new-found treasures or vinyl records, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 3. Free admission. Upcoming date: Sept. 7; and usually the first Sunday of the month. Use the parking structure #5 on Bonnie Avenue ($2). The market is in outdoor parking lots 1, 3 (on Hill Avenue) and also in parking lot structure #4 (levels 2 and 3; Del Mar Boulevard). Visiting guidelines for the event: tinyurl.com/mvyscp8r. The college is located at 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-585-7906. Email: fleamarket@pasadena.edu. pasadena.edu/community/flea-market

Natural History Museum Los Angeles County: “Fierce! The Story of Cats,” is an international traveling exhibit, from the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in France, runs through Feb. 18 (this exhibit requires an add-on ticket price to the museum’s general admission; nhm.org/cats). The “Butterfly Pavilion,” the seasonal outdoor exhibit runs through Aug. 24; reservations required by timed ticket (30-minute time slots; $10; must also purchase museum admission; details tinyurl.com/4asy4c62). 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

Tuesday

National Night Out – San Dimas: Event includes children’s activities, law enforcement and public safety vehicle displays, a fire truck and meet with local sheriff department deputies and first responders, 5 p.m. Aug. 5. Free admission. San Dimas Sheriff’s Station, 270 S. Walnut Ave. 909-450-2763. Flyer: tinyurl.com/2tymz8cx

National Night Out – San Gabriel: The San Gabriel Police Department hold the event that includes public safety displays, children’s activities, music and food, 5 p.m. Aug. 5. Free admission. Location, Mission Playhouse, parking lot, 320 S. Mission Drive. San Gabriel Police Department Community Engagement Bureau, 626- -5455. Flyer: tinyurl.com/5ds38tr2

National Night Out – Bell Gardens: Meet your Bell Gardens Police Department officers and learn safety tips for yourself and your neighborhood, plus exhibits and community resource booths, raffles and a children’s fun zone, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 5. Free admission. Bell Gardens Veterans Park, 6662 Loveland St. 562-806-7686. Flyer: tinyurl.com/4xt822wp

National Night Out – La Puente: Event includes community information booths, games, children’s jumpers, and music by the Flashbax, 6 p.m. Aug. 5. Free admission. La Puente Park, 501 N. Glendora Ave. 626-855-1560. Flyer: lapuente.org/national-night-out-2025/

National Night Out – Montebello: The Montebello Police Department presents the community-building event that includes meet-and greets with officers, live police demonstrations (including K9), games, raffles, community resources, food and craft vendors, 6 p.m. Aug. 5. Henry Acuña Park, 1700 W. Victoria Ave. Email: cru@montebelloca.gov. Flyer: tinyurl.com/3hkvct2p

Thursday

National Night Out – Whittier: Meet Whittier Police Department officers, learn safety and crime prevention tips, 6 p.m. Aug. 7. A concert by Electric Vinyl, 7 p.m. Bring a picnic dinner or purchase food items from food trucks. Parnell Park, 15390 Lambert Road. Information tinyurl.com/8cyhvmru

Upcoming

National Night Out – Glendora: City of Glendora and Glendora Rotary Club co-sponsor the event with children’s activities, 7 p.m. Aug. 8, and followed by a screening of “Dog Man” (2025), at sundown. Finkbiner Park, Larry R. Glenn Bandshell, 181 N. Cullen Ave. www.cityofglendora.gov/Events-directory/Movies-in-the-Park

Vroman’s Bookstore: Dennis McNally discusses and signs “The Last Dream: How Bohemians Became Hippies and Created the Sixties,” 7 p.m. Aug. 8. Chris Butera discusses and signs “The Darkest Deep,” 7 p.m. Aug. 12. Oliver Wang discusses and signs “Cruising J-Town – Japanese American Car Culture in Los Angeles,” 7 p.m. Aug. 14. Location, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-5320. www.facebook.com/vromansbookstore. vromansbookstore.com

Movies Under the Stars – One Colorado: “School of Rock” (2003), 8:30 p.m. Aug. 9. Free to attend, but also a VIP seating option. Make a reservation (tinyurl.com/2cjeytc9); space-limited. Bring your own blanket or low-back lawn chair for seating (see details on the website). Upcoming: “Coco” (2017), Aug. 23 (tinyurl.com/mr5ssxsd). Location, in the Courtyard, 41 Hugus Alley, Pasadena. 626-564-1066. www.onecolorado.com/events/

Jazz in the Park – Michael Haggins Band: Zeta Tau Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity present the concert with the headline band, and also the John Tirabasso Youth Jazz Ensemble, 4-10 p.m. Aug. 10. Doors open, 3 p.m. Bring a blanket or low-back lawn chair for seating and a picnic or purchase from food vendors. Tickets $30. Proceeds support the fraternity’s community service programs including scholarships for Pasadena high school students. The event also includes a free fire rebuild consultation to any homeowner who lost their home in the Eaton or Palisades fires (information on architectural plans, building permits and construction). Memorial Park, amphitheater, 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena. 626-394-9795. Tickets on Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/mwbez63m

Music at Sierra Madre Playhouse – Baroque, Classical and Contemporary: House on Fire — Richard An, Andrew Anderson, Wells Leng — plus guest musicians Kevin Good and Élise Roy, perform contemporary compositions that use speaker cones, wooden frog instruments, toy pianos, or twigs, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17 ($25; $35). Bryan Roach and Musica Transalpina perform a program from early Tudor England, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23 ($25). Street Symphony – Jazz, Song and Story, 4 p.m. Aug. 31 ($12; $25; $35). Darshan Trio, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 ($25; $35). See website for details for all concerts. Limited seats available for all concerts. Location, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. 626-355-4318. www.sierramadreplayhouse.org. www.sierramadreplayhouse.org/music

San Marino Motor Classic: The 14th annual event begins with two events on Saturday, Aug. 23: an Automotive Fine Arts Society Art Expo and Sale (4-6 p.m.; free to attend); followed by a “Symphony of Cars Gala,” 6-10:30 p.m. ($300; benefits the Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley (www.cancersupportsgv.org); purchase gala tickets: tinyurl.com/3he8mspd). The San Marino Motor Classic, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 24. Tickets are $45 in advance; $55 on day of event; free for ages 12 and younger; also, VIP ticket $175 (includes a 10 a.m. reception, and also a lunch, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.) Lacy Park, 1485 Virginia Road, San Marino. sanmarinomotorclassic.com

Ongoing things to do

ArtCenter College of Design – Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography: “Primarium: A Case for Cursive,” an exhibit that includes international and historic handwriting examples, textbooks and teaching tools and typographic works that show the evolution of cursive writing, through Oct. 31. Gallery hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Free admission. HMCT Gallery at ArtCenter of Design (south campus), 950 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. 626-39602200. Details about the exhibit: tinyurl.com/2p9v9zh2

Farmers Market: Presented by the Regional Chamber of Commerce of San Gabriel Valley. Held every Saturday on the campus of Mt. San Antonio College in Parking Lot B, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. It features fresh produce, artisan goods, and pre-packed food from local growers and vendors. Open to the public, the market supports healthy living and local entrepreneurship. Free Parking. Location: 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut. rccsgv.com/farmers-market/

TOPS weight loss meeting: The first meeting is free for non-members of this Take Off Pounds Sensibly group, 10 a.m. Fridays. Meeting at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, classroom building, 1359 E. Covina Blvd., Covina. For more information, patalmeida44@gmail.com

Friends of the Pasadena Public Library Bookstore: The store has used books for sale, especially for children. The bookstore is extending 50% off to any area resident who lost a home in the Eaton fire and a free book with every purchase. Ask about free books for schools that were impacted by the Eaton fire. Proceeds from sales help to fund Pasadena Public Library programs, including One City One Story and Summer Reading. Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday. Closed on Friday and Sunday. In addition, ask about volunteering at the bookstore. Jefferson Branch Library, 1500 E. Villa St., Pasadena. friendsppl.org/

Armory Center for the Arts: “My Hands Are Monsters Who Believe In Magic,” a group exhibition composed of ten artists from the Asian diaspora that explores an artist’s capacity for the radical reimagination of the self, through Dec. 14. (armoryarts.org/exhibitions/2025/monsters). 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. Donations appreciated. Location, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. For more information, 626-792-5101. armoryarts.org

California African American Museum: Ongoing special exhibits: “Repossessions,” through Aug. 3. “Really Free: The Radical Art of Nellie Mae Rowe,” through Aug. 17. “J. Yolande Daniels: To a Future Space-Time,” through Sept. 6 (caamuseum.org/exhibitions/2025/j-yolande-daniels-to-a-future-space-time). “Ode to ‘Dena: Black Artistic Legacies of Altadena,” through Oct. 12 (caamuseum.org/exhibitions/2025/ode-to-dena-black-artistic-legacies-of-altadena). Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; closed on Monday (caamuseum.org/visit/hours-directions). Free admission. Parking $20 before 5 p.m.; $24 after 5 p.m. (parking lot entrance at West 39th and South Figueroa streets. Museum location, corner of Exposition Boulevard and South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles (in Exposition Park). 213-744-7432. www.facebook.com/CAAMinLA/. www.caamuseum.org

Descanso Gardens: “What’s in Bloom” (depending on the weather): https://www.descansogardens.org/gardens-and-collections/whats-in-bloom/. 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.

Duarte Historical Museum: Hours: 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays; 1-4 p.m. Saturdays (except closed on Saturday on holiday weekends). Free admission. Location, 777 Encanto Parkway, Duarte. 626-357-9419. ranchodeduarte.org

Forest Lawn Museum – Glendale: “Persona – Exploring Self-Portraiture,” an exhibit of self-portraits by more than 20 contemporary artists plus historic self-portraits. The exhibit’s artwork include fused glass, paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures and textiles. The exhibit runs through Aug. 10. Permanent exhibits: forestlawn.com/museum/. Free admission. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Location, 1712 S. Glendale Ave. forestlawn.com. https://forestlawn.com/exhibits/persona-exploring-self-portraiture-2/

Kidspace Children’s Museum: 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: Ongoing special exhibits: “We Live in Painting: The Nature of Color in Mesoamerican Art,” through Sept. 1. “Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia,” through July 12 (www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/realms-dharma-buddhist-art-across-asia). More exhibits: www.lacma.org/art/exhibitions/current. 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 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

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: Ongoing special exhibit: “Retrospect: 50 Years at the Norton Simon Museum,” once known as the Pasadena Art Museum the exhibit celebrates its golden anniversary with “significant and lesser-known stories,” through Jan. 12, 2026 (www.nortonsimon.org/exhibitions/current). 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: Galleries are temporarily closed for an upcoming exhibit. The courtyard and museum are open however (free admission while the galleries are closed). Museum hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Location, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. 626-787-2380. https://pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu/visit-us/

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

It’s a waiting game at The Huntington as guests wait for anticipated, stinky ‘Corpse Flower’ bloom

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 16:43:49 +0000

On Monday afternoon, guests at The Huntington gathered expectedly to witness the sight and smell of a rare flower’s bloom.

However, while they took selfies with the massive plant, the wait goes on as the Amorphophallus titanum on exhibit at San Marino’s library, art museum and botanical gardens did not bloom.

People look at the Corpse Flower “Green Boy” at the Huntington in San Marino on Monday, July 28, 2025. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

The flower, nicknamed Green Boy this year and most commonly referred to as the Corpse Flower, can grow to more than 12 feet tall and blooms for 24-48 hours every two to three years. But this is not just any rare bloom, the Corpse Flower emits a powerful stench when in bloom.

The endangered plant is native to limestone hills in the rainforests of western Sumatra, Indonesia. Since 1999 The Huntington has exhibited 27 Corpse Flower blooms. Last month Cal State Long Beach’s Corpse Flower named Phil bloomed.

A 24-hour livestream of the flower is available on YouTube.

Things to do in the San Gabriel Valley area, July 25-Aug. 2

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:34:00 +0000

Friday

Laugh Factory Covina: Chris Estrada, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. July 25. Saturday Night Slam: Jerry Garcia, Erik Griffin, Joe Wong, 7 and 9:30 p.m. July 26. Latino Comedy Night: MC Raider, Edgar Rivera, Eddie West, 6 p.m. July 27. Momo Rodriguez, 7:30 p.m. July 31. Minimum age: 18. Check the website for ticket prices (regular and VIP). Two-item minimum for all shows. Location, 104 N. Citrus Ave., Covina. 626-339-0093. www.tixr.com/groups/laughfactorycovina

Saturday

Legends and Heroes Night – Industry Hills Speedway: First race of the evening begins at 7:30 p.m. June 26. Gates open at 6 p.m. Admission $20; $15 ages 65 and older, and ages 11-17. Parking $5. Industry Hills Expo Center, 16200 Temple Ave., City of Industry. industryhillsspeedway.com. Details: www.facebook.com/IndustryRacing/

Movies Under the Stars – One Colorado: “Hairspray” (2007), 8:30 p.m. July 26. Free to attend, but also a VIP seating option. Make a reservation; space-limited. Bring your own blanket or low-back lawn chair for seating (see details on the website). Upcoming: “School of Rock” (2003), Aug. 9; “Coco” (2017), Aug. 23. Location, in the Courtyard, 41 Hugus Alley, Pasadena. 626-564-1066. www.onecolorado.com/events/

Thursday

Enchant Christmas – Santa Anita Park: Deadline, July 31, for pre-sale of tickets for the event, Nov. 21-Dec. 28. The Christmas event features: the “world’s largest Christmas light maze,” an ice skating trail (an add-on price), an ice slide, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, live entertainment, Christmas karaoke nights and shopping for artisan gifts at Enchant Village Marketplace. Pre-sale tickets $29 ages 18 and older; $25 ages 14-17; $20 ages 3-13; ages 2 and younger are free but need an event ticket. The pre-sale tickets – called Golden Tickets – require an email for purchasers to be notified about their first choice of dates, limited event moments or other specials (early access sale ends July 31; the details: help.enchantchristmas.com/en/articles/7993768-enchant-christmas-location-2025). Location, 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia. www.enchantchristmas.com/los-angeles/

Aug. 2

Upcoming

Vroman’s Bookstore: Dennis McNally discusses and signs “The Last Dream: How Bohemians Became Hippies and Created the Sixties,” 7 p.m. Aug. 8. Location, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-5320. www.facebook.com/vromansbookstore. vromansbookstore.com

Ongoing things to do

Armory Center for the Arts: “My Hands Are Monsters Who Believe In Magic,” a group exhibition composed of ten artists from the Asian diaspora that explores an artist’s capacity for the radical reimagination of the self, through Aug. 3. (armoryarts.org/exhibitions/2025/monsters). 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. Donations appreciated. Location, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. For more information, 626-792-5101. armoryarts.org

The Huntington: 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

Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Ongoing special exhibits: “Imagining Black Diasporas: 21st Century Art and Poetics,” through Aug. 3. “We Live in Painting: The Nature of Color in Mesoamerican Art,” through Sept. 1. More exhibits: www.lacma.org/art/exhibitions/current. 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

Natural History Museum Los Angeles County: The “Butterfly Pavilion,” the seasonal outdoor exhibit runs through Aug. 24; reservations required by timed ticket (30-minute time slots; $10; must also purchase museum admission; details tinyurl.com/4asy4c62). 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

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

6 Japanese gardens you can visit in Southern California

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:31:51 +0000

Who doesn’t love the serenity and beauty of a Japanese garden? The essence of these spaces has been refined in Japan for more than a thousand years, from Indigenous sacred rock gardens to the unique landscapes with soothing sounds and textures of today.

The most important elements in any Japanese garden are water, rocks, sand and plantings. The placement of each element is meticulously planned to create an artistic and spiritual composition, replicating in miniature natural elements such as streams, rivers, ponds, waterfalls, mountains and hills.

Rocks, typically a decorative element in your average garden, are much more important in the landscape here, as they are reminders of natural features such as mountains.

Even today, the influence of Chinese culture, the Shinto religion and Zen Buddhism can be felt in rock gardens carefully raked to resemble water designed for reflection and meditation. You can also typically find bridges and stone lanterns as architectural elements. Plantings tend toward evergreens, so the garden is beautiful all year round.

Japanese gardens invite us to meditate on nature, as we stroll their paths and contemplate their ponds and waterfalls.

For those of us who can’t travel to see them in Japan, there’s good news. We have some beautiful ones right here in Southern California. And some are even free to visit.

Read on to learn about a few you might want to check out.

The Japanese Gardens in Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/Pasadena Star-News)

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The Japanese Gardens in Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/Pasadena Star-News)

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Shoseian “Whispering Pine” Japanese Teahouse and Friendship Garden

This small garden with a koi pond and rock stream is located inside Glendale’s 31-acre Brand Park. The garden is open and free to the public Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and is adjacent to the Shoseian Teahouse, which was built in 1974 and refurbished in 2019. The teahouse is only open to the public for its monthly events, which have included instruction in tea ceremonies and other Japanese arts such as shiatsu.

1601 West Mountain Street, Glendale. (818) 548-3782. glendaleteahouse.org

Descanso Gardens

The Japanese Garden is located near the entrance to La Cañada Flintridge’s famed 150-acre botanical space. Opened in 1966, the Japanese garden includes streams, ponds, a strolling garden, a tea garden and raked-gravel karesansui. The blue-tiled tea house is modeled after a traditional Japanese farmhouse. Interestingly, the garden includes two trees that were survivors of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima in 1945. They were a gift in 2020 from the Rotary Heiwa: Hiroshima Survivor Tree group to help spread their message of peace and hope for a nuclear-free world. The landscaping was designed by Eijiro Nunokawa, a well-known landscape architect. It includes Japanese maples, pines, camellias, azaleas, cherry trees, and mondo grass. Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Adult admission is $15.

1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge, (818) 949-4200. descansogardens.org

The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

6 Japanese gardens you can visit in Southern California

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:31:50 +0000

Rocks, typically a decorative element in your average garden, are much more important in the landscape here, as they are reminders of natural features such as mountains.

Japanese gardens invite us to meditate on nature, as we stroll their paths and contemplate their ponds and waterfalls.

For those of us who can’t travel to see them in Japan, there’s good news. We have some beautiful ones right here in Southern California. And some are even free to visit.

Read on to learn about a few you might want to check out.

The Japanese Gardens in Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/Pasadena Star-News)

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The Japanese Gardens in Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/Pasadena Star-News)

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Shoseian “Whispering Pine” Japanese Teahouse and Friendship Garden

1601 West Mountain Street, Glendale. (818) 548-3782. glendaleteahouse.org

Descanso Gardens

1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge, (818) 949-4200. descansogardens.org

The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

This picturesque space on the Cal State Long Beach campus is tiny but charming, 1.3 acres with a koi pond, Zen Garden, tea house and winding pathways. It was dedicated in 1981 and is part of the Cal State Long Beach College of Health and Human Services. It’s free to visit, but you must pay the campus visitor parking fee, unless you can find free street parking (but look out for signs indicating where permits are required). Always closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and hours vary, so visitors are asked to make an online reservation. No food or drink, no running, and no professional photography without a permit. Strolling permitted. Check the website for events like yoga, summer concerts, and sound baths.

Cal State Long Beach campus on Determination Dr., between Beach and Atherton Dr., just east of Bellflower Blvd. 562-9

Things to do in the San Gabriel Valley, July 18-26

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 16:24:00 +0000

Friday

Vroman’s Bookstore: Steven Borzachillo discusses and signs “Brochet – 30 Easy Patterns for Crochet Weaponry and Ami-gore-rumi,” 7 p.m. July 18. Local Authors Day – Young Readers Edition: Kyriacos Vidalakis (“Murky Waters”) and Norah Lally (“Back to Bainbridge”) present their books, 11 a.m. July 20. Local Authors Day – Adult Edition: Carlos Vasquez (“Warrior in the Garden – 7 Rules for Men”), S.L. Cook (“A Snow Leopard Named Midas”), and Scott Coon (“Godless Armageddon”) present their books, 4 p.m. July 20. Bruce Holsinger discusses and signs “Culpability,” 7 p.m. July 21. Michael C. Higgins discusses and signs “Exploring Wine Regions – México – Discovering México’s Quality Wines and Phenomenal Cuisine,” 7 p.m. July 22. Location, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-5320. www.facebook.com/vromansbookstore. vromansbookstore.com

Laugh Factory Covina: Carlos Mencia – The Liberated Tour, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. July 18, and 9:30 p.m. July 19. Paul Rodriguez, 7 p.m. July 20. Minimum age: 18. Check the website for ticket prices (regular and VIP). Two-item minimum for all shows. Location, 104 N. Citrus Ave., Covina. 626-339-0093. www.tixr.com/groups/laughfactorycovina

Saturday

Pasadena Heritage Bridge Party – Colorado Street Bridge: Pasadena Heritage presents the event with a classic car display, live music, local restaurant vendors and a children’s zone, 6 p.m. July 19. Walk on the historic Colorado Street Bridge. Proceeds go to support the organization’s mission to identify and preserve historical sites and cultural resources in Pasadena. Tickets in advance $39.11 (at the door, $40); free for ages 12 and younger. No cash event. Location, Defenders Park, main entrance on Colorado and South Orange Grove boulevards. 626-441-6333. www.facebook.com/PasadenaHeritage/. pasadenaheritage.org/bridgeparty

Tuesday

Glendora Genealogical Group: Meeting, 6 p.m. July 22. Free admission. La Fetra Senior Center, 333 E. Foothill Blvd., Glendora. For the topic call, 909-592-4030.

Upcoming

Enchant Christmas – Santa Anita Park: Pre-sale of tickets for the event, Nov. 21-Dec. 28. The Christmas event features: the “world’s largest Christmas light maze,” an ice skating trail (an add-on price), an ice slide, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, live entertainment, Christmas karaoke nights and shopping for artisan gifts at Enchant Village Marketplace. Pre-sale tickets $29 ages 18 and older; $25 ages 14-17; $20 ages 3-13; ages 2 and younger are free but need an event ticket. The pre-sale tickets – called Golden Tickets – require an email for purchasers to be notified about their first choice of dates, limited event moments or other specials (early access sale ends July 31; the details: help.enchantchristmas.com/en/articles/7993768-enchant-christmas-location-2025). Location, 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia. www.enchantchristmas.com/los-angeles/

Ongoing things to do

Armory Center for the Arts: “My Hands Are Monsters Who Believe In Magic,” a group exhibition composed of ten artists from the Asian diaspora that explores an artist’s capacity for the radical reimagination of the self, through Aug. 3. (armoryarts.org/exhibitions/2025/monsters). 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. Donations appreciated. Location, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. For more information, 626-792-5101. armoryarts.org

Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Ongoing special exhibits: “Digital Witness: Revolutions in Design, Photography, and Film,” through July 13. “Imagining Black Diasporas: 21st Century Art and Poetics,” through Aug. 3. “We Live in Painting: The Nature of Color in Mesoamerican Art,” through Sept. 1. More exhibits: www.lacma.org/art/exhibitions/current. 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

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

DoorDash makes a delivery: $200,000 to 20 restaurants struggling after wildfires

Fri, 30 May 2025 18:37:14 +0000

Paola Guasp, owner of Amara Kitchen in Altadena, talks about the fires impact in front of what remains of her restaurant. DoorDash gathered local restaurant owners impacted by the LA wildfires to distribute and celebrate recipients of the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund on Friday, May 30, 2025 at Amara Kitchen. (Photo by Conner Terry, Contributing Photographer)

Paola Guasp stood in front of the burned ruins of her Altadena restaurant Friday, May 30, to thank the helpers, ponder the future and share stories with others in the Los Angeles restaurant community.

Guasp’s Amara Kitchen on Mariposa Street was lost to the Eaton fire, hitting pause on four years in a town she’s learned to love.

“It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to lose a building, but as you can see, also a whole community,” she said. “I don’t know the future. How long will it take to rebuild and who will I be by then? I love Altadena. You can still feel and see how beautiful Altadena is.”

Amara Kitchen was one of 20 restaurants from the footprint of both Eaton and Palisades fires to each receive $10,000 grants from DoorDash, the San Francisco-based technology company. Other awardees include Go China in Pasadena, Mother Moo Creamery in Sierra Madre, Renovo in Arcadia, and Altadena haunts Café de Leche and Side Pie.

The $200,000 boost are going to small business, family-owned, independent restaurants that are facing an uncertain future, but in the days after the fire, showed leadership, courage and resilience, “preparing meals for first responders, identifying new ways to run their business despite tremendous damage and disruption,” said Maggie Polachek, social impact manager for DoorDash.

The company’s Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund, partnering with the small business online platform Hello Alice, is offering financial help to small restaurants. Its next grant application deadline is June 20.

Restaurateurs affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires join Maggie Polachek of DoorDash, fourth from left. Recipients of $10,000 grants from the tech company are, from left, Naomi Mendoza; Sandra Cordero; Kay Okumura; Polachek; Paola Guasp; Kim Vu; Shannon Djie; and Karen Clemens. DoorDash donated to 20 restaurants from Altadena, Pasadena, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, Santa Monica and Los Angeles. (Photo by Conner Terry, Contributing Photographer)

Kim Vu, owner of Sorry Not Sorry bar and restaurant in West Los Angeles, talks about the impact of the Palisades fire on her small business. DoorDash gathered local restaurant owners impacted by the LA wildfires to distribute grants from its Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund on Friday, May 30, 2025 at Amara Kitchen, a restaurant destroyed during the Eaton fire. (Photo by Conner Terry, Contributing Photographer)

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Kim Vu, owner of Sorry Not Sorry bar and restaurant in West L.A. said restaurateurs often do everything from tend bar or prep dishes before completing administrative duties at the end of the day and are the last people who ask for help.

“Thank you for understanding that we need help too,” she said.

Vu said the grant money will go toward expanding the restaurant’s gathering spaces, which she offers free to women’s groups, minority and LGBTQ communities.

Other restaurant owners said the grants will help them keep employees on the payroll and repair appliances, restoring their confidence that they can stay in business.

Anish Saraiya, director of Altadena Recovery, the commission formed by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to organize rebuilding the Altadena community, said Barger’s Friday announcement that 90% of residential lots in Altadena have been cleared means help for struggling businesses can come into focus.

“We’re concerned about making sure our business community gets through this as well as our families because we can’t have our homes without our businesses and our businesses can’t survive without homes,” Saraiya said.

Karen Clemens, owner of Mother Moo Creamery in Sierra Madre, remains worried that business hasn’t improved, even with the advent of warmer days.

“It’s a happy business, I’m in ice cream, but I’m finding that business has declined,” she said. “This grant will help me weather the storm but I’m worried about the future because people are not coming back.”

Judy Matthews, president of the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, said the group’s Back in Business program that helps businesses find new space or connect with resources. She’s confident Altadena can feel and look like a community again.

“I tell everyone we’re in Recovery Plus, we’re truly in the rebuild,” Matthews said. “DoorDash helping restaurants return to full strength is a step in that direction.”

Other restaurants that received grants are in Glendale, Inglewood, Los Angeles, Malibu, Newbury Park, San Marino, and Santa Monica.

12 gorgeous botanical gardens you can visit for free

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:07:22 +0000

Few things are as calming as strolling through a botanical garden, and we’re incredibly fortunate here in Southern California to have such a wealth of choices.

But what if the cost of an entrance fee is keeping you from visiting? Well, here’s some good news.

There are some gardens you can visit for free anytime and other ones that regularly charge but set aside selected free days, such as once a month. Note: Some have parking fees, and they might close during or after bad weather.

But if you’d like to spend more time in soothing nature – and who doesn’t? – you can plan ahead to make it happen on a budget.

California Botanic Garden, 1500 N College Ave., Claremont. (909) 625-8767, calbg.org

This 86-acre garden normally charges admission, but it’s free on March 29, 2025, in honor of the native plant festival. Get free tickets online at calbg.org. California Botanic Garden is the largest dedicated exclusively to the state’s native plants and works to conserve native and rare species. Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, 400 W. Gainsborough Rd., Thousand Oaks. conejo.garden@yahoo.com, conejovalleybotanicgarden.com.

Explore 33 acres of gardens, including those devoted to Australian, desert, butterfly, herb, salvia and kids’ adventure. Plus, there is a bird habitat, natural terrain and, of course, plenty of trees. Also, a rare fruit tree orchard with specimens from 19 countries. Check out the hiking trails and the views from the top. The main garden is open daily sunrise to sunset. The Kids Adventure Garden is open on Sundays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. 818-949-4200, descansogardens.org

One of the state’s most famed gardens, its 165 acres include a Japanese garden, a 5-acre rose garden, specialized forests, camellia and lilac collections and more. It’s free only on the third Tuesday of the month with advance reservations. Free Tuesday tickets are released at 10 a.m. on the first day of the month and are limited. Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m., (9 a.m.-5 p.m. in winter). Free tickets do not include special programming.

The Japanese Gardens in Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/Pasadena Star-News)

Fullerton Arboretum and Botanical Garden, 1900 Associated Road, Fullerton (near the CSUF baseball field off Yorba Linda Boulevard). arboretum.fullerton.edu

This is a lovely place to take a spring stroll through 26 acres of desert, Mediterranean, woodland and cultivated gardens. It includes rare, threatened and endangered plants. Look for turtles in the pond. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There’s a box where you can pay a $5 suggested donation if you feel inclined. Open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed on Cal State Fullerton holidays.

Huntington Library and Gardens, 1151 Oxford Rd. San Marino. 626-405-2100. huntington.org/free-day.

Everyone should have the chance to visit this gorgeous, 207-acre estate, which includes 130 acres of gardens, at least once. Expect 16 themed gardens full of rare plants, rare and precious book displays and an art museum to boot. Note, however, that you have to be diligent to score tickets to their once-a-month free day on the first Thursday of the month, because they go fast. To try for them, you need to be online and ready at 9 a.m. on the last Thursday of the month, because the tickets are released then for the following month. Don’t wait until 9:01 a.m. (seriously). The limit is 5 tickets per household. It’s worth the effort. Enjoy all it has to offer but don’t expect to be able to see it all in one day. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Expect a lot of walking, although they do have wheelchairs on loan.

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)

Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden. 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. arboretum.org/free-day-tickets/

If you’ve never been to this beauty spot, you should make the trip. It’s free only on the third Tuesday of each month, and you must get advance tickets. This means you need to be online at 9 am on the first day of the month you want to visit, because that’s when the tickets become available, and as you might guess, they’re popular. March tickets are already gone. If you want to try for April, be online on Tuesday, April 1 for the free day on April 15. And come on, you can probably use a day at this 127-acre garden after you file your taxes, right? You’ll be asked to select an entry time from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can order up to 5 tickets per reservation. Be aware that Arcadia can be hot during the summer.

Niguel Botanical Preserve, Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel. niguelbotanicalpreserve@yahoo.com. niguelbotanicalpreserve.org

This 18-acre garden demonstrates drought-tolerant plants that grow well along the Southern California coast. The collection includes plants from similar climates, including California/Baja California, Chile, Australia, South Africa, and the Mediterranean. These plants also attract butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and more. There’s also a rose garden, an English garden temple and a labyrinth. It’s open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.

South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula. 424-452-0920. southcoastbotanicgarden.org.

This 87-acre beauty is free on the third Tuesday of each month. You can make reservations online. View more than 2,500 plant species including from Australia, the Mediterranean and Africa. Also, check out the rose garden, fern collection, desert, fuchsia and Japanese gardens. Some 200 bird species also visit annually. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

One of the many Southern California botanical gardens to visit is The South Coast Botanic Garden an 87 acres treat for garden lovers in Palos Verdes Estates on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Brittany M. Solo, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Southern California Montane Botanic Garden and Children’s Discovery Center. 39611 Oak Glen Road, Oak Glen. (909) 790-3698, wildlandsconservancy.org/preserves/oakglen

This garden comprises 220 acres including oak and conifer forests, chaparral, ponds, streams, grasslands and more. Some of the venues added since the property was acquired by the Wildlands Conservancy include Hummingbird Hill, Falling Waters, and The Artist’s Palette. Further expansion is also planned. There’s also a children’s center to learn about nature. Open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in March; 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. from April-Oct.

Sunnylands Center and Gardens, 37977 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage. 760-202-2222, sunnylands.org.

Visit the 15-acre grounds at the former estate of the late Walter and Leonore Annenberg, including nine acres of desert gardens. The gardens are always free, but access to the home is by reserved paid tour only. Open 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Mickey Mouse plant (Ochnea serrulata) is shown at the Mathias Botanical Garden on the UCLA campus in Westwood. (Photo by Joshua Siskin)

UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden, La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Dr., Los Angeles. (Campus parking in Structure 2 costs $15, or look for street parking.) botgard.ucla.edu.

This free garden encompasses 7.5 acres including California natives, desert, ferns, palms, bromeliads, herbarium and more. It’s open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends. You can bring your leashed pooch, too.

UCR Botanic Gardens, 1 Botanic Gardens Drive, Riverside. 951-827-7090, ucrbg@ucr.edu, gardens.ucr.edu.

This hilly space comprises 40 acres of a living plant museum with 3,500 species and thousands of specimens from around the world, particularly from dry and arid regions. It’s open M-F 8-3, also the 1st and 3rd Sunday 8-1:30. World gardens include Australia, Baja California, South Africa, Latin America, Mediterranean and more. Special areas include butterfly, herb, rose, iris, lilac, Native American and redwood gardens, a turtle pond and a fruit orchard. Check the website for parking rules.

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.

“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.”

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.

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

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.