And the 10th Annual Thorny Rose Award goes to: Friends of Hahamongna
By Terry Miller
Published: Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Even though the civic playing field in recent times is disturbingly absent of memorable candidates, the 10th Order of the Thorny Rose has finally spoken. A deeper plunge into the, generally, tepid civic pool, has elevated the Friends of Hahamongna to the small, loud circle of awardees. Describing themselves as an “advocacy group working together for the protection of Hahamongna Watershed Park,” the Friends assert it’s one of Pasadena’s last great open spaces.
Boasting members from Pasadena, Altadena, La Canada and surrounding communities, they “work cooperatively with the Spirit of the Sage Council, the Hahamongna Watch Group and other park advocacy groups as the City of Pasadena moves forward to implement the long-awaited Hahamongna Watershed Park Master Plan.”
Others would say they are constantly and consistently on the city council’s ass about removals of non-native trees and plans for multipurpose sports fields at the natural wilderness area. Still others think they are not above letting the facts get in the way of the truth when attempting to rouse public suspicion of development plans in Hahamongna.
Each year the Thorny Rose is awarded to Pasadena’s most controversial citizen (or group) by an anonymous committee of local socio-political observers. Winning individuals have previously been distinguished by their brazen, often, confrontational style, indifference to public decorum and Lone Ranger bravado(a). When weighed against these qualifications, the Friends of Hahamongna certainly rise to the Thorny standard set by those who came before them.
The inaugural Thorny Rose was given in 2000 to Charles “Chuck” Cherniss, former salty columnist for the Pasadena Star News. Subsequent winners have included Paul Little, Roy Begley, Mary Dee Romney, the West Pasadena Residents Association, the entire Pasadena Unified School District Board and local gadfly Wayne Lusvardi.
Last year, Ann Lau, a leading human rights activist and outspoken critic of the China float in the Rose Parade, was the 8th recipient . Former city councilperson Paul Little has been a back-to-back winner of the prickly prize.
As is the tradition for Thorny Rose winners, the Friends of Hahamongna will given an invitation to march along the route of this year’s 32nd Pasadena Doo Dah Parade. Doo Dah takes place Sunday, January 18th, stepping off at 11:30am in Old Pasadena. Excluding last year’s awardee, Wayne Lusvardi, no Thorny Rose winner has ever passed on the invitation. Mr. Lusvardi was replaced by a 6-foot chicken.
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