I joined the throngs of sightseers last weekend in taking advantage of the long-delayed opening of the Angeles Crest Highway. I’m always impressed with the nearly vertical rock faces the roadway cuts through and I often think about what a colossal task it must have been to build the road in the ’30s, ’40s and […]
Too Little, Too Late During the 2011 election, I strongly suggested the city go back to the unions and tell them to re-negotiate their previous lucrative salaries and pensions or the city should start out-sourcing jobs. Sure, last year a couple of unions did not take any pay increases or they accepted contributing larger amounts […]
This week I must begin with a disclaimer or mea culpa, I’m not sure which is more appropriate. I’ve spent the last twenty-five-plus years writing advertising copy for clients as large and well-known as Nissan, the LA Dodgers, Blue Cross, Carnation Foods, Lockheed Martin, Baskin-Robbins and well, I’ll just say that I can be blamed […]
Dramatic stories of the New Years Flood of ’34 are seemingly never ending, but here’s one with a twist. This somewhat ironic story was told at the flood survivor’s presentation at the Library a few weeks ago, and comes to us from life-long Crescenta Valley resident Bob Lorenz. In 1933, the Lorenz family had a […]
Looking back two Sunday mornings ago, I’m not sure I rode my bike the entire 26-plus mile length of the 2011 Pasadena Marathon Bike Tour. It felt more like swimming than riding. When I registered for the annual event it was an unseasonably warm March day. When I picked up our swag bags and numbered […]
A unique feature of our community is the two opposing mountain ranges that embrace our valley. The San Gabriels to the north, imposing and rugged, with rock faces rising nearly straight up, are starkly beautiful. Terrible and majestic, like an Old Testament God, they burn and rain rocks down on us, but provide a gateway […]
Retired Rosemont Middle School history teacher Lynn McGinnis told me recently that he was walking in the Montrose area, and came on a family gathered around a streetlight, one of them crouched down examining the base of the lamppost. Lynn said he knew what was up immediately, as it’s an issue that gets ugly in […]
Last week when we left our tale of the uninvited Mother’s Day visitor (a big rat, in case you missed it), my wife and I continued on with brunch preparations for our human guests – thinking that we had trapped the crafty critter upstairs in our bedroom behind closed doors. But no-o-o-o. As I would […]
Memorial Day Celebration I rarely speak publicly about my military experience in Viet Nam because I feel lucky to be one of the soldiers who returned home in one piece and in sound mind. I was in my early 20s, naive and fresh out of college, when I volunteered for the army. The politicians call […]
by Jim Chase So moms, how was your Mother’s Day? Whether you spent it being pampered by loved ones, or pampering those you love, or a combination of both – I truly hope your day was less exciting and memorable than it was for my dear wife and for both of our mothers who celebrated […]