Spurred by the local group Compassionate Pomona in response to continued increases in violent acts and hate crimes toward minorities, the resolution reaffirms the city’s “commitment to compassion, equitable treatment and the condemnation of hate, racism and other acts of violence toward minorities,” according to a staff report prepared for the City Council.

The decision this month to publicly denounce such acts comes two years after Pomona councilmembers adopted a similar resolution condemning violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and hate and xenophobia against all persons.

Included in the latest resolution is the acknowledgment that while Pomona is not immune to untoward incidents, “the Pomona City Council wishes to promote an atmosphere of acceptance, tolerance, compassion, and mutual respect in the community.”

Pomona follows nearby Claremont in sending such a message, the latter doing so in February after flyers targeting the Jewish community were circulated around town.

A few months earlier, the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations reported a 23% increase in hate crimes in 2021 over the previous year, the highest number of such acts in 19 years.

So first I had to get over the eeep-moment when I realize Andrew McCarthy has written a book about walking 500-miles across Spain with his 19-year-old son and yes, OK, hello, how is it that Blane from “Pretty in Pink” has three kids now?

Never mind that three children in this house call me “Mom,” too. Wasn’t McCarthy just declaring his love to Molly Ringwald in that parking lot, struggling to write in “St. Elmo’s Fire” or swoonily defending Rosalind Chao in “Joy Luck Club?”

Eighties-flashback aside, McCarthy, 60, is of course not only “an avatar of a generation’s youth,” but also an award-winning travel writer and television director.

His new travel memoir “Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain,” debuted in the Top 10 of the New York Times bestseller list this week.

McCarthy dropped by Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena on May 18 to talk about the book, which chronicles the five-week, 500-mile Camino de Santiago pilgrimage he completed with his then 19-year-old son Sam in 2021

“I really wanted to try and transition our relationship from parent/child to two adults,” McCarthy said. “At one point Sam said, ‘It takes a long time, if ever, for a child to see their parents as real people.’ I think the inverse can be very true as well. One of my goals for the trip was to ‘see’ each other more clearly.”

Against the backdrop of the Camino, starting from France, over the Pyrenees, into Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, Leon and Galicia, ending at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, the father-son trip followed the footsteps of centuries worth of pilgrims.

During McCarthy’s first Camino, done in the ’90s when he was grappling with his “Brat Packer” fame, his “white-light” moment was how much fear he carried about life. This time, having his firstborn as his companion on the road, was enough.

“You just go, you need so little,” McCarthy said. “You start walking and everything falls into place. Have some laughs, have a good time, and the big stuff happens.”

Blisters and hard beds were part of the course. But moments of grace came, too.

“On the walk I had the ultimate luxury that a parent can have with an adult child, the luxury of time,” McCarthy said. “I didn’t feel the need to offer advice and impart ‘wisdom.’ I simply walked beside him and let Sam hash things out for himself. To simply listen. I didn’t have to be wise.

Since the walk, Sam has mentioned that he now has more trust with me, I would say that’s largely the result of my keeping my mouth shut as much as I could.”

Sam would later say the Camino was the only 10 out 10 thing he’d done in his life. His father said his first pilgrimage also yielded “marrow-deep realizations.”

“My wife is Irish and there’s an Irish saying, ‘I felt like myself from the toes up,’” McCarthy said. “I felt like that. The only other time that happened was when I was 15 and had just been cut from the basketball team and my Mom suggested I try out for the school play.

I ended up getting the part of the Artful Dodger in ‘Oliver!’ When I walked onstage, I felt like myself from the toes up. In that instant, I knew it was what I was doing with my life.”

Fatherhood is a journey McCarthy walks with Sam, now 21, daughter Willow, 16, and son Rowan, 9. McCarthy left home at 17 and didn’t have much of a relationship with his father, to whom “Walking with Sam” is dedicated. The two did come together before his father’s death.

“We didn’t solve any of the past,” McCarthy said. “We just dropped it, and all that was left was love.”

More relaxed (or exhausted) now as a parent, when he first became a father, McCarthy said he was “what I’m sure most every new father is like — thrilled, scared, proud, sleep deprived, hyper-vigilant, clueless.

“A friend’s father, a quiet man from a small southern town whom I had previously dismissed as a bit of a country bumpkin, took one look at me, saw the fear in my eyes and said in his soft drawl, ‘Andy, you just love ’em and keep ’em dry. The rest works out.’ Still the best advice I’ve ever gotten on parenting.”

Post-Camino, McCarthy is working on a documentary based on his book, “Brat: An ’80s Story,” set for probable release in the fall. He’s come to see how people perceive themselves through his role in their youth as something beautiful.

“I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and was part of a cultural shift in entertainment,” he said. “That over the decades, I and other members of the Brat Pack have come to be seen as ‘avatars’ of youth for a certain generation has become a blessing that only increases with time.”

The reward is the work, he said, be it making movies, travel writing or raising kids. Walking the Camino was work too — walking as a form of prayer, walking as a way to love.

When the time comes, will McCarthy embark on another Camino trip with his 9-year-old?

“He better grow up quick, I’m not getting any younger,” McCarthy said. “But yeah, I’d do it in a second if he wants to. I did offer to walk with my 16-year-old daughter Willow. She said, ‘Can we just go to Paris?’”

Anissa V. Rivera, columnist, “Mom’s the Word,” Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, Azusa Herald, Glendora Press and West Covina Highlander, San Dimas/La Verne Highlander. Southern California News Group, 181 W. Huntington Drive, Suite 209 Monrovia, CA 91016. 626-497-4869.

The county’s Natural History Museum (NHM), La Brea Tar Pits and George C. Page Museum have floated a proposal before the county Board of Supervisors to raise adult general admission prices from $15 per person to $18. They are also asking for a bump in reduced rates for seniors, students and youth, ages 13 to 17, from $12 to $14. Tickets for children 3 to 12 are $7.

The fee hikes go before the supervisors on Tuesday, May 23 and will require three votes of the five supervisors for approval.

These museums, which feature popular exhibits from the Butterfly Pavilion at the Natural History Museum to fossils of saber-toothed cats and giant sloths dating to the Ice Age at the Tar Pits and Page Museum, will  collectively raise about $1.1 million in revenue if the new ticket prices are approved, according to a letter contained in a county report written by Lori  Bettison-Varga, president and director of the museums.

The revenue will be used to offset rising costs associated with educational programs and free admission for school field trips, maintenance of facilities and increases in employee wages and benefits, the letter stated.

Providing free admission to all school children, teachers, veterans and active military, has cut into the county museums’ operating budget. Before the March 2020 start of the COVID-19 pandemic, one-third of the Natural History Museum’s 1.3 million visitors got in for free. In 2022, the Exposition Park museum saw a jump in school field trips, and free admissions now account for about half, the letter said.

As the museums ramp up to handle more visitors, costs have risen, wrote Bettison-Varga. The Natural History Museum anticipates completing a welcome center and a commons that will be available to the general public without paid admission. These improvements are also adding to operating costs.

A survey of other museums both in the county, in California and outside of California, Bettison-Varga wrote, showed that the proposed admission fees are not out of line. The letter stated that ticket prices were last increased in 2015.

“The proposed fees are well within the range charged by similar institutions, and are among the lowest in the county,” she wrote.

For comparison, the survey found:

• The Autry Museum of the American West at Griffith Park raised the price of adult general admission on Jan. 1, from $14 to $16, a 14% increase.

• The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) raised adult general admission from $15 in 2017 to the current price of $25, a 67% increase. L.A. County adult residents are charged $20.

• At The Getty in Brentwood and the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, admission is free.

• The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach raised adult general admission in the last few years. The survey said admission in 2017 was $29.95. The museum website indicates admission is $36.95. This represents a 24% increase.

Griffith Park has no admission fee, but some areas charge for parking. Admission to the Griffith Park Observatory is free, but the observatory astronomy show requires a separate ticket.

Griffith Park was donated to the city of Los Angeles by Colonel Griffith J. Griffith who required as part of the donation that the park would always be free to enter. Two attempts by the Los Angeles City Council to charge admission fees ultimately failed, explained Gerry Hans, president of Friends of Griffith Park.

In 1981, pay booths were installed at the park to collect $.50 on weekdays and $1.00 on weekends per car as a way to generate revenue for the city’s Recreation and Parks Department. That led to a lawsuit and protests. In 1984, the city removed the toll booths.

“During the time of the fee booths’ operation, many of the park’s concessions and venues were hurt financially with less people entering, including the LA Zoo, train rides, and pony rides. There were protests about double taxation, and toll booths were even vandalized,” Hans wrote in an emailed response.

In San Francisco, the city’s California Academy of Science in 2017 charged an adult general admission of $35.95. In 2023, the price of admission is $48.75, a 36% increase, the survey found.

Chicago’s Field Museum in 2017 charged $22.00 for general admission. In 2023, admission is $30.00, a 36% increase, the survey revealed.

Our dear departed cat, Tubby, was “special,” bless his heart. We adopted him when he was a senior. I specifically asked to adopt the cat who had been in the shelter the longest and was least likely to be adopted. Tubby! was the answer I received from staff at the Virginia Beach SPCA.

Tubby’s name was, how should I say it…well-deserved. He was a BIG cat! He wasn’t fond of people, and he didn’t like animals either. I quickly learned that one thing he DID like (besides food, of course) was scratching — especially my upholstered furniture.

Cats love to scratch. In fact, scratching is an instinctual and healthy feline behavior. Cats scratch to sharpen their nails, relieve anxiety, stretch their muscles, get some exercise and establish their territory.

Scent glands in their paw pads release pheromones when cats scratch. Pheromones do not have an odor that people can smell, but other cats definitely take note. Cats feel safer and more comfortable in their environment when they mark it by scratching.

The good news is that if you provide your cats with a variety of appropriate scratching options, you can stop them from damaging your belongings.

Finding your cat’s favorite scratching surfaces may take some trial and error. Each cat has their own scratching preferences. Some cats prefer vertical surfaces, while others like horizontal scratchers.

Fortunately, you can choose from an abundance of cat scratchers. From big cat trees and standalone scratching posts to wall-mounted pads, corrugated cardboard, carpet mats, sisal ropes…the options are endless.

When selecting your cat’s new scratcher, size matters. Cats prefer large, sturdy items. They also like to stretch their whole body, so buy a scratcher that allows them to fully extend.

In terms of placement, cats generally prefer to scratch in socially significant areas of the house. While it might be tempting to hide your cat’s scratcher out of sight, they will be less likely to use it.

Once a new scratcher is in place, many curious cats will explore it immediately, while others may need some encouragement.

Try sprinkling some catnip or silvervine (Actinidia polygama, an alternative to catnip) to entice kitty over to play on or near the new scratcher. Reward your cat with a favorite treat for investigating or giving it a scratch or two.

Never punish your cat for scratching, even if you find them clawing in an inappropriate area. While using a spray bottle, noisemaker or physical punishment might work in the moment to deter your cat from scratching, it can create long-term behavioral problems such as litter box issues, avoidance or fear and aggression towards humans.

Instead of punishment, redirect your cat’s scratching. For example, if your kitty scratches the arm of your fabric sofa, try a vertical scratching post placed right next to the arm of the couch. If your cat prefers scratching horizontally on the back of the sofa, place a sturdy horizontal scratcher on the ground near the couch.

A final word about scratching — cats need their claws for grooming, balance, mobility, gripping and protection. Declawing should never be a solution to cat scratching. Declawing is an inhumane and incredibly painful procedure that leads to arthritis and, often, long-term litter box issues.

Pasadena Humane is launching a “purr-fect” new training class this June to help you learn more about scratching and getting your kitties off on the right paw.

“Kitten Kindergarten” is a fun, interactive experience that allows kittens ages 8 to 14 weeks to safely socialize with other kittens and new people in a clean, managed environment. Kitten parents will learn about litter box habits, mouthing, harness training and much more! Register at pasadenahumane.org/training

Dia DuVernet is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane. pasadenahumane.org

Less than a minute later, another temblor the same size hit a mile away. Then a third struck just before 1 a.m., and over the next two days dozens of smaller quakes followed.

Anytime there’s a swarm of earthquakes in their community locals can’t help but think about the steam billowing from a dozen geothermal power plants that have sprung up along the Salton Sea’s southeastern shore over the past four decades.

They wonder, could decades of drilling thousands of feet into the Earth’s crust and pumping out boiling brine to make renewable energy be causing some of these quakes? And could drilling and testing in the area by companies rushing to extract lithium needed for electric vehicle batteries be increasing the risk?

Those were among the concerns raised by some 50 residents who attended a community meeting May 15 at a Niland elementary school, where they asked a team of researchers about new lithium extraction and geothermal projects underway in the area.

“They always ask about seismicity and earthquakes, and how much of that is natural and how much might be due to geothermal power production,” noted Michael McKibben, a geology research professor from UC Riverside who helped lead that presentation.

Turns out, for a variety of reasons we’ll get to soon, that’s a tough question to answer in this region.

But seismologists say one thing is clear: Anytime we drill thousands of feet into the ground, and monkey around with pressure in the Earth’s crust, there’s a potential for triggering earthquakes.

And a series of even small quakes can trigger temblors on nearby fault lines. That’s why seismologists watch closely when swarms happen in this area, since the Salton Sea marks the end of the southern stretch of the San Andreas Fault. Scientists believe that particular stretch of the mighty San Andreas, which hasn’t ruptured since 1680, is capable of generating a magnitude 8 quake that could devastate California.

“We know someday it’s going to pop,” said William Ellsworth, a geophysics professor at Stanford University.

That’s got some people worried about whether energy projects at the Salton Sea could be putting the region — and much of Southern California — at greater risk for a major earthquake.

“I am definitely concerned about this,” said Jeremy Merrill, who lives in east San Diego County and received email notifications about the recent swarm.

“We are currently predicted to have a major quake in Southern California within the next few decades. And if this accelerates it, that is a huge risk.”

A decade-old study out of UC Santa Cruz found a correlation between geothermal production and spikes in seismic activity around the Salton Sea. But Andrew Barbour, who studies induced quakes as a geophysicist with the U.S Geological Survey, doesn’t believe there’s scientific consensus on whether swarms have accelerated in the years since companies started to tap the geothermal field.

The most comprehensive look at data related to that question is due out this summer, when McKibben’s team releases a long-awaited report on the area’s geothermal field that will compare more than four decades of seismic activity with local geothermal power production.

In the meantime, experts say there are a few things companies and regulators can do to minimize the risks of induced earthquakes, help researchers get a better grasp of those risks, and help prepare the community if temblors happen.

But since there’s no way to eliminate the risk altogether, scientists say this is one more example of the dilemmas we face as we try to quickly curb climate change without creating a new set of hazards.

“These are tough choices we have to make as a society,” said Michael Manga, a planetary sciences professor at UC Berkeley who’s studied this region.

“We need power, so we’re getting geothermal power and the potential for lithium to make batteries. And I guess we’re trading that off with the possibility of having induced earthquakes.”

Risk baked in

The same conditions that make the southern end of the Salton Sea ripe for lithium extraction also make it prime for seismic activity.

Multiple fault lines, including the San Andreas, run through the area. Those faults allow magma that’s usually trapped a couple dozen miles beneath the Earth’s surface, in the thick mantle layer, flow up to the crust. Once there, the magma heats an aquifer of mineral-rich water that sits 4,000 to 12,000 feet underground to more than 500 degrees.

Berkshire Hathaway, under its spinoff company CalEnergy, was the first to tap that geothermal brine when it opened a power plant in the area in 1982. Through wells drilled more than a mile deep, super-heated geothermal brine travels under high pressure to a low-pressure tank at the surface. The change in pressure turns some of the fluid into vapor, which drives a turbine that makes electricity.

CalEnergy added nine more geothermal plants in the area over the next 18 years. Then, in 2012, San Diego-based EnergySource added one more, bringing to 11 the number of geothermal plants operating on the southeastern edge of the Salton Sea.

For decades, after those plants captured steam from the brine, they’ve sent all the lithium-rich liquid back into the earth. But recently, as demand for lithium has surged, researchers have scrambled to come up with the most efficient way to extract lithium from that brine before sending everything else back underground.

That lithium boom attracted a third player to the Salton Sea. Australian company Controlled Thermal Resources drilled another well last year and plans to eventually drill as many as 60 to produce geothermal power and capture lithium and other valuable minerals from the brine.

For those companies, Ellsworth said smaller earthquakes are actually good for business because they help keep the geothermal field active. But building infrastructure also is very expensive, which means a lot of money would be on the line if any seismic activities were to trigger a big enough quake to damage power plants. So UC Berkeley scientist Manga said he hopes investors are pressuring companies for solid due diligence, which includes finding out as much as possible about the seismic hazards.

None of the companies operating geothermal plants in the area answered questions about their calculations or potential steps to minimize risks.

Controlled Thermal Resources was the only company to offer any response, with a written statement pointing out how the region is already prone to seismic activity. The company also noted that any well operations are subject to strict permitting and reporting requirements. And, the statement said, “It is important to note that no earthquakes have been attributed to geothermal production in the 40 years of operations in the Salton Sea geothermal area.”

Experts say that is accurate in a strict sense. But they also said there’s no way to know if that’s simply due to unique challenges at play in this seismically active area.

Gauging the level of risk

When people raise concerns posed by geothermal activities at the Salton Sea, they often cite the well-documented introduction of quakes in once-quiet places like Texas and Oklahoma due to oil fracking.

Any such connection is much tougher to suss out when it comes to local geothermal activity for two simple reasons, according to federal geophysicist Barbour: There’s simply too much natural seismic activity already underway in the Imperial Valley and not enough specific, long-term data to sort out the differences.

But when it comes to inducing quakes, fracking also is believed to carry a greater risk than geothermal operations due to key distinctions in the different processes.

With fracking, companies use deep wells to shoot highly pressurized water, sand and chemicals to split open and widen cracks in underground rock formations, releasing gas or crude oil trapped within those formations. Since that increases pressure underground, Barbour said, it’s easy to see why those processes have been linked to spikes in seismic activity.

Geothermal operations, on the other hand, are only replacing fluids they previously extracted. So companies like to say they’re “stabilizing” the Salton Sea’s geothermal field when they inject material.

However, half a dozen scientists interviewed for this story said all geothermal power operations can induce earthquakes.

On the one hand, Ellsworth said removing fluids from the geothermal field should reduce pressure and therefore reduce stress on earthquake faults. But Barbour pointed out some fluid gets lost during the engineering process, which means companies are injecting a lower volume of fluid than they extracted. He said studies have found any reduction in geothermal fluids can cause underground rocks to contract and impact stress on nearby faults.

In 2006, Basel, Switzerland experienced a series of quakes, up to magnitude 3.6, shortly after a geothermal plant finished drilling on top of a fault there. Residents protested and the plant was quickly shut down.

There’s at least one example of a geothermal company operating near the Salton Sea allowing an injection well site to become over pressurized to the point that fluids broke through the crust and made it back to the surface. The incident happened in April 2021, according to emailed responses from the California Department of Conservation. The state agency didn’t respond to repeated requests about which operator owned the well, but said that well and others in the area were shut down until extensive safety tests were conducted.

Records of that violation, and any others by area operators, don’t appear to be posted publicly. The Department of Conservation said violation notices would take some time to compile and weren’t available at press time.

Along with changes to underground pressure, geothermal companies also are injecting cooled fluids back into the earth, with the temperature often dropping from more than 500 degrees to closer to 100 degrees. The USGS lists such temperature changes as a “significant factor” in why Northern California’s Geysers Geothermal Field, which experienced its own swarm in April, regularly triggers small quakes that rattle residents in the nearby town of Cobb.

While plants there operate a bit differently than the plants at the Salton Sea, with additional wastewater injected into the Northern California geothermal field to restore depleted fluids, researchers said both extract hot materials and inject cooled materials. One notable difference, Ellsworth pointed out, is that the Geysers facility isn’t near any major fault lines.

In 2013, researchers from UC Santa Cruz released a study showing quake patterns near the Salton Sea mirroring patterns in geothermal energy production. Lead author Emily Brodsky said she hasn’t been tracking data from the region since then, deferring to other experts for comment on this story.

Several seismologists said that while they didn’t dispute the correlation in Brodsky’s study, there was some controversy over an observation tacked onto the end of the paper that suggested quake swarms near the geothermal field could trigger a bigger quake along the San Andreas fault.

The end of the San Andreas fault is about a dozen miles from where geothermal production takes place, Barbour pointed out. That may not seem far. But he said the southern shore would likely need to see quakes significantly larger than what’s on record to date, with peaks in the magnitude 5 range, to set off the San Andreas fault.

Minimizing the risks

While there’s no way to eliminate the risk of geothermal operations triggering earthquakes, scientists said there are a few things companies and regulators can do to help.

One is to ensure that no one is drilling wells or injecting cooled material directly over a local fault line, Barbour said.

Others suggested implementing a “traffic light” system for geothermal plants that’s similar to what fracking operators must use, where they get alerts if they’re injecting materials and raising pressures too quickly.

All scientists interviewed for this story said they’d like to see more frequent, comprehensive and and transparent data collection.

Right now, companies have to report monthly production and injection rates to the state, with those reports available on the the Department of Conservation’s website. But that data is posted a couple months late. To be able to draw a clean line between geothermal operations and particular earthquakes, scientists said companies would need to report that data daily and regulators would need to quickly make it available to the public.

As a condition of their permits, geothermal companies also have to install seismic monitors at their sites and include earthquake data in annual reports submitted to state and Imperial County regulators. But the state doesn’t have, let alone post, electronic copies of those annual reports, the conservation department said. Hard copies weren’t available by press time.

Those monitors also are not connected to state or federal earthquakes systems, which track quakes in real time. Public systems have gotten better at determining the size, and location of quakes since they were first installed in the Salton Sea area 91 years ago, Barbour said. But they’re still some distance away from injection well sites on geothermal company land. So Barbour said researchers would be able to get a better handle on what’s happening if companies were required to share detailed quake data from their on-site monitoring stations.

One other step Ellsworth suggested is for the Salton Sea region to establish a fund similar to one set up for residents near the Geysers geothermal plants. There, he said companies pay into a fund locals can tap into if an earthquake in the region causes property damage.

None of the companies responded to a request asking if they’d be willing to consider such a move.

Weighing the risks vs. benefits here is tough, Merrill said.

“The benefit of increased electric vehicle production is great for the environment, but a major quake has the potential to cause massive damage to critical infrastructure,” he said. “I’d probably err on the side of protecting the people who live here in the region as a priority until alternative means of lithium extraction can be developed.”

So far, thanks to recent jolts of public and private funds, the seismic shift underway to turn the Salton Sea into Lithium Valley shows no signs of slowing down.

Ron Gastelum, a 1968 graduate of the four-year liberal arts school, who also served on the college’s board from 1996-2001, has taken the reins from interim board chair Kenya Willliams, who retains her seat on the board.

In a May 17 letter to the Whittier College faculty, Gastelum introduced himself as the new chair as well as announced five new/returning members of the board. 

Gastelum, who also holds a JD degree from UCLA, was CEO and general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California from 1999 to 2004. He also served as interim executive vice president of the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce.

He is coming out of retirement to take on the board chair position and, in the letter, said he’s been closely monitoring the events at the college for the past five years.

“I am moving quickly to understand the concerns expressed by many on a range of topics vital to the College’s future,” Gastelum wrote. “I will be soliciting the informed views and well-intentioned suggestions of the many who have perspectives that not only myself, but the entire Board, should hear in what I hope will be a renewed spirit of collaboration.”

Gastelum comes into the chair position after a concerted effort by a Whittier College alumni group to oust its president. Linda Oubré — less than a month after insisting she wouldn’t resign — did just that on May 12. Her last official day will be June 30.

The same day Oubré announced her resignation, the Board of Trustees named an interim president. Sal johnston (who prefers his name spelled in lowercase), will take on that role and help the board with its national search for Whittier College’s next president. Johnston was the college’s vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty.

Though there are some rumblings about the appointment of johnston as interim — from faculty and from alumni — Gastelum told the Whittier Daily News in an email the stability of having an immediate replacement for Oubré was important.

Having an interim president – like johnston – will allow the board to determine both short and medium-term leadership needs, Gastelum said.

Still, some alumni like Elizabeth Power Robison, are not convinced, calling johnston’s appointment “a disastrous choice.”

“In his current capacity as VP and Dean of Faculty, sal johnston is a core member of the team that for the past five years has failed in its leadership of the College and has put the College on the brink of collapse,” Robison said. “He has lost the trust of the faculty and cannot lead the recovery efforts that are needed to rebuild enrollment and secure philanthropic support.

But Gastelum insisted the new board will not delay in reaching out to all Whittier College stakeholders.

“Just as importantly, Dr. johnston, myself and the entire Board of Trustees will not wait to open lines of communication in order to restore trust and good faith with our Poet community,” Gastelum said.

Gastelum, in his May 17 letter, wrote he is energized about collaborating with johnston as they work to identify traits the college needs in its next president over the summer.

“While we will discuss and announce the plan for the search later this summer, I am planning to begin the process of conducting a series of meetings with our alumni, faculty, staff, and students to gather your input and hear your desires for our next president,” Gastelum wrote.

Gastelum also announced a handful of new board members, all alumni. It’s the board’s hope this will help regaining trust within the Poet community, he said.

The new board members include:

• Richard Gilchrist (1968), a trustee emeritus, who comes back as a full-time member

• Raquel Torres-Retana (1991)

• Tiffany Dean (1997)

• Lila Wiggs Laviano (2003).

The board is also in the process of bringing back Kristine Dillon (1973), who is respected for experience in board management, Gastelum said.

By July 1, the Whittier College Board of Trustees will have a total of 22 members, with the possibility of two additional members joining before that date, according to Patti Waid, spokesperson for the college.

The Board of Trustees in a statement thanked Oubré for her service as president, adding her leadership had built a strong foundation for the college’s future. But some were anticipating her resignation after a series of issues this year. Oubré, who signed on as Whittier College’s first Black president and third woman president in 2018, still had about three years left on her contract and full support of its Board of Trustees. And as recently as last month, appeared steadfast in riding out those years.

Oubré said part of her tenure was occupied by making the “tough decision” to realign resources with the college mission, to stave off fully shutting down the school, which had been beset like many small schools with declining enrollment. It was a decision that led the campus community and alumni upset during an era of declining enrollment and dwindling finances at the more than 130-year-old institution, the undergraduate home to former President Richard Nixon.

In addition to declining enrollment, the college’s financial situation mostly declined in concert, according to financial statements posed on its website. In 2018, Whittier had roughly $299 million in assets. That number fell to $282 million in 2020, but then was bolstered by the MacKenzie Scott’s private donation in 2021 to $322 million. Last year, the college showed $294 million in assets.

This included the dismantling of sports programs, such as football and lacrosse, multiple trustees’ resignations or firings, and a lackluster annual drive.

These issues prompted the formation of the alumni group titled Save Whittier College, which drafted a statement of no confidence in Oubré, which accused the president of poor financial management and failure to advance the mission of the college.

In addition, Save Whittier College launched its own fundraising campaign with $500,000 in pledges that it promised to the school if Oubre left by May 1. Those pledges will be met once Oubré is out of office, said Patty Hill, member of the Save Whittier College Group.

The pledges created a visible contrast between the campaign and the college’s annual Big Poet Give, which raised only $130,000 this year, about half what the appeal usually garners, according to the Save Whittier College website.

Oubré’s departure is what alumni groups believe to be the “first step” to restoring the college. But those groups also alleged the board remains negligent in its financial responsibility to the institution.

With upcoming changes being made in the composition of the board, Gastelum said, that could potentially change.

Williams, the interim chair for the past several months, said in a statement on May 13, she welcomed back the “longstanding” Whittier college leaders Gastelum and Gilchrist to the board.

“We look forward to continuing to engage with our alumni, staff, students and faculty, who truly care about the future of our college,” Williams said. “The next chapter for Whittier College promises dynamic changes that continue moving us forward.

Williams added the board recognizes and welcomes concerns from alumni, faculty, staff and members of the student body.

And, new chair Gastelum agreed collaboration was key.

“I believe our actions (not just words), will demonstrate our dedication to the bright future that lies ahead for our students and the College as we all work together,” he said.

Staff Writer Lisa Jacobs contributed to this article.

Here is a sampling of things to do in the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier, May 19-26.

Raging Waters celebrates its 40th season on May 20, with the debut of “Bombs Away,” its newest 300-foot plunge ride. Riders can choose from two drop tubes to either fly straight down at 26 feet per second or loop around to splashdown. The largest water park in California will also offer its Father’s Day Flop on June 18 and an all-new Pirates Day Treasure Hunt in September. Season passes start at $99. For more information, ragingwaters.com/buy-tickets/tickets

Forest Lawn Museum – Glendale: New: “Grand Views: The Immersive World of Panoramas,” through Sept. 10. The exhibit is in partnership with the Velaslavasay Panorama in Los Angeles (www.panoramaonview.org). Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Free admission. Location, 1712 S. Glendale Ave. forestlawn.com/events/grand-views/

An Evening with David Sedaris: Purchase presale tickets for the author’s talk, to be held at 8 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The general sale begins at 10 a.m. May 19. The one-night-only event follows the release of Sedaris’ newest book “Happy Go Lucky.” For more information, go to visitpasadena.com and click on “Pasadena Events.”

Los Angeles County Fair: The fair’s theme this year is “Spring into Fair,” through May 29. Admission is available online now for discount. Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday-Sunday and Memorial Day (May 29). Admission online $15/$18/$21 (depending on date); ages 60 and older and ages 6-12 admission online $10/$12 (depending on date). Admission at the gate $30; $15 ages 60 and older and ages 6-12. Parking in advance online $17; $22 at the gate. Also, Fairplex is a cashless venue. Some concessionaires and vendors may accept cash, but credit or debit card is preferred. Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona. www.lacountyfair.com

Covina Woman’s Club’s Bunco Afternoon: Join the fun at 2 p.m. May 19. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Admission $20. Tickets will be sold at the door but come early to ensure a seat. Finger foods and drinks will be served after the games. Clubhouse, 128 S. San Jose Ave. (off of Badillo Street), Covina. covinawomansclub.org

Car show: Ruby’s Cruise car show starring American Streetrodders happens at 5 p.m. Fridays, through October. 10109 Whittwood Drive, Whittier. Come for food, family fun, trophies and prizes. Location, 10109 Whittwood Drive, Whittier. For more information,  SoCalCarCulture.com. Flyer: bit.ly/44MQ9D8

Vroman’s Bookstore: Holly Goldberg Sloan discusses her novel “Pieces of Blue,” 7 p.m. May 19. Local Author Day: Clarence Irwin (“The Fourth Canton: Adventures of the Rhett Family and Co.”), Anthony J. Mohr (“Every Other Weekend – Coming of Age with Two Different Dads”) and Melina Maria Morry (“The Manhattan Mishap”) discuss their books, 4 p.m. May 21. Héctor Tobar discusses “Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of ‘Latino,’” 7 p.m. May 22. Louise Penny signs “A World of Curiosities,” 4 p.m. May 23. Joe Ide discusses “Fixit – An IQ Novel,” 7 p.m. May 24. T.J. Newman discusses “Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421,” 7 p.m. May 31. Location, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-5320. vromans.com

The Dance and the Railroad: The play by David Henry Hwang, set in 1867, follows two Chinese artists and their fellow railroad workers as they hold a strike to protest inhuman conditions suffered by Chinese laborers in the American West, opening night, 8 p.m. May 19. Show runs 8 p.m.  May 20; 2 p.m. May 21 and 7 p.m. May 22. Tickets are pay-what-you-choose with options, $30 or $50. A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. 626-356-3100. anoisewithin.org/noise-now. www.anoisewithin.org/play/dance-and-the-railroad

Wheel fun time: The Los Angeles Invitational features three gravel ride options kicking off at 7:30 a.m. May 20 and followed by the sixth annual bike/car show and swap meet, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 21. The Cub House, 2510 Mission St., San Marino. 626-755-3003. losangelesinvitational.com

Farmers market at Mount San Antonio College Farm fresh everything is available, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. May 20 at Parking Lot B, 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut. Aside from fruits and vegetables, find all kinds of nuts, breads, desserts, snacks, juices and ready-to-eat dishes such as dumplings. Vendors also sell handmade items and plants. 909-869-0701. Email: info@regionalchambersgv.com. Regional Chamber of Commerce – San Gabriel Valley: bit.ly/3WK4ZFj. www.facebook.com/MTSacFarmersMarket

West Covina Farmers Market: Shop for in-season fruits and vegetables, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. May 20 (and also on most Saturdays). The market also offers prepared foods and artisan crafts. EBT is accepted. Location, 195 Glendora Ave., West Covina. For more information, email: Fmlcevendor@gmail.com. Check here for updates: www.facebook.com/westcovinafarmersmarket

Handcraft heaven: Artazan, a springtime market inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. May 20 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 21. Check out more than 200 exhibits, artist demos, food and live music. The exhibits celebrate handmade artisanship. Admission $8 online; $10 at the door; admission is good for both days. Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St. Artazan.com

Repair Café: A free, all-purpose repair party, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. May 20. Learn how fix household appliances. Bring your torn jeans, dull knife or faulty lamp. Arrive early to ensure your item is looked at. Bring your own replacement parts (no replacement parts for items will be available. This event will be indoors. There will also be plant-sharing and a free market. Park across the library at 120 Artsakh Ave. The library validates for three hours parking. Glendale Central Library, 222 E. Harvard St., Glendale. For questions, 818-548-2021 or email at LibraryInfo@GlendaleCA.gov. Details, and to see what can’t be repaired: bit.ly/44NRSIs

Renaissance Pleasure Faire: Immerse yourself in the time of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign and have some fun with cosplay of the time period, speaking the lingo, shopping in the marketplace, listening to music and laughing at performances, May 20-21. Fun dress code: period “faire” costume (optional). Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission $42; $21 ages 5-12; $225 season pass. There is a mandatory entry fee $12 to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation area. Parking is free, first-come, first served; VIP parking $25 (must be purchased in advance online). Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, 15501 E. Arrow Highway, Irwindale. 626-969-4750. renfair.com/socal

Glendora Genealogical Society: Penny Walters, speaking on Zoom from England, gives a talk at the society’s next meeting, noon May 20. Walters discusses ethical dilemmas in genealogy and considering ethical issues with empathy and diplomacy. For more information and to get the Zoom link, email lorman1237@gmail.com or call 909-592-4030.

Crown City Symphony: The program includes Pelleas et Melisande Suite by Faure, L’Arlesienne Suite by Bizet and Concertina for Flute by Chaminade, with flute soloist Debbie MacMurray, 2 p.m. May 20. Free admission. First Baptist Church, 75 N. Marengo Ave., Pasadena. 626-797-1994.

Third@First Concert Series: Women composers are in the spotlight for “Joy of Chamber Music,” 4 p.m. May 20. The program includes Clara Schumann’s Piano Trio in G Minor and Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor. Free admission. First United Methodist Church of Pasadena, 500 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. thirdatfirst.org

Storied science: TechLit, Caltech’s creative writing club, invites the public to an author reading and Q&A at 7 p.m. May 20. Delve into “Inner Space and Outer Thoughts: Speculative Fiction from Caltech and JPL Authors,” the group’s first science fiction anthology. Award-winning alumni and sci-fi legends S. B. Divya, Larry Niven and David Brin will read and Caltech and JPL research scientists will talk about the science behind their stories. Free admission, but make a reservation on the Eventbrite link. Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium, 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena. bit.ly/Caltech-reading-tickets

Life in the Past Lane: “Museums of the Arroyo Day” returns, noon to 5 p.m. May 21. MOTA is the one day that five museums in Los Angeles and Pasadena open their doors to show off great architecture, historical discoveries, family fun and entertainment. Free shuttles will connect the museums: Gamble House; Heritage Square; Los Angeles Police Museum; Lummis Home and Garden;  Pasadena Museum of History. The best plan would be to pick no more than three museums to visit. For more information, visit MuseumsOfTheArroyo.com

Civil War talk: The Pasadena Civil War Round Table presents a talk by author Mark Cannon at its next meeting,7:15 p.m. May 23. Cannon discusses his book “Lincoln’s Scout: The Diary of Horatio Cooke, Soldier, Spy, Escape Artist.” Free admission/donations appreciated. Enter the parking lot at the driveway at 165 N. Madison Ave. (second driveway south of Walnut Street). Use rear door entrance to the Blinn House, 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena. For more information, PasadenaCWRT.org

Music on Main: The city of El Monte brings music to its farmers market, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 25 with 4 The People. Main Street between Santa Anita and Tyler avenues, El Monte.  For more information, 626-580-2200. ci.el-monte.ca.us

Water safety fundraiser: The award-winning Rose Bowl Aquatics Center hosts “Water Safety for All,” a fundraiser featuring a paella-themed cocktail reception and documentary screening of “Drowning in Silence” on May 25. Tickets $100; $75 ages 55 and older. Reservations required. Garland Auditorium on the grounds of Polytechnic School, 1070 Cornell Road, Pasadena. Tickets: rosebowlaquatics.org/water-safety-for-all. See May 4 posting on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRBAC/

Save the theater dates: Whittier Community Theatre is back at the newly refurbished Whittier Center Theatre. Celebrate 100 years with a new season, including “The Importance of Being Earnest (A Wilde New Musical)” opening in September. “The Ghost Train” follows in November, Neil Simon’s “California Suite” in February and “Moon Over Buffalo” in May. For more information about the plays and tickets, 562-696-0600. www.whittiercommunitytheatre.org

Ongoing

Pasadena Showcase House of Design: The 58th showcase highlights the talents of 32 interior and exterior designers who have transformed the Stewart House, a 1933 Pasadena colonial estate designed by Marston & Maybury. The estate is open for tours through May 21. Explore more than 30 design spaces and check out 20 boutique shops vendors, two restaurants, a wine bar and more than two-acres of gardens. Tour hours: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Friday; 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Tour tickets are by a timed entry: $40 (1:30-4 p.m.); $50 (9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.); $35 (“Happy Hour,” 4 p.m. to closing). Parking and shuttles depart from Santa Anita Race Track, Gate 6 Lot on Colorado Place. Proceeds from the tours of the house go to fund three music programs. For more information, pasadenashowcase.org

Pasadena Tournament of Roses House: The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association offers free guided tours, 2 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 31. The Tournament House tours reveals little-known facts and trivia and also includes the Wrigley Gardens. Explore the house that has served as headquarters for the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game. Reservations are required for the hour-long tours. For groups of 10 or more, call 626-449-4100 or email membership@tournamentofroses.com. Book a tour here: tournamentofroses.com/house-tours

Book a castle visit: Rubel Castle is an elaborate folk-art medieval castle in the foothills of Glendora, with five-story tall towers solidly built out of junk and river rocks by the late Michael Rubel and his friends. The castle offers eight scheduled tours each month. Tours are two hours long. Admission is $20 for adults; $10 ages 8-18. The property is not Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible; see website for details. Rubel Castle, 844 N. Live Oak Ave., Glendora. Glendora Historical Society voicemail, 626-963-0419. rubeltours.org

Descanso Gardens: Ongoing special art exhibit: “Shiki: The Four Seasons in Japanese Art,” in the Sturt Haaga Gallery and runs through May 21. Gardens hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. The gallery is open, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $15; $11 ages 65 and older and student with valid ID; $5 ages 5-12. Location, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintidge. 818-949-4200. descansogardens.org

Kidspace Children’s Museum: The 27th annual “Butterfly Season” at the museum is open with children’s activities including going on a big safari, playing dress-up, viewing live caterpillars, moths and honeybees, through May 14. Also, learn from “Los Trompos,” an interactive art installation that honors the monarch butterfly’s cultural and ecological ties to Mexico. Tickets are by time and date: $14.95 ages 1-61; $12.95 ages 62 and older (purchase here: bit.ly/3mJOFoh). Location, 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-9144. kidspacemuseum.org

Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden: Hours: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Purchase tickets online and in advance. Admission $15; $11 ages 62 and older and students with ID; $5 ages 5-12. Due to construction of a new visitor entrance, entrance is temporarily at the south parking lot and north of Ayres Hall. The arboretum is at 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. 626-821-3222. arboretum.org

Monrovia Historical Museum: Explore the museum, 1-4 p.m. Thursday and Sunday. Docent-led tours are available. Free admission/donation. The museum is at 742 E. Lemon Ave., Monrovia. 626-357-9537. monroviahistoricalmuseum.org

Norton Simon Museum: Ongoing special exhibits: “Saint Sebastian: Anatomy of a Sculpture,” learn about the 15th-century Italian painted sculpture from the Norton Simon collections, through July 3. “All Consuming: Art and the Essence of Food,” through Aug. 14. An online exhibit: “Representing Women: Gender and Portraiture in 17th Century Europe” (view here bit.ly/3zLRR9p). Hours: noon-5 p.m. Monday and Thursday-Sunday. Admission $15; $12 ages 62 and older; free for ages 18 and younger and students with a valid ID. Location, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-449-6840. nortonsimon.org

USC Pacific Asia Museum: Ongoing special exhibit: “Global Asias: Contemporary Asian and Asian American Art — From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation,” through June 25. Also, explore the Sunkal Ceramics Gallery and the specific galleries for art of South and Southeast Asia, China, Himalaya, Pacific Island, Japan, Korea and Silk Road. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Admission is by advance timed purchase, $10; $7 ages 65 and older and students with valid ID; free for ages 17 and under. Also, free admission from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays and on the second Sunday of the month. 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. 626-787-2680. pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu

Whittier Museum: Exhibits on aspects of Whittier history including agriculture and Quaker settlers. Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Free admission/donations. Location, 6755 Newlin Ave., Whittier. 562-945-3871. Email: info@whittiermuseum.org. whittiermuseum.org/visit

Send calendar items to Anissa V. Rivera at sgvncalendar@gmail.com. Please send items at least three weeks before the event. Please list phone, email and/or website for additional information.

The fastest pace of rate hikes by the Federal Reserve in decades combined with negative social media sentiment contributed to the failure of SVB Financial Group’s Silicon Valley Bank, said Greg Becker, former chief executive officer of the company.

“The messaging from the Federal Reserve was that interest rates would remain low and that the inflation that was starting to bubble up would only be ‘transitory,’” Becker said in written testimony prepared for a US Senate Banking Committee hearing Tuesday focused on Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, both of which were seized by regulators in March. “Indeed, between the start of 2020 and the end of 2021, banks collectively purchased nearly $2.3 trillion of investment securities in this low-yield environment created by the Federal Reserve.”

Silicon Valley Bank catered to the technology-startup ecosystem, and its heavy focus on the sector combined with a portfolio of long-dated bonds that lost value as interest rates climbed made it particularly susceptible to the bank run that prompted regulators to seize the lender. Its failure touched off a number of other bank runs, leading to the seizure of Signature Bank days later and the eventual collapse of First Republic Bank as well.

Becker said comparisons by the media between SVB and Silvergate Capital Corp., which announced plans to wind down just days before his bank’s seizure, contributed to SVB’s failure.

“Silvergate’s failure and the link to SVB caused rumors and misconceptions to spread quickly online, leading to the start of what would become an unprecedented bank run,” Becker said in his testimony. “The next day, the bank run picked up steam. By the end of the day on March 9, $42 billion in deposits were withdrawn from SVB in 10 hours, or roughly $1 million every second.”

Becker also acknowledged lapses on the part of SVB raised by auditors and regulators that executives were working to rectify. He pointed to the expansion of the bank’s Treasury management team to enhance risk management as it closed on $100 billion in assets, a level it surpassed in February 2021.

The bank also sought to hire a chief risk officer with experience running a so-called large financial institution after consultation with the Federal Reserve Board. SVB also looked to improve liquidity in 2022, he said, while noting that regulators said at that time that the bank had sufficient capital and liquidity.

“I never imagined that these unprecedented events could happen to SVB and strongly believe that the leadership team and I made the best decisions we could with the facts, forecasts and outside expert advice available to us at the time,” Becker said. “The takeover of SVB has been personally and professionally devastating, and I am truly sorry for how this has impacted SVB’s employees, clients and shareholders.”

Signature Bank

It’s the first time Becker is speaking publicly since March 10, when Silicon Valley Bank was placed into receivership. Executives who ran failed banks have been under intense public scrutiny as turmoil continues to roil the financial sector. Scott Shay, co-founder and former chairman of New York-based Signature Bank, also is set to testify Tuesday, as is Eric Howell, the company’s former president.

Both Shay and Howell said in their written testimony that they believed Signature’s liquidity position would have allowed it to remain open, but that they understood regulators viewed the situation differently.

“Although I disagreed with this decision, I recognize the important role that bank regulators play in our financial system,” Shay said. “My first priority in helping to build Signature Bank was providing excellent service to our customers. I was therefore pleased that the government guaranteed the full amount of our customers’ deposits.”

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

Woo met Darrian Lu for the first time Thursday in downtown Los Angeles. Lu, an Alameda teen on the autism spectrum, had been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia for two years. Woo was his blood stem cell donor.

“As soon as I knew I was a match, I said, absolutely, there’s no question about it. As a parent, I wanted to help potentially save a life,” said Woo.

In November 2021, Lu had his life-changing transplant at the Oakland Children’s Hospital. He said he was excited and grateful to meet Woo for the first time.

The emotional reunion was made possible by nonprofit Be the Match, which helps patients with life-threatening blood cancers find bone marrow and stem cell donors, increasing access to cellular therapy.

Nearly half of the registry’s Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander patients currently do not have a matching blood stem cell donor on the Be The Match registry.

Organizers say eligible donors can help increase those odds by joining the free registry, with a health history form and a cheek swab sample, through a kit sent to their home. Anyone who meets healthy guidelines is welcome, and more donors of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and between the ages of 18 and 35, are most urgently needed.

As part of its campaign effort to reach more donors during Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Be The Match hosted a special live-streamed concert in Little Tokyo with singer-songwriter AJ Rafael, who is also a blood stem cell donor.

There are upcoming swab drives and donor events in L.A. and the Inland Empire. Visit BetheMatch.com for details and a list of events.

First story: Mom at 6, looking down at her exasperated mother from the branches of a guava tree in the backyard of their house in San Juan. The Sunday dress she had worn to church was torn beyond repair. Her legs were scratched up, too. But she was flushed with accomplishment and the sun was shining. She shrugged off the scolding.

Another tale was from when she was even younger, a faint memory of finding Lola H’s diary and tearing off a page here, then a page there, a paper trail that Lola H followed down the stairs to the giggly culprit. A stronger memory of the talking-to she got when she was discovered.

Save for Mom, the women of the clan, the mothers that came before me, are silent now, alive only in the stories. Their names conjure up sepia-toned worlds in a sun-browned land: Macaria, Sinforosa, Maxima, Isabel, Honorata, Teresita.

Maxima married an older widower, becoming stepmother to three children before giving birth to five more of her own. Only two of these children survived to adulthood. She raised my grandmother Honorata, Lola H in later years, to adore her father. Lola H had more stories of him and precious few of “Lola ‘Sima.”

Isabel was born out of wedlock to a woman who later married and had a son. She adored her half-brother. She married Francisco, who was half-Chinese and liked to laugh.

They had seven children. Isabel left school after the fourth or fifth grade, and her husband later lorded his seventh-grade education over her. In my childhood memories, she is a background figure, eclipsed by her ebullient husband who loved to glad-hand everyone and eat ice cream with us granddaughters when we visited on Sundays.

But it is Honorata Castro Cruz, our Lola H, whose life brims with stories we know. Her earliest memory is of watching little silver fish swim in the river.

She met her husband Luis when she was in high school and he a pharmacy student at the University of Santo Tomas. He knew to be the first to greet her father when he came courting. She loved how the scent of Piedmont cigarettes clung to his white suits. She called him “Count” and he called her “Henriette” after they saw the silent movie “Orphans of the Storm” with Lillian Gish.

They opened Pharmacia Cruz and she taught elementary school, her seven children growing up alongside her students. Luis fell sick and died months before World War II ended in 1945. Lola H would live for another 54 years.

A daughter would bring her to Chicago in the 1960s, and our family would welcome her to Alhambra in early 1991, where she would sit and ask her questions.

The man she fell in love was slight and quiet and kind. He liked reading “Popular Mechanics.” At their home, he would tease her and give her bottom a push whenever they walked up the stairs. She loved to say that sometimes, she could feel a gentle pressure behind her when she climbed some steps. And, of course, she remembered all of Mom’s antics with a smiling shake of her head.

The shape of stories about Mom, who is 93 now, depends on the daughter it relates to. She does, after all, have six girls, “my half-dozen.” Many stories end in tear-inducing laughter, and all magnify how she loved us first and loves us best.

Do you remember how she woke us up strumming a guitar she didn’t know to play? Her pan-cake makeup and Max Factor lipstick were always on point, her Paloma Picasso perfume never too heavy. She still laughs a lot, even when there’s little reason for it.

We lose our stories if we don’t tell them. And it’s in the telling that five generations of mothers speak to me still.

Anissa V. Rivera, columnist, “Mom’s the Word,” Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, Azusa Herald, Glendora Press and West Covina Highlander, San Dimas/La Verne Highlander. Southern California News Group, 181 W. Huntington Drive, Suite 209 Monrovia, CA 91016. 626-497-4869.