The 818 Now

The California Department of Transportation will close several roads for the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade, which is tomorrow morning.

The following streets will be closed  from Thursday to Friday.

Glendale (134) Freeway

• 8 p.m. to 11 a.m. – East Orange Grove Boulevard offramp.
• 2 a.m. to 12 p.m.  – West Orange Grove Boulevard onramp.

Pasadena Avenue

• 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. – All lanes on Pasadena Avenue from Columbia Street to Del Mar Boulevard.

Foothill (210) Freeway

• 8 p.m. to 4 p.m. – East- and west Sierra Madre Boulevard off-ramps.
• East and west Sierra Madre Boulevard offramps will be closed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 2 to Jan. 3. 

California Department of Transportation crews are planning several nightly closures of lanes, ramps and connectors of the Pasadena (110) Freeway and the Golden State (5) Freeway for the $17-million Arroyo Seco Parkway Improvement Project.

Crews will replace an existing metal beam and barriers with decorative concrete blocks.

No closures are scheduled from Dec. 31 at 5 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Jan. 3.

But the following closures will occur until 5 a.m. Thursday.

• Up to two lanes of the south and north Golden State Freeway connector to the northbound Pasadena Freeway.
• Up to two lanes of the northbound Pasadena Freeway from the Golden State Freeway to the Bridewell Street.
• The following onramps will be closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.: San Fernando Road; Avenue 26; Avenue 43; Avenue 52; Via Marisol and Avenue 60.
• The following offramps will be closed from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Bridewell Street; Marmion Way; Avenue 60;Via Marisol; Avenue 43 and Avenue 52.

Carmax, which has a major retail center in Burbank, reported Monday the Honda Accord was the most-searched used car on its website – in fact, the Accord has maintained the top spot for four consecutive years. 

Here’s the used car retailer’s top 10 searches of ’09: 

1. Honda Accord
2. Ford F-150
3. Chevrolet Tahoe
4. Ford Mustang
5. Toyota Camry
6. Honda Civic
7. Jeep Wrangler
8. Toyota Tacoma
9. Nissan Altima
10. Chevrolet Silverado 1500

 

Violent crime in Burbank edged up for the first six months of 2009, but dropped in neighboring Glendale, according to preliminary figures released by the FBI today.

Property-related crimes, including burglary and larceny, were down in both cities compared to the same period last year.

From the Glendale News-Press:

GLENDALE — St. Luke’s Anglican Church, which was forced to vacate a historic church building on Foothill Boulevard earlier this year after a state court said the congregation wasn’t the legal owner, asked the U.S. Supreme Court today to review the decision.

On June 9, a state appellate court issued a ruling that upheld a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling in 2007 that the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles had the right to restore the St. Luke’s church under its authority after the Anglican congregation severed ties several years earlier.

Months later, the Anglican congregation was forced to move out and the Episcopal Diocese took over the property.

In their filing with the High Court, attorney for the Anglican congregation argued that the state appellate court gave the Episcopal Diocese “a special power — not available to nonreligious persons or nondenominational churches — to seize its property and take over its corporation based on its religious affiliation.”

Developing story here.

The Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station wants local shoppers to safe this holiday season and to be weary of offers that seem to good to be true. 

 

The following list are tips the sheriff’s station wants you to keep in mind while shopping. 

• Before you begin shopping online, secure your computer by updating your security software. Firewalls and antivirus software are the first line of defense, keeping your computer secure.
• Keep your personal information private and your password secure. Don’t respond to any requests to “verify” your password or credit card information unless you initiated the contact. Legitimate businesses won’t ask for this information.
• Beware of bargains from unfamiliar companies. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Use secure websites for purchases. Look for the icon of a locked padlock at the bottom of the screen or “https” in the URL address. They indicate that you are dealing with a secure website.
• Shop with companies you know and trust.
• Consider alternate options to pay for your merchandise, such as gift cards or money orders, at online stores and auction sites.

The Americana at Brand won the International Council for Shopping Center’s gold award for design in the council’s U.S. Design and Development Competition, officials said. 

The mall won recognition for innovative design in creating a sense community in downtown Glendale. 

The Americana is one of three U.S. shopping centers that will compete in an international design competition.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch today due to a third and powerful storm, which is expected to dump up to three inches in the foothills tonight.

The watch, which starts at 3 p.m., indicates that a downpour will go on tonight until Sunday morning.

County officials are bracing themselves for the third storm and have been making their rounds of the foothills.

While county officials have not ordered foothill residents to evacuate, they did issue an advisory today, said Bob Spencer, Los Angeles County Public Works spokesman.

The advisory alerted residents to be prepared to evacuate if county officials determine that tonight’s storm is posing a serious risk to them, he said.

“It is purely an advisory,” Spencer said.

Heavy rains are expected to start at 4 p.m. and last until 4 a.m. Sunday, he said.

Foothill debris basins showed little signs of weakening Saturday afternoon.

“The system is working,” Spencer said. “So far so good.”

Rain didn’t stop a group of La Crescenta community members who gathered at Two Strike Park in La Crescenta for three hours on Saturday to fill up sandbags for homeowners.

They filled up about 200 sandbags, which remained at the park for residents who needed them, said Kim Mattersteig, who was recently elected to the Crescenta Valley Town Council.

Rain has been falling steadily on the foothills today. But tonight’s rain storm will present the biggest challenge for residents.

“It’s raining a lot,” Mattersteig said. “It’s been raining consistently and heavily for hours and hours.”

Shop till you drop

Glendale didn’t plan on becoming one of the largest retail hubs in Los Angeles County, but it happened — for better or worse.

Foreclosure rates drop

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.

 Metrolink looks into crossing

GLENDALE — The Metrolink Board of Directors on Friday backed Councilman Ara Najarian’s request to start talks on closing the Doran Street and San Fernando Road at-grade railroad crossing.

School up for high honor

GLENDALE — Franklin Elementary School was named Thursday as one of 35 California nominees for a national honor, the state Department of Education announced.

CV takes Classic

LA CRESCENTA — With all the time Crescenta Valley High boys’ basketball player Nick Dragovich has put into shooting free throws during practice sessions, he figured it would work to his advantage during a game.

Nitros too much for Hoover

BURBANK — For a Glendale High girls’ water polo team that began its season just two days prior, after Friday night, first-year Nitros Coach Forest Holbrook was quite pleased with where his team is at.

Metrolink’s Holiday Toy Express will make stops at the Glendale and Burbank train stations tonight.

At the event, local firefighters will gather donations as part the ”Spark of Love” toy drive for low-income children.

Santa Claus and other acts will perform on a 450-ton train decorated with more than 50,000 blinking lights.

The stops will be at  the Glendale Metrolink station, 400 W. Cerritos Ave., at 6 p.m., and the Downtown Burbank Metrolink station, 201 N. Front St., at 7 p.m.

The DeWitt Stern Group and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company have donated $25,000 to Glendale Fire Department to purchase five shock-resistant laptop computers.

The computers can store fire plans, occupancy information, street and hydrant locations and incident management reports.

 The computers are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and can operate  in temperatures as low as 20 degrees and as high as 140 degrees, according to the announcement.

Glendale City Councilwoman Laura Friedman and public affairs consultant Brett Barbre were sworn in today as members of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board of Directors.

Friedman replaced Glendale Water & Power Assistant General Manager Peter Kavounas, who served on the board since March.

The 37-member water board establishes and administers policies for the water district, which is a wholesale supplier to nearly all of Southern California’s municipal water agencies. Glendale imports about 70% of its water from Metropolitan.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch at noon today for the recent burn areas.

Flooding and debris flow is possible this evening for the recent burn areas, including La Cañada and La Crescenta, according the weather service.

The areas burned by the Station and Morris fires are “most vulnerable” to flooding and debris flows, according to the weather service.

Rain can fall between a third- to a half-an-inch per hour.

The rain rates approach or exceed [U.S. Geological Survey] debris flow thresholds for recent burn areas, according to the weather service.

The watch remains in effect until 9 p.m. today.

All American flags at city of Glendale buildings will be flown at half-staff on Dec. 7 for Pearl Harbor Remberance Day.

Los Angeles police officer Kenneth Aragon, 48, was driving into work at the department’s Northeast Division on 3300 block of  San Fernando Road when he crashed his motorcycle just after 2 a.m. Thursday at Largo Avenue and Fletcher Drive, police said.

He was taken to Glendale Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

Police are investigating the crash, which officials said involved no other vehicles.

Aragon is survived by his wife and five children.

Celebrity Paris Hilton will introduce her latest fragrance, Siren, at 6 p.m. Thursday at Macy’s inside the Glendale Galleria. 

The fragrance costs $45.

GLENDALE — Three firefighters suffered minor injuries early Monday while battling a large blaze inside an abandoned warehouse on the 500 block of West Colorado Street, officials said.

Two firefighters sustained small burns to their shoulders and another was burned on the cheek, Glendale Fire Battalion Chief Tom Propst said. The firefighters were taken to an urgent care where their injuries were assessed, he said.

The blaze broke out at about 4:50 a.m. Monday in the west section of a three-building warehouse, where firefighters had responded to a smaller fire on Saturday, Propst said.

The massive size of the fire prompted police and fire crews to shut down Colorado Street between Pacific Avenue and San Fernando Road. Traffic lanes had been shut to the Golden State (5) Freeway while fire crews battled the blaze and started shoring up the site.

If it’s your first time cooking this Thanksgiving and you’ve never stepped foot inside a kitchen, fear not of what disaster may happen.

 

The Glendale Fire Department has provided residents with a list of  cooking tips to ensure you stay safe during the holiday. The department is also running public service announcement on GTV6.

 

• Stay in the kitchen while cooking.
• If you must leave the home for even a short period of time, turn off the stove or oven.
•  Use a timer to remind you that the stove or oven is on.
• Keep things that burn – pot holders, oven mitts, paper or plastic – off your stovetop.
•  Don’t store things that can burn in an oven, microwave or toaster oven.
• Clean food and grease off burners, stovetops and ovens.
• Wear clothing with sleeves that are short, close-fitting or tightly rolled up.
• Keep kids away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of 3 feet around the stove.

Shoppers seeking early deals can plan a late night at the Glendale Galleria.

The mall will open at least six stores, including the Disney Store and The Gap, at midnight on Friday.

Another three stores will open between 2 and 4 a.m.

The entire mall, Target and Macy’s will open at 5 a.m.; shoppers will be greeted by a singing Santa Claus at the JcPenneys court.

Happy shopping.