National Day

Glendale residents today will pause in moments of prayer in recognition of the National Day of Prayer. City employees and members of the community will gather for a moment of prayer at noon at Parcher Plaza, 613 Broadway. Members of the community are invited to attend. The prayer meeting will last no more than 30 minutes, city officials said. For more information, call 548-4844. Glendale Presbyterian Church is hosting two National Day of Prayer church services.

An online Jewish community called Jews on First is reportedly concerned that evangelists are hijacking annual events surrounding the annual National Day of Prayer. At the core of this concern is that organizers of Day of Prayer events must affirm a statement of faith that reportedly must declare that the Bible is the ?inerrant Word of the Living God.? The Council on American-Islamic Affairs and Americans United for Separation of Church and State have reportedly joined in support of Jews on First.

Mirjam Swanson GLENDALE -- Every local high school besides Village Christian School, Flintridge Prep and Glendale Adventist Academy canceled or postponed all of their scheduled athletic events Friday in observance of what President Bush deemed a national day of mourning. That included Friday's most anticipated event, the football game between St. Francis and Crescenta Valley highs at the Golden Knights' Friedman Field. After previously planning to go ahead and play Friday, the principals from both schools decided Friday morning to delay the game 24 hours, until 7 p.m. Saturday.

Here I go again, wondering about various things that affect our daily lives on both a micro and macro scale. So without further ado, I hereby submit the following musings of an easily distracted mind: I wonder why we are told that recycling is a great thing to do and we should use three large trash cans to separate out regular trash, recyclables and yard waste. This results in three diesel-guzzling, exhaust belching Allied Waste behemoths rumbling through our neighborhood each trash day. How much extra fuel is burned by having three trucks on every street, every trash day, every week?

Gus Gomez Editor's note: The following is a transcript of Glendale Mayor Gus Gomez's remarks during a candlelight vigil Friday for victims of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a flight in Pennsylvania. The vigil drew more than 1,200 people. Today, we join the nation in mourning for those who lost their lives in a horrific terrorist attack upon innocent Americans, and in praying for the recovery of those still missing as a result of these attacks.

Prayer is one of the most difficult, most intimate things you can do. You open yourself up and sometimes admit things about yourself to thin air that you wouldn?t tell anyone. It?s also one of the harder things to explain. I?ve already had to scrap twice what I had originally planned for this week?s column. I?ve had to consider all the questions: How do you pray? Why do you pray? When do you pray? With whom? Who prays more? Who prays less? Who prays not at all? And above all: What is prayer?

"God, our wise and creative Maker, has been pleased to make everyone different and no one perfect. The sooner we appreciate and accept that fact, the deeper we will appreciate and accept one another." -- Chuck R. Swindoll "I never thought I needed God. I thought I had life under control," a young man said with a shaky voice to his friend. The two walked behind me into church Sept 14 for the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. "But then the world fell apart, and I feel like I'm falling apart, and I don't know what else to do but turn to God," hecontinued.

GLENDALE — Looking to move on from a tough 2010 season, the rebuilding UNLV Rebels added a potential cornerstone on Wednesday. Patrick Carroll added his name to UNLV's expanding foundation for the future, as the St. Francis High senior standout offensive lineman made his verbal commitment to the Rebels, with whom he plans to formally sign his letter of intent on Wednesday, National Signing Day. "It feels great, UNLV is a great program,"...

Prayer is one of the most difficult, most intimate things you can do. You open yourself up and sometimes admit things about yourself to thin air that you wouldn?t tell anyone. It?s also one of the harder things to explain. I?ve already had to scrap twice what I had originally planned for this week?s column. I?ve had to consider all the questions: How do you pray? Why do you pray? When do you pray? With whom? Who prays more? Who prays less? Who prays not at all? And above all: What is prayer?

A group of Jewish entrepreneurs observed a National Day of Unplugging, lasting from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. Reboot, a nonprofit organization aimed at reinventing the traditions and rituals of Judaism for today?s secular Jews, hosted the event. The event was based on 10 principles of the Sabbath Manifesto, an ongoing project designed to hopefully lessen the hold technology has on people. ?Avoid Technology? is one of the principles. How important do you believe it is for people to unplug and reboot from time to time?

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — A two-week campaign soliciting school supplies at Glendale Community College ended Friday with 44 backpacks that will be donated to homeless schoolchildren in Glendale and nearby communities. Students donated pencils, notebooks, folders and pens to the nonprofit School on Wheels, an organization that works to supply, tutor and aid homeless children. “Every backpack we get goes to good use,” said Ryan Locante, operations director for the nonprofit.

Here I go again, wondering about various things that affect our daily lives on both a micro and macro scale. So without further ado, I hereby submit the following musings of an easily distracted mind: I wonder why we are told that recycling is a great thing to do and we should use three large trash cans to separate out regular trash, recyclables and yard waste. This results in three diesel-guzzling, exhaust belching Allied Waste behemoths rumbling through our neighborhood each trash day. How much extra fuel is burned by having three trucks on every street, every trash day, every week?

Colorful costumes from a variety of cultures replaced the parochial uniforms of students at Holy Redeemer School on Thursday during the 12th annual United Nations Day. Teachers and parents decorated booths to represent several countries, including Nepal, Greenland, Brazil, North Korea and South Korea. The displays were stocked with food, games, souvenirs and information about each country. As students went from booth to booth — dressed in clothing from one of the countries — they recorded facts about each country in their notebooks.

Flag Day was remembered at Crescenta Valley High School with a flag retirement ceremony. Close to 70 flags were honorably retired by the JROTC at the CVHS softball field. When the United States flag becomes worn, torn or faded, it should be retired with all the dignity and respect befitting our nation's flag, said Lt. Col. David Worley, mentor of the JROTC program at the high school. JROTC members solemnly cut the blue star background from the first tattered flag, then laid it on top of the bonfire that had been prepared earlier.