The construction activities and closures listed below will occur February 26 to March 6, 2015, as part of the I-5 Empire Project in Burbank, a series of freeway improvements between Magnolia Boulevard and Buena Vista Street. All work will occur during daytime hours unless otherwise specified.

More information about the project is here. Construction activities, closures and schedules are subject to change.

Major Construction Activities for February 26 to March 6, 2015  

• Through the end of March, excluding weekends, crews will be installing metal plates and beams for shoring on the southbound I-5 shoulder near the old San Fernando tunnel. The work is necessary to construct the new Empire Avenue interchange. This operation will occur at night between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Residents may notice noise and/or vibration while the work is underway.

• Pile driving near the intersection of Buena Street and Winona Avenue will resume the weekend of Feb. 28 – March 1. Pile driving hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on both days. To ensure the safety of motorists during the operation, Buena Vista Street between Winona Avenue and San Fernando Boulevard will be closed in both directions from 5 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, to 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 1. A signed detour will be provided. Pile driving will also occur during the day, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the week of March 2-6. Crews may not work all five days.

• Leland Way Channel Cap: Concrete pour for soundwall and some drilling on the south end of Leland Way. Flaggers will be on site to ensure street and driveway access at all times.

• Reconfiguration of the Lincoln Street/Victory Place intersection. This work is ongoing through March 9. Lincoln Street will be closed at Victory Place during this operation.

• Removal of portions of the Buena Vista Street bridge to prepare for widening. Some night work.

• Spreading of base layer for temporary railroad south of Buena Vista Street.

• Concrete pours for soundwalls near the southbound I-5 Empire Avenue on- and off-ramps.

• Retaining wall work near the southbound Burbank Boulevard off-ramp and the old northbound Scott Road off-ramp.

What to Expect: Residents and businesses close to the freeway may notice vibration and construction noise, but it will not exceed levels permitted by state, federal and local regulations. Also, the contractor is using approved dust-control measures to minimize airborne particles, but some dust is expected.

Please be attentive to closures, slow down, and watch for workers in construction zones.

Additionally, motorists should be attentive to new traffic patterns created by restriping of travel lanes and concrete barriers. Please proceed cautiously and watch for workers.

Closures for February 26 to March 6, 2015

• Buena Vista Street between Winona Avenue and San Fernando Boulevard will be closed in both directions from 5 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, to 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 1.

• One lane of southbound I-5 will be closed between Buena Vista Street and Burbank Boulevard from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• One lane of northbound I-5 will be closed between Buena Vista Street and Burbank Boulevard from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

• Lincoln Street will be closed at Victory Place through March 9.

Resources for Motorists

• Project Information: Information about the project is here.

• Closure Information: Closure information for this and other freeway projects is also available on the Caltrans website and the I-5 website.

• Real-Time traffic Information: Visit quickmap.dot.ca.gov, go511.com, or call 5-1-1.

• I-5 Info Line: (855) 454-6335. Live help – not a recording.

For the safety of the construction crew and motorists, please be attentive to closures, slow for the cone zone, and move over one lane where possible.

Caltrans thanks motorists for their patience and understanding during construction. For more information, visit My5LA.com.

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Burbank City Clerk, Zizette Mullins, announced that final results are in for Burbank’s Primary Nominating Election held Tuesday, February 24. Of the 61,104 eligible voters, 10,190 ballots were cast (9,869 ballots were cast in the 2013 Primary), representing a 16.6 percent return rate. With all ballots verified and counted, the results remain consistent with those announced last Tuesday evening, although these numbers now include ballots that were pending verification by the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder’s Office.

There were seven candidates who qualified for the ballot for the two City Council seats (in ballot order): Emily Gabel-Luddy (4,170 votes), Juan J. Guillen (2,324 votes), Sharon A. Springer (1,303 votes), Will Rogers (3,563 votes), Elise Stearns-Niesen (1,464 votes), Christopher J. Rizzotti. (2,378 votes) and David Nos (2,151 votes). No candidates received a majority of the votes cast and therefore two seats on the City Council will be filled at the General Municipal Election to be held on April 14, 2015, by two of the following four candidates: Emily Gabel-Luddy, Juan J. Guillen, Will Rogers or Christopher J. Rizzotti.

There were six candidates who qualified for the ballot for the three Board of Education seats (in ballot order): Steve Ferguson (5,107 votes), Armond Aghakhanian (3,710 votes), Roberta Grande Reynolds (5,362 votes), Jesse Tangkhpanya (1,886 votes), Greg Sousa (3,049 votes) and Vahe Hovanessian (2,971 votes). Steve Ferguson and Roberta Grande Reynolds received a majority of the votes cast and therefore are duly elected to office for a full term of four years, ending April 30, 2019. There being no other candidates receiving a majority of votes cast in the Election, one seat on the Board of Education will be filled at the General Municipal Election to be held on April 14, by one of the following two candidates: Armond Aghakhanian or Greg Sousa.

The post City Clerk Announces Final Primary Election Results appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Friday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) submitted a continuation of remarks to the congressional record in the U.S. House of Representatives:

“I rise today to celebrate the life of Leonard Nimoy of Los Angeles, California, who passed away on the morning of February 27, 2015, at the age of 83.

“Leonard Nimoy, best known for his iconic role as Mr. Spock in the popular science fiction television series and motion picture franchise Star Trek, was born on March 26, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dora and Max Nimoy, Orthodox Jews and Ukrainian immigrants.

“Leonard began his acting career at 8 years old performing in local plays and continued acting through his high school years.  After coming to Hollywood, he landed small parts in the movies Zombies of the Stratosphere, Queen for a Day and Rhubarb and in 1952, had his first starring movie role with Kid Monk Baroni.  During the early 1950’s, Mr. Nimoy enlisted in the United States Army Reserves where he spent nearly two years, writing, narrating, and emceeing shows for the Army Special Services branch.

“After leaving the military, he returned to California, and achieved wide visibility appearing on television shows such as Rawhide, Perry Mason and Wagon Train, until he landed the role in 1966 of the half-Vulcan Mr. Spock in Star Trek, for which he garnered three Emmy nominations.  It was in this role that he became a folk hero, helping create Vulcan culture such as the Vulcan salute and Vulcan neck pinch.  The incredibly popular original series spawned an animated television show, various new television series, movies and sparked a devoted following of Star Trek that exists to this day.  After the original Star Trek series ended in 1969, Leonard continued acting in movies and television, performed voice-over work and acted in stage plays.  In 1979, he returned as Mr. Spock in the movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture and in 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, directed the movies Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and appeared in the 2009 and 2013 Star Trek movies.

“In addition to being an actor, producer and director, Mr. Nimoy was also a prolific poet, writer, photographer and singer, who often lent his talents to charitable organizations.  He and his wife, Susan Bay-Nimoy were generous supporters of the arts, educational programs and public astronomy.  They provided substantial assistance to the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles through their Leonard and Susan Bay-Nimoy Family Foundation, the esteemed The Thalia Theater in New York was renamed the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, and they were major supporters of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles’ historic 2002-2006 expansion, where the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater shows the Leonard Nimoy-narrated documentary film The Once and Future Griffith Observatory about the history, recent renovation, and future of the Observatory.

“Leonard is survived by his wife, actress and director Susan Bay-Nimoy, his children, Adam and Julie Nimoy, stepson Aaron Bay Schuck, six grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and his brother Melvin.”

The post Congressman Schiff ‘Takes His Leave’ With Leonard Nimoy appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Less than twenty-four hours after the first hearing of the new Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, Senator Ted Gaines (R-Roseville) and Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale), Chairman of the committee, announced their California Privacy & Consumer Protection Act – a bi-partisan package of legislation that will begin to address protecting individual liberties, consumers and personal privacy while promoting technological advancement that can benefit society for generations to come.

The bill package includes the following:

Driver Data Privacy (Senate Bill 206)
Prohibits the California Air Resources Board or any other public agency from gathering any data from a vehicle’s on-board diagnostic system, such as location or driving speed, other than what is currently required for California’s smog program.

No Drones Over Schools (Senate Bill 271)
To safeguard our children from kidnapping, harassment, stalking or a host of other potential injuries, this bill will prohibit the use of drones over school grounds, except in public safety emergencies.

Cyber Carjacking (To Be Introduced)
Cars are rolling computers.  Data breaches are becoming more common and hacks becoming more sophisticated, and it’s only a matter of time before cyber criminals are infiltrating cars’ operating systems or actually remotely commandeering the vehicles themselves.  This bill will make “Cyber Carjacking” a felony and create a special misdemeanor for unauthorized access of a vehicle’s computer system or data.

Body Camera Policy (To Be Introduced)
Law enforcement use of body cameras is a new and important tool for ensuring accuracy, fairness, transparency and accountability in our criminal justice system.  This bill will mandate that any law enforcement agency that uses body cameras is required to develop a written policy and to make that policy easily and readily available to the public.

Residential Privacy Protection (To Be Introduced)
Mandates that body camera footage taken inside of private homes where there is no arrest is not public data and is not subject to the California Public Records Act.  This policy will prevent people from using body camera data to snoop in law-abiding citizens’ homes and will be a bulwark against illegal searches.

Newborn Blood Screening (Assembly Bill 170)
Requires the California Department of Public Health to strengthen the notice requirements when dried blood spot (DBS) samples are taken from newborns to screen for diseases.  It would require that parents be provided information regarding the retention of DBS samples in California’s Biobank Program, including the parents’ right to request the destruction of their child’s DBS.  The bill would further permit children to request the destruction of their DBS when they reach adulthood.

Wiki Privacy Legislation (Assembly Bill 83)
This is a vehicle for the product of Assemblyman Gatto’s wiki page to crowd source a piece of legislation. This is the second year he has opened up the bill drafting process to the public via the internet in an effort to foster transparence in the bill drafting process. Last year’s wiki bill was limited to the topic of probate. With Assemblyman Gatto’s new chairmanship of the Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection, he thought it would be appropriate to use the internet to solicit ideas on legislation on privacy.

Televisions Recording Private Conversations (Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection) (To Be Introduced)
In the wake of news that some televisions are being sold in California with the capability of recording people’s conversations in their homes and transmitting them to a third-party, this legislation would prohibit the sale of televisions that record conversations when voice recognition features are not in use in California.

Reasonably Prudent Encryption (To Be Introduced)
Establishing a minimum standard for the encryption of truly personal information (clarified from the existing broad existing statutory definition).

Cyber Exploitation (To Be Introduced)
This measure builds on legislation that made it a misdemeanor to intentionally and without consent distribute an image of another identifiable person’s intimate body parts or depicting the person engaged in one of several specified sexual acts, without consent. The measure does two things:
·       Amends the Penal Code to allow a search warrant to be issued for this crime
·       Amends the Penal Code to allow for prosecutorial jurisdiction. This follows the jurisdiction pattern on identity theft, allowing the district attorney’s office to bring an action against an individual in the jurisdiction in which the individual whose image was published resides.  If passed, jurisdiction will include:

*   The county in which the offense occurred
*   The county in which the victim resided at the time the offense was committed
*   the county in which the intimate image was used for an illegal purpose

“Our lives are 100-percent online now, from baby pictures to social security numbers, PIN numbers and medical records – all targets for potential abuse,” said Senator Gaines. “Our privacy is under assault from a million directions and we need to build a fortress to protect that data. This package of bills is a framework to begin protecting our citizens from the unique challenges of the data economy.”

“Privacy is not a partisan issue. Californians on all sides of the spectrum want to see greater protections from both government excesses and corporate carelessness. This sensible legislation will hopefully be the beginning of more consumer friendly laws,” said Assemblyman Gatto.

The post Senator Gaines & Assemblyman Gatto Announce Privacy & Consumer Protection Act appeared first on myBurbank.com.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank firefighters were dispatched to a house fire Sunday night at 9:24 pm in the 400 block of N. Orchard. Burbank police on scene first, reported that the home was fully engulfed in flames.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Upon arrival, firefighters determined that the flames appeared to be on the outside of the home and were threatening the home’s attic through ventilation holes.  A neighbor along with a Police Officer with a garden hose were attempting to put out the flames.

Quick work by firemen both inside and outside, along with roof ventilation supplied by a truck company, had the fire declared a knockdown in 27 minutes at 9:51 pm.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Reports from the scene indicated that the fire might have started outside the structure near some recycling. An investigator was called to the scene.

Engine 15 reported that there was $50,000 damage to the structure and $2,000 damage done to contents.

An official cause has yet to be determined and is still under investigation.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The post Burbank Firefighters Make Quick Work of House Fire appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Rain caused motorists to experience multiple problems on Burbank streets and Freeways on Sunday.  A stretch of the I-5 Freeway between Hollywood Way and the 134 Interchange received calls for three different injury accidents..

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The most serious accident that the fire department responded to was at 1:20 am when an accident involving several cars occurred on the I-5 just south of Burbank Blvd. that required 2 Rescue Ambulances 2 Engine Companies a Truck Company with the ‘Jaws of Life’ along with a Battalion Chief.

Details of the accident were not totally available, Burbank Paramedics transported one victim with non life-threatening injuries to St. Joseph’s Medical Center while the other ambulance transported the driver of the car that needed to be extricated to USC Medical Center.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

California Highway Patrol officers were required to close the entire southbound lanes of the freeway while the extraction was taking place, backing up traffic in the early morning to the 170 freeway.

The post Rain Causes Accidents Along the I-5 Through Burbank appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Alert Burbank police officers used a little common sense in the rain Saturday night which led to the arrest for two suspects for Attempted Burglary according to Burbank Police.

Officers were driving through the Ralph’s parking lot at San Fernando and Alameda when they observed a vehicle which had it’s the windows rolled down. Due to the rain, the                       officers attempted to determine why the windows were down in the rain.  As the officers approached, the vehicle sped away in attempt to avoid the officers.

The officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle for traffic violations.  Both subjects in the vehicle were found to be in possession of burglary tools.  Further investigation revealed the vehicle the subjects had been parked next to at the Ralph’s parking lot prior to being stopped by the officers had the driver’s side door locks tampered with.

Jose Gallardo (31) of Lancaster and Miguel Huezo (30) of Sun Valley were arrested for possession of burglary tools and booked at the Burbank jail.  Gallardo has no bail and was scheduled to appear in court on March 3. Huezo posted $20,000.00 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on March 26

The post Men Arrested for Attempted Burglary at Ralphs Market appeared first on myBurbank.com.

The University of California system is overcrowded, with slots increasingly scarce for California’s growing population.  California industries, from animation to aviation to app-design, are finding it increasingly difficult to find the specialized graduates they need.  To solve these two problems, Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Burbank) has introduced AB 1483, legislation that will start the process for a new, public University of California campus.  It will provide the much-needed extra capacity to meet demand, and promote the so-called STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).  It can be thought of as a public version of Caltech.

Gatto’s legislation would start the process with the required study on the feasibility and potential locations for the campus.  But it also appropriates $50 million for land acquisition and initial building costs for the future “UC-Tech” campus, once the UC Regents have determined the ideal location.  This new campus would provide an elite technical education comparable to Caltech.  However, with Caltech’s base tuition at $43,000 a year compared to the $13,000 base tuition for in-state students at UC, this elite public education would save California students at least $120,000 during the course of a four-year degree.

“Tech and creative jobs are the future, yet too many California students are unable to get the education they need here in California,” said Gatto.  “It is time for the legislature to prioritize higher education with bold moves, ones that will make a meaningful difference in the educational levels and skill-sets of Californians for generations to come.”

Gatto’s concerns mirror those expressed by education and political leaders from across the state, including UC President Janet Napolitano and Governor Jerry Brown.  The UC Master Plan, written in 1960, promised that all California students who finished in the top one-eighth (12.5%) of their class could access a state-run university for free.  Yet as Governor Brown recently noted, demand has resulted in California’s flagship university – the University of California at Berkeley – closing its doors to “normal” people.  In 2014, 44,564 Californians applied to Berkeley and 8,391 were admitted.  Even affirmative action proponents have acknowledged that much of the controversy can be resolved with additional higher-education capacity.

Specialization within California’s public higher-education system is not new.  UC Hastings College of the Law is the United States’ only public, stand-alone law school, and UCSF is dedicated solely to graduate education in health and biomedical sciences.  By creating a UC school with a focus on STEAM education, AB 1483 would help fill the needs of employers looking for employees who are both creative and technologically savvy.

In a 2013 interview with code.org, Mark Zuckerberg, of Facebook, explained that, “Our policy at Facebook is literally to hire as many talented engineers as we can find. There just aren’t enough people who are trained and have these skills today.”  Virgin Founder and CEO, Richard Branson, expressed similar concerns when he stated that, “Whether we’re fighting climate change or going to space, everything is moved forward by computers, and we don’t have enough people who can code.”

The post Gatto Proposes a “Public Caltech” — A New UC Campus to Increase UC Capacity appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Burbank police officers responded to a fight investigation at Pickwick last Friday night. Upon arrival witnesses pointed out Lester Singleton (22) of Burbank, who said that the suspect had hit a 25 year-old male in the head with a skateboard who fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

The suspect attempted to flee the scene in a vehicle, but was stopped by the responding officers.  Independent witnesses identified the suspect as the person responsible for assaulting the victim with the skateboard.

Singleton was arrested and booked at BPD jail for Assault with a Deadly Weapon     His bail is set at $30,000.00.

The post Man Knocks Out Another With Skateboard appeared first on myBurbank.com.

President Ginny Barnett goes over the details of the float with general membership

A design for Burbank’s 2016 entry into the Rose Parade has been accepted by the Rose Parade Committee in Pasadena.  The entry was designed by Linda Ackerman-Cozakos and Adam G. Ostegard.

There is still not a name for he float but the Burbank Tournament of Roses group is planning to ask the public to submit ideas soon.

Linda Ackerman-Cozakos one of the designers of Burbank’s 2016 entry

2016 Rose Parade Float Rendering

The post Burbank Tournament of Roses Has 2016 Float Design Approved appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Burbank Fire Department was dispatched at 6:30 Monday evening along with Fire units from Glendale, Pasadena and Los Angeles City Fire to rescue a stranded female in the Los Angeles River near the Riverside Bridge.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Glendale Engine 27 along with Burbank Engine 15 were flagged down by a witness near the Victory off ramp of the 134 Freeway, where they said they saw a lady with some backpacks and a bike on a Island in the middle of the flowing river bed.

Burbank Firefighters train frequently on river rescues and on this rescue they were assigned to the rivers east bank. Glendale Battalion 2 took command of the incident and requested Pasadena Fire Departments USAR along with a truck company who used their equipment to lower a Firefighter into the river bed with a special harness. Once in the river bed on the island, they put a body harness on the female victim and raised her to awaiting firefighters on the bridge.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Glendale Paramedics were waiting to check out the woman, who appeared not to have any injures. She had been trapped by the rushing water on both sides. While she was being checked out,  firefighters lifted her bicycle and personal property from the island.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank Engine 15 was cleared from the scene and returned to their station as the members of the other departments broke down the emergency equipment they had used. Los Angeles Police closed the bridge while the  rescue was taking place.

The stranded female checked out ok and got on her bike and rode away thanking her rescuers as she peddled toward Burbank from the bridge.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Local news stations covered the story from ground and air, and televised the rescue live on the evening news.

The post Burbank Fire Assists on Joint Agency Televised River Rescue appeared first on myBurbank.com.

The Luther Middle School Cheer team placed second in the USA Junior Nationals competition on Sunday, March 1, at Disney California Adventure theme park. Under the direction of Coach Jenifer Coderko, the cheer squad has placed first in three regional qualifying competitions held previously in the school year at Summit High School in Fontana, Elsinore High School and Temescal Canyon High School.

Luther Burbank Middle School Cheer squad placed second in the 2015 USA Spirit Junior Nationals competition. (Photo Courtesy Luther Cheer/USA Spirit Junior Nationals)

Last year, Luther Burbank Middle School Cheer won the top prize at the USA Junior Nationals competition.

After competing against five other teams with a near-perfect performance in the preliminaries at Junior Nationals, the Luther team was announced as a finalist, according to Gabriella Platten, speaking as a representative of the squad. They competed against two particularly tough teams.

The other five schools in Luther Cheer’s category were Leavitt Middle School from Las Vegas, NV, El Roble Intermediate School from Claremont, CA, Union Middle School from San Jose, CA, Saint Mary’s School from Aliso Viejo, CA and Canyon Lake Middle School from Lake Elsinore, CA.

Coderko, a Burbank High School cheerleader and 2008 graduate, has led the squad for the past five years.

“I am so proud of my girls for earning second place out of six teams at Junior Nationals,” commented Coderko. “This is only our third year going to Nationals and the team has already left its mark and shown other teams that Luther is a serious competitor.”

Eighth graders Christal Castro, Harmony Hendy, Kansas Klocki, Cassandra Orjuela, Sarah Pando, Kate Platten, Julia Terrano and Ally Torrance competed in their final USA Junior Nationals for the Luther Cheer squad. Team members also include Chloe Avila, Brooklin Bosco, Gia Corey, Alexandria DeVito, Jessica French, Angelina Joven, Lucinda Kelman, Shaylee Kelman, Connie McKeehan, Stephanie Miles, Grace Mokracek, Darby Nealis, Brianna Ortega, Melissa Ramos, Lindsay Reardon, Danielle Swaisgood and Sophia Terrano.

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UPDATED: Police now say they have Cameron Hansen (29) of Santa Clarita, in custody. At first what was believed to be three stabbing victims, was downgraded to two people stabbed and a third was alleged to be assaulted by Hansen

Burbank Police were called to a home at 728 Roselli St. in Burbank a little after 11 pm Tuesday night after a person called to say there had been a stabbing.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Once police arrived, they found that there had been a total of three people assaulted by a male suspect who had fled the scene on foot. The victims apparently knew the man but it was not clear what his relation was to them.  Three paramedic ambulances along with other support personal were sent into the bloody scene.

Paramedics transported all three people to a trauma center in unknown condition.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Police immediately set up a perimeter in the area Elm and Kenneth, about two blocks on the Glendale side of the border.  The suspect, described as a male white, 29 years-old, about 5′ 10″ and around 190 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes had on a black hoodie and jeans was believed to be armed with a four inch pocket knife.

After locking down the area with help from Glendale Police and two units from the Pasadena Police Department, began a house to house search with their K-9 in hopes to pick up the suspects trail.

Police impounded a car that belonged to the suspect a couple of blocks from the stabbing scene.

Additional information will be available once Detectives talk to the victims, and a complete search of the scene is made.

The post UPDATED: Two People Stabbed, One Assaulted in Burbank Home appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Press Release from the Chris Rizzotti campaign:

Lifelong Burbank resident and local small business owner Chris Rizzotti received an endorsement from Current Burbank City Council Member Gary Bric in his bid for Burbank City Council.

“It’s an honor to receive the endorsement from Council Member Bric who has served our residents for decades. “If elected, I look forward to continue the work of service that Council Member Bric has established to serve our residents”.

Rizzotti announced his intention to run in March and has been working tirelessly ever since, meeting with community members and sharing his vision for a better Burbank. In the past few months Rizzotti received the endorsement of Assemblyman Mike Gatto of the 43^rd District, Burbank Police Officers Association, Burbank Firefighters Local 778 and Burbank Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 761.

Chris Rizzotti is the current Vice Chair of the City of Burbank Planning Board. Rizzotti was President of the Burbank Association of Realtors in 2012, received the Realtor of the Year Award in 2013, was President of the Community Service Foundation in 2013, was a Core Team Member for the Measure S Ballot Initiative, and received an Outstanding Contribution Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. He has been active in civic and philanthropic engagement for many years.

More information about Rizzotti, and details on his vision for Burbank, can be found on his campaign website: www.abetterburbank.com.

The post Gary Bric Endorses Chris Rizzotti for City Council appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Burbank native Julie Adams won the top prize of the forty-fourth annual George London Foundation Competition for young American and Canadian opera singers, along with five additional finalists. The winners were announced February 27 at the end of the final round of the competition at Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library and Museum in New York City.

Julie Adams performing in the 2015 George London Foundation competition. (Photo Courtesy Shawn Ehlers)

Adams, a soprano, won the George London-Kirsten Flagstad Award, sponsored by the New York Community Trust, for a potential Wagnerian singer.

Tenor Michael Brandenburg, age 28 from Austin, IN, won the George London Award in memory of Lloyd Rigler. Julia Dawson, a mezzo-soprano, age 26 from Cobourg, Ontario, Canada won the George London Award sponsored by Liliane and Robert Brochu for a Canadian singer.

Bass Adam Lau, age 30 from San Francisco, CA, took home the George London Award sponsored by The Lissner Charitable Fund. Sarah Mesko, a mezzo-soprano, age 30 fom Hot Springs, AR, won George London-Leonie Rysanek Award, while baritone Reginald Smith, Jr., age 26 from Atlanta, GA, won the George London Award.

Each award includes a cash prize $10,000. The George London Awards are one of the most prestigious vocal competitions in the country. More than $2 million has been awarded since 1971 to young American and Canadian opera singers, many of whom have gone on to international stardom.

Past winners include Christine Brewer, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Catherine Malfitano, Eric Owens, Matthew Polenzani, Sondra Radvanovsky, Neil Shicoff and Dawn Upshaw.

Adams recently won the grand prize at the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.  She is a first-year San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow and alumna of the 2014 Merola Opera Program, where she performed the role of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

This past fall, she sang the role of Mimì in San Francisco Opera’s presentation of La bohème for families. During her studies with César Ulloa at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, from which she received bachelor’s and master’s degrees, she performed the roles of Blanche in Les Dialogues des Carmélites, Mimì in La bohème, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi.

Other credits include Lia (Debussy’s L’Enfant Prodigue) at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv; Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara; and Magnolia Hawks (Show Boat) and Rose (Street Scene) with the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Adams is a former studio artist with Opera Santa Barbara.

“As Adler Fellows, our responsibilities include covering/understudying the main stage singers and sometimes we even sing small roles on the main stage,” said Adams. “We also take part in daily classes such as movement classes, language classes, acting classes, costume classes, voice lessons, vocal coachings, etc. It is a wonderful place to be and I couldn’t be happier.”

George London Foundation President Nora London (center) with 2015 George London Award winners (left to right) Michael Brandenburg, Sarah Mesko, Reginald Smith, Jr., Julie Adams, Julia Dawson and Adam Lau. (Photo Courtesy Shawn Ehlers)

American bass-baritone George London devoted much of the time and energy of his later years to the support and nurturing of young opera singers with the creation of the George London vocal competition. This year’s panel of judges included opera stage director Bruce Donnell, soprano and San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald, former Metropolitan Opera administrator Alfred F. Hubay, George London Foundation President Nora London, mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer and tenor and voice professor George Shirley. The competition pianist was Linda Hall.

A total of $71,500 was given in awards at the 2015 George London Foundation Competition. After three days of preliminary auditions, during which 81 singers were heard, 21 were selected as finalists. Of these, six were selected as winners of George London Awards of $10,000 each and eight were given George London Foundation Encouragement Awards of $1,000 each. The remaining seven finalists received $500 Honorable Mention awards.

Adams’ next performance is a Schwabacher Debut Recital accompanied by San Francisco Opera Head of Music Staff John Churchwell on Sunday, March 29, in San Francisco. More information about the performance can be found at this link.

The post Burbank Native Wins Top Prize At George London Competition appeared first on myBurbank.com.

The David Starr Jordan Middle School community celebrated surpassing the $100,000 auditorium renovation fundraising goal on Monday, March 2. Principal Stacy Cashman thanked Burbank businesses, parents, local supporters and the JordanARTS committee for their donations and efforts to raise $112,465 so far.

“When we began this endeavor in August, I could not have imagined the overwhelming support from the community,” Cashman said. “Staff, students, families, alumni, business partners and community supporters demonstrated their dedication to Jordan.”

Jordan ARTS committee members joined together to accept the matching $10,000 donation from Warner Bros Monday afternoon. Pictured Suzanne Weerts, Gema Sanchez, Lisa Rawlins, Stacy Cashman, Dr. John Paramo and Sharon Cuseo. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“While the total dollar amount raised is a testament to the JordanARTS team and all our supporters, it was the teamwork and cooperation of the volunteers who were involved that makes me most proud.”

JordanARTS, a parent-led booster group taking its name from the Jordan Auditorium Renovation Tribute Show, launched into action in the fall of 2014, with an online auction. They coordinated efforts by school music teachers and alumni to put together the tribute show to raise funds for the project.

Jordan ARTS committee members joined together to accept the matching $10,000 donation from Warner Bros. Monday afternoon. Pictured Gema Sanchez, Lisa Rawlins, Stacy Cashman and Suzanne Weerts. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“Jordan is grateful to Warner Bros. for their generous Challenge Grant,” commented Suzanne Weerts, JordanARTS member and event co-chair. “Without them, we would not have been able to reach our goal.”

“The challenge they issued not only helped us bring in $10,000 in our on-line matching campaign, it also inspired additional donors to contribute cash donations directly to the school and expanded our outreach to friends and relatives across the country.”

“Through the Support Burbank Schools website and the ability to donate on-line, Jordan was able to raise  much more money than we would have through traditional fundraising methods,” she added. “We were fortunate to be the first Burbank school to utilize the Support Burbank Schools website and we hope other schools are inspired by our success.”

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“Warner Bros. is proud of Jordan Middle School for successfully meeting our challenge of increasing support for their auditorium renovation through online donations,” said Lisa Rawlins, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Warner Bros.

“Engaging the community – parents, neighbors and local businesses – has become  essential in meeting the needs of students in Burbank schools,” she added. “We are pleased to be a part of the Support Burbank Schools campaign.”

“I think it is clear that the time so many people in our community spent at Jordan Middle School had an impact on their lives,” said Weerts. “Whether as a student, a staff member or a parent of a former student, people really wanted to play a part in this this project, give back to this school and support Jordan’s music programs.”

“The JordanARTS show itself was a testament to the value of music education in the lives of our children,” she also said. ” So many former students came back to perform because they continue to appreciate the gift of music that Chris DeMore and John Whitener have brought to their lives.”

“Wondrous Charm,” written by Jordan Middle School students, with art by Jordan student Zachary Hagen-Smith, is available on iTunes now.

A song written and performed by Jordan students Trenton Rogers, Hailey Myers, Nathaniel Semsen, Yoni Fogelman, Craig Shippey and Reagan Shippey, via the Song Squared project headed by Burbank resident Dave Christensen, has been released on iTunes.

Funds raised from the purchase of the song, “Wondrous Charm,” will go towards the auditorium renovation fund as well.

Jordan student Zachary Hagen-Smith created the cover art. The song can be found here on iTunes and costs $.99 per download.

Cashman explained the next steps in the Jordan auditorium renovation project.

“We are gathering bids and coordinating with the district. Since there is significant bond work being done at Jordan this summer, we are still working on prioritizing tasks and determining when we can begin work,” she said. “While we are eager to begin the work, we also want to take enough time to plan the renovation with consideration.”

More information on the JordanARTS organization and the auditorium renovation project can be found on their website.

The post JordanARTS Surpasses Fundraising Goal With Warner Bros. Grant appeared first on myBurbank.com.

UPDATED 10:00 3/5/15

Burbank Police Department was requested to assist Los Angeles Police Officers with an Officer Involved Shooting at the termination of a pursuit at the intersection that reached speeds up to 100 mph at Pass Avenue and National Street early around 1:50 Thursday morning. The shooting and body left laying at the dead-end on National.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

A half  dozen officers from Burbank Police responded . Burbank Patrol descended into the neighborhood as requested, they first started to check the scene when they determined that there was a male suspect who was in custody with a gunshot wound to the chest. No officers were injured and no other suspects were outstanding.

It has been reported that the pursuit started in North Hollywood in the area of Magnolia and Riverton and lasted about six minutes before terminating in the 4100 block of National at the dead-end. A LAPD patrol car collided with the suspects car and it is unclear if it was just a collision or if the suspect rammed the cruiser. The suspects car had been reported stolen in mid February.

Burbank Fire Paramedics were requested to the intersection of Evergreen & National in the area of where the shooting took place.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank Police set up a perimeter of Pass Avenue and Riverside Drive to Olive and Pass Avenue to Rose Street back to Riverside Drive and all street surrounding the location.

Burbank Fire Department Engine 12 who arrived on scene at 1:53 AM and pronounced the victim dead.

Los Angeles Police started releaving Burbank Patrol Officers on the perimeter and had several additional Patrol, Detectives, and specialized equipment roll into the scene which will remain closed for most of the morning.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Body lays covered on sidewalk following shooting.(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The post LAPD Shoots GTA Suspect Following Pursuit into Burbank appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Girls Basketball

No. 4 West Torrance 54 No. 1 Burroughs 31

The Lady Indians fell in the CIF Division 1A semifinals on the road. Falling behind 14-5 after the first quarter and 21-10 at the half, Burroughs couldn’t mount a rally to catch the Warriors. The lead for West Torrance increased to 35-21 after three periods. Sienna Brown led the Lady Indians with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

It was a magnificent season for Burroughs (30-3, 14-0) as they finished with a school record 30 wins against just three defeats including a 26-game winning streak that marked the longest active streak in the Southern Section until the loss to West Torrance. The Lady Indians won their third consecutive league title and fourth in five years going undefeated for the second year in a row. This was the farthest a Burroughs girls basketball team had ever advanced in the CIF playoffs.

Baseball

Easton Tournament-

Moorpark 7 Burroughs 3 (quarterfinals)

The Indians could only muster three hits in the loss on the road. Aidan Anding had 2 RBIs for JBHS.

Burbank 2 Poly 0

Burroughs 5 Rio Mesa 0

Thomas Wilson allowed two hits over six innings and Anthony Bocanegra had two doubles to lead the Indians to the shutout victory. Max Haddad added a double and RBI for the Tribe.

Newbury Park 4 Burbank 2

Burroughs 7 Camarillo 6

Aidan Anding went 3 for 4 and scored two runs in the opening day win for JBHS. Danny Bustos earned the victory on the mound. The Indians broke a 4-4 tie scoring three runs in the top of the 6th and holding off the Scorpions. Aidan Anding collected three hits while Tyler Lewis added two hits and three RBIs as the Indians pounded out 10 hits.

Chatsworth 4 Burbank 1

Softball

Hart Tournament-

Burbank 9 Hart 3

Caitlyn Brooks fanned 10, walked one and allowed five hits in the complete game effort. Lily Winn was 2 for 4 and a home run; Bridgette Pisa went 3 for 4 with a home run, triple and 5 RBIs.

Burbank 1 Notre Dame 0

Caitlyn Brooks recorded two wins in one day striking out 12 while giving up just two hits.

Boys Volleyball

Burroughs 3 Long Beach Poly 1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23)

Burbank 3 Alhambra 1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-21)

Willie Perryman: 12 kills, 6 blocks
Kirk Capalla: 18 assists, 8 digs
Alec Agana: 8 digs

Tennis

Glendale 11 Burbank 7

Burroughs 13 Hoover 5

Burbank 13 Pasadena 5

Crescenta Valley 13 Burroughs 5

Track and Field

Burbank (girls) 79 Valencia 57

Valencia 73 Burbank (boys) 62

Canyon 79 Burroughs 53 (boys)

100

Kent Truong (3)                     11.2

200

Niko Guerrero                        23.2

Kevin Alpizar                          24.2

Michael Huynh                      25.1

400

Kevin Alpizar (2)                    56.2

Michael Huynh (3)                58.2

1600

Garrett Boulais (1)                 4:29

Justin Villagran (2)               4:30

Andrew Barrondo                  4:36

Elias Hoxsie                           4:41

Evan Thomas                         4:43

Trent Harrison                       4:46

Christian Fuentes                  4:50

Adam Villalpando                  4:53

Jared Perez                            5:01

David Olympia                       5:06

Quang Nguyen                       5:07

Michael Contreras                 5:14

Eduardo Cabrera                   5:15

3200

Garrett Boulais (2)                9:49

Andrew Barrondo (3)            9:50

Dion Mokhtari                        9:51

Elias Hoxsie                           9:52

Justin Villagran                     9:57

Manne Green                         10:00

Trent Harrison                       10:40

Michael Contreras                 10:58

Jared Perez                            11:01

Quang Nguyen                       11:20

110H

Corwin Scherer (2)                15.0

Brandon Tong (3)                  15.4

Nathan Bradley                     15.5

Neron Palmer                         15.8

Emerson Sosa                         17.2 

CORWIN SCHERER

#6 JB ALL-TIME

B110H – 15.0

300H

Nathan Bradley (1)                41.3

Corwin Scherer (2)                41.5

Brandon Tong                       44.3

Emerson Sosa                      45.2

4×100 – 46.9

Kevin Alpizar, Dylan Dovaston,

Michael Huynh, Brandon Tong

4×400 – 3:39

Corwin Scherer                      51.25

Nathan Bradley                     54.22

Emerson Sosa                         55.79

Dylan Dovaston                     57.90

PV

Kent Troung (1)                     13’6

Ben Mathov                           11’

Neron Palmer                         9’6

LJ

Neron Palmer (1)                   19’9

Brandon Tong (2)                  19’2

Niko Guerrero                        17’11

Dylan Dovaston                     17’8

Nick Phillippi                          16’9

Jeremy Phan                          16’7

TJ

Ben Mathov (1)                      37’10

Dylan Dovaston (2)               36’5

Nick Phillippi (3)                    32’7

Branden Campos                   32’2

SP

Austin Bui                              34’10

Joseph Jacobson                   32’3.5

DT

Austin Bui                              93’2

Joseph Jacobson                   64’9

Canyon 104 Burroughs 32 (girls)

100

Angelica Saenz                      14.2

Ignatia Teresa                         14.4

Kayla Dighero                         14.4

Jaymie Olea                           14.9

200

Megan Wade                         28.2

Sara Ehlers                            28.2

Deanna Fierro                        29.9

Ignatia Teresa                       30.4

400

Megan Wade (2)                   64.9

Sara Ehlers                            66.9

Deanna Fierro                        67.6

800

Maddy Davis                          3:01

1600

Emily Virtue                           5:47

Betsy Ramirez                        6:05

3200

Eileen Eckles (3)                   12:23

Valerie Monroy                      12:26

Betsy Ramirez                        13:08

100H

Samantha Hebri (1)               17.2

Breanna McCallum (2)         17.5

Dakotah Tilton                       21.0

300H

Samantha Hebri (3)              54.0

Breanna McCallum               55.7

Dakotah Tilton                       57.2

4×100 – 54.3

Sara Ehlers, Deanna Fierro,

Samantha Hebri, Megan Wade

4×400 – 4:42

Angelica Saenz                      68.81

Kayla Dighero                         70.42

Ignatia Teresa                      70.72

Jaymie Olea                           72.43

PV

Sarah Prystupa (2)                10’

Bailey Harrison                      7’

HJ

Sarah Prystupa                      4’6

Monica Brown                         4’4

LJ

Monica Brown (2)                  14’10

Sarah Prystupa (3)                14’5.5

Angelica Saenz                      13’5

Paola Barillas                        11’3

TJ

Breanna McCallum (1)          30’5

Sarah Prystupa (2)                29’4.5

Samantha Hebri (3)              28’7

SP

Nadime Younan (3)              28’4

Megan Ly-Lim                       27’1

Emory Goodwin                     25’1

Olivia Villegas                        24’1.5

DT

Nadime Younan (2)              95’9

Megan Ly-Lim                        75’7

Olivia Villegas                        75’

Emory Goodwin                     57’2

NADIME YOUNAN

#7 JB ALL-TIME

GDT – 95’9”

The post Morning Sports Ticker- March 6 appeared first on myBurbank.com.

The high school student winners of the Bob Hope Airport “2015 Tower Banner Student Art Contest” from Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena Unified School Districts presented their winning artwork at the March 2 Airport Authority meeting. The winners were chosen from 342 entries across all three districts. Joining them were their art teachers and district art coordinators, along with many of the students’ proud parents.

Anyssa Payaslyan, 12th grade, Burbank High School. ( Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank School District’s winning banner, created by 12^th grader Anyssa Payaslyan of Burbank High School, will be displayed starting April 2016.

This is the eighth year the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority has sponsored the Bob Hope Airport Tower Banner Student Art Contest for students of the respective Unified School Districts in Grades 9 – 12. Each year, the Airport Authority chooses a different aviation theme for the contest. This year’s theme was “Great Moments in Flight.” In 2014, the theme was “Skies of Freedom.” In 2013, the theme was “The Sky’s the Limit,” and in 2012 and 2011, the artists illustrated “Cleared for Take Off,” and “Up and Away.”

Each school district determines which submissions are its top three entries. The arts and culture commission from each respective city then considers the three entries and makes the final award of the first place entry from its school district based on the judging criteria set forth in the Authority’s contest rules.

( Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The winning artwork from each school district is enlarged to a size of 16 feet by 26 feet for display on the Bob Hope Airport terminal tower for a period of approximately three months where it is seen by well over a million travelers and airport visitors as they arrive and depart the airport.

Since the contest’s inception eight years ago, $19,500 has been awarded to each school district in honor of the winning entries, with the stipulation that the award be used to help support and promote the districts’ education programs for the arts. This year, each district will receive another $3,000, bringing the total to $22,500 for each school district.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The post Burbank High Student to Have Banner Displayed at Airport appeared first on myBurbank.com.

Burbank announced it will host Special Olympics Delegations (which include athletes and coaches) from Botswana and Zimbabwe as part of the Special Olympics World Games Host Town program. Before the World Games begin on July 25, 2015, more than 7,000 athletes from 177 countries will be welcomed to communities throughout Southern California. The two Delegations from Africa will spend July 21-24, 2015, in and around Burbank as they become acclimated to the time zone, enjoy activities that Burbank has to offer and prepare to compete at the World Games.

The Host Town program in Burbank is a collaboration between the City of Burbank, Woodbury University and the Burbank Chamber of Commerce. Together, they will welcome the Special Olympics athletes and coaches and provide the delegations food, housing and entertainment.

“The Host Town program gives each community an opportunity to showcase to the world what makes them special, but more importantly to provide citizens with a better understanding of intellectual disabilities that will lead to acceptance and inclusion for all,” said Patrick McClenahan, President and CEO of LA2015. “Long after the World Games are over, the memories of those three days spent at Host Town will leave a lasting legacy for Special Olympics Southern California and everyone who was touched by our athletes. We are thankful to all participating Host Towns and their tireless volunteers for opening their doors – and their hearts – to our athletes and coaches.”

Woodbury University has generously offered to house the athletes in the campus dorms from Tuesday until Friday morning. In addition, the athletes will receive a unique opportunity to enjoy Burbank’s attractions during their stay thanks to donations made by the Worthe Real Estate Group, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., and more.

To learn more about how you can get involved with the Burbank Host Town program and to find more about the community events that will take place that week, please visit www.burbankca.gov/specialolympics.

The Host Town program has been an important element of Special Olympics World Games since 1995, and the experience has left a lasting impression on the local communities in Ireland, Japan, China, Greece, South Korea and the United States, all of which have previously organized Host Town programs as part of the Special Olympics World Games.

For more information on the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit LA2015.org and on social with #ReachUpLA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The post Burbank to Host Special Olympics Delegations appeared first on myBurbank.com.