Jessica Koslow

Check out who Lovin’ Life readers voted Best of Lovin’ Life 2024. I wrote short bits for the winners.

Read the entire issue.

When esthetician Kiana Dotson arrived at Suite 110 ready to see clients on Aug. 3 at Marina del Rey’s Phenix Salon Suites, she was greeted with a notice from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department instructing all businesses to vacate five days later.

“It was heartbreaking,” shared Dotson, a single mother and owner of Waxing in Harmony who was the first to arrive at Phenix. She immediately texted her co-workers about the unexpected news.

“I had been there for almost 10 years,” she said. “I started my business there; it was like my second baby. We were all good and loyal tenants. We paid our rent weekly, and it was disheartening to be treated like that after being there for so long.” . . .

Read the full article at The Argonaut.

Check out who Chandler Arizonan readers voted Best of Chandler 2024. I wrote short bits for 39 of the winners.

Read the entire issue.

The High Notes, Pasadena Chorale’s middle school choir, is holding auditions for soprano and alto voices for its second season. Last year’s inaugural choir consisted of 30 singers from eight different middle schools in the Pasadena area.

According to choir director Jeffrey Bernstein, The High Notes offers a unique and special opportunity for students. First, the kids get to know other kids from other schools, broadening their exposure to students across town who they do not see every day but with whom they may have a lot in common. Second, this coming year, the students will range from sixth to 10th grade because they allowed the eighth graders to remain in the program (and some of those eighth graders are now 10th graders).

“The way our choir bridges the ages is unusual and fruitful,” Bernstein said, who founded Pasadena Chorale, a 90-voice community chorus in Pasadena, in 2009.  . . .

Read the full article at Pasadena Weekly.

In celebration of its 140 years of serving the Pasadena public, the Pasadena Public Library (PPL) is collecting library stories from the community.

The online prompts read, “Tell us why you love the Pasadena Public Library,” and “What is your favorite memory at Pasadena Public Library?” People are asked to submit a photo with their story. It can be of the person, a drawing, a letter, or anything that relates to the story.

“We have received several outstanding stories already and are eager to receive as many as the community would like to supply us with,” Tim McDonald, library director, said. “It would be a full-circle accomplishment if we were to receive 140 stories to celebrate 140 years.” . . .

Read the full article at Pasadena Weekly.

Check out who the DTLA News readers voted Best of DTLA 2024. I wrote short bits about each of the 106 winners.

Read the entire issue at DTLA News.