San Fernando Valley roundup: Burbank unveils Rose float design, Los Angeles pays family $6.6M

Good morning, readers. Today is Saturday, June 30, 2012. Happy Orange Line expansion Day! You can now ride the line all the way to the Chatsworth Metrolink Station. What else is happening in the Valley?

Most teenagers would create a personal online blog if they needed to release their frustrations. But Amit Dodani, 14, created a community website where anyone can submit a story they want to share. Teens and adults contribute to his site now, where they write about the challenges of being bullied, getting a divorce and overcoming health issues, among other topics. Daily News

Are you an amateur botanist who knows your way around the Verdugo Mountains? You might be a good candidate for one of Glendale’s two dozen volunteer naturalist positions. The city would pay you, but budget cuts eliminated the program last year. Volunteers must be 18 or older and are only expected to work a few hours a month. Glendale News-Press

Cities are beginning to release their designs for the 2013 Rose Parade. Burbank turned to the past for their float, ‘Deep Sea Adventure.’ It’s the second time they chose an underwater theme, even though the city is miles away from an ocean. Burbank Leader

The family of a 27-year-old Sylmar woman who was killed in 2010 by a speeding police officer will receive $6.6 million. It’s the largest payout Los Angeles has handed over for a LAPD collision. L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian says he’ll have an “explicit conversation” with police officials about preventing future accidents. L.A. Times

If you smelled smoke in Studio City yesterday, it was probably due to a mansion fire in Beverly Park. The fire was put out around 8 p.m. with the help of over 100 firefighters. Studio City Patch

The owners of a Valley Village wine and beer bar are opening a cafe two doors down. Steampunk Coffee Bar & Kitchen will serve breakfast, lunch and coffee from Seattle. They already started serving a few dishes at their bar, like Belgian fries, flatbread with goat cheese and vegan sausages. NoHo Patch

-- Tiffany Kelly, Times Community News

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