Disaster

As a resident of North Glendale for 45 years, using Honolulu Avenue on a daily basis, I could not agree more when Councilman Dave Weaver called the “road diet” plan “a recipe for disaster” (“ City to put road on diet ,” Feb 2). Other than Foothill Boulevard, Honolulu Avenue is the most heavily traveled east/west street in the foothill area. Apparently, few council members live in this area and can comprehend the consequences of this misguided use of Honolulu Avenue.

For a week now, all America has been focused on the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina and how it brought to light the slow response of the government. It is easy to say we are prepared, but how prepared are we when a massive disaster really strikes? It will all boil down to management and communication from the local, state and federal level. We don't have to wait for a Sept. 11 or a Hurricane Katrina to remember that. We have to be prepared with or without a disaster or a massive emergency.

Gretchen Hoffman Three years ago, Glendale Fire Captain Ron Gulli was working as an emergency services coordinator to ready the city for Y2K, and domestic preparedness was simply an entry on a list of things to do he came across one day. "Domestic preparedness -- that's all it said," he said. "I had no idea what it meant." Times have changed. Gulli, who now serves full-time as a domestic preparedness coordinator, is Glendale's resident expert on weapons of mass destruction and has been referred to as a "master of disaster."

Listen to the radio or other media for information on where to go and what to do. Having a battery-powered radio is a must in case the power goes out. Design a family emergency plan. Pick two places to meet in case of an emergency: one outside your house and another outside your neighborhood. Designate an out-of-state friend or relative to be your family contact in case of emergency. Keep important papers in a safe place. Familiarize yourself with how to evacuate your home or office.

Some players hung their heads and the coach called the whole evening a total disaster. And that was the winning team. Indeed, Friday night's 21-17 nonleague triumph over a valiant Marina High squad at Westminster High was far from typical for Newport Harbor. Newport Harbor senior quarterback Tom Jackson, however, prevented even deeper gloom for the Sailors by triggering a dramatic game-winning drive in the final 1:01. It capped a strong performance by the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Jackson, who threw three touchdown passes and also tossed a two-point conversion.

Gretchen Hoffman City officials are putting the finishing touches on preparations for a mass-disaster exercise, the likes of which have never been done before in Glendale, or even most other parts of the country. Mock disasters are nothing new, but the combination of factors in Glendale's citywide exercise -- a chemical attack in a high-rise building on a workday -- is unique, Glendale Fire Capt. Ron Gulli said. Most drills take place in open areas, such as a stadium or open field.

Alecia Foster GLENDALE -- Two local businesses are stepping up to help those affected by the recent terrorist attacks with fund-raisers Sunday and Monday. Giggles Nightclub will hold a "Celebrate America" event Sunday for the families of firefighters and police officer who died in the recent terrorist attacks in New York. The $12 admission price will go to the cause, as will all the employees' wages for that day. American flags will be given to everyone attending.

GLENDALE — Susan Troh moved as quickly as she could from one patient to the next, separating victims according to their injuries so paramedics would know who to treat first. It wasn't an easy job. Some injuries were internal and serious, others, though painful, were merely superficial and required less immediate attention. And in this large-scale disaster, prioritizing was crucial. But unlike most disasters, the 10 victims sat up and gave Stroh and her responding partner a quick round of applause after they finished their triage.

The 500-page "Basic Emergency Plan" is the city's bible in disasters. "Disaster preparedness guidelines are for the residents, but the emergency plan is for the staff," City Manager Ken Frank said. The plan spells out what is expected of each city department in the event of a man-made or natural disaster, right down to who will handle public information and the press. Police Capt. Danell Adams was the face and voice of emergency operations for displaced families and the media after the June 1 landslide.

The Southern California wildfires of 2007 and 2009 are a distant memory for most, but an organization that emerged from the devastation is alive and kicking. ART from the ashes, a Glendale-based cooperative of artists and volunteers that creates artworks out of the detritus of natural disasters, recently hosted a pop-up restaurant and exhibit, Comida Y Arte, in the ultra-cool Wine Vault on Brand. The food was tasty, the artwork tastier. And for another month, you can sample the art for yourself.

A bill to improve emergency and disaster preparedness among California utilities was unanimously approved this week by a committee in the state Assembly. AB 1650, introduced by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge), requires public utilities to hold comprehensive disaster preparedness meetings every two years with the counties and cities they service in order to improve readiness for natural disasters. “In the wake of the fierce winds and power outages that caused so much damage in Southern California late last year, we need to look at these events in a different way,” said Portantino in a statement.

We're about three weeks away from the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, so it makes perfect sense that Criterion is putting out new Blu-rayand DVD releases of the 1958 “A Night to Remember,” almost simultaneously with James Cameron's theatrical reissue of his version converted into 3D and Fox's Blu-ray release of its less beloved 1953 “Titanic.” (If you want a totally different experience, try the 1943 German “Titanic,” whose director...

As a resident of North Glendale for 45 years, using Honolulu Avenue on a daily basis, I could not agree more when Councilman Dave Weaver called the “road diet” plan “a recipe for disaster” (“ City to put road on diet ,” Feb 2). Other than Foothill Boulevard, Honolulu Avenue is the most heavily traveled east/west street in the foothill area. Apparently, few council members live in this area and can comprehend the consequences of this misguided use of Honolulu Avenue.

Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and his colleague, Judy Chu, urged Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday to seek a federal disaster declaration for the area raked by the powerful windstorm that hit late last year. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already rejected applications for assistance, saying the total damage caused by the overnight windstorm on Nov. 30 - estimated at $34 million - failed to meet the $50.3-million threshold. The lawmakers are now urging Brown to seek a disaster declaration using a provision that takes “localized impacts” into consideration, thereby lowering the criteria.

As it continues to grapple with the aftermath of a massive earthquake, Turkey has declined disaster assistance from Armenia and Israel, two nations with which Ankara has strained relationships, according to Reuters . Ankara's rejection of most offers of help -- including from the U.S., Britain and Germany -- comes as workers continue to sift through the rubble caused by the magnitude-7.2 earthquake that struck on Sunday. The death toll so far is at 239 . Reuters is reporting that Turkey has only accepted aid from Iran, Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.

It took just seconds for Muir Elementary School students to scurry under their desks Thursday morning, but it was a lesson officials hope will last a lifetime. The school community joined millions of Californians for the Great California Shakeout, a drill aimed at improving emergency preparedness in the private and public sectors. “I remember doing this as a student,” said state Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge), who visited the Glendale Unified school to observe the exercise.

The best “bad” movies always begin with the greatest intentions. Film history is littered with mediocrities you've never heard of from people who didn't care, but it takes a lot of heart to make a massive misfire. “Troll 2” director Claudio Fragasso thought he was making a clever satire of vegetarianism. “The Room's” Tommy Wiseau truly believes that his anguished howl of “You're tearing me apart, Lisa!” is up there with the best of Brando. And the grandfather of them all, Edward D. Wood Jr., hoped “Plan 9 From Outer Space” would be seen as a plea for world peace.

Two years to the day after an arsonist started what would become the 10th largest wildfire in modern California history, life has returned to normal in La Cañada Flintridge, but scars of the disaster remain. While the Station fire's perpetrator remains at large, the community has moved from rebuilding homes to rebuilding real estate values. But even then, loose ends remain. Local fire officials say a more unified command and communications system is in place to better coordinate firefighting efforts.

When the recent turmoil in the Middle East ignited, causing gas prices to soar higher than Charlie Sheen's ego, there was only one sensible thing to do for the wellbeing of my family: rent a petroleum-swilling RV and hit the road. Nothing makes sense of a senseless world better than a good, long road trip. With the brain trust at Burbank Unified scheduling Spring Break an inexplicable five weeks before Easter — while still winter, in fact — the wife and I decided to pack up the kids and take the quintessential family road trip to the Grand Canyon.