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Film Festival Founder Leaves Legacy of Passion for the Arts

Velvet Rhoades

As one close friend coined it, a light went out on Sunday, July 26, when longtime Glendale resident Velvet Rhodes, the idiosyncratic founder of the Glendale International Film Festival, died in hospice care after a four-year battle with stage-4 cancer.
Rhodes, who was 70, is survived by a brother in Tennessee and a cousin in Arizona. She leaves with her friends and colleagues the memory of a strong-willed woman whose fashion ensemble for the day would often announce her arrival to an event, whose passion for performing arts and her festival were positively radioactive, and who, by numerous accounts, would not take “no” for an answer.
“I think really that’s the thing that stood out most about Velvet,” said Elissa Glickman, CEO of Glendale Arts, which operates the Alex Theatre. “At our first meeting, she pitched me an idea and concept that I wasn’t so keen on, but what her project could have brought to the community was so important that she made us believe that our vision could be her vision and it could translate into something really special to our community.”

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High School Sports Delayed Until December in CIF’s New Calendar

The CIF State office’s revised calendar has a two-season format — fall and spring — that would give each sport at least 90% of a normal season. There will not be any athletic competition until December at the earliest. The first week of football is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 8.
Photo courtesy Eric Danielson

The California Interscholastic Federation released its much-anticipated revised high school athletics calendar for the 2020-21 year, announcing a two-season format scheduled to begin in December.
CIF State, the governing body for prep sports in California, announced its schedule for section playoffs and state tournaments on Monday morning. Soon after, the Southern Section, the largest section in the state with 566 member schools, released a calendar that gives student-athletes an opportunity to play “90% to 100%” of a normal season, according to CIF-SS Commissioner Rob Wigod.
“The reason for [the two-season format] was to help with the overlap of sports and trying to have some separation between two seasons to allow for dual-sport athletes, for coaches that coach more than one sport and for maximizing the utilization of school facilities,” Wigod said in a press conference on Monday.
Fall sports include boys’ and girls’ cross-country, 11- and 8-man football, boys’ and girls’ volleyball, boys’ and girls’ water polo, traditional competitive cheer, gymnastics and field hockey.
Boys’ volleyball would officially kick off high school sports on Dec. 12. Week 1 of football is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 8.

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Faith Helps Local Caterer Endure Challenging Times

By Kristi Scott
Special to The Outlook

Tony Lancaster,Owner and Chef of HOPE Cafe & Catering

Many supporters of Door of Hope, a Pasadena-based nonprofit which helps families transition out of homelessness, are familiar with the organization’s meal donor program. The popular program, which allows volunteer groups to serve a prepared dinner to the families at Door of Hope’s transitional housing locations, has been temporarily halted because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Last year, nearly 300 people volunteered as Door of Hope meal donors. And on nights when meal donors are not available, parents take turns cooking for all of the house’s residents.
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Cancer Support Community Relishes Partner in The Agency

Brandon Road, associate manager at The Agency; Patricia Ostiller, director of development at Cancer Support Community Pasadena; Meg Symes, executive director of Cancer Support Community; and Gus Ruelas, a managing partner at The Agency, show a donation check of $10,000 from The Agency to Cancer Support Community.
Photo courtesy Cancer Support Community Pasadena
Brandon Road, associate manager at The Agency; Patricia Ostiller, director of development at Cancer Support Community Pasadena; Meg Symes, executive director of Cancer Support Community; and Gus Ruelas, a managing partner at The Agency, show a donation check of $10,000 from The Agency to Cancer Support Community.

Part of real estate firm The Agency’s introduction to Pasadena a year ago included a $10,000 donation to well-known nonprofit Cancer Support Community Pasadena, a donation the nonprofit underscored as the beginning of a strong corporate friendship. Continue reading “Cancer Support Community Relishes Partner in The Agency”

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Residents Can Take a Swing at Pickleball Sept. 28

The city will launch a pilot pickleball program on Saturday, Sept. 28. Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and pingpong.
On opening day, there will be pickleball enthusiasts on hand from 8-9 a.m. to provide brief introductions and lessons on the sport. In addition, paddles and balls for visitors will be provided. Continue reading “Residents Can Take a Swing at Pickleball Sept. 28”

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Charitable Trust Helps Meet Needs of Those With Autism

PCDA Executive Director Diane Cullinane and Firestone Estate trustee Marilynn Garcia celebrate the $500,000 donation.
PCDA Executive Director Diane Cullinane and Firestone Estate trustee Marilynn Garcia celebrate the $500,000 donation.

Professional Child Development Associates has received a $500,000 donation from the Mose J. and Sylvia Dilman Firestone Charitable Trust to expand its ability to serve children with autism or other developmental challenges, and their families. Continue reading “Charitable Trust Helps Meet Needs of Those With Autism”

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Pasadena Celebrates Its 132nd Birthday

Photo courtesy Marlyn Woo / Joanne Wilborn State Sen. Anthony Portantino (from left), City Councilman Gene Masuda, Assemblyman Chris Holden, Pasadena Museum of History President Bill Thomson, City Councilman Tyrone Hampton and Mayor Terry Tornek presided over the ceremonial cake cutting for the city’s birthday.
Photo courtesy Marlyn Woo / Joanne Wilborn
State Sen. Anthony Portantino (from left), City Councilman Gene Masuda, Assemblyman Chris Holden, Pasadena Museum of History President Bill Thomson, City Councilman Tyrone Hampton and Mayor Terry Tornek presided over the ceremonial cake cutting for the city’s birthday.

The city of Pasadena recently celebrated its past and envisioned the future with a free community party that showcased an emphasis on science, technology and creativity. Mayor Terry Tornek, state Sen. Anthony Portantino, Assemblyman Chris Holden, City Council members Gene Masuda and Tyrone Hampton, and Pasadena Museum of History President Bill Thomson cut a ceremonial slice of cake to start the proceedings. Continue reading “Pasadena Celebrates Its 132nd Birthday”

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Local Doctor Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Michael Silka

Dr. Michael Silka, a La Cañada Flintridge resident and interim co-director of the Heart Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pediatric & Congenital Electrophysiology Society at the organization’s annual conference in Boston earlier this week.
He is the sixth recipient of the award, which is in recognition of extraordinary contribution to the diagnosis and management of arrhythmias in children. PACES is a nonprofit organization made up of physicians and allied professionals dedicated to improving care for children and young adults with cardiac rhythm disturbances. It’s the largest society of pediatric heart rhythm specialists in the world.
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