San Gabriel

Amber Willard GLENDALE -- San Gabriel is the newest addition to the Verdugo Communications Center, started 15 years ago by Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena. San Gabriel is the ninth city to join the 911 system, which has computer-aided dispatching that connects all of the areas. By linking to the system, San Gabriel will also help pay for the $1.7-million annual operation cost. The nine cities split the costs on the basis of size and number of calls.

GLENDALE — A first-ever meeting between the Flintridge Prep and Renaissance Academy boys’ basketball teams became a distinct possibility when both teams found themselves in the same pool of the San Gabriel Tournament earlier this week. The matchup never came to fruition, as both teams managed to stay undefeated through the first three rounds while never crossing paths. A 57-31 win for Prep over host San Gabriel on Friday night, coupled with a 61-33 win by Renaissance earlier Friday against El Monte, saw both teams emerge from pool play with perfect 3-0 records.

In some respects, fielding has become a lost art of sorts on the baseball diamond. With an increasing emphasis of the game placed on offense and more offense, the steady and even stunning plays supplied in the field are often overlooked. However, the importance of making all those plays is not lost on Kris Kauppila, who, with his glove, has often turned the spectacular into routine. The Crescenta Valley High shortstop is a throwback of sorts, a kid who savors his time spent in the field as much, if not more, than stepping up to the plate.

NORTHWEST GLENDALE — Hoover High boys' basketball Coach Vigen Jilizian doesn't mind low-scoring affairs. In fact, he prefers them. The coach liked what he saw on Wednesday night, as the Tornadoes defeated San Gabriel, 46-39, in pool play of the Hoover Classic Tournament. "As a coach you can never be concerned when your team is thinking too much defensively," said Jilizian, whose team defeated South Pasadena, 69-55, the Tuesday. "I like [Wednesday's] game better. "I don't mind these low scores.

LOS ANGELES — Just like they were in Ohio in August, all eyes were on the members of the San Gabriel Valley Babe Ruth All-Stars on Thursday. Except this stage might just have been a bit grander. The squad stood alone on the field at Dodger Stadium as it was honored for capturing the 16-18 Babe Ruth World Series title, prior to the Dodgers’ game with the San Diego Padres. Some picked pieces of the infield grass, others used their cell phones to capture lasting images and each and every member heard their name echo through the stadium during individual introductions.

ARCADIA — When the Arroyo Seco and San Gabriel Valley Babe Ruth All-Star squads get together, it's not your ho-hum Babe Ruth game. "We go head to head every year," said Arroyo Seco Coach Aaron Milam, an assistant on the St. Francis High team. "It's a big rivalry." In past years, it's a rivalry San Gabriel has gotten the best of, though. After all, it's won the World Series in Ohio two of the last three years. This time around, things are a bit different. "That's a good team," said San Gabriel Coach Phil Torres, who's also the head coach for Crescenta Valley High.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan BURBANK -- The Hoover High girls' basketball team knew it was a matter of time before it stopped its losing ways. The Tornadoes have struggled early in the season losing seven of their first eight games. On Tuesday Hoover took a turn in the right direction against San Gabriel High in pool play of the Bellarmine-Jefferson Holiday Tournament. It defeated the Matadors, 47-26, at Bell-Jeff High to snap a six-game losing streak.

Mary G. Theiss passed away September 24, 2010 in San Gabriel, California.  She was 103 years of age and succeeded her husband, Joseph Theiss and son, Joseph Edward (Ed) Theiss.  Mary was a life long resident of Glendale, CA after arriving here from Providence, Rhode island in 1922. Mary is survived by one nephew, Michael Sciaraffa of San Gabriel, CA, and two nieces, Monica Sciaraffa Uballez of Santa Monica, CA, and Carol Ann Sciaraffa Sullivan of Riva, Maryland. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 10:00am at the Holy Redeemer Chapel in Holy Cross Cemetery, 5835 W. Slauson Avenue, Culver City, CA.   Callanan & Woods Scovern Mortuary 818-242-0258, www.callananwoodsscovern.

Charles Rich Defense won't go unnoticed this year under John Nelson. In fact, the veteran Crescenta Valley High boys' volleyball coach won't be shy to render an immediate observation concerning defensive positioning, blocking and digging. Nelson dug right in after the host Falcons opened their season Wednesday with a 25-6, 25-18, 25-16 victory against San Gabriel in a nonleague match that took 50 minutes to complete. -- BOX SCORE -- -- San Gabriel 6 18 16 Crescenta Valley 25 25 25 -- -- SAN GABRIEL Lee 7 kills.

Hoover boys' basketball story.Basketball: Tornado boys run away from San Gabriel en route to Hoover Tournament final.NORTHWEST GLENDALE -- While Hoover High boys' basketball Coach Vigen Jilizian isn't quite certain, he believes the Tornadoes last won their host tournament in 1996. They'll have a chance to do it in 2005 tonight. Thanks in large part to a second quarter in which Hoover was near-perfect, the Tornadoes dismantled San Gabriel, 62-21, in a pool-play game Thursday night at the Hoover Tournament.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) warned that a U.S. Department of the Interior recommendation that the San Gabriel Mountains be designated a national recreation area separate from the Santa Monica Mountains will create its own set of challenges. On Wednesday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar recommended adding the San Gabriel River watershed and most of the San Gabriel Mountains to the National Park Service as a component of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, the L.A. Times reported.

Constance Ann Wren died peacefully on the morning of January 3, 2013 after a long and heroic battle with lung cancer. She was 76 years of age and died in San Gabriel, California. She was born in Berkley, California, June 18, 1936. She was the daughter of Marian Burgess Holcomb LaFranchi and Dr. Edward Henry LaFranchi. She is survived by her brothers Charles LaFranchi, Stephen LaFranchi and a sister Caroline Meredith Gracis. Longtime friends include Marge Zaun and Lynn Rossi. She was married to Edward Wren for over 20 years.

Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian is in a fight for his seat on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority after failing to get appointed for another term - an outcome he claimed was orchestrated by officials upset by his opposition to a 710 Freeway extension through Pasadena. Several representatives for San Gabriel Valley - who've been pushing to connect the 710 and 210 freeways - declined to support Najarian at a procedural vote last week of the City Selection Committee, a group of elected officials from cities throughout Los Angeles County that send nominations for confirmation to the MTA board.

SAN MARINO - For the first several weeks of the season, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy first-year basketball Coach Ty Buxman plans to pay extra attention to the progress being made by his players in the rebounding department. It's an area that Buxman said the Tologs will need to continue improving on before beginning play in the rugged Mission League in January. Buxman got a glimpse of what might be in store Tuesday night, as Flintridge Sacred Heart grabbed 33 rebounds en route to a 48-22 win against South Region in a pool-play contest of the San Gabriel Valley Classic at San Marino High.

Fire crews were battling a 4,000-acre brush fire Monday morning in rugged terrain in the Angeles National Forest as the blaze forced officials to shut down the popular San Gabriel Canyon to Labor Day visitors. The Williams fire was just 5% contained as hundreds of firefighters from several agencies were trying to stop the forward progress of the flames, which sent a towering plume of smoke that could be seen for miles. Flames Monday morning were threatening mobile homes and other structures at the Camp Williams resort on the east fork of the San Gabriel River, the U.S. Forest Service said.

Good morning, readers. Today is Monday, August 20. Pasadena city officials are not pleased with any of the Metropolitan Transportation Agency's proposed routes for the Long Beach (710) Freeway extension. The city is exploring ways to overturn a 2001 voter initiative that formally offered the city's support for an extension that would connect the freeway to the Foothill (210) Freeway in Pasadena from its current terminus in Alhambra. Pasadena Sun Police are searching for suspects after a man was stabbed while intervening in an argument at an Arcadia park . Pasadena Star The final projects of Measure B, a $25 million school bond approved by voters in 2004 to fund La Cañada Unified School District projects, are wrapping up . Officials say the bond covered more projects than originally expected, but dollars from the bond are expected to run out by the end of the summer.

State agricultural inspectors have enacted a quarantine and are going door-to-door in a Hacienda Heights neighborhood in an effort to help save the state's $2-billion citrus industry and beloved backyard fruit trees from a disease that has wreaked havoc in Florida and Brazil . The sale of citrus trees is banned in a five-mile radius around the Los Angeles County neighborhood where Huanglongbing, or yellow dragon disease, was first detected...

SAN GABRIEL — Every match the Holy Family High girls' soccer team has played this season has come with a handicap, as the Gaels' roster consists of just 10 players — one short of a full team. On Wednesday, the team's numbers were whittled down even further to nine due to a missing player and, with opponent San Gabriel Mission fielding a full 11 with bench players to spare, the deck was stacked even more heavily against Holy Family. The Gaels never got a shot attempt off in a 10-0 Horizon League loss that saw the host Pioneers continue to attack the goal with full force right up until the final whistle.

More than 3,000 Southern California customers were without power Friday after a short-lived but strong thunderstorm hit the region and residents braced for a day of high winds. Southern California Edison estimated that 3,196 customers did not have electricity early Friday morning, mainly in the San Gabriel Valley. At the height of the storm more than 20,000 lost power, said Vanessa McGrady, a spokeswoman for the utility. A high-wind warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect until Saturday afternoon in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.