La Cañada History: Spartan named Times Community News sports writers’ water polo player of the year

Ten Years Ago

In an all-area wrap-up of the season, La Cañada High School athlete Devon Borisoff was named boys water polo player of the year by the Valley Sun and its sister publications, the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader, after leading the Spartans to a 24-10 record.

Twenty Years Ago

Local Bank of America customers began doing business at its newest La Cañada branch, in the Ralphs shopping center on Foothill Boulevard at Indianola Way. The new, 5,850-square-foot building was constructed on the site of the former Security Pacific National Bank branch. Prior to the B of A’s move, the local branch had been located on the northeast corner of Foothill and Oakwood Avenue.

Thirty Years Ago

It was announced by the city of Pasadena that the old La Cañada-Verdugo Road bridge over Devil’s Gate Dam, which had been closed to vehicular traffic since 1979, would also be closed to all pedestrian and equestrian traffic due to major deterioration and would be torn down. The decision followed an inspection of the span by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

Forty Years Ago

La Cañada High Principal John Murray was directed by the school board to give more thought to his proposal to allow all four grade levels, 9-12, to go off campus for the daily 35-minute lunch period. At the time of his suggestion, the privilege was extended only to the school’s juniors and seniors.

Fifty Years Ago

The state notified La Cañada Unified School District officials that it would be purchasing 501 La Cañada properties to make way for the 210 Freeway. The state’s acquisition schedule announced in January 1967: 225 properties in fiscal year 1966-67, 200 in 1967-68 and 76 in 1968-69. Also, according to then-Supt. of Schools Donald Ziehl, the state had appraised the La Cañada Elementary School campus — which then fronted Foothill Boulevard and was in the freeway’s path — at $823,000.

Sixty Years Ago

La Cañada Postmaster H. Edwin Cooper told the Valley Sun he had been promised that the community would get a new, larger post office in 1957. The building then serving as the post office was at 1019 Foothill Blvd., at its intersection with Chevy Chase Drive. When it opened in 1939 there were just four employees there, but 18 years later there were 26 people vying for space in what had become cramped quarters.

Compiled from the Valley Sun archive by Carol Cormaci.