Week In Review

Councilmen Bob Yousefian and Ara Najarian on Tuesday renewed the attack on their colleague Dave Weaver, calling for a public condemnation of remarks he allegedly made about Armenian smokers in a Pasadena Weekly article in June.

Najarian also took the added step of calling on his colleagues to join him in an unofficial censure of Weaver for allegedly making a broad statement in the June 26 Pasadena Weekly article that Glendale’s “substantial and influential” Armenian population would likely oppose a coming smoking ordinance because many of them are smokers.

Weaver had repeatedly denied making that assertion, which in the article is not in direct quotes.

Still, Pasadena Weekly reporter Carl Kozlowski said last week on local cable television that he would attest to the veracity of his article under oath.

Kozlowski has been under fire for incorrectly attributing Weaver’s alleged comments to Mayor John Drayman in the original, published article before issuing a correction several weeks ago, when the article came to light at City Hall and initiated a firestorm.

Najarian, who over the past two weeks has been criticized by the Armenian National Committee for accepting Weaver’s explanation in the absence of any hard evidence, had clearly hardened his stance over the past week.

Weaver sat silently as his colleagues railed against him and did not immediately respond to calls for a unified condemnation and censure.

Despite pressure from Yousefian and Najarian to join in the condemnation, Drayman and Councilman Frank Quintero said they stood by their previous comments, which have focused more on the assertions in the article, rather than Weaver.

Through stifling economic conditions, the Glendale Chamber of Commerce reported this week that membership in its organization from April to July has exceeded last year’s level of the same period as businesses fighting high oil prices, a slumping housing market and increased demand on consumers’ pocketbooks seek alternative means to gain new clients and customers.

According to its most recent report, 43 new businesses joined the chamber from April 1 to July 31, an increase from last year that chamber officials said is a result of new store openings in the city — notably retailers in the Americana at Brand — and companies seeking another networking opportunity allowing them to increase profit margins.