By Clare BUCHANAN and Hayden FRANKLIN

The 18^th Annual Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual Hometown Country Fair was held at CV Park on Saturday, June 22 to celebrate and connect the community. The Fair provided a variety of vendors, events and amusements for all ages. Vendors included local businesses and artisans, community organizations like CV High School’s Falkon 589 robotics team and the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley, and service organizations including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. (LASD) – CV Station, Glendale Police Dept. (GPD), California Highway Patrol (CHP), U.S. Forest Service and the Crescenta Valley Water Dept.

With this large collection of service organizations at the Fair visitors had access to a large number of resources and information for organizations that are dedicated to protecting their homes and their lives.

U.S. Forest Service representatives spoke of this summer’s high risk of wildfires due to vegetation resulting from heavy rains, which made the grass grow tall and thick.

“There are a lot more grasses, which only takes one hour of sunlight [to dry out],” said a U.S. Forest Service representative.

Those who stopped by their booth received urgent messages that included having a preparedness plan in place in case of emergency. It was also recommended that people hold fire drills and to make sure their houses are properly prepared for the wildfire season by clearing brush and other dry vegetation.

The representative added there is a lot of technology that can keep residents informed including PulsePoint, which follows fire department callouts.

CHP, LASD and the GPD also had informational booths at the Fair.

Recruitment was on the minds of all law enforcement. CHP is also looking for youth for its Explorers program and volunteers for its senior program. Those interested can find more information at www.chp.ca.gov.

GPD answered questions from residents who had concerns of safety in their neighborhoods. GPD members also urged interested parties to apply as officers or staff at GPD. They also have an Explorer program and are looking for volunteers. More information can be found at www.joingpd.com.

GPD Sgt. Milligan invited everyone to the GPD upcoming 29^th Annual Cruise Night on July 20 on Brand Boulevard and reminded everyone to participate in the Annual National Night Out on Aug. 6.

“We are a part of the community and we are here to make the community safe,” Milligan said.

Due to the Fair being held in June this year rather than April the heat was sweltering with temperatures reaching the upper 90s. Despite the heat the energy of the visitors at the Fair never faltered and several games and events were hosted during the course of the event with participation from the crowd. The Fair events started off with a dog show when contestants could show off their furry friends, then the games continued with a pie-eating contest for the little ones and ended with a water balloon tossing contest that felt fairly appropriate for the hot summer day. GPD officers participated in the water balloon toss to the delight of the kids.

Several non-profit organizations set up booths at the Hometown Country Fair, offering pamphlets, flyers and brochures on their individual missions and projects. The Impact Foundation LA was one of these.

Founded to honor Chace Taylor Malone, who passed away in 2021, Impact Foundation LA is led by Chace’s mother, Victoria Malone, as well as a group of Chace’s close friends who serve on the non-profit’s board. Impact Foundation LA’s mission is to spread awareness about mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

According to Victoria Malone, Impact Foundation LA also provides “referrals to professional services here in the community.” CV Cares is a program that is part of Impact Foundation LA, and is funded by the Centers for Disease Control. CV Cares is dedicated to “identifying local problems and finding local solutions.”

At the Hometown Country Fair, Impact Foundation demonstrated the proper use of Narcan. CV Cares also reaches the community through its Youth Ambassador Program.

Other organizations also showed their support for the community at the Hometown Country Fair, such as the Friends of Rockhaven. Friends of Rockhaven is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Rockhaven, a local landmark and former sanitarium created for women by women. Friends of Rockhaven offered local history and good conversation, showcasing the only known LGBTQ+ resident of Rockhaven, Peggy Fears, through colorful brochures.

The Verdugo Wash Neighborhoods Coalition (VWNC) was also present and members distributed information on their initiative, Save The Wash. Patrick Murphy, a spokesperson for VWNC, said the coalition is worried about the effect of a possible concrete and steel bike path built in the middle of the Verdugo Wash, which has been proposed by the City of Glendale. Murphy pointed out how the bike path could cause a variety of issues for neighbors living by the wash, such as privacy and security concerns, as well as obstacles for wildlife that use the wash as a thoroughfare. Murphy noted VWNC has participated in the Hometown Country Fair before; this year was the organization’s third year in attendance.

Photos by Clare BUCHANAN, Hayden FRANKLIN Robin GOLDSWORTHY, Victoria MONTELEONE, Mary O’KEEFE