The Time Ranger | Bigfoot, Grizz & Rio Mesa’s Perlick Affair  

You know, saddlepals, we’re normally pretty loosey goosey when it comes to who can ride next to whom. However, as we head out this morning, I’m afraid we’ll have to have gun-toting card-carrying NRA member saddlepal riding up front, in back and covering all sides.  

You dearly appreciated pro-Earth, vegan and peaceful souls will be protectively wedged in the middle, for a bit. Then, for the rest of the trek, you can ride as close to the forest’s edge as you’d like.  

Seems we’ve got giant, man-eating grizzly bears around the first bend. Oh. And an entire passel of Bigfoot sightings. 

After that, we can give ourselves a bit of elbow room because we’ll be dealing with regular run-of-the-mill movie stars, crooks and local high jinks. 

C’mon, you Saturday morning bunk huggers. You can sleep later during college football half-time … 

WAY, WAY BACK WHEN  

SOMETIMES WE EAT THE BEAR. SOMETIMES, THE BEAR EATS US — Oct. 17, 1837, wasn’t exactly Peter LeBeck’s best day. He was killed by a giant grizzly 167 years ago today up near Frazier Park. He managed to scribble his name and fate onto a tree before he died. Some thought that the bear that killed LeBeck may have been the monstrous Piebald Grizzly of the Piru, who was called such for his curious facial markings (as if someone hit him in the face with a cream pie). Piebald also had the second nickname of Old Clubfoot because of the mangled track he left after his foot had been caught in a trap. When he was finally shot, killed and weighed, Pie/Foot reportedly tipped the scales at more than 2,350 pounds. There is some debate whether the community of Lebec was named after LeBeck. Some feel the little town was named for a grocer of the same name, but without the “K.” If it were up to me, I would have named the place “Bear Bait Pete.” 

MAS BEAR — Fairly recently, it’s come to light that another giant bear, the one John Lang shot up Soledad Canyon, was originally and, for more than a century, reportedly weighing 2,300 pounds. An old newspaper clipping, in the form of a letter to a Los Angeles newspaper written by Lang, said his bruin weighed a mere sub-dinosaur sized 1,600 pounds. However, there has been no new info to dispute the weight of our post-ton Piebald Grizzly. 

OLD, OLD, REALLY OLD NEWHALL — For you address sticklers, this should help pinpoint some questions about old Newhall. Back in 1875, Andrew Krazinski bought the Lyon Stage Depot (by Eternal Valley graveyard today) from the twins, Sanford & Cyrus Lyon. He then moved it to about 100 yards south of where Green Thumb Nursery is on Newhall Avenue near Starbucks today. 

DROUGHT, SCHMOUT — I’ve always mentioned that history can be a liquid thing. For decades, the one accepted reason for the moving of the original town of Newhall from where the Saugus Cafe is today was because of a drought. Historian A.B. Perkins mentioned in one of his memoirs: “The townsite was a failure. Too much sand, too much wind; add sandstorms, the result — no lot buyers. After a couple of years, the Railroad gave up, loaded the only six buildings in the place on wheels, went 2.5 miles up the road to the big oak groves that then exited on the (sic) newhall hills and began again. They even moved the name.” 

OCTOBER 19, 1924 

AIRPLANES, 2, STUNT MEN, 0 — The second stunt man of the 1920s died after falling from a biplane. Dick Kerwood was doing a wing-walking stunt when he slipped and fell 500 feet. He was making a movie for the Franklin Farnum Co. The pilot postulated that Kerwood fainted. The plane was about 3 miles west of Newhall. 

SIGH. HOW HISTORY DOESN’T CHANGE — Alas, the poor Mighty Signal has been on the losing side of many a battle. On this date, we endorsed Progressive Party candidate, Bob LaFollette. For those who don’t follow the presidency closely, Bob lost. Interestingly, not only did the Republicans and Democrats offer candidates, so did the Socialists, Prohibitionists and the Communists. Quoth The Signal: “Remember: When the public welfare is at stake, the crooked, the vicious, the prejudiced and the greedy are always at the polls with their hirelings.” 

OCTOBER 19, 1934 

FLASH FLOOD SEASON — The first storm of autumn roared in, dumping nearly 2 inches in Newhall and causing flash floods higher up in Castaic.  

IF GOSSIP COLUMNIST COUNT SAUGUSLAVSKY WERE STILL WITH US, I’D HAVE TO PASS THIS ALONG AS AN EXAMPLE OF PROPER GENTEEL JOURNALISM — The Signal noted: “Mrs. J.A. Suraco turned umpsteen years old Sunday …” Umpsteen. A word that needs reviving.  

AFRICA IN NEWHALL — Our own movie star, Harry Carey, was back from South Africa and filming the adventure classic, “Trader Horn.” I’ve mentioned before that dozens of natives and film crew members lost their lives during the making of that picture when a typhoon struck the outdoors set. Harry hosted a special charity viewing at Newhall Elementary. In the special benefit showing, the “all-talking and sound effects” flick cost 35 cents for adults and 15 cents for kids, with money going to the local Boy Scouts and Kiwanis. Carey noted the big theaters in Hollywood were charging $1.65. 

OCTOBER 19, 1944 

FOREVER HOME OF THE MIGHTY INDIANS — Hope for World War II’s end was growing. Signal owner/publisher/editor Fred Trueblood applauded the efforts of a local citizens group to bring up the subject of the long-sleeping issue of having our own high school and district in the Santa Clarita Valley. At the time, we were part of the gargantuan Los Angeles Unified School District, which not only showed no interest in building a school out here, but also threatened a series of lawsuits if we tried to break away and form our own William S. Hart Union High School District. Board members quickly visited ailing silent film legend William S. Hart to ask his permission to name the first high school and district after him. The group originally thought that classes would open in 1947. They beat that date by two years, opening in September 1945, although the first classes were for ninth graders in three bungalows at the adjunct campus at Newhall Elementary. 

THANKS, BEVERLY HILLS! — We have the politically powerful in the tony enclave of Beverly Hills to thank for Hart High. Months before the SCV, they, too, wanted to break away from L.A. Unified and start their own high school. They sued and arm-twisted the elephantine L.A. Unified and won. That gave us the precedent to be the second new school district not affiliated with Downtown L.A.  

THAT’S LIKE LESS THAN $1,000 AN ACRE — If only we (well, “I”, actually cuz who needs neighbors?) could figure out a way to take things back from the past and bring them into the future. The Carr Real Estate Co. was brokering a deal to sell 32 acres along present-day Sand Canyon Road. Asking price? $3,000. 

OCTOBER 19, 1954 

LOS ANGELES TIMES BUSTED BIG TIME — The decades-long war continued to heat up between local land baron and State Board of Equalization chairman, Bill Bonelli. Bonelli sued The Los Angeles Times and its owner, Norman Chandler, for $1.5 million. Bonelli sued the L.A. Mirror newspaper for an equal amount. Bonelli had just published his expose book, “Billion Dollar Blackjack,” in which he accused The Times of being behind a massive real estate and liquor fraud. Reporters to paper boys somehow owned liquor licenses for five-star restaurants and busy liquor stores. The Times turned around and accused Bonelli of being a kingpin of organized crime and the Communist Party. 

MUST SEE — “Suddenly” was the Sterling Hayden/Frank Sinatra movie filmed entirely out here in Newhall and Saugus. The movie was shot in the summer of 1954 and released on this date. Interestingly, Sinatra had just received an Oscar for his role as Maggio in “From Here to Eternity.” In “Suddenly,” he plays a sociopath killer out to assassinate the president at the Saugus Train Station. If you ever get a chance to watch it — you can watch it on Amazon — you’ll see what the old area looked like a half-century back.   

EISENHOWER IN THE SCV — Oct. 14 was President Dwight David Eisenhower’s 64th birthday and locals celebrated with a small absentee party in his honor at the Motor Stage Cafe. Not until after her death, when her children shared a long-kept secret, did most people realize that “Ike” used to sneak into town when he was president and visit his old pal and former Kansas next door neighbor, Welcome May Taylor. The two childhood pals would enjoy a cup of tea at her Happy Valley home in Newhall. Crazy thing? For years, Welcome May was the gossip columnist for this newspaper and never once mentioned the president’s visits. 

OCTOBER 19, 1964 

GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES — I guess Cornelius R. Ravlic was in the right business. On this date, a speeding motorist forced his car off a 40-foot cliff near Castaic. Ravlic walked out of the accident without a scratch. Coupla things. Ravlic was a Catholic priest. And, interestingly, he was driving a late-model Mercedes. Seems both heaven AND earth were watching out for the good padre … 

IT ALL BEGINS WITH PAPERWORK — The Board of Supervisors set into motion steps that would eventually build our county civic center in Valencia. The original construction estimate was $2.3 million.  

I WAS BUT 14 AND EVEN BACK THEN, THEY NEVER LISTENED TO ME — On this date, instead of rooting for Barry Goldwater, The Mighty Signal endorsed Lyndon Baines Johnson for president. The Texan won, too. 

OCTOBER 19, 1974 

FORECAST? RAIN FOR 20 MINUTES — We had almost an inch of rain in one day and most of it came in one 20-minute cloudburst. Just like back in 1934, the first storm of 1974 caused flash floods. A lightning strike on the Newhall Ranch blasted  huge holding tanks of crude oil and started a spectacular fire. 

“THE WEINERS MISSED HER!” — Amen, boy howdy, a headline like that would make a grizzled editor swoon. On this date, James Dixon, principal of Rio Vista Elementary in Saugus, was arrested on three charges. One was drunk driving. The other was for beating up a 25-year-old teacher in his employ. Battered and bleeding, Pamela Perlick told sheriff’s deputies that Dixon struck her several times in the head and then she fainted. When she awoke, Dixon reportedly tossed a boiling pot of hot dogs at her. She ducked and the wieners missed her. The principal reportedly threatened to kill her if he ever caught her dating other men. Dixon was also charged with destroying phone company equipment when he pulled the telephone out of the wall. Perlick pressed charges.  

RE: THE ABOVE AND ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY KIDDING ME!?!?!! — Both Rio Vista Principal James Dixon and his love interest/teacher Pamela Perlick were put on administrative duties. You may not believe this, but between October and the January 1975 trial, the two snuck off to Las Vegas to get married. 

RE: THE ABOVE — Signal Editor Tim Whyte is reaching for a double handful of Tums, but how great to run a story about two elementary school educators in a torrid affair and one’s named, “Perlick …” 

SANTA CLARITA: BIGFOOT COUNTRY — Nearly paling in comparison to the above, the search for Bigfoot continued in the Santa Clarita. This time, a Los Angeles-based ESP group visited the valley to pick up on the local vibes. One seer postulated that possibly Sasquatch landed out in the desolate canyons via UFO space ships. For about two years, we had various Sasquatch sightings in and around the SCV, plus, several Abominable Snowmen safaris. Or, should I clarify, “… safaris seeking Abominable Snowmen …” 

MISS YOU, BUCK! — On this date, one of the planet’s best crime reporters, Rich Varenchik, got married to heartthrob Cindy Anderson. While Cindy was a beautiful blushing bride and an amazing chef, we’d like to point out Rich, aka, Buck Drango, wore a formal bowtie the size of a black spotted owl. 

OCTOBER 19, 1984 

MERILEE, WE ROLL ALONG, ROLL ALONG, ROLL ALONG — On this date, world famous Agua Dulce cowboy and trick roper Montie Montana Sr. filed for divorce from his longtime wife, Ellie. Montie, 75, took off with his 36-year-old girlfriend, Merilee Young. Montana also took all the horses from the ranch, including his wife’s prized pinto, Larry. Ellie sued for half of their estimated $5 million estate. Through a court order, Montana returned his wife’s horse, Larry, back to her. Quoth the 65-year-old Ellie: “I’m devasted, but I’m glad to have Larry back. He’s almost like one of the family. Unlike Montie, he’s well-trained, sensible and faithful.” 

• • •  

Amen boy howdy, wasn’t this just the BEST Time Ranger ride? Bigfoot sightings and giant grizzlies AND torrid school staff affairs. Doesn’t get any better. See all y’all in seven, and, until then, “¡Vayan con Dios, amigos!”  

Santa Clarita’s John Boston is the most prolific humor writer and satirist in world history. End of this month? Halloween? His new multimedia site and online store, johnlovesamerica.com, launches. Right now, pick up more details on giant grizzlies and local Bigfoot sightings in the SCV Monsters volumes …