PAWS TO READ!

Adult Summer Reading Program June 9 – July 19, 2014

At Crowell Public Library, the kids aren’t the only ones having fun this summer. Adults 18 years and up can register for the Adult Summer Reading Club, which has the theme Paws To Read this year. Registration is easy at the Adult Reference Desk where you’ll receive a Paws To Read goodie bag and all the information you will need for upcoming programs, prizes and movies:

PAWS TO READ! Register and win prizes!
Beginning June 9th, readers age 18 and up can register for the program at the Adult Reference Desk. Receive a PAWS goodie bag and learn how you can be eligible for weekly prizes.

PAWS To Watch!
The PAWS theme begins with movies to make you sit up and beg for more!

THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 10:00 A.M.
Best in Show (2000)
Join the fun as a colorful array of competitors vie for the top prize at the Mayflower Kennel Club!
THURSDAY, JULY 17, 10:00 A.M.
Marley & Me (2008)
Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson unleash huge laughs as a young couple contemplating the
decision to start a family… and then came Marley...

PAWS To Learn… All About Pet Nutrition
MONDAY JUNE 16, 7:00PM
An owner's decision about what to feed his or her pet has become a more complex question than it once was. Dr. Stan Avezov from Pasadena Pets Veterinary Hospital will tell us what the two most useful pieces of information on a pet food label are and answer questions related to byproducts, raw diets and grain-free diets.

PAWS To Learn… All About the Pasadena SPCA
MONDAY, JULY 14, 7:00 P.M.
Learn all about the Pasadena Humane Society’s Animal Care Center and what great services are offered for pet owners in Arcadia, Glendale, La Cañada-Flintridge, Pasadena, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre as well as Pasadena and South Pasadena.

PAWS To Give! Pasadena SPCA Wish List Drive
Bring a new, wrapped treat for a pet waiting to be adopted: dog biscuit treats, lamb and rice jerky dog treats, stainless steel cat or dog bowls (small or medium) litter boxes (low sided), dog waste bags (biodegradable and compostable), toys… full list available at Adult Reference Desk.

All participants of the summer reading program regardless of age are eligible to submit a Pet Portrait: get the details when you register. All library patrons are welcome to enjoy the programs and movies this summer at Crowell Public Library, but official PAWS readers interested in prizes must register at the Adult Reference Desk.

Please note during the summer the city parking lots next to the Library will be closed for resurfacing. Entrance to the Crowell Library parking lot can be made through the exit off West Drive. Please drive safely and enjoy your summer reading!

Pasadena Showcase House of Design: Stories Behind the 50th Anniversary Book

Wednesday, May 28, 7:00 p.m.

What weighs four pounds two ounces, took over two years and thousands of hours to create, and unveils intriguing facts about 50 of the most magnificent homes in the San Gabriel Valley? The answer: 50 Years of Pasadena Showcase Design Houses: Supporting the Arts Through Design, a commemorative book produced by 19 dedicated Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts (PSHA) members. Three of these members, Noel Jeffrey, Rary Simmons and Weta Mathies will join Book Committee Chair, Fran Biles at Crowell Public Library on May 28 at 7:00 p.m. to regale one and all with fascinating stories that were highlighted as the book was researched. They will lead attendees through architectural eras ranging from the mid- 1960’s to 2014, explain how a Showcase House is chosen, and may even reveal which home is said to have a ghostly resident.

The book also chronicles PSHA’s philanthropic work over the years. A visit to the Showcase Houses benefits the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the PSHA Music Mobile™, a Youth Concert, and the Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition. The PSHA volunteers are united by a belief in the power and beauty of music. Their collective desire is to fund programs that nurture the study and appreciation of music, utilize music as a vehicle towards health and healing, and ensure that music is available to a broad range of audiences.

For more information about PSHA, the Pasadena Showcase House of Design, visit www.PasadenaShowcase.org. or call 626-578-8500.

Come to Crowell Library May 28th to learn about these architectural gems that have been highlighted through the fabulous work by one of Pasadena’s most treasured charities.

Celebrity Illnesses: What They Mean to Us

Thursday May 22, 2014 7:00 p.m.

Celebrities are important in our lives and culture. They entertain us, amaze us, astonish us, and amuse us. When they become ill, it can almost seem like one of the family is stricken. Because they are in the spotlight, their illness can generate significant increases in fundraising for research and cures. Their challenges can also give reasons to examine one’s own health practices. DR. CARY PRESANT will discuss a roster of celebrities and their conditions, and give tips about how their struggles can inspire one to get better health care today. Last March, Dr. Presant presented an engaging and well-attended talk on Surviving American Medicine at Crowell Library that included a plethora of insights into our healthcare system.

A San Marino resident, Cary A. Presant, M.D., F.A.C.P., has been a practicing hematologist and medical oncologist in Southern California since 1979. He was the director of cancer programs at Washington University School of Medicine, the Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, Citrus Valley Health Partners, and St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles. After being Director of Medical Oncology at City of Hope National Medical Center, he started a private practice in West Covina in 1982. In 2004, he merged his Center with Wilshire Oncology Medical Group, Inc. and is currently a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. He received his medical degree in 1966 from the State University of New York at Buffalo and completed postdoctoral training at Columbia University in New York City, the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the author of Surviving American Medicine: How to Get the Right Doctor, Right Hospital and Right Treatment with Today’s Health Care, published by Bloomington iUniverse.

This program is free to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

San Marino 1914 …What’s Happening?

Monday May 19, 2014 7:00 p.m.

In the spring of 1913, the city of San Marino incorporated, partly to avoid being taken over by a neighboring town with higher property taxes. In 1914, one year later, what was going on? How was the new little city working? What was going on in the 48 United States? KEN VERONDA, Headmaster of Southwestern Academy, will entertain one and all with a historical lecture on this era at Crowell Public Library Monday, May 19th at 7:00 p.m. Ken will impart the issues and perspectives of that day including the problems with the schoolhouse, Alhambra’s outrageous charges for their services here, and the infestations of rats throughout the orange groves and farms. Water had started flowing into the empty San Fernando Valley and the county was nearing a half-million people. Pasadena’s streets were congested with motor cars, and their odorous exhaust was fouling San Marino’s air. Some fine new homes were being constructed on the golf course along the city’s northern border, though many feared they will only add to the crowded valley. There were reports of an increasing threat of war with Mexico and the son of the town’s board president was preparing to fight. European nations were bickering again, but fortunately the U.S. was far from being involved.
Ken Veronda holds degrees in history from Stanford University. He is a lifelong member of the community and is a past president of Rotary Club of San Marino and the San Marino City Club. He is a sought-after speaker on the history of the San Gabriel Valley.

Come hear what’s happened since San Marino City was organized in 1913, how the farms and towns of our San Gabriel Valley were doing, and how the people were responding to the social and political changes swirling around. This program is free and open to the public.

Helping Hands for Hand-Held Devices

Monday, May 12, 6:00 p.m.

Electronically savvy students from San Marino High School will be available on Monday night, May 12th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Crowell Public Library’s Thornton Room to help people figure out how to use their hand-held devices. Lots of people have their own iPods, Androids, tablets, iPhones, and other devices, but they can’t figure out some of the features. The teen volunteers are pretty familiar with many of the concepts behind these devices, so even if they haven’t used a particular device, they may be able to help a person figure out what to do. The Library works with teens to try to match them up with those who are perplexed with their gadgets. During a similar session in April, patrons were quite pleased with the assistance they received from these service-oriented teenagers.

If you are frustrated with online support options, come to Crowell Library and work with a living, breathing techie that will help you “bond” with your device. There’s nothing like one-on-one assistance to help solve problems and tackle sticky widgets. To reserve your spot for this program and to match volunteers with patrons and types of devices, please call 626-300-0777, extension 579 to make a reservation as soon as possible. There are a limited number of teen volunteers, so slots will fill quickly!

For more information, visit our website www.CrowellPublicLibrary.org
1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino, California 91108

How to Become a Mystery Shopper

Thursday, May 8, 7:00 p.m.

How would you like to get paid to go shopping? Mystery shopping is used by hundreds of well-known businesses to ensure consistent, top-quality service from their employees. It’s a splendid way to earn extra money and have fun at the same time, doing what you love to do. ELAINE MORAN, author of How to Become a Mystery Shopper will share her insights into this fun and exciting career path. Learn about the structure of the industry, the roles of schedulers, editors and contractors. Secret Shopping can be fun and free. In a world filled with get-rich-quick scams, there are legitimate resources on how to become the shopping spy that clients love and friends and neighbors envy.

Elaine is a “Mystery Shopper of the Year” nominee, who has written a read-today, start-today guide. She has been a successful business owner, teacher, administrator, and entrepreneur her entire adult life. She has taught a variety of business classes in colleges on the West Coast since the mid 1980s, possesses a California Community College Instructor Credential (Lifetime), and has worked part time as a mystery shopper for over 20 years. In the year 2000, Elaine developed a mystery shopping program which has become tremendously popular. It has been instrumental in helping hundreds of attendees get started in this rapidly growing industry.

Whether you're a college student, senior citizen, or somewhere in between, mystery shopping is a fun way to earn part time income and engage in new and exciting adventures. Elaine will share her experiences and keep you entertained with "almost caught" scenarios. If you love adventure and want to brighten your day, be sure to attend this informative presentation at Crowell Public Library, Thursday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

LA Opera Talk: Jules Massenet’s Thaïs

Sunday, May 4, 2:00 p.m.

Religion, ecstasy, lust… these are the fundamental motivations of the opera Thaïs by Jules Massenet. With a libretto by Louis Gallet based on a novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Anatole France, the opera tells of the conflict between the love of human pleasures and a devotion to God that ultimately consumes the lives of the two principal characters — the monk Athanaël and the courtesan Thaïs.

Using video clips from DVDs of three different productions of the opera, Community Educator RON STREICHER will present an uncensored exposé of the fate of this classic "fallen woman." (Because of the provocative sexual references and nudity, this presentation is rated "R" - not recommended for children.) Like Manon, which was written only a few years earlier, Thaïs was composed at the height of La Belle Epoque in Paris and is one of the most well-known of Massenet's more than two dozen operas.

Ron Streicher began his career in music as a pianist, percussionist, and choral conductor. His interest migrated to audio production while a volunteer for the music department of a public radio station in LA. That avocation subsequently evolved into a career that now spans nearly five decades as an independent audio consultant and recording engineer specializing in live performances.

Ron’s love for opera was kindled while playing tympani in the pit orchestra of the UCLA Opera Theatre and rapidly grew to an overwhelming passion. His career as an audio engineer has afforded him the opportunity to work with the touring companies of the New York City Opera and Metropolitan Opera, and during his eighteen summers with the Aspen Music Festival and School, he served as the recording engineer and sound designer for more than fifty opera productions. His book, The New Stereo Soundbook is now in its third edition and has gained worldwide recognition as a standard reference on the subject of stereophonic perception, recording, and reproduction techniques.
Mark this date on the social calendar as Crowell Library celebrates LA Opera’s 2013/2014 season. Light refreshments will be served.