Recently in Around La Verne Category

Wednesday's column (read it here) concerns an art exhibit in La Verne, of all places, devoted to John Lennon and Yoko Ono's peace activism, of all things. "Imagine Peace" is at the Harris Art Gallery. Hours and such are here.

I arranged to visit Monday, and I'm awfully glad I did. Of course the price is right (admission is free) but it's also a neat exhibit for John and Yoko fans. I'm enough of a fan that in reading the exhibit booklet it jumped out at me that (on p. 32) Yoko's daughter Kyoko is referred to as Kyoto. Please. We all know the name of Yoko's daughter by her first husband, right?

Ahem. Anyway...

Oh, here's a line considered for the column but wisely dropped:

The city has no obvious connection to the Beatles, although it's a little-known fact that "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" was originally to be titled "Ob-La Verne-Di, Ob-La Verne-Da." Just kidding.

The former Ellsworth's Stationers at 2317 D St. in downtown La Verne is being replaced later this year by House of Wings.

This 7-Eleven, on Towne Center Drive in La Verne, often catches my eye when I drive past on Foothill, a half-block away.

Looks very 1970s, doesn't it? If there's an older 7-Eleven sign in the valley, I'm not aware of it. The store itself, seen below, seems to have been remodeled.

Every time I passed by I worried the sign would be changed out before I could document it, so I took the time to snap these photos recently. Here they are, for posterity.

But I hope the sign remains for a long time; at least 7 or 11 more years.

Above: Person Ford, 2011; Below: Augustine's, 1991, courtesy of city of La Verne: "Top Sirloin Complete Dinner for $6.95."

The former Person Ford car dealership at 2777 Foothill Blvd. in La Verne is set to be redeveloped into apartments and retail. But reader Tom Gay remembers when the building at the west end of the dealership was a restaurant -- or a series of restaurants -- from the 1970s into 2004.

"The building at the west end was at one time a Cattleman's Wharf. It was something else before that and I believe it was once called the Torch," Gay said, "but I also think that the owners of the Torch actually tried to burn it down. Anyway, thought you might want to research it a little more as I'm sure that there are other locals who would be interested and might remember more than I do."

Good idea. I contacted Eric Scherer of La Verne's Planning Department and he was kind enough to research the files. Information isn't complete, but he found that the building in question went up in 1976 and housed Lizzy's.

The Torch followed and did indeed catch fire, possibly by arson. (Presumably firefighters were able to douse the Torch.)

"In 1981, the Original American Dinner House opened," Scherer wrote. "This restaurant was unique in that every room was designed and decorated in a different Americana theme (Betsy Ross Room) and the waiters and staff all wore costumes of famous Americans. It must not have been very popular as it became a Cattleman's Wharf later that year."

Just think, you could have dined in the Betsy Ross Room, then headed east and gotten dessert at Betsy Ross Ice Cream in Claremont.

In 1985, the restaurant changed to Chateau La Verne, replaced in 1987 by Augustine's Hi Jinx Restaurant before 1991 brought Diamond International Buffet. (It was briefly painted bright green and red.)

Finally, 1992 brought a stable restaurant: Phoenix Garden. The Chinese sit-down eatery lasted in the building until 2004, when it moved downtown and Person Ford took over. The building was used for fleet and truck sales rather than kung pao chicken, then closed out its life in 2009 as the location of Foothill Hyundai.

"With the new mixed-use development approved for the site, all of the buildings will be torn down," Scherer reports.

Let's hope the mixed-use development doesn't have a revival of the Torch.

Anyone remember more about these past restaurants?

Expect the unexpected in this farewell video from the outgoing University of La Verne president, Steve Morgan. I don't want to spoil it, so let me just say your 4 minutes will be well spent.

Here's the silly University of La Verne video mentioned in Sunday's column, the one in which the incoming prez asks ULV types to be her peep on Facebook -- after a few other ideas go nowhere.

Francisco Ramirez and Roberta Virgin at the counter of Roberta's Village Inn, 2326 D St., La Verne. Ramirez, the chef, bought the downtown coffee shop from Virgin at the beginning of 2010. A year later, business continues to do well and customers say the transition has been seamless. Read about the popular restaurant in my Wednesday column -- and feel free to add your comments below.

If you click on the "Continue reading" link below, you can find an informal history of the building, with some color about the Village Inn, sent to me by two members of the La Verne Historical Society.

Friday's column pays tribute to a La Verne institution, Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop, which has been at 1030 Bonita Ave. (at Damien Avenue) since 1991, and in existence since 1985 (the first location was in Covina).

Pictured are the now-retired Judy Nelson, left, and manager Andrea Vuleta.

You can visit the store's website here and read my column here.

I was allowed to see the employee restroom, whose inner door has been decorated with doodles by visiting authors and illustrators. A portion of the door is pictured below. Click on the image for a larger view.

Do you have comments about or memories of the store? If so, post away.

A new Panera Bread location opens in La Verne this morning in the old Michael J's location. (Here's a photo after the demolition.)

Address: 2315 Foothill Blvd. (at Fruit Street), across from the giant McDonald's. Regular hours: Monday to Saturday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Menu: Soups, salads, sandwiches, coffee, artisanal bread and free WiFi.

Other area locations are Rancho Cucamonga, Chino Hills and West Covina.

Brackett Field was transformed into "Santa Barbara Municipal Airport" this week for filming. Thanks to reader Joanne Boyajian for the photo.

As mentioned in print the other day, I'll be among the scoopers at an ice cream sundae fundraiser in La Verne today to benefit Relay for Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society. Come buy a sundae for a good cause. We'll be at Roberta's Village Inn,
2326 D St., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Here are the shifts:

5:30 pm -- Dan & Annette Harden, Brian McNerney, Fire Chief John Breaux, me

6:30 pm -- Mayor Don Kendrick, Mayor ProTem Donna Redman Nasmyth, Police Chief Scott Pickwith, Captain Darryl Seube

7:30 pm -- Former Mayor Jon Blickenstaff, Council Member Robin Carder, Planning Commision Chair Cid Pinedo

Tonight is a Farmers Market night downtown so parking will be more of a chore. Organizers recommend parking behind the Fire Station or at Church of the Brethren.

La Verne Online is the name, and it's run by 25-year resident Peter Bennett, a former LA Times staffer and PR guy. I've read a few articles there and it's pretty well done, with coverage of Monday's council meeting and long features on such folks as private eye Becky Altringer, Gumby licensee Nick Croce and Taste of Asia chef Virada Khowang. (One flaw: No dates on any of the stories.) Best of luck to them.

Photo shot April 18 at Foothill and Fruit in La Verne. A Panera Bread is coming to the site. Here's a farewell to the Michael J's chain with plenty of comments.

The Grinch read to children and adults last week at the University of La Verne Literacy Center as part of a three-day book fair. Or, as a university press release describes the day in verse:

On a wintry day in the late afternoon

A host of young tykes gathered up in a room.

Their parents were there, joining in on the fun

All watching and waiting for the one yet to come.

They sat and they hoped barely moving an inch

Looking up and around for to glimpse Mister Grinch.

And when he arrived, they clapped and they smiled

As he read and he spoke to each eager young child.

At the end, all were happy, both the young and the old

Having sipped the hot cocoa, meant to battle the cold

The book fair raised funds to help tutor and mentor

Local kids who rely on the Literacy Center.

The Bulletin's celebrity news section on Page A2 has twice featured the arrest of Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, this past week. Well, there's a local angle: Last summer the Quaids hired Becky Altringer, the La Verne private eye featured in a recent column of mine due to her role in the documentary "This Film is Not Yet Rated." The Quaids even stayed in a La Verne mobile home (!) for a short period. The mind reels.

Altringer later dropped them as clients and is seeking a restraining order against Evi Quaid. You can read a fairly extensive piece from the Daily Beast here that quotes Altringer, if you're inclined.

Hanawalt House, pre-renovation

La Verne's Hanawalt House has been restored and was unveiled to the public on Wednesday. I couldn't make it out to the wilds of La Verne for the 3 p.m. ceremony, but here's some history courtesy of the University of La Verne, which owns the building.

The house, at 2058 2nd St., was built in 1908 for W.C. Hanawalt, the fifth president of what was then Lordsburg College. The house features Queen Anne and Eastlake architectural attributes and its foundation was made of concrete blocks -- a rarity for private residences in those days, apparently -- by Hanawalt's half-brothers.

(They later assisted in building La Verne's iconic Church of the Brethren.)

In 1973, Hanawalt's second wife, Pearl, sold the house, which is on the campus grounds, to the university, which used it as offices. A 2004 fire caused major damage -- oh no! -- but an extensive renovation put it back into service, retaining its historic character while allowing modern uses.

The downstairs now features two meeting facilities -- the Palmera and Lordsburg rooms -- and a smaller receiving salon, Pearl's Parlor. The upstairs is home to the university's Alumni Relations and Special Events offices. The surrounding grounds have also been replanted and upgraded.

Participants in Wednesday's ribbon-cutting were to include University of La Verne President Steve Morgan, Mayor Don Kendrick, Historical Society President Galen Beery and Hanawalt family representative J. Clair Hanawalt.

Interested in Pakistan, hotspot in the global war on terrorism? The University of La Verne will host a lecture on that nation on Thursday in the inaugural presentation of the -- wait for it -- Benazir Bhutto & Ahmed Ispahani International Lectureship.

The huh?

ULV Professor Ahmed Ispahani, a La Verne resident, was a cousin of Bhutto, the prime minister who was assassinated in 2007. He'll be giving the lecture, entitled "Struggle for Democracy: Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan."

The lectureship was established by a gift from ULV trustee Paul Moseley, a former student of Ispahani's, as a way to thank his mentor and pay respects to Bhutto.

Here's some background on Ispahani's life from a campus press release:

"Born in Iran, Ispahani spent much of his formative years traveling to and from Pakistan because of his family's business there. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Karachi, then later studied in England before coming to the United States to earn his master's and Ph.D. He first joined the La Verne faculty in 1964, and has since taught generations of students and influenced countless careers.

"In 1968 Ispahani took a leave from his teaching duties to become economic adviser to the Iran Government, Central Bank of Iran. He was later asked to serve as economic advisor to the Shah of Iran, a position he held until returning to La Verne in 1976.

"A U.S. citizen, Ispahani enjoyed a close relationship with his cousin, the late Benazir Bhutto. He began advising Bhutto on economic matters in 1990, and was instrumental in arranging her visit and lecture at La Verne in 1997."

Benazir Bhutto visited La Verne? I had no idea.

The lecture begins at 11 a.m. in La Fetra Auditorium. It's free but seating is limited. Information: International Studies Institute, (909) 593-3511 ext. 4221.

This is the poem read at Monday's La Verne City Council meeting by its author, La Verne's official poet laureate (!), Cathy Henley-Erickson, in honor of retiring Mayor Jon Blickenstaff:

In his family tradition of public service
The shadow is long, cast by this man:
The green hills, protected now, welcome us all
The calm workplace supports and challenges
those who labor here.

Jon is more than numbers:
27 years as mayor
35 years in education
1934 and 1940 woodies

Jon is more than adjectives:
dedicated
respectful
fair
kind

Jon is more than accomplishments:
Gold Line Construction Authority
Casa Colina
Tri-City Mental Health

What Jon is now and will be next
depends upon where he turns, and what he chooses.

When the richness of life comes from giving,
from spending time
as if the bank account of moments
always grew,
interest compounded on interest,

Then, in the long line of life,
though any one of us makes only a smallish dent
in the pile of work that needs doing,
a purpose for life continues,
and we are secure.

I get used to all the big names coming to the Claremont Colleges for lectures, all of them within walking distance from your humble blogger.

But the University of La Verne is getting into the act, next Tuesday bringing out Tavis Smiley. Smiley has a PBS talk show and an NPR radio show and has authored 11 books, including the soon to be released "Accountable: Making America As Good As its Promise."

In your face, Claremont!

Smiley's talk is free, but you need to reserve a seat, pronto. To do so, call Christina Massengale at (909) 593-3511, ext. 4682.

The talk begins at 7:30 p.m. in Founders Hall Auditorium. Maps, directions and campus parking information are available at www.ulv.edu/maps.

NPR and Slate teamed up for a feature titled "The Best Merry Scary Christmas Movies," the capper of which was "Magic Christmas Tree," an ultra-low budget movie from 1964 described by reporter Marc Jordan Legan as an example of "deeply rich bad cinema."

"Shot in lovely La Verne, Calif.," Legan says, the movie "looks like it was made for about 12 bucks."

The plot involves a boy who rescues a cat from a tree for a woman reputed to be a witch. He falls, hits his head and the movie suddenly, a la "Wizard of Oz," switches from B&W to color. The witch gives him a ring with a secret compartment holding a magic seed that, if planted "beneath the wishbone of a Thanksgiving turkey in the dark of the moon," will become "a magic Christmas tree."

Soon, the magic Christmas tree indeed appears. "And of course, since it's magic, it can talk!" Legan enthuses. But, he wonders, why does it have "the voice of an irritated antiques dealer"?

Be that as it may, the movie takes an even stranger turn when the boy wanders into the woods and is accosted by a burly giant, who nearly kidnaps the boy. ("Suddenly 'Magic Christmas Tree' turns into 'Deliverance,'" Legan says.) The boy escapes and promises never to be greedy again. Gosh, how heartwarming.

Legan advises showing "Magic Christmas Tree" toward the end of a holiday party if guests won't take the hint to leave.

Perhaps, but now I really want to see "Magic Christmas Tree." Listen to the NPR story's audio and then watch the video here.

Thanks to readers Don J. and Eric, we also have a 9-minute YouTube clip. Eric advises to let the thing load and then skip ahead to 5:15, when we get four straight minutes of La Verne circa 1964. I see signs for Mellin's, a cafe named Pat's and something that looks like Millions, plus the Fire Department.

Can any longtime La Verne residents clue us in about the route taken and the landmarks seen?

I took a drive on Arrow Highway the other day to check out the new/old L.A. County Fair sign. It stands a few yards west of White Avenue in La Verne at Fairplex Gate 15.

The sign originally stood at Foothill and White near the Mount Baldy Drive-In sign, which featured three images of a skier on the slopes; when the neon blinked, the skier appeared to be in motion.

The drive-in was in existence from about 1960 to 1984, when it was replaced by a Target store, according to Charles Phoenix's "Cruising the Pomona Valley" guidebook. The fair sign was there in approximately the same span and, after being taken down, was preserved in a Fairplex warehouse until its recent restoration.

"That was a little miracle they found it," Phoenix told me. He was pleased to know it was restored, and by the same company that made it originally, Pomona-based Williams Sign Co.

It looks pretty sharp, and I'm looking forward to driving past there at night to see the neon.

I maintain that the Super Tents at University of La Verne is that city's most striking building. But one can't help but be impressed by the Metropolitan Water District building.

The Foothill Cities Blog has details, plus photos. I believe the building showed up in "National Treasure 2." The MWD site gives more information, and its address.

(Incidentally, I appear to have won a contest on that blog as its 10,000th commenter. Although my suspicion is that they just liked my comment best.)

Wednesday marks William Shakespeare's 444th birthday -- don't forget to send him an e-card -- and the University of La Verne will mark the Bard-day with a three-in-one event.

First, a dinner of Shakespearean-era food -- roast beef, pasties (meat pies), etc. -- will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Davenport Dining Hall. Dinner is $6.99, or two-for-one. Bring a friend, or make one in line.

Second, at 6:30, Jeffrey Kahan, an associate professor of English, will give a brief talk on the Shake-man. In case you're questioning Kahan's credentials for this lecture, he completed his Ph.D at the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham. The one in England, not the one in Alabama. His talk will be on "Hamlet" parodies.

Third, at 7:30, comes a free dress rehearsal of "Hamlet" in a shortened, two-hour version by the ULV Theatre Department. The university says the play is co-directed by "renowned Croatian director Georgij Paro," a man who must be keenly aware of Americans' impatience. Stunt men will perform mock swordfights and offer tips on how they do it.

Says ULV spokesman Charles Bentley: "This is your chance to celebrate the birth of the world’s greatest playwright, get a taste of vintage British fare ('What foods these morsels be!'), listen to a noted scholar’s musings and experience possibly the most famous play ever (and in condensed form!)."

How can it miss? Visit the quaint hamlet of La Verne for "Hamlet."

The late Evelyn Hollinger authored "La Verne, the Story of the People Who Made a Difference," a 1987 tome that tracked the area's history back 150 years, to 1837. Born in Chino in 1912, she lived in La Verne from 1954. A photo of Hollinger accompanying the introduction depicts her dressed in white and astride a bicycle. The piece's title calls her "La Verne's bike-riding historian."

I recently received an e-mail from reader Greg Ryman of La Verne about Hollinger, whom he and his wife befriended a few years prior to her death:

"She was a wonderful person and since I've always loved history she provided a wealth of information on our city. She lived at Hillcrest and ran the now-defunct Hillcrest Book Store out of a very tiny and rundown building. When she passed it was a sad day.

"The city of La Verne honored her a while after her death by dedicating a stone with a brass plaque naming the small redwood forest on the grounds of Las Flores Park (adjacent to the La Verne/University of La Verne pool) in her honor.

"A couple of times a month my wife and I would always walk by this small forest and say hi to Evelyn. Recently we noticed that one of more of our fine citizens decided to pry a large piece of the plaque off, broke it, and finally succeeded in pulling it completely off, bolts and all."

Ryman, who attached a photo of the plaque-less rock, ended his Dec. 1 note by wondering if a mention in my column might prompt city leaders to replace the plaque.

Well, nothing so drastic as a mention in my column -- talk about bringing out the heavy artillery -- was necessary.

Ryman phoned on Christmas Eve to say he had taken another walk through the park and, lo and behold, "our city replaced the plaque." How about that?

Kudos to whomever is responsible. And if you're walking through the park, look for the plaque and reflect for a moment about one of La Verne's leading lights, the bike-ridin', history-writin' Evelyn Hollinger.

Did you read this week that La Verne is getting $400,000 from county transportation funds?

The money is for a system to monitor and adjust traffic lights on White and Bonita avenues and on Arrow Highway to keep traffic moving. As a taxpayer, I think I speak for everyone when I say: What a relief! Once downtown La Verne gets a handle on its hellish traffic, we can all sleep easier.

In La Verne, the City Council finally has its first woman. Donna Nasmyth was sworn in Monday night, the first councilwoman in the city's 101-year history. You'd think a city whose name sounds like a woman's would have gotten this milestone out of the way earlier, but, well, better late than never.

(Coming soon to La Verne: electricity, flush toilets and direct-dial telephones.)

There was a celebratory mood in the council chambers. The city clerk, a woman, said it was an honor to swear in Nasmyth, and a representative of the city trash hauler, also a woman, said: "Normally I would say in a presentation to a woman that you're following in the footsteps of all the women who have gone before you, but there were no women who have gone before you."

More in my Wednesday column.