Guest Speaker at Vets Breakfast

Local veterans host a monthly breakfast at the Verdugo Hills Memorial Hall on the second
Saturday of the month. The breakfast is free to all local veterans and supporters, but donations are always graciously accepted. This month’s breakfast is on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The new president and superintendent of Glendale Community College (GCC) Dr. Ryan Cornner will be at the breakfast and will speak briefly about GCC.

The Hall is located at 4011 La Crescenta Ave.

Rosemont Preserve Restoration Day

The community is invited to the Rosemont Preserve Restoration Day on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. to help protect the natural habitat. Volunteers will be weeding the demonstration garden and removing invasive non-native plants that pose a fire danger to the Preserve. Wear sturdy shoes, comfortable clothes and garden gloves (long pants and sleeves are recommended). Tools will be available.

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, 5107 Rosemont Ave. Those with mobility issues who require a closer parking spot should contact RosemontFriends@gmail.com. Please wear sturdy shoes to walk the trail and bring water to drink.

This event is free to the public and suitable for all ages and no reservations required. Rain cancels event. Sorry, no pets please.

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

Special Speaker for CVHS Community

The community is invited to a talk on mindfulness given by speaker, therapist, writer and teacher Dr. Christopher Willard on Monday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. at CVHS Macdonald Auditorium in the 4300 block of Ramsdell Avenue in La Crescenta.

Dr. Christopher Willard (PsyD) is a psychologist and educational consultant based in Boston specializing in mindfulness. He has been practicing meditation for 20 years and has led hundreds of workshops around the world, with invitations to more than two dozen countries. He currently serves on the board of directors at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, and is the president of the Mindfulness in Education Network. He has presented at TEDx conferences and his thoughts have appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, mindful.org, and elsewhere. He is the author of 20 books, including “Child’s Mind” (2010), “Growing Up Mindful” (2016) and “Raising Resilience” (2017) and others for parents, professionals and children, along with six sets of cards and therapeutic games, available in more than a dozen languages. He teaches at Harvard Medical School.

City of Glendale Extends Cooling Center Days

The City of Glendale Community Services & Parks Dept. is extending the operation of its cooling centers located at four community centers through Friday, Sept. 9. This is due to the updated weather forecasts calling for temperatures to remain over 95 degrees through the end of the week.

Additionally, the City is extending the hours of operation for splash pads until 8 p.m. daily through Sunday, Sept. 11. The splash pads are located at Cerritos Park and Pacific Park and will remain open until 8 p.m. instead of closing at 6 p.m. through Sunday.

Social distancing protocols will be observed; participants must wear a face covering at all times while in the cooling center. Pets are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times.

Residents are encouraged to visit www.glendaleca.gov/beattheheat for the latest information and hours of operation at each location.

The Community Services & Parks Dept. also has the Cooling Fan Assistance Program available to eligible seniors who live within the boundaries of the City of Glendale. The program’s goal is to help low-income seniors in Glendale keep cool when the temperatures rise. The program provides one free fan to elderly residents 60 years of age or older who live in the City of Glendale and meet other eligibility requirements.

For more information and eligibility criteria regarding the Cooling Fan Assistance Program, call (818) 548-3775.

GUSD Extends Contract for Superintendent

At its recent meeting the Glendale Unified Board of Education unanimously voted to extend the contract for Superintendent Dr. Vivian Ekchian for another four years. Her new contract, effective immediately, will extend through August 2026.

Dr. Ekchian has served as Glendale Unified Superintendent of Schools since July 2019. Under Dr. Ekchian’s leadership, Glendale Unified was recognized as a countywide model for successfully navigating the COVID-19 pandemic by offering child care in technology learning pods, developing essential practices for distance and hybrid instruction, implementing multiple layers of protection for campus health and safety, hosting 38 vaccination clinics, and offering on-site COVID-19 testing every school day at every school site.