Turkey

Several hundred people filled the Nazareth and Sima Kalaydjian Hall on Friday at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church to commemorate the first anniversary of the assassination of journalist and editor Hrant Dink. Dink, 53, was fatally shot in Istanbul on Jan. 19, 2007, outside the bilingual Armenian and Turkish newspaper Agos, where he served as editor. Agos is considered one of the foremost voices for Turkey’s Armenian population. The program Friday opened with a slide presentation showing snapshots of Dink’s life, including several trips to the United States and a shot of him cradling the Henri Nannen Prize for the Freedom of the Press.

Marisa Sanders remembers when television icon Huell Howser wandered into Burbank's Tallyrand restaurant two years ago. She gushed when he sat in front of her in a swivel chair at the diner's counter. “I said, 'I just want you to know - I know who you are,'” she recalled. “'My husband is your No. 1 fan.'” [For the Record, Jan. 14, 2013: A previous version of this story mispelled Marisa Sanders' first name. ] By the end of Howser's meal, the 20-year Tallyrand waitress had shared the whole history of the family-owned diner, including that both owners had met their respective spouses at the restaurant, and that it's famous for its hot turkey sandwich.

After reflecting upon the meaning of Thanksgiving, and how I can celebrate the holiday in a way that is compassionate, healthful and environmentally sensitive, I have come to a conclusion. Thanksgiving is about life and liberty, but 330 million turkeys killed in the US each year experience neither. They are crammed into large sheds filled with toxic fumes. Their beaks and toes are trimmed to reduce damage from stress induced aggression. After 16 weeks of misery, they are beheaded by an electric saw, while still fully conscious.

Bonnie Fitzgerald, Enjoy! GLENDALE -- Eat Well is a popular coffee shop featuring freshly made, American-style country food like soups, roast meats, vegetables and salad dressings. Lima Leko, the owner, does the baking of the delicious breads, pies, brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Among the dozen salad selections is the $2.50 green salad. This arrives on a medium-size oval plate containing a good combination of Romaine and head lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber, and accented with a small amount of red cabbage and red onion.

Wearing a Santa hat and a red vest, Ray Dollinger rolled into the dining room at the Salvation Army of Burbank in his wheelchair, claimed a spot at a table and waited for dinner to be served. Dollinger came to the Salvation Army Burbank Corps Community Center on Wednesday to eat a Thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and pumpkin pie for dessert. "I've been here about four or five times," Dollinger said, pushing back his plate. "I've actually lost track."

Ryan Carter In an annual effort that has traditionally been an uphill battle on Capitol Hill, a local congressman has taken the reins of pushing a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide for passage. This year, for the first time, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) took the lead in nudging Congress to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide because former Rep. David Bonior (D-Mich.), the effort's former lead sponsor, retired. Schiff also sits on the House International Relations Committee and the Subcommittee on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human Rights.

Gary Moskowitz NORTHWEST DISTRICT -- Diana Rhoads' kindergarten classroom was more crowded than usual Tuesday morning. In addition to the abundance of harvest-themed decorations covering the walls of her classroom at Bret Harte Elementary School, Rhoads entertained 38 kindergarten students with a Thanksgiving feast shared with colleague Karyn Lombardo's class to celebrate everything they are thankful for. ...

Josh Kleinbaum A day after getting the House of Represen- tatives to recognize the Armenian Genocide for the first time, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) was already feeling pressure Friday from the House's Republican leadership to drop the issue. The House of Representatives accepted an amendment to the foreign operations appropriation bill Thursday sponsored by Schiff that would prohibit Turkey from using U.S. foreign aid funds to lobby against recognition of the genocide.

BURBANK ? Local members of the Armenian Youth Federation joined their fellow members across the nation Tuesday in protesting Chevron Corp.?s lobby in Washington, D.C., against a proposed resolution in the House that would formally recognize the slaughter of more than 1 million Armenians in 1915 as genocide. The protests ? which took place in Burbank, Glendale La Crescenta and other cities nationwide ? were in response to a Associated Press report in June that the corporation was secretly lobbying against official U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

The Burbank Temporary Aid Center got financial help for Thanksgiving supplies Tuesday with a $2,000 donation from local police officials. Burbank Police command staff made a pledge of $1,000 that was later matched by the Burbank Police Officers' Assn., Deputy Chief Tom Angel said at a donation event on Tuesday. The donations will assist Burbank Temporary Aid Center with providing turkey dinner supplies and help continue a sack lunch program and pay utility bills for needy clients, said Executive Director Barbara Howell.