News & General Info

Friday, April 17, 2009

New dialing rules take effect tomorrow in the 818 area code

No matter what type of phone you have, retro or high tech or somewhere in between, you’ll have to practice a new dialing procedure starting tomorrow, if you live in the land of the 818 area code, the San Fernando Valley. On Saturday, April 18, callers in that valley will have to dial a 1 plus the 10 digit number. Sigh, just […]
Thursday, April 16, 2009

Day 86: President Obama travels south of the border to Mexico

Photos: Pete Souza/White House Today President Barack Obama visited Mexico. On his arrival, President Obama received a warm welcome from some of its citizens and Mexican President Felipe Calderon. During the welcoming ceremony, Obama made a pledge: “At a time when the Mexican government has so courageously taken on the drug cartels that have plagued both sides of the borders, it […]
Thursday, April 16, 2009

Burbank Town Center’s management firm files for bankruptcy

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove More bad economic news. Today General Growth Properties, the second largest mall owner in the country, declared bankruptcy. It’s considered the largest real estate failure in U.S. history. General Growth Properties and 158 of its U.S. malls filed for protection under chapter 11. The Burbank Town Center is listed on GGP’s website as one of the properties […]
Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Julia Roberts’ new film project “Eat, Pray, Love” is a go

Actress Julia Roberts is set to star in the movie version of the best selling memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search For Everything Across Italy, India And Indonesia.” Published in 2007, the best selling book by Elizabeth Gilbert has appeared in at least 30 languages; and there are now more than seven million copies in print, according to The Washington Post. Also, […]
Wednesday, April 15, 2009

A close finish in the Burbank City Council race

  Photo: FLLewis/A Writers Groove I dropped by Burbank City Hall last night to see the returns come in for the General Municipal Election. The only names on the ballot were the six candidates running for three seats on the powerful Burbank City Council. Around 10 p.m. when the numbers were in for all of the city’s 42 precincts and the winners elected, I felt like I’d just watched […]
Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Dodgers Orlando Hudson hits his way into the record books

                                                Photo: Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers     How sweet it is! Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson celebrates after hitting a triple for a cycle, which launched him right into the record books yesterday. A cycle is a single, double, triple, and a home run in the same game. Hudson did it against the San Francisco Giants during the first home game of […]
Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Souvenirs from the White House Easter Egg Roll go on sale

Photo: Chuck Kennedy/White House   President Barack Obama and the first family enjoyed a White House tradition with thousands of families from 45 states yesterday. The Easter Egg Roll is a rite of spring event at the White House that dates back to 1878. The theme of this year’s event was “Let’s Go Play.” Tickets were required and had a time limit […]
Monday, April 13, 2009

Phil Spector found guilty of second degree murder

The second time around turned out to be a real downer for legendary music producer Phil Spector. Today, the Los Angeles jury in Spector’s retrial found him guilty of second degree murder for the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra mansion in 2003. The first trial in 2007 ended in a mistrial because the jury was unable to reach a verdict. That jury deadlocked 10-2 […]
Monday, April 13, 2009

Director of classic “Night of the Living Dead” film gets book deal

The director of the original horror flick “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), George A. Romero, is still very much into zombies and the mysterious undead. Romero’s new film “… Of the Dead” is scheduled for release this year. Also, he has signed a two-book deal with Grand Central Publishing, according to Publishers Weekly. Romero’s debut novel will focus on the origin of the zombies and is due […]