Early Morning Fire

[caption id="attachment_5628" align="alignnone" width="630" caption="A Glendale Fire captain battles a blaze at a vacant warehouse at 550 W. Colorado Blvd. early Monday morning. (Photo by Jerry Jacobs)"][/caption]

Angeles Crest Highway reopens

From the La Cañada Valley Sun Angeles Crest Highway (State Highway 2), which has been closed between La Cañada Flintridge and Wrightwood since late August due to damage sustained during the Station fire, reopened to traffic on Monday morning. The fire, which burned more than 160,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest, damaged thousands of feet of guard rail and pavement, rendering the highway impassable. Dan Freeman, director of maintenance for Caltrans District 7, said Caltrans and Los Angeles County Public Works crews labored for two months to clear debris basins and storm drains, re-strip roads and replaced guardrails, road signs and road markers The crews also implemented some mitigating measure to try and protect Angeles Crest Highway from landslides, he added. “Caltrans has been working in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, U.S. Forest Service, California High Patrol and several other entities to ensure that the repairs to the Angeles Crest Highway are safe and seamless,” Freeman said. The reopening of the highway, however, is tentative at best. Geological experts at the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey have warned repeatedly that the conditions in the Angeles National Forest — namely charred soil and steep slopes — are ripe for massive and dangerous mudslides. A brief but intense rainstorm on Nov. 12 sent mud and water pouring down into the Paradise Valley neighborhood of La Cañada Flintridge, seriously damaging six homes. On Monday, the reopening of Angeles Crest was delayed slightly while crews cleared debris from the roadway, the result of a small rock slide. Motorcyclists, eager to visit a favorite local route, described having to slowly weave their way through debris. For more of this story, read here.

Local teams take part in Hoover Tip-Off Classic

The Hoover High and Glendale girls' basketball teams will play in the Hoover Tip-Off Classic, which will begin Tuesday and run through Friday. Glendale will face L.A. Marshall at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, La Canada at 6 p.m. Wednesday and Franklin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Hoover will start off against Gardena at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, followed by Franklin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Marshall at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The tournament's championship game will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Ralph Brandt Soccer Tournament kicks off

[caption id="attachment_5621" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Credit: Creative Commons"][/caption] The annual Ralph Brandt Boys' Soccer Tournament, featuring 24 teams, will kick off Thursday at various locations. St. Francis, Glendale and Crescenta Valley highs will be a part of the tournament once again. Crescenta Valley will start with a match against Sylmar at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Burroughs High. St. Francis, fresh off winning a CIF Southern California Division II Regional championship last season, will meet Reseda at 7 p.m. Thursday at home. Glendale won't start until Friday, when it battles Reseda at 5:30 p.m. at St. Francis.

Bulldog Tip-Off Classic starts this week

[caption id="attachment_5618" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Credit: Creative Commons"][/caption] The Burbank High boys' basketball team is ready to get the season underway. The team will open play this season in its own 41st annual Bulldog Tip-Off Classic, which begins Monday and runs through Saturday. The Bulldogs, who went 18-11 last season, start the event Tuesday at 8 p.m. with a pool-play game against Roosevelt. Burbank will then play at 8 p.m. on Wednesday in  pool-play contest against Royal. Bracket play begins on Thursday, with the championship scheduled for Saturday.

Burbank Leader poll results

Poll results: Several California cities have sought ban on declawing cats, but state has spurned them. Should declawing be illegal? (1) No. Declawing may be the only viable solution for some pet owners. (40 votes, 39%) (2) Yes. Declawing can cause long-term pain for cats. (62 votes, 61%) Current poll: Unlike other airports across the country, travel at Bob Hope during Thanksgiving was a breeze, according to passengers. Will you choose the Burbank airport for December travel? Yes. Bob Hope seems to be the better choice. No. I’ll take my chances elsewhere. Cast your vote now at BurbankLeader.com.

 

Paramedics attend to elderly man at Dish

Multiple paramedic ambulances and fire trucks parked on the 700 block of Foothill Boulevard Monday were attending to an elderly man who appeared sick while having lunch at Dish, according to authorities. The man, said Dish owner Kevin Finch, was hunched over his lunch, incapacitated. "It was just an elderly guy who dozed off," Finch said.  "We just wanted to make sure he was OK." Deputies from the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station, who were having lunch at the restaurant, called in fire personnel from Station 82 and 19 at around 11:45 a.m., Finch said.

Spartans fall in CIF State second round

La Cañada girls’ volleyball team lost on Saturday in the second round of the CIF State Division II Championships to Redlands East Valley in straight games for the second year in a row, 22-25, 12-25, 12-25. Last week, the Spartans (26-8) lost a close match to Elsinore in the CIF Southern Section Division II-A finals. “We started strong, serving well, passing well and siding out,” said La Cañada Head Coach Brock Turner of the loss to Redlands. “Then, in games 2 and 3, the passing and play wasn’t consistent and we stopped siding out, which gave them too many good swings at balls during their transition phase of the game.” Read the full story here.

Glendale News-Press poll results

Poll results: A federal task force recommended against routine mammography screenings for women between the ages of 40 and 49. Do you agree? Yes. I agree with the task force – mammograms should start with women older than 50 on a biannual basis. (18 votes, 16%)    No. Screenings are important for women under 50. (92 votes, 84%) Current poll: Rent in Glendale continues to climb, even as other cities saw their rents decrease. Is Glendale worth it? Yes. I’m willing to pay more to live in Glendale. No. Glendale needs to get its rent in line with other cities. Cast your vote now at GlendaleNewsPress.com.

Utility unveils new notification system

City officials today announced Glendale Water & Power's new "Citizen Notification System," which will alert those who sign up with important  information before, during and after emergencies, such as fires and floods and will provide updates on evacuations and road closures. Glendale Water & Power customers must enroll in the system to receive the notifications. Residents can choose to receive the messages via home phone, cell phone, e-mail, text message and other options. Glendale Water & Power General Manager Glenn Steiger in a statement urged residents to sign up for the system, especially in light of projected mudslides this winter. “Our new Citizen Notification System will help deliver critical information and guidance on how to stay safe and out of harm’s way during natural disasters, emergencies and other crises,” he said. “The success of this important public safety program depends on individual participation, so we urge all Glendale residents and businesses to register today.” Customers can also opt-in to receive notification about civic events through the system.