Volunteers step up to help! See below
FREE
FRIDAY • JULY 29, 2016
TELLING THE TRUTH FOR OVER 11 YEARS!
Second Annual WOW JAM in Sunland Park
Volunteers Save The Day — and the Horses, Pigs, etc. by
David DeMullé
What started as a small, 25-acre fire in Canyon Country blasted out into a fire that has ravaged some 38,300 acres and burned up the news channels for four days. Life continued as normal in Sunland-Tujunga as people complained about the heat, the smoke and the ashes that covered everything. Behind the scenes, however, is a small In 2015, WOW JAM became the largest one-day event in the history of Sunland-Tujunga. group of determined volunteers who were mobilized by by Amelia Anderson 6, from 1 to 5 p.m. local organizations such as the It’s sort of a post July 4 Foothills Trails Neighborhood WOW! It’s time to jam — party, a modern version of Council and social media. again! The second year of Liberty proclaiming to us and These brave people have the WOW JAM, a festival of our forebears who passed by rallied together to save the hope and joy, is coming to the her statue: “Give me your animals at the Wildlife Way foothills on Saturday, August see WOW JAM, page 9 Station as well as people who
INSIDE:
National Night Out
Help Your Child to Have A Successful School Year
3
................ Seward’s Ice Cream Social ................ WOW JAM pics: 2015 ............
VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16
The Sand Fire in Canyon Country, as seen from Valencia. were in the path of what has been named the Sand Fire. On the TV news, it took a day before the realization that a small fire in Canyon Coun-
try was blowing up to become the monumental inferno that came over the Bear Divide. By the time it was understood see Sand Fire, page 9
Yes, Kathy’s Still There!
4
12
DEPARTMENTS Mónica Ratliff (center, in blue dress) with administrators and students at Haddon.
Foothills Happenings............. 2 View from the Rock.............. 3 Legion Post Calendar............. 4 Movie Review...................... 4 Chef Randy........................... 5 Artfully Speaking.................. 5 Crime Stats......................... 10 Take My Card..................... 11
by
Mónica Ratliff
Every parent, child, and teacher begins each school year with a great deal of hope – hope that this school year will be a great year. Even if children do not say it, they hope that they will get along with their peers, their
teachers, and that they will feel comfortable and secure in the classroom and school. Parents often hope that their child will do well in school, get good grades, have good friends, and learn a lot to help their future achievement. Teachers often want many of see LAUSD, page 8
Everyone is used to seeing Kathy’s old car on 8421 Foothill Blvd. in Sunland, and its presence let them know that she was inside working. Well, she got a new car, so come on by, say “Hello” and drop off your sewing needs.
OVER 200 DISTRIBUTION SITES IN THE FOOTHILLS AREA
2 — FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 • THE FOOTHILLS PAPER
www.thefoothillspaper.com • VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16
SPORTS PHYSICALS Tujunga Student On Dean’s List at St. Lawrence U
Sandports are what define our schools are a great break from academics. You already know that participating in sports helps keep you fit. You also know that sports are a fun way to meet people and have fun. But do you know why the physical you have to take at the beginning of your sports season is so important? In the field of sports medicine, the sports physical exam is known as a Pre-participation Physical Examination, or a PPE.
Chad J. Rahtz of Tujunga has been selected for inclusion on the Dean’s List for academic achievement during the Spring 2016 semester at St. Lawrence University. Rahtz is a member of the Class of 2016 and is majoring in economics. He attended St. Francis High School. To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must have completed at least four courses and have an academic average of 3.6 based on a 4.0 scale for the semester. Founded in 1856, St. Lawrence University is a private, independent liberal arts institution of about 2,500 students located in Canton, New York. Through its focus on active engagement with ideas in and beyond the classroom, a St. Lawrence edu-
This exam helps determine whether it’s safe for you to participate in a particular sport. The State of California requires that kids and teens have a sports physical certificate before they can start a new sport or begin a new competitive season. Your local Urgent Care Clinic located at the Commerce Center on 7204 Foothill Blvd. is offering a special $20 PPE. All you have to do is bring in your school ID. The exam is really fast, and you’ll be out in 20 minutes.
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cation leads students to make connections that transform lives and communities, from the local to the global. For more information, visit the Web site at www.stlawu.edu. •••
Local Students On Deans’ List at Azusa Pacific U Several local residents made the academic Deans’ List at Azusa Pacific University. The following students are honored for a spring 2016 grade-point average of 3.5 or better. They are joined by 1,957 students receiving the same honor. Andrew Baxter of Shadow Hills (91040), a Christian Ministries major Vanessa Brooks of Sunland (91040), a Youth Ministry major Sophia Cowell
of Shadow Hills (91040), a Graphic Design major Kelly Fish of Tujunga (91042), a Nursing major Abigail Golliher of Tujunga (91042), a Nursing major Margaret Harling Mich of Sunland (91040), a Business Management major Jonah Kang of Tujunga (91042), a Computer Information Systems major Abigail Rickett of Tujunga (91042), a Sociology major Azusa Pacific University is an evangelical Christian university committed to God First and excellence in higher education. With 71 bachelor’s degrees, 47 master’s degrees, 18 certificates, 14 credentials, 8 doctoral programs, and 3 associate’s degrees, the university offers its more than 10,300 students a quality education on campus, online, and at six regional centers throughout Southern California. •••
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THE FOOTHILLS PAPER • FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 — 3
VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16 • www.thefoothillspaper.com
But that seems to have changed. THEY’RE BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! We have had a complete LAPD It’s really neat to be able to say good things about our community, and that’s pretty hard to do most of the time. I’ve gotten so used to calling out these stupid drivers that are killing off and injuring so many people that the word “SToopid” has become synonymous with S-T. Maybe I should start calling them “retards,” but that would be an insult to the mentally challenged. Bad driving is only a symptom of the actual problems we have here. What we had (until all the negative publicity) was a lack of law enforcement, and even worse, a news blackout on the actual crime stats in our community. The statement, “If it’s not reported, it didn’t happen,” seemed to be LAPD’s way of protecting the community.
turnaround and a show of strength in S-T that I haven’t seen since Capt. Symanski. Driving around on Foothill Boulevard, we’ve seen a lot more police cars. Just last night I saw three cars pulled over by the LAPD, two cars by the CHP and one by the Sheriff. Talk about “mutual assistance”! Something happened — and it’s great. With the amount of traffic fatalities and accidents we’ve been having lately, something had to be done. Who knows, it might have been the death of Max Gonzales and the outpouring of support at his memorial that turned the tide. Whatever it was, many thanks to the LAPD for stepping up their presence here. With all the problems that we have here, one thing we didn’t think of was what would happen if another community suffered
VIEW
R OCK a disaster, one that could stop life in its tracks and maybe even overflow into our community. That happened this last weekend with the Sand Fire that threatened not only the Angeles National Forest, but the possibility that it could come over the ridge and attack LVT and us. Our local Community Emergency Response Team was nonexistent. Our civic groups were nowhere to be found. Only the
equestrian community, the Foothills Trails NC and the people of Summerfest stepped up to the plate. Oh, and let’s not forget those individual volunteers that quickly mobilized their trucks and trailers to help out the Wildlife Way Station and the residents of Little Tujunga Canyon. The Foothills Paper salutes you. And this time you can’t say it was the water!
The Foothills Letters & P erspectives
Nat’l Breastfeeding Month THE FOOTHILLS PAPER
is published bi-weekly. All contents are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. All submissions to this newspaper become property of THE FOOTHILLS PAPER and may not be republished in whole or in part. The opinions expressed by contributing writers do not necessarily express the views of the publisher nor staff of this newspaper. TFP is available free of charge. No person may, without prior written permission from TFP, take more than one copy of each edition (stated value: $1). Only authorized TFP distributors may distribute THE FOOTHILLS PAPER. THE FOOTHILLS PAPER is a non-profit newspaper produced by the OSS-Spectrum group.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR/PUBLISHER Dr. David DeMullé
editor@thefoothillspaper.com TECHNICAL EDITOR Randall Fleming ftp@thepaper.ws STAFF ASSISTANT Dyan McManus WITH THANKS TO The ILS Foundation for Their Support
THE FOOTHILLS PAPER TheFoothillsPaper.COM P.O. Box 444, Tujunga CA 91043 818-951-0943
L.A. Press Club Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles International Combat Camera Association
ovarian cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis · A baby girl will reduce her lifetime risk of breast cancer by 25%
Angels Arrive to Fix Bikes
Dear Editor, Dear Editor, Motherhood should be cel It’s WOW JAM time ebrated all year long and again! I just saw a kid walk · Infants and babies are less breastfeeding is a mother’s down the street clutching likely to get sick natural way of feeding their handlebars and bike wheels child. Next month is Nationin hand. A candidate for an al Breastfeeding Month in the · Reducing the chances of ear Angel Bike given out free infections, diarrhea and stom- at the festival! Everything’s United States. Breastfeeding benefits both mother and baby ach problems with your baby free at the festival at Sunland after pregnancy. In honor of Park on Sunday, August 6 Breastfeeding saves money, this special month, BelleMa from 1-5 pm. That’s why it’s the average family will save Breast Pumps want to share a WOW JAM. anywhere between $1,200 some interesting facts about Free admission, music, and $1,500 annually in forbreastfeeding. entertainment and games. mula-related expenses. These World Health Organization Family photos, face paintare some quick and easy facts (WHO) recommends excluing, plants and bicycle repair to remember, to help raise sive breastfeeding for the first -- not just for the kids, but for awareness about National six months of life. The folthe perpetually young! Breastfeeding Month. Please lowing are few benefits of A location set up to rival consider BelleMa’s breastbreastfeeding: Santa’s bike shop boasts forfeeding facts when covering · Breastfeeding should start ty helpers strong, inviting National Breastfeeding Month. us to not only bring broken within one hour of birth bikes in for transformation, Best, but to also bring extra frames · It should occur as often as Tamara Argueta and chains, wheels and parts, the infant wants, day or night Sr. PR Executive not only to assist with repair, www.bellema-usa.com but to construct Angel Bikes · Mothers experience a re••• for the replacement of unfixduced risk of breast cancer,
ables. Last year, George’s team fixed 114 bicycles and replaced 40 unfixables with Angel Bikes. New ones are raffled off too! Call (818) 804-1104 to donate parts or services. A word of caution: Afternoon festivities have been known to bring smiles to the face and joy to the heart. Sponsors are a coalition of churches spearheaded by Firepoint. Guaranteed to bring a lift to one’s spirit — or your money back! Amelia Anderson Summit Church P.S. OOPS! What money?. •••
National Night Out at Little Landers Park Bolton Hall to be a PokeStop that will be safe for playing for the night On Tuesday, August 2 from 6 until 9 p.m., this year’s annual National Night Out celebration will be held in Little Landers Park and Bolton Hall Museum will be open to welcome National Night Out visitors. For all you mobile device gamers, Bolton Hall is a Poke-
Stop for the new augmented reality game, Pokemon GO. Several of our Little Landers Historical Society (LLHS) members have already found and captured Pokemon in and around Bolton Hall. Bring your friends and family to National Night Out, visit Bolton Hall and
see how many Pokemon you can find around the Park and the Museum which is located at 10110 Commerce Avenue, Tujunga, CA 91042. More information is available from LLHS, (818) 352-3420 or www.littlelandershistoricalsociety.org or email littlelanders@verizon.net.
4 — FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 • THE FOOTHILLS PAPER
www.thefoothillspaper.com • VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16
Ice Cream Social Hosted by Seward a Success Attention All Veterans, Sons, Daughters and Wives of Veterans
Come and Enjoy your local American Legion Post Help support Veterans and Veterans’ Causes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, August 7
Lunch,11 a.m. Legion Meeting, 12 Noon. SAL Meeting, 12:30 p.m. Auxillary Meeting 1 p.m.
Are you man enough for this “Fru-Fru” drink?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ American Legion Post 377
10039 Pinewood Avenue, Tujunga
(818) 353-9856
Events open to the Public Canteen Hours - 7 days a week, 2- 10 p.m.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Hall Rental, call Commander Dan at (818) 521-1137
“I can’t believe you ate the WHOLE thing!” Last week, local residents and businesses were treated to a free Ice Cream Social at the offices of Seward Real Estate located at 9687 Sunland Boulevard in Shadow Hills. Sunland-Tujunga hasn’t had an Ice Cream Social in
more than 20 years — what a refreshing idea! For the event, Rachel Seward of Seward Real Estate transformed the firm’s back employee recreation area into a picnic paradise of cookies, candies, drinks, friends and of course — ICE
CREAM! On top of all the fun things to eat and drink, a raffle was held for all sorts of fun things; The Paper won a bottle of wine and leather carrying case. And of course — a fun time was had by all.
Movie Review: Ghostbusters by
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Bob Garver
The hoopla surrounding the remake of “Ghostbusters” will be remembered more than the movie itself. Many fans were opposed to the idea of touching the 1984 comedy classic. A small-but-unnerving section of these fans were opposed to the idea of remaking the film with female leads. These idiots got so vocal that they seemed to speak for all detractors of the remake. This didn’t sit well with other detractors, who wanted to bash the remake without seeming like sexist simpletons. Hating the movie became a thorny issue, but so did praising it, because detractors on both sides believed that good reviews were just the critics’ way of sidestepping the controversy. I’d like to say that I respect everybody’s honest opinion in the matter, but the truth is I don’t. Oh, I can respect opinions all over the spectrum for people who see the movie and give it a chance. If you think this movie is great, I can’t say I share your enthusiasm, but I respect that opinion. If you think this movie
fails, I think you’re discounting a few good laughs, but I respect that opinion. But if you think that this movie is already a failure simply because it exists or because it has four female comedic powerhouses as its leads, then I resent your opinion. Okay, onto the movie itself. Our team this time played by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. The first three are college profes-
sors who get fired over their controversial paranormal beliefs, the latter is a subway attendant who joins them when she’s confronted with undeniable evidence that ghosts exist. The team dons an arsenal of ghost-fighting gizmos and set out to contain spirits set free by a creepy guy named Rowan (Neil Casey). Rowan is supposed to be an outcast loser, but he’s no weirder than most people you’ll see see Ghostbusters, page 9
THE FOOTHILLS PAPER • FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 — 5
VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16 • www.thefoothillspaper.com
Chana Masala
Artfully
SPEAKING
b
y
R
i
c
k
R
o
t
a
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Repetition is Good by
Chef Randy
This vegan and glutenfree dish is a favorite of my friend Brandy. It is a savory dish of cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas), onion, garlic, bay leaves and various Indian spices. It gets its heat from small red chilies and although I only use one chili in this recipe, you can add more if you like it hotter. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 medium yellow onion (chopped fine) 1½ teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon turmeric 2 bay leaves
1 dried red chili (break in half) 1 cinnamon stick (break in half) 1 pinch asafetida 1 clove garlic (minced) 2 plum tomatoes (chopped) 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (rinsed and drained) 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated) 1 cup vegetable broth * Salt to taste 1 teaspoon garam masala ½ cup cilantro (chopped for garnish) Directions: Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the coriander,
cumin, turmeric, bay leaves, chili, cinnamon, asafetida, and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and cook until almost dry, about 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas, ginger, broth, and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and a thick sauce forms, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves, chili, and cinnamon stick. Stir in the garam masala. Garnish with cilantro and serve with a side of rice. * I don’t care for dry chana masala. If you like it on the dry side, reduce the broth to ½ cup.
For additional recipes, see Chef Randy’s website at
valley-vegetarian.com
I am distressed at times when I hear artists tell me they painted a particular subject and are now done with the idea or concept after only one or two attempts. Most artists — including artists from past generations — made multiple paintings on a single subject. Many have based their careers on painting one subject or idea. In my view, abstract painting is based on this theme. It is naive to assume that you can encompass in one painting the whole of an idea or concept. Life is much too complicated to assume this to be the case. A single painting of a concept is also too narrow a view of the world and art in general. If artists were to believe this idea, there would be one portrait, one landscape, one seascape and one still life from each artist who ever painted. One motivating aspect of creating anything is working it again and again until you have exhausted all the possibilities. And even then, one can take what was done, alter it or use that same idea in new and different ways. Your brain is a muscle and it needs repetitive exercise. I repaint some works until they feel right, until I get what I am looking for. Then there is the possibility of altering that idea: adding and subtracting until a new idea emerges, or until the old idea is completely explored. There is no reason to abandon even a successful idea. When I look at a painting long enough, new ways of seeing appear and then I am off in a new direction. Keeping an open
t
e
mind is essential to being an artist. One particular work I presented sold. It was painted onsite. A short time later another client came back and wanted it. So I mentioned to them that I had photo references of the scene and would be happy to attempt to recapture the mood and feeling from the photos. They were willing to take a chance. I repainted a different version of the same scene and when shown to them, they ended up loving the result. The painting and the scene were in me and the photos helped bring me back to do a new painting. Yet I relied on my present feelings and emotions and allowed that to influence the painting. It was relatively the same scene but reproduced differently. Many artists go back to the same places at different times of the year and paint the same scene. In my case, I use the same models over and over especially when I find one in tune with me. When painting the same model countless times I get better and better results each time. For me no subject is ever off limits after one painting. Lastly, subsequent attempts are frequently better because I’m more familiar with the subject and inject some new thought or feeling about it. Try it. Paint a simple still life five times, different days and see for yourself the results. Do them small — for example, 8” x 10” — to allow for the repetition that will grant you practice.
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6 — FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 • THE FOOTHILLS PAPER
www.thefoothillspaper.com • VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16
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VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16 • www.thefoothillspaper.com
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8 — FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 • THE FOOTHILLS PAPER
LAUSD, from pg. 1 those same things. We want our students to get along with each other, us, and others on the campus to learn in a classroom and school where they feel safe and comfortable, and we want that learning to lay the groundwork for future learning and achievement. Teachers have already been attending Professional Developments to plan for the beginning of the school year and prepare for the rest of the school year ahead. What can you, as a parent or guardian, do to help your child succeed? Please visit the school. If your child is starting a new school, visit the school before the first day and help your child get comfortable with the lay out of the school. Remember that middle school students and high school students attending new schools also benefit from a casual visit before the first day of school. Please get to know the teacher. Usually, parents are very good at meeting and keeping in contact with their children’s teachers when their children are in the lower grades – especially TK and Kinder. But there are
huge benefits to continuing to meet the teacher and, personally, giving them your contact information – regardless of your child’s age. Let the teacher know that you are always interested in knowing about the well being of your child and are always available to help them. Some teachers tend to only contact parents when a child is already in an unfortunate academic or social situation but it’s helpful to know earlier when you can most effectively and efficiently deal with the issue. Please give the teacher your contact information personally and keep your emergency information updated. While teachers can look up emergency information and contact numbers, as a teacher, I always greatly appreciate when a parent gives me their best contact information and lets me know if they prefer an email, a cell phone call, or a text. Please attend back-toschool night, open house, and meetings – even with your older children. Back-to-school night is an important event in the year as it allows teachers to share and explain their class expectations and plans for
www.thefoothillspaper.com • VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16
student achievement. Parents of young children often attend back-to-school nights but parents of older children often do not. Middle school and high school teachers may sit in empty classrooms well-prepared for parents who never come. Your child, regardless of age, benefits from your visiting the school. If the teacher lets you know that they have a website or web page, check it regularly. Some teachers will post the homework or special projects on their web page so parents and students know exactly what and when something is due. Please help your child, even your older children, be organized. Often the school year begins with a great deal of fanfare as school clothes and supplies are gathered and organized. Whether it’s a folder with pockets or a binder with pockets, your child should have something that they can use to transport their homework back and forth between school and home. Make sure your child has a plan and follows through for writing down the homework. For the younger children, look in their backpack with them regularly and teach them to keep it organized.
Some students keep graded work in their backpack and outdated notices because they do not know where to put these papers or what to do with them. Make sure your child knows where they can do their homework and keep their supplies. Some families have all their children do their homework at the kitchen or dining room table, other children work at a desk or do the homework during an after school program or in the library. Wherever your child can concentrate and work successfully is a good location. But, please, take a look at the homework regularly. The homework does not have to be perfect but sometimes a child is given so much freedom in terms of choosing when and where they do their homework that they just stop doing it or only do it sporadically. Finally, your K-12 child is never too old and it is never too late for you to take an active interest in their academic and social success at school. Parents often think that when their child is in middle school they don’t need to go to the school anymore or check the student’s homework. Middle school is a crucial time period where
some students who were very good students in elementary school begin to lose their way. When parents take a hands off approach, it’s often late in the game when the crisis comes to a head. Middle school study habits and skills set the foundation for high school success. High school is another time when students can have difficulty but look like they have everything under control. Regardless of your child’s age, you are your child’s best guardian. Your child has to be the one to do the learning but there are many things you can do to ensure that there are guardrails and systems in place to help them be the best learner that they can be. Best wishes for the 20162017 school year! Mónica Ratliff is a resident of Sunland and has taught TK, Kinder, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and high school. She is a school board member of L.A. Unified’s Board of Education and a teacher in the La Cañada Unified School District. If you have an issue or suggestion regarding an L.A. Unified school, please email her office at monica.ratliff@lausd.net.
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THE FOOTHILLS PAPER • FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 — 9
VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16 • www.thefoothillspaper.com
Dulce Airport, Van Nuys Airport and Wayside Honor what was happening, the Sand Rancho in Castaic. Fire was endangering not only (What this reporter discovthe residents and their animals, ered was that one didn’t just but that it was crossing walk in and put a leashes on over into Lopez and Kagel exotic animals to walk them Canyons — and was heading out to waiting trucks. Each toward Sunland-Tujunga. type of animal had its own With the realization of the special needs. Helping to great blaze’s direction, it was move 500-pound hogs from announced that the immediate a burnt-out ranch near Bear problem was to rescue the Divide proved to be an admore than 400 animals in the venture in itself —and can be Wildlife Way Station. The call seen on the Foothills Paper’s went out for volunteers who Web site at www.facebook. had trailers, cages and trucks com/TheFoothillsPaper) for transport of the animals The Red Cross setup three to evacuation centers such as shelters and began distributing the Hansen Dam Equestrian emergency supplies from Center, Pierce College, Agua the Lake View Terrace
Sand Fire, from pg. 1
Recreational Park as well as Hart High School in Santa Clarita. “There was so much support from the locals,” said Director of Communications John Meyers, “that the volume of donations was so much that we were overloaded.” By the second day, mandatory evacuations were in place and between 200 and 300 homes were evacuated, most of which were on the Little Tujunga Road between Bear Divide and Gold Creek in the Angeles National Forest north of Lake View Terrace. Evacuations were mandated for all residents in Sand Canyon from Lost Canyon to Bear Divide as well as in Placerita
Canyon from the Nature Center to Sand Canyon. By day three, more than 10,000 homes were under evacuation orders as fire retardant aircraft began painting the mountains with their red Foscheck. Highway 14 was closed to all but emergency vehicles;a surreal quiet was felt throughout the fire zone. The LAPD, California Highway Patrol, L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. and even L.A. Unified School District police were brought in to provide traffic patrol and neighborhood protection in the affected areas. In Lake View Terrace, Foothill Boulevard at Osborne Street was lined up with
every conceivable form of transportation, yet a relaxed atmosphere among the volunteer drivers belied the stress of knowing that just a couple of miles away, the forest was aflame. In Acton, more than 200 fire and police vehicles amassed on Via Princessa awaiting deployment. Then, just as fast as it started, the Sand Fire changed direction and headed up towards Acton. The local emergency was over and it was now time to return those animals that still had a home to which to return. Once again, volunteers stepped in and made the community whole again.
Volunteers line up to help victims and animals.
WOW JAM, from pg. 1 tired, your hungry, your broken spirit…” It’s a promise to mend from the strife of the world. And what better place to refresh than in Sunland Park near the mountains of Sunland-Tujunga and Shadow
Ghostbusters, from pg. 4 walking down the street in NYC, myself included. The character gets juicier once he starts inhabiting the body of the Ghostbusters’ idiot receptionist played by Chris Hemsworth, which is a good thing because Hemsworth was not faring well with the dumb hunk jokes he was being given up to that point. By the way, I think Rowan should at least consid-
Hills, bringing family and friends together to bond in solidarity and to renew one’s spirit. Everything’s free: the sun and fun, food, music, photos, plants, haircuts, face painting, make-overs — even the bicycle repair! Kids, moms and dads, just
bring along a broken bike or spare parts to fix or trade — for an “Angel Bike,” if yours is beyond repair. Be sure to get a number when you enter because new bikes are raffled off, too! (Adults are welcome to bring their bikes too, of course.) Wear old clothes so you can
sit and listen to the healing music of gospel singers Stephen and Linda Trevani, who for 25 years have belted their way to the top of the charts worldwide as Peaches and Herb. Since Hurricane Katrina, they have rerouted their song into urban tours, bringing laughter, hope and
peace to our fractured society. Festivities are sponsored by a coalition of over 15 churches in the foothills. Last year’s attendance topped 3,000, and we welcome all who attended last year as well as everyone else to join us in the celebration of life. See life again!
er ending his plan once he’s in Hemsworth’s body. Forget destroying the city pal, you have the body of 2014’s Sexiest Man Alive, call it a day. The film reunites Wiig and McCarthy with “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig. It has a lot of the same pluses and minuses as that movie. The pluses mostly involve the chemistry among the leads in early scenes. Wiig and McCarthy are proven, and McKinnon seems right at home. I was
worried that Jones would reral world that’s been creatly too much on the hostile, ex- ed. Unique to this movie is citable persona that she’s cre- a collection of cameos from ated for herself on “SNL,” but the original film, convenshe’s actually quite pleasant tional to the point that I was (perhaps unrealistically pleas- able to predict exactly when ant compared with some of one of them would show up. the people I’ve seen in her Was it a wise idea to remake line of work). The minus“Ghostbusters?” Not really. A es are largely a series of paclot of controversy was stirred ing issues. Time spent on gra- up over a movie that is funny tuitous ad-libbing could have in places, but is vastly inferibeen better spent developing or to the original. Of course, minor characters or explora lot of that controversy was ing the exciting supernatustupid so it shouldn’t matter,
but it was a chore to endure for a movie this middling. I’m glad that in 2016 we have a decent female-centric comedy where every other joke isn’t about how hard it is to get a man (which is what some thought this movie would be), but this film needed another round of editing to be truly worthy of the iconic franchise. Two Stars out of Five Contact Bob Garver at: rrg251@nyu.edu.
10 — FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 • THE FOOTHILLS PAPER
Crime Stats
Theft 07/12/16 12:30 PM 10400 BLOCK OF LA CANADA WY
Burglary 07/16/16 03:00 PM 7500 BLOCK OF SAN FERNANDO RD
Theft 07/14/16 04:00 PM 9900 BLOCK OF ROSCOE BL
Theft 07/17/16 10:35 PM 7200 BLOCK OF LAS PLUMAS LN
Theft 07/14/16 03:40 AM 10000 BLOCK OF MARCUS AV
Assault 07/17/16 12:30 AM 00 BLOCK OF STONEHURST AV AND PEORIA ST
Theft 07/14/16 01:00 PM 7800 BLOCK OF SANCOLA AV Robbery 07/14/16 12:30 AM 8400 BLOCK OF TERHUNE AV Theft 07/16/16 04:45 PM 8600 BLOCK OF FOOTHILL BL
Theft 07/18/16 02:30 PM 10900 BLOCK OF RANDALL ST Theft 07/20/16 01:15 AM 9600 BLOCK OF HELEN AV Assault 07/19/16 10:30 PM 8300 BLOCK OF SUNLAND BL
Assault 07/17/16 12:35 PM 8600 BLOCK OF FOOTHILL BL
Theft 07/21/16 06:30 PM 6200 BLOCK OF FOOTHILL BL
Theft 07/17/16 08:00 PM 10500 BLOCK OF SAMOA AV
Theft 07/22/16 12:00 PM 10100 BLOCK OF JOHANNA AV
www.thefoothillspaper.com • VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16
Vandals Strike SunlandTujunga Welcome Sign
During the weekend, the Welcome to Sunland-Tujunga sign (at the corner of Wheatland and Foothill Boulevard) was vandalized. Photo by Dyan McManus
THE FOOTHILLS PAPER • FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 — 11
VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16 • www.thefoothillspaper.com
B e s t o f W r e c k S O Ff T H E W E E K Slow down and live...
Things are never boring when you have a one-car rollover. 210W
A left-hand turn through an on-coming car equals a mess.
The “end” result of a drunk-driver hit-and-run on Samoa.
Could have been fatigue — but he probably woke up when he hit that parked big rig on the 210 freeway.
There were way too many accidents to cover here; visit Facebook.com/thefoothillspaper
12 — FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 • THE FOOTHILLS PAPER
www.thefoothillspaper.com • VOLUME 12 • NUMBER 16
WOW JAM Festival is Coming to Town on August 6 Photos from last year’s gathering portend this year’s expected success