Crowell First Library in the World to Offer Dakim Brain Fitness

For the past four months, Crowell Public Library in San Marino has been offering Dakim Brain Fitness on a trial basis to see if it was something patrons would utilize -- and utilize they did -- to such an extent the Library has acquired two Dakim Fitness setups, becoming the first library in the world to do so! Patrons are now welcome to come in for multiple sessions as the makers of Dakim recommend its use three to five times a week for 20 minutes. To schedule their sessions, they only need to call the Library at (626) 300-0777 extension 579.

Dakim Brain Fitness is an engaging software program specifically designed for people over 60 who want to exercise their brains. It can help revitalize mental acuity and has been shown in clinical tests to improve memory, attention, focus, and concentration. Recent retirees or seniors may find Dakim to be a great way to spend part of the day while giving their brains a little workout. There are five different levels, so users can find the one that suits them best. People who have already experienced some memory and cognitive loss may find that participating in the Dakim program improves their ability to focus.

Everyone’s heard the old adage, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it,” and that is not only true of our muscles, but our brains as well. Dakim is designed to provide a comprehensive brain workout in just 20 minutes a day. It features vivid graphics, music, humor, movie clips, stories, and trivia to keep the program interesting, engaging, and fun. The touch screen environment makes it easy, even if the user hasn’t used computers in the past. No keyboard, no mouse are used. The user just listens, watches, and touches the screen to select a response.

The Library is still offering orientations that demonstrate Dakim. Call (626) 300-0777 and ask for the Reference Desk to sign up. After the orientation, patrons can schedule more sessions.

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.

Free Concert: a Jazz Quartet

The Friends of Crowell Library and
San Marino Music Center present A Jazz Quartet
Thursday, June 12, 7:00 p.m.

The third installment of the Crowell music series sponsored by the San Marino Music Center and the Friends of Crowell Library will feature a quartet led by music instructors AMBER NAVRAN (alto saxophone, vocals), JASON GOLDAY (guitar), and VICTOR CARRACEDO (drums). The musicians, all from the San Marino Music Center, will be performing “straight ahead” jazz, including many different styles such as bop, swing, Bossa, Latin as well as some pop vocal standards. In that mix, you’ll likely hear tunes from such artists as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Dorham, Miles Davis and many others. This free concert will take place in the Library’s Barth Community Room, and all ages welcome. No reservations are necessary.

Amber Navran earned a Bachelor of Music from the USC’s prestigious Jazz Studies program and
has been teaching students of all ages since high school. Jason Golday studied Jazz and Classical Guitar at Indiana University in Bloomington, receiving his BM in Performance. He received his MFA in Jazz Guitar Performance from California Institute of the Arts. Jason has over fifteen years of public and private teaching experience and also composes music for commercials, short films and silent films. Victor A Carrracedo studied at L'AULA de Jazz de Barcelona under the mentorship of Quim Sole, where he graduated with honors in 2011. Victor graduated Suma Cum Laude with a Master of Music degree from Berklee. As an instructor, Victor stresses fundamentals such as technique and sight reading. His ultimate goal is to share his knowledge about drums with students and seeing them grow as musicians.

For more information on the San Marino Music Center, visit:
http://www.sanmarinomusiccenter.com/index.html.
The more the merrier! Share this event on Facebook & Twitter.
https://www.facebook.com/CrowellPublicLibrarySanMarino
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For more information, visit our website www.CrowellPublicLibrary.org
1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino, California 91108

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.