The Verdugo Hills Cemetery Landslide – The Cleanup Last week I covered the landslide that occurred in February 1978 in Tujunga. After days of relentless rains, the steep hillside that Verdugo Hills Cemetery was perched on gave way and sent mud and decaying bodies down into residential streets below. The slide had occurred in the […]
Thank you to all who attended the June 23 Crescenta Valley Community Association meeting. The Wireless Telecommunication Facility, specifically a cellphone tower proposed for Dunsmore Park, was rejected by the Glendale Planning Commission during its June 15 meeting. Nearby resident and CVCA member Mary-Lynne Fisher is following up with city employees to get better notification […]
Elections Have Consequences: The No on Measure N Committee outspent and out maneuvered the Yes on Measure N folks by 10 to 1. Your five council members authorized at least $50,000 of your tax dollars without your consent to mail two one-sided information mailers to 200,000 residents. Additionally, at least $123,000 came from developers and […]
The Day Dead Bodies Surfed the Streets of Tujunga Last week I covered the beginnings of the Verdugo Hills Cemetery, including the poignant story of its first burial, a much beloved local minister, Rev. Wornum, the “Singing Parson.” In 1922, he patiently waited for “his” cemetery to be completed, and once it was, he died […]
Money and Politics I would like to get money out of politics. Industry campaign contributions lead to unequal representation. One way of getting the money out is for reporters to report on campaign donations associated with the actions of a politician. For example, your recent article entitled, “AB2788 – Cellphone Antenna Device Bill Will Not […]
The impact of the current drought on California is significant and has focused our community on the importance of our vital water supply and the need for water use efficiency. The Crescenta Valley community’s response to the call for water conservation has been substantial, exceeding the state mandated conservation goal. This is a significant achievement […]
The Most Infamous Graveyard of All – Verdugo Hills Cemetery This is the story of Verdugo Hills Cemetery, sometimes called Hills of Peace Cemetery, in Tujunga. Like many old cemeteries, it was abandoned by its owners when it could no longer turn a profit. Verdugo Hills Cemetery gained local infamy because of several ghastly crypt […]
The Final Step to Protect the Rim of the Valley This month, the more than a decade-long effort to expand the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) has taken a critical step forward. Shortly after I was elected to Congress in 2000, community members approached me about the need to preserve the vanishing open […]
Onondarka Ranch Becomes the Community of Oakmont Woods In my last two columns, we’ve followed the evolution of Onondarka Ranch – from a wild canyon tamed by one of the first Americans to settle here in 1875, through its “cowboy” years as a horse ranch in the 1930s and ’40s, and right up to its […]
Increases in Energy Storage will Help Achieve Greenhouse Gas Emissions Goals California has become known for leading the nation time and time again across industries through innovative legislation. I have prided myself on introducing legislation that continues this great tradition and allows our state to continue to serve as an example for the rest of […]