The 818 Now

The Top 10 Stories Of 2009
1: Burbank Police’s year of problems:  A barrage of outside investigations, lawsuits filed against the city by current and former officers, a police sergeant taking his own life on a residential street and a no-confidence vote in the police chief just days after he announced plans to retire made for a turbulent year at the Burbank Police Department.

House fire sets off live ammunition
BURBANK — Firefighters who responded to a house fire Tuesday in north Burbank had to dodge flying ammunition that was set off from inside by the heat, officials said.

3 want seat in 43rd District
At least three candidates have publicly stated their intents to replace Assemblyman Paul Krekorian (D-Los Angeles), with a fourth weighing a decision to jump into the race.

Airport: Security delays few
AIRPORT DISTRICT — Despite stepped up airline screenings at Bob Hope Airport after an attempted bombing aboard a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight, authorities said delays have been minimal.

TOP 10 SPORTS STORIES OF 2009: Championship feeling
Throughout the past year, the local community experienced its share of important, interesting and tragic sports stories. Some of the stories touched us, some informed us and others just entertained us.

Everyone’s Business: Make good decisions on New Year’s
I’ll bet that on Dec. 19, Thomas Vanauken didn’t wake up and say, “I think I’ll go out tonight, have something to drink, and then drive way too fast on the San Bernardino Freeway and kill somebody.”

Jousters battle each other at the Tournament of Roses EquestFest held at the L.A. Equestrian Center in Burbank on Tuesday, December 29, 2009. (Raul Roa/News-Press)

They’re Joust Horsing Around
Horse enthusiasts turned out Tuesday at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center to catch glimpses of jousting, roping, open paddock, exhibits and precision teams as part Equestfest.

Winter shelter reaches limit
DOWNTOWN — The winter shelter at the Glendale Armory has been reaching its 150-bed capacity almost every day due to the colder temperatures and the holidays, officials said.

3 want seat in 43rd District
At least three candidates have publicly stated their intents to replace Assemblyman Paul Krekorian (D-Los Angeles), with a fourth weighing a decision to jump into the race.

Condos 50% sold
DOWNTOWN — Sales of the Americana at Brand’s Excelsior condominiums have steadily grown since owner Caruso Affiliated dropped unit prices by as much as 40% this summer, with more than half of the project now sold, company officials said this week.

Catching on at CV camp
NORTHEAST GLENDALE — For nearly 15 minutes, Phil Torres meticulously hit choppers, grounders and swinging bunts down the third-base line at Stengel Field on Tuesday morning.

Viola brings back crown
NORTHEAST GLENDALE — After 60 minutes of regulation and another 15 minutes watching penalty shots, the members of the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer team were in a festive mood.

Taken for Granted: Knowledge for change
It’s time again for the eternal optimists in our midst to prepare their New Year’s resolutions, most of which will be relegated to the “best intentions” scrap heap within a month.

The area by the L.A. River behind Dreamworks and KABC has been proposed to be developed into a walkway. (Roger Wilson/News-Press)

Walkway deal should be done next month
CITY HALL — Six months after city officials said a deal with DreamWorks Animation on a 15-foot strip of land for a walkway along the Los Angeles River was nearly complete, the project remains in a holding pattern as attorneys continue to review the agreement.

Report shows more pedestrian collisions
DOWNTOWN — The number of pedestrian-involved vehicle collisions are up this year despite myriad outreach efforts, according to the latest Glendale Police Department figures.

Coming to seniors’ rescue
LA CRESCENTA — When Robbyn Battles’ mother suffered a “horrific stroke” two years ago, the La Crescenta Town councilwoman stayed by her side at the hospital for weeks.

Five arrested in Avoid campaign
GLENDALE — Five motorists who were driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol were arrested Saturday during a sobriety checkpoint in South Glendale as part of a countywide campaign to crack down on drunk driving, police said.

Koemans’ muscle does the trick
NORTHEAST GLENDALE — For Breeana Koemans, there are times when she’s got to make the necessary adjustments on the fly.

Officials recently laid the groundwork for a possible parcel tax, which might be on the ballot in 2011. Will you vote for the tax?

Yes. 18 votes, 24%    
 
No. 58 votes, 76%

Poll Results: Council says budget concerns might prevent An international piano competition from happening in Glendale. Should the city host the show?

Yes. The Junior Piano Competition would bring Glendale cultural prestige. 115 votes, 60%

No. In this economy, the city can’t commit to the event’s nearly $300,000 budget. 77 votes, 40%

Gunnar Starling, 6, serves salad to Jamison Rosenberg during a free post-Christmas meal Sunday for those in need at Salem Lutheran Church in Glendale.

Journey to the feast
Vicki Emami briefed her servers one last time before the lines formed. The four second-graders behind the table were antsy with anticipation, but one question remained.

Life in city is up for debate
CITY HALL —The City Council in January is expected to discuss a wide-ranging report on the city’s quality of life, three months after the figures were first posted online.

Malls enjoy joyous holiday season
GLENDALE — It might not qualify as a Christmas miracle, but sales and traffic around Glendale retail hubs exceeded last year’s numbers, mall operators said.

Dates set for Christmas tree pickup
GLENDALE — As Christmas gives way to the new year and households start packing up their decorations, city officials have announced a number of recycling programs for that withering tree in the living room.

2009 YEAR IN REVIEW: WINTER AND SPRING
Starting the year off with a bang
GLENDALE — Editor’s Note: The following is a recap of the 2009 local sports scene from the winter and spring seasons.

Falcons keep up strong start
PASADENA — Spending five days in Maui over Christmas break didn’t do too much to mellow the Crescenta Valley High boys’ basketball team.

Burroughs High senior Emily Tubert is the 2009 All-Area Girls' Golfer of the Year.

Season of giving
It takes only a few minutes being around Emily Tubert to realize that she is a special individual and a well-rounded young lady.

FBI report: Violent crimes up
DOWNTOWN — The violent crime rate in Burbank edged up in the first half of 2009, according to preliminary FBI figures released today.

District team a man down
CITY HALL — Burbank Unified will make do with one fewer senior official for the remainder of the school year as school board members plan to assess staffing after midyear state budget reductions are announced.

City to help bus homeless
BURBANK — One year after playing host to the regional homeless winter shelter in what was a problematic stint, Burbank pledged $20,000 to help cover the cost of busing its homeless population to the Glendale shelter every day.

Providence out of sync
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — Following a dismal first quarter where it was held scoreless by Flintridge Prep, the Providence High girls’ basketball team appeared to be digging itself out of its hole in the second quarter.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Won the CIF title at the Individual Final and Women’s Southern California Golf Assn. Qualifying Tournament.

A Word, Please: You’d better lie down for this one
Every holiday, news outlets struggle with the same issue. In journalists’ minds, the single most important bit of news to report is “Today is a holiday!” But their readers already know it’s a holiday. And the newsmen and newswomen know that their readers already know it.

A voluntary drug testing program will be introduced at Crescenta Valley High School next semester to address drug-related behavior among students.

Another way to say no
GLENDALE — A voluntary drug testing program will be introduced at Crescenta Valley High School next semester to address drug-related behavior among students.

Search still on for GCC supt.
NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Searching for a new superintendent of Glendale Community College is expected to heat up in the first few months of 2010, according to a report to the board of trustees Monday.

City to help bus homeless
BURBANK — One year after playing host to the regional homeless winter shelter in what was a problematic stint, Burbank pledged $20,000 to help cover the cost of busing its homeless population to the Glendale shelter every day.

Regional tip line nets arrests
GLENDALE — Reporting crimes anonymously can be as easy as sending an e-mail, text message or dialing a call center.

Tologs have troubles
BURBANK — A rough first quarter on Tuesday night took something out of the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy basketball team that the Tologs seemingly were never able to get back.

Gaels iced in fourth period
BURBANK — Although Ramona Convent held a double-digit lead for much of the third quarter of Tuesday’s consolation bracket semifinal game of the 13th annual Providence Pioneer Shootout, the Holy Family basketball team was still a couple of runs away from getting back in the game heading into the fourth quarter.

Tropico Perspective: Names don’t need to be named
I am a fan of open government. It’s ours, after all, and we should have access to pretty much any information we think we need to make sure it serves the public good. In fact, I would like to have a terminal in every public building that lets just about anybody dig around to their heart’s content for whatever dirt they can find.

As world leaders in Copenhagen last week negotiated a global response to the threat of impending climate change, a different meeting of the minds was taking place in San Francisco.

As many as 15,000 of the world’s leading scientists in astrophysics, oceanography and Earth science convened at the American Geophysical Union conference in an attempt to better understand the scope of changing weather patterns and what it could mean for future generations.

Among them was JPL scientist and longtime La Cañada resident Moustafa Chahine.

He reported that NASA had recently completed a seven-year atmospheric survey of how carbon dioxide collects and is distributed across the planet. The data was collected by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument, a tool originally developed seven years ago to better predict weather patterns.

“A big task is to take the increase in CO2, which ends up warming the atmosphere, and learn how you can make predictions for our own climate 10, 20 or 50 years from now,” Chahine said. advertisement

Five years ago, when the instrument began measuring carbon dioxide levels trapped in the middle of the troposphere — the lowest layer of the atmosphere about three to seven miles above Earth — scientists were able to identify global sinks, where greenhouse gases are more likely to collect.

For more of this story, read here.

From the L.A. Times

A local House member says he will ask Congress to launch an inquiry next month into the U.S. Forest Service’s response to the Station fire, including a decision to withhold water-dropping aircraft during the critical second day of the blaze.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) made the announcement after The Times reported Monday that records contradict the Forest Service’s position that steep terrain prevented the agency from using helicopters and tanker planes to attack the fire in the hours before it began raging out of control.

“Congress really ought to investigate and determine if the right calls were made,” Schiff said. “I hope that we can have an oversight hearing and get to the bottom of this.”

Full article.

Ray St. Julian, left, Terry Engle, center, and Bill Hoffmann hold candles Monday at the Glendale Armory during a candlelight vigil in honor of the homeless people who've died this year.

‘We become a family’
Steven Elliott credits the friends he meets for making life on the streets and in homeless shelters bearable.

Count shows bike trends
CITY HALL — More than half of those riding bicycles during the week in Glendale don’t use a helmet, and about a third ride on the sidewalk, according to a recent citywide survey of cyclists and pedestrians.

Violent-crime rates down
GLENDALE — The violent-crime rate in Glendale dropped in the first half of 2009, according to preliminary FBI figures released Tuesday.

Deadline set for earning CLAD
GLENDALE — Teachers will lose their jobs if they do not obtain a language and cultural diversity credential by June 2012, according to a new policy unanimously approved by the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education.

Defense paves way for Gaels
BURBANK — Winning the 13th annual Pioneer Shootout isn’t a possibility for the Holy Family basketball team. Attempting to capture the tournament’s consolation championship remains an option.

Knights leave their mark
GLENDALE — In a season in which the St. Francis High football program bounced back into the upper echelon of the Mission League and the CIF Southern Section Western Division, a stream of postseason accolades were no doubt to follow.

Local children pick out two toys each at the New Horizons Family Center in Glendale on Saturday. (Raul Roa/News-Press)

Toy story ends happily
In a holiday season marked by sharp reductions in toy donations as the number of families seeking assistance rose, the largest toy giveaway in the Glendale-Burbank area didn’t disappoint.

Area urged to be ready for storms
MONTROSE — Members of the Korean community, who like all foothill residents face some likely large and damaging debris flows over the next five years, heard from authorities and geographic experts Saturday.

Galleria posts temporary ads
DOWNTOWN — Holiday shoppers at the Glendale Galleria this weekend were greeted outside by a large set of temporary billboards intended to boost sales by drawing attention to specific retailers.

A stamp of disapproval
GLENDALE — Sitting side by side at the Five-Star Saturday Glendale Stamp Show, the pair who call themselves the “muscle” and the “motivator” epitomize the future and past of the stamp-dealing business.

Martirosyan wins two belts
GLENDALE —Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan has scored impressive knockouts and dominated opponents with regularity over the last four-plus years, but what the Glendale-based welterweight did to Willie Lee on Saturday night at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio came with an extra reward — two of them, to be exact.

CV stays balanced in win
BURBANK — One night removed from its first loss of the season, the Crescenta Valley High girls’ basketball team got back to winning in a big way on Saturday night, controlling Granada Hills from beginning to end in a 52-34 victory in the third-place game of the 28th annual Magnolia Park Optimist Club Tournament at Burroughs High.

Kindergarten parents Michael and Crystal Rieger, left, cross a symbolic wall and enter classroom where German Kindergarten and first grade students wait for parents at Franklin Elementary School in Glendale on Thursday. The students are learning about the history of the Berlin Wall. (Raul Roa/News-Press)

Students tear down that wall
After hearing President Ronald Reagan’s notable phrase, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” Franklin Elementary School students tore through a replica of the Berlin Wall, a symbolic move that demonstrated freedom between East and West Germany.

Toy drive gets derailed
GLENDALE — Local firefighters say they’re struggling to fill orders for toy donations in the wake of Metrolink’s decision to cancel a main collection drive last week.

Teaming up against youth drug use
GLENDALE — A coalition of parents, educators, law enforcement officials and other community stakeholders have decided to meet monthly in an effort to combat illicit drug use among Crescenta Valley students.

Burbank names interim chief
DOWNTOWN — Scott LaChasse, a 32-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department who went on to serve as vice president of security and emergency services at Paramount Pictures Corp., has been named interim police chief for Burbank.

Falcons heat up the holidays
GLENDALE — While the Crescenta Valley High boys’ basketball team wouldn’t have exactly experienced a white Christmas by spending the entirety of December in the mild climate of Southern California, the Falcons are pretty much guaranteed to have a warm winter break now that they have jetted off to Hawaii for a run in the five-day 2009 Maui Winter Classic.

Titles within Martirosyan’s reach
GLENDALE — In the buildup to his title fight against Willie Lee on Saturday, undefeated Glendale welterweight Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan been a visible presence around Youngstown, Ohio, appearing at promotional and press events and even conducting a media workout on Tuesday at the gym of Youngstown favorite son and middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik.

Education Matters: With apologies, rhymes of the ailing teacher
You might gather from what follows here that I’ve had a little too much time on my hands lately, and that would be correct.

From left, Maggie, Eleanor and Reg Green work on portrait of their son/brother Nicholas Green which will be installed in the 2010 Donate Life Rose Parade Float "New Life Rises" at Phoenix Floats in Pasadena on Saturday, December 12, 2009. The Greens live in La Canada. Nicholas was killed by robbers when the family was traveling in Italy 15 years ago this year. (Raul Roa/Valley Sun)

A labor of love
Maggie Green meticulously glued ground flower petals over a photographic outline of her late son’s eyes.

La Cañada home prices dip
Average home prices in La Cañada Flintridge dipped in November for the third consecutive month, according to a real estate report released this week.

La Cañada starts Classic with victory
La Cañada boys’ basketball followed up a third place finish at the Arroyo Tournament last week with a strong victory over Lincoln, 69-40, in the first game of the La Cañada Classic on Tuesday.

Knights spring leak
Despite the fact it was a consolation-bracket semifinal, Saturday night’s Ralph Brandt Tournament contest between St. Francis High and El Camino Real — a matchup of reigning CIF Southern California Regional champions — was a marquee matchup on paper.

Piece of Mind: Mucking around in a heavy issue
It will come as no surprise to those familiar with my regular pleas not to serve alcohol to teens that I’m upset by Saturday night’s death of South Pas student leader Aydin Salek and disgusted by the adults whose Altadena home was the site of the bash where Salek reportedly imbibed.

Glendale Unified School District inventory specialist George Beas unloads one of 26 boxes of face masks at the district warehouse in Glendale on Wednesday. The district received 52,000 masks and is waiting for gloves. (Raul Roa/News-Press)

Surgical masks hit schools
GLENDALE — About 52,000 surgeon masks were delivered to the Glendale Unified School District this week as educators cope with the ongoing flu season.

Roy E. Disney dies at 79
Roy Edward Disney, who despite toiling for decades in the shadow of his famous uncle put his stamp on the Walt Disney Co. through the revival of its renowned animation unit and charitable contributions, lost his battle with cancer Wednesday. He was 79.

Church petitions court
GLENDALE — St. Luke’s Anglican Church, which left a historic church building on Foothill Boulevard in October after a state court said the congregation wasn’t the legal owner, asked the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday to review the decision.

District, teachers hash out deal
GLENDALE — A tentative deal for a cost-saving early retirement incentive was reached Tuesday between the Glendale Unified School District and its teacher’s union, officials said. The program was hatched as administrators work to cut down on the 112 lay-off notices they plan to send out by March 15.

Breaks go Falcons’ way
LA CRESCENTA — With the many scoring opportunities the Crescenta Valley boys’ soccer team had throughout its Pacific League opener against Burroughs, the Falcons should have enjoyed a commanding lead.

Wrong ending once again
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — During a recent 11-day stretch that featured no games, the members of the Glendale High boys’ basketball team retreated to the gymnasium to clean up some of the miscues committed throughout their first four contests of the season.

A Balcony View: Nominees teach me how not to behave
For the last week, I’ve been trying to come up with a way to recognize people who’ve made an impact on me. What I came up with was a list I’m calling, The Indifference Makers.

Southern California rail officials are considering cutting Metrolink service to the Bob Hope Airport train station to save money. (Roger Wilson/Leader)

Airport group bashes train plan
AIRPORT DISTRICT — Local officials are lining up against a Metrolink proposal to cut service to Bob Hope Airport by 28%, calling the plan a shortsighted way to deal with anemic ridership figures.

Council praises Stehr
CITY HALL — In one of his final days as head of the Burbank Police Department, Police Chief Tim Stehr received commendations for his 31 years of service to the city.

Foreclosure rate drops
Local foreclosure rates slid in November to match a statewide trend of steady declines in recent months, but the lower frequency of trouble for homeowners may be temporary, experts said.

The snow goes on — despite the rain
BURBANK — A rainy forecast didn’t stop dozens of children from frolicking in nearly two tons of snow Saturday at Thomas Edison Elementary School’s Holiday Extravaganza.

Burroughs’ offense stalls
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — When the Burroughs High boys’ soccer team scored the opening goal in the semifinals of its own 18th annual Ralph Brandt Tournament against Glendale, the Indians were intent on setting the tone for the contest.

Guard named All-CIF
BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON HIGH — Jocelyn Cervantes isn’t the type of team leader who will yell and scream to motivate her teammates.

A Word, Please: Could’ve, should’ve, would’ve
I grew up in Pinellas County, Fla. It’s the birthplace of Hooters and, if a traveling insurance salesman I once met had his facts straight, it’s also the trailer park capital of the nation.

The Glendale County Building which houses the Superior Court is slated to torn down make way for a courthouse. (Roger Wilson/News-Press)

Courthouse set for new look
State officials have appropriated nearly $124 million to replace the aging Los Angeles County Superior Courthouse in Glendale, a major project that officials said would create thousands of local jobs.

Council won’t dive into pool
CITY HALL — The City Council on Tuesday held off on giving design approval for the planned public pool slated at Pacific Park after some council members expressed reservations about the size of the deck building.

Santa brings group smiles
GLENDALE — Clients from the Glendale Assn. for the Retarded got a visit Tuesday morning from Santa Claus who, thanks to Glendale police, rode in on an interesting sleigh

Rebs off to surprising start
NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Saddled with an overwhelmingly youthful squad and a rash of injuries, Flintridge Prep’s girls’ soccer team has managed to surprise even its coach with its successful start to the season.

Wrong ending once again
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — During a recent 11-day stretch that featured no games, the members of the Glendale High boys’ basketball team retreated to the gymnasium to clean up some of the miscues committed throughout their first four contests of the season.

On the Town: Residents feted for their character
Sixteen upstanding residents of Glendale and the surrounding communities were honored at the Quarterly Community Awards Program of the Character and Ethics Program on Thursday.

People arrive at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. (Raul Roa/News-Press)

Noise relief efforts get $70K boost
AIRPORT DISTRICT — A month after federal officials rejected a multimillion-dollar application for nighttime flight restrictions, Bob Hope Airport officials agreed to spend nearly $70,000 to facilitate ongoing noise relief efforts.

Smoke causes some ire
CITY HALL — Looking to bolster its secondhand-smoke laws, the City Council this week agreed to explore smoking prohibitions on private property and in common areas of multifamily buildings.

City hires big-money help
CITY HALL — A former federal prosecutor and police department reformer have been hired to assist with litigation and policy issues involving the Burbank Police Department, city officials said Thursday.

Hanukkah events start tastefully
The following Hanukkah celebrations are planned across Burbank, Glendale and the foothills.

Providence rallies
BELLARMINE-JEFFESRON HIGH — The players and coaches from the Providence and Bellarmine-Jefferson high boys’ basketball teams are probably tired of seeing one another after what transpired the last few days.

Group to be honored
BURBANK HIGH — When organizers at Burbank High began the Burbank High Athletic Hall of Fame last year, they envisioned a schedule of induction that would occur every two years.

’Dogs slip by rival, 7-6
BURBANK HIGH — When Coach Carlos Pelayo was figuring out the pairings for his inaugural Burbank Tournament, one of the criteria he used for the particular matchups was teams’ proximity to one another.

Mountain Ave. Elementary schoolchildren sing Christmas carols for their classmates during a performance on Monday, December 14, 2009. (Roger Wilson/News-Press)

A chorus of carols
Caroling filled Mountain Avenue on Monday inside the elementary school’s cafeteria and along the street from which it takes its name.

Lobbyist likely to remain
CITY HALL — The City Council today is scheduled to consider securing long-term representation in Washington, D.C., months after putting their former federal lobbyist on a temporary contract to explore alternatives.

Cities form regional coalition
CITY HALL — City officials from Glendale and Burbank last week voted to join a new coalition of San Fernando Valley government agencies whose members plan to tackle regional issues and coordinate public infrastructure projects.

Authority seeks noise relief
AIRPORT DISTRICT — A month after federal officials rejected a multimillion-dollar application for nighttime flight restrictions, Bob Hope Airport officials agreed to spend nearly $70,000 to facilitate ongoing noise-relief efforts.

Knights spring leak in loss
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — Despite the fact it was a consolation-bracket semifinal, Saturday night’s Ralph Brandt Tournament contest between St. Francis High and El Camino Real — a matchup of reigning CIF Southern California Regional champions — was a marquee matchup on paper.

Rebels hang on for victory
PASADENA — The Flintridge Prep girls’ basketball team blazed its way to a commanding lead over South Pasadena on Saturday afternoon by holding the Tigers without a field goal in the third quarter.

Water gushes down Ocean View Boulevard in La Canada on Saturday. (Raul Roa/News-Press)

Mud takes rain check
LA CRESCENTA — The weekend deluge left most foothill neighborhoods unscathed from any significant mud and debris flows, officials said.

Residents: Attorney cheated us
GLENDALE — Dozens of homeowners claim they paid for loan litigation services with Los Angeles-based Bander Law Firm and never saw any legal action taken in their cases, causing some homes to foreclose.

‘Reaching out to all’
Betty Ross has spent the past few nights with her family and close friends, which has made Hanukkah an already joyous celebration for her.

City changes the face of commissions
CITY HALL — More than 30% of the commissioners appointed to Glendale’s 10 civic boards in the past few months are new, a noticeable shake-up that came as a result of the City Council’s move to change the appointment process.

Knights spring leak in loss
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — Despite the fact it was a consolation-bracket semifinal, Saturday night’s Ralph Brandt Tournament contest between St. Francis High and El Camino Real — a matchup of reigning CIF Southern California Regional champions — was a marquee matchup on paper.

Rebels hang on for victory
PASADENA — The Flintridge Prep girls’ basketball team blazed its way to a commanding lead over South Pasadena on Saturday afternoon by holding the Tigers without a field goal in the third quarter.

Small Wonders: Time to help lift people up
It’s raining as I write this. Finally. Rain.