La Cañada History: La Crescenta man, teen son rescued at Angeles Crest Highway

Ten Years Ago

With then-City Manager Jerry Fulwood poised to start a new job in Culver City, the La Cañada Flintridge City Council appointed Mark Alexander, who had served as assistant city manager, to step into Fulwood’s post on an interim basis. Alexander said at the time we was giving serious consideration to applying for City Hall’s top job on a permanent basis.

Twenty Years Ago

Officials at La Cañada High School received official notice from the U.S. Department of Education that it had been named a National Blue Ribbon School. James E. Stratton, then principal of LCHS who later served as the district’s superintendent, stated the honor was “a remarkable achievement.”

Thirty Years Ago

A 36-year-old La Crescenta man, his 13-year-old son and a forest ranger who had come to their aid were rescued from a canyon wall 200 feet below Angeles Crest Highway, just above La Cañada. The incident started when the boy lost his footing while tossing rocks over a ledge. He fell, coming to rest on an extremely steep chute. His father climbed down to try to rescue him, but also became stuck. The ranger also climbed down the hillside and stayed with them until Montrose Search and Rescue Team members could extract all three of them. The boy was hospitalized with injuries that reportedly included a concussion.

Forty Years Ago

The mayor of San Francisco, Joseph Alioto, was the commencement speaker when St. Francis High School held its graduation ceremonies on the Foothill Boulevard campus in late May 1973.

Fifty Years Ago

A deer was fatally injured after dashing across Foothill Boulevard, jumping a three-foot-high concrete wall and crashing through plate glass at Art Craft Floor Coverings. Four La Cañada boys who were on their way to school at St. Bede witnessed the deer bounding across traffic lanes in the 500 block of Foothill at about 8:30 a.m., then ramming through the store’s front door.

Sixty Years Ago

Reduction of the speed limit from 55 to 35 miles per hour was ordered on a 1.26-mile stretch of Verdugo Boulevard between Montrose and the center of La Cañada, which was traveled by approximately 13,000 vehicles per day.

-- Carol Cormaci, carol.cormaci@latimes.com

Follow @CarolCormaci on Twitter.