Surf’s up for retiring city attorney
The cover of the invitation had three surfboard drawings on it. At first it wasn’t clear what surfboards had to do with the retirement party of Glendale’s City Atty. Scott Howard. On Friday, several hundred city employees, family, friends and fans gathered to celebrate Howard’s 34 years of service to Glendale. The Oakmont Country Club’s main dining room was the only space in the club that could hold all the people who wanted to congratulate Howard.
About the surfboards? Howard plans to surf and ski after his retirement. In fact, a video montage showed Howard indulging over the years in his favorite sports. “I want to keep up my sports as long as I can,” Howard said. Wife Juli Scott agreed. She joins her husband in the skiing, not the surfing. She also joins Howard in the same profession, different city. Scott is Burbank’s chief assistant city attorney.
Glendale city leaders were introduced by City Manager Jim Starbird, who added emcee duties to his repertoire. Starbird has also announced his impending retirement. He will join retirement ranks with Bob McFall, former assistant city manager. Those left to run the city and on hand at the party included City Councilmen Ara Najarian, Dave Weaver (with wife Linda Weaver) and Rafi Manoukian. Mayor Laura Friedman was out of town. Former Glendale mayors were also introduced, including Bob Yousefian, Sheldon Baker, Eileen Givens and Carl Raggio (with wife Lynne Raggio). VIPs present, as well, were City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian, retired City Clerk Doris Twedt, Superior Court Judge Karla Kerlin and Joylene Wagner, president of the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education.
More Glendale VIPs attending included Police Chief Ron De Pompa and Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, accompanied by wife Abigail Scoggins. Also dropping by was Glendale Adventist Chaplain Al Garcilazo. From the city attorney’s office was Lucy Varpetian.
Other Howard fans from Glendale included Mary Rose Grim (introduced by Stairbird as “being at everything”), Lynda Burns, Gary Cornell, Paula and Art Devine (Paula is chairman of Glendale’s Commission on the Status of Women.) The Devines’ friend, Jolene Taylor, joined them. Also attending were Howard’s good friends, including Candy and Barry Ross and Irma and Alex Moisa.
Besides the welcomes and video montage, the program included dinner and presentations. Howard was recognized by the Glendale Bar Assn., the City Attorney’s Assn. of Los Angeles, the city of Burbank, the Glendale city attorney’s office, Starbird and McFall.
Special Recognitions included congratulatory letters from U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and State Senator Carol Liu. Present to award a Certificate of Recognition was Liu’s Glendale District Director Talin Mangioglu. (Liu had previously announced that she appointed Adam Carter as district representative in the Pasadena and Altadena areas.)
The evening ended with more remarks from Howard and Starbird. Kassakhian, however, had the last couple of words: “Surf’s Up.”
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The opening of Glendale’s social season included a joyous wedding reception/open house. On Saturday, Roxana and Miguel Chavira were the guests of honor. They had tied the knot a week before the reception, celebrated in the garden of Glendale residents Kent and Kathy Lee.
Guests who partied with the happy couple included the bride’s sister Violeta Quintanilla from Los Alamitos and Glendale residents including Jan and Steve Bills, Gloria and Mike Hawley, Tess and Barry Johnson, Ann Cassidy and Norma Dehaan.
Bride and groom will settle in Orem, Utah.