Photo courtesy Coffee Cube Representatives of Burbank-based startup Coffee Cube are asking the community to keep an eye out for their trailer, which houses their mobile coffee bar and was stolen last weekend.
Burbank-based Coffee Cube had one of its signature red trailers stolen from the startup’s property last weekend, representatives say. The trailer, which Coffee Cube uses as a mobile coffee and pastry bar, was stolen from the business’ headquarters at 2121 Kenmere Ave. sometime between 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, and 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 6, according to Sgt. Derek Green, public information officer for the Burbank Police Department. The trailer was not attached to a vehicle at the time, though the hitch had been locked, according to Jhairo Echevarria, marketing director for Coffee Cube, which operates a store in Canoga Park and offers coffee services to offices.
The era of COVID-19 has left most Americans isolated at home with their own electronic devices, increasing the use of social media, especially among adolescents. And the only school in the nation governed by a health-care system is doing its part to help its students navigate past the pitfalls of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, where young users sometimes put up deceptive faces and bullying is common. Providence High School, which is affiliated with the Providence hospital chain, recently became the first school in the state to form a partnership with Half the Story, a nonprofit organization that believes in digital well-being and encourages youth to share their lives unfiltered — their passions, hidden talents and struggles — to connect with others on a more human level.
No campus in Los Angeles County will be allowed to reopen to all K-12 students until at least November, although schools can begin to offer small in-person classes for children with special needs at no more than 10% of campus capacity at one time, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. Students, parents and educators had been hoping that progress against the coronavirus might allow campuses to reopen on a faster track. The small in-person classes for children who need special services, announced last week, could allow at least 200,000 students back to campus across the county.
Mrs. Andrea Ruth Heintz (Luttge), native of Burbank, California, passed away on Monday, September 7, 2020 at the age of 81. Andrea was born on January 27, 1939 in Burbank California, to Ruth (Kendig) and Andra Luttge. She graduated from John Burroughs High School. She married John Heintz, in 1959. Andrea, a proud lifelong Burbank resident, is survived by her devoted husband of 61 years, John Heintz; son, Steven (Elizabeth) Heintz of Burbank, California; brother, Wayne Luttge, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; and grandchildren Samantha Heintz and Jack Froding. No memorial services are being held at this time. Arrangements are under the care of Pierce Brothers Valhalla.
The League of Women Voters of Glendale/Burbank Unit and Burbank Council Parent Teacher Association will host a candidate forum for the Burbank Unified School District Board of Education race. The forum will be held virtually on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 2:45-3:55 p.m. The event is free and open to all. The forum will be broadcast live on the Burbank Television Channel and the Burbank Channel on YouTube and will be replayed until the election on Nov. 3. The public is encouraged to submit questions for the candidates. To submit your question(s), visit Burbank Council PTA’s dedicated web page: burbankcouncilpta.org/candidate-forum. Due to time constraints and the number of candidates, not all questions will be asked. Questions should be on the issues and applicable to all candidates. No personal attacks or biased questions will be accepted. The candidates (in ballot order) are: • Armond Aghakhanian, incumbent • Steve Ferguson, incumbent • Emily Weisberg, middle school teacher • Roberta Reynolds, incumbent Burbank Council PTA President Wendi Harvel said, “The Board of Education makes decisions that affect all of our students, and they are our elected representatives. Our community has a voice when it comes to educating our children. Our voice is our vote. Both LWV-G/B and BCPTA believe that offering opportunities for community members to learn more about their candidates both empowers voters and encourages voters to show up at the polls.” To learn more about the League of Women Voters-Glendale Burbank, visit my.lwv.org/california/los-angeles. For information about the Burbank Council PTA, visit burbankcouncilpta.org.
Wendy and London Ruff welcome everyone to their fanciful community zoo and aquarium, to which neighbors have made . creative contributions. Photos by David Laurel
Photos by David Laurell
In pre-pandemic Burbank, residents would have to make their way over to Los Angeles’ Griffith Park to visit a zoo. And going to an aquarium would have entailed a trek to Long Beach. Today, things are different. Now, thanks to Wendy and London Ruff, Burbank has its own community zoo and aquarium, located right smack in the middle of the city’s Rancho neighborhood. Gathering inhabitants from the plains of the Serengeti to the world’s great oceans and tropical reefs the Ruffs have rivaled Noah in bringing together a magnificent menagerie of critters — or rather, fanciful images of them. Though the goal of the creature collector of Genesis was to fill an ark, the Ruffs’ has been to fill their front yard with art that represents all manner of animal and aquatic life. “This all started after my daughter London returned home from Washington, D.C.,” said Wendy Ruff. “She had been doing a fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution, and when they closed she came back to Burbank.”
Doris “Dotty” Anne Greenawalt, wife of David F. Greenawalt II (deceased), mother of Denise Anne Greenawalt (deceased) and David F. Greenawalt (surviving), passed on May 29, 2020. She graced this world for 85 years and brought joy and kindness with everyone she met. She was a woman of steadfast faith, kindness of heart, and laughter of tremendous joy. She was charitable, gracious, and loving. She led by example. Although her physical presence is no longer with us, her memories of love, life, family, faith, friends, animals, travel, and Bridge, Bridge, and more Bridge, will stay in our memories forever. She now rests with her husband and daughter at Forest Lawn Glendale, the Great Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Valor. We will miss her presence in our lives.
Los Angeles County took a step on Wednesday toward reopening schools by announcing that on-campus services can be offered to small cohorts of students in special education, individualized education plans and English as a second language programs beginning Monday Sept. 14. However, Burbank Unified School District Superintendent Matt Hill advised BUSD families and the board of education that hurdles must be cleared before such a move can be made locally.
Photos by David Laurell / Burbank Leader Sunrise Rotary Club President Kelli Lowers and Noon Rotary Club President Barry Gussow teamed up to stage last week’s drive-thru food drive for BTAC.
A man who served his country and worked his entire adult life to provide for his family. A single mother whose job in the food service industry gave her the income to afford a small apartment, food, other living expenses and an occasional treat for herself and her two children. A young man, just a year out of college, using his degree to begin what he hopes will be a high-paying career in post-production. Not one of those people — like countless others with similar stories — ever thought they would be in need of the services of the Burbank Temporary Aid Center. Yet today, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployed, financially challenged, hungry and homeless are no longer just those on the fringes of society. They are our friends, former co-workers and neighbors. They are our fellow Burbankers.
I am a proud Burbank resident, parent and teacher. My wife and I chose to raise our family in Burbank and give back to our community. There is a reason why we decided to make Burbank our home 13 years ago: because we love our city and believe in its public education system. I am running for reelection to the Burbank school board because I want to build on the progress we have made in delivering equal opportunities and first-rate educational programs to our students and stakeholders. As president and member of the Burbank Unified School District Board of Education for the past five years, I have dedicated my services to providing safe, healthy and equitable educational opportunities for every student, teacher, staff member and parent. I have a vested interest in making sure our public schools deliver. Furthermore, I have over 20 years of experience in education, business and public service. My professional and service efforts are focused on serving and strengthening our community. My priorities: • COVID-19. California/local public health and educational professionals, not politicians, determine when and how we open schools and keep everyone safe. • Equity. As co-founder of the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, I’ll work to ensure our district’s workforce grows in professionalism and diversity. • Funding. The coronavirus pandemic and economic crises will impact our budget. We must expand health safety while securing equitable educational funding. • Continue. New programs and career readiness; mental health resources; career technical courses; STEM; lower suspension and absentee rates; maintaining districtwide transparency. • Climate. Transition district into 100% clean, renewable energy. Background: • Teacher. Glendale Community College, East Los Angeles Community College • Education. Cal State Northridge (B.A.); Woodbury University (MBA); Pepperdine University (doctorate) I live in Burbank with my wife, Gayane Gasamanyan, a local pharmacist, and our son Arameh, a 3rd-grader at Joaquin Miller Elementary School. I have been endorsed by the Burbank Teachers Association, BUSD board members Roberta Reynolds and Charlene Tabet, Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, Sen. Robert Hertzberg, Mayor Sharon Springer and many other community leaders. We are facing challenging and uncertain times. We need leadership with experience. I respectfully ask for your vote.
My name is Steve Ferguson and I am a proud product of Burbank. For a little over five years it has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve this community and the 15,000 students of Burbank Unified. Utilizing close to 20 years of public service, I have worked hard to build a culture of collaboration, working with our teachers, classified staff, and our parent community to push our schools into the future. Over the past five years, I have: • Fought to preserve vocational/career technical education courses, after the county eliminated funding. • Sponsored and passed the district’s suicide prevention policy, mandating suicide prevention training for all staff, and established annual reporting requirements on student hospitalization statistics to ensure resources can be better focused moving forward. • Worked with city leaders to have secondary student ID cards double as public library cards, exposing students to municipal library resources and programs, and ensuring they have access to the internet 7-days a week. • Moved the board meeting start time from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to increase engagement and allow for more working parents to participate in board meetings. • Established monthly EdWalks to improve board member accessibility, so constituents could engage board members on the Chandler bike path during a morning walk. If re-elected, I plan to work to: • Manage a safe return to schools for staff, families and students. • Attract and retain highly qualified educators and staff to our district. • Preserve and expand graduation pathways. • Drive issues of equity. I am running for re-election because in these uncertain times, we need experienced leaders who will place our children’s health and education first. Our schools are the backbone of Burbank, and I will continue working hard to ensure our schools remain safe and prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow. I am proud to be endorsed by state Sen. Anthony Portantino, school board Vice President Steve Frintner, school board Clerk Charlene Tabet, school board member Roberta Reynolds and the Burbank Teachers Association. For more information email me at SteveFergusonforSchoolBoard@gmail.com or visit my website at SteveFerguson.org.
Roberta Grande Reynolds
Roberta Grande Reynolds
As a lifetime Burbank resident and a graduate of Burbank schools, I have a deep understanding of Burbank’s culture. My time spent at Cal State Northridge earning my bachelor’s degree in chemistry and my time spent at USC earning my doctorate in pharmacy has provided valuable experience in both the public and private education systems. And, as a parent, aunt and grandparent of past, present and future Burbank students, I have a passionate commitment to the highest standards of academic excellence, safety and inclusion for all of our students. During the years that I have served on the board of education, our district has continued to experience strong academic growth and opportunities for all students through the development of strategic master plans in the areas of special education, social and emotional wellness and Arts for All. We have developed and maintained strong community partnerships which have allowed us to sustain our commitment to the arts, sports and career technical education while developing strong supports for the social/emotional health of our students, despite the constantly challenging and changing economic environment facing the state of California. Through these partnerships we must continue to move forward. As California is once again facing a fiscal crisis, we face new challenges in maintaining academic excellence while navigating a pandemic. We need to ensure that our students academically thrive within an environment that is safe for all students, both physically and emotionally. Right now, more than ever, experience counts. With more than 30 years of hospital pharmacy management and front-line patient care experience, a multitude of leadership positions in parent volunteer organizations, and a decade of experience in board governance with three terms as president, I am uniquely qualified to face these challenges. As we navigate the transition back to the classroom, it is important that we focus on health, science and data to keep our students and staff safe. If I am re-elected, I am prepared to dedicate the use of my time, talent and resources for the benefit of our students.
Emily Weisberg
Emily Weisberg
School is my favorite place to be. I loved being a student, and I love being a teacher, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. I want to make our schools a place where students, teachers, staff and families feel they belong, and are provided the resources and support they need. For over 20 years, I’ve worked as a teacher, facilitator and curriculum designer with a specific focus on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion. I hold a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California, with a focus in educational psychology. I currently serve as a member of the Burbank Board of Library Trustees and am honored to be current board chair. Burbank Unified is one of the best school districts in the state. But we’re at a critical moment. The district needs an advocate with experience, an educator who will fight for students, and those working to help our students, to gain access to the opportunities, resources and care they need and deserve. If elected, I will be the only K-12 teacher serving on the school board. The experience I’ve gained in the classroom, working with administration, parents, community members and staff, provides me with a deep understanding of the complexities of public education. Since deciding to run for school board, I’ve spent the last year meeting with parents, teachers, students and classified staff to better understand what people want, and need, from the district and the board. In these conversations, one of the things that have come up repeatedly is the desire for more open, consistent and transparent communication between the district and the community it serves. Whether the parent of a child not yet school-ready, or a teacher unsure of their job in light of budget cuts, people need to know someone is listening. We all need a school board that is equitable, proactive and available to all our community, at all times. We need leadership. I hope to be that leader for our schools.
