John Baldaseroni

September 12, 1940 – June 6, 2019 

John Baldaseroni

John Baldaseroni, 78, passed away June 6, 2019, at his home in Burbank, California. John was born September 12, 1940, in Summit, Illinois and raised in Burbank. He graduated from Burbank  High School in 1958 and retired from TRW in 2003.  John loved his cars from a 1957 Chevy to his Buick Grand National, not to forget drag racing on the weekend.

He was preceded in death by his beautiful wife Linda in 2016.  John is survived by his son Rick Baldaseroni and wife Leonita, brother Don Baldaseroni, sisters Jo Barrett and Lucille Borne.  His sister Mary Breckinridge passed away in 2014, and too many nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and nephews to mention.

John, we miss your presence and hope your journey was as incredible as you were.

There will be no memorial abiding by John’s wishes, but the family is gathering for a celebration of life.  We miss you, buddy!

The post John Baldaseroni, Long Time Burbank Resident Recently Passed Away appeared first on myBurbank.com.

The Burbank High football team didn’t come out looking like its usual self Friday night when the Bulldogs hosted Glendale High on their home field.

But eventually the Bulldogs got things together and it was enough to earn a 27-0 Pacific League victory.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The second half was played with a running clock as Glendale has struggled with keeping enough healthy bodies this season.

“I think we came out thinking we were way too good, too cocky. We turned it around in the second quarter,” said Burbank running back Isaac Glover, who finished with three touchdowns.

Burbank (4-5, 3-2 in the league) played without star quarterback Aram Araradian, who is nursing a shoulder injury and is hoping to be able to return for the regular-season finale against Burroughs.

Burbank turned the ball over twice in the first quarter and didn’t seem to be fully focused.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

“They came out ready to play. Their coach did an amazing job getting them fired up to play,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said of Glendale. “Being at home and it was senior night, (our) kids were a little distracted. We need to fix that.”

Burbank was held scoreless in the first quarter. But Glover’s 39-yard touchdown with 10:33 left in the first half broke the deadlock.

Glover added a 29-yard touchdown run with 7:25 left in the first half.

The Bulldogs scored for a third time in the quarter at the 5:44 mark as quarterback Kuba Raymond hooked up with Ben Burnham on a 33-yard pass.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Glover added his third touchdown of the game with 3:35 left in the first half, scoring from one-yard out. He finished with 10 carries for 172 yards.

The Bulldogs will now enjoy a bye week before taking on rival Burroughs Nov. 1 at Memorial Field. Burbank is seeking to win its fourth consecutive game over the Indians, something the Bulldogs have never done before.

The post Burbank Football Stops Glendale, 27-0 appeared first on myBurbank.com.

By Rick Assad

Too many costly turnovers and missed tackles in open space ruined any chance that the Burroughs High football team had of defeating Pasadena on Friday night at Memorial Field.

The end result was a 41-21 victory by the Bulldogs over the Indians in a Pacific League match.

Late in the contest, Burroughs senior quarterback Nicholas Garcia was hit fairly hard while trying to throw and was on the ground for several minutes.

Garcia, who tossed three scoring passes, also unloaded four interceptions, including one in the end zone, was wearing a sling over his right shoulder.

Nicholas Garcia had an off-night in a 41-21 loss to visiting Pasadena. Garcia injured his right shoulder late in the game. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

It is not known whether Garcia will be able to play in next week’s game at Arcadia.

“At the end of the day, it just comes down to effort in practice and that’s what we talk about all the time,” said one-time Burroughs wide receiver and current wide receivers coach Erick Hernandez. “We struggle to give a look against teams like Pasadena, CV and Muir. We’ve just gotta do better. We just gotta respond. Go harder, do more.”

Hernandez added: “There’s positive plays. I think you can positives in everything,” he said. “Obviously we had some good drives and we put some points up a little bit. Those are good points. At the end of the day, that doesn’t matter. You gotta put a whole act together to get it done and we’ve just fallen off. We’ve got to keep tugging, keep pushing and that’s it.”

The Bulldogs led 14-0 at the end of the quarter, but the Indians struck for a touchdown with 3:33 left to make it 14-7 before the intermission.

Jon English tries to get past a Bulldog defender. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Garcia drove Burroughs 80 yards which consumed 11 plays and the capper was an eight-yard toss to sophomore running back Jon English.

Burroughs (5-3 and 1-3 in league) sliced Pasadena’s lead to 21-14 when Garcia unloaded his second scoring pass, a 22-yarder to sophomore wide receiver John Alajijian (43 yards on four catches) with 1:05 remaining in the second quarter.

This scoring march began at the Burroughs 35-yard line and consumed six plays.

The Indians, after a 5-0 start, have lost three straight games, then scored their final touchdown on a 22-yard strike from Garcia (18 of 35 for 216 yards) to senior wide receiver Aiden Forrester (100 yards on five receptions) with 2:55 left in the game that cut Pasadena’s lead to 34-21.

Nicholas Garcia takes off running versus the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Garcia drove the Indians from the Pasadena 41-yard line and used three plays, and it was on this throw that he injured his shoulder.

English (64 yards on 18 carries) was warming up and played quarterback on the Indians’ final drive, completing two of three passes for 19 yards.

Pasadena (5-2 and 2-2 in league) possess quick-score ability and it was on display several times against Burroughs (349 total net yards).

It wasn’t on the Bulldogs’ initial score as it took nine plays to move 75 yards, and Pasadena found the end zone when sophomore wide receiver Mekhi Fox (40 yards on five rushes) scooted around right end for three yards with 3:57 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.

After Garcia was intercepted in the end zone on first down and the ball at the Pasadena 10-yard line, the Bulldogs required two plays and 70 yards in order to take a 14-0 lead when senior wide receiver Jahrique Lowe raced 55 yards at the end of the first quarter to make it 14-0.

It took three plays to traverse 53 yards after a pooch kick as the Bulldogs (439 total yards) bolted ahead 21-7 with the capper an eight-yard blast from Fox with 2:01 left before halftime.

After two plays, Pasadena led 27-14 as junior quarterback Dante Coronel (eight of 17 for 225 yards) found Lowe with an 80-yard screen pass and 35.2 seconds left before the break.

The Bulldogs located pay dirt when they drove from the Burroughs 34-yard line and needed five plays as Coronel hit senior wide receiver Akil Andrews with a 15-yard strike and 8:30 remaining in the third quarter for a 34-14 edge.

The tally was made possible after Garcia was intercepted on second and 13 from the Burroughs 29-yard line.

Pasadena extended its lead to 41-21 when senior running back Au’dante Bailey (101 yards on 14 carries) scooted 43 yards with 1:35 left in the match, ending a 50-yard, three-play drive.

The post Burroughs Football Can’t Catch Visiting Pasadena, 41-21 appeared first on myBurbank.com.

There are plenty of interesting things to do in Burbank, like go for a tour of Warner Bros Studios or see a show at the Garry Marshall Theatre. However, there is one thing that is truly unique to the city and it is Pjorn Star Karaoke (new management, new name, same great PSK). However, when Sardo’s closed its doors back in 2017, PSK went with it. Or so we thought.

After a two-year hiatus, it is finally back on Tuesdays nights for everyone over 21 to enjoy at Crawfords Pass on Pass Avenue in the Von’s Shopping Center. Thanks to popular demand. The people wanted it, and Crawfords Pass decided to give it a trial run. Well, the trial run is over and PSK is officially back.

What is PSK? For 14 years, some of the biggest names in Adult Entertainment would get together to feel normal every Tuesday night and sing other people’s tunes in their own special way. Sometimes better than the original artist. Most importantly, it is about getting together with old friends and new ones to have some fun, blow off some steam and sing their hearts out. If singing is not your thing, then you can dance as if no one is watching. You know do a Billy Idol or you can sing Dancing with Myself after a few drinks. However, don’t drive home if you had too many.

Besides singing and dancing, there is plenty of free parking in the lot, drink specials, welcoming vides, scrumptious fried chicken and Karaoke. Lots and lots of Karaoke.

You never know who you are going to see there. In the past people like Ron Jeremy, Hal Sparks and many others stopped by. Now, you can watch one of the regulars like Riley Nixon, Siouxsie Q, Sovereign Syre, Loni Legend, Jojo Kiss, Chris Cock, Rod Jackson, Stirling Cooper belt out their favorite tunes.

You do not have to just watch, you can get up there and sing, sing a song. This Tuesday (October 29th), they are having a costume night and the best look wins a $100. Which means you can celebrate Halloween early and get a huge treat.

It is the treat that keeps on giving every Tuesday night. Whether you are a newbie or you have been there before, it is an enjoyable experience that you will soon not forget. Let’s get the party started this week and pack the house as they did in the good old days.

For more information and videos from past weeks’ performances, check out @PornStarKaraoke on Twitter.

Crawfords Pass located at 259 N Pass Ave.

The post Here is Something to Sing About, Porn Star Karaoke is Back on Tuesday Nights appeared first on myBurbank.com.

The City of Burbank invites you to attend the Burbank Channel Bikeway Project Groundbreaking Ceremony at the 200 West block of Elmwood Avenue (eastside of the Channel) on October 23, 2019, beginning at 4:00 P.M.

The Burbank Channel Bikeway Project is a 0.79-mile off-street bike and pedestrian path that will be located directly adjacent to the Burbank Western Channel. The 12-foot wide path will begin at the Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station and proceed south to Alameda Avenue.

The Project, when completed, will create a bike path that begins at Chatsworth and ends 50 miles away at Long Beach. It will beautify the Channel while providing a safe off-street facility for bicycle riders and pedestrians. It also builds better neighborhoods by providing recreational amenities that encourages active living while improving the aesthetics of the Channel area. Improvements at the Channel Bikeway close an important gap that will allow cyclists to seamlessly travel from Downtown Los Angeles in a separate and protected off-street facility.

The Project is the result of a 2009 Metro Call for Projects grant, and Urban Greening for Sustainable Communities Program grant that was awarded in 2012, as well as the new award of Measure M Multi-Year Subregional Program funding.

The post Burbank Channel Bikeway Project Groundbreaking Ceremony appeared first on myBurbank.com.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will hold a Community Open House on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Burbank to provide a public update and answer questions about the I-5 widening project underway in Burbank and Glendale.

The open house is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Buena Vista Branch Library meeting room, 300 N. Buena Vista St. in Burbank. Free parking is available. Reservations are not required.

The open house is a free, annual event. Caltrans will provide a progress report on the project and attendees will be able to talk one-on-one with project representatives concerning the ongoing work.

Caltrans is improving Interstate 5 (the Golden State Freeway) in Glendale and Burbank between the Ventura Freeway (State Route 134) and Buena Vista Street. Improvements include High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV or carpool) lanes, on- and off-ramp improvements, bridge widening and reconstruction, a new lane for truck traffic, new pavement, lane realignment and elevated railroad tracks to eliminate street-level rail crossings.

The I-5 Empire Avenue interchange in Burbank, a major part of the project, opened to traffic Monday (Sept. 30).

The improvements, valued at more than $500 million, are designed to enhance safety, improve traffic flow and encourage ridesharing. The contractor is Security Paving Co. Inc. of Westlake Village.

Information about the project is available online at My5LA.com and Twitter at @My5LA.

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Hollywood Burbank Airport invites the community to the sixth and final design charrette workshop on Saturday, October 26, 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

The design charrette workshop process is coming to an end and we’re celebrating with an open house event at Hollywood Burbank Airport. We will unveil the complete community-based vision for the replacement passenger terminal (RPT) as well as debut the official project name.

Taking place on-site of the RPT, this family-friendly event has activities for all ages including interactive games, balloon artists, giveaways, food and more!

The open house format will display all the work created at our previous five charrette workshops and give the community one last chance to provide comments on the design features and amenities they would like to see in the RPT.

Attendees of more than three of the previous design charrette workshops will be entered into a raffle to win one of three prizes.

Charrette #6 Open House: .

Hollywood Burbank Airport
2821 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505

Free parking in Lot A at the intersection of Hollywood Way and Winona Avenue

The post Hollywood Burbank Airport Announces Open House for Final Charrette Workshop appeared first on myBurbank.com.

L. A. City Attorney Mike Feuer has sent two letters to the FAA.

One to the Western-Pacific Regional Administrator, Raquel Girvin, demanding that the FAA direct the tower to tell flights to stay within the route used before ‘NextGen’ was implemented.

The full letter can be read here.

The second letter was sent to the FAA Operations Support Group in Washington State that the FAA prepare an environmental assessment before aircraft resume the new routes.

The full letter can be read here.

The has been no comment from either the City of Burbank or the Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport Commission as of this time.

The post L. A. City Attorney to FAA: Fix Hollywood Burbank Flight Paths appeared first on myBurbank.com.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Last Saturday, volunteers as well as Veterans gathered in the UMe Parking Lot to put together boxes to be shipped to soldiers during the Thank-A-Soldier Event that had been started by Keller Williams and now hosted by UMe Credit Union as part of their UMe Cares outreach since 2016.

According to Joyce Starleaf of Keller Williams, “Thank a Soldier event began 9 years ago at Keller Williams Burbank.  We were located at 401 S. First Street, Burbank at the time and we had a huge lot to hold the event.  The original idea of the event was conceived by our manager at the time, Paul Sessum. He and I , Barry Gussow and Karen Volpei-Gussow were the original 4 musketeers eventually joined by many of the agents and staff at the office.

For this event, we held 3 fundraisers as it is an expensive endeavor.  Each box costs about $18 to mail and of course, we need lots of items for each box.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

“Paul Sessum decided that he would like us to do something for the servicemen and women, continued Starleaf,  “For me, it was an easy decision and mine was based in part on my brother in law who served in Vietnam and as you probably know, they were treated poorly on their return and felt extremely unappreciated.  We started the event with just 100 boxes packed and we were thrilled.  It went up from there-250-then 400 and is now at about 1000 boxes.  We work in conjunction with Burbank’s Hands Across the Battlefield which is headed by Mickey DePalo.  He acts as an advisory capacity and works at  the event with us along with the people on his committee.”

DePalo has been a driving force behind the veteran group in Burbank, serving on the City of Burbank’s Veterans Committee and has been working on the revamping of the Memorial at McCambridge Park that will be ready for this year’s Veteran’s Day Celebration.

“Thank-a-Soldier packed over 935 boxes to be shipped overseas to the men and women who are defending our freedoms.” Depalo shared on a Facebook post, “Thanks to all the great people at Keller-Williams for their dedication and commitment and to all of our Burbank residents, ranging in age from kindergarten through senior adults for coming out and being a great help in packing and showing why Burbank is indeed a wonderful community! Rest assured, the Burbank Veterans Committee and Keller-Williams will mail each and every package early enough so that packages will arrive at our troops before Christmas!!”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Anita Hutchinson of the UMe Credit Union was more than happy to donate the use of their parking lot for the assembly of the boxes. ” I worked the end of the assembly line, putting letters to soldiers (written by kids and community members) and photos from the event in each box before they were taped up — and thanking each person for participating — it was such a rewarding experience!

There were people of all ages there working together to put together thoughtful care packages that our deployed troops will receive during the holidays. Some veterans who were working the event as well as creating boxes told me that they, themselves, had received care packages when they were deployed, and told me how meaningful it was to have tastes from home.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Starleaf was quick to praise UMe Credit Union and their members, “Once our building was sold on 1st street in 2016, we needed a place to hold our event. One of us spoke to Ume and they volunteered their lot immediately.  They have been very supportive.  We have access to their backroom two days before the event where we sort all of the product that is donated.  They also have bins in their lobby where they ask their members to contribute items and they a monetary contribution.”

All of the care packages will be shipped to Burbank residents serving their country.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

According to Starleaf there are many sponsors who donate during the year to make this happen including the Cusumano Family, The City of Burbank, Quixote Rentals, HouseAmerica Financial Services, Noon Rotary, First Trust Escrow, Vault Mortgage, Aldrich/Taylor Insurance, Handy Market, Tony’s Darts Away, Gain Credit Union and Flappers Comedy Club.

Starleaf added, “The event this year had many more volunteers than in previous years which made the workload much lighter. This is really a community event and there are many individuals who donate every year and volunteer every year.”

The post Thank-A-Soldier Event Once Again Very Successful appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Peter McGrath passed peacefully in his home surrounded lovingly by his children on October 17, 2019, in Burbank, CA following a brief struggle with cancer. He was 92.

Pete was born on February 2, 1927, in San Francisco, CA. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in Business in 1950. He married his sweetheart Lou Ann Lison also in 1950.

Pete worked in various industrial sweeper companies from 1948 onward, eventually forming the R.J. Lison Co. in 1954. He sold power sweepers for the first few years and eventually became the President and General Manager. He sold the business in 1987 and retired to an active life as a community volunteer in the City of Burbank.

When his son Bob was 6 years old, Pete and his son joined the YMCA Indians Guides, which started his meaningful service as a volunteer. Organizations Pete has served as a volunteer or as a leader were Burbank YMCA, First Congregational Church of Burbank, Burbank Police Commission, Burbank Board of Leadership, Burbank Noon Rotary Club, Burbank Rotary Foundation, Verdugo Mental Health, Wesley Homes, Burbank Housing Corporation, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Burbank Senior Board, Burbank RSVP, Burbank Supporters of Senior Service, Los Angeles County Commission for Older Americans, California Senior Legislature and the Burbank School Board.

Pete McGrath receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Albert Hernandez Noon Rotary President. (Photo Courtesy Burbank Noon Rotary)

Pete was honored in December by Burbank Noon Rotary with a Lifetime Achievement Award, he received several honors from Presidents of the United States to local Burbank City Council Members, recently Burbank Housing Authority named one of their new buildings “Pete’s Place” in honor of his service to the Burbank Housing Authority where he served as President for many years.

Pete is survived by his daughter Peggy Christ, son-in-law Jim Christ, son Bob McGrath, daughter-in-law Bettina Stammen, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Pete will be buried in a public ceremony at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills at Old North Church on Friday, October 25, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Pete’s life.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Burbank Noon Rotary Club or La Providencia Guild Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

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Author Nathalia Holt talks about women animation pioneers and her new book, Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History, at the Buena Vista branch of the Burbank Public Library tonight, Tuesday, October 22.

“I became interested in this subject during research for my last book, Rise of the Rocket Girls, about the female pioneers of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,” explained Holt. “One of the women I interviewed had previously worked at Disney and her stories of the studio during the 1940s and 50s were highly entertaining.”

Portrait of Retta Scott working on Bambi (Photo Courtesy Ben Worcester)

“I was struck by how many women were in her tales, so I decided to read several biographies of Walt Disney,” Holt explained. “However, the names of the women, whose work was so critical to the studio, were entirely missing.”

“It is so rewarding to finally share the stories of a few of these pioneers and how their work shaped the classic films beloved by generations,” she added. “To launch the book in Burbank, where so much of the action takes place in the book, is truly a privilege.”

In Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History, Holt profiles Bianca Majolie, Grace Huntington, Mary Goodrich, Mary Blair and Retta Scott.

Mary and Lee Blair sketching in Rio de Janeiro (Photo Courtesy Estate of Mary Blair)

Majolie went to school with Disney and was the first woman to work in the story department.

“She transformed Pinocchio from the violent puppet in the original book to a sweet character who shows the meaning of being human,” explained Burbank Librarian Hubert Kozak. “Bianca was frequently humiliated to tears by her male colleagues, and she and the other women who worked on Pinocchio were not listed in the film’s credits.”

In addition to their work at Disney, both Huntington and Goodrich were both amateur pilots. Goodrich was the first woman to fly solo to Cuba and Huntington set an altitude flight record in 1939.

“One of Walt Disney’s favorite artists, Mary Blair created groundbreaking concept art for features such as Cinderella and Peter Pan, and designed Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World After All” ride, all while struggling in a physically and emotionally abusive marriage,” Kozak added.

Sketch by Grace Huntington displaying the overwhelming nature of work in the studio. (Photo Courtesy Berkeley Brandt)

“Scott’s genius at drawing animals gave her a key role in the development of Bambi, and led her to become Walt Disney Studio’s first credited female animator,” he also said.

Holt previously visited the Burbank Public Library to talk about Rise of the Rocket Girls, which profiled the women “computers” who worked at JPL.

“Like that book, [in Queens of Animation] the author profiles a number of women who she has researched in depth, not only their professional lives but their personal lives, and poses them against the challenges women faced in finding a place for themselves in a field dominated almost exclusively by men, and accomplishing some remarkable work that has gone largely unrecognized,” Kozak commented.

“I think you will find it surprising to learn of some of the Disney story lines and characters that these women were central in developing.”

Retta Scott display at the Buena Vista branch of the Burbank Public Library. (Photo Courtesy Hubert Kozak)

“While I always have found her approach to the subjects interesting and that it creates an interesting dynamic for her narrative, I guess what I like most about this book was that I learned a lot about classic film animation that I never knew, like just how labor intensive and painstaking it was,” he also said. “And I was charmed by just imagining all of this taking place just a few blocks from the library, and picturing  Walt Disney stopping to give some of these women a ride on their walk into work.”

Holt’s presentation on Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Buena Vista branch of the Burbank Public Library located at 300 N. Buena Vista Street in Burbank.

The author will sign books and the newly released book will be available for purchase.

Image Courtesy Burbank Public Library

 

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By Rick Assad

An offensive tsunami in the second half and a suffocating defense in two of the four quarters were at the crux of the Burroughs High boys’ water polo team routing host Burbank 20-7 in the Pacific League regular-season finale on Wednesday afternoon in front of a jammed-packed audience.

Seven players scored for the Indians (11-6 and 4-2 in league), but none stood taller than senior utility Vahagan Sahakyan, who chimed in with a match-best nine goals, including seven in the second half when Burroughs outscored Burbank 15-2.

Burbank’s Pavel Tantchev, shown in a recent Pacific League match, scored a goal against Burroughs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We just yelled at them a little bit, stuff they were getting complacent on,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said of the second half offensive deluge. We got it together.”

Not too far behind was sophomore utility Xavier Turla, who added six goals for the Indians, who shut out the Bulldogs in the first and fourth quarters.

The Indians led 5-0 heading into the second frame, but the Bulldogs (5-12 and 1-5 in league) dropped in five goals and evened it at 5-5 at the intermission.

Junior utility Ryan Jaramillo’s six-footer with 5:16 left was the first tally of the match before Turla buzzed in one from 10 feet with 2:39 left to make it 2-0.

Turla’s five-footer with 27 seconds left extended the lead to 3-0. When Sahakyan drilled a six-footer with 11 seconds left, the Indians’ cushion was 4-0.

Burroughs slid ahead 5-0 on Sahakyan’s tally and 6:38 left in the second frame. Burbank (2-14 and 1-4 in league) scored the next five goals as junior driver Grigor Gasabian nailed a 10-footer as 6:08 remained.

The Indians were tied 5-5 at the half with the Bulldogs, but exploded for 15 goals in the second half. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Sophomore driver Pavel Tantchev scored on a 10-foot laser and 3:50 left and was followed by a 12-footer with 2:24 on the ticker by sophomore driver Jonathan Agazaryan.

Gasabian’s 20-foot tally with 47 seconds left made it 5-4 while Agazaryan 12-footer found the back of the net 28 seconds later that knotted it at 5-5.

“We weren’t responding to their counters,” first-year Burbank coach Mike Lucero said. “We were in the game. They [Burroughs] kept scoring off of every counter.”

How did the Bulldogs rally in the second quarter? “They were moving more and they were running the plays they were supposed to run,” Lucero said.

The Indians came out and scored the first four goals of the third quarter and led 9-5. Sahakyan’s point-blank goal with 6:03 left made it 6-5 and junior utility Alex Lewin’s two-footer with 5:23 showing pushed the advantage to 7-5.

Sahakyan’s point-blank shot with 4:50 remaining saw the Indians dart in front 8-5 and Turla’s three-footer made it a four-goal lead and 3:29 remaining.

The Bulldogs broke the spell when senior driver Kouroush Dolatshani knocked in an eight-footer with 2:42 on the clock as Burbank came within 9-6.

Two goals followed for the Indians as Sahakyan’s 10-footer with 1:36 left made it 10-6 and senior attacker Tobey Ho’s five-footer 27 seconds later extended the lead to 11-6.

Sophomore driver Avo Barsegyan scored from 12 feet for the Bulldogs as 26 seconds remained that made it 11-7, while Sahakyan’s 12-footer five seconds later pushed it to a five-goal lead.

An eight-goal outburst highlighted the fourth quarter as Sahakyan and Turla each scored three goals.

Sahakyan hammered two 10-foot goals including one with 6:18 left that made it 13-7 and one with 5:26 on the clock for a 14-7 lead.

Turla’s six-footer with 4:53 on the timer made it 15-7 and Sahakyan’s eight-footer 17 seconds later expanded the advantage to 16-7.

Turla’s six-footer 39 seconds later extended the Indians’ lead to 10 goals. Senior attacker Chet Conlan’s close-range goal with 2:50 left made it 18-7 and Turla’s point-blank tally with 1:53 on the clock shoved the Indians ahead 19-7.

Junior utility Miguel Martinez capped off the offensive outburst with a six-footer as 41 seconds remained.

Senior Arthur Eldridge and senior David Karagezyan each played exceptional in goal for Burroughs, while Burbank senior net-keeper Sarkis Terpetrossyan was under duress for much of the day.

The next order of business for both schools is the league tournament which begins on Tuesday at Arcadia and concludes on October 31.

The post Burroughs Boys Water Polo Uses Second Half To Win 20-7 Over Burbank appeared first on myBurbank.com.

At the State of the City on Wednesday, Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy announced that Netflix is coming to Burbank after signing a lease at the Burbank Studios (formerly NBC).

The deal, as reported by the Los Angeles Business Journal, is for two years. Netflix is currently building a 355,000 square foot building at 1341 Vine St. in Hollywood that still has two years to go in construction, as well as an additional 327,913 at 5901 Sunset Blvd.

They are leasing 60,000 square feet for offices in Burbank and possibly are looking to lease more near the Empire Center.

It is unclear if they will still have a presence in Burbank after the two year lease expires.

Construction activities has already started in the rear of the property for the new Warner Bros. project that is expected to be completed in a couple of years.

The post Netflix to Make Move to Burbank appeared first on myBurbank.com.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

It isn’t often that a team that finished fourth in its league, goes and long road trip against a league champion in the first round of the CIF Southern Section playoffs and comes home a winner.
But the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks girls’ volleyball team can put that on their impressive resume as they swept host Burroughs 25-18, 25-13, 25-23 Thursday in a Division 2 contest.

“We don’t play teams like this very often,” Burroughs coach Edwin Real said. “Our team is good, we just had some issues with ball control today. We had a hard time hitting the ball in the right place.”

After a solid performance in the Division 3 playoffs a year ago, the Indians got moved up.

“You get rewarded if you play well and play good teams. We haven’t gotten past the quarterfinals and they keep pushing us higher,” Real said.

Murrieta Valley (24-8) finished fourth in the Southwestern League and performed even well in tournaments by beating the likes of Santa Margarita, the second-best team in the Trinity League.

“Our league is extremely difficult like loaded. Every game in our league is a battle against girls that are going to some of the top (colleges) in the nation,” Murrieta Valley coach Ann Romero-Parks said. “We do our best to manage intense situations because we are in them all the time.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burroughs senior and UC Berkeley commit Lydia Grote, who finished with a team-high 16 kills, said she knew the match would be tough.

“We have a lot of respect for their team and their league. We definitely talked about it. They come from a different league,” Grote said.  “Our league is not as tough as most leagues. We needed to expect more of a first-place team than a fourth-place team.”

Burroughs (18-6) never really threatened Murrieta Valley after the two teams were tied at 6 in the first game.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Things didn’t get any easier in the second game, as the Indians fell behind early and were only able to get as close as 5-4.
Burroughs finally got a lead in the third game, it’s first since very early in the first game. The Indians were able to break a tie at 9 by taking advantage of a Nighthawk error.
The Indians went up 20-16 on a kill by Catie Virtue. She finished with eight kills.

But Murrieta Valley got four kills down the stretch from Rachael Yelenich and rallied to help secure the sweep.

“We’re all really passionate about moving forward. I think in that third game it became real that this could be it,” Grote said. “So I think we pulled together as a team and made an overall statement of we need to start playing now.”

The post Burroughs Girls Volleyball Stopped by Murrieta Valley appeared first on myBurbank.com.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Officials broke ground on what is called the Burbank Channel Bikeway Project on Wednesday afternoon in what will be a 0.79-mile off-street bike and pedestrian path that will be located directly adjacent to the Burbank Western Channel.

Starting at the Downtown Burbank Metrolink station, the channel will be 12 feet wide and run 0.79 of a mile to Alameda Avenue.

Patrick Prescott looks over Map of Bike Path with David Kriske Planner. (Photo by Ross A Benson)

This is one of the last links that will create a bike path that starts in Chatsworth and runs all the way to Long Beach, about a 50-mile distance. Improvements at the Channel Bikeway close an important gap that will allow cyclists to seamlessly travel from Downtown Los Angeles in a separate and protected off-street facility.

A release says the Project is the result of a 2009 Metro Call for Projects grant, and Urban Greening for Sustainable Communities Program grant that was awarded in 2012, as well as the new award of Measure M Multi-Year Subregional Program funding.

The post Ground Broken on New Bikeway Project appeared first on myBurbank.com.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Every year, Burbank’s Chamber of Commerce holds the State of the City Address and 2019 saw a packed house at the Burbank Airport Marriott Conference Room Wednesday morning. Just about every leader in the City, both public and private was in attendance to hear about Burbank’s direction.

This was the second ‘official’ time for Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy with a third time being when she pinch-hit for an ailing Will Rogers. She was fully prepared and confident saying when asked what she wanted people to get out of this year’s presentation., “I would like people to redouble their pride in the city of Burbank which is a world-class city and I want to tell that story today. We have really lifted ourselves up in a way that us at the head of any city in this country so I want people to walk away feeling proud that Burbank is a world-class city.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

When asked about all the new projects and construction in the City, Gabel-Luddy responded, “All of it is to the good. Besides Disney and Warner Bros., Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, we now have Netflix coming and that was announced this week.”

There is also some concern, “We can’t forget about the people who are less fortunate than any of us, but that we have the engine and the power as an integrated media center to really develop the City to greater jobs, higher-level investment in our infrastructure and higher-level investment in our city services like police and fire.”

As for the future though, the Mayor seemed genuinely enthusiastic, ” As extraordinary as the burgeoning visitor industry here in the community of Burbank that we have more hotel rooms coming online, Warner Bros. will be developing their Second Century Project shortly with the Frank Gehry designed buildings so, besides the median synergies that are going on, there is iconic architecture that going to be built. We are going to have improvements in our transit and we are looking to get more housing in our community and at the same time we are not going to forget the people who are not as well off as any one of us is today.”

Burbank Chamber of Commerce CEO, Tom Flavin, was very direct when asked about his opinion on the day ahead. “Optimism about the future”. He feels it is important for the Chamber to be involved with the speech every year. “This is important to us and our members because it (State of the City) underscores our partnership with the city”

During her speech after lunch, Gabel-Luddy spoke to the assembled as she touted much of Burbank’s present saying over 2,00o film permits were granted this year which does not count what happens behind studio walls.

She also spoke about the impacts of passing Measures T and P, and the effect it has had already on the City, “Your Measure P funds are already hard at work. Our Public Works Department just finished its largest local/residential paving project the City has ever embarked upon. We have more than doubled our annual paving schedule, which now includes 180 local and residential and arterial City blocks, upgrading about 100 curb ramps and diverting approximately 150,000 discarded tires from landfills using rubberized asphalt.”

Of course, the homeless situation is a current crisis which she addressed by saying, “Last year, the City Council approved the homelessness implementation plan and we have had some success. We will use funds from a Measure H planning grant to establish a storage facility for a homeless person’s property. This will allow the City to enforce regulations that prevent the storage of personal items in the public right of way.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Partnerships are key in creating affordable housing that’s why we came together with Burbank Housing Corporation and Family Promise to rehabilitate a triplex for use as a transitional homeless facility. Additionally, we have partnered with the Downtown Business Improvement District to hire Street Plus for the downtown, including the Metro Link facility. Street Plus works with our police department’s Mental Health Evaluation Team and Ascencia, a non-profit homelessness organization, to connect those in need with available resources.”

Housing in Burbank is also an issue with the City Council setting a goal to build 12,000 units during the next 15 years, focusing on transportation corridors.

Construction has completed or expected to start already as she praised developments like the Talaria Project, which houses Whole Foods and 241 housing units and has been recogined with many awards.

“Recently approved is the First Street Village Mixed-use project across from the AMC Theaters. This project will result in the development of 275 housing units, 14 of these will be workforce affordable units along with first-floor commercial. We have other residential development proposals that will soon come to the City Council that include the La Terra Project at 777 Front Street with 573 units of housing and a 307-room hotel, and the proposed Premier on First that will result in 108 new housing units, retail, office and conference space along with a 314-room hotel.

The Marriott-brand AC hotel will soon start construction on 3^rd Street across from the Colony Theater. It is estimated that it will contribute more than $1.7M in Transient Occupancy Tax to the general fund annually. Additionally, there are two hotels proposed adjacent to the existing Airport Marriott. These would include Aloft and Residence Inn brands totaling 420 rooms.”

In the end she went on to say what made Burbank a world-class city saying, “We protect our existing single-family neighborhoods while building responsibly. With your help, we are fiscally sound and are taking care of our current infrastructure. Burbank offers strong social networks through our diversity in population, backgrounds, and beliefs.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

We are embracing change while determining our future through planning,  setting goals and following through. We beautify our community with arts, culture, and entertainment. We also work with our many non-profits who provide much-needed services the City itself can’t offer.”

There was also a video presentation shot and edited by the City’s Public Information Office that was as well shot and edited as many shows that you see from the studios who dot our community.

Are there still problems to be worked out in the City, yes. And while the outlook of the State of the City left a positive taste, it will take much work in the future to obtain all of the goals.

Editior’s Note: October 25 at 5:00 pm – We now have the video shown at the State of the City Address – you can watch below

The post Mayor Very Optimistic During State of the City Address appeared first on myBurbank.com.

A local Burbank family has organized a wearable art fundraiser to benefit the Dellinger Scholarship Fund of the Community Foundation of the Verdugos on Sunday, October 27. Participants will create a one-of-a-kind scarf during a class taught by Mayu Silk Art and proceeds from the event will go directly to the scholarship fund, which supports Burbank Unified graduates who plan to attend college.

Stacy Schnaid, whose daughter was in the last class taught by BUSD second grade teacher Judith Dellinger before her retirement, organized the creative fundraiser to support the Dellinger Scholarship Fund. Schnaid’s family and friends helped establish the scholarship in 2017 to honor Dellinger, who worked for 36 years in the district, and her husband Ernest.

Stacy Schnaid (front, right) and Jill Spector show their painted silk wearable art from Mayu Silk Art in Huntington Beach. (Photo Courtesy Stacy Schnaid)

Mayu Silk Art uses a water marbeling technique to create unique fabrics for a variety of uses. The silk paint party on Sunday will demonstrate the technique. Schnaid was impressed by the company’s approach to wearable art and attended a class in Huntington Beach to learn more.

(Photo Courtesy Stacy Schnaid)

“The art process they were teaching was so unique and looked simply amazing,” explained Schnaid.

“I am always looking for creative ways to raise money for the Dellinger Scholarship and since Mrs. Dellinger loves the arts and always incorporated creativity into her teaching, I thought this would be a fun event for us and allow our supporters to take home a special gift.”

“In 2015, when my daughter and her classmates began graduating from high school, Mrs. Dellinger hosted a ten year reunion for the class. At that reunion, Mrs. Dellinger announced that she and Mr. Dellinger had set aside the funds to help each student attend college.”

“This remarkable gift was such a tremendous lesson in unexpected kindness that it led us to the idea of establishing a scholarship in honor of the Dellingers to pay forward their generosity,” Schnaid also said.

“We started the Dellinger Scholarship fund in 2017, and have since awarded three scholarships to hardworking Burbank Unified School District graduates who value education, demonstrate a high level of academic achievement, engage in community service and emulate the Dellingers’ spirit.”

Water marbeling and silk painting as demonstrated by Mayu Silk Art. (Photo Courtesy Stacy Schnaid)

More than 40 people have already signed up to participate. Interested people may sign up ahead of time online here or call Mayu Silk Art at (714) 379-1990. Mayu Silk Art teachers will guide participants through the process, which takes about 15-30 minutes for each scarf.

The silk paint party costs $59 per person and each participant will take home a one-of-a-kind scarf from the event. A portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Dellinger Scholarship Fund.

“Since the artists will be bringing the painting trays and supplies from a far distance, we have been encouraging all of our participants to register in advance,” added Schnaid.

“Walk-ins are not guaranteed, but will be allowed if time and supplies permit.”

The fundraising art class will take place on Sunday, October 27, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the plaza outside Verdigo Boulders located at 266 E. Magnolia Boulevard, across from the Burbank Town Center Mall.

The post Local Family Holds Creative Fundraiser To Benefit Dellinger Scholarship For BUSD Students appeared first on myBurbank.com.

By Rick Assad

Much was riding on the outcome of Friday night’s Pacific League football game between Burroughs High and Arcadia at Dick Salter Field.

The Indians trailed after every quarter, but did get their nose in front by one point in the second period and two points in the third quarter, however, in the end came up short, falling 36-28, and will enter the regular-season finale against Burbank (4-5 and 3-2 in league) at Memorial Field with a four-game losing streak.

The setback to Arcadia really stung because a victory would have greatly helped the Indians slip into the CIF Southern Section playoffs, but now it may not occur.

At this juncture in the 10-game season, every team is banged up, but none more so than Burroughs (5-4 and 1-4 in league), which is working with about two dozen healthy players.

Jon English, shown in a game versus Pasadena, didn’t score but paced the Indians on the ground. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We’re down to 25 guys. The only way we don’t make the playoffs is if we go 5-5. We’ve done the math,” Burroughs coach Rand Holdren said. “Our board looks like a mad scientist, but we have all the playoff things worked out and we have to go 6-4, which we knew we had to go 1-1 these last two weeks, but we have to put a whole game together.”

Against an explosive team like the defending league champion Apaches (4-5 and 2-3 in league), every able bodied player was needed.

Senior quarterback Nicholas Garcia tried his best to rally the troops, throwing three touchdown passes and rushing for a score.

“We’re not stacking good days together during the week, we didn’t come alive like we did in the first five weeks, how we did, but to be honest, we’re 0-4,” Garcia said. “We haven’t beat anybody yet.”

Garcia addressed the next game and the possible playoffs. “We have to come back next week and hopefully the playoffs,” he said. “We should have beat that team. They’re not that good.”

A few of Garcia’s passes were dropped and he also overthrew some of his attempts. “There’s a few overthrows today. It is what it is. We’re down to like 20 dudes,” he said. “I’m not going to blame my arm. A few they could have caught and a few I overthrew. My receivers are trying out there.”

Nicholas Garcia accounted for four touchdowns against the Apaches. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

After falling behind 13-0, the Indians cut the lead to 13-7 when Garcia, who injured his right throwing arm in last week’s loss to Pasadena, found senior wide receiver Carson Cardenaz with a three-yard pass and 6:57 left in the second period.

This play ended a march that began at the Arcadia 43-yard line and ended 10 plays later.

Burroughs, which opened the season with five straight wins, recovered the onside kick at the Arcadia 38 and after four plays led 14-13 on a 35-yard throw from Garcia to Cardenaz (67 yards on six receptions) as 5:25 remained before halftime.

Garcia (10 of 23 for 137 yards) was able to drive the Indians from their 28-yard line and used eight plays, capping the trek with a 26-yard pass to senior wide receiver Aiden Forrester that gave the Indians a 21-19 advantage and 8:46 left in the third frame.

A 10-yard carry from Garcia (55 yards on seven rushes) with 1:05 remaining in the contest ended a 55-yard, 10-play excursion and sliced Arcadia’s lead to eight points.

The Apaches took the opening kickoff and meandered from their own 41 and capped the 10-play drive with a four-yard run from senior quarterback Michael Hillier (18 of 24 for 304 yards with one pick) as 6:51 remained in the initial period.

Following a punt that gave the Apaches the ball at the Arcadia 48, Hillier’s 26-yard screen pass to senior wide receiver Ty Cavallero with 10:58 left before the half made it 13-0.

Hillier’s three-yard burst with 27.2 seconds remaining in the second quarter gave the Apaches a 19-14 edge. This drive came after a punt, consumed 45 yards and required six plays.

Arcadia vaulted ahead 22-21 on senior Simon Offstein’s 29-yard field goal with 4:28 left in the third quarter, finalizing a seven-play, 58-yard drive.

Cavallero’s one-yard run saw the Apaches slide in front 29-21 and ended a march that commenced at the Arcadia 18 and saw the hosts use 10 plays.

When the Indians, who are averaging 18.5 points while allowing 38.5 points over this four-game losing skein, were stopped on fourth and 12 at the Arcadia 30 on Garcia’s incomplete pass, six plays later senior tight end Chris Wilson carried the ball one yard with 2:45 left in the fray that put the Apaches ahead 36-21.

Sophomore running back Jon English led the Indians’ running attack with 62 rushing yards on 20 carries.

The post Burroughs Football Stumbles Against Host Arcadia appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Burbank Water and Power held an open house Saturday, October 26. Well over one thousand people attended the event. BWP opened their campus inside and out.

Guests could get their hands on equipment, climb power poles, take rides in the bucket trucks and ask  questions to learn more from the employees that run the public utility.

There were food trucks, Kona Cones and free popcorn.

The agency had electric cars on display. Burbank Police had an electric police motorcycle and the pink BMW motorcycle, recognizing breast cancer awareness month, that guests could sit on for pictures.

Here is a photo gallery from the event.

The post Burbank Water and Power Host Open House For Ratepayers appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Leadership Burbank held its yearly costume party at Nickelodeon Studios on Saturday evening, October 26, as they have for the past several years. Every year the costumes and makeup out do the previous year.

This year’s event had the makings of one of the best years to date. The guests enjoyed plenty of food, drinks, a photo booth, a card reader and mostly a lot of laughter and fun.

The DJ for the evening was Tom Wilke spinning tunes to keep everyone moving on the dance floor.

There was a contest and the winners won trips, tickets to studios tours and much more.

Here is a sampling of some of the guests. Can you tell who they are in costume and makeup?

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The post Leadership Burbank’s Yearly Costume Party Saw Some Outrageous Costumes And Makeup appeared first on myBurbank.com.