GHS PRESENTS ‘HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT WITH MONA’

On Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m., MONA (Museum of Neon Art) Executive Director Corrie Siegel will make a presentation for Glendale Historical Society. She will use neon art from Glendale and surrounding areas as a model to consider what is saved and built from as the past and present are rewritten. MONA was founded by artists who saw value in historic signage and is now run by artists who recognize the aesthetic and cultural value of neon and its ability to serve as a cipher in the landscape. The Museum is dedicated to sharing stories of communities, families and individuals who lit up the dark. Due to its unlikely founding and democratic collecting practices, MONA’s collection is reflective of the multifaceted and diverse cultural landscape of Los Angeles County.

The event is complimentary but advance RSVP is required. To RSVP, and for more information, visit https://glendalehistorical.org/mona-2.

AUTHOR APPEARANCE AT FLINTRIDGE BOOKSTORE

On Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m., Flintridge Bookstore welcomes meteorologist Dallas Raines, his wife and journalist Dannie Raines, and their beloved pup Chester for the launch of their children’s book “Chester and the Hot Air Balloon.” This weather-based tale, illustrated by Brittany Doheny, is for ages 5-12. The reading will take place outside the back of the store, and the signing will be inside. COVID protocols will be observed.

Dannie Raines has a journalism and communications degree from University of California, Los Angeles. She is a former writer at CNN. Dallas Raines is chief meteorologist of KABC and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University where he studied broadcast journalism and earth science with an emphasis on meteorology.

Pre-order the book by stopping in or calling the store, or going to the website www.flintridgebooks.com and clicking on the Shop Featured and Local Authors link.

For more information about this event, contact Gail Mishkin at gailm@flintridgebooks.com.

Flintridge Bookstore is located at 858 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Beulah Drive.

BURBANK-VALLEY GARDEN CLUB

The Burbank-Valley Garden Club will hold its next meeting on Oct. 7 at the Little White Church, 1711 N. Avon St. in Burbank. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m.

Julie “Jamie” Uyehara, recently appointed Angeles National Forest resource officer, will be speaking. She has been with the Forest Service for 11 years and has had extensive experience in programs such as managing reforestation, reducing invasive weeds and hydrological/water-cycle issues. She has also worked as an environmental scientist at Vandenberg Air Force Base, and a wildlife biologist and manager for the Angeles, Los Padres, Cleveland and San Bernardino national forests. She has a bachelor’s degree in animal science from UC Davis and a doctorate in behavioral ecology from UCLA.

The Burbank-Valley Garden Club participates in a reforestation program called Penny Pines. Many members donate the loose change in their pockets, which allows the Garden Club to make periodic $68 donations to this program. The donation allows the National Forest Service to create a plantation of trees.

Uyehara will explain more about this program and how the Penny Pine donations are used.

Masks are required and, in the event that indoor gatherings are prohibited, the meeting will take place on Zoom. Those with questions can contact Anne White at (818) 434-3616 or via email at annewhite1@aol.com.

WALK BENEFITS AHA

The American Heart Association invites the Southland community to join the Heart & Stroke Walk on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. The Heart & Stroke Walk celebrates the survivors of heart disease and stroke, raises lifesaving funds and encourages physical activity.

This year’s theme, Heart Walk Here, invites participants to start their walk from various pop-up start lines set up in Glendale, Santa Monica, Simi Valley or Torrance, or create a path of their own. Participants are encouraged to Heart Walk at any location that inspires their heart health. Details about the pop-up start lines and to register, visit SouthlandHeartWalk.org. Download the “how to” kit to map out a Heart & Stroke Walk.

LITTLE LANDERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS ‘NEON – A LIGHT HISTORY’

Little Landers Historical Society announces the resumption of Bolton Hall Museum’s monthly second Saturday historical and educational programs. Following the long pandemic closure, Bolton Hall is now open to visitors and Little Landers Historical Society extends an invitation for 1 p.m. on Oct. 9 for a look at the history of neon lighting from the early 1890s to the artistic creations of today.

After more than a decade of research using Los Angeles as a focal point, speakers Dydia DeLyser, PhD, and Paul Greenspan show how neon signs influenced urban change and will continue to light the future.

This event is free and open to the public and everyone is welcome.

Bolton Hall Museum, home of Little Landers Historical Society, is located at 10110 Commerce Ave. in Tujunga.

Additional information is available from Little Landers Historical Society, (818) 352-3420 or BoltonHall.org or email llhs@boltonhall.org.

PAUL HADDAD AT FLINTRIDGE BOOKSTORE

On Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m., Flintridge Bookstore welcomes Paul Haddad, author of the recently released novel “Paradise Palms: Red Menace Mob.” Haddad is the author of the Los Angeles Times’ bestseller “10,000 Steps a Day in L.A.: 57 Walking Adventures,” which takes readers to obscure and iconic LA. landmarks. He is a native Angeleno with a passion for the city and its history. “Paradise Palms” is set in Los Angeles in October 1957, a time of Eisenhower conformity, police and mob strongholds, and Red Scare paranoia. A relic of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the aging Paradise Palms Hotel is on the brink of change. David Shapiro – eldest son of recently widowed Max Shapiro – has assumed a leadership role. But the more he digs into the hotel’s business, the more he questions who his father is. It’s not just the tenuous ties to gangster Mickey Cohen, who is trying to commandeer “the Palms,” but also the sudden appearance of a mysterious African American guest named Rae Lynn, who improbably rises in stature. As long-buried secrets come to light, Shapiro’s battle to keep the family intact takes a tragic turn. His actions mirror an America lurching from the surface simplicity of the ’50s to the turmoil of the ’60s in this riveting neo-noir family saga.

In addition to contributing essays to the Los Angeles Times and other media outlets, Haddad hosted a column for the Huffington Post uncovering the secret history of LA. He also works in television as a writer, director and executive producer, earning multiple Emmy nominations. He is an avid supporter of 826LA, a nonprofit workshop dedicated to helping school age kids find their writing voice.

Flintridge Bookstore is located at 858 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge, at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Beulah Drive. All COVID protocols will be observed.

VHHS PLANS REUNION

“Team 74” is planning a 50th high school reunion in 2024. Friends and graduates of Verdugo Hills High School are invited to attend to trade stories of family, careers, adventures and anything else.

Currently Team 74 is in the planning phase of collecting names and numbers of classmates and putting together a database; emails from classmates can be received at clsof74reunion@yahoo.com. Information should include a mailing address, cell number and graduate’s name at graduation (if different than now).

A list of frequently asked questions will be provided to keep everyone updated as the reunion plans move forward. Those who belong to various VHHS groups will see redundant information to ensure all classmates are notified and have an opportunity to attend.

At this time the FB VHHS groups will be the reunion information outlet until a more focused site is created.