Two Hundred Thoughts – Exactly Just ask any of my close friends or immediate family members; I am one painfully, obsessively, ridiculously fanatical guy when it comes to celebrating (or at least recognizing with great fanfare and proclamation) any and all milestones. Be it birthdays (yes, even our dogs’), anniversaries of any kind, new jobs […]
The Development of Oakmont Woods Or perhaps I should title this “History and Painkillers Don’t Mix.” You see, I screwed up big time on an article I wrote last month on the history of Onandarka Ranch. I got several facts wrong on what happened after it was developed into housing, even the name of the […]
“Tonight We are young So let’s set the world on fire We can burn brighter than the sun.” “We are young,” by Fun. The only instrument I played growing up was the radio, and I still play it today. Pick a pre-programmed station: I can sing the songs played on each. When I sing, I […]
Questions Portantino’s Actions Once again, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino trumpets his fiscal conservatism with his oft-introduced measure AB1787 to freeze the salaries of the highest paid employees in California (“Portantino To California Legislators: Eight Is Enough,” Feb. 23). “Freezing the salaries of the highest paid state employees until our economy recovers is a logical place to […]
A Mammoth Loss In the fall of 1994, my parents bought their dream vacation home up in the Northern California resort town of Mammoth Lakes. Because of their investment and generosity, my own family has been blessed beyond measure to enjoy innumerable weeks and extended weekends up there for these past almost 20 years. We […]
The Pink Castle When I was growing up, the Pink Castle was a common yet mysterious sight on the northern slopes of the La Cañada valley. It could be spotted occasionally as a bright glimpse of pink amongst the trees and houses of La Cañada above Foothill. But it really stood out when hiking up […]
Glad to Hear from Drayman It has been too long since we’ve heard John Drayman’s excellent perspective on our foundations as a community (“Going, going, gone … a town is born,” Letters, March 8). “Promised land” is right, and my feeling exactly when I discovered here the interconnectedness of a small town, nestled in nature’s […]
The Boys in the Band Forget John, Paul, George and Ringo. In 1967 the hottest band in the Crescenta Valley was “Mother’s Complaint” whose members consisted of Rene, Kevin, Dennis and yours truly. In spite of the fact that I’ve made a living as a writer most of my adult life, I won’t be surprised […]
High School Robotics Teams: Making Future History I usually write about our valley’s quirky and dynamic past. But I’m occasionally struck by something going on today that makes me realize we’re just as quirky and dynamic today. A good example is the fast growing high school team sport of robotics. Every local school has one […]
Going, Going, Gone … A Town is Born! “Take an auto ride with us on Saturday. It’s Opening Day for Montrose, the new townsite, up beyond Verdugo Park. Our autos will meet you at Glendale Depot. Come up and enjoy the barbecue lunch which Senor J. Romero, the famous Spanish Chef, will serve 11 to […]