Derby Day

The 21st annual Derby Day began with “And they're off,” marking the open of the Kentucky Derby, live from Churchill Downs. On May 5 the Glendale Assn. of the Retarded welcomed about 300 supporters/bettors, who each had $300 in “Derby dollars” to bet with. They were welcomed by association client Casey Lavely, former association staff member Beverly Mondok-Thomas and association consultant David Cain. The three were dressed in full plantation regalia. The Royal Crest Room of Burbank's Pickwick Banquet Center held the luncheon and the giant screens that showed the running of the horses live.

Alex Coolman GLENDALE -- The running of the Kentucky Derby: it's an event horse-racing fans anxiously wait for each year. Sandy Doughty is looking forward to it too, but not just because of the race itself. Doughty is the director of the Glendale Foundation for the Retarded, a group that for the last nine years has held a "Derby Day" fund-raiser in conjunction with the famous face. It's an event that lets participants get the feeling of being at Churchill Downs to watch the race, but all the bets on the horses go to the foundation.

Orb won the Kentucky Derby after coming from 17th place on Saturday. It was a gloomy day in Churchill Downs but a bright, sunny day in Burbank. That's where the Glendale Association for the Retarded celebrated its 22nd annual Derby Day with the use of a giant screen at Pickwick Gardens so members and guests could enjoy the famed horse race in real time. GAR Executive Director Sandy Doughty greeted dozens of visitors. But she was upstaged by client Lynette Sparks in a southern plantation dress.

Stardusters Dance Club has 'Spring Fling' The Stardusters Dance Club's "Spring Fling" united a kaleidoscope of spring flowers with stunning formal attire and the fabulous '40s swing music of The Jack Lantz Orchestra on April 6 at the historical Altadena Town & Country Club. Co-chairmen were La Canada Flintridge residents Tony and Margie Riewe and Gene and Barbara Christiansen for the event that drew 45 member couples and their guests. Also on the dance committee were Stardusters' members Bill and Lynne MacDonald, Garth and Vera Gragg of Glendale, Jack and Sally Samuelson and Sam and Betty Jane Say. Each table was adorned with fresh spring flowers designed by the dinner committee members Margie Riewe, Barbara Christiansen and Lynne MacDonald with the help of floral artisan Lorraine Riewe.

Alex Coolman GLENDALE -- Lynette Sparks was practicing her lines while she worked. "Welcome to Derby Day," she said, giggling slightly. "Run for the roses." Sparks was getting ready, along with a few other employees of the Self-Aid Workshop on San Fernando Road, for Derby Day, a fund-raiser held today that benefits the Glendale Assn. for the Retarded. Derby Day, in which participants at the Pickwick Banquet Center can bet on the Kentucky Derby, helps generate much of the association's operating budget.

Association to host annual fundraiser The Glendale Assn. for the Retarded and its foundation will host their 17th annual fundraiser, “Derby Day: Run for the Roses” in the Royal Crest Room from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Pickwick Banquet Center in Burbank. Derby Day is a “Southern Style Affair,” featuring a buffet luncheon, a silent and live auction. Guests will be made to feel like they have a front-row seat at Churchill Downs while watching taped horse races on 10-foot screens and wager “Derby Dollars” on five races, including the live broadcast of the Kentucky Derby.

Assistance League honors new members Members of the Assistance League of Glendale welcomed their new provisional members at a luncheon in their new League Center at 314 Harvard St. in Glendale. Glendale President Marcie Haug introduced the president of National Assistance League, Linda Killmer, who flew in from Phoenix to speak at the luncheon and extend a warm welcome to all the members. New provisional members are Donna Franklin, Sue Barnes, Gloria Caruso, Roseann Case, Ginger Dotson, Mary Rough, Jean Peacock, Sondra Smith, Suzanne Varney, Jo Ann Hipp and Sandy Mayes.

California has a history of being populated with newcomers. So it’s unusual to meet someone like Dianne Endsley, a fourth-generation Californian whose ancestors arrived before the Civil War. “My family was here before California was a state,” she gleefully admits. Endsley lives in La Cañada Flintridge, and after successful careers in fashion design and public relations, she now devotes herself to volunteer work in the Glendale community. For the past 20 years Endsley has been deeply involved in GAR Services.

Orb won the Kentucky Derby after coming from 17th place on Saturday. It was a gloomy day in Churchill Downs but a bright, sunny day in Burbank. That's where the Glendale Association for the Retarded celebrated its 22nd annual Derby Day with the use of a giant screen at Pickwick Gardens so members and guests could enjoy the famed horse race in real time. GAR Executive Director Sandy Doughty greeted dozens of visitors. But she was upstaged by client Lynette Sparks in a southern plantation dress.

They've known each other for years. They've collaborated on fundraising projects. They're fellow Rotarians. Now, Sharon Townsend Roth will be taking over as executive director of Glendale Healthy Kids as the organization's current effervescent leader, Camille Levee, prepares to leave for a job in Arizona. “I'm just really proud to follow in her footsteps,” Roth said. “At the same time, I know I have to create my own footsteps.” Roth is foundation director for GAR Services, which provides residential, educational and vocational programs for adults with developmental disabilities.

The 21st annual Derby Day began with “And they're off,” marking the open of the Kentucky Derby, live from Churchill Downs. On May 5 the Glendale Assn. of the Retarded welcomed about 300 supporters/bettors, who each had $300 in “Derby dollars” to bet with. They were welcomed by association client Casey Lavely, former association staff member Beverly Mondok-Thomas and association consultant David Cain. The three were dressed in full plantation regalia. The Royal Crest Room of Burbank's Pickwick Banquet Center held the luncheon and the giant screens that showed the running of the horses live.

Racing at Santa Anita could very well be at a crossroads with Saturday's 75th running of the Santa Anita Derby. A good turnout might mean the track literally is on the verge of a new era. A poor turnout would be another black mark on the sport. No one will be rooting harder for an attendance of around 40,000 than Santa Anita's new CEO, who, coincidentally, is named Mark Verge. The Santa Anita Derby, which has produced 15  Kentucky Derby  winners, offers a good field, headed by 6-5 favorite Creative Cause.

California has a history of being populated with newcomers. So it’s unusual to meet someone like Dianne Endsley, a fourth-generation Californian whose ancestors arrived before the Civil War. “My family was here before California was a state,” she gleefully admits. Endsley lives in La Cañada Flintridge, and after successful careers in fashion design and public relations, she now devotes herself to volunteer work in the Glendale community. For the past 20 years Endsley has been deeply involved in GAR Services.

The importance of community was instilled early in Sharon Townsend Roth. A resident of Glendale since 1968, she graduated from Glendale High School, where she was a student government officer, member of the swim team and active in the music department, playing viola in the orchestra and clarinet in the marching band. ?My parents taught me to be involved in the community and give back from a young age,? she said. She was also a Girl Scout and received the Court of Honor, an honor equivalent to the Boy Scouts?

City plans special senior luncheons The city of Glendale Adult Recreation Center, 201 E. Colorado St., and Sparr Heights Community Center, 1613 Glencoe Way, are hosting two celebrations for Glendale seniors. The Cinco De Mayo Fiesta will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday featuring a Mariachi band, activities and a meal in keeping with the theme. The Mother?s Day Luncheon will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Every mother and grandmother in attendance will receive a rose.

Fundraiser to benefit GAR Derby Day, the 18th annual fundraiser for the Glendale Assn. for the Retarded, will be May 2 at Track Royal Crest Room of the Pickwick Banquet Center, 1001 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank. Post time is 11:30 a.m. and luncheon buffet is from noon to 1:30 p.m. The Kentucky Derby will be shown on big screen TVs and guests will be wagering the races with ?Derby Dollars.? There will be live and silent auctions. Auctioneer is Chris Schauble, anchor of NBC?

Life atop the Chevy Chase canyon has been good to Suzanne Coscarelli for the past 30 years. She has enjoyed financial success and traveled a lot. Despite these pleasures, however, she has always been aware that they are not enough. “I’ve been very, very lucky in life,” Coscarelli said. “I want to share that.” For nearly two decades, Coscarelli has been volunteering on the Glendale Assn. for the Retarded’s (GAR) board of directors. Founded in 1954, GAR provides support for developmentally disabled adults in the community.

Jack Quinn is an idea man who has immersed himself in Glendale, the city he’s called home for many years. The retired financial advisor has founded or co-founded many community programs in the city that have proven to be popular and long-lasting. Quinn, 77, co-founded the “Youth Leadership and the Future Conference” that is now in its 24th year and is held at the former Burbank Airport Hilton, now called the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel. The conference has attracted more than 1,700 students and community leaders, who have collaborated on learning the values of leadership and ethics.