Characters

Jose Ruiz Between the time Columbus landed on the Americas and the astronauts landed on the moon, there is the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark across the great land of this country. The anxiety and thundering of the heart with the excitement of the unfamiliar, and the humbling when faced with the grandeur of nature, have all been documented by these explorers, and the Colony Theatre brings author Leon Martell's vision of the Lewis and Clark Expedition depicting not so much what they found and saw, but how they felt and responded.

La Crescenta author Alice Zogg has hit her stride with her latest mystery novel. Chock full of entertaining trivia and chatty dialogue, Zogg has developed a style very similar to that of popular author Lillian Jackson Braun. ?Final Stop Albuquerque? is the sixth book in Zogg?s self-published R.A. Huber series, yet one need not read the others to enjoy this most recent title. Elena Campione appears to lead a charmed life. She lives in a South Pasadena mansion with her husband, Bruno, owner of Pasadena?

Jane DiLucchioBurbank resident and Glendale Community College professor Jane DiLucchio's first published novel is a thriller in the vein of Agatha Christie's classics. Locals reading Glendale Community College professor Jane DiLucchio's first published novel "Relationships Can Be Murder" will feel right at home. Relationships and the secrets people in them keep are the recurring themes in this murder mystery that takes place in Glendale and Burbank. Everyone in the book knows each other and are connected in some way, said DiLucchio, who lives in Burbank.

'Flawless' delves into what love is Charlie Bauman of Glendale works as a janitor at a Glendale printing firm. I liked how "Flawless" developed themes dealing with what real love is and how kindness can overcome the most difficult situations. I also liked the way the director showed the psychological complexity in the relationships of the main characters. Distracting attention from these good things were several poorly developed subplots. But the major reason I ended up not enjoying this movie was that the circumstances of the two main characters' lives were depessing.

Michael T. Giovanniello of Burbank is a freelance writer. I have heard it said that truth is stranger than fiction, however I have never heard that fiction could be more real than reality. But, honestly, that could be said of "Ladder 49." Within minutes of the opening, I was captivated by the sense of reality that unfolds in its telling. Television's evening news has made the events familiar, but the dramatization made these characters very real. All of the talents involved in bringing this story to the screen were definitely on the same page.

The play holds kids' attention Jo Ann Stupakis writes the PTA column for the News-Press. Having never been to the Falcon Theatre in Burbank, I wasn't sure what to expect. My 5-year-old son, Gregory, whined that he didn't want to go because the play was about a girl. I assured him that there would be boy characters, so he relented. "Rapunzel," written by Lori Marshall and directed by Joseph Leo Bwarie, was a masterpiece of fantasy, reality and comedy.

MUSIC AND ANIMATION ARE WELL DONE Megan A. Kelly of Glendale will be in ninth grade in September at Crescenta Valley High School. This movie was so incredibly cute! I really loved all the characters in it. I also liked the music and the animation. Most importantly, I loved the theme of the movie. Their definition of a family was extremely touching. You ended up really feeling the closeness that they all shared. What was also really nice was that so many different types of people were watching this movie and seemed to enjoy it. The people next to me were even singing one of the songs!

Matt Bellner of Burbank is a music librarian and actor. If you're older than 6, there is no logical reason to see "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," unless you have the mental capacity of a 6-year-old. If that's the case, you'll love this film. "Looney Tunes" is nothing more than a "Roger Rabbit" rip-off where cartoon characters interact with actors. The problem here is that there is no story. The plot revolves around Steve Martin's character trying to turn the entire world into monkeys.

Preservationists say that Burbank is doing just a marginal job of preserving its history. But recent efforts to change that are improving its grade, they say. A representative from the Los Angeles Conservancy this week said Burbank's efforts to preserve its architecture has been at about the C- level. But that will likely improve as the city's Heritage Commission moves closer to adopting a process for forming historic districts. Marcello Vavala, a preservation associate with the Los Angeles Conservancy, spoke to the commission last week and said the city has been doing a better job of stirring up interest in preserving Burbank's architectural legacy.

The blacktop at Washington Elementary School was transformed Friday into an explosive canvas of color as Nickelodeon artists helped students celebrate the 11th annual California Arts Day. “I love that we just get to express ourselves and draw what we love,” said fifth-grader Alexandria Llamas, 10, as she and classmates labored over chalk drawings. Washington Elementary has marked Arts Day with a chalk festival for about a decade, said Principal Arlene Mooradian-Zenian, and it is more anticipated and beloved than any of the traditional holidays.

I just finished reading "Intwine," Burbank author Christina Moss' debut novel, and for the life of me I cannot tell if I loved or hated it. "Intwine" tells the story of Juliette Greenmoss, a Burbank resident whose life is flipped upside-down when she falls in love with an interstellar rock-star prince named Seth. Think "Twilight," but with aliens. Moss calls the genre "young adult science fiction romance. " Like many others, I'm personally sick of seeing vampires everywhere, but instead of being a departure from the zeitgeist, forbidden alien love feels like more of the same.

In the entertainment business, a tough sell will always be a tough sell. No matter how great a play or TV show turns out, getting a large audience to experience anything with dark subject matter is next to impossible. For example, right now you couldn’t pay someone to watch an Iraq war movie, even if it stars Matt Damon. And recently receiving a Best Picture award didn’t change the fact that very few people actually bought a ticket to see “The Hurt Locker” in theaters.

Looking at his affable face, one probably wouldn’t link the voice of Dee Bradley Baker to Turner, the grouchy flat-head screwdriver character he plays on the Disney Channel’s animated series “Handy Manny.” Manny is the neighborhood handy man, and throughout the show, he and his box of colorful tools with huge round eyes help people with projects around their houses. “Turner is grumpy and a little selfish and not as much a team player as the others, but he comes around by the end of each episode,” Baker said.

La Crescenta author Alice Zogg has hit her stride with her latest mystery novel. Chock full of entertaining trivia and chatty dialogue, Zogg has developed a style very similar to that of popular author Lillian Jackson Braun. ?Final Stop Albuquerque? is the sixth book in Zogg?s self-published R.A. Huber series, yet one need not read the others to enjoy this most recent title. Elena Campione appears to lead a charmed life. She lives in a South Pasadena mansion with her husband, Bruno, owner of Pasadena?

Family and friends of Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse who died Monday of complications from diabetes, are remembering how the Glendale resident so embodied the modest and optimistic character he portrayed since 1977. Funeral services for the Walt Disney figure are pending and will be private. He was 62. He died holding hands with his wife, Russi Taylor, the voice of Minnie Mouse. “Walt [Disney] used to say, he put the heart and soul into Mickey Mouse,” Taylor said.

Attention sports fans, college students and anyone else 21 and older who loves to have fun in a bar setting: The Office Bar and Grill is the place for you. If you?re looking for a family restaurant, nix it from the list. Located in Burbank on Victory Boulevard, a stone?s throw east of Hollywood Way, the Office facade is somewhat modest and easy to miss if you?re not looking for it. Before I entered, I stood at the door and paused for a second. It seemed strangely quiet for a sports bar, especially on opening night for the NHL playoffs.

I want to issue a sincere “thank you” to my fellow citizens who voted in this election and to each candidate who ran for the City Council. The candidates may not always agree and we may not always agree with them, but their willingness to put themselves out there and their interest in serving the city is admirable and appreciated. And without the voters, none of it would matter at all. This election seemed to be a more civil event than the prior election, at least to the casual observer.