The Local Fire Captain Who Was An Arsonist The story of John Orr is a fantastic tale. He was a Glendale Fire Dept. captain who was eventually convicted of multiple arsons and murders. He is considered the most prolific arsonist in American history and many of the fires he set were right here in Glendale […]
The Promise of a New Life The man in the black frock coat had already begun to speak when we entered the hall. My aunt Cora had done her best to coax my father and me out of our room in time to arrive early but instead we excused ourselves as we nudged our way […]
Helping the Entertainment Industry As the California State Legislature enters its second month of the 2025 session, we are quickly approaching the deadline for the introduction of new legislation. One cause that I am particularly passionate about is the preservation of the entertainment industry in Southern California. In the coming days, I will be co-authoring […]
LA County Dept. of Public Works Provides Updates at recent Council Meeting At its recent January meeting, the Crescenta Valley Town Council (CVTC) received several important updates from the LA County Dept. of Public Works aimed at improving pedestrian safety and traffic concerns around our schools. Among the key topics discussed were plans for crosswalk […]
Moonshine Wars in Crescenta Valley As we all know, Prohibition made the consumption and production of alcohol illegal from 1919 to 1933. And as we also know it was a wild time that featured clandestine bars, called speakeasies, and moonshiners operating illegal stills. The Crescenta Valley was ripe for these activities. We were close enough […]
Open Letter to CVTC Dear Members of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, I am writing to express my urgent concern regarding the excessive speeding on Orange Avenue, particularly the stretch between Rosemont and La Crescenta avenues. As this area is home to an elementary school, the safety of the children and residents must be prioritized […]
There are No Words There are no suitable words to express the emotion of the fires last month. Somehow fear, anguish, sadness and empathy don’t quite cut it; the loss is too great. So many lives, so many neighborhoods, so many memories are now gone. People think of Los Angeles as one vast urban landscape where no […]
Our Special Valentine (Story provided by Craig Durst) It’s several days before Valentine’s Day and the Crescenta Valley Weekly time machine has just transported you back to the year 1872. You see a young married couple in the living room of their home in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The woman, Hetty, is laughing as her […]
Firefighting in Old Crescenta Valley As we know, fire is a natural part of our ecosystem. The chaparral and sage that once covered our valley floor was adapted to low-intensity fires that occurred on a regular basis. In fact, the Native-Americans who lived here for thousands of years actually conducted controlled burns on the chaparral […]
Our region and those from all around came together to provide support through the incredible losses of the recent wildfires. We will be living with this for many years through the recovery and rebuilding process. Our neighboring water companies, Rubio Cañon Land & Water Association and Lincoln Avenue Water Company, sustained severe losses including their […]