Candlelight Vigil

The five most read stories on the Valley Sun’s website in the past week: 1) Locals take to the hills on day trip. 2) Marijuana bust here. 3) Crime blotter. 4) Big rig crash leaves one dead on 210. 5) Some changes coming to town; GUSD election wrap-up.   The five most e-mailed stories in the past week: 1) Locals take to the hills on day trip. 2) Something you do once a generation. 3) Falcons take Pacific league tri-meet.

Alex Theatre to host vigil Residents are invited Friday to join various community organizations in a Candlelight Vigil Against Violence at the Alex Theatre. The vigil will be held 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in front of the theater, at 216 N. Brand Blvd., in commemoration of survivors and victims of domestic violence as part of this month?s 31 Days of Domestic Violence Against Women awareness campaign. Speakers will participate at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in a panel discussion about domestic violence.

CITY REMEMBERS 1.5-MILLION LIVES LOST Eighty-nine years after the Ottoman Empire began a systematic effort to eliminate Armenians, killing 1.5-million people in nine years, the city of Glendale is making sure everyone remembers on Saturday, Armenian Genocide Commem- oration Day. The city will have events at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 N. Verdugo Road, throughout the day, including a book drive, an art...

Karen S. Kim GLENDALE -- Local residents interested in commemorating the 86th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide won't have as far to drive this year, as Glendale for the first time joins dozens of other local organizations in offering remembrance events next week. Organized by a committee of community members and city staff, Glendale's "Week of Remembrance" will kick off Sunday night with a panel discussion at the Glendale Central Library. "This is the first for the city of Glendale, and I'm hopeful the whole community will be out and this will be the beginning of them coming together to recognize the differences of the various segments in the community, as well as being educated about the different tragedies that have affected mankind," said Mayor Rafi Manoukian, who was chairman of the committee.

Claudia Peschiutta GLENDALE -- For many local residents, it is one of the most solemn days of the year. Hundreds of Armenian-Americans from Glendale and throughout Southern California are expected to observe Armenian Martyrs' Day on Sunday and Monday in Montebello, home of the Armenian Monument. Armenians and others throughout the world commemorate the Armenian Genocide on Monday. About 1.5 million Armenians were killed when exiled by the Ottoman Turks in 1915.

Tim Willert GLENDALE CITY HALL -- The City Council on Tuesday will be asked to approve a weeklong series of events planned for later this month to commemorate the Armenian Genocide and other crimes against humanity. The council will also consider whether to approve $9,550 in anticipated program costs. In October, the council approved the idea for the commemorative event, and appointed a 26-member committee to organize a program to recognize the genocide and a separate program to commemorate "man's inhumanity to man."

Gretchen Hoffman Glendale Police officers and firefighters pulled up to City Hall with sirens blaring as "America the Beautiful" played softly in the background, a fitting salute to their counterparts who rushed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon one year before. American flags were draped throughout Perkins Plaza as community members and city officials gathered to recognize the heroes of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on Wednesday night.

Karen S. Kim Remembering the heroes, not rehashing the tragedies, is the purpose of the city's commemoration event for the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The event will include a candlelight vigil and a slew of patriotic presentations. "We're not trying to remind everybody of the actual terrorist attacks," said Zizette Ayad, senior administrative analyst for the city, who is coordinating the event. "This event is targeting a remembrance of what happened and recognizing and commemorating the heroes that died.

o7"The magic of it all, the secret, is hard work -- making sure standards are taught at every grade level. As we've all learned, it's just a lot of hard work and concentration."f7 -- Robert Barbot, Newport-Mesa Unified School District superintendent, on standardized test scores released by the state Department of Education that showed gains in English and math proficiency at every grade level o7"We are so joyous. We believe that God has relieved us and delivered us from this legal battle."

There was a time not long ago when Glendale had a reputation that was formed by the type of people who unfurled banners and flags and stuck badges on their chests at the City Council meeting as the comments about the gun show unfolded. Although they were the majority among speakers at City Council, I am convinced that their day is now in the past. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School has belatedly helped to illuminate that. Today Glendale parents, senior citizens, students, educators, shoppers at the Galleria and the Americana at Brand and small-business owners are all much more keenly aware of the toll it has taken on communities to have a society that is awash in deadly firearms.