Lunch

Mark R. Madler Marti Engele walked into the kitchen area of the Burbank Center for the Retarded on Friday to come face to face with her past, present and future. A surprise lunch was given for Engele in honor of her retirement at the end of the month. But the nearly 70 well wishers were there to say goodbye and not a final farewell to the teacher who has been with BCR since 1968. "God gave me a gift for working in this environment," Engele said.

Amber Willard MEDIA DISTRICT WEST -- Mother's Day came with a bonus this year for the two women who gave birth at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center. Burbank resident Velma Martinez had daughter Alice Marie shortly before noon Sunday, while Altadena mom Karen Baghdassarian welcomed daughter Gloria Perouze with just minutes to spare before midnight. "I didn't even think of Mother's Day when I started contractions," said Martinez, whose 8 a.m. labor pains foiled plans to have lunch with her husband and 7-year-old son. Their daughter's due date was Monday.

Presiding over the elegant new eatery, The Cafe Victory, is none other than St. Patrick himself. Owner Rogel Aragon brought the 100-year-old stained-glass replica of the saintly man with him from his old restaurant, the popular Patrick’s Cafe, to his new, scaled-down place on Victory near Sonora in Glendale. I think it’s a lucky talisman because The Cafe Victory is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. The food and decor at the new cafe have absolutely nothing to do with Ireland.

HIGH SCHOOL BENEFIT IS DAY AT RACES Providence High School will have its first "Day at the Races" on Oct. 11 at Santa Anita Park. The school has reserved semi-private patio accommodations in the Wine Shed area of the infield for the occasion. Festivities will last from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and attendees are invited to come for any portion they wish or stay for the whole day. Lunch will be served from noon to 2 p.m. Tickets are $25, $15 for children ages 4 to 10, and free for children ages 3 and younger.

Rows of smiling grandmothers and grandfathers faced a congregation of St. Finbar School students Friday who raised their hands to them in a prayer of blessing during Mass that celebrated Grandparents Day. Grandparents of St. Finbar students were invited to attend an all-school Mass. They were treated to a special lunch and had the chance to visit their grandchildren's classrooms and teachers. "I want to show you everything!" 5-year-old Hunter Goffin told her grandmother Gerry Goffin, who took a day off work to attend the celebration.

Robert Blechl BURBANK -- Burbank seniors can get a hot lunch every weekday at three different locations. Sponsored by the Burbank Senior Nutrition Program, the lunches are served Monday through Friday at 11:15 a.m. at the Joslyn Adult Center, 1301 W. Olive Ave.; McCambridge Recreation Center, 1515 N. Glenoaks Blvd.; and the Don Tuttle Center, 1731 N. Ontario St. The suggested donation is $1.75 and seating is limited. Ticket sign ups begin at 9 a.m. at each of the three sites.

Editor's note: The following is a sampling of letters submitted to the Leader by students at John Burroughs High School in response to a Sept. 10 story about the school's cell phone policy. Students are presently prohibited from using cell phones during school hours, but Tim Brehm, a Burroughs photography instructor, has asked the Board of Education to change the policy to allow students to use their phones during nutrition and lunch breaks. Students less defiant with a new phone policy This is a ridiculous policy.

Oh, how I miss the Burbank of my childhood. When I was a child, my friends and I could walk to Verdugo Park, alone. We would spend all day playing basketball or pingpong in the gym with no fear of anything more than a bruised knee. For girls, the park offered charm classes where they learned manners and God knows what else. If not at the park, we might ride our bikes all over Burbank without worries of gangs, heavy traffic or anything else parents have to contend with today.