Originally published on 6 August 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
Shown left to right: Eric and Richard Dong with Congresswoman Judy Chu | Courtesy Photo
Arcadia teens Richard and Eric Dong were honored with the ‘Youth of the Year’ distinction during Congresswoman Judy Chu’s 10th Annual Leadership Award ceremonies held last Sunday, July 28, from noon to 3 pm at the Arcadia Community Center. Awards were also given for Businessperson, Educator, and Volunteer of the Year, among others.
Richard graduated this past spring from San Marino High School (SMHS) and will be attending New York University this fall, while Eric is a rising senior at SMHS. The brothers are active volunteers and philanthropists, spending hours doing service at various community organizations and schools while endowing the same places with funds to support their mission.
Children of Chinese immigrants, Richard and Eric were instilled with the importance of contributing to society during their earliest years growing up in San Gabriel Valley. Both of them are gifted piano players and they happily share their passion for music. They perform at schools, chapels, central libraries, senior citizen and homeless centers, and for the public at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Carnegie Hall in New York.
From their father, Richard and Eric learned the intricacies of the stock market that made them savvy investors. Using the financial gains from their investments, they established their first endowment to their middle school (Clairbourn) in 2014 to provide scholarships for students in music and the arts. Heartened by its positive outcome, they continued to give more – to San Marino High School to fund school supplies and to the International Leadership Foundation (ILF) to support leadership training, US-China relations, human rights, and global democracy and governance initiatives in 2017. And, in 2018, they founded the Richard and Eric Dong Endowment Fund for Union Station to provide scholarships for children.
Additionally, Richard and Eric were recipients of the President’s Volunteer Service Award at Gold level, Congressional Award for Bronze and Silver Medal, and the 2018 Outstanding Young Philanthropist Award given by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
In their acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, Richard and Eric acknowledged Congresswoman Chu for her continued encouragement and thanked Ivy Sun, honorary chairperson of ILF’s L.A. Chapter and former mayor of San Marino Richard Sun. They also expressed their deep gratitude to Anne Miskey, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena, for nominating them.
As always, the Dong brothers attributed Robert F. Kennedy’s words ‘Our future is not a gift, it is an achievement’ as their inspiration and for empowering them to do good work. Young people in San Gabriel Valley would do well to emulate Richard’s and Eric’s exemplary undertakings.
Originally published on 31 May 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
Li wearing one of her bespoke fascinators | Courtesy photo / Handmade by Cissy Li
Americans, as a rule, don’t typically wear hats the way they do sunglasses as a fashion accessory. However, if it were up to Cissy Li, all ladies would be wearing hats wherever they go, most especially to weddings and other stylish events. To advance her lifestyle philosophy, she started creating headwear in 2006 from her Pasadena home for close friends. And, recently, she displayed her collection called ‘Handmade by Cissy Li’ at an exhibition held at Joann’s Fine Arts Ai+ Gallery on Mentor Avenue.
The path that led Li from Suzhou as a child growing up, to Milan as an haute couture model and, finally, to Pasadena as an artisanal milliner, is paved with extraordinarily good fortune.
“I’ve always loved design, fashion accessories, and modeling, ” Li proclaims. I double-majored in Fashion Design and Modeling at Suzhou University near Shanghai. After graduation, I moved to Beijing where I worked for two years at the government-owned modeling company in exchange for my free education. Knowing that modeling as a career usually has a short span – because agencies are always looking for 14- to 16-year-olds – in 1997, I went to the Lutzelau School in Switzerland and took a Hotel Management course to have a back-up plan. It’s now called Swiss IM&H (Swiss Institute for Management and Hospitality).”
Li as a runway model in Milan | Courtesy photo / Handmade by Cissy Li
“Fortuitously, I went to New York in 2000 for a modeling pageant and earned the top award for Best Runway Model,” discloses Li. “The prize was a contract with an agency in Milan called ‘Zoom.’ In the same year, I won the Universal Asian Supermodel pageant in Las Vegas and was selected one of the Top Five Models. As a professional runway model working in Milan, I was lucky enough to wear the clothes and accessories of French and Italian designers, including Ferre, Nina Ricci, and Valentino. And my love for hats was only reinforced. When you wear one, you can’t lower your head because it’s going to fall. That compels you to stand erect and maintain good posture – so hats make you look very elegant.”
“I considered quitting by 2003 because I thought I was too old for the profession. So I moved to the U.S. and taught at the Barbizon Modeling School in Las Vegas. We entered a competition in New York but one of the students dropped out. Consequently, my boss told me I had to be my student’s replacement because she had already paid the registration fee. I protested saying, ‘I’m 26! I’m too old to compete.’ She retorted with, ‘You’re Asian, they won’t be able to tell your age.’ So I went to New York and won! The prize was another contract to go to Italy. And I thought, I had just left Italy and now I’m being sent back there,” Li recalls with a laugh.
“I did one show to fulfill the contract but I couldn’t continue doing it,” says Li. “In this business you sign one contract with one agent and if they refer you to another you get double charged, so you don’t really make any money. The cost of living in Italy is high – renting an apartment and feeding yourself cost a lot. And then you have to pay the agency on top of that. Besides, I wanted to focus on a different career, so I came back to the U.S. I was working for Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas as the Assistant Manager for Channel’s Fine Jewelry in 2005, when I met my future husband who’s from Pasadena. So I moved here and it was then I began making hats.”
Li’s interest in various crafts includes decoupage. She walks over to a side table, picks up a tray, and explains, “I created this with marble and gold leaf and it can be used for tea cups or as an Asian cheese board. It took three weeks to finish because the process involves layering the resin which needs to dry between applications. Additionally, there are several factors that affect it, like the weather and temperature. It has to be 70 degrees for the resin to adhere and, as you know, we had a long winter this year. For instance, these coasters took three months to complete. Taking all those into account, the pieces become too costly that I wouldn’t be able to sell them at a reasonable enough price for people to buy them so I give them to close friends as gifts. Handmade pieces are never perfect but these imperfections are what make them valuable. They’re evidence of being one-of-a-kind, and not commercially- or machine-made.”
The tools of Li’s trade | Courtesy photo / Handmade by Cissy Li
“I love art. Besides my kids, art is my passion,” Li emphasizes. “I draw, paint, and design. And, of course, I have my hat projects. But you couldn’t do that full time when you have little kids at home. Now that they’re older, I can do a little bit more. I always say you have to choose a job you like so it doesn’t become a chore. I get up at 6:45 or 7:00 to get my children ready for the day, drop them off at school, and then I work in my studio. I pick them up from school, help them with homework, finish dinner, then I go back to my studio. Sometimes I’m here late at night or until the early morning hours. I get only four or five hours of sleep but I don’t feel tired because I love it and I don’t regret putting in that many hours working on my hats. Look at my fingers – they look dirty because the materials I use, like beaver hair, require a lot of steaming, stretching, pressing, and pushing onto the felt. After four hours, I literally cannot lift my arms. I do it because it’s my passion; if it were only for the money, I’d stop after eight hours. But I put in 12 hours at a stretch working on one single hat.”
“Sorting the materials for making the hats is also time-consuming,” adds Li. “I get shipments from England, Ukraine, Russia, and the Czech Republic. Vendors send me pictures of the items but when they get here, the colors are different from what are in the photos. I’m very visual; I can see the various hues. I’m also good with size and proportions so I have to sort and organize all the materials to make sure I put them together correctly. With items like flowers or feathers, you really need to source reliable vendors – I find them through friends’ introductions while some are very old and well-known houses, so I’m confident about their products. It’s also important to see them for yourself because you can’t tell their quality through photos. I travel to Europe every summer for two months and I visit my vendors between family holidays.”
Pretty in Pink | Courtesy photo / Handmade by Cissy Li
Li specializes in fascinators, which aren’t really hats but fashionable headdresses that Prince William’s wife Catherine, otherwise known as the Duchess of Cambridge, made extremely popular.
“Each fascinator takes me anywhere from two to three weeks to complete because I want to find the precise color,” Li expounds. “I’m not very particular with a lot of things in my life, I’m pretty easy-going, but I am exacting in my work. There was one peacock fascinator I worked on which took a month to finish and, in the process, I learned that peacocks have green or blue shoulders. Some of the feathers that arrived had green reflections, some had reddish blue, so when I put them together they looked like Chinese fried rice. I had to order from different vendors to get the specific shades and then match them correctly. One client bought it, but instead of wearing it on her head, she has it hanging on her wall along with other paintings – she treats it like a piece of art. Knowing that clients appreciate the outcome makes this work gratifying.”
Working tirelessly for several months, Li was able to create over 100 handmade hats for an event she fittingly called ‘An Affair to Remember.’
Li’s fascinators on display at ‘An Affair to Remember’ | Courtesy photo / Handmade by Cissy Li
“The show was meant as an exhibition and not as a sales event,” clarifies Li. “I wanted to give all my guests the chance to look at the hats and try them on. If someone were to buy a piece, then no one would be able to see it. However, a couple of guests really wanted to buy the hats and they waited until after the end of the show to take the items. A friend and loyal customer from Newport Beach had planned on coming to the exhibition but wasn’t able to make it because she twisted her knee a few days before. When I posted pictures of the hats for the event, she called me to tell me which one she wanted to buy.
“My clients are usually people I already know. I haven’t really gone commercial because I have no time. I’m one person and I can’t do the marketing and production all at once. Hats are also a very individual thing so I don’t mass-produce. I do it the traditional way – with custom sizing, fitting, and so forth. I’m leaving in mid-June for my annual trip to Europe but I’m hoping to start a website when I come back, not to sell the products but to showcase the hats so people who want to buy them can contact me. It’s also tough to do an online business; the laws protect customers and not the sellers. Our hats are shipped in beautiful hard boxes but when customers decide to return them, they come back in such bad shape and you feel awful about the merchandise. People looking for a bespoke hat can come to my studio, select all the components, and get instructions on how to wear the hats. It’s really about mutual respect.”
Li modeling a designer gown at the Asian Pacific American Festival held this past weekend | Courtesy photo / Handmade by Cissy Li
As an aficionado, Li is convinced that no one carries off wearing hats with more aplomb than the English. And where does one find an abundance of hats in all their splendor but at The Royal Ascot. It’s also the perfect place to get ideas for her hats, so she makes it a point to go to the opening of the renowned horse races in June. It’s both a work and fun excursion because she takes her children with her and they’re usually there for the Royal Procession when the Queen is in attendance.
On one particular occasion, her daughter, Claire, was so entranced by Queen Elizabeth’s headwear. Having been around her mom as she fashioned spectacular hats for clients, Claire confidently declared that Li would one day be the first Chinese-American milliner to create a bespoke piece for the Queen. Any other mom would brush off that endorsement as merely child’s fancy, but Li took that to heart. For several months now, she’s been in contact with some people connected with The Royal Ascot to figure out how to make it possible. However, she’s also cognizant that there are so many hoops to go through.
“The Queen approves only one brand of hats and clothing for The Royal Ascot,” Li states. “Selling there is also complicated because of taxation laws and import regulations. I have to consider all the things that could possibly go wrong. Can you imagine if we got stopped at the airport as we’re leaving because I didn’t take care of every legality? What would have been such a happy trip would end up something I’d deeply regret.”
Whether Li succeeds in getting her hats worn by the Queen and the smart crowd attending The Royal Ascot or not, nothing can hinder her from creating headwear for ladies here. We don’t have to be royals to wear her spectacular fascinators. But donning her meticulously fashioned hats will certainly make us feel like princesses.
Originally published on 12 March 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
Maki Hsieh (left) being honored by Senator Susan Rubio (right) | Courtesy photo / Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation
On March 4, Maki Hsieh, Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation Executive Director, was honored as the 2019 Woman of the Year by Senator Susan Rubio of the 22nd district. Since 1987, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus has awarded women in each State and Assembly district this recognition at a ceremony held at the California State Senate Chamber at the state capitol.
The day after the event, Hsieh is still in disbelief at the unexpected accolade. I’m sitting at her dining table to chat about the award, how she was chosen, and what it means to her.
“I didn’t know this was coming and I was caught completely by surprise!” Hsieh declares. “I spearheaded Arcadia’s first formal Chinese New Year’s festival in January. This was the first time the city sponsored it, and the foundation organized and helped promote it. Because it was a special event, elected public officials attended it and gave certificates.
“One of the officials was Senator Susan Rubio, who was a teacher at Monrovia for 17 years. She was really impressed by how hard the Foundation works for arts education and arts excellence in school. When it came time for her to honor her first ‘Woman of the Year,’ she and her staff went through a whole vetting process. She has a million people in her district and they looked at a lot of candidates. And my name came up.”
Continues Hsieh, “ Her team contacted me from Sacramento and asked me for my biography but I really didn’t have one. The last time I wrote something about myself was for a press release that went out in 2017 when I was appointed Executive Director for the Foundation. So I dug up the press release from our website, downloaded the PDF, and sent it to them. When I asked what it was for, they said ‘We’re looking at ways to increase our arts outreach to the community so we wanted to learn more about you.’
“Then in February, her office kept trying to schedule time on my calendar. And every time they requested to reserve an appointment with me, they said ‘The senator would like to speak with you for a few minutes to tell you about the award.’ All along I thought it was about arts outreach. But, again, other things took precedence, like fundraising and dealing with a lot of issues.
Arcadia’s first official Chinese New Year Festival with Arcadia Mayor Sho Tay (far left), Congresswoman Judy Chu (center), Senator Susan Rubio, Mayor Pro Tem April Verlato, and Maki Hsieh (far right) | Courtesy photo / Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation
“Finally, they called and said, ‘Please, you have to speak with the senator for a few minutes.’ I was in Las Vegas then and this was when the city had three snowfall days for the first time in over a decade. I was stuck at the airport and couldn’t leave. But they insisted that Senator Rubio needed a few minutes to speak with me. So I asked, ‘What is this in regard to? If this relating to the art outreach program, I would be happy to connect with her at a later time.’ They still didn’t tell me what it was about or that the senator needed to speak with me because they had to book my flight.
“When we ultimately connected, I said ‘Thank you very much, Senator, for giving me a call. I look forward to hearing how you would like us to help you.’ And she said, ‘No, it’s not about you helping me. It’s about me honoring you!’ And I said, ‘Honoring me for what?’ Then she said, ‘Every year the California State Senate honors a ‘Woman of the Year’ from their district. This year I would like you to be my very first ‘Woman of the Year’ and we will fly you to Sacramento.’ It was an immense surprise to me, I started tearing up, and all I managed to utter was ‘Really?! Me?!’”
Hsieh adds, “Being bestowed this honor got me thinking about my mother’s journey. She started her new life in this country with nothing but a dream. She first came here in the 1950s to Sacramento, with two suitcases, not knowing any English. She was 19 years old. She toiled her way through Sacramento City College and then Cal State Sacramento – as a busser at Sacramento’s German restaurant; as a live-in maid at former Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy’s home, for free room and board; and as a laborer at the Chinese laundromat, for ten cents an hour – until she eventually got her Masters at USC. And here I am one generation later, getting this award. Going back to Sacramento, recalling my mom’s path, had special meaning to me.”
This recognition isn’t merely an achievement for Hsieh, but for the Foundation as well. She explains, “We have a shoestring budget so getting free publicity is a god-send. I always say ‘A rising tide lifts all boats.’ And if I’m that rising tide in the region, it will lift the foundation in many ways. Fundraising is one thing, but more important than fundraising is awareness that arts excellence is a legacy and it will go away if we don’t support it. Arts excellence is not funded by the state and it is severely lacking in focus and vision. This honor will elevate the region as a cultural mecca and Arcadia as a destination for kids who already are high achievers but can really benefit from something more.”
Photo taken during Maki Hsieh’s Album concert at Arcadia Performing Arts Center (left to right): Camilla Leonard (Maki’s daughter); Maki Hsieh; Mary Hsieh (Maki’s mother); and Aubrey Leonard (Maki’s daughter) | Courtesy photo / Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation
“A crucial mission of mine is getting young people off the screen,” Hsieh explains. We have to give them a lot of things to do – activities that are fun – that have direct impact in their lives. It was, therefore, a fortunate development when the district rolled out and funded mandatory orchestra or general music in 4th and 5th grade, for one period a week, throughout all six elementary schools. In the past, music was a pull-out system where you signed out and you were pulled out of class. But those kids were always the ones who didn’t want to be in class and needed a reason not to be there. Now it’s mandatory, everyone’s on the same page.
“I didn’t think it was a big deal until my 10-year old daughter came home one day and said ‘We have to pick an instrument.’ I said, ‘But you’re already doing drums and piano.’ To which she replied, ‘No, this is mandatory, it’s going to be part of our school day and we’re all really excited. Every day at lunch we’re talking about a different instrument to pick so we could have a quartet, or we can have a band, or we can do this …’ and on and on she went.
“It isn’t just about learning to play an instrument or being on stage. It’s about having a shared experience with their peers, which is something they’re missing. Today kids play ‘Overwatch’ on the TV with a headset that connects through WiFi with other kids in their home doing the game. They’re playing and watching a game but they’re not having a communal shared social experience, it’s all on the screen. Furthermore, seniors aren’t able to participate in children’s lives because they don’t play computer games on TV. And suddenly you have a whole generation of kids who are disengaged from their parents, grandparents, veterans, and those people who can really pass on their wisdom. Children can use their artistic talents to be involved with them. ”
Most of the honorees in the ‘Woman of the Year’ are in the academic, medical, or political fields and the write-ups about them in the event book reflected that. Hsieh’s bio spotlighted her artistic achievements before touching on her professional career, which helps tremendously in providing a model for young people to emulate.
Hsieh expands on the point. “Artistic talent is a gift from your family, from ancestors, from DNA, from the heavens. And what you do with it is your gift to the community and the world. If you do it as a side thing and have fun, that’s fine too in its own merit. But, I think, if you focus on your gifts and work on them, they would evolve into being a means to effect change. It’s an agency to help your community and, in a way, it becomes a public service. My musical ability made me the right fit for my position at the Foundation, which led to my being honored. I didn’t appreciate that until now.”
Maki Hsieh | Courtesy photo / Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation
And Hsieh’s accomplishments at the Foundation are as impressive as her artistic talent. She discloses, “When I first started, our fundraising wasn’t covering operations –we were in the red and we had a debt obligation we couldn’t pay. Diversity programming was almost non-existent and it was focused on a certain demographic. The founder, Mickey Segal, actually walked out on the board because he didn’t feel that the Foundation was doing what it was called on to do. I inherited a lot of things that needed to be fixed pretty quickly. It wasn’t a five-year plan, it had to be done now or we were going under. Fast forward to today, we’ve paid off our debt and we’re going to be in the black for the first time in our operation’s history. We had a 114% net sales growth; we’ve just acquired a match challenge – in seven days we raised $88,000 towards that match. We recently secured our first $1 million planned gift. We’re really starting to see traction in both awareness and funding for arts excellence. Art excellence is such a great legacy in our region and it can’t go away. It’s a battle we have to win.”
Offering her assessment of what this honor means, Hsieh says, “The ‘Woman of the Year’ has been an annual tradition during the Women in History month. But this year, I believe, it has a greater significance to many people because of the growing trend in giving female leaders a place in the national scene. At the awards yesterday, we had the first female lieutenant governor of California.
“Being chosen ‘Woman of the Year’ out of one million people in the 14 cities in Senator Rubio’s district, heralds a wonderful opportunity for Asian females. Until now, we didn’t a voice. When my Mom came here, there were signs that said ‘Japs should not sit here,’ ‘Japs are not allowed,’ ‘Chinks go to the back.’ She wanted to work for the state and she interviewed constantly, but they always picked the Caucasian male. The door was closed. While the door isn’t entirely open, I feel the welcome mat is there. We still have to knock on the door to be admitted, but at least we’re no longer being sent away.”
As a woman, I am proud of Hsieh’s award. And as an Asian, I would like to think that it is as much her singular honor as it is her mother’s and the other Asian women who arrived in America before her. It so eloquently speaks to how far we’ve come as a people in this country. And it is so reflective of our silent crusade to be recognized, not by going out in the streets to rant about the acknowledgement we deserve, but by quietly demonstrating through talent and action what we’re made of and what we’re capable of accomplishing.
Originally published on 22 February 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
‘Southern Specter,’ Richard Johnson’s and Timothy Roy’s collaboration shows a Southern oak tree shrouded in Spanish moss | Courtesy Photo / The Arboretum
Make The Arboretum in Arcadia your destination for an evening of dazzling contemporary art. From February 27 to March 3, the natural landscape of this beautiful garden will serve as the backdrop for ‘Digital Nature 2019,’ an art exhibit featuring unique, site-specific artworks.
‘Digital Nature’ brings together a collection of contemporary artists who explore diverse themes – butterfly camouflage, bird songs and heavy metal, and interactive digital wildflowers. They will transform The Arboretum into an outdoor gallery of illuminated art, video, and sound installations.
Richard Schulhof, CEO of The Arboretum says, “We first presented ‘Digital Nature’ in 2016; this one takes it to the next level. The Arboretum, I believe, is a spectacular setting for art. As part of our mission, we have education programs and we connect with people with our landscapes and gardens that explore themes. Art is yet another vehicle to engage people, to inspire thought, and encourage conversation about what’s happening in our world. We want to stimulate new thinking about the natural environment, our relationship with it, and the changes that are presently transforming it.”
As the recently concluded ‘Moonlight Forest Festival’ proved, people enjoy coming to The Arboretum at night. Schulhof would like ‘Digital Nature’ to kindle the same enthusiasm but quickly points out the distinction between them, “This is an art exhibition – statements from artists about a variety of topics. Unlike going to a light show where you come to enjoy the beauty of visual art or presentation, like the lantern festival, this one is a more cerebral experience. These installations will be scattered along the paths so you come upon them as you walk, and in that sense it’s similar to that of the lantern festival. But whereas ‘Moonlight Forest’ was a continuous experience, each encounter in ‘Digital Nature’ is a discrete experience: it’s in its own gallery. But I would love for there to be an overlap; I would be delighted if people who turned up for the lantern festival came and enjoyed this exhibition as well.”
Nami Yamamato’s ‘Radiant Flux’ poetically illustrates the process of photosynthesis | Courtesy Photo / The Arboretum
Schulhof declares, “We’re making a statement that art doesn’t necessarily belong only in an art gallery – it could belong in the landscape, it could be available to everyone, it could be part of our everyday experience. We want to take the art out of the museum and make it available to a much larger populace. We serve a broad community here at the Arboretum; so why not have an art exhibition that allows that community to engage with this art.
“‘Digital Nature’ is a very personal expression of the artists, which concerns an aspect of nature they find intriguing and inspiring, and they’re sharing that with us. It’s a look inside of their world. Nami Yamamoto, for instance, is fascinated by photosynthesis. She cuts intricate leaf patterns from paper she made with abaca and then embeds phosphorescent powder into the paper, so at night you’ll encounter these sheets of leaves that glow in the dark. You can see the connection with our botanical collections. It’s our way of communicating that just about every living thing on this planet thrives on this amazing ability of plants to harness energy from the sun. It’s the basis for life on earth and most people will never think about it; it’s taken for granted, it’s just a given.
“Another example is the work of Richard Johnson and Timothy Roy which explores the relationship between two plants – the Spanish moss that colonizes the branches of live oaks. They’re an artist and a composer working collaboratively who became fascinated by the incredible biological and visual drama of these live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. They composed a score and combined it with imagery of the relationship between the plants. Each person watching and hearing the music will have his own interpretation. Those of us who are sensitive to plants and other forms of life will have that internal experience that Richard and Timothy find transformative.”
“This has been in development for a year and a half,” relates Schulhof. “Shirley Watts, a Bay Area artist and curator, who has a special interest in botanical landscapes as a context for the public exhibition, is the visionary responsible for ‘Digital Nature.’ She realized there was a rich opportunity in juxtaposing works of art with landscape and botanical collections.”
‘Flood,’ by Deborah Oropallo and Andy Rappaport, is composed of hundreds of images layered into a video collage | Courtesy Photo / The Arboretum
To explain how her involvement with The Arboretum came about, Watts says, “I had done a show at U. C. Berkeley in 2013 called ‘Natural Discourse,’ which was totally unlike what we’re doing here. It had physical installations of sculptures and some poets rewrote the plant tags. Since it wasn’t an art gallery, where there was another event coming up behind it, we could do whatever we wanted. So it stayed up in the garden for six months. It was fantastic! So many people saw the exhibition, not necessarily because they were there because of it, they just came upon it. And that’s a big deal with the work that I do – taking the art out of the museum and putting it in places where there’s a large public.
“Coincidentally, after we did the show in Berkeley, I was contacted by Gloria Gerace, who is the Managing Director of Pacific Standard Time, which puts up shows in museums all over Los Angeles. Apparently, Richard had hired her to do some consulting here to explore the possibility of having art events at the garden. Gloria found ‘Natural Discourse’ online and she asked me about the work we did in Berkeley. I had met Richard before, too, and he told me that he was open to having art here at The Arboretum. So I pursued him.”
Continues Watts, “When I started working here at The Arboretum, we were looking at doing the same kind of show we did in Berkeley. But I really started thinking about what this place is – its history and its location – and realized that so many films and TV shows have been made here. So I thought why don’t we have a show of video installations? It seemed appropriate for The Arboretum.
“Once we decided to show videos, it was a no brainer, we had to do it at night. And from a financial support basis, that turned out to be a brilliant idea because The Arboretum closes at 5:00 so people had to come back to get separate tickets for the show. And tickets sales help fund the work we’re doing. It isn’t expensive, though. Tickets are $15; the highest-priced ticket is $18.
“We put on ‘Digital Nature 2016’ exhibit not knowing what to expect. We thought we would sell 500 tickets and we sold 1,500; that helped fund the project. It was an amazing experience for all the artists involved – they helped install the artwork, they were here during the show, they met each other. That kind of collaboration in a garden like this was different, something they’d never had before. That the public also showed up to see the show was just such a positive outcome for everyone.”
Asked why ‘Digital Nature’ will only be up for a week, Watts replies, “It’s funny, the other day I was in San Francisco and I was talking to a gallery owner about this show, and she said ‘All that work for only five nights?’ I really contemplated about it afterwards and thought ‘I’ve had this long career working in gardens, and yeah, it’s only five nights but that’s how things happen in gardens – its ephemeral. Right now, at home, my magnolia is blooming and I’m missing it, and that’s it for this year! Things come and go and change in gardens. For me, it’s appropriate.”
Brigitte Zieger’s ‘Bewildered’ plunges us into the heart of the forest with protest banners the only clue to human presence | Courtesy Photo / The Arboretum
Only one artist from 2016 will be presenting artwork in this year’s ‘Digital Nature’ exhibit. Watts explains, “I’m always looking for new artists. Now I know a lot of artists, and they refer me to their friends’ works and I find people online. I also have connections to an artists’ residency in Connecticut and they have a lot of composers that go to residency. And when they send out their emails I go through everybody’s work. For this year’s show, I found these young composers who wrote a piece about Southern oak trees – one of them wrote the chamber music and the other made a video that goes along with that. Unfortunately we won’t have live chamber music but we’ll show the recording and the video under an oak tree. All the installations have a connection to the place they’re at.”
Watts says she didn’t have specific sites at The Arboretum in mind beforehand, “I mostly found the artists I wanted to work with – sometimes they have existing work, a few of them are still making new work now – and I had conversations with them. We have 18 or 19 artists for this sow, but some of them are collaborating. Most of them are local but some are from out of state; one is from Chicago, the composers are coming in from Michigan, another is from Philadelphia. Once I had a group of artists together, that’s when I spent some time at The Arboretum to decide where the pieces are going.”
“The show isn’t touring; its site-specific work,” clarifies Watts. “While the pieces can go places, they were brought together to be in this show, in this place. For artists it’s an opportunity to show their work; it’s difficult to find places where you can find an audience. However, some artists we have in ‘Digital Nature’ are pretty well known. Brigitte Zieger, who’s from Paris, is one whose work has been displayed around the world. LACMA owns an art piece of hers. We’re showing one of her works which we’ll be projecting onto two walls by the front fountain. She and the other artists participating in this exhibit get the chance to see their work in a completely different setting.”
Schulhof underlines ‘Digital Nature’s’ more pressing significance, “There’s so much focus right now on changes that are occurring in our natural environment around the world – global warming, the introduction of invasive species, increasing urbanization. I think there is a cascade of environmental shifts because of climate change. While that’s not the sole emphasis of this show, it’s an important focus. To bring art into the landscape where you can have an artist make a statement juxtaposing with the botanical collection here at The Arboretum is an incredibly opportune occasion. ”
That ‘Digital Nature 2019’ transpires and culminates in five nights underscore the fleeting nature of blossoms in our environment, as Watts points out. The installations are a reminder that we need to appreciate the inherent wonders around us and recognize that we have to play an active role in preserving them for future generations.
Originally published on 18 February 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
Clifton Duncan with the Model T | Courtesy photo by Nick Agro / Pasadena Playhouse
In ‘Ragtime: The Musical,’ a Ford Model T precipitates all the ensuing action that takes place; so it was important for the car to be on stage. Fortunately, Christopher Cook, Pasadena Playhouse’s Production Manager, didn’t have too far to go to find one. Altadenan Norm Haley, a real estate broker, is an avid collector of Model Ts and he graciously lent one of his cars.
Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director, can’t wait to show off the car they were able to borrow for the show. After I interview him at in his office, he walks me down to the stage where the Ford Model T is set on rollers, all ready to make its debut. “Norm drove this car up to The Playhouse and you should have seen us – we were jumping with excitement!,” he relates with the giddiness of a child in a toy store. “Doesn’t it look amazing?! Someone has to write about him and the car.”
And so on a cold and gray morning, a few days into ‘Ragtime’s’ run, Norm Haley and I meet at the theatre’s library to chat about how his Model T became part of The Playhouse’s biggest production, his collection, and his fascination with cars.
“I got a phone call from The Playhouse asking me what Model Ts I had,” Haley begins. “After they described what they needed, I said yes, I have something that looks like that and it’s garaged somewhere close to The Playhouse. We met, they looked at it, they photographed it, and they decided they wanted to use it.”
Haley’s interest in automobiles came from his dad, who, in the early 1960s, worked on cars. He bought his first car – a Jeep – when he was 14, before he could even drive. He and his dad worked on it for a couple of years until he was old enough to take it on the road.
Collecting Ford Model Ts happened quite by accident, though. Haley recalls, “Back in 1976 or 1977, I had sold a house up in Altadena and I was sitting at the breakfast table with the couple. We were getting ready to sign the sale papers when the wife looked up and said to her husband, ‘I’m not signing these papers until you agree to get rid of some stuff.’ And one of the ‘stuff’ was a 1926 Canadian Model T Touring car. As you probably surmised, I ended up selling their house and owning the car.
“Now I own ten Model Ts, with some of the last serial numbers they made. I have every model they built in 1926-27, which were called The Improved Fords – I have the 2-door, the 4-door, the roadster, and the roadster pick-up.”
The 1926 Ford Model T Roadster at the Sierra Madre 4th of July Parade | Courtesy photo / Norm Haley
Having owned, driven, and toured the Ford Model Ts, Haley is very knowledgeable about them. He declares, “It was the car that put America on the road – until it came along, most people didn’t venture more than ten miles away from home because that’s how far they could walk or ride a horse. The Model Ts of the early years were very expensive, comparatively speaking, they were around $1,200 to $1,300 and they were all made by hand, there were no assembly lines yet. In 1914 Ford got his assembly lines and it was when he put Americans on wheels.
“The Model T represents a cherished past – everywhere I drive, people gawk, or come up to tell me ‘I learned how to drive in one of these,’ ‘My Grandpa used to drive me to school in one.’ I don’t hear that so much any longer; they aren’t that popular anymore. Those who appreciated them have mostly passed away so the market has flooded out. Young people don’t want them because they don’t have enough power and kids don’t want to learn to drive them. It’s such a shame; to me, the Model T is part of Americana.”
Continues Haley, “That particular truck on the stage has been driven from Baltimore, Maryland to Los Angeles. I didn’t drive it – I met some German people when I was part of the Model T Ford Tour in Italy and Switzerland, and I left them that car. I have another Model T, the 1927 Coupe, which I have driven 60,000 miles. It’s been across the United States and the Rockies twice, and to Lake Superior and Fairbanks, Alaska.
“By 1927, it was no longer popular because you had to shift the car by pedal on the floor – the car had three pedals on the floor, two of which are for shifting – and the gas was by the steering wheel. At the time there were other cars, like the Chevrolet and Dodge, which had standard three-speed transmission, that women liked better. Ford shut down his plant for over a year, stopped manufacturing the Model T, and retooled for the Model A.”
Most of Haley’s cars are what he calls ‘20 footers.’ He explains, “They look really good from 20 feet away; when you get up close you could see all the little flaws. But, to me and my circle of friends, they’re worth a lot more than if they were restored. In fact, the Model T on the stage isn’t up to most car connoisseurs’ standards. The paint job on it isn’t that great and it’s still the original except for the rear fender. I had lent it to a friend and he rear ended someone when he drove it in Nova Scotia, so it had to be repaired and repainted.”
For the record, the car that figures prominently in ‘Ragtime: The Musical’ is a 1917 Model T while the vehicle on the stage of the Pasadena Playhouse is a 1926 Model T Ford Roadster Pick-Up. While true collectors would know the difference, audiences at The Playhouse don’t nitpick – we all cheer when the car makes its appearance. We can recognize and appreciate a priceless treasure when we see one.
Discloses Haley, “Almost all my cars are survivors. That Model T in ‘Ragtime’ is very, very original. Highly, ridiculously, overly restored cars with the $5,000 paint job and the $5,000 motor are a dime a dozen. For each survivor car I have, I probably passed up on 20. In fact, last Wednesday I drove up to Visalia with a trailer to look at a truck, but even as I got out of my car I knew I wasn’t going to buy it. When I buy a vehicle, I want to make sure no one has started to restore it and that it’s still pretty much in its original shape.
“I do have some nicely restored automobiles, but they’re the ones that were on their last legs so I had no choice. The Model T Coupe I was talking about, I’m the third owner of that car. It had been parked in a barn at Plano Texas since the 1960s. I actually drove it for several years but it was so tired that I completely tore it apart and restored it. That was years and years ago, maybe in the 1980s.”
As many cars as he owns, Haley has never taken any of them to a show like the San Marino Motor Classic held in June every year at Lacy Park. He says, “Besides the Pebble Beach Auto Show, the event we have here in San Marino may be one of the best in the Western United States. But I’m not the ‘Show and Tell’ kind of guy; besides, I don’t really have the time to sit around at these events. I have a couple of trucks that I’ve put on display – a restored truck which is in the March page of an Auto Calendar and a Helms Bakery truck.”
Haley drives a 1947 DIVCO Helms Bakery truck painted the wrong color by a previous owner (it should be yellow and blue) | Courtesy photo / Norm Haley
Seeing the blank look on my face, Haley elucidates, “In 1930, a gentleman from the East Coast named Paul Helms came to California because he had tuberculosis. He was a marketing genius. He opened a bakery and the first contract he got was to deliver all the baked goods to the Olympics in Los Angeles. Later, the Helms baked items became a household staple.
“In those days most families didn’t have enough money to own two cars. Father took the car to work and mother relied on the cleaners which had a truck that came out to pick up the dry cleaning, the grocer who delivered the groceries if she called in, and the Helms man. By 1940, the trucks that made the home delivery were driving 75,000 miles a day transporting bread, donuts, cakes, and cookies all over Southern California. I was lucky enough to get one of those Helms trucks. There may be only ten of them in existence today.”
Asked if he has any favorites among the 50 vehicles in his collection, Haley replies, “My most-prized car is the 1927 Coupe just because I’ve driven it so much. My favorite truck is the Helms. I’m a member of the Monrovia Historical Society’s Board of Directors and once a year I would put one or two trucks in the ‘Friends of Monrovia.’ Recently, we’ve been handing out donuts in the Helms truck, along with information pamphlets about the society.
“I have a 1954 truck called Canopy Express. Only 3,000 of them were made and I don’t know how many are left. It’s used for delivering fruits and vegetables around the neighborhood, and I would load it up with pineapples to give away to people. For the last 35 years, I’ve also put a different car or truck in the Sierra Madre Fourth of July parade.”
We can certainly understand Haley’s nostalgia for the cars of old which people today don’t particularly care for. There are so many different makes and models to choose from – all of them with the latest technological features – to bother with antiquated vehicles.
But, every once in a while, we see a vintage car driving down the Colorado Street Bridge at a leisurely 30 miles per hour and we can’t help but stare and delight at such a rare sight. Thanks to collectors like Haley, we can reminisce and look back to a time when we weren’t in such a state of frenzied haste.
Originally published on 14 February 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
Marc Soong performs Paraphrase on Figaro’s Aria from Rossini’s ‘Barber of Seville’ by Grigory Ginzburg | Courtesy photo / Barry Eckhaus Photography
Marc Soong, a 15-year old teen from Alhambra, is one of five performers who will appear on an upcoming episode of NPR’s (National Public Radio) ‘From the Top.’ It airs on KUSC 91.5 FM on Sunday, February 24 at 6 pm and by podcast at fromthetop.org starting February 18.
The hit NPR radio program, which averages half a million listeners every week, features America’s best young classical musicians’ performances and interviews. This particular show will be guest-hosted by Bernstein-Award Winning violinist Charles Yang and co-hosted by pianist Peter Dugan.
Being included in this esteemed assembly is quite a thrill for Soong. He says, “I feel very honored! I know some fellow musicians who have participated in the program and I occasionally tune in on KUSC to listen to their ‘From the Top’ broadcast.”
“I filled out a very, very long application to be in one of the five slots,” explains Soong. “There is technically no deadline, but if you want to be a part of a specific program, you have to submit an application four months beforehand. Besides musical ability, candidates are chosen based on other factors including gender, age, instrumentation, repertoire, and diversity of stories in their application.”
“Applicants submit two pieces but can upload up to six video recordings. Out of these, ‘From the Top’ will choose one with a length of five minutes or less to be used on the show. “I submitted three recordings and the piece they wanted me to perform was a transcription of Figaro’s Aria from the Rossini opera ‘The Barbier of Seville.’ I suppose they chose it because it was the right length. The transcription isn’t well known, but the tune is popular. Furthermore, it’s virtuosic and exciting. Well, that’s also my biased opinion,” Soong adds with the confidence of an expert.
‘From the Top’ is a Boston-based independent non-profit organization that supports, develops, and shares the artistic voices and stories of young classically-trained musicians. It provides young musicians with live performance opportunities in the foremost concert halls across the United States. This affords them national exposure to over half a million listeners on its weekly NPR program.
Aside from the performance aspect, ‘From the Top’ offers leadership and community engagement preparation and, since 2005, nearly $3 million in scholarships. All these components intensify the hope, passion, and discipline of today’s extraordinary young musicians.
For his live recording performance, Soong traveled to Beaver Creek, Colorado. He relates, “It was a three-day commitment program – I was at the ski village from January 15 to 17. On the first day, I got to know the other four performers and we had a rehearsal. On the second day, there was more rehearsing and the actual show was held that evening. On the last day, there was an ‘Arts Leadership Community Engagement’ event – we had discussions on how to engage an audience based on their age group and we applied what we learned during an unrecorded final performance in front of an entire elementary school. All the events were held at the Vilar Performing Arts Center.”
Marc Soong | Courtesy photo / Barry Eckhaus Photography
Each musician is interviewed during the broadcast. “For my interview, I talked about math and music – my two favorite subjects – and physics, the third thing I’m obsessed with … primarily because the class is so hard. I know I unconsciously slip into nerdy talk; I hope listeners will think my interview is funny. Though I will attribute most of the humor to the co-hosts,” Soong discloses with a great deal of self-deprecation.
Soong says of his appearance on the program, “Since I heard about ‘From the Top,’ it has been my dream to be on the broadcast. And the whole experience did not disappoint. I got to meet the kindest, most talented group of musicians my age – all of them played different instruments. I had expected tension and competitiveness among us, which is pervasive during piano competitions and festivals, but there was none of that at all.
“Everyone on the show – from the executive director and stage manager to the producer and music director – were exceedingly nice. Whenever guest host Charles Yang and co-host Peter Dugan played the violin and the piano, you can hear the energy vibrating through the room. They’re also very humble and down-to-earth.
“I had never been on a radio program and I didn’t realize just how much time and effort were involved in creating a one-hour show. It took a full eight hours of preparation before the show started. This has been such a memorable experience!”
The gifted teen credits his close-knit family and caring mentors for this wonderful experience, “I would like to thank my two amazing teachers, Professor Daniel Pollack and Dr. Vladimir Khomyakov, for their guidance and encouragement; and my parents and my sister Melodey for their love and support. I know I wouldn’t have had this incredible opportunity without them.”
A third-year student in the Stanford University Online High School, Soong attended Barnhart School in Arcadia, where he was so academically advanced that he skipped 6th grade altogether. His sister, who is a freshman at Washington University in St. Louis, went to Barnhart and Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena. Both of them are still actively involved in the community, giving piano performances at the various senior centers in the Pasadena area during their school breaks.
He may be only all of 15 years, but Soong has done more than most people who are far older than he. That he has remained so unaffected and unassuming despite his innumerable achievements is a breath of fresh air in this age of self-importance and self-promotion.
Originally published on 28 December 2018 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
2018 Craftsman Weekend Asian Influence Tour | Courtesy photo / Pasadena Heritage
Old Pasadena is a bustling place that has become a dining, shopping, and entertainment destination for people of all ages. There was a time, however, when this corner of the city was a rundown area and no one had reason to wander into it. And were it not for the Pasadena Heritage, the city’s original downtown and its historic buildings would have disappeared altogether.
Patty Judy, Pasadena Heritage’s Education Director, describes, “In 1977 concerned citizens from various walks of life were seeing some of the historic structures in the city being demolished or being threatened for demolition to make room for generic properties and large corporate buildings. The plan to bulldoze Old Pasadena, including structures there like the Parsons headquarters, was of particular interest to them. Additionally, they noticed that neighborhoods were endangered – craftsman houses were being torn down, new development were sprouting, and the climate of the area was changing.
“It should be noted that this was also the time when the National Historic Preservation Association and California Preservation Foundation were being established. So there was a movement already going on throughout the country which sort of filtered its way here.
“Bill Ellinger, who was an architectural historian working oversees and came back and saw what was happening, and Claire Bogaard, whose husband Bill would later become Pasadena’s mayor, were two of those who actively advocated for an organization to preserve the city’s architectural treasures. As I heard it, someone said ‘Anyone who wants to join us can come to Claire’s house and they will be the first board.’ They adjourned to the dining room and that was their first board meeting. Thus, Pasadena Heritage was born.
Historic architect William W. Ellinger III Old House lecture | Courtesy photo / Pasadena Heritage
“They raised money by having tours of neighborhoods like Prospect Park and Old Pasadena – they did a little bit of advertising, set a table on the street, and people just walked up. They didn’t presell tours as we do now. For the Colorado Street Bridge, it started as a bridge party to raise funds; today it’s a celebration party.”
Many of us aren’t aware of Pasadena Heritage’s existence at all, which is regrettable because its impact on our surroundings is sweeping. As Judy elaborates, “People don’t understand why Pasadena looks the way it does and how much that has to do with our influence. I think it might be a shock for people to know how many meetings we go to with the City or how many times we meet with developers and how much sway we have.
“On the other hand, some people think we can do more than we actually can. We hear people ask why we allow developers to construct new condominiums or apartments in a particular location. They don’t understand that zoning laws allow such construction and we can’t legally bar them from building.”
Indeed, the organization’s breadth of involvement in Pasadena’s environs is too staggering for a single article to encompass. But several of its noteworthy accomplishments are highlighted here.
Pasadena Heritage’s first National Register of Historic Places Nomination in 1978 was for the Civic Center; including City Hall, the Central Library, the Civic Auditorium, the former YMCA and YWCA, and other historic buildings in the 1925 Bennett Plan that envisioned Pasadena as ‘The Athens of the West.’
The following year the organization saved its first endangered house – the Parsons House, designed by Alfred and Arthur Heineman – which was moved to Altadena and restored. In 1982 it spearheaded Pasadena’s adoption of the Landmark District Ordinance. Neighborhoods can apply for special status and design guidelines to protect their history and character. This local landmark designation is the best way structures can be ensured of protection from being destroyed.
It lobbied to save the Main Post Office on Colorado Blvd. in 1983 when the Lincoln Avenue postal facility was proposed. In 1984 one of Pasadena’s oldest bungalow courts, Gartz Court, was set to be demolished and Pasadena Heritage stepped in. It partnered with the City and moved the six-unit construction to a new location. The charming Myron Hunt-designed building was restored and updated and sold as affordable housing.
“In 1985 we adopted a Greene & Greene Initiative when an out-of-state buyer stripped the Robert R. Blacker House of its custom light fixtures,” states Judy. “We had to get an emergency ordinance that resulted in strengthening the city’s zoning with added protections for Greene & Greene structures. A higher level of designation – the Historic Treasure (now Historic Monument) – was also created to protect interior features.”
The Huntington Hotel is now the Langham Pasadena | Courtesy photo / Pasadena Heritage
As much as Pasadena Heritage would like to preserve all historic structures, the interest of the building’s owners could prevail. One such occurrence took place in 1986 when the demolition of Huntington Hotel on South Oak Knoll Avenue, which dates back to 1906, was being discussed. Pasadena Heritage nominated it to the National Register of Historic Places. While the hotel was eligible, it was not officially listed because the owners objected. A local referendum narrowly approved a new hotel and the historic tower was demolished in 1988.
However, Pasadena Heritage enjoyed numerous other victories. Judy recounts, “In 1993 the Castle Green Exterior Restoration and Historic Structure Report, funded by a $693,000 grant to Pasadena Heritage from the State Office of Historic Preservation, was completed and won a California Preservation award. The Report is still used to guide restoration of the former hotel, which has been converted as privately owned condominiums, and our easement protects the building.
“In December of that year, the Colorado Street Bridge officially reopened after a three-year project to seismically upgrade, repair, and restore it. In July 1994, Pasadena Heritage’s famous party on the bridge returned after a four-year hiatus, and record crowds turned out to celebrate.”
The organization was the recipient of a plaudit in 1995 when Old Pasadena received one of the first Great American Main Street Awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It also won support from the State Office of Historic Preservation to save the last 12 Vista del Arroyo Bungalows remaining along the east bank of the Arroyo.
In 1996 Pasadena Heritage moved to the 1893 Madison House on South St. John Avenue which was received as a bequest. Two years later it established Heritage Housing Partners (HHP) as a subsidiary affiliate to purchase, rehabilitate, and resell historic homes as affordable housing. This effort was supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which had fostered a similar program in the East and the South.
Heritage Housing Partners began work in 2000 on the 1910 Merrill House designed by Greene & Greene, the fourth single-family home it rehabbed. The house, the former residence of Samuel Merrill, an important early environmentalist, was obtained from the bank at a deep discount and allowed for a larger restoration budget.
In 2001 Pasadena Heritage’s efforts helped save a cluster of 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival commercial buildings on Green Street at Madison Avenue from demolition and subsequently became home to the California School of Culinary Arts.
“We started noticing that some mid-century architecture were also in danger,” Judy adds. “Normally the National Trust doesn’t consider something as historic until it’s 50 years old but in 2001 we asked for a special exception for the 1958 Stuart Pharmaceutical Co. building. We got it listed on the National Register when it was acquired by the MTA and was going to be converted into a parking lot. Happily, it is now a local historic landmark and is occupied by A Noise Within, the renowned classic repertory theater company.”
The expansion of the Pasadena Convention Center was the focus of Pasadena Heritage’s attention in 2003 because its centerpiece is the Civic Auditorium. It participated in the development of a new design concept that complemented the building.
In 2005 the organization strongly opposed plans to attract the NFL to take over the Rose Bowl because the project would destroy the original National Landmark stadium. The City Council rejected the NFL plan in June, but supporters managed to put the issue on the ballot in 2006. Fortunately, a massive community effort led to its ultimate defeat.
The Pasadena City Hall | Courtesy photo
Pasadena City Hall was once again in the spotlight in 2007 when it reopened after extensive seismic upgrade and restoration work. Pasadena Heritage was involved in the planning for the massive undertaking and served on the project oversight committee.
One of the structures Pasadena Heritage has been watching closely was the YWCA. Judy relates, “Since our founding, we’ve urged the restoration of the former YWCA. We felt it was important principally because it was designed by Julia Morgan, who had a prolific career. She designed more than 700 buildings in California, most notably the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. She also did the Fairmont in San Francisco, the Berkeley City Club, the Riverside Art Museum, the Hollywood Studio Club, the Herald-Examiner Building in Downtown L.A., among many others.
“Neglect over the years had kept the building on our Preservation Watch List. In 2010 the city finally took the major step of invoking eminent domain and then moved forward to secure and stabilize it while completing the lengthy acquisition process.
“Then in 2014, the YWCA was under review to become a Kimpton Hotel, a great adaptive use for the historic building. However, the proposal met with controversy because the adjacent green space would be built upon. It remains on our Advocacy Watch list to this day.”
Judy clarifies “Our goal is not to stop new development but to make sure that it is consistent with the look of the neighborhood. For example, there’s a new development in El Molino which is next to a turn of the century Victorian home. We wanted to have a green space between houses so we sat down with the developers and they redesigned the project to fit with the historic structures in the area.”
“HGTV is our biggest enemy,” confesses Judy. “They want to update historic buildings, although in doing so they take out what makes the structure important. They just tear down all the walls in the house, but they’re there for a reason. While we can’t dictate what homeowners should do in the house’s interior, we try to educate the owner of a historic home.
“Recently, there was a house that was purchased by a celebrity who wants to change all the windows so our Preservation Director met with them to tell them which ones they can change and which ones they can’t, and why. We try to get there before they get the permit to make any alterations.”
There is never a dearth of new projects and one that Pasadena Heritage will be keeping an eye on is the Fuller Seminary. According to Judy, since the seminary’s sale, they’ve had meetings with the Women’s Club and the University Club because they will be affected when the development starts. Another upcoming project is the First Congregational Church on Walnut and Los Robles. The organization has had conversations with the new owners about how much of the building will have to be preserved.
The Rose Bowl | Courtesy photo
“It’s not only the old part of the city that we have an interest in as we have proven when we intervened in Stuart Pharmaceutical’s plight,” Judy points out. “We’ve been watching East Pasadena. In fact, we’ve held commercial tours there because there are several mid-century buildings in the area. And we’re thinking of maybe doing a ‘60s Tour’ at some point. The Neptune and Thomas-designed Avon Building on East Foothill Blvd has been sold to Home Depot and we have urged the retention of the 1947 building.
“The Space Bank site, also on East Foothill Blvd., which is eligible as an historic district due to its association with Cold War-era weapons research, has received City approval. The developer, Trammel Crow, has agreed to mitigation measures that include retention of some historic features and interpretive displays.
“The ‘Ability First’ building on Kinneloa was designed by a very prominent mid-century architect and they’re planning on doing new development. My daughter works there and the director knows I’m with Pasadena Heritage. So he asked how involved we were going to be and I said ‘Well, we’re going to have an eye on it and we’d appreciate it if you could include this person and this person in the early stages.’
“We didn’t ignore East Pasadena at all. In fact, sometime in the 1990s we produced a video called ‘East Pasadena.’ We know there are several interesting communities in that locale like Chapman Woods. We’ve also been working in the Hastings Ranch area, developing an Awareness Project but we have yet to figure out what it’s going to be. Some of the homes there look similar to each other and we’re trying to decide if we could do a home tour there. But be assured that we’re there and we’re attempting to get more people interested.”
To make everything happen, Pasadena Heritage has a large support group: six full-time staff members; a board of 17 people; several committees; and hundreds of volunteers. It holds several events in any given year including The Craftsman Weekend, which is the longest and consists of bus and walking tours, workshops, lectures, receptions, and Contemporary and Antique Decorative Arts and Furnishings sale. The Bridge Party is a one-day activity and most of the other events are two- to three-hour tours or presentations. It hosts a Summer Gala during the years when there’s no Bridge Party.
“Since 1977 the Neighborhood Walking Tour have been the bread-and-butter events for us,” Judy discloses. “These tours are limited to the exterior, except during Craftsman Weekend when we try to get at least one homeowner to show us the inside, which is always a treat for our guests. Every once in a while we get a surprise when a homeowner invites us to come in and to see their new fireplace. With the Old Pasadena Walking Tour we have an arrangement with Castle Green to show their lobby and the first floor.”
Judy mentions that The Pasadena Architectural Legacy Walking Tours – Hillcrest Neighborhood and the Civic Center District that includes City Hall, Pasadena Library, and Civic Auditorium – will take place this Saturday, December 30.
She then remembers, “We recently held a Fountains Tour, which is really fascinating. We found out there are 16 or 17 fountains within walking distance of each other – two Batchelder tile drinking fountains by the YMCA/YWCA; one at the Civic Center; one next to the police station; one outside the Library; a fountain landscape at the Pasadena Mutual Savings and Loan Building at Garfield across Union designed by Ruth Shellhorn who also created the central landscaping at Disneyland; one at the courtyard of Western Assets Plaza; one at Westin Hotel. And then there was that Batchelder tile fountain that Pasadena Heritage saved from a home, which just sat in Claire Bogaard’s garage for a long time, and is now at Plaza Las Fuentes.”
Judy has been Pasadena Heritage’s Education Director for 10 years and a volunteer for 20. In that time she says the most difficult thing she’s had to do is to convince homeowners that their house is significant enough that other people would want to see it. She says, “A lot of houses in Pasadena have architectural importance and it’s my job to tell them why. Although I’m not an expert, I’m just a fan, I have enough contacts like historians, researchers, and architects who have the knowledge and expertise to show them what makes their home remarkable.”
2018 Pasadena Heritage Colorado Street Bridge party | Courtesy photo / Pasadena Heritage
Throughout its 40-year history, Pasadena Heritage has achieved several milestones. It marked the 20th anniversary of its Craftsman Weekend in 2011. In 2012, it celebrated ‘35 Years of Preservation’ as the theme of the summer’s Colorado Street Bridge Party. Last year, it commemorated the four decades of its founding and co-hosted a very successful California Historic Preservation Conference scheduled with multiple programs throughout the year. A major ‘40 Years Celebration’ was held in October of 2017 in the original Exhibition Hall at the Civic Auditorium.
Its yearly Educational Programs and Architectural Legacy Tours have gained a massive following, drawing visitors from across the country. The newly created Old Pasadena Pub Crawl, which was sold out soon as it was announced, will be offered every month starting next year.
When Claire Bogaard and other caring citizens decided to put their heads together to save Old Pasadena from demolition all those years ago, they did not foresee how that singular resolve would affect the most extraordinary projects that uphold the integrity of structures.
And the work hasn’t ebbed – there are ever more buildings needing to be rescued from the wrecking ball. Today Pasadena Heritage continues its mandate of protecting the city’s rich architectural history and preserving the landmarks that make Pasadena the unique and charming place that we’re proud to call our home.
Originally published on 12 November 2018 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
The Dong family (left to right) Charity, Richard, Eric, and Edward at the 33rd Annual Celebration of National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon | Courtesy photo / AFP/GLAC
Eric and Richard Dong, Arcadia residents and San Marino High School students, were named Outstanding Young Philanthropists by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Los Angeles Chapter (AFP/GLAC). They received the award at the 33rd Annual Celebration of National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon held on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 at the JW Marriott Los Angeles at LA Live.
The award recognizes individuals who exhibit a philanthropic philosophy that includes providing financial and volunteer assistance to meet community needs. Nominated by Dana Bean, Director of Development and Communications for Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena, the Dong brothers were chosen by an AFP committee from a number of deserving candidates.
In her introduction of the awardees during the ceremony, Anne Miskey, CEO of Union Station, recalled, “We received a phone call from Richard and Eric, who were on their high school spring break. They said they heard about our organization from friends and they wanted to volunteer for us. Because they’re incredible pianists they started offering piano lessons for some of the kids in our family center. They were a big hit.
“But they didn’t stop there. Eric and Richard fund-raised from family and friends to give us a financial donation. Still, their generosity didn’t stop there. Their father, Ed, taught them how to invest in the stock market when they were young children and I asked them to talk to my kids.”
Continued Miskey, “They didn’t stop there either. With the profits they made from their investments, this past summer they established the Richard and Eric Dong Endowment Fund for Union Station. It is designed to provide scholarships for children in sports, music and the arts, leadership, and human rights promotion; to purchase books for the family library; to fund staff appreciation and recognition; and to finance the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights educational programs.”
When he took to the podium, Richard declared, “This is a great honor! How we’ve dreamed of receiving this prestigious award! And yet, when it came true, it was a surprise. We are sincerely grateful to the AFP and the committee for voting for us, and to Ms. Dana Bean and Union Station Homeless Shelter Services for nominating us. It has been our pleasure to be involved with this wonderful organization and its caring staff.”
Eric added, “National Philanthropy Day is a special day. Richard and I learned from home and the schools we’ve attended, that philanthropy is an American virtue. It is something that he and I have tried to practice since our middle-school years. We believe there is no age limit when it comes to education, leadership, and philanthropy. They’re all essential to a great country like ours.
“The words of Robert F. Kennedy, ‘Our future is not a gift, it is an achievement,’ deeply resonate in us. They empower us to help, to share, and to contribute. We are confident that together, we can make the world a better place.”
As recipients of the Young Philanthropists Award, Eric and Richard join an impressive group of community leaders who have shaped the spirit of giving and service in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Eric’s and Richard’s parents, Charity and Ed, instilled in them the values that make them such extraordinary young men. For that, we are profoundly thankful.
Originally published on 30 October 2018 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
The Eliot Arts team poses with its newest fan, actress Jane Kaczmarek, at Pasadena Educational Foundation’s ‘Breakthrough Student Interactive Showcase’ at their annual ‘Celebrating Our Schools’ event. Left to right, Drama teacher Micol Issa, student actors and costume designers, Kaczmarek, Principal Lori Touloumian, Visual Artist-in-Residence Liane Shih, and Theatre Artist-in-Residence Lory Tatoulian | Courtesy photo / Molly O’Keeffe
The middle school musical was ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ As the students were getting ready for rehearsals, Micol Issa, 6th grade English and Drama teacher at Charles W. Eliot Arts Magnet Academy (Eliot) in Altadena, who was also directing the production, had a sudden inspiration, “Instead of shopping for costumes for the show, why don’t we make them ourselves?”
Never mind that it was January and the production was slated for May. Indeed, many would have found that prospect daunting. Where would they find designers? Who, besides Issa, even knew how to sew?
But Eliot was the top Arts School in the Pasadena area and it had a reputation to uphold. So everyone got behind her idea quickly. Students, parents, teachers, and administrators sprang to action to make Issa’s brainstorm a reality.
Issa’s ambitious concept would not have been do-able had it not been for a grant that transformed the school to what it is today. Lori Touloumian, Eliot principal, informs, “In 2013, this school, then known as Eliot Middle School, was one of four academic institutions awarded the magnet schools assistance program grants of $7.9 million each to have its own integrated theme. Eliot, in particular, was designated as a Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) school.
“To ensure cohesion of the district’s schools and initiatives, there is one person who has oversight over all the magnet programs. We’re fortunate to have Shannon Mumolo in this capacity. As the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) Program Director for the Pasadena Unified School District, she oversees the budget and implementation of magnet programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education. She has been an MSAP Project Director since 2015 and previously served as the MSAP Site Coordinator for Eliot Arts Magnet.”
“Through the grant, our teachers went through specialized training on how to integrate the experiential approach to art into the core classes of English, history, math, and science,” discloses Touloumian. “We have resident artists who work with teachers on site during the school day and after school who work directly with students on various projects. We’ve also partnered with the Huntington Library to offer free after-school programs every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.
“While adhering to the district’s established curriculum for the scope and sequence of the arts program, the teachers have been empowered to make decisions in terms of what art project they will do in their core class and they are free to set up the time with the resident artists. The school follows the common core standards and the artists in residence come in with expertise in the arts standards to weave the two together.”
In Eliot’s new costume shop, parents and artists-in-residence taught students how to sew their own costumes such as the shorts and pantaloons worn by guests to the Mad Hatter’s tea party. The Mad Hatter wore a handmade hat and hand-painted jacket designed by students themselves | Courtesy photo / Marc Flores
Touloumian says further, “Additionally, we were to able create art-maker spaces on campus – we revamped our dance rooms with more equipment, we transformed a former parent room into an art gallery which is now utilized as a community center where our students and community artists can hang their art, and we added a ceramics room and a media lab on campus.
“We are now a fully integrated arts academy. Students can choose what elective classes they want to be in but even if they choose not to attend a specific elective class they may still have the visual arts experience in their English, history, math, or science class, or after school.”
Cheili Lopez, a 7th grade student who participates in the arts classes and after-school program, says “I’ve just started the printing shop on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Mr. Duffy, and on Fridays I go to the costume shop. Through the arts classes, I’ve been able to make things for my family – I sewed an apron for my mom and I made a jug in ceramics class which I gave to my parents for Christmas. They were very happy because the items weren’t store-bought; I made them myself.”
“Everything we do here is connected to the Arts,” Issa explains. “We’re trying to rebuild the school culture and create spaces for kids to have multiple avenues of access to the Arts. Not everyone wants to act, but this is another way for kids to participate in the making of performances, and Cheili is an example of that.
We realized that something we needed, not just for the drama and choir program but also for dance classes, was a costume shop. That was the goal we tried to work towards last year, which launched us into this next level. Now, we have six sewing machines, two sergers, and an embroidery machine. We basically have a sewing club that meets every Friday after school.”
“In the past, we assigned people to find the costumes for specific characters,” details Issa. “But, like I said, we need costumes for all our productions so I took the idea of having a costume shop to Denise, the artist in residence. She, in turn, went to Lori and said ‘If you will okay the costume shop, I’ll write the grant,’ and she did.
“Of course, I had to justify why I thought a costume shop was necessary. I argued that it’s something that would be great for the program as a whole and we had the expertise on how to run a costume shop on campus. Denise and I know how to sew, then we discovered that so many parents also have that skill. So what it really did was brought more people on campus.
“Through Facebook, people shared with everyone our donation list and what I was hoping to accomplish. People donated patterns and dropped off whatever they could contribute. Everyone was happy to give and appreciated that we were teaching kids how to sew.”
A visit to a museum was the inspiration for their musical’s look. Issa recounts, “I went to an exhibition of Marc Chagall costumes at LACMA and I was astonished because it was exactly what I envisioned for ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ So I took the kids on a field trip to see the show and when we came back we started designing.
Students fused the modernist styles of the Bauhaus movement with the loose painting styles of artist Marc Chagall to design each of the show’s whimsical costumes | Courtesy photo / Shannon Mumolo
“We found real pictures of the Chagall costumes. And under the guidance of our artist in residence, we taught the kids how to draw and make patterns, to paint them with colors, and to sew inside out.
“Because of the large number of costumes that needed to be finished, it was a community effort. Students, teachers, and parents spent a lot of late nights and weekends sewing. And, while not each costume was made entirely by kids, they worked on every one.”
Lopez was one of the students who made the costumes and she acquiesces, “Each costume was a group effort. Several students worked with an adult to work on one and when we didn’t finish that day, we went back to it the following afternoon.”
The experience proved to be constructive for Lopez not only because she learned how to sew. She says, “We do a lot of projects in regular school so doing the after-school costume shop helps me collaborate with other students.”
Issa points out, “What they do in the costume shop translates, however indirectly, with their core classes. They go through the same procedure of calculating, of figuring out a problem, much like in math class. They have to assess how thick they need to make the paint to have the effect that they want. So they experiment with a lot of color samples to figure out what consistency to use so it doesn’t just turn into watercolor but, at the same time, doesn’t make the fabric super stiff. That’s a process that applies in science class.”
“The show ran for three days and all the costumes held up,” Issa says with pride. “There were minor repairs which we made between shows. The incredible thing about this, also, is that it gave me additional crew on top of the stage team. From now on, the costume crew is in charge of queue-ing the costumes – making sure they’re in the right place – and noting what needs to be repaired so we can make them the next day.
Eliot’s spring musical proved to be a smashing success. Raves Issa, “Our ticket sales for the show was tremendous. We sold over $1,000, which was more than what our previous shows generated. Then, on October 10, we held our first official gallery opening featuring the costumes from last school year’s spring musical ‘Alice in Wonderland Jr.’ We invited the District and Community Arts Team, and all our Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre partners – from dance to theater companies – and they all came to see the exhibit.”
The show’s handmade costumes were installed in the school’s art gallery this fall for the opening exhibition: Chagall and the Bauhaus Meet Alice in Wonderland. They will be on display until December 2018 | Courtesy photo / Shannon Mumolo
The display, which goes on until December, highlights a very specific artistic vision. Issa describes, “The costumes in Eliot’s production of Disney’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ are unlike any other version of the show you have seen because it was inspired by the artist Marc Chagall and the Bauhaus design movement.
“Chagall, well known for his paintings and stained glass windows, also designed costumes for the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet. You will see some of his designs and paintings represented in our own costumes and sketches. As we researched and sketched our vision for Wonderland into life, we decided to add in the modern and otherworldly influence of the Bauhaus design movement. Categorized by basic shapes, lines, and spirals, we fused the modernist style of the Bauhaus movement with the loose painting styles of Chagall.”
“We’ve had previous exhibits but they were open after school mainly for parents and students,” clarifies Issa. “This was our first gallery opening held on a specific night for the entire community, complete with a bake and beverage sale. It demonstrates the amazing work that can be done when students, teachers, parents, and community partners collaborate. We’ll be forever grateful for the generosity of the Pasadena Showcase for the Arts and the Pasadena Educational Foundation for their support in making Eliot a premier arts school in the area.
“It was truly a project that involved a great many students – 140 kids took part in our costume shop, out of our total student population of 545. That’s 23% of the student body. What’s more, this endeavor inspired others so we have doubled our numbers in the costume shop. Even those students who weren’t able to participate in the after-school program worked around their schedule to be in the costume shop.
“We started the Friday costume shop early this school year so we could teach the kids sooner and, in time, they would be able to sew the bulk of the costumes themselves. Our next musical is ‘Hairspray’ and we’re creating the costumes again. But because this show happens in our world, we’ll probably use some of the basic costumes we already have, instead of making them from scratch. That’s the cool thing about having a costume shop – it has given us the ability to use something that already exists by altering it to fit our needs.”
Issa is now just entering her third year at Eliot but, already, she has been instrumental in giving it the distinction of being the only middle school with a costume shop. But, more importantly, she has successfully incorporated in its program an invaluable skill that will serve middle school students long after they leave Eliot. Nay, for life.
Originally published on 23 October 2018 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
John Finch, headmaster of Chandler School, with middle-school students in his Ethical Perspectives class | Courtesy photo / Tim Teague
In an article which published last April in Time magazine, Katie Reilly reported that record numbers of college students are seeking treatment for anxiety and depression, and schools can’t keep up. She further described that when UCLA offered, for the first time, all incoming students a free online screening for depression, more than 2,700 students opted in.
Following that article, UCLA announced the launch of its ‘Depression Grand Challenge.’ This project, that spans a decade, will study 100,000 of students who have used its health care system for any reason. It is a sweeping initiative that brings to the fore the mental health issues that have long existed but have never been fully addressed until now.
However, anxiety and depression often predate college. High school students, most especially in the San Gabriel Valley, are faced with daunting competition when they start applying to colleges. Students in the area have earned perfect GPAs, SAT, and ACT scores; were the president of their school’s Student Council; have played at least one musical instrument, have won multiple gold Young Musicians’ Competition awards, and have performed at Carnegie Hall; have been deeply involved in a social, community, or philanthropic cause. They are over-scheduled, sleep-deprived, and hell-bent to stand out from other over-achievers. It’s no wonder, then, that they are riddled with anxiety that often leads to depression.
David Burge, who just completed his term as the President of NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) states, “There is no doubt that the college application and selection process is daunting and is a cause of much of the anxiety and depression on high school campuses.
“What we’re finding is that there are more and more students in high school who are receiving treatments for anxiety and depression, including medication and talk therapy. So it’s only natural for them to continue to seek treatment when they get on the college campus. Sometimes the stress of college accentuates their pre-existing conditions.”
“We, at NACAC, are teaching students and parents to look beyond the Ivies and the most selective universities when they embark on their college search. As long as we continue to value exclusivity as a surrogate for quality, the competition perpetrated by these very universities will continue,” Burge pronounces.
To say, though, that the college application is the reason for the mental health concerns plaguing our country’s youth is too simplistic.
Depression among students is on the rise | Courtesy photo
Myra McGovern, Vice-President for Media at NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools), says, “The theories about why today’s students are going through anxiety and depression run the gamut. Some are backed by science and some are anecdotal. One of the things I’ve heard is that parents these days aren’t doing much about the issue because they think their generation had it harder.
“Some of us think that children didn’t get to experience the violence of wars and the hardship that accompanied such, which made them more fragile. But one could argue that children have seen more wars in their lifetime. There have been more media coverage of school shootings, that began in Columbine; and of terrorism and international threats, since 9-11.”
“I think that while the potential dangers may not have statistically grown, the exposure brought on by media has increased dramatically,” explains McGovern. “In the past, most teenagers didn’t read the newspapers; but these days, through social media, they know what’s happening in the world in real time.
“Consider your biological fear response – from the adrenaline rush, to the tightening in your chest and the dry mouth – when you hear of something horrible happening. Our body hasn’t really changed from the time of lions chasing people. Yet we’re more exposed to technological lions (stimulus) when our survival instinct hasn’t quit adapted to technological reality.”
McGovern elaborates, “Perhaps, too, children’s increased interface through technology is changing the way they relate and cope. The social pressures the older generations had to contend with are definitely different from what today’s youth deal with.
“There’s also our perception of our role as parents. Because of our own anxieties about our children’s lives, we are constantly hand-holding them and, in the process, taking away some of the opportunity for them to practice making decisions. It affects their confidence level at being able to navigate the challenges the world throws at the them as they become teenagers and young adults.”
“Another theory has to do with what people are consuming and the chemicals they’re exposed to,” adds McGovern. “But whatever the cause is, there’s a consensus that children and adults are struggling more with anxiety and depression.
“What I want to emphasize is that I don’t believe there’s one right solution for everyone. Part of the solution is considering children as individuals with specific needs. Prioritizing to invest in our future on the front end could reap benefits in the long term,” McGovern concludes.
Building the groundwork for sending happy and healthy kids to high school and beyond is a mandate that John Finch, headmaster of Chandler, a K-8th grade school in Pasadena, takes to heart.
Chandler students gather together as the school day begins | Courtesy photo / Tim Teague
“We establish an environment where there are high expectations, but low stress,” Finch declares. “We pay careful attention to the volume of work we ask the students to do. We don’t try to fit round pegs into square holes – we provide a program that meets their needs and adjust our program so that each child feels recognized, respected, and challenged.
“As we challenge our students, requiring them to do good work, we are equally careful about how we manage expectations. We have to be mindful that doing otherwise leads us to the same path we’ve been going on, with more kids falling out in the end.”
“Socially, we want to create an environment where children are kind to each other, respect and help each other,” states Finch. “We’re intolerant when it comes to bullying. At the same time, we want to establish an atmosphere where kids can be resilient and gritty. We want for them to pursue their interests by trial and error. And if they fail, we’ll help them try again. We want kids to understand they’re being supported by a tight adult network that encourages them. We want them to feel that there’s a balanced foundation of care and love.”
Finch points out, “I think students who spend too much time on screens and not enough time interacting with others can become isolated and lonely. That isolation and loneliness can manifest themselves in anxiety and depression. We have to be cautious, conscientious, and deliberate in urging our kids to shut their screens down, to spend more time interacting and socializing with friends and family.”
“Increasingly, I hear principals say their biggest concern is not so much the achievement, but the well-being of their students,” discloses Finch. “Something’s changing and we have to find the cause and respond accordingly. We’re not doing kids any favor if they’re leaving our schools feeling anxious or depressed – whether it’s because they’re over-burdened by expectations, they feel something is lacking, or they can’t cope with the independence they get as they grow older.
“Ten years ago schools were adding technology and computer positions. Now schools are augmenting learning and emotional support. Once we saw that technology had a transformative impact on the program, the next step was to become intentional in meeting the social and emotional needs of students.
“For us, it’s been helpful to have a buddy program. Older kids interact with the younger ones to give them a sense of responsibility and community obligation. For younger kids, it’s a way for them to look up to older students as role models. Those friendships that develop in multi-age groups make a vast difference in school life.”
“We also have a school psychologist to give professional help,” adds Finch. “Teachers meet regularly and when they hear a student’s name come up more than once as someone who’s not completing work, is tired, or isn’t eating well, they let the administrator know.
“There have been circumstances when kids approached the administrator to say they’re worried about one of their friends. We investigate all these observations and we bring in the psychologist whenever it’s warranted.”
“In a small private school with an adult-student ratio of 1 to 7, it’s very hard for the child to slip through the cracks,” assures Finch. “We’re capable of arresting something before it becomes too dark. And we make sure we have the support and place to take care of it.
“I’m interested in empowering teachers to not only provide excellent teaching but, more importantly, to look after the welfare of students in their charge. At the same time, I also know that families are our partners in addressing the issues of anxiety and depression.”
It’s heartening to know that parents, teachers, and school administrators are acknowledging that there is a mental health problem affecting a large number of students. It is a first step in the right direction.
That schools are also now taking active measures to help students get through their anxiety and depression is certainly a lifeline for those who’ve been feeling despondent and alone. There is hope yet.
