Community

GLENDALE — Danette Goulet, editor of the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader for four years, announced plans Thursday to step down, citing plans to move her family to Boston and raise her 7-month-old son. She will stay on as director of editorial for all four local Times Community News titles, including the Crescenta Valley Sun and La Cañada Valley Sun, until a replacement is found. In announcing her decision to all four local community newsrooms Thursday, Goulet stressed that it was based on a family decision to move back to the East Coast.

Jeff Tully Local athletes are used to having the annual Golden State International Friendship Challenge youth gymnastics meet in their backyard. The event is usually held at the Burbank Airport Hilton, only a short vault from Burbank's Golden State Gymnastics, which organizes the meet. However, for the 24th installment of the meet that runs Friday through Sunday, the event will take place at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton. "The Burbank Hilton couldn't accommodate us this year for our usual meet in March," said Camille Goldberg, the meet's director.

Authorities continue to search for an FBI agent who was last seen at his Burbank home Thursday, when he was thought to be despondent and possibly suicidal. Stephen Ivens, 35, a Los Angeles-based agent specializing in national security, left on foot from his home in the 1700 block of Scott Road, his family told police Friday morning. On Saturday, a 40-member search-and-rescue team from theLos Angeles County Sheriff's Departmentjoined about a dozen Burbank police officers and 100 FBI agents in the search for him, officials said.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury on Monday rejected a lawsuit filed by a female Burbank police officer who claims she faced discrimination because of her pregnancy , and then retaliation when she complained, a city official said. The verdict came days after a judge threw out portions of the original lawsuit filed by Officer Cindy Guillen, including that she faced harassment based on her ethnicity and gender. Her attorney, Solomon Gresen, had sought up to $500,000 for pain and suffering, and $30,000 for lost wages due a lost assignment, but on Monday, the jury sided with the city, which painted Guillen in court as someone who holds grudges and was capitalizing on the Police Department's recent legal woes.

Burbank police on Friday continued their search for an FBI agent on foot in the Verdugo hills, one week after he was reported missing from his home. Authorities had been relying on air support in their search for 35-year-old Stephen Ivens, who on May 11 apparently left his Burbank home in the 1700 block of Scott Road with his department-issued gun. But after a week of chasing down tips and leads, authorities have reported little progress, saying only that the search remains "wide open.

Four men have been arrested on suspicion of illegally possessing firearms after Burbank police responded to reports of gunshots Thursday morning that sparked a brief neighborhood evacuation. Those arrested on Thursday include: Burbank resident Armen Galstyan, 52; Artak Grigoryan, 37, and Vigen Manukyan, 27, both of Glendale; and Armen Mouradian, 23, of Los Angeles. Galstyan was also arrested on suspicion of identity theft. Police responded to reports of shots fired at a home in the 1800 block of Keeler Street at 6:50 a.m. Thursday.

I don't think we can have such a huge store as Walmart in Burbank without losing what makes Burbank a great and special place. It sounds like there are serious traffic considerations that have not yet been addressed, and will certainly need to be addressed, if a store the size of Walmart would move into the Empire Center. I don't think any extra tax revenue would be worth it. The extra traffic, pollution, noise, and impact on the city's small town feel would be significant. This store will have a huge impact and we should know what those impacts are. I have shopped at the Empire Center and as it is without the Walmart store.

Months after purchasing the former Great Indoors site in Burbank, Walmart representatives say they plan to open a store there, calling the 120,000-square-foot building a prime location. Walmart had declined to confirm plans to move into the space until this week, after a feasibility study found a store in Burbank would be successful. Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo said he expects the company will use all of the 120,000-square-foot building, but added that “leasing opportunities within the store are to be determined.” Sometimes the mega-retailer leases space to other retailers, such as a small restaurant or nail salon, if it is putting a store in a large building, he said.

Duncan Blanchard took one look at a demented, drooling clown figure standing 10 feet tall in the darkness near the Stough Canyon Nature Center’s entrance and decided he would not go in. It was Terror Under the Big Top at this year’s Haunted Hike at the Stough Canyon Nature Center on Friday and Saturday. Pasadena residents Karen Decano, her son Benjamin Bowen, 11, and his friend Duncan 10 came out on Friday night to see the nature center converted into a circus gone wrong.

Burbank residents shined a light on the fight against all cancers with the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, a 24-hour walk around Johnny Carson Park that began at 9 a.m. Saturday and ended at 9 a.m. Sunday. “We walk for 24 hours because cancer never sleeps,” said Daniela Barragan, Relay for Life manager, who is based in the American Cancer Society's Burbank office. The Burbank walk was organized by volunteer co-chairs Nate Frey and Michelle Jacobovitz and 22 committee members.

More than 250 members and supporters of the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Burbank were joined by local dignitaries to honor the organization's work that has included the establishment of an endowment fund for civic and educational support, at the ANC's annual gala this past Friday evening. Held at the Arbat Banquet Hall, guests were welcomed by Silva Kechichian, who serves as the chairwoman of the board of the ANC's local chapter; and by Souzy Ohanian, who headed up the event committee, and Nanneh Chehras, who served as the evening's mistress of ceremonies.

Employees of Viacom celebrated a day of giving back to the community by adding their creative touches to Linden House, a transitional facility for young adults run by the Family Service Agency of Burbank. Viacommunity Day is an annual event that brings together employees from the companies under the Viacom umbrella, including Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank and Nickelodeon Games in Glendale, VH1 and Comedy Central, said Carson Smith, human resources manager at Nickelodeon in Burbank.

Glendale YMCA officials are hosting a blood drive in commemoration of the Armenian genocide. Organizers say it's a way to bring the community together while continuing a tradition of saving lives. The blood drive will be from 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Glendale YMCA's Youth Fitness Center, 130 N. Louise St. Walk-ins are welcome, but for appointments, call (818) 240-4130, ext. 34 or visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code ANCGlendale. To give blood, one must be at least 16 years old and weigh 110 pounds.

There were smiles all around as Leadership Burbank class members proudly showed guests the new storage module and other upgrades made to the Kids Community Dental Clinic. The unveiling took place during a ribbon-cutting reception on April 15 at the facility on West Elmwood Avenue. The class originally was asked to build a storage shed, but after they toured the facility, they asked Executive Director Dale Gorman for a wish list, said Brad Recker, physical project leader. “We are pretty much accomplishing everything on that list,” Recker said, adding they had started working the last weekend in February and worked between several rainy weekends.

The Burbank Arts for All Foundation kicks off its inaugural gala, titled “Party on the Plaza,” by honoring a local company and two individuals - Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., Burbank teacher Beth Morrison and Burbank PTA Council President Barbara Miller. The event will take place on April 27 at the Networks Garden Café Plaza at the Media Studios North campus, 3355 W. Empire Ave., Burbank. The co-chairmen are Craig Murray and Alexandra Helfrich. NBC4 weathercaster Fritz Coleman is the host.

Burbank on Parade pays homage to aviation when it marches down Olive Avenue beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday. It's with luck that the parade committee has a link to former Lockheed test pilot Robert Gilliland, who will be sharing the title of grand marshal with United Airlines No. 1 pilot Clay Lacy. Gilliland, 85, was the original test pilot of the SR-71 Blackbird when it made its first flight in Palmdale on Dec. 22, 1964. The Blackbird was designed by Kelly Johnson and was developed as a long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft that could fly at speeds more than Mach 3.2 and as high as 85,000 feet.

About $15 million in redevelopment funds intended for capital improvement projects could still remain available for several community development projects, including the Lundigan Community Center and improvements to Johnny Carson Park, despite efforts by the state Legislature to sop up the money. The Burbank City Council this week voted to keep the money where it is, despite it being under threat by the state's liquidation of local redevelopment agencies and its plans to send the wealth north to Sacramento to help plug a multibillion-dollar state budget gap. Pending legislation would set aside about $1.4 billion in redevelopment funds statewide for low- and moderate-income housing, and includes a provision that would allow city-agency-type debt incurred for certain projects to remain valid, said Ruth Davidson-Guerra, assistant community development director.

The only thing missing at the reunion for Boy Scout Troop 201 was a roaring campfire and marshmallows. But at least there was plenty of pizza, skits by the boys and river-rafting stories. About 100 Boy Scouts past and present, parents, siblings and friends gathered on Sunday at the Magnolia Park United Methodist Church for the first alumni event, which was organized by Giselle Vivado and Joylyn Spencer. Ethan Durkee and Nick Rogus were deeply involved in their skit, called “Wild West Shootout.” “The parents never get to see the skits, so this is a treat for them,” said Nancy Durkee, Scoutmaster of Troop 201. “Some of the skits they pick up from camp.

For 20 years, Jesus Ayala has been waiting for an opportunity to get to know the police officers who patrol his city. He finally got his chance earlier this year. And this week, Ayala and 24 classmates completed an almost three-month Spanish-language community academy offered by the Police Department - the first of its kind in Burbank and perhaps the only one in the area, Officer Cindy Guillen said. “I hadn't heard about police reaching out to the Latino community,” Ayala said.