Local food pantries see higher demand

[caption id="attachment_20939" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Armando Lerma, Social Services Program Manager with the Salvation Army in Glendale, brings out a cart of grocery bags at the Salvation Army Glendale Food Pantry on Thursday. (Tim Berger/News-Press)"][/caption] From the Glendale News-Press SOUTH GLENDALE — Shortly after noon on Thursday, Glendale resident Jermin Tulgar carefully sorted through several bags of groceries as she sat in a front office of Salvation Army Glendale. Within each bag she found a variety of food products, including bread, cereal, granola bars and a sampling of canned soups, sauces and vegetables. A regular client of the Salvation Army's food pantry, Tulgar is one of nearly 300,000 Los Angeles County residents who receive monthly food assistance, according to a report released Thursday by the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. From April to June, an average 284,131 people were served each month by one of the 500 Los Angeles County food pantries, which are in turn served by the regional food bank. That's an increase of about 20% compared to the same period last year, and a nearly 50% increase over two years, officials said. ... Continue Reading: Local food pantries see higher demand

Glendale gets temporary restraining order against private Armenian school

City officials this week secured a temporary restraining order against Scholars Academic Foundation, a private Armenian school that allegedly operated without proper zoning permits. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge this week granted Glendale’s application for a temporary restraining order against the school's operators after city attorney's argued that they failed to meet health and safety codes and obtain  required permits. The ruling prohibits the Scholars Academy from operating at the site on Foothill Boulevard until a Sept. 17 hearing on the matter, according to an announcement from the city. The school was forced to move out of the site at 3800 Foothill Blvd. on Feb. 24 after city code enforcers determined that the school's operators did not possess the proper permits, and that the building was not adequately retrofitted to accommodate students. But school-owner Anahit Grigoryan sued the city, alleging zoning, fire and other city departments were selectively enforcing laws and violating their right to operate a business. She eventually won a reprieve after Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Milton, who ruled that they could move back in while the school and the city worked out the permit issues. City attorneys then appealed, securing the temporary restraining order through Sept. 17.

Live grenade found at GCC Garfield Campus

A live grenade was found at GCC Garfield campus on Thursday.  Click on photo for a gallery. [caption id="attachment_20908" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Crowds were evacuated after a live granade was found by construction workers at the Glendale Community College Garfield Campus construction site on Thursday, September 2, 2010. (Raul Roa/News-Press)"][/caption]

After mild week, hot weather makes a comeback

Triple-degree temperatures are expected to return to the valleys and foothill areas through at least Saturday, prompting public health officials to renew warnings about outdoor activities and leaving pets inside locked cars. After highs that could break the 100-degree-mark today, temperatures are forecast to hover around 105 degrees Friday and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. But mild weather is expected to return on Sunday, with temperatures staying in the upper-70s to low-80s through Wednesday next week, according to the agency. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also issued a poor air quality alert today for the Santa Clarita Valley that officials said could compound heat-related issues for much of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.

Potential investor in Miramax buy from Disney pulls out

From the Los Angeles Times Morgan Creek Prods. founder James Robinson, who had been in negotiations  to become a major investor in the acquisition of Miramax Films along with construction magnate Ron Tutor and Los Angeles private equity firm Colony Capital, is no longer part of the mix. Robinson was prepared to put up $75 million to $100 million of the $660-million purchase price for Miramax, for which the Tutor-Colony led investor group Filmyard Holding signed a definitive agreement to purchase from the Walt Disney Co. in late July. As part of the deal, Robinson's production company Morgan Creek was to sell Miramax's movies overseas. ...Continue Reading: Miramax deal no longer includes James Robinson, Jerome Swartz as potential investors

Harley ‘novice’ breaks speed record

From the Glendale News-Press Rachel Keown has gone from rookie to record-holder. The newly-minted motorcycle racer, who works at Harley-Davidson of Glendale, broke the speed record for a 1,000 cc motorcycle this week at the BUB Racing Inc. Motorcycle Speed Trials at Bonneville Salt Flats outside Salt Lake City. The final results won't become official until certified by the American Motorcyclist Assn., which is expected to take place on Friday. But Delvene Manning, the meet manager, said Tuesday that Keown reached a top average speed of more than 141 mph on a milelong run, followed by a 133 mph run. ... Continue Reading: Harley 'novice' breaks speed record

Station fire victims may receive tax break

[caption id="attachment_20865" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Tom Smith overlooks a home on Feb. 7, 2009, that was destroyed in La Cañada. (Scott Smeltzer/Glendale News Press) "][/caption] A measure to give Station fire victims tax breaks passed both houses of the state Legislature and is headed to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The measure, by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino’s (D-La Cañada Flintridge), would extend income tax exemptions to homeowners and businesses victimized by fires and natural disasters in 11 California counties. The Station fire wiped out 209 structures, including 89 homes, according to Portantino. “As we head into another fire season, I am hopeful that Gov. Schwarzenegger will sign this bill and provide tax relief for these homeowners,” Portantino said in a statement. “Because it is an urgency measure, it would go into effect immediately once it is signed into law.  For those who lost homes and property because of fires, mudslides and other natural disasters, this tax relief cannot come soon enough.” The measure, AB 1662, was co-authored by Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries (R- Lake Elsinore) and offers assistance to disaster victims in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Calaveras, Monterey, Siskiyou, Imperial, Kern and  Placer counties.

California legislators OK pay reforms inspired by Bell scandal

From the Los Angeles Times California lawmakers passed wide-ranging public compensation reforms inspired by the Bell municipal salary scandal in the waning hours of the 2010 legislative session, but a closely watched, first-in-the-nation ban on plastic grocery bags was defeated Tuesday night. That measure, AB 1998, passed the Assembly in June and had the support of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but faced a withering and well-financed advertising and lobbying campaign from the plastic bag manufacturing industry. "I think we missed a great opportunity," said the measure's author, Julia Brownley (D- Santa Monica), as the bill failed another Senate vote just before 11 p.m. ... Continue Reading: California legislators OK pay reforms inspired by Bell scandal

Portantino bill on diploma mills heads to governor’s desk

A measure by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) to crack down on so-called diploma mills was approved by the state Assembly Tuesday and is headed for the governor’s desk. The bill, AB 1889, requires that schools be accredited in order to offer doctoral degrees. It also blocks schools from claiming to have successfully placed students in jobs when the jobs are not directly linked to class subjects. Last year Portantino sponsored a successful measure establishing strong oversight of unaccredited schools. This measure would update and clarify the existing law. The bill, Portantino said in a statement, “offers students a guarantee that their education and vocational training will be monitored and that regulations will be enforced.” “I believe these changes will ensure institutions don’t inappropriately inflate job placement,” he added. “A job sweeping floors in a restaurant should not qualify as job placement for cooking school graduates.”

Weather forecast holds on to mild temps

Mild summer temperatures -- or at least relative to the record highs of last week -- are forecast to continue through much of the week before edging up slightly come this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Daytime highs will remain in the mid-80s through Friday, when the mercury is expected to move into the 90s, according the weather agency. Some valley areas could experience triple-digit heat on Friday.