Working with Remodeling Contractors

Saturday, January 16, 10:30 am

If you are about to remodel your home or hire a contractor, don’t miss Penny Spark’s free presentation at Crowell Public Library on Saturday, January 16th. She knows the critical questions to ask when interviewing a contractor, the pitfalls to avoid during your home improvement project as well as the legal requirements of the contract you sign. She will outline how to navigate the process from the planning stages through the inevitable changes along the way, as well as inspections, warranties and final payments. She can tell you what projects will increase the value of your home and what modifications you can make to keep seniors safe. You will learn how to stay in charge, control costs and see your job finish on schedule.

Penny Spark has been vetting contractors for over ten years and has guided thousands of homeowners through their remodels, additions and maintenance and repair projects. She started the Southern California Home Improvement Referral Service (now Slate, Ltd.) when she got fed up with contractors she had hired for her own projects. She realized that hiring the right contractor is very time consuming and most people do not do it properly. Matching each job with the right contractor is the main objective of her service.

Protect yourself from contractor schemes, dreaded outcomes and nightmare stories. Come to Crowell Public Library for this informative program on Saturday, January 16 at 10: 30 a.m.

English for Beginners: 2016 Sessions

Fridays: January 15 - February 26
1:15-2:30 pm

This free class at Crowell Public Library is for those who know just a bit of English, but want to learn more. If you or somebody you know is an English beginner and wants to improve, this free seven week class will help all participants make progress. Instructor Richard Bourell will cover vocabulary and basic concepts. His method is to concentrate on listening and conversation skills so that students can interact in English, building vocabulary and confidence. The class will not dwell on grammar, but will encourage students to learn English through real life situations and dialogs.
Richard Bourell has been teaching English for almost forty years, locally and globally, and is the author of the Video Language DVD series, and In English, a video and workbook-based ESL series. He has taught for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the American English Institute in Mexico City, the Richard Lewis School of Languages in Paris, Huntington Park Community Adult School and the ELS Language Center in Los Angeles. His students have come from all over the globe: Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, Korea and Japan. Now Mr. Bourell is reaching out to the community and offering his course for free, a fabulous opportunity for patrons of Crowell Public Library, so don’t miss out.
Interested learners must register in advance by calling the Library at (626) 300-0777, extension 579.

The Yosemite Murders: Catching Cary Stayner

Thursday, January 14, 7:00 pm

In February of 1999 at Cedar Lodge in Yosemite National Park, three guests disappeared. It wasn’t until March that the bodies of Carole Sund, her daughter Julie, and family friend Silvina Pelosso were found. Special FBI Agent George Fong and dozens of others in law enforcement chased the killer for over six months, worried that he would strike again. Come hear the story of how the investigation unfolded, where luck played a vital role on the killer’s part, and the mistakes he made that got him caught.

George Fong spent 27 years as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he scrutinized all facets of violent crimes including kidnapping, extortion, serial murders, crimes against children, bank robbery, drug trafficking, and gangs. He worked on a number of high profile murder and kidnapping cases and was a member of the FBI’s Evidence Response Team and a certified Undercover Agent. He served as the Supervisory Special Agent of the Violent Crime Squad before being promoted as the Deputy Program Director of the National Gang Intelligence Center and Unit Chief of the Violent Gang Program in Washington D.C. His last assignment was as an Assistant Inspector before retiring. He now serves as ESPN’s Director of Global Security for the western half of the U.S. and Pacific Rim. Mr. Fong is also a mystery writer and his debut novel, Fragmented was released in February of 2014.

Don’t miss this riveting account of how an investigation unfolded, a mystery was solved and a murderer was captured.

Rose Pruning Made Easy

Saturday, January 10th, 9:00-11:00 a.m.

Ron Serven, Environmental Services Manager/City Arborist for San Marino will conduct his 22nd annual rose pruning workshop on Saturday, January 10, 2015, and give even the most inexperienced gardeners the knowledge to promote healthy, beautiful rose blooming when spring comes around. Learn the techniques in just an hour or so and be ready to work in companionship with nature in no time.

A former City Parks Division Manager, Ron’s expertise with roses is still visible throughout the city, particularly at Lacy Park. Many rose lovers have benefited from and attended repeat performances of Ron’s workshop at Crowell Library. He will demonstrate optimum rose pruning techniques and answer questions from the audience, such as what to do in cold weather, or how to deal with irregular rainfall. Those who attend will be ready to go out into their own yards the very same day to get the job done. Attendees will get a better sense of how Mother Nature works and will soon be spending some enjoyable time in their home gardens, armed with the knowledge to keep it thriving and beautiful.

This workshop is free and reservations are not required, but if you have questions, please call the library (626) 300-0777, extension 579.

Modern Cataract Treatment

Friday, January 8, 11:00 a.m.

In the United States, over 24 million people age 40 and older have cataracts, which was a 19 percent increase from year 2000 to year 2012.* Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness, affecting 20 million people worldwide.** On Friday January 8 at 11:00 a.m., Dr. David Richardson will explain what a cataract is, its symptoms and what surgical solutions are available at Crowell Public Library in the Barth Community Room.

When cataracts start to affect your quality of life and interfere with normal activities, such as reading a newspaper or driving a car, it’s time to consider treatment. Delaying surgical treatment for cataracts won’t cause irreversible blindness. However, decreased vision due to cataracts may cause discomfort and even result in accidents. Cataracts often develop slowly and people typically don’t realize their vision has deteriorated until the cataracts interfere with something they need or like to do. Some people start to have trouble reading, watching TV or driving at night.

Presenter David Richardson, MD. is a board-certified ophthalmologist who graduated Magna Cum Laude from USC and earned his medical degree at the Harvard Medical School. He completed his medicine internship at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, followed by ophthalmology training at LAC+USC/Doheny Eye Institute. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Keck School of Medicine and serves as Vice Chief of Staff at San Gabriel Valley Medical Center. As part of the latter group, he presented a very well-attended program at Crowell in 2009 as part of The Doctor Is In series. He has authored a patient-centered book on cataracts, So You’ve Got A Cataract? which is available for checkout at Crowell Library.

Whether cataract surgery is in your future or someone you know, this free program will answer all your questions.

*Reference: Preventblindness.org. New Vision Problems in the U.S. Report | Prevent Blindness National [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2015 Jul 8]. Available from: http://www.preventblindness.org/new-vision-problems-us-report

**Reference: Who.int. WHO | Priority eye diseases [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2015 Jul 8]. Available from:
http://www.who.int/blindness/causes/priority/en/index1.html

Fall Prevention & Tips for Seniors

Friday, December 11, 2015 - 11:00 am

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of Americans aged 65 and older falls each year: every 20 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall; falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults; falls result in more than 2.5 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 734,000 hospitalizations and more than 21,700 deaths. If that doesn’t impress, the financial toll for older adults falling is expected to increase as the population ages, and may reach $67.7 billion by 2020. With or without injury, falls also carry a heavy quality of life impact. A growing number of older adults fear falling and, as a result, limit their activities and social engagements. This can result in further physical decline, depression, social isolation, and feelings of helplessness.*
On Friday, December 11 at 11:00 a.m., Crowell Public Library will present “Fall Prevention & Tips for Seniors,” a program that will demonstrate how many falls are caused by common hazards in the home and how easy they are to fix. With a few modifications, seniors are able to avoid the potential life-altering impact a fall can cause. If you think you are immune to a fall, think again. Whether one currently enjoys good health, has a medical condition or takes four or more medications, everyone is at risk. This program will be led by Kathy Tucker, RN, who is a Certified Geriatric Care Manager, and Continuing Education Instructor.

Come to the Barth Community Room at Crowell Library and learn some easy safety tips for health and well-being.



*https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/falls-prevention-facts/

The Smart Way to Deal with Stupid People

Monday December 7 - 7:00 pm

Most people have been in frustrating situations where the person in charge has stood in the way of the other person’s goals or needs. On Monday, December 7, author David Silvey will explain, in a fun and practical way, how to deal with these frustrating situations and people, and how to help the person standing in your way get what they want as well. He will demonstrate how to approach a crisis with a clear objective by developing an action plan that will harness anxiety and frustration and use it for good—for others and for one’s self.

According to the National Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population.* Learn how to capture the emotions connected to anxiety so you can achieve your goals. According to Silvey, anxiety often comes from fear which is what people experience when they sense they won’t get what they want, and as a result, are experiencing conflict and confrontation in their interactions.
David E. Silvey is the Communications Officer at Huntington Medical Research Institute in Pasadena, where he works for the President and Chief Scientist. He has a B.S. in Management Engineering from Grove City College and an M.B.A. from Regent University. He is one of 10 children and learned at an early age how to get what he wanted in the midst of scarcity while competing with the wants and needs of others who were equally important.

Learn a new way to deal with frustrating people by coming to this free program at Crowell Public Library Monday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m.