Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, May 12, 2018

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BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 12, 2018 

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett

Jeff’s Book Pics By Jeff Brown


Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of 
Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and 
Identity Politics is Destroying American 
Democracy by Jonah Goldberg 

 “More than any book published so far in this 
century, it deserves to be called a conservative 
classic.” —Yuval Levin, National Review. With his 
trademark blend of political history, social science, 
economics, and pop culture, two-time NYT 
bestselling author, syndicated columnist, National 
Review senior editor, and American Enterprise 
Institute fellow Jonah Goldberg makes the timely 
case that America and other democracies are in 
peril as they lose the will to defend the values and 
institutions that sustain freedom and prosperity. 
Instead we are surrendering to populism, 
nationalism and other forms of tribalism. Only 
once in the last 250,000 years have humans 
stumbled upon a way to lift ourselves out of the 
endless cycle of poverty, hunger, and war that 
defines most of history—in 18th century England 
when we accidentally discovered the miracle of 
liberal democratic capitalism. As Americans 
we are doubly blessed that those radical ideas 
were written into the Constitution, laying 
the groundwork for our uniquely prosperous 
society: Our rights come from God not from the 
governmenThe government belongs to us; we do 
not belong to the government.The individual is 
sovereign. We are all captains of our own souls. 
The fruits of our labors belong to us.In the last few 
decades, these political virtues have been turned 
into vices. As we are increasingly taught to view 
our traditions as a system of oppression, exploitation and 
“white privilege,” the principles of liberty and the rule of 
law are under attack from left and right.At a moment when 
authoritarianism, tribalism, identity politics, nationalism, 
and cults of personality are rotting our democracy from 
within, Goldberg exposes the West’s suicidal tendencies on 
both sides of the ideological aisle. For the West to survive, we 
must renew our sense of gratitude for what our civilization 
has given us and rediscover the ideals that led us out of the 
bloody muck of the past – or back to the muck we will go. 

The Art of the Wasted Day by Patricia Hampl

 “A sharp and unconventional book — a swirl of memoir, 
travelogue and biography of some of history’s champion 
day-dreamers.” —Maureen Corrigan, “Fresh Air”

 A spirited inquiry into the lost value of leisure 
and daydream.The book is a picaresque travelogue 
of leisure written from a lifelong enchantment 
with solitude. Patricia Hampl visits the homes of 
historic exemplars of ease who made repose a goal, 
even an art form. She begins with two celebrated 
eighteenth-century Irish ladies who ran off to live a 
life of “retirement” in rural Wales. Her search then 
leads to Moravia to consider the monk-geneticist, 
Gregor Mendel, and finally to Bordeaux for Michel 
Montaigne--the hero of this book--who retreated 
from court life to sit in his chateau tower and write 
about whatever passed through his mind, thus 
inventing the personal essay. Hampl’s own life 
winds through these pilgrimages, from childhood 
days lazing under a neighbor’s beechnut tree, to a 
fascination with monastic life, and then to love--
and the loss of that love which forms this book’s 
silver thread of inquiry. Finally, a remembered 
journey down the Mississippi near home in an old 
cabin cruiser with her husband turns out, after all 
her international quests, to be the great adventure 
of her life. The real job of being human, Hampl 
finds, is getting lost in thought, something only 
leisure can provide. The Art of the Wasted Day is a 
compelling celebration of the purpose and appeal 
of letting go.

Jack Frost: Detective Jack Stratton 
Mystery Thriller Series 

 What do you get when you mix the blockbuster 
television show Survivor with Agatha Christie’s 
masterpiece And Then There Were None…Jack has a 
new assignment: to investigate the suspicious death of a 
soundman on the hit TV show Planet Survival. Jack goes 
undercover as a security agent where the show is filming 
on nearby Mount Minuit. Soon trapped on the treacherous 
peak by a blizzard, a mysterious killer continues to stalk the 
cast and crew of Planet Survival. What started out as a game 
is now a deadly competition for survival. As the temperature 
drops and the body count rises, what will get them first… 
the mountain or the killer? A page-turning avalanche of 
excitement from cover to cover. Jack Frost is part of the 
Detective Jack Stratton Mystery-Thriller Series, which has 
over 5,000 five-star reviews and one million readers and 
counting. The reviews are from Amazon .com

PROTECTING 
YOUR CHILDREN’S 
INHERITANCE AFTER 
DIVORCE

Consider this story. Beth’s divorce from her husband 
was recently finalized. Her most valuable assets are her 
retirement plan at work and her life insurance policy. She 
updated the beneficiary designations on both to be her two 
minor children. She did not want her ex-husband to receive 
the money.

 Beth passes away one year after her divorce. Her children 
are still minors, so the retirement plan and insurance 
company require an adult to be appointed to receive 
the inheritance Beth left behind. Who does the court 
presumptively look to serve as the caretaker of this money? 
Beth’s ex-husband who is now the only living parent of the 
children. 

 Sadly, stories like Beth’s are all too familiar for the loved 
ones of divorced people who do not make effective use 
of the estate planning tools. Naming a beneficiary for 
retirement benefits or life insurance, or having a will can 
be a good start. However, the complexities of relationships, 
post-divorce, often render these basic tools inadequate. 
Luckily, there is a way to protect and control your children’s 
inheritance fully.

Enter the Trust

A trust allows you to coordinate and control your estate 
in a way that no other tool can. For those who are not yet 
familiar, a trust is a legal arrangement for managing your 
property while you are alive and quickly passing it at your 
death. There are a few key players in the trust. First, there is 
the person who created the trust, often called the Trustor, 
Grantor, or Settlor (this is you). Second, there’s the Trustee 
who manages the assets owned by the trust (usually you 
during your life and then anyone you select when you 
are no longer able to manage the assets yourself). Finally, 
the Beneficiaries are the people who receive the benefit of 
the trust (usually you during your life, and then typically 
children or anyone else you choose).

 How a Trust Protects Your Children’s Inheritance after a 
Divorce

 A trust protects your children’s inheritance in a few 
distinct ways:

 Since you select the Trustee, you can choose someone 
other than your ex-spouse to manage the assets. In fact, you 
can even state that the ex-spouse can never be a Trustee, 
if you wish. If Beth had a trust, she could have named her 
brother to be Trustee after her death. Her brother (rather 
than her ex-husband) would then oversee the children’s 
inheritance.

 Since you select the Beneficiaries, you can determine 
how the trust assets can be used for them. You may have 
long-term goals for your beneficiaries, such as college, 
purchasing of a first home, or starting a business. When 
you share your intent, your Trustee can invest the assets 
appropriately and ensure your legacy is used the way you 
want, rather than the assets being potentially wasted or 
used in a thoughtless way. If Beth had a trust, she could 
have instructed how she wanted the inheritance used, 
rather than leaving it to the whims of a court and her ex-
husband. 

 A fully funded trust avoids probate, so your children do 
not have to deal with the cost, publicity, and delay that is all-
too-common in probate cases. Although “plain” beneficiary 
designations, like the one that Beth used, also avoid 
probate, they may still open the door for a guardianship or 
conservatorship court case, especially when your children 
are minors. A fully funded trust avoids these guardianship 
and conservatorship cases. This means more money for 
your intended beneficiaries and less for the lawyers and 
courts.

 If you are divorced, it is essential to make sure your plan 
works precisely the way you want. Every situation is unique, 
but we are here to help design a plan that achieves your 
goals and works for your family. Give us a call today if you 
have any questions.

 Dedicated to empowering your family, building your 
wealth and defining your legacy,

A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a mission to 
help parents protect what they love most. His office is located 
at 55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule 
an appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring a 
legacy of love and financial security for your family by 
calling 626.587.3058 or visit www.GarlettLaw.com for more 
information.


CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS – SAN GABRIEL 
VALLEY CONCLUDES ITS INAUGURAL YEAR 
WITH SEASON FINALE, CELEBRATING ARTS AND 
ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Season Finale showcases the year’s best performances from the school’s 

10 arts conservatories

All Things By Jeff Brown

A LETTER FROM AN EDITOR:

People in the journalism trade, (like me), are fond of quoting Thomas Jefferson’s statement that he’d rather 
have “newspapers without government than “ government without newspapers.” As a 25 year veteran of 
newspaper work, I’m inclined to agree-and this year has vividly proven Jefferson’s point. Power corrupts, 
public servants sometimes lie, and institutions hide their dirty secrets. 

To function properly, to function properly, a democracy needs tithe impertinent watchdogs of the free 
press to challenge authority and hold it accountable. For proof of that, consider the contributions made 
by the winners of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for journalism announced the week. Among them: the stories 
that brought Harvey Weinstein’s monstrous predations to an end. With months of painstaking work, 
reporters of The New Yorker and The New York times tunneled under the wall of threats, bribery and fear 
shielding Weinstein’s secrets. Their stories led hundreds of women to come forward to name their abusers 
in Hollywood, politics and virtually every other field, triggering a chain reaction that is reshaping culture. 

Another Pulitzer went the The Washington Post for exposing U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore as a serial 
predator of teen girls. The Post and The New York Times were honored for detailing and explaining Russia’s 
interference in the 2016 Presidential campaign. 

To help readers see and feel the terrible cost of the heroin epidemic, The Cincinnati Enquirer sent 60 
journalists to document the daily impact on addicts, their families, police and paramedics. When most 
people think” the media” the visualize preening TV anchors, shouting pundits and clickbait generators. But 
the real work of journalism is done by a dwindling army of nerdy, impossibly earnest reporters and editors 
in cluttered newsrooms. Every day , they dig out the truths the powerful would prefer to conceal, applying 
the disinfectant of sunlight. 

There’s a reason their work is protected be the very first Amendment. 

William Falk, Editor in Chief, This Week Magazine.

Duarte, Calif. – May 10, 2018 – California School of the 
Arts – San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV) celebrates the 
success of its inaugural year with an exciting Season Finale, 
featuring 200 students onstage at the Haugh Performing 
Arts Center at Citrus College on Sunday, May 27, at 7 
p.m. This energetic, culminating event features a showcase of 
spectacular presentations from talented students in each of 
the school’s 10 arts conservatory programs including: acting, 
classical & contemporary dance, commercial dance, creative 
writing, instrumental music, integrated arts, musical theatre, 
production & design, visual arts and vocal arts. Students 
perform and exhibit highlights from the school’s opening 
season, as well as pieces put together specifically for this 
outstanding show.

 

Presentation highlights include:

 The cast of CSArts-SGV’s all-school musical 
“Pippin” perform a medley of songs from the show, including 
“Glory,” “Corner of the Sky” and “Magic to Do.”

 Broadway Actor David Burnham and students from the 
cast of “Performing with the Pros” sing “One Day More” 
from “Les Misérables.”

 Commercial Dance Conservatory students dance 
to “Singin’ in the Rain” as clips from the classic film play on 
large screens in the background.

Premier performance group FUSION revives its stellar 
performance of “Stars,” which premiered at the VIP preview 
of Descanso Gardens “Enchanted: Forest of Light” last fall. 
The medley includes music by Coldplay and more.

 Season Finale gives students a chance to demonstrate 
honed arts skills and new techniques learned during their first 
year at CSArts-SGV.

“Most of our students took a leap of faith coming to this 
school, with no real understanding of what would happen. 
How much they have grown and flourished in such a 
short amount of time, as a result, is something that is truly 
remarkable and will set the stage for all future generations of 
CSArts-SGV students,” said Alison Dambach, the school’s 
chair of dance and the creative director of the event.

 CSArts-SGV has many arts and academic 
accomplishments to applaud this year. The academic program 
received accreditation by the Western Association of Schools 
and Colleges (WASC). Students excelled by taking more 
than 160 Advanced Placement classes and scoring 41 points 
above the State Average on the PSAT. In addition, 38 percent 
of students are finishing the year with a 4.0 GPA or higher. 
The school also presented more than 60 performances, hosted 
master classes with more than 40 industry professionals, and 
created partnerships with several arts organizations across the 
community.

 Dambach said she felt it was important that Season Finale 
properly showcase each conservatory to ensure it represents 
the school at the highest caliber. This is achieved through 
collaboration among students, staff and conservatory 
directors. 

 “From the start of the school year, our goal here has been 
collaboration, and I think our Season Finale represents that 
goal perfectly,” said Dambach. “Our work space was designed 
to promote collaboration and all the directors/chairs have 
focused quite a bit on that in our inaugural year. It makes it 
fun and exciting and also allows the students to appreciate one 
another’s art forms and gain a deeper level of understanding 
and respect for one another.”

 CSArts-SGV’s Season Finale takes place Sunday, May 
27, 2018 at 7 p.m. at Citrus College, Haugh Performing Arts 
Center, 1000 W. Foothill Blvd., Glendora, CA 91741. Tickets 
are $35-$45 and are available to purchase at sgv.csarts.net/
boxoffice.

 About California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley

 California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley 
(CSArts-SGV) provides a creative, challenging and 
nurturing environment that offers bright and talented 
students unparalleled preparation for higher education 
and a profession in the arts. CSArts-SGV is the first satellite 
school to open in a network of public charter schools being 
established by the California School of the Arts Foundation, 
an organization created to replicate the award-winning, 30-
year model established by Orange County School of the Arts 
(OCSA).

 CSArts-SGV opened on Aug. 14, 2017 in a unique public-
private partnership with the Duarte Unified School District, 
and is a tuition-free, donation dependent program for seventh 
through 12th grade students. CSArts-SGV students study in 
one of the 10 arts conservatories offered including acting, 
classical & contemporary dance, commercial dance, creative 
writing, instrumental music, integrated arts, musical theatre, 
production & design, visual arts and vocal arts. Students 
receive opportunities to participate in master classes, guest 
artist presentations, field trips and performances, as well as a 
variety of campus clubs and activities. Small student/teacher 
ratios in academic and arts classes allow for personalized 
attention to students.

CSArts-SGV is located at 1401 Highland Avenue, Duarte, 
Calif. For more information, visit sgv.csarts.net.

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WHAT MAKES YOU AN AMERICAN? Photos by Gina Long

Told with humor and with important resonances to today, The Immigrant is based on a true story of a 
young Jew who fled the pogroms of Czarist Russia in 1909 and pushed his banana cart into the tiny Baptist 
community of Hamilton, Texas. Given shelter by a childless older couple, he sent for his wife, raised a 
family, and made this town his home. A moving story of parents 
and children, newcomers and natives, Christians and Jews, and the 
realization of the American Dream. Learn more and buy tickets at 

http://sierramadreplayhouse.org


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