Mountain Oaks – The Lost Resort The neighborhood of Mountain Oaks is a true gem in the Crescenta Valley. Mountain Oaks is located at the very bottom of New York Avenue, below Crescenta Valley Park. It’s a small community – just a handful of homes – tucked into the lush folds of the Verdugo Mountains. […]
Tourism At Home Seeing With Tourist’s Eyes Since he moved to Missoula to attend the University of Montana a few years ago, we have been able to lure, cajole, beg, trick, bribe and otherwise entice our son to come back “home” to Southern California only once a year at most. Suffice it to say, he […]
I’ve been following the impact of Colorado’s legalization of adult recreational use of marijuana. One sushi restaurant pairs marijuana with entrées. A 25% sales tax was added to the state’s 2.9% tax. Sales exceeded $1 million on the first day; sales exceeded $5 million the first week. We won’t know the full economic impact until […]
Setting the Letter Straight I am writing this as an addendum to my last letter [Oct. 31, 2013] because I feel like I unfairly stereotyped artists and implied that they are less deserving of affordable housing. There are creative types who need affordable housing, and they deserve access to it. But affordable housing should be […]
The History Behind the Sagebrush District Controversy A constant theme in the story of the Crescenta Valley is that of border wars. Throughout our history we have been cut up and divided many times over. Residents see the Crescenta Valley as having clear borders geographically – defined easily by the Verdugo and San Gabriel Mountains […]
Over 40,000 New Laws. Whatever Happened to Gridlock? It’s that most wonderful time of the year when I get myself into trouble with some readers simply by pointing out a handful of the staggering number of new laws that have been foisted on Americans in general and Californians in particular as the New Year begins. […]
New year, new series: “Teen Trials & Tribulations in 4 Talks” Based on your feedback, please attend our series of presentations by experts on topics of interest to adults and to children: brain development, bullying, suicide prevention and underage drinking. These interactive talks are Thursdays, one per month, from January through April from 7 p.m. […]
Questions the Need for Dam Project When I read the “Crowd Protests Dam Project” article (Dec. 19), I was struck by a sense of déjà vu. This past summer, I attended a Santa Monica Mountains Watershed Committee (SMMWC) meeting during which another large dam project (Rindge Dam) was discussed. The proposed project would involve state […]
More Info on the Mystery Mine of the Verdugos A couple of years ago, I wrote a column about an abandoned mine in the Verdugo Mountains directly across the freeway from the Verdugo Hills Golf Course. For many years an old concrete structure was visible on the hillside, but has since been completely overgrown. No […]
New Year Notes to Self It’s popular this time of year to make profound personal pledges – more commonly known as resolutions – to self and significant others as a way to set a corrective course for the upcoming 12 months. Whatever. I’ve learned through first-hand experience that the sad majority of these resolutions are […]