The 77th annual Camellia Parade took a turn to the digital side this year with the theme "Everyday Heroes" largely honoring those who've played a role in keeping local society going during the current pandemic. The video features comments by local leaders and performances by TC neighbors and the Pride of Temple City band and others, and of course you'll meet the Royal Court of first graders.

Los Angeles, CA (Thursday, April 2, 2020) — LA County is ramping up COVID-19 testing sites, opening three locations on April 3, 2020 and developing many others countywide. The sites opening April 3 are at the Pomona Fairplex (Gate 17 - W. McKinley/Fairplex Drive), the South Bay Galleria (1815 Hawthorne Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 90278), and the Antelope Valley Mall (1233 Rancho Vista Blvd., Palmdale, CA 91768). The testing is by appointment only. Walk-up appointments are not available.

UPDATE 29MAY2021—Testing is still a good idea, especially if you remain unvaccinated. Follow the links near the bottom of this article for more information.

UPDATE 29MAY2021—A previous update had an incorrect link to LA County resources. We regret the error and any inconvenience. The pages linked below in the body of the article contain the intended information.

THIS ARTICLE will be updated intermittently. Members may sign in and add comments at the bottom; please limit comments to new testing sites or pertinent public information; nonsense will be removed upon discovery.

At this time, COVID-19 testing is limited to the most vulnerable Los Angeles County residents who are:

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About 31 registered TCHS Alumni members live in Texas. After the current freeze and electrical problems, this might be a good time to check in with them. If you are one of the well chilled, please sign in and advise of your status. The distribution by class year is as follows.

1955 1, 1960 2, 1959 2, 1957 1, 1966 2, 1968 1, 1980 1, 1983 1, 1988 1, 1979 2, 1984 1, 1971 1, 1991 1, 1972 1, 1961 1, 1956 1, 1987 1, 1986 1, 1981 2, 1973 1, 1976 1, 1992 1, 1962 1, 1974 1, 1982 1, 1970 1.

We are working on creating sub-groups of the membership. The first will be to help any class that wishes to participate. Each group will have a photo album and a forum topic to foment a continuing conversation.

Subsequent groups under consideration could be music, sports, etc. Suggestions from prospective organizers are encourage.

If you would like to start a group and are willing to be its coordinator, please write to the editors.

—RC

PS: You can get started by helping Kathy Springer '60 and me ID the girl in the top row below. Our embarrassment is unbearable, HELP!

David Matuszak '71 writes "check out my new surfing book. My book chronicles TCHS surfers from the 1960s and '70s. And it includes the prominence of San Gabriel Valley surfers. Anybody remember the Wardy Surf Shop on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena in the 1960s? Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday week."

Image courtesy D. Matuszak; click to enlarge.

Pasadena Star-News Review

Students may not have been on campus that November day during the Covid-19 closure, but in their absence the superintendent, principal, assistant principal, board members, and staff of Temple City High School stepped up to plant the school’s new 30-tree orchard!

It took a lot of hard work and patience to bring these fruit trees to the school. They appear to be in good hands here and will go to good use for Temple City students and community. Vitafusion Gummy Vitamins provided support to this project! FruitTreeProject

Veteran TC folk will recall that fruit trees were ubiquitous in the early history of the town. Among the many inducements to settle the area, the availability of small plots suitable for orchards was fundamental, and anyone over 70 will recall that many households had orange, lemon, grapefruit or avocado trees. The slope from north to south with little relief enables a "mountain and valley" wind that keeps temperatures steady, and the shallow water table and sandy soil make cultivation easy.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

The Facebook source did not identify the persons depicted.

Historic San Gabriel Mission came close to destruction July 12 in a fire of unknown origin. The blaze destroyed the roof and many of the pews, along with some artwork. Much of the contents of the building had been removed for a renovation in anticipation of the Mission's 250th anniversary in 2021. A complete assessment is in progress.

The building was completed in approximately 1806 after the mission was relocated from its original location at Whittier Narrows, founded in 1771. An active congregation has worshipped at the Mission for over 200 years, and it has been a focus of study by generations of students in the region, including TCHS students from most classes in their fourth grade year.

The Mission was the starting point for the families who walked the nine miles west to found Los Angeles in 1781, and it was the source of population for several other Spanish and Mexican era settlements, making the Mission the birthplace of the birthplace of many if not most TCHS alumni. The Workman and Temple families instrumental in the founding of Temple City and many descendants were reputedly parishioners at various times.

Contributions to reconstruction can be made at the following link.

Most news outlets have additional details. This article will be updated.

Restoration Fund

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This would be a good time to sign into your profile and post a photo of yourself (and family?) engaged in social distancing, even better if you're in secret identity mode. We're inspired by Judith Arielle Golden '71.

David Matuszak '71 has recently published a collection of essays and photographs of surfing in and around San Onofre, CA. Pacific Sunset magazine has a excerpt of the image gallery and a stack of very complementary reviews, a few of which follow. Having no expertise in the subject, we defer to these readers, whose enthusiasm is contagious, which could make the current recommendation to stay home more tolerable as you imagine yourself bobbing up and down waiting for the Big One.

I just wanted to let you know that I received your book! My goodness, I picked up the box and I thought you sent me a few copies by mistake. To find out that was only one book was staggering! In regards to any aspect of surfing, I think you compiled one of the most comprehensive collective on the subject.
—Barry Assadi
 
I am so impressed with your ability to gather, catalog, and organize this book and to provide such a wonderful narrative for it…Congratulations! on an important history of surfing and San Onofre. I know it must have been a true labor of love.
—Dr. Carla Lane

I can go on and on about your book but I’ll just keep it short. I gotta say this book to me is incredible and the history and the way it go’s in different directions of history on all sides. it’s really a masterpiece and thanks for your big efforts and your time spent. It’s so well done and I’ll be reading and looking at the photos for a long time and thanks for including me. What a big stoke, thanks again.
—Brian Bent, retro San Onofre surfer