GLENDALE : Students Make Holiday Houses of Gingerbread

Little Ronald Reagan (no relation) of Burbank has a title, too.

In his art class at Theodore Roosevelt Junior High, Ronald, 12, is known as the “candy man.” He’s in charge of all the chocolate chips, sour punch straws, Skittles, Tootsie rolls and other candies to be used for a gingerbread house making event.

Sponsored by the Red Lion hotel in Glendale, gingerbread houses of all sorts--from traditional renditions a la Hansel and Gretel to a snow-covered McDonald’s--were made by students from local junior high schools.

The houses are currently on display at the lobby of the Red Lion.

Ronald’s classmates constructed their four creations from gingerbread dough, which they cut into a variety of shapes.

Ronald himself was delegated the responsibility of keeping track of the goodies and making sure people weren’t eating them.

“I caught ‘em and I told the teacher,” said Ronald.

The boy said he enjoyed being involved in the project. “I like art better than all the other classes,” Ronald said. “It’s cool.”