Alleged murder-for-hire plot hearing rescheduled GLENDALE --...

Alleged murder-for-hire plot hearing rescheduled

GLENDALE -- A preliminary hearing to decide whether six men

accused in a local murder-for-hire plot will resume Friday after

several hours of testimony Monday.

Edvard Gyulnazeryan, Gayk Tadevosyan, Gagik Galoyan, Anthony

Armenta, Edgar Hatamian and Andranik Safaryan are accused of

conspiring to kill as many as eight people at a local business.

Glendale Police declined to reveal the name of the business. The

preliminary hearing was rescheduled to continue Friday to decide

whether enough evidence exists to bring the case to trial.

Most of the men, who are also accused of credit card, check and

insurance fraud, were arrested March 20 after a two-year

investigation by Glendale Police, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s

Department major crimes bureau, the Los Angeles division of the FBI

and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The men were being held

Monday for amounts ranging from no bail to more than $2 million.

Darleene Barrientos

Free kids meal for a donated toy at Rocky Cola Cafe tonight

MONTROSE -- Rocky Cola Cafe and the Glendale Fire Department

invite diners to help the Spark of Love Toy Drive tonight by bringing

in a new, unwrapped toy for a local needy child.

In exchange for a toy, a child can order a free meal from the

children’s menu. The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the cafe, at 2201

Honolulu Ave.

Toys can also be dropped off at local participating Sav-On drug

stores, Aquatic Rehab Facilities, any of Glendale Fire’s nine

stations and on Glendale Beeline buses, on which a donated toy will

earn a free ride.

For more information about the Spark of Love Toy Drive, log on to

www.sparkoflove.com.

Darleene Barrientos

Hearing to decide retrial postponed to Christmas Eve

LOS ANGELES -- A hearing to decide whether two men will be tried

together again on murder charges was postponed Monday to Dec. 24.

A mistrial was declared Nov. 7 by a judge after a jury deadlocked

on murder charges against Karen Terteryan, 21, and Rafael Gevorgyan,

18. Gevorgyan was accused of hitting 17-year-old Hoover High School

student Raul Aguirre on May 5, 2000, with a tire iron and Terteryan

was accused of stabbing him several times, piercing his heart. The

jury acquitted the two men of attempted murder charges against

another boy and Gevorgyan was cleared on a street terrorism charge.

The hearing was scheduled to decide whether the two men will be

retried on the murder charges. Gevorgyan’s lawyer, Andrew Flier, also

asked that if the two men were retried, that his client be tried

separately from Terteryan.

The hearing was postponed partly because the district attorney had

not received some requested transcripts, Deputy Dist. Atty. Steve

Lopez said.

Darleene Barrientos

Credit union gives money to emergency center

LA CRESCENTA -- The proposed Emergency Operations Center at the

Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station recently received a boost from

Caltech Employees Credit Union.

At the annual meeting of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Support

Group on Dec. 4, credit union President Richard Harris donated $5,000

toward completion of the center.

The center will serve as a link to the L.A. County emergency

services by servicing more than 500,000 people during a disaster.

Robert Chacon

Salvation Army struggling for donations

GLENDALE -- With the loss of several big-money sites due to the

supermarket strike, the Salvation Army is struggling with its kettle

donations.

The Army decided not to cross picket lines at Vons and Albertsons

stores, where workers are striking over health benefit changes. They

have supplemented lost sites with new ones, but Salvation Army

officials say donations are down significantly, and could lose

$30,000 in Glendale and $500,000 statewide.

Donations can be made at Whole Foods on Glendale Boulevard,

Cordon’s Ranch Market on Honolulu Avenue in Montrose, Petco on

Glendale Boulevard and Big Lots on Foothill Boulevard in La

Crescenta.

Josh Kleinbaum

Federal grants secured for law-enforcement memorials

GLENDALE -- State officials on Wednesday announced the infusion of

$250,000 to the Law Enforcement Memorial Act fund to help state and

local law-enforcement agencies construct memorials for those killed

in the line of duty.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale) also secured $500,000 for the fund

as a part of the Omnibus Appropriations Conference Report for the

2003 fiscal year.

The Glendale Police Officers’ Assn.’s effort to create a memorial

for slain Officer Charles Lazzaretto served as the inspiration for

the act. Lazzaretto was killed in a shootout in May 1997.

Darleene Barrientos

‘Wrap’ benefits We Care for Youth

NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Whole Foods Market Glendale is hosting a

“Wrap it Up!” program this month that will benefit We Care for Youth.

We Care for Youth is a local, nonprofit organization that promotes

responsibility and leadership among local youth through programs in

mentoring and leadership training.

We Care for Youth members are wrapping holiday gifts at the store

from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Whole Foods Market Glendale, 826

N. Glendale Ave.

The holiday gift-wrapping is free, but the suggested donation is

$3 for small items and $5 for larger items.

For more information, call 240-9350.

Gary Moskowitz

GCC to receive funds for science center

NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Glendale Community College might receive

$100,000 in federal funds for the Cimmarusti Science Center’s math

and science education outreach program.

Funding for the program, which educates students in kindergarten

through 12th grade, is included in the final House Omnibus

Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2004, which passed the House of

Representatives, according to reports released this week by Rep. Adam

Schiff (D-Glendale).

The Senate is expected take up the Omnibus Appropriations Bill in

January.

The outreach program will offer evening, weekend and summer

teaching sessions for educators in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Gary Moskowitz

Middle school students present Christmas concert

LA CRESCENTA -- Rosemont Middle School’s advanced strings concert

band and advanced choir will perform their annual winter concert at 7

p.m. Friday in Crescenta Valley High School’s MacDonald Auditorium.

Groups will perform several holiday pieces, plus a rendition of a

piece from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The concert is free, but

donations will be accepted at the door.

Crescenta Valley High School is at 2900 Community Ave. For more

information, call the school at 248-4224.

Robert Chacon

Vacancy on Parks and Recreation Commission

GLENDALE CITY HALL -- The city is accepting applications to fill a

vacancy on the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission.

The commission is an advisory board to the City Council responsible

for parks, playgrounds, and recreational activities.

Applicants must be registered to vote in the city of Glendale, and

the position carries a three-year term.

Applications are available at the City Clerk’s office, 613 E.

Broadway Room 110. The application deadline is Dec. 26. For more

information, call 548-2090.

Josh Kleinbaum