La Cañada History: Aggressive firefighting, including helicopter water drops, knock down blaze in ANF

Ten Years Ago

Curious residents lined streets in the Starlight Crest area behind the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to watch as more than 200 firefighters worked to knock down the Lowe fire in the Angeles National Forest just above Altadena. To help quench thirsts on the hot day, a La Cañada third-grader, Olivia Cwik and her mother Diane Sipes-Cwik carried a pitcher of lemonade to fire personnel who were filling helicopter water tanks at JPL.

Twenty Years Ago

In honor of the centennial anniversary of Church of the Lighted Window (today known as La Cañada Congregational Church), the Rev. Philip Longfellow Anderson officiated at the renewal of wedding vows for more than 70 couples who had been married at the church over the years.

Thirty Years Ago

A consultant was hired to find a replacement for a longtime superintendent of La Cañada Unified School District, Don Ziehl, who was planning to retire in September 1988. The consultant told school board members the opening would be publicized nationally because the community had expectations for its schools “that could prove attractive enough to draw interest from individuals who might not otherwise consider moving.”

Forty Years Ago

The La Cañada Flintridge City Council adopted an underground utilities ordinance to encourage placing power lines under the surface of Foothill Boulevard. It was anticipated the first project to achieve that goal would take place along the south side of Foothill, from Georgian Road to Verdugo Boulevard.

Fifty Years Ago

As La Cañada High School readied for its 1967-68 school year, it was announced that a 15-minute morning advisory period, similar to a homeroom, followed by a 15-minute nutritional break would be introduced to the school day.

Sixty Years Ago

An estimated crowd of 1,000 La Cañada residents attended the final Junior Baseball League wind-up of the season at the picnic grounds of Oak Grove Park (today’s Hahamongna Park) on a Saturday in August 1957. Season awards were given out and all-stars, selected from the A and B leagues, played a special game. The A’s won it, 5-1.

Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci.