AB 690: A Long Overdue Reform of California’s Privatized Public Defense Systems Last year I introduced The Fair Representation Act, a bill that provides basic guardrails for California’s unregulated, privatized public defense systems. Under our current system, people’s liberty is placed in the hands of a for-profit private attorney or law firm instead of a […]
Praises ‘Poppins’ As I settled into [my seat as part of] the audience at Highlands Church, I was transported into the enchanting world of Mr. and Mrs. Banks, skillfully portrayed by Kyle Critelli and Rebecca Allfrey, alongside their spirited pre-teen children Michael and Jane, brought to life by Owen Laing and Hazel Hassler. The story […]
Seeds, Exotic Breeds and a Melodious Flock Cora Belle stepped into her backyard garden. Her little Cape Cod cottage had been built on Tujunga Canyon Boulevard shortly after her arrival in 1913. With a scoop and a pail, she started down a landscaped path as she had done so many times before. Arriving at the […]
‘Mindsnap’ Courtesy of Colorado River It was a little after 4 a.m. on the last day of our Grand Canyon rafting trip and Tommy, a first generation Irish immigrant and our intrepid trip guide, was already up. Boiling coffee. Prepping bag lunches. Organizing the rafts for the passengers who still had a full day of […]
Angeles Forest Protective Association The name sounds a little ominous to me, like maybe its members track down and hang litterers or they’re a group of eco-terrorists. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, in the 1920s it was a band of Crescenta Valley amateur wildland firefighters who volunteered their services before […]
Crescenta Valley Town Council Update: August 2026 As August arrives, the end of summer signals the start of another school year across the valley. With local campuses reopening, traffic around drop-off and pickup zones will increase significantly over the coming weeks. We remind all residents and commuters to pack extra patience during peak morning and […]
This N That & Eeew! In previous articles, I promised to keep readers updated on certain parts of my personal and community lives. For example, like most people in the country at the new year, I resolved to get myself in better shape and drop a few pounds. I did lose 10 pounds right away […]
Play Music on the Porch Day Play Music on the Porch Day is coming up soon. It’s the last Saturday in August, the 29th this year, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s a time when musicians from all over the world perform on their porch or other suitable location and share on social media. Not only […]
Fun Fire Hydrants and Wanted: New Director We were able to contribute to our nation’s 250th anniversary last month by painting fire hydrants in patriotic colors along Foothill Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue in partnership with Girl Scout Troops 06791, 7141, 2904 and 14111, Glendale Fire Dept. (stations 21 and 29), and the Montrose Shopping Park […]
When the Richest Man in California Called Sunland Home George Bernhard followed in the footsteps of his older brother William on his journey from Imperial Germany to San Francisco in 1872. William had arrived years earlier and settled close to Napa. A decade later, William headed south to become one of the Sunland area’s earliest […]