Defensible Space Zone Zero: Balancing Fire Safety with Shade and Climate Concerns In the wildfire-urban interface (WUI) areas of California and the Verdugo Hills, fire preparation is of immense importance. But for those who live in any foothill community in California, drastic fuel modification changes are coming their way with the intent of creating defensible […]
Where Were You On Jan. 7? I will never forget the moment on that day when I heard bulldozers were pushing cars off Pacific Coast Highway into the beach to create access for firefighting crews. That morning when I drove into work there were reports of fires, nothing too out of the ordinary in Southern […]
More on Clarence “Ducky” Nash, and Other Local Disney Luminaries In my last article, I profiled Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald Duck in Disney cartoons for 50 years. He was a local guy, living in Sparr Heights throughout his career, and even owning Andersen’s Pet Store for a while. One of my readers sent […]
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles – Part 2 I took a deep breath to satisfy olfactory desires as I leaned over my custom Fritas Fries at the Big White Hut in Tujunga. Sitting at the rear table, before digging in I took in the map covering its back wall. It’s an old map from 1926 of […]
Be The ‘Sphere of Influence’ As many of you know, I follow land use issues as part of my role on the steering committee of the Crescenta Valley Community Association (CVCA.) The most talked about topic in the last several weeks is the update of the Glendale General Plan, which has caused quite a stir […]
The Voice Of Donald Duck Once Echoed Through Montrose The voice actor who provided the distinctive quacks of the Disney animated character Donald Duck for over 50 years was a Montrose resident and even had a side business in Montrose that still exists today. Clarence “Ducky” Nash was born in Oklahoma in 1904. Even as […]
The Land Use Element, Community Engagement and You What’s a land use element? Some of the information circulating now would have you think it’s a scheme to develop large apartment buildings on parking lots in Montrose. Let’s put that to rest right now – the Land Use Element doesn’t call for that. But first let’s […]
Learning About the Life Cycle of a Bill Over the next three weeks, the California State Legislature will consider nearly 850 pieces of legislation (referred to as bills) currently pending in both the state assembly and the state senate. It’s all part of our legislative process governed by rules and deadlines that begin in January […]
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles – Part 1 The sweet, fruity scent of baked apples and cinnamon filled the air as the oven door opened at Rice’s Café on the edge of Sunland Park. Plates were laid out that soon were filled with slices of steaming hot pie and large scoops of ice cream. Out in […]
Thanks to Community I am writing on behalf of my family to express our deepest gratitude to the wonderful Crescenta Valley community. On Sunday, Aug. 17, we held a celebration of life for my husband Dennis Gossard under the lights on the new home field at CVHS. We were truly overwhelmed by the outpouring love, […]