Stories to look out for in 2006

Platt project expected to begin

With nearly a year passing since the City Council approved the controversial Burbank Media Center mixed-use project, Platt Cos. has yet to start construction on the Olive Avenue site.

Platt still needs to acquire two parcels of land totaling 13,000 square feet owned by the city's redevelopment agency.

The developer is also still working out financing for the project.

Commonly referred to as the Platt project, the Burbank Media Center is a 500,000-square-foot mixed-use development of condominiums, retail space, a restaurant, a church and two parks.

New council member to be sworn in

For four months Burbank City Council has operated with just four members.

But as this new year dawns, residents will elect a new City Council member to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Councilwoman Stacey Murphy in August.

Ballots for the all-mail election will scheduled to be sent out Tuesday and must be returned to the City Clerk's office by 7 p.m. on Jan. 24.

The candidate receiving the most votes wins the seat. Vying for the open seat are Michael Dontanville, David Gordon, Vahe Hovanessian, Amy Lawrence and Bill Wiggins.

School board president making bid for state office

After losing to Rep. Dario Frommer by 3,000 votes in the 2000 State Assembly primary, Burbank Unified School District Board of Education President Paul Krekorian will be back in the fight in 2006.

Krekorian is a lawyer living in Burbank who has served on the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission as well as on the school board.

The seat now occupied by Majority Leader Frommer will be vacated as he has reaches the end of his term. Krekorian will enter the race against former Assemblyman Scott Wildman, and possibly Glendale City Councilman Frank Quintero, who has opened a fundraising committee for the Assembly seat. Assembly District 43 encompasses Glendale, Burbank, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, North Hollywood and Toluca Lake. The primary election, which will be held on June 6, is considered to be more important than the final election, due to the overwhelming number of democrats in the area.