Recommendations

Especially at this time of year, when relatives roll into town eager to live it up. It's fun to introduce them to L.A.'s ethnic dining scene, chase food trucks around town and stop in at the latest cutting-edge venues. But at some point, they may want to indulge in a celebratory holiday meal at one of L.A.'s fine-dining establishments. Here's your crib list: The Royce at the Langham Huntington.  Out with the dated ship models and fusty decor. In with a bright contemporary dining room and beautiful, subtle cooking from Guy  Savoy  protegé David Féau.

In an attempt to bring harmony to the eclectic mix that is Foothill Boulevard, a subcommittee of the Crescenta Valley Town Council has produced a draft report of design recommendations to guide future development in unincorporated La Crescenta. More than two years in the making, the recommendations are intended to bring to the area a change toward a more uniform appearance as time progresses, said Sharon Raghavachary, co-chair of the Foothill Design Committee, which produced the report.

Alecia Foster NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- After months of discussion, Glendale Unified officials have pinned down about eight short-term recommendations that could help ease overcrowding at its schools. The recommendations were originally made by the Task Force on Facility Use and Student Housing in June. After much discussion, both board members and district officials honed in on areas they said they would like to pursue further. Along with the recommended areas, district officials established a course of action and deadlines, said Don Empey, deputy superintendent of educational services for the district.

GLENDALE — After surviving chemotherapy, several surgeries and a double mastectomy, the battle against breast cancer isn’t over for Glendale resident Myli Vanegas. After a yearlong battle with the disease, the 45-year-old must now be more vigilant than ever with constant doctor visits and tests. She started getting mammograms at 39 after discovering lumps on her breasts during a self exam. But getting mammograms hasn’t always been an easy process. “You have to demand because they don’t listen, like they don’t care,” she said.

Eight months after being warned they weren’t doing enough to address certain key planning and employee issues, officials say Glendale Community College is on track to regain its positive standing with a state accrediting commission. College officials must submit a report to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges on March 15 that addresses four of nine recommendations set forth last year during an accreditation review. A draft of the report has already been reviewed by the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees.

To Terry Bailey: Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my column on the proposed changes in the Tech Plan for the Glendale Unified School District. The intent of my column was to inform the community of significant issues before the board and to get perceptive and expert persons to respond and offer their perspective. You did, and for that I am most appreciative. As a matter of record, however, the Board of Education did not make a decision to abandon the Macs.

Josh Kleinbaum Rather than make recommendations on the tough issue of rent control, the Rental Housing Issues Working Committee decided to play hot potato, leaving the hot topic in the hands of the legal system. The pending legal battle could make any recommendations by the committee moot, members said. Property Owners for Property Rights Protection is attempting to get an anti-rent control initiative on a ballot in Glendale but the Glendale Tenants Assn.

Alecia Foster NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- High schools might become the biggest focus of district officials in tackling overcrowded campuses. A task force charged with evaluating the current capacity and future needs of the district's schools found the secondary level had the most pressing problem. "That is where we need to concentrate first," school board member Jeanne Bentley said at a recent meeting with the task force. The task force met with district officials and school board members July 3 to answer questions about their findings.

Darleene Barrientos Public school officials should spend more money on software and computer training, experts said in a report to Glendale Unified School District board members Tuesday.The Center for Education Leadership and Technology made 123 recommendations on the district's technology spending. School officials spent $70,000 on the audit because some believed the district was spending too much money on technology. The audit showed the district's spending on technology is below average.

Zarian to host Canadian filmmaker Canadian film director Hagop Goudsouzian on Thursday is scheduled to appear live on ?The Larry Zarian Show? to discuss his two films that chronicle the Armenian Genocide and its generational impacts. The program will explore the back story behind the two films and how they fit into cultural discourse surrounding the genocide, in which about 1.5 million Armenians were killed at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915. The show airs at 7 p.m. on Channel 280. The viewer call-in number is (818)

Glendale officials have decided to ignore recommendations made by the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury in a report that city officials claim muddled the waters around an unsuccessful ballot measure in April. The measure would have changed how millions in electric utility revenues are transferred to the General Fund each year. The civil grand jury serves as a watchdog and is charged with investigating city, county and other special government agencies. In March, it released a scathing report on the controversial practice of Glendale transferring millions of dollars in revenues from its city-owned utility to help pay for police, libraries and other public services.

Glendale Water & Power commissioners are recommending that Glendale's utility wean itself off coal before 2027, with one calling it a "politically important" symbol. If the City Council ultimately decides to go along with the recommendation and make the timetable official, the move would come on the heels of Los Angeles vowing to do the same by 2025. Glendale Water & Power officials have been working on reducing the city's reliance on coal-generated power, but this is the first step toward putting the rollback on an official timeline.

City officials say parking permits may be the imperfect answer to a years-long fight waged between residents and car dealerships along South Brand Boulevard. On Monday, the Transportation and Parking Commission supported streamlining rules for a special permitting process in an effort to strike a compromise between the competing interests. “It's not a perfect plan. It's a start,” said Commissioner Aram Sahakian in front of about 25 people at the City Hall meeting. If the City Council eventually approves the ordinance as recommended by the commission, the city will create a “preferential parking district” bounded by Central Avenue to the west, Colorado Street to the north, Glendale Avenue to the east and San Fernando Road to the south.

Glendale Community College Trustee Ann Ransford has been elected to a state board that sets policy, directs research and drives legislation related to California's 112 community colleges. Ransford will be sworn in as a member of the California Community College Trustees board of directors at a meeting in Sacramento in June. “I am looking forward to serving in this position, especially in this defining moment and interesting time for community colleges,” Ransford said in an email this week.

Experts say the ongoing response by Glendale Unified officials to the suicide last week at Crescenta Valley High School will be critical in preventing a repeat event. Students with a history of mental illness or past suicide attempts are most vulnerable to the so-called suicide contagion, a phenomenon in which one suicide triggers another, they added. “One of the things we worry about with both shootings and suicide is that it will spread,” said Ron Astor, a researcher at USC and an expert in bullying, school violence and crisis intervention.

More than a dozen families were greeted Wednesday night by a cadre of police officers who came bearing Christmas gifts. Glendale police officers delivered gifts, including toys, grocery store gift cards, clothes and other household necessities, to 19 low-income Glendale families. The Salvation Army, homeless advocacy group Ascencia, city employees and school officials referred the families to the Glendale Police Officer's Assn. for the Christmas tradition. “It's hard because there are families we have to tell 'No,” Officer Patricia Larrigan said.

Especially at this time of year, when relatives roll into town eager to live it up. It's fun to introduce them to L.A.'s ethnic dining scene, chase food trucks around town and stop in at the latest cutting-edge venues. But at some point, they may want to indulge in a celebratory holiday meal at one of L.A.'s fine-dining establishments. Here's your crib list: The Royce at the Langham Huntington.  Out with the dated ship models and fusty decor. In with a bright contemporary dining room and beautiful, subtle cooking from Guy  Savoy  protegé David Féau.

In an effort to downsize the large pole signs ubiquitous with fast food restaurants, officials are recommending that the City Council stick to a years-old requirement that they're either torn down or replaced with smaller versions to be in line with the law. The Planning Commission made the recommendation as the City Council considers whether to stick to the plan, or give business owners some form of reprieve. About 60 businesses throughout Glendale - from fast food restaurants to hair salons - currently can't change what their large pole signs say unless they replace the large structures with smaller ones, which could cost thousands of dollars.

Financial consultants told the City Council on Tuesday that they should consider raising fees for code enforcement and some permits as they work to close a projected $18-million budget deficit for next fiscal year. Council members did not commit to any fee hikes, instead seeking more specific information in department-by-department hearings. The city is also planning to use budget cuts and a hiring freeze that officials say would contribute $7 million toward addressing the projected shortfall.

Eight months after being warned they weren’t doing enough to address certain key planning and employee issues, officials say Glendale Community College is on track to regain its positive standing with a state accrediting commission. College officials must submit a report to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges on March 15 that addresses four of nine recommendations set forth last year during an accreditation review. A draft of the report has already been reviewed by the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees.