The Brief

In March of 1953, two women asleep in a remote area of the Big Tujunga Canyon were awoken by a bright light flooding around their cabin. Inexplicable time loss, an alien abduction account and years of searching for answers were to follow.

This was the first in a string of UFO accounts that one local researcher called “The Tujunga Canyon Contacts,” making this stark landscape just about 30 minutes north of downtown L.A. what she called a hotbed of UFO encounters.

Investigators in the field point to the incident as one of the earliest modern day abduction experiences, but even in the town that gave us Close Encounters of the Third Kind, it’s not a story many Angelenos have heard.

Slender entities and beams of light 

At an isolated cabin in the Big Tujunga Canyon, two women were terrified by an experience they had beginning around 2 a.m. on March 22, 1953. According to the women, bright lights and a deathly stillness were followed by an alien abduction in which one of them said they were taken on board a UFO by slender entities with elongated, mask-like faces.

One of Sara Shaw's drawings from 'The Tujunga Canyon Contacts'

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Courtesy Anomalist Books

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Both women’s accounts — and several others — are described in detail in the book The Tujunga Canyon Contacts by Ann Druffel and D. Scott Rogo. To protect them from backlash, the pseudonyms Sara Shaw and Jan Whitley were used in the book, first published in 1980.

Shaw and Whitley would undergo regressive hypnosis sessions in order to try and pull recollections of the incident from their memory. Shaw had her hypnosis session led by Dr. Martin Reiser, who founded the LAPD’s Behavioral Sciences Services in 1968.

In a second hypnosis session with a different doctor by the name of Bill McCall, Shaw recalled her abduction experience in 1953:

Shaw would go on to recall being examined aboard the spaceship by the entities with some type of scanner. She said they even imparted to her a cure for cancer.

Another Sara Shaw drawing from 'The Tujunga Canyon Contacts'

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Courtesy Anomalist Books

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These accounts and several others in the Tujunga Canyon area were investigated extensively by Druffel, who died in 2020. In fact, Shaw’s encounter predates one of the earliest and most studied modern day alien abduction stories, that of Barney and Betty Hill in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in 1961.

“It is absolutely a very early case in the pantheon of alien abductions,” said Rob Kristoffersen, the New York-based host of the Our Strange Skies podcast where he studies UFO encounters throughout history.

“It’s not a case that gets talked about a lot... But, I think it’s one of the more important cases that should be looked at more,” Kristoffersen said.

So why haven’t more people, even in L.A., heard about this abduction account in our own backyard?

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“It’s a queer story” 

Paranormal researcher Dr. C.S. Matthews says it might be because it’s less “hardcore” than some of the abduction accounts out there. These aliens did not seem to be violent or malicious.

“I actually think that part of the reason also is because it’s a queer story. And the UFO community even today has had a real tendency toward being real conservative, kind of right wing,” Matthews said from her home in New York’s Hudson Valley.

All the women who came forward with their stories of otherworldly encounters in and around the Tujunga area were part of the LGBTQ community, and most, if not all, had some connection to Whitley. While Shaw and Whitley’s initial encounter took place in the 1950s, it wasn’t until the '70s that they brought their story to Druffel.

“Of course they weren’t going to talk about these things in the 1950s. They wouldn’t dare... These women were brave in coming forward. They had to be because they could lose a lot,” Matthews said.

An older paper back version of 'The Tujunga Canyon Contacts'

In an article titled “Tujunga Canyon Contacts: Revisited, Reconsidered,” Matthews writes: “...anyone who remembers what small town lesbian communities were like before, say the 2000’s (or even now in rural areas) can easily spot the dynamics of overlapping friend and romantic interests running just below the surface of the Tujunga Canyon accounts. Druffel’s descriptions of their relationships echo the ethos of the time, allowing anonymity due to prohibitive social norms.”

A “window area” 

In her book, Druffel describes the region where these and other UFO sightings happened as a “window area,” a place that repeatedly attracts unexplainable phenomena.

Phantom rotorless helicopters, white orbs dancing in the sky and people chasing spaceships that disappear into the landscape: They all allegedly took place in and around the canyon.

“You know, Big Tujunga Canyon can be kind of a creepy place,” local historian and author Mike Lawler told LAist. “Back in high school I would hear stories from friends about weird things that they saw out there.... It’s kind of a desert mountain landscape and pretty spectacular... being so close to LA, it’s phenomenal how wild it is. And in fact, people get lost there all the time."

“It’s really weird up here” 

Screenwriter Richard Hatem of Pasadena hosts a podcast called Richard Hatem’s Paranormal Bookshelf. You might also have seen his work in the form of the 2002 film The Mothman Prophecies.

Big Tujunga Canyon at sunset

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Katherine Garrova

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He thinks the Tujunga Canyon contacts aren’t very well-known, even in a town that gave us the shooting location for Elliot’s home in Steven Spielberg’s E.T.

“I’ve never heard anyone bring it up,” Hatem said. “Weirdly, I don’t think that L.A. is a city that trades much in its supernatural history, even though there’s a ton of it.”

After hearing about the Tujunga contacts a few years ago from Kistoffersen, Hatem recalls eagerly driving 20 minutes west on the 210 Freeway to see the region for himself.

“It’s really weird up here. It feels like we’re a long way from Los Angeles... But I’m like, ‘I’m not staying up here too long. I don’t want them knowing that I’m thinking about them,’” Hatem said.

Perhaps it’s time to put Big Tujunga Canyon on the map with other UFO hotspots like Roswell or Area 51.

Warm temperatures are on tap again today as we head into a toasty weekend with temps set to reach the triple digits in desert communities.

L.A. County beaches will see daytime highs from 67 to 72 degrees. It'll be between 69 and 76 degrees along the Orange County coast. More inland areas like downtown L.A., Hollywood and Anaheim will see temperatures from 75 to 81 degrees.

Meanwhile, the valleys will see varying temperatures. Areas closer to the coast will see highs from 78 to 83 degrees, and further inland, temps will stay in the upper 80s, up to 89 degrees.

Meanwhile in Coachella Valley, temperatures will rise to 101 to 106 degrees.

Looking ahead to the weekend, the valleys will reach the 90s for Mother's Day, up to 100 degrees in the Antelope Valley too. Come Sunday, an Extreme Heat Warning kicks in for the Coachella Valley, where temperatures will stay in the low 100s, with up to 109 degrees possible. Make sure to stay hydrated!

Jessica Wang has experienced delay after delay for nearly two years as she tried to open Gu Grocery in Chinatown. Her father, a contractor, had told her it would take nine months.

Instead, she says, there have been issues with city permits, inspectors, inaccurate information, illness and wayward appliance installers which have pushed things back.

The community didn't take nearly as long. In two weeks, 134 donors contributed nearly $12,000 to keep Wang afloat. But money can't solve her problem — she still needs the city's approval to open the doors.

Wang signed the lease at the end of 2023, envisioning a Chinese-Taiwanese grocery store and community hub where seniors could use EBT to buy fresh tofu, where kids from nearby elementary schools could stop by after class, and where her mother, Peggy, could teach neighbors how to make their grandmother's pickles.

Now, more than two years into a five-year lease, and nearly out of money after paying for permits, buildout, and rent on a space she can't operate, Wang launched a GoFundMe campaign a few weeks ago. The response showed the community believes in Gu Grocery and wants to see it succeed. But she's still waiting for at least seven final inspections by the city before she can open.

The story of Gu

The name "Gu" carries layered meaning: the character 菇 means "mushroom" in Chinese, a traditional symbol of prosperity, while the sound "gu" also means "auntie" in Mandarin — honoring intergenerational caretakers. Wang's mission for the space is to provide a place to purchase Chinese-Taiwanese pantry staples and prepared foods, and to host community workshops.

The communal aspect is central to Wang's vision of social entrepreneurship, not solely focused on profit. In addition to workshops, Gu Grocery plans to accept EBT and offer senior discounts for those on fixed incomes.

"I wanted a space where I could share knowledge and share culture and also just learn from the community," Wang said.

Ultimately, she hopes to convert the store into a worker-owned co-op.

Wang grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and worked as a pastry chef at San Francisco's State Bird Provisions before a pre-diabetic diagnosis at age 29 prompted her return to L.A. She began volunteering with API Forward Movement, a local nonprofit focused on health equity and food access in AAPI communities, and saw firsthand the need during COVID food distributions at L.A. State Historic Park.

Chinatown had lost its last two full-service grocery stores in 2019. Last fall, the neighborhood lost another: Yue Wa Market, a small produce shop that had served residents for 18 years before rising rent and pandemic losses forced it to shut its doors. The closures hit especially hard in a neighborhood where, according to American Community Survey data, half of the residents are low-income and one in five are seniors 65 and older — many of whom rely on walking to shop.

Jessica Wang (center, in black) and her mother Peggy (left, in white and red) smile while serving customers at a farmer's market pop-up for Gu Grocery.

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Daniel Nguyen

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Courtesy Gu Grocery

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Permitting woes

Much of bringing Gu Grocery to reality has been made possible by support from Wang's friends and family. Her father, Willie Wang, serves as her general contractor. When plans were submitted to the city in March 2024, he told her the buildout would take nine months if everything went smoothly.

Instead, she’s experienced delays from all directions, from slow bureaucracy, to issues with contractors. A hood installation contractor rescheduled multiple times, she said, then doubled his price the day before a rescheduled appointment. Drywall contractors said their workers had been detained by ICE and never returned.

The process hasn't just taken time — it's been expensive. One inspector approved a makeup air unit for the kitchen hood system, she said, only to have a senior inspector overturn the decision and order a complete replacement at nearly $6,000. Her father paid out of pocket — even as he was recovering from March surgery to remove a cancerous lung growth.

"Who would have thought that something an inspector asked us to do would be completely overturned by another inspector?" Wang said. "That's just so wild."

LAist has reached out to the city's Department of Building Services for comment but has not heard back.

The financial toll

Wang estimates she's spent more than $200,000 so far — more than $100,000 on buildout and permits alone, plus a full year of rent on a space she can't operate, equipment, insurance and taxes.

She draws no income from Gu Grocery. To cover personal expenses, she teaches fermentation workshops through her other business, Picklepickle, though that work has been inconsistent lately. Her health insurance doubled this year. The GoFundMe money, she said, is a "rainy day fund" in case she needs it to pay future bills.

The financial strain has touched her entire family. Her mother, who received a small inheritance when Wang's grandparents died, got scammed late last year trying to grow that money to help with the store. Targeted through online ads, she was convinced by an "investment tutor" based in Taiwan to hand over cash to a stranger in a parking lot.

"I didn't realize this would become part of what it's like to have aging parents in the age of technology," Wang said. "But it's scary how they get targeted."

Black sesame noodles from Gu Grocery's popup menu. Wang uses black sesame for higher nutritional value and plans to offer the dish as one of the prepared foods when the store opens.

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Aunty J

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Courtesy Gu Grocery

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Rice balls with house pickles from a Gu Grocery pop-up. Wang has been teaching fermentation and pickling workshops for 15 years and plans to serve pickles alongside all meals when the store opens.

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Aunty J.

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Courtesy Gu Grocery

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Addressing Chinatown's needs

Once Gu Grocery opens, it won't operate as a full-service market — there won't be a meat counter. Instead, it will function like a corner store with a focus on healthy prepared foods: butter mochi, sesame noodles and daily congee.

"Something that Chinatown has never had was prepared food that is EBT eligible," Wang said.

In 2020, Wang surveyed seniors through API Forward Movement's Tai Chi fitness program to understand their shopping habits following the closure of local grocery stores. Many told her they now ride the bus to Super King on San Fernando Road in Glendale, nearly 5 miles away, for produce deals, or rely on family members to drive them to 99 Ranch in Alhambra. Some grow their own food in gardening plots, Wang said, "but they can't produce everything they need."

Willie Wang (left), Jessica Wang (center), and Peggy Wang (right) pose inside Gu Grocery. The signs display the store's values in both English and Chinese — Willie's reads "body health" and Peggy's reads "mushroom auntie," playing on the dual meaning of "gu."

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Daniel Nguyen

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Courtesy Gu Grocery

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The community response

When she launched her Go FundMe in mid-April, she was overwhelmed by the response. "I have a hard time asking for help," said Wang. "So actually receiving help, it's very moving."

The donors range from former pop-up customers and friends to a range of assorted well-wishers — a musician who had her food once at an event, fellow food business owners, farmer's market regulars and even her insurance agent.

"The generosity is beyond my expectations," Wang said. "Some of these people only had my food once. People are showing their support truly in a personal way and really believing in the vision."

The GoFundMe money helps Wang stay "afloat for now," but she's had to rethink her opening strategy. She won't be able to afford full inventory when she opens. Instead, she plans a phased opening: prepared foods only, served through a takeout window, then using revenue to slowly stock shelves with the retail items she originally envisioned.

The community raised more than $14,000 in three weeks. After nearly two years of delays, Wang is still waiting for permits. She hopes to open by Father's Day — her general contractor dad's birthday. But she's learned to expect the unexpected.

Many donors sent her direct messages saying simply: "We got this, Jess, we got you."

Olympics organizers have released a first look at plans for a celebration of arts and culture across Los Angeles during the summer of 2028.

Known as the "Cultural Olympiad," the programming will include a poster series by local artists, film screenings across the city and a calendar of events, including live performances and art installations at different institutions. The city of L.A. will also put on its own events, including culture festivals in each council district, in the lead up to the Games.

Arts programming is a long Olympic tradition — starting in 1912 as artistic competitions and eventually evolving into festivals.

When Los Angeles last hosted the Olympics in 1984, the city hosted a weeks-long spectacle that included more than 400 performances and launched with the unveiling of a sculpture by artist Robert Graham topped with two statues depicting the naked female and male form, each without a head. The statues still stand at the entrance to the Coliseum today.

A closeup of the statues by artist Robert Graham atop the Olympic Gateway Arch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

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David Madison

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Getty Images

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The 1984 festival is credited with transforming the city's arts scene. After the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion put on opera productions in the summer of 1984, local patrons launched L.A. Opera, which had its first season in 1986.

“That moment — when this city chose to present itself to the world not only through sport but through the full force of its artistic imagination — gave rise to an institution that has, for four decades, reflected the scale, diversity and ambition of Los Angeles itself," Christopher Koelsch, president of L.A. Opera said in a statement provided by LA28.

L.A.'s artistic contributions in 1984 in turn transformed the Olympics. John Williams composed the "Olympic Fanfare" for the Opening Ceremony, which is still associated with the Games today.

The legacy of 1984 means expectations for the 2028 Olympiad are high — but most details on what's in store are still to come. Some in Los Angeles have criticized LA28, saying that planning is lagging.

Another big question is funding. The city of L.A.'s initial plan for cultural programming estimates a budget of $15 million, which would cover local festivals in each council district. But the city also painted a vision for what it could do with $45 million in funding, including a seven-week arts festival across the city.

Documents from the city's Department of Cultural Affairs says full funding will depend on external partnerships, including LA28. LA28 told LAist that the Cultural Olympiad will be funded through private fundraising but didn't provide further details.

The first event associated with the Olympiad will launch in July 2027, when winners of the local artist poster contest are announced.