Wet Work
Jim Smiley, 12, unloads sandbags as the rain comes down at his home on Maurice Drive south of Manzanita St. in La Crescenta on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. (Raul Roa/News-Press)
Jim Smiley, 12, unloads sandbags as the rain comes down at his home on Maurice Drive south of Manzanita St. in La Crescenta on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. (Raul Roa/News-Press)
Glendale's Ninette Mirzakhanian spikes the ball past Hoover defenders Rachel Sears and Johanna Romero on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. (Roger Wilson/News-Press)
During the fifth week of high school football, there were plenty of highlight performances. Here are the week’s best …
1) Dietrich Riley, St. Francis High running back: In just over a half of work, Riley tallied 110 yards rushing in 13 carries, averaging 8.5 yards per carry, and scored three rushing touchdowns in the Golden Knights’ 42-7 romp against El Rancho. He also added a 30-yard reception.
Dietrich Riley (Roger Wilson/News-Press)
2) Kyle Cota, Crescenta Valley quarterback: Cota continued to impress this year, as he piloted the Falcons to a 56-14 rout of Glendale. Cota finished with 187 yards passing and three touchdowns as he completed 11 of 17 passes. He also had three carries for 63 yards rushing.
I’m a total sucker for behind-the-scenes City Hall machinations, and no where is there a better place to keep a pulse on city officialdom — and the gadflies that won’t stop — than the City Attorney’s Office.
That’s because it’s the conduit for public records requests. So you’ll have to put up with the occasional post here regurgitating some of the more weird, mundane and absurd records requests that I come across at City Hall (yes, we editors do get out).
Here’s a couple for today:
1) Phyllis Pollack of Northridge requested all permits and documents related to the cost of accommodating Michael Jackson’s funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale.
The Jackson family was billed for the costs, but here’s what the tabs were according to the records: $142,770 for the city, and $4,278 for Glendale Unified.
2) Then there was this one, based on a request filed by Lila Ramirez, an active politico in Glendale (and mother of former Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos).
Salary payouts to the City Council in 2008 were as follows:
Ara Najarian: $41,542; Frank Quintero: $41,167; John Drayman: $41,167; Dave Weaver: $41,167; and Bob Yousefian: $41,063.
As of September 2009, the payouts were as followed:
John Drayman: $30,915; Laura Friedman: $16,819; Ara Najarian: $31,315; Frank Quintero: $31,330; and Dave Weaver: $30,915.
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.
The La Cañada girls’ volleyball team swept San Marino with ease on Tuesday, 25-12, 25-11, 25-10. No stats are available at the moment, but the Spartans are now 13-3 on the season, 3-0 in league and are aiming for a perfect league record for the third-straight year.
In other sports news at LCHS, La Cañada cross country had a great meet at the San Gabriel Valley Challenge this weekend. La Cañada boys’ came in first in Division 2 (1 hour, 24 minutes, 29 seconds) and third place overall behind Loyola (1:20:27) and Colony (1:23:10). Senior Aayush Shah came in fourth overall for the boys with a resounding 15:54. Senior Johnny Wu was second-best for the Spartans at 21st with 16:47.
The girls’ side also performed admirably, scoring second in Division 2 and seventh overall. Holly Shreckengast and Meghan Fuelling once again finished side-by-side, this time in sixth (19:37) and seventh place (19:40), respectively.
Coach Andy DiConti also highlighted one special performance from the event: sophomore Brendan Greene (16:47) beat out three Loyola runners in the sophomore race to win first overall–an amazing finish for the Spartan.
I was in the Foothills this morning and spotted a home with six concrete barriers to protect it from oncoming rain runoff, mud and rock debris that could come with heavy rains.
Authorities are concerned about possible mudslides after fires ripped through Deukmejian Wilderness Park and other areas above Foothill neighborhoods.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwA5WuhETwY&hl=en&fs=1]
The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles already started renovations on the property of St. Luke’s of the Mountains Church — bulldozers are at work and a new sign is up.
The site was occupied by St. Luke’s Anglican Church until it’s court-mandated move-out date Monday.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10NRHHPApTQ&hl=en&fs=1]
Click here for a story about the legal battle.
My biggest fear is getting caught in one of Jon Stewart’s riffs against the mainstream media. I’ve watched many episodes of “The Daily Show” over the years and nothing, seriously, absolutely nothing comes close to how hard Stewart ripped into CNN on Monday night.
The show often features Stewart’s several-minute-long montages exposing cable news networks’ double standards, weaknesses and errors. But this is more than just a shot across the bow. It’s genius.
Click here to watch.
Officials are bracing for a long and rainy night. With talk of flood and mudslide warnings in burn areas, here are some helpful links.
Depending on the amount of rainfall, city officials will activate the notification system, advising residents to evacuate. If this happens, the Glendale Civic Auditorium will become an emergency shelter.
Road closures could also occur. Click here for more information.
Fresh fruits and vegetables and a variety of other items like flowers and sprouts are available at the Glendale Farmers Market on Brand Blvd. on Thursdays.
Toll Middle School students held signs outside the Glendale school after class in support of their teachers. The students do not want their teachers to be laid off at the end of the year.
Burbank Leader reporter Max Zimbert appeared on CNN’s Headline News Wednesday to talk about Amy Beck, a teacher accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student.
Click here to watch.
Third-graders at Valley View Elementary School in La Crescenta on Wednesday learned about evacuation and safety techniques from the Kid’s Safety House.
Awards were handed out Tuesday night to volunteers from throughout La Cañada Flintridge schools by the PTA at La Cañada High School.
From the Burbank Leader
[DEVELOPING] A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Wednesday postponed the arraignment of a Burbank Unified teacher accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student so that she can continue to work with authorities, her attorney said.
Amy Beck, a 33-year-old teacher at Jordan Middle School, will remain in jail and is [...]
The La Cañada High School PTA has endorsed legislation introduced last month by State Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada) designed to encourage teens to call for help in emergency situations.
The bill, AB1999, would protect a minor from criminal prosecution if he dials 9-1-1 and remains with a friend during a medical crisis. The bill is [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear arguments in a case involving employee background checks at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The Supreme Court justices will review an injunction issued by the 9th Circuit Court in January 2008 that barred NASA/JPL from requiring “low-risk” employees —those who do not handle classified material — to submit to extensive [...]
A singer from the pop group Girlicious was arrested Tuesday night after police allegedly found more than a dozen individual packages of cocaine in her Gucci purse, officials said.
Natalie Mejia, 21, of Diamond Bar is being held today in Glendale City Jail in lieu of a $30,000 bond, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s [...]
From the Los Angeles Times
Actor Corey Haim, who starred in some popular movies in the 1980s and recently tried to relaunch his career with a reality TV show, has died.
The Los Angeles Police Department said Haim, 38, was pronounced dead after 3 a.m. at a Burbank hospital. He had been living in the San [...]
Subscribe to RSS