What a stormy couple of days last weekend! I know that I, like most of my foothill neighbors, held my breath anticipating a deluge of mud, rocks and other debris with each rain drop that fell. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. And thankful, too, am I for the many CERT folks, sheriff’s volunteers and others who kept a watchful eye open throughout the night, patrolling our streets. I’m sure that many of us slept much more soundly knowing that our backs were covered.

In spite of the wicked rain last Saturday, the annual holiday home tour benefiting CVHS Prom Plus went off without a hitch. The home tour is one of the largest fundraisers that the organization hosts (the other being the Taste of Montrose held the first Sunday in May). As one of the organizers, my group was pretty anxious as it became apparent that the clouds were not going to pass over and rain was definitely on the agenda.

The way the home tour works is that tickets are sold that allows access to four homes decorated for the holidays. A bonus this year was the addition of the Flintridge House on Verdugo Road. Flintridge House sells high end home furnishings at very affordable prices and the owner, Dave Polk, opened his store just for Prom Plus home tour ticket holders. Additionally, he allowed us to offer refreshments to our guests from the exquisitely decorated rear quarters of the store that had been outfitted in Christmas finery (Dave is a lover of this holiday season and it shows!).

As it became obvious that the rain wasn’t going to let up, we were nervous that our tour homeowners were going to regret their decision to be part of the tour. Coupled with that concern was that no one was going to show up. But our worries were groundless. Our homeowners went with the flow (so to speak) and made adjustments to better accommodate ticket holders who showed up in droves. And talk about a diversity in homes featured! The Collyer home in La Cañada stretches over 7,500 square feet, large enough to house the dozen or so vendors that were part of the tour.

The Johnson home, better known to many in the community as the “tree house house” was well equipped for tour guests. Kudos and an abundance of thanks to the CVHS jazz band that braved the weather to perform outside in between bouts of rain.

The Reilly home is a Craftsman-style marvel that would have been a pleasure to visit on its own, but the addition of its chef-in-residence  who cooked up tasty treats made the home that much more delectable.

Finally, over in Tujunga, the Morelli home was a unique addition. The Morellis own Bonners Equipment Rentals and have been a huge community supporter. Their home is eclectic and interesting with a rich history. Sitting on three acres, many of our ticket holders were shuttled from the top of their driveway to the front door – thank you to those who undertook that job.

The tour lasted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and speaking for myself, at 4:01 I was more than ready to put up my feet. I want to thank all of the students from the CVHS Prom Plus campus club who helped host and greet; the many adult volunteers who did everything from sell baked goods and opportunity tickets to install signs directing traffic to each of the homes; the musicians from Rosemont and CV high school who added so much to the tour. We couldn’t have done it without you.

And for the parents of students, whether in elementary, Rosemont or CV, consider being a part of this amazing organization. It’s all about keeping our kids safe after prom. Remember that many hands make the burden light – consider lending a hand. To learn more about Prom Plus, visit the website at

www.cvhspromplus.webs.com.