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

January

The 2018 Rose Parade theme “Making a Difference” highlighted individuals and organizations that serve others. The La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float “Panda-Monium” received the Bob Hope Humor award for most whimsical and amusing float. La Crescenta resident and physician Dr. Slavin, who specializes in identifying hereditary diseases including genetic components of cancer, rode on the City of Hope float.

New laws that went into effect on Jan. 1 included the long-awaited and much-debated minimum wage increase. Also, California employers could no longer ask job applicants for their salary, compensation or benefits history.

In January a super moon (when the moon is at its closest approach to earth in its elliptical orbit), a blue moon (the second full moon in a month) and a lunar eclipse blood moon (when the earth passes between the sun and moon, blocking out all of the light for a short while and giving the moon a reddish hue before and after).

Montrose Search and Rescue team members headed to Montecito after floods and mud flows killed at least 20 people.

The Glendale City Council approved a number of improvements for streets, freeways and bike paths at its first meeting of the New Year.

The school bus drivers’ strike continued. Both the GUSD and the First Student bus company claimed to have been caught off-guard by the strike. Teamsters Local 572, the union that represented the drivers, said that among the issues being negotiated were healthcare benefits, pay and vacations.

February

CVHS jazz band held its annual Jazz Night at the Café where locals – residents and students – were invited to put on their dancing shoes and dance the night away in the CV Falcon Café. For a nominal admission fee, the night included live music, dance lessons and dessert.

Portos Bakery created the largest ever rosca de reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread with dried and candied fruits enjoyed on Three Kings Day.

Local couples shared their stories of love for the Valentine’s Day issue. Couple Steve and Karen Pierce reminisced of their meeting decades ago.

“She was adorable,” Steve said about his wife.

CVHS welcomed Air Force veteran Major Michael Sharpe as the new mentor/instructor for the school’s JROTC program. The one thing he said surprised him about his new job: “I didn’t know I was going to like it as much as I do.”

CERT (Community Emergency Response Training) organizers planned another set of free classes to provide training to residents on how to respond in the event of a natural disaster. Classes are typically held periodically every year.

“Charlie Chaplin” (performer Audrey Ruttan] could be found on Honolulu Avenue on the Saturday before Valentine’s Day handing out roses to shoppers. Hosted by the Montrose Shopping Park Assn., the annual event includes a romantic photo booth for shoppers to snap pictures.

Smoke and fire filled the skies above the Crescenta Valley, but it was part of a planned burn by the fire department. The prescribed burns were an effort to minimize fire fuel in a given area.

La Crescenta author and illustrator Tina Kugler received the prestigious Geisel Honor for her fifth book, “Snail and the Worm Again.” The Honor is named after Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. It is awarded to a handful of children’s book authors and illustrators in the United States.

Yasmin Beers was appointed as Glendale’s city manager on Tuesday night, becoming the first female to hold the position in the city’s history.

March

The February meeting of the Crescenta Valley Community Assn. had a higher than usual number of participants due in large part to the Welcome to Glendale signs on Foothill Boulevard. The meeting’s participants shared various opinions regarding the monument signs, some stating they are an “eyesore” and are “potentially deadly.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. – Crescenta Valley Station detectives continued their investigation into a juvenile student who ingested an unknown amount of Xanax. The incident occurred at La Cañada High School. The student was transported to the hospital and, because he is a juvenile, no other information was released on his condition.

A proposed “Right To Lease” ordinance that would require landlords to provide all prospective tenants with a one-year lease along with a possible “Year 2 Option,” which would provide tenants with a forecast into the following year’s rental cost, lost steam during at a Glendale City Council meeting. The proposed purpose of the ordinance was to help calm the anxiety of some renters over the uncertainty of possible frequent and/or large rent increases. The ordinance would have forced all landlords to provide a one-year lease to tenants and allow only annual rent increases. There would also be an option to present tenants with an opportunity for a second year lease at a fixed rate.

USC Verdugo Hills Hospital opened its new NICU (neonatal ICU). The department is comprised of six private rooms that are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including a camera that is mounted on top of the incubators. Family members can download an application that will allow them to view, on their computer or smartphone, their child during his or her stay.

Opponents of the legislation known by many as the “4 a.m. bar bill,” which would begin a five-year pilot allowing six California cities to extend bar hours past 2 a.m., held a town hall panel discussion in Hollywood Presbyterian Church’s Mears Center Auditorium.

An answer to the question, ‘Montrose Search and Rescue: Why Do they Do It?’ was explored when several team members explained what prompted them to join an organization that pays $1 a year to volunteers to answer the call when someone is in trouble.

Senator Anthony Portantino’s SB 972 passed the State Senate Education Committee with bipartisan support. The bill required public, charter and private schools to print a suicide prevention hotline number and/or text crisis line on the back of students’ identification cards, according to a statement from the senator.

Despite rainy weather, the wine walk hosted by the Montrose Shopping Park Assn. was a hit with many of the merchants enjoying time to visit with ticketholders while seeing an increase in sales.

An update by Caltrans on the work being done on the Foothill (210) Freeway was presented to the Crescenta Valley Town Council. Although the work was planned to be completed by March of 2018, due to weather and technical issues the company could not get all of the pavement work done and so the completion date was extended to July 2018.

April

Zareh Sinanyan was announced as the new mayor of Glendale. This was his second term as mayor, having been selected in 2014-15.

The regional spring games of the Special Olympics was held at Crescenta Valley High School. The opening ceremony included a parade of athletes and a torch lighting ceremony. Games were held in the basketball courts, the lower field and the middle field. Athletes played basketball and bocce ball and competed in various track and field events.

Nearly a thousand people poured (pun intended) onto Honolulu Avenue for the Montrose Food and Craft Beer Fest. An estimated 35 vendors provided samples of their wares, with the primary offering being beer from a variety of Southern California-based breweries.

The future of Glendale’s Central Park cleared one of its first hurdles when the Glendale City Council voted to approve the massive redesign of the park that is set to include the three-story Armenian American Museum.

Supporters of the Armenian Community and Youth Center showed up en masse for the rededication of the Center as the Meher and Satig Der Ohanessian Youth Center. The youth center is located at 2633 Honolulu Ave.

The annual Hometown Country Fair, hosted by the CV Chamber of Commerce, included a parade of cars that ushered in the car show, a variety of merchants that offered unique items for sale plus plenty of activities, from karaoke to dog parades, with lots of dancing and a pie-eating contest.

May

It was decided at a Land Use Committee meeting of the Crescenta Valley Town Council to endorse the installation of a small cell antenna sometime over the summer on an existing telephone pole at 4704 Briggs Ave., just north of where Briggs Avenue meets Fairmount Avenue.

The Glendale City Council successfully passed an extension of a moratorium on downtown area residential development, but not without city councilmembers butting heads on exceptions – or carve-outs – and the implementation of affordable housing requirements. The narrow passage of a 45-day moratorium, the 10 months and 15-day extension passed unanimously.

Sixteen teams gathered for Relay for Life of the Foothills and walked the track for 24 hours at Clark Magnet High School. The annual event is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, raising money and awareness of those who have fought, are fighting or have lost their battle with cancer. The event raised an estimated $50,000.

Construction on the Foothill Boulevard medians in the unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County in La Crescenta was expected to begin in late August with an expected completion of mid-November. Work would take place five days per week (Monday through Friday) and the contractor would be authorized to work on weekends if needed to complete the project before the start of the holiday season.

Twelve Oaks Lodge retirement community hosted a festive “grand re-opening” with an afternoon gathering and tour of the facilities and grounds of the new Twelve Oaks Senior Living, still located on its namesake 4.5 oak-covered acres at 2820 Sycamore Ave. in La Crescenta.

Glendale police responded to a vehicle that struck the Welcome to Glendale sign in the center lane of Foothill Boulevard just east of Lowell Avenue. When GPD arrived they found that a Sunland man, 78, had been traveling in the number one lane when he entered the center median and struck the sign.

The CV Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley and the Valley Automotive group to raise $1,500 to purchase, insure and ship a silver loving cup back home to La Crescenta. The inscription reads, “Presented to Robert A. Walton by the Citizens of La Crescenta, Oakdale and Montrose as a token of their appreciation of his services. July 15, 1915.”

Honolulu Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard was packed with people honoring those who served in the military and paid the ultimate price during the annual Memorial Day ceremony. The ceremony was held at the Vietnam War Memorial site.

The La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce and Community Association kicked off its 45th Memorial Weekend Fiesta Days celebration with its annual Casino Night. Other activities included a French toast breakfast, parade and music in Memorial Park.

A number of Glendale and
Burbank residents attended a Glendale City Council meeting to speak out against the rezoning of a historic equestrian community that borders the two cities. The protests were spurred by an application submitted in February by Art Simonian and Thomas Bell to convert the commercial equestrian zoning into a multifamily residential.

June

Clark Magnet and Crescenta Valley high schools bid farewell to nearly a thousand graduates while Rosemont promoted its class to the next level.

The streets of Montrose were filled with shoppers eager to bring home unique items for sale at the annual Arts and Crafts Festival.

An adult female cinnamon bear took up residence in a tree on Burgoyne Lane just north of Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada. The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife responded alongside the LA County Fire Dept. and the LA Sheriff’s Dept. to make sure the bear was safely removed and relocated.

A ceremony was held commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial.

The Glendale Police Dept. held a ground breaking for its GPD Museum. Official hoped to have grand opening for the museum toward the end of 2018.

July

Lovers of the cackle car and the classics had something to see at the Montrose Car Show held on Honolulu Avenue. Over 270 cars lined the avenue.

Thousands came to see the night sky light up at the annual 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza at Crescenta Valley High School. In addition to a colorful fireworks display, ticketholders were entertained with live music and kid-centric activities.

The Glendale City Council voted to have a ¾ of a cent sales tax increase placed on the November ballot. The council defended the vote stating that it was a pre-emptive move against other entities laying claim to the tax.

August

The Glendale City Council voted unanimously on several items regarding the Armenian American Museum, including finding the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act in accordance to state guidelines, approving the standards variance permitting the loading area to be partially located off-site, approving the stage II design and the ground lease agreement.

The annual National Night Out offered residents and safety personnel the chance to reconnect. Several local NNO events were part of a nationwide effort that included thousands of community events.

The City of Glendale Clerk’s Office found that a proposed rent stabilization measure did not have enough signatures to qualify for the Nov. 6 ballot.

The Montrose Shopping Park Assn. board of directors listened to a presentation about a proposed ballot measure regarding an increased sales tax that will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot. The measure would increase the current sales tax of 9.5% to 10.25% on a local level bringing in an additional $30 million worth of revenue for the betterment of Glendale, according to city manager Yasmin Beers.

The Los Angeles County Dept. of Regional Planning approved a permit allowing AT&T contractor Eukon Group to attach a small cell site to the telephone pole just north of 4704 Briggs Ave. in La Crescenta.

It was announced that the OSH on Foothill Boulevard would be closing by the end of 2018.

September

A motorcade, made up of classic cars, fire engines and law enforcement vehicles, wound its way through the Crescenta Valley commemorating 9/11. In the evening, a ceremony was held at Bob Smith Toyota to remember those who were lost on Sept. 11.

Locals enjoyed two nights of free outdoor movie fun when the Montrose Film Festival screened family-friendly movies “Ferdinand” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Wellness Works Glendale, a non-profit organization that serves veterans, active duty military and their families through various programs, held Not on My Watch. The fundraiser brought together the community in support of veterans and active military personnel.

Construction began on the Foothill Boulevard medians in the unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County – La Crescenta.

October

The Glendale Police Dept. invited the community to its annual open house. Officers and detectives from air support, patrol and professional staff were on hand to greet visitors.

Mike and Pete Smith of Bob Smith Toyota were named the grand marshals of the 2018 Montrose Glendale Christmas Parade.

The launch of SpaceX from Vandenberg Air Force Base lit up the night sky giving viewers as far east as Arizona and as far north as San Francisco a peak into history.

Thousands “poured” onto Honolulu Avenue for Oktoberfest where revelers enjoyed a variety of beers, wine, bratwurst and other German food.

The Devil’s Gate Reservoir Sediment Removal project began after years of debate and environmental studies. The four-year project will remove about 1.7 million cubic yards of sediment. The process is to return the dam to a fully operational status.

Fallout from an on-campus fight among students at Hoover High School included the cancellation of the Crescenta Valley High School homecoming football game, a match-up planned between Hoover and CV. In response, the Falcon Associated student Body organized alternate events including a “powderpuff” football game, and performances by the CVHS dance team and the CV band.

Hundreds stood in line to get scared at the annual CV Sheriff’s Station Haunted Jail.

November

The Glendale Police Dept. collected nearly 200 firearms during its anonymous gun buyback event. The types of arms collected ranged from old World War II rifles to newer guns.

Thousands of rubber ducks made their way down “Lake Glendale” at Verdugo Park as part of the annual Kiwanis Club of Glendale’s duck splash. The fundraiser benefitted the philanthropic outreach for the Club.

American Legion Post 288 and VFW Post 1614 held a Veterans Day commemoration in Two Strike Park. The ceremony included the recognition of the 100th anniversary of the armistice signing and the end of the Great War.

Hansen Dam was the site for annual American Heroes Air Show highlighting helicopters and aviation services. The show hosted over 15 helicopters on display to the public, many of which were open for attendees to climb in and explore.

A three-part series about California fires highlighted what wildfires accomplish, how to manage fire fuels and the importance of local firefighters and homeowners and how each can do to keep houses fire-safe.

CV Weekly remembered artist Stan Lee, who died at the age of 95.

The topic of rent control had meetings go into the wee hours of the morning for the Glendale City Council. Supporters and opponents of rent control approached the dais to share their views with the council.

It was standing room only at the Crescenta Valley Town Council where discussion was held regarding the installation of a proposed AT&T cell site attachment to a utility pole just north of 4704 Briggs Ave.

Elections were held for the CV Town Council. Those elected to serve three-year terms, in order of votes received, were Michael Claessens, Sophal Ear and Desiree Rabinov. All three are incumbents. Those elected to serve one-year terms as alternates were Carin Hoffman, Donna Libra and Jeffrey Rodriguez.

During a Glendale City Council meeting, over 100 people gathered on the steps of Glendale City Hall to protest the lack of rent control within the city.

InSight was the newest lander to touch down on the Martian surface after a successful EDL (Entry-Descent-Landing) event eliciting cheers from the JPL team that oversaw the mission.

December

Chris Peplow, a park service manager with Glendale Community Services & Parks, created a “Winter Village” scenario to decorate Glendale City Hall and courtyard. Peplow has decorated the property for free for the last 14 years.

After over a decade of discussing, proposing, rejecting and finally approving, the installation of the Foothill Boulevard medians in the unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County – La Crescenta was complete. A ribbon cutting was held celebrating the completion.

Santa and Mrs. Claus were among the honored guests at the La Crescenta Christmas Tree Lighting held at the La Crescenta Library.

The future of the property that is the former site of Rockhaven Sanitarium is again uncertain after the Glendale City Council decided to halt negotiations regarding the development of the historic property.

After the closure of the OSH store on Foothill Boulevard, the signage for the building was either removed or painted over. No announcement was made regarding future plans for the property.

The Glendale City Council honored organizers of the Montrose Glendale Christmas Parade during its meeting.

Maple Park in Glendale prepared to start construction of a playground where all are welcomed. The inclusive park, designed by Shane’s Inspiration, is going to benefit the community by benefiting all children.