Author Art Cobery at Glendale Library
As Crescenta Valley residents gathered to ring in the 1934 New Year, a cloudburst broke over Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains, unleashing a deluge on the mountainsides denuded by recent fires. A roaring wall of rocks, mud and water crashed down the canyons, uprooting trees, tossing boulders and automobiles like toys and carving a path of destruction.

Using painstaking research and heart-rending firsthand accounts, historian Art Cobery paints a picture of survival and redemption in the face of natural disaster, including the heroic efforts of 11-year-old Marcie Warfield to save her father and younger brother, the devastating debris flow that claimed the lives of refugees and aid workers at the American Legion Hall and the selfless acts of the neighbors caught in the storm of events. His accounts are chronicled in his recently released book, “The Great Crescenta Valley Flood.” He will be speaking about his book on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Glendale Central Library auditorium.

Glendale Central Library Auditorium, 222 E. Harvard St.

Public Invited to Help Restore Rosemont
Preserve
The community is invited to help in the ongoing efforts to restore the natural habitat at the Rosemont Preserve. On Saturday, Feb. 16, the focus is on identifying and removing invasive plant species, especially tree tobacco, to allow room for the native flora to become reestablished. Preliminary work on building trails will also be done.

Participants should plan on working from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and to wear sturdy shoes, comfortable clothes and garden gloves (long pants and sleeves are recommended). Those who have a shovel, pickaxe, loppers or digging bar should bring them along.

The preserve is located at the north end of Rosemont Avenue, just past the chain link fence. As street parking is limited, please park at Two Strike Park.

This event is free to the public, all ages, no reservations required.

For further information, contact the Friends of the Rosemont Preserve at RosemontFriends@gmail.com.

In the event of rain, event will be canceled.

CV Town Council Agenda
At the Feb. 21 meeting of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, Paul Rabinov and Frank Colcord from the Friends of Rosemont Preserve will be making a presentation, updating the community on the latest happenings at the preserve.

The public is welcome to attend and learn about current activities and upcoming events planned at the Rosemont Preserve.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the La Crescenta Library Community Room, 2809 Foothill Blvd. in La Crescenta.

For more information, contact RosemontFriends@gmail.com.

GHCC Hosting Forum
Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council is holding a forum for candidates running for the Glendale City Council. The forum is on Wednesday, Feb. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Glendale, 2001 Cañada Blvd in Glendale. It will be moderated by Glendale NewsPress managing editor Jason Wells.

GWP Offers Rebates
Glendale Water & Power (GWP) recently revamped its Smart Home Rebate program and is now offering customers rebates on appliances and home improvement products online.

The Smart Home Energy and Water Saving Rebate program helps customers save money by giving them rebates on energy and water efficient appliances and upgrades. Currently GWP is offering rebates on nine eligible products. Working in conjunction with American Efficient, Inc., GWP customers have a more convenient way of applying for a rebate and receiving the credit directly on their GWP bill.

To apply for a rebate, customers can visit the utility’s website GlendaleWaterAndPower.com for more information.

Phone Scammers Target LADWP Customers
Impostors posing as utility personnel are contacting Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power residential customers by telephone and threatening immediate service termination as a means of forcing payment for fictional account balances, the department’s Security Services Division reports.

During the phone call, the impostor provides a phone number and instructs customers to purchase pre-paid cash cards for the fictional account balance and then call back once they have the card to provide the unique card number and PIN, and thereby pay their “bill.”

DWP reminds all customers that LADWP employees will never contact customers and ask for personal payment information over the telephone. Payment by telephone can only happen through the department’s voice automated payment system, not with live employees. LADWP personnel do not accept payment information verbally over the telephone.

Additionally, any customer who is contacted or visited by LADWP personnel can confirm their employment and purpose of contact by calling 1-800-DIAL-DWP prior to engaging with them.

Forums Held for Burbank Manager
The City of Burbank has scheduled three forums for residents to offer input in the search for a permanent city manager.

As part of the recruitment process, Burbank City Council wants to engage the community and receive input on the ideal candidate to succeed Ken Pulskamp, who has been serving as the interim city manager since Dec. 3, 2012.

The executive search firm Peckham and McKenney has scheduled three forums in which it will seek community feedback by interviewing interested groups and the general public.

All three forums will be held in Room 104 of the city’s Community Services Building at 150 North Third Street on Tuesday, Feb. 19 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 21 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The city council anticipates applications for city manager will be accepted beginning in March through mid-April. The screening and interview process will conclude in May with an anticipated appointment in June and a potential start date in July.

For those who would like to offer feedback and cannot attend the forum, and for those who would like to receive future information regarding the city manager recruitment, contact (818) 238-5840.