By Mark Kellam
The Review
A luau event was held recently at the South Pasadena Senior Center to celebrate the end of summer and beginning of things to come.
At the event, 70-year-old Mary Green of San Gabriel said a significant thing she did this summer was, for the first time in two and half years, swimming in an outdoor pool in Temple City. “And I enjoyed it,” she said, adding she prefers swimming in an outdoor pool, rather than an indoor one.
Her friend, Anne Hill of South Pasadena, gave kudos to the center for changing her life.
When she was 70 years old, five years ago, she was new to the area and had no friends. Green saw her wandering around the center, a bit lost, and Hill invited her to sit down with a group of friends.
It was a big moment for her. “How are you going to meet people when you’re 70 years old?” she asked. She added that at that point in your life you don’t have a job, which is usually a place where friendships can form.
Lavon Fulmer of South Pasadena said he and his wife plan to travel to Austin, Texas, to see his three sons and other family members.
“I’m very lucky,” the 85-year-old said, adding no one in his family was affected by COVID and he’s still able to travel.
Isabel Aragon said she plans to visit her new great-nephew and great-niece in San Antonio, Texas.
Becky Quiroz of Alhambra volunteers at the senior center and, on the day of the luau, she brought her lifelike mechanical talking parrot that repeated whatever was said to it.
She said she enjoys her time at the center, particularly doing arrangements using flowers from Trader Joe’s.
The bird’s name was Paul. “As in Pauly wants a cracker now,” she said, laughing.
One of the highlights of the event was hula dancing performed by Tiare Kaonoki, with the Mahana Dance Company, who brought staff members from the senior center to learn some hula moves in front of the crowd.
