Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 30, 2010

13

HOMES AND PROPERTY

 Mountain Views News Saturday, October 30, 2010 

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


Kellye Wallett: Pasadena Area Gardens in Watercolor

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

Kellye Wallett’s had a couple of lives 
and careers. Her lilting, Hawaiian-
influenced voice and features are still 
very identifiable as “Nurse Kellye” to 
aficionados (like me) of television’s 
M*A*S*H show from twenty some 
years ago, still in worldwide re-runs 
today.

 Her current “other” life as a water color artist has captured

the beauty of some of the Pasadena area’s famous gardens 
and settings. Before LA became her stomping ground, 
Wallett’s renderings of San Francisco waterfront settings 
were represented by Polk Gallery. Her “Gardens of 
Pasadena” collection includes the Wrigley estate/ Rose 
Bowl headquarters on Orange Grove, Pasadena City Hall’s 
Central Fountain, Descanso Gardens in La Canada and the 
Huntington Gardens. Others from that grouping immortalize 
garden scenes and doorways from less ostentatious, though 
no less captivating surroundings.

 Many originals and some giclees from the collection are on

permanent loan to the city of Pasadena, displayed during

business hours at the Police Department headquarters across 
from City Hall at 207 N. Garfield.

 Wallett pointed out the location of her Central Fountain 
perspective, as well as features of the huge renovation project 
recently completed at City Hall. Her work was previously 
displayed at City Hall after her one-artist show there a few 
years ago, but it was felt her work should be displayed in more

public accessible spaces, rather than inside city offices, so they 
were moved to the Police Station.

 Several department employees have their own Wallet’s 
art in their work areas as well, and she appears to be a well-
recognized, well-loved fixture in the city domains. Our tour 
of her public display, accompanied by Ronnie De Vries of 
the Police Department, was punctuated by joyful calls of 
welcome and recognition here and there, as was an amble 
through the outdoor walkways of historic City Hall.

 Wallett’s work “Koi” was chosen as representative of 
Senate District 21 for the California State Senate’s California 
Contemporary Art Collection, and was displayed in the State 
Capitol. The same work was chosen for t-shirts and poster 
use for the LA Marathon during the last Democratic 
convention held here in LA. Her commissioned painting 
of the Maguire Gardens at Pasadena’s Central Library 
were incorporated into invitations and lithographs for the 
New Jersey state reception during that convention.

 In addition to work as a water color artist and LA’s 
cherry-blossom festival producer, Wallett is an active 
volunteer in the public art arena. She holds an appointed 
Arts Commission position in Pasadena. She mused on 
the challenges, funding, politics of choosing and building 
new public art to be into a cohesive representation within 
the city, as well as efforts and expense to properly archive, 
preserve and display city-owned art.

 One special favorite of mine is her “Domes” work overlooking 
downtown Pasadena. Wallett told of her ventures up the bell 
tower of a Pasadena church in order to capture her envisioned 
perspective. It required not only scaling the bell tower, but a 
trip up an extension ladder to get just a little more height to 
achieve just the right view. The resulting sunset-lit panorama 
offers the magnificent red-tile roofed City Hall dome in the 
foreground, with several landmark edifices, reminiscent of an 
old European city.

 Kellye Wallett’s Pasadena gallery location is under 
redevelopment, so you can view or purchase her collection 
through her website at www.KellyesArt.com or contact 
Wallett at Wow Productions, 626-683-8243 for more 
information. Her special viewpoint and sensitivity to the art 
of gardens and gardening can make even her works called 
“Compost Garden” and Wood Pile” into beautiful,

beloved art.


Artist Kellye Wallett views her Descanso Gardens 
watercolor, displayed at Pasadena Police 
Department.

Wrigley estate gardens from her Gardens of Pasadena Collection. 
All artwork used with the artist’s permission.


SPORTS

Alverno X-Country 
Tunes Up For League 
Finals By Lara L. Larramendi

Alverno’s X-Country runners are working very hard preparing 
for the Horizon League finals on Wednesday, November 3rd. 
The runners have competed in 3 meets within the last 8 days 
and at each meet, most have improved their personal bests at 
each course.

It started with the Horizon League meet hosted by Alverno 
at Eaton Canyon on October 22nd. The weather seemed to 
motivate the Jaguars to improved performances as the JV squad 
won and the Varsity did not falter in the League standings.

At the 63rd Annual Mt. Sac X-Country Invitational held on 
Friday, October 22nd, Jaguar runners improved their finish 
times from last year’s competition. The 3-mile rugged course 
has switchbacks and several up hills, one aptly named “Poop 
Out Hill”. Division 5 Varsity Girls race had 208 runners that 
finished. Alverno, placing 15th in the Team competition, was led 
by Eryn Blakely, who earned a medal for 12th place finish with 
a time of 20:09, Audrey Davy came in 27th with a finish time 
of 21:53. Contributors to the team effort were Ashley Haylett, 
Bianca Melkonian, Miranda Akkari and Sascha Rosemond.

Running for their first time at the Mt. Sac Invitational and 
competing among the 202 runners in the Division 5 Freshman 
race were Bella Daniels-Campos, Victoria Pintado, Francesca 
Rueda and Reagan Dowd. Adrianna Martinez competed in the 
Division 5 Sophomore race which had 191 runners.

In their final regular League meet on October 27th, the Jaguar 
Varsity and JV squads defeated their opponent Bishop Conaty 
but came in 2nd behind Sacred Heart. First place finisher 
and varsity runner Eryn Blakely continued her assault of the 
Griffith Park rugged 3-mile course with a personal best time of 
18:58. At earlier races this season, Blakely has posted finishing 
times of 21:07 (Bell-Jeff Invitational on 9/25) and 19:35 (against 
Sacred Heart on 10/3). Senior Audrey Davy not feeling 100% 
finished 3rd with a time of 21:28. Her varsity Jaguar teammates 
following her were Jessica Lopez, Francesca Rueda, Bianca 
Melkonian, Ashley Haylett and Miranda Akkari. 

The JV squad continues to significantly improve their finishing 
times. They are looking forward to capturing a Horizon League 
championship. Next on their radar is the Horizon League 
finals meet on November 3rd likely to be held at Eaton Canyon.

At the Griffith Park course on October 27th meet, finishing 3rd, 
4th, 6th, 7th and 11th were Adrianna Martinez, Sascha Rosemond, 
Bella Daniels-Campos, Andrea Gochez-Wilson and Reagan 
Dowd for a team score of 31 to Sacred Heart’s score of 27 (1st 
, 2nd, 5th, 9th, 10th). Rounding out the JV squad were Victoria 
Pintado, Devny Osuna, Holly Coates, Madi Daniels-Campos 
and Nicolette Rodriguez.

With Bobby Eldridge 
Federal foreclosure-prevention tactics have recently been 
expanded to encourage delinquent borrowers to avoid foreclosure 
by streamlining the short sale process. Cash incentives are also 
being offered to the homeowners, as well as to the lenders and the 
buyers.

 Perhaps the best feature of the new legislation requires the 
lenders to advise the sellers what their minimum acceptable price 
is before listing the home for sale. Then if the sellers secure an 
offer for the agreed price, the lender must accept it within 10 days.

 This speeds up the short sale process tremendously, since the 
lender is also required to consult with local real estate agents 
in order to determine a fair price. Of course, "fair" is a relative 
term here, because in a short sale, the bank is agreeing to sell the 
property for less than the total amount due on the mortgage.

 However, it is definitely in the lender's best interest to expedite 
a short sale instead of allowing the home to foreclose, because on 
average, the bank loses 50% on a foreclosure, but only 30% on a 
short sale.

 These new standardized procedures, called the Home Affordable

Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA), is a new option 
for homeowners who have been unsuccessful under existing 
programs. If you're facing default, I strongly urge you to contact a 
real estate agent today to discuss the alternatives.


Make Sure You Buy The 
Right Hybrid 
Golf Clubs for 
Your Game 

By Bobby Eldridge

I think the hybrid golf clubs are 
going to wind up being a better 
invention than the sand wedge. 
I have to ad one more thought. 
IF you buy the right one for your 
game.

Can you believe how incredible it is to stand in the middle of 
the fairway 200 yards from the green and you get to pull out one 
of those beautiful replacement clubs instead of a 3 iron? That 
is exactly where the problems begin. You better hope that you 
bought the correct 3 iron replacement. From the minute I heard 
about the hybrids I have referred to them as replacement clubs.

Of course I have a reason why I call them replacement clubs. 
I bought three of them before it dawned on me that I was just 
buying them because I liked them, not because they were correct 
for my game. That is when I did some research that I will share 
with you.

The Rules of Golf states that you are allowed to carry 14 clubs in 
your bag. Let’s do some math. You probably use a driver, putter, 
pitching wedge, sand wedge and LOB. That’s five golf clubs and 
nine to go. Most of you have a 9-8-7-6 irons. Now we have nine 
clubs and four to go.

You have to make sure of two things when you are replacing your 
longer irons. If you don’t buy the hybrids in a set you are going 
to get different shafts from different companies. Even thou you 
bought a regular shaft from one company that doesn’t mean it 
is going to be the same regular shaft of another company. The 
second thing you have to be careful of if you don’t buy your 
hybrids in a set is the loft on the clubs.

That is where my problems began early on. I was buying different 
hybrids and the lofts were too close together.

The following chart will help you understand what you have to 
purchase for a replacement club:

17 degree hybrid would replace a 2 iron or 5 wood

20 degree hyrid would replace a 3 iron or 7 wood

23 degree hybrid would replace a 4 iron

27 degree hybrid would replace a 5 iron

31 degree hybrid would replace a 6 iron

In closing I have to explain one last thing to you. Not all companys 
have the same degree of loft. Some companies might make a 24-
28-32 degree set of hybrids. The one thing to keep in mind is 
that you are REPLACING a club in your bag. You don’t want two 
clubs with the same loft.

I hope this helps you out the next time you head out to buy a couple 
of hybrid golf clubs for your game.

Golfingly yours, Bobby Eldridge 

You can email me at: bobby@igolffixes.com 

or go to my website: www. igolffixes.com


Eryn Blakely medals at the 63rd Annual Mt. Sac X-Country 
Invitational with a time of 20:08 for a 12th place finish.

CALIFORNIA ECONOMIC

AND REAL ESTATE SUMMIT 

 The real estate community and the public are invited 
to attend the Fifth Annual Economic and Real Estate 
Summit scheduled for Thursday, November 18 from 
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Masonic Center, 50 W. 
Duarte Road in Arcadia. The forecast will be presented 
by Robert Kleinhenz, Ph.D., Deputy Chief Economist for 
the California Association of REALTORS. A continental 
breakfast will be served beginning at 9:30 a.m. 

 Dr. Kleinhenz will discuss what lies ahead for the future 
real estate market. Will there be more changes in the 
market? What will happen to all the foreclosed properties? 
You will receive pertinent information regarding the 
current and future outlook of residential real estate and 
trends that could change that outlook. Come and hear 
about this and much more regarding residential properties. 

 The event is sponsored by the Arcadia Association of 
REALTORS Education Committee and is free for Arcadia 
Association REALTOR and Affiliate Members. All city 
officials receive complimentary registration. Registration 
for members of the public is $10 paid by check or credit 
card. Pre-registration is required. Call (626) 446-2115 to 
reserve your place. 


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