GIGA GRANADA HILLS

My son used to attend Haskell Elementary School in Granada Hills, where I was frustrated to learn that biking to school was forbidden for children in grades K-4, and technically allowed, but generally discouraged, for children in fifth grade. In honor of Earth Day, I plan to do two things: only use my bike for all intra-Granada Hills trips, and post a link to this editorial that I wrote for the L.A. Times, which was inspired by the whole anti-bike fiasco I endured at Haskell. Despite support from School Board Member Tamar Galatzan's office, I never succeeded in persuading Haskell's administration to stop trying to make rules governing a parent-supervised, outside-of-school-hours, off-campus activity, but I'm still a bike advocate, and I still believe that nothing could be more healthy, wholesome, and independence-fostering for a kid than getting to school under their own power. Enjoy the article. Why kids can't be kids March 29, 2007 | L.J. Williamson , L.J. WILLIAMS

Tomorrow, Friday, April 23, Porter Middle School will host a 50th anniversary celebration, which is open to all former students and faculty. Dennis McCarthy of The Daily News writes, "If you're a former student or faculty member at Porter Middle School in Granada Hills, you're invited back to school Friday for a 50th anniversary celebration....so stop by and visit with others who were just as miserable in junior high as you were. I'm not sure everyone was as miserable as I was; in fact, I'm convinced that I was the most uniquely miserable of them all. You probably are too. The reunion will be Friday from 10:30a.m. until 1 p.m., at Porter, 15960 Kingsbury St. Granada Hills. Thanks Dennis McCarthy of DailyNews.com.