Community

My fellow homeowner Theo Fuller complains that too many rental properties are being built, allowing too many renters to live and vote in Glendale (“Enough renters in the city,” Nov. 18). Naturally, any city needs to be careful about how many structures it builds and how large they are. However, Fuller implies that renters should have no say in how the city is run. While it is true that some renters will leave after a short time, many rent for years. Many will be renters for their entire lives.

A fixture in local politics has been appointed to lead the Crescenta Valley Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition as its new executive director to help strengthen community partnerships. Suzy Jacobs, who worked for state Sen. Jack Scott and Assembly members Paul Krekorian and Mike Gatto in their district offices, joined the coalition on Jan. 1 after a month-long hiring process. “I want to make a difference in the community,” she said, adding that she hoped to build on the coalition's goal of building a safe, drug-free community for kids and teens.

Strong communities are made up of strong, dedicated and visionary individuals, and one of those people here in Glendale has been Barry McComb with the Alex Theatre and Glendale Arts (“Glendale Arts chief to move on,” Dec. 15). As McComb moves on to Thousand Oaks for another chapter in his career, I wanted to stop for a moment and express our deepest gratitude to this very special person. I've had the privilege of working with Barry not only with Glendale Arts, but with the Glendale Educational Foundation in its formative years.

I was surprised and appalled upon turning up at Briggs Avenue on the morning of April 21 to see the Crafts and Collectibles Market setting up for the day. I have lived in La Crescenta for almost 25 years and in that time have seen the town grow and develop in very positive ways. The community takes pride in La Crescenta and its environment. Everyone rallied around saving the big ficus tree on Foothill and people made their feelings known about a dog park and the commercial development that was proposed for the corner of Briggs and Foothill Boulevard.

To the Glendale City Council: I want to thank each and every one of the council members for their wise, farsighted and courageous decision to uphold the basic principle that a community has the right, indeed the imperative, to protect its fundamental values and way of life, to stand together and not be bullied by moneyed interests who can take unfair advantage of growing communities before they become solidified....

Much has been said about the challenges of healthcare reform legislation. With healthcare reform, more and more academic medical centers will enter into strategic partnerships with community-based hospitals in an effort to create a comprehensive system of care that will benefit local residents. Verdugo Hills Hospital's partnership with the University of Southern California and affiliation with the Keck Medical Center of USC will secure its future and provide the hospital with the capacity and resources required to meet the changing healthcare needs of our patients and the challenges of healthcare reform.

This letter is written in support of Garry Ackerman and the Glendale Rose Float Assn., who have given of themselves voluntarily in service to this community for 33 years. Shame on the City Council for how they have treated this group of committed Glendale citizens. Having come from a small town in the Midwest, I can attest firsthand to the value and benefit of how - through volunteering - a community grows and thrives as I saw my parents spend their adult lives doing just this.

It seems to me that the Glendale News-Press needs to learn a bit about the Armenian American community before it makes such spectacular accusations as was done in the Feb. 3 column by Ron Kaye. It is duplicitous not to mention incompetent to assert that the Armenian National Committee of America represents all Armenian Americans, and that Assemblyman Gatto does not have any supporters in the Armenian American community. In the future the News-Press should be more professional. Alex Kojababian Glendale

The letter by Danielle T. Loga ("Paper needs to bring community together") in the Nov. 21 issue of the Glendale News-Press struck a chord with me. I agree with her assertion that The News-Press has a responsibility to "publish articles that appeal to" and, may I add, reflect "all members of our community." I know there are individuals, events, and organizations that bring people of different cultures and backgrounds together. I have one that I would like to highlight.

  Margaret Crippen Wurtz passed away peacefully at home with her pets on her lap surrounded by loved ones. She was 98 years old. She is survived by her son Bill and his family, wife Cindy, grandchildren Kristina and Patrick, and their mother Theresa Wurtz and by her son Brian and his family, wife Kim, and grandchildren Michael and Cassie. Margaret was born in Iowa and moved to California at a young age. Her parents founded Crippen's Mortuary in 1928 which has served the community for 83 years.

A year ago Grace Graham-Zamudio settled for runner-up, third- and fourth-place finishes at the state championships. The Glendale Community College women's track and field star wouldn't settle for anything less that first in 2013. It resulted in Zamudio leaving the California Community College Athletic Assn. Track and Field State Championships, which was held at the College of San Mateo, and Glendale college with a triple crown. “The last race was definitely special, I know during the last lap I was thinking, 'This is my last lap as a Vaquero,'” said Zamudio, who capped off an incredible two-year career with the team by winning the 1,500-meter race in four minutes 36.13 seconds and the 5,000-meter in 17:41.

In beginning her quest Friday to win a triple crown at the California Community College Track and Field Championships, Grace Zamudio didn't change her racing strategy. With a light breeze blowing, the Glendale Community College women's distance runner broke past the starting line in the 10,000-meter event and paced herself before breaking away from the pack in the final mile. Zamudio cleared the first hurdle in her quest to win three state championships, as she clocked 37 minutes:22.19 seconds to win the event at College of San Mateo and earn her first state title in track and field.

Looking to jump start his career, Angel Rodriguez left Cal State Northridge for an opportunity to join the Glendale Community College baseball team. Rodriguez, who spent last season as a redshirt at CSUN, sought the chance to receive more individual attention while looking to improve his overall pitching skills. Turns out things worked fine for Rodriguez, who helped the Vaqueros win their third Western State Conference South Division championship in a row and was tabbed the division's pitcher of the year.

After building up the Glendale Community College men's and women's teams and leading each to appearances in the California Community College Athletic Assn. Golf Championship, Greg Osbourne resigned his post as coach to become Cal State Bakersfield's director of golf. Osbourne recently accepted the position with Bakersfield and will replace the retiring Dave Barber, effective June 6. He will coach both programs at Bakersfield, which will be joining the Western Athletic Conference next season.

FULLERTON - Timely hitting throughout the order and reliable relief pitching have been staples of Glendale Community College baseball success this season. On Friday afternoon, however, they were the Vaqueros' undoing. GCC stranded 13 base runners and its bullpen allowed two runs, as the Vaqueros lost to Palomar, 3-2, in the opening game of the Fullerton Super Regional of the CCCAA tournament at Fullerton College. "We really didn't play our game," said Vaqueros Coach Chris Cicuto, whose team will now play either El Camino Compton Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Santa Ana College, hoping to move on and into another elimination game Saturday afternoon at Fullerton.

Success is quickly becoming synonymous with the Glendale Community College baseball program in its current three-season run to unprecedented heights. For a third year in a row, the Vaqueros will ride into the super regionals and for a second straight year, that journey will take them south to Orange County. "Guys are excited. Guys are less nervous than they were this time last week," said Vaqueros Coach Chris Cicuto, whose squad opens up play at the Fullerton College Super Regional at 11 a.m. Friday against Palomar.

Grace Zamudio likely won't have any trouble getting motivated with another trip to the California Community College Track and Field Championships at stake. Zamudio will lead a group of Vaqueros scheduled to compete in the Southern California Championship on Saturday at Antelope Valley College. The field events begin at 11 a.m., followed by the running events at 1 p.m. Zamudio, who has already advanced to the state meet in the 10,000 on Saturday after clocking 39 minutes 15.48 seconds for a victory at the Southern California Regionals prelims at Antelope Valley College, will attempt to win the 1,500- and 5,000-meter races Saturday.