The 818 Now

You would think warm rays of sun and an occasional celebrity siting would be enough to put a smile on Californians’ faces.

Not according to a study published recently in Science magazine, ranking California as the 46th happiest state in the country.

Economics professors Andrews Oswald, of the University of Warwick in Britain, and Stephen Wu, of Himilton College in Clinton, New York, used self-reported data from a random sample of 1.3 million Americans to determine life satisfaction.

The happiest state in the Union? Louisiana, followed by Hawaii. The least happy state? New York.

Tonight is the first night of the Festival of Lights.

A lot of Jewish holidays are about forgiveness, atonement, new beginnings and remembering how our ancestors suffered. We starve ourselves, we lay off bread, we remind ourselves of the bad things that we’ve done in the last year and we look forward to new years and new opportunities. No matter what the holiday is, you do the same ritual every year.

Hanukkah is the only holiday where we celebrate our families and how they change; we glow in the flickering candle light and share the joy of being around one another. We enjoy it as kids, opening presents and drinking hot cocoa and playing dreidel (some of us did, anyway). We get older and enjoy the company of our siblings, seeing our parents as equals and drinking wine with one another. We get older and enjoy it as parents and seeing our children open their presents. And so on and so forth.

This will be my first year celebrating it without my dad, who passed away in early October.

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As I was watching the local NBC morning show and noticed some discrepancies in the rain coverage.

While the tagline on the screen said the news crew was broadcasting from La Cañada Flintridge, the K-rails in the background were marked “City of Glendale.”

Now maybe the good people in Glendale generously donated barriers to La Cañada. But I’m guessing, the people interviewed were actually north Glendale residents.

I heard similar complaints about TV news coverage during the Station Fire. What do you think?

An aspects of the papers’ redesign I was most excited about are the skyboxes, the areas above the masthead that are basically Editorial’s advert for what’s inside. When I worked on the newspaper Wales on Sunday, cutouts were encouraged and we would generally put them, to use a British phrase, all over the shop.

Cutouts are something new to us at the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader and La Cañada Valley Sun, although our colleagues in Orange County have used them for a while.

So it’s taken me a bit of time to get back into the swing of doing them, and one thing I forgot from those rainy days in Cardiff is the golden rule: Don’t cut out people with long, frizzy, messy or just generally all-over-the-place hair.

Which is sort of hard when the best  photo for the skybox is of, say, girls playing soccer. Or basketball. Or tennis. Or other sports where hair’s in the air.

The pen may be mightier than the sword, but the pen tool in Photoshop is no match for errant strands, blurry ponytails, tangled tresses and messed-up ‘dos. So I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to anyone out there who appears in the skybox with slightly mangled locks.

And don’t even get me started on trying to cut out water polo players.

Disability acting coach Tom Burke plays tennis with clients from the Burbank Center for the Retarded. (Roger Wilson/Leader)

Space didn’t allow my story to include producer Andrew Gottlieb’s comments on Tom Burke’s work on the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie “A Dog Named Christmas” that aired at 9 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

Burke is the lead teacher for the afternoon program for developmentally disabled adults ages 18 to 25 at BCR “a place to grow,” a sheltered workshop that teaching independent living skills to its clients.

Gottlieb is a freelance producer but this is his fifth film for Hallmark Hall of Fame, long been recognized for its top-notch storytelling for as long as I can remember.

Gottlieb and director Peter Werner did a lot of research on the production and that included a stop at BCR.They met Burke and hired him on to consult on the script, but found they needed him in other areas. He offered insight on the clothing the character Todd would wear, as well as what his bedroom would look like, Gottlieb said, as well as how he would react to emotional situations.

And because the filming is done out of sequence, Burke’s help overall kept everything consistent, including how the actors playing the mother and father would portray their characters. It kept it realistic throughout, Gottlieb said.

Occidental College student Chloe Jenkins- Sleczkowski today shadowed the staff of the Glendale News-Press. Here’s what she had to say.

The day started with a morning news meeting. Well, not exactly. A brief overview of the office, a coffee run down the street and complaints about rival reporters preluded this. But the official start — the first item on the agenda — was the morning news meeting.

In the smaller of the several conference rooms, we circled around a table and I watched the fleet of reporters present their stories for the day. No one had notes or papers, but instead counted off the facts of their subject and explained why they were important. Editor-in-Chief Dan nodded in agreement and moved down the list of items.

A short outing to the local Burbank pre-school followed the morning meeting. I tagged along as one of the paper’s three photographers covered the annual trike-a-thon — an adorable brigade of 3-year-olds staring in confusion as Raul kneeled in front of them to capture a perfect ground-level picture.

Although I pointed out a few of the cuter kids, he explained that he focuses on the interesting ones, the girl riding the rusty bike or the boy with a joyous face. We uploaded the pictures and I watched him prepare them for publication, a process that involved re-sizing, brightening and highlighting.

Back in the office, I was passed to City Editor Jason, who was in the middle of editing an article that had just been updated. After changing a “do” to “does” and fixing a comma, he showed me the web update process.

Each news piece receives a web presence almost immediately, as per the motto for the blog/website movement. As soon as a story is written, Jason edits and uploads — “breaking news” is indeed instantly breaking forth. And later in the day, as reporters finish their stories and complete their work for the day, they are required to update the blog with one of their stories of the day.

After a quick lunch break to Porto’s Cafe (the éclairs are divine), I returned in time to sit in on a web development meeting. In this day and age, the online news sources seem to rule the world.

Much of what I witnessed today proved that the website receives constant attention and every effort to keep it current. This meeting covered some points on the new website changes, and how it will be better than the current one. Anyone who says that newspapers are a dead field has not seen the complexities of an online journal.

I then accompanied reporter Zain on an interview for the Q&A section — a section that features a different Glendale “celebrity” each week. This week’s item was a local fashionista who has recently gained fame with her blog and appearance on a style show.

Zain and I did some research on her, noting some trends and the fact that she likes to jump in her photo shoots. This turned out to be an important bit, as it elicited an intriguing response during the interview. She told us that she jumps in her photos because it creates a natural, personal and totally unique pose for her.

I watched Zain think of new questions that added to the story. He also explained the importance of always having two recorders — his flashy iPhone has a few functionality problems that tend to lose recorded files.

When we came back from the interview, I talked to Web Editor Jamie about some of the web design aspects of the paper. She updates the blog and website in order to keep the news “breaking.” After making her edits, she arranges articles for online publication. She also ensures the paper’s presence on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites.

Then I was assigned to write this blog. Shortly afterward I wrote it, I considered the events of the day, and decided to start looking for an internship ASAP.

– By Chloe Jenkins- Sleczkowski

Standing on Memorial Field Friday night watching The Big Game with my classmates and former Burbank High School football stars, we reminisced about the last time we were all together in the stadium. We couldn’t help but notice the lack of excitement and revelry we remember from that great 1972 season.

Leo Orange, Mick Flavin, Bruce Smentek, Frank Baldino, Fred Hodges and Mario Perez from the championship team of 1972 were huddled on the right side of the field near the goal post. They were excited about the upcoming transformation of the football stadium and several said after 66 years, it’s definitely time for a facelift.

But we all couldn’t help but notice the lack of songs we remember the band used to play throughout the game to get the guys fired up. Gone were ”Go, go go, go you Mighty Bulldogs,” “Fight for Burbank” and “Budweiser” to name a beloved few. 

And, when the band went out onto the field, there were no baton or flag twirlers or drill team members galantly marching behind them in snappy royal blue uniforms and dazzling white pomm-pomms. And the cheerleaders pomm-pomms are barely larger than the girls’ hands now. They didn’t even bring them to cheer the guys on at the end of the field when a touchdown was scored.

Probably the most astonishing change was the band not playing the school’s song “Hail Burbank High School.” Instead, the football team did a choreographed hiphop-inspired drill with chanting.

Sadly, this isn’t the pageantry I remember.

Journalists are forever complaining that Craigslist is slowly destroying the industry, what with their free classified ads, forums and calendars. True or no, I’ve found the online community to be a source of sorrow, amusement and a place for a good deal on a pair of used skis.

Without further ado, welcome to the first of an irregular series of blog posts about the fantastic and odd things for sale in Glendale, Burbank and La Cañada. This first posting is odd, if only because I wonder about the back story. Did someone fail to pass the bar? Move to Australia? Become a nun? We may never know.

Date: 2009-11-15, 2:07PM PST
Reply to: sale-9qmk6-1467425382@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

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Supreme Court of California certificate frame $60
This is a frame for a California attorney’s certificate. Never used, only stored in original plastic bag.
Black glossy frame with gold trim and subtle “marbling”. The black mat has embossed gold leaf lettering and the State of California seal.
This frame measures 19″x22″ overall, and the opening is 10.5″x13.5″.
I’m asking $60 for it (this kind of certificate frame sells for well over $200 – see: http://www.graphic-awards.com/products.cfm?id=scca#)
If you’re a California lawyer, or a law student about to take the bar exam, this is a great deal!In Glendale (just minutes from Burbank, Eagle Rock, Pasadena, Silverlake, Los Feliz)

 

• Location: Glendale
• it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Creative Commons

Today, I’ve been working on an article about the upcoming holiday fund raising season for Salvation Army Glendale.

Like other nonprofits across the country, the organization is facing increased need, so officials say this fundraising season is especially important.

What I couldn’t include in the story was the own personal memories those shiny red kettles bring to mind. If you’re like me, then the red buckets and bell ringers are about more than the Salvation Army.

They seem to have become a symbol of giving and the holiday season in general.

From their appearance on street corners to famous holiday movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life,”  they really seem to have become a cultural icon.

Stephen Ropfogel, a local Salvation Army board member, agreed with me.

“It’s become part of our psyche I think,” he said.

It finally happened. After a few months covering schools in our community, I was 100% rejected today… by kindergartners and pre-schoolers.

Burn!

A good chunk of my work requires I convey students’ voices in stories in the News-Press and the Leader.

The best trick to get them talking, especially the elementary school children, is to kneel down so that you’re at their level.

Wednesday at First Lutheran School in Glendale, no trick would get the students talking to me. My colleague, Veronica, suggested my beard was a problem, but I’m not so sure.

Parents explained their sons and daughters were in a shy mood. It didn’t take long to recognize that. The kindergardners looked up, looked down, and did whatever the could to get away from the adults and back to coloring.

An old mentor said an important journalistic milestone is being subpoenaed. For an education reporter, it’s a little different.

I must admit: sometimes I can be a bit of a worrier, and this swine flu scare has turned me a hypochondriac.

Every time, I sneeze, cough or sniffle, my immediate thoughts turn to, “Oh no! I have H1N1!”

So I was happy to discover a H1n1 Flu Self-Evaluation feature on the federal government’s Web site dedicated to the flu.

The site warns that the test should not be used in lieu of seeking medical care, but I found that it could be helpful in a preliminary diagnosis of my symptoms. And to ease my hypochondria.

It’s been months of work, and untold hours of planning, stressing and partying, but it’s done. The redesign of the Glendale News-Press unveiled today. The Burbank Leader and La Cañada Valley Sun redesigns will be debuting this Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Let me know your thoughts. Click on the full post to compare the new design with the old one.

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Credit: Creative Commons

For the cost of $100, parents can watch their kids’ every move with the Insignia Little Buddy Child Tracker.

The navigation system is designed so parents can keep tabs on their kids’ with real-time updates.

You can hide the small device in your kids’ school supplies and use your cell phone to track your offspring’s whereabouts.

I wonder what kids think about being spied on.

From the Glendale News-Press

Minutes into starting my job here, I called my oldest mentor. I wanted to let her know about my new gig, and tell her a bit about Glendale. But I also wanted to ask her advice on how to fulfill the rather daunting requirements of being editor.

Barbara, who works at a paper up north, was my mom’s college roommate. She has given me voluminous and invaluable advice throughout the years. After, that is, she gave up on persuading me not to join this crazy, ill-paid and occasionally precarious profession. (“Have you thought about business school?” was her first reaction when I told her I was applying for my first reporting job.)

Her guidance was simple and straightforward: talk to and meet as many people as possible, be as transparent as possible in everything you do, and only make change the things that truly need to be changed.

“A lot of times, a new editor will come in and just change everything,” she said. “That’s OK, I suppose, but it’s much better if people know what to expect on their doorstep each morning.”

I have made a lot of changes in my seven months here. We have added blogs, updated the website, and dramatically increased our social networking presence. All of these, in my mind, were necessary to keep the Glendale News-Press an important and vital part of this online and interconnected world of ours.

Read the full story here.

www.microflight.com

What do Michael Jackson and Balloon Boy have in common?

They could both show up on your doorstep this Halloween.

For the first year, Jackson was named on Yahoo’s list of the top 10 Halloween costume searches, according to a Chicago Tribune article last week.

But the king of Pop may have competition from  “Balloon Boy,”  the most recent topic of cable news broadcasts and office water cooler conversations.

As reported by CNN and the NY Times, Canadian model airplane retailer Plantraco Microflight, has unveiled a Balloon Boy costume available on their Web site for $19.99.

Below is the part of the ad listed on the company’s Web site:

“We couldn’t resist making this easy to wear Politically Incorrect Balloon Boy Halloween Costume. We hope you have fun with it!

Now you too can enjoy all the media attention you want with Plantraco’s Balloon Boy Hoax kit. A great flying saucer that is going to put a big smile on your face. Colorado flying saucers and hot air balloon hoaxes are famous these days, get on the bandwagon for trick-or-treat halloween fun and loads of laughs for everyone!

Just ring the doorbell and say “I’m supposed to be flying in there, but my dad said to stay in the box for the show!” – you are practically guaranteed to get double and triple halloween treats with this authentic and collectible Balloon Boy Flying Saucer Hoax trick costume!”

As I mentioned in an earlier post, after hearing one of the many announcements about the Glendale Public Library’s “One Book One Glendale” program, where residents are encouraged to all read the same book and then discuss it, I decided to take part.

Courtesy of Glendale Public Library Web site

I placed a hold on the book — this year’s selection Shanghai Girls — and was immediately impressed with how quickly my copy made its way to the hold shelf.

I finished the book this weekend, and overall I found it to be a quick and enoyable read, although the ending was a bit abrupt for my taste.

As the description on the library’s Web site reads, “the novel is the story of two sisters, two cultures, and the struggle to find a new life in the late 1930s Los Angeles while emotionally bound to China.”

As a part of the program, author Lisa See will give a free lecture at Central Library next Wednesday Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.

Have any of you taken part? Did you enjoy the book?

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I’ll admit, I find the actual food kinda gross. I try to avoid fast food, but like most Americans, I succumb now and again — but very rarely for Burger King. I find their commercials creepy, their burgers greasy and the fries soggy. But, weirdly, I love their coffee. In fact, I am swilling a cup of The King’s finest as I type this. Whenever I visit the BK near Victory and Chandler boulevards in Burbank, the coffee has always been hot, fresh and tasty.

I do go for Starbucks now and again, but sometimes the Seattle brew is waaay too bitter for my taste. The Burger King coffee is milder, somehow sweeter and less expensive.

I have but one complaint: When going through the drive-thru, I don’t want to deal with the little cream packets. I’m as likely to spill the creamer — or the aforementioned hot coffee — in my lap as in my drink.

The Burbank BK won’t do that for you. I did ask why this morning, and received a completely logical response: “We handle money as well as make the drinks,” the woman in the drive-thru answered. “We don’t have a dispenser like the other guy, so it’s better if we just give you the creamers.”

By “other guy,” she was presumably referring to the McDonalds up the street. Their drive-thru people will, upon request, put your cream and sugar in the coffee. But, the coffee isn’t as good.

CNN has an article today on scammers using Facebook and Twitter to steal people’s identity.  The story is just one more reminder that bottom feeders are lurking everywhere and those of us who are just trying to keep our heads above the water these days can be yanked downward by them.

My husband and I own (well, do our best to keep up with the payments on) a vacation house in Sedona, Ariz.  The only way we can afford to hang onto it right now is to rent it out pretty much non-stop to tourists. So we have listings on the HomeAway & VRBO websites, which are devoted to property owners who want to connect with potential renters.

We’ve been on edge in recent weeks because, while November is completely booked, reservations for December and January (except for the holiday period) are lacking.  So we were excited when we got an inquiry from someone who said he lived in the U.K. and was interested in possibly renting our place for two weeks in early December. I wrote a response touting the house, said it was available, hit the send button and then realized it was probably a scam. The tip-off, which finally registered with my brain: he wanted to know whether it was available from Dec. 1th to the 15^th. The 1th?

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During the weekend, some unknown villain stole the news rack outside the News-Press and Leader offices. Odd, no? But you can’t keep a good newspaper down! I received the happy word this afternoon that the rack had been replaced. The circulation people, though, decided to put the paper inside front doors, instead of its former outdoor location (pictured).

Getting the rack pilfered offered me an interesting bit of insight into modern police work. I called the non-emergency number (duh) of the Glendale Police Department to report the theft. The woman who answered was unfailing polite — she didn’t even laugh when I told her my, ahem, crime. When the officer came to our offices to take the report, Veronica Rocha (our crime reporter) whispered he had been given an award for valor some years ago.

And then it struck me: Being a police officer certainly will have its moment, but, for the most part, you probably spend most of your time taking reports like mine — Medal of Valor winner or not.

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Steve Lopez is livid. Fed up with Manny Ramirez. Fed up with his lumbering, unapologetic ways and mediocre play. So irked is the Los Angeles Times columnist that he plans on giving away his Word Series tickets to the (anti) fan who writes the best 50-word (anti) pean to the Dodger’s left fielder.

In his words:

So here I am with World Series tickets in my hand and a wave of hysteria sweeping the city. I’m sorry for being the cockroach in the punch bowl, but I can’t bring myself to join the party. The only thing that could get me to the ballpark in the post-season would be if Manager Joe Torre were to staple Manny’s dreadlocks to the dugout wall and play Juan Pierre in his place. I’d rather lose with a scrappy singles hitter like Pierre than win with a loafing slugger like Ramirez.

Maybe I’ll be in a more forgiving mood next year and return to the ballpark — I just don’t know. But I’m giving my World Series tickets this year to the person who writes my favorite 50-word sermon to Ramirez.

So far, there have been a number of pretty good responses. Here’s a few samples:

The hearts of Mannywood have been broken
Because you took Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
With your hitting last summer few rivals could beat us
Thanks to a drug that helps make a fetus
Once caught you couldn’t look fans in the face
Now all you do is leave men on base

- AND -

Just Manny being Manny
Is what the fans do say
Critique is reserved only
For starlets in LA

Win or lose, no matter
It is all about the scene
Even though he struck out
At least Casey played it clean

- AND EVEN -

L ucky you made it this far.
O thers would give anything to be in your shoes.
S o baseball is to high pressure? Challenging? Come Sub in my class!
E veryone makes mistakes but you’re making the same stupid mistakes cheater.
R eturn the Dodger uniform until you decide to play like a professional!

What do we need to do to get comments like that? Man. I’d love that.