MAILBAG - May 21, 2008

‘Pillow Talk’ better than reviewer said

The theater review on May 7 by Mary Burkin surprised me (“‘Pillow’ is comfortably set on stage”). She enjoyed “Pillow Talk,” but the second intermission slowed things.

I saw “Pillow Talk,” and had to see it a second time, not only for the excellent acting of the performance, but to be at the second intermission again. The scene change, done by Paul Reid, moving the furniture, was worth admission in itself. Tim Dietlein walked by, stopped, gave Paul a smile that said “great job.” I cannot thank the Tim Dietlein family enough for all the fantastic plays at the Glendale Centre Theatre.

MAURINE BLAKELY

Glendale

Americana delivers a quick response

To follow up on “Not much puppy love at the Americana” (Mailbag, May 10): After writing my letter to the Glendale News-Press I also sent the same letter to Caruso Affiliated.

I e-mailed the letter around 11 a.m., and by 4 p.m. the same day I had gotten a phone call from Caruso Affiliated. The gentleman that I talked to said he had shown my letter to Rick Caruso and told me what they had discussed.

First of all, they apologized for the way that my family and I were treated while walking our dog at the Americana. He told me that as long as we had our dog on the leash, under control, and the dog is not making a scene, we could walk our dog through the Americana.

He told me that dogs are not allowed on the grass. I told the gentleman that we walk our dog only along the trolley tracks, and we don’t take her on Friday, Saturday or Sunday when there is a larger crowd.

I was told that part of the problem is that part of the area is under city code, and part of the area is private property (which is Caruso Affiliated).

What is not very clear is which area is which. I was assured that our dog was welcome, and we could walk her around the Americana. He gave me his cell number and said that I could call him any time if I should have any more problems.

Later that evening we took the dog for a walk and went through the Americana. We no sooner got into the Americana when a security officer came running up to us and told us we needed to leave because the dog was too large. I told him about the conversation I had had with Caruso Affiliated a few hours earlier. I told him that we were told that we could walk our dog in the Americana. The security guard radioed the security office. After being detained for about 10 minutes, the officer asked what our last name was. When I told him, he apologized and said we could walk the dog, and he let us go.

It seems to me that dog rules need to be worked out between the city and Caruso Affiliated. These rules could be put on a 3-by-5 card and passed out to anyone with a dog at the Americana.

I’m writing this letter to let everybody know how fast Caruso Affiliated got on this matter and got a solution. Thank you, Caruso, for letting us walk Mollie, our Great Dane, through the Americana.

Thank you, News-Press, for printing the letters and letting me express my feelings.

PATRICIA TOMLIN

Glendale

Glendale memorial had many helpers

After the unveiling of the Vietnam Memorial at City Hall in Pasadena, a thought occurred to me: that there was no Vietnam Memorial in Glendale.

In 1993, I approached then-Glendale City Manager David Ramsay with the idea of a Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the city of Glendale.

My friend Andrew “Jimmy” Payne was not recognized locally for paying the ultimate price in 1969, while on duty in Vietnam. I knew Jim, as a Glendale parks and recreation coach, in the early ’60s, and preceded Jim to Vietnam in 1965.

We were fortunate that the mayor of Glendale at the time, Larry Zarian, saw the value in this project.

We started a memorial committee, meeting first with Montrose, because Montrose has the first Vietnam Memorial in California. After six months of meetings, at the Montrose library, it was decided that adding names to the existing memorial would not fit the setting.

With Zarian’s efforts, and that of countless volunteers on the memorial committee, the project expanded to include all wars for those killed in action from the Greater Glendale area.

The Glendale Fire Department took a leading role, and many Glendale employees donated their time and skills to the project. From the community came numerous volunteers: the American Legion Post No. 127, Vietnam Veterans of America No. 446, California Army National Guard, Chamber of Commerce, Glendale Foundation, Glendale Schools, League of Women Voters, to name a few.

Each has their own story as to how this was truly a community effort.

It was decided that the location, design and names to be included on the monument needed to be at Glendale City Hall. This became a challenge to the memorial committee. With the help of Gold Star Mother Nora Golsh, whose son Stephen GoIsh was killed in action in Vietnam, we renovated the “Peace Globe and Shield” at City Hall. We then created separate panels for each war, since the incorporation of Glendale: World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. It took nearly three years to complete.

Sponsors for the project are listed in the foyer of City Hall. The dedication was a grand affair on Memorial Day, May 30, 1997.

We also decided to leave space for an additional matching black granite panel, in the event a future generation was called to service. We thought that it would never be used.

Unfortunately, the space is now occupied by the War on Terrorism panel.

STEPHEN I. MALMBERG

Pasadena

EDITOR’S NOTE: Malmberg served in Vietnam from 1964 to 1965.