Rainbow

Paul Clinton MAGNOLIA PARK -- Burbank's brightest lights came out for the annual Boys and Girls Club of Burbank cocktail-party fund-raiser. Hosted by councilman Dave Golonski, the Friday-evening event was attended by all five council members, a handful of other City Hall employees, former city officials and representatives from a rainbow of other community groups and businesses. The event raised $13,655 for the club, which provides a variety of educational and recreational activities for children, club executive director Alex Fey said.

The former bassist of the heavy metal band Dio was arrested in Burbank Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs after crashing into another vehicle, police said. Bassist Jimmy Bain was making a left turn out of the Fry's Home Electronics store parking lot onto westbound Vanowen Street, near Hollywood Way, at about 9 p.m. when he pulled his 1995 green Toyota Camry out in front another vehicle, causing the collision, Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said. Police officers conducted a field sobriety test, but Bain “failed to satisfactorily pass it,” Ryburn added.

Visiting the Burbank Singers for a rehearsal recently, the last thing I expected to find was an Olympian in their midst. In 1984, Joan Fontana joined 2,000 other voices in the Olympic Chorus to sing at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Los Angeles games. She recalls singing “all night,” and at the end she received a medal. It's not gold, she says, but it was “gold-looking.” Hey, it's closer than most of us will ever get, at least until my lobbying efforts to get “couch sitting” accepted as an event pay off. The Burbank Singers are an eclectic group.

Molly Shore The tile mural at Edison Elementary School started as a fund-raiser. It ended up as a giant love letter. The mural, at 5 feet by 20 feet, is made up of dozens of hand-painted tiles from students and teachers past and present, as well as parents and community members. It was unveiled Friday at an afternoon ceremony. "Basically, we're commemorating the Edison family and all of its traditions," said Denise Milanovich, co-chairwoman of the school's foundation.

Molly Shore Their small hands were a rainbow of colors Tuesday afternoon as children dipped hard-boiled eggs into cups of red, orange, yellow, green and blue dye. Then it was down to serious business at the spring break Easter egg dyeing and decorating class at Verdugo Park. Sandra Allen, a senior recreation leader with the city of Burbank, assured the youngsters that they couldn't mess up their eggs because each one was their own unique creation.

Molly Shore A slight drizzle did not dampen the spirits of Washington Elementary School students during their outdoor spring dance program. The mood, music and costumes were festive, as the school's kindergarten through fourth-grade classes boogied, stepped and swayed to 1950s through 1980s rock 'n' roll, the Mexican Hat Dance and the sounds of the Hawaiian Islands. "I actually liked performing. It was a lot of fun," Jeremy Labertew, 10, said after finishing his routine Friday morning on the school playground.

NELSON -- HANSEN Kristine Nelson of Burbank and James Hansen of Burbank have announced their engagement and will be married this month. The bride is the daughter of Rita and Wilbur Nelson of Burbank. She attended John Burroughs High School and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in family relations and child development. She works at Rainbow Preschool. The groom is the son of Pat and Harley Hansen Jr. of Burbank. He attended John Burroughs High School and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in mechanical engineering technology.

BURBANK ? Thousands of people, many wearing their best 10-gallon hats and cowboy boots, moseyed on down to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center Saturday night to enjoy the color and spectacle of the Fiesta of the Spanish Horse Extravaganza. The evening's entertainment was the highlight of more than three days of horse-show competition at the center, designed to showcase the cultural legacy of Spanish horse breeds in America, event coordinator Joanne Asman said. "The Spanish horse has heart and soul," Asman said.

What could have been more perfect for St. Patrick's Day than to have the sun shinin' bright during a wee sprinklin' o' rain that resulted in a rainbow arched over Burbank? While, as of yet, there been no reports of any pots of gold being discovered, many locals honored the patron saint of the emerald isle by gatherin' with the McKenna clan and partaking in a little liquid gold - toastin' with a wee dram o' Irish whiskey or tippin' a pint o' Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale, Smithwick's Ale or Guinness, Beamish and Murphy's stouts.

Like a great many people, I am profoundly glad that this latest election season has passed. During each cycle, we at the paper try to inform people about issues coming before them and do our best to convince readers of the importance of taking part. And, each cycle, I am disheartened by the low turnout. I used to blame laziness and indifference. To be sure, that does explain it partially, but there is a deep and systemic flaw in our system: too many propositions. On Tuesday, people were asked to vote on nine initiatives, two of which, Proposition 20 and Proposition 27, directly contradicted each other.