Ice Cream

Her face smeared in chocolate ice cream, Cheyenne Arroyo sat eating spoonfuls of the dessert all in the name of a good cause. Cheyenne, 4, a kindergartener at Edison Elementary School, and her mother purchased ice cream from Coldstone Creamery on Tuesday to benefit the school's PTA. Edison teachers and staff served ice cream between 3 and 8 p.m. to customers who came to support the fundraiser. Lauren Harley and her daughter Emma, 5, stood in line to buy ice cream. "I'm going to get chocolate, chocolate, chocolate fudge with light sprinkles," Emma said.

DOWNTOWN — Ben Cohen looked out onto a swarming Burbank crowd Monday, attracted by free ice cream and the thumping beats of the African Children’s Choir, and vowed to help eradicate one of the ills plaguing a portion of the global population. “Some people think there is nothing we can do about poverty,” said Cohen, known more congenially as Ben, from Ben & Jerry’s. “The reality is different.” Cohen, co-founder Jerry Greenfield and members of ONE, a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to fighting Third World poverty, announced the newest Ben & Jerry’s flavor — ONE Cheesecake Brownie — in front of the Burbank store, near San Fernando Boulevard.

Gary Moskowitz HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- Andreas Tsiatsos had no idea learning aspects of the scientific method could be so much fun. But when he and his fellow classmates learned how to turn liquid matter into solid matter -- in the form of sweet, vanilla ice cream -- learning about science wasn't so bad. "You don't usually make ice cream, you just buy it at the market. But making it is a lot cooler," said Andreas, 8, a third-grade student at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.

Maya Kukes BURBANK VILLAGE -- As part of an Earth Day celebration, Ben & Jerry's will be giving away free scoops of ice cream all day Monday. The ice cream giveaway dates back to 1979, when Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield celebrated their first year of business by giving away free ice cream. The company chose Earth Day as "Free Cone Day" to help publicize the day of environmental awareness. Free Cone Day visitors will be asked to take a pledge at Ben & Jerry's stores to help address global warming, by doing things like driving less and voicing their concerns with political messages to Congress about energy efficiency legislation.

Jacqui Brown It was pure chaos inside the Cold Stone Creamery in Burbank on Tuesday, but no one seemed to mind once the ice cream touched the lips of the patrons. The steady stream of customers, both big and small, kept the 25 volunteers -- all teachers and staff from Bret Harte Elementary School -- mashing, mixing and dishing up bowls of ice cream in a joint effort to raise funds for the school. Cold Stone employee Tim Baiady said once school let out, the place filled up. "The owner is big on fundraisers, because he likes to help out any way he can," Baiady said.

Good morning, readers. Today is Saturday, September 8. Are you ready for  Carmageddon II?  Transit officials are preparing for the big closure event with sneak previews the next two weekends. First up: A closure that begins tonight at 11 p.m. on the southbound 405 Freeway between the Getty and the 101 Freeway. L.A. Times After a car hit a fire hydrant in North Hollywood Friday night, three people escaped with injuries. One of them was transported to a hospital in serious condition, reports CBS .  Ben & Jerry's ice cream is often described as sinful, but a North Hollywood adult video production company took it to the next level, creating titles that weaved popular ice cream names with body parts.

Rosette Gonzales Customers might have expected their dessert to melt when Nicolette Sheridan of "Desperate Housewives" served ice cream cake Monday at Cold Stone Creamery in Burbank. In exchange for a donation to the Make-A-Wish foundation, ice cream lovers and fans of the show received a free slice of ice cream cake from 5 to 8 p.m. But Sheridan, who plays Edie Britt on the prime-time soap about the private lives of suburbia housewives drew a crowd of paparazzi in addition to donations.

Ryan Carter With hopes of increasing awareness of a new statewide helmet law for skateboarders, skaters and scooter enthusiasts, police are rewarding young helmet-wearers with free scoops of ice cream. For the next few weeks, traffic officers are handing out Baskin-Robbins ice cream coupons for those who comply with the law. But after that, watch out. "We plan aggressive enforcement of the new [helmet] law," Sgt. Ron Caruso said. The new law, which went into effect at the beginning of this year, requires anyone younger than 18 to wear a helmet while riding a nonmotorized scooter, skateboard and in-line or roller skates.

Karen S. Kim MAGNOLIA PARK -- When Mary Talsky came to visit her sister in California two years ago, she had a craving for some frozen custard. When Talsky was told there weren't any frozen custard shops around, she set out to remedy the situation. "Californians just don't know what frozen custard is," Talsky said. "They think it's frozen pudding. They don't realize it's the best ice cream in town." Talsky had been looking to start the next chapter in her life after she left her husband, home and electrical engineering job back in Milwaukee.

Ryan Carter Shorts, tank-tops and T-shirts were donned Monday and Tuesday as Burbank basked in skyrocketing temperatures and balmy weather that forecasters said will be around for the rest of the week. Tuesday's high, by 4 p.m., was 88, tying the record high set on that date in 1997, said Bonnie Bartling, weather specialist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard. The high temperature Monday in Burbank reached 90, breaking the previous high for that date -- 87, in 1937.

Good morning, readers. Today is Saturday, September 8. Are you ready for  Carmageddon II?  Transit officials are preparing for the big closure event with sneak previews the next two weekends. First up: A closure that begins tonight at 11 p.m. on the southbound 405 Freeway between the Getty and the 101 Freeway. L.A. Times After a car hit a fire hydrant in North Hollywood Friday night, three people escaped with injuries. One of them was transported to a hospital in serious condition, reports CBS .  Ben & Jerry's ice cream is often described as sinful, but a North Hollywood adult video production company took it to the next level, creating titles that weaved popular ice cream names with body parts.

Open up a newspaper or listen to the news and you're bombarded by wars, famines, financial woes, crime and disasters. Isn't time to step back, and rather than lament what's lacking in your life, focus instead on all its blessings - a child's smile, a friend's embrace, or the strength of family bonds? This has been the message in homegrown author Todd Aaron Jensen's book, “On Gratitude,” that has been inspiring the community during the month-long Burbank READS campaign. The Burbank Public Library has been encouraging people to share their own thankfulness as a response to Jensen's book.

The players and coaches of the Burbank Major Softball All-Star team were naturally disappointed when they were knocked out in the semifinals of last year's Western Region Tournament. The loss extinguished the Burbank Little League squad's chances of qualifying for the Little League Softball World Series. Trying to find a positive in the wake of the defeat, Burbank found solace in the fact that the majority of the team would be returning, and hopefully it would get another shot at making the international tournament in 2010.

I have an index card box on my desk. I carry Post-It Notes and small notepads with me everywhere I go. When I see something that strikes me, or am spontaneously blessed with some great epiphany, I jot it down and throw it into the box. The girls call it my Idea Box. I like having the answers to all of life’s mysteries at my fingertips. Here is but a brief sampling of my more brilliant, and not so brilliant, insights. The person who first came up with the term “muffin tops” to describe my chubby waistline overhang is an observant genius and should be working with Ben & Jerry developing new flavors of ice cream.

DOWNTOWN — Ben Cohen looked out onto a swarming Burbank crowd Monday, attracted by free ice cream and the thumping beats of the African Children’s Choir, and vowed to help eradicate one of the ills plaguing a portion of the global population. “Some people think there is nothing we can do about poverty,” said Cohen, known more congenially as Ben, from Ben & Jerry’s. “The reality is different.” Cohen, co-founder Jerry Greenfield and members of ONE, a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to fighting Third World poverty, announced the newest Ben & Jerry’s flavor — ONE Cheesecake Brownie — in front of the Burbank store, near San Fernando Boulevard.

Sure, Mignon Chocolate has heart-shaped boxes, rose-shaped chocolates and wide ribbon with silk flowers wrapped around 2-foot-square golden boxes. But one thing that makes this more appealing than a standard chocolatier is a little sign hanging along Verdugo Boulevard that simply says “Coffee.” Oh, yeah. The perfect storm. Four Glendale’s Best Awards hang on the burnt-orange walls alongside pictures of celebrity customers and the remarkable family story. Several cases display tiny boxes, ribboned bags and colorful foil-wrapped chocolates that show how suited these elegant chocolates are to being party favors.

LOS ANGELES — Before a crowd of more than 40,000 baseball fans on Monday, 10-year-old Burbank resident Austin Salvador took the field at Dodger Stadium. And though he may not have been scheduled to play that night, a taste of big leagues was more than enough to bolster Austin's ambitions of being a professional baseball player. "I've always wanted to play for the Dodgers," he said. "And being on that field makes me want to play for them even more." Austin won the pre-game visit to the field — accompanied by his sisters Allison, 6, Alexa, 12, and his friend, Josef Topete, 10 — thanks to an essay written by his mother, Caroline Salvador.

Few sweets lovers can resist a creamy, cold gelato cone on a hot day. At least that's what Viktor Benes Bakeries owner Ugo Mamolo was hoping when he expanded his 41-year-old business this spring to include the icy confection. The Burbank sweets factory owner hired an expert gelato maker from Venice, Italy, last August to work on recipes for his new venture. "We tested the quality, the flavors," Mamolo said. "We made sure we had the right recipes before we presented it to the public."