One Billion Rising

In the foreground is Pasadena's All Saints Episcopal Church. It faces City Hall across Euclid Avenue. Beyond is what remains of the historic Maryland Hotel.

On Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14th at 11:30am, All Saints Church will host Pasadena's participation in One Billion Rising. The movement's aim is to bring awareness to the problem, worldwide epidemic, and god damned (and I do mean god damned) tradition of violence against women. 1 of every 3 women has been a victim of such violence. This movement is necessary, and I want it to be powerful.

I was shocked and moved by this 3 minute film. It came in last week's Wired Women newsletter from Monica Hubbard. Monica compiles the week's local information to help women empower themselves politically, artistically, economically, etc. To sign up for Wired Women, click www.mjhubbard.com/wiredwomen. It's free, but you are welcome to make a donation if you like.

The One Billion Rising video fired me up. All Saints Church made a video, too, and it will delight you. I think it might be fun to go dance with these people.

Zen Monday: #209

Zen Monday is the day I refrain from telling you about the photo so you can tell the rest of us, without influence, what the photo makes you think, feel or see. Let yourself go. No one is passing judgement. Really.

Honor, At Last

Tomorrow, Friday evening at 6pm, there's going to be a ceremony at All Saints Church to honor the homeless dead. This piece by yesterday's guest author Kat Ward gives more details (ignore the typo, the ceremony will indeed be held Friday night).

Los Angeles County holds an annual ritual to bury the unnamed and unclaimed. Just the thought of it is eerie and sad, over-full of stories not told.

It's too little, too late, of course. But it's something.



5:42PM this just in:

COMMUNITY ADVISED TO PREPARE FOR SECOND WINDSTORM

CITY OF PASADENA PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
NEWS FOR RELEASE: December 15, 2011
MEDIA CONTACT: Ann Erdman, (626) 744-4755

Following a ferocious thunderstorm that swept through Pasadena this afternoon, a second windstorm with predicted gusts of up to 60 miles an hour is expected to hit Dec. 16 and 17.

Pasadena Public Works Department crews will be working all weekend to continue the process of debris removal.

“The city of Pasadena has extra crews on call to respond to emergencies should that be necessary,” said Pasadena City Manager Michael J. Beck. “This is a good time for residents to make sure they are prepared in case of an emergency.”        

A page on the city website – www.cityofpasadena.net/windstorm_2011 – includes comprehensive information about windstorms, including instructions for emergency preparedness, important phone numbers, answers to frequently asked questions and more.

To report power-related issues, call (626) 744-4673; to report fallen or compromised trees in the public right of way, call (626) 744-4321; to report fallen or compromised trees on private property, call (626) 744-4009; to report building damage, call (626) 744-4200. To report a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.


# # #

Ann Erdman
Public Information Officer
City of Pasadena
Public Affairs Office
100 N. Garfield Ave., Room S228
Pasadena CA  91109
(626) 744-4755
Cell: (626) 375-2742
www.cityofpasadena.net/publicaffairs
Facebook:  Pasadena PIO
Twitter:  pasadenapio

Guess Where I Am

Hint: Ben posted about it recently. In fact, the very day of Ben's post, I was in the very building he mentioned, visiting the dashing Dr. Ferrante, super-podiatrist!

I know what you're thinking: great minds think alike. What? You weren't thinking that about the coincidence of me being in the building Ben was posting about? Oh. You were thinking you've never heard the words "dashing" and "podiatrist" in the same sentence. Whatevs.

I'm on the roof of the Pasadena Professional Building, looking west down Union Street. The Professional Building stands gracefully at the intersection of Union and Madison Avenue, just as it has since it was built in 1925 (two years before City Hall). The official address is 65 N. Madison. The building has an interesting history, some of which I learned while I was there. I'll post more about it in the coming days.

Actually, the building hasn't always stood at Madison and Union. It used to stand at Madison and Herkimer; Union Street was once called Herkimer Street. Now I know how the Herkimer Arms got its name. That's the square white building in the lower center of this photo, the only extant apartment building designed by Greene and Greene and slated to be moved to a new location in the near future. Just beyond the Herkimer, with the aquamarine trim, is the brand new David Allan Hubbard library of the Fuller Theological Seminary, another of Ben's great recent posts. Further west on Union you see All Saints Episcopal Church and Pasadena City Hall. I don't know what those two huge buildings center right are called. Does that make me a bad person? Don't answer that.

More to come about the Professional Building and its early 20th century super-doctors. They didn't fly, but they built a mighty nice building.