Arcadia’s first two mayors paid a visit to the Woman’s Club of Arcadia Thursday, May 29, as part of a member program of the Arcadia Historical Society saluting notable Arcadians as the Arcadia Woman’s Club celebrates its Centennial.
R-to-L: Gene Glasco, Carol Libby, Scott Hetrick, Char Wong, Beth Costanza, Gil Stromsoe, Karen Hou, Margaux Viera, Gail Marshall
More than 80 attendees were treated to an introduction of many past Arcadia Mayors, current and past Presidents of the Woman’s Club, and current and past Presidents of the Society. Woman’s Club Centennial chairwoman Floretta Lauber was the only one who was recognized in all three categories. Along with the Floretta, other past Mayors in attendance were Bob Margett, Jim Helms, Dr. Sheng Chang, and Gail Marshall. All received gifts from the Society. New City Council Members Sho Tay and Tom Beck were also at the program.
Marshall and former Chamber Executive Director Beth Costanza, two of the three members of the Society’s Throughbred Racing Walk of Champions committee, were dressed as Arcadia founder Lucky Baldwin’s two daughters, Clara and Anita. They each took turns playing their parts and explaining a little about themselves to the audience.
Gene Glasco as Parker Lyon
The Society’s Historical Marker Committee Chairman Scott Hettrick and Society Treasurer Gil Stromsoe (also a former Society President), dressed up like the City’s first two Mayors, Baldwin and Hiram Unruh and delivered anecdotes about themselves and the era in which they lived as they walked among the crowd seated at tables.
Baldwin’s great-great-great-granddaughter Margaux Viera, who lives in Glendora, was in the audience, watching with amusement at the portrayals of her ancestors.
Society President and City Clerk Gene Glasco provided an engaging performance as the colorful Parker Lyon, who had owned a shop full of collectibles and curiousities where the Santa Anita Inn stands now.
Scott Hettrick as Lucky Baldwin
The evening was coordinated and hosted by Bev Street, with Society VP and another former President Carol Libby writing the cleverly entertaining and informative script and providing most of the period costumes. Street and Libby and Society board members Karen Hou and Char Wong also portrayed historical characters, with Libby hosting that portion of the program.
Prior to the interpretations, Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage volunteer Jack McRae presented a talk about his research into the history of the Woman’s Club for a Centennial Exhibit that ended this past weekend. His passion and enthusiasm for the project was clearly evident as he noted the great admiration he came to have for the strong women who accomplished so much. He also provided anecdotes about their tenacity and marveled at the records that were kept of their meetings and their accomplishments.
His note about finding records indicating that the Woman’s Club was actually founded in 1920 instead of 1914 drew a strong rebuke from Lauber, who said the Club has evidence of the year of 1914. The disagreement from which neither side would budge briefly became a little awkward and uncomforable for the audience but quickly became a running joke for the rest of the evening.
The first item on the evening’s agenda was a brief regular Society meeting led by Glasco, and the final item was enjoying a delicious dinner catered by The Fresh Gourmet of San Marino and tasty desserts including a spice cake and a cake featuring the logo of the Woman’s Club, both arranged and served by Betty Hettrick.
Bev Street (Left) joins the others in group photo.
Hettrick as Baldwin
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