By Charly SHELTON When we think of Halloween, we think of witches. The two are inseparable, especially in today’s zeitgeist. But in the cultural fabric of America in 1692, witches were not relegated to late October. They were an everyday occurrence and an ever-present danger. This constant fear led to a series of witch trials […]
By Charly SHELTON The Queen Mary is well known as one of the most haunted places in the country. Filled with spirits from the crew that have manned her, the guests who have sailed with her and the visitors who have come to know her as a tourist destination, the Queen Mary has enough tales […]
By Charly SHELTON The feast day of St. Francis of Assisi is Oct. 4. Each year on or around Oct. 4, churches around the world celebrate Francis’ life and works with a favorite activity of his – blessing of animals. St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church in La Crescenta held its annual blessing of […]
By Charly SHELTON It started with a small red dot. That dot grew a tail as it streaked into the sky. And then … boom! Separation from a small streak of light into a steadily expanding cloud of water vapor frozen at high altitude that caught the last rays of the setting sun, and two […]
By Charly SHELTON Thousands of guests swarmed the streets of Montrose Shopping Park for the 41st Annual Oktoberfest, organized by the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce. The event spanned nearly one-half mile from Orangedale Avenue (Trader Joe’s) to Market Street (Paradise Tan), and featured live music across three stages including the popular ’80s and ’90s […]
By Charly SHELTON It’s time for pancakes and sausages while supporting the youth of the Crescenta Valley – it’s time for the CV Pancake Breakfast. “It brings the community together, that’s the most important thing that we always like to do,” said Harry Leon, president of the Crescenta Valley Town Council. “The breakfast brings the […]
By Charly SHELTON Every Halloween, theme parks around LA go all out for the season with haunted attractions, walkthroughs and shows. Universal Studios Hollywood is a major player, Six Flags Magic Mountain holds its own, even the Queen Mary gets into the act with its festival area transforming into a nautical haunt. But the granddaddy […]
By Charly SHELTON After more than 13 years, the Final Environmental Impact Report for the area formerly occupied by the Verdugo Hills Golf Course has been released. Originally compiled in 2005, the first draft was released in May 2009 and then recirculated twice to include public comments. Now the final report has been released, with […]
Mike and Pete Smith of Bob Smith Toyota in La Crescenta were named grand marshals of the 2018 Montrose Christmas Parade. The event, the third largest Christmas parade in the country, is celebrating its 42nd year this year. The goal, said parade board member Steve Pierce, is to give recognition to those community members who […]
By Charly SHELTON Of the five senses, smell is most closely linked to emotion. Incoming smells are first processed in the olfactory bulb in the nose, which shares its back wall with the brain. The bulb is directly connected to the brain in the nearby amygdala and hippocampus, two areas responsible for memory recall and […]