Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Recognition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pasadena honors volunteer Rhonda Stone with butterfly garden plaque at Hastings Ranch Library
Summary
Pasadena officials, library staff, volunteers and family gathered at Hastings Ranch Library to dedicate a plaque honoring Rhonda Stone for creating and sustaining the librarybutterfly garden, citing its role in education, community engagement and youth programming.
Pasadena officials, library staff and members of the community gathered Saturday at Hastings Ranch Library to honor volunteer Rhonda Stone with a permanent plaque recognizing her work creating and stewarding the librarybutterfly garden.
"This garden is a place where you can put your phone away and be out here in nature," Tim McDonald, director of Pasadena Public Library Information Services, said during the program, praising the garden as a "third space" that draws families into library programming and inspires hands-on learning about butterflies and plants.
Council Member Jean Masuda called the garden "not only a beautiful garden, but it's about education as well," and thanked city staff and volunteers who helped sustain the project since its opening in 2009.
Organizers read a proclamation signed by Mayor Victor M. Gordo praising Stone's commitment to the community and unveiled a plaque mounted on a garden boulder to commemorate her work. Parks staff who helped build the butterfly sculpture and install the plaque also spoke, noting years of collaboration between volunteers and city crews.
Family members offered personal tributes. One son recalled childhood stories that reflected his mother's emphasis on service and creativity; grandchildren Ella and Willa spoke briefly to thank their grandmother. A representative of the Pasadena City International Association presented Stone with a coverlet, and a reader shared a letter from a former District 4 council member that recalled the garden's opening and its inspirational role for youth.
Stone accepted the recognition and highlighted the many volunteers and library staff who contributed to the project. "I love this garden and I'm so happy to share it with you," she said, thanking city staff, neighbors and Girl Scouts who have worked in the space.
Program organizers encouraged attendees to view the plaque, visit the garden while blooms are at their peak, and take part in refreshments and garden-themed activities following the ceremony. The formal program concluded with an invitation to meet the honoree and volunteers in the garden.
