10-20-30 Years Ago

Ten Years Ago: The Verdugo Hills chapter of The Compassionate Friends, an organization that provides friendship and understanding to parents whose children have died, held a candlelight ceremony in La Cañada Flintridge Memorial Park in conjunction with a world-wide event that took place at 7 p.m. local time across the globe.

Twenty Years Ago: The Planning Commission approved remodeling work on a former Ralphs grocery story at the west end of town that would transform it into a Ross Dress For Less retail clothing store.

Thirty Years Ago: Tom Curtis, then 31, was unanimously selected by members of the City Council to fill the remaining term of office of George Parrish, one of the first council members — and the city’s first mayor — who was moving out of town to take on a new career.

Forty Years Ago: The La Cañada High School Marching Band struck upon a unique fund-raising project for the December break in 1970. Called “Rent-a-Spartan,” it allowed La Cañadans to telephone the student chairman of the project and request any type of household assistance, including garage clean-up, window-washing and baby-sitting.

Fifty Years Ago: Public turnout for the second annual Descanso Gardens Christmas Decorations Show was so high that the California Highway Patrol dispatched units to help control traffic jams that ensued in residential neighborhoods adjacent to Descanso Gardens.