On the Town: Hoover home tour adds city’s historical venues
The 59th annual Hoover Tour of Homes celebrated a beautiful partnership between the Hoover High School and the city of Glendale.
Usually four or five private homes are open for visits during the daylong PTA fundraiser, but this year Brand Library, Casa Adobe de San Rafael and the Doctors House Museum — all city facilities — were on the tour, along with two residences.
Proceeds go toward scholarships for graduating seniors. Recipients are chosen based on their participation in school and PTA activities, said Kirsten Hersh, PTA president. Funds also go to educational programs and campus improvements.
A total of 100 volunteers, including 40 adults and 60 students, helped with the tour.
“The students really get into it,” Hersh said, “They’ve offered to help the PTA find homes, helped with selling tickets and being docents on the tour. It’s not easy for a high schooler to put themselves out there, speak to a group of strangers. It offers them an opportunity they might not have had. They have to be poised, confident and describe things. The tour has a lot of historical elements this year, so they are learning a lot about our city’s history as well.”
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Most of the locations offered special entertainment by Hoover performance groups and fundraising opportunities.
Brand Library had a “Dignitary Tea” and musical interludes in the recital hall. Casa Adobe featured choral music. The Doctors House had the pep team and a jewelry boutique in the gazebo. PTA members were selling baked goods and gift items on the patio at the Farewell home.
The cookies were baked by the Hoover culinary department, which gave students another opportunity to get involved in the tour, Hersh said.
One of the residences, the Farewell home, has been passed down to the family’s second generation. Hoover alum Ellen Farewell grew up in the home, and now she and her husband, Robert, are raising their family there.
“Ellen has seen it grow over time,” Hersh said. “It’s a beautiful home and it’s meticulously gardened and cared for and she has stories going back for many years.”
Marilyn O’Driscoll‘s daughter graduated from Hoover, and she continues to take the tour each year.
“It’s a fun thing to do every year,” she said. “I’ve been to the Casa Adobe, Doctors House and Brand Library. I’ve lived for a long time in Glendale and never get the chance to see these places. This is a nice way to have people learn more about Glendale.”
Seen arriving at the Farewell Home were Glendale Unified Supt. Winfred B. Roberson Jr. and his wife Yvette. The superintendent served as the honorary chair of the tour this year.
The second residence, the Kast Home, has sweeping views of Glendale and is a sunny hillside home, Hersh said. The family owns JP Weaver Co., in Glendale, which creates architectural moldings for famous sites like government offices and Trump properties. The home features many elaborate designs inspired by the museums in Versailles — all created by homeowner Lena Tyler Kast.
Laura Frimershtein was chair of Tour of Homes Chair this year.
She’s just been wonderful to take this on and work so well with the whole board,” Hersh said. “Our board has been amazing, stepping up, taking on jobs and putting their creativity and their spin on it. It’s really been a group effort this year.”
Others serving on the PTA executive board are Lisa Deyell, Sara Khosravi, Susan Arnall, Patty Morgan, Betsy Ames, Terry Wang, Ani Baltayan, Susanna Garamanoukian, Alice Aghakhani, Anita Hacopian, Lorita Noubarentz, Chey Widdop, Ali Valle, Adrine Novshadyan and Deb Yen.
Hersh is looking ahead to next year’s tour, which will be the 60th.
“We already have a list of locations we are working on,” she said. “We have some neat ideas to celebrate our alumni and the history that has transpired since the beginning of the tour. We’ve been going through archives and uncovered a lot of old pictures, newspaper clippings and tickets and other things that celebrate the legacy of Hoover’s PTA.”
Hersh also wanted to thank the city of Glendale for being such a great partner during this year’s event.
“They have been phenomenal to work with,” she said. “They just opened the doors wide for us and helped every step of the way. Three of our locations this year we had to get through the city.”
Women’s chorus offering scholarships
The California Women’s Chorus Inc., a nonprofit organization that promotes choral singing, is accepting applications for its vocal music scholarships. The Verdugo Hills Women’s Chorus, with members from Glendale, La Crescenta and La Cañada Flintridge, is one of 10 singing groups under the umbrella of the California Women’s Chorus.
Recipients of three scholarships will be selected by an audition process. Students may audition if they are studying voice in college or with a private vocal instructor and are between the ages of 18 to 24. The students will vie for the opportunity to be awarded one of three $2,000 scholarships. The money is to be used to further the winners’ education in vocal studies.
Information and applications may be found on the California Women’s Chorus Inc. website, cwchorus.com. Applications must be received by Jan. 30.
Auditions will be at La Crescenta First Baptist Church, 4441 La Crescenta Ave., La Crescenta, starting at 9 a.m. on Feb. 25. The three winners, chosen by professional adjudicators, will perform at the California Women’s Chorus’ annual public concert on April 30 at the Glendale Hilton Hotel, 100 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale.
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JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.