UPDATE

June 13

Today, June 13, the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 58 new deaths and 1,568 new cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Thirty-six people who died were over the age of 65 years, 16 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 and four people who died were between the ages of 18 and 40. Forty-one people had underlying health conditions including 27 people over the age of 65, 11 people between the ages of 41 and 65 and three people between the ages of 18 and 40.

To date, Public Health has identified 72,023 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,890 deaths. Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 2,688 people (99% of the cases reported by Public Health).

Upon further investigation, 21 cases reported earlier were not LA County residents.

There are 1,397 people who are currently hospitalized, 30% of these people are in the ICU and 21% are on ventilators. Testing capacity continues to increase in LA County, with testing results available for over 768,000 individuals and 9% of people testing positive.

Included in the total of 72,023 positive cases of COVID-19 are 1,117 cases reported in Glendale, 56 in La Cañada Flintridge, 219 in Eagle Rock, 11 in Shadow Hills, 172 in Sunland and 138 in Tujunga. In the unincorporated areas of LA County, Altadena reported 180 cases and 35 reported in La Crescenta/Montrose.

“For the many people across our communities who are experiencing the sadness of losing a loved one to COVID-19, we are deeply sorry for your loss,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, director of Public Health. “If you are out this weekend visiting businesses that have reopened, please remember to follow all of the directives for protecting one another from the spread of COVID-19, including keeping physical distance of at least six feet whenever possible, wearing a cloth face covering when around others, and washing hands frequently.”

Public Health is tracking key indicators and metrics through the recovery journey. Los Angeles County is currently seeing average daily deaths declining. On May 8, average daily deaths were 46; today the average number of daily deaths is 18. The average daily number of hospitalizations has decreased 3% over the past 14 days and has now plateaued. Capacity in intensive care units and the supply of ventilators have remained stable; the three-day average number of available ICU beds (38% of total ICU bed capacity) and ventilators (67% of total ventilator capacity) has not decreased over the past 14 days. The county also has retained the capacity to test 15,000 people each day.

The Glendale Police Dept. will step up Bike & Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operations on Thursday, June 18 with focused enforcement on collision causing factors involving motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.

The department has mapped out locations over the past three years where pedestrian and bike collisions have occurred along with the violations that led to those crashes. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas where bike and pedestrian traffic and crashes occur in an effort to lower deaths and injuries.

Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers, bike riders and pedestrians alike that can lead to life changing injuries. Special attention will be directed toward drivers speeding, making illegal turns, failing to stop for signs and signals, failing to yield to pedestrians in cross walks or any other dangerous violation.

Additionally, enforcement will be taken for observed violations when pedestrians cross the street illegally or fail to yield to drivers who have the right of way. Bike riders will be stopped and citations issued when they fail to follow the same traffic laws that apply to motorists. All riders are reminded to always wear a helmet – those under 18 years of age must wear helmets by law. Pedestrians should cross the street only in marked crosswalks or at corners.

Bicycle and pedestrian fatalities are rising in California as more people use these non-motorized means of transportation. Locally, Glendale Police Dept. has investigated 574 fatal and injury collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists during the past three years. In 2013, California witnessed 701 pedestrians and 141 bicyclists killed, accounting for more than 28% of all traffic fatalities.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Update

June 16

Today, June 16, Los Angeles County Public Health confirmed 33 new deaths due to COVID-19 bringing the total of deaths in LA County to 2,959.

Also confirmed today were 1,337 new positive cases of COVID-19 bringing the County total to 75,084. Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 2,748 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health).

Upon further investigation, 44 cases reported earlier were not LA County residents.

There are 1,288 people who are currently hospitalized, 31% of these people are in the ICU and 25% are on ventilators.

Testing capacity continues to increase in LA County, with testing results available for nearly 841,000 individuals and 8% of people testing positive, according to LA County Public Health.

As the recovery journey continues, successful reopening depends on businesses and individuals carefully following distancing and infection control directives. Because this virus has not changed and is still easily transmitted among people in contact with each other, everyone must continue to follow distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean cloth face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in contact with other people not in your household. It’s important if someone thinks they could be positive and are awaiting testing results,

to stay at home and act as if they are positive for COVID-19. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside, or until they receive a negative result. If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a contact tracer to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious, according to a Public Health statement.

As of June 15, there were 151,452 total cases of COVID-19 in California. There were  3,103 people confirmed with COVID-19 that were hospitalized, 1,053 of those were in the ICU, and 1,220 people were hospitalized suspected of having COVID-19, with 217 of those in ICU. There have been 5,089 deaths due to COVID-19 in California.

Lab tests throughout California, that have been reported, are 2,937,755.

As of June 16, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 2,104,346 positive cases of COVID-19 and 116,140 deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States.

As of June 15, globally confirmed cases of COVID-19 are 8,134,360 with 440,234 deaths, according to John Hopkins University.

As of June 16 the U.S. leads in positive COVID-19 cases with Brazil second with 923,189 and Russia third at 544,725 cases, according to John Hopkins University.

Update
June 17

On June 17, Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health confirmed 34 new deaths due to COVID-19. This brings the total number of deaths in LA County to 2,991.

As of June 15, the City of Glendale reported 99 deaths due to COVID-19, La Cañada Flintridge reported six, Eagle Rock reported 16 deaths, Sunland reported 19 and Tujunga reported 11 deaths. In the unincorporated areas of LA County, Altadena reported six deaths and La Crescenta/Montrose reported one death.

According to Public Health, of those in LA County who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 2,779 people (99% of the cases reported by Public Health).

Upon further investigation, 24 cases and two deaths reported earlier were not LA County residents.

There were 2,129 new positive case of COVID-19 reported on June 17 by Public Health. The large number of new cases are in part due to 600 test results that were just recently reported from one laboratory. During the virtual briefing on Wednesday, Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health, emphasized how important it is for labs to report their test results in a timely manner.

The total number of positive cases in LA County as of Wednesday is 77,189. There were 1,420 people who were in the hospital and 28% of those people were in the ICU and 22% were on ventilators. Testing continues to increase in LA County with about 854,000 individuals being tested with 8% of people testing positive.

USC Verdugo Hills Hospital issued an update that, as of Wednesday afternoon, seven patients were confirmed with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, 130 have been sent home and 35 were transferred. There were 54 patients who tested negative for COVID-19 in the hospital with 1,514 sent home and 11 transferred. Of the patients with pending COVID-19 tests, 29 were hospitalized and two were sent home

“Our hearts go out to the many families who have lost people they love to COVID-19. You are in our thoughts and prayers every day. We are so sorry for your loss,” Ferrer stated in a release. “While many may be feeling relief that more businesses and facilities are opening, and that people are going back to work, please remember that the key to moving through our recovery journey successfully is to look out for one another. This means practicing physical distancing as much as possible and wearing a cloth face covering whenever you are around other people who are not from your household. This includes when you are walking along a sidewalk or standing in line at the store; if you will pass by others, please be wearing your face covering.”

Because this virus has not changed and is still easily transmitted among people in contact with each other, the best protection against COVID-19 continues to be washing hands frequently, avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, self-isolating if sick, practicing physical distancing, and wearing a clean face covering when in contact with others from outside your household. It’s important if someone thinks s/he could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results, to stay at home and act as if s/he is positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside, or until they receive a negative result. If people test positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a contact tracer to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious. People who have underlying health conditions remain at much greater risk for serious illness from COVID-19, so it will continue to be very important for the County’s vulnerable residents to stay at home as much as possible, to have groceries and medicine delivered, and to call their providers immediately if they have even mild symptoms, according to Public Health.

By Julie BUTCHER

Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-28) addressed the Glendale City Council virtually from Washington, D.C. at the beginning of its Tuesday evening meeting, commenting on the extraordinariness of thousands marching peacefully in Glendale and how interminably long it felt to kneel on the pavement for eight minutes and 46 seconds. Schiff outlined what he described as comprehensive police reform introduced in Congress; the bill would: eliminate the use of chokeholds; provide funding for a database of police officers with a history of using excessive force; eliminate no-knock warrants in drug cases; eliminate or modify limited immunity; and utilize best practices in de-escalation. He is a co-sponsor of the bill.

“That is but one facet of the challenge facing our society, beyond the criminal justice system,” he said.

Schiff described a bill he is working on “with leadership in the black community, to attempt to address racism in the healthcare system. African Americans are many times more likely to die from the virus. Our response cannot be incremental.”

Congressman Schiff summarized some of the actions taken at the federal level to help address the economic effects of the pandemic, including the details of the Heroes Act, passed by the House, awaiting action in the Senate. Councilmember Paula Devine asked when that money is coming.

“No state could have anticipated going from near-full employment to near-depression levels,” Schiff answered.

He acknowledged that foreclosure prohibitions currently in place on federally guaranteed loans will expire “like local eviction protections” and do not forgive amounts due. The Heroes Act includes provisions of $100 billion for renters and $75 billion for homeowners.

“European countries acted as the guarantor of payroll and, as a result, people haven’t lost their jobs and can make their rent payments,” he said.

The congressman ended by commending the work of Glendale Meals On Wheels.

“I’m delighted to see Glendale performing these services. Some of the people we delivered meals to are normally volunteers for the program,” he said, urging residents to step up and volunteer for something that can be done safely.

Getting down to business, staff announced that Glendale summer day camps will begin operations on July 6 with sign-ups starting on June 22 for residents, June 23 for non-residents. The six-week camping sessions will be offered at a reduced rate of $75 per child per week and will not include swimming or field trips.

Local pools opened last week for recreational lap swimming by reservation. For more info on both pools and camps, call (818) 548-2000.

City staff reported working with LA County Public Health to offer limited focused use of sports fields to community groups for sports clinics and day camp programs.

Councilmember Daniel Brotman reminded the public about an ongoing educational forum organized by Glendale Community College called Deconstructing Racism: A Persistent American Challenge, which will conclude Friday evening with a Q&A session: https://tinyurl.com/y7wy3696.

Additionally, he called for a “deep dive into policing policies and practices” and for a public process culminating in a town hall organized with community input.

The council unanimously approved the Hospitality Workers Workplace Protections ordinance it had deliberated on at last week’s council meeting. The emergency measure was proposed by UNITE HERE Local 11, a union representing hotel and hospitality workers, and addresses the issues of worker recall, just cause discharge, worker retention and worker safety training provisions. In April, the council directed staff to conduct stakeholder outreach and to review similar ordinances adopted by other cities in the region and to include limited worker personal safety training provisions in the legislation Glendale adopted. The city estimates the cost at $408,000 in training and enforcement expenses.

The council received an extensive update from local and Sacramento staff and reviewed its overall policy goals: local control, fiscal responsibility, economic vibrancy, informed and engaged community, safe and healthy community, balanced quality housing, community services and facilities, infrastructure and mobility, arts and culture, and sustainability.

Regarding the state budget, the governor’s “May revise” called for $14 billion in education cuts as well as a 10% cut to state workers’ pay. The legislature delayed these so-called “trigger cuts” until October anticipating potential federal help for state and local governments.

In local action, the council approved the final part of the Deukmejian Park Nature Education Center project, authorizing the use of local Glendale contractor Ironwood for interpretive work, authorizing the expenditure of up to $1.2 million to complete the project. Some discussion ensued about increasing access to the natural treasure to families in all parts of the city.

Finally, the council took up a proposal to automate pedestrian traffic signals. Initially the measure had been introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the public from contraction. Councilmember Brotman proposed to implement broader measures to enhance the city’s “walkability;” the council voted instead to install self-cleaning safety film on the buttons.

“Motorists are going to go bananas,” Devine observed after understanding the proposal called for traffic to stop at every signaled intersection.

“If this is about traffic calming, let’s go through the process and analyze it,” Councilmember Ara Najarian added.

By Charly SHELTON

COVID-19 remains a major concern for medical professionals on the front lines of the pandemic and, while the number of new cases isn’t increasing as quickly as it once was, the number of cases is still on the rise in many places. Between the reopening of the country’s businesses, restaurants, gyms and event spaces and the mass gatherings at ongoing protests, medical leaders are debating whether the second wave will be worse than the first or whether the first wave has even ended yet.

Months ago, at the outset of the pandemic, ventilators became scarce. With thousands of patients at once in need of ventilators, the demand far exceeded the supply or even the ability to mobilize the industrial force of America to create enough medical supplies. Now, after weeks of preparation, scaling up and changing modes of production, companies around the world are ready to join the effort to make face masks, face shields and other basic health and safety supplies. But one desperately needed piece of equipment is more difficult to manufacture – ventilators.

The many small, complex parts and exacting specifications make them one of the harder supplies to scale up to manufacture unless a company is already set up for creating medical equipment. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory got to work on the problem and, after only 40 days, the scientists tasked with making a cheaper, quicker, easier-to-build yet equally effective ventilator, came up with a solution.

“It’s a new design. There were no blueprints for this. It was a new design based on input from medical professionals,” said Leon Alkalai, one of the leaders of the Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally (VITAL) team and manager of JPL’s Office of Strategic Partnerships. “Then we tested it in the field at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and then at UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital. Then we [sought] medical approval from [the] FDA, which we got for emergency use authorization, and then we licensed the technology. Now we’ve licensed it to 21 companies.”

The ventilator is approved by the FDA for Emergency Use, allowing doctors to assign the VITAL ventilator to patients with less severe symptoms thereby freeing up traditional ventilators for those in greater need.

“It’s designed specifically to address the COVID-19 respiratory needs of patients. So it’s specifically tailored for not every use of a ventilator for every possible condition that one finds in the hospital, but more specifically to the respiratory needs of patients suffering from COVID-19. And that was specifically gleaned from talking to the doctors who are treating such patients,” Alkalai said.

The blueprints for VITAL and the license to manufacture them were awarded to 21 companies from around the world which applied and were chosen based on their ability to scale the production up from whatever they produced previously and implement the proper practices for manufacturing the machine. The companies that applied all had medical device production experience, though not specifically ventilator making experience, or they could team up with other companies to meet the requirements together and be able to scale more effectively.

“So we’ve picked companies that I would say are not in the first, [that is] not the obvious, usual suspects in the ventilator business. Those typically have scaled up as much as they could; you know, the Medtronic and the Philips and the GE and a bunch of them have already done that,” Alkalai said. “They didn’t really apply for this license. It was mainly the small-to-medium-sized companies that have either teamed up or have already some experience with building medical devices … not all with ventilator experience, but experience with other medical devices and getting regulatory approval.”

This is a huge step in the ongoing battle against COVID-19 and for an innovative solution to a major problem, JPL seemed like the perfect place to start brainstorming.

“This FDA authorization is a key milestone in a process that exemplifies the best of what government can do in a time of crisis,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a released statement. “This ventilator is one of countless examples of how taxpayer investments in space exploration – the skills, expertise and knowledge collected over decades of pushing boundaries and achieving firsts for humanity – translate into advancements that improve life on Earth.”

By Mary O’KEEFE

At Tuesday’s Glendale Unified School District board of education meeting, members and staff discussed the process of reopening schools. Before the discussion began, several teachers weighed in with their concerns on how the reopening choices were made. They spoke about an upcoming district presentation, sharing their disappointment in not being included in the decisions on the options that will be offered. They pointed out that the first Return-to-School Committee meeting that included teachers to discuss these programs was last Friday, which they stated did not give teachers enough time to research and prepare input.

District staff members presented the plans they will be looking at as they work toward an August back-to-school program.

“We have to ensure we are flexible to the needs of our parents in terms of scheduling the students in classrooms,” said Hagop Eulmessekian, director of Student Support Services, as he began the presentation.

In addition to working with parents, district administrators’ goals include maintaining a high quality of instruction while maintaining fiscal solvency.

In looking at the options that were presented, Eulmessekian said administrators considered recommendations from the Los Angeles County Office of Education [LCOE], California Dept. of Education and Los Angeles County as well as looking at other countries as they opened their schools. They recognized the need to balance social distancing with maintaining a quality education.

“We walked through campuses to see how to provide social distancing and [looked] at the inventory of PPE [personal protective equipment],” he said.

More PPE has been ordered by the district to make certain supplies are plentiful.

Superintendent Vivian Ekchian added that one of the reasons they have taken time to decide on any plan is to avoid falling into the situation that other districts and educators have – making several plans, only to have decisions change as more information is shared by other organizations. She gave the example of the CSU system initially issuing guidelines that all campuses would hold only  remote classes then deciding that some campuses could hold some in-person classes then revising so decisions on classes would be made by individual campuses.

In addition, there are opportunities being offered that GUSD would like to take advantage of as it plans re-opening.

The district is using Five Phase Planning: Phase 1 is research, which has been completed, and Phase 2 is assess, also completed. It is now into Phase 3 – plan – to expand the task force and make recommendations to the board.

Phase 3 includes district representatives reaching out to teachers, which was done last Friday. On Wednesday, a survey was scheduled to be released to parents that would give them an opportunity to view and share their opinions of the plans put forth by the district.

There were many models of re-opening reviewed and the district came up with three versions it would examine more closely. The first is Traditional Setting, which is back to what classes looked like prior to COVID-19. The second is Hybrid Learning, which will see 50% of students in school at any given time and 50% learning remotely. The third is Distance Learning, an online academy that would go through Verdugo Academy with 100% of students learning remotely. The fourth is Independent Study, similar to Verdugo Academy in which 100% of students learn remotely with on-site check-in.

Distance Learning would be the only option that would not include any on-campus instruction and Traditional Setting would be the only plan that would not include remote learning.

Hybrid Learning would allow 50% capacity of students on campus, all observing social distancing. The schedule for middle and high schools would have some students attending classes at school in the morning while another group attended in the afternoon. Not all classes would be attended each day; for example, students in periods one through three would be on campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and students in periods four through six would be on campus on Wednesdays and Fridays with Mondays set aside to provide extra help in specific classes.

This model would not mean that students only attend classes half a day. The students will also have to incorporate remote learning. For example, according to the district presentation, a group of students would attend periods one through three at school in the morning while another group of students attended the same class remotely. Then when that morning group is not attending on-campus classes, it is attending remote classes in the afternoon as its counterparts are on campus.

It did appear that this is the model the district is leaning toward; however, it is still reaching out to parents, teachers and other stakeholders to share thoughts and gather opinions. The district sent out a parent survey via email and will follow up with phone calls to those parents who do not have an email address. There will also be town hall meetings that all stakeholders can attend, including non-parent community members. The district is in the process of creating and sending out a survey for its employees and finding ways to reach out to students.

Students in grades four through 12 received a survey on Wednesday that asked their opinions on how remote learning worked, or did not work, for them.

For those who would like to share their opinion on reopening, an email repository has been set up at returntoschool@gusd.net.

For more information on returning to school, visit www.gusd.net/returntoschool.

June 15

2900 block of Foothill Boulevard in La Crescenta, a woman reported that she had stopped at the location to donate items. She did not lock her vehicle as she went into the business and when she returned she discovered her purse and cellphone were missing. She reported that when she arrived she saw a man in a vehicle parked at the location but did not see that man leave his vehicle. A deputy was able to use Find My Phone to locate her cellphone in an abandoned lot on Ocean View Boulevard; however the other items were not there.

The theft occurred at 2:30 p.m.

June 13

4200 block of Commonwealth Avenue in La Cañada, a glass door was smashed and a safe was stolen from a home between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Angeles Crest Highway in Angeles National Forest, a man reported that he parked his vehicle in the area near the day picnic parking area. He did not remember if he locked his vehicle. When he was traveling home he got notices from his credit cards that they had been used to purchase items he did not give anyone permission to purchase. He had left his wallet in his car and found his identification and cash were still in his wallet but all of his credit cards were missing.

The theft occurred between 2 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

June 12

500 block of Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada, an employee reported that while he was on the sales floor three men entered the store; all were wearing face masks. One man walked to the west side of the store and began pulling the display phones from the display stands. The other two men walked along the east side of the store and pulled cellphones from that display as well as two watches. Reportedly none of them spoke or made any physical threats toward the employee. There were not any weapons or tools seen by the witness. The three suspects ran out of the store with the cellphones and watches.

The suspects are described as black males in their 20s. The witness reported that the theft happened so fast he was not able to get a good description of what the men were wearing except that one wore a blue shirt and one wore a red shirt.

The theft occurred at 5:09 p.m.

Buckhorn Campground in the Angeles National Forest, a woman reported parking her vehicle at the campground while she went camping. When she returned she found that the rear passenger window of her vehicle had been shattered and her purse, with credit cards, had been stolen along with other personal items. She contacted her credit card companies and found that her credit cards had been used to purchase items without her permission.

The theft occurred between June 12 and June 14.

June 10

1200 block of El Vago Street in La Cañada Flintridge, a resident found a pile of mail on the sidewalk in the back of his home. The mail was addressed to a variety of addresses. Some of the mail had been opened and its contents emptied. After looking through the mail a deputy discovered an envelope that had been mailed out from the location on El Vago. The deputy contacted the resident and found the she had mailed out a check on June 10.

The mail had been dropped on the sidewalk between June 9 at 5 p.m. and June 10 at 6 p.m.

By Mary O’KEEFE

Because of the Safer-At-Home Order issued due to COVID-19 many people spent the time at home cleaning out closets and reorganizing their homes and yards. But with all the cleaning and clearing came the challenge of what to do with furniture and large items that were no longer wanted. Donation centers like Goodwill were closed during the initial Order so some people took their unwanted items and just left them on the street.

In one morning in the Glendale and La Crescenta areas, CVW found four mattresses (one with a bed stand), a couple of sofas, a chair and a vacuum cleaner lying on the side of neighborhood streets.

There have always been large items dumped on local streets, even prior to the pandemic. Briggs Avenue below Foothill Boulevard seemed to be a favorite dumping spot in La Crescenta/Montrose, and one resident in Glendale said she felt the problem had gotten worse since the Safer-At-Home Order.

But there is no need for this illegal dumping. Both Glendale and the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County have programs for bulky item pick-up.

  “This is one of those issues that ebbs and flows with individuals moving in and out of residences,” stated Eliza Papazian, spokeswoman for the City of Glendale. “We have seen an increase in bulky item pick-up [since Safer-At-Home].”

Over the years the City of Glendale has done outreach to educate individuals, property owners and apartment managers on the bulky item pick-up program offered, which is a free service. However, there are still those who feel it is easier to leave the items outside the residence without calling for pick-up.

“We have also created public service announcements that get aired on our various social media platforms, newsletters and Channel 6 on a regular basis, and have installed banners at several highly visible locations that inform the public of the free service we provide,” she said. “Please be assured that we empathize on the issue of illegal dumping and agree that that the prompt removal of these items helps to prevent blight and ensure that our neighborhoods are well-maintained.”

Community members can report bulky/abandoned items through various platforms, either by calling (818) 548-3916, utilizing the MyGlendale app, or completing the electronic form on the city website. Those placing bulky items outside are asked to report them for pick up approximately three working days prior to the refuse collection day in their area.

“We greatly appreciate and encourage residents to continue reporting these types of observations, as well as other quality of life issues, as soon as they see them because these types of issues are indeed an eyesore and could consequently exaggerate the problem,” Papazian added.

Once the reports are received, they are logged, scheduled and items picked up by the Public Works Integrated Waste Division. The fines for illegal dumping are $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second, and for three-time and subsequent offenders, $500. Continued violations could be referred to the City Attorney’s Office for prosecution, which can bring a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment not to exceed six months; but that would be a rare occurrence and hasn’t happened. If illegal dumping is observed, it should be reported immediately by calling the Glendale Police Department’s non-emergency line at (818) 548-4911.

“We must all work together to reduce illegal dumping by informing our neighbors of the process and contacting the City as soon as you see an item in front of your property,” Papazian said.

In unincorporated La Crescenta/Montrose, the local garbage service Burrtec has bulky item pick-up days for its customers at no extra cost, twice a year. Residents are asked to call at least 24 hours in advance, (800) 325-9417.

If someone in the unincorporated area of LA County finds bulky items that have been dropped at their residence or on any street in the unincorporated portion LA County – La Crescenta/Montrose they can call (888) 838-6746 or download The Works iPhone or Android applications. The Works application offers a one-stop solution for residents in the unincorporated areas of LA County to address and track nuisances of illegal dumping and property violations.

When help is needed, toss the talk and fill a bag.

By Brandon HENSLEY

Tom Provost is a man of many things: he’s an author, screenwriter, blogger and amateur chef. He’s also a man of the streets in the sense that he cares about the people he sees on the streets who are homeless and looking for care.

Not all of them want a place to shelter, he recognizes. He said he knows people who have told him that shelters have strict guidelines, and some homeless would rather stay on the outside. In that case, Provost thought, it still might be good to show a little grace. And use some bags to do it.

Provost is the founder of Bags and Grace, a start-up with currently nine members on the board whose aim is to donate bags with food and sundries to help those on the streets get through a day … or a week.

Provost began this journey a couple of years ago as he drove through the streets of LA noticing that every time he eschewed the freeways and took a new way to and from work, the severity of LA’s homeless population smacked him in the face.

At first, it seemed it was just him who was inspired to help people more than by just giving money.

“I’ve had experience with this stuff before and been told that giving money isn’t the best idea. You know, they’ll spend it on other stuff,” Provost said. “I still wanted to give, but I often found myself out of time or out of food whenever I was approached.”

Provost, who lives in Glendale, sat down and figured out a way to give back. His mission was clear: to provide tangible relief to homeless men and women, especially in a time of a crisis like COVID-19. He started putting together essentials in organic bags and, as he began handing them out around the city, he learned how to modify what to put in them. It couldn’t just be granola bars, after all.

“Just stuff I had in my car … like lip balm, moisturizer. Those kinds of things can go a long way,” he said. Each bag costs around $32. Provost also buys hoodies, which range in price from $12 to $14.

Provost said he learned to individualize each bag. If someone didn’t have many teeth, soft food should be included, not just beef jerky. Socks were also important because of chilly nights in LA.

“There was one man I used to give bags to. I got him an extra large hoodie, and he thanked me because he said no one ever gives him clothes that fit his size,” Provost remembered.

Eventually, Provost’s bag count climbed into the tens and he would go to encampments to hand them out. He also found a partner in Brett Feldman, director of Street Medicine at USC Keck School of Medicine. Together, Provost and the USC team can distribute bags in larger numbers to more people in need.

Provost recalls his upbringing in Galveston, Texas that helped him learn about hospitality.

“I was near the Bayou,” he said, referring to New Orleans. “There are a lot of problems with the South, which I’m not ignoring, but we certainly know how to take care of each other.”

Provost remembered a joke, that in LA if asked for directions and people don’t know, they’ll say sorry and go about their day. If Southerners are asked and they don’t know, they’ll send you to a relative who might know and, if they don’t, you’ll at least get a meal out of it.

Bags and Grace could always use more volunteers. But the goal, Provost said, is to reel in corporate sponsors. That would make life much easier for the team and benefit the community.

Provost started a blog on the website. He wrote about how the team handed out 50 bags in Hollywood. More help is always appreciated, he said.

To learn how to make a difference, visit bagsandgrace.com.

Ask Phyllis!

Los Angeles Probate Court And Overbids

Dear Phyllis,

After looking at homes for months and making numerous offers, we finally got an offer accepted on a probate property.  For some reason in this probate, the court needed to confirm our contract before we could close escrow. Our REALTOR® explained that at court, someone new could jump in and bid over our already agreed upon price. This home is a fixer upper and we told our Realtor® that we would not increase our price. So, we went ahead with the inspection, paid for the appraisal and got everything ready to close. 

Court was last week, and our agent called us that evening to let us know that we were overbid.  He said he didn’t attend as we weren’t going to overbid there was no point in him being there.  So now, we have lost several months’ time, and spent the appraisal and inspection money with nothing to show for it.  I really don’t know what my question is, I want to vent but want to know if things could have turned out differently.  JB

Dear JB,

I am sorry for your disappointment. Not all probate sales require court confirmation with the possibility of overbids. A probate sale is the sale of a home of someone who has passed and does not have a living trust.

Those requiring court confirmation

At the court confirmation hearing three things can happen: 1) No other bidders appear in court; original buyer closes at the already agreed upon offered price.  2) There are other bidders, but the original buyer outbids them.   3) Other bidders appear and the original buyer decides not to increase his offered price and the highest bidder opens escrow.

Your offer was accepted “subject to court confirmation”.  At the time of the court hearing your contingencies were removed and you were ready to close.  Unfortunately, at your hearing, other bidder(s) came into play and outbid you.  The first overbid is a complicated calculation. Approximately 5% over your currently “in escrow price”.

When thinking of purchasing a probate listing, the first question to ask is whether or not the sale requires court confirmation. As you have sadly learned it’s much better for the buyer when the court is not required to confirm the sale. As you weren’t going to increase your offer, there was no point in you or your Realtor® attending the hearing.

Michelle Rasic of La Crescenta graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from College of Charleston in May. Rasic was among the more than 1,500 students who received degrees.

Located in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina, the College of Charleston is a nationally recognized public liberal arts and sciences university. Founded in 1770, the College is among the nation’s top universities for quality education, student life and affordability. Its beautiful and historic campus, combined with contemporary facilities, cutting-edge programs and accessible faculty, attracts students from across the U.S. and around the world.

Los Angeles residents Imelda Aguilar Perez and Anibal Lopez welcomed their triplets on April 22 just as COVID-19 cases across LA County were at their highest. The babies were safely born at Dignity Health – Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center (GMHHC) and spent four weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before going home.

“Although triplets are not rare, the Lopez triplets were unique in that all three babies were sent home from the hospital on the same day – Monday, May 25,” said Dr. Nahid Esani, GMHHC neonatologist.

The triplets – Adriel, Ainara and Ariella – are healthy and gaining weight. At birth the trio weighed 3 pounds 11 ounces, 3 pounds 12 ounces, and 3 pounds 1 ounce, respectively. Adriel, their son, was born first at 6:26 p.m. followed by his two little sisters one minute apart. Proud dad Anibal, shared, “The hospital staff and doctors were so supportive throughout the delivery and the NICU stay. We appreciate all of their help and prayers.”

Founded in 1926, Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center is a 334-bed, acute care, nonprofit, community hospital located in Glendale. The hospital offers a full complement of services, including its award-winning heart center, the colorectal surgery institute, a gastrointestinal program, and is a Los Angeles County approved primary stroke center. The hospital shares a legacy of humankindness with Dignity Health, one of the largest health care systems. 

Visit dignityhealth.org/glendalememorial for more information.

The 2021 Tournament of Roses Parade theme celebrates the power of education to transform our daily lives and make the world a better place.

Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80.”

There is no greater feeling than knowing you can accomplish something others may doubt you can. This is true of any age, but especially to those who have been around a little longer.

As the saying goes, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Well, to all those doubters and naysayers out there, we say, “Who says we can’t?”

CV_06_18_FINALS

Update June 18

LA County

On June 18 the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health confirmed 36 deaths due to COVID 19. This brings the total of deaths due to COVID-19 in LA County to 3,027. Ninety-four percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 2,807 people (99% of the cases reported by Public Health.

Upon further investigation, 13 cases reported earlier were not LA County residents.

As of June 16 there were 100 deaths reported in the City of Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge reported six deaths, Eagle Rock reported 16 deaths, Sunland reported 19 deaths and Tujunga reported 11 deaths. In the unincorporated areas of LA County Altadena has reported six deaths and La Crescenta/Montrose reported one death.

Today, Thursday, June 18, Public Health confirmed 1,051 new positive cases of COVID-19 bringing the total number of positive cases in LA County to 78,227. Of that number 1,209 cases were reported from Glendale, 65 in La Cañada Flintridge, 240 in Eagle Rock, 13 in Shadow Hills, 195 in Sunland and 150 in Tujunga. In the unincorporated areas of LA County Altadena has reported 192 cases of positive COVID-19 and La Crescenta/Montrose reported 38 cases.

A modified Health Officer Order and directives for the reopening of additional businesses is being issued today with an effective date of June 19. The Health Officer Order will allow for the following sectors to reopen once they implement the required protocols for infection control and distancing:

­– Cardrooms, satellite wagering facilities and racetracks with no spectators.

– Personal care services including: esthetician, skin care and cosmetology services; electrology; nail salons; body art professionals, tattoo parlors, microblading and permanent make-up; and piercing shops; and massage therapy.

– Bars, wineries, breweries and tasting rooms.

The Health Officer Order contains protocols for all businesses that are permitted to reopen to ensure it is done as safely as possible for employees, customers and residents. Employees and visitors to these businesses will need to wear a cloth face covering when around other people and practice physical distancing of at least six feet at all times. Some employees may be required to wear face shields. It is important for everyone to follow the directives and to do their part every day to keep everyone as safe as possible. Businesses should take the time to put all of the protocols in place before reopening. The directives will be available online and are contained in sector-specific protocols that inform all reopenings.

Our state has a reputation. As the “Golden State,” California is known for its sunny weather, beaches, deserts, forests, mountains and abundant natural resources. However, that same diverse climate and rugged beauty also has a tendency to turn on us. All California residents must live with the question of when, not if, the next natural disaster will strike. And knowing our region’s predisposition for earthquakes, floods, drought and fire, are we prepared?

California’s wildfire season isn’t “just around the corner.” It’s already here. Just last week we saw two notable wildfires: one in the Sepulveda Pass and another in Mendocino County. During 2017 and 2018, California experienced the largest fires ever recorded in its history. Combined, the fires burned over 3 million acres of land, destroyed 32,700 structures, and cost the state an unprecedented $40 billion and counting. In his revised budget, Governor Newsom proposed millions of dollars in cuts to wildfire preparation and prevention programs. Here is the hard truth – wildfires aren’t going to take a break while we focus on COVID-19 and resulting economic crisis. Despite the pandemic, a strained budget, social unrest, increasing unemployment and homelessness, we cannot afford to take a pass on preparing for natural disasters.

Wildfires are just one of the high-risk disasters that can occur at any time. It’s hard to think about California without considering our more notorious challenge: earthquakes. In recent years, the legislature has struggled to get earthquake resiliency measures signed into law, although we have made some important investments. In the two prior budgets, we’ve allocated over $116 million to the California Disaster Assistance Act, a program administered by the California Office of Emergency Services that provides financial assistance to local governments to fund repairs and/or replacement of property damaged by disasters. This year, despite our budget challenges, we are allocating $17.3 million for the California Earthquake Early Warning System. While these are good and crucial investments, I have to ask: Are they good enough? It is unlikely those funds, as currently allotted, would help communities through a major earthquake in which the damage to infrastructure and the local economy could cost billions.

When COVID-19 first began raging through our communities, taking lives, devastating nursing homes and grinding our economy to a halt, we had to move quickly and with unprecedented resolve. Fortunately, fiscally responsible budgeting allowed California to begin 2020 with an historically high “rainy day” surplus fund, which along with our long-established emergency plans, have helped us mitigate some of the impacts of this crisis. But we also know from our struggling hospitals and our economically devastated residents and businesses that we could have been much better prepared.

This week, due to the economic devastation from COVID-19, the legislature had to drastically reduce spending in order to deliver a balanced budget. It is incredibly painful to be cutting the budget at the precise time that people need our help the most. To be truly resilient to future disasters, we must focus on making our social safety nets not only well-funded, but as efficient as possible. We must take a hard look at how quickly public agencies such as the Employment Development Department became overwhelmed, and how they continue to struggle to meet crucial needs. We have to demand the state fixes structural issues within all its departments and social service agencies so that they can function during any disaster.

We have seen what happens when disaster strikes in an economy that allows so many residents to survive paycheck to paycheck. Unless we take significant steps to pull more California families out of poverty and forge a more resilient economy, we could be right back here after the next disaster.

There’s no shortage of threats in California, such as climate change, earthquake, flooding and drought. However, the guiding principle for all these scenarios should be the same: preparedness today will mitigate incredible suffering in the future.

We are in a learning moment. We need to realize that every dollar we invest in resiliency and preparedness is a dollar well-spent. This should be our mantra as we budget for the California of today and the California of the future.

What do you think about California’s preparedness for any number of the disasters we could be facing? Do you have any thoughts, suggestions or ideas on how we can best shift our focus and funding to make our communities more resilient? I would love to hear what you think. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to my District Office at (818) 558-3043 or email me at Assemblymember.Friedman@Assembly.ca.gov.

Laura Friedman represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz and Silver Lake. 

Back-to-back Wildfires – 1907 and 1908

Our valley has always been beset by wildfires. Before the land was covered with streets and buildings it was covered in sagebrush, which naturally burns with regularity. Before the valley was built-out as it is today, fires would sweep across the valley. Isolated houses and ranches were defended by the locals, who would quickly cut firebreaks ahead of the flames and then make a stand against the approaching blaze.

When fighting wildfires with no pumpers and limited manpower, tactics were important. It was important to know what direction the fire was headed and what you wanted to protect from the fire, such as structures, crops and orchards, or hillsides. Some of those could be protected by cutting a firebreak ahead of the advancing flames. That would mean cutting all the sagebrush away in a wide strip so that once the flames hit that area there would be nothing to burn. That would obviously be a lot of work and ineffective in a strong wind. The only tools they had to fight the flames directly were shovels to throw dirt on the flames and beat down the burning brush, and wet gunny sacks to beat at the flames, which deprived the fire of oxygen. Backfires were sometimes used to fight the fire, but those could easily get out of control, and the use of back-firing was better left to experts.

This idea of standing face-to-face with burning brush and whacking at it with shovels and wet sacks boggles the mind. The heat is intense, blistering exposed hands and faces. Smoke is coming right at firefighters, choking them as they breathe hard from exertion. Barrels filled with water are set up near the fight and the men have to run back and dunk their sacks to keep them wet. The fire can easily get around the firefighters and get behind them, surrounding them. It is dangerous, hard work and, back then, was performed by amateurs.

Just after the turn of the century, the valley was besieged by wildfire two years in a row, in 1907 and 1908. In both cases local resident Phil Begue was the hero of the day.

Phil Begue was one cool guy. His family moved to the mostly uninhabited valley in 1882. He served as one of the first forest rangers of the San Gabriels and was the local constable. He was a family man as well, and a teller of tall tales. He even looked the part, a sturdy man with a big handlebar mustache.

The 1907 fire was relatively small, a couple of square miles, and relatively simple, with only a mild breeze. The fire started near the northern end of the Verdugo Canyon (approximately where the Oakmont Country Club is) and spread north. Phil Begue and two assistant rangers rode hard to all the surrounding ranches and from miles around gathered a large force of local volunteers. They formed into brigades, and Begue sent them to strategic points ahead of the advancing flames.

In this case, the strategy was to keep the flames out of the Verdugo Hills. The northern flanks of the Verdugos were dotted with small farms and bee ranches and if the flames got in there the fire would be uncontrollable. The volunteer firefighters were arrayed in lines with wet sacks and shovels to hold the flames away from the hills while the more experienced Begue lit well-placed backfires.

Within a matter of hours, the fire crew had brought the wildfire under control and they methodically mopped up the hotspots. The fire had traveled as far north as La Crescenta Elementary School, getting into a dry, abandoned orchard just below the school, but getting no further. No structures were burned and, even more important, the fire was kept away from the hillsides. However, several groves of oak and sycamore were lost.

The Crescenta Valley got lucky but that luck would not hold. 1908 brought a much fiercer, more destructive fire. The larger fire also resulted in a clash of priorities between federal and state agencies that nearly left La Crescenta unprotected, save for the efforts of Phil Begue.

On Wednesday, July 1 at 12:10 p.m., the Free Admission Glendale Noon Concerts program will be streamed. Flutist Katherine Marsh and violist Patrick Marsh will perform works by Francois Devienne, Gordon Jacob, J.S. Bach, Franz Hoffmeister, George N. Gianopoulos, Jonathan Bayley, and a premiere by Los Angeles composer Kirstin Fife “Indoor Games” for flute and viola.

Flutist Katherine Marsh is an active professional musician and teacher. She is currently the solo piccolo player of the Santa Barbara Symphony, principal flute of the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Santa Barbara Grand Opera and Master Choral, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and Long Beach Symphony as well as other symphony and chamber ensembles throughout Southern California.

Originally from Bowling Green, Ohio, Katherine received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California. She was a member of the LA Philharmonic Orchestral Training Program and was selected to perform in The Round Top Music Festival and the Orchestral Institute in Graz, Austria. In addition Katherine has performed in masterclasses with James Galway, Jean Pierre Rampal, Sarah Jackson and Catherine Karoly.

In November Katherine premiered James Domine’s “Flute Concerto” with the San Fernando Valley Symphony. Her piccolo and flute playing can be heard in many Star Wars video games performing with the Skywalker Orchestra. In addition to orchestral work, Katherine is a member of the California Music Teacher’s Association and is a coach for Junior Chamber Music. She recently served as a board member for the Arts High Foundation.

Patrick Marsh received his bachelor’s degree in viola performance from the University of Michigan and is currently attending The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins as a viola major.

As a violist, Patrick was one of the founding members of Clemens Quartet, a string quartet performing and competing throughout the United States.

As a violinist, Patrick is a former concertmaster of The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. His performance opportunities have taken him across the United States, Europe, and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Though classical music is the foundation of his technique, he is branching out into the jazz and rock genres. Patrick plays a blue Fourness Fuse 5 string electric violin and runs it through a Line6 Helix for effects, and two Gallien Krueger bass amps in stereo.

Patrick can also be heard as a featured soloist in such feature films as “Kids vs. Monsters” and “Pali Road” as well as such video games as “Rellics of Gods” and Disney’s “Cartooniverse.”

For more information, email glendalesda@gmail.com or call (818) 244-7241.

How to Make Risotto

Welcome and this week we will be discussing how I make risotto and, hopefully, you can use this as a guide for making your own as well. Here are a few tips when making risotto.

First, never use a metal spoon or a spatula. I always use a wooden spoon. I do not know the reasoning behind this, but sometimes it is just better to do and not ask questions.

Second, you are not going to add the liquid to the rice all at once, but instead a little at a time. So let’s get started on what we need to make risotto.

You will need: 1 cup arborio rice, 4 cups water (or stock), 1 large yellow onion, 5 garlic cloves, ½ cup white wine, a pinch of salt, parmesan cheese as needed and a stick of butter. When preparing this rice dish, the water-to-rice ratio is usually four parts water (or stock) to one-part rice. If you’d like your risotto more done you can always add more water or stock.

Bring your 4 cups of water/stock to a simmer on the stove. Then finely chop your yellow onion and garlic. Heat up a small amount of olive oil in a saucepot. On medium heat, throw in your onion and cook until translucent, then add your garlic.

Before the garlic browns, I personally add 1 cup arborio rice and kind of toast the rice while constantly stirring for about a minute on high heat. Then add the white wine, deglazing the pot and picking up that delicious fond on the bottom of the pot.

Once the alcohol is burned off slowing start adding your liquid, about 1 cup at a time. Once you’ve almost incorporated all the liquid, I would start to season the rice with parmesan cheese, butter and salt. Adjust as needed. Personally I like a lot of cheese and butter in my risotto. The result should look rich and creamy. Feel free to add fresh thyme, mushrooms or anything else you might like. This dish can be eaten by itself or as a side to an elegant meal such as filet mignon or grilled chicken.

I hope you all enjoy and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, email me at goldsworthyandy@yahoo.com.