Week In Review

Boxing was banned 62 years ago under the pretense that the matches would have an “unwholesome” impact on the city. But local boxing promoter Kahren Harutyunyan last year successfully lobbied the City Council for a test run. His company, Art of Boxing Productions, hosted two events at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, generating $19,342 in revenue for the venue.

Harutyunyan Wednesday said he was glad he had the chance to demonstrate that boxing could be beneficial to the city.

The number of homeless people in Glendale rose 65% this year to 428, according to figures released this week.

City officials and social service representatives attributed the rise to the county winter shelter, which returned this year to the Glendale National Guard Armory, and the recession.

When the county-funded winter shelter was in Burbank, 50 people were bused from Glendale. That figure tripled when the shelter returned to Glendale, according to the report, which is scheduled to be reviewed Wednesday by the Community Services & Parks Commission.

EDUCATION

The more than 500 students who live in Los Angeles but attend Glendale Unified schools won a one-year reprieve this week from a plan that would have closed the borders between the two districts.

Glendale Unified was poised to lose $2.5 million in attendance-based revenue if all of its Los Angeles-based students had their inter-district permits revoked, but an announcement by Los Angeles Unified Supt. Ramon Cortines on Tuesday put the possible move off until the next school year.

POLITICS

Alcohol didn’t cost a South Pasadena teenager his life when he died after attending a party in December — but his friends’ fear of calling 911 did, the boy’s mother said in a statement released Tuesday.

That incident — one that could have been avoided with a call for help — inspired Azita Rezvan to throw her weight behind legislation from Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) that would give immunity to underage drinkers who call 911 when friends need medical assistance.

Rezvan’s son, Aydin Salek, died because his friends feared getting in trouble for drinking when they realized he was unconscious, Rezvan said.

The state Assembly on Monday overwhelmingly approved Portantino’s bill, which will now move to the state Senate for consideration.

BUSINESS