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AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY
Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 25, 2015
REP. ADAM SCHIFF STATEMENT ON THE
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
CELEBRATING THE
LIFE OF MIKE MITCHELL
Los Angeles, CA – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), a lead
sponsor of the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution in
Congress, released the following statement on the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide:
“One hundred years ago, the Ottoman Empire attempted to
annihilate an entire race in the first genocide of the last century.
When it was over, 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children lay
dead and many thousands of others barely survived. Despite a brutal
campaign of massacres, forced death marches, lootings and rape, the
Young Turks failed to destroy the Armenian people as evidenced by
the vibrant diaspora and Armenian nation.
“When this heinous acts crime was committed, an entirely new word
had to be invented to describe it – genocide. The author of the term,
Holocaust survivor Raphael Lemkin, specifically cited the campaign
of murder against the Armenians as an example of what genocide was
meant to describe.
“The horrors of the genocide have been compounded by decades of
denial by the Turkish government, which continues to fight the truth
to this day. The United States has become complicit in this denial
by failing to recognize the genocide for decades – and I was deeply
disappointed by President Obama’s refusal to use the word ‘genocide’
in his statement today. If not this President, who spoke so eloquently
and passionately about recognition in the past, whom? If not after one
hundred years, when?
“The United States must join the world community – as it has in
speaking out against other atrocities and in confronting painful
chapters of our own past – in calling the Armenian Genocide a
genocide. The time for silence is over.”
By Joan Schmidt
Yesterday I had the privilege of
attending the Celebration of the Life of
Mike Mitchell in the Chandelier Room at
Santa Park. Racetrack fans certainly will
know this Hall of Fame trainer, but there
was a lot more to Mike. Perhaps recalling
the highlights of the service will show the
many facets of this remarkable man.
After a beautiful rendition of Amazing
Grace, Amazing Love, Pastor Albert Tate
told us that when we celebrate Mike’s
life, there are three things we learn about
Jesus: “Mike could spot a diamond in
the rough…just as Jesus sees good in all
of us….Whenever Mike saw a horse, he
staked a claim in it, and had a plan- Jesus stakes a claim in all of us and
has a plan, and lastly Mike found the Winner’s Circle just as Jesus
found the winners.”
After Pastor Tate spoke of Mike’s deep faith, he told us that Mike’s
family-wife Denise and daughters McCall and Shea-were his “trophies”.
Even Columnist Art Wilson had dubbed Mike, “The Ultimate Family
Man”.
The song Beautiful Things followed Pastor Tate’s uplifting remembrance,
and then there were several speakers. Trainer Phil D’Amato spoke of
Mike-“his hero and mentor”, whom he met fourteen years ago. “He gave
me a week trial, made me part of his stable…a hall of fame guy, who made
the world a better place.”
Father-in-law Ralph Weaver spoke of the extraordinary man whom he
will always love. Gary Jones told us that Mike, a brilliant horseman, was
like a brother to him, and the “the best thing that ever happened to Mike
was marrying Denise who brought gold to him.”.
Scotty McClellan, relayed meeting young jockey Joe Talamo, becoming
Joe’s agent, and how Mike gave Joe opportunities to workout horses and
eventually ride them. Scotty had to compose himself a few times during
his talk-he will miss his friend Mike, who is loved and respected by so
many.
Tom Rathman, Running Back Coach of the San Francisco 49ers and
a former pro football star gave us a look into a part of Mike’s life-pro
football-that many of us didn’t know about. Tom met Mike in 1994 at
Santa Anita, and Mike loved pro football. The two became fast friends
and Mike began advising Tom when Tom was with the LA Raiders on
coaching players and choosing draft choices!
Tom said “We talked about ownership, coaches, trainers, horses-all are
very similar…and the parallels…and Mike stood next to Tom during the
Playoffs and Super Bowl.”
A young woman, Casey, had a hard home life, and often was at the
Mitchells’ home. She told us how Mike was there for her and supported
her.
After the speakers, there was a video of highlights of Mike’s life. What
stood out to me was his deep faith in God- he was Christian and was
proud to tell that to everyone, and his deep love and commitment to
Denise and his daughters. What a remarkable man he was- and the great
turnout- there were many standing in the balcony. Racing legends, Laffitt
Pincay and Gary Stevens, jockeys Joe Talamo, Aaron Gryder, Martin
Garcia, trainers Ron Ellis and Art Sherman, TV Commentators, Paul Lo
Duca and Brittany Eurtin are just a few I noticed. Mike Mitchell, a man
who lived life to the fullest.
UNION STATION HOMELESS SERVICES BREAKS GROUND
TO HELP HOMELESS FAMILIES IN PASADENA
PASADENA, CA – On April 14, Union Station Homeless Services joined
National Community Renaissance (National CORE), representatives of
Los Angeles County, and the Mayor and Council Members of the City of
Pasadena to celebrate the ground breaking of Mar Vista Apartments, an
affordable housing development for low-income, homeless families. Mar
Vista features 10 one-bedroom and 10 two bed-room units, with four
units equipped for the mobility impaired and audio or visually impaired,
and one unit reserved for an onsite coordinator. Other amenities include
a community garden, tot lot, community room, onsite computer lab, and
laundry rooms.
The project, scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2016, is
a collaborative effort between Union Station Homeless Services and
National CORE, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit developers of
affordable housing. Funding for Mar Vista Apartments will be provided
by Los Angeles Community Development Commission (LA CDC), First 5
LA, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits through the State of California, and
the City of Pasadena. Union Station will provide the onsite wrap-around
services to residents, such as health care, substance abuse counseling,
mental health counseling, and employment assistance.
“It all started with a vision from Marv Gross to provide the homeless clients
they serve at Union Station with permanent housing,” says Julie Mungai,
VP of Acquisitions with National CORE. The vision became a reality when
William Huang, Director of Housing for the City of Pasadena, approached
Union Station and National CORE about the reuse or demolition of the
former Broadway Apartments, located on North Mar Vista Avenue.
The previous owner of the apartments had relocated it there from its
original site near Fuller Seminary. The abandoned apartment complex fell
into disrepair as efforts to preserve the building as a historic structure were
constantly delayed. The construction of the Mar Vista Apartments will be
a positive change for the once dilapidated lot, and will bring change for the
lives of its future residents.
“This is an important neighborhood improvement project,” Victor Gordo,
council member of the City of Pasadena states. “Families will soon come
here and we’ll be proud when they leave here as successful members of the
community.”
For over 40 years, Union Station has worked with the City of Pasadena
to help individuals and families transition from homelessness. The results
from Pasadena’s 2015 Homeless Count show a 5% decrease in the overall
homeless population from last year, with a reduction of 48% within the past
4 years. However, while the number of people experiencing homelessness
has decreased, the remaining population has greater and more extensive
needs, making them more visible to the public.
“This is a critically important project,” says William Huang, the
City of Pasadena’s Director of Housing and Career Services. “It will end
homelessness for 19 families. If you think of 632 homeless people in a city
that’s only 23 square miles, it’s still way too many people.”
“This effort has required many hands and many hearts. Mar Vista has
been a labor of love,” Marv Gross, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services
addressed the crowd. “We’re groundbreaking today, but this event is
ground breaking because this is the first purpose built permanent housing
for families in Pasadena. Families will have the opportunity to rebuild their
lives. This is something we can all be proud of.”
ARTEMIS “WOMEN IN ACTION” FILM FESTIVAL SUPPORTS GIRLS ON
THE RUN LA COUNTY AS NON-PROFIT HONOREE
More than 50 Films featuring “Kick-Ass” Women set for April 24-26 Screenings at the Laemmle Theatre in Pasadena
In a celebration of female empowerment, the inaugural Artemis
Women in Action Film Festival http://www.ArtemisFilmFestival.
com will open Friday April 24, 2015 at the Laemmle Playhouse
7 in Pasadena with Girls on the Run LA County as its not-for-
profit beneficiary. The 3-day film fest (April 24-26) will feature
over 50 narrative, documentary, animated and short films that
highlight women in action roles.
Premiere screenings of “Awaken” starring Darryl Hannah
on Friday April 24th, and “Two Down” produced by Stephen
Fry (Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, The Hobbit: The
Desolation of Smaug, V for Vendetta) on Saturday April 25th will anchor the
festival, along with a Friday evening screening of the James Cameron action
classic “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” starring Linda Hamilton and Arnold
Schwarzenegger.
Tickets are now available for purchase at http://www.WomenKickAss.com
and the Laemmle Theatre box office, 673 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101.
As a nod to Girls on the Run, Sunday will feature short films selected to inspire
girls and their families. The “Just for the Girls” schedule runs as follows:
Sun. Apr. 26, 10:00am: Just For the Girls, Block 1 of 2
Shorts Block: Two short films in this screening block
Pretty Tough:
Two competitive sisters join the high school soccer team. Cast – Adelaide
Kane, Krystal Young.
Red Thunder: A high school teenager sneaks away with her mom’s car to go
on a date, and she and her date discover the car and her mom are superheros.
Cast – Allie Grant, Miles Heizer, Karen Strassman, Doug Olear; Alvaro Ron,
Director & Producer.
Sun. Apr. 26, 12:10pm: Just For the Girls, Block 2 of 2
Shorts Block: Two short films in this screening block
Solstice
A woman decides to push herself to her absolute limit by
running in her first 100 mile race – over mountains from one
town to another. Cast – Ashley Lindsey.
Lost Marathon
A woman who runs marathons finally learns the joy of running.
Cast – Courtney Kistler.
While many Girls on the Run participants may run a marathon when older,
the organization’s focus is for girls ages 8-14 to learn goal-setting and self-
confidence through training to complete a 5K. Whether they run, walk or
skip along the way, the 5K is the celebratory culmination of a 12-week after-
school program that empowers girls and teaches them to be strong in mind,
body and spirit. Using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively
integrates running, Girls on the Run addresses bullying, the importance of
physical activity, healthy eating, body image, and community service. http://
gotrla.org/
“At Girls on the Run LA County, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary and
just registered our 5,000th girl,” says Molly Snow, executive director. “We started
with a small group in the Pasadena area, but now are throughout LA County
with nearly 70 locations.” Girls on the Run Los Angeles County is a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization. For more information, visit http://gotrla.org/ or email
info@gotrla.org.
DO YOU WANT TO MEET
NEW FRIENDS AND JOIN
IN GREAT ACTIVITIES?
Newcomers and Friends of San Gabriel Valley cordially invites local
women to join their upcoming May events. We are primarily a social
club with a very diverse group of women from all over the SGV. We
will be having our monthly “Meet and Greet Coffee” at 10 am May 6.
You must attend a coffee to join Newcomers and attend activities. In
addition to the coffees held the first Wednesday of each month there
are luncheons, tours, a garden club, golfing, a book club, a wine tasting
group, travel, movies, theater, and games such as bridge, pinochle,
mahjong, scrabble, rummikub, and bunco. The tour in April was to the
Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. Our “Ladies On The Go” group
has 1 or 2 interesting activities each month. Most activities are on
weekdays.
Check out our website www.sgvnewcomers.com or email
sgvnewcomers@yahoo.com for more information or call Teri,
Membership Chairman, at 323-829-0317.
SOROPTIMISTS TO HOST FASHION SHOW /
SERVICE AGENCIES EVENT
Please join Soroptimist International of Altadena/Pasadena for its first “Making A Difference:
Celebrating Service Agencies” luncheon event, to be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at the
Pasadena Hilton, 168 S. Los Robles, Pasadena. Soroptimists are honoring the Door of Hope and
The Women’s Room at Friends In Deed, two Pasadena non-profit organizations that support
women and their families. A boutique will open at 10:30 a.m., with a tea luncheon served at 11:30
a.m. The awards and a fashion show will follow.
You may purchase tickets for this event at $35 through PayPal on the Altadena/Pasadena website,
http://soroptimistaltapas.org. Or mail checks payable to Soroptimist Altadena/Pasadena, P.O. Box
66, Altadena, CA 91003. You can also RSVP by phone to Marilyn at (626) 296-0336. Please RSVP
by May 15th.
Visit podley.com for additional open houses, news & events!
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