Quilters keep themselves in stitches

Several dozen members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints made it their task to turn out 300 colorful pillowcases in one day for young patients at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. On July 14 at the church building on Central and Dryden, busy hands were also at work tying quilts to send to Japanese Relief organizations as part of Humanitarian Aid Activity Day. Chairman Jane McVay supervised members of Relief Society, the church’s world-wide women’s program, as they whistled while they worked behind whirring sewing machines, labored over hot irons and set up quilt racks.

Relief Society members, also Glendale residents, included Stake President Gloria Hawley, second ward Relief Society Board Member Kathy Lee, Primary President Heather Phillips and Jessie Headstream, brought along to help by her neighbor.

Warner Bros. studio executives donated fabric with designs featuring their Yogi Bear character and Scarlet O’Hara from “Gone with the Wind.” Church members ponied up more than $3,000 for even more fabric. “During the year, we have made 750 pillowcases representing holidays like Valentine’s Day, “Summer Fun,” Halloween and Christmas,” said McVay.

Closer to Christmas, Relief Society members will also deliver toys in the pillowcases to the Hospital. At the end of their hospital stay, each patient will take home their toys and pillowcases.

Besides quilts for Japan, several of the quilts tied today will go to needy families in Glendale for Christmas. A dozen child-themed quilts are earmarked for shelters for homeless, pregnant women, including those at Elizabeth House in Pasadena.

Humanitarian Aid Activities are held monthly. All are welcome to volunteer.

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It isn’t every day a loyal employee decides to stay 36 years at the only job she has held right out of college. Joyce Rudolph fits that bill. She is currently features editor at the News-Press and is due to retire at the end of the month. But what do you do after dealing with printing presses, printer’s ink and reporter’s deadlines for more than three decades? Besides volunteering for several of the charitable organizations she has covered for years, “I’m going to find a second occupation that I enjoy,” says Rudolph. She also will spend plenty of time with family.

A July 13th reception at the New-Press office honored Rudolph, as well as Katherine Yamada and her 25 years at the New-Press. Yamada writes the history column, “Verdugo Views.”

Dan Evans, editor of the News-Press and Leader, was front-and-center at the reception. He ceremoniously toasted Rudolph and Yamada. A surprise guest was Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who presented Rudolph with a certificate of appreciation from the County.

Locals on hand who have worked with Rudolph over the years to publicize their various volunteer organizations included Burbank Mayor Jess Talamantes, Chairman of the Glendale Commission on the Status of Women Paula Devine, past “Realtor of the Year” Kathy Lefkovits, public relations and marketing whiz Annet Peairs and Jim Kussman, a frequent contributor to the News-Press “Forum” page. Also present was Kussman’s wife, actress Susan Kussman, founder/director of the Stepping Stone Players.

Also honoring Rudolph and Yamada was the rest of the News-Press staff, including City Editor Jason Wells.

This columnist will miss the gentle tutelage of Joyce Rudolph — a class act.