LA Opera Talk: La Boheme

SUNDAY, April 15th 2:00 p.m. Puccini’s La Boheme Learn about the heartbreaking story of opera's most famous young lovers – It's Christmas in Paris as the quintessential bohemian love story comes to life: a candle flickers out on Christmas Eve, tentative hands meet in the dark, and a rapturous duet soars under the moonlight… this is Puccini’s La Boheme. Inspired by Henri Murger's novel, Scènes de la vie de bohème, La Boheme inspired the award-winning Broadway musical Rent. The opera is a collection of vignettes portraying six young bohemians living in the Latin Quarter of Paris in the 1840s. Guided by an L.A. Opera Community Educator, you will follow this heartbreaking story of a poet who discovers true love with a lovely, fragile seamstress, and a painter and vivacious cabaret singer who rediscover their on-again, off-again passion. Surrounded by the evocative rooftops, cafés and garrets of Paris, these lively bohemians and their companions experience exhilarating joy and irretrievable loss. The production at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center features a fresh, young cast headed by an irresistible pair of fast-rising young singers, Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello as Mimi and Rodolfo. This introduction to opera at Crowell Public Library is free. After hearing excerpts from this production, you’ll undoubtedly be inspired to make a trip to the Los Angeles Music Center for a real opera experience.

Brain Aerobics Returns!

Lip Reading Made Fun with Francine Katz; Monday & Tuesdays starting March 12 – Challenge your memory, improve language skills, and ease the burden of hearing loss by learning to lip read. In these fun and stimulating classes, enhance your verbal skills by analyzing how language looks and sounds. Instructor Francine Katz challenges the class to memorize sentences, play word games and focus on lip-reading skills. She has taught this class at various locations for over 45 years and students rave how their mental agility has improved after participating. Francine Katz, MA, SLP, CCC, is a graduate of Northwestern University and a licensed speech-language pathologist and lip reading specialist. Mrs. Katz was with Pasadena City College for over twelve years. She was “Teacher of the Year” at PCC in 2005. She was also listed in “Who’s Who in America,” Western Section. Get your brain in shape with a free weekly two-hour workout in the Barth Community Room at Crowell Library in a relaxed atmosphere with rewarding results. Mondays from 12:30p are for beginners and intermediates, and Tuesday morning sessions at 9:30 are for the advanced students. No obligation visits are also welcome. Boosting your brain power can only help you age with grace!

Medical Mondays: The Developmental Approach to Children with Autism

Monday, March 12, 2012, 6:00 p.m. — DR. DIANE CULLINANE, a developmental pediatrician and Executive Director of the Pasadena Child Development Associates, will discuss various intervention approaches and services for children and their families facing the challenges of autism on Monday March 12, as part of Crowell Library’s Medical Mondays series. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates an average of 1 in 110 children have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) http://www.cdc.gov/Features/CountingAutism/. Communities participating in the study observed an increase in identified ASD prevalence ranging from 27 percent to 95 percent, with an average increase of 57 percent. Clearly this condition has affected many families and is a topic of concern. Dr. Cullinane has specialized in child development for more than 25 years. Her areas of specialty include the evaluation of children with possible delays in development, premature infants, attention and learning difficulties, behavioral issues, autism, cerebral palsy, and children with complex medical issues and atypical behavior. Dr. Cullinane is board certified in Pediatrics, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. She has been a lecturer and speaker at conferences on autism and other development delays in children throughout the country and was a guest speaker at recent autism conference in China. She is a graduate of Stanford University and Baylor College of Medicine. Whether autism has touched your life or you just wish to learn more about this condition, Crowell Library offers a free, informative hour.

Crime Solving Techniques Today

Thursday, March 1, 7:00 p.m. – The Friends of the Crowell Library welcome all closet sleuths for an evening with San Marino son, STEVE GULUZIAN, Senior Forensic Scientist of the Orange County Crime Laboratory. Learn how a real crime is solved using modern forensic techniques. Steve is a product of San Marino schools having attended Carver, Huntington Middle School and San Marino High School, graduating with the class of 1988. He has a B.S. in Chemistry-Biochemistry and a B.A. in Economics from UCSD. He later earned his M.S. in Criminalistics at Cal State L.A and began working for the Orange County Crime Laboratory in 1996. Steve has testified in approximately 200 court cases using his expertise in DNA, toxicology, blood alcohol and breath-alcohol testing, trace evidence examination and crime scene investigation. He is currently a Senior Forensic Scientist and supervisor of the DNA department. The One Book, One City selection for 2012 is the debut novel by Graham Moore. A New York Times bestseller, The Sherlockian is a mystery about the life of Arthur Conan Doyle and the modern Sherlock Holmes obsessives who devote their lives to the secrets in his books, called “sublime,” “clever” and “delightful” by the New York Times, and “savvy” and “entertaining” by the LA Times. More details on the One Book, One City programs will be announced in upcoming weeks, so readers are urged to check the Crowell Public Library website frequently: http://www.CrowellPublicLibrary.org

Opera for the Entire Family!

SUNDAY, February 19th 2:00 p.m.This program is a great chance for children and anyone who hasn’t experienced opera to find out what all this music, singing, costumes and acting is about and how best to enjoy it. A community educator from Los Angeles Opera will talk, share video clips and recorded music and answer questions to get you excited about this unique art form. Whether you’re already a hardcore opera aficionado or a curious novice, you’ll be delightfully entertained and inspired to make a trip to the Los Angeles Music Center for a real opera experience. And this unique introduction is entirely free at Crowell Public Library. Make Crowell Library your LA Opera gateway!

It’s Valentine’s Day-- Party Your Way

Tuesday February 14th @ 3:15pm
Barth Community Room

Middle school and high school students grades 6-12 are invited to come to Crowell Public Library’s Valentine’s Day Party Your Way to celebrate their way. The party takes place on Tuesday, February 14th at 3:15pm in the Barth Community Room.

There will be something for everyone: for those that love Valentine’s Day, come to make gorgeous decoupage gift boxes, Hershey kiss bouquets, and decorate sugar cookies for your friends—or your sweetheart! Is Valentine’s Day too saccharine sweet and commercialized for you? Be creative—add a cynical twist to your gift boxes, make black Hershey kiss bouquets, and decorate sugar cookies (and eat, and roll your eyes at the sweetness)!

Love (or wisecracks!) will fill the air in the Barth Community room on February 14th. The festivities begin at 3:15pm. Registration is not required. Don’t miss out! This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Crowell Public Library. Find out about this and other upcoming teen events at Tinyurl.com/YAFacebook-CPL.

Asthma: Guidelines & Treatments

Monday, February 13, 2012, 6:00 p.m. Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma affects people of all ages, and more than 22 million people in the United States have asthma.* An asthma attack is a distressing and potentially life-threatening experience. DR. EDWARD HU will discuss the diagnosis, evaluation, and general management strategies for asthma. Edward Hu, M.D., is an assistant professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Dr. Hu serves as the Department of Medicine’s medical director for its Center for Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the USC University Hospital and its ambulatory practice. Dr. Hu’s areas of interests include common allergy-related problems, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, as well as rare disorders of the immune system. His research has focused on the role of pulmonary function testing in the evaluation of asthma control. His other clinical interests include food allergies, urticaria, hereditary angioedema, and primary immunodeficiencies. In his new role as medical director of the Center for Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Dr. Hu is dedicated to expanding the diagnosis and treatment options for patients with allergies and immunodeficiency disorders. Join us on Monday February 13 and when Dr. Hu will review the latest asthma guidelines and discuss treatment strategies. * Based on National Institutes of Health and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.