Magnolia Park

Mark R. Madler A new 52-space parking lot was among the projects City Council members approved as part of a plan to boost local interest in the Magnolia Park area. The parking lot is at the Burbank Community Church, 3310 W. Magnolia Blvd., but the city would be allowed to use it for shoppers and store employee parking when the church did not need it. Council members on Tuesday amended their budget to allocate $125,000 from the city's development agency to improve the parking lot. The estimated total cost for the improvements is $250,000.

Cleaner streets and increased parking are a few of the perks Magnolia Park property owners are providing to the area this month in an effort to rejuvenate the district. Property owners in the commercial areas of Magnolia and Hollywood boulevards will contribute $250,000 every year for five years to keep streets clean, parking spaces plentiful and put the mostly quiet shopping area into a more hustling and bustling category through a program the City Council approved in February.

Armin Reyes needed some tire work for his bicycle. A line had formed around the bike tune-up area along the Chandler Bikeway. Because of the waiting, Reyes suspected his family had ridden into Magnolia Park. “They’re probably off for cookies or ice cream,” he said. “[Or] the scavenger hunt, the free grub, Porto’s.” By Saturday evening, between 400 and 600 bike riders had rolled through Magnolia Park on the Egg-Cellent Magnolia Bicycle Tour, a bike ride and scavenger hunt, with free bike tune-ups and safety tips.

CITY HALL - The City Council approved the formation of a Magnolia Park business improvement district on Tuesday, which will pool the resources of merchants and business owners to enhance the commercial climate of the area. A ballot election showed that 54% of business were in favor of the district, exceeding the majority needed to put the matter before the council. "I think it will bring a lot of great benefits to that particular area," Vice Mayor Marsha Ramos said. "Hopefully the 45% of those property owners that didn't support this will see the benefits as well."

Ebenezer Scrooge strolled down Magnolia Boulevard on Friday night with his top hat and cane in hand and greeted children in his crackly voice. Except Scrooge wasn't the grouch that he's known to be. He stopped to tell jokes and asked children what they wanted for Christmas during the Holiday in the Park Celebration and Open House at Magnolia Park. Hundreds came out to join in on the longtime Burbank tradition that stretched along Magnolia Boulevard, between Pass Avenue and Buena Vista Street.

'Holiday in the Park' coming to Magnolia The Magnolia Park Property Based Business Improvement District will present "Holiday in the Park Celebration & Open House" from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 in the Magnolia Park neighborhood. This year's festivities include live music, entertainment, photos with Santa, refreshments and lots of fun for kids. All activities are free and open to the public. Attendees are invited to wander the boulevard and drop by open houses at dozens of shops and eateries, while musicians and choirs serenade the crowds and add a festive touch to this longtime Burbank tradition.

When Porto's Bakery moved into Magnolia Park, something refreshing started happening. You saw people having a good time, enjoying a good pastry, simply walking more along Magnolia Boulevard sidewalks near Hollywood Way, or sitting at outdoor tables watching the cars go by. Things were bustling at the corner of Magnolia and Hollywood Way. It's a snapshot of what the Magnolia Park shopping district can be. The City Council's vote...

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or “Festivus” (Google it non-”Seinfeld” fans), this time of year is rife with holiday traditions. Two of Burbank's long-standing yuletide events added to their history as Mayor Dave Golonski and his wife, Barbara Sykes, and Joan “J.P.” O'Connor and her husband, Cotton Thompson, staged their respective annual holiday soirees this past week. Always a highlight of the season for representatives of the local studios and business community, along with elected and appointed city officials, staff members, family and friends, Mayor Golonski and his wife have opened their Magnolia Park home for a holiday party to benefit numerous charities for close to two decades.

If shoppers notice a different, more scaled down version of the annual Holiday in the Park event in Magnolia Park on Friday, chalk it up to making do with limited resources. Nearly 40 merchants in Magnolia Park have banded together to fund the event after a majority of the tenants in the district - primarily non-retail business owners - voted to disband a partnership last September, ending a property tax assessment that brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars for promotions and popular public events.

Recently, the importance of local commerce became a focal point in the presidential campaign. Both sides highlighted the success of small businesses as a key to the recovery of our economy and then used that as a platform to promote their economic agendas. Regardless of the politics, small businesses are vital to the local economy and despite what the president may do to help, the real formula for success is that someone with vision and guts opens their doors and then we, the consumers, do our part by purchasing the services or goods offered.

Retirement was fun for a while, but it's definitely not something I want to do for the rest of my life. And so Burbank - I'm back! During my brief sabbatical, I did learn to smell the roses - and pick some out of my mother's garden. She has 200 bushes, so it was easy! But I also did some exploring around town. I found out Joslyn Adult Center has a beautiful computer lab where those 55 and older can take classes for a nominal fee and have free access to computers on Mondays and Fridays.

Sept. 15 saw the Magnolia Park Optimist Club celebrate the installation of its new officers and directors. This very festive event took place at the Joslyn Center, and the room was full to capacity as the membership turned out in full force to witness this annual event. They all had an opportunity to visit and enjoy each other's company while dinner was served. After dinner, longtime member and former President Jim Lloyd proceeded to officially de-install the outgoing board. The incoming officers and directors and their new 2011-12 President Terry Scott were then sworn in. The officers are 1st Vice President Gary Oseransky; 2nd Vice President Evie Magnante; Secretary Linda Oseransky; Treasurer Kent Warner; Youth Treasurer Ernine Larson; and Dinner Treasurer Pauline Deeter.

Members of the business district for Magnolia Park have voted to disband, ending a property tax assessment that brought hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for promotions and popular public events. The Magnolia Park Partnership, which organizes annual events like Holiday in the Park and Be-Boppin' in the Park, will dissolve at year's end, officials said, after the vote that non-retail tenants carried. The votes were weighted with the largest property owners getting the most influence.

More than 500 people pedaled through Magnolia Park Saturday afternoon, just as nearby commercial property owners are gearing up to extend a self-imposed fee that pays for events including the Magical Magnolia Bicycle Tour. The tour brought out cyclists for prizes, bike and helmet painting and other activities. Merchants say the event is just one of the benefits of the business improvement district that landlords launched in 2006, agreeing to raise $250,000 annually to pump up prospects near Magnolia Boulevard and Hollywood Way. With the business improvement district set to expire this year, members of the Magnolia Park Partnership are now preparing to vote in July on whether to extend it for another five years.