Resignation

A Burbank police commissioner who came under scrutiny after suggesting in November that a public speaker be “slapped around a bit” resigned his post Wednesday. Police Commissioner Jim Etter, who made the comment during the public address portion of a joint meeting with the City Council, said he resigned because of the demands for his upcoming post on the Los Angeles County Fish and Game Commission. Etter will begin his term on that commission on Aug. 2, according to Tony Bell, spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich.

BURBANK — Bob Torrez stepped down as head of the city’s finance department April 4 to take a job closer to his Long Beach home, officials said. In a memorandum released to executive officials last week, City Manager Mary Alvord announced Torrez’s decision, saying his resignation was effective immediately. “He’d been looking for a position closer to his house,” she said. “Executives don’t have to give two-weeks’ notice. They are a whole different animal.

BURBANK — Steve Bradley, the Burbank Unified School District's assistant superintendent of business services, resigned Friday after a six-week stint on medical leave and six years in the position, Supt. Gregory Bowman said. Bradley, who declined to comment on his resignation, is said to be looking for employment in the private sector, Bowman said. During Bradley's extended absence, Bowman has been taking over his duties, which include overseeing budgeting and accounting, facilities and food services and payroll and benefits.

BURBANK — Tom Johnson, general manager of the Times Community News division, announced his resignation last week a little more than two months after assuming the role of publisher of the Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press, Crescenta Valley Sun and La Canada Valley Sun. Johnson said he made the decision to resign in response to the new direction of the community news division he’s worked for and helped lead for the last 17 years....

BURBANK ? Bryan Madden, chief executive officer of the Burbank YMCA, recently announced his resignation after accepting an offer at the YMCA in his hometown of Columbia, S.C. Madden, 36, moved to Burbank three years ago to take over the YMCA's top position. "It's going to be tough leaving Burbank though, it's an awesome community and it's a great Y," Madden said. "This community reminds me a lot of a small town in South Carolina. It's got front porches and people who have lived here for generations and people that care about each other."

Luz Ponce has been named federal security director for the Burbank-Glen- dale-Pasadena Airport, according to news reports. Ponce will fill a position that has been vacant since Madeline Sawyer resigned in January. Sawyer oversaw the hiring and training of more than 200 federal baggage screeners, but left the post after less than five months to serve as a division manager in the Federal Aviation Administration's Western Pacific region. Ponce, who was the airport's assistant federal security director, has been serving as acting director since Sawyer's resignation.

When Democratic Assemblyman Paul Krekorian announced his candidacy for Los Angeles City Council midway through his second term in Sacramento, we expected his detractors to have a field day, and they did. Almost immediately, they responded with calls for his resignation, claiming he’d be a deadbeat representative for the Assembly’s 43rd District while pursuing Los Angeles’ District 2 seat. Jane Barnett, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, argued in her July 9 letter calling for Krekorian’s resignation that his announcement was likely nothing more than Paul taking care of Paul, a pursuit of “higher salary, less commute, bigger office and the ability to walk away from our state chaos he helped create.

Molly Shore Former Burbank Unified Supt. David Aponik doesn't intend to resign from his current job until he has been formally hired by the Fillmore Unified School District, where he started work July 8 as director of personnel and risk management. Aponik, a BUSD school psychologist, said Wednesday that he is not obligated to submit his resignation until the Fillmore school board approves his new post later this month. Although he is still considered a Burbank Unified employee, Aponik is not receiving a salary because he is off for the summer.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan As the tears flowed, Jana Kovar announced her resignation in front of a surprised group of players at the Sun Valley Village Christian School softball team banquet. Kovar, 28, -- a Burbank resident -- said the reason for her departure is to pursue her teaching credential at Cal Lutheran University. "There isn't enough hours in a day to cram everything in," she said. However, she will remain at the school, teaching human anatomy and biology.

In the wake of the firings of a group of U.S. attorneys, Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales is under fire from a host of U.S. Representatives who are calling for his resignation. Behind the mounting effort to oust Gonzales is Rep. Adam Schiff, whose district includes Glendale and Burbank. Schiff and Rep. Artur Davis co-authored and introduced a resolution on Monday expressing no confidence in Gonzales and urging the president to request his resignation. By Thursday, 117 co-sponsors, all Democrats, had signed on to the bill, according to Schiff's office.

Good morning, readers. Today is Wednesday, July 11, 2012 - a day for free sugary cold drinks. To celebrate their birthday, 7-Eleven stores are giving away free slurpees starting at 11 a.m. La Cañada's new store on 1001 Foothill Blvd. also opens today. LAist The heat has brought out the Animal Kingdom, with bears in Pasadena and Duarte and an apparent mountain lion in Sherman Oaks and Toluca Lake . The National Park Service hasn't confirmed the latter sightings yet. KCET A former drink server at the Angeles National Golf Course alleges she was fired after reporting that a customer groped her . Angeles National called her allegations  "ridiculous, salacious and unfounded" in a statement.

When Jaclyn Johnson was asked to take over the girls' basketball coaching duties at Bellarmine-Jefferson High prior to the 2010-11 season, the former Guards standout player had to live up to high expectations. In the previous eight years, former coach Bryan Camacho built the program into one of the most successful in the state. He accumulated a 183-50 record and had a .785 winning percentage. In addition, Bell-Jeff won three straight Santa Cruz League titles, a CIF Southern Section title in 2009 and captured a state championship the same year.

A Burbank police commissioner who came under scrutiny after suggesting in November that a public speaker be “slapped around a bit” resigned his post Wednesday. Police Commissioner Jim Etter, who made the comment during the public address portion of a joint meeting with the City Council, said he resigned because of the demands for his upcoming post on the Los Angeles County Fish and Game Commission. Etter will begin his term on that commission on Aug. 2, according to Tony Bell, spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich.

WEST BURBANK — The Burbank Unified School District confirmed Supt. Kevin Jolly’s resignation Monday, announcing that the top administrator would finish out a year on the job before stepping down June 30. In a statement released late Monday night, school board President Dave Kemp said Jolly “brought passion, energy and progressive ideas in his time with the district.” But, that as Burbank Unified faced major challenges in the months ahead, “the district’s focus must be forward-looking and on ensuring that a leadership team and structure is in place that is able to guide the district through this critical transitional period.

For months now, we’ve watched the Burbank Police Department continue to unravel. Each week, it seems, brings yet another soap-opera twist. The Police Commission and Civil Service Board are exerting greater pressure at City Hall, and one City Council member has called for the police chief to be placed on leave. There are three independent investigations — two called in by the city itself — into myriad internal complaints and allegations of misconduct, and an officer has killed himself in public.

BURROUGHS HIGH — There has been a string of longtime coaches who have departed their respective local high school programs the last two months. Burroughs High boys’ soccer Coach Mike Kodama stepped down at the conclusion of the season a month and a half ago after leading the Indians program for 22 years. Just two weeks ago, Bellarmine-Jefferson boys’ Coach Eli Essa parted ways with the school after 14 years on the job. Art Sullivan is the latest coach who has stepped down, as he resigned from the Burroughs boys’ basketball program April 9, said Jay Gudzin, the school’s vice principal of activities and athletics.

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell resigned hours after she was criticized Sunday for making statements blaming La Crescenta resident Robert Sanchez in Friday’s train collision that killed 26 people, including a Glendale school counselor, and injured 138. Tyrrell resigned after Southern California Regional Rail Authority board members said her statement Saturday was “premature” in blaming Sanchez, a...

BURBANK — Tom Johnson, general manager of the Times Community News division, announced his resignation last week a little more than two months after assuming the role of publisher of the Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press, Crescenta Valley Sun and La Canada Valley Sun. Johnson said he made the decision to resign in response to the new direction of the community news division he’s worked for and helped lead for the last 17 years....