CV Weekly looks back at a year filled with controversy, change and celebration.

 

January

Float judges for the 2019 Tournament of Roses chose the City of La Cañada Flintridge float “Tree Frog Night!” as its Founder Award winner. The 130th annual parade, which was seen around the world, was greeted with beautiful weather. The only hiccup was a small fire onboard one of the last floats, causing the float to be evacuated and the float towed down the parade route.

Captain Chris Blasnek from the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station announced that he would be leaving the station after being promoted to the position of commandeer.

The City of Glendale announced it would continue negotiations with the Gangi Company regarding the development of the historic Rockhaven property.

On New Year’s Day, SB 1100 authored by State Senator Anthony Portantino was signed into law. The law raised the purchase age for all firearms in California to 21.

Preliminary approval was issued for the Sagebrush territory transfer from Glendale Unified School District to La Cañada Unified School District. The decision was issued by the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization.

Representative Adam Schiff was sworn into Congress for his 10th term and named chair of the Intelligence Committee, selected by speaker Nancy Pelosi.

AB 516, which went into effect on Jan. 1, eliminated paper plates on cars. It was called the “Steve Jobs loophole” because, reportedly, the former Apple chairman didn’t want a series of numbers and letters associated with his car and would pay a fine for keeping dealer paper plates on his car rather than attach a metal license plate.

LA County Fire Dept. HAZMAT team responded to a call from LA County Public Works concerning five suspicious five-gallon containers left near Frances and Ramsdell avenues. After investigating, it was discovered that the containers held “honey oil,” the common name for the THC concentrated mass that is extracted from marijuana plants.

A forum was hosted by the CV Town Council regarding the possible installation of a new 5G AT&T “small cell” antenna. The council had been collecting opinions from citizens that were to be included in its recommendation to the LA County Dept. of Regional Planning Commission. Most of the attendees were against the new cell attachment.

The heroic work of the Montrose Search and Rescue team were detailed in a book written by local historian Mike Lawler. The “Thrilling Tales of the Montrose Search and Rescue” chronicled the numerous journeys of the historic team. A book signing that featured Lawler and members of the team occurred at Once Upon A Time bookstore in Montrose.

In a surprise move, the Glendale Unified School District released Superintendent Winfred Roberson Jr. from his contract with the district “without cause.” The decision went into effect immediately.

Hundreds of volunteers drove and walked across Los Angeles County to count the homeless population as part of the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. Among those who helped in the count was Mary O’Keefe of the Crescenta Valley Weekly.

 

February

Audrey Ruttan dressed as Charlie Chaplin to hand out roses for Valentine’s Day to shoppers in the Montrose Shopping Park.

The Glendale City Council went through 65 speaker cards when comments were allowed about the “non-binding rent review, right-to-lease, and relocation program.” The program was to replace the temporary two-month rent freeze voted in December and set to lapse on Feb. 27. Among the speakers were representatives from the Glendale Tenants Union and those representing landlords and others who invested in real estate for their retirement years.

Fillmore Search and Rescue team member Jeff Dye was killed and other emergency responders injured when they responded to a rollover accident. A driver in another vehicle lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the emergency responders.

A search was launched by the Glendale Unified School District for a new superintendent after former superintendent Winfred Roberson Jr. was released from his contract.

Opportunity, the little rover that did much more than expected, quit after drinking in the last of its sunlight power through its solar arrays, then hunkered down to wait out a storm. Unfortunately, a faulty heater and too much interference in the storm drained the batteries and the rover went to sleep for the final time ending 14 years of service.

The future of the Rockhaven property was up in the air again after Gangi Design LED Build, which the City of Glendale in 2016 agreed to work with in developing the three-plus acre property, was released from its contract.

State Senator Anthony Portantino reintroduced SB 328 – the science-based School Start Time Bill. The bill goes into effect in the 2022-23 school year, or when a school’s three-year collective bargaining agreement with its employees ends. Public middle schools will not be allowed to start classes before 8 a.m., while high schools can’t begin the day before 8:30 a.m. The new rules will not apply to elective courses earlier in the day.

Nearly 200 people came out to dance, eat chocolate and enjoy live music when the Crescenta Valley High School jazz band held its annual Jazz Night in the Café. The dance, held in the high school cafeteria, was organized as a fundraiser for the CV Instrumental Music Foundation under the direction of Dena Blood and Glenda Webster. The dance raised just under $2,000.

CV Town Council President Harry Leon was appointed commissioner on the Los Angeles County Advisory Commission for the Dept. of Consumer and Business Affairs.

Local residents celebrated the 106th birthday of Montrose. The historical society had a special exhibition of historic photographs that were on view at the weekly Sunday Harvest Market. Jo Anne Sadler and Michael Morgan displayed photos of the Founder’s Day barbecue that was held in 1913.

 

MARCH

Puzzling questions, fun skits and delicious lunch awaited participants in the 2019 Smart-A-Thon. The fundraiser was for the Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce Education Fund.

The Glendale Kiwanis Club unveiled its first children’s book box. The club, in partnership with The Literacy Club, organized a new book box in conjunction with the Holy Family Church and schools.

Public places, like the parking lot at the CV Sheriff’s Station, were identified as preferred places for conducting business with unknown online buyers and sellers. They are a safer alternative for buyers than going to a stranger’s home or opening their home to strangers. The goal is to reduce the likelihood of criminal activity.

Crescenta Valley High School was the site for the annual Career Fair. The fair provided high school students with the chance to see some potential career opportunities. Among those who had booths at the event wee Fox Animation, JPL and CV Weekly.

Assemblymember Laura Friedman hosted a scam stopper town hall meeting. In addition to Friedman presenting information, three experts were also on the panel and covered a variety of identity, medical and construction frauds. “We would rather give you information up front that you need to protect yourself than have you recover [the funds] later,” Friedman said.

Wading through a full roster, the Glendale City Council honored longtime Glendale resident Margaret Hammond for her 90th   birthday. Hammond took to the dais to remind everyone “you don’t have to sit around and watch TV, even when you’re 90.” Joking about her years being called a “gadfly,” she said, “You have to speak up and keep fighting for what you believe in.”

As part of Women’s History Month, Alice Stebbins Wells was highlighted as the first female police officer hired in the nation. She was hired in 1910 by the Los Angeles Police Dept. and became the nation’s first female policewoman with powers to arrest, according to the LAPD historical page.

Five alleged gang members were charged with the attempted murder and carjacking of a woman, 12 weeks pregnant, in Sunland, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.

 

 

APRIL

American Legion Post 288, located in La Crescenta, commemorated its 95th anniversary by taking a moment to give a special nod for 95 years of service when it hosted its monthly veterans breakfast. “We’re putting an emphasis on [the Post’s] birthday. [Vice Commander] Robert [Wollenweber] is bringing a birthday cake, we’ve been contacted by [Assemblymember Laura] Friedman’s office and [County Supervisor Kathryn] Barger’s office,” said Lynn McGinnis, past commander and judge advocate of Post 288.

Crescenta Valley High School welcomed the Special Olympics games. The Games challenge athletes in a variety of events. High school students and others cheered on the athletes from the sidelines and dignitaries and law enforcement officials were on the field to offer support and congratulations.

Around 50 volunteers turned out for the annual Foothill Clean Up event. Sponsored by the CV Chamber of Commerce and Glendale Clean & Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, the community improvement program helps spruce up town areas. These include weed pulling and pruning wayward bushes and trees.

With warmer temperatures on the horizon, the Montrose Search & Rescue team advised hikers to let friends and family know where they plan to hike in case they get lost or are late returning from a trip. “Plan a route, let someone know and don’t change it,” said MSAR team leader Janet Henderson.

After a successful competition, the Crescenta Valley High school Falkon robotic team finished eighth at the FIRST (For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology) and qualified for the world championships.

The annual Relay for Life of the Foothills was held on the grassy field at Clark Magnet High School. The 24-hour event, which reminds supporters of the American Cancer Society that “cancer never sleeps,” raised over $30,000 according to Molly Shelton, chair of the event.

A forum was held at Crescenta Valley High School in the wake of deaths of CVHS alumni from suicide and alcohol poisoning. The panel of experts, former CVHS students and counselors discussed college safety. The purpose of the event was to bring together more members of the community to better prepare incoming college students on what they will encounter in college and how to handle these situations safely and to provide resources for parents.

Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day was commemorated with several ceremonies that reflected on the 1.5 million Armenians killed in a coordinated strike around the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla visited senior students at Clark Magnet High School to encourage voter registration. He wanted to share his passion for voting, which he sees as a strong expression for American freedom.

Retired La Crescenta Elementary School principal Kimberly Bishop was evacuated by air to a hospital in Hawaii after suffering a shark bite. “I felt a huge bump to the [kayak]. I knew immediately what is was,” she said. “My [kayak] flipped over and I went into the water, and I felt a chomp onto my leg, and I was pulled under.”

Bishop remained in the hospital recuperating and said she did not plan to let the incident keep her out of the water.

Hundreds of children and their families gathered at Two Strike Park for the eighth annual epic Easter egg hunt, sponsored by CVCHURCH. The event was free to attend.

Church members greeted the children and their families as they entered the park and, for those who didn’t bring a bag to collect eggs, gave them one. Members also distributed water, oversaw craft activities and prepared candy bags for those who missed the hunt or who perhaps didn’t collect much candy during the hunts.

Los Angeles County was hit with outbreaks of both pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough, and the measles virus. Outbreak is a very serious term and can be scary, and according to Dr. Armand Dorian, chief medical officer of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, that’s exactly what this is.

“Wash your hands,” said Dr. Dorian on how to combat these issues.

 

 

MAY

While at Starbucks in the Ralphs Marketplace, Ailani Yanez, a Rosemont eighth grader, saw a man come out of the Little Caesars carrying pizzas. With him was a toddler who she assumed was his daughter. The girl started walking, then running, away from him. The little girl ran toward the east entrance/exit of the parking lot between Citibank and Togos/Baskin Robbins. She was running toward the blue crosswalk that stretches across the roadway.

Yanez ran to the little girl and scooped her up as the driver of a black SUV sped toward her.

“[The driver] was on her phone and wasn’t paying attention,” said Yanez. “So I jumped forward and caught the little girl and we both fell backwards onto the ground.”

Neither Yanez nor the child was injured.

Two Crescenta Valley High School seniors were selected as recipients of the first-ever Amazon Future Engineer scholarship. Edan Bash and William Ozeas were two of only 100 students nationally to receive the $40,000 scholarships due in part to their commitment to computer sciences. The students have committed to programs at UC Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University, respectively.

Bash and Ozeas began their journey into computer science under the direction of CVHS teacher Dr. Greg Neat.

“I went to class without knowing how to code at all,” said Bash. “He made me love it.”

The financial situation presented by Glendale Unified School District Interim Superintendent Kelly King and school board President Jennifer Freemon was the main topic of conversation at a meeting of the Crescenta Valley Town Council.

GUSD stated that it has been facing financial hardship. The district had made $5 million in cuts and was anticipating another $5 million cut in 2020. King stated GUSD is hoping for additional funding in the revising of California’s state budget in May, but was uncertain that would take place.

“The funding system for schools is a little – a lot – messed up,” said King.

Anita Quiñonez Gabrielian of Glendale, Jeanne Broberg of La Cañada Flintridge, Dr. Diane L. Evans of La Crescenta and Pat Kramer of Sunland-Tujunga were among those honored as 2019 Women of the Year by Representative Adam Schiff.

The unofficial results were released for the election of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council. Those elected were Liliana Sanchez, president; Lydia Grant, first vice president; Nina Royal, second vice president; Cindy Cleghorn, secretary; and Sandy Capps, treasurer (Capps ran unopposed).

The top seven vote-getters for the stakeholder group representative are Jon von Gunten, John “Mr. Mayor” Clausen, Paul Armbruster, Arnie Abramyan, Hovik Tadevosyan, Garbis Khanjian and Jora Mehrabi.

The two candidates who won the position of Region 1 representatives are Vartan Keshish and Ana Orudyan; Region 2 representatives are Arsen Karamians and Glen Belt; Region 3 representatives are Oscar Alvarez and Rafi Shaheenian; Region 4 representatives are Carol Hutchinson and Pati Potter.

The at-large group representative is Lallah Rowe.

In addition to higher insurance rates, Crescenta Valley, Sunland-Tujunga and La Cañada Flintridge received the attention of aggressive tree trimming by Southern California Edison because of their location in a high-risk fire area.

“We prune to 12 feet from the power lines at the time of trimming,” said Melanie Jocelyn, principal manager, Transmission and Distribution Management, SCE. “Our concern first and foremost is public safety.”

However, some local residents were not happy with the way in which the trees were trimmed. The purpose of trimming the trees is fire safety. Limbs are pruned off electric lines to the “national standards to the health of the tree,” Jocelyn said. “The results [may not] be aesthetically pleasing,” she added.

The Glendale City Council approved a controversial boutique hotel proposed in the Riverside Rancho neighborhood. The project engendered strong opposition from the neighbors who live in the nearby community and was initially rejected by the Design Review Board in June 2018. But early in 2019 the DRB reconsidered the project and approved the 64-room hotel for the 35,575 square foot property on the northwest corner of South Victory Boulevard and Winchester Avenue after Jayesh Kumar, the developer, made several changes to its design and appearance. Proponents describe the proposed Verdugo Hotel as one that would draw clientele locally, the kind of hotel people would stay in if they were visiting for a family celebration or event, not folks driving from downtown Los Angeles to attend a convention.

The Hometown Country Fair, hosted by the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce, went off without a hitch. The annual event featured music groups, dancers, cheerleaders and more from around the Crescenta Valley. Fair-goers wound their way through the lines of booths offering everything from imperfect produce to handmade bags to Funko Pop Vinyl toys to frozen yogurt, and everything in between. Highlights included the Puppy Parade where community dogs came out to strut their stuff, and the pie-eating contest where kids under 18 were challenged to eat a pie as fast as they could using only their faces.

“Deepfake” videos are starting to surface in which famous people appear to do or say anything the video’s creator wishes. These deepfake videos are real threats – not only to the person who is being faked but also to the world at large.

Several key members of the fight against deepfakes came together at the Screen Actors Guild in LA to speak about the realities of the situation and what can be done. Deepfakes is a catch-all term for any video that falsifies a real person’s likeness so it does something fake and then presents the video as authentic.

Prom Plus’ Taste of Montrose was held along with the annual Kids & Kritters and Wags n Whiskers events. Honolulu Avenue was full of dogs, kids and people enjoying the many things offered.

The Taste of Montrose is a fundraiser for Prom Plus, which is celebrating its 25th year as a non-profit organization that gives Crescenta Valley High School seniors and their guests a safe place to go after prom. It costs about $25,000 each year to put on the after-prom party at the Crescenta Cañada YMCA, held from midnight to 5 a.m. Prom Plus is looking for volunteers for the annual event as well as new board members. Visit www.promplus.org for information.

In response to “significant changes” planned for casting ballots in the 2020 elections, Glendale City Clerk Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian proposed a series of actions and outreach plans aimed at educating local Glendale voters about the changes, including sending out mailers, utilizing media outreach and social media engagement, and deploying a team of canvassers available to help local voters.

The Glendale Unified School District Board of Education unanimously approved a contract to affirm Dr. Vivian Ekchian as the next GUSD superintendent of schools, effective July 1.

Ekchian served as deputy superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. “We are confident that Dr. Ekchian is the right person to lead GUSD,” said Board President Jennifer Freemon. “She is a lifelong educator with a wide range of experience serving a large, diverse district. Dr. Ekchian is a visionary leader with a clear sense of purpose and a relentless focus on accelerating student outcomes.”

Ekchian replaced Winfred B. Roberson Jr. who was released from his contract.

A driver collided with the “Welcome to Glendale” sign at Pennsylvania Avenue and Foothill Boulevard flipping the vehicle over on impact. The driver reported no injuries. The collision was under investigation by the Glendale Police Dept. Glendale City officials were evaluating whether the City would replace the sign.

Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station announced that Lt. Todd Deeds would fill the position of captain at the station. The position was previously held by former Captain Chris Blasnek, who was promoted to commander and was transferred to the South Patrol Division.

Former Jet Propulsion Laboratory director Edward Stone – currently the David Morrisroe professor of physics at Caltech and the project scientist for NASA’s Voyager mission for the past 47 years – was awarded the prestigious Shaw Prize in Astronomy “for his leadership in the Voyager project, which has, over the past four decades, transformed our understanding of the four giant planets and the outer solar system, and has now begun to explore interstellar space,” according to the award citation. The prize comes with a monetary award of $1.2 million.

“This is a tremendous honor,” said Stone, “and a tribute to the teams who designed, developed, launched and operated Voyager on an inspiring journey of more than four decades.”

 

 

JUNE

After weeks of attempting to reach the owner of the apartment complex Honolulu Manor Senior Apartments by residents, media and the City of Glendale, Elias Shokrian of CaliTex LLC and Montrose LP was scheduled to be arraigned on criminal charges in Glendale Superior Court.

Honolulu Manor Senior Apartment residents are 65 years old and older and have been coping with having only one working elevator since October 2018, according to one resident. Then in May the second elevator broke leaving residents unable to leave their apartment floor.

“It is unconscionable what this landlord is and was doing to the most vulnerable [population]: our seniors,” said Glendale City Councilwoman Paula Devine.

Before deliberating and unanimously adopting a budget in excess of $938 million for the upcoming fiscal year, the Glendale City Council debated and ultimately green-lighted the transfer of $21 million from the City’s utility.

History and litigation continue to color discussions of the City’s annual charter-authorized transfer of 10% of the utility’s Electric Works Budgeted Operating Revenue, this year just over $21 million. City Attorney Michael Garcia provided an overview starting with two lawsuits filed in 2014 by the Glendale Coalition for Better Government challenging the legality of the fund transfer, alleging that the City violated its charter in its accounting mechanisms and that the transfer itself violated Prop 26. Prop 26 is a statewide voter-approved measure designed to protect against charges (and fees and taxes) beyond what it costs to provide a public service.

The annual Montrose Arts & Crafts Festival added a Kids Zone and a beer and wine garden to the two-day event.

The Kids Zone brought more shoppers toward the far west area of Honolulu Avenue to the vendors there. But, according to organizer Dale Dawson, one of the most popular additions was the stage Montrose rented from the City of Glendale where bands the Mojo Filter Band and the Ploughboys played.

“We had people dancing in the street,” Dawson said.

It was graduation/promotion day in Crescenta Valley for the Class of 2019. Sixth and eighth grade students in the Glendale Unified School District were promoted, and high school commencement ceremonies were held. At Clark Magnet High School, 227 students received their diplomas. At Crescenta Valley High School, 618 students graduated with their families and friends looking on.

The Glendale City Council received the resignation of Councilmember Zareh Sinanyan who announced he accepted a position in the cabinet of the Republic of Armenia. Sinanyan expressed his gratitude for his six-and-a-half years on the council. He was replaced by former councilmember Frank Quintero.

 

 

July

The Glendale City Council voted unanimously to adopt a significantly modified plan for retooling the Grayson Power Plant using a mix of clean and renewable energy along with the much scaled-back utilizing of natural gas.

LA County Public Works and Metro representatives were at the Crescenta Valley Town Council meeting and provided information on the ongoing 210 Freeway sound wall project. Representatives said they would like to take the findings of the noise study to council and to the residents when everything is completed, but funding may turn out to be an obstacle.The County currently has about $9 million to fund the project, which will take place between Lowell and Pennsylvania avenues, and in both east and west directions, but it costs $15 million to build one mile of a wall. County said the sections of the 210 Freeway that first get walls are the parts of the neighborhood most in need of them, where houses are between 300 feet and 500 feet of the freeway.

It will take about $45 to $50 million to complete the project.

The beatification project at Two Strike County Park that began earlier this year,  would be completed in August. The project involves adding native and drought-resistant trees and an improved irrigation system. It was also announced that the baseball field at the park will be getting renovations later this year, with Crescenta Sports Association paying for the infield renovations while the outfield and fencing will be contracted out by the City.

After 33 years of service with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept., Lt. Mark Slater is retiring. Slater is familiar to many in the community. He has been at the Crescenta Valley Station for over a decade.

The City of Glendale confirmed that the Welcome to Glendale monument signs that had been run into by cars several times will not be replaced.

The City removed the rest of the damaged Welcome to Glendale sign at the East end of Foothill Boulevard on May 30 after the sign was badly damaged on May 20 after being struck by a car. A driver collided with the Welcome to Glendale sign at Pennsylvania Avenue and Foothill Boulevard at about 9 a.m. on Friday, May 17. The vehicle flipped over on impact. The driver reported no injuries.

The Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health sent out a letter to approximately 49,000 addresses. Unfortunately, due to errors, a significant number of people who do not have a septic system received the letter. This has caused widespread concern and confusion among residents, as it was requested that they provide proof of sewage connection that imposed a significant burden to local residents.

In order to prevent residents from having to provide proof that they do not have a septic system, the Dept. of Public Health will work to address the errors in their records and issue subsequent notifications to those whom these changes actually apply.

As part of the Los Angeles County study into the Foothill (210) Freeway Sound Wall Project, a traffic noise study was conducted from Pennsylvania Avenue to Waltonia Drive in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County/La Crescenta/Montrose.

The Sound Wall Project would construct 15 sound barriers along the 210 from the Pennsylvania Avenue over-crossing to west of the Glendale (2) Freeway interchange. All sound barriers would be located within the Caltrans’ right of way, according to the report.

Glendale police officers investigated a shooting in the parking lot in the 800 block of N. Glendale Avenue at the Zone laser tag fun center. GPD responded to calls concerning the shooting at 10 p.m. One victim was struck by gunfire.

A development project has been proposed for 1809 Verdugo Blvd. in Glendale. The building presently is home to several medical offices, including Beeve Vision Care.

The proposed development, according to the City of Glendale, was submitted by co-owner Stuart (Harry) Ahn and is a three-story, 35,000 square-foot residential congregate living/medical facility that will have 79 beds, a 32-space semi-subterranean parking garage below the building and a new 36,780 square-foot parking garage with one level subterranean and two levels above grade with 110 spaces. The medical building that is currently at that location is a four-story, 35,980 square-foot office building that was constructed in 1984. There is a surface parking lot.

That  “giant leap” from 50 years ago when Neil Armstrong became the first human to step onto the surface of the Moon is imprinted on several generations. Some savor that day as a treasured memory, while for others it’s an inspirational chapter in history books. While NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena has long been associated with robotic missions rather than ones involving astronauts, the Lab helped pave the way for the historic Apollo missions that took humans to the Moon.

A transient was arrested for starting a fire on June 22 in the 3600 block of La Crescenta Avenue.Two officers responded to the call concerning a “transient” who may have started the fire. A neighbor was at home around the time the fire started. The neighbor said the suspect ran up to him and [allegedly] said, “I just lit a fire. I think the fire department can put it out.”

Honolulu Manor Senior Apartments owner Elias Shokrian and Montrose LP pled not guilty on July 1 to a criminal misdemeanor charge of inadequate maintenance. The charges stem from a complaint by residents of the apartment complex after both of the complex’s elevators stopped working in May. One elevator broke down in October 2018, the second stopped working during Memorial Day weekend leaving the residents, many of them in wheelchairs or having limited mobility, confined to their second or third floor units.

The Montrose Search and Rescue team, along with search and rescue teams from around the state continued their active search for a missing 73-year-old hiker, Eugene Jo, near Mount Waterman. He was found

At a special meeting of the Glendale City Council on Friday, the Council voted unanimously to appoint Frank Quintero to fill the seat on the council caused by the June 11 resignation of Zareh Sinanyan.

Assemblymember Laura Friedman recognized Crescenta Valley Insurance as the 43rd Assembly District’s 2019 Small Business of the Year. She presented the award to President Rick Dinger and his wife Heather Dinger at a luncheon hosted by the California Small Business Association (CSBA).

At a Glendale City Council meeting, City of Glendale staff recommended entering into a six-month exclusive negotiating agreement with Avalon Investment Company, one of the companies that bid on the redevelopment of Rockhaven back in 2016.

 

 

August

Glendale police responded to a carjacking today, in the Sparr Heights area. There were no weapons seen but the suspect simulated a gun when he took the victim’s vehicle. The victim did not report any injuries.Police located the car along the Glendale [2] Freeway and a pursuit occurred, at times reaching excessive speeds.GPD lost the vehicle, and suspect, in the area of Alessandro and Riverside drives in Los Angeles.

The Glendale Police Community Advisory Panel attended a seminar to learn how police respond to situations, how they are trained and how misconceptions affect the department.

The Glendale City Council accepted an $18.5 million grant from the state of California for a bridge over the Los Angeles River as part of the ongoing Riverwalk project.

Glendale police officers responded to a call regarding a pedestrian who had been struck by a vehicle. The pedestrian, a 13-year-old boy, was crossing Verdugo Road, at 2801 Verdugo Road, in a marked crosswalk when a vehicle, traveling south bound failed to stop and struck him. According to GPD, the driver failed the field sobriety test and was arrested for suspicion of DUI.

Mission to Jupiter’s icy moon confirmed. An icy ocean world in our solar system that could reveal more about the potential for life on other worlds is coming into focus with confirmation of the Europa Clipper mission’s next phase. The decision allows the mission to progress to completion of final design, followed by the construction and testing of the entire spacecraft and science payload.

Connie Janson of La Crescenta was installed as District Governor for California Lions District 4-L1.

Glendale Police Chief Carl Povilaitis spoke to the Glendale City Council on being prepared for active shooters.  “As your chief of police, I’d much rather prevent one than deal with one,” Glendale Police Chief Carl Povilaitis told the council in response to recent tragic mass shootings in Gilroy, El Paso and Dayton in the past weeks, focusing on both preparedness and prevention.

When we say, “See something, say something,” we mean it, he said. Seventy-nine percent of shooters have caused someone around them to notice something wrong. That means that looking back, the chief noted, nearly 80% of people knew something was wrong.

Hakop Zakaryan, of Glendale, former bank branch manager at Wells Fargo pleaded guilty on Monday to one felony count of bank fraud for using his position to help launder proceeds of a tax fraud and identity theft scheme that used false identities and bogus Republic of Armenia passports to fraudulently obtain $14 million in tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service.

A 28-year-old male victim was struck by gunfire while walking with another man in the 1200 block of Boynton Street in Glendale. A person approached the victim from behind and began to shoot. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

About 15 houses were without water after a break in a water main occurred on the West side of Pennsylvania Avenue between El Caminito and Stevens streets. The break created a sinkhole on Pennsylvania and caused asphalt on the street to buckle.

 

 

September

People met at La Crescenta Library to hear proposals for new development at the La Crescenta Motel at Briggs Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. Proposal covers both parcels on the property. For the front triangle portion, approximately 21,000 square feet, the developer seeks to build three four-story buildings, 45 feet high (this is 10 feet higher than zoning provisions allow), consisting of 28 housing units (a single one-bedroom, 16 two-bedroom, and 11 three-bedroom condo units) ranging in area from 860 to 1500 square feet. The plan uses a specific part of the property to determine the property line in order to build even higher, potentially seriously impacting at least four residences.

The second portion of the plan would be four, five-story 52-foot-high buildings – 40 units, 13 two-bedroom and 27 three-bedroom units, ranging in size from 1,236 to 1,706 square feet.

The sections would be separated by two levels of unconnected subterranean parking.

Glendale Police Burglary Unit arrested a woman believed to be responsible for the vandalism of the Korean Comfort Women Monument located in Glendale’s Central Park. The monument had been vandalized several times in the past few months.

Crescenta Valley Weekly recognized the Waldheim family for their continued support of all things community. For 50 years their family business J’s Maintenance has been a fair employer and community supporter.

The owner of the Honolulu Manor Senior Apartments appeared in Glendale court before Judge Beverly Bourne to share updates on the progress of repairs to the elevators, one of which had been broken since October 2018 and the other stopped working for about 8 days in May, leaving seniors stranded. The City of Glendale brought criminal charges against Honolulu Manor owner Elias Shokrian and Montrose LP in June.

There has been an increase in the number of complaints of mosquito bites this summer across the foothills, and Steve Goldsworthy, commissioner for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector District (GLACVD), spoke to Council about prevention and to be on the defense against a particular kind of mosquito, the Aedes.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance to ban flavored vaping products, along with traditional menthol cigarettes, in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. On Sept. 20, the LA County Dept. of Public Health “warned about the use of vaping and three cigarette devices as potentially harmful to proper lung function, and urges residents to stop vaping now.”

Tragedy found its way to Valley View Elementary School this summer when longtime and beloved custodian Carlos Hernandez lost his life.

Just a few weeks ago, Hernandez was on vacation in Lake Havasu with his family when a boating accident happened that took the life of the 55-year-old man.

Crescenta Valley celebrated its 135th anniversary in style on Saturday. The event was sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and hosted by the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley and the Crescenta Valley Town Council.

Ten years ago the foothill communities were dealing with the Station Fire, which filled the skies over the Angeles National Forest and surrounding areas with flames and smoke.

 

 

October

Five members of a University of California, Irvine fraternity have been charged in connection with the alcohol poisoning death of a fellow under-age fraternity member after a party in January.

Noah Domingo, 18, of Irvine who was a CVHS graduate, died on Jan. 12 after drinking with members of his fraternity as part of “Big Brother Night.”

The owner of the Honolulu Manor Senior Apartments appeared in Glendale court once again to share an update on the progress of repairing two elevators at the complex.The City of Glendale brought criminal charges against Honolulu Manor owner Elias Shokrian and Montrose LP in June after residents contacted the city in May to report that both elevators in the complex had stopped working. But the problems began in October 2018 when the first of the two elevators ceased working.

Crescenta Valley High School was placed under lockdown twice during the month of October. The first time it was due to a parent who had become defiant and a possible threat. The second time was due to someone witnessing someone who appeared to be armed, jumping the fence at the school. After an investigation it was found the person who had jumped the school fence was a JROTC student who had his practice wooden rifle in his hand. 

Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation gave local seniors from Scholl Canyon Estates a chance to take flight in a WWII Boeing Stearman biplane, the plane pilots trained in during WWII. Many seniors were veterans.

Schools will have a later start after SB328 was signed into law.

The Senate Bill sponsored by State Senator Anthony Portantino mandates later school start times to be phased in over the next three years following collective bargaining with school unions, for school year 2022-23. High schools cannot start regular classes before 8:30 am in the morning, middle schools no earlier than 8:00 am.

The Crescenta Valley High School opened its new Sports Medicine building.The building is located just east of the school’s track and field. It was funded by Measure S and by a Career and Technical Education grant. The building gives CVHS students hands-on opportunity in the medical field, including physical therapy.

The Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization voted to accept a petition that would allow a section of western La Cañada Flintridge, otherwise known the Sagebrush territory, to be transferred from GUSD to LCUSD. In response, the Glendale Unified Board unanimously voted to file an appeal against the decision.

The body found in a vehicle in the Angeles National Forest in September was identified in October as Brian Cruz who had been accused in July of striking his fiancée and her mother with a hammer at their home in Glendale. 

Tyler Wright, President and CEO of the YMCA of the Foothills announced his resignation. He has taken a position as President/CEO of the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette, in Oregon. Wright came to the YMCA of the Foothills about ten years ago and in that decade has led the organization to its place not just in the community but part of the community.

 

 

November

The CVHS football team made history in November completing their second 14-0 season, capped off by their CIF title win over Simi Valley High School by a final score of 19-16.

Glendale Unified School District filed a lawsuit against JUUL Labs, Inc., the leading e-cigarette manufacturer, for creating an epidemic of youth vaping that impedes student learning and puts the health and safety of Glendale Unified students at risk, according to a GUSD statement. Glendale Unified joins Los Angeles Unified that already filed suit against JUUL for similar damages.

March 2020 will see a new system in place that is hoped to make it easier for voters to cast their ballot. An outreach at the La Crescenta Library allowed voters to test the new machine.

The owner of the Honolulu Manor Senior Apartments has been given an extension to do the final repairs to the elevator at the complex.The City of Glendale brought criminal charges against Honolulu Manor owner Elias Shokrian and Montrose LP in June after residents reported to the city in May that both elevators in the complex had stopped working.

Monte Vista Elementary School held a celebration on Friday after being named a National Blue Ribbon School, one of 30 schools in California.

Los Angeles County Fire Dept. responded to a fire in the 4400 block of Rockmere Way in La Cañada. The guesthouse in the back of the property was fully involved upon arrival of firefighters. A man, about 70 years old, was found deceased inside the structure.

A final version of the previously debated sidewalk vending ordinance came back to the Glendale City Council with the changes the council had requested: insurance amounts of $100,000 and $200,000 rather than $1 and $2 million, an increase in the distance allowed between vendors, businesses, intersections, and such, from 10 to 15 feet, and an added requirement to display both city and health department permits when both are required. Four councilmembers present passed adopted the ordinance without an insurance requirement, they will revisit at a later date.

Another shooting at another school was felt throughout the nation. Glendale Unified School District responded, “We are deeply upset to hear of yet another school shooting on a high school campus today, this time at Saugus High School in nearby Santa Clarita….I want to assure you that student and staff safety and wellbeing is our top priority.”

Gus & Andy’s Montrose Grill in the former location of Rocky Cola at 2201 Honolulu Ave is a little closer to opening its doors. After receiving several permits the restaurant has begun demolition of the interior. Across the street Benitoite, which has been closed for several months, remains shuttered without any record of future plans. The location at 2325 Honolulu Ave., where the former Cafe Rose and longtime restaurant Montrose Bakery, which closed in 2015, is moving closer to an opening with the new restaurant Pink Pig completing several city permits. 

For the third consecutive year Crescenta Valley High School JROTC has come in first at the 5th Annual Drill Meet that was held at Santiago High School in Corona.

A historic vote occurred on Oct. 24 when the House voted overwhelmingly to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915. In a rarity in Washington, the vote was bipartisan with a vote of 405 to 11. This is something that the Armenian community, as well as its supporters, has for decades been working on and hoping for. Yet, as quickly as the vote was taken and the Armenian Americans celebrated the recognition of the Genocide, the reality of global political diplomacy came into view when the Senate chose not to take the same vote.

 

 

December

Crescenta Valley High School mourned the loss of a student who took his own life. Many community members had reached out to the school asking what they can do to help.  “In the wake of such a horrible, shared tragedy, standing together and supporting each other is the most helpful thing we can do,” wrote Principal Linda Junge in a letter to the community.

“It is important that each and every one of our students feels a sense of belonging in our school community and knows that they are valued, cared for, and loved. One of the ways we hope to achieve this mission is by writing hand-written notes of affirmation for our individual students. We encourage our staff, families, and community members to submit notes as well. These notes will be put on students’ desks after they return from winter break.”

Anyone interested in submitting a note has been asked to follow these parameters:Notes should be general, hand written on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper and not addressed to a specific student. Do not fold the notes.While these notes can be signed, please use your first name only and do not include contact information. While this may be well-intentioned, as a school it is not our place to connect students with anyone other than professionals or those cleared by their parents or guardians.

Please send your notes to the CV main office, CVHS Attn.: Secretary Laurie Hanson, 2900 Community Ave. La Crescenta, 91214 before Jan. 2. You can also hand deliver notes to CV on Jan. 2 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The search and rescue community mourned the loss of Timothy Staples, 32, who was searching for lost hiker, Sreenivas Mokkapati, 52, on Mt. Baldy.

The Crescenta Valley Ace Hardware store opens in the former Orchard Supply Hardware location on Foothill Boulevard. “Ace intends to honor the tremendous legacy Orchard Supply Hardware established in these communities while infusing them with Ace’s unique culture and helpful service for which Ace has become famous,” said John Venhuizen, president and CEO of Ace Hardware Corporation.

The Crescenta Valley High School marching band and color guard had an eventful competition season this year, finishing fourth in 5A Division and fifth place in state finals in November earning a score of 89.3. This is the highest score in CVHS history. The percussion team also found success by placing third behind Gahr High School and Woodbridge High School. The nine-person color guard auxiliary team also achieved its highest score on record by placing third in state.

For over 13 years the fate of the property that previously housed the Verdugo Hills Golf Course has been in flux. In December a rezoning ordinance was denied by the City of LA PLUM, the Planning and Land Use Management committee, leaving the development proposed by the Snowball Investments company stalled.

Crescenta Valley High School Track and Field boys take home second place title at CIF Championship Finals.