News Press

A small notice in a 1916 edition of the Glendale Evening News informed readers, "Emil Kiefer, an employee at the White Store, is now working for Pulliam Undertaking Co. He intends to make this his life's work. He is a young man of great energy. He came here from Minnesota two years ago and has made many friends. " But shortly after this notice ran, Kiefer said good bye to his many friends - including a young lady we'll meet later in the story - and left town. He was in the first group of volunteers who responded to the call to fight in the Great War, as World War I was known in those days.

Like letter-writers Chris Davis and Robert Morrison, we want to express our dismay at the recent developments regarding the Glendale News-Press. Relocation of the newspaper facilities, as well as the reduction of daily print editions, does not bode well for the newspaper or our community. My husband and I agree with Davis and Morrison, especially about the value provided by the Glendale News-Press. We realize economics comes into play with print editions. However, we would note that the Glendale News-Press is one of the main reasons we continue our subscription to the Los Angeles Times.

I'm sure longtime readers of the Glendale News-Press have noticed the continual shrinking of this physical newspaper as well as the shrinkage in the amount of coverage of our community inside its pages. The physical offices of the News-Press in Glendale have been vacated and the editorial staff moved downtown. For those who believe that the physical presence of this newspaper matters in our community, I would urge you to write the management of the Los Angeles Times, the parent company of the News-Press and its sister publications in neighboring communities.

I take issue with two statements in the July 7 editorial on electric revenue transfers. First is the statement that the utility “was set up to support the city as a whole.” Originally known as PSD (Public Service Department), it existed to provide water and power to ratepayers. News-Press articles I've seen from 1940 and 1941 reported PRD was yearly accumulating growing surpluses but due to “charter restrictions against the use of PSD revenues for general government,” that surplus could not be transferred to the general fund.

I am grateful for the News-Press letters to the editor, both that the paper provides it and that many people write in. From time to time one hears that newspapers might be on the decline, because of the Internet first and foremost. Yet the News-Press' Mailbag section is robust enough that it makes me think newspapers are still vital. What do you think, editor Dan Evans? Greg Dahlen Glendale Editor's reply: Thanks for the note, and for writing. Though newspapers do have their challenges, the News-Press is in a better position than most because of our unique connection to our community, and the letters page does reflect that.

We're pleased to announce the unveiling of an app for the Glendale News-Press for the iPhone , iPad and Android -powered devices. The app is in response to our readers, who have long asked for it, and our own internal need to grow with the digital times. » iPhone » iPad » Android The app is simple, easy to use, and provides quick access to our news and sports articles, as well as to selected columnists and letter-writers. Please let us know what you think, about any issues, and anything you'd like to see included in our next version.

Though it can be a job that is not well-understood by the general public, the position of city clerk is a vital one, particularly when it comes to ensuring open and fair elections. For that reason, we endorse the reelection of City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian , who has greatly improved the voting experience for Glendale's citizens. In particular, we point to the outreach Kassakhian's office has done with the Claremont McKenna Rose Institute, and the laudatory words of fellow Douglas Johnson, who said Glendale is on the “leading edge of looking for ways to improve the [elections]

INDEX Almanac, A6 Around Town, A8 Classifieds, B1-6 Community Forum A2 La Crescenta/ La Canada Flintridge, A7 Obituary, A8 Police Report, A8 Sports, A10-11 WEATHER Mostly sunny with highs near 90. NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR TOP 103 The News-Press is seeking nominations for its annual Top 103 list of the most influential people in Glendale, La Crescenta, Montrose ...

Those tending the flame of those who perished in the Armenian Genocide had a bit of a mixed bag this week. In happy news, Glendale Unified and its teachers' union agreed to make April 24 - the day that commemorates the horror - an official day off. This agreement makes a lot of sense for all involved. Students of Armenian descent have skipped going to class on that day for years, and as public school funding is significantly based on attendance, making the day a holiday of sorts is an elegant end-around of this problem.

This week, more than two years after engaging in good-faith contract talks with the L.A.-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, the union representing employees of Glendale Water & Power, the city of Glendale pulled the plug on negotiations and imposed a modest pay cut on the workers. The decision to reduce the GWP workers' pay by 1.75% and require them to temporarily pay more for their health insurance was a bold stance for the city, as other municipalities in the Los Angeles area have been far too timid while dealing with the IBEW.

The budget ax recently fell on the Glendale Community College's award-winning cheer program, deflating even the peppiest of its members. Bert Ring imagines what the local City Council might do to make things right.  -- Dan Evans, Times Community News Follow Dan Evans on Twitter: @EditorDanEvans .  

The decision by NASA to shutter the popular open house at Jet Propulsion Laboratory has many science fans crying into their calculators. But Clark Magnet High School students in Glendale keep pushing on, recently launching a near-space balloon over Angeles National Fores t. Bert Ring imagines this cheering the JPL's downtrodden scientists.  -- Dan Evans, Times Community News  Follow Dan Evans on Twitter: @EditorDanEvans . ...

A small notice in a 1916 edition of the Glendale Evening News informed readers, "Emil Kiefer, an employee at the White Store, is now working for Pulliam Undertaking Co. He intends to make this his life's work. He is a young man of great energy. He came here from Minnesota two years ago and has made many friends. " But shortly after this notice ran, Kiefer said good bye to his many friends - including a young lady we'll meet later in the story - and left town. He was in the first group of volunteers who responded to the call to fight in the Great War, as World War I was known in those days.

My name is John Calvo and I am 13 years old. I go to St. Bede School and am a big baseball fan. I am writing to you because I have played for the Glendale Foothill Little League. I have been playing for eight years and like to read the sports articles in the newspaper. In the eight years I have played, I have never seen one Foothill Little League game covered in the News-Press. The least you could do for Little League is dedicate a corner to some regular season games. I believe Little League Baseball deserves a chance.

Learning that Ruth Sowby's Around Town article will only appear every other week in our local paper is very disheartening news. Ruth works very hard to recognize and highlight the events and individuals that are positively impacting our community. Her article not only provides awareness of the various nonprofits working diligently to help others, but also serves as a motivational tool for members of the city who are not as involved. Her articles can spark interest in volunteerism.

Soon party planners hoping to entice more guests to attend their events will be allowed to sell hard liquor, beer and wine at parks and other public facilities within the city's limits, following a vote this week of the City Council. In approving the sales, the council ensured a new revenue stream to help make ends meet for the strained city budget. Such a course of action is not unfamiliar; many cities long ago realized that allowing organizations and private parties to make alcohol available to paying guests makes those properties far more attractive to planners who want to see their events become successful.

Despite a $25,000 reward, the person who struck cyclist Damian Kevitt has yet to be found . Kevitt was badly injuried, and one of his legs had to be amputated. Cartoonist Bert Ring imagines Kevitt's reaction to the Boston bombings. -- Dan Evans, Times Community News Follow Dan Evans on Twitter: @EditorDanEvans .  

On a Saturday night some 98 years ago this week, more than 200 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders living in Constantinople, today's Istanbul, were rounded up by the government. The political party in power, the "Young Turks," did not want their kind in the country, breathing the same air, using the same resources, making lives for themselves and their families. They were imprisoned and most were later executed. Were it not for the prominence of the victims of that April 24, 1915 event, there might have been even further delay in word spreading across the globe that a systematic elimination of Armenians was underway.