Cities give OK to Hope Airport

Josh Kleinbaum

Bob Hope Airport is two-thirds of the way home.

The Burbank and Glendale city councils on Tuesday voted

unanimously to rename the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport to Bob

Hope Airport in honor of the late entertainer and longtime Toluca

Lake resident. Pasadena is expected to approve the name change next

week, which will make the new moniker official.

“Bob Hope is someone that we should honor,” Burbank City

Councilman Todd Campbell said. “He touched my life, and he touched

others. He means a lot to this community.”

Airport Authority commis- sioners unanimously approved the new

name Nov. 3, leaving the city councils of the three governing cities

to decide the issue. The new name could take effect as soon as Dec.

17, the day marking the centennial of flight.

“It gives the airport a recognizable name,” Glendale Councilman

Rafi Manoukian said. “And it’s a bit shorter than

Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport.”

The name change is expected to cost $250,000, although supporters

of the change have promised to raise funds privately to help defray

the cost.

The airport has been known as Burbank Airport since Dec. 26,

1978, when the name changed from Hollywood- Burbank Airport to

Burbank- Glendale-Pasadena Airport.

Hope’s ties to Burbank were numerous. In 1973, he was named the

city’s honorary mayor, and in 1989, the city renamed a portion of

Catalina Street near NBC Studios to Bob Hope Drive.

In April 1993, those studios were dedicated in honor of Hope’s

90th birthday and his more-than-50-year association with the network.

Earlier this month, President Bush signed legislation to rename

the post office at 135 E. Olive Ave. for Hope.

Hope has been synonymous with entertainment since 1938, when his

first major feature film, “The Big Broadcast of 1938,” was released.

He starred on radio, television and movies, and won the hearts of the

country by entertaining America’s servicemen during World War II,

Vietnam, Korea and Desert Storm.