The Pasadena Tournament of Roses on Tuesday announced special performances and celebrity guests for the “The Rose Parade’s New Year Celebration,” a virtual event on Jan. 1 that will stand in for the traditional parade, which was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The reimagined celebration of the new year will feature musical entertainment and celebrity guest appearances. The event sponsored by Honda will be aired through the Tournament’s six broadcast partners.
Music will be performed by artists including Sheryl Crow, Mickey Guyton, Tori Kelly, Lady A, Rascal Flatts and the War and Treaty.
Tournament of Roses Announces Lineup for Jan. 1 Celebration
Red Cross to Hold Local Blood Drives
December may be the season of giving, but it’s typically a challenging time to collect enough blood donations. Add in a pandemic, and this year could be even tougher than usual.
That’s why the American Red Cross is urging those who are feeling good to give the gift of life by donating blood or platelets this holiday season.
In South Pasadena, there will be donation opportunities on Thursday, Dec. 17, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge at 1126 Fair Oaks Ave., and on Tuesday, Dec. 22, from 1-7 p.m. at the public library at 1115 El Centro St.
The need for blood doesn’t stop for holidays. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, more than 1 million blood transfusions will have been given in the United States. Donations of all blood types are needed to ensure that hospital shelves remain stocked to meet patient blood needs.
Alumnus Donates Safety Gear to SPUSD
Samuel Kang (second from left), mayor of Duarte and head of total solutions at BYD Motors, donated several boxes of personal protective equipment to the South Pasadena Unified School District on Tuesday morning. According to Kang, BYD is the world’s largest manufacturer of PPE, having refashioned many of its manufacturing facilities shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in March. Kang, a 1992 graduate of South Pasadena High School, is pictured with district Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Dave Lubs, bond construction coordinator Allison Anderson and Director of Facilities and Maintenance Alfredo Perez. Kang has served nine years on the Duarte City Council.
Music About Climate Change Strikes Provocative Chord
Seismologist Lucy Jones not only is an expert on earthquakes, but also has striven through music to call attention to climate change. She is pictured with a
viola da gamba.
If you have lived in the Los Angeles area for any length of time, you’ve probably watched or listened to seismologist Lucy Jones.
She’s kind of the Dr. Fauci of earthquakes for a lot of us. When she explains what is happening during and after a major earthquake, people listen. She makes earthquakes understandable, and she does it in a manner that people trust.
So when I learned that Jones has written a musical alert to climate change, I figured I should check it out.
You should, too.
Round Two for New Interim City Manager
By Haley Sawyer
South Pasadena Review
When South Pasadena interim City Manager Sean Joyce was studying at Cal State Fullerton, he couldn’t afford to take his girlfriend out for dinner.
So, his father gave him a weekly budget of $35 for the two to plan a dinner. Together, Joyce and his girlfriend watched cooking shows, bought ingredients and re-created the recipes. Now married, the couple still cook together.
Once again, Joyce finds himself in a similar situation of limited resources as he moves from the position of city manager in Irvine to his second time as city manager of South Pasadena.
Authorities: Man Was Killed While Attacking Ex-Girlfriend
A man who was fatally stabbed in South Pasadena last week is believed to have been killed in an act of defense after he attacked an ex-girlfriend, authorities said.
Justin Goss, a 40-year-old resident of Glendale, was pronounced dead at the scene after officers with the South Pasadena Police Department arrived, according to officials. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is handling the investigation.
Residents Support Local Businesses, No Matter the Restrictions
By Haley Sawyer
South Pasadena Review
Andrew Berk and Laurie Wheeler with the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce flank Susan Park, owner of Kaldi Coffee & Tea. The pair hope to spur more local shopping this holiday season to help business owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two days before a three-week shutdown of restaurants, in accordance with county guidelines, customers flitted about South Pasadena’s Kaldi Coffee & Tea.
Some quickly grabbed drinks to go, while others stationed themselves at tables outside the shop, laptop in tow. Business continued at the popular coffee joint — which joins the park-like public library, historic school district office and modern apartment complex at a particularly illustrative intersection in town — albeit in a muted fashion thanks to mandate from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
“We live in a fairly unique community in one of the largest megalopolises in the world,” observed Andrew Berk, the new chair of the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, “and there’s still a sense of, you know, Americana here.”
Parish Leader’s Planned Exit Generates Sorrow, and More
Cambria Tortorelli will leave her post as Holy Family parish life director in mid-2021. “She has been dedicated to us parishioners and we return the affection,” said Diana Mahmud.
The worth of a person is often mirrored in how other people view that individual.
I’ve found this to be the case with Cambria Tortorelli, who sent an email about two weeks ago to Holy Family Church, saying that she was stepping down as parish life director next June 30 after 12 years on the job. She explained that she was nearing the end of her second six-year term, the limit set by the archdiocese.
Stay Alert, Because Journey to Defeat Virus Continues
By Dr. Lori Morgan
To our valued patients, friends, colleagues, partners and community members:
Are we there yet? I remember my son asking that question when a long car trip seemed endless and he was restless to get free of the constraints of his car seat. From the driver’s seat, I was sympathetic but firm for everyone’s safety. In that sense, COVID-19 has been one long, frightful car ride — a journey that has left many of us forever changed. With a vaccine on the horizon, our destination is now in sight — however, we are most definitely not there yet.
At this critical point in the pandemic, Huntington Hospital is experiencing its third surge: Hospitalizations of COVID patients increased 70% during the last week in November. While we are skilled at caring for both COVID and non-COVID patients, this trend is unsettling for several reasons.