818 Roundup: ‘Comfort women’ statue, Devil’s Gate Dam sediment removal protest

Good morning, 818 readers. It’s expected to be a wet day with a 60% chance of rain for Los Angeles County today, Thursday, Dec. 19. Showers are expected after sunrise and could slam roads for commuters.

Here are the top headlines in the 818 area code:

• Remember that controversial ‘comfort women’ statue at Glendale’s Central Park? Well, it prompted a trio of leaders from Japan’s House of Representatives to visit the Los Angeles area, calling on Glendale to remove the 1,100-pound statue honoring an estimated 80,000 to 200,000 women from Korea, China and other countries forced into prostitution by the Japanese Army during World War II.

• La Cañada residents--including some on horseback--linked hands and stood on the bridge overlooking the Devil’s Gate Dam on Saturday to protest Los Angeles County Department of Public Works’ plan to remove between 2.4 and 4 million cubic yards of sediment over a five-year period. Officials warn that flooding could happen if the debris isn’t removed.

• Burbank Community Theater will debut it’s first performance, ever, with the tale of rags to riches redhead orphan “Annie” at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills on Friday, Dec. 20. Check out the photo story by Times Community News photographer Tim Berger.

• Plaza De La Cañada, a neighborhood shopping center in La Cañada Flintridge, has sold for $35.9 million, the Los Angeles Times reports. Gelsons is slated to replace Vons at the Foothill Boulevard location.
  

• Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport has a new painting titled ‘2627 North Hollywood Way,’ a 22”x41” oil on polyester over panel, in the interior, according to the Huffington Post.
  

• La Cañada Flintridge’s Chamber of Commerce endorsed a school district parcel tax measure. Voters will see this on the ballot on March 4.

• After discovering that water rate increases approved by the Glendale City Council in 2012 are riddled with errors, city officials this week decided to scrap the current rate system and start over. The flawed rates caused Glendale to overcharge some commercial customers and undercharge some residential customers, causing Glendale Water & Power to lose out on at least $8 million in expected revenue.

• Two former Glendale police officers who were fired for allegedly taking a department-issued car on a joy ride to Las Vegas almost three years ago have been reinstated after a 4-1 vote last week by the Civil Service Commission.

-- Nicole Charky, nicole.charky@latimes.com

Follow on Twitter: @Nicosharki.