By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

Though March is set aside as the month to remember Women’s History and honor Women in Business, CV Weekly would be remiss if it did not recognize and honor the women who, over the years, built on the foundations laid by powerful women of the past.

In 1911, the La Crescenta Woman’s Club (LCWC) was formed by women who wanted to improve their community, said Carol Huntwork, president of the LCWC.

“And we’re still here to improve our community,” she added. “When we see a need in the community we try and fill it.”

For example, over the decades the women of the LCWC have distributed scholarships to local high school graduates who plan to attend college or a trade school. Huntwork noted that the Club was able to distribute scholarships even during COVID.

“That money was provided by a lady who donated [funds] to the Club for scholarships,” Huntwork said. Huntwork herself is funding an engineering scholarship.

Understanding that so many people felt isolated during the pandemic, the Club created an ongoing “meet and greet” as Descanso Gardens. Huntwork said that it is an opportunity for like-minded women to meet who want to provide service to the community.

“The Club is a perfect vehicle for that,” she said.

Now that COVID-19 restrictions have been loosened, Huntwork said that more people are attending LCWC meetings and Club members are interacting with the community once again. For example, members will be manning the booth at the corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue that is the starting point for the Montrose Wine Walk on Saturday, April 9. They will be distributing wristbands and handing out totes with tickets to the various “pours” along Honolulu.

But for Huntwork – whose presidency ends on May 31 – her goal is to get the ladies back.

“We have to do this slowly but we’re picking up members,” she said. “It’s invigorating – we’re coming back and, with the loosening of restrictions, we will be able to be the reliable [volunteer] source that the community wants us to be and expects us to be.”

Recognizing the power of the past is something that lies on the heart of Friends of Rockhaven president Joanna Linkchorst. Linkchorst said that she grew up listening to her mom sharing the days when she’d roller skate up to the Doheny Mansion, which was built in 1899, or walk along Figueroa Street.

“I just feel that I have this connection to old LA,” Linkchorst said.

That connection extended to local properties, including Mountain Oaks and Rockhaven.

“When I see some leftovers from history – like ruins from Mountain Oaks – my heart explodes,” she shared. “To be able to touch and see the past – I feel a little elated.”

Her involvement with the site of the former sanitarium began with her membership with the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley. She said that it touched her hearing the stories about the people who worked there and had relatives there.

“It’s Crescenta Valley history, LA history, California history,” she said of the importance of Rockhaven. “It’s the last sanitarium that is fully intact. There are beautiful stories – even the tough ones are beautiful.”

Opened in 1923 by nurse Agnes Richards, Rockhaven Sanitarium was a place that treated with dignity women who were coping with a variety of maladies. In 2006, Richards’ granddaughter Pat Traviss sold the property to a large hospital corporation, The Ararat Company. The City of Glendale bought the property in 2008 but since the economic turndown nothing has been done with the property.

A recent acquisition of $8 million by State Senator Portantino dedicated to Rockhaven has reinvigorated hopes that the property will be turned into a public space. Linkchorst shared her hopes for the 3.5-acre site. Among them is the creation of California native demonstration gardens with display plaques and, in a nod to its beginnings, a medical instrument museum.

“I would also like the historical society to have a presence,” she said. She mentioned the importance of having input from NAMI – the National Alliance on Mental Illness – regarding rest, rehab and healing.

She said she would like to see art being created, yoga parties, weddings; in essence, having life brought back to Rockhaven.

To raise awareness of the site and the various types of programs she envisions for the property, Linkchorst, with the Friends of Rockhaven, is hosting an art fair on April 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Luke’s of the Mountains, 2563 Foothill Blvd. There will be 23 artists featured and items for sale include paintings, prints, jewelry, clothing, crochet items and ceramics. NAMI is expected to have an information booth there as well. There is no entrance fee to attend.

Linkchorst said it has been a tumultuous journey getting to this point but is grateful to those who have worked so hard for Rockhaven.

“Many thanks are extended to the City Council of Glendale for seizing this opportunity and being as excited about the possibilities as we are,” she said.

To learn more about Friends of Rockhaven, visit https://www.friendsofrockhaven.org/.

To learn more about the La Crescenta Woman’s Club, including meeting dates and times, visit https://lacrescentawomansclub.org.