Week in review
The Glendale Redevelopment Agency approved a parking exception on Tuesday for a company that will establish the first accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in the city through a partnership with Glendale Adventist Medical Center and the University of Oklahoma.
The three City Council members present for the meeting — John Drayman, Ara Najarian and Frank Quintero — voted to approve the parking exception for Orbis Education, an Indiana-based company that will run aspects of the nursing program from the third floor of the commercial building at 111 N. Maryland Ave. in downtown Glendale.
Councilmen Dave Weaver and Bob Yousefian were not present at the meeting.
Normally, changing the building’s existing 7,200 square feet of office space into private instructional space would require 52 additional parking spaces under Glendale’s municipal code, according to a staff report on the issue.
But those parking spaces cannot reasonably be found on-site without jeopardizing the project, according to the motion approved by the Redevelopment Agency.
As a condition of the parking exception, all Orbis Education students and staff will have to pay for parking spaces at one of two nearby city-owned public parking garages — the Exchange or the Marketplace garages — and Orbis will have to provide all of its users with key cards for the garages.
Because of the way the educational program will operate, the volume of parking that will result from the nursing program will not be as great as the space it will occupy or the total student body might indicate, said officials with the redevelopment agency.
That is because students in the nursing program will do the theory portion of their course work from home via the Internet, using University of Oklahoma nursing curriculum, and will do the bulk of their clinical training at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, said Joe Wanninger, Orbis’ vice president of sales and marketing.
Orbis Education, which handles the logistics of the nursing program and connects hospitals with universities in an effort to ease nursing shortages, will also use the Maryland Avenue space for administrative functions like recruiting students.
Members of the Glendale Water & Power Commission on Monday endorsed the city utility’s proposal to continue reading customers’ water and electric meters every other month, while also giving customers the option to pay their utility bill in smaller chunks if they prefer.
The commission was reviewing the possibility of changing the utility’s current system of billing customers on alternate months to a once-a-month billing schedule.
But Glendale Water & Power staff recommended that the commission forgo this change for the time being, due to the expense it would require, and given longer-term meter-reading upgrades that the utility plans to make.
It was a recommendation the commissioners at the meeting appeared to support.
The utility presented its analysis of billing options to the commission in part out of an interest in providing customers with a more stable billing process, in an effort to help them better budget their money for utilities, said Glenn Steiger, the utility’s general manager.
Having the utility read meters each month might help customers better budget their money and pay their bills on time, and it could aid in energy conservation by giving residents more timely information about their recent energy consumption habits, but it would also be costly, said Tami Vallier, the utility’s customer services administrator.
The utility would likely need to hire an additional eight meter readers to make the monthly billing happen, and increase expenditures on items such as vehicles, equipment and bill generation.
Instead, Glendale Water & Power recommended the utility wait to make meter readings monthly until the city implements its planned automated meter infrastructure, an electronic system that would not require meter readers to physically visit homes and residences to check the meter.
A knife-wielding man was arrested Thursday afternoon in connection with breaking into a home and stabbing three men.
The arrested man, whose name was not immediately released, reportedly entered the home on the 400 block of West Stocker Street, was confronted by the three men and a fight ensued, Glendale police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
The man, who might have been trying to rob the home, was taken into custody just after 3 p.m, Lorenz said.
Police arrived at the home and discovered the men had been wounded.
They suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken by ambulance to a hospital, Lorenz said.
Two of the three injured men are brothers, said Ida Nazarian, a relative of the men.
Nazarian said the men were stabbed in the face and body, and the stabbing was connected to a fight over stolen items.
She knew the arrested man and described him as a good person.
About 100 local residents circled the Montrose Shopping Park on Thursday night to express their stance against crime and their unity as neighbors as part of the 2008 National Night Out.
The nationwide event was started in 1984 by the National Assn. of Town Watch, a nonprofit, crime-prevention organization.
The annual neighborhood walk is designed to strengthen the relationship between police and the community, raise awareness about drug- and crime-prevention efforts, and demonstrate to criminals that law-abiding citizens have a stake in their neighborhoods.
Locally, the gathering in Montrose was organized by the Glendale Police Department, with support from the Glendale Fire Department, the Montrose Shopping Park Assn., and sponsors like Target and Nestle.
In thanking the residents for being part of the evening event, Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams stressed the importance of residents working with the police department in fighting and preventing crime.
Glendale Community College released its list for the school’s 2009 Glendale Community College Athletic Hall of Fame Class.
Jeff Nelson, a cross-cross country runner, and football players George McGowan will be enshrined for Outstanding Athletic Achievement.
Dr. John Davitt, the college’s superintendent/president from 1985 to 2006, will be inducted for Meritorious Service, while the 1978 women’s volleyball team, which finished fourth in state, will be recognized as an Outstanding Team.
Alexios Halebian has turned out to be a valuable addition to the United States Tennis Assn. World Junior Tennis team, which surged through group play in the World Junior Tennis Competition Finals in Prostejov, Czech Republic.
While alternating between the team’s No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots, the 14-year-old Glendale resident has helped the top-seeded United States pass through the four-team Group A undefeated with his strong play, including a come-from-behind win on Wednesday to spark a win over Croatia.
Halebian dropped the first set, 6-4, to Filip Veger on Wednesday, but evened the match with a 7-6 (7-5) victory in the second set before taking the deciding set, 6-2.
United States No. 1 singles player Christian Harrison then defeated Ivan Levar, 6-2, 6-0, before the team of Harrison and Tyler Gardiner beat Levar and Mateo Faber, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, to complete the 3-0 sweep of Croatia.
Halebian’s team defeated India on Friday to advance to Saturday’s final.
The winner of the United States-India match plays the winner of today’s knockout-round match between Canada and France on Saturday.
Halebian fell in a grueling match against South Africa’s Wayne Montgomery, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2), on Tuesday.
On Monday, Halebian notched a 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 2 Jack Schipanski of Australia, which won the championship last year, but entered this year’s finals unseeded.
NOTABLE QUOTABLES
“To read and bill monthly is expensive.”
Tami Vallier, a customer services administrator with Glendale Water & Power, on one of the reasons why the utility doesn’t want to switch to monthly billing right now.
“I think this will be a boost to some of the restaurants and shops at the Exchange.”
Councilman Frank Quintero, on what a new nursing program based in downtown Glendale might bring to the area.
“I learned that if you really try to communicate, they’ll actually have some kind of communication with you.”
Glendale High student Hayley Washington, on interacting with students from College View, Glendale’s school for students with special needs, at a recent fundraising event.
“I think it would be a wise move for him.”
— Ralph Hurtado, former special assistant to Diane Feinstein when she served as mayor of San Francisco, on a possible run for the United States Senate by Adam Schiff should Feinstein run for Governor of California in 2010.
“It doesn’t look anything like what was approved.”
— Bob Kadlec, a former Glendale city employee who said planners for the Embassy Suites Hotel violated city regulations by removing certain structural elements without city approval.
“I am dismayed in the year 2008, anyone would stereotype a segment of an entire community on any single issue.”
— Glendale ANC chairman Artin Manoukian on comments by Councilman Dave Weaver perceived by some to be directed against the city’s Armenian community.
“I am quite satisfied with the modifications to the ordinance.”
Councilman Ara Najarian on a modified solicitation ordinance the council introduced this week allowing workers to approach motorists who pull up to the curb.