Over 54 years ago, Chandler Blvd. had no sidewalks, endangering children who used their leg power to go to and from school. Public service minded officials did then what they might do today: earnestly and urgently reported it, worried about it…. and did nothing about it.

The children who walked home from school back then have turned into the grandparents of today, some of whom jog in the night without illumination, such as an old man I saw running last night around 7pm, in darkness, along Chandler, a few feet from death by texting.

Since 1958, Chandler has become much more observantly Jewish, but the Orthodox community (who walk to the Shul) is more populated east of Coldwater where there are sidewalks, with the exception of the new Chabad synagogue at Ethel and Chandler, where there are no sidewalks.

As another side note, Chandler was referred to as “Van Nuys” in 1958.

Photo taken from the USC Digital Library.