Misconceptions, Disappointments and Hopes About the Future of Rockhaven During my recent involvement with the City of Glendale about possible development of the Rockhaven Sanitarium site, I became painfully aware of some disconnects in what the community (and I) expected from Rockhaven, and what the city’s expectations were. Most of us still envision the concepts […]
Famous Artists Who Lived and Worked in CV The Crescenta Valley was a natural attraction for painters from all over the world. It had, of course, beautiful weather, not to mention a remarkable clarity of light. In the period around the turn of the century, Los Angeles, and Pasadena in particular, was a magnet for […]
Best Little Whorehouse in … La Cañada? Yes it’s true. Allegedly there was a house of, well, if not ill repute, then at least of questionable repute in La Cañada sometime around the 1960s. My story comes from a local gentleman who had visited the place back then. I’ll keep him anonymous. Because of his […]
Reflections on Development Plans for Rockhaven If you are a regular reader of this paper, you read last week a very comprehensive article by reporter Mary O’Keefe on the latest “development” in the restoration of Rockhaven Sanitarium. I have covered this subject in columns before, but it’s worth covering again, as it’s a complex issue. […]
California Pepper Trees – An Icon of “Old California” Pepper trees are one of the more common yard trees in the Crescenta Valley, and have some history behind them as well. They’re easy to identify with their dense evergreen and lacy leaves, drooping boughs and clusters of pink and red aromatic “peppers.” The berries or […]
The Rich Bounty of Old Briggs Terrace Doctor Benjamin Briggs is considered our founder having laid out our streets, founded churches and schools, and even coined the name “Crescenta.” He first established himself in 1881 on the shelf of land that sticks out high above the valley at Pickens Canyon – today a neighborhood known […]
The American Legion Hall: A Violent Past – A Bright Future The American Legion Memorial Hall today sits quietly and peacefully at the corner of La Crescenta and Manhattan avenues. It is home to Verdugo Hills Post 288, which this last April celebrated its 90th year in existence, making it probably one of the oldest […]
Following The Great San Andreas Fault I have a fascination and love for our mother mountains, the San Gabriels. I’m particularly taken with the violent geology of the San Gabriels. They are renowned as some of the fastest growing mountains in the world, shooting up several feet at a time with each major earthquake, and […]
Who Says CV Doesn’t Have Great Modern Architecture? I think most people would agree that the Crescenta Valley’s architecture is fairly traditional – some might even say boring. Our native architectural style of stone and wood framing, like St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at Rosemont and Foothill, is gorgeous, but certainly not innovative. Save for the […]
Famous Disney Director’s Home Was La Crescenta Hold onto your hats, Disney-philes! Ben Sharpsteen, director of “Pinocchio” and “Dumbo,” lived during the height of his career right here in La Crescenta in homes on El Sereno and Panorama, one of which is now owned and treasured by the Brines family. Michael Brines has collected memories […]