A Drunk Driver Destroyed Two Families In 1988 It was about this time of year back in 1988, a hot July weekday. Bill, a maintenance worker for Glendale Parks, was off work when he got a call from his sister. She had a flat tire and was calling from a pay phone in front of […]
Ideas to Avoid Mayoral Selection Drama Based on the recent repeated drama surrounding Glendale City Council’s mayoral selection, I proposed to City Council the following process that reconciles various competing interests and assuages concerns: In every city council election, the winning candidate shall immediately serve as mayor for one year and the second-place candidate shall […]
Every January, the governor releases a budget proposal that kicks off negotiations with the Legislature over everything from how we fund our schools to public safety. This year, through the aftermath of the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires and the ongoing economic assault on California from the federal government, we worked together to pass a […]
From Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian: Friends, [The Glendale City Council] will revisit the process by which we selected the mayor for Glendale. This process has been anything but smooth the last two years and I’ve shared my thoughts on this process and the reasons I voted the way I did (see below). I’m hoping this brings some clarity […]
He Declared it Paradise! “Cecil” bounced in his seat as he passed over the uneven, unpaved roads of the northeast San Fernando Valley. He had come across an advertisement for a good-sized tract of land for sale up in Little Tujunga Canyon and he was on his way there to take a look. He had […]
The Price of Symbolism: Glendale’s Mayoral Drama Has Real Costs Councilmember Kassakhian’s letter portrays his mayoral votes as exercises in fairness and inclusivity. But symbolism without structure has consequences – financial, institutional and ethical. When Councilmember Najarian was denied a fifth term as mayor, he sued the city. The resulting litigation dragged on for a […]
Spotlighting Local Resources What a fantastic start to summer! We want to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Crescenta Valley Fireworks Association and all the dedicated volunteers, sponsors and supporters who made this year’s 4th of July celebration a true highlight for our community. Events like this remind us how amazing our community can […]
From Clean Air To Smog – And Back Again When I was a kid in the early 1960s, smog was a fact of life. I remember that every summer a thick haze of bitter acrid smog blanketed our valley. When we played in the street, the ends of the street were sometimes not visible. The […]
Hair Therapy They say that you don’t really know what you’ve got until it’s gone and that is certainly true of most things. People move so fast; we hardly take the time to appreciate the special gifts we are given and the people we have come to love. Life is fleeting. Spending moments with gratitude […]
Saving Water Shouldn’t Cost Taxpayers at Tax Time By Ardy KASSAKHIAN In Southern California, water isn’t something we take for granted. Whether we’re in the middle of a drought or just waiting for the next one, conservation is a way of life. We’ve developed policies and built entire programs and systems around the idea that every […]