Hes

Woodbury University student Joseph James has his eye on the sky, and he won’t settle for less. James is one of 100 people out of 2,000 who passed an audition to appear on the “Hellbent for Hollywood” reality show, currently in production. The show will combine the excitement of “American Idol” with the competitive challenges of “Survivor,” said Jen Markewych, casting director and producer along with John Mitchell. The competition won’t be exclusively on acting skills, she said.

About midway through the season, Burbank High junior running back Ulises Ochoa made a bold prediction. “It was about the fourth or fifth game that I told our assistant coach, Marcus Hood, ‘Hey man, I’m coming for your record,’ ” Ochoa said. Hood, an assistant under Coach Hector Valencia, set the school single-season rushing record of 1,268 yards in 2006 when he was a standout player for the Bulldogs. Ochoa grabbed that record last week, as he has 162 carries for 1,288 yards (7.9 yards a carry)

Dietrich Riley is a busy young man these days. He just recently returned from the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in Texas, where he competed in a combine before the high school football all-star showcase. Having already received scholarship offers from USC and UCLA during the summer, the St. Francis High junior is receiving notice from the top schools across the nation. Meanwhile, he’s juggling it all while starting for the Golden Knights basketball team. Then, of course, there’s the junior football season he just left behind, one in which he became the first Golden Knights rusher since 2004 to eclipse the 1,000-yard barrier, as he started at running back, outside linebacker and returned kicks for St. Francis.

When someone says they’re running to raise money for cancer research, group runs around a track or predetermined course through a downtown come to mind, not a roughly 1,265-mile trek across four states for a $1-million kitty. But that’s what local screenwriter Dustin Hucks is taking on. It will be a grueling journey, with plans to run up to 40 miles a day, mostly in the morning and evenings, through a fundraising run organized through the American Cancer Society. And what would motivate a man to punish his feet from Burbank to Lubbock, Texas?

Young actors from elementary school to college are spreading their wings in ShowCamp’s production of “A Christmas Carol” in two performances today at The Colony Theatre. It’s a more unique take than the usual 19th-century-themed production, said artistic director Darrell Bishop. “Our version is more contemporary,” he said. “The music is not totally set in the 19th century. We are holding true to the story line but adding a variety of styles of music, from country to rap to swing and pop.” ShowCamp, a nonprofit performing arts organization, is going into its ninth year.

BURBANK — Freddy Sanchez just can’t stay healthy these days. Sanchez, the starting second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates and a former Burbank High standout, apparently suffered back problems while running the bases Sunday during the first inning of Pittsburgh’s 3-1 home loss to the San Diego Padres. The 30-year-old Sanchez, who was the 2006 National League batting champion, was out of the starting lineup for Monday with what has been reported as back spasms.

In keeping with their original offbeat version of the story of Christ’s birth, directors have added a live animal to “Nativity! The Musical” in its fourth year at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Burbank. Bringing Mary to Bethlehem this year will be Bugsy the pony, said Greg Baldwin, who wrote and directs the show with his wife, Melissa. “Seeing an animal in our little sanctuary will be quite a surprise for the audience,” Greg Baldwin said. “It’s not what you expect to see.” Bugsy is a consummate professional, the Burbank resident added.

Mike “Majik” Boyd will be jogging down memory lane when he brings his show of 1950s, ’60s and ’70s music to Burbank’s new Hampton Inn three nights a week in September. Boyd, who once was a second-round draft choice by the Dodgers, is a longtime baseball coach to Burbank youngsters. But, when he’s not on the field, he’s onstage in Las Vegas or Laughlin singing songs made famous by R&B artist Sam Cooke and others, as well as his original tunes, he said.

Audiences may laugh their way into the new year, as the first production of the new season is “The Foreigner” at Glendale Centre Theatre. Two special performances are planned for New Year’s Eve for this show, which is receiving its encore performance, said Tim Dietlein, theater owner. “It’s probably one of our most requested comedies,” he said. “We did it in 1995. People call almost every day to request. It’s a laugh a second.

My friend Doug is not a happy camper. Normally he’s an easygoing sort of guy, your typical Burbank resident — decent, hard-working, fair and honest, but last week he was fit to be tied. Due to disabilities, his life has slowed down quite a bit lately. Though a little shy of 60, he’s pretty much retired now. For a long time, he’s dreamed of buying a small RV and exploring the ghost towns and histories of the Mojave Desert, including Arizona and Nevada. A few years ago, after checking out city restrictions on RVs and finding nothing to be concerned about, he found a nice, low-mileage, second-hand rig that suited his needs perfectly.

My friend Doug is not a happy camper. Normally he’s an easygoing sort of guy, your typical Burbank resident — decent, hard-working, fair and honest, but last week he was fit to be tied. Due to disabilities, his life has slowed down quite a bit lately. Though a little shy of 60, he’s pretty much retired now. For a long time, he’s dreamed of buying a small RV and exploring the ghost towns and histories of the Mojave Desert, including Arizona and Nevada. A few years ago, after checking out city restrictions on RVs and finding nothing to be concerned about, he found a nice, low-mileage, second-hand rig that suited his needs perfectly.

Richard J. Tafilaw has been given a rare privilege. He’s been granted a weekly column in the Leader titled “On The Contrary.” Unfortunately, what he’s writing isn’t really a column; it’s a series of extended, glorified letters to the editor. Writing is an art, and it requires dedication, craftsmanship and the ability to edit. Frequently, what sounds good in a writer’s head doesn’t cut it on the page. Also, ideas often need to be shelved for better ideas of more importance.

WEST BURBANK — The Burbank Unified School District confirmed Supt. Kevin Jolly’s resignation Monday, announcing that the top administrator would finish out a year on the job before stepping down June 30. In a statement released late Monday night, school board President Dave Kemp said Jolly “brought passion, energy and progressive ideas in his time with the district.” But, that as Burbank Unified faced major challenges in the months ahead, “the district’s focus must be forward-looking and on ensuring that a leadership team and structure is in place that is able to guide the district through this critical transitional period.

WEST BURBANK — Little more than six months after taking over as the Burbank Unified School District’s superintendent, Kevin Jolly is expected to announce his resignation in a statement Monday, officials said. Burbank Unified’s Board of Education is also scheduled to meet early Monday to discuss Jolly’s severance package, said district officials who did not want to be named because the announcement had not yet been made. Reached Friday at a conference in San Diego, Jolly would neither confirm nor deny reports that he confided in several district and city officials about the pending announcement.

WEST BURBANK — Little more than six months after taking over as the Burbank Unified School District’s superintendent, Kevin Jolly is expected to announce his resignation in a statement Monday, officials said. Burbank Unified’s Board of Education is also scheduled to meet early Monday to discuss Jolly’s severance package, said district officials who did not want to be named because the announcement had not yet been made. Reached Friday at a conference in San Diego, Jolly would neither confirm nor deny reports that he confided in several district and city officials about the pending announcement.

About midway through the season, Burbank High junior running back Ulises Ochoa made a bold prediction. “It was about the fourth or fifth game that I told our assistant coach, Marcus Hood, ‘Hey man, I’m coming for your record,’ ” Ochoa said. Hood, an assistant under Coach Hector Valencia, set the school single-season rushing record of 1,268 yards in 2006 when he was a standout player for the Bulldogs. Ochoa grabbed that record last week, as he has 162 carries for 1,288 yards (7.9 yards a carry)

For E-Geniuses founder and owner Joey Mariano, fixing a computer and returning it to a customer in tip-top shape is only half of what an experience at his new computer repair store entails. Mariano, who founded E-Geniuses in 2004, recently moved to his Burbank location, 2718 W. Burbank Blvd., after doing business in a loft in downtown Los Angeles for five years. The repair shop will officially open Dec. 1. The 27-year-old computer technician has been repairing computers since he was 12. As the John Burroughs High School graduate sat in his spacious waiting room on a weekday afternoon, Mariano said he wants to provide ongoing support for his clients — something only available to large and mid-size companies with an integrated tech-support staff.

WEST HILLS — Burbank High’s defense was not perfect. Then again, one can’t ask for much more after it forced host Chaminade into committing six turnovers, five of which were in the red zone. The Bulldogs stayed with the Eagles for more than 48 minutes, and when it was all said and done, Chaminade had to resort to its field-goal kicker to propel it to a 17-14 nonleague victory in a California tie-breaker. “They had to work hard to get in the end zone,” first-year Burbank Coach Hector Valencia said of Chaminade.

Woodbury University student Joseph James has his eye on the sky, and he won’t settle for less. James is one of 100 people out of 2,000 who passed an audition to appear on the “Hellbent for Hollywood” reality show, currently in production. The show will combine the excitement of “American Idol” with the competitive challenges of “Survivor,” said Jen Markewych, casting director and producer along with John Mitchell. The competition won’t be exclusively on acting skills, she said.