Things to Do: ɫ̳ Sat, 18 May 2024 14:46:06 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 /wp-content/uploads/2017/07/sbsun_new-510.png?w=32 Things to Do: ɫ̳ 32 32 134393472 Houseplant 101: What you need to know about keeping your indoor garden healthy /2024/05/18/houseplant-101-what-you-need-to-know-about-keeping-your-indoor-garden-healthy/ Sat, 18 May 2024 14:45:37 +0000 /?p=4303152&preview=true&preview_id=4303152 Q. How do I keep my houseplants looking good? They always look nice right after I bring them home, but soon after the leaves start turning brown at the tips.

Most are tropical, so they .  If they don’t get enough sun, they will stop growing. When they aren’t growing, they don’t take up much water. At this point, when you water the roots end up sitting in soggy soil and will rot. Root rot (from overwatering) is the most common cause of death for . Giving them 5 or 6 hours per day of indirect light will keep them growing and happy. Don’t place them in full, direct sun because an indoor plant is not acclimated to intense sunlight and will burn quickly.  A spot that is within 3 or 4 feet of a south or west-facing window should provide adequate sunlight. 

Humidity (or lack of it) is in our dry Southern California climate. Brown leaf tips/edges can be a sign of inadequate humidity. Calatheas are especially prone to leaf tip browning. Periodic misting with water can be helpful but may be inadequate. I recommend using distilled water for this since it will leave no hard water deposits. To increase local humidity, group plants together or use a pebble tray (a shallow tray or saucer containing gravel and filled to the top of the gravel with water). Set the pot on top of the water or just leave the tray nearby so the evaporating water can increase the local humidity. I will use several smaller saucers for pebble trays and place them between the pots. (Only because I have a lot of them sitting around.) When the air becomes especially dry (during a Santa Ana, for instance), use a cool mist humidifier to make the air more comfortable for both you and your plants. 

Q. Is it safe to use vinegar to kill weeds? What about salt?

The internet is full of gardening advice but unfortunately, most of it is really bad. Vinegar can be used as a weed killer, but I would only use it on weeds growing between pavers or sidewalk cracks since it can damage non-target plants. If we didn’t all live in a fire-prone area, those propane-powered flame-thrower things look like they’d be satisfying to use, especially on nutgrass and some other stubborn weeds. Unfortunately, that’s not a good choice for Southern California since you’d risk setting the state on fire.

Salt is a very bad idea for weed killing, even if used on sidewalk cracks or between pavers. Sure, the salt will kill the weeds, but it will remain in the soil and kill any other plants that are nearby. If you try to wash the salt away, it will kill any plants exposed to the runoff. Do not use salt as a weedkiller!


Los Angeles County

mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; 

Orange County

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Riverside County

԰𰪳ܳ԰.;

San Bernardino County

mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; 

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4303152 2024-05-18T07:45:37+00:00 2024-05-18T07:46:06+00:00
Pardon my French toast? After eyeing my meal, I had second thoughts /2024/05/18/pardon-my-french-toast-after-eyeing-my-meal-i-had-second-thoughts/ Sat, 18 May 2024 14:31:57 +0000 /?p=4303045&preview=true&preview_id=4303045 It’s amazing how an idea you would reject out of hand during the day can sound inspired at midnight.

Such was the case with my , one of my favorite late-night snacks because of its portability. It fits easily on a small plate next to my computer when I’m working, and, it is just right on my nighttable if I’m involved in a middle-of-the-night movie.

Usually one piece is fine and I make it in my small frying pan which I keep on top of the stove for just such occasions. But the other night, I was particularly hungry and the idea of two pieces beckoned. I was also feeling a bit lazy, so I decided to forgo opening the bottom cabinet, pulling the shelf out with my foot and reaching all the way into the back for the larger frying pan.

“I just need to be innovative,” I said to who was passing through the kitchen. By this time in my life, I should know that innovation can be harmful to my health. However, there was no stopping me. I sized up the round pan with the two square slices of bread with the phrase “square peg in round hole” repeating in my head.

Highly motivated, I cut the bread into different sizes and shapes, bathed them in batter and popped them in the preheated pan. Immediately they got cozy with each other. Talk about sticking together. They bonded in battered bliss. When I turned them over, having let them dance in the butter too long, black circles had formed from the burnt bread. Little black eyes were pleading with me.

My desire for French toast was receding. How could I eat the oddly shaped pieces when they looked so cute? Did I mention that I had already named them? Small rounds of squishy tummies with square legs, and a new shape that I invented to serve as arms, sizzled in unison stared with haunted eyes.

Clearly, I couldn’t eat the little guys. I poured them into a container and put them in the refrigerator. Maybe I’d feel differently by breakfast.

Every day is a new adventure.

Email patriciabunin@sbcglobal.net. Follow her on  X @patriciabunin and at patriciabunin.com.

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4303045 2024-05-18T07:31:57+00:00 2024-05-18T07:32:19+00:00
Looking for a low-maintenance tree for your garden? Here are some suggestions /2024/05/18/looking-for-a-low-maintenance-tree-for-your-garden-here-are-some-suggestions/ Sat, 18 May 2024 14:00:55 +0000 /?p=4303023&preview=true&preview_id=4303023 Q. We are looking for a tree to replace our large magnolia that provides good shade – in addition to fallen leaves that last an eternity. We’d like a tree that will grow fairly quickly and that will top out at 15 to 25 feet, with a spread of 15 feet, or so. We also need a tree that does not require a lot of maintenance. – Steve Higbee, Banning

You may wish to replace your existing — whose “fallen leaves that last an eternity” reveal its identity as a southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) — with a saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana). 

No matter your mood, your soul will brighten at the sight of a ; its flowers are fresher, cleaner, and more refined than those of any other tree. The deciduous saucer magnolia’s floral display is enhanced by the fact that flowering takes place when the tree is still leafless as winter ends. In this state, you see what looks like, at the moment of anthesis (when flowers open), hundreds of brilliantly burning lamps on an arboreal candelabrum. 

SEE ALSO:

These barely opened blooms have also been compared to tulips, goblets, and water lilies. A few days later, all petals lay down flat and the flowers do briefly take on the look of saucers. Actually, it is only the outside of magnolia petals that have color, while the inside of the petals is white so that when they drop to the ground and distribute themselves evenly around the base of the tree, they could be mistaken for a thin layer of freshly fallen snow.

Saucer magnolia has other features that set it apart from most trees. Its leaves are large, flat, oblong and lime green in color. Unlike the leathery leaves of the southern magnolia that defy decomposition, these leaves are thin and make an excellent mulch. Its fat, fuzzy flower buds, likened to certain insect antennae, have unique charm. Bark is a tawny gray and, at maturity, this tree’s branching structure is a highly symmetrical dome that requires little if any pruning. If you should have to cut a wandering shoot or stem, prune it all the way back to the trunk; a stem cut in the middle may have trouble healing from its surgery and provide entry to disease organisms. With a height and spread of 25 feet, saucer magnolia is ideal for small spaces and, for strictly ornamental purposes, may be grown up a trellis on the facade of a house or other structure. 

Of course, the most outstanding ornamental assets of this tree are the aforementioned flowers which appear in every version of pink and purple with milky white varieties available as well. An added bonus of the saucer magnolia is its cold tolerance. It flowers just as brilliantly in New York City as it does in Los Angeles. The problem growing it in low-humidity areas such as our own is that its foliage begins to crisp around the edges as weather warms and may be completely burnt when summer ends.

Saucer magnolia is a hybrid, indicated by the “x” between its genus and species names. Although both parents are from China, their seeds were brought to Europe and hybridized in France. In fact, the genus Magnolia is named for the French botanist Pierre de Magnol, while the Soulangiana species name is meant to honor Etienne Soulange, the Parisian hybridizer of this species.

Gold medallion tree Cassia leptophylia. (Photo by Joshua Siskin)
Gold medallion tree Cassia leptophylia. (Photo by Joshua Siskin)

Another small to medium-sized tree to consider is . The mature height and spread of a mature gold medallion tree is around 25 feet. In the shade below, you can place a picnic table for having lunch al fresco on a summer day. are a brilliant yellow and open in large clusters in June and July. Faded flowers are followed by long chocolate brown pods, which impart considerable ornamental interest of their own. These pods may grow up to two feet in length. Kids enjoy shaking them like castanets since the seeds inside make noise as they rattle around. Attractive dark, fissured bark is showcased when leaves drop off, if only briefly, during the winter. Although native to Brazil and considered a tropical species, gold medallion trees can survive temperatures in the mid-20s and are highly drought tolerant, too.

The ideal small shade tree is a . The species — as opposed to most named varieties that never exceed 10-15 feet in height —eventually grows up to 20 feet tall or more with an equal spread but you will need to wait a while for it to reach this size. A Japanese maple of these dimensions is currently on display at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino and I also saw one growing in the Reseda garden of horticulturist Loren Zeldin. Its leaves invariably turn crispy in summer which deters some people from growing it but while those leaves are on the tree they provide sufficient aesthetic virtue to justify the . Protect it from strong winds and grow it shielded from the hottest summer sun or on the east or north side of your house.

The is a fast-growing species that, at maturity, reaches dimensions of 25 feet in height and girth. Flowers are bluish-violet and crushed leaves emit a pleasant fragrance. grows to 20 feet tall and wide. However, you will need to remove suckers so that it channels its growth into a single trunk whose branches will eventually provide shade. Where fruit trees are concerned, both the loquat and the persimmon will grow 20-25 feet tall with equal spread.

A final tree that provides shade while staying of moderate size is , with a habitat that stretches from Japan to Iran. It rapidly reaches a mature height of 25 feet with a wider spread and has a distinctive umbrella canopy. Its flowers are highly decorative, feathery pink and white, resembling badminton shuttlecocks with an alluring fragrance. The problem is the litter that flowers and seed pods that follow them create. The silk tree is not long-lived with a lifespan of two or three decades.  Still, due to its tolerance of summer heat and rapid growth, it remains highly popular in our part of the world. 

California native of the week: There are several California sunflowers that you might want to plant when it comes to pollinator plants, as they are especially attractive to California native pollinating bees. Interestingly enough, the classic sunflower species (Helianthus annuus) that we associate with Kansas — since it has the status of state flower there — is also native to California. No, you will not see the more familiar giant sunflowers, which are intensely hybridized, growing wild here or, for that matter, in Kansas, but this annual species, often growing in a clump, is native to 48 states. It is also the only North American native plant that has worldwide commercial importance. You can find annual California sunflower seeds at the Theodore Payne Foundation Nursery () in Sun Valley. Depending on the strain, flowers may only be several inches across but they are abundant while plant height is highly variable.

Do you have a recommendation for a tree that is around 25 feet tall and wide at maturity? If so, please send it to joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions and comments, of course, as well as gardening problems or gardening tips, are always welcome.

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4303023 2024-05-18T07:00:55+00:00 2024-05-18T07:01:19+00:00
Get a free doughnut Saturday, May 18 if you dress like Dolly Parton /2024/05/17/get-a-free-doughnut-saturday-may-18-if-you-dress-like-dolly-parton/ Sat, 18 May 2024 00:50:22 +0000 /?p=4302713&preview=true&preview_id=4302713 Like doughnuts? Well, you can get a free one at participating restaurants Saturday, May 18 if you dress like singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, wear a piece of her merch or sing one of her songs. Crazy, right?

The giveaway is to celebrate Parton’s creation of a signature Krispy Kreme line called the Dolly Southern Sweets Doughnut Collection. This includes doughnuts dipped in strawberry icing with glitter sprinkles, peach filling and brown sugar icing, banana pudding and wafers and a chocolate cream pie with whipped topping. Sweet tooths rejoice. And can anyone say “diabetes?”

To get the free original glazed doughnut (amusingly, you can’t get a free Dolly-inspired doughnut with this promotion), “anyone ‘Dolly’d Up,’ — from being decked out in Dolly merch to singing their favorite Dolly song” is eligible.

This deal is not available online or at the drive-thru, and at participating locations only. Locations include Irvine, Long Beach, Gardena, South Pasadena, Industry and Ontario.

Learn more and find participating locations: .

 

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4302713 2024-05-17T17:50:22+00:00 2024-05-17T21:00:33+00:00
The Book Pages: What’s growing on that book cover? /2024/05/17/the-book-pages-whats-growing-on-that-book-cover/ Sat, 18 May 2024 00:14:25 +0000 /?p=4302603&preview=true&preview_id=4302603 There are . And then there are the other ones.

Certain genres have better covers than others. Romance, is one of . Science-fiction . And business, well, is all-business. (While I don’t really want to learn more about why I lack wealth, I appreciate the blunt cover style of books like, “Money! Now! You!” and could surely use some help.)

Books featuring Caspar David Friedrich’s painting “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog” on the cover. (Courtesy of Dover, Vintage, Harper Collins)

Or maybe you just like the range of books that use Caspar David Friedrich’s painting “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” on the front. These include editions of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” ’s “Red Pill” and Friedrich Nietzsche’s “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.” A ticks off more than 33 books that have put the painting on the cover, including the one where I first saw it used: Paul Johnson’s “The Birth of the Modern.”

So there are good covers, bad covers and covers featuring the same painting. But what about covers that stop you dead with their inexplicable weirdness?

Some books grow on you. (Photo by Erik Pedersen)
Some books grow on you. (Photo by Erik Pedersen)

“Dasgroße Jazzbuch,” or “The Big Jazzbook: From New Orleans to Jazz Rock” is … one of the latter, I’d guess. I came across a copy this week while peering into the local Little Free Libraries as I walked the dog.

Before picking it up, I said to myself: Come on, you don’t even read German. But then thought: There’s a sprouting tree in the shape of a trumpet. While it’s likely to be a catch-and-release title, one to peruse a bit before depositing into yet another Little Free Library, it obviously demanded further study.

This jumping jazz juniper did something else, though. It reminded me that there’s been a handful of books recently that might appeal to anyone interested in the music, personalities and cool milieu of this great American artform that I love.

So if you saw that twig trumpet and wondered if I was going to segue into a mercifully brief dose of jazz content, let me just say, “Ich werde dich nicht enttäuschen.” (Or, as you doubtlessly understood, “I won’t let you down.”)

5 recent jazz books. (Courtesy of Penguin Press, Knopf, Kehrer, NYRB, University of Chicago Press.)
5 recent jazz books. (Courtesy of Penguin Press, Knopf, Kehrer, NYRB, University of Chicago Press.)

“3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane and the Lost Empire of Cool” by James Kaplan (Penguin Press)

Kaplan, who has written books on Irving Berlin and Frank Sinatra, explores a fascinating moment in which three greats came together to make one of the best – as well as the bestselling – jazz albums of all time,

“Bitter Crop: The Heartache and Triumph of Billie Holiday’s Last Year” by Paul Alexander

This biographer of J.D. Salinger and Sylvia Plath uses the final year of as a jumping-off point to explore her music, career, drug addiction and more.

“The Jazz Loft Project: Photographs and Tapes of W. Eugene Smith from 821 Sixth Avenue, 1957-1965” by W. Eugene Smith and Sam Stephenson

This collects the work of Smith, a photographer who hosted all-night jam sessions and recorded them on audio and with photos. Mixing images of musicians such as Thelonious Monk and shots of midcentury Manhattan, it includes transcriptions of conversations among the musicians.

“The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins” Edited by Sam V.H. Reese (NYRB)

The 93-year-old saxophonist is , and distills the writing he did for himself. It begins in 1959 when he stepped away from his career to practice, sometimes for 15 hours a day, on the Williamsburg Bridge. While the book is probably more for die-hard fans, it could send you to your nearest vinyl recording or streaming service to listen to his albums or

“Tokyo Jazz Joints” by Philip Arneill (Kehrer)

The name of the book says it all. This evocative book of photos shows the jazz cafes of Japan’s largest city ( used to run one). But unlike images of today’s high-tech Tokyo, these show the insides of intimate spaces where fans can drink and .

Looking for other recent titles? I’ve already written about ” if you’re looking for a graphic novel about the musician, but I’m also interested in “The History of Bones” by saxophonist/artist John Lurie and “Formation: Building a Personal Canon” by pianist Brad Mehldau.


Why this author is waiting for the graphic novel adaptation of her own book

Historian Elsa Devienne is the author of "Sand Rush: The Revival of the Beach in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles," out from Oxford University Press. (Courtesy of Oxford University Press)
Historian Elsa Devienne is the author of “Sand Rush: The Revival of the Beach in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles,” out from Oxford University Press. (Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

While studying at UCLA, Elsa Devienne was intrigued by the story behind Los Angeles’ beaches. Her research into this history led to a PhD and her book “Sand Rush: The Revival of the Beach in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles.” Devienne and shares what she’s been reading. 

Q. Is there a book that you always recommend to others?

I often recommend bell hook’s “All About Love” to students and friends of mine who find themselves in difficult romantic relationships. hooks wrote her book for Black women in particular, but we can all learn from her insights. In the book, she deconstructs the Hollywood expectations of love and she gives us her definition, which has helped me immensely over the years: “Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect, and trust.”

More recently, I recommended Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie’s “Notes on Grief” to a friend who lost a dear relative who lived far away. The book is about how she grieved her father in the immediate aftermath of his sudden death in Nigeria, during the pandemic. Now that I have found the love hooks talked about, I’m at the age where I contemplate the stomach-turning thought of one day having to grieve my parents and, as I’ve always done, I turn to books for help.

Q. What are you reading right now?

I am reading Kiley Reid’s latest novel “Come and Get It.” Her debut, “Such a Fun Age,” proved she was a sharp observer of race relations in contemporary America. As in her first novel, it focuses on the unhealthy obsession of a middle-class White woman with a younger Black woman and the ways in which race, social status, and money shape how we experience the world. This is also a campus novel, which is a genre I enjoy for its humorous takes on academia. I’m just getting into it but it promises to spare no one.

Q. Is there a genre that you read most frequently?

I live in the UK and I love reading modern American fiction because it keeps me in touch with the people and place I study and teach for a living.

But my favorite genre is actually graphic novels, particularly historical or autobiographic ones. I knew almost nothing about Cuban history when I recently read “Castro” by Reinhard Kleist, a vivid biography of the Cuban leader from his childhood up until present day. If I’m honest, I probably wouldn’t have picked up a Cuban history book of my own volition, but Kleist’s book is carefully researched and beautifully rendered graphically. Now I want to know more about Cuban history and literature so it’s an incredibly powerful tool to discover new topics.

I also recently read the graphic novel based on Thomas Piketty’s “Capital and Ideology” (adapted by Claire Let and illustrated by Benjamin Adam). No offense to my French compatriot, but I couldn’t face reading the book (in my defense, it is 1,150 pages). Instead, I devoured the graphic novel adaptation. My dream is to have one of my books adapted into a graphic novel.

Q. What’s your all-time favorite book?

I’m going to have to go with a comfort read: I love re-reading David Sedaris’ “Me Talk Pretty One Day.” The fact that it includes hilarious stories about Sedaris navigating life in France as an endearing, if clueless, American makes it a particularly enjoyable read for this French person!

Q. What’s next on your reading list?

I’ve just requested the 2024 book “Piglet”by Lottie Hazel from my local library and I’m hoping I get off the waiting list soon (local libraries are the best!). It’s a highly anticipated debut by a young British novelist. All I know is that it has a main female protagonist and it’s about food. And, of course, since it’s set in Britain, there should be some interesting commentary on the class system.


More books, authors and bestsellers

Amy Tan, the critically acclaimed author of "The Joy Luck Club" and other works, will discuss her new book "The Backyard Bird Chronicles" at two Southern California venues on May 20 and 21. (Photo by Kim Newmoney/Cover image courtesy Knopf)
Amy Tan, the critically acclaimed author of “The Joy Luck Club” and other works, will discuss her new book “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” at two Southern California venues on May 20 and 21. (Photo by Kim Newmoney/Cover image courtesy Knopf)

Avian calling

Amy Tan hopes “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” makes you a conservationist. 

• • •

"Long Island" by Colm Tóibín is among the top-selling fiction releases at Southern California's independent bookstores. (Scribner via AP)
“Long Island” by Colm Tóibín is among the top-selling fiction releases at Southern California’s independent bookstores. (Scribner via AP)

The week’s bestsellers

The top-selling books at your local independent bookstores. 

• • •

Hari Kunzru’s new novel, “Blue Ruin” largely takes place on an estate in upstate New York during the 2020 lockdown. (Photo credit Clayton Cubitt / Courtesy of Knopf)

‘Blue’ Clues

Hari Kunzru’s “Blue Ruin” examines love and relationships during lockdown. 

• • •

Clayton Kershaw is the subject of “The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw & the Burden of Greatness” by Andy McCullough. The audiobook is narrated by LJ Ganser. (Courtesy of Hachette)

Book pitch

Why Los Angeles Dodgers great Clayton Kershaw agreed to a new biography. 

• • •

Canadian author Alice Munro holds one of her books as she receives her Man Booker International award at Trinity College Dublin, in Dublin, Ireland, on June 25, 2009. Canadian short story writer Alice Munro has won this year's Man Booker International Prize worth 60,000 pounds (95,000 US dollars, 70,000 euros). It is awarded every two years, and since its creation in 2005 has been given to Albania's Ismail Kadare and Nigeria's Chinua Achebe. The panel, which comprised writers Jane Smiley, Amit Chaudhuri and Andrey Kurkov, praised the 77-year-old for the originality and depth of her work. AFP PHOTO/ Peter Muhly (Photo by PETER MUHLY / AFP) (Photo by PETER MUHLY/AFP via Getty Images)
Canadian author Alice Munro holds one of her books as she receives her Man Booker International award at Trinity College Dublin, in Dublin, Ireland, on June 25, 2009. (Photo by PETER MUHLY/AFP via Getty Images)

Remembering Alice Munro

the beloved Canadian author, revered as short story master, dies at 92. 

• • •

Marie Mutsuki Mockett is the author of "The Tree Doctor." (Photo credit Alfie Goodrich / Cover courtesy of Graywolf Press)
Marie Mutsuki Mockett is the author of “The Tree Doctor.” (Photo credit Alfie Goodrich / Cover courtesy of Graywolf Press)

Arbor and ardor

How “The Tree Doctor” explores finding joy in the midst of the pandemic’s pain. 

• • •

Dan Bernstein, a retired columnist for The Press-Enterprise, signs his book "Justice in Plain Sight: How a Small-town ɫ̳paper and its Unlikely Lawyer Opened America's Courtrooms," at the Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts in Riverside on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. (File photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Dan Bernstein, a retired columnist for The Press-Enterprise, signs his book “Justice in Plain Sight: How a Small-town ɫ̳paper and its Unlikely Lawyer Opened America’s Courtrooms,” at the Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts in Riverside on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. (File photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

Supreme justice

Dan Bernstein’s book about the Riverside Press-Enterprise’s legal victory wins award. 


Next on ‘Bookish’

Bookish (SCNG)
Bookish (SCNG)

Today, May 17th, at 5 p.m. Adam Gopnik, author of “All That is Happiness” and Suzanne Park, author of “One Last Word” are the guests on Bookish. .

• • •

Have you read anything you’d like to share with other readers? Email epedersen@scng.com with “ERIK’S BOOK PAGES” in the subject line and I may include your comments in an upcoming newsletter.

And if you enjoy this free newsletter, please consider sharing it with someone who likes books or getting a  to support local coverage.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

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4302603 2024-05-17T17:14:25+00:00 2024-05-17T17:36:58+00:00
Dabney Coleman dies at 92; prolific character actor played sexist boss in ‘9 to 5’ /2024/05/17/dabney-coleman-actor-who-specialized-in-curmudgeons-dies-at-92/ Fri, 17 May 2024 23:14:16 +0000 /?p=4302480&preview=true&preview_id=4302480 By Mark Kennedy

NEW YORK — Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the nasty TV director in “Tootsie,” has died. He was 92.

Coleman died Thursday, his daughter, Quincy Coleman, told The Hollywood Reporter. No other details were immediately available.

“The great Dabney Coleman literally created, or defined, really — in a uniquely singular way — an archetype as a character actor. He was so good at what he did it’s hard to imagine movies and television of the last 40 years without him,” Ben Stiller wrote on X.

For two decades Coleman labored in movies and TV shows as a talented but largely unnoticed performer. That changed abruptly in 1976 when he was cast as the incorrigibly corrupt mayor of the hamlet of Fernwood in “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” a satirical soap opera that was so over the top no network would touch it.

Producer Norman Lear finally managed to syndicate the show, which starred Louise Lasser in the title role. It quickly became a cult favorite. Coleman’s character, Mayor Merle Jeeter, was especially popular and his masterful, comic deadpan delivery did not go overlooked by film and network executives.

A six-footer with an ample black mustache, Coleman went on to make his mark in numerous popular films, including as a stressed out computer scientist in “War Games,” Tom Hanks’ father in “You’ve Got Mail” and a fire fighting official in “The Towering Inferno.”

He won a Golden Globe for “The Slap Maxwell Story” and an Emmy Award for best supporting actor in Peter Levin’s 1987 small screen legal drama “Sworn to Silence.” Some of his recent credits include “Ray Donovan” and a recurring role on “Boardwalk Empire,” for which he won two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

In the groundbreaking 1980 hit “9 to 5,” he was the “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” boss who tormented his unappreciated female underlings — Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton — until they turned the tables on him.

In 1981, he was Fonda’s caring, well-mannered boyfriend, who asks her father (played by her real-life father, Henry Fonda) if he can sleep with her during a visit to her parents’ vacation home in “On Golden Pond.”

Opposite Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie,” he was the obnoxious director of a daytime soap opera that Hoffman’s character joins by pretending to be a woman. Among Coleman’s other films were “North Dallas Forty,” “Cloak and Dagger,” “Dragnet,” “Meet the Applegates,” “Inspector Gadget” and “Stuart Little.” He reunited with Hoffman as a land developer in Brad Silberling’s “Moonlight Mile” with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Coleman’s obnoxious characters didn’t translate quite as well on television, where he starred in a handful of network comedies. Although some became cult favorites, only one lasted longer than two seasons, and some critics questioned whether a series starring a lead character with absolutely no redeeming qualities could attract a mass audience.

“Buffalo Bill” (1983-84) was a good example. It starred Coleman as “Buffalo Bill” Bittinger, the smarmy, arrogant, dimwitted daytime talk show host who, unhappy at being relegated to the small-time market of Buffalo, New York, takes it out on everyone around him. Although smartly written and featuring a fine ensemble cast, it lasted only two seasons.

Another was 1987’s “The Slap Maxwell Story,” in which Coleman was a failed small-town sportswriter trying to save a faltering marriage while wooing a beautiful young reporter on the side.

Other failed attempts to find a mass TV audience included “Apple Pie,” “Drexell’s Class” (in which he played an inside trader) and “Madman of the People,” another newspaper show in which he clashed this time with his younger boss, who was also his daughter.

ATLANTA - JUNE 9: Lily Tomlin (L) and Dabney Coleman watch the festivities during the retro premiere of the movie "9 to 5" for the 8th Annual Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention gala June 9, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images)
(Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images Archives)
Lily Tomlin, left, and Dabney Coleman take part in a 2003 gala in Atlanta that included a screening of their 1980 hit film “9 to 5.” Coleman played the “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” boss who tormented his unappreciated female underlings — Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton — until they turned the tables on him.

He fared better in a co-starring role in “The Guardian” (2001-2004), which had him playing the father of a crooked lawyer. And he enjoyed the voice role as Principal Prickly on the Disney animated series “Recess” from 1997-2003.

Underneath all that bravura was a reserved man. Coleman insisted he was really quite shy. “I’ve been shy all my life. Maybe it stems from being the last of four children, all of them very handsome, including a brother who was Tyrone Power-handsome. Maybe it’s because my father died when I was 4,” he told The Associated Press in 1984. “I was extremely small, just a little guy who was there, the kid who created no trouble. I was attracted to fantasy, and I created games for myself.”

As he aged, he also began to put his mark on pompous authority figures, notably in 1998’s “My Date With the President’s Daughter,” in which he was not only an egotistical, self-absorbed president of the United States, but also a clueless father to a teenager girl.

Dabney Coleman — his real name — was born in 1932 in Austin, Texas. After two years at the Virginia Military Academy, two at the University of Texas and two in the Army, he was a 26-year-old law student when he met another Austin native, Zachry Scott, who starred in “Mildred Pierce” and other films.

“He was the most dynamic person I’ve ever met. He convinced me I should become an actor, and I literally left the next day to study in New York. He didn’t think that was too wise, but I made my decision,” Coleman told The AP in 1984.

Early credits included such TV shows as “Ben Casey,” “Dr Kildare,” “The Outer Limits,” “Bonanza,” “The Mod Squad” and the film “The Towering Inferno.” He appeared on Broadway in 1961 in “A Call on Kuprin.” He played Kevin Costner’s father on “Yellowstone.”

Twice divorced, Coleman is survived by four children, Meghan, Kelly, Randy and Quincy.

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4302480 2024-05-17T16:14:16+00:00 2024-05-17T16:15:29+00:00
New shopping center is bringing eateries to Chino /2024/05/17/new-shopping-center-is-bringing-eateries-to-chino/ Fri, 17 May 2024 22:57:13 +0000 /?p=4302454&preview=true&preview_id=4302454 Several restaurants are settling in at the new Town Center at the Preserve in Chino.

The 24-acre development, anchored by a Stater Bros. market, is on Pine Avenue west of Eastvale. The project by Lewis Retail Centers broke ground in October 2022 and held a . A string of tenants have opened since then.

One of the newest is Kenwood’s Kitchen & Tap, which opened on May 3 at 16287 Main St., Suite 110.

It’s a full-service family restaurant founded in 2020 in Costa Mesa by Ken Kenwood, formerly a longtime executive at In-N-Out Burger. This is its second location.

The menu includes burgers, sliders, sandwiches, flatbreads and small plates such as Buffalo Shrimp and Beer Can Tacos. Weekend brunch includes avocado toast, breakfast burritos and loco moco.

Among quick service chains, Panda Express will open a restaurant with a new store design on Monday, May 20, according to a news release.

  • Kenwood’s Kitchen & Tap recently opened in Town Center at...

    Kenwood’s Kitchen & Tap recently opened in Town Center at the Preserve, a new shopping center in Chino. (Photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Panda Express will open Monday in Chino’s new Town Center...

    Panda Express will open Monday in Chino’s new Town Center at The Preserve. (Photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Kenwood’s Kitchen & Tap in Chino includes a full bar....

    Kenwood’s Kitchen & Tap in Chino includes a full bar. (Photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Design elements include a mural portraying a street celebration with fireworks and a green neon dragon. Seating is at long tables or booths.

To celebrate the opening, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Monday, and the first 88 guests will receive a free Panda Express T-shirt.

The address is 8329 Pine Ave.

This is the second Panda Express in Chino. The first is in the Chino Spectrum Town Center at 4021 Grand Ave.

Eateries that have already opened at the shopping center include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Jersey Mike’s and Starbucks.

Those in the works include 7 Miles Tea Lab, the Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Panera Bread, Wingstop, Poki Bowl and Cold Stone Creamery.

Information:

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4302454 2024-05-17T15:57:13+00:00 2024-05-17T15:58:41+00:00
Sammy Hagar kicks off grand opening of the Sand Bar in Huntington Beach /2024/05/17/sammy-hagar-kicks-off-grand-opening-of-the-sand-bar-in-huntington-beach/ Fri, 17 May 2024 22:46:14 +0000 /?p=4302433&preview=true&preview_id=4302433 Sammy Hagar, the restaurateur and lead singer of such outfits as Van Halen and Montrose, made an appearance in Huntington Beach on Friday, May 17 to usher in the opening of the Sand Bar, the beachside extension of Cabo Wabo Beach Club. The Grammy-winning crooner appeared alongside his wife, Kari, and Bob Mayer III, president of the Mayer Corporation, owners of the Waterfront Beach Resort, for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“When you go to the beach, you lug all this (stuff) with you,” he said. “Coolers and ice that weighs a 150 pounds. You bring your own barbecues. You sit and work all day at the beach. Well, you don’t have to do that anymore. Just come in a bathing suit and a towel.”

A handful of local notables joined Hagar at today’s private ceremony, including Huntington Beach economic development manager Kriss Casanova and city council members Tony Strickland, Dan Kalmick, Rhonda Bolton and Casey McKeon.

SEE ALSO:

Sammy Hagar and his wife Kari were joined by members of the Huntington Beach city council and Kamran Enayat of The Waterfront Beach resort to cut the ribbon. Officially opening the Cabo Wabo Sand Bar.Sammy Hagar, appeared at the Cabo Wabo Sand Bar in Huntington Beach to commemorate its opening and have a ribbon cutting with The Waterfront Beach Resort on Friday May 17, 2024 (Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Sammy Hagar and his wife Kari were joined by members of the Huntington Beach city council and Kamran Enayat of The Waterfront Beach resort to cut the ribbon. Officially opening the Cabo Wabo Sand Bar.Sammy Hagar, appeared at the Cabo Wabo Sand Bar in Huntington Beach to commemorate its opening and have a ribbon cutting with The Waterfront Beach Resort on Friday May 17, 2024(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Featuring a 2,100-square-foot patio with 100 seats, which offers full-service dining and counter service for to-go meals, the Sand Bar sits right on the beach.

“We put a little lipstick and rouge on it and made the food good,” said Hagar, adding, “I tested all the drinks a week ago and I ended up having to go across the street to rent a room — I’m used to that kind of stuff.” (Both the Sand Bar and Cabo Wabo Beach Club are part of the Waterfront Beach Resort.)

Reflecting on his life and his work in the restaurant business, Hagar joked, “I’ve been a so-called rockstar my whole life. A lot of people don’t trust rockstars. They think we’re just flakey people who do drugs and just get in trouble. Well, we do that too but some of us have good intentions.”

Sammy Hagar, appeared at the Cabo Wabo Sand Bar in Huntington Beach to commemorate its opening and have a ribbon cutting with The Waterfront Beach Resort on Friday May 17, 2024 (Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Sammy Hagar, appeared at the Cabo Wabo Sand Bar in Huntington Beach to commemorate its opening and have a ribbon cutting with The Waterfront Beach Resort on Friday May 17, 2024(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Hagar donates a portion of his proceeds from the Sand Bar and Cabo Wabo to CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County and Tilly’s Life Center.

The singer/restauranteur, who also owns Sammy Hagar’s Beach Bar and Grill in Las Vegas and Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, added, “I want to thank the mayor for giving us a chance. We’re really going to make a difference here.”

After his Huntington Beach appearance, Hagar left to Las Vegas for the , Sammy’s Island at the Palms Casino Resort.

The Sand Bar, which features a menu of  offers year-round dining Wednesday through Sunday from noon until sunset.

Find it: 21351 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach; across from the Waterfront Beach Resort and next to Waterfront Adventures

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Klatch Coffee partners with Sprouts to open cafes inside supermarkets /2024/05/17/klatch-coffee-partners-with-sprouts-to-open-cafes-inside-supermarkets/ Fri, 17 May 2024 20:48:10 +0000 /?p=4302263&preview=true&preview_id=4302263 Klatch Coffee will soon be serving breakfast, snacks and its own beverages inside Sprouts Farmers Market.

The Rancho Cucamonga-based roaster is partnering with the Phoenix-based supermarket chain to open cafes within five of its more than 60 grocery stores in Southern California.

  • Klatch Coffee’s new cafe inside Sprouts Farmers Market in Fontana...

    Klatch Coffee’s new cafe inside Sprouts Farmers Market in Fontana will be serving a special whipped coffee called Smudgepot during its opening weekend celebration, May 24-27. (Photo courtesy of Klatch Coffee)

  • Berry Ricotta Toast will be an exclusive menu items at...

    Berry Ricotta Toast will be an exclusive menu items at Klatch Coffee’s cafes within Sprouts Farmers Market. (Photo courtesy of Klatch Coffee)

  • An artist rendering shows how a Klatch cafe will look...

    An artist rendering shows how a Klatch cafe will look inside a Sprouts Farmers Market. (Image courtesy of Klatch Coffee)

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The first cafe, in Fontana, will celebrate its grand opening Friday, May 24 through Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. The store is at 16964 S. Highland Ave. in the Highland Village shopping center.

Cafes in Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Eastvale and Fullerton stores are expected to follow in coming months.

“We’ve always had the philosophy of meeting our customers where they are. The idea of putting a Klatch where you’re grocery shopping, making your life a little bit easier, makes a lot of sense for what we do,” Heather Perry, chief executive officer of the coffee company, said in a phone interview. It was , Mike Perry and Cindy Perry, in 1993.

Klatch already has seven cafes in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. The Sprouts partnership will nearly double the list and add a presence in Orange and Riverside counties as well.

To make room for the coffee shops, Klatch is repurposing public seating areas that were available to customers to relax or eat their grab-and-go purchases.

Those rooms tend to be underutilized, according to Steve Lamontagne, vice president of portfolio optimization.

“We want our stores to be as productive as they can,” he said in a separate phone interview.

The cafes are a pilot program that began a year ago in Arizona with a partnership with Press Coffee, also based in Phoenix.

Sprouts set up five Press coffee shops in its home state and went looking for a local partner for five additional coffee shops in Southern California. Lamontagne said that Sprouts was impressed by Klatch’s commitment to direct trade with coffee growers.

Sprouts reached out to Klatch about a year ago, according to Perry, and began stocking its whole bean blends in March.

She said the Sprouts cafes would be staffed by Klatch employees and provide the same experience as its own cafes, with about 90% of the menu.

But Klatch cafes will also have Klatch exclusives, Perry said. During the opening weekend celebration in Fontana, it will be serving a dalgona coffee created for Klatch’s 30th anniversary celebration last fall.

Dalgona, or whipped, coffee is a trendy, Instagram-friendly beverage that comes from Macau or South Korea and is made with coffee, sugar and a hand mixer. The Klatch version is named Smudgepot after heaters once used to avoid frost damage in citrus orchards.

“Oranges and orange groves are a huge part of Southern California culture,” said Perry. “What we did for this drink, we took off on the dalgona trend. We take espresso and cold brew and orange blossom water and orange extract and syrup and put in a nitrous canister and whip it so its super-light and serve it on a base of oat milk. It’s light and refreshing and orangey.”

The first 25 customers to purchase a Smudgepot each day during Memorial Day weekend will get a free Klatch Coffee glass can, and the first 50 customers on Saturday will get a Sprouts reusable shopping bag, the news release said.

Another exclusive will be Berry Ricotta Toast, made with seasonal berries and local honey on artisan bread, according to a news release.

“Sprouts is very local within the communities they operate,” said Lamontagne. “Klatch has been rooted in the communities where they operate for the last 30 years. They take their business very seriously and really, really focus on their customers. It’s really that blend. I can’t stress enough how the partnership comes together and how we make sure that works. We could partner with any of the big coffee companies out there, but that’s not the way Sprouts goes to market.”

Perry had a similar thought.

“We’re treating these just like Klatch cafes. There’s no difference in our minds.”

Information: ,

 

 

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4302263 2024-05-17T13:48:10+00:00 2024-05-17T13:57:12+00:00
Tiny faces draw large crowds at LA County Fair’s Big Red Barn /2024/05/17/tiny-faces-draw-large-crowds-at-la-county-fairs-big-red-barn/ Fri, 17 May 2024 18:41:58 +0000 /?p=4302084&preview=true&preview_id=4302084 Furry friends and family share the spotlight at The Big Red Barn, where babies and their moms delight visitors each year during the .

Goats, chickens, pigs, sheep and even cows call the space home during the , greeting thousands of visitors each season.

  • Piglets crawl over one another to feed on their mother...

    Piglets crawl over one another to feed on their mother as fair goers enjoy the sights of small farm animals in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Fairgoers watch as baby sheep, lambs feed on their mother...

    Fairgoers watch as baby sheep, lambs feed on their mother in the pin with other sheep in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • A baby sheep, lamb feeds on its mother in the...

    A baby sheep, lamb feeds on its mother in the pin with other sheep in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • A college student holds a baby goat for fairgoers to...

    A college student holds a baby goat for fairgoers to touch in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • A young child watches as a baby goat feeds on...

    A young child watches as a baby goat feeds on its mother as fair goers enjoy the sights of small farm animals in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • A baby sheep, lamb calls out for its mother as...

    A baby sheep, lamb calls out for its mother as it stands alone in the pin with other sheep in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Fairgoers react as they watch piglets crawl over one another...

    Fairgoers react as they watch piglets crawl over one another to feed on their mother in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Cream Leg Bars Easter Eggers Red Sex Link chicks hatched...

    Cream Leg Bars Easter Eggers Red Sex Link chicks hatched 5-11-2024 stay warm under a heat lamp in The Little Red Hen, “Chicken Coop and Hatchery” in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Piglets crawl over one another to get to mommas milk...

    Piglets crawl over one another to get to mommas milk as fair goers enjoy the sights of small farm animals in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Baby goats huddle together in a pin as fair goers...

    Baby goats huddle together in a pin as fair goers enjoy the sights of small farm animals in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Baby sheep, lambs feed on their mother in the pin...

    Baby sheep, lambs feed on their mother in the pin with other sheep in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • A couple walks hand in hand through the Big Red...

    A couple walks hand in hand through the Big Red Barn some of the furry stars are on display during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Piglets crawl over one another to feed on their mother...

    Piglets crawl over one another to feed on their mother as fair goers enjoy the sights of small farm animals in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Baby goats feed on their momma as fair goers enjoy...

    Baby goats feed on their momma as fair goers enjoy the sights of small farm animals in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Families pose for photos in farm cutouts in the Big...

    Families pose for photos in farm cutouts in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • A calf rests in hey with cows in the Big...

    A calf rests in hey with cows in the Big Red Barn during the 2024 LA Fair at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Many still pregnant and give birth on the fairgrounds in Pomona.

Guests can get hands-on in the barnyard with activities such as the petting zoo, and learn more about the animals at various educational lectures given by the animal handlers.

Admission to The Big Red Barn is included with each fairgoer’s ticket. The fair runs Thursday-Sunday through May 26, plus Memorial Day. For hours and ticket information, see .

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