Machines

Science fiction writer Paul Davids will pay homage to director and friend George Pal when he hosts both the matinee and evening screenings Saturday of “The Time Machine” at the Alex Theatre. Pal, who died in 1980, produced and directed the 1960 film, which is based on the novel by H.G. Wells. It received the Academy Award for special effects, and stars Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Alan Young and Sebastian Cabot. Davids worked on several projects with Pal and after Pal’s death.

Ani Amirkhanian It took three years for Glendale resident Henry Petrosian to design and custom make his car, the Burgundy Convertible. The 73-year-old retired machinist and car enthusiast welded the sheet metal himself to construct the car and built it using his own original design. The motor is the only unoriginal part. Petrosian built his first car, the "Boma," nearly 40 years ago in his native Iran. He sold it before he moved to the United States with his family.

Competition aims to raise interest in electronics and mechanics programs at local schools.GLENDALE -- Electricity was in the air Monday night at Glendale Community College. Glendale Community College professors and James Monroe High School students from Los Angeles excitedly worked on their Nerf-ball-shooting robot for a competition. The robot is one of two submissions from Glendale Community College in this year's For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Robotics Competition.

Janine Marnien A rash of vending machine break-ins in the area have the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station and the Glendale Police Department working together to find who is responsible. Vending machines in about 20 locations in the foothill area and Glendale have been broken into since April, and the crimes appear to be similar, Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station Det. Gary Stead said. "We're going to look at the different reports to see if the same method was used on each of the machines," he said.

Gretchen Hoffman Glendale Police have arrested three people believed to be responsible for a recent rash of vending machine break-ins in La Crescenta and Glendale. Zachary Schalice, 19, of Glendale, Jacqueline Hollier, 20, of Burbank and William Lee, 24, of La Canada Flintridge are suspected of breaking into five vending machines at Clark Magnet High School, 4747 New York Ave. in La Crescenta. Police arrested the trio as they left the high school at about 3:40 a.m. Wednesday.

Re "Council approves park improvements," Aug. 2: South Glendale residents and denizens alike should be very appreciative of being the recipients of such a beneficial state grant. Park users in their teens should surely benefit from publicly available outdoor workout equipment. And mature adults and seniors are also sure to love any state-of-the-art exercise machines that are easy on their joints. As a senior myself, my own favorite kind of machine is the appropriately named “Air Walker.” Seemingly, only Tri-Active America offered one in years past.

Amber Willard GLENDALE -- Glendale Police on Friday went to the public for help in finding a man they believe has broken into several change machines in coin-opertated laundry businesses. The man has hit at least four such businesses throughout the city over the last five months, investigators said. He was caught on a surveillance camera in November as he broke into a machine and stole more than $100 in quarters. Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to call police investigators at 548-2097 or Glendale Crime Stoppers, an anonymous hotline, at 507-7867.

A striking black 1965 Pontiac GTO was the envy of many at the Road'ers Car Club's car show this month. So when it was announced as the club's Car of the Year for 2006, even some of the competitors believed it was the most deserving. This beauty is the pride and joy of Rowland Hall, a lifetime Burbank resident and the car's original owner. He's not a member of the Road'ers Car Club, but he likes to attend the car shows held every third Saturday of the month at the Hill Street Cafe in Burbank.

Detectives from the Glendale police financial crimes unit arrested three suspects July 24 in connection with card skimming crimes. Meher Abolian, 21, Tiffany Conant, 20, and Rane Melkom, 22, were arrested after detectives saw them attaching and later collecting a card skimmer they had installed on a Glendale Washington Mutual Bank automated teller machine (ATM) access door. A skimmer is a small electronic device that can be attached to an ATM or its access door. As a customer slides his or her bank card through what they think is the bank?

I am so disgusted at what I know is happening at City Hall that I've had to ask myself what I should do. Things are happening that go against the ethics and values that I was raised and schooled on by my parents. I've concluded that the only thing I can do is express my thorough disgust by bringing certain issues to light so our community can have some idea about what is happening at your City Hall. Despite the belief you may have that our form of city government will continue as the city charter and voters created it, there are continued moves afoot to quietly change and manipulate our system.