Photo from 1984 after vandals damaged statues at Agoura Hill business with paint. My flickr News Chronicle set.
Photo by Scott Harrison/The News Chronicle.

When the Dallas Cowboys came to summer training camp at California Lutheran College (now University), local kids would adopt a player. Each day the kid would help carry water, helmets and pads for the player during the camp.

In 1983 about 40 kids had adopted a player and I followed them for a couple days at the Cowboy training camp. Above is one of the images.

I uploaded 19 images to this flickr set.

Enjoy

Back in 1983, while working at the Thousand Oaks News Chronicle, I spent a Sunday morning at Lang Ranch covering a cattle roundup. The "Sunday cowboys" would gather, separate and brand the cattle.

Lang Ranch is now a housing development at the northern end of Thousand Oaks. Back in the 1980s it was still a working cattle operation.

Here are 25 images from the shoot in a Flickr slideshow.

Today, in 1983, Bob Eubanks brought the Newlywed Game to the Oaks Mall and I got to cover for the old Thousand Oaks News Chronicle.

I recently posted eight photos on Flickr. These are fun pics. Be sure to turn on file info for captions.

Today's Los Angeles Times From the Archive blog post is a 1984 photo by staff photographer Bernie Boston taken during Ronald Reagan's campaign stop at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. The crowd estimates ranged from 20,000 to 25,000.

Since I was there, my estimate is 20,000 Reagan supporters and 5,000 photographers. Or I could say 4, 999 photographers and me from the Thousand Oaks News Chronicle.

Recently I uploaded ten images from the 1984 event to my flickr account.

Links:

LA Times From the Archive Reagan post

my Flickr 1984 Reagan pics

My other LA Times From the Archive posts

The Moving Wall, a half size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village in November, 1986. Photo by Scott Harrison/The News Chronicle

Tonight I uploaded 63 photos from the 1986 visit of The Moving Wall to flickr. Enjoy.

Flickr set: The Moving Wall 1986

Cartoonist Jack Bonestell as "Tumbleweed Jack" works on cartoon for kids at the 1983 first anniversary party of the Thousand Oaks Library. Photo by Scott Harrison / The News Chronicle

New on my flickr page are ten images from 1982-83 of Donna Fargo, civic leader and former stuntwoman. Needless to say, when I arrived in Thousand Oaks in 1982, she welcomed and introduced me to the city. Well, I am still here.

Short bio on Donna Fargo: Stagecoach Inn Web Site

Flickr photos: Donna Fargo Set

Bonnie Morgan in character as "Sassafrass Thistlebottom.”

Yes, this little story is true. Just yesterday I posted images from the 1982 Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Then last night I stumbled across the Friends of Paramount Ranch web site. Today was a reunion for former members of the Renaissance Faire that was held from the mid-1960s to 1988 at the ranch.

So I dropped by and was welcomed today just as much as twenty-five years ago. The only difference - the stages, crowds, musicians , etc., were only a memory.

I did have one moment of déjà vu. While walking up one trail, I suddenly remembered the gate, flags, and hay bales that lined the very same trail. Later it was confirmed that the trail was the participants and press entrance.

About 50 attended today’s 12th reunion. Several wore their Renaissance Faire outfits. After enjoying picnic lunches, everyone marched up “Procession Hill” to have a memorial service to remember Renaissance Faire friends who have passed away. Several hundred names were read and many humorous memories shared.

In 1988, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire were forced to move to make way for a proposed development to be built at Paramount Ranch. Instead of spending the night researching and writing a history of Paramount Ranch, let’s just say that the development fell through and the land ended up with the National Park service.

But the Faire moved on to a long multi-year run at Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore. Currently the Faire is held at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale.

In addition to remembering old friends, today’s reunion was also a celebration that the former Renaissance Faire site is now preserved as open space for old farts - like me - to take a hike on a Sunday afternoon.


Old friends are remembered during memorial at former site of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

I added over thirty reunion photos to my Renaissance Pleasure Faire flickr set.