Piece of Mind: Historical happenings and a lost Pomeranian
No gavel was passed, no budget approved, but there was one order of business Tuesday night when the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce held its 100th annual meeting, the election of its 2013 board of directors. Wes Seastrom, who has led the organization through its centennial year, was reelected to serve as chairman of the board in the coming 12 months and will be installed at a dinner event in January.
Tuesday night’s gathering was a joint meeting/holiday party, held in the exquisite, 1920s-vintage main building of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, so fitting for the historic occasion. One could imagine our chamber’s early movers and shakers holding a similar soiree there in December 1927, the month it opened as the Flintridge Hotel.
Given the realities of our production deadlines, everything except breaking news, sports and my column must be in the system for the eyes of our copy editors and the page designer by Tuesday afternoon. For that reason, although we attended the historic meeting-celebratory party, you’ll see photos and society maven Jane Napier Neely’s coverage in her Valley Line on Thursday, Dec. 20. If you can’t wait that long to see some snapshots of the event, check out our photo gallery on the Valley Sun’s website, www.lacanadaonline.com.
Speaking of historic occasions, the Valley Sun is, as of this week, being produced out of the Los Angeles Times building in beautiful downtown L.A. It’s the first time in its history our office has been set up elsewhere, but it’s all good. We’re still covering La Cañada like a blanket, with our typical gusto. I was lucky enough to score some equipment that will allow me to work from home when the mood strikes, so our “other” office remains in the heart of La Cañada, specifically, in our dining room. I figure Gil and I will set place mats across my desk when we have guests over for a chat and chew. The dining room table and chairs have been relegated to that chamber of horrors we call the garage until we can figure out some other arrangement. It seems there’s room for them on the front porch, but I’m afraid the neighbors might object to that view.
Landing in a much better spot than our garage was the collection of archived Valley Suns. I am happy to say you can find all them at Lanterman House, 4420 Encinas Drive. All the old photographs we had lurking in file drawers also went to Lanterman, along with the cabinets that held them. Executive Director Melissa Patton and the archivist, Tim Gregory, seem excited the museum will house our collection and would welcome visitors who want to look through the materials, whether it’s for historical research or simply nostalgia. Lanterman House is open in the afternoons on Tuesdays, Thursdays and the first and third Sunday of each month. To learn more about the museum, call (818) 790-1421.
We’re accustomed to receiving calls with news tips and even pleas for assistance. On Tuesday I had a call from Alta Canyada resident Beverly De Rosa. She needs help finding her beloved dog, a Pomeranian named “Doc” who escaped the yard at about midday on Sunday. She was in tears when she called, so I’m hoping someone knows of her pet’s whereabouts. She describes him as a light brown, round “puff” of an animal, and he was wearing a blue collar. He was last seen heading up Alta Canyada, toward the intersection where La Cañada Imports is located. He’s afraid of men and, curiously, of shoes. So, if you’re a barefoot woman, you might have a chance of capturing him. If you’ve seen Doc, please call De Rosa at (818) 790-4073.
Hope your holiday season is unfolding nicely! Perhaps I’ll see you at one of the events around town.
CAROL CORMACI is the managing editor. Email her at ccormaci@valleysun.net or call her at (818) 495-4161.
