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.



CVHS 30-YEAR REUNION
Crescenta Valley High School class of 1983 is having a 30-year reunion on Friday, July 12 at Montrose Bowl and Saturday, July 13 at the Burbank Holiday Inn.

Visit cvhs1983reunion.webs.com for details or contact Ellen DeAngelis at (818) 522-7965 or LNZmail@yahoo.com.

CV SIERRA CLUB HOSTS HIKE AND BRUNCH
The Crescenta Valley Sierra Club invites the community to join a community hike and brunch on Saturday, July 13 beginning at 8 a.m. The hike will take first while it is still cool, followed by brunch at 9 a.m. Meet at Deukmejian Wilderness Park.

Contact Wayne Fisher for further information at (818) 353-4181.

Deukmejian Wilderness Park, 3429 Markridge Road, La Crescenta

ACTS THRIFT STORE TO CELEBRATE THIRD ANNIVERSARY
Pasadena’s ACTS Thrift Store will celebrate its third anniversary on Saturday, July 13 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with live music, food from the Pie ‘N Burger truck and 50% off on all items with an all-day coupon, available on the ACTS website (http://www.actsthrift.org/3rd-anniversary-coupon).

All net earnings for ACTS stay in the local community to support social service and ministry organizations including the Lake Avenue Community Foundation.

For more information call ACTS Thrift Store at (626) 577-4477.

ACTS is located at 1382 Locust St., at the corner of Hill Avenue and Locust Street, south of the 210 Freeway and north of Walnut Street.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE
La Provincia Guild of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Thrift Shop presents its annual Christmas in July sale, held Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All things Christmas will be sold along with homemade goodies and treasured collectables. Proceeds benefit the Children’s Hospital.

Children’s Hospital Thrift Shop, 3301 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank

CHILDREN AND ANIMALS IN LOVING HARMONY
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Verdugo Hills celebrates Children and Animals in Loving Harmony by hosting Zuu Day on Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A petting zoo, pony rides, craft activities, wildlife presentations and lunch will be provided for kids age 2 to 10.

Tickets are $10 per child or $5 per child in groups of five children or more with admission free for accompanying adults.

For information and/or tickets, call (818) 248-3954 or email uucvh@verdugo.org. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Verdugo Hills, 4451 Dunsmore Ave., La Crescenta

DEMS PLAN “COOL SUMMER PICNIC”
The Cañada Crescenta Democratic Club invites the community to its annual Cool Summer Picnic on Sunday, July 14 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Lanterman House.

Visitors will enjoy touring the historic house and grounds as well as savoring potluck food and musical entertainment. Docents will be available to point out memorable features of the home, which was built in 1915 by the second generation of La Cañada’s founding family, the Lantermans.

A suggested contribution of $15 in addition to a potluck item is encouraged.

For more information, call Bonnie at (818) 952-1944 or visit www.canadacrescentadems.org or the event page on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/events/462989523793219/.

The Lanterman House, 4420 Encinas Drive, La Cañada

AED HEARTSAVER CLASSES OFFERED 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 certification class is designed for the lay person. It provides instruction in adult, child and infant CPR and the choking maneuver for all three as well. Heartsaver AED classes will be held on July 15 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at VHH. Fee is $60/person (includes textbook).

Also taught is the AED (automated external defibrillator) as these devices are now located in many public areas.

For more information or to register for a class, call Teri Rice at (818) 952-2272.

Verdugo Hills Hospital, 1812 Verdugo Blvd., Glendale

NOON CONCERTS OPEN TO PUBLIC
Glendale Noon Concerts is a free admission concert series that takes place every first and third Wednesday from 12:10 p.m. to 12:40 p.m. in the restored chapel and sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Glendale (downtown at Louise & Wilson, no religious affiliation).

The next concert is on July 17 and features violinist Jacqueline Suzuki who will perform works by Halvorsen & Dohnanyi with violist Adriana Zoppo and cellist Pam Dealmeida.

First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 N. Louise St. (at Wilson), Glendale

MONTROSE AFRICAN VIOLENT SOCIETY HOLDS MEETING
The Montrose African Violet Society is having its next club meeting on July 24 at 10 a.m. in the Birch Room of Descanso Gardens. The guest speaker will be Don Delano. Delano will be giving the program on “Episcias.” Guests are always welcome to attend the meetings.

For more information, call (818) 508-1937.

Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge

MONTHLY POETRY READING SERIES
The Village Poets of Sunland-Tujunga’s upcoming Monthly Poetry Reading Series is slated for Sunday, July 28 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Bolton Hall Museum.  Poets Mina Kirby and Beverly M. Collins will co-feature for this event.

Kirby is a retired mathematics professor and author of several books including “Mathematical Dreams: Songs about Mathematics,” a cookbook and eight chapbooks.  Her poetry has been included in Red Lights (tanka), The San Gabriel Valley Poetry Quarterly, and Poetry and Cookies.

Collins applies lessons learned from Songwriter Guild of America and the National Association of Record Industry Professionals to her poetry. She is the author of the book, “Quiet Observations,” and one of the 2012 prize winners for the California State Poetry Society.

Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, visit http://www.villagepoets.blogspot.com.

Bolton Hall Museum, 10110 Commerce Ave., Tujunga

THE GAMBLE HOUSE OFFERS UNIQUE “UPSTAIRS-DOWNSTAIRS” TOURS
For three weeks only, the Gamble House will open the doors to its servants’ hall and rooms for the first time in its history. Visitors will be welcomed to the House from Thursday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug.18 and will be able to see and experience the Gamble House from the perspective of those who lived and worked in the house. New information has recently come to light about the Gamble family and its servants, allowing The Gamble House to share more of the personal history of the House with visitors.

Advance purchase is not required but highly recommended as space is limited per tour and tours often sell out.

For more information, call (626) 793-3334, visit www.gamblehouse.org, or email Gamblehs@usc.edu.

The Gamble House, 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena

S/T LIONS CLUB HOSTS 52nd WATERMELON FESTIVAL
The Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club will be hosting its 52nd annual Watermelon Festival Aug. 16-18 at its new location, the Pasadena Rose Bowl. The celebration features watermelon carving demonstrations, watermelon recipe contests, watermelon eating contests, seed spitting contests, and a wearable art contest, along with nightly prize drawings. The watermelon queen will be crowned along with her court.

Funds raised by the Watermelon Festival are used by the Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club to help support local youth and community activities, disaster relief, and to support health and vision conservation programs.

The festival will be held Friday, Aug. 16 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17 and Aug. 18 from noon to 10 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children the day of the event. Advance sales are $8 for adults and $4 for children. Admission includes free watermelon slices and a free spin on the watermelon wheel for additional prizes and raffles tickets.

To learn more, visit www.lionswatermelonfestival.com, email stlwatermelon@gmail.com, or call (818) 353-4554.

The Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena.