Glendale News Press

Josh Kleinbaum Times Community News, a division of the Los Angeles Times, promoted its 2003 journalist of the year to managing editor of the Glendale News-Press, the Foothill Leader and Burbank Leader. Danette Goulet, 31, will oversee the newsroom operations of the three newspapers beginning on Jan. 3, managing a staff of 21 reporters, editors and photographers. "I love a new challenge, and I look forward to helping the Glendale News-Press, the Foothill Leader and the Burbank Leader be the strongest community papers in Southern California," Goulet said.

The Glendale News-Press collected one first-place and three second-place awards Saturday in the California Newspaper Publishers Assn.'s annual Better Newspaper Contest. The awards, presented in San Jose during a meeting of the nonprofit trade association, were among 16 collected on behalf of Times Community North by Editor Dan Evans. Former staff writer Melanie Hicken captured first place for her 2011 coverage of local government. Hicken reported on a tie between renovations at then-City Councilman John Drayman's condominium and Advanced Development & Investment, Inc. , at a time when the firm was alleged to have bilked the city out of millions of tax dollars.

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Curt Noland, who grew up in La Crescenta and was featured on a Los Angeles TV station for the novelty of delivering the Glendale News-Press on horseback, has died. He was 55. Noland died Jan. 17 at his Carlsbad home after a battle with esophageal cancer. The son of Al and Diane Noland, longtime La Crescenta residents, he attended Valley View School and Clark Junior High School. He delivered the News-Press on horseback in the late 1960s because he said it was hard to pedal his bike up the steep streets of his neighborhood.

Although the new year means the end of the holidays for many, Christmas is still about a week away for most Armenians. SEE RELIGION, PAGE A4. WEATHER Rain likely, with a high in the mid-50s. HOLIDAY CLOSURES The following locations will be closed for the New Year holiday: City Hall and other nonemergency city offices will be closed today and Saturday. Glendale courthouse is closed today and Saturday. Glendale banks are closed Saturday.

Glendale Councilman Zareh Sinanyan apologized for the first time from the dais at a council meeting Tuesday night for posting racist, homophobic and vulgar comments several years ago on YouTube. “It truly does not matter to me if you're Armenian or Latino or Anglo or Korean. It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight. It doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, Muslim or Hindu,” Sinanyan said. “As my life experiences have shown, the only thing that matters to me is that I want to serve Glendale.” Last month, Sinanyan publicly confessed to making the comments , many of which were violent and centered around Armenia's geo-political enemies, to Glendale News-Press columnist Ron Kaye.

Placing a print classified ad To place a classified ad with the News-Press, please call the paper at (818) 637-3200. Find a job, car or place live online Find a job, car, house or apartment using the News-Press Website! We've partnered with Careerbuilder, Cars.com, LA Times Homes and Apartments.com to bring the best listings on the Internet. Careerbuilder Find your new job on the Web's leading career site. Click here to visit Careerbuilder.com. Cars.com Find new or used cars from dealers and private parties throughout Southern California.

The front page of the Glendale News-Press on May 2 carried the headline, “Sinanyan issues apology from council dais.” Apologies are good if they are sincere. However, one has to doubt Zareh Sinanyan's sincerity. Why? Because the apology comes only after being “cornered,” with no other alternative. The hate speech was real and genuine and Sinanyan knew it from the beginning. Yet he stood before the city of Glendale and smeared Laura Friedman when she brought up the issue, saying, “She's lying.” He knew she was not lying, but he still proceeded down his path of hate, lies and deceit.

Glendale Councilman Zareh Sinanyan apologized for the first time from the dais at a council meeting Tuesday night for posting racist, homophobic and vulgar comments several years ago on YouTube. “It truly does not matter to me if you're Armenian or Latino or Anglo or Korean. It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight. It doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, Muslim or Hindu,” Sinanyan said. “As my life experiences have shown, the only thing that matters to me is that I want to serve Glendale.” Last month, Sinanyan publicly confessed to making the comments , many of which were violent and centered around Armenia's geo-political enemies, to Glendale News-Press columnist Ron Kaye.

I enjoyed reading Katherine Yamada's article on the Rossmoyne neighborhood that I live in (“ Rossmoyne: Created to age gracefully ” April 25). One really important reason I moved into the neighborhood seven years ago was the amazing architecture and beautiful charter of each home. I am so glad that the residents created the historic designation last year that will save so many homes from being destroyed and ripped of all tradition and character. Unfortunately, my home is just across the street and not included in the historic district.

In response to the Glendale News-Press editorial, “ A special election is the right answer ,” April 6: The correct question is what process should the city follow to select a person to replace Rafi Manoukian until the special election. According to the city staff report, “The Charter requires that the Council first attempt to fill the vacancy by making an appointment.” The city's Charter states, “a person appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve until such time as a successor may be elected at the earliest of the next general municipal election, or the next county or statewide election, with which a city election may be consolidated.” The next county election is scheduled for November of this year.

For many years, the Miss Glendale Pageant was a major event in this city. The young woman who received the crown reigned as queen of the Days of Verdugos and also served as official hostess for the City of Glendale. The contest was sponsored by the Glendale Jaycees. In 1961, with Maxwell Soss heading the committee, the contest took on a new look. Soss was assisted by Arthur Jones, Robert Peterman, Roy Otis, A. M. Christensen, Jr., Palmer "Bud" Beck and Robert Clark. They were all listed in a news clipping provided by Juliann Smith Budimir, one of the contestants, who has an album filled with newspaper articles, photos and programs from that year.

Glendale News-Press staff interviewed each candidate for Glendale Unified school board, Glendale City Council and clerk. Editors also researched and responded to measures A, B and C. The following are staff endorsements for Glendale's municipal elections on April 2:  Endorsement for Glendale Unified school board: Krikorian, Wagner and Walters Endorsement for Glendale City Council: Friedman, Najarian and Engel ...

Very interesting that I was looking for a friend who is a certified public accountant as well as a civic activist about 10 days ago, only to find out via the Mailbag (“ A long-distance fan of the city clerk ,” Feb. 23) that he is endorsing Ardy Kassakhian for reelection, and also to find out he has now moved to Athens, Pa. Interesting to know that reading and subscribing to Glendale News-Press serves another purpose as well: You need to find someone, then read the News-Press.

Reading in the Glendale News-Press' Feb. 27 Forum page about the Clint Eastwood cutout, the reports of his demise have been grossly exaggerated. On a hike to the top of the hill above the Glendale (2) Freeway, I discovered poor old Clint dug out of the ground and about 30 feet down the hill from his previous location. He is all there, cement galoshes and all. Clint has his arm extended holding a bell. On the back of the cutout is a sign which asks anyone reading it to ring the bell and become an organ donor.

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