The 818 Now

DOWNTOWN — Amid a local economy sacked by underperforming tax revenues, slumping home values and high unemployment, the biggest winners in the Rose Bowl and BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena won’t be taking the field.

The 121st Rose Parade and two post-season college football games are expected to produce an economic impact of $350 million to $400 million for greater Southern California, according to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and past economic studies.

“This has to be an economic pleasure for the Southern California region,” said Bill Flinn, chief operating officer for the Tournament of Roses. “This year there’s no doubt about the fact. You have two games, four out-of-state teams and a parade that drives hundreds of thousands of people to the area.”

A new rotating collegiate bowl system for the first time brings to Pasadena two major bowl games within a week of each other.

A further economic boon to the area comes in the fact that neither USC nor UCLA are competing in the games, said Bruce Ackerman, president and chief executive of the Valley Economic Alliance.

He noted that not only are the competing colleges from outside Southern California, but the closest school is more than 800 miles away in Eugene, Ore.

Read on.

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.

Classes at GCC have advanced since this photo was taken in May, 1948. (Photo by Los Angeles Times photographic archive, UCLA Library via Wikimedia Commons)

Glendale Community College will offer a range of Lifelong Learning Seminars Jan. 4 to Feb. 11.

The free classes are held across Glendale, including the Life Skills Building at the college main campus and Sparr Heights Community Center.

Classes feature discussions like Quality of Life, Where’s My Memory and Contemporary World Affairs. 

Seminars also promote healthy living, such as Health through Aerobics and Health and Exercise. Other courses include Art History, Beginning Sketching and Self-Discovery via Writing.

For course times and locations call 818-243-5196 or visit the website.

Students can register online or during class.

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.

In recent months, the Glendale City Council as well as the city’s Glendale Water & Power commission have discussed the brewing water crisis facing the state.

In addition to the growing water shortage, crumbling levies at the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta could result in a major disaster for much of the state, state officials have said.

Although the delta is hundreds of miles north of Glendale, city officials say its reliability and ecosystem issues trickle down in a big way to affect a significant portion of the city’s water supply.

If you are interested in learning more about the water issues facing the state, there was a special report on last night’s “60 Minutes” program on CBS. Click here to watch.

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.

Helping families in need

For many, Christmas is a time of celebration and gift giving, but for families struggling to make ends meet, the time of Santa and presents under the tree can be daunting.

Fees not raising much

When the City Council in 2007 imposed development impact fees on new projects in Glendale, they were heralded as a way to bring in tens of millions of dollars to combat the city’s lack of park space and aging library facilities, but a protracted recession has kept that revenue to a trickle, officials said.

Checkpoints to eye DUIs

Drivers who take to the road after sipping a couple of alcoholic drinks at a holiday party stand a greater chance of landing in jail this weekend.

Water district targets independence

Foothill Municipal Water District officials have settled on a $63-million plan — to be presented to the public next month — for projects that a voter-approved bond would help fund.

Rewriting the record book and Hoover history

Unprecedented may be the best word to describe the 2009 season turned in by the Hoover High boys’ water polo team and its best player, Hakop Kaplanyan.

ALL-AREA FIRST TEAM

A list of student-athletes taking home big honors.

Education Matters: Christmas tidings from the hospital

I find it easier to focus on meaningful things at this time of year. Easier also to center my attention away from the vast and the noisy and the troublesome and more on the quiet, the unobtrusive, the inconspicuous, the vital.

For the past four years, I have overwhelmingly relied on my cell phone as I have decided against paying for a land line.

It look’s like I’m not alone.

According to the latest Nielsen Convergence Audit, an annual survey of more than 30,000 Americans, more than 20% of American households reported they rely entirely on cell phones — a 5% increase from 2006.

In recent years, cell phone providers have pointed to the increasing amount of cell phone-only households when petitioning city for cell tower installations — an increasingly controversial topic.

Glendale is currently in the midst of crafting a stricter policy for reviewing those applications after a T-Mobile application for a site in a residential area caused controversy last year.

Other stats from the report include:

• About 15% of U.S. households use smart phones.
• About 15% of households use prepaid phones instead of signing a contract.

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.

Glendale Unified School District Board of Education is meeting in a special session tomorrow morning to discuss and possibly decide on its application for Race to the Top, a $4.35 billion competative grant that we’ve written about recently.

The Burbank Unified Board of Education approved 5-0 to apply for Race, but could opt out at a later date. Check out the story in Thursday’s News-Press.

In today’s News-Press, there was a full-page ad promoting a church service to be held this weekend in Glendale.

At the podium, pastor Melissa Scott, the widow of a widely popular televangelist Dr. Gene Scott and the head pastor at University Cathedral in downtown L.A.

Perhaps more than a minister, a recent article about Melissa in Marie Claire chronicled her alleged past as a porn star named “Barbie Bridges.” (In the article, she denies ever having acted in adult films.)

To see her for yourself, the service is set for 7 p.m. Sunday at the Faith Center at 1615 S. Glendale Ave.

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.

Glendale officials last week announced the city’s Commission on the Status of Women is seeking local students to apply for their annual $1,000 scholarship, called the 2010 Gem of Glendale Award.

Here’s more from the city press release:

One outstanding high school senior will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship during the Sixth Annual Jewels of Glendale event on March 11, at the Glendale Hilton Hotel.

 The Gem of Glendale Award is a scholarship that will be awarded to one outstanding student (male or female) who is engaged in community service that reflects the core values and mission of the Commission on the Status of Women. The community service should include work involving women and/or girls in areas such as: homelessness, health, leadership, and financial literacy. Educators and organizations are encouraged to nominate eligible students for this scholarship. The deadline to submit applications is Jan. 20.

The nomination packet and more information can be found at the City of Glendale website. Interested parties may also call 818-548-4844 or email women@ci.glendale.ca.us for more information. 

For more information on the Gem of Glendale Award or sponsorship opportunities for the Sixth Annual Jewels of Glendale event, please contact Christine Baboomian at 818-548-4844 or women@ci.glendale.ca.us.  

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.

You may remember that a few months ago we ran a story about a count being conducted of pedestrians and bicyclists at a number of city intersections.

Well the results are in.

Some of the highlights:

• The intersection at Sonora Avenue and Flower Street had the highest total number of cyclists for all of the time periods recorded in the count.
• The highest total number of pedestrians was counted at Brand and Broadway for all three count periods.
• Intersections on the Riverdale/Maple Physical Project Corridor saw mid-range numbers of pedestrians and bicyclists for all three time periods.

I’ll be taking a more in-depth look at the results in next week’s News-Press.

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.

(Photo via Flickr user Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the BPL)

A new mapping and database site tracks historical maps through Google Earth. Old maps are scanned in then laid over with current street names and landmarks. 

Basically, you get to see what’s changed and what’s stayed. 

The San Fernando map dates back to 1880 when a state engineer surveyed water routes. The topographer drew in city land divisions, mountains, rivers, railroads and roads.

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.

Have you fallen behind on mailing your holiday cards?

The U.S. Postal Service announced this week that it will extend service for last-minute mailings. Postal workers will be collecting mail in the Los Angeles area on Sunday, Dec. 20. Twenty-nine post offices in los Angeles County will be open for business as well, including:

• Burbank branch at 2140 N. Hollywood Way
• Glendale Branch at 313 E. Broadway
• La Crescenta branch at 3300 Foothill Blvd.

Postal Service officials recommend that all holiday gifts sent Priority Mail should be sent on or before Dec. 21 to meet a Christmas delivery.

Postal Service employees, including those in Glendale and Burbank, also spread holiday cheer today when a caravan of USPS trucks delivered about 3,500 presents to foster children in Chatsworth.

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.