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Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, May 12, 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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B2 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. DOGWOODS!! Dogwood trees for Southern Califorina Yes!! At Nuccios Nurseries along with hundreds of varieties of Camellias and Azaleas Regular price for a 5 to 6 foot tree is $38.50. With this ad $5.00 off Dogwood trees. Offer experiences June 30, 2017Nuccio's Nurseries 626-794-33833555 Chaney Trail open 8am to 4:30pmAltadena CA 91001 Closed Wed / Thur 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 Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com | ||||||||||||||||||||