By Ted AYALA Though chilly weather and a strong downpour met the audience at the First Baptist Church of Glendale on Sunday night, the music making inside was anything but cold. Hot and intense playing were the hallmarks of the concert with cellist Ruslan Biryukov leading the way. Biryukov, executive director of the Glendale Philharmonic […]
By Ted AYALA Coming after a contentious vote when he was denied a space on the city’s Civil Service Commission, Chahe Keuroghelian returned to win a position on the Design Review Board No. 2 on Tuesday. The vote came after Councilman Rafi Manoukian’s nomination, following the vacancy left by former board member Jean-Pierre Boladian. Boladian […]
By Ted AYALA If there was a composer better adapted to turn your proverbial lemons into lemonade than Igor Stravinsky, I’ve yet to hear it. Though a household name and an icon in musical circles of the mid-20th Century, the composer of the “Firebird,” “Rite of Spring” and “Oedipus Rex” struggled to find his footing […]
By Ted Ayala The Glendale City Council removed control of the creative process for the city’s 2012 Rose Float from the beleaguered Rose Float Assn. during Tuesday’s council meeting. The Council’s move followed months of blistering criticism from animal rights activists concerning this year’s entry – a circus elephant – which, they claim, tacitly condones […]
By Ted AYALA A hearty stew of German Romantic music opened the Santa Cecilia Orchestra’s (SCO) season on Saturday. With rain, and later hail, audibly pelting Occidental College’s Thorne Hall throughout the concert, a generous portion of Teutonic gravy was most welcome that chilly night. The program, which consisted of music by Felix Mendelssohn, Max […]
By Ted AYALA The tension was palpable in the Glendale City Council chamber on Tuesday. In a heated debate, the City Council voted 3-2 against the appointment of Chahe Keuroghelian to the city’s Civil Service Commission. Councilmen Rafi Manoukian and Ara Najarian were in the minority. Nominated to the position by Councilman Rafi Manoukian, Keuroghelian […]
By Ted AYALA Mayor Laura Friedman and Glendale City Council have appointed Scott Ochoa as city manager. The appointment of Ochoa has ended months of speculation as to who would be succeeding long-time city manager Jim Starbird, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Ochoa, currently serving as the city of Monrovia’s manager, will begin […]
By Ted AYALA The audience at Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium hardly had a moment to take a breath after the lights dimmed in the hall on Saturday. No sooner had it gone dark in the hall that a loud snare drum roll stirred the audience. Out from the wings bounded guest conductor Mei-Ann Chen onto the […]
By Ted AYALA Following the implementation of a similar ordinance in unincorporated Los Angeles County, the Glendale City Council voted Tuesday to approve a ban on the use of single-use plastic bags in supermarkets and retail stores across the city. Already a way of life for residents of La Crescenta, the bag would eliminate plastic […]
By Ted AYALA Sweeping changes to the Crescenta Valley are inching their way further to reality. The Glendale Planning Commission on Oct. 18 approved sweeping building and zoning changes that will affect the way much of the community looks in the next few years. Some of the biggest changes will be seen along the Foothill […]