Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 21, 2012

3


Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 21, 2012 


Creative Arts Group Garden Tour 2012:

THE NASH HOUSE


Built in 1928 in the style of a New England saltbox, this home has undergone a lovely 
transformation with the addition of wings to the south and west. A tennis court was 
relocated from one side of the property to the other. A scaled down version of the pavilion 
designed by Beatrix Farrand at Dumbarton Oaks was added to the west end of the pool to 
provide additional shade for alfresco dining. With every addition and relocation, great care 
was taken to retain the property’s original park-like setting.

As passionate plant-lovers, the owners made gradual changes to an English-style garden 
by adding more roses and perennials. The lawns were extensive, and beds of annuals were 
changed twice a year. These plantings were driven in large part by the owner’s habit of 
collecting beautiful specimens, but by 2009 they wanted to unify the backyard landscape 
and conserve water by reducing the size of the lawn, replacing much of it with water-wise 
Mediterranean plants. The bones of the garden were retained; pool and pavilion, as well as 
mature plants and trees, and the shape of existing beds. Judy Horton, a talented designer, 
was engaged to breathe life into this vision.

Twenty-four trees including Japanese maple, sycamore, birch, oak, variegated liquidambar, 
and copper beech were planted creating three “groves.” A birch grove was under-planted 
with hundreds of white Japanese anemones displaying a sea of white in the fall months. 
The tennis court was screened by the sycamore grove under-planted with native California 
heuchera. An antique Japanese lantern is featured in the third grove of mixed trees.

Two new gardens were installed. The Fig Tree Garden is a colorful summer/fall section of 
espaliered fig and citrus trees, salvias, basils, and ornamental oreganos. The Olive Terrace 
Garden is a gravel terrace of olives, iris, lavender, and sage.

The resulting palette of lavender, silver, white and chartreuse is a tranquil refuge as well as a 
magnet for butterflies, birds, bees, and hummingbirds. This is the garden’s third season, and 
the owners are looking forward to larger ball- and cone-shaped shrubs to add substance, 
and maturing trees to provide additional shade and privacy.

 The Sierra Madre Chamber 
of Commerce announces 
new officers for the 2012 
year. Director Ed Chen, a 
returning member from the 
Board, is unanimously elected 
to serve as the President 
for 2012-2013. Ed is the Director 
of Governmental Affairs 
for the City’s waste, recycling, 
and street sweeping 
service provider Athens Services. 
Ed spent last year volunteering 
on the Chamber 
Board and at the Chamber’s 
flagship community events, 
“Dickens Village,” and, most 
recently, “the Wistaria Festival,” 
which showcases the 
World’s Largest Blossoming 
Plant.

“Athens Services not only 
picks up the trash and sweeps 
the streets, we pressure wash 
and steam clean the downtown 
business district to 
keep it a charming and special 
place,” said Ed Chen, “I 
am grateful to my employer 
for allowing me this opportunity 
to serve, and I look 
forward to continuing my 
volunteer service to the residents 
and business leaders of 
Sierra Madre.”

The Sierra Madre Chamber 
of Commerce mission is “to 
encourage a healthy business 
environment by advancing, 
promoting and supporting 
the businesses serving Sierra 
Madre.” 

The following leaders of the 
Sierra Madre business and 
civic community will also 
serve on the Board of Directors 
during the 2012-2013 
term.:

Ed Chen, President

Athens Services 

Julia Rocks, Vice President

Professional Skin Care 
Services

Janette Ledea, Secretary 

ReMax Tri-cities Realtors

Susan Henderson, Treasurer 
Mountain Views News

 

Karen Klemens, Director 
Mother Moo Creamery

Kate Lee, Director 

Starbucks

George Maurer, Director 
Retired

Maddie Romo, Director

Savor the Flavor

Matt Krantz, 

President Emeritus

Bean Town

The Sierra Madre Chamber 
of Commerce is committed 
to supporting local businesses 
and the community. The 
Chamber is the annual sponsor 
of Sierra Madre’s Dickens 
Village, Citizen of the Year 
Dinner and Wistaria Festival. 

To learn more about the SM 
Chamber, visit our website 
at: www.sierramadrechamber.
com or call our offices at 
626-255-5111.

SIERRA MADRE CHAMBER ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP

Ed Chen of Athens Services is New President


PLAY ME I’M YOURS COMES TO PASADENA

Super Senior Betty J. Ford delights the crowds on a sunny afternoon


50TH ANNUAL SIERRA MADRE ART FAIR

The 50th annual Friends of the Sierra Madre Library’s art 
fair will be held in Memorial Park, 222 West Sierra Madre 
Blvd, Sierra Madre, on Saturday, May 5, from 9:30AM to 
6:00PM and Sunday, May 6, from 9:30AM to 5:00PM. 
More than 80 artists will be displaying and selling their 
fine arts during the weekend. Mediums include oil 
paintings, jewelry, water colors, glass, wood, metal, 
photography, pottery, ceramics, mixed media, and hand 
woven baskets and rugs. The Art Fair will be the perfect 
place to find that unique Mother’s Day, graduation, or 
wedding gift and to find art that you will be proud to wear or display in your home.

Live music will be featured throughout the weekend in the band shell and on the south lawn and a 
food court will offer a variety of food and drinks provided by local non-profit groups as well as food 
vendors. For the children, the Creative Arts Group has planned a fun and imaginative craft activity 
on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-4pm.

A new feature of this year’s fair will be a silent auction. So far, forty of the artists who are displaying 
and selling their creations at this year’s fair have donated lovely, one-of-a-kind pieces for the auction 
which means that you’ll have a chance to bid on some really beautiful artwork. 

So come early and stay all day. Browse through the wonderful displays of artwork, sit on the lawn and 
listen to music, have a little lunch, check on your silent auction bids, and then go back and purchase 
those lovely pieces of art that have been calling your name ever since you spotted them. Proceeds from 
the Art Fair benefit the Sierra Madre Library. For more information, visit our website at sierramadrelibraryfriends.
org or call 626 355-7186.

Photo and story by Susan Henderson

It is almost certain that Sierra Madreans who 
have been around for a while will recognize Betty 
J. Ford pictured above. At one time she was 
frequently seen in Sierra Madre whether it was 
accompanying a local chorale or giving private 
piano lessons. She is also the pianist for Rosemead 
Christian Church, where she has played for 
the last twenty three years.

On Friday, however, Ms. Ford could be found 
playing one of the 30 pianos that has been placed 
in Los Angeles and surrounding cities as part of 
an international art exhibit. 

Touring internationally since 2008, “Play Me, I’m 
Yours” is an artwork by British artist Luke Jerram. 
Over 500 pianos have now been installed in cities 
across the globe, from New York to Sydney, bearing 
the simple instruction ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’.

 

Located in public parks, bus shelters and train 
stations, outside galleries and markets and even 
on bridges and ferries, the pianos are available 
for any member of the public to play and enjoy. 
By creating a place of exchange ‘Play Me, I’m 
Yours’ invites the public to engage with, activate 
and take ownership of their urban environment. 
The 30 pianos in the Los Angeles Area will remain 
until Thursday, April 16th, according to 
Ms. Ford.

 

Ms. Ford has been participating in this exhibition 
at two locations in Pasadena. One is Vroman’s 
on Colorado and the other is in Old Town 
just east of the entrance to Johnny Rocket.

A vibrant super talented, superwoman, she has 
also used this opportunity to expose young pianists 
to the exhibit. On Friday she was expecting 
a 14 year old pianist and violinist to accompany 
her. Over the weekend she will be sharing the 
spotlight with a 7 year old musician.

You can hear Betty play and talk about her talent 
in an impromptu interview by going to the 
www.mtnviewsnews.com website and clicking 
on Betty J. Ford. 

Or better yet, you can stop by Vroman’s on Saturday 
afternoon or Johnny Rocket’s on Monday 
and see Ms. Ford in person.