Makenna Sievertson
covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California — events, processes and nuances making it a unique place to call home.
Published September 28, 2024 5:00 AM
Old Glory being celebrated as the oak tree leafs out at it's current location in Stevenson Ranch.
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Anne Cusack
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
“Old Glory,” a roughly 400-year-old Valley Oak tree in Stevenson Ranch, became a Los Angeles County Historic Landmark this week.
Why it matters: But it wasn’t always a walk in the park to protect the towering tree. Here's how we got to the latest chapter in the oak’s life.
The backstory: More than 20 years ago, Lynne Plambeck became infuriated with a plan to remove “Old Glory” to widen the road for a proposed housing development.
What's next: Plambeck noted they’re also planning to explore a state designation, as she said this oak is a symbol of change for those who feel like they might not be able to make a difference.
Read more... about the how the "Old Glory" oak earned its designation.
“Old Glory,” a roughly 400-year-old Valley Oak tree in Stevenson Ranch, became a Los Angeles County Historic Landmark this week.
But it wasn’t always a walk in the park to protect the towering tree. Here's how we got to the latest chapter in the oak’s life.
Fighting for “Old Glory”
More than 20 years ago, Lynne Plambeck became infuriated with a plan to remove “Old Glory” to widen the road for a proposed housing development.
Plambeck, president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment (SCOPE), told LAist “Old Glory” was far from the little bush it was made out to be in the initial tree report — it’s more like a cathedral of greenery.
Plambeck was angered by the report’s mischaracterization. So she and a friend decided they should find a tree sitter.
Tree sitting is a type of environmental protest where someone positions themselves in a tree to try to protect it, a practice John Quigley was quite comfortable with.
John Quigley, who sat in the threatened oak tree "Old Glory'' in Stevenson Ranch on Saturday, January 25th, 2003.
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Allen J. Schaben
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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John Quigley stretches his legs from atop the "Old Glory" oak tree.
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Anacleto Rapping
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Quigley checked out the oak, decided it was big enough to hold a platform, and ended up spending 71 days living in its branches.
“We didn't create the social movement, we protested them cutting the tree down, and it seems like the movement created itself,” she said.
Support from the ground
Plambeck and her friend worried about Quigley at first, so they’d take turns sleeping under his set-up. But armed with a walkie talkie and cell phone, he’d routinely call people in the community, the media, and the film industry to bring attention to the preservation fight.
When a large fence was put up around the tree, it became a convenient place for people to post encouraging artwork and signs.
Andrew Doody, 3, and his sister Elisabeth Doody, 5, peer at the old oak tree.
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Anne Cusack
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Mati Waiya waves burning sage towards the "Old Glory" oak tree.
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George Wilhelm
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Teachers brought their classes to hear Quigley speak, the California Oak Foundation hosted an educational news conference in the area, and musicians played banjos or guitars beneath the branches.
People could even send mail to “Old Glory” by addressing it to Oak #419, which Plambeck noted the post office would actually deliver.
“It was definitely a civil disobedience action that turned out good in the end,” she said.
Rene Russo entered the locked area and looked around the base of the "Old Glory" oak.
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Anne Cusack
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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The big move
Quigley and other activists successfully negotiated for “Old Glory” to be moved to another location, about a quarter-mile to Pico Canyon Park.
Bill Rattazzi looks up at the "Old Glory" oak tree.
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Bryan Chan
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Senna Tree Company documented the meticulous journey, but Plambeck worried about how the oak would handle it. Because as a specialist used to tell her, if trees should move, they would’ve been given legs.
“But God didn't,” she said. “They're supposed to stay where they are. So we were really concerned that it was not going to survive.”
“Old Glory” did make it to the park, where it still stands today. In 2007, it was officially recognized as the largest transplanted tree by Guinness World Records.
The tall oak tree nicknamed "Old Glory" is moved from its hole along Pico Canyon Road.
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Bryan Chan
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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The decades since
SCOPE has celebrated the oak’s 5th, 10th, and 20th anniversary of the saga. Quigley even reenacted his climb for last year’s event and reconnected with some of the now-30-year-olds who had visited his tree sit as children.
Plambeck started pushing for “Old Glory” to be designated as a historic landmark two years ago, and after the idea disappeared “into the yaws of bureaucracy” for some time, she got her wish this week.
L.A. County has now affirmed its commitment to persevering heritage oak trees like “Old Glory” as irreplaceable natural and cultural resources for future generations, according to Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s motion.
Travis Jochimsen, 20, makes his way to the top of "Old Glory" to talk to John Quigley.
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Anne Cusack/
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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There’s more to come
But SCOPE isn’t done yet. Plambeck said they’re also planning to explore a state designation, as she said this oak is a symbol of change for those who feel like they might not be able to make a difference.
“When you care about something and you can work with others to protect it, you can have a success,” she said. “Oaks and trees are really important. They're important to saving our planet. They're important to cooling our neighborhoods, and it's really important not to cut them down, and to take care of them and respect them.”
You can find more information about the importance and benefits of L.A. County’s oak trees here.
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published January 8, 2026 4:33 PM
The Original Saugus Cafe's neon sign.
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Konrad Summers
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Creative Commons on Flickr
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Topline:
The Original Saugus Cafe, L.A. County's oldest restaurant since 1886, was supposed to have closed Sunday, with lines around the block. But this week a sign on the door said it was reopening under new ownership. That was news to the Mercado family, who had previously run the business for nearly 30 years. It's turned into a legal dispute between the Mercado family and the owners of the property, who are laying claim to the name.
Why it matters: The dispute highlights the precarious position of small business owners who operate under informal agreements with their landlords. For nearly 30 years, the Mercado family ran the restaurant on a handshake deal with property owner Hank Arklin Sr. After he died, the Mercado family is facing losing not just their location, but potentially the business name and legacy they've built.
Why now: Hank Arklin Sr., a former California assemblyman with multiple properties, died in August at age 97. New management presented the Mercado family with written lease terms they found unfavorable, triggering negotiations to sell the business that ultimately fell apart.
Lines stretched around the block Sunday at the Original Saugus Cafe in Santa Clarita. It was supposed to be the restaurant's last day before closing after 139 years — making it the oldest continually operated restaurant in Los Angeles County.
But earlier this week, a sign was posted on the door saying, "Reopening under new ownership soon," although there were few details about who would be running it.
The sign was a surprise to the Mercado family,who have operated the restaurant for nearly 30 years. The family now is in a legal dispute with the Arklin family, who owns the property, about the potential re-opening and who owns the historic name.
The background
Alfredo Mercado worked his way up from bartender to restaurateur, purchasing the business in 1998. Since then Mercado and his daughters have operated the restaurant, leasing from the Arklin family. For most of that time, according to the Mercado side, the two families maintained good terms. Property owner Hank Arklin Sr., a former state assemblyman who owned other properties in the area, kept a verbal month-to-month agreement with the Mercados — no written lease required.
That changed when Arklin died in August at age 97.
New terms, failed negotiations
Larry Goodman, who manages multiple properties for the Arklin family's company, North Valley Construction, took over the landlord relationship. In September, the Mercado family say they were presented with a new written month-to-month lease.
Yecenia Ponce, Alfredo's daughter, said the new terms included various changes to the existing agreement, including a rent increase and charges for equipment.
Months of back and forth negotiations about different options, including selling the business, ultimately fell apart. Their attorney, Steffanie Stelnick, says they are being forced out, without proper legal notice, and has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Goodman saying the family has plans to continue running the business.
LAist reached out to Goodman for comment repeatedly Wednesday and Thursday by phone but did not hear back.
Goodman told The Signal, a Santa Clarita valley news outlet, that Alfredo Mercado had changed his mind several times in recent weeks about keeping the business.
“I said, ‘Fine,’ then I got out and got someone to take it over,” Goodman said.
He said he'd been in contact with Eduardo Reyna, the CEO of Dario's, a local Santa Clarita restaurant, and that the cafe could re-open as soon as Jan. 16.
Who owns what?
The dispute also focuses on who owns the rights to the Original Saugus Cafe name.
Ponce said when her father purchased the restaurant in 1998, it was called The Olde Saugus Cafe, but the name was then changed to The Original Saugus Cafe. State records show that name registered as an LLC under Alfredo Mercado.
After Arklin’s death, however, the Arklin family filed a pending trademark application to lay its own claim to the name.
The Mercado family is resisting.
"As long as they don't buy the name from us, we're not handing it over," Ponce said.
Ponce said the family had no idea the landlord planned to continue operations.
"We truly did think we were closing," she said. "We were not aware that they had plans to continue."
She apologized to customers for the confusion.
Whether the decades-old restaurant name survives — and under whose control — may ultimately be decided in court.
Makenna Sievertson
covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California. She has a special place in her heart for eagles and other creatures that make this such a fascinating place to live.
Published January 8, 2026 4:22 PM
The roughly 550-pound male black bear has been hiding out under an Altadena home.
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CBS LA
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Ken Jonhson
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Topline:
A large black bear has finally crawled out from under a house in Altadena where he’s been hiding for more than a month.
How we got here: The roughly 550-pound bear, dubbed “Barry” by the neighbors, had been holed up in a crawlspace beneath the home since late November.
Why now: Cort Klopping, a spokesperson with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, confirmed to LAist Thursday that the bear had left and the access point had been secured.
The backstory: This wasn’t the first time the bear hid out under a house in Altadena. The same bear was lured out from another crawlspace in the area and relocated miles away to the Angeles National Forest after the Eaton Fire last year. Wildlife officials said they believed he'd been back in Altadena for several months.
Why it matters: Officials encourage residents to secure access points around their homes. One suggestion is to cover crawlspaces with something stronger than the wire mesh Barry has broken through, such as metal bars.
What you can do: Bears are extremely food motivated and can smell snacks in trash cans on the curb from 5 miles away, Klopping has said. He suggested putting trash cans out the same day they get picked up and bringing pet food sources inside, including bird feeders. You can find tips on how to handle a bear in your backyard here and resources from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife here.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Libby Rainey
is a general assignment reporter. She covers the news that shapes Los Angeles and how people change the city in return.
Published January 8, 2026 2:15 PM
A protester displays a poster as tear gas is used in the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.
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Eric Thayer/AP
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FR171986 AP
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Topline:
Community leaders and politicians in Los Angeles are responding in outrage after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The fatal ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good has sparked anger and fear in Los Angeles, which has been an epicenter of federal immigration enforcement since the summer.
What are some groups saying? Jorge-Mario Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, says the killing was upsetting but not surprising. " Los Angeles has been witness of the escalating aggressiveness of these federal agents against the community," he told LAist.
Read on... for how local politicians are reacting.
Community leaders and politicians in Los Angeles are responding in outrage after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota on Wednesday.
The fatal ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good has sparked anger and fear in Los Angeles, which has been an epicenter of federal immigration enforcement since the summer.
Jorge-Mario Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, says the killing was upsetting but not surprising.
" Los Angeles has been witness of the escalating aggressiveness of these federal agents against the community," he told LAist.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has defended the shooting, saying Good was trying to run agents over with her car. That account has been disputed by eyewitnesses, the mayor of Minneapolis and other officials. Bystander video also challenges the federal narrative, according to MPR News.
L.A. politicians have joined a chorus demanding justice for Good. Mayor Karen Bass posted on X, saying that ICE agents are waging "a purposeful campaign of fear and intimidation" on American cities.
"The senseless killing of an innocent and unarmed wife and mother by ICE agents today in Minneapolis is shocking and tragic and should never have occurred," she said in the post.
The senseless killing of an innocent and unarmed wife and mother by ICE agents today in Minneapolis is shocking and tragic and should never have occurred. And it happened because of the brutal and racist policies of the Trump administration that unleashed these agents in…
Nereida Moreno
is our midday host on LAist 89.3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Published January 8, 2026 2:05 PM
Crystal Hernández is the violinist for the Mariachi Rams and the only woman in the group.
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Courtesy Los Angeles Rams
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Topline:
As the Rams head to the NFL playoffs this weekend, we’re shining the spotlight on a beloved fan favorite: the Mariachi Rams. Violinist Crystal Hernández, the only woman in the band, tells LAist it’s exciting to see how fans — even those cheering for the opposing team — have embraced their presence at SoFi Stadium. She said it shows how involved and integral Latino culture is to L.A.
“There's no boundary. There's no border,” she said. “It’s all about love and joy and bringing excitement to the game.”
Why it matters: The Rams are the first NFL team to have an official mariachi. The group was formed in 2019 by Hernández' father, the renowned mariachi Jose Hernández. Since then, a handful of teams, including the Houston Texans, have begun incorporating mariachi bands as part of their cultural programming.
Game day: The Mariachi Rams’ musical flare has captivated audiences, blending hip-hop and rock-and-roll sounds with traditional mariachi. They typically perform two or three times throughout the game, starting with a Mexican classic like “El Rey” and segueing into local favorites like “Low Rider” from the Long Beach band War and Tupac’s “California Love.”
The Mariachi Rams blend hip-hop and rock and roll sounds with traditional mariachi. They typically perform two or three times throughout each game.
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Courtesy Los Angeles Rams
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Keeping traditions alive: Crystal Hernández also works with L.A. County students at the nonprofit Mariachi Heritage Society. She said it’s important to pass the tradition down to kids — and especially young girls who may not otherwise see themselves represented onstage.
“If you're a mariachi, you're also an educator,” she said. “It's our responsibility to teach the next generation so this beautiful Mexican tradition doesn't die out.”
