Vote-by-mail misprint in San Fernando Valley

Los Angeles County election officials on Tuesday acknowledged sending vote-by-mail guides to as many as 1,100 Democrats that erroneously listed candidates for the 43rd Assembly District in the same space as votes for or against a controversial parcel tax. The misprinted guides, sent to voters in the San Fernando Valley, indicate that choices for candidates in the June 8 runoff election for the vacant Assembly seat should be marked in positions already designated for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s $92.5-million annual parcel tax initiative, said Marcia Ventura, a spokeswoman for the county Registrar-Recorder’s office. The Assembly district encompasses Glendale, Burbank and parts of Los Angeles. Ventura said it was not clear whether only Los Angeles Democratic voters received the misprinted ballots, though only district residents of that city would be able to vote for the parcel tax. She said she did not know exactly how many misprinted guides had been sent out, but said it could affect as many as 1,100 voters. ... Continue Reading: Vote-by-mail misprint in San Fernando Valley

Experts: Conan move to Burbank will mean more jobs

From the Glendale News-Press The arrival of Conan O’Brien’s new late-night show at Warner Bros. studios in Burbank will bring a surge of jobs and economic activity to the area, industry observers said. The show, which is set to air four nights a week on TBS starting in November, will add to other late-night programs filmed in Burbank, including “The Jay Leno Show” on NBC and “Lopez Tonight,” which will run after O’Brien’s show on TBS. O’Brien will shoot his nightly show at Studio 15 on the Warner Bros. lot, according to the Burbank-based media giant. Warner Bros. and TBS are owned by Time Warner Inc. “I can’t wait to interview the cast of ‘Jersey Shore’ on the same lot where they filmed ‘Casablanca,’” O’Brien said in a statement. ...Continue Reading: Conan to film in Burbank

Conan’s move to Burbank to bring jobs

Conan O’Brien will shoot his new late-night show in Burbank, a development that will bring a surge of jobs and economic activity to the area, industry observers said. The show, which is set to air four nights a week on TBS, will add to other late-night programs filmed in Burbank, including “The Jay Leno Show” on NBC and “Lopez Tonight,” which will run after O’Brien’s show on TBS. The show is schedule to begin airing in November. O’Brien will shoot his nightly show at Studio 15 of the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, according to Warner Bros. Burbank-based Warner Bros. and TBS are owned by Time Warner, Inc. “I can't wait to interview the cast of ‘Jersey Shore’ on the same lot where they filmed ‘Casablanca,’” O’Brien said in a statement. The show will bring another big television name to Burbank in a format that will provide full-time jobs to scores of entertainment industry workers for most of the year, said Gavin Koon, an entertainment industry representative for the Verdugo Workforce Investment Board, which provides training and consultation for unemployed workers in Glendale and Burbank. Many jobs associated with the show might not last year-round, but will come from entertainment industry firms and independent contractors who might serve the show with rentals or temporary production work. “There’s no question there’s hundreds of jobs involved,” Koon said.

Third major slash in two years to the California budget will be felt locally, officials say

From the Glendale News-Press Glendale and Burbank officials on Friday said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest proposals for closing a $19.1-billion state budget deficit could weigh down on the region and affect local residents. The governor proposed closing the gap with $12.4 billion in spending cuts, about $3.4 billion in funding shifts and about $3.4 billion in federal funds. The current deficit is the third major budget hole that Schwarzenegger and the Legislature have faced in two years as tax revenues have plummeted during the economic downturn. Lawmakers last year approved a series of spending cuts, taxes and borrowing schemes to close deficits of $60 billion. ... Continue Reading

Nurses clash with Huff on seizure medication

School nurses are clashing with Sen. Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) over a proposal that would allow school volunteers to administer medication to students suffering epileptic seizures. Current state law prohibits any person from engaging in the practice of nursing without a license, but medication made for non-medical personnel to intervene and stop epileptic seizures could be administered by volunteers, Huff said. “The interesting thing is that it’s getting all this push back when it’s been successful for 10 years,” Huff said of recent protests to the practice. Volunteers in some school districts have been trained to administer the medication, called Diastat Acudial, for a decade, Huff said. “There have been no incidence of problems,” he said. The drug, which must be administered rectally, is meant to be used during seizures lasting over five minutes that could result in brain damage or death, according to legislative analyses. Valeant Pharmaceuticals North America, the manufacturers of the Diastat medication, developed it for use by non-medical personnel and it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for that purpose. But the American Nurses Assn. of California has argued that the drug could be dangerous if it is administered by someone who has received poor training or cannot identify important conditions that might preclude use of Diastat. “One must also know that the person is not pregnant, does not have asthma, has not been drinking, nor is the individual taking or have taken other contra-indicated medications,” Elissa Brown, president of the association, wrote in a letter of opposition to Huff’s measure.  “Qualified staff must make a full assessment of the event or harm will occur that may be irreparable.” Huff argued that the medication has proven to be safe and that nurses were creating a “smoke screen” to argue for more nursing jobs rather than allowing for volunteers to administer the medication.

Glendale officials sign off on major Disney expansion

From the Glendale News-Press The City Council on Tuesday strongly endorsed a proposed 338,000-square-foot expansion to Walt Disney Co.’s creative campus. The plans included drawings of a six-story office building walled largely in glass and neighbored by a carefully crafted landscaped area that included towering palm trees and a dense park-like area that would provide a shaded space for outdoor activities. No city officials criticized the plan and all said they were impressed by the designs, which were prepared by renowned firms Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Arup and SWA Group, firms responsible for designing major university buildings, hospitals and the Olympic Water Cube in Beijing. “It’s a beautiful project,” Councilwoman Laura Friedman, chairwoman of the Glendale Redevelopment Agency, said during a joint public hearing for the development. “It’s going to look terrific and certainly improve the area aesthetically.” The new building, in which Disney expects to house 1,200 workers, will be coupled with the new landscaping developments, a water fountain and a six-story parking garage with an array of photovoltaic solar panels. The office building will include a main six-story wing and a five-story wing with a basement. Disney representatives said they expected to break ground in September. ...Continue Reading: City backs Disney plans

Mall revenues down amid signs of improvement

From the Glendale News-Press General Growth Properties Inc., the operator of the Glendale Galleria and the Burbank Town Center, reported on Monday that its first-quarter revenues were down from their already depressed levels of a year ago. The announcement came as the company worked to restructure its debt and emerge from bankruptcy protection. The Chicago-based firm’s revenues fell about 6.5%, to $761 million, compared with the first quarter of 2009. The tenant occupancy rate at its more than 200 regional malls slipped to 90.5%, down from 90.9% in the first three months of 2009, according to the company. Major spaces vacated by Mervyn’s at the Town Center and Galleria are among General Growth’s available real estate. Still, the company did experience increased leasing activity, with a 21% jump in new tenant commitments compared with the same period last year, a development that was not reflected in occupancy rates, the company said. Continue Reading: Funds still low at malls

Bankrupt mall operator reports a profit

General Growth Properties, Inc., the bankrupt operator of the Glendale Galleria and Burbank Town Center, on Monday reported a positive net income of $78 million in the first three months of 2010, a year after it reported first-quarter losses of $396 million. The announcement comes days after a judge approved the Chicago-based mall operator’s plans to emerge from bankruptcy with the backing of private investors and to reject an offer from rival Simon Properties, of Indianapolis.

Gatto, Ramani seek Armenian voters ahead of June Assembly election

From the Glendale News-Press Armenian American voters have become a key focus for the two candidates running in the June 8 special runoff election for state Assembly, with both attending major community events and winning over key representatives for endorsements. With Glendale school board member Nayiri Nahabedian — the top Armenian American candidate in the April 13 primary — out of the contest, Republican Sunder Ramani, a small-business owner and past president of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce, and Democrat Mike Gatto, an attorney and former district director for Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), have increased their outreach to Nahabedian’s main constituency. Neither Gatto, who is of Italian descent, nor Ramani, an Indian American, placed a strong emphasis on marketing specifically to Armenian American voters ahead of the primary, as Nahabedian and Democrat Chahe Keuroghelian crowded out that competition. ...Continue Reading: Gatto, Ramani build blocs

Assembly candidate misses campaign finance deadline

From the Glendale News-Press Democrat Chahe Keuroghelian could face thousands of dollars in fines for failing to report media advertising expenses while campaigning for election in the 43rd Assembly District, officials said. His failure to comply with campaign disclosure requirements could leave doubt about the nature of his backing and his spending, said Bob Smith, president of the Center for Governmental Studies. “It’s important for the public to know where the money is coming from and how the money is spent because it gives the information of who is trying to support or oppose the candidate,” Smith said. Keuroghelian said he mailed the required forms to the California Secretary of State, but representatives for the office said Thursday that he had not taken steps to register his campaign committee, let alone report his finances. Asked about his reports, Keuroghelian gave copies to the News-Press accounting for $11,126 in expenses between Feb. 28 and March 27, ahead of the special primary election April 13. “We’ll mail them again if that is the problem,” Keuroghelian said. Continue Reading: Finances under scrutiny