Clifford Clinton, Clifton’s Cafeteria & Fighting Corruption in Los Angeles

MONDAY, April 11th @ 7:00 p.m.

In the new biography Clifton's and Clifford Clinton: A Cafeteria and a Crusader, author Edmond Clinton III tells a riveting story of greed, corruption and humanity. His grandfather, Clifford Clinton, opened the first Clifton's Cafeteria in 1931 at 618 S. Olive Street with his last $2000 and 2,500 recipes. In 1930s Los Angeles, it was a respite for weary souls during the Great Depression and a haven for the rest of the city as well; a place that became a family tradition and a place to gather one’s thoughts, be they political or spiritual.

At the same time, Los Angeles was teeming with vice and corruption and Clifford Clinton went after it. A deeply religious man, Clinton felt it was his moral obligation to tackle these issues head-on. He believed that public servants should, at the very least, tell the truth. In his attempt to clean up Los Angeles, he made some powerful enemies: the chief of police, the district attorney, and the mayor, for starters. While on a grand jury, Clinton formed the Citizen's Vice Investigating Committee to continue his crusade, and initiated a soon-to-be-citywide campaign to successfully recall Mayor Frank L. Shaw.

This would seem to be the definitive biography of the man who changed Los Angeles for the good. And with the reopening this year of the Clifton’s Cafeteria on 6th Street, the history is even more relevant. The book includes dozens of vintage images and shared recollections from Clifford Clinton's never-published memoir. Clifton's and Clifford Clinton: A Cafeteria and a Crusader is a must-read for all Angelinos fascinated by their city’s history. Come meet author Edmond Clinton on Monday, April 11th in the Library’s Barth Community Room at 7:00 p.m. and hear some fascinating insights about his crusading grandfather.

Author Edmond J. Clinton III is the eldest grandson of Clifford Clinton. He was born in Los Angeles and raised there and in San Marino, attending Huntington Middle School & San Marino High. He worked at Clifton's Cafeteria as a teenager making a whopping ninety-five cents an hour. A graduate of Occidental College and USC Medical School, Clinton is now an internist and has been on staff at Huntington Memorial Hospital since 1978. He lives in La Cañada Flintridge.

Medicare 101 Workshop

Wednesday, April 6 – 7:00 p.m.

Whether one is approaching age 65 or is already receiving Medicare benefits, attending this free educational seminar at Crowell Public Library, will be most beneficial. This hour of Medicare 101 will cover the basic rules, regulations and time frames seniors need to know. An independent broker working in Pasadena, John Dickey will present an audio-visual program on the many aspects of Medicare and will answer all questions. He will serve as a free resource and advocate, now and at any time in the future, to help people find the Medicare information they need. John’s guidance, and advocacy on behalf of seniors is always totally independent of any insurance company and is governed by CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services).
When the time comes to choose a Medicare plan, reviewing all of the options can be overwhelming. This "Medicare Made Clear" meeting will offer tools and resources that make it easier to understand and apply all of the basic rules of Medicare, plus attendees will receive a free Medicare Clarity guide book to keep for future reference. Learn the rules of Medicare, the available elections and options, how to avoid penalties, and what Parts A, B, C, D, and E are.

John Dickey has given numerous presentations throughout San Gabriel Valley on Medicare, including Arcadia, Altadena and Monrovia. He frequently attends insurance training seminars and classes to stay current on all government regulations and available plan options. He is a fully licensed certified Health Insurance Planner, has an MBA, and has lived in San Gabriel Valley for 20 years.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get all your questions on Medicare answered.

Meet the Author: Jill Amadio

Thursday March 31st 7:00 p.m.

The Friends of Crowell Public Library’s Meet the Authors series continues with Jill Amadio, whose latest Tosca Trevant mystery is Digging Too Deep. In this installment, Tosca tracks down a killer in a suspenseful murder plot that twists and turns, and includes a mysterious gemstone, and lost manuscripts that give the banished journalist a chance to earn her way back to her beloved Cornwall, and her job in London. The strange happenings at Tosca’s California home include a woman dropping dead at her feet and a creepy collector of rare musical instruments. Tosca finds even swimming in the Pacific Ocean can be fatal.

Anne Perry, best-selling author called Digging Too Deep: “Really fun, interesting and vivid people solving mysteries… I found myself turning page after page. Treat yourself and enjoy!”
Anne Cleeland, author of the Doyle & Acton mystery series: “Clever and fun, an engaging read.”

Mystery lovers will enjoy Ms. Amadio discussing all aspects of her work, and can purchase copies of Digging Too Deep. Her other publication genres include true crime, self-help, and how-to books. She has written about health and fitness, technology, cooking, relationships, lifestyles, sports, automotive, and the human condition. Jill Amadio has been a film and theater critic, fashion editor, and syndicated columnist for 25 years. She is a member of the Authors Guild, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and is a member of the Non-Fiction Advisory Board at California State University, Fullerton.

Come to Crowell Library and learn more about this versatile author on Thursday, March 31 at 7:00 p.m. in the Library’s Barth Community. Thanks to the Friends of the Library, the authors keep coming to Crowell Public Library!

LA Opera Talk: Madame Butterfly

SUNDAY, March 20th 2:00 p.m.

Guided by L.A. Opera Community Educator Larry Verdugo, follow this heartbreaking story which begins as an idyllic liaison in an enchanting land of cherry blossoms, and then turns into the tragedy of an abandoned bride forced to make an excruciating decision. The stunning LA Opera production melds sumptuous costumes with evocative period scenery. Even if making the performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is out of the question, one can experience the story and history of the production at Crowell Library.

In 1906, Giacomo Puccini’s Madam Butterfly premiered at La Scala in Milan, Italy. Famously, it was a total failure, one of the most scandalous moments in operatic history. After a number of revisions, the opera was re-launched and has remained a favorite with audiences since. The reasons for its longevity are many: its touching story, exotic setting and theatrical color are, of course, obvious reasons. But no doubt, it is the beauty of Puccini’s music that gives Madam Butterfly its enduring appeal. Examining the current culture, shadows of the opera’s themes and imagery resonate in art, literature, theater and film. Mr. Verdugo will use videos that feature excerpts from the opera, related films and slides that illustrate key points. The audience will surely find these colorful and entertaining -- a little sad, too.

Larry Verdugo is a retired social worker who has been an opera enthusiast since his teens, collecting recordings and enjoying live performances, as well. Upon retirement, he joined L.A. Opera League, the volunteer arm of LAO and is now on the League’s board, organizing volunteers and staffing many educational events held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Larry enjoys his role as a Community Educator, speaking for LAO about opera and promoting its pleasures. Opera truly has something for everyone. Come early as seats are limited, but free at Crowell Public Library.

Seeking More of the Sky: Growing up in the 1930s

Monday, March 14th, 7:00 p.m.

It was a period when milkmen delivered milk in bottles to residential porches, icemen brought blocks of ice for the ice box, and the sound of steam locomotives echoed through the town. Come to Crowell Library on Monday, March 14th for a wonderful stroll down memory lane with author Charles “Norm” Stevens whose previous visits to Crowell delved into his life during World War II when he was a bombardier. His latest book, Seeking More of the Sky: Growing up in the 1930s, presents a plethora of stories covering his early years in Southern California during the Great Depression, when unemployment was affecting many, banks were closing, and the clouds of war were gathering in Europe. Older attendees may find a little of themselves in Stevens’ stories while the young may be amazed to learn how boys lived seventy-five years ago, creating toys out of old tires, bottle caps, and anything else they could find around the house.

Charles Stevens grew up in Inglewood, California. At 18 he joined the Army Air Corps, serving during World War II from 1943 until 1946. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. He flew a B-l7 in the 8th Air Force at Polebrook, England during the summer and fall of l944. His tour of duty consisted of 34 bombing missions over Germany, occupied France, Belgium and Holland. Following the war he graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He was a teacher in secondary schools for 32 years. He earned a master’s degree in English at California State University, Los Angeles, in English and American Literature. As an author he has published An Innocent at Polebrook: A Memoir of an 8th Air Force Bombardier, The Innocent Cadet: Becoming a WWII Bombardier, Back From Combat, as well as Seeking More of the Sky. Copies of Mr. Steven’s books will be available for purchase.

Come to Crowell Library and hear firsthand what the 1930s were like in Southern California.

Meet the Author: Brett Battles

Thursday March 10th 7:00 p.m.

The Friends of Crowell Public Library’s Meet the Authors series continues with Brett Battles, a Barry Award-winning author of over twenty novels, including the Rewinder series, the Jonathan Quinn series, the Logan Harper series, and the Project Eden series. He’s also the coauthor, with Robert Gregory Browne, of the Alexandra Poe series. In sci-fi thriller Rewinder, we meet Denny Younger who was born into one of the lowest rungs of society, but his fortunes change the day the mysterious Upjohn Institute recruit him as a “rewinder,” a verifier of personal histories. After accepting the offer, Denny discovers he’ll have to do his research in person by traveling through time. But as he journeys across the centuries, he begins to suspect that his missions to observe and report have a much darker purpose. Armed only with his wits and his time-travel device, Denny’s adventures take readers on a pulse-pounding journey of page-turning twists.

Brett Battles was born and raised in southern California. His debut novel, The Cleaner was nominated for the 2008 Barry Award for Best Thriller, and the 2008 Shamus Award for Best First Novel. His second novel, The Deceived, won the 2009 Barry Award for Best Thriller. He received an additional Barry Award nomination for the fourth in his Quinn series, The Silenced. Though he still makes California his home, he has traveled extensively to such destinations as Ho Chi Minh City, Berlin, Bangkok, Angkor Wat, Singapore, Jakarta, London, Paris, and Rome, all of which play parts in his current and upcoming novels.

Thanks to the Friends of the Library, the authors keep coming to Crowell Public Library!

Crowell Library Gets California's Gold

Thanks to a generous donation from the San Marino Historical Society, Crowell Public Library now has 74 California’s Gold and other Huell Howser series available on DVD for checkout. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Howser came to Los Angeles in 1981, working at KCBS, Channel 2. He moved over to KCET in 1987 and began to produce what would become a body of 443 shows, highlighting a very wide variety of people and places in California. With an outsider’s eye, he became a California insider as he explored the state, letting people tell their own experiences. Viewers were captivated not only by the stories and interesting places right here in our backyard, but also Huell’s enthusiastic style. His work was cut short by his untimely death in 2013, but the shows still entertain and educate viewers about the fascinating people, places and things, many of which were little known until Huell’s shows brought them to our attention.

When the San Marino Historical Society donated $4000 to the Library to buy local history materials, the Library staff felt that spending part of this gift on offering these DVDs would bring the stories alive once again and make them accessible for all. Programs covering many aspects of local Southern California history and culture were selected, ranging from Anaheim to Whittier, going as far off as Joshua Tree and Death Valley and as local as Old Pasadena and Clocker’s Corner at Santa Anita Racetrack. They range from the beaches of Malibu to the observatory atop Mount Wilson and down to the Salton Sea. One series covers each of California’s Spanish missions, from San Diego to San Francisco Solano. Howard Rosenberg, former television critic for the Los Angeles Times, once described Huell as "intimate, magnificently unslick, utterly charming, absolutely irresistible..."

People only need to apply for a library card at San Marino’s Crowell Public Library to bring these stories home to enjoy!