La Cañada History: Local residents capture Barn Door Trophy in 1957 Transpacific Yacht Race
Ten Years Ago
For the second time in a five-year span, the La Cañada Flintridge Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit to allow for the remodeling of Plaza de La Cañada, including the expansion of the Vons market then operating there (where Gelson’s is today). The earlier approval elapsed when the center’s owners delayed their plans.
Twenty Years Ago
La Cañada Unified School District sponsored a series of workshops in 1997 to educate locals on the controversial “Sagebrush” issue regarding which district students living in that area of town would attend. The matter is still not entirely resolved, although a recent ruling suggests they may be allowed to leave Glendale Unified for LCUSD, pending environmental studies and voter approval.
Thirty Years Ago
Cory Ryken, La Cañada High School’s varsity soccer goalie, was selected to represent the U.S. in Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Russia for five weeks as part of the 1987 European-Soviet Cup Tournament.
Forty Years Ago
One of La Cañada’s newest residents, Ryan Joseph Kelly, the son of Judy and Bruce Kelly, was born on 7-7-77 and weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces. The Valley Sun reported “If that’s not enough of a ‘lucky seven’ it can be added that Ryan arrived at 7:49 a.m. at Verdugo Hills Hospital, seven days before he was due and just three days after his parents’ seventh wedding anniversary.”
Fifty Years Ago
In pre-cityhood days, the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce and the La Cañada Valley Planning Advisory Committee urged the county road department to construct center islands on Angeles Crest Highway so that drivers of runaway trucks could use them to slow down their vehicles, thereby avoiding crashing into the intersection of Angeles Crest and Foothill Boulevard.
Sixty Years Ago
La Cañada yachtsman Frank Hooykaas, with fellow La Cañadan Allen Puckett crewing, entered his 83-foot cutter, the Barlovento in the 1957 Transpacific Yacht Race from San Pedro to Honolulu. Their efforts captured the Barn Door Trophy for the fastest monohull elapsed time: 11:13:02:44.
Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci.
