Hong Kong

83, of St. Helena, CA died peacefully at home, surrounded by loving family on Sunday, February 12, 2012.  Born July 5, 1928 in San Francisco.  Preceded in death by her father, Daniel J. Lyons, and by her husband of 47 years, Dennis D. Gaffey.  Barbara is survived by her mother, Frances Lyons (“Tiny Gram”) of St. Helena; son Michael Gaffey and daughter-in-law Pauline of Fremont, CA and grandchildren James, Mark and Mary; son Patrick Gaffey and daughter-in-law Anne of East Lyme, CT and grandchildren Cashel and Daniel; daughter Mary Quinn and son-in-law Robert Quinn of Napa, CA and grandchildren Megan, Brendan, Clare, Michael, Sean, and Joseph; and son Daniel Gaffey and daughter-in-law Karen of St. Helena, and grandchildren Kevin and Katherine.  Also survived by brothers-in-law William Gaffey, Brendan Gaffey and the Rev. Kevin Gaffey, sister-in-law Mary Hutchings, five nieces and nephews and 11 grandnieces and grandnephews.  Barbara attended Mission Dolores School and Notre Dame High School, San Francisco.

This odd (but pleasantly low-priced) new release might be called "Jackie Chan's Most Uncharacteristic Hits. " Both showcase Jackie in almost totally non-comic contexts. By definition then, these are not in the league of the "Police Story," "Project A" or "Drunken Master" films. "Crime Story" (1993) is handily the better. While the tone is dark and serious - this is the straightest dramatic role of Chan's career - there are a few of his trademark fight scenes. And Kirk Wong ("The Big Hit," "Organized Crime and Triad Bureau")

Gretchen Hoffman A bill by Sen. Jack Scott (D-Glendale) that would establish a regional trade office in Yerevan, Armenia, has passed both houses and is on its way to Gov. Gray Davis. It had a long journey to get there. Scott first introduced the bill last year but it never reached the committee review. Before that, two attempts by Scott's predecessor, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale), to establish a trade office in Yerevan also failed. The difference this time around, Scott says, is that the bill was widely supported by the Armenian community, and revisions helped assuage some of the concerns about the financial commitment it would require.

Karen S. Kim It's not often that the City Council gets visited by a giant black mouse wearing fuzzy white gloves, a long red robe and a tall, blue magician's hat. But Tuesday night, Mickey Mouse popped into council chambers to receive a proclamation from Mayor Rafi Manoukian declaring Dec. 16 as Walt Disney Imagineering Day in honor of the company's 50th anniversary. "It's a pleasure for me to be the mayor on the year of your 50th anniversary," Manoukian said.

Gretchen Hoffman California will become the first state to establish a trade office in a former Soviet republic following the signing of a bill by Gov. Gray Davis on Wednesday. The bill, which was written by Sen. Jack Scott (D-Glendale), will establish a privately and federally funded regional trade office in Yerevan, Armenia. Scott has been working with state officials and Armenian groups for three or four years to make the trade office a reality, said Lon Hatamiya, secretary of the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency.

Passover at Temple Sinai of Glendale Temple Sinai of Glendale’s congregation will join Jewish people around the world at sundown on April 19 in celebrating Passover, the holiday commemorating the biblical story from the Book of Exodus that describes the escape of the ancient Hebrews from Egyptian slavery via the parting of the Red Sea. The Passover story teaches the world that God is deeply concerned with the affairs of...

Darleene Barrientos Glendale Community College this year bucked national trends by enrolling 530 international students, up from 504 students last year. Since 9/11, international student enrollment at schools issuing associate degrees declined about 10%, the steepest decline in enrollment at any type of higher education institution. But Glendale Community College resisted that trend, partly because of intensive recruitment and outreach effort, said Jewel Price, the college's dean of student services.

The Kiwanis Travel Adventure Series resumes on Saturday night Nov. 18, with a film on "Cruising the Orient on the QE2." The film will be narrated filmmaker Doug Jones, who has been producing travel films since 1968 and has 18 feature length films to his credit. The film will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Flintridge Preparatory School, located at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Crown Avenue in La Cañada Flintridge. Preprogram entertainment featuring Tom Burrows piano melodies will begin at 7:10 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

Rima Shah A children's favorite, the plastic, roly-poly spud with changeable facial features may soon be changing uniforms. Glendale-based Promotional Partners Worldwide, has won the sports licensing rights to Mr. Potato Head from Hasbro Properties Group, the toy's owner and founder. Promotional Partners Worldwide now has the right to create exclusive sports figures based on the Mr. Potato Head character. He would not come resembling a specific team player, but would look like a general team member, said Dean Gorby, sales manager of Promotional Partners Worldwide.

The ads for this film suggest that "Kung Fu Hustle" is "Jackie Chan meets Buster Keaton meets Quentin Tarantino meets Bugs Bunny," and I couldn't agree more. Set in a huge, free-standing apartment slum called Pig Sty Alley, the forces of good and evil battle it out in epic martial-arts style. Using every trick of computer-generated animation and aerial wirework (think "Crouching Tiger") and then inventing some more on top of that, "Kung Fu Hustle" delivers a stylish, funny, fast-paced romp with good story lines, excellent characters and even a love story!