Work Ethic

Glendale native Debbie Bright spends a lot of her daytime activity performing administrative work as the vice president and co-owner of her family's Glendale business Arnol Salon and Spa. Despite her time at the office, however, she said she loves to give back to the community where she grew up. As a child, she said she learned many valuable lessons as a Girl Scout. So when her daughter, Destiny, decided to join the Scouts, Bright jumped at the opportunity to be a leader. Bright leads Girl Scout Troop 9231 in La Crescenta, where she said she gets a chance to share her values with 12 sixth-grade girls.

Janine Marnien A local businessman fondly regarded by many as the "Iron Man of Montrose" has died. He was 87. Jay Drayman, former member of the Montrose Shopping Park Assn. Board of Directors, died of a heart attack March 18. He worked full-time up until the Friday preceding his death, son John Drayman said, a quality that help earn him his nickname. "He just kept going and going and going," John Drayman said. "This was just a guy who was fascinated by all different elements of life and just had this extremely curious mind about different jobs and how people earned their livings."

Early mornings and baseball. In the simplest of summaries, that is how best to describe Dustin Emmons? summer. Recently graduated from Crescenta Valley High, the youngster is bound for UC Riverside. But the summer days before he departs have hardly been spent reflecting on what his future will offer or fondly recalling the past. Instead, Emmons has put on display the same work ethic and love for the game of baseball that translated into a phenomenal senior season and convinced the editors and sports writers of the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader and Crescenta Valley Sun to unanimously vote him All-Area Baseball Player of the Year.

His timing has often been perfect on the field. Nick Posthuma could speed past a vulnerable opponent and direct a crisp pass from a teammate into the back of the net. In addition, a reputation for developing an impeccable work ethic helped Posthuma get places and receive recognition, leading to him picking up his annual share of postseason accolades while starring for St. Francis High. Posthuma's style hasn't changed that much, as he's now a junior forward on the Cal State Fullerton men's soccer team, but by his account his skills have.

Grant Gordon At halftime of Friday night's boys' basketball game, La Canada High took a trip down memory lane. Four Spartans found themselves once again reliving their past glories as they were inducted into the La Canada High School Hall of Fame: Andrew Archer, Kim Garnic, Rob Hause and Tom Taylor. Both Garnic and Archer are 1999 graduates, while Taylor and Hause played together on the only CIF championship football team in school history, graduating in 1980 and '81 respectively.

Bonnie Butler-Sibbald, manager of volunteer services at Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, did not hesitate when naming Ken Cressy as the individual who stands out due to his dedication to volunteer work. “Ken has a warm and caring personality,” she said. “His willingness to take on extra projects and more hours adds to his amazing work ethic. He also excels in training new volunteers. He is basically a role model and a mentor to the other volunteers.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan Crescenta Valley High girls' tennis Coach Tom Gossard knows all about Katy Nikolova. He knows she has the talent and work ethic required to be a top high school player. He also knows the 14-year-old Bulgarian is primed to make an impact for Coach Paul McNiff's Burbank High program. Nikolova has already made a difference for the Bulldogs. She swept her three sets Tuesday, helping Burbank defeat the Falcons, 13-5, at CV. It marked the first time the Bulldogs have defeated CV since 1998, a year before the Falcons started their streak of five consecutive Pacific League championships.

I thought you might like to know about my experience with Jay Drayman, since it seems you need something more than just names and dates. My mom worked for Jay as a sewing machine operator when he opened his first plant in Glendale. We were customers of his at Hangin' Red Pants for years (wasn't everyone in the Crescenta Valley?). He made pizza for me as a young kid at Shakey's. He printed my first business cards when I went into business. He sent candy to my kids at Easter.

Glendale native Debbie Bright spends a lot of her daytime activity performing administrative work as the vice president and co-owner of her family's Glendale business Arnol Salon and Spa. Despite her time at the office, however, she said she loves to give back to the community where she grew up. As a child, she said she learned many valuable lessons as a Girl Scout. So when her daughter, Destiny, decided to join the Scouts, Bright jumped at the opportunity to be a leader. Bright leads Girl Scout Troop 9231 in La Crescenta, where she said she gets a chance to share her values with 12 sixth-grade girls.

Rev. Kimberlie Zakarian I sat with a patient this past month who is dealing with extreme stress and loss. In our processing, she realized that she had not taken a decent break from work in 25 years — absolutely no extended time off. Currently, life circumstances have led to loss and a high level of anxiety for her. Our bodies cannot sustain extended periods of stress without damage occurring — either of a physical or mental level....

His timing has often been perfect on the field. Nick Posthuma could speed past a vulnerable opponent and direct a crisp pass from a teammate into the back of the net. In addition, a reputation for developing an impeccable work ethic helped Posthuma get places and receive recognition, leading to him picking up his annual share of postseason accolades while starring for St. Francis High. Posthuma's style hasn't changed that much, as he's now a junior forward on the Cal State Fullerton men's soccer team, but by his account his skills have.

Bats and gloves have been stashed away for good. Cell phones and computers are the objects now being used by Mark Loretta in his new line of work. Armed with a new off-the-field job following a steady 15-year playing career, Loretta hasn’t shied away from learning baseball matters outside the lines. It’s a vastly different end of the spectrum from previous spring training camps and regular seasons, when Loretta spent countless hours taking batting practice, scooping up grounders in the infield and competing against the best competition the sport had to offer.

Bonnie Butler-Sibbald, manager of volunteer services at Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, did not hesitate when naming Ken Cressy as the individual who stands out due to his dedication to volunteer work. “Ken has a warm and caring personality,” she said. “His willingness to take on extra projects and more hours adds to his amazing work ethic. He also excels in training new volunteers. He is basically a role model and a mentor to the other volunteers.

SAN MARINO — Glendale High’s boys’ water polo team, despite its share of preseason hype and expectations, is still very much a work in progress according to the Nitros. Fortunately for the Nitros, winning and working have been one and the same thus far. Example enough of that theory was seen on Tuesday afternoon, as Glendale bested host San Marino, 9-7, in a nonleague match at San Marino High. “I was very happy we were able to work on something we practiced, but I think we still have a lot of things we have to work on,” said first-year Nitros Coach Forest Holbrook, whose team improved to 5-1 with the victory.

Glendale High School sophomore Nicole Marzucco spent many hours of her summer clearing overgrown brush from the city’s hillsides. Nicole, who hopes to join the U.S. Air Force and attend college to study nursing, said the program taught her about responsibility and teamwork, skills that will help her with her future endeavors. She is saving the money she earned for her future education. “I haven’t spent 1 cent,” she said Wednesday, standing on a hillside.

When Brittany Berger walked off the field at Burbank High, it didn’t take long for the magnitude of the moment to set in. “It was right as I was walking off the field,” says the Falcons senior midfielder of when it sank it that the regular season would end without her on the field. “It was really, really hard. That was the game I was looking forward to.” That game was a Pacific League title showdown against archrival Arcadia. “I’ve never seen her so upset in my life,” says Falcons senior Brittany Johnson, who’s known Berger since elementary school.

Father Jim Bevacqua, a task-oriented priest who is known for his drive to get things done, has landed at Holy Family Catholic Church. Bevacqua started at Holy Family on July 1 after a one-year stint as an associate pastor at St. Philip the Apostle church in Pasadena. Before that, he worked as an associated pastor at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in San Pedro for four years. He will replace Father Joseph Shea who left Glendale at the end of June for a new assignment at a church in Simi Valley.