Immediate Past President John LoCascio Receives Award for Service
The Armenian Consulate in Los Angeles, Seeley’s Building, and four historic districts received preservation awards from The Glendale Historical Society (TGHS) Saturday evening. In addition, TGHS Immediate Past President John LoCascio received the society’s prestigious Zelia Blanton Award for service.     The awards were presented by TGHS President Greg Grammer at the society’s annual meeting and summer social, which was held at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale.

“Glendale has much to celebrate in historic preservation, and The Glendale Historical Society is pleased to recognize some of the most outstanding recent preservation achievements in the city,” stated TGHS President Greg Grammer. “We hope that, by drawing attention to these positive examples of historic preservation, we can encourage others to preserve Glendale’s historic fabric.”

The award to the Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles recognized outstanding achievement in historic preservation for architecturally sensitive additions and good stewardship of its 1934 Spanish Colonial Revival building at 346 N. Central Ave. in Glendale. Consul General Grigor Hovhannissian accepted the award.

George Seeley, Jr. received an award for the outstanding rehabilitation work at the historic Seeley’s Furniture Building located at the corner of Brand Boulevard and San Fernando Road in Glendale.

According to Grammer, “The Seeley’s Building is a prime example of the type of adaptive reuse we would like to see as part of the Glendale’s growth strategy: modifying the space of a great old building for a new use while retaining its historic features.”

Awards were also given to each of the four Historic District Overlay Zones established in Glendale in the past several years: Royal Boulevard Historic District; Cottage Grove Historic District; Ard Eevin Highlands Historic District; and Rossmoyne Historic District. The awards recognized the formal applicants for the districts and the volunteers who assisted in establishment of the districts.

LoCascio was presented with the Zelia Blanton Award, which is given for making a significant impact in our community through extraordinary involvement and continued dedication in advancing the cause of historic preservation. Grammer noted that LoCascio served for three years as TGHS president, curates the society’s annual home tours, and played a critical role in the City of Glendale’s adoption of its Historic District Overlay Zone Ordinance, which established the process for the creation of historic districts.

At the meeting, Community Foundation of the Verdugos board member Arye Gross presented the association with a check for almost $1,000, which represents this year’s earnings from a trust fund established at the foundation to benefit TGHS.

Finally, Jamie Anderson, Brian Haworth, and Vrej Mardian were elected to serve on the board, and current vice president Victoria Lasken was re-elected. Each will serve a two-year term. Outgoing board members Marty Bracciotti, Scott Lasken, John LoCascio and Joe Selph were recognized for their service.