Magnolia Park

DOWNTOWN ? The Burbank Leader has debuted new datelines ? the uppercase indicator at the beginning of a news article noting where the story occurred ? in an effort to localize stories and better distinguish neighborhoods, editors said. ?Burbank has a lot of unique communities, and it didn?t seem that we were serving them as well by just slapping the generic Burbank dateline on it,? said Dan Evans, editor of the Burbank Leader. The 10 dateline areas are: Hillside, Airport District, North San Fernando, West Burbank, Downtown, South San Fernando, Magnolia Park, Toluca Lake, Media District and Rancho District.

TODAY Burbank Art Assn . will meet at 7 p.m. at 301 E. Olive Ave., Room 102, Burbank. Hernando Cote, retired production artist and designer, will demonstrate portrait sketching. Guests can bring a sketchbook and pencil to follow along with the demonstration. Fee for nonmembers is $3. For more information, call (818) 848-1054. ? THURSDAY Burbank Kiwanis for Fun meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday of every month at the Hill Street Café, 3301 N. Glenoaks Blvd.

BURBANK — Despite thousands of signatures culled from neighborhood residents and business owners, the U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with plans to shutter the Magnolia Park Post Office and studying whether to close the Glenoaks Station Post Office, officials said. While a final decision has yet to be made public, the Magnolia Park office at 3810 W. Magnolia Blvd. is expected to close its doors at the end of the year and move about 1.5 miles to 2140 N. Hollywood Way. The fate of Glenoaks Station Post Office at 1634 N. San Fernando Blvd.

It?s easy to spot owner Alan Arzoian in his time-warp of a grocery store, Handy Market, at 2514 W. Magnolia Blvd. For one, he?s forever fitted in his usual shorts and short-sleeved shirt, greeting regulars by first name or checking on the produce. Another reason is because at 4,000 square feet, Handy Market just isn?t that big. Arzoian, who first became involved with the family business in 1970 before graduating from Hoover High in Glendale and moving onto Cal State Los Angeles, sat down with us for a quick back-and-forth about the economy, its impact on his business and those pesky cravings for steak.

BURBANK — Jack Cross leans over a sucrose-clogged counter and casually reveals his business philosophy — soda, candy and fun. Just three weeks after successfully landing Rocket Fizz Burbank at 2112 W. Magnolia Blvd., many are singing his praises, perhaps to the tune of Paul Anka’s “Diana,” which played on loop inside the converted liquor store. Cross, who opened the shop with Luke Jacobellis, said the temple to high-fructose corn syrup — a veritable storeroom filled with hundreds of bottled sodas and recollection-inducing treats — is as much an ode to 1950s and ’60s pop culture.

Every morning Wes Migletz fires up his ’72 Chevy pickup and drives the 30 miles from his home in Burbank to work at Toyota’s U.S. sales and marketing headquarters in Torrance, he feels something missing in his life. It isn’t family. No, that’s purring along like the engines of classic cars he bought and sold — the ’55 Thunderbird, ’62 Corvette and ’71 Super Beetle, the car he drove when he took his wife on their first date to Bob’s Big Boy. It isn’t location, either.

Jessica Dooley’s desire is clear: to empower people through sewing. Five weeks ago the 19-year-old graduate from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles took the first steps toward realizing that goal when she opened the Sewing Lounge, a bright, Magnolia Park boutique that hosts daily open sewing hours where crafters can drop by and use one of four vintage Singers. She also offers classes in basic sewing, introduction to the machine, appliqué 101, alterations and a thrift store adventure in which she takes groups down to the American Way Thrift Store to learn what to look for when refashioning clothing.