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Obituary: Thomas Gorecki

Thomas Gorecki
Thomas Gorecki

Thomas “Tom” Gorecki passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday, April 8, at age 50. A resident of Burlington, Connecticut, Tom graduated in 1986 from La Cañada High School, where he excelled in basketball among other sports.
After high school, Tom enlisted in the Navy, later moving to Connecticut, where he worked as an emergency medical technician and then as a licensed practical nurse, and started a family. At 32, he suffered a severe back injury at work that changed the course of his life and eventually led to many surgeries, numerous health issues and eventually paralysis. The injury may have robbed him of his health at a young age, but he also found numerous moments of joy with his family, friends and caretakers, and in his faith in the intervening years. Continue reading “Obituary: Thomas Gorecki”

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Shepherd’s Door Opens a Path to Breaking Domestic Violence’s Grip

Shepherd’s Door
Photo courtesy Shepherd’s Door
Shepherd’s Door has helped thousands of individuals and families affected by domestic violence over the years, with the help of volunteers such as Brenda Sharp, President Tunisia Offray and Executive Director Linda Offray.

She came from a loving and supportive family, but Tunisia Offray was like a lot of teenagers at 16 — shy, some low self-esteem, longing to fit in at high school.
So when Offray became enamored with a popular, charismatic young man, she didn’t recognize when the sweet relationship changed into one of control and manipulation, a form of teenage dating violence that took her nearly four years to escape and left trauma in its wake. Continue reading “Shepherd’s Door Opens a Path to Breaking Domestic Violence’s Grip”

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LCPC Parent Ed Donates to Local Nonprofit

La Cañada Presbyterian Church’s Parent Education Board members
Photo courtesy LCPC
La Cañada Presbyterian Church’s Parent Education Board members who helped raise funds for Door of Hope include Dorothy Chen, Stephanie Ferguson, Maggie Mason, Ashley Barrett, Angela Shepherd-Isagholian, Daniela Kim, Barbara Stratte, Lynne Graves, Betsy Farhat, Darby Pearson and Charlotte Miller.

By Amanda Baughman
Special to The Outlook

A Pasadena organization was the recipient of a gift from the La Cañada Presbyterian Church’s Parent Education Program. LCPC’s volunteer board donated 10% of its anniversary fundraising proceeds, $4,619 in total, to Door of Hope, a local nonprofit organization serving homeless families.
Parent Education board chair Maggie Mason represented the board during a tour of Door of Hope. “Our Parent Ed board is excited and humbled to be able to support such a wonderful organization that is serving our homeless brothers and sisters,” she said. Continue reading “LCPC Parent Ed Donates to Local Nonprofit”

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Local Volunteers Build Rose Float and, Hopefully, Tradition’s Future

“Dodo Bird Flight School”
Courtesy La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association
The completed drawing for “Dodo Bird Flight School” is the blueprint for the float that will be in the 2020 Rose Parade.

On a recent Thursday, Tim Brugarolas and Bryan Bielawa were busy twisting pieces or welding portions of the “Dodo Bird Flight School” 2020 La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float.
“Right now, I’m shaping legs for the birds,” said Brugarolas, 15, a La Cañada High School student, as a light rain fell. “I’ve never done this kind of shaping before. I’m experiencing how the springs react, twisting them, just how they tighten. Before I was working on a propeller, and now I’m working on this.” Continue reading “Local Volunteers Build Rose Float and, Hopefully, Tradition’s Future”

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Gladiators Have Just Cause to Sit Out Season

⬛ Guest Columnist

Kevin Lacey
Kevin Lacey

By Kevin Lacey
Special to The Outlook

La Cañada Gladiators Junior All American Football has been fielding teams in this community since the mid-1960s. We have decided, however, that there will be no Junior All American football in 2019. We think our community needs to know why we took this route and our intentions for 2020. We have discussed our decision and the rationale behind it with the city and the La Cañada Sports Coalition, and are happy to report they are in full support. Continue reading “Gladiators Have Just Cause to Sit Out Season”

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LCF Again Voices Concerns Over Proposed Glendale Construction

proposed senior living/medical facility and parking garage
Photo by Wes Woods II / OUTLOOK
A proposed senior living/medical facility and parking garage on Glendale’s border with La Cañada Flintridge has drawn local criticism. A meeting about the project, which is located directly across from USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, is set for next week in Glendale.

A proposed three-story senior residential and medical facility and three-level parking garage near La Cañada Flintridge that has drawn criticism from some neighbors and city staff members will be the topic of an Aug. 8 meeting in Glendale. Continue reading “LCF Again Voices Concerns Over Proposed Glendale Construction”

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Singer and Lyricist Roddy Finds a Voice All Her Own

Claire Roddy
Photos by Christian Leonard / Outlook at the Echo, Los Angeles
Claire Roddy, creator of Dol Ikara, performed recently at the Echo. She is preparing for the release of her first EP.

By Christian Leonard
The Outlook

The first time Dol Ikara played live, it was under a full moon — a bit of timing that seemed more than coincidental for an act rooted in mysticism.
Inside the trendy, dimly lit music venue the Echo in Los Angeles, several dozen people shouted over the rumble of voices to make themselves heard by their friends. After the opening band had finished, some people mingled in front of the stage, eager to be as close to the next performer as possible. On the edge of the crowd, band members who had recently finished their set murmured apologies as they ran their equipment to the exit, where cool night air offered a reprieve from the cramped club. Continue reading “Singer and Lyricist Roddy Finds a Voice All Her Own”

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Barth Athletics Complex at HMS to Open Aug. 10

Avery and Andy Barth
Avery and Andy Barth

At long last, the Barth Athletics Complex is complete and ready — on schedule — for the 2019-20 school year.
The finishing touches were being applied this week — fire alarm testing, restoration of the tennis courts and furniture delivery among them — in preparation for the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. San Marino schools will open on the Wednesday after that.
“We’ll be ready to go on the 14th,” said Gerald Schober, the project manager for the Barth complex. Continue reading “Barth Athletics Complex at HMS to Open Aug. 10”