Olfactory Precision

[caption id="attachment_2902" align="alignnone" width="630" caption="Explosives Detection K-9 Marianne finds the right container as part of a demonstration during an ATF citizen's academy on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. (Roger Wilson/News-Press)"][/caption]

LCHS girls' volleyball hosted Breast Cancer Awareness Night last night

[caption id="attachment_2893" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="La Cañada captain Courtney McCutchan blasts a shot against South Pasadena as the Spartans won on Oct. 20, 2009 in straight sets. (Jason Ballard/Valley Sun)"][/caption] October, as you may already know, is Breast Cancer Awareness month. (Oh, that's what all those pink ribbons are for!) In association with La Cañada High's Pink Ribbon Club, the La Cañada girls' volleyball team introduced Breast Cancer Awareness Night last night. The club sold pink T-shirts and wristbands at the door. The team wore pink jerseys in support. “All money raised goes directly to research breast cancer,” said Pink Ribbon Club member Clara Johnson. “It's for a really good cause.” Even La Cañada Head Coach Brock Turner was in on it; he made pink programs for the game. “I had seen some other schools who had done this over the last couple years,” said Turner, who sported a pink tie. “This year, we wanted to do it and we started planning in the spring. [Everyone] was all for it. “Sometimes we need to do more than just play volleyball.” Dollar figures for amount raised were not known immediately after the game.

Small Tujunga brush fire extinguished

From the Glendale News-Press: More than 100 firefighting personnel and three water-dropping helicopters extinguished a small brush fire Wednesday evening in Tujunga near Day Street. The roughly one-acre fire was called in at 5:09 p.m. after residents reported smoke rising from a patch of brush in a steep hillside canyon. Firefighters from Glendale, the U.S. Forest Service and Los Angeles city and county descended on the scene within minutes, fully extinguishing the blaze by 6:12 p.m., fire officials said. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported, Los Angeles City Fire spokesman Brian Humphrey said. Full story here.

Dodgers fighting to keep season alive

With three innings of Game 5 of the 2009 National League Championship Series in the books, the Los Angeles Dodgers are trailing the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2. Down three games to one in the best-of-seven series, the Dodgers must win this game in order to prolong the series and take it back to Los Angeles for Game 6 and an if-necessary Game 7. St. Francis High graduate Mark Loretta and Juan Castro, a Glendale resident, are both on the team. Castro has made one appearance as a pinch runner, while Loretta has gone 0 for one as a pinch hitter.

Paradise Canyon Elementary School opens new multi-use building

Paradise Canyon Elementary School unveiled a new 5,000-square-feet multi-use building Wednesday. Principal Donna Robinson was joined by La Cañada Unified School District Superintendent James Stratton, as well as school board members Scott Tracy, Cindy Wilcox, Jeanne Broberg and Susan Boyd in celebrating the opening of the new facility. Mike Leininger, assistant superintendent for facilities and operations, said the project was completed on time and under budget.

Two indicted on Medicare fraud charges

From the Glendale News-Press: GLENDALE — Two Glendale residents were indicted Wednesday on charges that they allegedly billed more than $1.4 million in false claims to Medicare through fraudulent medical supply companies, officials said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles charged Edgar Srapyan, 26, and Mariya Bagdasaryan, 54, with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for allegedly submitting false claims for power wheelchairs and accessories to Medicare from October 2007 to December 2008. Bagdasaryan was arrested Wednesday morning, but authorities are still looking for Srapyan, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Srapyan and Bagdasaryan were among 18 other people who were indicted for allegedly bilking Medicare for more than $26 million, Assistant U.S. Atty. Vince Farhat said. Click here for the full story.

Dunsmore Elementary students jog-a-thon

Dunsmore Elementary School held its 2nd annual Jog-A-Thon to raise funds for the school. [caption id="attachment_2853" align="alignnone" width="630" caption="Dunsmore Elementary School third graders participate in the school's 2nd annual jog-a-thon to raise funds for the La Crescenta school on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. (Raul Roa/News-Press)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_2854" align="alignnone" width="420" caption="Dunsmore Elementary School third grader Brandon Carrillo, center, participates in the school's 2nd annual jog-a-thon to raise funds for the La Crescenta school on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. (Raul Roa/News-Press)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_2855" align="alignnone" width="630" caption="Two-year old Ashley Giboney helps cool down her sister's third grade classmates during the Dunsmore Elementary School 2nd annual jog-a-thon to raise funds for the La Crescenta school on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. (Raul Roa/News-Press)"][/caption]

Amid poor sales, Harley shop cuts hours

From the Glendale News-Press: SOUTH GLENDALE — Business at Glendale Harley-Davidson was on the rise three years ago when it was one of few area motorcycle dealerships to open seven days a week, but the recession has forced the store to backtrack. The dealership switched to a six-day schedule this week, closing on Monday following a year when sales have dropped about 25%, General Manager Emily Vindeni said. Slumping sales has forced the store to cut about a fifth of its staff in the last year and it seemed logical to reduce working hours as revenues slipped during the recession, Vindeni said. Full story here.

Marines at Glendale Community College

[caption id="attachment_2837" align="alignright" width="199" caption="Max Zimbert/News-Press"][/caption] Not war gaming, just recruiting. Marines from the Eagle Rock recruiting station set up shop at Glendale Community College Wednesday to trade information with perspective recruits and curious students. Marines brought a bazooka and chin-up bar. A lot of students were chatty, curious to know about the on-going wars and other places they might be deployed. Other students were more interested to know about the more grisly side of the Marines. The Marines said the come to the campus a few times a year to give and take information. They offered water bottles and pencils. No one could enlist right there and then. Any information given to the recruiters will be used to schedule interviews.

Courts closed today

 

[caption id="attachment_2829" align="alignright" width="140" caption="Creative Commons"][/caption]Los Angeles County courts aren't doing business today. They are closed.

 

The urgency to close the courts once every month is a result of the statewide budget crisis.