Park Day

At the turn of the last century, before Garfield Park was a park, it was a brambly-wild patch of land owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad. South Pas leased the seven-acres for a number of years before finally purchasing it in 1920 and transforming it into the jewel in South Pasadena's crown. Even with a modern playground and tennis courts, Garfield Park feels a bit like a garden from a lost era. (All those old-fashioned rosebushes! That wonderful sign!) And although the park suffered significant tree loss from last year's windstorm, the place still beckons with plenty of shady spots to have a picnic or just take in the rolling hills, vintage streetlamps and chattering birds. (I'm particularly fond of that tree in the background, even though it's just about to burst into a giant white puffball and send me for the nearest bottle of allergy medicine. Ah, the price of beauty...) (Read about my favorite Garfield Park story from history. For more on South Pas parks, check out one of the first columns I wrote for Patch.)

Sign On

It's official: Landmark wants the Rialto sign to stay exactly where it is!

We still have a long, long, LONG way to go to officially save and revitalize our beloved Rialto Theatre, but as Escott Norton of Friends of the Rialto posted on Facebook, "I would say today's news is a very good 'sign'!"

(Be sure to let Landmark Theaters know that we don't want to stop here. We want more than a secure sign. We want our movie palace back! You can write Landmark by clicking here.)

I want to thank Landmark Theaters for recognizing the importance of this historic piece of South Pas. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I can hear those ghosts of the Rialto screen right now...

Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd are also saying thank you. (We can't hear them, of course, but it's written in lovely font across a silent film card.) Malle, Truffaut and Rohmer are saying merci. Lang, Lubitsch and Fassbinder are saying danke schoen.

Danke schoen?

Heck, with this kind of shake-it-up good news I'll bet it goes something like this.

If only it were this easy...

...sigh.

(For those of you who don't live in Los Angeles, this type of sign points to a movie/TV production location around town. Projects often have code words to identify them to the cast and crew, or perhaps a shortened version of the working title.

For all of us, we know what a bully is. And for our children, there seem to be more and more than we ever had to deal with when we were kids. I have my theories about this, but I'll save it for another rant post.)

What Was That Name Again?

The man who built this building, Alexander R. Graham, named it after himself. (The Alexander Building.) Not content with one mere structure as his namesake, he built another one right next to it and named that one after himself, too. (The A. R. Graham Building.)

What would you bet he would have been peeved to be upstaged by that dramatic sky?

Hmmm...

So what's on the menu this year, everyone?

(We won't be making that. But we will be making these.)

SPEF

Every year they sprout up in yards all over town like mushrooms: little orange and black signs with the cryptic letters of SPEF.

When I first moved here, I saw these signs and wondered what they meant, and why so many good people supported them. South Pasadena Exciting Friends? Silly Putty Exotic Fantasies? Some People Enjoying Fountains?

All good guesses, but no.

SPEF stands for the South Pasadena Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity designated by the South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) as the official private fund-raising organization for the support of the district's educational programs. Donations to SPEF support all of the schools in South Pasadena, providing funds for academics, books, arts, technology, sports and much more.

'Tis the season for giving, and what better way to give than in support of our future?

Caption This Photo (#80)

It's election day in South Pas. I open the floor to your comments...

Sign of Bygone Days

If you walk along the south side of Mission, you'll notice this unassuming little marker for a former South Pasadena ice cream parlor. For almost forty years, Fosselman's served up homemade frozen treats in the historical Ong Building, on the corner of Mission and Fair Oaks across from Fair Oaks Pharmacy.

When the lovely glazed-brick building opened in 1911, it was hailed as the pride of the South Pas merchant community -- noted for being the largest, most opulent business structure in town. Although the building served as an address for institutions as diverse as South Pasadena Savings bank and Chaffee's Basket Grocery, one of the most beloved tenants was Fosselman's Ice Cream and Coffee Shop.

When Fosselman's opened its doors in 1937, Depression-weary South Pas residents could treat themselves to a double dipped cone for only a nickel. (Those who wanted to splurge could order a large malt for a dime.) For decades, San Gabriel Valley ice cream lovers flocked to the South Pas shop for frozen confefections made by hand.

In 1974, the Ong Building was demolished, giving way to the unremarkable bank building that still stands.

(Today we can enjoy the legendary yumminess of Fosselman's ice cream -- still made with love by the Fosselman family -- at Busters or at the Fosselman's store in Alhambra.

More Art in the Ordinary

We "breathe" in a dimension fabricated by pictures, which visibly comprise a great deal of our environment.

--Max Kozloff

It's All in a Name...

As opposed to Impertinent Cleaners & Laundry?

I've always loved this sign and the old-school vibe of the place. Now, it looks like it's undergoing a renovation. You can see the fresh, orange paint on the roof. Underneath, it now says Orange Grove Cleaners. Even if the old, blue sign disappears, this will always be Cordial Cleaners to me...

La Wilinda

Hidden in the shadows behind those Colonial Revival posts is a Georgian carriage house designed in 1914 by noted architect Louis DuPuget Millar. The carriage house was part of the bigger "La Wilinda" estate owned at one point by Charles Horace Barker of Barker Brothers furniture.

To be honest, I've never noticed the house, but that little sign on the curb always made me wonder about the story of the place. I never expected it to be a story about furniture tycoons. "La Wilinda" sounds like something magical! I expected a story with references to Shangri La or Camelot!

Then again, maybe Barker Brothers Furniture gave a certain Lion and Witch their famous wardrobe...

Great Idea

Who's with me?

Rules

Well, I don't mind giving up the dogs and rollerskates but no tackle football or golf horses? Forget it!

Remnants of the Past (#1)

I never knew Cappy's back when it was more than just an iconic South Pas storefront with locked doors. I've heard some great stories about it, though. What are yours?

Faded Beauty

Check out my column at Patch today. I finally delved into the history of the Rialto and let me just say this: our beloved old queen has quite a story. (The column should post sometime this morning.)

Detour

We can't seem to escape the orange roadwork signs as the Fair Oaks construction project branches out to side streets. How does everyone feel about the progress so far? Feel free to rant (or rave) in comments.

(This week, I will have a little fun with iPhone camera apps. Here, I used the free MoreMono app and cropped the image into a square.)

We the People (Places and Things)

It's not the very best bumper sticker I've spotted so far, but it's right up there.

I'll bet he thought about it...

I have passed by this corner for years, hoping to get a shot of a kid with a skateboard underneath that sign. If ever there was a spot screaming for a little gleeful breaking of rules, this is it. For those of you who don't know South Pas, this is a skateboarder's dream hill: a giant megaramp with a beautiful curve. At the bottom of the hill you'll find the South Pas skate park.

But today's picture isn't the ultimate payoff I was hoping for. This nice young man didn't even hesitate, not once, in his careful stroll down toward the park. Not once did he drop his board, cock his head and think about ignoring that buzzkill of a sign. Not once did he glance around to see if anyone was watching.

I was watching. I watched as he dutifully walked, with that nice board and helmet, until his head was out of sight. As a law-abiding mom, I appreciate his caution, good sense and respect. But my rebel soul hopes he carved the last bit of that steep hill, and maybe caught a little air at the bottom.

Caption This Photo (#59)

I'm not going to say anything about this one...

Caption this photo (#58)

I need help with this one...