Burbank

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Burbank City Council, Falun Gong, and a new lawsuit against the city

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove A human rights issue in China stirred up the Burbank City Council meeting last night. I was there for the first public comments section and heard some passionate supporters of the Chinese health and spiritual movement Falun Gong speak out. They attempted to bear witness to the persecution of the practice by China, which considers Falun Gong a cult. During a 10 […]
Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Burbank City Council & a new legal claim against the city

Photo:FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove At Burbank City Council meetings most of the face time goes to the council members and the staff. They’re the ones who are supposed to be handling city business, therefore, they get to do a lot of the talking. Still, I get a kick out of the public comment segments where we get a chance to hear what’s bugging some of the citizens of […]
Thursday, July 16, 2009

Burbank Police Commission gets down to business

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove The Burbank Police Commission’s July meeting yesterday at the Burbank Police and Fire Headquarters was very difference from the previous month. In June, the commission voted to adjourn before conducting any real business because of a cloud of uncertainty hanging over newly appointed commissioner, John Brady. In a controversial move, the Burbank City Council voted to remove Brady from […]
Saturday, July 11, 2009

Fire department cutbacks in Burbank

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove UPDATE: Daily minimum staffing for Burbank firefighters will be reduced from a high of 38 last year to 36 on Monday, July 13. This will not result in any layoffs.   Times are tough. The city of Burbank is tightening its financial belt. I understand all of that, still it doesn’t seem smart to cutback the fire […]
Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy Fourth of July!

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Burbank                                “The Star Spangled Banner” Fourth and Final Verse O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation! Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heaven-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must when our cause it […]
Friday, July 3, 2009

Burbank Mayor Gary Bric, his restaurant, & those trash talking e-mails

Photo: from city of Burbank website I don’t know if Burbank Mayor Gary Bric plays any street basketball, but it’s pretty clear he can trash talk. Earlier in the week, I popped over to Jim Carlile’s Burbank blog and discovered a post from last Tuesday, June 30 about some caustic e-mails he got from the mayor. The town is abuzz with chatter about these e-mail zingers. Mayor […]
Thursday, July 2, 2009

Coach Jose Sandoval enters a plea in a Burbank court

Photo courtesy Jose Sandoval — some of the players and coaching staff Burbank Volunteer Coach Jose Sandoval probably would have preferred to spend this morning out at a sunny park, teaching some local kids how to swing a bat or throw a baseball. Instead, Coach Sandoval was in Burbank Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. today, to face a charge of misdemeanor battery arising […]
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Burbank City Council and those lingering controversies

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Burbank City Hall In the course of business as usual at last night’s meeting, the Burbank City Council made some decisions involving issues which are continuing to generate debate and controversy. During public comments, Jose Sandoval, a volunteer coach for the Burbank Parks & Recreation Department for 16 years, returned to speak to the council members again. Sandoval coaches five […]
Friday, June 19, 2009

Bummed by rising gas prices at the pumps!

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Burbank A sure sign of summer, rising gas prices. Wait a minute. Prices at the pumps have been climbing for a while. In fact, a gas spike has been underway for the past seven weeks with “no end in sight”, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch dated June 18, 2009. Locally, the price […]