Teeth

Joyce Rudolph DOWNTOWN -- Cushy seats and a working elevator await patrons attending the first production of A Noise Within's 10th season, back at the Masonic Temple structure on south Brand Boulevard. Previews for Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth" begin Sunday for the theater company that returned home more than two months ago after performing only one season at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the Cal State L.A. campus. The old church pew seats have been replaced by 144 modern cushioned chairs and the elevator works, making it easier to get to the stage on the third floor, Art Manke said.

Jackson Bell DaHyun Hwang admitted that she was a little scared while waiting to get her teeth cleaned Tuesday at Glendale Kids Dental Kare. But after a little tender care and some professional advice, the 8-year-old left unafraid and well-prepared to keep her smile pearly white. "He said, 'Don't forget to clean the bottom teeth at the end," the Mark Keppel Elementary School third-grader said of her dentist, Jack Bayramyan. "It's important because if you don't, you might get cavities, and your teeth will get rotten.

MONTROSE — Eight-year-old Lili Dow smiled big and opened wide while dental assistant Kayleen Pruden readied the X-ray machine. “You’ll be able to see your teeth through this machine,” Pruden said. “Bite down all the way and smile really big.” A humming sound filled the small corner of Stephen Giovanisci’s dental practice on Montrose Avenue. “Now I only have two more to do,” Pruden said. “And those are the easy ones.

Gary Moskowitz NORTHWEST GLENDALE -- Seven-year-old Hazel Handan is flashing a somewhat toothless smile these days. With her baby front teeth out and her adult teeth just barely starting to grow in, Hazel and other students have questions about teeth these days. Hazel and other first-grade students at Franklin Elementary got a lesson in teeth brushing, flossing and tooth decay Wednesday as part of the school district's partnership with Glendale Healthy Kids.

Robert Chacon First-grade students at Balboa Elementary School learned the ins and outs of dental hygiene Monday when Glendale Unified School District Vice President Greg Krikorian taught a program sponsored by Glendale Healthy Kids. Using a Betsy the Cow hand puppet, Krikorian demonstrated proper brushing technique and stressed the importance of brushing every day. The students took turns brushing Betsy's oversized teeth with a toothbrush, and watched a video about a giraffe that learns the importance of brushing.

Linda Montray hadn’t received an eye exam for several years until Friday. But the 50-year-old Glendale resident got a free eye exam and got to look inside her own eye at the Glendale Healthy Kids’ community health fair at the Church of the Brethren. “There are not a lot of people who have insurance,” Montray said. After noticing that her vision was slowly getting blurry, she decided to go to Friday’s eye-screening event. The Northwest Glendale Lions Club sponsored the free eye screenings, along with Optos Eye Screening, Glendale Optometric Center and Jewel City Optometry.

The Glendale News-Press visited Jefferson Elementary School and asked students: “What do you like to write about?”   “Fantasy, make-believe stories, like dragons and giants. That’s about it.” GAVIN SHRYOCK, 9 Glendale         “I like fantasy. Cartoon fantasies about dragons, lions.” EDGAR ZOHRABIAN, 9 Glendale           “I like imaginary stories.

Betsy the Cow helps out at district-wide dental hygiene program for elementary schools.GLENDALE -- Betsy the Cow is a hand puppet that might have the cleanest set of choppers in town. Glendale Unified School Board member Greg Krikorian and many of the first-graders at Balboa Elementary School took turns brushing Betsy's teeth Wednesday as part of an annual district-wide dental hygiene education program sponsored by Glendale Healthy Kids. Krikorian volunteered to teach the program to all the first-graders at Balboa, as did one volunteer at each of the district's other 19 elementary schools.

Julie McCarty knows what it takes to teach children the importance of good dental care. It takes volunteers who can teach about proper tooth-care techniques. With the use of visual aids, McCarty, 54, trains and sends out a team of volunteers to classrooms in Glendale to talk to first-graders about the necessity of oral hygiene. "If kids are having problems with their teeth or health, they are not going to learn," said McCarty, a La Crescenta resident. McCarty is the volunteer program coordinator for the dental education program with Glendale Healthy Kids, a nonprofit program that provides medical and dental services to low-income and uninsured children.

I read with interest the Glendale News-Press front-page article, “City keeps its A on report,” on Jan. 17. It is positive news that our city has taken a stand for a smoke-free environment and that there is public recognition for this accomplishment. However, what has been established by ordinance is not what happens in the city. Within half a mile of my residence, there are six businesses whose customers and owner/employees frequently smoke on the sidewalk right in front of the buildings.

MONTROSE ? Eight-year-old Lili Dow smiled big and opened wide while dental assistant Kayleen Pruden readied the X-ray machine. ?You?ll be able to see your teeth through this machine,? Pruden said. ?Bite down all the way and smile really big.? A humming sound filled the small corner of Stephen Giovanisci?s dental practice on Montrose Avenue. ?Now I only have two more to do,? Pruden said. ?And those are the easy ones.? Lili didn?t flinch. She was one of 36 children Giovanisci and his colleagues treated Friday during Give Kids A Smile Day, where Glendale dentists open their doors to treat children for free.

CITY HALL — Residents could see lower rates under Glendale Water & Power’s efforts to crack down on service theft, which drains an estimated $11 million a year from the utility’s revenues, translating into higher rates for consumers. The City Council on Tuesday approved ordinance amendments that will strengthen the utility’s ability to find and penalize electricity and water service theft. City Councilman Ara Najarian said Wednesday that the crackdown was imperative, especially in light of the city’s budget issues.

Linda Montray hadn’t received an eye exam for several years until Friday. But the 50-year-old Glendale resident got a free eye exam and got to look inside her own eye at the Glendale Healthy Kids’ community health fair at the Church of the Brethren. “There are not a lot of people who have insurance,” Montray said. After noticing that her vision was slowly getting blurry, she decided to go to Friday’s eye-screening event. The Northwest Glendale Lions Club sponsored the free eye screenings, along with Optos Eye Screening, Glendale Optometric Center and Jewel City Optometry.

Last weekend, Sunland Park teemed with families from all over San Fernando Valley eager to attend one of the most prominent events of the summer. The 47th Annual Watermelon Festival took place from Aug. 8 to Aug. 10 and featured a number of attractions such as carnival rides, booths, games, contests, and — the highlight of the festival — juicy watermelons. The early days of the festival were as a carnival with just a hot dog stand, according to Marynance Schellenbach, a member of the Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club that helps to put together this community celebration each year.

The Glendale News-Press visited Jefferson Elementary School and asked students: “What do you like to write about?”   “Fantasy, make-believe stories, like dragons and giants. That’s about it.” GAVIN SHRYOCK, 9 Glendale         “I like fantasy. Cartoon fantasies about dragons, lions.” EDGAR ZOHRABIAN, 9 Glendale           “I like imaginary stories.

Civility by Diana Olson Colors should never be lighter, brighter, darker, grayer, warmer, or cooler than you are. They should be supportive, not dominant. They should connect with you. Whites: Teeth colors are ivory white in most people. One with contrast coloring may have blue-white tones in their teeth. Never wear a white that is whiter than the white in your teeth. Your white should support, not dominate. Romantic colors: These are your romantic colors that are the most feminine or masculine colors.

CITY HALL — The Glendale City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to amend the city's indigenous tree ordinance, which aims to protect more trees and increases fines for those who illegally cut them down. Under the amended ordinance, if a protected tree is cut down without a permit, the violator will have to pay double the assessed value of the tree and will be charged with a misdemeanor — which could result in a fine or prison time. Previously, a violator only had to pay the assessed value of the tree — not double the value.