Vol. 53, No.31
Serving the San Gabriel Valley Since 1966 Local Events
Entertainment
Sports
Chamber
page 2, 3 “Off Beat Happenings” Coming Soon
page 15
pages 10 - 11
page 6 - 7
Special Section Temple City, San Gabriel, & ROSEMEAD PAGE 5
July 29, 2015
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Temple City Student's First Week in the Land Down Under by Agnes Mok Temple City
On July 16th, 2015, six lucky Temple City students began their adventure to the sheep-populated continent of Australia. I was one of them. We boarded a Qantas plane at 9:15 pm and 15 gruelling hours later, we arrived in Sydney, Australia. The plane ride was smooth, for the most part, as I was able to enjoy nine hours of sleep. When we arrived at the Sydney airport, we were picked up by Tina Tallack and Madison Edwards, who then escorted us on a 1.5 hour long bus ride to Ms. Yvonne Whalan’s home. From there, I was picked up by my host family: the Smithers, who consist of Paul (father), Bridget (mother), Tom (older brother), and Lauren (younger sister). The first notably different
part of New South Wales is the distance between places. These Australian cities are incredibly large, perhaps over 10 times as spread out as Temple City. Houses are not as densely grouped, and there is much more vegetation than we would find in Los Angeles. I live in the more rural area: Glenorie, which is located in Sydney. From there, it takes at least half an hour to get anywhere else. So far, I’ve been fortunate enough to see some wildlife: kookaburras, cockatoos, sheep, cows, horses, kangaroos, wallabies, and chickens. My host family’s home is quite massive, with an extraordinary backyard that leads straight to the bush. While taking a bush walk, I was able to spot some unique birds and
Student delegation arriving at Sydney Airport. L to R: Cassandra Carmona, Ariana Pinedo, Agnes Mok, Mrs. Tina Tallack (from the Hawkesbury Sister City), Tanner Celano, Amber Wong, and Jessica Huang.
animals native to Australia. My family owns a dog, a cat, and two chickens. Their property includes a spacious house, a swimming pool, a tennis court, a shed, a dam,
and acres of green grass. is a 25 minute drive from Though my family lives their home. The school conin Sydney, the kids attend a sists of students in grades private school in HawkesKindergarten-12th grade. bury: Arndell Anglican It is separated into two College, which The Land Down Under continued on page 14
Kidspace Welcomes Special Olympics Athletes and Delegates
Past or Current Resident
by Tim Scheidler Pasadena
On the evening of Wednesday, July 22, Kidspace Children’s Museum was proud to host Special Olympic Delegates from Namibia, Tanzania, and Singapore as well as the local Special Olympic Athletes, The Pasadena Ducks. The evening at Kidspace was part of the Special Olympics World Games Host Town Program. Activities included interactions with Kidspace Educators and exhibits as well as a special dance performance from the High Spirit Dancers. The Pasadena Police Department was also on hand to provide a BBQ dinner for the 150 attendees. “The Special Olympics are an incredible and truly inspirational organization and we are proud to play a role in welcoming these delegates and athletes to Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area in anticipation of the start of this year’s games,” said
Michael Shanklin, CEO of Kidspace. “We wish everyone involved success, joy, friendship, and lots of fun!” During the week leading up to the start of the games, Pasadena will be
host to more than 7,000 athletes from 177 countries. In addition to Kidspace and the Pasadena Police Department, local organizations such as The Huntington Library, the Boys and
Girls Club of Pasadena, Pasadena’s National Charity League, Pasadena Unified School District, and others will be participating in welcoming these delegates and athletes as a part of the
Special Olympics continued on page 12