Community news: Poet David Meyerhof recognized, William M. Burke scales Mt. Everest

David Meyerhof of Burbank is a published poet, and now everyone in his hometown knows it.

Meyerhof received recognition from the city of Burbank, the State Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday at the Little White Chapel during the first public presentation of his book of poetry, “Look Beyond.” It is now available on more than 100 websites around the world, he said.

The event included a piano recital by Sophie Wiegand, who is an eighth-grader at Luther Burbank Middle School. Meyerhof signed his book and Sophie made her music DVD available at the end of the program. Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake) presented the California State Assembly certificate to the poet.

Meyerhof is a retired middle school teacher who taught for 33 years in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

His parents escaped from Germany and survived the Holocaust. David’s grandfather, Otto Meyerhof, won the 1922 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for describing how sugar is converted into energy in the human body.

Burbank climber is oldest to scale Everest

William M. Burke, 70, will keep listeners on the edge of their seats when he gives a free talk to members and guests of the Burbank Historical Society beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Gordon R. Howard Museum.

Burke, who grew up in Burbank, is the oldest man to have climbed Mt. Everest, and the only person to climb the highest mountain on every continent after reaching age 60.

He is returning to the Burbank museum to discuss his latest attempt to double-summit from both the south and north sides of Mt. Everest.

The program includes a video comparison of both sides of Mt. Everest. He will also discuss training and preparation for the climbs, climbing equipment, and the dangers, challenges and joy of climbing the world’s highest mountains.

Burke graduated in 1960 from Burbank High School and married his high school sweetheart, Sharon Smestad Burke, a member of the Burbank High Class of 1961.

William Burke retired in 2003 after practicing corporate law for more than 40 years in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York.

Free parking is available in the Izay Park parking lots along Clark Avenue. For more information, call the museum at (818) 841-6333. For more information on Burke, visit www.eightsummits.com.

Chapter receives national award

The Verdugo Glen Chapter of the American Business Women’s Assn. has been named one of the top 16 successful chapters of ABWA in the United States to receive the “Best Practices in Team Management Award - Level I,” it was announced by ABWA’s national office in Overland Park, Kan.

The Verdugo Glen chapter was acknowledged in a ceremony held during the National Women’s Leadership Conference on Oct. 11 in Memphis. Representing the chapter was Lynn White-Shelby of Burbank and Marty Preciado of Tujunga. Preciado was among the 10 women recognized as a Top Ten Business Woman of the national organization.

The mission of the American Business Women’s Assn. is to bring together business women of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support and national recognition.

The Glendale chapter meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Glendale Elks Lodge, 120 E. Colorado St., Glendale.

For more information, call (818) 512-4079.

JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.