So Dorothy Burns is upset at what’s happening to Scripps Home. I have to say I join her in being upset at seeing some lovely architecture destroyed, whatever the bottom line reasoning is.  Here is the official press release that answers Dorothy’s questions about where the former residents are. What’s not clear at all is what the new facility will look like. The gentleman I spoke with Saturday it was going to fit in architecturally with the community. We can hope — and speak up about it. If anyone has any more info on this, please post it here. The gentleman said plans weren’t complete yet, so the neighborhood should be able to have some say. Could a Town Council member shed some light on this? I’ll see what I can find out.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
The Episcopal Home Communities:  Janelle Morton(626)300-6460
The Scripps Home:                          Patricia Bunin:(626)797-8255

MERGER PLANNED FOR THE SCRIPPS HOME and THE EPISCOPAL HOME COMMUNITIES

NEW “SCRIPPS-KENSINGTON” RETIREMENT COMMUNITY PLANNED FOR ALTADENA

The Boards of Directors of The Episcopal Home Communities and The Scripps Home have agreed unanimously to pursue a merger in order best to prepare for the long-term future.  The announcement, coming from Martha L. Tamburrano, President/CEO of The Episcopal Home Communities and James W. Graunke, Executive Director of The Scripps Home, states that operations of The Scripps Home, a life care community located in Altadena, will be merged into the operations of The Kensington, a continuing care retirement community located in Alhambra and owned and operated by The Episcopal Home Communities. “We are looking forward to pursuing a merger with The Scripps Home,” said Martha Tamburrano, President and CEO of The Episcopal Home Communities. “Scripps shares The Episcopal Home’s dedication to its residents through high-quality care and services, and both organizations have a tradition of providing charitable care.” Changes in the senior living market and related financial challenges led the Boards to the conclusion that such a merger will promote long-term financial stability.  Together, Scripps and The Kensington will carry on their traditions of long-term, high-quality service over a continuum of care — independent living, assisted living, dementia care and skilled nursing care.  It also allows for a continued commitment to charitable care, a hallmark of both institutions. James Graunke, who has held the top leadership role at The Scripps Home for more than 25 years said,” I see this merger with our new partner as an investment in the future of Scripps in Altadena.  It will enable us to sustain for generations to come the values and the services to the community Scripps has provided for the past 95 years.” During a phased program starting next year, The Scripps Home residents will move to The Kensington while the Scripps campus itself is being redeveloped.  Upon completion of the new facility, both the Kensington and Scripps residents will be able to move to Altadena.  This integration will allow the residents of both retirement communities to enjoy the benefits of the best that each has to offer, along with the least possible interruption to their daily lives during the construction of the new Scripps-Kensington campus in Altadena. “This new structure will be an ideal way for Scripps to position itself to go on serving generations of older adults with our mission to provide services to people of every income level and ethnic background,” Graunke said.

The Altadena Sheriff Station Commander Captain Roosevelt Blow (still can’t get over that name, but I guess it beats Joe Blow) will be addressing the community starting at 7p.m. Tuesday night, January 29, at the Altadena Community Center. He’ll be talking about crime rates and other goings on we should know about in the neighborhood…The Altadena Station’s Support Group, Clergy Council, Community Advisory Committee and volunteer program will get some airtime as well. Come visit with your neighbors and hear what’s going on in the streets.

The Scripps Home closed in November as owners prepare to tear it down and replace it with a more modern and spacious home for elderly residents. Today was their plant giveaway and dozens of people and local gardeners showed up to help themselves to Scripps flora. My husband and I did too, just as the day was winding down. You can see from the scars in the land that plenty of greenery was had by all. I’ll chronicle the evolution of the home here.

© Debbi K. Swanson Patrick

Found this little gem today about an incident in 1927 that would make the Darwin Awards today…

http://www.1947project.com/geezer

© Debbi K. Swanson Patrick

Stopped in Friday with co-workers to a new little hole-in-the-wall pizza joint in Eagle Rock.

Brownstone’s serves New York style pizza by the slice and pasta. The place is be narrow and deep (ala NY brownstones), and the pizza taste is mighty! They’re no threat to Casabianca’s neighborhood hang atmosphere, and there’s no alcohol, but when you don’t want to stand or sit in line for an hour, head over to Bertha and Gunther Donoso’s Brownstone Pizza on Colorado, just west of Maywood.  Say hi to chef Richard and prep cook Alvin. Tell them you read about them here.

Happy to report Sylvester, our latest adopted tomcat, has taken to the indoor life with ease and glee. All the household critters are getting along. Now if he would just calm down when he hears a loud male voice…got clawed like the back of a couch while holding him during football. Big mistake!

Heard on NPR today that Marni Nixon, an Altadena native, is joining the touring company of My Fair Lady in Chicago. It’s full circle for Nixon, who sang for Audrey Hepburn in the film version of My Fair Lady when Hepburn got the role over Julie Andrews, who had played the roll on Broadway. In this production, Nixon will play Mrs. Higgins, mother of the insufferable Henry, taking over for Sally Ann Howes who completes her run at Lincoln Center today.

The show will open at the Ahmanson in April, and in Orange County in June. Most people aren’t aware that Marni grew up here in Altadena, on Maiden Lane. I interviewed her when she played  in James Joyce’s The Dead in 2000. (Did you know I reviewed theatre for 15 years — writing for The Daily Breeze, Outlook, Dramalogue, LA Times Calendar Live and Showmag.com? Also served time on the LA Drama Critics Circle as VP for three years and president for two — so my theatre experience is long… In fact, I spent so much time in theatre seats I can’t stand to my put arms on armrests anymore!)

Just what else is Marni known for? Singing for Deborah Kerr in The King and I and Natalie Wood in West Side Story. If I can find my story on her, I’ll get it posted in her honor. Liane Hansen’s NPR story can be found at www.npr.org. And you can read the story in Playbill at http://www.playbill.com/news/article/110593.html

While you’re there, you can order the This I Believe Journal. http://shop.npr.org/product/show/30995?sc=npr-w&cc=20080114-o2-125

And you can read Marni’s bio at www.marninixon.com, at IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0633262/bio and at Wiki at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marni_Nixon

Altadena Women’s Network News
January 14, 2008

>>> Please be sure to add  AltadenaWomensNetwork@gmail.com  and
monica.hubbard@charter.net  to your service providers “safe list” or
“whitelist” so Wired Women messages will not be rejected as spam.

“There is no greater power than a community discovering what it cares
about.”   ~ Margaret Wheatley

~~~    Kudos to all the folks who came out Saturday morning to help plant
a new native and drought resistant garden at Old Marengo Park on
Woodbury Road. The 8,000 square foot park is planted with Oaks, Red
Bud trees, native grasses, Bush Monkey Flower, California Fusia,
Golden Current, Firecracker Penstemon and Ceanothus and other
California native plants. You can see photos of the work in progress
here:
http://sgvtribune.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?userphoto=0&theway=back&picnum=10&image=17441513&thispage2=&return=#show

~~~    Some of our local elected women were recognized at a reception for
the state NWPC board Saturday night in Altadena.  NWPC Greater
Pasadena Chapter president, Altadenan Cherri King, brought greetings
from our local caucus.  Local elected women present included Sarah
Fuller, Susan Goldman, Sandra Thomas and Michele Zack (Altadena Town
Council) and Dale LaCasella (Altadena Library Board).  Judy Chu, one
of five elected members of the State Board of Equalization, spoke
briefly, sharing the story of her election to the Garvey School Board,
State Assembly and now our District 4 representative to the nation’s
only publicly elected state tax commission. (The State Board of
Equalization collects nearly $53 billion annually in taxes and fees
supporting state and local government services.)  It was a wonderful
evening, full of great stories and lots of cheering and laughter.

~~~    Altadena Town Council meets this Tuesday at 7 p.m.  You can check
out their updated Web site at http://www.altadenatowncouncil.org . Kudos to
Susan Goldman for her persistence in keeping the Web update project
moving forward.

To find out more, subscribe to the Altadena Women’s Network…