Glendale High School

Eager members of the class of 2006 swarmed around the outside steps at Glendale High School on Thursday as they readied themselves for the 2006 commencement ceremony. "I feel really anxious; I just want to get it over with," graduating senior Ryan Perez said. "I'm happy that school's over ? but the big step into the real world ? I just can't wait for it. It's overwhelming." Others were focused on the graduation night itself, with hopes that the ceremony would go off smoothly.

I recently received an inquiry about the Glendale High cluster from a non-parent reader. Since I finally had proof that folks who don't have children attending public schools find this column of interest, I was happy to oblige with the explanation that schools "feeding" students into Glendale High School make up the Glendale cluster. These include Roosevelt and Wilson middle schools and the elementary feeders: Cerritos, Glenoaks, Horace Mann, John Marshall, R.D. White, Verdugo Woodlands and John Muir.

Claudia Peschiutta 1952-53 -- SKULL BOARD FORMED The Skull Board was formed to coordinate the school band and the Nitroettes. 1952-53 --- SCIENCE CLUB FORMED The Science Club was formed for students interested in all fields of science. 1957 -- NIXON SPEAKS TO STUDENTS Then-Vice President Richard Nixon made an appearance at Glendale High. 1959 -- BASKETBALL TEAM SETS RECORD The 1959 GHS basketball team scored 2,111 points, setting a school record.

Edgar Shaghoulian, a senior at Glendale High School, was recently named one of 20 students who will receive a $1,000 Horace Mann Scholarship. The Horace Mann Scholarship Program recently awarded $50,000 in college scholarships to 26 high school seniors who are the children of U.S. public or private education employees. The Horace Mann Scholarship Program was open to high school seniors who are children or legal dependents of public or private education employees.

Gretchen Hoffman A physical education teacher who helps coach a Glendale High School baseball team was charged Wednesday with vandalizing an ex-girlfriend's car and getting a 17-year-old friend to help him. Hector Menchaca, 24, was charged with felony vandalism and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert E. Savitt said. The North Hollywood resident allegedly vandalized a former girlfriend's car several times in August and September.

Glendale's grocery stores were few and far between In the early 1900s. Although not much is known about the Verdugo Cash Store, pictured here, it stood on Verdugo Road somewhere near where Glendale High School now stands, according to a caption on the back of the original. From the picture, all we can tell about the Verdugo Cash Store was that it offered good service and advertised Peerless Poultry Supplies, Alsen Cement, and Schilling's Best. Although the "Glendale Community Book," edited by E. Caswell Perry and Carroll W. Parcher, has no information on the Verdugo Cash Store, it does include references to other grocery stores.

About 900 people were exposed to original student poetry, song and dance Wednesday at an Armenian Genocide remembrance ceremony at Glendale High School. The ninth annual Genocide Commemoration featured several performances produced and orchestrated by students from all of Glendale Unified’s high schools, as well as Toll and Wilson middle schools and Fremont Elementary School. “I want people to leave thinking, as a community we are united as young adults to stop genocide and crimes against humanity,” said Talar Malakian, a senior and president of the Armenian Club at Crescenta Valley High School.

For the small price of 12 songs, Glendale High School's chamber choir got free admission to "The Happiest Place on Earth" Friday. The 27 singers gathered in the school's choir room before getting on the bus to Disneyland, where they would perform a 23-minute program on the Plaza Garden Stage ? formerly the Carnation Stage. For 17-year-old Alexandra Nagy, singing to a passing crowd of tourists was second to enjoying the special access to the hidden parts of the theme park. "I get really excited about it," Alexandra said.

Glendale students and city workers are among the hundreds of thousands in Washington for today’s historic presidential inauguration. A group of 14 Glendale High School students made the trip with two of their history teachers, as did Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, who said the opportunity of seeing Barack Obama sworn in as the nation’s first black president was too momentous to miss. “When you think of the significance of this, the first African-American president, that can only happen once,” Scoggins said from the nation’s capitol Monday.

Members of the Glendale High School dance team Friday celebrated winning its 12th national title in 13 years by doing what they do best - dancing. The mid-morning performances gave their classmates a peek at the routine that won the co-ed squad yet another title at the 2012 USA Dance/Drill Nationals on March 31 at the Anaheim Convention Center. In addition to winning the national title, the team also earned a sweepstakes victory for the highest overall competition score.

Hundreds of people packed the stands Sunday to watch Glendale firefighters successfully defend their title against their police counterparts during the second annual Hoop Heroes basketball charity game. Although the police had practiced their game for months, they lost to firefighters, 51-37, at Glendale High School. Nearly 600 people packed the bleachers for the game, which raised $5,000 for Zone Academy, the Salvation Army's after-school program for at-risk youth. The audience was also asked to donate canned food items as part of the game's admission, resulting in an estimated 1,000 pounds of canned goods for the Salvation Army's pantry, organizers said.

Crescenta Valley High School emerged victorious Monday in the Glendale Unified Scholastic Bowl, which pits some of the district's brightest high school students against one another in a game-show-style competition. “I think we all tried hard to do the best we could to succeed,” Crescenta Valley junior Tae Min Kim said as he posed for a victory photo with his teammates. Following the Crescenta Valley score of 79 points was Clark Magnet with 68 points, Hoover with 65 points and Glendale with 62 points.

Retirement was fun for a while, but it's definitely not something I want to do for the rest of my life. And so Glendale - I'm back! In my revised position, I will be reporting on the accomplishments of service clubs, charities and nonprofit organizations in the community. In addition, the column will carry congratulatory announcements, like awards, engagements, weddings and anniversaries, so please send these items to my new email address listed at the bottom of the column. Speaking of service clubs, the Northwest Lions Club has some exciting news about their winner in the annual speaker contestant.

December 26, 1976 - January 7, 2012 Paul was born in Los Angeles on December 26, 1976, but moved to Glendale when he was just 3 months old. So you could say he was a life-long resident of Glendale. He loved life, which he shared with his friends, as he did with his great sense of humor. Paul was a graduate of Glendale High School in 1995, where he really enjoyed dramatic arts. He went on to the University of California at San Diego and graduated with a degree in psychology in 1999.

Glendale High School students on Friday participated in Oratorical, a 103-year-old campus tradition of speechmaking and spirit in which different grade levels compete against each other in four categories, including original speech, tableau, discipline and class spirit. The event regularly draws top city officials, some of whom participated in Oratorical during their own student days at the school, said Mary Hazlett, a Glendale High School teacher and head of student activities.

Frank T. Howard passed away peacefully last Friday, February 3rd, at his home in Newport Beach at the age of 95. Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, he moved with his mother and father to southern California at the age of six first settling in Redlands.  At nine years of age his mother passed away and he was sent to St. Johns Military Academy in Los Angeles.  Upon graduation he moved with his aunt and uncle to Glendale where he attended Hoover High...

John Esterly   John “Johnny” George Esterly passed away Saturday January 28 in Rathdrum, ID. at the age of 95. He drank a root beer float, sat in his easy chair, and went to sleep. John was born on August 1, 1916 in Johnstown, PA, to A.J. and Anna Esterly. The family moved to CA. in 1920, settling first in Victorville, then moving to the home they built on Adams St. in Glendale. John and his siblings attended schools in Glendale and John graduated from Glendale High School in 1934.

Dorothy D. Snodgress passed away January 12, 2012 in Glendale after a short illness. Born January 16, 1923 to Emil and Leone Kiefer she was a life-long resident of Glendale. She worked for the Glendale Unified School District for fourteen years, was a past president of the PTSA at Glendale High School, and also served several terms as president of PEO Chapter L. She is survived by her husband of sixty-nine years Richard, sons James (Carol) of Redlands and Steven (Elaine) of Glendale, daughter Jean LeGassick of Silver City, Nevada, grandchildren Sarah Eppehimer (Ryan)

A Boston-based dance company that tells the story of Armenia's past will stop in Glendale on Jan. 15 as part of its national tour. The Sayat Nova dance company will perform, “Journey Through Time,' which is a new production for the company, which is entering its 25th year. With over 20 dancers, the performance begins by paying homage to St. Krikor Lousavorich and Armenia's conversion to Christianity. Followed by a meditation on the Battle of Avarayr, the dance also tells the story of the 1915 Armenian genocide and how it particularly affected Armenian composer Gomidas Vartabed.