Alcohol

GLENDALE— City officials this week expressed concern about granting a beer and wine sales permit to a billiard's facility, citing its close proximity to a residential neighborhood. At a city planning hearing on Wednesday, officials requested the permit application be denied for Billiard's Corner, at 730 South Central Ave., citing the establishment's hours of operation were vague, and that a sign forbidding anyone 18 or younger had not been posted for many months until it was warned amid police concerns, city planner Christopher Baxter testified.

The City Council this week voted to allow the sale of hard liquor, in addition to beer and wine, at several city parks and public facilities starting in 30 days, a move intended to make those venues more attractive to revenue-generating events. Officials plan to attract weddings and other parties to city facilities to increase revenue by allowing alcohol at sites such as Deukmejian Wilderness Park & Barn, Brand Park Tea House & Garden, the Catalina Verdugo Adobe and others. Burbank and Pasadena both limit alcohol consumption at city facilities to beer and wine, according to a city report.

The following were taken from daily booking reports from the Glendale Police Department. AREA 1 South Brand Boulevard and East Colorado Street Bogdan Balasanyan, 36, was arrested March 8 on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court or pay a fine. 1100 block of East Garfield Street Nicolas Vargo, 28, was arrested March 8 on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court or pay a fine. North Brand Boulevard and East Broadway Lilit Dondonyan, 31, was arrested March 10 on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Deukmejian Wilderness Park & Barn would be the perfect site for a wedding but for the city's ban on alcohol there, Councilman Laura Friedman said, recalling a recent visit. "If we really want to get the wedding business, we need to make sure people should be able to serve drinks," Friedman said at a City Council meeting this week. Her colleagues agreed, laying the foundation for amending the rules regarding alcohol on city property next week. "It's something that would be a revenue generator at a time when we need revenue," Friedman said.

Representatives for Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy are saying the goth rocker's blood alcohol level was 0.01 when he was arrested March 16 on suspicion of driving under influence of drugs or alcohol after an alleged hit-and-run collision in Glendale. According to Murphy's official Facebook page, the amount of alcohol in his bloodstream was well below the legal limit of 0.08. His representatives alleged that his blood alcohol level of 0.01 was the “lowest amount of alcohol that is able to register on a breathalyzer.

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- The Glendale City Council has decided to tackle a recommendation to tighten the city's ordinance dealing with alcohol sales. The council voted 5-0 Tuesday to support holding study sessions about new regulations to hold down the number of businesses that sell beer, wine and liquor and limit where they go. No date has been set for the study sessions, which are expected to be held in the next two to three months. The council did not discuss a report outlining the recommendations.

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- The Glendale zoning administrator will consider requests Wednesday for variances and a permit to sell alcohol at two businesses. Richard and Diane Kim of Glendale want a variance to sell alcohol at a restaurant at 818 N. Pacific Ave.. Miguel Herrera of Glendale wants a permit to allow for the sale of beer and wine at a liquor store at 333 N. Verdugo Road. The hearings are set for 9:30 a.m. in Room 105 of the Municipal Services Building, 613 E. Broadway.

Alcohol and prescription drugs were found in the motel room where Jani Lane, former lead singer of the 1980s glam-band Warrant, was discovered dead Thursday evening in Woodland Hills, law enforcement sources said. An autopsy will determine how the 47-year-old Redondo Beach resident died, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner. Lane's body was found about 5:30 p.m. Thursday in a room at a Comfort Inn in the 20100 block of Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills. “He was discovered unresponsive," said Coroner's Deputy Chief Ed Winter.

Glendale officials have approved the first draft of rules that would for the first time permit alcohol at parks, libraries and other venues - for a fee. Currently, alcohol can only be served at the Civic Auditorium, a popular site for weddings and quinceañeras. Exceptions can be granted by the city manager, but they are rare. If the new policy is approved, beer and wine could be served at such locations as the Brand Park Teahouse and Garden, Sparr Heights Community Center and the Adult Recreation Center after securing a $100 permit through the parks department.

Re: “ Allowing alcohol sends wrong message ,” Mailbag, May 8. Mike Mohill hit the nail on the head. He brought up very salient points in reference to the council's decision to allow alcohol at weddings on public property. The council is asking for more problems. Don't we have enough problems without encouraging more? In addition, there are many private venues available for functions of this type. If they want to ban something, they should ban the sale of alcohol in the city of Glendale.

Because of public pressure, Councilwoman Laura Friedman and her colleagues a few months ago decided to ban the gun show on public property because it sent the wrong message to the community. Reasons cited were that the gun show was near the college, in a residential neighborhood, and sold guns and ammunition. However, according to our chief of police, in all the years the gun show was at the civic auditorium, there never were any law-and-order problems. Recently, Friedman told the public that if we really want to get the wedding business, we need to make sure people should be able to serve drinks on public property.

Soon party planners hoping to entice more guests to attend their events will be allowed to sell hard liquor, beer and wine at parks and other public facilities within the city's limits, following a vote this week of the City Council. In approving the sales, the council ensured a new revenue stream to help make ends meet for the strained city budget. Such a course of action is not unfamiliar; many cities long ago realized that allowing organizations and private parties to make alcohol available to paying guests makes those properties far more attractive to planners who want to see their events become successful.

The City Council this week voted to allow the sale of hard liquor, in addition to beer and wine, at several city parks and public facilities starting in 30 days, a move intended to make those venues more attractive to revenue-generating events. Officials plan to attract weddings and other parties to city facilities to increase revenue by allowing alcohol at sites such as Deukmejian Wilderness Park & Barn, Brand Park Tea House & Garden, the Catalina Verdugo Adobe and others. Burbank and Pasadena both limit alcohol consumption at city facilities to beer and wine, according to a city report.

Deukmejian Wilderness Park & Barn would be the perfect site for a wedding but for the city's ban on alcohol there, Councilman Laura Friedman said, recalling a recent visit. "If we really want to get the wedding business, we need to make sure people should be able to serve drinks," Friedman said at a City Council meeting this week. Her colleagues agreed, laying the foundation for amending the rules regarding alcohol on city property next week. "It's something that would be a revenue generator at a time when we need revenue," Friedman said.

Representatives for Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy are saying the goth rocker's blood alcohol level was 0.01 when he was arrested March 16 on suspicion of driving under influence of drugs or alcohol after an alleged hit-and-run collision in Glendale. According to Murphy's official Facebook page, the amount of alcohol in his bloodstream was well below the legal limit of 0.08. His representatives alleged that his blood alcohol level of 0.01 was the “lowest amount of alcohol that is able to register on a breathalyzer.

Our city officials have apparently forced the ownership of Giggles Night Club to change their license to prohibit young people under the age of 18 from entering the club due to the presence of alcohol on the premises. This action is ridiculous, since it denies dancing programs at the "night club," the mere mention of which rings a bell with young people, boys and girls ages 14 to 18. We members of the Glendale Human Relations Coalition sponsored and supervised many dances of the past three to four years and had no alcoholic problems, no fights, no claims or lawsuits against Giggles or the city of Glendale over any criminal activity.

I find it rather hypocritical that the city is considering banning the Glendale Gun Show and at the same time expanding the use of alcohol on public property (“Councilman aiming for ban of city's gun show,” Dec. 20). If one of these persons who legally consumes alcohol at a city facility drives off and crashes into a school bus, killing several children, who would be morally responsible? I personally have no use for alcohol and having worked with a fellow Glendale city employee who killed two mothers and two daughters in Glendale as a result of drunk driving, this only strengthens my position against alcohol.

Glendale officials have approved the first draft of rules that would for the first time permit alcohol at parks, libraries and other venues - for a fee. Currently, alcohol can only be served at the Civic Auditorium, a popular site for weddings and quinceañeras. Exceptions can be granted by the city manager, but they are rare. If the new policy is approved, beer and wine could be served at such locations as the Brand Park Teahouse and Garden, Sparr Heights Community Center and the Adult Recreation Center after securing a $100 permit through the parks department.

Maria Rochart, founder of the now-defunct nonprofit New Horizons Family Center, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and her 9-year-old daughter was taken into child protective custody due to alleged neglect, officials said. Rochart, who was widely known in the city for her work with children from low-income families, was released early Wednesday on her own recognizance in connection with allegedly driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.13, Glendale police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.