City of Arcadia’s Mayor Verlato Proclaims June 29 Windmill Day

The famous former Van De Camp’s turned Denny’s Restaurant sports a massive windmill that is now turning 24 hours a day thanks in no small part to a former Mayor George Fasching, seen here sitting next to blades being repaired. – File photo by Terry Miller/Beacon Media News

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Mr. George Fasching, the famous windmill atop Denny’s restaurant is alive, well and turning counterclockwise 24 hours a day. The City of Arcadia Tuesday honored Denny’s and Fasching’s efforts by proclaiming June 29 Windmill Day via a special proclamation at the beginning of council.

On Wednesday afternoon, June 29, 2017, the idea of getting the iconic Van De Camp windmill turning again became a reality, only to be destroyed in a freak incident a few months later on Dec. 29, 2017. On that Friday morning the iconic landmark fell off and one blade sliced through Denny’s restaurant around 8 a.m.

Read more: Denny’s Windmill Turns Once Again After 40 Year Hiatus

The humble, albeit well-known, man who worked diligently behind the scenes with a letter writing campaign wants no notoriety about getting the windmill turning again, but we can tell you he specializes in keeping Arcadia’s horseless carriages clean and shiny.

On that particular Friday, he was devastated when he saw what happened. So were we.

Fasching never gave up hope that the windmill would turn again and after months of restoration the famous windmill lights up the Arcadia skyline with colorful blades turning to the delight of all who pass by the iconic and historic windmill.

After Mayor Verlato read the proclamation, Fasching quipped that in 10 years from now they’ll be proclaiming another decade of Denny’s historic windmill but, Fasching said, Gary Kovacic will be saying: “But, where’s George to help us celebrate?” To which, Fasching retorted “He’s starting up a new windmill at Rose Hills.”

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