Glendale Burbank

In almost every election, League of Women Voters chapters across the United States perform a hugely important function: they sponsor candidate debates presented in arguably the most nonpartisan environment possible. League of Women Voters debates are widely regarded as the one time during election seasons when candidates get together on equal footing and debate the issues in as rhetoric-free an environment as possible. But the league does more than just stage debates.

GLENDALE — Local unemployment rates held relatively steady in March, with jobless figures for Glendale and Burbank remaining below the rate for Los Angeles County, according to a report released Friday. Glendale’s unemployment rate improved slightly to 10.7% — down 0.1% from last month — while Burbank’s remained the same at 10%, according to monthly labor data released Friday by the California Employment Development Department. The data were not seasonally adjusted, which means they did not account for variables, such as temporary jobs.

Tim Willert GLENDALE -- Terry Bailey can still recall the time she watched a presidential debate being moderated by the League of Women Voters. She was 5. "Even at 5, I was aware that all the government officials were men and everybody running for office were men," she said. "I remember seeing this debate, and I thought to myself, 'those must be very important women."' Bailey, a Glendale resident who is the outgoing president of the league's Glendale-Burbank chapter, has been nominated for the organization's state board.

Amber Willard GRANDVIEW -- A Glendale man was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of felony drunken driving and first-degree murder in a crash that killed a man who was riding in his car. Armen Aharonian, 27, was speeding on West Alameda Avenue shortly after 12:30 a.m. when he failed to stop at a stoplight at Glenoaks Boulevard and hit another car, Glendale Police said. The crash occurred at the Glendale-Burbank border and police from both cities responded.

Glendale Water and Power will host a free solar workshop for Glendale teachers grades 4 to 12 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Perkins Community Room, first floor, 141 N. Glendale Ave., Glendale. Teachers will experiment with solar electricity, learn about the art and science of solar energy, build a solar cooker and learn how to incorporate hands-on lessons for their classrooms. For more information, call (818) 548-3381. ? The Glendale Latino Assn. will have its November mixer and toy drive from 5 to 8 p.m. at New Horizons Family Center, 744 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale.

Amber Willard BURBANK -- Two boys seeking retaliation for an earlier fight were arrested on suspicion of committing a hate crime against a Burbank man, police said. The boys, a 16-year-old Glendale resident and a 15-year-old Burbank High School student, were arrested at 4:58 p.m. Tuesday after yelling racial slurs at the 18-year-old Burbank man, who is Latino, and chasing him along Alameda Avenue and Glenoaks Boulevard, police said. The arrests were made in the 2000 block of West Glenoaks Boulevard, near the Glendale-Burbank border.

GLENDALE — Authorities pulled 3,500 marijuana plants Tuesday from La Tuna Canyon in the Verdugo Mountains on the Glendale-Los Angeles border, less than two weeks after 6,000 plants were seized above Crescenta Valley Park. A joint Glendale-Burbank air patrol unit spotted three groves within a quarter-mile of one another during routine patrol on Aug. 17 — the day after police seized two tons marijuana, with a $10-million street value,Glendale Police Sgt. Steve Robertson said.

It's that time of year again. Graduations are upon us and students are now preparing to embark on the next stage of their lives. Whether going on to school or entering the military or the workforce, this is a big moment in a young person's life. As the celebrations begin, why not give a new graduate a gift that will last for years to come? Why not help them register to vote? Voting brings us together as Americans - it is the one time when we are all equal. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, or young or old; elections are our opportunity to elect leaders who lift up our communities and make them better.

The Glendale Symphony Orchestra will use $15,000 to expose children to music. GLENDALE -- It will be a night of Santa Claus and Mozart for more than 200 children who might not otherwise get the chance to enjoy either. The Glendale Symphony Orchestra will use a $15,000 grant from Citibank to transport children from New Horizons and the YWCA on Friday for an afternoon of learning about classical music, meeting Santa Claus and enjoying a short-but-spirited concert. "A lot of the under-privileged kids will never know anything but Britney Spears and rap music," said Diane Hedrick, the symphony's executive director.

GLENDALE — Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena are working with the Metropolitan Transit Authority on a high-quality, express transit system that would connect rail systems in Pasadena to North Hollywood via the Ventura (134) Freeway, officials said on Monday. "There are a lot of commuters that go from Pasadena, and beyond Pasadena, through Glendale, through Burbank and through the San Fernando Valley in a westerly direction and in an easterly direction," Glendale Traffic and Transportation Administrator Jano Baghdanian said.

Ronnie Moreno , clutching a gold torch, grinned as the flame was lit Wednesday afternoon just outside Big Mama's and Papa's Pizzeria near the border of Burbank and Glendale. The 52-year-old had just been handed the torch from by a member of the Burbank Police Department, and within seconds, he was off to run 5.5 miles through Glendale, surrounded by an entourage of Glendale police officers - some running, others following on motorcycles. Moreno, who was representing the Glendale Assn.

It's that time of year again. Graduations are upon us and students are now preparing to embark on the next stage of their lives. Whether going on to school or entering the military or the workforce, this is a big moment in a young person's life. As the celebrations begin, why not give a new graduate a gift that will last for years to come? Why not help them register to vote? Voting brings us together as Americans - it is the one time when we are all equal. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, or young or old; elections are our opportunity to elect leaders who lift up our communities and make them better.

BURBANK - Last time out for Burroughs High baseball saw the Indians win a three hour marathon against host Crescenta Valley to take over sole position of first place in the Pacific League. But that win would lose most of its splendor if Burroughs failed to take care of business Friday hosting a youthful Glendale squad fresh off its first league win. Against the Nitros, Burroughs did not stumble and came away with a 5-0 victory to remain the last undefeated team in Pacific League play.

Three teens were cited this week for allegedly burglarizing seven homes in Burbank and Glendale and stealing four guns, cash and jewelry, police said Wednesday. Police cited and released a 17-year-old Sun Valley boy and two Burbank boys, ages 16 and 17, to their parents on Monday after they admitted to breaking into the homes and taking various items, according to Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn. The boys' names weren't released because they are minors. The mother of the 17-year-old Burbank boy called Burbank police at around 4:45 p.m. Sunday after she found a safe containing cash and a 9mm handgun in her son's bedroom, Ryburn said.

Before P.J. Gaynard goes to the voting booth, he admits that he typically doesn't know much about local politicians. But the 37-year-old Glendale resident is glued to Twitter and Facebook, and that's where he found Glendale City Council candidate Roland Kedikian. That connection meant one more person watched Kedikian's nearly three-minute campaign video and left this post: “I think it really says something about how you feel about reaching people in 2013!” Elections experts agree social media is an ideal tool for reaching voters.

For some bargain-hunters, Black Friday just isn't early enough. Around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, about 40 people stood outside Target at the Glendale Galleria, the line snaking onto Colorado Street. Honey Manuel of Silverlake was first in line, having been there since 2:30 p.m. "What I am doing now is an adventure," Manuel said as a band of teenagers stood nearby grooving to music playing from a phone inside the jacket pocket of their long- haired friend. PHOTOS: Black Friday shoppers hunt for deals In what is becoming something of a Thanksgiving tradition for retailers, businesses lured shoppers with Christmas sales several hours before the clock struck midnight Thursday, not long after some families cleared their tables of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. Across Southern California, shoppers were lining up for door-buster bargains, Black Friday deals and a shot at some of the most sought after gifts of the season.

Glendale and Burbank residents can expect to see their gas bills increase by up to $2 per month through 2017 as the Southern California Gas Co. rolls out a $1-billion digital upgrade for meters serving 6 million customers. “Data collection units” that look like 25- to 45-foot-tall light poles will also set up throughout the cities. About 18 are slated for Glendale - most of which will be in the northern part of the city - and seven may come to Burbank, according to the utility.

Burbank and Glendale public safety officials are stepping up security at local theaters in the wake of the “Dark Knight Rises” shooting in Colorado Friday, but said there have been no incidents. Police said James Holmes, 24, of San Diego, shot and killed 12 people and injured dozens more, during a midnight showing of the movie in the Denver suburb of Aurora. Warner Bros, which produced the film, is based in Burbank. Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said he was working with the studio to ensure security of their facilities and at the city's downtown AMC theaters.

A lack of consumer confidence and high number of homeowners who owe more on their homes than they're worth continue to keep the housing market from making a recovery. But burgeoning buyer demand is leading to bidding wars that are pushing up median sale prices in some areas, according to the latest data. The median price for a single-family home in Glendale rose from $646,000 in June 2011 to $672,000 last month, according to statistics compiled by Realtor Keith Sorem, with Keller Williams Realty in Glendale.

The number of houses and condominiums for sale in Glendale and Burbank stayed in the basement last month, according to the latest real estate reports, a likely result of homeowners waiting for the market to rebound to get more out of their investments, Realtors say. In Glendale, there were only 118 single-family houses on the market last month, a 42.7% decline from the 206 for sale in May 2011, according to statistics compiled by Realtor Keith Sorem...