CSUN University News Clippings

Rob Varela / Star staff 10/10/09 Simi Valley. State Senator Cathie Wright, the first Simi Valley Mayor, jokes with Congressman Elton Gallegly, who also served as mayor, after taking part in the cutting of the cake ceremony Saturday at the City’s birthday celebration.

.tools_inner_dyn { padding: 0px !important; height: 120px !important; line-height: 8px; } .tools_inner_dyn a { line-height: 8px; } .tools_outer_dyn { height: 120px !important; } .h7 { font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold; color: #444444; line-height: 20px; letter-spacing: -1px; } .image_drop { float: right; width: 75px; height: 120px; background-color:#DDDDDD; margin-left: 8px; }

Simi Valley’s first city manager, Bruce Altman, remembers when the city was officially created exactly 40 years ago on Saturday.

The city had a budget of about $1.7 million and his staff was only five employees, he said.

“There was no bureaucracy. We really worked as a team to create a vision for the city,” said Altman, now 71.

In 1969, Altman hired Mike Sedell, then a CSU Northridge student, as an intern. Sedell is the current city manager of Simi Valley, which now has a $62 million budget and more than 650 employees.

Altman reminisced with Sedell today at City Hall during the city’s 40th anniversary celebration. They were joined by more than 200 past and current residents, government officials and other “oldtimers” who came out to share memories and pose for a commemorative photo to be posted Monday on the city’s Web site.

Altman, who now lives in Palm Desert, said this was his first time back to Simi in many years.

“We dreamed of this City Hall. How often do you get to come back and see what you dreamt of 40 years ago? This is really nice,” said Altman.

Former Councilman Howard Rogo, 80, also was on hand for today’s celebration. “Every time I come out here, I think this is my city that I helped create and I’m very proud of it,” said Rogo.

Nick and Judy Larsen, both 68, came to Simi Valley from Illinois in 1968, before the city incorporated. Judy said Simi Valley back then was dotted with walnut and orange groves, and many sycamore trees.

“We worked here, we raised our family here, we retired here, and we still live here. We just love it,” she said at the celebration.

Also attending was Gene Haury, who moved with his parents to Simi in 1947, and Nancy Garcia, 53, who served on the city’s first youth council after her family moved here in 1967.

Today also marked a reunion for more than 15 residents who lived in Simi Valley’s first tract development, built in 1957 at Erringer Road and Royal Avenue. An old flier showed that a three-bedroom home there sold for $11,995 at the time.

Joyce Hill, 72, and her daughter, Sheila Kuntz, 51, reminisced with other neighbors. “When we first moved here, we thought we were moving to the middle of nowhere, and here we are still today. We don’t plan on ever leaving,” Hill said.