La Cañada History: Doris Roberts visits St. Francis High

Ten Years Ago

Award-winning actress Doris Roberts visited St. Francis High School at the invitation of its performing arts instructor. During her hour-long visit to the La Cañada campus, she urged students to never give up on themselves. “Don’t give in; don’t give up, be persistent and don’t ever take ‘no’ for an answer,” she said. (Roberts passed away at the age of 90 earlier this year.)

Twenty Years Ago

The La Cañada Flintridge City Council named longtime resident Donald O. Manning, former chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, to a seat on the LCF Planning Commission. Manning was selected over six other candidates to fill the unexpired term of a commissioner who resigned due to health issues.

Thirty Years Ago

La Cañada officials, together with other state, county and Pasadena-Glendale dignitaries, attended the dedication of the new Verdugo Hills Area office of the California Highway Patrol, located at 2130 Windsor Ave., Altadena. Television newscaster George Putnam served as emcee for the event.

Forty Years Ago

A parking lot in the center of the commercial district was transformed into a party site for the Town Square Cityhood Party, organized to generate voters’ interest in the drive to incorporate La Cañada and Flintridge as one city. Out of about 950 people who paid $5 for a ticket, about 800 turned out for the Sunday afternoon party, where they were surrounded by 1,500 colorful balloons and streamers festooning the area. Sharing emcee duties for the four-hour affair were broadcasting personalities Roger Barkley and Dick Sinclair, both of whom resided in the town.

Fifty Years Ago

Vandals struck five classrooms at Foothill Intermediate School on Foothill Boulevard at Cornishon Avenue, causing nearly $15,000 in damages in today’s dollars. An investigation by the middle school’s principal, Tom Fine, led to the arrest of three La Cañada High School students, who said they’d been caught up in the “spur of the moment” to engage in the act. Classes that were normally held in the damaged rooms were moved to the campus cafeteria until they could be cleaned up and repaired.

Sixty Years Ago

Formal dedication ceremonies were held on Sunday, Oct. 7, 1956 for the new La Cañada Presbyterian Church sanctuary.

Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci.