SONS OF NORWAY
The Sons of Norway Edvard Grieg Lodge is hosting a Norwegian cultural evening at Lutheran Church of the Foothills on Saturday, Feb. 23. Social is at 6 p.m., potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. with program to follow. This is a free event. Questions can be directed to P. Hamilton at (818) 247-9042.

Lutheran Church of the Foothills, 1700 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada.

CAN-CRES DEM CLUB MEETING
The February Club Meeting of the Cañada-Crescenta Democratic Club is on Sunday, Feb. 24 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the   home of Erica Fishman and Kirk Brattkus at 4716 Rosebank in La Cañada Flintridge.

Guest speaker is Professor John Eichinger, PhD of California State University, Los Angeles. The topic is “What makes an Effective School?”

Professor Eichinger research interests include integrated instruction (science with math, art, social studies, etc.), effective classroom practice, student attitudes, and international comparisons of science curriculum, and his preferred areas of teaching are science instruction and curriculum development at the K-12 level. He has been an educator for over 25 years, most of which was spent as a middle school teacher.

Also during the meeting, the club will vote to elect Marsha Hymanson to be the permanent controller effective after the end of March.

ANNUAL CALTECH-OCCIDENTAL CONCERT
The Caltech – Occidental Concert Band, directed by William Bing, presents their annual concert at Thorne Hall in Eagle Rock on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.

Contact the Occidental College Music Office at (323) 259-2785 or the Caltech Music Office at (626) 395-3295 for further information.  http://bands.caltech.edu.

Thorne Hall is located on the Occidental Campus at 1600 Campus Road in Eagle Rock.

SHOP OF HORRORS AT CALTECH
Caltech is in for a Laugh (and a little bit of Horror) with “Little Shop of Horrors” on Friday, Feb. 22-24 and March 1-2 in Caltech’s Ramo Auditorium

Darkly funny and always catchy, “Little Shop of Horrors” runs for five performances in Caltech’s Ramo Auditorium:  Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2:30pm; Friday, March 1 at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, March 2 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for Caltech students, $9 for Caltech staff, JPL, and other students, and $18 general admission.  Purchasing information available at the Theater Arts Caltech website http://tacit.caltech.edu.

Caltech, 332 S. Michigan, Pasadena

PIANIST GARRETT AT GLENDALE LIBRARY
On Saturday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m., the Associates of Brand Library will be sponsoring the first concert in its annual music series. Pianist Junko Ueno Garrett will be performing the complete Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach.

This concert will be in the auditorium of the Glendale Central Library. Admission is free.

Glendale Central Library 222 E. Harvard St. Glendale

‘DOC TALK,’ MEDICARE INFO OFFERED
On Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 10:30 a.m., “Doc Talk” hosts Mark Anthony, DC who will be speaking on how to “Stay Mentally Sharp At Any Age: 10 Keys to Preventing Alzheimer’s and Dementia.” His presentation is at the City of Glendale Adult Recreation Center, 201 E. Colorado St. in Glendale.

On Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m.  “Medicare 101” will be presented by Andea Naone-Waters. Information will be offered regarding the basics of understanding the different Medicare deadlines and options available.

Refreshments will be served.

Held at the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge, 4469 Chevy Chase Dr. (two driveways down from Foothill), La Cañada Flintridge.

On Thursday, Feb. 28 at noon, “Doc Talk” presents Dr. Hanriet Minasian who will be speaking on strokes and their prevention. Light lunch included.

This is being held at the YMCA of the Foothills, 1930 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge. Sponsors are Becky Happach of Right at Home, In Home Care & Assistance and Todd Menard of Belmont Village Senior Living Burbank.

These are free presentations. Please RSVP to Andea Naone-Waters at (818) 468-4289.

BEGINNINGS CLASSES AT VHH
The Verdugo Hills Hospital BEGINNINGS Family Education Program will offer a babysitting class on Feb. 23 designed for boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 15. Additional babysitting classes will be held on March 23 and April 27. Each class is a single, one-time class, held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The babysitting class is an interactive course that teaches participants valuable skills, including infant/child CPR, basic first aid, home/auto safety, accident prevention, telephone skills, safety tips, when to call 911, poison control, fire/earthquake plans and other helpful childcare advice. Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a babysitting course completion certificate.

Classes are offered at VHH, located at 1812 Verdugo Blvd. in Glendale, 91208 in the Council Room (located on the fourth floor).

Class fee is $40/person. Reservations are required. For more information or to register, call (818) 952-2272. For a list of additional classes offered by the Family Education Program, please visit www.vhhospital.org.

GLENDALE CELEBRATING ARBOR DAY
Glendale Beautiful, in cooperation with the City of Glendale Community Services and Parks Department, will celebrate 63rd Arbor Day on Tuesday, March 5 at The Casa Adobe de San Rafael Park, located 1330 Dorothy Dr. Coffee social at 10 a.m. with program promptly at 10:30 a.m. The event will recognize participants who have made contributions for the purchase of trees. Trees donated by the community will be used to landscape city parks, library areas and schools.

In case of rain, the event will be in the lower level of the Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 No. Verdugo Road.  For more information or to order a tree, call (818) 246-3634.

MARY K DELURGIO TO SPEAK AT LA CANADA LIBRARY
On Tuesday, March 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. , long-time La Cañada resident and author Mary K DeLurgio will be presenting her two new books, “Understanding Spiritual Evolution” and it’s companion workbook, “Keeping A Spiritual Journal.” She will describe the everyday process of spiritual evolution, how it works in one’s everyday life and how the search for happiness, meaning and purpose will carry the individual into personal growth.

The author’s 35 years as a practicing psychotherapist and leader of journal-keeping workshops demonstrate a deep understanding of spiritual and psychological development.

La Cañada Library, 4545 Oakwood Ave, La Cañada Flintridge

CELEBRATE DANCE AT ALEX
Executive producer Jamie Nichols presents Celebrate Dance 2013 with a line-up of eight top-notch dance companies on Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m. at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Performing will be Invertigo Dance Theatre, JazzAntiqua Dance Ensemble, L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, Lydia Zimmer + Dancers, Lux Aeterna Dance Company, Nickerson-Rossi Dance, SoleVita Dance Company and the Los Angeles debut of Francisco Gella’s, Colabo Youth Dance Collective.

Tickets are $16-$36 (all children seated with an adult, $12). Discounts offered for students, seniors and DRC members.

Group rates for 15 or more at 25% off are available by calling the box office at (818) 243-2539 or visit http://www.alextheatre.org.

Alex Theatre, 216 No. Brand Blvd., Glendale

TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR FESTIVAL OF WOMEN AUTHORS
The 5th Annual Pasadena Festival of Women Authors is on Saturday, March 9. This event features four award-winning Southern California authors: Aimee Bender, Bo Caldwell, Gabrielle Pina and Kathleen Sharp. The event takes place at the Pasadena Senior Center from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Reyna Grande, who was chosen as the 2013 Writer-in-Residence for the program at Pasadena City College, will be the kick-off speaker.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Pasadena Senior Center and the Pasadena City College Writer-in-Residence program. Tickets for the festival are $85 per person and include lunch. Reserved tables of 10 are $1,000. Visit www.pasadenafestivalofwomenauthors.org for more information.

Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena

ABWA HOSTS MONTHLY MEETING
The American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) Verdugo Glen chapter dinner and business meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. at the Glendale Elks Lodge, 120 E. Colorado, Glendale. The program, “Social Media Etiquette – Do’s and Don’ts,” will be presented by Jackie Hesley. Dinner cost is $25. For information and reservations, call (323) 256-1575 or contact lynnws@msn.com.

LCWC HOLDING ‘NIGHT AT THE RACES’
The La Crescenta Woman’s Club – History Section is hosting “Night at the Races” on March 9. Cocktails are at 5 p.m., dinner at 5:30 p.m. and post-time at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $20/person, or $35/couple which include dinner.  For reservations call Deanna Alfeld (661) 250-2653 or Rita Even (818) 249-6296. The deadline for reservations is March 1.  A portion of the proceeds will help fund a scholarship for a graduating Crescenta Valley High School senior excelling in history.

La Crescenta Woman’s Club, 4004 La Crescenta Ave., La Crescenta.

EARLY LITTLE LANDERS
In honor of Bolton Hall’s centennial, some of the “original” 1913 Little Landers will visit Bolton Hall on March 9.

Members of the Verdugo Hills High School drama class, under the direction of Deirdre Fitzpatrick, will present original interpretations of Marshall Hartranft, William Smythe, the “Chicken Ladies” and several other early Little Landers. There may also be an opportunity to listen in as the Millionaires Club holds one of its famous afternoon meetings to discuss important issues of the day. This promises to be an entertaining program and a fun way to recall some of local history and people.

Don’t miss this chance to meet the folks who were in the Tujunga area100 years ago when Bolton Hall was built and hear their stories.

This program begins at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public.  Everyone is welcome.

Bolton Hall Museum, 10110 Commerce Ave., Tujunga

Parking is available a few doors uphill at the Elks Lodge.

Additional information is available from Little Landers Historical Society, (818) 352-3420,  www.littlelandershistoricalsociety.org or E-mail littlelanders@verizon.net .

COUNTY IRISH FAIR
The 2013 Los Angeles County Irish Fair is coming to the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds Fairplex in Pomona on March 9-10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

The cost is $18 general admission with discounts for children, seniors and active duty military.

Bands, bagpipes, Irish step dancers, Irish food, shopping, fun for the whole family.

RACHEL RENEE RUSSELL AT OUAT
Once Upon A Time is rolling out the red carpet for talented author and illustrator Rachel Renee Russell who is a lawyer by day but prefers writing children’s books to legal briefs. Russell is the author of “The Dork Diaries,” and will be at OUAT on Wednesday, March 13 at 7 p.m.

In the newest installment of her diary, Nikki Maxwell develops a sudden interest in student journalism and joins the school newspaper staff-and ends up as an advice columnist!

The Dork Diary series are perfect for kids 9 – 13.

Once Upon A Time is located at 2207 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose.

CPR CLASSES AT VHH
As an American Heart Association training center, Verdugo Hills Hospital (VHH) offers cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training classes to community members and healthcare providers. For community members, VHH offers the Heartsaver AED class. This class is designed for the layperson. It provides instruction in adult, child and infant CPR and the choking maneuver for all three as well.  Also taught is the AED (automated external defribrillator) as these devices are now located in many public areas. This class is offered once each month with future classes being held on March 13, April 10, and May 22.

For more information about VHH’s CPR courses or to register for a class, call (818) 952-2272 to make a reservation.

AMERICAN GIRL FASHION SHOW FUNDRAISER
Invitations are in the mail for the American Girl Fashion Show hosted by Flintridge Guild of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. This three-day event is held at the Glendale Hilton Hotel on March 22-24.  There is a Friday night dinner show and two shows each on Saturday and Sunday when tea is served.  Little girls model historic and contemporary outfits and carry identically dressed dolls.  It is fun for all and all proceeds to CHLA. To receive an invitation or to make a reservation, visit www.flilntridgeguildchildrenshospital.org or call (818) 952-7978.

SIERRA CLUB PLANS CHINA TRIP
The community is invited to a well-paced journey to China. Explore Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, where the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived. Climb the Great Wall, take a boat cruise on the Grand Canal of Hangzhou, and visit Suzhou’s Silk factory. Set sail on the Yangtze River, enjoy the wonderful scene of deep and quiet gorges, and the magnificent peaks as if they were cut by axes and knives. Take a shore excursion to the Shennong Stream where you may see the ancient roads, coffins in precipice, and even some rare animals such as golden-haired monkeys.  We will also visit Xi’an’s most important archeological site, where thousands of life-size terra-cotta warriors have been guarding the Emperor’s burial site for over 2,000 years.  Discover the mile-long riverside embankment where foreign investors once held sway over Shanghai.

Price is $3,195.

Sponsored by the Sierra Club. The dates for this event are April 20 to May 4 and the leaders are Andrea Lim and Salud Salinda in association with the Crescenta Valley Sierra Club Group.

For more information, send email to andrealim94@yahoo.com – insert subject line of “China 2013” or call Salud at (310) 259-1208. Applications are first-come first-served.

FIRST CVHS CLASS OF ’63 PLANS 50-YEAR REUNION
A 50-year reunion is being planned by the members of the first class to graduate from Crescenta Valley High in 1963.

The “First and the Best” will celebrate June 22-23 at Angeles National Golf Club nestled at the base of the Angeles National Forest just 15 minutes from Burbank Airport and numerous hotels.

Planning committee members are seeking addresses and email addresses of classmates to notify them of the event.  Former Falcons are asked to contact Denice “Pruden” Heatherington at d.prudenheatherington@yahoo.com or Gene Wilcott at gwilcott@charter.net.

Plans include a Saturday night “Buffet of Memories: An Evening with Old Friends, Fine Food & Good Spirits,” and a Sunday brunch.

Area residents might remember when the “old” Clark Junior High campus was converted into a high school in the fall of 1960, and there was only a sophomore class.  Those students were the first to graduate from the new high school, and they established the school mascot, school colors, school song (written by class faculty advisor Shirley Nute) and many other traditions.

Class president Tim MacDonald heads a committee composed of Heatherington, Wilcott, Miles Olin, Kathie “Schreck” Olin, Susie “Schunck” Gorman, Merry “Delbridge” Shelburne, Terry “Wudke” Baugh, Donna “Gamper” Didden, Gayle “Hasselschwert” Kemper, and class advisor Nute, with special thanks to the “Keepers of the List,” Dennis and Mary “MacArthur” LeBlanc.

GLENDALE ONE TOASTMASTERS
Glendale One Toastmasters meets from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays at Shakers Restaurant in Glendale. Toastmasters is a non-profit organization developing public speaking and leadership skills through practice and feedback in local clubs since 1924.

For more information, please call (818) 314-4964.

Shakers Restaurant, 801 N. Central, Glendale

FREE DIABETES COMMUNITY EDUCATION CLASS
The Diabetes Care Center at Glendale Adventist Medical Center invites the community to a free diabetes community education class held every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the hospital (Committee Room A).

Participants will learn more about living with diabetes – care and treatment, healthy eating strategies – the importance of blood glucose monitoring and AIC and tools for healthy life style to reduce the risk of complications.

For more information or to RSVP, call (818) 409-8100.

Glendale Adventist Medical Center (Committee Room A – Ground Floor), 1509 Wilson Terrace, Glendale

FREE INCOME TAX PREPARATION
Residents can receive free income tax preparation under the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program provided through AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, a tax-exempt charity of AARP.  Membership in AARP is not required.

Free income tax preparation can be obtained at La Crescenta County Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd. (corner of La Crescenta Avenue) through Friday, April 12 except for April 5.  Enter from the upper level parking lot.

The hours are Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Taxpayers will be helped on a “first-come-first-served” basis; no advanced reservations are available.

BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT GROUP AT Y
The Crescenta-Cañada Family YMCA, in partnership with the La Leche League, is hosting a monthly infant lactation and development support group to help support new mothers. This monthly group meets on the third Friday of each month from noon-1 p.m.  This group is free and open to the community and will answer all breastfeeding related questions that new mothers may have.

The Y is also offering a Mindful Parenting Course designed to help parents connect to their children and raise them to thrive. This course is adapted from the work of Dan Siegal, M.D and will focus on reducing daily stress while connecting with your child. The classes meet weekly on Tuesdays. The course is open to all and there is a fee to attend.

For more information, contact the Y at (818) 790-0123.

The Y is located at 1930 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada

ATTENTION MUSIC LOVERS
Dr. Ted Stern, professor of Music at Glendale Community College, will again conduct off-campus music appreciation classes for adults in the community. This ongoing series is for musicians and non-musicians alike. This semester will address the topic:  “An In-Depth Look at Six Composers: Praetorius, Handel, Mozart, Berlioz, Puccini and Stravinsky.”

Classes will be held at the Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church. The series of classes are held each Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., continuing through May 21. The cost is $90. For more information, call Dianne at (818) 445-2390.

Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church, 2700 Montrose Ave. Montrose

DBSA OFFERS SUPPORT GROUP
Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) has a support group meeting every Tuesday at Vallejo Drive Adventist Church in Glendale every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. DBSA provides hope, help, and support through peer-based, recovery oriented empowering services, and resources when people need them and how they need to receive them.

For more information, call Wanda Sellers at (818) 352-4346, email dbsalosangelesne@yahoo.com or visit dbsalosangelesne.org.

Vallejo Drive Adventist Church, 300 Vallejo Dr., Room 106 in Glendale.

GLENDALE QUILT GUILD MEETING
The Glendale Quilt Guild meets the second Wednesday of the month at the Glendale Central Library. Social hour is at 6 p.m. followed by the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments served at the break. Meetings are free to members and $5 for visitors. For more information visit www.glendalequiltguild.org or phone Brandi at (818) 541-9983.

Glendale Central Library, 222 E. Harvard, in Glendale