Bookmarks: Seeing Sierra Madre With Adele

Yesterday, Adele and I met for a cup of coffee at Bean Town in Sierra Madre. Then we took our cameras for a stroll. It's always a pleasure to see Sierra Madre with Adele, because she sees it not only with her camera but with loving eyes and a knowledge of her town's history and architecture.

Plus, Sierra Madre has a Little Free Library. This one's at 288 E. Laurel Avenue, a beautiful street for a stroll.

So I stuck in a copy of Camelot & Vine, and Adele and I took pictures as though it were Halloween, Disneyland, and Christmas morning all in one.

I've mentioned before that the idea of the Little Free Library is to take a book and leave a book. But Adele says the people who own this LFL say it's okay if you don't have a book to leave. Go ahead and take one. The important thing is that you read.

Speakinawhich:

This weekend, the Neighborhood Church (that's the one next to the Gamble House) is having what's billed as its last Book Faire. It's 10am to 3pm, and admission is free. I don't know why it's the last one, but I'll bet you could find some bargains.

Self-Government

The League of Women Voters, Pasadena Area is sponsoring a free public forum tomorrow called Access to Impact: Using Open Government to Create Change. The keynote speaker is a woman named Hedab Tarifi, who was raised in Kuwait and who, according to the press release I read, "knows what it is like to live under a tyranny and closed government." The information goes on to say she "relishes the transparency of government in a democracy. But she also knows citizens need to know how to access information and put it to work to improve their communities."

A panel of experts from media, libraries and government will discuss the challenges and dangers of information gathering.

I put off posting about this because I didn't have the right photo. This is, after all, a photo blog. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I thought I should have a photo of a government building--no, a library--no, a school--no, a courthouse--no--

Then I realized we're talking about transparency in government here. We're talking about democracy and freedom. We're talking about a lack of tyranny and there I was, running around tyrannizing myself. So I banished the little despot and set myself free to post any damn picture I wanted to.

"Access to Impact: Using Open Government to Create Change" is scheduled for Saturday, March 6, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena. The forum is free. An RSVP is requested at 626-798-0965 or lwvpasocialpolicy@gmail.com

Spanish translation will be provided.

Monica Hubbard updates: "Thanks, Petrea. If people call the League office by noon today 626-798-0965 they can get their RSVP in. Or e-mail lwvpasocialpolicy@gmail.com. Should be an interesting morning. "