15 Fun Facts About San Bernardino

WHERE "E" STREET MEETS MILL STREET - Driving along Interstate 10 at quick glance it appears to be just one of the many cities that make up the urban puzzle piece that is Southern California. Yet, as many longtime residents will tell you, San Bernardino is very much a city of its own that stands out in the Southern California suburban puzzle, aside from being one of the principle cities in the Inland Empire.


A photograph of the Inland Center Mall circa 1969. Photograph used under a Creative Commons license.

If people in Southern California never quite were familiar with San Bernardino, well, they, along with much of the country, are now very much aware of this city called San Bernardino.


Before Sears moved to the Inland Center Mall it was located in downtown San Bernardino as seen in this circa 1955 photograph. Photograph in public domain.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation uses certain criteria to formally declare a crime to be a "terrorist attack." It appears the recent event in San Bernardino is meeting that criteria set by the FBI. Subsequently, what occurred in San Bernardino on December 2, 2015, may end up being the deadliest terrorist attack within the United States since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

Given where the investigation of this mass shooting in San Bernardino, which killed 14 people and injured 21, has led, and where it is continuing to lead, this tragedy has not just national implications, but international implications.

Plenty of things have been written, from the San Bernardino Sun to The New York Times, about what occurred and what is continuing to transpire. We are not going to talk about that here. Since the world's eyes are on San Bernardino here are 15 fun facts about San Bernardino, San Bernardino County and the communities around San Bernardino.


The Mountain Goats singing about "San Bernardino."

1 - The First McDonald's Was In San Bernardino

That's right! The mother of fast food, giver of Happy Meals, with all the excitement and controversy that comes with it, began in San Bernardino.

2 - The Rolling Stones Played Their First U.S. Concert in San Bernardino


The Rolling Stones at The Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. Photograph used under a Creative Commons license.

It was San Bernardino radio station K/MEN, back when radio was a really big deal, which brought The Rolling Stones for their very first U.S. performance at The Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. How this radio station in San Bernardino brought them to the U.S. for the first time is a whole story in and of itself, which we will have in the not too distant future. The short story is, in the wake of The British Invasion K/MEN had a connection in London sending them the latest British hit-makers, and basically looking and hoping to find the next Beatles. Well, K/MEN's London connection sent them an album by "this group that is better than The Beatles," as their London connection described The Rolling Stones. Afternoon K/MEN personality Bill Watson played a cut from the album, suddenly the telephone lines were jammed, and "Mr. Kicks," as Bill Watson was known, did something extraordinarily out of the ordinary for top 40 radio and played the entire album.


Ticket from a later Rolling Stones performance at The Swing Auditorium. Photograph in public domain.

The Rolling Stones had made plans to tour the United States, but Mr. Watson knew they needed to get this band now! Mr. Watson, calling across The Atlantic, finally got in touch in The Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham. After some deals were cut, and told of the reaction of The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger and company soon took to the U.S. stage for the very first time in San Bernardino thanks to K/MEN.

3 - Lyndon B. Johnson Had A Job As An Elevator Operator In San Bernardino


The Platt Building in San Bernardino where a future president once worked. Date of photograph unknown. Photograph in public domain.

Future Vice-President and President Lyndon B. Johnson once worked as an elevator operator at a San Bernardino building in 1925. During a 1964 reelection campaign stop in San Bernardino LBJ returned to that building, known as the Platt Building, to operate the elevator once more in front of a few cameras. The Platt Building fell in 1993 after meeting a demolition team under the names of "progress," "redevelopment" and "improvement." Many longtime residents were too happy with this new "improvement," which is to say it was a very conversational move demolishing the Platt Building. Before the Platt Building was torn down the elevator where LBJ worked was saved. 

4 - Home Of The Oldest Operating Jewish Cemetery 

The Home of Eternity Cemetery is the oldest operating Jewish cemetery in Southern California. The land was given to the Jewish community from Mormons in the 1850. 

5 - The Sun Almost Became Apart of the L.A. Times

The San Bernardino Sun has been for many decades, and continues to be, the dominate newspaper in the San Bernardino area (though in the last decade and a half it has faced stiff competition from The Press-Enterprise). Back in the 1960s the Los Angeles Times' then parent company Times-Mirror made an attempt to buy The Sun, but federal government antitrust officials were not too keen on the idea and thus no sale. Today The Sun is apart of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, which includes, the L.A. Daily News, and Daily Bulletin, Pasadena Star-News, among other Southern California newspapers.

6 -  The Largest City Between L.A. and New Mexico Was Once, Colton

Certainly not Colton during the Californio era, but rather a photograph of downtown Colton from 1955. Public domain.

Near where current day Colton is there was once a town called Aqua Mansa, which was, for a time, the largest town between Los Angeles and New Mexico. It is a very significant place with its roots going back to Californio days. Its residents included the Wilson family and family member Don Benito Wilson. That Mr. Wilson is better known as Benjamin David Wilson who would go on to be the second elected Mayor of L.A., and whom Mount Wilson is named after. 

7 - What Does L.A.'s MacArthur Park Have To Do With Colton?

The writer of perhaps one of the most perplexing pop songs, "MacArthur Park," made famous twice, first by Richard Harris and later as a disco hit by Donna Summer, lived in the Colton area for a time once upon a time, and his name is Jimmy Webb. Mr. Webb also wrote "Up, Up and Away" as performed by The Fifth Dimension, along with many other songs. Mr. Webb even wrote a song about Colton, "820 Latham Street," perform by The Fifth Dimension (who had many rehearsal sessions in Colton) and The Brooklyn Bridge, which is apparently the Colton address where the girl of his dreams (and muse of many songs) lived. Turns out the girl of Mr. Webb's dream from Colton soon moved to L.A. and worked near MacArthur Park, which is where Mr. Webb and the girl from "820 Latham Street" in Colton spent many afternoons together. MacArthur Park ended up being a very special place for Mr. Webb and his girlfriend from Colton, and so he wrote a (long) song about it.

The Fifth Dimension singing about that girl who lives at "820 Latham Street" in Colton.

8 - Colton's First Marshall 

Virgil Earp, brother of Wyatt Earp, was Colton's first Marshall. The Earp house still stands at 528 West “H” Street in Colton. Please do not disturb the current residents.

This is a photograph of a Pacific Electric train station in Colton taken long after Virgil Earp was Marshall of Colton. Used under a Creative Commons license.

9 - Home Of The Cursed Fair

Poster for the 1917 National Orange Show. Author's collection.

Most people who grew up or lived in San Bernardino or the Inland Empire for a time will tell you about the "Curse of the Orange Show." Southern California was a citrus empire, and the annual National Orange Show in San Bernardino was a prominent event showcasing the best of the citrus industry. In its glory days "The Orange Show," as so many locals lovingly call it, featured not just A-list stars, but the very top of A-list stars. It was a very glamorous affair, but it always seem to rain on their parade, and many residents say there is a reason for that. Legend has it The National Orange Show Grounds are built atop of a Native American burial ground. The legend goes since it was built atop of Native American burial grounds a curse was placed on the event that makes it rains every time The National Orange Show is held. Records show that in fact, yes, many times during The National Orange Show it has rained. Coincidence?

A 1969 ad in the Los Angeles Free Press for The Jimi Hendrix Experience at The Swing Auditorium. Public domain.

(By the way, The Swing Auditorium, where The Rolling Stones played their first U.S. concert as mentioned above, and, also where many bands came through in the 1960s and 1970s, was located on The National Orange Show Grounds. The Swing Auditorium was destroyed by an airplane crash on September 11, 1981.)

10 - San Bernardino Is Bigger Than Switzerland

If you are a regular driver between Southern California and Las Vegas you probably think San Bernardino County is a very large county. You would be right, because that county in the Inland Empire is the largest county within the lower 48 states. San Bernardino County is larger than many states and even many countries. It is bigger than Switzerland. Its record was beat with the admission of Alaska as a state, which has a much larger county.

11 - The Last Two Big California Earthquakes Were In San Bernardino County

The last two magnitude 7-plus earthquakes within California were in San Bernardino County. Those quakes were, the 1992 Landers Earthquake and the 1999 Hector Mine Earthquake.

12 - Home Of The Tallest Mountain Peak In Southern California

Many people really do not like earthquakes, and that is very understandable, but earthquake faults give us in Southern California spectacular hills and mountains. One of those mountains is Mount San Gorgonio. Located in San Bernardino County in the San Bernardino Mountains reaching a peak of 11,503 feet Mount San Gorgonio is the tallest mountain in Southern California. On a very clear day you can see Mount San Gorgonio from downtown Los Angeles and by the beach in Santa Monica.

13 - The 100th In The Nation

In covering the tragic event many reporters from around the country and around the world noted that San Bernardino is not quite a small city, and for good reason. According to the 2010 U.S. Census the 100th largest city in the U.S. is San Bernardino. As well, San Bernardino is the 17th largest city in California.

14 - Where Sammy Davis Jr. Lost His Eye

Sammy Davis Jr. performing on NBC in 1966. Photograph in public domain.

In 1954 on the way home to L.A. from performing in Las Vegas Sammy Davis Jr. was in a car accident on Route 66 at Cajon Boulevard and Kendall Drive. That is where Sammy Davis Jr. lost his eye. It would be at San Bernardino Community Hospital where Sammy Davis Jr. would recover. While at the hospital his friend, Eddie Cantor, met with him and talked about the similarities between Jewish and black culture. It was at that moment, so the story goes, Sammy would begin his conversion to Judaism. Sammy was so grateful for the services he received at San Bernardino Community Hospital he held an all-star fundraiser at The Swing Auditorium for the hospital.

15 - Home Of The Hell's Angels

Started by the Bishop family in Fontana the motorcycle club that would set the standard for "outlaw motorcycle clubs" and go on to much notoriety began in San Bernardino County.


Certainly not a tune by The Hell's Angels, but rather, a tune from Frank Zappa, who had a studio in Ontario.

Six Southern California Things We Will Never See Again

LOS ANGELES - As we get older many of us find ourselves looking back more often and wonder, "Remember when 'that' used to be there?" For plenty of us who grew up in Southern California there is surely becoming more of "that," which is no longer here anymore.

Why do we talk about these things and places of years gone by? Perhaps we talk about these long gone places as a way to reach back into our childhood and maybe remember a simpler time. Or, given the nature of L.A. and Southern California with so many people moving here, it is a way for native Southern Californians to connect with each other.

Whatever the case may be, here, in no particular order, are six places and things that will never been seen in Southern California again.

1- Thrifty Drug Store

♫Save a nickel, save a dime.
Save at Thrifty every time.
Save a dollar and much more,
at your Thrifty Drug Store!♫

It was called Thrifty Drug Store, but most of us just called it, "Thriftys," and its red and white oval-ish logo was unmistakable. 


Photograph of Thrifty Drug Store trailers taken circa 1983. Author unknown; used under a Creative Commons license.

Beginning in 1929 brothers Harry and Robert Borun opened up the first Thrifty Drug Store at 412 S. Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. Despite the depression and World War II the brothers opened up 100 Thrifty stores in the L.A. area by 1950. Accelerating in the post war Southern California suburban building boom just about every new major shopping center (and a lot of small shopping centers) in almost every city had a Thrifty. Thrifty grew to be as ubiquitous as palm trees and tract-housing developments.


Save up those Blue Chip Stamps for a cool little transistor radio. Late 1950s photograph of a Thrifty location somewhere in downtown Pomona (where The Glass House now stands). Author unknown.

Starting in the 1970s Thrifty went through various acquisitions, and at one point was even owned by a subsidiary of the Southern California Gas Co.


A very common view in post-war Southern California. Location of this Thrifty and date is unknown.

It would be 1996 and an acquisition by an East Coast corporation called Rite Aid that would soon make Thrifty a place that would live in our memory. Before those back East painted over our beloved red and white Thrifty logo ugly shades of corporate blue even the powers that be in the boardroom of Rite Aid realized Thrifty is very strongly ingrained in Southern California culture, and waited a couple years before fully converting all Thriftys' to Rite Aid. In fact, as late as 2000 there still were less than a handful of Thrifty and Thrifty Jr. locations, but, by the end of that year there would be no more Thrifty locations.

At the dawn of the new millennium Thrifty Drug Store was no more.

Today not all former Thrifty locations were totally painted shades of corporate blue. There still stands a few Rite Aid locations that never fully quite converted to the desires of the new corporate owner, and the look, and logo, of Thrifty can still be seen. 


Photograph of ground embedded Thrifty logo at a former location in Pomona. Used under Creative Commons.

Thrifty may be long gone, but we do not need our imagination to still enjoy Thrifty Ice Cream.


A 1981 Thrifty commercial, aired on KHJ-TV, showing and selling the goodness that is Thrifty Ice Cream.

"Thank you Thrifty."

2 - The Peoplemover

In 1967 "the new Tomorrowland" at Disneyland opened up, and one of its new featured attractions was a ride called, The Peoplemover.


For many this circa 1968 photograph is probably the Tomorrowland everybody remembers (and a good many wish the powers that be at Disney would bring back), bright, colorful and full of promise, with The Peoplemover riding above it. Author unknown; used under Creative Commons.

The Peoplemover was not designed to be a thrill ride, or make a Disney film come alive, but rather it was suppose to be a preview of transportation in the future. As the narrator said on The Peoplemover, and nearby Monorail, maybe one day you will see this in your town.

It was not exactly a ride that changed and shook up the theme park industry, but for many people The Peoplemover was really one of those rides, excuse me, "attractions," that seemingly everybody just simply liked.

Whether you were one just for "A" Ticket rides or "E" Ticket rides The Peoplemover just always seemed to be one of those "must ride" attractions when visiting Disneyland.


Going back to 1990 let us take a ride on The Peoplemover.

What was once new soon became old, at least according to Disneyland, which closed The Peoplemover in 1995 in preparation for designing and unveiling... a "new Tomorrowland" in 1998.

In 1998 the tracks of The Peoplemover would be replaced by the ill-fated Rocket Rods attraction, which, due to MANY mechanical issues did not last too long.

So now, perhaps not unlike some abandoned Pacific Electric railway tracks, The Peoplemover track remains unused and just there doing nothing.

That, no doubt, leads many to ask, will Disneyland ever bring back The Peoplemover? The answer right now, based on insider information, is NO. Why? As The Peoplemover track stands now it is currently not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Will Disney ever do something with The Peoplemover track? That remains to be seen, but, as of late, there are rumors going around amid Disneyland and theme park enthusiasts that Disney may (again, it is only rumors) create a Star Wars attraction using part or all of The Peoplemover track.

If it is any consolation, LAX plans to open a Peoplemover-like transit device, and so the narrator on The Peoplemover at Disneyland was sort of right after all.  

3 - Zody's 

In an era when "big-box stores" are frowned upon (or outright despise), particularly in certain Southern California neighborhoods, there is one long gone big-box store that holds a lot of sentimental value for anybody who grew up in Southern California, and that is a store called Zody's.

Early 1980s ad for Zody's. Used under Creative Commons.

Just about anybody age 30-plus will have some kind of memory about Zody's, and with good reason, because there was a time Zody's ruled Southern California. For a lot of us that was the first store we remembered going to as kids and perhaps that is the first place we remember family or friends of the family working.

At its height just about every sizable city in Southern California had a Zody's complete with its funky red-ish-to-orange-ish color-scheme and seemingly disorganized shelves. Zody's began life under The Orange Curtain in Garden Grove in 1960 and was so successful that they expanded to many locations in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and even the Detroit area.


While Zody's certainly had a funky look in many of their stores Deborah Sussman designed the look of this downtown L.A. Zody's, which would mark the beginning of Ms. Sussman's unique L.A. design that would bring her Worldwide fame.

With national corporate chains and mergers of discount department stores becoming players in the already competitive Southern California discount retail market, along with a recession, by the late 1970s Zody's was having some financial problems staying relevant. Those problems did not find a way to work themselves out as Zody's parent company, HRT Industries, declared bankruptcy in November 1982, which HRT claimed its Zody's stores had abnormally weak sales and, ''were the primary cause of its financial problems.''

According to a 1982 New York Times article HRT said many Zody's were, "in lower-income areas where unemployment is extremely high and it cited the effects of the Mexican peso devaluation and its resultant effects on its border stores."

Undated newspaper ad circa mid-1960s ad for Zody's in The San Fernando Valley. Author of ad unknown. Used under Creative Commons. 

For a few years after declaring bankruptcy a handful of Zody's began closing and for the dozens that remained open there was uncertainty, from the employees to vendors (which included Circuit City who supplied Zody's electronic department) what the future would hold. Well, despite bringing over the President of May Co. to run Zody's in 1984, by March 1986 the worst fears came true as HRT decided, abruptly, to close Zody's for good, "due to adverse operating conditions and Zodys' failure to meet financial projections."

A 1977 holiday time television commercial for Zody's, but just remember before you do your Christmas shopping that 8-track player is not available at the downtown L.A. location. The Zody's in Montebello probably has them in stock.

Some of those funky designs of Zody's still exist, if you know where to look. If you go in the back of Albertsons in Montebello off the Pomona Freeway, which used to be a Zody's, you can still see the funky color scheme along the wall.

4 - Cal Worthington

What more can be said about Cal Worthington that has not already been said. For one, late night television is not quite the same without Cal. Cal's grandson (or is it his great-grandson?) has been filling in wearing the cowboy hat doing those late night ads, but it just will never be the same.

Here it is, in all its glory, the full Cal Worthington jingle.

Sure, Cal Worthington's car dealership in Long Beach will always be there, and that famous, forever misunderstood, jingle will be in our minds until our days come to an end, but Cal Worthington and his dog Spot is something that we will never see again. 

5 - The Broadway, May Co., Bullocks, and Robinsons

While New York had Macy's and Bloomingdale's, Chicago had Marshall Fields and Philadelphia had Wanamaker's, here in Southern California we had four department stores. Sometimes called, "The L.A. four department stores," these department stores were very unique to Southern California, and they all began in downtown L.A. As the baby boomers and "Gen X" know very well, these department stores very much were apart of the Southern California mall scene as typically, in major malls, at least two of "the L.A. four department stores" were the mall's anchor.

Here is what a typical post-war Broadway mall location looked liked. It is unclear what mall this is and when this photograph was taken. Used under Creative Commons.

In the era of the post-war shopping mall construction all four department stores had, at most of their locations, a unique style of architecture, which included dramatic entrances and a cathedral like setting.

A 1967 view of The Broadway and May Co. at The Inland Center Mall in San Bernardino. Used under Creative Commons. That freeway in the foreground went through its own name changes. When this photograph was taken the freeway was likely U.S. 395, then Interstate 15, then became I-15E and finally becoming I-215.

In the 1980s the four department stores became victims of a variety business problems, acquisitions and takeovers.

By the early 1990s such complex business decisions resulted in Southern California's own department stores, staples of the Southern California shopping scene, going away forever, and to be replaced with the names of New York department stores. Much like Thrifty the corporate powers that be did not see the need, and frankly, appreciate the value, to keep these legendary L.A. department store names, style and brand intact. 

By the mid-1990s, just like that, in a blink of an eye, something that was uniquely Southern California that many people grew up with was gone.

Not just The Broadway, but, The Broadway Valley seen in this late undated photograph of the Panorama City Mall. While the date of this photograph is unknown the late 1950s/early 1960s would be an educated guess, given the automobiles, and the fact this mall opened in 1955. Used under Creative Commons.

The last gasp of "the L.A. four department stores," Robinsons-May, closed in 2006 after being acquired by Macy's parent company.

When you walk into what has ever replaced these "L.A. four department stores" and listen closely you might still hear the chimes amid the muzak.

While we will never hear these chimes ring inside The Broadway all is not lost as these chimes still, in this hyper technology age, ring in a handful of the old department stores around the country.

6 - Licorice Pizza

For teenagers coming of age in the 1970s who were looking for that song they just heard on KMET, or maybe even KROQ, most probably went to Licorice Pizza to find the record. For many 1970s and 1980s teens Licorice Pizza was probably their first record store experience.

Serving up very good Licorice Pizza. It has never been clear who designed this famous logo. No copyright infringement intended.

Take a name from an old comedy sketch by 1960s folk singers Bud and Travis and you have a record store. Founder James Greenwood thought it was funny, and would make a good name for a record store, and so Mr. Greenwood opened this record store called Licorice Pizza in Long Beach in 1969.

Having trouble deciding whether to get your grandmother the latest Yoko Ono album for Christmas? Well, just tell your grandmother the clerk gave you "The Pizza Promise" and Yoko's work is of the best quality. That is what this 1982 Licorice Pizza ad claims. Author unknown; no copyright infringement intended.

Through the 1970s and into the early 1980s Licorice Pizza expanded rapidly and essentially became a regional chain record store in Southern California with 34 stores at its height.

This Licorice Pizza on The Sunset Strip certainly had an ear for music. Photo © Copyright 2001 Roger Meyers, All Rights Reserved

By the early 1980s Licorice Pizza went from beyond being a record store to getting into the highly lucrative video rental business. Now all you had to do is ask, "where is the Beta section?"

In March of 1986 Mr. Greenwood sold his Licorice Pizza empire to Record Bar Inc. of Durham, North Carolina. Then in April of that same year Minneapolis-based Musicland Group bought Record Bar Inc. for $13 million.

One reason Musicland wanted Licorice Pizza in their fold was their desire to get into the very lucrative Southern California video rental business.

During the sale of Licorice Pizza it was reported that Musicland would keep the Licorice Pizza name, but, as with the case of Thrifty, The Broadway (you get the idea), the name Licorice Pizza would quickly become a memory. Many Licorice Pizza locations during 1987 became either Musicland or Sam Goody.

With so many places unique to Southern California gone and taken over by corporate entities one wonders what the young kids today will be remembering 20 years from now?

Songs of Southern California: Mix Tape #2

ANAHEIM - Many musical tunes have been written for and about Southern California, and here are a few of them.

Mel Blanc - Big Bear Lake (Yes, "The man of 1,000 Voices")



Mountain Goats - San Bernardino

Morcheeba - Coming Into Los Angeles

Little Girls - Earthquake Song

D.I. - I Hate Surfing in H.B.

Four Tunes About Southern California: Mix Tape #1

ANAHEIM - There are over ten million stories in Southern California, and here are four of them wrapped up in music.

Rilo Kiley - Glendora



Manic Hispanic - East Los Angeles



Rikk Agnew - OC Life



Thee Midniters - Whittier Blvd.

A Simple Plea: Bring The Winter Olympics to Southern California

Shown for educational and information purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. 

HEAPS PEAK IN THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS - The Sochi Olympics have wrapped up, bringing to end the somewhat contentious XXII Olympic Winter Games. Among the many real or perceived problems, there was one real problem, which is the Sochi games were just a little too warm for the Winter Olympics. The climate in the Sochi area is typically rather mild and Russian officials stored significant amounts of snow for the games, just in case. Nonetheless, despite social issues outside the gates and the unrest in nearby Ukraine, the Sochi games went off without any real problem, and the events themselves were an overall success.

So, if a place like Sochi can pull off a Winter Olympics then why cannot our own Southern California mountains, The San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, host the winter games? After all, the weather in our local mountains are about the same as in Sochi, you never quite know if it is going to be a snowy year or warm year, and if it is warm our ski resorts know how to make and store quite of bit of snow. 

Where In Our Mountains?

Probably the most logical site for the home-base of the Winter Olympics would be Big Bear, but however events could be spread all over the Transverse Range. Spreading out Olympic events is nothing new. It was done in Sochi, and it was done during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles with many Olympic games spread throughout Southern California.

Sure, there would be some infrastructure that would need to be built, but that would be a boom to the local construction industry. 

Okay. All This New Stuff Is Built, But What Happens When The Games Leave?

Some may ask what happens when the Olympics leave the mountain resorts with so much new stuff built? Well, for places in Big Bear, and perhaps other places in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, they can now brag and sell their ski resorts as being world famous, and boost their ski resorts from being local destinations to world destinations. What skier would not love to play and ski at an Olympic ski resort?

What About The Mountain Roads?

What about accommodating all the Olympic spectators, and those mountain highways?

Yes, as any person who has driven our mountain highways and roads can attest, the roadways to and around the mountain towns are not the best, and can provide for a white-knuckle ride at times, but this would provide the opportunity to improve the mountain highways.

Furthermore, shuttle service can be provided to and from events, and up and down the mountain. Also, this may be an opportunity to explore other unique forms of transportation, such as a tramway from the base of the mountain to perhaps Big Bear, not unlike the Palm Springs Tram. 

Just Where Is Everybody Going To Stay?

In the mountain towns there would be a need to build some new hotels, but there are many hotel and motel rooms down the mountain in the Inland Empire that are underused and could be used to house Winter Olympic spectators.

Of course before, during and right after the Olympic games it will be massive boost to the hospitality industry, and not just in the mountains, but it will have a positive ripple affect throughout Southern California. It is not an unlikely scenario that hotels from Palm Springs to L.A. would be filled up with Winter Olympic spectators. 

What About Traffic Down Here?

What about traffic having a ripple affect in the flat lands? Well, we all worked together during the 1984 games, and the recent events on Interstate 405, and so why cannot it be that way again for the Winter Olympics?

Consider It and Bring It To Our Mountains!

We say to the powers that be, bring the Winter Olympics to the Southern California Mountains. We have, and could easily have, the infrastructure in place, and hosting the games here you would not have to worry about any possible social problems taking center stage at the games. The United States is a very stable place to hold the Winter Olympics, and our Southern California mountain range will make it even better.

As an added bonus to consider, though it is on a smaller scale, Big Bear has hosted the X-Games, among other such winter events.

The Winter Olympics in Southern California? Yes, this can be done.

We have already hosted two Summer Olympics, and let us make our third hosting of the games The Winter Olympics!

This can be done, and so let us do it!

Knowing Your Faults: The Elsinore Fault

(This is the first in an occasional series exploring the many earthquake fault lines in and around Southern California.)

ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST - Today, like everyday before and after, the Earth keeps spinning and tectonic plates keep slowly sliding by each other. In our part of the world it is the Pacific Plate slowly sliding north along the North American Plate, and sometimes the sliding and grinding of those two plates make its presence known in Southern California in the worst way possible.

(As the Pacific Plate slowly inches its way north in many millions of years from now Southern California will become apart of the Bay Area, and finally have a NFL football team).

It has now been over 20 years since the Los Angeles Basin experienced a severely damaging earthquake, and nearly 15 years since a magnitude 7 earthquake occurred within Southern California. Aside from the passing minor jolt here and there the ground under Southern California has been quiet, and that worries some seismologists at the United States Geological Survey. Now they are not worried that all this quietness means a big quake, or "the big one," is coming. Rather, since it has been so quiet and Southern California has not had any real notable earthquake in many years USGS officials are worried that some people may not be taking earthquake preparedness seriously.

We know Southern California brings in transplants from all over the country and the world, and hopefully they learn a little bit of history on their new home and realize historically Southern California is disaster prone.

In this Knowing Your Faults series since it has been so seismically quiet we figured the best way to start this series is to explore one of the "quietest" faults in Southern California, The Elsinore Fault.

The Elsinore Fault is a major fault system, and in fact it is one of the largest faults in Southern California capable of producing a major earthquake, but for such a large fault it has been very seismically inactive. 

Why So Quiet? 

Well, geologists and seismologists are not entirely sure. There are a lot of working theories why the Elsinore Fault may be so quiet. One of the floating theories is the San Jacinto Fault and Newport-Inglewood Fault may possibly be taking stress off The Elsinore Fault. It is one of many mysteries of earthquakes that have yet to be solved.

Where Can You Find the Fault?

Going from south-to-north The Elsinore Fault starts at the southern section of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, just a few miles north of Interstate 8, and runs in a northwest direction skirting the northeast side of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, through Palomar Mountain State Park, through Temecula, crossing I-15 and seemingly paralleling I-15 a couple miles west of the freeway with the fault going through Murrieta, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, and into southwest Corona. 

It is in Corona where the Elsinore Fault splits into two separate faults, the Chino Fault going northwest and the Whittier Fault going in a west-northwest direction. Both faults cross State Route 91.

It is the Elsinore Fault that helped create the Cleveland National Forest, and what amounts to a natural, mountainous border between Riverside and Orange Counties.


NASA Photograph. Shown for educational purposes only; no copyright infringement intended.

Just How Bad Would Such a Quake Be?

Should the day come when the Elsinore Fault decides to wake up with a bang seismologists at the Southern California Earthquake Data Center believe the fault is capable of producing up to a magnitude 7.5 earthquake.

As USGS Doctor Lucy Jones told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2005, "In Temecula, the 7 on the Elsinore will be much worse than the 8 on the San Andreas."

Should there be a major rupture of the Elsinore Fault at around magnitude 6.8 heavy damage is expected along the I-15 cities through Riverside County, and moderate to major damage is expected in central Orange County, according to studies by the Southern California Earthquake Data Center. The same study shows injuries and fatalities to be at 9,495, and damage to be near the $20 billion mark. 

If a large earthquake occurs there is also the possibility of major damage along the Riverside Freeway through the Santa Ana Canyon, which would bring extraordinary havoc to the entire Southern California freeway system.

Of course freeway problems may be the least of problems as a large earthquake could possibly break Diamond Valley Lake's 284-foot-high dam, and within ten minutes could flood the Riverside County cities of Menifee, Winchester and French Valley, according to Riverside County Emergency Service Director Mary Moreland.

The above is presuming The Elsinore Fault ruptures on its own fault in western Riverside County. There have been scenarios floated by USGS that the north end of The Elsinore Fault could rupture in Corona and the rupture could continuing "moving" along the either Chino Fault or Whittier Fault.  
  
The Elsinore Fault Earthquake History  

So, just how often does the Elsinore Fault move? According to USGS studies the interval between ruptures is about 250 years. 

Just when was the last rupture, well, USGS studies put it somewhere in the 18th Century.

The last notable earthquake on the Elsinore Fault was a magnitude 6 near Temescal Valley in 1910. 

Based on these studies it is believed the Elsinore Fault, like so many earthquake faults in Southern California, is likely overdue for a major earthquake.

When Is It Going To Happen?

With any basic knowledge and understanding of earthquakes your guess, quite frankly, is about as good as those at USGS. 

When it is going to happen nobody knows, and at this time there is no accurate way to predict earthquakes.

All you can do is be prepared, and know the hazards of where you live and work.

Editors Note: While this series is not intended to be a scholarly, scientific review of earthquake faults throughout Southern California, we hope this series will be a jumping off point for you to understand and further explore the fault lines that cross Southern California.

An Ode to Anaheim

ANAHEIM - We know this city where the Mouse calls home has had its share of disturbing problems in recent years, and after some rioting, protesting and court battles these issues are slowly being addressed. Beside Mickey Mouse riots there are some other things unique about Anaheim, and in a tribute to the fair town where this publication has called home for many years we present to you, "Ten Signs You Know You're From Anaheim" right after the jump.

A 1922 photograph of downtown Anaheim, which, sans for a few more buildings, looked the same for many years until the "development bomb." You know you are from Anaheim if you know exactly what that means. No copyright infringement intended; shown for historical and educational purposes only.

1. Here Comes The Train!

When that train goes by it could be a sad sound or a happy sound, because no matter where you are in Anaheim, be it downtown or the tony Anaheim Hills, you always hear the distant (and sometimes not so distant) whistle of a train. Perhaps it all began when Jack Benny announced, "Train leaving on Track Five for Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga."

2. Every SINGLE RED-LIGHT!

While driving along Harbor Boulevard, Ball Road or Katella Avenue you hit every freakin' single red light and mumble to yourself, or yell, "why can't Anaheim program their traffic signals!" An Anaheim traffic programmer once said, off the record, the city believes people driving in the "Resort District" area will want to stop and shop at other places along the way to Disneyland if they have a moment to see it. In reality, while being stopped at every single red-light, you feel like screaming to whoever makes the city engineers do this, "Families with a bunch of hyper kids in the car who just spent a hour or two driving here aren't gonna want to stop at some other business on the way to Disneyland, get over it!"

3. A City With A Culture and Winning Sports Teams

When friends and family from outside of Orange County think Anaheim is just another bland, uninspiring homogeneous housing-tract city in "The OC" with no culture you gladly take them along Brookhurst Street, then to the revived downtown Anaheim and exploring amazing homes in The Colony, and that is just for starters. Then you kindly mention to the too-good-for-Anaheim naysayers we have a baseball and hockey team that has actually won a World Series and Stanley Cup, respectfully, in the new century. Finally, when talk turns to their family from around the country and/or world wanting to visit them and do all the super tourist stuff remind them, "Where is that one place they always insist on going when they come out to visit you?"

4. Somebody Was Once Good Friends With Her In High School

Somebody knows somebody who once attended Loara High School with Gwen Stefani and were "super good friends with her," and was a big No Doubt fan, years before they became big.

5. You Cannot Believe Another Anaheim Resident Actually Paid To Get Into Disneyland

You try to contain your laughter, or utter shock, when some fellow Anaheim resident tells you they actually paid full-price to get into Disneyland. People in Anaheim always know somebody who can get them in for free, or at the very least find them a very cheap ticket.

6. We Have a Haunted K-Mart

Not many places in the world have this claim to fame: Local lore has it that the K-Mart on Katella Ave. is haunted, which has to make you wonder, "Ghosts haunting a K-Mart in Anaheim? Those are some pretty damn boring ghosts." 

7. Best Bowling Alley Ever!

You know we have one of the best bowling alleys in the country with the best bowling alley signage in the country, Linbrook Bowl. In addition to 24-hour bowling there is a dimly lit bar with cheap drinks and karaoke. Oh, and going bowling here is pretty cheap too! 

Linbrook Bowl sign. No copyright infringement intended; shown for historical and educational purposes only.

8. You Remember...

You remember when the Anaheim Plaza was an actually mall complete with The Broadway Department Store. You remember when Chain Reaction was called Public Storage. You remember when Anaheim had its own radio station, KEZY. You remember when Anaheim had an actual downtown with movie theaters and its very own department store, S-Q-R Store.

 

A 1978 photograph S.Q.R. Store, located at 202 West Center Street in Anaheim. Built in 1925 and demolished in 1978 as it was a victim of the "development bomb." Photograph source, Calisphere - University of California. No copyright infringement intended; shown for historical and educational purposes only.

9. You Still Can't Believe What They Did!

Thanks in part to businesses like The Lab and Rothick art haus life in today's downtown Anaheim has finally been brought back. Yet, when you are there maybe during Art Crawl Experience or having something to eat at Healthy Junk, you still cannot believe some overpaid bureaucrat thought it was a good idea to wipe out most of old downtown Anaheim, and worse yet, you are baffled that the centerpiece of the "new" 1978 downtown Anaheim is a bland, run-of-the-mill, typical Southern California strip-mall. 

10. The Best View In All Of Southern California

Sometimes you have to find the good in the bad, and the 1978 downtown Anaheim redevelopment had a lot of bad things, but there was a silver-lining in parking structures. You know the best view in all of Orange County, and Southern California, is atop parking structures in downtown Anaheim. From the top on a clear day in one long turn of the head you can view The San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, downtown Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Mountains (if you focus your eyes you can make out the Griffith Observatory and Hollywood sign), Santa Catalina Island and the curve of the earth in south county. Indeed in just one turn of the head it is one majestic view, and makes good viewing for the fireworks, both legal and illegal.

Rain!

IN SOME PARTS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - Holy jumping Jesus, it actually rained late Sunday night into Monday morning in some parts of Southern California. It was a very light rain, but it was rain nonetheless.

It will probably be the closest we have to any kind of rain for awhile, and so hopefully you enjoyed it.

California is headed into a very horrible drought, and so this little mist of rain was really nothing. 

To recap this news, precipitation has fallen from the skies and landed on various streets throughout Los Angeles and Orange County, and possibly causing minor inconvenience.

This is otherwise called something that should happen during winter time.  

A Brief Understanding of the Unrest in the Ukraine

ANAHEIM - This is a story that is well outside Southern California, but it has been mostly under the radar in most U.S. and local media. However, we feel it is best to bring you a little bit understanding of what is happening in the Ukraine and why it is important.

Now presented here is not a definitive view of the conflict in Kiev by any means, but rather we hope this is a jumping off point for you to further explore and understand the unrest in the Ukraine.

There has been plenty reported about protesters and rioters taking over government buildings and allegedly torturing police officers, but the question is why?

This all began with a protest being called Euromaidan in November 2013 with very large public protests and civil unrest demanding closer European integration, especially with the European Union. The protesters have called for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych and accused his government of corruption, abuse of power, and violating human rights.

This may be seen as a battle between the pro-Russian government, whom the current president, Yanukovych has long been a Russian sympathizer, and the protesters, who want closer ties to the West and European Union. Many protesters are quite upset as they believe a Russian supported government is standing in the way of having Western style democracy in their country.

Many scholars and observers are debating if what is underway right now is a large scale protest and civil unrest, or if this is a revolution. 

  In the middle of this whole unrest in the Ukraine is in fact Russia itself.

Ukraine is very important to the Russians as, aside from it being apart of one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union from its inception in 1922 until 1991, Ukraine has a very important natural gas line, and Russia likes having buffer space between them and their perceived enemies. 

Much of the Ukraine government is backed and supported by Russia, and over the years Russia has also lent the Ukraine billions of dollars in loans. In a lot of ways Russia views the Ukraine as "their country," and with calls of protesters to join the West and EU it is making Moscow nervous. In a way it is not a stretch of the imagination to say Moscow fears losing an old Soviet country to the West. 

Russia's ties to the Ukraine go well beyond current geo-politics as Russia-Ukraine ties go back to the Ninth Century during the Kievan Rus era and Rurik Dynasty. Under this historic context it one may understand why Russia has historically considered the Ukraine to be "their country," and why it has historically been subjugated in one form or another by the Russians. 

As of this time it remains to be seen what the end result in the Ukraine will be.

In Case You Missed It: Getting Lost in L.A. History Online

LOS ANGELES - If you are a native Angeleno, native Southern Californian, or just one of the many thousands of migrants to our fine land, chances are you want to know a little bit of history of this place you call home.

Places like the National History Museum of Los Angeles and even the Los Angeles Central Library are great places to start, but if you cannot make it out to the museum or library right away look no further than your computer.

Just go over to KCET.org and get lost in L.A. as a Subject with Nathan Masters. In association with University of Southern California Libraries, "L.A. as Subject is an association of more than 230 libraries, cultural institutions, official archives, and private collectors dedicated to preserving and telling the sometimes-hidden histories of the Los Angeles region."  

With the work of Mr. Masters you will find the answers as to why L.A. became a place of palm trees, to how and why Broadway obtained its name, and rediscovering some of L.A.'s lost railways. Nothing about L.A. and Southern California's past is too obscure or too odd.

Mr. Masters, by the way, is a writer specializing in Los Angeles history, and he serves as manager of academic events and programming communications for the USC Libraries.

We promise that once you click on one story at L.A. as a Subject you are going to end up clicking on several more stories, and suddenly you are going to find yourself spending an entire afternoon, or evening, or perhaps both, digging deeper into the sight.

This is a fantastic collection online, and we are lucky this is so readily available, and it is highly recommended you spend some time going through it exploring unique bits of L.A. and Southern California history.

Did You Know This About Olympic Blvd?

LOS ANGELES - One of Los Angeles' major, and perhaps not quite as iconic, roadways is Olympic Boulevard, which is a heavily traveled East-to-West, or depending on your view, West-to-East arterial.

What some people may not know is that Olympic Blvd. is longer than the more famous Wilshire Blvd. as it stretches from Santa Monica all the way across the city to East Los Angeles into Montebello.

There is more to the story of the boulevard, and what a lot of people may not know is, like many other streets in L.A., Olympic Blvd. was not always called Olympic Blvd. In fact, it was once called Tenth Street.

So how and why did Tenth Street become Olympic Blvd.?

In 1932 L.A. was selected to host what would be the Games of the X Olympiad, or rather, the Tenth Modern Olympics. To honor the occasion the L.A. City Council voted to change the name of Tenth Street to Olympic Blvd (See what they did there?).

As you may know these days a city bidding to host the Olympics is a major competitive event in and of itself with a lot of wooing and impressing International Olympic Committee officials. Of course, and here is something else you may not know, L.A. did not have a lot of competition in bidding to host the Tenth Modern Olympiad. By not having a lot of competition that is to say L.A. had no competition in bidding to host the games, because L.A. was the only city to bid to host the games.

Why was L.A. the only city to bid for the games? Well, when the selection was made at the 23rd IOC Session in Rome, Italy, in 1923 it was on the heels of the end of a major world war and a lot of countries were broke and tired.

It did not help matters that by the time the 1932 Olympics came to the City of Angels the Great Depression was fully underway. 

The depression was so bad that many nations and athletes just simply could not afford the trip to L.A. to compete in the 1932 Olympics. 

With the Depressing going on these Olympics were not even consider important to President Herbert Hoover, because he did not make the journey to L.A. to see the games. Mr. Hoover would be the second U.S. president to miss the Olympics in the United States held during his term behind President Theodore Roosevelt who refused to attend the 1904 Summer Olympics held in St. Louis, because St. Louis Mayor David R. Francis declined to let Roosevelt help officiate the games.

As another interesting side-note, Olympic Blvd. was once a highway of sorts, California State Route 26.

So now, when you are stuck in traffic at Olympic Blvd. and San Vicente Blvd., you know how Olympic Blvd. obtained its name and you know a unique bit of the history of the modern Olympics.

Who Loves L.A.? Go Before Sunday to See Debroah Sussman

HOLLYWOOD - For those who remember growing up in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California in the 1970s and 80s may remember the bold colors that lined Zody's, Standard Shoe Stores, J. Magnin, brochures for LACMA and the iconic designs of the 1984 L.A. Olympics, well, that was the work of one Deborah Sussman.

Now, with the help of a Kickstarter campaign, the Woodbury University run WUHO Gallery on Hollywood Boulevard presents, “Deborah Sussman Loves Los Angeles,” which collects the 82-year-old designer’s work from 1953 to 1984.

During that time and beyond driving around Southern California you probably have encounter Ms. Sussman's work.

As The New York Times says, "Part of the goal of the exhibition was to bring the designer’s work into the Pinterest age, said the architect and Woodbury University professor Barbara Bestor, one of the exhibition’s curators."

The influence of Ms. Sussman's work is evident with the design of the 2012 London Olympics.

For those who love L.A. and remember those unique colors from their L.A. childhood journeys this is something not to be missed.

This is the last weekend to view the work of Ms. Sussman, and it is highly recommended you go!

Runs now through Sunday, open 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.
WUHO Gallery
6518 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028