On the Town: A new slate of league officers, ‘Annie’ opens
Members of the Women’s Civic League know how to install a new slate of officers quickly and efficiently. At the Elks Lodge on Thursday, speaker Dawn Lindsay, superintendent/president of Glendale Community College, filled her audience in on her upcoming departure from Glendale for a college president position in Maryland. Her move “is about family,” she said. Lindsay also gave members and guests some business advice she learned from her mother — “I learned to take jobs that weren’t very glamorous.”
The league’s new officers are Karin Jonke, president; Joylene Wagner, vice president; Lyn Foster, treasurer; Ann Chadney, recording secretary; Mary Margaret Smith, corresponding secretary; and Lynda Burns, immediate past president. Burns was also named Glendale Civic League Woman of the Year.
“Annie” has come to town. The Glendale Center Theatre is offering the Broadway musical through June 30 about the orphan who goes from rags to riches. A small theater party sat themselves fifth row, center on Saturday. Jane McVay and Cheryl Hanna hale from Glendale. Also part of the party were Burbank residents Nancy Lark and McVay’s mother, Lillian Giese.
The musical stars Emma Howard, an 11-year-old pro who knows how to belt ‘em out. The young actress is Glendale native. Howard is making her Glendale Centre Theatre debut after appearing in more than 30 separate stage productions of “Annie” (her favorite musical) throughout Los Angeles.
Don’t miss her.
There’s nothing like a dynamic prayer breakfast to galvanize a city into action. That’s what happened on May 22, when two members of the Crescenta Valley Town Council decided their town needed a wake-up call. Councilmember Harry Leon as breakfast chairman and Co-Chairman Danette Erickson rallied 23 organizations to support Crescenta Valley’s 1st Prayer Breakfast in Healy Hall of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. Those organizations included Prom Plus and the La Crescenta Woman’s Club.
The hall was packed with 250 supporters who want La Crescenta’s youth to know that a listening, non-critical ear is available to them. In light of a growing culture of drugs and bullying, eight religious leaders and one keynote speaker addressed the issue of the community’s disaffected teenagers, many of whom suffer from loneliness and stress.
Keynote speaker Dr. Chap Clark was that initial listening ear. He was a substitute teacher at Crescenta Valley High School in 2001-2002. Upon Clark’s invitation, students wrote hundreds of letters sharing just what they thought of their lives. During that year of subbing, Clark read each letter.
Clark, who teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary, included the information from many of those anonymous thoughts in his books “HURT 1” and “HURT 2.” Clark’s conclusions — the kids think that the world handed to them by adults “is killing them.” Clark blamed the Internet and movies for the “systemic abandonment by adults.” Clark ended his remarks by encouraging community adults to make three commitments: “We need to value each child and treat accordingly. We need to reach out by being kind and learning how to listen to them. We need to seek out in any way to provide hope and blessings.”
Besides Leon and Erickson, other event committee members included Councilmen Charles Beatty, Dr. Young Suh and Robert Thomas. Mary Boger represented the Board of Education of the Glendale Unified School District.
Included among the audience were 16 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They were represented by Bishop Steve Bush, who was the first religious leader to speak at the Breakfast.
The event ended with the boy’s Charismatics from Crescenta Valley High School, under the direction of Shannon Mack, singing “Nearer, My God, To Thee.” The benediction was given by the Rev. Paige Eaves of the La Crescenta Methodist Church.
RUTH SOWBY may be reached at ruthasowby@gmail.com.