Cub Scouts

Irma Lemus MAGNOLIA PARK -- Ten Burbank boys received The Arrow of Light Award, the highest honor a Cub Scout can earn, during a ceremony at Magnolia Park United Methodist Church. The boys, who were honored Thursday, had to earn at least eight activity badges to be eligible for the award, said Steve Eisinger, Cubmaster for Cub Scout Pack 201. Eisinger said many of the boys worked for nearly five years to be eligible for the award. The accomplishment also marked the boys' transition into the Boy Scouts, he said.

Tim Willert MEDIA DISTRICT WEST -- Cody Gutches wasn't behind the wheel of his Dragonfire II race car, but he visited the winner's circle anyway. Cody, 9, finished first out of the 35 Cub Scouts who entered in Sunday's Pinewood Derby Race at St. Finbar's Catholic Church, which sponsors Pack No. 219. Whether it's NASCAR or Pinewood Derby, the will to win is there for several of the participants, including Cody. "I feel good ... because I had revenge on my friend," he said, beaming.

Joyce Rudolph It's been a long and often dusty road for four young men, but their journey together as Boy Scouts is almost completed. Jonathan Downam of Arleta, Terry Thompson of Tujunga, David Cohen of Sunland and Matthew Brooks of Burbank will receive the rank of Eagle Scout during their Court of Honor ceremony Feb. 16 at the First United Methodist Church in Burbank. Through camping and survival experiences with Troop 209, these Scouts have learned leadership skills, bonded and become reliant on each other, said Jonathan, 16, the group's spokesman.

Darleene Barrientos Among all the excitement, anticipation, food, friends and fun, the centers of attention -- 7-inch, colorful Pinewood Derby cars -- sat neatly on a table, waiting for their moments in the spotlight. Dozens of parents, grandparents and siblings of Cub Scouts Pack 219 gathered at St. Finbar Parish School's hall Sunday morning to watch the handmade cars race down a 32-foot blue and yellow track in the middle of the hall. The atmosphere was much like any other racetrack scene, with sponsor cars being prepped in one corner, drivers waiting in line to register and spectators waiting impatiently for the races to begin.

Darleene Barrientos They can each fit in the palm of your hand, but to Cub Scout Pack 219, they were the whole world for a day. About 50 parents, grandparents and siblings gathered at St. Finbar Parish School to watch the pack's annual Pinewood Derby, with the children and parents racing their 7-inch pinewood derby cars. A hush fell over the room Sunday as the final four cars sat positioned to race down the 32-foot blue and yellow track. The audience held its breath as the cars flew toward the finish line, where an infrared beam shone up from a tiny hole inside each track to take the car's time.

Magnolia Park got a little greener Saturday as City Council members and several residents participated in a tree-planting ceremony for the Chandler Bikeway Project. Led by Councilwoman Mayor Stacey Murphy and newly appointed Vice Mayor Jef Vander Borght, an estimated 400 people helped to plant 29 purple orchid, golden rain and tipu trees to line Chandler Boulevard near Valley Street, City Planner Joy Forbes said. "People in the neighborhood, people who donated trees, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts -- whoever signed up got to join the fun," Forbes said.

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.

CUB SCOUTS COLLECT FOOD FOR AID CENTER Cub Scout Pack 225, along with hundreds of other Scouts throughout Southern California, participated in the Scouting for Food drive on Nov. 17. This ?Good Turn for America? is an annual Scout tradition developed to attack head on the problem of hunger in our own communities. Scouts went door to door in their own neighborhood picking up donated bags of nonperishable food. About 75 Cub Scouts from Pack 225, assisted by 15 leaders and many parent volunteers, collected more than 350 bags for the Burbank Temporary Aid Center.

BARBARA TONE Barbara Tone, 85, died May 7, 2003, in Burbank. She was born June 10, 1917, in Burbank and lived in various houses on the 900 block of East Magnolia Boulevard her entire life. She was involved in the Parent Teacher Assn. at Emerson Elementary School and was a Cub Scouts and Brownie Girl Scouts leader. She was also active with First Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Tone is survived by her son, Donald; a daughter, Helen Vincent; and one granddaughter.

While reading the "In Theory" section in the Feb. 2 Burbank Leader, I recognized the thrust of the subject was focused on cheating. Some of the pastors responded with comments about the “pressure of expectation” and how that plays into one's reason for cheating. Michael White, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, La Crescenta relating to the “tragedy in the fact that fractured moral foundations typically lead to fractured lives” correctly stated, “We must realize - and find a way to teach our children - that if we choose to deceive and cut corners, we are in reality cheating ourselves.”  I read through all of the responses submitted by the various representatives of local church/organizations and found something subtly ironic, if not, curiously interesting.

About 75 Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Scout leaders and family members gathered at the Burbank First United Methodist Church to begin the fifth annual Verdugo Hills Council Boy Scouts of America Ten Commandments Hike on Jan. 26. Participants walked 2.2 miles stopping to hear presentations by clergy on the Ten Commandments. Churches included on the journey were Emmanuel Evangelical-Free Church, St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, First Presbyterian Church of Burbank, St. Jude's Episcopal Church and Temple Beth Emet, which gave a presentation together; First Christian Church of Burbank, Calvary Baptist Church, Media City Church and the Salvation Army.

While reading the "In Theory" section in the Feb. 2 Burbank Leader, I recognized the thrust of the subject was focused on cheating. Some of the pastors responded with comments about the “pressure of expectation” and how that plays into one's reason for cheating. Michael White, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, La Crescenta relating to the “tragedy in the fact that fractured moral foundations typically lead to fractured lives” correctly stated, “We must realize - and find a way to teach our children - that if we choose to deceive and cut corners, we are in reality cheating ourselves.”  I read through all of the responses submitted by the various representatives of local church/organizations and found something subtly ironic, if not, curiously interesting.

CUB SCOUTS DONATE 1,000 POUNDS OF FOOD TO BTAC Cub Scouts from Pack No. 225 donated an estimated 1,000 pounds of food to the Burbank Temporary Aid Center as part of the annual Scouting for Food drive Nov. 15. Scouting for Food is an annual community stewardship project aimed at tackling the problem of hunger. Scouts collect food from neighbors and then distribute it to the local food bank, the Burbank Temporary Aid Center. About 90 Cub Scouts and their families helped collect and deliver the food to BTAC.

NBC leaving gives a chance to add a theater I have always felt that Burbank deserves a super magnificent live theater that would surpass all others. The NBC vacancy is an ideal location (“NBC vacancy stirs guesses,” Nov. 17). Picture: Gala premieres with search lights scanning the skies. The glamour of the motion picture industry belongs in Burbank. A giant theater here would sit well with the proposed Bob Hope museum. Also: How about a monorail from Burbank to Universal Studios.

Airport entrance is closing for paving work The main vehicle entrance and exit at Bob Hope Airport at Hollywood Way and Thornton Avenue will be closed from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday while crews pave the driveway. The paving improvements at the Hollywood Way main airport entrance will align the airport roadway with Thornton Avenue, add a second left-turn lane from the airport onto northbound Hollywood Way and provide a dedicated right-turn-only lane from the airport onto southbound lanes of Hollywood Way. There will also be pedestrian crosswalks across Hollywood Way to the airport on the north and south sides of the intersection.

Magnolia Park got a little greener Saturday as City Council members and several residents participated in a tree-planting ceremony for the Chandler Bikeway Project. Led by Councilwoman Mayor Stacey Murphy and newly appointed Vice Mayor Jef Vander Borght, an estimated 400 people helped to plant 29 purple orchid, golden rain and tipu trees to line Chandler Boulevard near Valley Street, City Planner Joy Forbes said. "People in the neighborhood, people who donated trees, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts -- whoever signed up got to join the fun," Forbes said.

Darleene Barrientos Among all the excitement, anticipation, food, friends and fun, the centers of attention -- 7-inch, colorful Pinewood Derby cars -- sat neatly on a table, waiting for their moments in the spotlight. Dozens of parents, grandparents and siblings of Cub Scouts Pack 219 gathered at St. Finbar Parish School's hall Sunday morning to watch the handmade cars race down a 32-foot blue and yellow track in the middle of the hall. The atmosphere was much like any other racetrack scene, with sponsor cars being prepped in one corner, drivers waiting in line to register and spectators waiting impatiently for the races to begin.

BARBARA TONE Barbara Tone, 85, died May 7, 2003, in Burbank. She was born June 10, 1917, in Burbank and lived in various houses on the 900 block of East Magnolia Boulevard her entire life. She was involved in the Parent Teacher Assn. at Emerson Elementary School and was a Cub Scouts and Brownie Girl Scouts leader. She was also active with First Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Tone is survived by her son, Donald; a daughter, Helen Vincent; and one granddaughter.