The Story of Tongva Peak in the Verdugo Mountains As we drive from Verdugo City down Verdugo Road toward Verdugo Canyon on our way to Verdugo Park, we might look over at the Verdugo Mountains and notice the highest point in the range, Verdugo Peak, at 3,126 feet. Verdugo, Verdugo, Verdugo! However, a little […]
The Verdugo/San Rafael Fires of 1964 – Part 3 We continue the dramatic story of the dual fires on the Verdugo Mountains and the San Rafael Hills in March 1964. This massively destructive fire was driven by winds with gusts of up to 100 miles per hour. It burned thousands of acres and destroyed […]
The Verdugo/San Rafael Fires of 1964 – Part 2 Last week we covered the beginnings of this disastrous fire in March 1964. The double fire, burning on both the Verdugo Mountains and the San Rafael Hills simultaneously, was blown across the landscape by winds gusting near 100 miles per hour. It charred thousands of […]
The Verdugo/San Rafael Fires of 1964 – Part 1 The fires that swept the Verdugo Mountains and San Rafael Hills in March 1964 were some of the worst in our history. The two separate fires were high-wind fires, blown forward at lightning speed, unstoppable as they raged. The fires moved so fast that the […]
Our Local Bats This is the time of year that it’s easy to spot bats flying in the evening sky. After the sun goes down, but before it’s full dark, fast black blurs can be made out against the sky, darting quickly this way and that as they grab flying insects in mid-air. They […]
The Weird and Twisted History of Tujunga’s Cemetery Since 1922 Sunland-Tujunga has had its own little community cemetery tucked back in the hills of the San Gabriels. It had a beautiful beginning and its present state is one of respect, care and a community spirit. But the middle years, between 1958 and 1997, have […]
JPL Commuter Van Goes Off the Crest Many people take commuter vans to ease their commute. The vans are often driven by the employees themselves, sometimes on a rotating basis. On a cold morning in December 2004, 10 employees of JPL boarded their white commuter van in Lancaster for the long ride to JPL […]
Montrose Search and Rescue – Out-of-bounds Skiers Pay for Their Rescue It was the last skiing run of a snowy day back in February 1998 when two snowboarders crossed the marked boundaries of the ski run into fresh snow. They said it was accidental, that they didn’t see the signs that warned skiers not […]
Montrose Vietnam War Memorial 50th Anniversary In the last few weeks, I’ve given my readers short bios on each of the local men whose names are on the memorial located on the corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue, in the heart of our beautiful Montrose. I hope it hasn’t been too sad. […]
Vietnam Memorial Names – Roy Fryman, Stephen Golsh, Ralph Duemling Roy Allen Fryman, Aug. 24, 1969 – Roy Fryman, nicknamed “Pepper” by his fellow Marines, is the most highly decorated man on the Vietnam Memorial. He was awarded both the Silver Star and the Navy Cross, the second highest medal for valor. Pepper Fryman […]