p5, v6.20 — Around The San Gabriel Valley

Around The San Gabriel Valley

Mountain Views News Saturday, May 19, 2012

MVNews this week: Page 5

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

Mountain Views News Saturday, May 19, 2012

“What’s Going On?”

News and Views from Joan Schmidt

CLAUDIA AND ALAN HELLER:

Life on Route 66 Personal Accounts
Along the Mother Road to California

Do you love to read?
Do you enjoy history
especially on a personal
level that relates the
stories of people who
traveled across the
Mother Road to California? Along the
way, you will find a diversity of towns. Who
stopped at these sites, and why did they stay?

Duarte’s Dynamic Duo is the Heller’s.
Claudia does the writing while Alan is the
photographer. They share a love of history -
not just facts but the people who have made
history happen. Why was a certain town
settled? After much prodding, they have
published Life on Route 66: Personal Accounts
Along the Mother Road to California.

How did this come about? Claudia
wrote a series of articles on Route 66 for the
Highlander newspaper. She and Alan had
“poked around the Mother Road towns in
the Mojave Desert, communities that had
blossomed and withered over the years…I
had no idea at the time that this project
would provide an outlet for readers eager to
share personal memories of their experiences
on the road.”

Their series began with Needles, the
route’s California - Arizona border town,
and a tour of the El Garces Hotel. After the
article was published, Claudia was contacted
by many readers sharing memories of their
experiences along the road. Some Seniors told
of their childhood backseat adventures; others
relayed family memories passed down. One
reader even had a detailed journal from her great
uncle recounting his trip in 1927.

In 2010, the Hellers made the decision
to travel to Chicago along “America’s Highway”
in celebration of their sixty-first birthdays
and upcoming retirements. They purchased
an eighteen-foot trailer and began to prepare
for their journey. Going away for two months
involved lots of planning! You can pay bills on-
line. But what about watering the yard, picking
up mail and errant papers, maintaining a pool
and Chewy, their seventeen year old blind and
deaf dog? But all was arranged and their journey
began. They traveled east and, upon their return
to California, they continued through Rancho
Cucamonga and on to Santa Monica.

There are several guide books about
traveling along Route 66. Why is this book
unique? The Mother Road has inspired books
and shows by the dozens, but this is something
new. The authors traveled the road and collected
its stories and what the road means to the people
who live along it. When the Hellers traveled, they
brought books and maps with them. But they
took their time. To them the journey was more
important than the destination.

Please go on line to www.insidesocal.
com/66 . This site explains the Hellers’ saga and
is loaded with photos! It also gives info about
purchasing the book. I did today and look
forward to reading it!

“KNX ON YOUR CORNER” TO EXPLORE THE

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY FOOTHILLS ON JUNE 1

Station will broadcast live from Old TownMonrovia

“KNX on Your Corner” will take an in-depth look at some of the foothill cities of the San Gabriel
Valley on Friday, June 1 as part of KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO’s ongoing look at Southern California’s
diverse regions.

KNX’s programming will focus on a group of communities set between the San Gabriel Mountains
and the 210 Freeway in the 200 square mile valley: Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Bradbury
and Glendora. A series of special features and news reports will examine the area’s rich history,
including its transition from farmland to the suburban bedroom communities of today. Featured
on-air guests throughout the day willinclude civic and business leaders.

News anchors Dick Helton and Vicky Moore will kick off the live broadcast from 5:00 – 9:00am
from the Monrovia Coffee Company at 425 Myrtle Avenue, in the heart of ld Town Monrovia. Frank
Mottek will host the KNX Business Hour from 1 – 2:00pm and Jim Thornton and Diane Thompson
will anchor KNX’s news coverage from 2 – 7:00pm. Free coffee will be offered throughout the event.

“KNX on Your Corner” is presented by The Monitoring Center. Complete details

are posted at www.cbsLA.com/onyourcorner.

Sheriff Department Crime Trends

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Temple Station is responsible for providing law enforcement services to the cities of Bradbury, Duarte, Rosemead, South El Monte and Temple City, as well as
the unincorporated county communities of South San Gabriel, El Monte, Monrovia Arcadia Duarte (M.A.D.), East Pasadena, and North San Gabriel. Below you will find a summary of the reported crimes in
the month of April for each of the above listed communities.

During this past month, we have experienced an increase in the number of residential burglaries in the majority of our communities. Although many of these burglaries have occurred while residents are
not home, several of the burglaries involved male Hispanic adults posing as utility workers, who asked the victims for access into their residences to inspect either water pressures or electrical lines.

If contacted by any individual who asks to enter your residence to conduct an inspection, request to see official identification. If you have any doubt as to whether or not the individual is working for
a legitimate utility company or agency, please call Temple Station immediately. We also ask that you monitor your neighborhood for suspicious vehicles or persons walking door to door. If you notice
something or someone suspicious, again please telephone Temple Station and ask for a patrol unit to respond.

We have also experienced an increase in vehicle thefts, primarily in the city of Rosemead and the unincorporated county areas. Thieves are targeting primarily Hondas, model years 1998 through 2006. Please
remember to lock and secure your vehicle, taking all valuables with you. This includes laptop computers and navigational equipment.

Temple Sheriff’s Station’s partnership with community members is our strongest asset in the fight against crime. Please remain vigilant, and if you see something or someone suspicious, call Temple Station at
(626) 285-7171 or in cases of emergency 911. TEMPLE STATION APRIL 2012

Bradbury

Duarte

Rosemead

South El Monte

Temple City

Unincorporated Areas

SSG/EMC, MAD, EPAS/NSG

Rape

Robbery

Assault

Residential Burglary

Commercial Burglary

Grand Theft

GTA

Vehicle Burglary

Pet Of The Week - Serena ID No. A4422990

CHIYOMI’S
WEDDING
DRESS

by La Quetta M. Shamblee

Chiyomi looked stunning
in her beautiful wedding dress
as she and Kaz Ogawa said
their nuptials in the shadow
of the majestic Sierra Nevada
mountains on March 26, 1944.
Like so many other young
Americans who would take
part in launching the start of
the “baby boom” that followed
World War II, the Ogawa’s had
found love and were ready to
settle down. What should have
been one of the happiest days
of their lives must have been
dampened by the barbed wire
that surrounded their wedding
location. They were married
while interned at Manzanar,
one of 19 “War Relocation
Camps” established in the U.S.
and Canada to house American
citizens of Japanese descent and
Japanese immigrants who lived
along the Pacific Coast of the
country.

Another internee who was a
professional seamstress designed
and made the weeding dress for
the bride’s special day. After
the war ended and Japanese
Americans worked to reclaim
and rebuild their lives, Chiyomi’s
wedding dress was eventually
worn by five other women on
their special days. This garment
weaved a common thread
through the lives of Chickie
Hino, Hara Fujihara, Hasie
Ogawa, Kay Fujikawa and Nattie
Koyama. Just like Chiyomi, all
of them made their homes and
raised their families in Pasadena.

Chiyomi never imagined
that her wedding dress would
inspire interest 68 years after
she said “I do,” nor did she ever
fathom the photo of her and Kaz
would become so intriguing as a
unique record
of American
history. The
original
“wedding
dress” will
be featured
and worn by
Chiyomi’s
granddaughter
Michelle at
the “Camp
Stories” Award
Show at Santa
Anita Park
the morning
of Saturday,
June 2, 2012.
An exhibit of
the original
photos of the
other brides in
the “wedding
dress” will
be featured,
along with
other images
captured by
legendary
photographer Toyo Miyatake,
who was also interned at
Manzanar. Committed to
continuing his craft, he smuggled
a lens into the camp and build a
camera using a wooden box. His
photos provide some of the few
first-person perspectives of life
inside Manzanar. Some of his
work from this experience is
documented in a book produced
in collaboration with Ansel
Adams, Two Views of Manzanar.

For most people, Santa Anita
Park has been synonymous with
the excitement and rich history
of world class thoroughbred
horseracing since opening day
almost 80 years ago. It opened in
December 1934 and is the oldest
racetrack in Southern California.

For a brief two-year period
that was clearly two years
longer than reasonable, the
horses stopped racing as the
U.S. Government converted
the facility into the nation’s
largest assembly center for the
involuntary relocation of more
than 17,000 Japanese-Americans
and others of Japanese descent,
to one of the 19 camps in the U.S.
and Canada.

The “Camp Stories Award
Show” is a fundraiser for
The Cherry Blossom Festival
of Southern California
(CBFSoCal). The morning event
starts at 8:30 am and features
a breakfast reception, silent
auction, live entertainment and
award presentations. CBFSoCal
is an arts agency member of
the Pasadena Arts Council’s
E.M.E.R.G.E. nonprofit fiscal
sponsor program. Tickets for
the event include complimentary
parking.

For information and tickets, visit
www.cherryblossomfestivalsocal.
org or .

For group discounts, e-mail or call:
wowproductions2@earthlink.net
or (626) 683-8243.

www.Facebook.com/

pStoriesAwardShowDoTheDream

Meet a girl that will sweep your heart away, the
lovely Serena (A4422990). Serena is an effervescent
five-month-old brown female Labrador Retriever/
Pit Bull mix puppy who was found in El Monte on
April 29th and brought to the Baldwin Park Animal
Care Center. Weighing twenty-four pounds, this
eager to please puppy hasn’t had any training
yet, but she is very smart and will learn quickly.
Good with other dogs, this affectionate and super
playful puppy absolutely adores children! Serena
will make an outstanding indoor pet for an active
family living in a private home. To watch a video
of the absolutely cute Serena please visit: www.
youtube.com/watch?v=W3lAjT92du4

To meet Serena in person, please see her at the
Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-
2378 or 626-962-3577). She is currently available now. For any inquiries about Serena,
please reference her animal ID number: A4422990. The shelter is open seven days a week,
12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is a high-intake
shelter with a great need for adoptions. For more information about Serena or the adoption
process, contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha
at samanthasayon@gmail.com or 661-309-2674. To learn more about United Hope for
Animals’ partnership with the Baldwin Park Shelter through its Shelter Support Program,
as well as the many dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes available for adoption in local shelters,
visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/shelter-support-program/.