Committee reaffirms form of government
After months of discussion, Glendale's Charter Reform Study
Committee fell back on an old cliche -- if it ain't broke, don't fix
it. The committee did not recommend any changes to Glendale's
manager-council form of government, in which the City Council
legislates but a professional manager handles the day-to-day
operations of the city. The committee discussed an elected mayor and
voting for council members by districts, among other options. The
turning point in the discussions came in an October meeting, when a
string of current and former elected officials advised the committee
to stick with the system as it is.
Gomez announces run for judgeship
Glendale City Councilman Gus Gomez announced in November that he
is running for a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge spot, ending
speculation that he planned to run for state Assembly. If elected,
Gomez probably will have to abandon his council seat. The move could
bode well for Mayor Frank Quintero, who has reportedly set his sights
on the Assembly.
Local soldiers killed in Iraq
Three local residents were killed this year while fighting the war
in Iraq. Todd Bryant, a 1998 La Canada High School graduate, died in
October outside Baghdad. Bryant, 23, was a 1st Lieutenant with the
U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment. Bryant's name was
added this month to a war memorial in La Canada Flintridge.
Marine Lance Cpl. Donald "John" Cline Jr., who attended Monte
Vista Elementary School, Rosemont Middle School and Crescenta Valley
High School in La Crescenta, died in March after his unit was engaged
in a firefight near Nasiriyah. He was 21. Cline's name has been
inscribed on Glendale's Veterans Memorial.
Army Spc. Rel Allen Ravago IV, a 21-year-old graduate of Hoover
High School in Glendale, was killed during an attack in November in
Mosul. Ravago was a member of the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Ravago's name, along with Bryant's, will be added to the Veterans
Memorial next year.
Traditional parade canceled
The Days of the Verdugo Parade was canceled for the first time in
more than 60 years due to waning support, interest and attendance.
The parade once drew as many as 30,000 people for the third-largest
parade in the state behind the Rose Parade and the Hollywood
Christmas parade. The parade was a Glendale tradition to honor the
city's Spanish heritage and the Verdugo family who settled the area.
