From the desk of the publisher
Robin GOLDSWORTHY

What a wonderful Memorial Day weekend we’re expecting! The weather is supposed to be gorgeous – perfect for barbecues and outside dining. But as much as I plan on enjoying this California weekend, I’m going to be a little melancholy, too.
This Sunday, May 30 is my 50th birthday and as much as I look forward to throwing some hamburgers on the grill here at home, I’m supposed to be in Tahiti.
Let me explain.
My best friend Amy is a cruise diva. She’s travelled extensively around the world – her next trip is a cruise through the Panama Canal – and she has visited the Tahitian islands several times. Being my very best friend, she makes sure to share with me every delectable morsel she’s eaten, every luxurious cabin she’s stayed in and every exotic stop she’s made. Three years ago, after hanging on every word of her most recent trip to Tahiti, I cried uncle and declared that for my 50th birthday we would travel to Tahiti together. No more living vicariously through her – I would have my own experiences to relish. And I invited all my friends to start saving their pennies to join us for this wonderful birthday trip.
But in the words of John Lennon, life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.
Not only did I lose my job in July when the L.A. Times closed the paper I used to work for, but I launched the Crescenta Valley Weekly in September redirecting my financial resources. So Tahiti will have to wait.
But you know what they say: good things come to those who wait. Maybe when I finally go I’ll have a balcony cabin.
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Another good reason to celebrate being here at home for the three-day weekend is Prom Plus.
This Saturday night is prom night for Crescenta Valley High School seniors. They’ll be heading to Long Beach for the dance then back to Crescenta Valley and the Crescenta-Cañada YMCA for the after prom event Prom Plus.
Prom Plus was started after a CVHS senior was murdered at an unsupervised post-prom hotel party in 1991. The CVHS Prom Plus committee raises over $20,000 each year to host this event for the kids. They can climb a rock wall, ride a mechanical bull, burn a CD or just sit back and enjoy the music of KIIS FM who will be on site.
Seniors who attend prom can attend Prom Plus without paying any additional fee; it’s included in their prom ticket. For those seniors who don’t attend prom, they can come to the Y after midnight and pay a $20 entrance fee to be a part of Prom Plus.
I am usually there from midnight to 5 a.m. in the casino or walking around, checking up to make sure everything is running smoothly. We’re so grateful to the YMCA for donating the facility and to all the parents and community leaders who volunteer to decorate (this year’s theme is Through the Looking Glass), man the activities or clean up at 5:30 Sunday morning.
Steve and I will be heading home around 5:30 Sunday morning just as the sun is coming up. After catching some sleep and lounging around the house, we’ll head over to Memorial Park in La Cañada for the Fiesta Days barbecue and fireworks extravaganza.
While it’s not Tahiti, it still is a great way to spend my 50th birthday.

  Goldsworthy