Valley News from Van Nuys, California • Page 2

VW "A TEACHERS STORY" Valley Traveler Writes Book; Describes Ancestry -s By AGNES V. DOW The Jehiel Davises of Van Nuys are a traveling family, notwithstanding the fact thaf Mrs. Davis (Jonnie) is confined to a wheelchair. They have traveled all over the Western United States in every kind of conveyance; backpacking sometimes, motor-cycling and catching trains. Now they have just returned from their latest travels by air and ship which took them from Ft.

Lauderdale, to the Dutch Antilles, Aruba, La Guaria, and Caracas; from Marguerita in Venezuela and Martinique to St. Pierre (by bus) and St. Thomas. Joined by Son Of course they were joined by their son Rene, also of Van Nuys, had already spent a part of hjs vacation in the southern spas. He had visited Haiti, rmuda, Antigua and a Domingo before joining his parents on their cruise.

Together they returned to the Everglades, visited Coco Beach which is next 'to Cape Kennedy and aft- "er a i Disney World with Disneyland, the Van Nuys travelers enplaned for home. All this traveling is necessary for the Davis family, apart from the fact that Tehiel Davis runs a travel agency here. He is a teacher, and both he and his wife have an insatiable thirst for first-hand knoxv- ledge of a and events, of history and geography. Published Book Of his life Jehiel Shotwell Davis, a successful man by any standards, has put pen to paper and published an autobiography titled "A Teacher's Story" which records his profess i nal experiences and geneology beginning, as a i with the Fourth Century Saxons who invaded England. That, in itself, is a historical event for a man who was born in Concord, Mich, in 1892.

As Davis claims he is descended from Edward, King of England, 802-837 A.D. There followed 15 erations of royalty (which included Ethel- wolf, King of England, 837-858; Alfred the Great, King of England, 871-902; Edward the Elder, King of England, 902-924; followed lords and ladies, earls and countesses, princes and princesses, governors) and eventually 15 generations of non-titled people. Career Described That brings us to the present. Jehiel Davis married Jonnie Robbie Shely in March, 1913 in Chicago at the Lincoln Center. Five children were born to them.

The Davises moved westward with plans for Jehiel to put his degree from the University of Chicago to practical use which, indeed he did. Davis taught geography in Salt Lake, in Prescott, and in Imperial Valley before coming to San Fernando Valley in 1923. Tliey settled in Van Nuys, where Davis began teach- i hemistry, physics and history in Van Nuys High School, and where he remained teaching for 41 years, eventually retiring to conduct his swiftly growing business of travel seling, the Davis Travel Agency. Well Integrated The Davis family are well into the social life of the Southern a fornia area, being prominently active in the Masonic orders. Jehiel Davis was instrumental in organizing the first Bethel of the International Order of Job's Daughters, in Van Nuys.

His great-granddaughter, Tracy Christersson is a member of the Reseda Bethel. hiel first taught at Van Nuys High School, Capt. Percy Inglis was principal. The Davises have resided in their present home, 14253 Gilmore for 46 years. And now they are busy planning their next trip.

Yule Opera to Be Staged at Cal Arts "Amahl and the Night Visitors," Gian Carlo Menotti's Christmas opera, will be presented in the main gallery at California Institute of the Arts on Friday, Dec. at 8 p.m., and on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 3 p.m. The opera made television history when it was presented by NBC on Christmas Eve 1951. It was the first such production to be written especially for the medium.

The musical tale tells of the legendary visit of the Magi to the hovel of a crippled beggar boy on their journey to find the child Jesus. Awed by the royal visitors, Amahl begs to accompany them so that he might give bis most treasured possession, his crutches, to the Holy Child. When he does so, a miracle occurs and he is cured of his lameness. The production by the Music School at Cal Arts a a i ta Thornburgh as the Mother and Eric Thornburgh as Amahl. The three kings will be portrayed by Coil Bender, Craig Fields, and Marvin Hayes.

Rhonda Hess conducts the opera with Dr. Gil Seeley, director of the choral ensembles at the Institute, directs the shepherds. Tickets may be obtained at the box office before the performances or by i 805) 255-1050. Admission is $2.50 for the general public and 75 cents for students with ID cards. Dog Food Sold Chicago Dog food sales in the U.S.

have increased by more than three times withm the past 10 years. 1 i I DC Offfice Answers Agriculture Queries SPECIAL UNIT COVERS DISASTERS Rescue II, code name for emergency medical team from Sepuveda Veterans Hospital, poses with special modules containing life-saving equipment and drugs. From left are Dr. Richard Gray, Dr. Paul Bilder, Mrs.

Joyce Rose RN, Dr. Leon Richman, Dr. John Celentano. itndJDr. Eugene Gierson.

Rescue team was first on scene of recent Pasadena freeway bridge collapse. They reached scene by Fire Dept. helicopters. Gift, Gourmet Gallery Set by Museum Celebrating Its 20th an- Outdoor Fountain by Al- in the Gift and Gourmet niversary of service to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Art Museum Council will have a "Gift and Gourmet Gal- 1 for the public through Dec. 20.

The Gallery located in the members' room on the ground floor of the Leo S. Bing Building at the museum, will offer for sale unique and art-oriented objects, and will feature the Art Council's newly published cookbook, "Entertaining Is An Art." This cookbook is illustrated with reproductions from the museum's permanent collection and will be devoted to the aesthetics of fine entertaining. Proceeds from the sale of the cookbook go to the 'Art Museum Council acquisition fund, which has to date raised about $600,000 toward purchases of art at the museum. Notable among these are the CREATE SPECIAL UNIT TO FIGHT HOLIDAY CRIMES exander Calder and the Five Heads of Jeanette by Henri Matisse. Proceeds from the sales Gallery will go to the museum's Art Rental Gallery operated by the, Art Museum Council.

Public Service which are part of the Agricultural Extension Service of the University of California, are more or less the "meeting points" between the specialist, the farm adviser in the field, and the public. One can get the answer to just about any kind of question related to agriculture by writing, calling, or dropping in at one of the nine or so Public Service Offices throughout the State. Miss Ave Whiting, at the Berkeley office, 90 i versity Hall, deals with many of the questions that come in every day, and she says that along with the trend toward doing things for yourself at home, like canning, there's a ndous amount of interest lately in home cheese making. Publications Told The office doesn't yet have any printed material to send out on that, but they're working on it. Right now an extension food technologist is preparing a short publication on home cheese making.

unting "Hil- a ia," which is for scholars and researchers, there are maybe 7000 or 8000 publications in the Ag Extension files, and new ones coming along all the time. For example, they've had a lot of trouble in Contra Costa County, and parts of Alameda, with a beetle that attacks Monterey Pines. The beetle used to be primarily in the Sierra, and it migrated for some reason last year. Task Force Sent A task force -was sent out by the University of California, and now Ag Extension is in the process of printing up an excellent article on the description, the damage, and the control of the destructive beetle. Speaking of there's a very popular pamphlet available on carpet beetles.

And one on pantry pests. And one on lawn pests, too. Even Zoy- sia grass, says Miss Whiting. A man called recently and said, "Have, you ever heard of anything called Zoysia?" The answer was, "Yes, we have a publication on it." Termites Big Termites are big right now, says Miss Whiting, and a lot of them will be just winged ants. But there are separate publications on termites available through the office, and on anis.

Excellent descriptions of both can be had for the asking. There is, of course, a seasonal aspect to the questions thdt come in. Teachers call" around Halloween, for instance, to find out where they can take their students to see pumpkins being grown in the field. A Christmas, people want tp go out to choose and cut their own Christmas trees. The Public Service Office fortunately has a list of places where people can go to do that very thing, says Miss Whiting.

Defendant Gets Life in Murder of Sylmar Youth Michael Rennpage was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for the murder Search Launched for Downey High 1963 Graduates Sally Harney Blowitz of Studio City and Donna namyer Scane of Shermani Oaks have an- need a search for members of the Downey High School Class of 1963 who may reside in the San Fernando Valley. The reunion committee has already located more than 100 members of the class and are hopeful that many more will be located before May 1973, the anticipated date of the reunion. Information regarding class members including names, addresses and telephone numbers should be mailed to Mrs. Blowitz, 12037 Valleyheart Drive, Studio City, 91604. last year of a -San" Fernando Valley teenager.

Rennpage 28, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Pat Mullendore. The defendant pleaded guilty last Oct. 12 to the first degree murder of Joseph W. Warmuth 19, of 13983 Polk Sylmar. a muth was slain Aug.

7, 1971, after he picked up two hitchhikers. The body was buried in. a Newhall area culvert authorites discovered it last Jan. 21 through Rennpage's girlfriend, Mrs. Joyce D.

Fry 22. testified against her codefendant at a preliminary hearing and a granted iminunit3 from prosecution. In addition to the local murder charge, Rennpage pleaded guilty earlier to a count of second degree murder involving a crime spree in Idaho. He was sentenced to prison there also. The Idaho prison sentence presumably would be served first.

EXPERIENCED travelers, Mr. and Mrs. Jehiel Davis of Van Nuys like to taste life at first-hand. Now he has written book on his professional experiences, titled Teacher's Story." NORTHRIDGE A ial crime fighting force to combat an expected rise in holiday thefts has been formed at Devonshire Division, Los Angeles Police according to Capt. W.

L. Vausbinder, commanding officer. The unit will; concentrate its efforts in areas which have proven to be prime targeis for thieves, he said. "The officers assigned to this unit will work both in plainclothes and uniform to curtail burglaries and thefts from vehicles a rthridge Fashion Center and other shopping areas in Devonshire Division," stated Capt. Vaus- binder.

"Shoppers are urged to lock their holiday purchases in the trunks of their automobiles and lock the doors if they find it necessary to leave veil i les unattended," he added. Longest Coastline Florida has an average width of 95 miles but it has the longest coastline of any mainland states, extending 1200 miles. Save $1.06 on Pipers Quarts (The kind of gift that would do a thrifty Scotsman proud). Just in time for Christmas: special thrifty pricing on full quarts of Seagram's 100 Pipers Scotch. Today, this mellow bfend of more than 30 rare, aged, premium whiskies- is yours for only $8.49 instead of the usual $9.55.

That's a $1.06 saving on every quart. Thrift that would do a Scotsman proud. And a gift, in handsome holiday canister, you can bestow with pride (even on yourself). a a 100 i Scotch. It's made proudly.

Give it that way. 100 PIPERS BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY 86 PROOF SEAGRAM DISTILLERS COMPANY, NEW YORK.