A Sunny Day – But Not For All

What a beautiful weekend we enjoyed last week. A perfect time … to go to the racetrack! Sunday was the annual Day at the Races, a fundraiser for the local chambers of commerce and the CV Sheriff’s Support Group.

Organized by community leader Rick Dinger, the fundraiser was held in the grandstands special section of the track. For a nominal donation of $25, guests enjoyed trackside seating, nine Thoroughbred races, a racing program, lunch provided by Schreiner’s Fine Sausages and the Pieroni Family plus homemade goodies.

I headed to Pasadena with two of my good friends Terri and Ed Anderson (pictured below) who have gone with me to previous Day at the Races, most notably during near-monsoon weather a couple of years ago. Needless to say, Sunday’s near 90 temperatures were a welcome change.

I have fond memories of the racetrack. When I was in my late teens, it was a cheap way to spend the day. You could take $20 with you and have enough money to bet on all nine races. I’ve been to Hollywood Park (now closed) and Los Alamitos for the quarter-horses, but my favorite track is Santa Anita.

Stretched across acres of manicured lawns with a kiddie zone in the infield and the mountains behind, it really is a beautiful place. True, some of the indoor betting and concession areas are in need of a facelift, but you can overlook that when considering how friendly the staff is.

And when the racing season is over, the track is transformed into the stunning location for the California Philharmonic. Under the direction of maestro Victor Vener, the summer concert series is a wonderful partnering of site and sound; keep reading the CV Weekly for the date of the launch of the  2014 season.

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The news last week that John Drayman, former Glendale City Councilman and mayor, pleaded guilty to three of the 28 counts brought against him began the end to a saga that started over two years ago.

It is no surprise that many, including myself, were delighted that someone representing our area was elected to the Glendale City Council back in 2008. It was the first time that the foothill community had true representation on the council rather than being treated as second-rate citizens as many felt.

Equal to that delight is the abject disappointment in Drayman’s failings. However, unlike others who were not in the courtroom – or better, the judge’s chambers – yet feel warranted in making armchair proclamations regarding the decisions made by the court – and by Drayman – I understand that I am not privy to the facts behind these decisions. Like many, I am just sorry the whole thing happened.

Without a doubt, the case of John Drayman is a sad one. Like Mary O’Keefe reported last week, there were three camps: those who thought he was guilty, those who thought he was innocent and those who were just sad it happened. As she noted privately, the entire saga is reminiscent of a Shakespearean tragedy.

There were many lessons to be learned from the John Drayman story. One, I hope, is that having a representative on the city council from the foothills area is a good thing and I hope that a candidate soon surfaces who would fit that bill.

  robin goldsworthy