Boards

PASADENA - Cleaning the glass was key to the Muir High girls' basketball team keeping a spotless Pacific League record when Crescenta Valley visited Tuesday. The Mustangs out rebounded the Falcons by 22 in the second half to maintain a healthy lead and pull off a 45-34 home victory. Muir's Emoni Jackson, who finished with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds, said the boards are always key. "We always focus on rebounds because if you get the rebound its another second chance and those rebounds might be important when it comes to close games," Jackson said.

The future of Glendale's design review boards may be on the line next month when the City Council takes up options for changing the process of reviewing plans for single family homes. The DRBs were set up ten years ago when there was a flurry of concern over construction of large, non-compatible homes, the problem generally known as "mansionization." The council was talking up the first proposals arising out of the view ordinance discussions, but most of the debate seemed to center around the boards, which have been a subject of controversy for some time.

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- Standing side by side Tuesday night, officials from the city's three elected boards said they will work together to resolve problems in the community over gangs and ethnic tensions. Glendale Mayor Dave Weaver read a statement backed by his City Council, Glendale Unified Board of Education and Glendale Community College Board of Trustees calling on their staffs to kick off a communitywide study for reducing violence. Although no dates have been set, several meetings will be held in the upcoming weeks seeking advice from the public.

CITY HALL — As City Council members grapple with how to fill 12 vacancies across the city’s 18 boards and commissions, a looming task awaits them for next year, when terms for 28 seats will expire, according to the City Clerk’s Office. The frustration some council members have felt in trying to lower the persistent vacancy rate was highlighted at last week’s council meeting with heated finger-pointing and a call for a report on how the system of nominating and interviewing candidates might be revised for tonight’s meeting.

Robert Chacon Community service has been City Council candidate Larry Miller's focus for more than two decades. The list of groups and boards he has worked on is extensive. He has served on three commissions, seven boards of directors, been a member of multiple service groups and elected president of others. He has found time for these extra duties while running a flower shop and acting as a real estate investor. "I am someone that gets things done," Miller said.

Assembly Bill 2160, which would move several K-12 school policy issues away from the control of school boards, parents and administrators and make them part of the collective bargaining process with teachers' unions, is a flatly bad idea that should go no farther. The bill -- condemned by school boards, school administrators and parent groups across the state, including the school boards in Glendale and La Canada Flintridge -- would take the decision-making process for curricula, textbooks, standards and other issues away from boards and administrators and lump it in with the countless issues covered during collective bargaining for teacher contracts.

School boards are an American democratic institution whose members are elected to provide the leadership and approve the policies for their local community schools. Those elected to serve on the school board are individuals who reflect the local community’s values, aspirations and expectations with respect to what is taught to the children in the schools. More than ever, school boards have the challenge and responsibility to balance the academic needs of students and the wishes of their community while adhering to numerous mandates, laws, pressure groups and the microscope of public opinion.

  Sevak Amranyan, Senior, Guard, Burbank First-team All-Pacific League selection averaged 20.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists a game for Bulldogs.   Shara Davoodi, Senior, Guard, Hoover Second-team All-Pacific League pick put up 15.3 points and 5.5 assists a game.  Steven Johnson, Senior, Forward, La Cañada An All-LA84 pick and co-Rio Hondo League MVP, he averaged nearly 15 points and seven boards a contest.

Mixer to raise cash for Relay for Life The Glendale Chapter of the Armenian National Committee will host a mixer at 8 p.m. Thursday to raise money for Relay for Life. “Toast to a Cure” will be at Sidebar, 1114 N. Pacific Ave. Admission for the fundraiser is $15. For more information, call the committee at (818) 243-3444.   Boards to discuss ‘middle’ high school The Glendale Unified School District and Glendale Community College District boards will have a special joint meeting Tuesday to discuss offering a middle college high school on the college campus.

A break on the incumbent hold on three Glendale Unified school board seats appeared likely with most precincts reporting into early Wednesday morning. With all 39 precincts reporting, Joylene Wagner, first elected to the school board in 2005, was narrowly trailing behind challenger Armina Gharpetian - who raised far more money than her competitors, taking in roughly $20,000 as of March 16, according to unofficial results reported by the city clerk's office. Shortly after midnight, Wagner had 7,195 votes to 7,696 for Gharpetian, who was holding onto a narrow margin for third place.

After spending months campaigning for a seat on the Glendale Unified school board, a few of the candidates on Tuesday had made last minute phone calls to voters before polls closed at 8 p.m. Candidate Daniel Cabrera made calls to voters in the afternoon. But with less than three hours left for voters to cast their ballot, he said, “there's nothing I can do it about it at this point.” On Tuesday night, he planned to go to the gym and have dinner with his wife, and steer clear of the results as they trickle in. “I'll wake up in the morning and find out how everything went,” he said.

The seven candidates running for three open seats on the Glendale Univied school board explain why they should be elected. Dan Cabrera I am the best candidate for the Glendale School Board because of my experience as a PTA president, Glendale teacher, parent and businessman. I understand the concerns of Glendale parents, students and businesses. I have held leadership positions in the Glendale Historical Society, Foothill Little League, Royal Canyon Property Owners Assn.

Glendale Unified school board challenger Armina Gharpetian has raised far more money than her competitors so far, taking in roughly $20,000 as of March 16, according the most recent filings. Records show 26 contributors donated about $7,000 to Gharpetian's campaign for the period of Feb. 17 through March 16. That's more than all but one of her six competitors have raised so far for the entire campaign. And she's done it without hosting a major fundraiser. Gharpetian said her participation in several “meet-and-greets” have been proven effective in interacting with voters.

There are seven candidates vying for the three open seats on the Glendale Unified School District Governing Board, a healthy field during a pivotal year. The board will be tasked with continuing capital improvements allowed by the $270-million bond approved in 2011, ensuring the district is on track with its Common Core State Standards, and getting teachers' buy-in during turbulent budgetary times. These and other concerns call for deep institutional knowledge and steady hands. We endorse the incumbents: Greg Krikorian, Joylene Wagner and Christine Walters.

Bullying among students and the responsibility that parents and district employees have when it happens was addressed by six of the seven school board candidates Monday during a forum hosted by the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce. The candidates also opined about budget issues, traffic congestion and other issues, but it was the bullying problem that got the most time. “Certainly, the schools have quite a bit of responsibility,” said incumbent Christine Walters. “The adults in schools are part of shaping who students become and what kind of citizens they are with each other.” She added that parents were also responsible for being aware of how their children treat family, friends and siblings.

The race for Glendale school board looks like a power grab to me. Why else would anyone want to unseat any of the three outstanding incumbents who are running to serve us again? Let me start with this alarm - Jennifer Freemon is backed by the Glendale Teachers Assn. Her husband, Allen Freemon, is a past president of the GTA, and is still a GTA board member. That probably sounds great. But can anyone else see that these relationships create a clear conflict of interest for GUSD? The problem ahead is that the school board will be involved in labor contract negotiations with the GTA. I fear that school board members who may be perceived as beholden to the interests of the GTA cannot fulfill their duties to those who elected them.

Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian won the fight for what he said was his “future in local politics” Thursday, defeating a movement to unseat him from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority over his staunch opposition to a potential tunnel extending the Long Beach (710) Freeway. In December, representatives from 10 San Gabriel Valley cities voted against Najarian's confirmation, after members from the North Cities sector, which includes Glendale and Burbank, had nominated him for another four-year term on the MTA Board of Directors.

Teacher evaluations and budget hurdles were among the topics submitted from the public for a forum that put the spotlight on the seven candidates vying for three seats on the Glendale Unified school board. The televised forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Glendale/Burbank on Wednesday, attracted about 20 people to the district headquarters, where candidates each were given up to one minute to respond to each question. Speaking on the teacher-evaluation process, incumbent Christine Walters said statewide test scores shouldn't be the only measurement of teacher effectiveness.

A political newcomer who's running for Glendale Unified school board has raised the most money in the race, according to the most recent campaign filings. A dentist by trade, Armina Gharpetian reported raising $12,250. Of that amount, $1,155 came in the form of nonmonetary contributions and $2,500 consisted of a self-made loan. The majority of Gharpetian's contributions came from 17 supporters, 10 of whom donated $500 to $1,000 to her campaign. The total listed in her most recent financial disclosure forms for the period ending Feb. 21 put her far above the six other candidates in the race in terms of amassing campaign funds.