Burroughs High School

Molly Shore HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- Burroughs High School junior Vanessa Dominguez and seniors Christel Lobarbio and Karla Hernandez were this year's recipients of the "Catch a Falling Star" achievement award. The event is sponsored by the Burbank Noon Lions, the Burbank Family YMCA and Burroughs High School counselors. At a Thursday luncheon at The Castaway, the teens received their awards in recognition of choosing hard work over violence in an effort to turn their lives around.

Molly Shore The Burbank Sister City Committee is accepting applications from high school students to be part of the 2003 student-exchange program with Burbank's sister city, Ota, Japan. Applications are available at all three locations of the Burbank Public Library, and in the career offices of Burroughs, Burbank, Providence, Bellarmine-Jefferson and Village Christian high schools. The deadline for returning completed applications is Nov. 18. Applications must be returned to the Burbank Central Library, 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd.

Two killed in motorcycle crash NORTHWEST DISTRICT -- A Tujunga man and a Burbank woman were killed when the motorcycle they were riding struck a car, police said. The crash occurred early Friday morning at the corner of Victory Boulevard and Myers Street. Daniel Bonfilio, 35, was riding the motorcycle west on Victory at a high rate of speed, police said. A 25-year-old Los Angeles man traveling east on Victory turned left onto Myers and was struck broadside by the motorcycle, instantly killing Bonfilio and his passenger, 23-year-old Tiffany Riegler, police said.

Burbank youth coach When he was a senior at Burroughs High School in the mid-1970s, Mike Graceffo was persuaded into coaching in a Burbank Park, Recreation and Community Services Department league. "I kind of got into coaching just because they needed people to coach youth baseball in the city," he said. "Little did I know that coaching would become my life, and I would come to love it so much." Twenty-eight years later, Graceffo has become one of the most revered and most successful youth coaches in the city.

Sandy Dennis was recently named the 2001 Citizen of the Year by the Burbank Assn. of Realtors. This year's event marked the 48th year the association has bestowed the honor. Dennis is only the fourth member of the association to receive the honor. Dennis was born in Burbank and graduated from Burroughs High School. A Realtor with Century 21 Paul and Associates, Dennis is married to Donald and they have one son, Michael. She has been a volunteer with the Girl Scouts, PTA, Cub Scouts and a member of the Foothill Civitan Club, among others.

BOARD REORGANIZATION WHAT HAPPENED School board offices of president, vice president and clerk were reorganized by board election. WHAT IT MEANS Paul Krekorian succeeded Dave Kemp as president. Ted Bunch became vice president, and Debbie Kukta was elected clerk. VOTE: 4-0 STAFF APPOINTMENTS WHAT HAPPENED The board welcomed three new principals and one assistant principal to four Burbank schools. WHAT IT MEANS Beginning July 1, Maria Teresa Delgado will start at Providencia Elementary School as principal.

Advanced art students at Burroughs High School fielded questions from Keep A Breast Foundation representatives on Thursday about their schoolwide fundraising campaign to fund breast cancer research. The students have teamed up with the school's health department and student Environmental Club to raise more than $15,000 through EBay auctions. Student work is sold online, and displayed across campus to raise awareness about the disease, which is expected to kill more than 4,200 Californians this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Irma Lemus BURBANK -- When school starts Sept. 5, two new principals and an assistant principal will be at the helm of Burbank schools, district officials announced. Donna Coffey, who has been with the district for 11 years, will take over as principal at Thomas Edison Elementary. Coffey is a former principal of Luther Burbank Middle School, assistant principal at John Burroughs High School and most recently worked as a counselor at Burroughs.

I wish the City Council and Board of Education had the moxie of the Burbank Leader editorials regarding two issues. The first is the Burroughs High School mascot issue, and the second is the use of the name Jesus in City Council invocations. Except for the courage of Trish Burnett, the Board of Education has taken a wishy-washy attitude regarding the mascot issue by basically ignoring it. A student committee was set up to study it ad infinitum. The board refuses to take a stand because it didn't get strong feedback from the voters.

Gary Moskowitz Nearly 200 Burroughs High School music students will take the stage this weekend for a string of "wild night" performances for the public. The school's Vocal Music Assn. will present its 25th Pop Show at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday in the auditorium at Luther Burbank Middle School, 3700 W. Jeffries Ave. Performances will be in Luther Burbank's auditorium because Burroughs' auditorium is undergoing renovations.

The John Burroughs High School Drama Department won first place for its production of Arthur Miller's “The Crucible” by the California Educational Theatre Assn. The department won first place under the “Best Play” category in the Southern California region. On Jan. 14, the entire cast and crew were invited to perform in Anaheim for an audience of more than 1,000 people. The high school celebrates the accomplishment and congratulates the students, theater tech students, drama teacher Guy Myers and theater tech teacher Jon King.

A decision by Burbank City Council members last year to not remove a row of trees despite concerns the foliage would damage a new multi-million stadium at Burroughs High School has caught up with them. _________________________ FOR THE RECORD: This story incorrectly spells Vahe Hovanessian's name. _________________________ Mere weeks before the $12-million Memorial Field remodel is set to open, it has become clear to stakeholders - including some on the City Council - that debris and berries from the Camphor trees is marring the site, even as construction on the track remains ongoing.

Cassidy Abrahamson; Ronny Abudahab ; Michael Acuna ; Rocio Adame Organes ; Ari-El Adut ; Savanna Aghassian ; Analine Aguayo ; Francisco Aguilar ; Christian Aguilar ; Carlos Aguirre ; Arshaluys Akopyan ; Amanda Alcalde ; Michelangelo Alcantar ; Juan Alcantar ; Oksanna Aleksanian ; Amoni Alexander ; Alejandro Alfonso ; Austin Allen ; Samantha Almanza ; Roxana Alonso ; Jorge Alpizar ; Christina Alquiros ; Haroutyun Altunyan ; Edgar Alvarez ; Joan Alvarez ;...

I have a teenage daughter who is an athlete at Burroughs High School. When I informed her that there would now be no punishment for the ball players who didn’t drink (“Suspensions lifted for 7 baseball players,” May 7), but who refused to tell on those who did, her exact quote was, “Good. I don’t think you should have to tell. It’s not my business if somebody does something wrong.” What a bizarre message for the administration to send to the other kids involved in activities at the school.

The Pacific League lost a strong postseason contender this week after Burroughs High School administrators fired the varsity baseball coaching staff and canceled the rest of the team’s season. Saying there were “bad decisions made,” Burroughs Principal Emilio Urioste said Tuesday that he canceled the season and fired the school’s varsity baseball coach and his three assistants after discovering that one of them served players beer during a recent Arizona trip. Indians Coach J.R. Schwer acknowledged that a large number of players were served alcohol by an assistant coach — whom he declined to name — but said he learned of the incident last week.

It's finally happened. After years of talk, securing funds, and sometimes downright political bickering, shovels have finally been turned on the Memorial Field rebuilding project at Burroughs High School. It was a who's who of Burbank schools, government and business in attendance at the ceremonies that featured the Burroughs Band, fresh off their performance in the recent Sugar Bowl. When City Manager Mike Flad got up to give his comments, he recounted his senior year in 1983, remembering every detail of the game in which Burroughs quarterback Sean Spring hit Bret Mersola on a 61-yard touchdown pass to tie the score late in the fourth quarter.

The teenagers who inspired the hit Fox series "Glee" had another winning performance last weekend, bringing two shows to a packed auditorium at Burroughs High School. It was the fifth annual "Burroughs on Broadway" extravaganza, and despite some technical glitches, the performances went off without a hitch. The program began with a sexy number from the hit Broadway musical "Nine", "Be Italian", with a sultry solo delivered by Amanda Alvarez, and backed up by her group, "Sound Sensations," proving that if you have the talent you can deliver a truly top-of-the-line number after only a few weeks of preparation.

Advanced art students at Burroughs High School fielded questions from Keep A Breast Foundation representatives on Thursday about their schoolwide fundraising campaign to fund breast cancer research. The students have teamed up with the school's health department and student Environmental Club to raise more than $15,000 through EBay auctions. Student work is sold online, and displayed across campus to raise awareness about the disease, which is expected to kill more than 4,200 Californians this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

WEST BURBANK — The Burbank Adult School, which for more than 80 years has served as the city’s facilitator of second chances and comeback stories, graduated the largest class in its history this week. For many of the 88 adult students who received their high school diplomas at a graduation ceremony Wednesday, the Great Recession was exactly the type of catalyst needed to thrust them back into an educational environment, they said. Sprinkled among the crowd of graduates were budding commercial builders, medical professionals and cable technicians, many of whom planned to pursue two- and four-year college degrees along the way. There were empty nesters, teen mothers and fathers and a woman planning her daughter’s graduation from Burroughs High School.

The Magnolia Park Optimist Club honored students at its April 15 meeting who were able to overcome many obstacles to achieve their goals. Optimists Evie Magnante and Sue Kyle did an outstanding job of selecting the students who won ?Meet the Challenge? scholarships. ?If it is to be, it is up to me!? was their motto. Each student received a $500 scholarship. The winners are: Angelina Badalian from Burroughs High School, who was introduced by Jeanne Chambers from the Burroughs Career Center; Chynna Monforte from Monterey High School, who received the award from her counselor Joe Peterson ; and Marissa Bribiesca of Burbank High School, who was introduced by Sue Kyle (her counselor was unable to attend)