Beverly Hills lies just a hundred miles or so to the west of Stately Willard Manor West, and has for more than a century, yet it wasn't always Beverly Hills.
For several centuries it was simply known as "El Rancho de las Aguas" or "Ranch of the Waters."
The little community began as part of a Spanish land grant. Then in 1906, Burton Green had a better idea; he founded a town and called it "Beverly Hills."
Eight years later, it became incorporated and then the dawn of the motion picture industry.
Green didn't have a daughter or wife (nor even a mistress as far as we know) named Beverly. However, he was apparently a fan of soon-to-become-president William Howard Taft, and Taft had a Massachusetts retreat named "Beverly Farms." So Green took the "Beverly" from Taft's getaway place and added the "Hills" because of the rolling terrain in the area.
Even then, Taft's place may not have necessarily been named for a woman. "Beverly" was derived from a Middle English word meaning "beaver."
Burton Green, naturally, is not alive to see what became of his modest little community, but I'll bet his heirs wish he'd held on to a few more plats of land, at least enough for a shopping mall.
- "Mirror, mirror in the tank, can I take it to the bank?" Scientific research has determined that dolphins can recognize themselves in a mirror.
- Perhaps it's because kids now have access to computers and associated printers. The crayon color that is used most often is black. Or maybe it's just to create lines to color outside.
- Yes, but could he take part in the "Sweet Georgia Brown" passing routine? Pope John Paul II was made an honorary Harlem Globetrotter.
- Wendy Liebman said something I found very discouraging when viewing my avocation. Her observation: "I'm a writer. I write checks. They're not very good."
- Even if they ask for guacamole or bonbons, don't comply. Both chocolate and avocados are poisonous to parrots.
- Sadly, the survey did not explain how they did it. Three of every five spouses hide away money from their husband or wife.
- Product placement in films is becoming another opportunity for advertisers, but what about product placement on restaurant tables? Naturally, the "finest" restaurants don't display products in their original packaging, but for those who do, the most commonly found brand labels are "Sweet and Low" and "Heinz."
Jim Willard, a Loveland resident since 1967, retired from Hewlett-Packard after 33 years to focus on less trivial things. He calls Twoey, his bichon frisé-Maltese dog, vice president of research for his column.