Arroyo February 2015

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA February 2015

Travels With Sadie Del Mar Goes to the Dogs

Pet-friendly Hotels in Santa Barbara

Pet Tech Gadgets for Finding and Feeding Fido

Pasadena Humane’s Steve McNall Talks Turkey About Saving Homeless Animals

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arroyo

VOLUME 11 | NUMBER 2 | FEBRUARY 2015

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PETS 11 TRAVELS WITH SADIE A staycation at L’Auberge Del Mar with the author’s miniature American shepherd — oh, yes, and her husband too.

—By Nancy Spiller

15 ANIMAL HOUSE Pasadena Humane & SPCA head Steven McNall on the organization’s “Campaign to Save Lives” and more —By Kathleen Kelleher

27 PET TECH Lassie can come home with GPS — part of a growing arsenal of new technology for your furry buddy.

—By Bettijane Levine

31 A TALE OF TWO SANTA BARBARA HOTELS

TOP PHOTO: Courtesy of Nancy Spiller

One (relatively) old, one new — both with impressive pet-friendly policies —By Irene Lacher

DEPARTMENTS 9

FESTIVITIES Theatergoers were all aglow at The Pasadena Playhouse and The Music Center.

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ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX

35

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS It took centuries for French macarons to become today’s cookies du jour.

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THE LIST Romance at L.A. Zoo, valentines and camellias at Descanso, snowboarder Shaun White at the Rose Bowl

ABOUT THE COVER: Photo by Rob Wishart 02.15 ARROYO | 7

EDITOR’S NOTE

Much is deservedly made of the country’s progress in accepting gay marriage, but human communities aren’t the only ones to benefit from a 21st-century perspective. American animals have generally evolved from oft-abused beasts of burden to family members, but much more still needs to be done to help many adrift in our throwaway society, as Pasadena Humane & SPCA chief Steven McNall explains to Kathy Kelleher in Arroyo’s first Pets issue. As someone who shares her home with two calico cats who were rescued from the garbage by a good Samaritan the day they were born, I applaud the organization’s mission to save thousands of homeless animals every year — and whittle down their ranks with a new spay/neuter clinic.

The lucky animals with families who love them are going more places than ever before, thanks to growing numbers of hotels that welcome pets with their people. In Santa Barbara, I visited two hotels that encourage guests to bring the whole family. The Goodland, a charming new boutique hotel, even offers a financial incentive to check in with your pooch — a discount of up to 20 percent for pet parents, according to its website.

Nancy Spiller writes about a visit with her pup and cover girl, Sadie, to L’Auberge Del Mar, near dog-friendly beaches that made the trip a treat for everyone (her husband too). Arriving to find a goodie bag for Sadie, filled with plastic bowls, organic treats and a petsitter’s business card, was just the beginning of their Del Mar adventure, which mercifully didn’t need to be packed into one traffic-snarled day.

Of course, pets hitting the road on their own is an entirely different matter. Thanks to ever-evolving technology, you can bring Lassie home with a GPS collar — and that’s only one of the technological tricks on the market that can make pet parenthood easier, as Bettijane Levine reports in “Pet Tech.”

—Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Kristin Skaggs-Kirby, Rochelle Bassarear EDITOR-AT-LARGE Bettijane Levine COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Carole Dixon, Lisa Dupuy, Lynne Heffley, Tariq Kamal, Kathleen Kelleher, Rebecca Kuzins, Brenda Rees, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Gladys Campanile, Brenda Clarke, Leslie Lamm ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Bruce Haring ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Stephanie Torres HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker PAYROLL Linda Lam ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Kacie Sturek OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 8 | ARROYO | 02.15

arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING V.P. OF FINANCE Michael Nagami V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 ArroyoMonthly.com ©2015 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

FESTIVITIES

From left, Robin Dearden, Bryan Cranston and Lansbury

From left, cast members Charlotte Parry, Charles Edwards, Angela Lansbury, Simon Jones, Director Michael Blakemore and cast members Sandra Shipley and Jemima Rooper

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

David Mamet

It goes without saying that at 89, the still very energetic From left, Eric Ochon, Maddy Miller, Sandra Tsing Loh and Susannah Miller

Angela Lansbury is a national treasure — of two countries, the U.S. and her native U.K. Not surprisingly, the opening night of Noël Coward’s classic comedy Blithe Spirit, in which she reprised her role as the eccentric Madame Arcati, at the Ahmanson Theatre on Dec. 14 elicited thunderous applause from the audience, which included a strong entertainment industry turnout, there to witness the performance of an actor’s actor. First-nighters included Bryan Cranston, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, John Glover, Sandra Tsing Loh, Eric McCormack, David Mamet, Wendie Malick and many more ... Another British-style stage gem was the Christmas panto at The Pasadena Playhouse, the Lythgoe Family’s Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight, which opened on Dec. 11. The theater hosted pre- and post-show parties for donors, who funded tickets for more than 1,000 children.

Jenna Elfman

PHOTOS: Blithe Spirit, Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging; Sleeping Beauty, Earl Gibson III

Eric and Janet McCormack

Kris Lythgoe and Becky Baeling-Lythgoe

Bonnie Lythgoe, Tamyra Gray and Nigel Lythgoe

Lucy Lawless

The company of Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight 02.15 | ARROYO | 9

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Travels with Sadie Your dog — don’t leave home without her if you’re staycationing at one of the growing herd of pet-friendly hotels, as the author did.

BY NANCY SPILLER

PHOTOS: Left and right, Nancy Spiller; Middle, Rob Wishart

T

he tide was out, the sun was setting and every dog in sight, including our 1-year-old miniature American shepherd, Sadie, was crazy happy off leash. Frisbees were flying, races were being run and no fights erupted. It was a perfect, golden late-autumn afternoon on Del Mar’s North Beach when the thought occurred: This may be the bliss I was meant to follow.

Which left the looming question: Who knew? In our 30 years in Southern California, my husband, Tom, and I had never been to Del Mar. We’d sampled La Jolla and Laguna but found them too crowded. And we’d never thought to bring our dog. We’d taken our late great first one, Dalai, to the Sierras, to a summer cabin resort with alpine hiking trails I never mention by name lest it get too popular. And Los Angeles County doesn’t allow dogs on any beach, so we’d pretty much written off that option and headed to Ventura, where they do.

But this was a new day with our highly social, even higher-energy herder who needed packs to run with and pals to wrestle. Destinations were vetted for their venting potential.

We’d come for a two-night stay at L’Auberge Del Mar resort timed to celebrate Sadie’s first birthday (Nov. 18, 2013) and my own natal day (Dec. 10/ I Really Don’t Look It).

We wanted to test the resort’s pet-friendly policy as well as check out the dog beach they’d pitched as part of its appeal.

So far we were thrilled. We left L.A. at noon to beat the midweek traffic, arriving in Del Mar around 2:30 p.m. A tempting dining terrace with a jaw-dropping ocean view just beyond the lobby greeted us at check-in, as did a Tiffany-blue goody bag for Sadie and bitesize chocolate cupcakes for us. The paw-print-covered bag was addressed to “Sofie’s Personal Guest” and held a bag of organic treats, plastic food and water dishes labeled “Champagne” and “caviar” as well as a business card for a local petsitter. Sofie is the hotel’s dog mascot. Her creation story involves another poodle found onsite during the hotel’s 2008 renovation and returned to its owner. Sofie was that dog’s offspring, gifted to a hotel employee. She wasn’t there that day, we were told, preventing a proper nose-to-nose thank you.

The in-room coffee was a great accompaniment to the cupcakes as we read the official pet policy, which read that L’Auberge allows only small dogs, 15 pounds or under. (The hotel has since lifted the weight limit.) An exception for our 23-pound Sadie was made

upon request (Palos Verdes’ Terranea Resort, also owned and operated by parent company Destination Hotels, welcomes dogs of all sizes). There is a $100 cleaning charge per pet stay and the resort requests that pet parents keep dogs off the furniture, especially the bed.

Thus we brought Sadie’s collapsible canvas traveling crate as her hotel room within our room and a sticky lint roller for any accidental dog hair deposits. Thankfully, she wasn’t “blowing her coat,” the term for the heavy seasonal shedding characteristic of this breed.

All of that was fine. But we were surprised that she wasn’t allowed to dine on the ocean-view terrace or the enchanting patio attached to the formal restaurant, Kitchen 1540. Dogs accompanying their owners on restaurant patios is an increasingly common sight in California. As of Jan. 1, the practice is permitted by state law (though local governments may impose regulations or bans if they choose). Dogs at L’Auberge could join their peeps for meals taken in the lobby lounge area, within view of the terrace and ocean.

(While L’Auberge maintains its pet-free restaurant patio, spa and pool area, dogs now have the run of the rest of the hotel.) While we found the restrictions puzzling at first, we were happy to oblige, once we discovered the dog beach, just a mile north of the hotel, and how dog-friendly Del Mar can be. Which was one of the other things I liked about L’Auberge — it was small enough that you didn’t feel confined to the property for your stay and it was located close enough to the village’s action that you could leave your car with the valet and simply cross the street for dining and shopping.

After our first dog beach afternoon, we served Sadie her evening kibble and water in her new dishes. We enjoyed the complimentary cheese plate and a split of chardonnay from the mini-bar while watching a few minutes of the Weather Channel. A major storm was dumping snow on the East Coast while the Pacific Northwest was waiting for torrential rains. Everyone was going to die except us in Southern California where the subtropical Mediterranean evening was a pleasant 61 degrees.

For dinner we ventured across the street to Sbicca Bistro which, according to my Google search, was dog-friendly. Tucked into a well-heated side patio, Sadie settled down by our side, enjoying the doting attention of all passersby, as we dined from a menu of fair-to-middling California cuisine. The lobster mac ’n’ cheese, which should have been –continued on page 12 02.15 ARROYO | 11

–continued from page 11

the perfect comfort food for a cool night, was flavorless, my citrus salad tired and my husband’s scallop entrée too sweetly sauced to finish. But the wine list was fine, and because it was Tuesday night, we paid half price for a lovely Russian River pinot noir.

Sadie spent the night comfortably in her crate; we slept snugly in our luxe king-size bed while the Weather Channel continued to talk about killer storms threatening most of the world beyond the San Diego County line.

On our morning run the next day we discovered nearby Seagrove Park, another dog magnet. The blufftop park offers a grassy expanse with more of the jawdropping ocean views Del Mar abounds in. Amtrak runs below the bluffs but stairs lead down to the tracks, allowing pedes-

12 | ARROYO | 02.15

trians to cross over to the beach. A local suggested we take our exercise along the narrow trackside path, as we saw others doing, but when the first train came barreling along with little sound and no warning, we decided to follow the sidewalk instead.

It took us safely all the way to the dog beach, where we turned and headed back through the pleasant beachfront residential neighborhood.

Tom went back to the hotel as Sadie and I peeled off to see what beach access was like behind the houses. We found public stairs down to the sand and two women with their dogs cautioning us about the incoming tide. We saw more stairs leading up to the long seawall ahead, so onto the beach we went. The first wave had us scampering up a staircase, which turned out to be private, with a gate blocking the way

to the street. We waited out a few waves before I decided we’d just have to plunge into the shallow standing water to get to the next set of public stairs. Sadie proved a brave if reluctant companion.

We made it back to the hotel where I put my soaked shoes on the balcony to dry.

Sadie began to playfully toss the bones and balls we’d brought off the first-floor balcony, then bark until we retrieved them for her. I was reminded of what a brilliant beast we’d brought into our lives and how, now that she was a year old, it was time to find a career to keep her occupied. She is a natural at sheepherding but we’d been told the field was suffering high unemployment rates due to global warming. (Sweaters, anyone?) Other possibilities included therapy dog, search-and-rescue and competitive agility, but considering we’d yet to see Sofie

pouncing about, I wondered if the cushier job of hotel mascot might be up for grabs.

Lunch was our time to dine with Sadie in the ocean-view lobby before the spa treatments we’d scheduled for the early afternoon. Our kale with grilled shrimp salads and ice tea were perfect, even if our dog’s behavior wasn’t. Her excitement at the attention she was being paid had her barking for more.

Sadie retreated to her canvas crate for some quiet meditation while we went off to the small but pleasant spa. I had a hotstone massage for my birthday splurge and Tom got a facial.

Everyone piled into the car for another trip to the dog beach; caught again at low tide and sunset, it did not disappoint. The pick-up races our Sadie ran there with the labs and huskies were as thrilling to me as

PHOTOS: Opposite page and this page, bottom, Nancy Spiller; this page top, Thomas Weitzel

anything run by horses at the Del Mar racetrack.

It was on this visit that we read the posted signs more closely. Dogs can be off leash there from Labor Day through midJune but, according to another sign we’d run right by the day before, they aren’t allowed north of a certain point on the beach. Still, the dog beach remained a canine paradise as far as we were concerned. Everyone we met was a local who brought his or her dog for exercise on a regular, if not daily, basis.

Back at the hotel Sadie was sufficiently exhausted to spend a couple of after-kibble hours in her crate, while we enjoyed our dinner on the patio of Kitchen 1540.

The flaming-torch heaters kept us cozy for a second 61-degree evening. Sipping our starter flutes of Champagne, I thought briefly of the poor sods in the rest of the country being rained or snowed on before the menu stole my attention. Cordon Bleu– trained Chef Brandon Fortune hails from Atlanta, which accounts for the restaurant’s creative, sophisticated Southern influences.

I’d never had fried green tomatoes before so I had to order that, and since a recipe for shrimp and grits is a favorite of mine and I had never seen it on a menu, I had to try his. The tomatoes were nicely paired with jicama and tart apple, but sauced with a buttermilk-lime dressing that didn’t taste of either ingredient.

But the shrimp and grits were just the satisfying comfort food I’d hoped for. The grits were from Anson Mills in South Carolina, which I confess didn’t mean as much to me as the fact that they were quite tasty, as were the shrimp — two kinds, large grilled and small poached. The dish’s creamy sauce is normally made with chorizo, which they removed for my order, a request made not only because I’m a pescetarian, but I didn’t want the crude flavor of chorizo stomping on my sweet, delicate shrimp. The added crunch of the dish’s “heirloom” popcorn garnish was rough fun enough. My husband had the purple cabbage soup, with broth poured over vegetables tableside, and local swordfish. Tom enjoyed his soup and the well-prepared swordfish served with sunchoke purée, lentils and fennel. Dessert was a lovely apple tart with vanilla ice cream and the added sweetness of a candle for my birthday. The latter made up for the strings of candied pork garnish I plucked off the top. Note to Planet Guy: Can’t we all just get along with a little less pork?

Our final morning in Del Mar was gray, in the low 60s and as low key and lovely as

our entire stay. Checking out of the hotel I asked again whether Sofie had returned.

She had not. I suggested Sadie might be available if they were looking for a new hotel mascot. This elicited a smile from the clerk but no job offers.

Alas, a final morning run on the dog beach wasn’t an option either. The tide was in so we decided to get on the road, hoping to escape any serious traffic. We got home in plenty of time for Sadie and me to do our exercise in daylight, enjoying our memories of leashless beach runs and ocean-view lobby lunches. Del Mar — who knew? ||||

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Animal HOUSE Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA chief Steven McNall talks about the organization’s expansion and mission to “do everything we can to salvage that [homeless] animal.”

BY KATHLEEN KELLEHER

T

he Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA’s low-cost public spay/neuter clinic (a.k.a. “the snip clinic”) marks its first anniversary this month. A state-of-the-art hospital staffed by two full-time veterinarians and technicians, it also offers reduced-cost vaccinations and micro-chipping in addition to one-stop licensing. The clinic currently spays or neuters about 20 cats, dogs or rabbits a day (operating five days a week), a rate PHS hopes will increase to as many as 30 to 60. Pristine and spacious, the clinic is an essential component of the new $20 million

addition to the Animal Care Campus, part of the nonprofit’s tireless push to reduce the number of unwanted, homeless animals in Pasadena and the eight other cities it serves — Arcadia, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre, Bradbury and South Pasadena.

PHS took in 12,300 animals for 2013 (the latest year for which figures are available).

PHS was founded in 1903, then relocated in 1910 to a Spanish-style building at 361 S. Raymond Ave., which was declared a Pasadena City Cultural Heritage Landmark in 1984. (It’s also on California’s list). The 35,000-square-foot Animal Care Campus includes free underground parking, a pet daycare center, a pet supplies shop, a dog-boarding facility and a spacious dog training and education space. The second floor of the new building — also Spanish-style — will be rented out to generate more funds for animal welfare. (PHS is donor-supported and not funded by the National Humane Society.) And a new 4,000-square-foot cattery, the Neely Cat Center, is under construction to replace the tight 900-square-foot space in which 3,000 yearly arrivals have been squeezed.

The changes are part of PHS’s “Campaign to Save Lives,” led by Steven R. McNall, CEO and president of PHS & SPCA for 35 years. Arroyo talked with McNall, 65, about PHS and the state of plight of unwanted animals: –continued on page 16 02.15 ARROYO | 15

Pasadena Humane’s year-old addition for low-cost spaying and neutering

–continued from page 15

Steven McNall

through the sheriffs’ academies, they are trained to take in the environment for signs of child abuse and spousal abuse because there is that link and they are bound by law to report it, if they see it.

WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE PUBLIC SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC’S FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION? Our wellness clinic [offering vaccinations twice a week] is routinely booked solid. Our surgical component has increased reliably and we are happy with its growth.

WHY WAS IT NECESSARY TO CREATE THE NEW CLINIC? PHS did not build a full-service hospital. We built a surgical suite to provide spay/neuter surgeries.

Spay/neuter is the most effective and immediate tool in our fight to end pet overpopulation and euthanasia of adoptable animals. That is part of our mission and one of our highest priorities.

Our spay/neuter clinic has a low-cost fee on a sliding scale [based on the animal’s weight] for residents of our service cities. For animals outside the PHS’s service area, there is an additional $30 charge. An average dog here is $120 to neuter or spay compared to an average-priced vet where the cost could be $250 to $400. Pit bulls, pit mixes, Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes 15 pounds and under, are no charge and include a microchip.

[Chihuahuas, pit bulls and mixes are common in Southern California shelters for many reasons, according to PHS spokesperson Ricky Whitman.

Chihuahuas became popular a few years ago after being featured in commercials and movies (e.g.

2008’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua), and many pits and Chihuahuas were not sterilized.]

WHAT ARE PHS’S GREATEST CHALLENGES? Right now it is public awareness regarding spaying and neutering and also raising money so that we can keep our doors open to help more animals.

Pet overpopulation is a problem because there just are not enough homes. When I got into this business in 1980, people said there would never be a public animal agency that would ever be able to have zero euthanasia of placeable or adoptable dogs and cats. Here it is, 2014, and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have about 97 percent placement here of dogs, and about 94 or 95 percent of placeable cats. We do everything we can to salvage that animal. We do our best with our budget, which is almost $8 million a year. We get about $3 million from our city contracts and the rest comes from donors.

“WE HAVE MANY PROGRAMS TO ENRICH THE ANIMALS TO KEEP THEM HAPPY, INTERESTED AND ADOPTABLE.”

WHAT IS PHS & SPCA’S MISSION? We are an animal protection agency and with that, our mission is to be the first line of defense to protect animals and people. Believe it or not, because there is a link between animal abuse and spousal and child abuse, we are the first line of defense. Back in 1903, when Pasadena Humane Society was founded, we used to take abused and abandoned children and animals. When immigrants came to Pasadena, they would sometimes leave their animals and kids. But then in the 1930s, child protection went in one direction and animal protection went in the other. When our officers go 16 | ARROYO | 02.15

CAN YOU TALK GLOBALLY ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH OUR ATTITUDES TOWARD ANIMALS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND HOW ANIMAL-WELFARE AWARENESS HAS BEEN RAISED? HOW HAS THIS IMPACTED THE WAY SOCIETY DEALS WITH UNWANTED ANIMALS? In larger cities, we are seeing more successful prosecutions of animal abuse, a greater recognition of animal hoarding and more research investigating the behavior of animals. I think awareness has been raised, yes, due to good marketing...promoting the message about how companion animals improve our lives. We are a throwaway society, but animals are not being thrown away now.

We are also an animal control agency and with drought and all the animals that come down in the foothill communities, we are the first responders. Then if it is a public safety issue, we call U.S. Fish and Wildlife. We get calls about rubber snakes and people think it is real. We do have an alligator. A man turned it in to us. We have had her since 1998.

Her name is Tina.

DO YOU THINK RAISED AWARENESS EXPLAINS THE PANOPLY OF SERVICES FOR ANIMALS LIKE DOGGIE DAY CARES, DOG FITNESS AND TRAINING SERVICES, RANCH AND OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE DOG-BOARDING FACILITIES AND OTHERS? Yes, that is why we participate in all of those services. We have a dog boarding facility and we have dog training classes. We just completed our retail center, called the Shelter Shop, which sells pet products. Everything we sell, all the money goes back to our organization to help care for the animals. Our goal is to bring in $500,000 a year from the Shelter Shop.

It has only been open since March. That would help pay for the surgeries for the pits and Chihuahuas.

DID THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STRAY POPULATION INCREASE DURING THE RECESSION AND IF SO, WHY? Stray animals and abandoned animals certainly increased during the recession. Many wonderful pets were relinquished because people could no longer afford to house or feed them.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT OF PASADENA HUMANE’S FERAL CAT PROGRAM? We have expanded the program so that awareness of feral cat populations has increased and we are now able to sterilize more animals. We are one of the first [humane societies] to have a cat behaviorist on staff. We will try to analyze the cat and our animal behaviorist will test them to see how much they like to be touched, if they are good with people. That way we can place them better. Our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program is the process of humanely, non-lethally trapping feral cats to have them spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped and returned to where they were trapped. Then we find out if there is someone in the community who will feed the feral colony. These colonies can survive, but their lives can be improved immensely by a regular caretaker.

HOW DOES PASADENA HUMANE SUPPORT ITS NO-KILL POLICY? The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA is an open-door agency. PHS is not no-kill.

We take everything regardless of age, medical condition or breed. No-kill shelters do choose what animals they take in. We are responsible for all animals in our nine-city service area. We do everything we can to salvage every animal. If we can’t find a home for certain animals, we will call up these rescue organizations to see if we can get the rescue organization to take them. We just flew a bunch of Chihuahuas, over 550 last year, to Virginia. We have a relationship with the Richmond, Virginia, SPCA and they are all vaccinated and behavior-tested before we send them out. The airlines do not give us a price reduction to fly them, by the way. But going back to our surgery center, we neuter and spay pit bulls, pit bull mixes and Chihuahuas for free because we just have way too many in our shelters.

ADOPTING AT A SHELTER, WHERE THE ANIMALS ARE IN CAGES, CAN BE A HEARTBREAKING EXPERIENCE. WHAT DOES PASADENA HUMANE DO, IF ANYTHING, TO TAKE THE STING OUT OF RESCUING PETS?

You are right. It is difficult for some people to come to an animal shelter for many reasons.

At PHS, we view it as a twofold issue. At the shelter, we need to keep the animals interested, enriched and ready for adoption. We also have developed a program to take our animals off-site for people who won’t come to the shelter.

We have many programs to enrich the animals to keep them happy, interested and adoptable. For example, our behavior staff and our mobile outreach coordinator take selected dogs on walks through Old Town Pasadena so that people can see them and so that the dogs learn to behave appropriately. Our mobile outreach program visits different locations, events and celebrations throughout our service cities and beyond, bringing information about our services and adoptable animals with them. We also attend many adoption fairs throughout Los Angeles County.

THE NEW NEELY CAT CENTER IS SLATED TO OPEN THIS YEAR. WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE? The Neely Cat Center is named after a cat beloved by his owner and that owner, now deceased, wanted to be anonymous. We demolished 55 kennels of our private boarding center. The old cat center will now be transformed to our small-animal-care center dedicated to reptiles and bunnies and rats, guinea pigs. The Neely Cat Center will have a nursery in it for nursing kittens, a feral cat room, enrichment equipment, [a medical center] and two community rooms. It is about time we did something really good for cats. Cats in shelters are treated like second-class citizens. We still have to raise another $600,000 to build it out. We will have a 100 percent air-in and 100 percent air-out air-evacuation system that will be better for the cats who tend to suffer from upper respiratory problems when they live in interior spaces.

WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE TAKING THIS JOB? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE THIS POSITION? I have been here since 1980. First of all, I am an Arcadia boy. After I got out of the service, I got a job at one in the beach cities as a kennelman. They were euthanizing animals every day, and it was just sickening and I quit. I went back to school and finished my degree in parks administration from Cal Poly Pomona. I worked for the forest service as a naturalist and fighting fires. I got my first job as an animal control officer. Then in 1985, I got the job as executive director. Then they changed my title in 2002 to CEO and president. My job used to be very hands-on and now I mostly do fundraising and work as an ambassador for the organization.

HOW MANY ANIMALS DO YOU HAVE AT HOME AND WHAT ARE THEY? I have one peregrine falcon. I do rehabilitation for birds of prey. I got my falconry license in 1964. I am one of the longest-certified master falconers in the state. When I was a kid in Arcadia I got interested in birds of prey. When I was about 12, I used to collect snakes.

One time I had 30 snakes in my bedroom. Everyone else in high school was doing drugs or going on dates. Not me. In high school, when everyone was thinking about football, I was out collecting snakes. |||| 02.15 ARROYO | 17

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~HOME SALES INDEX~

ALTADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. ARCADIA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. EAGLE ROCK Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. GLENDALE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. LA CAÑADA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SAN MARINO Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SIERRA MADRE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SOUTH PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. TOTAL Homes Sold Avg Price/Sq. Ft.

DEC ‘13 41 $575,000 1480 DEC ‘13 28 $865,000 1749 DEC ‘13 19 $500,000 1098 DEC ‘13 113 $610,000 1584 DEC ‘13 17 $1,250,000 2452 DEC ‘13 130 $633,750 1491 DEC ‘13 13 $1,998,000 2750 DEC ‘13 6 $739,500 1885 DEC ‘13 15 $801,000 1364 DEC ‘13 382 $498

2014 HOMES SOLD

+5.02%

2013

384

AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

dec.

382

+0.52%

dec.

HOMES SOLD

HOME SALES

DEC ‘14 28 $605,000 1582 DEC ‘14 34 $1,012,500 1862 DEC ‘14 7 $600,000 1410 DEC ‘14 119 $610,000 1541 DEC ‘14 23 $1,358,000 2590 DEC ‘14 125 $640,000 1444 DEC ‘14 14 $2,035,000 2419 DEC ‘14 12 $1,094,000 2005 DEC ‘14 22 $798,000 1471 DEC ‘14 384 $523

HOME SALES ABOVE RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE PASADENA WEEKLY FOOTPRINT ADDRESS ALTADENA 816 West Gabrielino Court 3385 Florecita Crescent 3557 Giddings Ranch Road 1167 East Loma Alta Drive 1090 East Mendocino Street 1182 Sonoma Drive 2821 Glenrose Avenue 1821 Harding Avenue ARCADIA 995 Singing Wood Drive 300 Hacienda Drive 1320 South 2nd Avenue 601 Gloria Road 1425 Oak Meadow Road 560 West Orange Grove Avenue 1227 South 8th Avenue 1026 South 8th Avenue 1704 Rodeo Road 2420 Doolittle Avenue 214 Eldorado Street #A 418 Robbins Drive 1943 Wilson Avenue 300 East Duarte Road 407 Ilene Drive 910 South 4th Avenue 600 South 3rd Avenue 2426 El Capitan Avenue 122 West Foothill Blvd.

1004 Mayflower Avenue 327 East Newman Avenue 129 South 3rd Avenue 50 Genoa Street #B EAGLE ROCK 1674 Hill Drive 5140 Monte Bonito Drive 5156 Townsend Avenue GLENDALE 950 Avonoak Terrace 701 Bohlig Road 1526 El Rito Avenue 1631 Opechee Way 1939 Calle Dulce 660 Bohlig Road 1209 Viscano Drive 2005 Chilton Drive 2435 Los Amigos Street 948 East Mountain Street 2319 Blanchard Drive 1920 Melwood Drive 1636 Camulos Avenue 3104 Peters Circle 1445 Melwood Drive 1347 Orange Grove Avenue 1428 Montgomery Avenue 1212 North Isabel Street 415 East Mountain Street 1731 Golf Club Drive 2118 Waltonia Drive 1825 Lockwood Road 4732 Lowell Avenue 421 Caruso Avenue #421 1900 Chilton Drive 256 Caruso Avenue 3352 Prospect Avenue 1664 Ard Eevin Avenue 1112 Cordova Avenue 3330 Henrietta Avenue 1426 Mildine Drive 1431 Moncado Drive 1444 Bruce Avenue LA CAÑADA 5063 Oakwood Avenue 756 Greenridge Drive

CLOSE DATE

PRICE

source: CalREsource

BDRMS.

SQ. FT.

YR. BUILT

PREV. PRICE

PREV. SOLD

$989,000 $745,000 $450,000 $475,000

03/05/2010 05/27/2010 07/15/1999 07/31/2001

$627,500 $720,000 $640,000

01/22/2004 06/27/2011 06/15/2004

01/05/15 12/30/14 12/03/14 12/18/14 12/15/14 12/12/14 12/01/14 12/30/14

$1,350,000 $1,180,000 $1,040,000 $935,000 $917,000 $838,000 $809,000 $770,000

5 3 4 3 6 3 3 3

3886 2613 2495 1628 2824 2135 1692 1718

1997 1964 1997 1958 1925 1957 1912 1945

12/03/14 12/03/14 12/15/14 01/06/15 12/09/14 12/08/14 12/05/14 12/04/14 12/23/14 12/05/14 12/12/14 01/02/15 12/15/14 12/23/14 12/22/14 12/04/14 12/19/14 12/12/14 12/29/14 12/02/14 12/30/14 12/29/14 12/18/14

$6,484,000 $2,820,000 $2,780,000 $2,500,000 $2,280,000 $1,836,000 $1,620,000 $1,480,000 $1,333,000 $1,170,000 $1,150,000 $1,145,000 $1,100,000 $1,100,000 $1,060,000 $1,048,000 $1,035,000 $990,000 $990,000 $960,000 $950,000 $826,000 $825,000

5 4 4 3 4 2 3 4 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3

5336 2657 6542 2843 2838 1864 2372 3256 2805 1774 1598 2173 1762 2030 2073 2446 2408 2372 1373 542 1165 2340 1860

1960 1950 1993 1952 1952 1953 1936 1986 1973 1960 1948 1955 1952 1962 1973 1974 1995 1951 1950 1920 1941 2005 2007

$1,500,000 $712,181 $2,250,000

01/18/2002 11/09/1994 05/05/2008

$576,000 $900,000 $895,000 $501,000

05/14/1997 11/03/2009 05/20/2009 06/06/2000

$838,000 $775,000

06/16/2010 04/05/2013

$257,000 $859,000 $437,500

04/30/1984 08/01/2005 05/23/2000

$900,000 $825,000 $698,000

08/27/2013 05/14/2007 09/26/2012

$700,000 $735,000

05/19/2014 11/29/2006

12/10/14 12/23/14 12/11/14

$1,758,000 $836,000 $815,000

6 3 2

3604 1410 1036

1929 1959 1924

$499,000

08/03/1998

12/19/14 12/01/14 12/23/14 12/30/14 12/19/14 12/11/14 01/02/15 12/09/14 12/15/14 12/10/14 12/19/14 12/18/14 12/30/14 12/12/14 01/05/15 12/11/14 12/12/14 12/23/14 12/03/14 12/23/14 12/10/14 12/30/14 12/31/14 12/18/14 12/23/14 12/23/14 12/15/14 12/22/14 12/26/14 12/23/14 12/16/14 12/18/14 12/11/14

$1,750,000 $1,590,000 $1,461,000 $1,385,000 $1,335,000 $1,210,000 $1,200,000 $1,150,000 $1,120,000 $1,060,000 $1,000,000 $995,000 $995,000 $980,000 $935,000 $920,000 $900,000 $900,000 $885,000 $866,000 $865,000 $865,000 $860,000 $850,000 $849,500 $840,000 $821,000 $812,500 $811,000 $810,000 $775,000 $760,000 $755,000

4 3 3 6 5 3 4 2 4 3 5 4 3 2 4 6 5 5 3 3

4444 2814 2873 3577 3700 2723 2676 1565 3276 2854 3718 4070 2534 2081 2226 3482 2284 2488 2049 2106

1980 1933 1951 1923 1993 2011 1929 1925 1962 1931 1916 1941 1956 1971 1940 1951 1926 1929 1941 1968

$620,000 $405,000 $400,000 $783,000 $150,000 $364,500 $680,000

02/22/1995 05/15/1997 10/21/1994 03/20/2003 05/31/2007 09/08/1993 03/25/2003

$995,000 $670,000 $420,000

11/21/2008 12/10/2008 08/21/2013

$650,000

07/08/2011

5 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3

3956 2048 1686 2186 1560 2120 2087 1931 1485 1092 1767 1850

1988 1964 2008 1925 2008 2006 1929 1928 1955 1941 1927 1932

$365,000 $840,000 $255,000 $490,000

04/17/1996 08/06/2007 11/28/2012 02/07/2002

$286,000

05/21/1998

$800,000

05/31/2005

$120,000

06/27/1984

$610,000

06/25/2003

12/18/14 01/06/15

$3,950,000 $3,600,000

5 5

6037 5591

2006 1985

$3,353,500 $3,650,000

05/02/2007 08/07/2007

The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2014. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.

18 | ARROYO | 02.15

ADDRESS CLOSE DATE LA CAĂ‘ADA 4323 Fairlawn Drive 12/11/14 5187 Vista Miguel Drive 12/17/14 1925 Tondolea Lane 12/01/14 324 Meadow Grove Street 12/23/14 1213 Flintridge Circle 12/05/14 1102 Olive Lane 12/05/14 5527 Burning Tree Drive 12/04/14 5260 Castle Road 12/03/14 1651 Earlmont Avenue 12/09/14 4309 Bel Aire Drive 12/10/14 1005 Olive Lane 12/17/14 4160 Hampstead Road 12/12/14 4732 Rosebank Drive 12/11/14 2124 Lyans Drive 12/12/14 1112 Fairview Drive 12/03/14 4637 Alveo Road 12/23/14 4424 La Granada Way 12/10/14 5407 Godbey Drive 12/11/14 2111 Tondolea Lane 12/18/14 1741 La Barranca Road 12/19/14 801 Craig Avenue 12/10/14 PASADENA 2786 East California Blvd.

12/18/14 525 Prospect Blvd.

12/12/14 1240 Inverness Drive 12/23/14 1305 Club House Drive 12/30/14 367 West Del Mar Blvd. #108 12/31/14 1131 Heatherside Road 12/19/14 1407 Wentworth Avenue 12/24/14 1340 Lomay Place 12/03/14 979 East Topeka Street 12/30/14 920 Granite Drive #315 12/03/14 1052 South San Gabriel Blvd.

12/23/14 535 South Orange Grove Blvd. #8 12/19/14 363 West Del Mar Blvd. #103 12/31/14 1185 Charles Street 12/03/14 600 South Orange Grove Blvd. #4 12/22/14 1627 Poppy Peak Drive 12/30/14 106 South Grand Avenue 12/17/14 53 South Roosevelt Avenue 12/24/14 104 Glen Summer Road 12/19/14 450 Sequoia Drive 12/19/14 448 South Oakland Avenue #3 01/02/15 1159 Bresee Avenue 12/10/14 412 Elmwood Drive 12/10/14 1467 Casa Grande Street 12/26/14 717 Everts Street 12/12/14 475 East Del Mar Blvd.

01/02/15 126 North Meridith Avenue 12/16/14 341 South Greenwood Avenue 12/31/14 1149 Armada Drive 12/22/14 1361 Ontario Avenue 12/16/14 2168 Cooley Place 12/24/14 93 North Craig Avenue 12/02/14 2058 East Orange Grove Blvd.

12/22/14 1040 South Orange Grove Blvd. #10 12/31/14 181 South Roosevelt Avenue 12/16/14 320 Cherry Drive 01/05/15 1009 North Oakland Avenue 12/10/14 2075 Brigden Road 12/22/14 3854 Mayfair Drive 12/30/14 2080 Fox Ridge Drive 12/01/14 3007 Millicent Way 12/26/14 1739 Brigden Road 12/17/14 422 North Mar Vista Avenue 12/31/14 708 East Howard Street 12/16/14 955 Medford Road 12/02/14 360 Glenullen Drive 12/23/14 SAN MARINO 1272 Adair Street 12/10/14 2512 Raleigh Drive 12/02/14 1665 Lorain Road 12/17/14 1441 Westhaven Road 12/04/14 2250 Melville Drive 12/01/14 1582 Charlton Road 12/30/14 573 La Paz Drive 12/16/14 2960 Somerset Place 12/26/14 2240 Ashbourne Drive 12/12/14 1330 Lorain Road 12/03/14 2304 Melville Drive 01/02/15 2915 Canterbury Road 12/02/14 1585 Bellwood Road 12/04/14 575 La Mirada Avenue 12/10/14 SIERRA MADRE 58 East Laurel Avenue 12/12/14 597 Acacia Street 12/12/14 515 West Montecito Avenue 01/06/15 685 Mariposa Avenue 12/11/14 340 Toyon Road 12/18/14 681 Gatewood Lane 12/03/14 334 Grove Street 01/07/15 SOUTH PASADENA 333 Grand Avenue 12/19/14 1719 Monterey Road 12/09/14 1222 Kolle Avenue 12/04/14 1811 Camden Avenue 12/05/14 2015 Oak Street 12/19/14 1629 Monterey Road 12/12/14 224 Camino Del Sol 12/04/14 1816 Olive Avenue 12/12/14 805 Forest Avenue 12/29/14 1232 El Cerrito Circle 12/02/14 2100 Pine Street 12/05/14 1109 Mound Avenue #2 12/24/14

PRICE

BDRMS.

SQ. FT.

YR. BUILT

PREV. PRICE

PREV. SOLD

$2,920,000 $2,778,000 $2,725,000 $1,759,000 $1,725,000 $1,685,000 $1,655,000 $1,650,000 $1,600,000 $1,538,000 $1,425,000 $1,266,000 $1,165,500 $1,120,000 $1,028,000 $1,017,000 $1,000,000 $985,000 $865,000 $855,000 $840,000

6 2 4 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 3 5 2 3 4 3 3 2 3 2 3

4530 1677 4012 3127 2590 3692 2766 3416 2726 2267 2813 2972 1766 2022 1916 1210 1964 2084 1910 1400 1450

2006 1950 2009 1939 1957 1937 1962 1959 1950 2008 1952 1962 1948 1963 1964 1947 1940 1973 1956 1954 1927

$1,100,000 $1,235,000 $1,340,000 $1,730,000

08/18/2004 09/20/2013 04/19/2007 10/12/2005

$1,550,000 $990,000 $515,000 $1,590,000 $1,425,000 $1,240,000

07/29/2011 10/10/2003 10/21/1998 04/11/2005 04/05/2011 08/19/2005

$543,000 $650,000 $687,500 $365,000 $775,000 $885,000 $833,636 $620,000

05/25/2001 01/18/2002 12/24/2003 03/30/1990 08/30/2007 06/06/2012 03/19/2002 08/28/2009

$3,280,000 $2,941,000 $2,050,000 $1,863,000 $1,701,500 $1,680,000 $1,575,000 $1,400,000 $1,380,000 $1,355,000 $1,338,000 $1,333,000 $1,300,000 $1,250,000 $1,225,000 $1,222,000 $1,181,000 $1,170,000 $1,150,000 $1,100,000 $1,088,000 $1,025,000 $988,000 $985,000 $950,000 $942,000 $915,000 $915,000 $901,000 $900,000 $899,000 $899,000 $880,000 $875,000 $868,000 $862,000 $860,000 $850,000 $846,000 $845,000 $835,000 $794,000 $783,000 $775,000 $765,000 $756,000

5 8 4 3

4736 3762 3322 2169

2000 1916 1923 1964

$2,250,000 $1,250,000 $665,000

08/04/2009 08/06/2003 03/13/1991

3 3 4 3 3 4 2

2851 2574 2147 2691 2100 3265 2370

1957 1952 1950 1906 2009 1958 1965

$1,500,000 $840,000

03/16/2006 08/21/2000

$760,000

05/28/2003

$350,000

04/29/1998

4 3 4 3 8 3 3 3 6 2 5 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 4 3 4 4 3 3 6 3 3 2

2088 2340 3393 2258 4350 1704 1950 2120 3000 1319 2159 2018 2516 1752 1425 1449 1064 1314 1092 1532 1628 952 1371 2049 2168 2064 1940 1910 2514 2936 1838 2021 1361

1948 2003 1988 1980 1978 1937 1956 2004 1912 1948 1922 1924 1923 1911 1927 1950 1931 1926 1920 1926 1963 1922 1951 1910 1952 1950 1954 1939 1924 1964 1909 1951 1951

$360,000 $970,000 $545,000

09/17/1987 06/27/2012 07/30/1999

$405,500 $950,000

08/18/1994 07/06/2007

$565,000 $815,000 $574,730 $886,500 $379,000 $212,000 $735,000

04/05/2012 01/13/2011 04/01/2004 12/09/2005 05/29/2002 01/24/1986 05/03/2011

$510,000 $750,000 $584,000 $856,500 $710,000 $697,000 $560,000 $340,000 $580,000 $740,000 $785,000 $747,000 $365,000 $479,000

06/26/2013 08/23/2013 07/29/2013 03/25/2005 04/11/2012 07/08/2005 12/05/2003 09/30/1999 08/05/2009 06/07/2011 12/07/2007 02/29/2008 10/30/2012 07/29/2008

$540,000

01/15/2010

$3,348,000 $3,100,000 $2,680,000 $2,590,500 $2,500,000 $2,250,000 $2,050,000 $2,020,000 $1,950,000 $1,948,000 $1,800,000 $1,650,000 $1,608,000 $1,150,000

5 4 5 3 3 5 4 4 3 3 4 3 3 3

3776 3456 2445 2832 3109 3804 2356 2722 1966 1500 2392 2322 1730 1505

1928 1947 1935 1948 1938 1936 1927 2008 1939 1927 1939 1948 1941 1924

$115,000 $2,470,000 $1,500,000

07/11/1975 07/16/2007 04/09/2013

$1,700,000 $2,500,000 $1,275,000 $1,600,000 $1,380,000 $1,250,000

11/09/2006 09/07/2005 08/01/2006 08/30/2012 11/21/2007 01/05/2004

$523,000

05/20/1998

$285,000

06/07/1996

$1,350,000 $1,307,000 $1,250,000 $1,200,000 $1,200,000 $1,138,000 $1,050,000

7 3 3 4 4 3 3

3561 2837 2429 2475 2262 1747 2457

1921 1968 1929 1938 1962 1955 1927

$620,000 $635,000 $555,000 $262,500 $1,100,000 $453,000 $195,000

09/03/2004 06/28/2002 07/20/1990 04/11/1997 11/13/2013 07/26/2002 01/23/1998

$2,223,000 $1,577,500 $1,547,500 $1,500,000 $1,475,000 $1,370,000 $1,285,000 $1,100,000 $1,000,000 $915,000 $835,000 $761,000

4 4 5 4 4 4 3 3 4 3 2 3

5702 2669 3445 2211 2256 3598 1812 1360 1916 1531 1370 1865

1927 1906 1992 1909 1924 1912 1965 1923 1937 1926 1922 1993

$960,000 $1,282,000 $640,000

08/27/2003 08/03/2007 05/30/2002

$133,000 $760,000 $820,000 $329,000

07/03/1980 12/04/2013 05/19/2009 07/23/1999

$690,000 $220,000

07/09/2008 10/17/1997

12 10 53 10 45 44 11 41 14 71 47 12 34 11 13 21 93 20 10 18 32 10 20 38 20 30 17 42 70 95 36

12 25 16 14 22 15 57 29 22 13 23 29 15 57

58 59 51 68 34 68 33

33 17 12 18 20 16 22 18 80 12 21 11

02.15 ARROYO | 19

ARROYO HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

SAVE MONEY ON ENERGY

BY BECOMING EFFICIENT But questions remain on the best method to achieve results

BY BRUCE HARING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS LIKE THAT OLD JAMES BALDWIN QUOTE ABOUT HEAVEN – EVERYONE EXALTS IT, BUT NO ONE IS READY TO GO THERE NOW. Particularly in times where the economy is doing well and energy prices are down, people tend to put off making their homes more energy efficient. It’s a mistake, because taking the time now to increase your home’s insulation and get on board with new technology will not only benefit your bottom line, but will help move the needle on the amount of energy needed to sustain our nation going forward.

–continued on page 23

20 | ARROYO | 02.15

02.15 ARROYO | 21

22 | ARROYO | 02.15

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 20

Government studies have shown that energy efficient green buildings that are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and Energy Star certified can also yield a significant premium on your initial investment over a building’s life.

Such efficiency and eco-friendly design can lead to higher rents (if you’re a commercial landlord) greater sale prices and increased occupancy rates. But in a world where the terms “green building” and “eco-friendly remodeling” are often loosely applied and arbitrarily attached, it’s important to understand just what is involved.

The simplest step you can take to make your home or office more energy efficient is to either replace your windows, or make sure the existing windows are well-sealed. A good deal of energy escapes through tiny openings around windows, which is why buildings that are aiming for greater efficiency first replace the windows with double or even triple-paned ones.

From there, focusing on appliances and water heaters that are energy efficient can help drastically reduce your power consumption.

Properly insulating your home is also a giant step forward. Insulting your home is more complicated than simply sticking materials between the walls.

Technicians know how to spot and fix the trouble spots in your home, so it’s wise to find a trained professional who can give you a thorough analysis of where you might need attention. A loose barrier allows moisture into your home, creating entry points for outside weather to enter and hurt its structure.

But all that pales next to a device that energy efficiency experts have long touted.

GET SMART The Holy Grail of energy efficiency is the smart meter. It’s a device that promises to lower your electricity and water bills, make your home more energy efficient, and helps the planet by monitoring your energy consumption and automatically adjusting usage, cutting back when you’re not at home and making sure that everything is running at optimal measures. Smart meter deployments are available in about 25% of US homes, and growing quickly.

Smart meters replace the analogue meters that requires a technician to visit your home and record your energy use. A smart meter is an electric or water meter that records your consumption of a utility’s services and wirelessly communicates that information back to the home office.

Smart meters are getting increasingly sophisticated, and home owners and landlords interested in saving money are paying close attention to the data being generated. Where once you could only guess at the energy being consumed by various appliances and/or apartments, you now can have a snapshot of where the energy you use is being used. By keeping close track on this, you can decide how to reduce your use during off-peak hours. And some day, you might even be able to save money by selling back to the grid when you’re not –continued on page 25 02.15 | ARROYO | 23

24 | ARROYO | 02.15

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 23

using the energy you’ve stored.

Smart meters are ultimately designed to help institute variable pricing on your power and water consumption. If you want to use power during peak periods of consumption, it may cost you more. On the flip side, you won’t have to pay large money if you opt to lower your thermostat during the day when you’re at work. And if you find out that your ancient refrigerator is sucking dollar bills out of your pocket, you can switch to a more energy efficient model and put the money back in your pocket.

Sounds good, right? But there are smart meters deployments that have gone awry, resulting in questions about the accuracy of bills, regulator concerns and jockeying for position among meter manufacturers, appliance manufacturers and others in the smart meter food chain are causing some hiccups.

As the devices are rolled out across the US, some rate-payers have reacted angrily. While the utility companies claim that smart meters will potentially lower your electricity and water bills by allowing you a clearer picture of consumption, there is a fringe of consumers who make counter-arguments. They say they don’t want them installed, think they emit harmful radio waves, ultimately raise your bills, violate your privacy and might have kidnapped the Lindbergh baby.

HEALTH CONCERNS ON RADIO WAVES Part of the problem is deciding who to believe, particularly on issues of health. Smart meters emit non-ionizing radiation, as do cordless phones, cell phones and wireless routers for computers. There have been no long-term studies on the effect of wireless radio waves on the human body, lending fuel to those who claim that it’s harmful to your health.

Others point out that your proximity to a smart meter, usually located in an obscure corner of your home or apartment, renders that argument moot. No one will be going down to the basement and spending years with their head next to the device.

Then there are the arguments on accuracy. Some irate smart meter customers report huge rises in their bill once they are installed, typically done without any opt-in by the customer. The utility usually counters that by noting the customer was receiving discounted electricity and water for years, and the new bill more accurately reflects usage.

Privacy issues are also at stake. Some consumers don’t want the utility to know how they use power and when. Giving the utility that knowledge means that changes to lifestyles, including mandatory rollbacks of usage, could be implemented. And if you’re growing something in your home – say, a marijuana plant or 12 – then you might not want official scrutiny of your large power use.

Ultimately, energy efficiency is about making sure you don’t waste money on electricity or water. No matter how you achieve that – whether through new windows, added insulation, appliance updates or smart meters – the savings achieved and the good you’re doing for the planet are not in dispute. AMH&D 02.15 | ARROYO | 25

26 | ARROYO | 02.15

Pet Tech

Lassie can come home with GPS — one of a growing pack of technological perks for the 21st-century pet.

BY BETTIJANE LEVINE

W

e are all so technologically connected to people, places and things that it’s hard to imagine totally losing touch with someone or something important to us. And by the year 2020, experts say, there will be 60 billion interconnections, revolutionizing almost every aspect of our lives. We will be able to control our home systems and our cars, even monitor our body functions through our cellphones.

It’s all on the drawing boards right now, and it’s been dubbed The Internet of Everything — everything, that is, except for our domestic pets. Their lives and relationships with us have remained largely analog, excluded from the benefits of the tech revolution. They don’t see or hear us until we get home. Their vital signs are mostly gathered the old-fashioned way, during visits to the vet. Most of us have no idea of their activity levels or emotional well-being when we’re away from them. And when our animals are lost, we pray that someone will look at their tags or find their chip and send them home.

That’s all starting to change, as pet tech start-ups proliferate around the globe, and animal lovers begin adapting technology already in place for humans to our four-footed family members. Still in its infancy, the pet tech industry lags behind its human counterpart, but here are a few of the current offerings: FACETIME WITH FIDO Sure, you Skype or FaceTime with your closest humans, but your pals with fur are left for hours, longing for the sight and sound of you. Not anymore. Now there’s PetChatz, which claims to be the first video-chat device of its kind, allowing pet parents to interact with their animals from anywhere in the world. It’s mounted at your pet’s eye level, so that your dogs and cats can see and hear you talking to them in living color and real time — and they can even answer back. It allows pet parents to see, hear and speak to their animals, and even record videos of the chats, which they can upload to social media sites. PetChatz rewards your pal with low-calorie treats during conversations and emits a calming scent. The device connects to a Wi-Fi network, –continued on page 29

Whistle while you walk: A pooch sporting a Whistle collar attachment with GPS

02.15 ARROYO | 27

28 | ARROYO | 02.15

Clockwise from top: Petcube, PetChatz, Wireless Whiskers –continued from page 27

and you log on via computer or the PetChatz smartphone app. A special ringtone lets your animals know it’s you calling, and they’ll come running — for the treats if nothing else. $349, petchatz.com Petcube is a similar interactive device that allows animals and their human families to see each other and “talk” together. It has the added attraction of a low-beam laser — a gameplaying device cats and dogs seem to love. The company offers a free mobile app for iOS and Android devices, and it too claims to be first in the race “to allow pet owners to watch, talk and play with their pet” from smartphones anywhere around the globe. The Ukrainian firm was founded by a group of self-described robotics enthusiasts, funded on Kickstarter. $199, petcube.com GPS FOR LOST PETS Anyone who has lived with an animal knows the trauma of coming home to find your best furry friend missing. In the old days you hopped in your car, scoured the neighborhood, posted signs, called the shelters and envisioned the horrible things that could have happened to your domestic partner.

Not anymore. Pet tech gurus are perfecting GPS trackers for dogs and cats.

The Tagg GPS Pet Tracker claims to do everything but make chicken soup to soothe your anguish. At a mere 1.3 ounces, it’s a lightweight device that attaches to your pet’s collar and uses advanced GPS and cellular technology to alert you by email and text when your pet has roamed from home. It tracks his or her position constantly, anywhere in the U.S., pinpointing exactly where he or she is on a map, and even gives directions on how to get there. Waterproof, it needn’t be removed at the beach or for bathtime. The Tagg also has an exercise-and-activity monitoring component that charts how active your pet has been while you’re away, and a temperature sensor to alert you if your animal is too hot or too cold. $119.95, $219.95 with one year of monitoring service, pettracker.com Whistle started out as a kind of Fitbit for dogs whose pet parents are away all day. A small attachment for the collar, it connects to your smartphone and charts your animal’s daily activity levels, giving you and your vet true insight into a dog’s life. If your pet-walker isn’t doing his job, you’ll know it. If your dog is gaining weight because she sleeps all day, you can set exercise goals on Whistle and track her progress on charts on your digital device.

(A new version of Whistle that combines GPS tracking with the activity monitor is scheduled to launch late this year at a price of $129, plus a $5 monthly service fee.) $99.95, whistle.com –continued on page 30 02.15 ARROYO | 29

Above: Whistle, below: GoPro Fetch

–continued from page 29

WIRELESS WHISKERS The too-fat cat and other feline feeding woes could be banished by the Wireless Whiskers AutoDiet Pet Feeder, whose makers claim that it can feed up to eight cats or small dogs, automatically delivering exactly the right portion for each at exactly the right intervals — all of it programmed by you. For multi-pet families, the feeder is supposed to prevent dogs from eating cat food and vice versa, and it delivers the proper rations to cats on special diets while dispensing regular foods to their roommates with fur. This sophisticated device works with wireless tags attached to your animal’s collar. The tags activate the feeder, allowing the clear plastic doors over the food to open for each pet at prescribed times, dispensing the prescribed amount. If another animal wants to poach, the doors will close automatically.

With this portion-control system, you can put a too-fat cat on a diet, and you’ll also know if one of your animals is not eating enough, because it records how much each pet consumes daily. $129.99, wirelesswhiskers.com GOPRO FOR DOGS Does your dog go off exploring as you hike with him in the hills? Does he leap and fetch or surf and skateboard? Wouldn’t you like to get a bird’s-eye view of what your animal sees as she traverses the great outdoors?

Here’s how to do it: The GoPro Fetch is a dog harness that serves as a mount for a camera enabling you to view the world the way he does. The harness has two mounting locations: a chest mount captures all front and lower-level action, and a mount on the back will capture over-the-head shots of running, jumping, fetching and much more.

GoPro describes the Fetch as a soft, comfortable and secure harness mount for all GoPro cameras. It’s also water-friendly, washable and adjustable to fit all dogs from 15 to 120 pounds. $59.99, gopro.com/camera-mounts |||| 30 | ARROYO | 02.15

A Tale of Two Santa Barbara Hotels One is long established, the other spanking new, but they have at least one thing in common — impressive pet-friendly policies.

BY IRENE LACHER

–continued on page 32 02.15 ARROYO | 31

The Fess Parker is located at 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara. Nightly rates range from $149 to $429. Call (805) 564-4333 or visit fessparkersantabarbarahotel.com.

32 | ARROYO | 02.15

PHOTOS: Courtesy of The Fess Parker; Top left, Victor Elias; top right and middle, Austin Marcel Sosa

The Fess Parker Not many hoteliers or winemakers have a fan site, but the late Fess Parker, who qualified as both, has several. That’s because he was an actor first, still known mostly for playing Western pioneers Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on TV in the ’50s and ’60s. It’s less known that he was a pioneer in real life as well, but of a more refined sort. Parker was among the early group of winemakers who helped transform the region into a destination for oenophiles, now with five federally sanctioned American Viticultural Areas — and those don’t even account for all the county’s wineries.

Actually, the Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard lies outside the AVAs in Los Olivos, roughly 40 minutes by car from the city of Santa Barbara. After founding the winery in 1987, Parker quickly won over wine skeptics suspicious of his Hollywood background, and went on to produce a number of award-winning vintages. Indeed, his winery earned high praise from another Parker, wine critic Robert Parker (no relation), who said it made “some of the finest wines and wine values emerging from Santa Barbara County.”

While Fess Parker worked hard to have his winery taken seriously, he was savvy enough to play the Hollywood card in business rather than run away from it. Etched on the wine labels are tiny coonskin caps evoking his frontiersman characters, and fans can still buy faux versions at the tasting room. But that was as close as he came to nostalgia for his old career. As The New York Times reported in his 2010 obituary, “Though he politely but consistently refused to wear [a coonskin cap] for [visitors’] cameras, he was always happy to sign a Fess Parker wine label.”

The winery, which cultivates some 250 acres of vineyards, has a tasting room along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, which also includes Zaca Mesa and Firestone. The property appeared in the 2004 film Sideways, a huge boon to the region, under the pseudonym Frass Canyon. The business is a family affair, run by Parker’s son, Eli, the facility’s former winemaker and current CEO, and his daughter, Ashley Parker-Snider, executive vice president, who oversees sales and marketing.

So perhaps it’s not really surprising that another arm of the hospitality company, The Fess Parker in Santa Barbara city, is family-oriented, despite the wine focus. (The company also owns the Fess Parker Country Inn & Spa, a boutiquey hotel in Los Olivos, eight miles from the winery.) Now a DoubleTree by Hilton resort, the sprawling 24-acre property across the street from the ocean opened a year before the winery. The Mediterranean-style hotel on East Cabrillo Boulevard has 360 guest rooms and an auspicious pet policy — accommodating cats and dogs of all sizes and offering animal menus — which has been endorsed by Fido Friendly Magazine for owners of peripatetic pooches. (Jumbo pig ears for one, please.)

Despite its ideal location for tourists, The Fess Parker was dragged down by outdated décor that included plaid furniture and popcorn ceilings, eliciting verbal thrashings by some Tripadvisor reviewers. To their credit, the hotel owners and operators took the criticism to heart and unveiled a $7 million remodel a year ago. The update is still rather conservative — re-dressed in inoffensive beige and earth-tones — but much more fitting for an upscale hotel. Also at home in the 21st century is the culinary program overseen

by Executive Chef Kirk Delong, who designs sophisticated locavore menus for Rodney’s Grill using vegetables and herbs from nearby farms and fresh seafood from the Pacific, only steps away.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of The Goodland, top right by Studio Collective, all others by John Ellis

The Goodland Technically in Goleta, about nine miles from Santa Barbara city and close to UC Santa Barbara, The Goodland, which opened last September, is a must for vintage-design aficionados. The trendy Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group took it over and gave it a fairly drastic remodel, bringing in heavy-hitting design firm Studio Collective of Santa Monica (which also designed Giada [of de Laurentiis fame], the celebrity chef’s restaurant in Las Vegas’ Cromwell Hotel). While Giada’s sea of white tablecloths and chairs is light-filled and sleek, The Goodland’s nostalgic-beachy-rustic décor is surprisingly cozy and charming. The rooms are a mélange of driftwood, exposed beams, museum-quality Santa Barbara memorabilia, surfboards hung from the ceiling and on the walls and vinyl albums and Crosley record players. (You can even call the record concierge if you don’t like the selection in your room.)

Perhaps the ultimate compliment to a hotel’s ambience is the patronage of nearby residents in addition to travelers. And The Goodland (a nod to the area’s nickname for its rich farmland — the hotel itself sits on the site of a former lemon orchard) is a magnet for young tech professionals in the area. Like travelers, they come for the s’mores from a self-serve cart near the three fire pits, morning yoga, two bars (one with a billiard table), Saturday DJ pool parties, performances by a house band with guest artists on Tuesdays and Sunday “Industry Nights” with jam sessions (and no, here The Industry isn’t entertainment — it’s tech).

The eclectic décor extends into The Outpost restaurant, where Executive Chef Derek Simcik serves an imaginative fusion menu and invites guests to make their own guacamole with walnuts, mango and jalapeňos. Try the tasty Brussels sprouts served with coconut, pine nuts and Thai basil or the savory-sweet pork tacos, merrily enhanced with grilled pineapple, pickled onion and cilantro. A spiked agua fresca is the star of an inventive list of cocktails made with locally sourced ingredients. And be sure to check out social media for specials not on the menu.

As for pet guests, what doesn’t The Goodland offer? Look for pet bowls, pet beds, leashes, plastic bags and pet sitters, groomers and walkers. There are no restrictions on pet size or weight and no extra charges. In fact, bringing along your fur buddy qualifies you for up to 20 percent off the best available rate, according to the hotel’s website. |||| The Goodland is located at 5650 Calle Real, Goleta. Nightly rates start at $229. Call (805) 964-6241 or visit thegoodland.com.

02.15 ARROYO | 33

taste

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

select flavors from our area's best restaurants An early Bistro crowd pleaser is Rack

AVANTI ITALIAN BISTRO & BAR

of Lamb, a tender treat served with a

187 N. Sierra Madre Blvd.

626-817-9180 • http://avantibistro.com

unique, mint-based sauce. The plate included mashed parsnip and pota-

Avanti, you’ve matured!

toes, an inviting diversion from regular

At its bustling corner spot on Lake Ave., Avanti Café has

mashed potatoes, with baby carrots

pleased customers for 27 years with a large selection of pastas

and broccolini. Yum!

and pizzas, winning Best Pizza 10 of the last 12 years in Pasa-

From the three fi sh choices, I got

dena Weekly’s poll. The recently opened Avanti Italian Bistro &

Branzino, baked just right, served with

Bar adds elegance, more dining options and a full bar.

mashed yams, broccolini and a lemon

Built where Chinese restaurant Spring Garden stood,

caper sauce. Yum, again!

the Bistro brings a more sophisticated environment than

Avanti Café, which will remain open,

the first Avanti could realize: swank curved bar, modern

was one of the first Pasadena restaurants

stainless steel touches, hardwood floors, fireplace, lots of window-side tables and a deck with outdoor seating.

The Bistro menu repeats Café’s vast pizza and pasta selections, but adds eight dinner entrees and more salad options. To appreciate the difference, I sampled two of the new Avanti salads and two entrees.

As a beet lover, I couldn’t resist the Red and Golden Beet Salad, on micro greens, baby arugula, and caramelized feta in orange balsamic vinaigrette; it did not

to feature a wood oven. That tradition continues with Bistro’s 20 wood-fired pizzas. I tried the Glazed Apple and was thrilled by this light concoction with gorgonzola cheese, garlic, leeks, and almonds.

Cuisine: Italian, offering all of the popular pizzas, calzones and pastas from the original Avanti Café, plus eight additional entrees and more salad options.

Coffee, seven desserts and full bar.

Vibe: Contemporary and cozy all at once; modern design elements, soft-

disappoint. Owner Bobby Ghofranian takes rightful pride in the Crispy Goat Cheese

ened by muted lighting, hard wood floors and a fireplace. Polished wait staff.

Salad, a fun mix of textures with baby greens, orange slices, julienne cucumber and

Congenial bar. Reservations encouraged for peak weekend hours.

endive in a honey mustard dressing. Both salads were dressed just right.

34 | ARROYO | 02.15

– Geoff Mayfield

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Macarooned It took centuries for French macarons to become today's cookies du jour.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK

I

’m not sure what it is about trendy stuff that sends me running. In my heart, I know that popularity does not necessarily mean that a thing is bad. But I can’t help it. When the world starts liking my favorite band, I take it as a signal for me to move on. When I see my haircut on other ladies, it’s time to grow mine out. What is that all about? I am certainly not what one considers a trendsetter. (Far from it. I’m still a fan of shoulder pads.) But somehow, when something is appreciated by the masses, it is no longer interesting to me.

Such is the case with the French macaron. Those things are everywhere. They have even moved from the hipster shopping strips to the big malls. Which means it’s only a matter of time before the macaron goes the way of Dippin’ Dots (those ice-cream bits flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen and marketed as “ice cream of the future”). Or worse, becomes the food equivalent of Abercrombie, a place I cannot make eye contact with, lest I get infected with the smelly angst of ripped teenagers.

But this year I am determined to be more open-minded (because I have college kids, who are very knowledgeable about everything.) And when my daughter became enamored of the macaron, I stifled my sneer and suggested we make some.

Now, truth be told, I am not proficient in French macaron. For one thing, it was not taught to me in culinary school in the 1980s. We were taught coconut macaroons (note the two O's), which historically came before the French version and, in my opinion, is a much more satisfying cookie. The second reason has to do with the technique, which I will explain in a minute.

The macaroon is really a direct descendant of the ancestral cookie, which was nothing but ground almonds and sugar, originally from Persia and spread by early almond exporters. By the Middle Ages, after the fall of Constantinople, almond paste had made its way to Italy. The words macaron and macaroon come from the same root as macaroni, meaning dough or paste, which refers to the original almond paste ingredient.

The first macarons were probably amaretti, made from egg whites, almond paste and sugar. These are said to have originated in an Italian monastery, where legend has it they were modeled after a monk’s belly button. This is an instance of food history on which I call “shenanigans”! It is just hard for me to imagine a monk — of all people — looking at his abnormally large and protruding navel and thinking, “I should totally create an edible version of this.” Ewww.

More reliable sources credit the invention of amaretti — crisp meringue cookies flavored with bitter almond, apricot kernels and, later, amoretto liqueur — to Francesco Moriondo, pastry chef of the Italian court of Savoy in the mid17th century.

This type of almond cookie is one of the many items thought to have been brought to France, and thus spread through Europe, by the chefs of Catherine de' Medici (wife of France's Henry II). There are so many items that make this claim, and so little actual proof, that I am, again, skeptical. (Big surprise.) It’s hard to believe that spinach, artichokes, lettuce, parsley, broccoli, peas, cake, veal, the fork and ladies’ knickers were all super-tight secrets kept in Italy until this one loose-lipped 14-year-old child bride crossed the border. (Cookies, especially, seem like a hard secret to keep.)

There are many tales about the origin of the macaron in a number of French cities. In Nancy it is said to have saved people from starvation. In Saint-Jean-de-Luz it was said to have been produced for the wedding of Louis XIV. In Montmorillon it was reserved for holy celebrations. As a result, each region developed its own signature recipes, and this small almond cookie became a local specialty just about everywhere. The concept spread and can be found in English recipe books as early as the late 17th century.

The first French sandwiched-almond-meringue cookie appeared in the early 20th century and is said to have been invented by Pierre Desfontaines Ladurée, who stuck two of the almond cookies together with chocolate ganache. This “original” incarnation is still available at the House of Ladurée patisserie, along with myriad other flavors.

Because of the lack of leavening, meringue cookies have long been enjoyed during Passover and, as such, were adopted and spread by the European Jewish community. When the coconut was introduced to Europe (probably by the Portuguese in the 1600s), it was used as other nuts were, and the coconut macaroon was born. Similar meringue cookies can be found all over the world, made with coconut, hazelnuts, cashews — whatever the indigenous nut may be.

The French macaron, as it appears in your local mall today, was strictly a French thing until the 1990s. It was popularized in the U.S. at Daniel Boulud’s restaurant in New York City, where it was used as a signature element by his pastry chef, François –continued on page 36 02.15 | ARROYO | 35

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS –continued from page 35

Payard. When Payard opened up his own joint, he sold boxes of macarons from the restaurant’s boutique. In 2007 Payard opened a satellite shop at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, and the French macaron hit the American mainstream.

Two years earlier, pastry chef Pierre Hermé had helped further popularize the macaron in France by declaring March 20 as Jour du Macaron. Annually, on Macaron Day, pastry shops give out free cookies in exchange for donations to charity. (In France proceeds go to fight cystic fibrosis.) The idea has spread, and a similar promotion has been attempted in Toronto (benefiting family shelters), Vancouver (where they support Makea-Wish), Seattle (where they promote bilingual preschool — one assumes French is the second language) and New York City (with proceeds going to City Harvest). In Budapest they have Macaron Day too, although this seems to benefit only the macaron makers, as it is really just a huge pastry festival. Not one to ignore a culinary trend, Japan has eagerly jumped on the Macaron Day bandwagon with, of course, Hello Kitty as the macaron ambassador. (There is a fantastic video of Kitty traveling to Paris and taking macaron lessons from Monsieur Hermé himself. No doubt a career highlight for both.)

This all leads up to me, struggling to make French macarons in my kitchen, a task I have managed to avoid for the past 30 years. But my daughter’s interest in cooking is so fragile that I need to nurture it whenever it manifests. And this brings me to the second reason I suck at making French macarons: the technique goes against everything I was taught, and continue to teach, about the sanctity of meringue. Macaron meringue needs to be overworked — overwhipped and overfolded until it bears no resemblance to meringue at all. This was very hard for me to allow. (You can’t just erase a lifetime of foam principles and not expect some resistance). But, as I learned, it is the overworking that creates the smooth and crunchy outside, while maintaining a creamy inside.

So, in the spirit of love, international relations and humility, I offer you the following recipe, which is our family favorite and yielded our best results.

I’d still rather eat a coconut macaroon. |||| Leslie Bilderback, a certified master baker, chef and author of Mug Cakes: 100 Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy your Sweet Tooth (St. Martin’s Press), lives in South Pasadena and teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

French Macaron The original, made without added food color or extract, and sandwiched with ganache, is a great place to start. When you venture into the use of extract and oils, beware — a little goes a long, long way.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup almond flour 2 cups powdered sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt 4 large egg whites 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 2 to 4 drops food coloring 1 drop flavored oil or extract

METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 300°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulverize together for 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine salt, egg whites and granulated sugar. Whip for 3 minutes at speed 4, and 3 minutes at speed 7. Add the color and flavor, then whip a final 3 minutes at speed 8. (Unless you want to make the original, in which case leave flavor and color out, and finish with a ganache filling.)

3. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour and sugar mixture. Any powdered flavoring can be added here as well. Fold, using the standard method, but pass the spatula through 30 times. (If you are a seasoned foam folder, this will seem wrong.) Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a large plain tip, and pipe discs onto the prepared pan, making them the size of a quarter or half dollar. Bake for 18 minutes at 300°. Cool completely.

4. Sandwich two cookies with a corresponding flavored filling. Try buttercream, ganache, jam, marmalade, lemon curd or even your favorite canned icing.

36 | ARROYO | 02.15

taste KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

select flavors from our area's best restaurants As a chocolate buff, I es-

DOTS CUPCAKES

pecially liked the Chocolate

21 N. Fair Oaks Ave., 626-744-7719 400 S. Arroyo Pkwy, 626-568-3687 www.dotscupcakes.com

Mint and Chocolate Lovers’ Minis, as well as weekend special Chocobutter, but Dots’ strengths

You want to warm a new client, thank a longtime customer, or show some

are hardly confi ned to the cocoa

love to a parent or your main squeeze. While there are plenty of well-known

family. In an assortment that

chain stores or web sites you could browse, you can’t do better than Pasa-

Kwon put together, my family also

dena’s locally owned Dots Cupcake stores.

enjoyed Carrot, Dulce de Leche,

Or, when you just have to satisfy your sweet tooth, both Dots—the original

Passion Fruit, Fleur de Sel and Red

location on Arroyo near Whole Foods Market and the one in Old Town Pasa-

Velvet. Each are sweet without

dena—will take care of you, the latter store open until 10 pm on Saturdays.

Dots’ prices are less expensive than its better-known competitors, and with

being too sweet; cakes are moist, the icing just right.

the pride that owner Hailey Kwon takes in sourcing the best ingredients and

The regular sized Dots are a great value at $3 each, but we especially

baking daily, you’re assured freshness and delectable taste. Don’t take my

liked the just-right Minis ($1.75), which bring big taste with less damage your

word for it: Dots won Best Cupcake each of the last four years in Pasadena

waistline.

Weekly’s readers poll, plus Best Desert in 2014.

Another endorsement would be the two customers in line before me during a recent visit to the Arroyo store, who each ordered dozens.

Cuisine: Hello, it’s cupcakes: regular and mini size, 18 fl avors available each day. Wash them down with good coffee, tea, milk, bottled water or soft drinks. Numerous gift options available.

Dots deliver variety, too: a dozen every-day fl avors, plus four rotating op-

Vibe: Largely take-out, but limited seating available at both stores; two

tions and two “baker’s choices” offered daily. At least six of its regular selec-

outdoor tables at Arroyo. Friendly staff can quickly accommodate walk-in

tions feature chocolate, another half dozen scattered among the rotating

orders of two dozen or more, or cut wait time by ordering ahead.

fl avors.

– Geoff Mayfield

02.15 | ARROYO | 37

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

THE LIST

The Whipping Man at Pasadena Playhouse

exploit the riches beneath the streets,

Feb. 3 through March

eccentric countesses, a ragman and

1 — The South Coast

a sewerman — to block their schemes

they ignore beauty, humanity and truth, leading Parisian free souls — three

Repertory production of The Whipping

and keep the world safe for lovers. The

Man comes to The Pasadena Playhouse.

production opens at 7 p.m. today and

The story takes place after the American

continues at 7 p.m. Saturdays through

Civil War, with the South left in destruc-

Feb. 28 and 3 p.m. Sundays through

tion. It is Passover at the once-majestic

March 1. Tickets cost $5 to $25.

Virginia plantation of the DeLeon family.

Parson’s Nose Theater performances are

The badly wounded Jewish Confeder-

located at Lineage Performing Arts Cen-

ate officer Caleb DeLeon has returned

ter, 89 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Call

to find his family and all but two slaves

(626) 403-7667 or visit parsonsnose.com.

39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626)

BRITTEN, SCHUMANN AND MORE AT CAMERATA PACIFICA

356-7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.

Feb. 3 — Southern California chamber music ensemble Camerata Pacifica presents

downtown L.A. Ticket prices start at $56.

and, while waiting for the family’s return, the three confront their past as master and slaves, digging up long-buried family secrets. The Whipping Man opens at 8 p.m. today and continues at 8 p.m.

Tuesdays through Fridays (except Feb. 4), 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m.

Sundays through March 1. Tickets cost $30 to $125.

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at

Chamber Orchestra Offers Baroque, Bach, Mozart Feb. 12 — The Baroque Conversations concert series features Oregon Bach Festival Music Director and harpsichordist Matthew Halls leading the L. A. Chamber Orchestra in works

by Rebel, Telemann and Bach at 7 p.m. in Zipper Hall at the Colburn School in

an 8 p.m. concert in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium’s Gold Room. The program of

The Colburn School is located at 200 S.

Fun-Filled February at L.A. Zoo

works by Benjamin Britten, Paul Hindemith, Charles Loeffler and Robert Schumann

Grand Ave., L.A.

features principal artists Nick Daniel, Richard O’Neill, Ani Aznavoorian and Warren

Feb. 19 — A LACO Discover Program

Feb. 7 — “Sex and

Jones; Arnaud Sussmann makes his first appearance with the ensemble. Tickets cost

concert at 8 p.m. features Music Direc-

the City Zoo” from 5

$48.

tor Jeffrey Kahane in a one-night-only

to 7 p.m. is an annual

The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (800)

journey through Mozart’s Requiem with

557-2224 or visit cameratapacifica.org.

the Los Angeles Master Chorale and

adults-only Valentine’s Day-themed

soloists Alison King, soprano; Emily Fons,

event, a lighthearted affair in the Wither-

mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Phan, tenor;

bee Auditorium celebrating romance in the animal kingdom. After a dessert-and-

ebration explores connections between

and Mozart’s Symphony 31. The program

and Aubrey Allicock, bass-baritone at

wine reception, an animal walkabout will

the lunar new year and the animals

repeats at 2 p.m. Feb. 8 at the First

Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium.

allow guests to chat with keepers and

of the Chinese zodiac with music and

Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica.

Ticket prices start at $25.

observe small animals up close. The main

dance and special talks from 10 a.m. to

Tickets cost $25, $10 for college students

Ambassador Auditorium is located at

event is a provocative survey of dating,

4 p.m. both days. Free with zoo admis-

and seniors; youth 17 and younger are

131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Call (213)

mating and cohabiting in the animal

sion of $19, $16 for seniors and $14 for

admitted free.

622-7001 or visit laco.org.

kingdom. A three-course dinner at Reg-

children ages 2 to 12; children under 2

The First Baptist Church of Pasadena is

gie’s Bistro caps the evening. Tickets cost

are admitted free.

located at 75 N. Marengo Ave., Pasa-

$40 ($30 for members), with an addi-

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333

dena. Visit kco.la.

tional $75 per person for dinner ($65 for

Zoo Dr. in Griffith Park. Call (323) 644-

members). An optional beer and wine

6042 or visit lazoo.org.

pairing can be added to the dinner for

Valentines and Camellias at Descanso Feb. 14 — On Valen-

Paris in Jeopardy on Parson’s Nose Stage

Gardens offers a photo kiosk from 11

Feb. 7 — Parson’s

a.m. to 4 p.m. so you can take a photo

Nose Theater pre-

with your special someone. The Shake-

tine’s Day, Descanso

is Feb. 6.

Musical Kaleidoscope

Feb. 7 and 8 — A celebration in honor of

Feb. 6 — The Kalei-

African-American History Month features

doscope Chamber

sents Jean Giraudoux’s The Madwoman

speare Ensemble performs love scenes

arts and crafts, gospel, jazz and blues

Orchestra, a new

of Chaillot, described as “Giraudoux’s

at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. as guests stroll

an additional $15. Reservation deadline

performances and African drumming

L.A.-based conductorless ensemble, per-

love note to the vanishing Paris of La

through Descanso’s most beautiful spots.

demonstrations. Activities run from

forms at 8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church

Belle Epoque.” The play revolves around

Patina offers a “That’s Amore” dinner at

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Free with

of Pasadena. The program includes

a prospector, a baron and a corporate

5:30 and 7 p.m. at Boddy House with

regular zoo admission.

Debussy’s “Prelude to an Afternoon of a

boss who find oil under the Eiffel Tower

salmon, short ribs and vegetarian op-

Feb. 21 and 22 — The L.A. Zoodiac Cel-

Faun,” Ravel’s “Tombeau de Couperin”

and the cafés of Chaillot. As they try to

38 | ARROYO | 02.15

–continued on page 40

MAIN PHOTO: David Bazemore Photo

missing. The former slaves care for him

02.15 ARROYO | 39

THE LIST Danish String Quartet

CALTECH’S BECKMAN BRINGS BOYS CHOIR, BALLET Feb. 15 — The Danish String Quartet plays works by Haydn, Olesen and Schubert at 3:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $49.

Feb. 21 — The Vienna Boys Choir performs waltzes, polkas and other Viennese music by Lehar, Lanner and Strauss at 8 p.m. Admission costs $10 to $40.

Feb. 27 — Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all-male ballet company that parodies ballet classics, performs at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $10 to $40.

Beckman Auditorium is located on Michigan Avenue south of Del Mar Boulevard on the Caltech campus, Pasadena. Call (626) 395-4652 or visit events.caltech.edu.

–continued from page 38

regular admission of $9, $6 for seniors

tions plus desserts. The dinner costs $84

and students and $4 for children 5 to

($75 for members), and the reservation

12; children under 5 are admitted free.

deadline is Feb. 9.

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418

Feb 28 and March 1 — The Camel-

Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call

lia and Tea Festival offers a variety of

(818) 949-4200 or visit descansogar-

events both days: a Chado Tea Room

dens.org.

tasting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., camellia

p.m. and a Japanese tea ceremony

Wine, Cuisine Support Sierra Madre Library

at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Invertigo

Feb. 20 — The Friends

Dance Theatre performs at 10:30 a.m.

of the Sierra Madre

crafts from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., a camellia walk-and-talk at 10 a.m. and 12:30

and 1 p.m., followed by an interac-

Library hosts its 45th annual Wine and

tive workshop. The Camellia Lounge is

Cuisine Tasting fundraiser from 7 to 9:30

open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.

p.m. at Alverno Villa. Hors d’oeuvres

Camellia talks will be presented at 1:30

from local restaurants will be paired with

p.m. Saturday and 1:30 and 3 p.m. Sun-

wines from more than two dozen vint-

day. Free unless otherwise noted with

ners. Live music and Magic Castle magi–continued on page 42

40 | ARROYO | 02.15

02.15 ARROYO | 41

THE LIST

THE FOUR TOPS WHIRL INTO ARCADIA Feb. 21 — You can catch the smooth sounds of the Four Tops live at 8 p.m. when the iconic Motown group performs at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center. The quartet is known for countless hits including “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “I Can’t Help Myself,” “It’s the Same Old Song” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love.” Tickets cost $39.50 to $109.50.

The Arcadia Performing Arts Center is located at 188 Campus Dr., Arcadia. Call (626) 821-1781 or visit arcadiapaf.org.

cians are included, plus a silent auction

Air + Style Meet at the Rose Bowl

of artwork, services, special-event tickets,

Feb. 21 and 22

restaurant vouchers and other items.

— Olympic snow-

–continued from page 40

Tickets for the main event cost $60; with

boarding champion,

early admission from 6 to 7 p.m., $80.

musician and entrepreneur Shaun White

Alverno Villa is located at 200 N.

brings the Air + Style event to Pasadena,

Michillinda Ave., Sierra Madre. Visit sier-

featuring top snowboarders, skiers and

ramadrelibraryfriends.org.

skateboarders in competition plus live music, a fashion show, food trucks and

42 | ARROYO | 02.15

A Call to Authors

art. Competitors take on a 16-story-high,

Feb. 21 — The Pasa-

450-foot-long ramp and a 70-foot jump.

dena Public Library’s

The event also includes live music on

Central Branch

three stages, tech displays, gaming and

hosts its second an-

a children’s area. Announced music

nual Author Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

acts include Steve Aoki, Diplo, Kend-

The event includes author readings,

rick Lamar and others (acts subject

interactions and panels. Participation

to change). White will participate in

is free, and authors residing in the San

the snowboarding and skateboarding

Gabriel Valley receive a display space

events and perform with his band, Bad

to promote his or her book. Space is

Things. Two-day tickets cost $139 for

limited, and registration is on a first-

general admission, $189 for floor seating

come, first-served basis.

for nightly concerts. Tickets are avail-

The Pasadena Public Library’s Central

able at Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com).

Branch is located at 285 E. Walnut St.,

The event runs from noon to 11 p.m.

Pasadena. Call (626) 744-4066 for

Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.

library information and visit pasade-

Rose Bowl Stadium is located at 1001

napubliclibrary.net/authorfair2015 to

Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena. Call (323) 651-

register.

4300 or visit air-style.com. ||||

02.15 ARROYO | 43

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