Monrovia

The Glendale City Council tonight confirmed Scott Ochoa as the city's next top executive, replacing retiring City Manager Jim Starbird. Ochoa holds the city manager job at Monrovia, a city that with a population of roughly 37,000, is far smaller than Glendale, the third largest city in L.A. County. Ochoa has been city manager in Monrovia since 2004, a culmination of a long civic career there, according to an announcement from Glendale City Hall immediately after the council confirmation.

Moving from one of the smallest cities in Los Angeles County to one of the largest, Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa will replace outgoing Jim Starbird in January as Glendale's top executive. The City Council announced Ochoa's appointment Tuesday night, describing the 40-year-old as having a fresh outlook and a keen eye for finances. “Scott's credentials, his values, his experience, his multidimensional understanding of local government and municipal operations impressed us all,” said Mayor Laura Friedman, adding that the size of a city doesn't accurately represent the challenges it faces.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — For a big reason as to why the Crescenta Valley High baseball team has started off its season on the right note, it needs to look no further then its starting pitching rotation. The Falcons got two reminders Wednesday night why they might be in position to win their first Pacific League championship since 2008. Pitcher Troy Mulcahey showed he could propel the Falcons with his arm and bat. Mulcahey pitched five quality innings and hit a two-run home run to power Crescenta Valley to a 6-1 nonleague victory against Monrovia in the second game of a doubleheader at Stengel Field.

Tawnya Agre of Monrovia and former Glendale resident Brian Lichtman , also of Monrovia, were married at the Reef in Long Beach. Cantor Harvey Block officiated the combined Christian/Jewish ceremony. Serving as the maid of honor was Amy Long , a grade-school friend. Bridesmaids were A ndrea Carr, Julie Weber, Elaine Kao, Nicole Martinez and Heather Lichtman of Glendale, the groom?s sister. The best man was Penn Christensen , a grade-school friend.

BURBANK — Try as they might, the members of the Crescenta Valley High girls’ water polo team just couldn’t pull away from Monrovia for most of Thursday’s CIF Southern Section Division IV first-round home playoff match at Burbank High. Of course, that all changed in the fourth quarter, when the fourth-seeded Falcons found their dominant form and strung together seven unanswered goals to bury the unseeded Wildcats in a 15-5 victory. “We got a lot more focused [in the fourth quarter]

GLENDALE — CIF playoff pairings came and went on Sunday morning, and for Crescenta Valley High and Glendale, the surprises were few and far between. The Falcons were awarded the No. 4 seed in CIF Southern Section Division IV, while the Nitros, despite finishing in fifth place in the Pacific League after losing a tiebreaker, were awarded a playoff ticket and a wild-card match. “I didn’t really think it would change much,” said Falcons Coach Pete Loporchio in reference to his team heading into the playoffs as the No. 4-ranked squad in the division and emerging with the fourth seed.

MONROVIA — It was a coaching and season debut that Coach Tito Cruz and the Hoover High baseball team would like to quickly forget. There was no sugarcoating the all-around calamity that was the Tornadoes’ season-opening 11-0 loss on Friday to host Monrovia in the Arcadia Elks Tournament. “I don’t think it can get any worse,” said Cruz, a standout in his days as a Tornadoes catcher before moving on to Long Beach State and getting drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, who coached his first game on Friday at Monrovia High.

A second consecutive loss by the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy girls? soccer team appeared all but certain. The Tologs controlled the flow of play, but did everything but score. That changed dramatically with a perfect shot as time wound down. Bianca Garoian scored with 15 seconds left to give Flintridge Sacred Heart a 1-1 tie against Monrovia in a nonleague match at the Glendale Sports Complex on Wednesday afternoon. The goal shattered the frustration that had been pent up inside the Tologs (1-1-1)

GIRLS? SOCCER Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy 2, Monrovia 0: The Tologs notched their first win of the season in Tuesday?s nonleague road contest against a Monrovia squad that had won its first three games while not allowing a goal. After a scoreles first half, Heather Riley and Pip Harrigan scored for Sacred Heart (1-0-2). Carter Vettese assisted Riley?s tally. Sacred Heart returns to action with a home match against Westridge on Tuesday. ? BOYS?

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer Co-coach Frank Pace is quick to tell you he wants to win as much as anyone. He doesn't subscribe all that often to moral victories, either. And yet he was quick to admit that he's felt a lot worse about wins, losses and everything in between than he did after Thursday's defeat. "I have felt a lot worse after wins and ties than I do today," said Pace after the Tologs' 2-0 nonleague loss to visiting Canyon Country Canyon at St. Francis High's Friedman Field.