FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 12, 2005

Contact Sharon Weisman
Phone:  818 248 4967   
email:  sharon@jetcafe.org   

History and Heritage groups gather signatures to save Weatherwolde Castle at the Montrose Harvest Market.

GLENDALE - Crescenta Valley Heritage shared a table with the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley at the Labor Day Weekend Montrose Harvest market.  Many passersby were drawn by the enlarged photos of the Crescenta Valley before major development and Weatherwolde Castle. Over a hundred signed petitions to save the castle from demolition.

In partnership with Tujunga's Little Landers Historical Society, CVHeritage member Mike Morgan will present the petition to the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission at the September 21, 2005 hearing.  Dozens of postcards urging landmark status for the 1928 castle were also collected. They have been sent to LA Councilmember Wendy Greuel and the Commission President Mary Klaus-Martin.

The large new apartment building on near-by Florencita is the focus of CVHeritage's local campaign.  The group is working with Crescenta Valley Town Council members Sharon Raghavachary and Krista Smiley, LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich's Office, and County Regional Planning authorities to determine how best to mitigate effects of what many feel is overdevelopment of the lot.  The ragged demarcation between the Glendale and unincorporated county portions of Montrose make planning particularly difficult in the area.  CVHeritage hopes to bridge the gaps in communication among the various governmental bodies and stakeholder groups.

Both groups attracted new members during the market and hope to have tablespace there on future Sundays.  The Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley provides informative and entertaining lectures and films on local history and meets on the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the La Crescenta Church of Religious Science at Santa Carlotta and Dunsmore in the Glendale part of La Crescenta.  Crescenta Valley Heritage is the newly formed advocacy group dedicated to preserving open space, historical structures, and heritage trees in the area and meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Montrose Library, 2465 Honolulu, Montrose.  The public is invited to both groups free meetings.

Additional information can be found on http://www.cvheritage.org/ and http://www.cvhistory.org/ websites.