La Cañada history: Post office receives 22 new vans in time for 1987 holiday rush

By Carol Cormaci

Nov. 28, 2017 3:10 PM PT

Ten Years Ago

Plans for the construction of the new location of Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse received approval from the city’s design commission. The building would replace an old gas station structure and parking area at 1010 Foothill Blvd. that in December 2007 was leased for a Christmas tree sales lot. “It’s finally coming together,” said bookstore owner Peter Wannier. “The city has worked together with us and I think [the new facility] is going to be a real value to the community.” The store was then operating a few doors east of the new site on Foothill Boulevard.

Twenty Years Ago

The 1997 La Cañada High School Spartan water polo team defeated Bell Gardens, 7-6, in the finals of the CIF Southern Section Division championships in Long Beach.

Thirty Years Ago

Just in time for the holiday rush, the U.S. Post Office Department delivered 22 new delivery vans to its branch in La Cañada, one of the first in the area to receive the “long-life vehicles” manufactured by Grumman Co. Previously, modified Jeeps had been used to make the local postal rounds.

Forty Years Ago

The Flintridge Preparatory School basketball team played in the inaugural Flintridge Prep Invitational Tournament. After three days of play, the Rebels, led by a new coach, won their own tournament.

Fifty Years Ago

For the first time in its history, St. Francis High School was organizing a student band, under the direction of Fr. Michael Walsh. As of December 1967, 20 students had signed up, with the objective being to rehearse throughout the remainder of that school year and debut with a performance before an audience in the fall of 1968.

Sixty Years Ago

A windstorm that swept through the area uprooted so many trees that 850 electrical service wires were knocked down in La Cañada, La Crescenta and Montrose. A Southern California Edison Co. spokesperson said he sent 150 men here to repair the damage in a job that took 37 hours.

Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci.