Glendale Boulevard

I have been a participant in the Glendale Cruise Night since its inception nine years ago. This year, I had my blue 427 Cobra replica parked in front of Moro Beauty College, near the south end of the Cruise. I have some ideas to help streamline the process of getting the participants' cars onto the Cruise Night site, especially when the event does not open on time. At 3 p.m.: Only allow participants cars to turn south onto Brand Boulevard from the westbound 134 Freeway.

The following incidents were taken from reports filed at the Glendale Police Station : 4800 block of Cloudsdale Avenue: A Lexus IS300 was reportedly vandalized Sunday. 3100 block of Montrose Avenue: Burglary was reported Sunday after the owner of a truck, which was parked in the subterranean garage of an apartment complex, discovered a hammer drill, several saws and a hand drill, together worth roughly $1,000, missing from the vehicle. 100 block of North Maryland Avenue: A 26-year-old Burbank man was arrested Saturday after police reportedly saw him entering and exiting a stolen vehicle.

SOUTH GLENDALE — Officials on Tuesday heralded the addition of two affordable housing developments at the city’s southernmost edge on San Fernando Road that will eventually add 140 apartments to a mostly industrial area. “It’s part of an overall strategic plan for the city,” Councilman Frank Quintero said at the ceremony dedicating the 68-unit Glendale City Lights, at 3673 San Fernando Road. The $36.4-million project received $9.8 million in city assistance and is already occupied.

Say it ain’t so! (“Strip mall still coming” — Crescenta Valley Sun, Jan. 11). Upon reading that the historic and charming May-Lane/La Crescenta Motel on the corner of Foothill and Briggs is going to be turned into yet another strip mall — another stucco scar on the boulevard — I threw down the newspaper in frustration and disgust. Now, after stewing over this latest depressing development (pun intended) for a few days, I’m wondering: Why stop at simply cramming another unnecessary retail strip mall with too few parking spaces and too many non-English-language signs?

KATHERINE YAMADA Fourteen years after the Famous Department Store opened on Brand Boulevard, the store published an ad in the local newspaper. The ad carried a personal message from the store manager, Albert F. Baudisch, thanking Glendale for its patronage and loyal support. "The growth of the Famous keeps step with the ever-advancing city of Glendale," the 1936 ad read. Baudisch's daughter, Bea Fricker, told me that her father's entire career was with the Famous.

More than 130 seniors got an early start on bringing in the new year at Glendale?s Adult Recreation Center on Thursday. Lunch was a hardy roast-beef-and-mashed-potatoes plate, topped off by a decadent chocolate mousse. A strong brew of Folger?s coffee accompanied dessert. No decaf for this crowd. DJ Danny ?Neptune? Konyalian got the music off to a rousing start with the distinctly un-New Year?s Eve Beyonce?s ?All the Single Ladies.? But there were more than single ladies at this gig. Several men took their turns on the dance floor.

historyDuring his 40 years as a teacher and administrator at Toll Middle School, G.J. Liotta touched the lives of many students. Liotta, who was at Toll from 1945 to 1985, was working on his teaching credential at UCLA when he interviewed for a teaching position at Toll. "There were lots of jobs available for science teachers in those days, but I fell in love with the principal, Miss [Joanne] Heideman, when she interviewed me, so I selected Toll." Liotta received his credential on a Saturday and started at Toll the following Monday, Feb. 26, 1945.

LOS ANGELES — A Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday to permanently allow an injunction that forbids specific alleged Toonerville gang members from going to two parks and participating in gang-related activities near the Glendale-Los Angeles border. Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis granted the permanent injunction that would limit those named in the order from associating with each other in public places. They were also forbidden from going to Chevy Chase Park in Los Angeles and Glendale’s Palmer Park.

Traffic is moving on the Brand Boulevard of Cars, as local auto dealers say national sales numbers for major manufacturers are an accurate reflection of what they are seeing in showrooms. "Not since January of 2008 have we had this strong a month," said Jeanne Brewer, general manager of Acura of Glendale. Asked what spurred the shift, Brewer joked, "I don't know, but I've told everyone, 'Don't change a thing.'" On Tuesday, the nation's largest car manufacturer, General Motors, reported sales 6% higher in December compared with the year prior for its core brands, including Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick.

SOUTH GLENDALE — Officials on Tuesday heralded the addition of two affordable housing developments at the city’s southernmost edge on San Fernando Road that will eventually add 140 apartments to a mostly industrial area. “It’s part of an overall strategic plan for the city,” Councilman Frank Quintero said at the ceremony dedicating the 68-unit Glendale City Lights, at 3673 San Fernando Road. The $36.4-million project received $9.8 million in city assistance and is already occupied.

More than 130 seniors got an early start on bringing in the new year at Glendale?s Adult Recreation Center on Thursday. Lunch was a hardy roast-beef-and-mashed-potatoes plate, topped off by a decadent chocolate mousse. A strong brew of Folger?s coffee accompanied dessert. No decaf for this crowd. DJ Danny ?Neptune? Konyalian got the music off to a rousing start with the distinctly un-New Year?s Eve Beyonce?s ?All the Single Ladies.? But there were more than single ladies at this gig. Several men took their turns on the dance floor.

Colin Bogart works with the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition and is a grant coordinator for Policies for Livable, Active Communities and Environments The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health awarded the grant to the coalition, which decided to work with Glendale to promote healthy lifestyles and safe walking and cycling in the city. Bogart is working on the city?s ?Safe and Healthy Streets Plan? and advises officials on what they need to do, such as re-striping streets for bike lanes, adding share rows, installing push buttons and sensor detectors, to make roadways safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

LOS ANGELES — A Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday to permanently allow an injunction that forbids specific alleged Toonerville gang members from going to two parks and participating in gang-related activities near the Glendale-Los Angeles border. Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis granted the permanent injunction that would limit those named in the order from associating with each other in public places. They were also forbidden from going to Chevy Chase Park in Los Angeles and Glendale’s Palmer Park.

The following items were taken from Glendale Police Department reports: ? ? 1900 block of Chilton Drive: A burglar stole a $5,000 diamond necklace, a flat-screen TV and camera equipment from a home. ?Colorado and Verdugo Boulevards: A 33-year-old man, who was cited for driving on a suspended license Tuesday, claimed that someone who stole his identity did not pay traffic tickets which led to the suspension of the license. ? 4200 block of San Fernando Boulevard: A 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk in public Tuesday outside Tops Bar. He approached officers who had a man detained on the sidewalk and began speaking to the detained man in Spanish.

Say it ain’t so! (“Strip mall still coming” — Crescenta Valley Sun, Jan. 11). Upon reading that the historic and charming May-Lane/La Crescenta Motel on the corner of Foothill and Briggs is going to be turned into yet another strip mall — another stucco scar on the boulevard — I threw down the newspaper in frustration and disgust. Now, after stewing over this latest depressing development (pun intended) for a few days, I’m wondering: Why stop at simply cramming another unnecessary retail strip mall with too few parking spaces and too many non-English-language signs?

historyDuring his 40 years as a teacher and administrator at Toll Middle School, G.J. Liotta touched the lives of many students. Liotta, who was at Toll from 1945 to 1985, was working on his teaching credential at UCLA when he interviewed for a teaching position at Toll. "There were lots of jobs available for science teachers in those days, but I fell in love with the principal, Miss [Joanne] Heideman, when she interviewed me, so I selected Toll." Liotta received his credential on a Saturday and started at Toll the following Monday, Feb. 26, 1945.