Evolution

Old Town tour coming Sunday The Crescenta Valley Historical Society is scheduled to hold a walking tour Sunday with Mayor John Drayman of the region’s notable past. The group plans to meet at 9 a.m. in front of Java Brew, 2418 Honolulu Ave., where they will begin the tour of Old Montrose led by Drayman. Glendale’s mayor is slated to talk about the changing face of Montrose, from its origins as a dusty main street to its evolution into the tree-lined shopping district residents know today.

Jackson Bell Families and other Los Angeles Zoo patrons are getting up-close looks at dinosaurs in their prehistoric terrains during a special exhibit running through Thanksgiving weekend. About 18 motorized dinosaur models roared, grazed and protected their brood at "Destination: Dinosaurs at the Los Angeles Zoo," a six-month exhibit that will close Nov. 21. "The zoo is all about saving wildlife and conservation," General Curator Mike Dee said.

Velda Newman is an internationally recognized contemporary quilt artist, author and lecturer from Northern California, Known for her large scale, mostly organic designs, Velda creates original quilts of exceptional beauty and craftsmanship. For the past 18 years, Velda's work has appeared in many national and international exhibitions and has been featured in more than 30 publications, including Quilter's Newsletter and Threads magazine. She is the mother of four and the grandmother of 10. Her lecture will be about inspiration and evolution.

A recent letter questioned the practice of local police conducting prostitution stings designed to apprehend those soliciting the services of street prostitutes. The Glendale Police Department has been conducting these types of investigations for many years and targeting active prostitution operations as well. That is why we don't have a prostitution problem. That does not mean that this city is devoid of any practitioners of the ancient profession; it merely means that the activity has been kept to a minimum with a consistent pervasive program aimed at suppressing street prostitution and the problems that accompany it. The moral and social issues surrounding prostitution and other "victimless" crimes have been heavily debated over the years.

WHAT'S AFLOAT is published periodically. If you are planning a nautical event, submit the information to the Daily Pilot, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; by fax to (714) 966-4667; or by e-mail to o7lindsay.sandham @latimes.comf7o7.f7 SAILING CLASSES An advanced marine weather class is being offered by Orange Coast College's School of Sailing and Seamanship. The six-week course takes an in-depth look at high- and low-pressure systems and the evolution of hurricanes and thunderstorms.

Janine Marnien Bryan Griem had a lot of questions when he was growing up. He wondered if the Bible was true, and if the theory of evolution was accurate. Griem eventually found his answers in the doctrines of Christianity. He found his learning experience to be valuable. It eventually led him to a life of ministry. "I wanted to be a part of this whole questions-and-answers thing," he said. "Now, I have my questions answered, I can help other people.

Important evidence of our Rep. James Rogan's extremism has been hiding in a Congress subcommittee, no doubt to keep it from spurring election-year arguments. It'll come back out, though, if the religious right gains big in November. A year ago last week, a constitutional amendment (H.J. Res. 66) was reintroduced in the House to much hoopla -- with Rogan as co-sponsor. It would effectively eliminate the separation of church and state given us by the 1st Amendment.

Dozens of unique wine bottles of all sizes, colors and shapes were the center of attention at a presentation last Saturday afternoon at Deukmejian Park. The event was hosted by Glendale Parks Ranger Don Mullally, a local wine historian and wine bottle collector. He displayed dozens of wine bottles that he has collected over the years and explained the evolution of the wine bottle. Mullally's vast collection has been built over the past 50 years. Most of the bottles he got were from open dumps.

Descanso Gardens visitors can anticipate more than just beautiful foliage this summer. Starting June 24, the gardens will host an eight-week jazz music series on its main lawn, while simultaneously launching the Camellia Lounge, a low-key cocktail bar to be housed in the Japanese Full Moon Tea House. The concert series will serve as a replacement for the Pasadena Pops program, which last year announced plans to relocate to the Rose Bowl after 15 years at Descanso Gardens. “The idea behind the music program is simple, and that is during the summer months when the days are long and warm, the most beautiful times in the garden are in the evening,” Executive Director David Brown said.

A Los Angeles judge rejected a request Wednesday afternoon by  Jet Propulsion Laboratory attorneys t o bar the media when employees testify in a workplace discrimination case. The case is based on former JPL systems administrator David Coppedge's claim that he was fired unfairly after discussing the theory of intelligent design with coworkers. The theory is a seen as a challenge to the theory of evolution and holds that God or another force created the universe. Coppedge said his efforts to engage colleagues on intelligent design on the ballot measure seeking to ban gay marriage in California,Prop.