Around Town: Palm Crest Elementary’s PTA is still going strong
One of my favorite memories of Palm Crest Elementary was when that our dog, Shadow Torres, joined the PTA.
Back in the late 1980s, Shadow was not the only family dog to join the PTA. There were many others. Dogs. Cats. Parakeets. They all joined the PTA.
If I’m remembering correctly, it had something to do with a membership drive, some contest concerning a 50-cent refund to the school.
Naturally, Palm Crest Elementary won.
Another plus at Palm Crest was our principal, Don Hingst. Every Halloween, “Mr. Hingst,” as we all called him, would dress in the most convincing yet minimalist costume. The costume consisted of a silver sheriff’s star.
Mr. Hingst would pin the star to his lapel and change personalities.
“Mr. Hingst is gone today,” he’d announce. “I’m his twin brother, Ron.”
The first-graders believed him, but the older kids had questions. A group of third-grade boys would huddle together on the playground. One would emerge while the others watched. He’d bravely approach, but Don stayed in character.
“I’m the Sheriff,” he say.
Unlike their beloved principal, Sheriff Ron had a slight edge, so the kids didn’t push their luck.
Ancient history? Some of the Palm Crest PTA moms have organized a reunion, so it can’t be that ancient.
The organizers are Dawn Witte and Wendy Gute, both considered Palm Crest PTA rock stars. They’ve reserved the Wine Cave, 2427 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, for a no host reunion. All former Palm Crest PTA members are invited.
I was honored that they’d think to invite me. My era was a little earlier than theirs, even before Scholastic Books carried Harry Potter.
During years of declining enrollment, La Cañada Unified School District had leased Palm Crest to a series of private schools. As more families moved to town, the two remaining elementary schools, LCE and Paradise Canyon, grew crowded. Initially, LCUSD took the position that it was bound by the lease, which had several years to run. Plus, it was cheaper to squish into the existing schools and expensive to reopen a school.
But then, one local mom pulled the lease. She wasn’t a lawyer. She was a nurse. The mom wanted the best for the kids. She discovered a clause that permitted termination of the lease when an increase in public school enrollment required the use of the facility.
Never underestimate the moms.
It was exciting to be part of the reopening in 1988. That fall, Mr. Hingst was assigned to reopen the school. Not an easy task, but Mr. Hingst recruited the most motivated teachers in the district. As a result, there was tremendous energy at Palm Crest.
The PTA got started. In an election that was more contested than our current presidential primaries, the kids voted on their mascot.
Best yet, “Sheriff Ron” made the occasional visit and everyone attended the annual end-of-the-year faculty-student baseball game. Everyone rooted for the students, all graduating sixth-graders, but they could never beat the faculty team, allegedly supplemented by ringers. Mr. Hingst denied this, but did admit he had been forced to hire a part-time playground monitor due to district regulations.
That’s why Palm Crest has a proud history. The PTA is still going strong. On Friday, March 11, the Third Annual Palm Crest Golf Open returns to the La Cañada Country Club, starting at 10:30 a.m. That night, there will be a dinner, plus a kids dinner and movie. Learn more at palmcrestpta.org.
Why spend money on a babysitter, when you can be true to your school?
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ANITA SUSAN BRENNER is a longtime La Cañada Flintridge resident and an attorney with Law Offices of Torres and Brenner in Pasadena. Contact her at anitasusan.brenner@yahoo.com. Follow her on Instagram @realanitabrenner, Facebook and on Twitter @anitabrenner.