La Cañada History: Runaway bus startles pedestrians and motorists, no one injured

Ten Years Ago

Pedestrians and motorists along the 600 block of Foothill Boulevard paused during their travels to witness a runaway Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department bus cross from its parking spot at the curb on the north side of the street, jump the center divider and roll into the front garden at the Christian Science Reading Room. The bus had been parked near where Los Gringos Locos is today while its occupants had lunch in Conrad’s, the restaurant then operating at the site.

Twenty Years Ago

La Cañadan Carly Geehr, then 12, broke two national swimming records at the U.S. National Championships in Nashville, Tenn. She was then an eighth-grade student at La Cañada High.

Thirty Years Ago

With one of the Jet Propulsion Laboratories two spacecraft en route to Neptune and the other exploring the outer solar system, the lab’s scientists and engineers were celebrating the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Voyager mission.

Forty Years Ago

With the blessing of city officials, approximately 30 bus benches along Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge were soon to be removed, it was reported in August 1977, to make way for new benches that would not feature advertising. They would be built by the local Rotary Club as part of a plan conceived by Rotary’s Vocational Service Committee.

Fifty Years Ago

Flintridge resident John Rankin of Robin Hill Road hooked a 505½ -pound Pacific blue marlin while on his first fishing voyage in Hawaii. It took Rankin 16 minutes to reel in his 11-foot catch.

Sixty Years Ago

La Cañada’s population stood at 15,871, an increase of 614 between July 31, 1956, and July 31, 1957, it was reported by the Regional Planning Commission. The number of dwelling units increased from 5,023 to 5,225 during the same period.

Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci.