Gary Bric

It’s 11:41 p.m. Sunday, and Mayor Gary Bric has reading to do. There’s the phone book-thick draft city budget, and the usual City Council agenda packet. But he’s not at a desk ; he’s standing behind the bar at his restaurant, Gary Bric’s Ramp, serving drinks to a cluster of loyal customers. For more than two years the restaurateur, bartender and avid golfer has juggled city business, work and home life, careful not to let one passion bleed too far into the other.

That’s what signs are supposed to do I noticed the electronic pricing sign at the gas station on Hollywood Way (“Sign sparks debate,” April 29). It keeps reminding me not to go there since it generally has the highest gas prices around. The lighting does draw one’s attention, but then aren’t all signs supposed to do that? In the same business block of Magnolia Park, I noted a bright yellow sidewalk sign pointing to pianos inside, a storefront brightly painted with jelly beans spotted all over it, and an optometrist office with a big political banner draped across the front.

CITY HALL — Gary Bric ascended to mayor of Burbank on Friday, with Councilwoman Anja Reinke taking his previously held seat as vice mayor. In a reorganization ceremony full of hearty welcomes to newly elected Councilman Jess Talamantes and tender farewells to outgoing Councilwoman Marsha Ramos, Bric, a restaurateur entering his third year in office, assumed the center seat on the dais before thanking a host of family, friends and business associates in the audience. “I do have a few comments, but I’ll try to keep them short.

CITY HALL — The City Council is nearing its annual transfer of power, as Mayor Dave Golonski and Vice Mayor Gary Bric enter their final week in the posts. Bric, a restaurateur in his second year in office, is widely expected to assume the center seat on the dais when the council rotates titles and responsibilities at its reorganization meeting Friday. While procedural, the city’s nominating process is unique in that it seldom includes prolonged discussion, leaving the chamber doors wide open for rampant speculation.

The Burbank Civitan Club’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Brunch was Sunday at The Castaway Restaurant, and it was a resounding success! It was a lovely, sunny Sunday morning that greeted the group that enjoyed a great brunch and had fun with the door prizes and silent auction. Great entertainment was provided by the amazing and popular young Irish dancers from the O’Connor School of Irish Dance and the song stylings of Sentimental Journey. Among the guests were Burbank Vice-Mayor Gary Bric and his lovely wife, Sharon Cohen, from the Burbank Library; Anita Benjamin, Ruth Cordon, Jeffrey D. Klein , associate vice president of annual programs at Providence St. Joseph Foundation; Jean Stroud and Shirley Pratt . The brunch was organized by current President Elaine Paonessa, Barry Kessler and Richard Bertain who co-chaired the event.

The Burbank Temporary Aid Center celebrated its 35th anniversary Friday night by staging its sixth annual Burbank’s Top Award for Citizenship event at The Castaway. This year’s honorees were Burbank Water and Power General Manager Ron Davis and Burbank Recycling Inc., owned and operated by Geoff Folsom . The evening’s honorees were the perfect choice to coincide with the event’s theme to direct attention to conserving, recycling and sustainability, said BTAC Board Chairman Michael Walbrecht . “Aside from Ron Davis’ role as chief executive of the city’s utility company, he’s also well known for his hands-on work with numerous nonprofit organizations and service clubs in Burbank,” said Walbrecht, who added that Burbank Recycling Inc. and Geoff Folsom have always been quick to answer the call for help from so many in the city.

Although NBC 4 anchorman Paul Moyer has received a plethora of awards and honors, including 11 local area Emmys, 10 Golden Mikes, a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, and numerous Associated Press and Los Angeles Press Club Awards, last Saturday evening the usually unflappable newsman seemed a bit off-kilter. "I've never been the lone honoree at an event, so I'm really not sure I know what I should be doing," he said with a laugh to Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos . Moyer may have been at a bit of a loss as to what he was supposed to be doing on Saturday, but that was clearly not the case when it came to organizers of the Noon Kiwanis Club of Burbank gala who went about staging their 10th annual fundraiser to celebrate their 84th year of service to the community with pure aplomb.