DOWNTOWN
The Alex Theatre this week began what could be a year of upgrades for the 85-year-old venue, starting with the replacement of its seat upholstery.
Theater officials plan to replace the cushions and fabric for the venue’s 1,400 seats over the next month and are developing plans to reconstruct the entry courtyard to match its original construction before the Redevelopment Agency renovated and reopened it in 1993 after years of decline.
While plans for the courtyard are not yet set and will be delivered to the Historical Preservation Commission at the end of the month, the seat replacement is underway, said Elissa Glickman, associate director of Glendale Arts, which oversees operations for the Alex.
The $100,000 seating upgrade will involve replacing the foam interiors of the seat cushions, which will also be covered with new velour fabric, said Jack Allaway, associate director of the Alex Theatre.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Attorneys representing both sides in a complaint against the Minx Restaurant and Lounge said Wednesday that they were trying to reach an agreement on the terms of a permanent injunction that would require it to suspend night club activities.
Attorneys advised Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Milton on Wednesday that both parties met the day before to discuss the injunction against the Minx and were close to coming to an accord.
More residents are abandoning their land lines for cell phones, a trend that public safety officials say is challenging how they respond to emergency calls.
Of the 9,697 emergency calls in November received at Verdugo Fire Communications Center for fire and paramedic services, 31.5% were from cell phones, according to the Glendale Fire Department.
Residential land lines made up 43.1%.
The growing number of cellular calls has made responding to emergencies more challenging, said Don Wise, interim fire communications administrator for the center.
New phones that come equipped with the mapping capabilities allow dispatchers to pinpoint the caller’s location during emergency calls, he said.
With the driver of the SUV that struck and killed Montrose resident Joo Lee still on the loose, the City Council and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday allocated a combined $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
