Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 16, 2010

14

HOMES AND PROPERTY

MountainViews-News Saturday, October 16, 2010

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes & gardens and the people who create them Story and Photos By Chris Bertrand

Duarte Mc Donald’s manager, Lorraine 
Mata, helps sort canned food donations.
PASADENA’S RONALD McDONALD HOUSE 

 Chris is taking a few week’s vacation. Please enjoy a few of her favorites while she’s away.

 Two beautiful Craftsman homes at 763 
and 765 S. Pasadena Avenue were built 
in 1912 for the daughters of California 
governor, Markham. The 9000+ square 
feet of combined living space that once 
housed the extended family of California’s 
political elite, now provides a clean 
bed and hot showers for families with 
hospitalized children at the Huntington 
Hospital across the street, Children’s Hospital LA and several other 
area hospitals. 

 These elegant homes lie on land set aside for the 110 freeway 
extension decades ago. The ensuing political turmoil over that 
freeway construction made Caltrans the owner of some spectacular 
homes that now survive in a kind of limbo. 
Caltrans now leases out the homes, and refurbished 
these two in 1990. The first was originally rented 
to the predecessor foundation, San Gabriel Valley 
Hospitality House, now Ronald McDonald House. 
The adjacent home was just leased and added to this 
use in 2006. 

 With ten bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms, 
and two stocked pantries, families with critically 
ill children spend an average of two weeks in the 
caring confines of these two homes. While the 
foundation charges $15 a night for those who can 
pay, (no one is turned away for inability to pay), 
it costs about $144 a night to house these families 
who travel here from far flung states and countries, 
as well as within California. 

 Grand, covered porches which provided cool, 
shaded seating for the original residents, now 
provide respite to these families in crisis with newly 
completed cedar Adirondack furniture built by an 
ambitious Eagle Scout. An enormous living room 
in one of the homes creates a welcoming semblance 
of home with several comfortable seating areas.

 The elegant dining room seats over 20 now, albeit 
in a more utilitarian setting. Laundry facilities in 
both homes are a blessing to parents who have little 
energy to feed themselves, much less search out a laundromat at odd 
hours. These days, internet and computer access is very important, 
allowing parents to keep in touch with loved ones as well as for 
some to telecommute while remaining close to their children.

 The large lots offer space for visitor parking, children’s play 
including small bikes and play equipment, meditation, an herb 
garden and a barbecue area. Little bits of normalcy, like grilling 
some burgers on the grill, peels back a bit of the enormous burden 
of what these families are undertaking here.

Refuge is truly the word that defines these spaces. Here they can 
clean up and rest up near their child’s hospital. But they can also 
share experiences with other families in similar circumstances, one 
most of us pray never to face ourselves. Some have sold their homes 
to make this trip for their child’s ultra-specialized eye surgery, 
reconstructive plastic surgery from burns, cancer treatment, 
etc. Some try to maintain dual lives, supporting the sick child 
undergoing treatment, then going home periodically to try to keep 
up mortgage payments and see to family members left behind.

 Only a bare bones staff is paid, while volunteers take up the rest of 
the manpower needed to keep the homes in good repair. The homes 
bear the name of Ronald McDonald House, giving them access 
to supplies normally provided to Mc Donald’s through Golden 
State Food and many sponsors such as Sleep Comfort bedding. 
Surprisingly though, only 8% of the budget comes from that source. 

 
For the rest, they rely on the generosity of large corporations, 
charitable organizations, and scout troops, down to individuals 
filling decorated tennis cans full of change. They’ve come 
up with a myriad of opportunities for individuals, groups 
or companies to help keep the doors open. Rooms can be 
sponsored, such as the Pasadena Firefighters Association did 
recently with one of the bedrooms. Meals for about 30 can be 
donated or prepared and delivered yourself for 6:00 dinner nightly. 
They have projects organized for volunteer groups to finish in just a 
day. Or donate as little as $50 to be recognized as the house sponsor 
of the day. 

 
Their wish list is long but not frivolous. Single serving packaged 
foods of all kinds, twin sheets, towels, liquid hand soap, earthquake 
disaster supplies like tents and new sleeping bags, crafts supplies, 
postage stamps and telephone calling cards, roses and wisteria for 
the garden, gift cards to Vons, Target and Walmart, etc. Contact 
Ronald McDonald House of Pasadena at 626-585-1588 or visit their 
website at www.PasadenaRMH.org. 

Operations director, Nita Moore, sits for just a moment with 
Ronald Mc Donald on one of the porches. 
The spacious living room gives families a place to unwind 
a bit and interact with others facing the same challenges.
California Friendly Garden Contest Under-Way 

Foothill Municipal Water District (FMWD) is sponsoring 
a California Friendly Garden Contest. Three sets of prizes 
will be given: one in the Crescenta Valley area, one in 
the La Canada area and one in the combined Altadena 
and Kinneloa areas. First place is $500, second place 
is $250 and third place is $100. Judges will consider 
overall attractiveness, appropriate plant selection, design, 
appropriate maintenance and efficient methods of 
irrigation when evaluating the gardens. 

“Water efficient landscaping is quickly becoming an 
important part of the conservation solution to the water 
supply problem in California” said General Manager Nina 
Jazmadarian. “The aim of this contest is to encourage 
residents to change out water thirsty turf to less thirsty 
California friendly plants. This contest goes hand-in-hand 
with our turf replacement rebate where customers receive 
an incentive for changing out lawns to California Friendly 
plants or pervious material.” 

Customers of Foothill Municipal Water District’s retail 
agencies can participate. Although applications are due 
April 15, 2011, now is the time to plant most California 
native and friendly vegetation. Judging will take place 
April 30, 2011 or soon thereafter in case of inclement 
weather. Rules and an entry application can be found on 
the District’s website at www.fmwd.com.

Foothill Municipal Water District provides imported water 
to Crescenta Valley Water District, La Cañada Irrigation 
District, Mesa Crest Water Company, Valley Water 
Company, Lincoln Avenue Water Company, Las Flores Water 
Company and Rubio Cañon Land & Water Association. 
Kinneloa Irrigation District, another retail agency, takes no 
water from Foothill. 

It used to be too common a story: you're excited about signing the

paperwork, shaking hands, and grabbing the keys to your new 
home. But the day before closing, the lender advises that your 
closing fees are several hundred dollars more than their Good Faith 
Estimate listed. Suddenly, your excitement turns to pressure to just 
pay it and close the deal.

Now those days are over, thanks to the Mortgage Disclosure 
Improvement Act (MDIA). What was once the Truth In Lending 
Act has been rewritten with new rules to help consumers understand 
the loan costs and alert borrowers to changes in fees well in advance 
of closing.

Now the lender must provide their Good Faith Estimate within three 
days of receiving the borrowers' application, and closing cannot 
occur until the buyer has seven days to review the disclosure. If the 
final APR (annual percentage rate) differs more than 0.125% from 
the original quote, a new disclosure must be provided, granting the 
borrower the right of rescission.

This relieves the pressure that buyers once felt to agree to pay higher 
fees and rates at the very last minute. As always, borrowers can 
review the final documents one day before closing, providing an 
excellent opportunity for you to review all the figures with your real 
estate agent and to ask any lingering questions before you make it 
official.

Luther Tsinoglou has just been named the top producing sales agent 
in Dickson Podley Realtor's Sierra Madre office for 2009, making 
the top 10% at the company overall. Luther has been licensed and 
practicing real estate since 1992. He specializes in residential and 
income property in Southern California. Luther can be reached at his 
direct line (626) 695-8650 or at luther@tsinoglou.com. 

Your Ad Could Be Here!

Call: 626-818-2698


IMPORTANT

Dates to 
Remember

October 18, 2010

Last day to 

register to vote

October 26, 2010

Last day to apply for a

vote-by-mail ballot by 
mail

November 2, 
2010

Election Day