57th Annual Pancake Breakfast at the YMCA

The Y will be bringing the community together at the 57th Annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, May 10 from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Crescenta-Cañada Family YMCA. The annual event is put on by the dads and kids from the Tribes program (formerly known as Indian Guides).

Tickets, which can be purchased the day of the event or in advance at the Y, are $5 for all you can eat pancakes and sausage.

For more information, contact Craig Strazzeri at Cstrazzeri@ymcafoothills.org or call (818) 790-0123.

WALKING TOUR OF MONTROSE

The Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley will be sponsoring a walking tour of Montrose led by Robert Newcombe at 11 a.m. on May 10. Space is limited; please RSVP to Joanna at (818) 248-1707. Come learn about Montrose from the man who literally wrote the book!

CALTECH PRESENTS 34TH ANNUAL BANDORAMA

Caltech will present its 34th Annual BANDORAMA concert featuring the Caltech-Occidental Concert Band and the Caltech Monday Night Jazz Band. This event will take place on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 at 8 p.m. in Ramo Auditorium.

The Caltech – Occidental Concert Band, directed by William Bing, will present Paul Asimow and Zachary Erickson as guest conductors, Julia Ziac as horn soloist, Kjerstin Williams as vocal soloist, and Les Deutsch performing his own composition “Concerto for Organ and Concert Band”. There will also be music by Grainger, Ticheli, Deutsch, Gershwin, Whitacre, and Saint-Saëns. This program will also take place in the Disney Concert Hall on June 18 at 7 p.m.

The Caltech Monday Night Jazz Band, directed by Barb Catlin will present a tribute to Los Angeles composers Bill Holman, John Bambridge and Allen Carter plus music by Pat Metheny, Thad Jones & New York composer Magali Souriau.

Admission is free and no tickets are required. For more information, call (626) 395-3295 or visit bands.caltech.edu.

LCWC HOSTING TEA

The La Crescenta Woman’s Club is having a spring tea party at the clubhouse on Saturday, May 10. Seating begins at 11 a.m. Lunch includes tea, sandwiches, scones and desserts. The afternoon features a silent auction and an award will be presented for the best hat.

The cost is $25 per person. Make checks payable to the La Crescenta Woman’s Club and mail to P.O. Box 106, Verdugo City 91046. Proceeds benefit local charities. The LCWC is a non-profit organization.

For more information, contact Dawna Berger at (818) 957-6939.

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

AAUW GLENDALE MAY BRANCH MEETING

The May meeting of the AAUW is being held at Oakmont Country Club on Saturday, May 10 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The cost is $25 per person that includes brunch.

The program includes a presentation to student grant awardees. Speaker is Alen Andriassian, Outreach and Assessment manager at Glendale Community College. Andriassian will discuss the full range of counseling and assessment systems available to students.

For reservations, call Susie Robinson at (818) 951-6104.

Oakmont Country Club, 3100 Country Club Drive, Glendale

NEWS FROM THE LLHS

Little Landers Historical Society announces a program in May that focuses on the importance of collecting oral histories and saving the stories about our lives, experiences and the times in which we lived. Guest speaker will be oral historian and filmmaker Ellie Kahn.

On May 10, Kahn will be at Bolton Hall to offer a hands-on workshop experience in collecting oral histories. Learn the basics of interviewing and sharing experiences in order to collect our personal and family’s stories.

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

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

Bolton Hall Museum is located at 10110 Commerce Ave., Tujunga

WDR HOSTS FAMILY CONFLICTS WORKSHOP

Women’s Divorce Resource is hosting a workshop on resolving family conflicts on May 13 at 6 p.m. at 330 N. Brand Blvd. in the second floor conference room. Guest speaker is attorney Ronald Supancic, founder of The Law Collaborative. He is a certified family law specialist, law litigator, mediator and collaborative divorce practitioner.

For more information, email info@womensdivorceresource.org or call Mona (818) 396-6590

EXCITING RIVER ‘JOURNEY’ PLANNED

The Crescenta Valley Sierra Club will present Bryan Brown’s, “Kayaking the Colorado River” on Tuesday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the La Crescenta library.

“Man completes historic journey…” The man would be Bryan Brown who put his kayak down into Wyoming’s Wild River to paddle down the Green and Colorado rivers with the intention of retracing the historic 1869 journey of John Wesley Powell. Join us for this exciting trip.

News of conservation and outings begin the program. Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome. Please call Wayne Fisher, program chair, for more information at (818) 353-4181.

La Crescenta Library is located at 2809 La Crescenta Ave., La Crescenta.

GLENDALE QUILT GUILD

The featured speaker at the Glendale Quilt Guild meeting on May 14 is Jennifer Rapacki. The topic is “Creativity Unleashed – Modern Technology for Quilters.” She will also present a workshop on Saturday, May 17 on using Photoshop Elements.

The Glendale Quilt Guild meets the second Wednesday of each month at the First Congregational Church of Glendale, 2001 Cañada Blvd. in Glendale at 6:30 p.m. for social and 7 p.m. meeting. The cost is $5 for visitors and is free for members.

CVHS CLASS OF ’74 PRE-REUNION EVENT

The Crescenta Valley High School class of 1974 is having a pre-reunion event at Montrose Bowl on Friday evening, May 16 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. All ’74 Falcon classmates are welcome to attend. Beer, bowling and barbecue! No cost to attend.

‘CELESTIAL SONGBOOK’ PRESENTED BY TOWNE SINGERS

The Towne Singers, under the direction of Lance Merrill and accompanied by Ben Mason, present their spring concert “Celestial Songbook” on Saturday, May 17 at 7 p.m. at the new state-of-the-art Arcadia Performing Arts Center located at 188 Campus Drive in Arcadia.

The choral music will be complemented by a narrative that provides a historical perspective on key milestones in astronomy, and acknowledges the major contributions that local institutions (namely the Jet Propulsion Laboratory – JPL – and CalTech) have made to the understanding of the cosmos. The concert will be supplemented with celestial lighting effects and projections.

The Los Angeles Astronomical Society will sponsor a “Star Party” and set up several telescopes outside the theater focused on “celestial objects” (stars and planets) following the concert.

  Tickets are adult $20, children (3-10) are $10 and groups (10 or more) are $15.

For information on the Towne Singers, call (818) 275-4117 or email townesinger87@gmail.com.

CLEAN UP DAY IN GLENDALE

The 26th Annual Great American Clean Up in Glendale is on Saturday, May 17 at 8:30 a.m. Each year hundreds of volunteers gather to assist with a variety of community beautification projects, including graffiti removal and mural painting, gardening projects, litter and trash pickup, weed abatement and more. This is a great event for families, community groups, and civic-minded businesses to express their community pride. Volunteers will enjoy a fun-filled community barbecue after completing their work.

Join us in Perkins Plaza, right behind Glendale City Hall. Pre-registration is required by May 9.

Free Continental breakfast and barbecue lunch.
Free T-shirts (limited supply). Community service credit for students. Get more information online at www.CleanUpGlendale.org or phone (818) 937-8334.

PRUITT TO SPEAK ON EDUCATION CHALLENGES

La Crescenta educator Greta Pruitt will be featured at the Cañada Crescenta Democratic Club meeting on Sunday, May 18 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the home of Jane and Marty Chetron of La Cañada.

Dr. Pruitt will speak on the challenges faced by public education in the current political environment. She has a distinguished background as a teacher, administrator and college professor and has lived in La Crescenta since 1951. Among her accomplishments is 11 years as principal of 32nd St/USC, a K-12 magnet school for visual and performing arts in the LAUSD. She also managed a team of school reform consultants as director of the Urban Learning Centers.

   Club business will include consideration of a donation to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

More information can be found at http://canadacrescentadems.org.

CASINO NIGHT KICKS OFF FIESTA DAYS

The La Cañada Flintridge Community Center’s annual Casino Night will again be the kick-off event for La Cañada Fiesta Days activities. Scheduled for Friday evening, May 23 at 6:30 p.m., the event will bring together more than 200 for a fun evening of Black Jack, Craps, Roulette, and a Texas Hold ’Em poker tournament. Guests will also have the opportunity to bid on prizes in both the silent auction and prize raffles.

Two tickets for the Kiwanis’ annual Gourmet Food & Wine Festival along with in-home wine tastings will be auctioned off.

Last year’s event sold out. Ticket information is at www.cclcf.org.

SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS LUNCHEON AND PROGRAM

Showers Of Blessings luncheon and program will be presented by the Pasadena Women’s Connection on Wednesday May 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the Women’s City Club in Pasadena.  A baby shower will be hosted for the Elizabeth House. Terry Bright, director of Programs, will speak about the work done with homeless, pregnant residents there.

Motivational speaker Tamara Turner will talk on pursuing career and college in her story, “Inspired by My Mom.”

Tickets are $23. For reservations, call Darlene at (818) 353-2212 or Carole (818) 790-1907.

Women’s City Club, 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena

CPR CLASSES AT USC VHH

USC Verdugo Hills Hospital offers cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training classes to community members to help them learn this important skill.

Class will be held on June 28 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The Heartsaver certification classes, which are part of the hospital’s family education program, provide instruction for CPR skills, including adult/child one-person rescue and choking maneuvers.

CPR classes are offered at USC-VHH, located at 1812 Verdugo Blvd. in Glendale 91208, in the Council Room (located on the fourth floor lobby).

The class fee is $60 per person (includes textbook).

Reservations are required. For more information or to register, call (818) 952-2272 or visit www.uscvhh.org.

SONS OF NORWAY

The Sons of Norway Edvard Grieg Lodge is celebrating its 57th anniversary on May 31 with a catered Norwegian dinner of cold poached salmon, meatballs, herring, red potatoes, mashed rutabagas, cucumber salad, coleslaw dill rolls, dessert and beverage. The cost is $20 adults, $10 children.

Social hour is at 6 p.m. Reservations due by May 24; please call Margaret Shuler at (626) 303-6465 with questions.

Dinner held at the Fellowship Hall, Lutheran Church of the Foothills, 1700 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada.

ADA GATES PATTON PART OF SANTA ANITA MYSTIQUE AND FUN

The first U.S. licensed female farrier (equine hoof care specialist) Ada Gates is the honorary chair of the Santa Anita Mystique and Fun event benefitting Women At Work. The fundraiser takes place at Santa Anita Race Track on Saturday, May 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Participants will enjoy racing excitement, lunch buffet, free valet parking, hat contest, paddock tours, raffles prizes and much more including unique insights into Santa Anita legends by Gates.

Tickets are $90 for adults, $45 for children ages 7-16. Call (626) 796-6870. Also available at www.womenatwork.org.

EMPTY BOWLS BENEFIT FAMILY PROMISE

An Empty Bowl event is taking place on Sunday, June 1 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The lunch benefits Family Promise of the Verdugos www.Familypromiseverdugos.org and the local first time homeless families as they transition into independence.

Currently Family Promise of the Verdugos has 25 faith congregations in Burbank, Glendale, North Hollywood and Eagle Rock and community partners including the Burbank Community YMCA.

The Empty Bowl event is $35 a person that provides a choice of soup served in a handcrafted bowl that the guest will take home. It will be hosted at the Carlson Center, Glendale First United Methodist Church in Glendale. Sponsorships are also very much needed and appreciated.

Purchase tickets or make your donation online at http://familypromise.donordrive.com/event/EmptyBowl.

CALTECH-OCCIDENTAL CONCERT BAND TO PERFORM IN WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

The Caltech – Occidental Concert Band, directed by William Bing, is going to perform in Walt Disney Concert Hall on June 18. This celebrated ensemble, which has performed in Carnegie Hall and the Great Wall, will perform as part of a concert of ensembles from around the world.

On the program will be the world premiere of a work for organ and concert band by the band’s multi-talented composer-in-residence, Dr. Leslie Deutsch. Also appearing on the program and conducting his own work will be world famous composer and conductor, Frank Ticheli. Paul Asimow, a professor of geology and geochemisty, will also guest conduct, and Kjerstin Williams, who received her PhD in robotics from Caltech, will be the vocal soloist singing songs composed by George Gershwin.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. at Disney Hall. Tickets go on sale around May 1, and will be available for $30 each at Ticketmaster or the box office at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

For more information, call (626) 395-3295 or visit bands.caltech.edu.

ARC PRESENTS FINE WINE, FOOD

The Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross sponsors an event that features a selection of wines, light appetizers, cheeses and fine chocolates. Fritz Coleman, popular Channel 4 weatherman, will make a guest appearance as well.

Tickets are $60 per person or $100 for two people. For information or to purchase, call 818-243-3121, Ext. 0.

This annual fundraising event takes place on Thursday June 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Forest Lawn Glendale Museum, 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale.

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.

NEWS FROM FRIENDS OF THE SUNLAND-TUJUNGA BRANCH LIBRARY

The bookstore of the Friends of the Sunland-Tujunga branch of the library, which is located inside the library, is filled with used books on almost every subject. There are books on psychology, religion, self-help, cooking, classics and many more subjects. It is open during library hours (except evenings). Prices range from 10 cents to a few dollars. All books are donated.

All monies collected from the sale of these books support the Sunland-Tujunga Branch Library in purchasing new books, DVDs and equipment. The Friends also support programs for children and young adults as well as adults. It is a 501(c)3 organization, so donations are tax deductible. Arrangements can be made to pick-up large donations. Call the library at (818) 352-4481 to schedule a pick-up.

Sunland-Tujunga Branch Library, 7771 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga

TOPS OFFERS LOCAL MEETINGS

T.O.P.S. – Take Off Pounds Sensibly – is a self-accountability group meeting held every Monday. Weigh in is from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

An hour meeting follows in the education building of Center for Spiritual Living, 4845 Dunsmore (at Santa Carlotta). For more information, call and leave a message for T.O.P.S. at (818) 957-8442.

A meeting is also held in Sunland on Thursdays. Weigh-in is at 6:30 p.m.; meeting at 7 p.m. at New Hope Community Church, 10438 Oro Vista St., Sunland. Contact Jeanie Druebert at (818) 353-5015.

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, 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.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.