Proactive

People driving their cars into storefronts, it is not the first time something like this happened in Glendale (“SUV barrels through bakery,” Sept. 23). Unfortunately, it has happened many times before. It is obvious that the driver pushed the wrong pedal, which means this driver doesn’t have enough driving skills — a common thing in Glendale. This city has been accepting many kinds of people from other countries, such as Iran, Armenia and Iraq. These countries have very different driving rules, and that’s why we have driving problems.

Keeping the city clean is a good investment, at least that’s how Joyce Ayvazi sees it. The longtime community volunteer is chairwoman of the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale, which falls under the city of Glendale’s Neighborhood Services. It works along with Glendale Clean and Beautiful Inc., which raises funds for projects. The committee is made up of volunteers — some still working, others retired — and they provide input for keeping the city clean, she said.

An interesting thing happened on the way home the other night. I stopped to get my husband and daughter a treat at Fosters Freeze, on Glenoaks Boulevard, and while I was waiting to place my order I noticed a group of about eight young men, most in their late teens, standing around their cars in the parking lot “hanging out.” That in of itself did not bother me, but the trash on the ground surrounding their cars did. Now, I could not...

Crescenta Valley High School was recently awarded $500,000 in the form of an anti-violence grant. CVHS is among 33 schools that have been awarded a total of $16.1 million in state grants to protect students from violence in school and in their community. And Crescenta Valley High has put the money where their mouth is. "We want to be pro-active about our students and their safety," said Betty Barnes, coordinator for Student Support Services at Glendale Unified School District.

CITY HALL — Ethnic diversity in the city’s workforce has continued to increase in recent years, representing a significant jump in minority representation from 1998 to 2008, according to the city’s most recent workforce demographic report. Last year, whites made up 43.9% of the city’s workforce, compared with 57.5% in 1998, according to the report. Meanwhile, representation of most minority groups has grown, with African Americans seeing their ranks grow by 21% within the 10-year period.

Incumbent City Councilman Rafi Manoukian has been a part of some of the biggest decisions in Glendale history and aims to bring the expertise and knowledge he has gained over the past eight years on to another term. "When I first ran I was trying to get the minority community engaged in the political process," he said. "Once I got elected I worked hard to represent the whole city." First elected in 1999, the 46-year-old councilman has served two times as mayor, as well as chaired the Redevelopment Agency and Housing Authority.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE ? Many know Vince Papale as the former bartender and schoolteacher who beat long odds to become a member of his hometown National Football League team, the Philadelphia Eagles, at age 30, eventually inspiring the Disney film "Invincible." It's likely that fewer are familiar with another side of the former Eagles team captain ? a husband and father of two who beat the odds once again to survive a brush with colorectal cancer in 2001. "It was the biggest hit I ever took," said Papale, 61, who played wide receiver and special teams for the Eagles from 1976-78 despite having no college football experience.

GLENDALE — The driest year on record for the Southland has produced a parched landscape that has fire officials more on edge than ever this Fourth of July. The critically low moisture levels of brush throughout the foothills and the rest of the county more than three months ahead of normal has extended the usual fire season — prompting firefighters to make a full-court press this month stressing fire prevention to the public. While Glendale Fire officials said they are always on active alert for wildfires, they are concerned that the three extra months of high fire danger across the Southland will strain neighboring resources to the point where calls for assistance to other agencies may be hard to meet.

More than a month after the shooting rampage in Newtown, Conn., mental health professionals stated that psychological disorders often emerge before people enter high school; however, only a small percentage of students ever receives necessary intervention or treatment. This is due to lack of knowledge and failure to recognize symptoms. The mass shootings in recent years have raised a debate about gun control and mental health, including a push by President Barack Obama for stronger gun controls and better mental health training for schools and communities.

Keeping the city clean is a good investment, at least that’s how Joyce Ayvazi sees it. The longtime community volunteer is chairwoman of the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale, which falls under the city of Glendale’s Neighborhood Services. It works along with Glendale Clean and Beautiful Inc., which raises funds for projects. The committee is made up of volunteers — some still working, others retired — and they provide input for keeping the city clean, she said.

People driving their cars into storefronts, it is not the first time something like this happened in Glendale (“SUV barrels through bakery,” Sept. 23). Unfortunately, it has happened many times before. It is obvious that the driver pushed the wrong pedal, which means this driver doesn’t have enough driving skills — a common thing in Glendale. This city has been accepting many kinds of people from other countries, such as Iran, Armenia and Iraq. These countries have very different driving rules, and that’s why we have driving problems.

CITY HALL — Ethnic diversity in the city’s workforce has continued to increase in recent years, representing a significant jump in minority representation from 1998 to 2008, according to the city’s most recent workforce demographic report. Last year, whites made up 43.9% of the city’s workforce, compared with 57.5% in 1998, according to the report. Meanwhile, representation of most minority groups has grown, with African Americans seeing their ranks grow by 21% within the 10-year period.

Once again, the residents of Glendale read that another child has been “sacrificed” due to the irresponsible decision-making that rests with the Glendale Unified School District administration (“Girl killed in collision,” Oct. 30). The latest death at Toll Middle School is an excellent example of too little too late. It was totally irresponsible for the school administration to have decided that a security/safety person was not needed at the crosswalk where the latest death has occurred.

GLENDALE — The driest year on record for the Southland has produced a parched landscape that has fire officials more on edge than ever this Fourth of July. The critically low moisture levels of brush throughout the foothills and the rest of the county more than three months ahead of normal has extended the usual fire season — prompting firefighters to make a full-court press this month stressing fire prevention to the public. While Glendale Fire officials said they are always on active alert for wildfires, they are concerned that the three extra months of high fire danger across the Southland will strain neighboring resources to the point where calls for assistance to other agencies may be hard to meet.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE ? Many know Vince Papale as the former bartender and schoolteacher who beat long odds to become a member of his hometown National Football League team, the Philadelphia Eagles, at age 30, eventually inspiring the Disney film "Invincible." It's likely that fewer are familiar with another side of the former Eagles team captain ? a husband and father of two who beat the odds once again to survive a brush with colorectal cancer in 2001. "It was the biggest hit I ever took," said Papale, 61, who played wide receiver and special teams for the Eagles from 1976-78 despite having no college football experience.

Incumbent City Councilman Rafi Manoukian has been a part of some of the biggest decisions in Glendale history and aims to bring the expertise and knowledge he has gained over the past eight years on to another term. "When I first ran I was trying to get the minority community engaged in the political process," he said. "Once I got elected I worked hard to represent the whole city." First elected in 1999, the 46-year-old councilman has served two times as mayor, as well as chaired the Redevelopment Agency and Housing Authority.

Crescenta Valley High School was recently awarded $500,000 in the form of an anti-violence grant. CVHS is among 33 schools that have been awarded a total of $16.1 million in state grants to protect students from violence in school and in their community. And Crescenta Valley High has put the money where their mouth is. "We want to be pro-active about our students and their safety," said Betty Barnes, coordinator for Student Support Services at Glendale Unified School District.