PALM LATITUDES
I grew up in Alhambra and have many fond memories of the Hat (Palm Latitudes, Jan. 12). I remember when it opened in 1951 on the site of an old Signal gas station. We would sneak out of Ramona Elementary School at lunchtime to buy hot dogs and fries, crawling under a fence in the schoolyard for a few minutes of freedom at the Hat. Policemen on motorcycles used to park there and sip complimentary coffee.
In 1959, after a Friday night football game between Alhambra High and Whittier High, a riot broke out at the Hat between students of the rival schools. Many of my Alhambra High buddies were hauled off to the police station for defending the honor of our school.
DR. ROBERT M. FINSTEN
Palm Springs
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