Dining

By Paul Little

A MESSAGE FROM THE PASADENA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Coronavirus (COVID-19) is impacting our local businesses. You can help each other weather the outbreak — and maybe keep each other in business

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is having a negative impact on local businesses. Many are anticipating a significant drop in income over the next few weeks and some are even considering closing temporarily. (Which could also impact their workers’ income.)

If you feel at all ill, please stay home. If you can, encourage your employees to work remotely and continue patronizing their favorite businesses.

There are things you can do to help maintain income at your favorite restaurants:

1. Buy a gift card online. 2. Order food to pick up or have it delivered. Restaurants are already among the cleanest retail environments you can find. Currently, our local restaurateurs are doubling down on their cleaning and sanitizing efforts to ensure their customers are safe and their staff is protected.

Likewise, our retailers are seeing a decline in business. You can support them even if you do not want to shop in person. Go to your favorite local retailers’ websites and buy a gift card that you can use later. Many local retailers also have online shopping portals. Order online and have your items delivered to your home or office. Many also offer a curbside pick-up service. Order and pay in advance and pick up your item at the curb. Publishers Weekly listed some things that can be done to support independent booksellers. A lot of these suggestions are true of every retailer, not just Vroman’s Bookstore and Whitmore Rare Books (https:// www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/ article/82668-10-ways-to-support-your-indie-bookstore-throughcoronavirus-and-beyond.html).

Also seeing a drop in business are fitness and yoga studios. If you can purchase future sessions, reserve for a time in the future or buy that gift card. Fitness and yoga studios deal very closely with clients and are working hard to maintain a safe and healthy environment.

Many of our small business members are very concerned that a prolonged period with little or no income could be devastating for them. As we hear information or become aware of potential resources, we will make that information available.

If you have immediate needs, we may be able to find resources to help. Please contact us at the Chamber.

If you have ideas on how the Chamber can help, or how policy changes could help your business (or someone else’s business) survive please let me know at paul@pasadena-chamber.org.

MORE CHAMBER NEWS Coronavirus: Local impacts, resources and information

We will update this post as new information becomes available. Please check back often for updates. We will post daily updates at https:// community.pasadena-chamber.org/

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• Many public events and acivities have been canceled or postponed, including performances at A Noise Within and Boston Court Pasadena, as well as The Pasadena Symphony. The Huntington Library, Art Museums and Botanical Garden has canceled public events but the gardens and facility remain open to the public. ArtCenter College of Design has canceled classes while Pasadena City College and Caltech have stopped holding in-person classes and are migrating instruction online. Disneyland will be closed through March. n

‘DAMN YOU,

CORONAVIRUS’

THEATRICAL, MUSICAL AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TAKE AN UNEXPECTED HOLIDAY DUE TO COVID-19 THREAT

BY KEVIN UHRICH

Perhaps the publicist for Boston Court Pasadena best summed up the fear and frustration everyone — everywhere — has been feeling over the past few weeks: “Damn You, Coronavirus!” silently blared the press release emailed from the venerable theater on North Mentor Avenue to the local media Thursday afternoon. Like most things associated with COVID-19, a deadly virus for which no vaccine is available and recently deemed responsible for a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, Boston Court’s news was not good. The theater announced that it was putting a stop to its current production of “Passion” until April 2.

On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has recommended that events involving 250 people or more be banned, just as LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has said people should not participate in events involving 50 or more people.

The Pasadena Playhouse, with its next production “Aladdin,” presented by the Pasadena Civic Ballet set for April 17, and the productions after that, “Holocaust Remembrance Reading: The Diary of Anne Frank,” set for April 20, has not yet announced any cancellations.

Although Sierra Madre Playhouse has posted a statement saying “All performances will take place as scheduled,” theater officials have canceled “Charlotte’s Web,” originally set to open March 30.

Due to the government regulations surrounding COVID-19, and to protect the health and safety of patrons and members, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles’ upcoming concert “The California Sound,” scheduled for April 4 and 5 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale is being postponed to a date in September to be determined. A number of other musical, entertainment groups and cultural organizations have also decided to postpone their currently scheduled events until later this month, April or summer.

The Pasadena Symphony, for instance, posted on its website that, in response to the directive by the county Department of Public Health to ban gatherings of 250 or more through March 31, that it has rescheduled its March 21 “Mozart & McGegan” concert for May 23, wrote Pasadena Symphony Association CEO Lora Unger. But, Unger wrote, “the Pasadena POPS Summer Series at the LA County Arboretum, commencing on June 20, will proceed as scheduled.”

Last Thursday, organizers of South Pasadena’s Eclectic Fest said the popular annual event has been canceled. It was scheduled for April 25, but with so much uncertainty due to the current circumstances organizers felt the wisest option was to call it off. They hope to reschedule later in the year.

14 PASADENA WEEKLY | 03.19.20 In Arcadia, Matt Denny’s Ale House has canceled all of its musical acts and postponed its annual St. Baldrick event in which people have their heads shaved for charity.

“We feel like it is in the best interest of the community and are following along with some standards that are being set to limit large gatherings,” the club’s owners wrote in an email.

In Pasadena, A Noise Within’s publicist that they are canceling current performances of “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Winter’s Tale” through the end of April. HISTORYcon, a convention put on by the History Channel and featuring stars of many of its hit shows, such as “Ancient Aliens,” was scheduled to open at the Pasadena Convention Center on April 3, but has been canceled.

The Pasadena Museum of History is putting off its annual Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 28 to late summer or early fall, wrote museum spokeswoman Jeannette Bovard.

It was with an abundance of caution that the Pasadena Senior Center announced the popular facility would be operating on a limited basis.

“Certain programs that allow for social distancing of three feet between each person will continue for now. These include weekday hot lunches, vital social services and certain classes and activities,” according to a message issued Friday by Senior Center Executive Director Akila Gibbs.

Classes and activities that have been put on hold are all clubs, a caregiver support group, tap dancing, international folk dance, open line dancing, ballroom dancing, ballroom dance party, Ready/Set/Bank, Braille class, Rediscovering Hope, tai chi, Alexander technique, chair aerobics, Scrabble, chess, Bolly X Lit, sewing, learning Spanish through acting and social media/smart phones class.

“Older adults, especially those who are 80+ and/or have compromised immune systems, are most vulnerable for contracting the virus,” the message states.

But it was Descanso Gardens that offered possibly the most appealing of the many alternatives offered by frazzled impresarios, directors and executive directors.

“In response to this serious crisis, Descanso has decided to operate as an outdoor-only venue until the situation is safe again. … All indoor programming and events will be canceled or re-imagined as outdoor events,” wrote Descanso Gardens Executive Director Juliann Rooke.

Fittingly, “Descanso Gardens,” Rooke notes, “is a place of reflection and nature. We hope you will find peace here amid all the troubling news around coronavirus (COVID-19).” n