Blog archive
June 2023
Communications Project with Cal State LA
06/02/2023
Creative Aging
06/01/2023
May 2023
One Villager's Story
05/31/2023
Pasadena Area Literary Arts Center
05/31/2023
Pasadena Village Responds to Rainbow Flag Burning at Pasadena Buddhist Temple
05/31/2023
Plan Ahead - And Be Prepared
05/31/2023
Tuesday, May 23 Pasadena Celebrated Older Americans
05/31/2023
Rumor of Humor #15
05/28/2023
Reparations, Social Justice Activity
05/24/2023
Rumor of Humor #14
05/19/2023
Rumor of Humor #13
05/12/2023
Issue #12
05/09/2023
Science Monday - Review of Meeting on April 10, 2023
05/09/2023
Conversations Re African American Artists Before 1920
05/08/2023
Beyond the Village – Suzi and Phil Hoge
05/01/2023
Congratulations Wayne April! Honored at UNH
05/01/2023
Table Topics
05/01/2023
Volunteer Appreciation at the Village
05/01/2023
“ACCIDENTAL HOST—The Story of Rat Lungworm Disease”
05/01/2023
April 2023
Jumbo Joy
04/24/2023
Pasadenans Recent Experience With Racism
04/23/2023
Recent Events Reflecting Racism
04/23/2023
Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
04/18/2023
Photography for Social Justice
04/11/2023
Issue #8
04/07/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - Catherine Deely
04/06/2023
Creative Writing in Older Adults
04/06/2023
Gifts of Love
04/06/2023
March 2023
Issue #7
03/31/2023
Issue #6
03/26/2023
Great Decisions update
03/14/2023
Dominion Lawsuit, South Africa and 710 Stub
03/08/2023
February 2023
2023 DEI Progress
02/27/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - Doug Colliflower
02/26/2023
CONVERSATIONS WITH ART
02/26/2023
GREAT DECISIONS
02/26/2023
OLDER ADULTS RESOURCE FAIR
02/26/2023
The Important, Influential Books in our Lives - Revisited
02/26/2023
History, Resolution of the 710 Freeway
02/19/2023
Eminent Domain, 710 Highway
02/13/2023
Bernard Garrett, 710 Freeway
02/06/2023
Men's Times Gatherings
02/03/2023
January 2023
Pasadena's Senior Commission
01/30/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - JIM HENDRICK
01/27/2023
GRATITUDE - IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!
01/27/2023
JEFF GUTSTADT - FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST
01/27/2023
Bernard Garrett, Incredible Black Entrepreneur
01/17/2023
What is the "Spirit Talk" Group About?
01/16/2023
Same Ol’ New Year, Brand New Me
01/12/2023
Review of 2022, Consideration of 2023
01/06/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - PATTI LA MARR
01/03/2023
FROM THE CHAIR
01/03/2023
WALK WITH EASE
01/03/2023
Neighborhood Mixers
By Blog MasterPosted: 12/05/2021
The idea of creating neighborhood groups came out of the Social Connections committee. As the Village grew it seemed that organizing people is “neighborhoods” was a way to build connections that could be useful in the event of an emergency or simply the need to get in touch with a new friend. Barbara Madden took on the task of Neighborhood Coordinator and organized Village members into five neighborhoods that include areas beyond Pasadena where members live. Each Neighborhood group selected a leader and together they set their own meeting schedules. During the pandemic they all made the switch to Zoom and it proved to be a very effective way of keeping in touch.
Recently, Barbara and Fritzie Culick, who leads the Foothills neighborhood (Altadena, La Canada and La Crescenta) organized two multi-neighborhood Zoom gatherings, one comprised of two neighborhoods and one made up of three. The two groups planned their own programs using “break out” rooms to encourage participation.
The combination of Zoom technology and Barbara’s flawless manipulation of it resulted in a seamless flow back and forth between sessions in the break out rooms. Members answered the questions, “What is good about your neighborhood?” and “When did you first come to the Pasadena area?”
As Peter LeSourd, who along with his wife, Margo Halsted, is leader of the 91101-05 group, reported, “The result was an energetic, happy interaction in each break-out session, starting with the anticipation and then delighted recognition of who would be in each session, followed by a recognition of commonalities that the six-person group had as to Village interests and activities, followed by a discussion of a topic that had been given for that session to discuss. It was a fun game of anticipating what the "luck of the draw" would bring.”
By the end of the meetings, the members felt a greater senses of belonging and a deeper understanding of their fellow members in their neighborhood and beyond. All agreed that this is something we need to do again – and maybe we can do it in person at some point.