Burbank Police were dispatched to Victory Court and Main Street for a reported car into a house Tuesday afternoon. While responding they were radioed that the car involved was responsible for a Hit and Run at the intersection of Magnolia and Victory minutes earlier with the victim following.
Burbank Traffic Officers spoke to the victim and it was determined the car that ran into the side of the Burbank home was the same car that was involved in the hit and run at Magnolia and Victory.
Burbank Officers on the scene called for the assistance of a Glendale Police K-9 that specialized in locating drugs to search the car. The officers thought drugs could have contributed to the accident. Officers located drug paraphernalia inside the car.
Burbank Arts For All Foundation honored outgoing Board of Directors Chair Carrie Brown and Vice Chair Bob Mohler at a reception at Woodbury University on Wednesday, July 12. Brown and Mohler have served for the past four years and will be succeeded by Jill Vander Borght and Tom Vice as Co-Chairs of the Board of Directors.
“I’ve been in awe of your absolutely tireless dedication to our cause, working alongside Trena [Pitchford, Foundation Executive Director], soliciting donors, attending BUSD meetings, participating in the Annenberg Foundation’s Alchemy Leadership Training, initiating new governance policies and all the while inspiring 22 equally passionate fellow board members to keep raising the bar in support of arts education in Burbank,” commented former Board of Directors Co-Chair, BUSD alumni parent and CEO of mOcean, Craig Murray.
The Foundation also highlighted arts education programs the nonprofit organization has funded at Luther Burbank Middle School.
Luther Principal Dr. Oscar Macias thanked the Foundation for years of support at the school including theater programs, sound system upgrades, instruments for the band program, theater integration for English Language Development students, culinary arts, drawing and photography with Wacom tablets and media arts.
Macias also gave a nod to the Foundation’s support of the Poetry Book Project and a new instrumental strings program that will begin this fall, for the 2017-18 school year.
Approximately 100 guests attended the event, including donors, volunteers and partners, as well as BUSD Board of Education Vice President Dr. Roberta Reynolds and member Steve Frintner, administrators and teachers.
Also in attendance were Burbank City officials including Vice Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy, City Council members Jess Talamantes and Bob Frutos, Burbank City Treasurer Debbie Kukta and representatives from the offices of Congressman Adam Schiff, State Senator Anthony Portantino, State Assemblymember Laura Friedman and L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
More information on Burbank Arts For All Foundation and their upcoming events in the community can be found on their website.
The City of Burbank’s Cultural Arts Commission has sent out a call for artists to participate in a new phase of the Utility Box Beautification Program. Five utility boxes in the City will be painted with original art inspired by the theme “A World of Possibilities.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Artists are asked to submit their application for consideration by August 25. Information, application forms and guidelines are available on the City’s website here.
The City of Burbank’s Cultural Arts Commission’s partnership with the Parks and Recreation Department and Burbank Water and Power produced seven painted utility boxes inspired by the theme “Just Imagine” in recent years. Those boxes’ locations can be found here.
Since 2014, the Burbank Police Department has been recognized as an accredited law enforcement agency by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®). Achieving this accreditation requires voluntary compliance with over 480 law enforcement standards established by CALEA® based on best practices.
The Burbank Police Department is seeking re-accreditation by CALEA® and is scheduled for an upcoming on-site assessment. Verification by the Assessment Team that the Burbank Police Department meets the Commission’s standards is part of the voluntary process to achieve law enforcement accreditation—a highly valued recognition of public safety professional excellence.
“CALEA accreditation demonstrates the Department’s commitment to excellence and professionalism and is intended to increase community and staff confidence in the Department,” said Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse.
The CALEA® on-site assessment will occur during the week of July 24, 2017. Once assessors complete the review of the Department, they will report back to the full Commission which will decide if the Burbank Police Department is to be granted re-accreditation. The accreditation is for a three year period, during which the Department must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with the standards under which it was initially accredited.
As part of the on-site assessment, Department employees and members of the public are invited to attend a Public Information Session to offer comments. The Public Information Session will be held on July 24, 2017 at 6:00 P.M. in the City of Burbank Community Services Building, Room #104, which is located at 150 North Third Street in Burbank.
Copies of the standards with which the Burbank Police Department must comply will be available at the front counter of the Burbank Police Department and electronically via www.burbankpd.org.
Questions about the Burbank Police Department’s accreditation process may be directed to the Department’s Accreditation Manager, Captain Armen Dermenjian, at (818) 238-3217. For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., please contact to the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155, or by phone at (703) 352-4225, or email: calea@calea.org
At this morning’s Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority meeting, the Authority Commission authorized the finalization and submission of the Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region; the State Office of Environmental Human Hazard Assessment; and the City of Burbank. Finalization and submission of the HHRA to the designated agencies is one of the steps in the replacement passenger terminal process and follows the Airport Authority’s submission of the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) to the Federal Aviation Administration on June 30.
The HHRA was prepared by Geosyntec Consultants, Inc., for a portion of the Lockheed Plant B-6 site commonly known as the Adjacent Property, which is the preferred site for the replacement passenger terminal project. Geosyntec has summarized its findings and stated that: “The Adjacent Property is compatible for the construction of and operation of a replacement passenger terminal and associated facilities.”
The HHRA is based on the results of soil and soil gas sampling services on the Adjacent Property, was performed by EFI Global, Inc. under a contract awarded by the Commission on February 6, 2017. EFI Global conducted the sampling work in February and March, analyzing 74 soil samples and 137 soil vapor samples. EFI Global’s sampling work was conducted pursuant to a work plan approved by representatives of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. The sampling was designed to cover an extensive range of locations from four principal areas: the Desmond leasehold in the north, the unpaved central portion of the property, the employee lot, and the Lot A parking location to the southern portion of the Adjacent Property (designated as “Lot A East” on the attached map). Two accredited environmental laboratories analyzed the samples and EFI Global prepared a 12,700-page summary report, including all laboratory reports, boring logs, chain-of-custody documents and waste disposal manifests.
The HHRA utilizes risk screening levels to calculate the potential health risks to two types of individuals: construction contractor employees building the proposed project and future employees at the replacement passenger terminal, including vendor employees, Transportation Security Administration staff and others. Risk screening levels determine whether the risk posed by chemicals detected in the environment is at a de minimis level or is at a level that would require a more detailed site-specific review.
Based upon standard screening levels published by both the California Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Geosyntec has concluded that the calculated cancer risks and noncancer hazard indexes are at or below the de minimis level for construction workers and Airport workers. Because the calculated cancer risk and noncancer hazard indexes are below de minimis levels for full-time Airport workers, Geosyntec’s report concludes that “the risk and hazard to an occasional Airport visitor would also be below de minimis levels.”
Geosyntec has also recommended that the Authority implement a Soil Management Plan to minimize soil and dust exposure to both the construction workers and to neighboring property owners and users. The Authority has already committed to implementing a Soil Management Plan as part of project design features contained in the Final Environmental Impact Report and the Development Agreement for the replacement passenger terminal project, and Geosyntec can assist in recommending specific measures to further reduce exposure during the construction phase. This recommendation is not based upon a particular risk level, but rather is intended as a further proactive measure to further reduce potential exposures during the construction process.
The HHRA is now available to the public on the Airport’s replacement passenger terminal website, BURreplacementterminal.com. If the agencies to whom the HHRA is submitted request minor revisions, such as additional tables for data display, a modified HHRA will be provided to the City of Burbank and be made available on the replacement passenger terminal website for public inspection.
EFI Global analyzed 74 soil samples and 137 soil vapor samples from a variety of locations across four principal areas: the Desmond Leasehold, the Unpaved Central Area, the Employee Lot/Lot A West and Lot A East.
On July 18, 2017, at about 3:10 P.M., Burbank Police responded to the 600 block of South Griffith Drive to investigate two packages stolen from the front porches of two different homes. A witness reported seeing two males stealing the packages and then running from the area.
When police officers arrived, they located and detained two men who matched the description provided by the witness. The men were out of breath and admitted to police officers that they’d just stolen packages from nearby homes.
During the investigation, police officers learned the suspects had stolen a package from one home, carried it away, and then left it behind before stealing a second package from another home.
The suspects have been identified as Sage Del Castillo, an 18-year-old resident of Burbank and Angel Herrera, who is also 18 from Burbank. During a search, a portable GPS device was found in Herrera’s possession. Herrera admitted to stealing the GPS device from an unlocked vehicle earlier in the day. Both were placed under arrest and booked into the Burbank City Jail.
On July 19, the Burbank City Attorney’s Office filed two counts each of petty theft and receiving stolen property against Del Castillo and Herrera. They both appeared before a judge in the Burbank Courthouse and pled no contest to the charges, accepting responsibility for the crimes. Since neither suspect had any prior criminal history, both qualified for a court diversion program consisting of community service and informal probation.
The following letter was written by Seymour Satin to patrons of Sardo’s on Pass Avenue in Burbank:
Sardo’s is Closing Down
Our Last night will be on Friday, July 28th when we close our doors.
It is with great regret that I need to close Sardo’s. The reason you ask, financially I cannot go on. Costs are up and business is down. My rent was raised on January 1st and I am paying $10,000 per month plus the cost of labor, product, insurance and as I stated business has been down for a while. I have tried to sell Sardo’s but with the rent so high, no buyers are interested.
I tried to find another location the past 2 years but Burbank is extremely difficult to move a business, especially a bar! Parking is a major issue, where you need 10 parking spaces for every 1.000 sq. ft. and that doesn’t exist in Burbank!
I truly appreciate everyone that has come to Sardo’s over the years and I am extremely proud of what I’ve seen over the past 14.5 years. People getting married, the close friendships I’ve seen grown and they all met at Sardo’s and seeing the staff (past and present) grow up to have families.
As my staff will tell you, I have referred to many as my daughters as they have become family and that is why I continued Sardo’s over the years when I had the opportunity to sell and I didn’t.
I’d like to think I’ve had a part in developing an atmosphere where people feel relaxed and make friends.
Sardo’s has become a family, bottom line and that is what I’m proud of. Helping the staff and clients over the years either financially or support was never in question and seeing them grow is what I always said, “I was brought into Sardo’s January 1, 2003 for a reason and I have no regrets.”
My future is unknown, I’ll take it day by day.
So, come on out and enjoy for the next few days while we are still open.
The Colony Theatre presents vocal artist Reign Morton in ICONversations, a musical love letter to his father. Morton sings iconic songs from Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Prince, Whitney Houston, Donny Hathaway and Michael Jackson, interspersed with stories.
Maiya Sykes (Postmodern Jukebox front woman and finalist on NBC’s The Voice), joins Morton for the four performances. ICONversations is directed by Kinnik Sky and features musical direction by Grammy Award-winner Dave Yaden.
“We are so thrilled to have such fresh, innovative and creative talent on our stage,” commented Colony Theatre Director of Development Heather Provost. “Reign is a fantastic storyteller and his voice is one of the best around.”
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Singer and actor Reign Morton performs four shows at The Colony Theatre in Burbank with “ICONversations.” (Photo Courtesy The Colony Theatre.)
Singer, songwriter, actor and writer, Morton has appeared in films, theater and television. His most notable role was as Cashius Kibideaux on General Hospital. Recent credits include performances as Eddie Murphy in the Whitney Houston biopic Whitney and roles in The New Edition Story, For the Record: Tarantino and Hilton Head Island.
Morton has traveled internationally as a musician in Paris, Japan and Canada.
Director Kinnik Sky is a veteran of stage, television and film. An American Idol finalist, she has appeared in countless plays and musicals over the last 20 years including Dreamgirls, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf and Madea’s Class Reunion. In 2010, she launched her Dazzal Mi Entertainment. Under the company’s banner, Sky has written, produced and starred in several stage productions and web series. To date, Dazzal Mi has received nine NAACP Theatre Award nominations and garnered five wins.
Musical Director Dave Yaden is a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and pianist who has played and written with Josh Kelley, Pierce the Veil, Tonic, Spin Doctors, Tyler Hilton, Lady Antebellum, Ryan Tedder (One Republic) and Mindi Abair.
ICONversations kicks off the It’s Showtime series at The Colony, with Magic Mania opening August 17-20, I’d Enjoy Being A Girl… On Broadway following September 14-17 and A Little Night Music in Concert on September 21-24. The series concludes with An Evening With Fritz Coleman September 29 – October 1.
“In putting together the It’s Showtime series, we really wanted to design programming that would have something for everyone in the community,” said Provost. “I’m so glad we have the opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the brightest talent out there and give the people of Burbank an opportunity to see some really special performances.”
ICONversations runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday July 20-22 with shows at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday July 23 at 3:00 p.m. Admission is $35 and tickets may be purchased online here or by phone at (866) 811-4111. The Colony Theatre is located at 555 N. Third Street (between Cyprus and Magnolia) in Burbank, 91502. Plentiful free parking is available in the attached parking structure.
Some people travel far and spend lots of money on football camps. Several Burbank and Burroughs football players took advantage of the fact that they didn’t have to do either of that Saturday.
Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Trovon Reed held a free football camp at Hoover High in Glendale.
“I got a lot of good work,” Burroughs David Lennstrom said.
Burroughs defensive back Evan Osegueda said he liked the advice Reed gave.
“He said keep working hard and believe in yourself,” said Osegueda, who said he was able to work on his footwork.
Burbank High receiver/linebacker Drew Pendleton also attended.
“It was cool. I had fun. There was good competition,” Pendleton said.
At the conclusion of the event, Reed spoke to the group of well over 100 players and encouraged them to be stayed focused. Reed, who played at Auburn University, had a rough upbringing and had been released five times before having a career breakthrough at the end of last season.
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Reed, who was in high school when his mother died, said he made her a promise.
“I could have easily said I’m going to do what everybody else is doing and go sell drugs, break into cars and join gangs. I had a vision before my mom passed,” Reed told the campers. “Before my mom passed I was like a 2.0 student. She told me, ‘Son do something with your life.’ As a kid I was like Cs are good enough, I’m passing. (After) my mom passed, I graduated college in three years with a 3.7. I was able to play whole senior year without having to go to one class. I put everything I had into football.”
Reed’s breakthrough came when he had interceptions in back-to-back games.
One of the interceptions came against his college teammate and former Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. He intercepted Raiders quarterback Derek Carr the following week.
Reed became a defensive back late in his college career after starting as a receiver. He was a quarterback in high school.
“I believe it starts with believing in your parents. Listen to your coaches,” Reed said. “If he tells you to tackle somebody, tackle him. If he tells you to right in class, do right. If he didn’t do right in class, he wouldn’t be your coach, he wouldn’t have an education.”
Reed also encouraged the campers to never give up their dreams.
“I’ve been cut five times from the NFL. I could have gave up then. I was at a point where I got cut a fifth time and I was like should I give this up,” Reed said. “I could either make $40,000 a year or make $40,000 a week. Right then I snapped up and said I can’t give up -$40,000 a week. It doesn’t get any better than that. To play something I love. I’d play for free. It’s not about the money, it is about the love. You have to love this game.”
Twenty students from the Burbank area have been learning theater and film skills at The Colony Theatre’s Camp C.R.E.A.T.E. (Create. Really. Exciting. Art. Together. Everyday.)
The kids have been working on playwriting, screenplay writing, acting, directing, production design, cinematography, editing, lighting, costumes and sound with working industry professionals.
Ranging in age from 8-14, the youngsters have been divided into two groups, the Tonys (theater) and the Oscars (film.) For three weeks of the six week program, the Tony Group focused on plays the student wrote, directed, cast and rehearsed. At the same time the Oscar Group worked on similar skills, but instead of theater rehearsals, their projects were filmed and edited with professionals.
“We are just so proud of this program and that we are able to provide something so special and innovative to the youth of Burbank,” commented Colony Theatre Director of Development and Camp Director Heather Provost.
Producer, singer and actor Noelle Berry is the camp Co-Director and James Leo Ryan (Broadway performer) is the theater instructor, Author and Filmmaker Scott Damian and Genetra Tull (technical director at the Colony) are the film instructors.
ABC Family/Freeform Casting Director Marlo Tiede held an Auditioning for Film and TV workshop. Director/producer Rodney To (Parks and Rec, Wilfred, Rosewood) conducted an Auditioning/Acting for the Stage workshop.
R.C. Ormond (actor/stuntman, Transformers, The Time Machine, The Office, Resident Evil:Degeneration) held a Stunts for Film and Stage workshop. Toby Meuli (Social Network, Death Valley, Dating Rules for My Future Self) did an Acting for Film class.
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Los Angeles theater director Randy Brenner is slated to hold a Directing for Stage workshop and soap opera star Teresa Castillo (General Hospital) will conduct an Acting for TV workshop.
The Oscar Group also had an Intro to Soundtracks and Scoring Your Film class led by Genetra Tull.
Camp C.R.E.A.T.E. holds its culminating Theatre and Film Festival on July 29 to showcase the campers’ plays, films and storyboards. The event will show family and friends what a day in camp was like and the results of the youngsters work.
“We are also so proud of how diverse our campers are. They all come from different backgrounds and cultures,” added Provost. “And it’s beautiful watching them all work together towards common goals.”
“This camp isn’t necessarily about having these kids become directors, writers, etc… but it’s about exposing them to it all… having them walking away and truly believing the mantras they tell themselves in the mirror each morning,” she also said. “Because most importantly, we want to help build confident, thinking, kind human beings who know how special they are.”
The Officers of Burbank Masonic Lodge #406, Free and Accepted Masons. From Left to Right: Martin Mihal, Nishan Matossian, Ricardo Cervantes, Norm Furman, Simon Lutterbie, Jesus Valdiviezo, James Laage, Lee Broussard, Jhairo Echevarria, Peter Babaian, Karl Warren, Gary Glass, Leon Adkins
The Burbank Masonic Lodge is hosting a public open house celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Modern Freemasonry from 4-9pm on Saturday, July 29th, 2017 at the Burbank Masonic Center (406 Irving Drive, Burbank, CA 91502). The family-friendly event will feature food trucks, displays on Masonic history and the many organizations connected to Freemasonry, and an opportunity to view inside the Burbank’s Lodge Room.
Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest fraternal organization, and is based on the belief that each man has a responsibility to help make the world a better place. Through a culture of self-improvement and philanthropy, Freemasons seek to make a profound difference for the fraternity, their families, their communities, and the future. The mission of the Masons of California, to foster personal growth and improve the lives of others, is carried out Masonic principles and tradition.
Modern Freemasonry was founded in 1717, when four existing London lodges combined to form the Grand Lodge of England. Following the American Revolution, each state established its own Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge of California was founded in 1850, the same year that California became a State. American Freemasons count George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock among their earliest members. Today, the Grand Lodge of California alone has over 63,000 members in approximately 340 lodges across the state.
Burbank Masonic Lodge has been in existence for over 100 years. Burbank Lodge No. 406 Free and Accepted Masons received a dispensation from California Grand Lodge to form a Lodge in Burbank on June 28th 1909. Prior to its current location on Glenoaks Blvd, the Lodge met in rooms above the original Story Hardware (now Story Tavern), before purchasing its own property on Olive Ave, across from City Hall.
The event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public. On-site parking is available.
Burbank Police officers Angela Burrows and her partner Karl Castro of the Community Outreach Department have been planning and preparing for National Night Out that takes place next Tuesday evening.
National night out is a community-police-awareness raising event that is held the first Tuesday of August every year.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Here in Burbank National Night out have been held for many years, and in the past, The Burbank Police held events at Police Headquarters, along with teaming up with several community members to promote and encourage neighbors to get out of your homes and get to know your neighbors. and have block parties.
This year the Burbank Police Department will host a National Night Out Huge block party on Chandler Blvd from Keystone Street to Lincoln Street. Tuesday, August 1st from 5:30 pm to 8 pm.
Members of The Burbank Fire Department will be on hand and also be stopping by several of the Neighborhood Parties.
Officer Burrows along with Castro meet with several members of the community this past week and gave them materials and suggestions on hosting their own block parties. A couple of neighborhood are planning big events. In one neighborhood they are going to have a couple of jump houses for the kids, another is planning to have a Master BBQ company firing up the BBQ.
Back on Chandler, the Burbank Police Department with have several displays, which include K-9, SWAT, the Departments Bearcat Rescue Vehicle will be on display, members of the Traffic Department will answer enforcement questions. There will be plenty of handouts on Crime Prevention, and ‘Photo Opportunities’. Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
There will be food vendors selling food, Face Painting, Bike Safety Lessons and the complete Burbank Police Command Staff will be there answering questions and meeting members of the public.
If you have questions or request more information you can call the Burbank Police Department’s Community Outreach Officers at (818) 238-3235Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Two firefighters were injured battling a brush fire that blackened a Burbank hillside between the Castaway Restaurant and Country Club Drive in Burbank Wednesday afternoon
After receiving a call from Burbank police of a brush fire that had started behind their firing range in Wildwood Canyon, firefighters were first dispatched at 3:51 pm.
While en route to the fire, Burbank Battalion Chief immediately asked for a third alarm brush assignment along with water dropping helicopters and camp crews to fight the fire before it got out of hand. Fire officials have not given a cause of the fire yet.
Burbank police went door to door along Country Club Drive, knocking on doors and asking residents to leave. There was no evacuation center for residents and they were allowed to return to their homes about an hour later.
Besides Burbank, engines from Glendale, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Los Angeles City and County Angles National Forest Firefighters and other cities involved with the Verdugo system responded. Both L.A. County and L.A. City fire sent water dropping helicopters to fight the fire.
The first Los Angeles County Fire Helicopter on scene dropped off a crew of Firefighters on an adjoining hilltop and then dropped a load of water.
The helicopters were being filled at the Starlight Mesa Helipad. Members of Los Angeles County Camp Crews were going to stay overnight hitting any hotspots.
James Williams still has lots of playing time left at Washington State University.
The redshirt sophomore and former Burbank High star running back made a significant impact last season and his coach and teammates have even higher expectations for him this season.
Head coach Mike Leach, fellow running back Jamal Morrow and linebacker Peyton Pelluer were on hand for Pacific-12 Conference Football Media Day Thursday at Hollywood and Highland to share their thoughts about Williams and the Cougars’ upcoming season. Washington State opens its season Sept. 3 at home against Montana State, the first of five consecutive home games. The Cougars will not play any regular season games in Southern California this season.
After going 8-5 last season, Washington State has many returners, led by quarterback Luke Falk. Also included are his top three in the backfield, where Williams shared time with seniors Morrow and Gerard Wicks. Last season Williams had 102 carries for 584 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He also had 48 receptions for 342 yards and one touchdown. His 953 all-purpose yards were second on the team behind Morrow’s 1,063.
“He’s a focused guy. If you’re in a bad mood, just hang around James. He’s always in a good mood,” Leach said. “He plays hard and works hard. The most important thing is he really loves football. James is real talented. I think he’s going to get better and better and better. He got a lot of reps last year and I think he’ll get even more this year.”
Pelleur said he is glad he doesn’t have to play against Williams on Saturdays.
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Burbank High’s James Williams should have another big season at Washington State. (photo courtesy of Washington State University).
“I can tell you first hand that he is tough to tackle. He’s probably the slipperiest player we have on the team,” the senior linebacker said. “He gives me a headache and makes me look foolish sometimes. But he makes everyone better because of how hard he plays and how hard he runs. We’re definitely fortunate to have him on our team. I’m excited to see what he’s going to do this year. He’s had a great summer so far. He had a great spring as well. We’re excited to see him make moves on opponents instead of us for once.”
Morrow, who has shared playing time with Williams, said he likes many things about the former Bulldog.
“James is a character. He’s always going to make you laugh,” Morrow said. “You could have a bad day and you see James and you’ve got to smile when you see him. He brings a certain energy to our running back group. He’s a funny guy. You have to love him, especially the stuff he does on the field. Like the Oregon State play when he had two spin moves on one play and I was like ‘wow’. He’s definitely going to be a stud in this conference.”
Even though Morrow has more experience, he said he has learned from Williams.
“You just can’t tackle the kid. He’s always going to make the first guy miss,” Morrow said. “You look at the stuff he does and you’re like let me try to incorporate that into my game.”
Leach said he has liked some of the things he has seen from Williams in practice, even dating back to last season. Williams redshirted his true freshman year after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee as a senior at Burbank.
He (went) out there as a freshman and he’s kind of showing up some of the older defensive players,” Leach said of some practices. “They tried to hit him hard. He wasn’t even aware of it. He wasn’t aware that they were ticked off at him.”
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James Williams while at Burbank High.
Leach said Williams played with a broken hand last season, but was still used in passing situations.
“I got worried about it, but he hit the club hand and he’d catch it anyway,” Leach said.
Morrow said he has seen Williams grow in so many ways in the two years he has known him.
“That redshirt year helped him a lot. He got his strength back and his confidence back,” Morrow said. “If you would have seen him when he first got up here, he was like thinking too much. He wasn’t sure. He was thinking about his knee. He came back that spring and had one of the greatest springs I’ve seen since I’ve been up here. In the summer, he’s looking fast and strong. We expect big things from him this year.”
Top celebrity vehicles, 150 classic cars, automotive-related vendors, lifetime achievement awards, and deejays spinning music from the decades will be in the spotlight at the 6th Annual Downtown Burbank Car Classic on Saturday, August 5 from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The Downtown Burbank Car Classic is free and open to the public.
Vehicles from the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Television Motion Picture Car Club, Vehicle Effects, Hollywood Hot Rods, Unique Twist, the Road Kings of Burbank, and much more will cover six blocks amid 400 shops and restaurants in Downtown Burbank’s thriving commercial neighborhood, on San Fernando Boulevard from Magnolia Boulevard to Angeleno Avenue.
A special Red Carpet Expo dedicated to famous cars from film and television will include:
The 1946 Ford convertible customized by George Barris from the 1978 movie “Grease”
1900 Overland Covered Wagon, a gift from Bob Hope to John Wayne
1999 Mach 5 Prototype from the 2008 movie “Speed Racer”
Four vehicles from the 2017 movie “The Fate of the Furious;” Dom’s blue Subaru BRZ, the Ice Charger, GTX, and the Letty 66 Corvette.
The Lifetime Achievement Award will go to two legendary NHRA drag racers, Jim Miles and Bob Muravez, both hailing from Burbank. Miles is famous for driving a 1948 blown Fiat Topolino, especially for the photo taken when the crankshaft hit the pavement on the starting line at the infamous Lyon’s Drag Strip. Muravez, aka Floyd Lippencott Jr., won the last Top Gas class in 1971, driving the twin engine Chevrolet called the Freight Train. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be given at 7:00 PM on the Main Stage at San Fernando Boulevard and Orange Grove Avenue.
The 6th Annual Downtown Burbank Car Classic is celebrating the Road Kings of Burbank 65th anniversary. This legendary organization has a long history of racing luminaries such as Don Prudhomme, Tommy Ivo, Richard Johnson, Ralph Marshall, Bob Sagesar, Ken Safford, George Sakora, Owen Engle, Denny Cross, Nick Sfetku, Joel Embick, Ed Drugmond, Bill Loven, and Frank Ney. Over the years, the Road Kings have raised nearly $500,000 for local charities.
Car classic lovers will also enjoy the ground-shaking startup of the Ratican, Jackson & Stearns Blown Fiat Topolino Fuel Altered car, Lorraine Lisa’s award-winning $250,000 red 1957 Chevrolet, and many other unique vehicles.
My friend and co-author Wes received from his Father In Law Don Bilyeu BHS class of 1945, a slide series by Ira Swett in which a photographic trip of the red car from Los Angeles on Broadway to Orange Grove and Glenoaks in Burbank from 1955.
The slides are very clear and give us an idea what it was like to take a trip to and from L.A. back then via electric trolley.
The Red Car stopped service in 1956 but it is an Idea whose time has come around again. On Glenoaks the Green median from Providencia through Glendale is a reminder of this once great transportation system and how it helped shape the cities we have today.
Let’s look at the Burbank slides and how the same places look today.
Get your Copy of Lost Burbank Now! Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Slowly fading with the city’s ever-changing landscape, the places and people of Burbank’s past tell a vibrant story. Before the arrival of Warner Bros. and Walt Disney, First National Pictures built its original studio lot on Olive Ave in 1926. For over sixty years, Lockheed Aircraft Company produced some of the nation’s best airplanes where the massive Empire Shopping Center now stands. Heavyweight champion James Jeffries turned his Burbank ranch home and barn into a beloved landmark and boxing venue. Inventor Joseph Wesley Fawkes’s scheme to build a monorail to Los Angeles became a local laughingstock. Diehard Burbankers Wes Clark and Michael Mc Daniel collect these and many more forgotten local stories where they can finally be found.
Like Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color line with the Brooklyn Dodgers in April 1947, three-time Olympic Gold medalist Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas is a pioneer.
On Friday at the Staples store in the Burbank Empire Center, about 700 people, mostly young girls and their parents, stood in line to meet and greet the 21-year-old gymnast.
At the 2012 Games in London, Douglas, who hails from Newport News, Virginia and resides in West Des Moines, Iowa, became the first African-American to capture the Gold medal in the women’s individual all-around and the first United States gymnast to secure the all-around and team competition in the same Olympics.
In fact, Douglas, along with Simone Biles, are the only gymnasts to win multiple Gold medals at a single Olympics.
The fans waited, including a mother and her young daughter since 4 a.m., about seven hours before Douglas arrived, with great anticipation, many with pictures of Douglas in their hands and some with her autobiography, “Grace, Gold and Glory: My Leap of Faith,” hoping to get signed.
Greg Maxwell and his seven-year-old daughter, Milan, came from View Park to see Douglas.
Milan is a fan and a gymnast, and her father said, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that she will be in the 2024 or more likely the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in Los Angeles.
“She was motivated when she watched the biography of Gabby Douglas and she started to watch her on YouTube,” Maxwell said.
“It is an opportunity for kids to see someone they see on TV and in some cases idolize,” he said. “It’s three-dimensional. It humanizes the athlete and it gives the athlete some normalcy.”
Maxwell said hopefully Milan is on her way and will follow in Douglas’ footsteps.
“She’s been a tumbler since she was a toddler,” he said while holding a picture of Douglas.
Tony Lopez, who lives in Riverside, made the hour and a half trek clutching a pristine Olympic flag that he wanted Douglas, who additionally helped the United States squad win the team title at the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in 2015 and Tokyo, Japan in 2011, to autograph.
“I bought this only last week online,” he said of the flag. “I love the Olympics and I care about the athletes who represent our country. I think that it inspires the younger generations.”
Lopez, a general sports fan, said the first Olympics he remembered watching was the Barcelona Games in 1992.
“That was the Olympics of the Dream Team and Oscar De La Hoya,” he said. “I’ve been following the Olympic Games ever since.”
It’s been said the 12 players who comprised that Gold medal-winning basketball team was the best-ever and it included Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin and Duke’s Christian Laettner.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Gabby Douglas with young fan and gymnast, nine-year-old Aubrey Doty at the Burbank Staples store. (Photo courtesy Cherie Mouton)
De La Hoya, from East Los Angeles, was a Gold medal-winning boxer and a 10-time world champion in six different weight classes and owns Golden Boy Promotions, one of the most successful ever.
Jazmin Erving, who works in Burbank, lives in Valley Village and is the founder of Grab A Ball & Play Foundation, was there with her daughter and ten-year-old niece, Jacodi Jones, who resides in Portland, Oregon, were thrilled to meet and take pictures with Douglas, who won the team Gold medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
“I like her because she always keeps trying and never gives up,” Jones said of Douglas, who is both a hero and an inspiration to countless girls and young women.
Cherie Mouton was on hand with her daughter, nine-year-old Aubrey Doty, a gymnast who started in the sport two years ago and hopes to be like Douglas, who was named Female Athlete of the Year in 2012 by the Associated Press, and only the fourth gymnast ever to be selected.
“I’m excited to be here,” said Doty, who lives in Lancaster. “It’s in me. Gymnastics is my favorite sport.”
Douglas, who was on the cover of Time Magazine and cereal boxes of Kellogg’s corn flakes and Wheaties, was not permitted to speak with this reporter, per her public relations representative.
The Burbank Unified School District announced that they will begin using a visitor management system in all school sites as well as our District buildings at the start of the 2017-2018 school year. The system will better allow the district to track visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our buildings and provide a with a safer, more monitored environment for students and staff.
Upon entering a school site/district building, visitors will be asked to present a valid photo ID, which will be scanned into the system. Upon reading the information, Raptor will check the national database to identify sexual offenders.
It is important to note that the Raptor system only scans the visitor’s name, date of birth and photo for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. Additional visitor data from the ID is not gathered nor is the system connected to any other system such as the Department of Motor Vehicles. Therefore, any other information connected to the visitor’s ID is not part of the system and is not accessible to any of the users.
Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit.
If you are interested in learning more about the visitor management system, please visit the Raptor Technologies website www.raptorware.com .
The safety of students is our highest priority and the Raptor visitor management system provides a consistent way to aid in keeping away people who may present a danger to our students. Therefore, all visitors to the school must be scanned into the system and obtain a visitor badge. The visitor badges must be returned to the office at the conclusion of the visit.
This year’s Downtown Car Classic held along San Fernando Blvd Saturday, August 5 was one of the largest gatherings of car enthusiast the show has seen. Cars from movies, celebrities and most of the members of Burbank’s own Road Kings.
There were over 150 cars from 1931 to the newest Tesla on display. This car show just one of several events put on by the Downtown Business Partnership in conjunction with the city’s Community Development Department. This year the show attracted what members of Burbank Police estimated well over 15,000 throughout the day.
During the middle of the show, awards were presented to car owners that were judged in several categories.
This year Burbank residents Jim Miles and Bob Muravez were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Miles is famous for driving a 1948 blown Fiat Topolino, especially for the photo taken when the crankshaft hit the pavement on the starting line at the infamous Lyon’s Drag Strip. Muravez, aka Floyd Lippencott Jr., won the last Top Gas class in 1971, driving the twin engine Chevrolet called the Freight Train.
Here is a gallery of photographs from the weekend event.
During the overnight hours of July 7, 2017, Luxmary Handbags, located at 3421 West Magnolia Boulevard, was burglarized. Over $90,000 in designer handbags and purses were stolen after the suspect entered the business by prying-open a rear door. Power to the store was cut in what appeared to be an effort to disable the alarm system.
Purses found by police (Photo Courtesy Burbank Police Department)
Early in the investigation, Burbank Police Detectives identified a vehicle involved in the burglary. It was learned that the same vehicle was linked to several other burglaries in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties. The Burbank Police Department began working closely and was in continuous communication with several law enforcement agencies, including the Alhambra, Santa Monica, and Fountain Valley Police Departments.
The Burbank Police took the lead on the investigation, which was quickly determined to be a widespread crime ring. This made it essential that the Burbank Police Department preserve the integrity of the investigation to avoid jeopardizing several credible leads specific to the Luxmary Handbags burglary. Due to the complexity of the investigation, detailed information was not initially made public by way of a news release.
Burbank Police Detectives soon identified a suspect involved in the burglaries, including the burglary at Luxmary Handbags. He has now been identified as Douglas Arevalo-Alvarado, a 40-year-old man from Los Angeles. Burbank Police Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Arevalo-Alvarado, as well as a search warrant for a storage unit associated with him.
On July 28, just after midnight, Arevalo-Alvarado was arrested by the Fountain Valley Police Department in Orange County while committing a burglary of a jewelry store in the 18500 block of Brookhurst Street. This arrest was a result of timely information provided by the Burbank Police to the Fountain Valley Police, which allowed them to observe the burglary in-progress.
Different stolen watches displayed (Photo Courtesy Burbank Police Department)
Following his arrest, Burbank Police Detectives served the search warrant of Arevalo-Alvarado’s storage unit, located in Hollywood. Detectives found several purses and handbags stolen from Luxmary, in addition to jewelry taken in other burglaries and watches belonging to the Toluca Watch Company. The Toluca Watch Company is located at 4200 West Riverside Drive in Burbank and was burglarized in June of 2017.
On August 1, Arevalo-Alvarado was transferred from Orange County to Los Angeles County and booked into the Burbank City Jail. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed two counts of burglary against Arevalo-Alvarado for the burglaries of Luxmary Handbags and The Toluca Watch Company.
Charges for the other burglaries are pending review by prosecutors in their respective county and city jurisdictions.
Arevalo is currently being held in-lieu of $500,000 bail pending his next court date, which is scheduled for August 17 in Burbank.
Image may be NSFW.
Image may be NSFW.
Image may be NSFW.
Image may be NSFW.
