Crescenta Valley WTHE FOOTHILLSeekly COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER july 17, 2014 www.cvweekly.com v o l . 5 , N o . 4 6 Sagebrush Talks Continue Local Authors to Share By Kevork KURDOGHLIAN All was not right in ‘Colorful’ CV History The Glendale Unified School Crescenta Valley as District board of education ‘Wicked Crescenta postponed a vote on the proposed Valley’ authors share the territory transfer between unsavory history of the GUSD and La Cañada Unified foothills. at its July 8 meeting. Superintendent Richard By Jason KUROSU Sheehan explained that the board did not want to feel “under s a follow-up to their the gun to vote.” He also added 2013 book, “Murder that they “don’t anticipate this A& Mayhem in the slowing down the process.” Crescenta Valley,” authors Gary Though voting on the Keyes and Mike Lawler recently controversial issue was released “Wicked Crescenta postponed, the board decided Valley” and will be speaking to continue discussions at the about the book this Monday, July meeting. 21. The “Sagebrush” issue While “Murder and Mayhem” dominated the public detailed numerous homicides communications portion of the within the foothills, “Wicked Photos Courtesy CV Historical Society meeting. Three La Cañada Crescenta Valley” focuses on Kidnapping, bootlegging and cruising are the topics of the new book, ‘Wicked Crescenta Valley’ by Gary Keyes and Mike residents spoke in favor of other seamy, criminal aspects Lawler. The authors will be signing and speaking about the book on July 21 at the Center for Spiritual Living. the transfer, while three La of the history of the Crescenta Crescenta residents spoke Valley. Keyes and Lawler unearth a Crescenta, speakeasies during old newspapers, letters and against the transfer. As noted in the book’s variety of lurid tales, many the prohibition era and the Tuna eyewitness accounts to put the Don Davis, Sagebrush introduction, “Most communities of which are probably new Canyon Detention Center, an book together, just as they did resident, advocated for a want to see only the good sides to current Crescenta Valley internment camp. with “Murder and Mayhem.” negotiated transfer noting that of their histories. But not the residents. The book covers, Lawler, the former president “I was really happy to team up litigation and petition to the Crescenta Valley. Our history among other things, prostitution of the Historical Society of the with Gary [Keyes] again,” said county level would be very costly is so dynamic and colorful that in the hillside community now Crescenta Valley, said he and Lawler, who said his co-author for both districts. to only cover the ‘good’ aspects known as Whiting Woods, racial Keyes, a former Crescenta “loves to talk about the creepy Paula Brown, a parent of a would not do it justice.” prejudice from Ku Klux Klan Valley High School government side of CV’s history.” see SAGEBRUSH on page 8 In “Wicked Crescenta Valley,” members within Glendale and La and history teacher, consulted see CV HISTORY on page 8 Possible Hefty Fines Await Water Wasters By Mary O’KEEFE “We were slightly higher in May 2014 than 2013,” said Christy On Tuesday the State Water Scott, CVWD spokeswoman. Resources Control Board approved But, Scott explained, there an emergency regulation intended are many variables that go into to reduce outdoor urban water that statistic including how hot waste through fines of up to $500 this May was as opposed to last a day. year. Overall, CVWD customers Crescenta Valley Water District are doing pretty well with their and Glendale Water and Power conservation efforts. are reviewing their individual “In general, [CVWD] is on company policies to see if their target with 20 by 2020. We have regulations are compatible with met our goal in that area,” she the new requirements. said. The goal is to reduce water One of the reasons for the vote consumption by 20% by the year came from a survey of the state’s 2020. conservation efforts. What the GWP is also doing a good study found was that Californians job with conservation, almost used more water in May 2014 meeting that 20 by 2020 goal. (after the official drought was Officials are comparing the declared) than in 2013. water usage of 2006 and are almost Photo by Charly SHELTON And that trend holds true for at that level of conservation. Wasting water could cost you this summer, with fines of up to $500 a day. These emergency regulations are in response to CV residents. the severe drought Southern California is facing right now. see CONSERVING on page 8 » newS »SPORTS »BeTWEEN Celebrating WheRe Are FRIENDS the COlorado THeY Now? gHS CelebraTeS StreeT Bridge CVw CHeCkS 90 Years In with MIke Hull Pa g e 3 Pa g e 1 4 Pa g e 1 6 The BalloTs are in, The Tallying is underway. who will Be chosen as The 2014 finesT? Page 2 www.cvweekly.com July 17, 2014 from the desk of the publisher Weather Summer Time and in the the Living is … Busy Foothills As president of Prom Plus, opportunity to show off all the the great concerts at Starlight I look forward to summer. For resources the Alex has to offer. Bowl and Cal Phil. (Read how “There is no way that we can predict the weather six months organization members, it’s a I was fortunate to be there and much fun the Linkhorsts had in ahead, beyond giving the seasonal average.” time for us to catch our breath, met up with a lot of friends. this week’s Letters to the Edi- ~ Stephen Hawking, “Black Holes and Baby Universes” to look back on the year that Coming up on Saturday is tor in our Viewpoints section on As we sail into mid-summer, weather is Sadly tornados make headline news every was focused on the after prom the annual Cruise Night on page 10). pretty much business as usual. Monday a year, but another condition caught my eye event for Crescenta Valley Brand Boulevard hosted by the So while things may be qui- surge of monsoonal moisture brought cloud a few days ago – a polar vortex. An out High School seniors and their City of Glendale. Then the first eter, there’s still plenty to do cover and a chance of showers to the foot- of the ordinary cold air mass was moving guests. As publisher of the CV ever Food and Brewfest hosted around town. I look forward to hills and much of the southwest. Unfortu- down into the region from the north. A Weekly, it’s also a quieter time by the Montrose-Verdugo City seeing you! nately only a few raindrops actually made Chicago NWS forecast office, in an online for the paper. Without league Chamber of Commerce is taking _______________ it to the ground, as we were enveloped in discussion, promoted the event as “a sum- play, summer sports are some- place on July 27 on Honolulu The column I wrote last heat and humidity. mer version of a polar vortex” (a traditional what limited, though practice Avenue. Tickets are limited. week chastising the man who Another newsworthy weather condition, one hit the city last winter making it the play continues for many of the For pricing and purchasing in- was stealing copies of the CV but atypical in nature, hit the Midwest: a coldest in 30 years.) Whoops! The NWS sports. And youth activities formation, check out Melinda Weekly for probable recycling cold air mass misnamed a “polar vortex” asked local forecasters to tighten up their are greatly reduced as families Clarke’s article on page 22. really caught our community’s sent temperatures plummeting to those use of meteorological terminology. head off to take advantage of We are also looking forward attention – as did the heroics of more associated with fall. So, yes there truly are unseasonably vacation time. to National Night Out on Aug. Mary O’Keefe who challenged Two interesting weather phenomena – cold weather conditions affecting the Mid- Though things may be quiet 5. This nationwide event pro- the thief. Bravo not only to her, the first fairly common during the summer west, Central Plains and eventually the in these areas, much is still motes the partnership between but also to the community mem- and the second out of the ordinary. mid Atlantic states. High temperatures happening around town. We’ve law enforcement and citizens. bers who have been keeping an The definition of a monsoon brings to well below 70 and lows into the 40s are already had a phenomenal car We have had active NNO activi- eye open to his further antics. mind images of torrential rains in the sub- possible. A slight ice build up at lake edges show hosted by the Montrose ties over the past few years and I appreciate (as always) our tropics. According to the National Weather is not out of the question either. Shopping Park and a successful from what I’ve heard, this year community’s support of the Service, the term monsoon refers solely to No polar vortex action here. The cur- golf tournament presented by will be no different. We’ll update Crescenta Valley Weekly and a seasonal wind shift and not to precipita- rent cold is due to an extreme dip in the the Crescenta Valley Chamber you over the next two weeks on am touched that they felt as tion. Originally used to describe conditions jet stream known as a “trough.” This opens of Commerce not to mention a what you can expect around offended as I to learn of this for the Indian subcontinent, monsoonal the door for a deep upper low out of the dazzling fireworks display by town during NNO.