Year in Review: The Media City made headlines in 2017

La Tuna fire scorches Burbank and Glendale hillsides

While most people spend their Labor Day weekends going to the beach or enjoying a barbecue, Burbank and Glendale residents living in the foothills had to deal with mandatory evacuations and falling ash this year because of the La Tuna fire.

The brush fire raged for over a week in the Verdugo Mountains, and firefighters from across the Southland pitched in to help battle the blaze. By the time it became contained and extinguished, the La Tuna fire had burned more than 7,000 acres and destroyed 10 buildings.

Although the fire has long been snuffed out, its impact is still being felt as authorities have expressed concerns about potential mudslides during the wet season in areas charred by the flames.

Purse snatcher steals from elderly woman on scooter

A piece of security footage went viral after it showed someone allegedly taking the purse from an elderly woman at a Burbank supermarket.

The incident occurred on Sept. 12. Footage showed an 82-year-old woman maneuvering through the store using a mobility scooter. The woman kept her purse by her feet, on the scooter’s floorboard.

As she reached to grab something from a store shelf, a second woman came up behind her and took her bag. She soon fled from the store and has been on the loose since.

Organizers of Burbank on Parade end 36-year city tradition

Although Burbank on Parade was well attended this year, event organizers decided this month to end the 36-year parade due to financial reasons.

Organizers said that rising costs of public safety and a lack of event sponsors led to the parade’s untimely demise.

Along with ending the parade, which was held every April, organizers decided to dissolve the nonprofit that put on the event annually.

It is unknown if the city or another organization will take over production of the event.

New larger IKEA in Burbank opens

Thousands of eager shoppers flooded the new IKEA in Burbank when it opened its doors on Feb. 4.

The Swedish retailer’s 456,000-square-foot store at 805 S. San Fernando Blvd. replaced a 242,000-square-foot store — which opened in 1990 — just a few blocks away at the Burbank Town Center.

While it has a larger showroom and warehouse than the previous location, the new facility, which is the largest in the United States, also features a 600-seat dining area, a children’s play area and 1,700 parking spaces, most of which are located underneath the store.

The Burbank IKEA was the company’s first store in California and sixth in the United States.

The store made headlines yet again in December, when the retailer unveiled its public art piece. The abstract sculpture of a vase drew a lot of attention before its unveiling, with some passersby commenting on its phallic appearance.

Passenger numbers soar for Hollywood Burbank Airport

As of October, Hollywood Burbank Airport officials have reported increases in passenger numbers every month this year.

The airfield’s October numbers were the best, so far, in 2017, with 435,283 passengers traveling through the airport , which was 59,827 more passengers than in October 2016.

The weakest performing month was this past February, when officials reported 302,575 passengers, which was just 3,215 more passengers than the year before.

Officials have said that the upward hikes in passenger numbers have been due to carriers adding more flights and using airplanes with larger passenger capacities.

The branding efforts to draw in travelers east of the Colorado Rockies have also had some effect on the recovering passenger statistics, officials said.

Rogers announces he has stage 4 liver cancer

Burbank Mayor Will Rogers announced in September that he was recently diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and non-alcoholic cirrhosis.

Despite his diagnosis, Rogers continues to serve as mayor. He has been attending fewer city activities and public events, but his colleagues have been helping make appearances.

Rogers said his doctors had diagnosed and cleared him of cancer four times during the past two years, but his recent diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was a more serious threat than previous findings.

He said a transplant was not a possibility nor was chemotherapy, and that he is participating in drug trials and immunotherapy.

Several couples were livid with the Castaway restaurant when they found out the venue would be temporarily closing for six months, starting in August, to undergo renovations on the 54-year-old Burbank landmark.

The $10-million project displaced several weddings, which included two booked for September and October.

The couples were told about the closure in June, which they said left them not enough time to find another venue by their wedding dates.

Specialty Restaurants Corp., which owns the Castaway and several other restaurants in Southern California, offered to reschedule or move the couples’ weddings to another venue or a later date.

Bell-Jeff High School to close temporarily at the end of the 2017-18 school year

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced in October that it would be temporarily closing Bellarmine-Jefferson High School in Burbank at the end of the current school year due to declining enrollment and rising operating costs.

The college-preparatory high school had 295 students 10 years ago, but enrollment dropped to 98 students this school year.

The school is expected to be closed for about a year to allow school and archdiocese officials to determine if Burbank is still a viable location for a Catholic high school. If so, they will also need to figure out the best model under which to operate the school.

Officials at Providence High School, an independent Catholic high school in Burbank, said they were willing to work with parents who chose to transfer their children to Providence for the next school year.

Gordon, Applebaum lose reelection bids

Longtime Burbank Councilman David Gordon gave his farewell speech to the public in May as the newly elected and reelected council members were sworn in.

Gordon, who spent 11 years on City Council, was unseated by two-time candidate Sharon Springer.

On the Burbank Unified school board, Larry Applebaum, who had served for 12 years, was not reelected and also gave his farewell speech in May.

In the election, newly elected school board member Steve Frintner took Applbaum’s seat.