A project that was first conceived nearly a decade ago, the swimming pool being added to Glendale High School’s campus is just about ready to launch.
Pending approval from health inspectors, the pool is expected to be filled with water soon, after which the necessary sanitizing chemicals will be mixed and added to prepare it for use. The Glendale Unified School District anticipates that GHS’ swimming and water polo teams will be able to use it for workouts this spring.
“We’re getting close to wrapping it up,” said Hagop Kassabian, the GUSD administrator for planning, development and facilities. “All in all, I think we’re looking pretty good to have water in the pool by late February or early March.”
Glendale Hospitals Being Stressed by Raging Coronavirus Surge
Hospital officials in Glendale are urging residents to commit to behavior that will significantly reduce their potential exposure to the coronavirus, as the explosive surge in COVID-19 cases that began in late November continues to push medical facilities to the brink.
Southern California has been at 0% availability for intensive care unit beds since late December, according to county Department of Public Health officials. The raging surge in daily new coronavirus cases continues to set records nearly every day as medical centers scramble to add personnel as they’ve reportedly turned away ambulances and others seeking emergency care.
Mann School Gears Up for a Portion of Students to Return
The Glendale Unified School District is prepared to bring select students back for in-person instruction at Horace Mann Elementary School starting on Monday.
A portion of transitional kindergarten and regular kindergarten students will return to class at the elementary school, split into small groups so as to allow for proper social distancing and hygiene protocols. District officials plan to evaluate the return process and adapt to allow 1st- and 2nd-grade students to tentatively join them in the coming weeks.
The school will be making use of technology to allow students who remain at home under distance learning protocol to receive their instruction simultaneous to the
in-person teaching that will now happen.
Medical Officer Named at Adventist Health Glendale
Dr. Kingman Ho has joined Adventist Health Glendale as medical officer. He brings deep experience as both a physician and operational leader that has led to marked improvements in physician engagement and alignment, significant care redesign, physician and payor contracting, and the development of hospital partnerships that drive innovation and additional service access for patients.
Ho came from Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, a 357-bed acute care hospital and Level II trauma center and advanced stroke center in the Santa Clarita Valley, where he has served as chief medical officer since 2016 and, additionally, Care Innovation Officer and senior vice president of Professional Services since 2018.
CommonSpirit Health Names New President of SoCal DiviJsionJ
Julie Sprengel has been appointed president of CommonSpirit Health’s newly expanded Southern California Division. In this role, Sprengel will continue to oversee Dignity Health hospitals in Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County and Clark County, Nevada. Joining the newly formed division will be the Dignity Health hospitals from Central Coast and Central California — a total of 21 facilities. This new division will be the largest in CommonSpirit Health, with $6 billion in revenue.
Sprengel began her career more than 20 years ago as an emergency room nurse and has spent the majority of her career working in faith-based, nonprofit health-care systems. She honed her clinical and administrative expertise through a series of leadership positions with increasing responsibility, culminating in her position as a hospital CEO. In 2016, Sprengel was recruited as the senior vice president of operations for Dignity Health Southern California, and in 2019 was named president of the Southwest Division for CommonSpirit Health.
Obituary | Dushan (Duke) Vukovich
Our family circle was broken with the death of our beloved patriarch. Duke was born in Globe, Arizona to parents who emigrated from Montenegro in the 1920s. He excelled in sports at a very young age, but rheumatic fever at 11 changed the course of his life. After graduating in accounting from Arizona State University, he came to Los Angeles and began work at Haskins and Sells. He then was employed by Cyprus Mines Corporation for 25 years, finishing his employment as Director of Taxes. When Cyprus Mines moved out of state, Duke chose to stay in Los Angeles and was hired as International Director of Taxes at U.S. Borax, where he remained for 13 years, until his retirement.
Duke married Nancy Field in 1955, and they moved to Glendale. They became active in Glendale Presbyterian Church, where Duke later served as deacon, elder and adult Sunday class president. During those many years, Duke continued his lifelong interest in sports. Having overcome rheumatic fever’s effects, he enjoyed playing softball and volleyball. He played tennis into his 80s.
Duke’s retirement years were happily spent in Carlsbad, where he and Nancy made cherished friends at Carlsbad Community Church. Being part of the Maranatha class and a small group Bible study were rewarding for him in his senior years.
Duke leaves Nancy, his wife of 65 years; his three daughters, Dyana Vukovich, Jana Vukovich Byeman (Andy) and Marta Vukovich; grandson Joshua Dushan Byeman (Karen) and great-granddaughters, Ava and Alice; granddaughter Julianne Byeman Folin (Steve) and great-grandchildren, Amelia and Abram; sister Nada Pitt; sister-in-law Ida Vukovich; grand godson Ari Abramovitz; and 14 nieces, nephews and cousins. His sister Desanka (Dee) and brother Lazo (Louis) predeceased him.
The values of integrity, responsibility, fidelity, generosity and empathy defined the life Duke lived. We thank God for the blessing he was to our family and many others during his 91 years.
If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Free Wheelchair Mission in Duke’s name, using the following link: https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/2461512.
Obituary | Dorothy Louise McLeod
Dorothy Louise McLeod, 91, of Glendale, CA, passed away peacefully on November 4, 2020. She was a granddaughter of Glendale early pioneer settlers, Mary and Joseph Maier, and daughter of Marie Maier McLeod of Glendale and Fred McLeod of Boston, MA. Dorothy lived her early childhood in Glendale and in western states along Route 66 where her father was employed by TWA. Later Dorothy attended schools in Kansas City, MO and The Kansas City Art Institute. Her career began at City Hall, Kansas City, MO and continued in Glendale, CA in 1955 at City Hall, The City of Los Angeles, until her retirement in 1985 after 30 years of service. She was a former member of The First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, CA. She continued living in Glendale until 2014 when she moved to Thousand Oaks, CA to be closer to family. Her lifelong interests were art, music, traveling and her family. She is dearly loved, honored and remembered by her sister, Grace Byard of Thousand Oaks, niece Beverly Adelman and her husband Eric Adelman of Moorpark, great-niece Ashley Adelman and her husband Ryan Murry, great-niece Haley Adelman, Suzanne Barger, Joan Byard and Robert Byard. Private services were held at Glen Haven Memorial Park.
Obituary | Allan Forrest Scott
Allan Forrest Scott passed away peacefully on Dec. 21 surrounded by his family. He was born Sept. 13, 1944 in Washington to Doreen M. Hanlin (deceased) and Forrest Scott (deceased). Allan was raised in the Kings County area by his mother and stepfather Clifford R. Welborn.
He served in the USAF. Graduated from Glendale College. Allan retired as a manager for the City of Glendale Public Service Dept. after over 35 years. He spent over 15 years as an American Legion Post #127 commander to serve veterans. Allan’s passions included backyard basketball games, dirt bike riding, playing tennis with his brothers, swimming, boogie boarding, collecting rocks, movies, reading and his classic rock albums. Of all the people he touched, none was greater than his daughters Tamara and René … known as “his girls.” Others who meant a great deal to Allan were his grandson Grayden Baker; sons-in-law Matt Baker and Bill Tuck; brothers Ron Bowman (Shelley), Tim Bowman, Mark Bowman, Bob Bowman (deceased); and sister Teresa Sweet (John). He will be fondly remembered by family and friends as a loving father, Dodgers fan, “Scotty,” proud patriot and U.S. Air Force veteran.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to DAV.org.
Virus Surge Grows More Urgent as Cases Flood Hospitals
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital CEO Keith Hobbs recently received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as part of the first wave of inoculations for health-care workers. Officials are anxiously awaiting additional doses of the Moderna vaccine as coronavirus cases soar in L.A. County and continue to rise locally.
Los Angeles County continues to reel from people’s lack of adherence to health guidelines during the Thanksgiving holiday, as hospitals have become inundated with COVID-19 patients.
On Wednesday, the county Department of Public Health reported a record 8,023 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized, and officials expect that number to climb over the next few weeks. Coronavirus cases in the county doubled in just one month, from 400,000 to 800,000, and Public Health officials said one in five residents currently tested is infected.
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Sinnette: Teachers Have Raised Their Game Amid Pandemic
There are many words one could use to define the difficult year that was 2020, but one in particular quickly came to mind for La Cañada Unified School District Superintendent Wendy Sinnette.
“I guess you could say unprecedented,” she said recently. “It is overused, you know, because the challenges have been immense. But we’ve met them, and for the most part, have been successful. The amount of work is relentless because we care so much about our kids.”
Nearly 10 months in, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought incessant trials and tribulations to all, and the small city of La Cañada Flintridge hasn’t been immune to them.
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