75-Year-Old Hopes Folks Will Remember : Burbank to Put the Icing on Its Cake

Suppose a city threw a birthday party for itself and nobody came?

Burbank officials, who spent several months planning to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the city’s incorporation, are hoping that won’t be the case Sunday when they play host to a daylong festival at Izay Park on Olive Avenue as the closing event in the celebration.

But, despite the presence of many historical exhibits around the city, the community on the whole has not been exactly dancing in the streets, or even aware of Burbank’s birthday.

At a photo session two weeks ago where residents were invited to stand in front of City Hall for a picture to be placed in a time capsule, organizers said about 700 residents showed up.

However, city officials said the number was probably closer to 500, and the participants were mostly children or city employees who worked at City Hall.

‘Expect Thousands’

Although the organizing committee for the celebration has been concentrating its efforts on the Sunday event, director Marcia Richards said she could not predict how many would attend. “But we expect thousands,” she said.

Councilman Al F. Dossin, who said he does not plan to attend the Sunday party, said residents appear to be indifferent about the birthday. “I haven’t seen a lot of spirit at all,” Dossin said. “But, even so, I’m sorry they planned this on a Sunday. I think a lot of people will be in church at the time it’s going on. They should have had it on a Saturday.”

Councilwoman Mary Lou Howard said she was concerned about residents being apathetic towards the birthday. “I’m sure the festival will be successful, but there just hasn’t been a lot of publicity,” Howard said. “I talk to people and they’re aware it’s our 75th birthday, but it’s not special to them. People aren’t prepared. It’s not something they’ve marked on their calendars.”

Howard, who formed a citizens’ civic pride committee last year to organize events to mark the anniversary, will not be at the party either. She is attending a shower in San Diego for her son’s wedding. “Very seldom do I put anything above my public life, but this is one time when the family has to come first,” Howard said.

2 Anniversary Dates

Howard was involved in a controversy surrounding the celebration last year when Mary Jane Strickland, director of the Burbank Historical Society, said the city should concentrate its efforts on celebrating the 100th anniversary of the city’s founding next year rather than the 75th anniversary of the city’s incorporation.

Although Howard and Strickland were angry with each other last year, the conflict is not the cause of the current indifference.

“There’s just a general apathy,” Strickland said Friday. “I don’t think most people care about things until it immediately affects them. They don’t get excited until someone puts up a high-rise over their backyard.”

Councilman Michael R. Hastings, who with the other members of the City Council will be at the Sunday festival, argued that the community was not being apathetic.

“The city isn’t a human being, it’s not like the 75th birthday of a person,” Hastings said. “I think the people who care and know about the city will be there. And that’s quite a few.”