In the heat of the Cold War, the Valley was a patriotic bastion. Pro-America parades and loyalty rallies were common, and for a time in the 1950s volunteer lookouts served two-hour shifts watching for enemy aircraft in an observation tower at Balboa Blvd. and Vanowen St.

Fears spiked when the Soviet Union beat America into space by launching the Sputnik I satellite on Oct. 4, 1957. This raised the spectre of nuclear missiles aimed at the many defense plants in the Valley then. Many residents built backyard bomb shelters and took the routine air raid siren tests -- at 10 a.m. on the last Friday of every month -- more seriously.

In the midst of all this, the most hated Communist of all dropped in on Granada Hills for a visit. And he didn't come by choice.

Some Valley residents of the time still recall the day.

Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev came to Los Angeles on September 19, 1959, under the city's tightest security ever, as part of a U.S. visit that included the United Nations. Before he even got here, a giant anti-Soviet rally was held in the Rose Bowl and President Eisenhower urged calm.

In Los Angeles, tomatoes were thrown at his motorcade from LAX. Khrushchev's first stop was at 20th Century-Fox for lunch with more than 100 stars, among them Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra. "I feel this is a historic occasion for the nation and for the film industry," Marilyn Monroe cooed to the Times.

After lunch he observed the filming of Can-Can and blasted the film as horribly decadent. With an open scedule until a sold-out speech that evening, Khrushchev requested to visit Disneyland. To his chagrin, Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker denied the request, calling it too risky.

Over Khrushchev's objections, he was driven instead to the Valley to inspect a new subdivision in the 16200 block of Rinaldi Street. As helicopters flew overhead and sirens wailed, crowds lined the motorcade route up Balboa Boulevard. In Granada Hills, model homes on Sophia Avenue were cleared by security aides, but the Soviet premier never left his limousine.

Khrushchev bitterly resented trading Mickey Mouse for the Valley in summer. "Putting me in a closed car and stewing me in the sun is not the right way to guarantee my safety. This development causes me bitter regret. I thought I could come here as a free man."

The following morning, many residents got up early to watch Khrushchev's train from Union Station stop at Glendale then pass through the Valley en route to Santa Barbara and Francisco.