One year later: recovering from the Station Fire

By Mary O’KEEFE “We didn’t know that on that day, Aug. 26, this fire would be the largest in Los Angeles County’s history,” said Bat. Chief Mike Brown Wednesday of the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Station 82. One year ago today at 3:30 p.m. the fire that Crescenta Valley residents had been warned about […]

Atwater appointed as director of SCWC

By Brandon HENSLEY Richard Atwater, a former Crescenta Valley Water District board member, has been appointed as the new executive director of the Southern California Water Committee. In its press release sent Monday, the committee said Atwater was chosen after an extensive search. He replaces interim director Ron Gastelum, who will still be active in […]

District, teachers union reach tentative agreement

By Rachel KANE Glendale Unified School District officials and Glendale Teachers Association representatives reached a tentative agreement Tuesday on contract negotiations regarding the 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 school years. The agreement comes on the heels of the release of an independent fact-finding panel’s advisory report, released to the district and the teachers association on Aug. 17 […]

IN Brief

Before, During and After the Station Fire The Historical Society of Crescenta Valley will be noting the anniversary of the Station Fire with a photo exhibition of “Deukmejian Park – Before During and After the Station Fire.” An opening reception will take place on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the La Crescenta […]

Local residents doing their share to prevent wildfires

By Odalis A. SUAREZ After the destructive Station Fire last year, canyon neighbors are refusing to let another wildfire ignite without taking precautionary measures. Spearheading this initiative are residents of Briggs Terrace who will be hosting a cleanup in their community this Saturday, Aug. 28 on upper Canyonside Road. “We’ve had so much help from […]

Fire, flood costs top $200 million

The estimated total cost of the 2009 county wildfires and subsequent floods and land slippage was $201 million, the board of supervisors learned Tuesday. Of the total, $60.3 million has been spent through August, with work continuing. Much of the cost will be reimbursed by the state and federal governments under the continuing state of […]

What the Station Fire has left behind

By Odalis A. Suarez Although days and months have passed since the Station Fire first erupted in August 2009, local residents are still struggling to diminish the remains left by the fire and its aftermath, the flood. “It was like a war zone,” said La Cañada resident Salpi Chemlekian of the Station Fire. Salpi with […]

Station Fire aftermath: Year One

By Charly SHELTON The Station Fire was a 52-day ordeal last August through October. The fire consumed over 160,000 acres of land in the mountains above the foothill community. After the fire was over and it was safe for media to venture into the low foothills, the public got its first real look at the […]

Plaque ceremony honors local firefighters and sheriffs

By Odalis A. Suarez After the long battle with the Station Fire in 2009, community members will never forget the courageous efforts of the firefighters and sheriffs. Now that one year has passed since the fire, residents were eager to thank these men and women by honoring them with a plaque this past Thursday at […]

Suspects arrested in playground fire

By Mary O’KEEFE Police have arrested two Glendale boys, 13 and 14 years old, in connection with a playground fire that occurred Wednesday night at Glorietta Park in the 2800 block of N. Verdugo Road in Glendale. Black smoke from the melting plastic toys filled the sky over Montrose as Glendale fire and police responded […]