Grocery

Ralphs Grocery Co. accused of illegally rehiring workers during store lock outs in 2003-04.GLENDALE -- It was business as usual at Ralphs' seven grocery stores in Glendale and Burbank Friday in the wake of a 53-count indictment filed by a federal grand jury Thursday, but one local couple said if the chain is found guilty of violating criminal labor law they will shop elsewhere. The indictment alleges that Ralphs Grocery Co., the owner of about 270 Los Angeles-area supermarkets, secretly and illegally rehired hundreds of locked-out employees under false names and false Social Security numbers during the 2003-04 grocery workers lockout.

CITY HALL — The council Tuesday voted 3-2 to require proposals for new grocery stores in the Rancho District to complete the conditional-use permit process, which subjects a project to discretionary approval by the Planning Board. Land development in the Rancho area captured public attention earlier this year when many residents galvanized against a proposal to construct a Whole Foods Market on Main Street and Alameda Avenue. Project opponents argued that the size of the project would bring traffic congestion and safety hazards to the largely equestrian community.

BURBANK ? In the wake of a recent 3-2 City Council vote to limit the development of grocery stores in the Rancho District, some residents are singing the praises of the decision. But two councilmen think it goes too far. The council voted on Sept. 11 to eliminate grocery store construction in the Rancho area, six months after Rancho residents vehemently opposed construction of a Whole Foods on Main Street and Alameda Avenue. Though the amendment to the municipal code will limit the ability of stores like Whole Foods to build in the area, it will not end discussion on the matter.

CITY HALL — The City Council on Tuesday approved an amendment to the city code that will prohibit large grocery stores from the Rancho District. In June, after residents vociferously opposed a proposed Whole Foods on Main Street and Alameda Avenue, the council voted to require proposals for new grocery stores in the area to complete the conditional-use permit process, which subjects a project to discretionary approval by the Planning Board. On Sept. 11, the council called for increased protection for residents by voting to eliminate large grocery store construction in the area but stopped short of approving a zone text amendment that would have changed the municipal code, requiring city staff to research the merits of eliminating the grocery store use. The council voted 4-1 Tuesday to allow food specialty stores in the area.

Smart & Final is hoping its low-cost model will be a hit as it ventures further into the region?s grocery market. The retailer, which has historically focused on economy-sized packaged items for parties and businesses, opened one of its new Smart & Final Extra! stores in Glendale in October. The store includes a produce section and other grocery offerings, like a deli, frozen foods and fresh meats. The company also closed its Burbank store Friday for major remodeling and will reopen it in the first quarter of 2010 with a larger emphasis on grocery items, said Randall Oliver, spokesman for the retailer.

SENIOR CITIZEN SERVICES The council approved an agreement between the Los Angeles County Department of Community and Senior Citizen Services and the Area Agency on Aging to receive federal funds for the city’s Nutrition and Supportive Services. The city will receive $293,033, which will go toward providing about 104,000 home-delivered meals for senior citizens. VOTE: 5-0 ZONE TEXT AMENDMENT The council voted to eliminate grocery store development in the Rancho area on the heels of a cavalcade of supporters who voiced concerns that big grocery stores in the area are not wanted.

BURBANK — The City Council's decision last week to subject proposals for grocery stores in the Rancho District to the conditional-use permit process has left some area residents worried that their neighborhoods are still not completely safe from unwanted development. Residents of the largely equestrian neighborhood sought added protections against certain types of developments in the wake of a proposal to build a Whole Foods Market at Main Street and Alameda Avenue. The proposal failed, due in part to a vocal group of project opponents who maintained that the size and scope of the new grocery store would pose traffic congestion and safety hazards in the area.

Ryan Carter Handy Market Manager Mario Calderon has been working at the venerable independent grocery store for about 17 years, but not since the Los Angeles riots in 1992 and the Northridge earthquake in 1994 has he seen the surge of customers he has seen recently. The supermarket strike that has locked-out employees picketing outside local Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs and Pavilions since Saturday has had a collateral effect. Customers who are not crossing picket lines are hitting the smaller stores, like Handy Market, to buy their groceries.

The City Council's decision to require grocery store developers to get a conditional-use permit before building in the Rancho District was a good first step. It tightens development standards for anyone proposing a grocery store in the district by requiring the Planning Board's approval. Ultimately, that should bring more power to residents, because the board's decision could be appealed to the City Council — who represent the will of local residents. Before, it was left up to planning staff to approve such projects if they met code requirements.

I wrote an article titled, "Trip Tips for Errands With Kids," which was published in Children Magazine in April 1997. Unfortunately, the parents who need to read that article never will. Based on several experiences, I decided to update the article for this newspaper since these incidents happened in the area. We all realize children will be children, nevertheless there are places where children should not be allowed to run and play. It is for their safety as well as the safety of and respect of others that are the primary issues and concerns.

I disagree with Albert Shear (“The hardship of bringing our own bags,” Oct. 28). There is no reason in our advanced technological society why we can't develop grocery bags that can be supplied by our grocery stores. Who wants to carry bags around with them to our stores if we can develop ways to make our life easier? Let's not give up because we pick the easy way out: We make it hard on ourselves. We have enough problems in our everyday lives. The easier the better. Another issue is to quiet down the noise of the helicopters in Los Angeles County airspace.

Blame the Fashion District for the following meandering through the synapses half-firing in the murky slime of my brain where the writing happens. It's currently about 8 p.m., a few hours shy of my deadline. Procrastination is a wonderful tool employed by writers who want a justification for a late-night sugar fix. “What? It's getting close to deadline - I have to make that coffee to fuel the creative fires!” In a rare departure from tradition, I settle on a couple bottles of cream soda purchased at Pavilions, a grocery store where many of the same cashiers have worked for 10 years or more, according to their name tags.

As Walmart considers what to do with the Great Indoors site near the Empire Center, the company has assured Burbank city officials that it will seek public input on amenities and store hours, should they choose to move in. Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo said Tuesday that the company has experience in hosting forums in cities where the mega-retailer has opened. In Washington, D.C., where Walmart is scheduled to open four stores, about 60 community meetings have been held during the past several months, he added.

Smart & Final is hoping its low-cost model will be a hit as it ventures further into the region?s grocery market. The retailer, which has historically focused on economy-sized packaged items for parties and businesses, opened one of its new Smart & Final Extra! stores in Glendale in October. The store includes a produce section and other grocery offerings, like a deli, frozen foods and fresh meats. The company also closed its Burbank store Friday for major remodeling and will reopen it in the first quarter of 2010 with a larger emphasis on grocery items, said Randall Oliver, spokesman for the retailer.

When Bonnie Lea hastily accepted an orange handbill on her way into Pavilions, the employee of a food distribution company didn’t expect to walk out with a grocery bag of donations. But as she strolled the aisles and glanced at the suggested donation list, something in her mind clicked. “I’m one paycheck away from that being me,” said Lea, of Burbank. “But I still have a job. Money is tight, with no overtime and hours being cut. But I can still help.

It?s easy to spot owner Alan Arzoian in his time-warp of a grocery store, Handy Market, at 2514 W. Magnolia Blvd. For one, he?s forever fitted in his usual shorts and short-sleeved shirt, greeting regulars by first name or checking on the produce. Another reason is because at 4,000 square feet, Handy Market just isn?t that big. Arzoian, who first became involved with the family business in 1970 before graduating from Hoover High in Glendale and moving onto Cal State Los Angeles, sat down with us for a quick back-and-forth about the economy, its impact on his business and those pesky cravings for steak.

Rummaging through paperwork and knickknacks in an office atop Full O’ Life Natural Food Market and Restaurant, Chris Moon came across a periodical dated June 1959. “I plan on framing it,” said Moon, 26, the store’s produce manager. “It’s as old as this business.” Long before organic produce became almost as ubiquitous as frozen foods, before mega-chains with sky-high prices began posing as arbiters of all things healthy, Kathryn and Barney Matheson opened Full O’ Life, a market and eatery in the Magnolia Park neighborhood of Burbank.

CITY HALL — The City Council on Tuesday approved an amendment to the city code that will prohibit large grocery stores from the Rancho District. In June, after residents vociferously opposed a proposed Whole Foods on Main Street and Alameda Avenue, the council voted to require proposals for new grocery stores in the area to complete the conditional-use permit process, which subjects a project to discretionary approval by the Planning Board. On Sept. 11, the council called for increased protection for residents by voting to eliminate large grocery store construction in the area but stopped short of approving a zone text amendment that would have changed the municipal code, requiring city staff to research the merits of eliminating the grocery store use. The council voted 4-1 Tuesday to allow food specialty stores in the area.