Las Vegas

Jenna Bordelon SOUTH SAN FERNANDO DISTRICT -- Fifteen students and their Burbank tae kwon do grandmaster used the way of the open hand to bring Las Vegas to its knees. The setting was the First Governor's Cup Martial Arts Competition at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas on June 17. The tae kwon do students from Andre's Martial Arts competed in group divisions that concentrated on fighting and form. By winning 10 first-place trophies, as well as 16 second-place and four third-place trophies, the students amassed enough points to win the Grand Championship Trophy.

Firm names manager for Las Vegas office Workway, a Burbank based staffing firm, announced the addition of Deon Haynes as new branch manager of its Las Vegas office. Haynes will be responsible for developing relationships and providing customer service to the Las Vegas business community. The high level of growth in the Las Vegas area has created the need to expand Workway's staff, according to the announcement. Haynes has more than 10 years of experience in Las Vegas.

Tightened security didn't keep a delegation of Las Vegas showgirls, circus performers and comedian Carrot Top from landing at the Million Air Terminal at the Bob Hope Airport on Thursday. "The biggest day of airport security this year and this is what gets to come through!" quipped the comedian, escorted by four sequined, bikini-clad dancers and two masked acrobats turning summersaults on the tarmac. The display of glitz ushered in a first-of-its-kind concierge station, where Las Vegas-bound travelers can make restaurant reservations, book show tickets and schedule other activities before they leave the airport, said Howard Lefkowitz, president of Vegas.

For left-handed pitcher Mike Magnante, the weekend didn't bring a promotion to major league baseball with the L.A. Dodgers. Magnante, 37, a Burroughs High graduate, was expected to be called up on Sunday when rosters expanded to 40. However, the veteran was left off the list in favor of a group of four players. The Dodgers recalled catcher David Ross, infielder Joe Thurston, catcher Wilkin Ruan and left-handed pitcher Jeff Williams from the triple-A Las Vegas 51 of the Pacific Coast League.

Jenna Bordelon BURBANK -- A man who was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping his girlfriend has been sent home. Saloman Montejano, 34, of Sylmar, was released Tuesday from Burbank City Jail after the city attorney's office declined to prosecute due to insufficient evidence, police said. Montejano allegedly kidnapped his married girlfriend and her two children Sunday at Earthwalk Park in the 1900 block of Grismer Avenue. The woman told police that Montejano allegedly threatened to take them to Las Vegas.

You'd expect Burbank to beat out Las Vegas in terms of having higher standards of living, lower crime rates or being more family friendly. But having a more robust nightlife? According to the event-listing website, Eventful, Burbank beat out the Sin City for the No. 1 spot in “The Scene” category, that is, the city with the most nightlife events. Of course, keep in mind that cities were ranked by listed events per capita. Also, making the “Most Eventful Cities Ranking” index was Pasadena, which came in at No. 4 in the categories for cities with populations under 150,000 people and for most “on campus” events.

From staff reports BURROUGHS HIGH -- The Burroughs High baseball team hopes it will have better luck the third time when it takes off to Las Vegas today to participate in a tournament. The Indians (9-7, 7-2 in Foothill League play) have made two previous trips to Las Vegas, and the city built on luck and dreams has been anything but kind to them. In 1996 and 1998, the Indians ended up a disappointing 1-3 in the annaul Bishop Gorman Tournament.

Joyce Rudolph 'Great Masters' final concert for Glendale Symphony season GLENDALE -- Following the acclaimed performance accompanying Luciano Pvarotti's Los Angeles appearance and the Three Tenors concert April 22 in Las Vegas, the Glendale Symphony Orchestra will present "The Great Masters -- Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms" on May 13. The final concert of the season begins at 8 p.m. at The Alex Theatre, 216 N....

DORAN -- VENNARI Rosemarie Doran and Victor M. Vennari exchanged wedding vows in the wedding gazebo at the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas. A reception followed. The bride is the daughter of retired Lt. Col. Fred R. Fonch of Tucson, Ariz. She graduated from Pikes Peak Community College with an associate in arts degree in information systems. She is employed at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems. The groom is the son of Anita and Domenic Vennari of Burbank.

EDWIN AND MONTAGAE HADSELL Former Burbank residents Edwin and MontaGae Hadsell celebrated 50 years of marriage with a dinner party at Tony's Bella Vista Restorante in Burbank. The couple was raised in Glendale. They were married March 7, 1953, in Las Vegas. Attending the party was Edwin's 96-year-old mother, Wilma, and several of their friends from Prescott, Ariz. Edwin served in the U.S. Navy. Prior to his retirement, he was a draftsman engineer with Hydro Aire.

As it is with just about any fight inside the confines of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's octagon, Jared Papazian's flyweight bout against Tim Elliott features its share of story lines, subplots and stipulations. There's also some smack talk and hype. It's Papazian's 125-pound debut and Elliott's chance to rebound after a loss to a world-ranked contender. And a victory by Papazian, which would be his first in the UFC, would likely make him an immediate player in the 125-pound division.

You'd expect Burbank to beat out Las Vegas in terms of having higher standards of living, lower crime rates or being more family friendly. But having a more robust nightlife? According to the event-listing website, Eventful, Burbank beat out the Sin City for the No. 1 spot in “The Scene” category, that is, the city with the most nightlife events. Of course, keep in mind that cities were ranked by listed events per capita. Also, making the “Most Eventful Cities Ranking” index was Pasadena, which came in at No. 4 in the categories for cities with populations under 150,000 people and for most “on campus” events.

Please don?t tell my mom I told you this. But when I was 18 and she was out of town for the weekend, I threw the mother of all parties at our house. Hundreds of kids converged upon our sleepy neighborhood. From one car Van Halen screamed, from another Flock of Seagulls, and yet another Wham! And inside, Tears for Fears. Shout, shout, let it all out! We raged. The party was so big I started charging people to get in. In my high-top Reeboks, acid-washed jeans and Kajagoogoo hair, I was the host with the most.

A Burbank woman is using online technology — and her cute canine companion — to raise funds for a longtime friend who is battling lymphoma. Sara Golden met Rosemarie Cross 27 years ago when they worked at the Beverly Hills Hotel in the early 1980s. A lasting friendship was formed, and Golden delighted in keeping up with Cross’ life, especially the births of her two sons, Oliver, 7, and Mason, 8. But life has been challenging for the family, Golden said. First they lost their San Fernando Valley home due to the medical bills incurred after Mason was born with a cleft lip and palate.

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.

BURBANK BURROUGHS Burbank High School and John Burroughs High School classes of 1949 are planning a combined 60th reunion Sept. 24 at the Castaway. For more information, contact Ruth Ann ?Nuttelman? Talley at (818) 845-2107 or ruthann@tbach.com. ? BURBANK HIGH SCHOOL The Burbank High School class of 1964 will have its 45-year reunion from 6 p.m. to midnight Oct. 10 at the Burbank Elks Club, 2232 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank. The theme is ?Surf?s Up,? and it will be luau casual attire with shirts and shoes required.

Zep’s Music was already an icon when I moved to Burbank in 1967. It seemed that everybody knew and loved Zep. He was the original musician’s friend, and if you went into his store, you had better not be in a hurry. Everything moved slowly at Zep’s, and you never knew if the person standing next to you was a musical legend. People talked a lot of story there, and if you kept your ears open and your mouth shut, you could learn some amazing things. Zep Meissner founded his first store in 1962 on Orchard Drive, just around the corner from John Burroughs High School.

?What Happens in Vegas? is a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy that offers a few good laughs, but despite the attractive cast, there isn?t enough substance to rescue this film from mediocrity. Jack (Ashton Kutcher) loses his job in the cabinet shop his father owns, and in another part of the city Joy, a foxy stock exchange employee played by Cameron Diaz, gets unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé. The two meet for the first time a day or so later in Las Vegas, where they have both gone to temporarily escape their situations.

BURBANK — Presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney continued his push toward the Republican Party’s nomination with a campaign stop Thursday in Burbank. Speaking at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, Romney spoke about a variety of topics — from immigration and English as a national language to the economy and the environment — to a crowd of about 300 students, families and local residents. Romney began the forum by drawing a clear line in the sand between him and others on the other side of the political aisle.

“Would either of you like this?” a woman asked, brandishing a magazine at my friend and me as we sat by the pool at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. “I’m finished. I’m just going to throw it out.” Her intentions, no doubt, were innocent. But when I saw what was in her hand, her actions seemed more like an affront. It was a “People” magazine. “No thanks,” I said. “Someone might see me.” In an instant, her posture, her voice, her facial expression changed.