header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 28
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir


Now and Then in the SCV | Commentary by Darryl Manzer
| Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014

darrylmanzer_blacktieDo you remember your first time? That first time you drove from the SCV to the ocean? I think I was in the first grade at Castaic Elementary School. What were you thinking?

It was a typical, extremely hot summer day and we packed the car – a 1953 Chevy Bel Aire – and piled in. Like usual, I had to sit between my sisters in the back seat.

We stopped at Castaic Junction and filled the tank at the Standard station across the intersection from Tip’s Restaurant.

It was then on down Highway 126 to Ventura. It wasn’t a freeway in those days. Two lanes all the way with orange trees and great stands of eucalyptus trees. Many of them are still standing.

When we arrived, we got all of the stuff out of the car and carried it to the beach. Blankets and an ice chest full of cold drinks, plus sandwiches and chips and more.

We had regular towels. Not many people had “beach towels” then. But it didn’t matter. It was the beach.

My sister Alyce took me by the hand and we ran toward the surf. She jumped right in, but I more or less fell face-first into the cold water. I didn’t care. I was at the beach.

Alyce did a little body surfing, and our older sister was content to sit in the sand with our parents. I jumped up and down in the waves. Had to make sure I had lots of sand on me for the drive home.

We had many trips to that beach and to some beaches in Oxnard where we would go when the grunion were running. Millions of those little fish come ashore to spawn, and the regulations state you can’t use a net to gather them. I would stuff them into the pockets of a rather large, hooded sweatshirt. It was always fun. Stay up most the night and sleep in a sand-filled sleeping bag in the dunes.

There was camping at Carpinteria State Beach. There was the time all of the kids were swimming in Carpinteria Creek when the park ranger came by and said it wasn’t safe to swim there because it was possible it was contaminated with sewage. Needless to say, we ran from the creek.

Carpinteria State Beach

Carpinteria State Beach

Many years later, when my folks and I had moved from Mentryville to Carpinteria so my father could work on the offshore oil platforms, I found out that there was sewage in the creek for a short time. Failed septic tanks and all, in those days before a city sewer system.

Carpinteria Beach was still a favorite when we moved there. Friends from the SCV would come and visit since we lived close to the beach. It was 1966 and life was pretty good. My legs were nearly healed from when my motorcycle and I attempted to joust with a big Cadillac. I was off crutches and using a cane for support.

My father and I were working on an old, two-wheel-drive 1949 Jeep station wagon. Looked like a woody and would have been perfect for my first car. But it was not to be.

On Nov. 7, 1966, I got up, got ready and walked with some neighborhood kids to the high school. About two hours later, someone from the school administration came to my class and told me to follow her to the office.

In the office were two of the men who worked with my father. They took me home, and once there, they told me my dad had been in a helicopter crash between the platforms and shore. There were boats out searching for him and the three other men on the aircraft.

There were only four oil platforms off of Carpinteria in those days. Standard Oil had named them Heidi, Hazel, Helen and Hope. I can’t remember which one my father had been working on at the time. I don’t know if it is true, but I think I was told each name was from the wife of an employee who had been injured or killed working for the company. There hasn’t been any named Evelyn after my mother.

I was up in the mountains at a campground north of Santa Barbara and east of Solvang this past weekend. Driving there was the usual trip from Highway 126 to the 101. Mostly four lanes and freeway now. I was about two miles from the Santa Barbara County line, and traffic was moving at a snail’s pace when those four platforms came into view. Like usual, my eyes filled with tears. I’m sure it was the dust from the road construction.

Oil platforms off of Carpinteria

Oil platforms off of Carpinteria

It was seven days from the day the chopper crashed before they recovered my father’s body. Seven days of walking the bluffs above the beach, looking out at the rescue and recovery efforts. Seven nights of being on those same bluffs and seeing those platforms brightly lighted. My uncle, a retired chief petty officer, had come up to be with us, and he kept saying how much the platforms looked like the fleet anchored at Long Beach before World War II. I could see why he said that.

The funeral and moving back to Saugus with my mother are all a blur today. She died the following summer. It was during the last nine months of her life that we would drive to Carpinteria to visit friends, or I would attend some Carpinteria High event like the prom or a special dance. Each time she would ask me to walk out onto those bluffs above the beach so she could look out to sea.

She expected my dad somehow to come out of the sea, and we would all go home. Instead he was waiting for her.

Driving back yesterday, those platforms were still there. I like to think my folks are there, too. Maybe sitting in the sand, watching kids play in the surf. Maybe just looking out to sea together.

When I think that, I can smile through the tears. It takes a long time to heal from events like that. I can still look out and see “the fleet at anchor” and know all is well until we can all sit on the beach together again.

Still not easy to pass by there, but I can feel the love they gave me then – and now. That is how it should be.

 

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com and his commentaries are archived at DManzer.com. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


Opinion Section Policy
All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not. Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter, the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.
Read More From...
RECENT COMMENTARY
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2024
Springtime in Santa Clarita brings not only vibrant blooms and opportunities to embrace the outdoors with warmer weather, but also an array of free, family-friendly events and this Saturday is no exception.
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
Did you know that each year, Main Street in Old Town Newhall undergoes countless makeovers for different events, such as Light Up Main Street and the Fourth of July Parade?
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose Fifth District includes the Santa Clarita Valley, issued the following statement Thursday in response to an announcement by Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel of a proposal to change how calls to the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline are routed.
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
Unlike our children who enjoy a week-long spring break, we adults no longer have that luxury.
Friday, Mar 15, 2024

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
Local nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence is seeking “Allies” to support Santa Clarita youth who are aging out of the L.A. County foster care system.
April 16: FYI Seeks Volunteers To Pair With Local Foster Youth
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today unveiled the latest L.A. County Health Survey, which gathers vital data on health behaviors, conditions, neighborhood settings, and the needs of L.A .County residents, informing future public health policies and programs.
Public Health Unveils the 2023 L.A. County Health Survey Findings
Due to the projected rain forecast, Eggstravaganza will now be held indoors at the Canyon Country Community Center beginning promptly at 10 a.m. on March 30.
March 30: Eggstravaganza Now Being Held Indoors at Canyon Country Community Center
To support the mental health of California's young people, the California Department of Public Health awarded $25 million to 28 tribal and community-based organizations across the state.
California Announces $25 Million in Awards for Youth Mental Health
The College of the Canyons Athletic Department will host a dedication ceremony to unveil the Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room in honor of the longtime board member and ardent softball program supporter’s nearly 40 years of service to the district.
April 16: COC to Host Michele Jenkins Team Room Dedication Ceremony
PFLAG Santa Clarita has announced the establishment of the Peggy and Jeff Stabile PFLAG SCV Scholarship. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to LGBTQIA+ students pursuing higher education and committed to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and promoting diversity and inclusion.
PFLAG SCV Announces Stabile PFLAG Scholarship
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir
The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
March 27 Ocean Water Warning
As an integral ingredient necessary to help the Santa Clarita Valley to flourish, feedback from the business community is the secret sauce for achieving great things.
SCVEDEC Asks For the Business Community’s Opinion on Santa Clarita
Raise your heart rate while raising funds for the Santa Clarita Sister Cities Dollars-for-Desks campaign to provide school desks for students in Sariaya, Santa Clarita's Sister City in the Philippines.
April 13: Sister Cities Zumba-thon Fundraiser
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
SCVEDC Company Spotlight: Drumming Up Big Business with Remo, Inc.
California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
Los Angeles County’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department  in collaboration with Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Pitch Competition for the cohorts of JCOD's Incubation Academy.
March 28: JCOD Incubation Academy Helps Grassroots Non-Profits For the Second Year
Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
April 18: Children’s Bureau Hosts Virtual Orientation
The Sunburst track was constructed in 1887 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was a part of the main line running between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Enjoy Spring With a Ride On The Sunburst Track
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a Personal Finance Summit today where he announced his support for Assembly Bill 2927 (McCarty), legislation that would require a personal finance education course for California high school graduation.
State Superintendent Announces Support for Personal Finance Graduation Requirement
1847 - Probable birth date of Pico Canyon oil driller Charles Alexander Mentry [story]
C.A. Mentry
The first Music Jam Session at The MAIN was held on Thursday, Feb. 22 and was a hit. Come out and join in for the next one on Thursday, March 28 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
March 28: The MAIN to Host Musicians’ Jam Session
Los Angeles County Inspector General Max Huntsman of the Office of Inspector General has issued a report entitled "Tenth Report Back on Implementing Body-Worn Cameras in Los Angeles County."
Office of Inspector General Issues Latest Report on LASD Body Cams
College of the Canyons women's tennis played to a convincing 7-2 conference win over Ventura College on Moica to strengthen its potential playoff resume.
Canyons Closes Out Ventura 7-2 in Final Home Match
Join the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce with the Latino Business Alliance at the Cinco de Mayo Networking Celebration on Tuesday, May 7.
May 7: Latino Business Alliance Cinco de Mayo Celebration
SCVNews.com