Toys

Ryan Carter BURBANK -- It's not too late to buy a toy and put it in the bed of the Burbank Fire Department toy wagon in the front lobby of the Burbank Police and Fire Headquarters. The wagon, salvaged by firefighters and built into a miniature fire truck, will collect donated toys throughout the holidays, and department staff will take the toys to local agencies, which will distribute the items to children in need. The lobby is open from 8 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but toys can be taken to any of the six fire stations around town.

DOWNTOWN — Police officers scooped up about 500 toys Monday and placed the items in the back of a sport utility vehicle that was headed off to the Burbank Temporary Aid Center’s Santa Room. The Burbank Police Department and Holiday Inn donated the toys, which the hotel collected, to give to low-income families that receive aid services from the center. The toys, along with other donations, will be given to about 250 to 300 low-income or homeless families this holiday season, center Executive Director Barbara Howell said.

THEATER REVIEW It isn't often that the star of a show is not an actor, but in the Colony Theatre Company's presentation of "Toys in the Attic," the buzz was all about the incredible set and props designed by Tom Buderwitz, Chuck Olsen and crew. Lillian Hellman's semi-autobiographical tale sprawls across a homey-looking front porch, and a living room, complete with piano. It's as if a small New Orleans house had fallen smack in the middle of the stage.

The Colony Theater's Showcamp theater group for youth is putting on its final holiday performances today and Thursday.Waiting in the wings of the Colony Theater on Monday, 13-year-old Lily Miloccaro peered out from inside a bulbous costume. She is the 7-ball in a cast of misfit toys. "It's like a messed-up 8-ball that gives bad advice," she explained. Lily is performing this week in the latest production from "Showcamp", a theater company that hones the talents of Burbank's youngest stars.

On Dec. 20, Victory Tabernacle hosted a Toys for Tots service at 10:30 a.m. for the second time. The purpose of this event was to give toys to the underprivileged during Christmastime. This year, the church was blessed to have been able to give out 200 toys during the service and another 200 toys on the Monday after the service. The local church family also provided a free dinner for all of the families with food graciously donated by the local Ralphs. One of the best parts about the service was the presence of three Marines.

When a mother has a baby, she often throws a party to celebrate. Blaire Dollinger opened a store. ?A couple of years ago I was really, really sick,? said Dollinger, 40. ?I had cancer, and they weren?t sure after my treatment if I could even get pregnant.? But after overcoming her illness, the owner of newly opened Magnolia Park store Totz Only decided to give pregnancy a shot. ?I got pregnant on the first try, so he?s kind of our miracle baby,? she said of her 11-month-old son, Jackson.

Children sitting on their parents’ shoulders waved and yelped gleefully Friday night as the festively decorated Metrolink Holiday Toy Express rolled into Burbank and Glendale, bringing with it some visitors from the North Pole. The 450-ton train was decked out in more than 50,000 twinkling lights and nine animated reindeer heads that talked and sang holiday music. Despite the chilly weather, hundreds of people went to both train stops to get a glimpse of the brightly lit train and watched a free holiday show featuring a singing “Santa hog” and holiday carolers.

What started as a curiosity led to a career for GI Joe collector James DeSimone of Burbank. It was 23 years ago, while glancing through the Recycler, DeSimone saw an ad about a collector searching for GI Joe dolls. So, he called the collector and asked him why. The man explained that the 4-inch-tall action figures had replaced the 12-inch doll from the 1960s, like the one that DeSimone had when he was a kid. Just to see for himself, DeSimone went to a Toys R Us to check out the smaller version.

Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis is the host of the annual Mayors Cup Charity Golf Tournament each spring. All proceeds from this golf tournament are donated back to the community. One of the recipients is the Family Service Agency, and recently Executive Director Laurie Bleick received a check that was part of a five-year pledge made by the service club to the agency that provides counseling services to public school children, individuals and families. Other community charities that receive donations from the Sunrise Kiwanis Club are Burbank Boys & Girls Club, Children's Hospital Los Angeles Foundation (Children's Miracle Network)

A 26-year-old carrying her 2-year-old son was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stealing a bag of Disney toys from Toys R Us on Victory Boulevard in Burbank. Kimberly Heredia of North Hollywood walked into the toy store with her son at around 2:30 p.m. carrying a large empty bag, police say, which she allegedly used to fill with about $70 worth of Disney items. Heredia allegedly refused to stop when store employees contacted her outside, instead walking toward a Nissan Maxima with a man in the driver's seat.

When Cathy Jaramillo, 42, was laid off three years ago after a 14-year career in finance, she opted to stay home and take care of her two children instead of hunting for another job. Unemployment freed up her schedule for some major house-cleaning. She rummaged through her attic and gathered nearly 500 toys and pieces of clothing - many of which were brand new or barely used by her now-9- and 12-year-old children - that had just been sitting in bags and boxes in her Burbank home. It would've been too much of a hassle to post every item on Craigslist or eBay, she said, so she was thrilled last spring when she discovered the L.A. Kids Consignment Sale, a twice-yearly sale held in Burbank, Pasadena, Santa Clarita and Torrance.

Comprehensive Financial Services, a Burbank-based organization, held a toy drive to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank. On Dec. 10, 160 employees with Comprehensive Financial Services presented the collected gifts. Days later, the Boys & Girls Club welcomed a visit from Santa on Dec. 16. Assemblyman Mike Gatto also paid a visit with volunteers from Bank of America to give away over 150 gifts.    

Hoping for a gift in this season of giving, about 30 needy people, mostly women, waited patiently for the doors to open at the Salvation Army near downtown Burbank Thursday morning. Ana and Tony Tamayo of North Hollywood said they heard about the Salvation Army's program to provide food and other items for Christmas through friends, and this year, they needed the extra assistance. “We lost our apartment, we lost our jobs, we're unemployed,” Tony Tamayo said in Spanish. “This helps us give something to our children.” The giveaway has happened every year since the Salvation Army opened its doors in Burbank in 1957, said Lt. Kari Rudd.

The Walt Disney Co. rode World Cup soccer, "Toy Story 3" and careful cost controls to increased revenue and profitability in the third quarter of 2010, according to the latest earnings reports released Tuesday. Revenues topped $10 billion for the Burbank-based entertainment giant, an increase of 16% over the same quarter the prior year. Net profit was also up 40% to $1.33 billion, the company reported. The studio entertainment unit saw $123 million in profits after taking a $12-million loss in the same quarter a year ago. "Toy Story 3," which has earned an estimated $900 million worldwide, led the charge.

The Glendale Centre Theatre?s goal has always been to produce quality plays with a ?Gee? rating. As in ?Gee whiz. Gosh darn. That was a pretty good show, honey.? Believe it or don?t, that?s the kind of thing you?ll hear the grown-ups saying in the lobby at the 8 p.m shows. So there?s no age-appropriate issue for parents who want to bring the older kids along at night, unless someone forgot to take a nap. When it comes to the kids bringing the parents along, the reverse is not always true.

Thousands of toys for hundreds of families — it’s a ratio that just a week ago seemed improbable after Metrolink canceled its Holiday Toy Express due to bad weather. But after Burbank firefighters issued a plea for help to make the difference in their “Spark of Love” toy drive campaign, the community responded in a big way. The outpouring translated into roughly 2,000 toys for about 700 families who, like so many households in this recession, saw their ability to play Santa severely diminished or erased by lost jobs or reduced work hours.

HOTEL COLLECTS TOYS FOR ARMY The Salvation Army, Burbank Corps Advisory Board met on Dec. 17 for a Christmas luncheon meeting at the Holiday Inn, Media Center in Downtown Burbank. After the luncheon, the hotel management presented Capt. Mario Ruiz with more than 200 toys to be distributed to 400 needy families during Christmas week. Toys were donated by the employees and staff of the Holiday Inn. They also donated food to the army during Thanksgiving week. Among those attending the presentation were Chris Haven , general manager; Ericka Hoffmann , chief executive officer; and Lynn Yeretzian , director of food and beverage.

On Dec. 20, Victory Tabernacle hosted a Toys for Tots service at 10:30 a.m. for the second time. The purpose of this event was to give toys to the underprivileged during Christmastime. This year, the church was blessed to have been able to give out 200 toys during the service and another 200 toys on the Monday after the service. The local church family also provided a free dinner for all of the families with food graciously donated by the local Ralphs. One of the best parts about the service was the presence of three Marines.