Sunday, July 17, 2011

August 26th SAVE THE DATE



We have added a Live Auction to be held at the conclusion (about 5:30pm) of the Golf Tournament. We have reserved the Starlight Room at the Castaway Restaurant.

Open to the public. Tickets at the door $29. Golfers, volunteers and spouse tickets included in registration price.

Hors D'oeuvres:
Walnut Crusted Chicken Tenders with Pineapple Horseradish Dip
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Buffalo Wings
Cheeseboard Selection with Fruit and Crackers
Baby Vegetable Basket
Smoked Salmon Canapes
Cookies & Brownies
Coffee Station

Cash Bar

See our website below for more postings.
www.burbankburroughsalumni.com

Guy Gingell CEO
Davis Gingell Foundation
Direct Line: 206 459-8864

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Kent Barcus (BHS '67) Performs in The Singing Flag July 4, 2011



Over the past several years on July 4th, Kent has performed as Uncle Sam in 'The Singing Flag' at his church in Concord, CA.

Thanks for sending this GREAT photo, Kent!

And here is the hyperlink from Kent's comment below:
http://concord-ca.patch.com/articles/singing-flag-offers-3-days-of-patriotism-fireworks

Friday, July 15, 2011

Clifford Travis Bean (BHS '65) 1947-2011

Travis Bean dies at 63; innovative guitar-maker

Jerry Garcia and the Rolling Stones are among the fans of Travis Bean's electric guitars, made with a solid aluminum neck and headstock. He came up with the design in a Burbank shop in the 1970s and quit making them after five years rather than compromise quality.


 
Guitar maker Travis Bean is shown in 1977 at the National Assn. of Music Merchants trade show.
Photographer Rick Oblinger / Travis Bean Guitars

By Valerie J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times

July 16, 2011

In a Burbank shop in the 1970s, Travis Bean reinvented the electric guitar.
To enhance string vibration, he suggested making the instrument's neck and headstock out of solid aluminum instead of wood. The resulting guitars, manufactured for only five years, remain prized for their unique tone and durability.

Among the famous who have strummed them are Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead – whose Travis Bean guitar was auctioned for $312,000 in 2007 – and many of the Rolling Stones.

Bean died Sunday in Burbank after a long battle with cancer, his family announced. He was 63.

"He came along when there was not much of anything in terms of fresh ideas when it came to making guitars," Jim Washburn, a music writer who has curated guitar exhibits, told The Times. "Then he revolutionized things a bit. He made a pretty good mark for making them for such a short period of time."

Guitar Player magazine has compared Bean to maverick automaker John DeLorean because both "pushed the envelope by doing something radically different with a familiar product."

Other guitar makers had tried using aluminum to improve neck stability and vibration but Bean and his two partners – Marc McElwee and Gary Kramer – "took the concept to prime time," the magazine said in 2005. Kramer later founded his own company that made aluminum-necked guitars.

Manufactured from 1974 to 1979, Travis Bean guitars were also known for their exotic hardwood bodies and a high-end price tag that could top $1,000.

When company investors called for prices to be lowered, Bean decided to stop production instead of compromising quality, according to the magazine.

He was born Aug. 21, 1947, in San Fernando and was adopted by Raymond and Betty Bean, who named their only child Clifford Travis Bean. His father worked for Shell Oil Co.

A 1965 graduate of Burbank High, Bean was a woodworker with a penchant for redesigning objects when he turned toward the guitar.

When employees and guests at the guitar shop would jam in a back room, "there was always a ton of guitarists and bass players but never any drummers," so Bean took up the drums, said his friend Philip Culp.

"That was the essence of Travis," Culp said. "He could teach himself how to do anything."

Bean is survived by his wife, Rita; son Darren Miller; daughter Dawn Norvel; and four grandchildren.

Article: http://www.burbankleader.com/news/la-me-travis-bean-20110716,0,1065785.story

--- end ---


Photo of Cliff Bean from 9th grade John Muir Jr High School yearbook

Listen to a little bit of a Travis Bean guitar - very cool!






JULY 10, 2013 UPDATE

LINKS
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_Bean

Find a Grave
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=bean&GSfn=travis&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=74797954&df=all&

NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/16/arts/music/travis-bean-aluminum-guitar-maker-dies-at-63.html?_r=0

Travis Bean, 1947-2011; members of Sonic Youth, Earth & Sunn O))) speak about the legend
http://www.ifc.com/fix/2011/07/travis-bean-obituary

Music Radar
http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/travis-bean-1947-2011-476692



Thursday, July 14, 2011

2011 Class Reunion at DeBell

What a GREAT time we had up at DeBell's Clubhouse Grill last Saturday!

The Class of '67 is talking about doing it again next year maybe in August for their 45th reunion.


Carol Nicholls Lebrecht, Mike McDaniel, Deanna Lloyd Jennings, Wes Clark, Cathy Nicholls Coyle, John Coyle, Joanne Yoffee Furer, Greg Van Der Werff, Diane McCall Ward, Alan Singer, Ellisa Dibble Weekly, Neal Hershenson, Duane Thaxton, Madelaine Zelenay Whiteman, Dona Foy Bruckner, Don Ray, Linda Mustion, Flora Angel Ferrens, Guy Gingell, Cathy Palmer, Allison Gingell, John Whitt, Nancy Krough Brez and Vivian Blum Gillette


Cathy Nicholls Coyle, Greg Van Der Werff, Alan Singer, Dona Foy Bruckner, Neal Hershenson, Deanna Lloyd Jennings, Cathy Palmer, Joanne Yoffee Furer, Carol Nicholls Lebrecht, Madelaine Zelelay Whiteman, Nancy Krough Brez, Jeanne Barron Aikman, Diane McCall Ward, Vivian Blum Gillette and Joan Nobile Ortega


Greg Van Der Werff, Alan Singer, Cathy Nicholls Coyle, Dona Foy Bruckner, Neal Hershenson, Cathy Palmer, Deanna Lloyd Jennings, Don Ray, Ellisa Dibble Weekly, Joanne Yoffee Furer, Carol Nicholls Lebrecht, Madeaine Zelenay Whiteman, Linda Mustion, Nancy Krough Brez, Jeanne Barron Aikman, Diane McCall Ward, Vivian Blum Gillette and Joan Nobile Ortega


Nancy Krough Brez, Joan Nobile Orgeta, Vivlan Blum Gillette, Cathy Palmer, Ellisa Dibble Weekly, Joanne Yoffee Furer, Dona Foy Bruckner, Deanna Lloyd Jennings, Carol Nicholls Lebrecht, Cathy Nicholls Coyle, Jeanne Barron Aikman and Madelaine Zelenay Whiteman

Vivian Blum Gillette, Ellisa Dibble Weekly, Deanna Lloyd Jennings, Dona Foy Bruckner, Nanacy Krough Brez, Joanne Yoffee Furer, Cathy Nicholls Coyle, Joan Nobile Ortega, Linda Mustion, Carol Nicholls Lebrecht, Jeanne Barron Aikman, Cathy Palmer, Diane McCall Ward and Shelly Perez Lucero (BHS '67 classmate and owner of Clubhouse Grill)


Alan Singer, John Coyle and Fred Ortega

Pics from Burbank's Centennial


Dona Foy Bruckner & Cathy Palmer


Cathy, Mike Feix, John Whitt, Dona and Greg Alaimo


Dona, Don Balderseroni & Cathy


Linda Mustion - Be sure to check out Linda's great blogs! http://lindasburbankhighschool.blogspot.com/ and http://bhsinmemoriam.blogspot.com/


Deanna Lloyd Jennings


Wes & Cari Clark and Mike McDaniel - Check out their fabulous website, Burbankia! http://wesclark.com/burbank/



Cathy, Ellisa Dibble Weekley & Dona


Caroleen Ventimeglia Cleveland




John Boylan - Check out some of John's photography at Flickr! http://www.flickr.com/photos/neocon_from_hell/sets/


Nancy Krough Brez & Vivian Blum Gillette


Cathy Nicholls Coyle, Nancy, Vivian, Dona & Carol Nicholls Lebrecht



SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Fun Times in SoCal


Cathy Palmer, Vivian Blum Gillette, Leigh Rugee Crossen, Nancy Krogh Brez, Dona Foy Bruckner & Madelaine Zelenay Whiteman

Flying home to Florida in the morning.

Many thanks and much love to the BEST hosts ever, Scott and Dona Foy Bruckner!!!

MORE PICS
https://picasaweb.google.com/111771835852506139426/VisitingDonaAndScott?authkey=Gv1sRgCILiteOxjO3DiQE#

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Saturday at DeBell Clubhouse Grill


Carol Nicholls Lebrecht, Mike McDaniel, Deanna Lloyd Jennings, Wes Clark, Cathy Nicholls Coyle, John Coyle, Joanne Yoffee Furer, Greg Van Der Werff, Diane McCall Ward, Alan Singer, Ellisa Dibble Weekly, Neal Hershenson, Duane Thaxton, Madelaine Zelenay Whiteman, Dona Foy Bruckner, Don Ray, Linda Mustion, Flora Angel Ferrens, Guy Gingell, Cathy Palmer, Allison Gingell, John Whitt, Nancy Krough Brez and Vivian Blum Gillette

MORE PHOTOS HERE

Saturday, July 9, 2011

A Fun Day in Burbank Friday!


Dona Foy Bruckner and Cathy Palmer having fun in Beautiful Downtown Burbank July 8 2011 celebrating its 100th birthday!

So GREAT seeing so many friends from school and family too!

SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE

Friday, July 8, 2011

Happy Birthday, Burbank!

History | LA as Subject

Burbank at 100: From Sheep Ranch to Media Capital


Burbank in 1939. Courtesy of the 'Dick' Whittington Photography Collection, USC Libraries.
Burbank in 1939. Courtesy of the 'Dick' Whittington Photography Collection, USC Libraries.

This Friday, Burbank celebrates its centennial. The city ambitiously billed as the media and entertainment capital of the world—and which, for much of its history, also served as a major hub of the aviation industry—hardly betrays today its humble origins as a dentist's sheep ranch.

The city is named after David Burbank, a New Hampshire-born dentist who came to California in a covered wagon in 1850. After the Civil War, Burbank moved to Southern California and purchased a 9,000-acre ranch that included all of the Mexican-era land grants of Rancho Providencia and Rancho Cahuenga, as well as part of Rancho San Rafael. His new fiefdom, situated at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, cost him only $1 per acre.

Burbank at first populated his ranch with sheep. But in 1884 a land boom, fueled by an influx of migrants from the Midwest, gripped Los Angeles County. Over the next four years, this speculative bubble would spawn more than one hundred new towns across the county, many of them in the San Fernando Valley. Burbank capitalized on the boom and in 1886 formed the Providencia Land and Water Development Company with a group of Los Angeles-based investors with the goal of subdividing and developing Burbank's sprawling sheep ranch.

Dentist David Burbank owned the sheep ranch that later became the city of Burbank. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photograph Collection.
Dentist David Burbank owned the sheep ranch that later became the city of Burbank. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photograph Collection.

Drawing of Rancho Providencia, which later became Burbank, circa 1840.  Courtesy of the Landcase Maps Collection, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
Drawing of Rancho Providencia, which later became Burbank, circa 1840. Courtesy of the Landcase Maps Collection, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Providencia Land and Water Development Company collage showing plans for the town of Burbank, circa 1886-1887. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photograph Collection.
Providencia Land and Water Development Company collage showing plans for the town of Burbank, circa 1886-1887. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photograph Collection.

House of David Burbank, the city's founder, circa 1910. Dr. Burbank's homestead is now the site of the Warner Bros. Studios. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.
House of David Burbank, the city's founder, circa 1910. Dr. Burbank's homestead is now the site of the Warner Bros. Studios. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.

On May 1, 1887, the new town of Burbank opened with a $30,000 hotel and a one and a half mile-long, horse-powered street railway. An irrigation system transported water from nearby Toluca Lake to the fledgling community, and a depot along the Southern Pacific Railroad brought freight and new residents.

At first the town flourished, but by 1889 the land boom had turned to bust, and many of the new towns failed, but the strongest of the new communities—which included Burbank—emerged intact if hobbled. The resulting regional depression coincided with years of unusually dry weather, constraining further development of the town. Some farmers planted vineyards and drought-resistant crops and thrived, but for years Burbank's growth would not exceed what its natural resources could sustain.

View southeast down Olive Avenue, circa 1887, showing the fledgling town of Burbank in the distance. Streetcar tracks run down the middle of the road. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.
View southeast down Olive Avenue, circa 1887, showing the fledgling town of Burbank in the distance. Streetcar tracks run down the middle of the road. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.

Olive Avenue in Burbank, circa 1889. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.
Olive Avenue in Burbank, circa 1889. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.

San Fernando Boulevard at Olive Avenue, circa 1910. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.
San Fernando Boulevard at Olive Avenue, circa 1910. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.

That changed late in the first decade of the twentieth century, when two developments resurrected the Valley land boom.

First, 1905 brought plans for a massive and controversial water project. The Los Angeles Aqueduct would transport snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada's eastern slope out of the Owens Valley, across the Mojave Desert, over the San Gabriel Mountains, and into the San Fernando Valley, essentially watering one valley at the expense of another.

Construction began in 1909 and in 1913 water once bound for Owens Lake flowed into the San Fernando Valley and through the taps of Burbank homes and businesses.
Second, Southern California's interurban rail network, the Pacific Electric Railway, began to expand into the San Fernando Valley and connect the mostly-undeveloped plain with downtown Los Angeles and other regional population centers.

With a modest population, Burbank residents had some trouble convincing the Pacific Electric to bring its streetcars to the town. The railway only agreed to extend its Glendale-Los Angeles line into Burbank after extracting a subsidy of $48,000 from residents.

Like the aqueduct, the arrival of the Pacific Electric was not without controversy. Burbank resident J.W. Fawkes had patented the nation's first monorail, a suspended car that he dubbed the Aerial Swallow. Fawkes built a prototype along a short segment of Olive Avenue and planned, after securing the right-of-way, to extend the line to Glendale. He urged his fellow residents to reject the Pacific Electric's demands and instead adopt his own experimental concept. In the end, Burbank chose the Pacific Electric's more conventional option. The Aerial Swallow became known as "Fawkes' Folly," and the first Pacific Electric streetcar from Los Angeles rolled into Burbank on September 6, 1911.

'Fawkes' Folly,' an experimental monorail that operated briefly in Burbank in 1911. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.
'Fawkes' Folly,' an experimental monorail that operated briefly in Burbank in 1911. Courtesy of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, USC Libraries.

The first electric streetcar arrived in Burbank in 1911. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photograph Collection.
The first electric streetcar arrived in Burbank in 1911. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photograph Collection.

The last Pacific Electric car to service Burbank arrived in 1955. Photo by Alan K. Weeks, courtesy of the Metro Transportation Library and Archive. Used under a Creative Commons license.
The last Pacific Electric car to service Burbank arrived in 1955. Photo by Alan K. Weeks, courtesy of the Metro Transportation Library and Archive. Used under a Creative Commons license.

With much of the now rapidly-developing Valley being swallowed up by the City of Los Angeles, residents of Burbank petitioned the state legislature to allow the town to incorporate as its own city. On July 8, 1911, the City of Burbank came into being.

In the succeeding years, independent Burbank became a major center for two industries that would dominate Southern California.

First National Studios in Burbank, circa 1927-1931. The studio facility is today the home to Warner Bros. Pictures. Courtesy of the California Historical Society Collection, USC Libraries.
First National Studios in Burbank, circa 1927-1931. The studio facility is today the home to Warner Bros. Pictures. Courtesy of the California Historical Society Collection, USC Libraries.

NBC television studios in Burbank, 1952.  Since NBC's corporate merger with Universal, the network has announced a relocation of its production facilities to nearby Universal City. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner Collection, USC Libraries.
NBC television studios in Burbank, 1952. Since NBC's corporate merger with Universal, the network has announced a relocation of its production facilities to nearby Universal City. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner Collection, USC Libraries.

The filmed entertainment business, nominally headquartered in Hollywood, came to Burbank in the 1920s when First National Pictures built a film studio on Olive Avenue. Following the success of First National's 1929 talkie film, The Jazz Singer, Warner Brothers Pictures acquired the studio and moved from its Hollywood home to the Burbank lot. Other production companies would soon follow: Columbia Pictures purchased land in the city for use as a backlot and, in 1939, Walt Disney Productions moved into its new home on Buena Vista Street. (Next year, KCET will follow in their footsteps when it moves into its new Burbank facility.)

Lockheed assembly plant in Burbank, circa 1940. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Collection, USC Libraries.
Lockheed assembly plant in Burbank, circa 1940. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Collection, USC Libraries.

Burbank's Union Air Terminal, circa 1934-1940. Lockheed owned and operated the airport from 1940 to 1978, when it sold it to the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena. Today it is named Bob Hope Airport. Courtesy of the Werner Von Boltenstern Postcard Collection, Department of Archives and Special Collections, Loyola Marymount University Library.
Burbank's Union Air Terminal, circa 1934-1940. Lockheed owned and operated the airport from 1940 to 1978, when it sold it to the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena. Today it is named Bob Hope Airport. Courtesy of the Werner Von Boltenstern Postcard Collection, Department of Archives and Special Collections, Loyola Marymount University Library.

In 1928, another transplant from Hollywood, the Lockheed Aircraft Company, settled down in Burbank. An early leader in the fledgling aviation industry, Lockheed became a crucial supplier of Allied warplanes during World War II—and a major attractor of new workers and residents.

As Burbank celebrates its 100th birthday, you can learn more about the city's history with the help of L.A. as Subject members and other institutions. Explore the San Fernando Valley History Digital Library, maintained by CSUN's Oviatt Library, for archived images from Burbank's past, or visit the Burbank Central Library from August 1 through October 14 for its "Snapshots of Burbank" photo exhibit.

SOURCE: http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/burbank-at-100-from-sheep-ranch-to-media-capital-34994.html

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy Birthday, Burbank!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Anson Williams Charity Classic

Another Don Ray Adventure!

The post below is from Don Ray's (BHS '67) blog. This is GREAT!!! Thanks Don

I finally learned the name of my early -- unlikely -- hero -- 49 years later

http://donrayadventures.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-finally-learned-name-of-my-early.html

If only I could have found a more productive outlet for my creative juices.

Today, I finally learned the name of a man who was my inspiration. For a while, I wondered if maybe I hadn't really seen him --- that maybe it was something I had conjured up in a dream. But thanks to YouTube, today I was the 94th person to view the proof that he existed.

I wasn't dreaming.

I saw him on the evening of February 12, 1962, live on the television program, "I've Got a Secret!" I had just turned 13 the month before. It's a well-know fact among members of my family that I didn't take good notes in school -- and not at all while watching television. So I didn't remember his name. Today, I learned it: Stan Berman.

Why would I be inspired by a Brooklyn cab driver? It was because of his secret: --- he was a gatecrasher. I'd never heard the term before, but by the end of that TV program, I was already dreaming of the day I could be one.

I didn't remember the long, gatecrashing resume he had displayed in photographs that evening, except for one. I'll never forget seeing him sit with the Kennedy Family at the Inaugural Ball for President John F. Kennedy the year before on my 12th birthday, 1961.



That's Stan Berman seated three seats to JFK's right (your left). I don't know who the woman is seated to the right of the applauding Stan Berman, but to his left is the President's father, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr. The President's mother is between him and his father.

No, I didn't make a career out of being a gatecrasher, but I never stopped thinking about pulling such a clever, albeit harmless prank. I will confess that, as a journalist, there were times when I used some of Stan Berman's inspiration to help me get closer to people I needed to interview, but I only did it recreationally one time.

And I consider it one of my greatest accomplishments.

It was at Burbank High School on a Saturday evening, when I was an 11th grader. As usual, I showed up early to an event -- this time earlier than anyone else, it turns out. It was in the auditorium. and it was slated to be a collection of musical performances by some popular music personalities. Most were probably on the downward side of their careers, but they were at least once-popular. The person I was bent on seeing live was a young folksinger who was very popular in Southern California, Tim Morgan.

I don't remember exactly when I decided to attempt the crashing of the gate, but I know when the action started. I was the only person standing in line at the ticket window. Nobody was even inside the booth yet. The custodian walked up with a set of keys and asked me if I was the ticket seller. I responded with a single word -- a word that would launch my own inauguration to gatecrashing.

"Yes!"

A moment later, I was alone in the ticket booth and was able to "sell" myself a front-row, center seat. A moment after I placed the ticket in my shirt pocket, a pretty girl (who was pretty concerned) was knocking on the door to the booth. I opened it and she said, "What are you doing here?" Someone had once told me two rules to follow when caught red-handed: 1). Don't flinch. 2) Always answer a question with another question.

"What are YOU doing here?"

She said she was supposed to be selling the tickets. I said the same thing back to her, but I quickly suggested we split up the task. I allowed her to take the first shift. I'd come back later to relieve her, I lied. I knew I would never come back. Instead, I walked to one of the three or four entry doors to the auditorium. I almost handed off my ticket, but I started thinking that it had been too easy. I didn't want it to end that quickly.

I noticed that there was a second attendant at the door. He was handing out the program booklets.

"Excuse me," I told him. "We've run out of programs at the side door. Could I please take some of yours?" I took my half-stack to the side door and told the person there that he was to go cover one of the other doors. I was supposed to work this door now. Then I handed out the programs until I was down to just one. I carried it inside and took my seat.

Still too easy! I was front-row, center, but there were people with a better view: they were backstage. I watched one official walk through a door that led backstage, so I waited a couple of minutes, got up and walked backstage. I hadn't thought about what I would say if someone asked. They didn't, however.

Then I saw Tim Morgan sitting on a stool, warming up with his beautiful guitar. I had to talk to him. I walked up to him and said, "Hi, I'm with the school paper. May I interview you please?" He was happy to oblige me. Afterwards, I asked him if I could play his guitar. After all, the first four chords I had learned on my $7, used Sears Silvertone guitar were the chords to his cult-favorite song, "The Cat Came Back" (E-minor, D, C, B7 -- a most difficult chord to play). He handed me his guitar and I nailed the B7! He was impressed.

Then I wandered over near the light and curtain cage -- just off stage left. Nearby, the designated student "introducers" were reviewing the 5x7" cards someone had handed them --- cards with the introduction information for each artist.

At that moment, there was a crisis at the light and curtain cage. It seems that the custodian who had opened the ticket booth door for me was working the lights, but he was apparently drunk. I think he had just walked away, so there was nobody there to work the lights.

I volunteered and took over. It was a stupid thing to do because I didn't know the first thing about the lights or the curtains. The drama teacher, a former Marine named Miss Wolfson had been barking orders from the projection booth behind the balcony. I'd listen to the intercom and then look for something with a label that matched what she was saying.

Apparently I failed, because a few moments later, she was there at the cage and was chewing me out for screwing up the lights. "You were on the stage crew! You should know how to do this," she said. I didn't think it was a good time to volunteer the information that I had only been a volunteer for one production, "My Fair Lady," the prior year --- and, no, I never learned the lights. Anyway, she kicked me out of the cage.

That left me without a job, so I went up to the person handing out the "introduction" cards and asked for mine. Whoever it was giving them out didn't question my credentials, so I took my card and waited my turn.

Two performances later, I walked out onto the stage and did a pretty darned good job introducing singer Bobby Day singing his hit song, "Rockin' Robbin."

Then I retired as a gatecrasher. It's always good to undefeated -- sort of.



A postscript: After posting this, I found out that Stan Berman died at age 41. How sad.

Died. Stanley Berman, 41, Brooklyn cab driver and self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Gate-Crasher"; of a blood infection; in Brooklyn. No occasion was too exclusive, no dignitary too aloof for Berman, who posed as a waiter to demand Queen Elizabeth II's autograph during her 1957 visit, crashed J.F.K.'s Inaugural Ball in 1961, and had his finest moment in 1962 when he charged onstage to hand Bob Hope an Oscar in front of 100 million TV watchers.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,900024,00.html#ixzz1R6rWJf52

--- end ---

Just found this about Stan Berman - lol!

1962: Comedian Bob Hope hosts the Oscars from the Santa Monica Civic Center. As the cinematography award is about to be announced, a strange man suddenly rushes the podium and grabs the mike. Calling himself Stan Berman, he declares: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm the world's greatest gatecrasher and I just came here to present Bob Hope with his 1938 trophy." Handing a miniature statuette to actress Shelley Winters, he says "This is for Bob" and splits. Hope later quips, "Who needs Price Waterhouse? All we need is a doorman."

1962: The most memorable event of the night was when Stan Berman, a New York City cabdriver, awarded Bob Hopes a homemade Oscar after he had slipped through security and made his way to the stage.
http://classicmovieguide.com/content/view/445/69/

Friday, July 1, 2011

Burbank has given $4 million in city bonuses since 2007

YIKES!!!

Thought this comment pretty right on:
"Bonuses for public servants! Unbelievable . . . now I have heard everything. No wonder our local, State and Federal government is failing. How can these people believe they deserve "bonus's" with tax dollars. That is some logic. We are doomed if that is the level of thinking in our political institutions. If you want a bonus you go into the private sector where the purpose is to make money . . . not use tax dollars. This is "fuzzy thinking" and lack of integrity in our public officials. I am stunned at this revelation. This is criminal! "


Burbank has given $4 million in city bonuses since 2007

Documents the city fought in court to keep out of public view show a work culture built around the bonus system. One hundred employees got an extra $10,000 or more during the four-year period.

By Gretchen Meier and Maria Hsin, Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0702-burbank-bonus-20110702,0,7586037.story


July 2, 2011
Hundreds of Burbank city employees have received a collective $4 million in bonuses since July 2007, according to documents the city fought in court to keep out of public view.

The records released by city officials reveal a work culture built around that bonus system, which for some employees has amounted to tens of thousands of dollars in the last four years alone. It dwarfs a bonus program in Glendale, a city nearly twice as large, which distributed $1 million during a 10-year period to top managers.

Burbank city executives have defended the bonuses as an important tool in retaining top talent, but records show that the annual payouts extend to hundreds of rank-and-file employees each year. Over time, the bonuses — which range from $30 to $22,000 at a time — can accumulate and add significantly to their salaries, and the city's pension obligations.

The employee at the top of the list, Burbank Water and Power General Manager Ron Davis, pulled in $79,000 in bonus pay during the four-year period. Davis' total salary in 2010 was $263,028.

Public Works Director Bonnie Teaford, who made $207,176 last year, was paid $55,000 in bonuses during the last four years. Other department directors — Management Services, Information Technology and Library Services — each accumulated $31,500 to $40,000 in bonus pay during the same period, according to the records.

City Council members noted Thursday that they had suspended bonuses for mostly executive-level employees for the coming fiscal year, given a budget in which library upgrades were put off, fire services were reduced and fees were raised.

"As a result of that, we are returning that money to city services, which is important," said Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy. "Frankly, it was a very important step to take. Actually, it was critical. And we took it."

The release of the records ends a months-long fight between the city and the Burbank Leader, which filed a public records request seeking information about bonus amounts given to individual employees. Burbank denied the request in January, arguing that it would harm employee morale and violate workplace privacy rules.

But the newspaper, which is owned by the same parent company as the Los Angeles Times, filed a lawsuit. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge in May sided with the paper, ordering city officials to release the information.

In the weeks leading up to the documents being released, residents had been critical of the city's decision to bail out a fledgling municipal golf course while trimming fire and youth job services and putting off library upgrades to close an $8.7-million budget gap. But when told of the total bonus amounts — and that they extended to hundreds of employees — residents were incensed.

"That's outrageous!" said Emily Lindwood, 56. "Families are losing their jobs, insurance and homes in record number and they are giving themselves bonuses? What is our world coming to? How can I get a job with them?"

Patricia Garcia, 38, agreed: "Things like this just stink of corruption, even if there isn't any going on. After Bell, I think everything needs to be scrutinized, especially people getting these huge bonuses."

But the majority of employees who received bonuses this past year will continue to be eligible because the payouts are written into their union contracts. The City Council would have to renegotiate those terms to completely suspend the system.

A $7-million increase in pension costs was singled out as the main contributor to Burbank's $8.7-million budget gap for this fiscal year.

In the fiscal year 2009-10 alone, the city doled out $1.16 million in bonuses for 527 city employees, or about 43% of the of 1,214 eligible workers. One hundred employees earned $10,000 or more in bonuses during the four-year period.

The data also show that 19% of those who received a bonus did so four years in a row.

Even as tax revenues have been hit by the recession, the cumulative amount of bonus pay has increased. In the fiscal year 2007-08, the city distributed $1.07 million. In 2008-09, that amount increased to $1.11 million, and in 2009-10 it rose to $1.16 million as the City Council continued to expand the program for some unions.

To earn a bonus, employees must meet specific goals and objectives established at the start of the fiscal year, although oversight of how they are divvied up varies by department and depends on the management structure, officials said.

Former Burbank City Manager Mary Alvord said the bonuses were an important tool to reward hard-working employees, but agreed that the amounts should be public.

"You are paid by taxpayers' money," Alvord said. "As a taxpayer, you have the right to know. And you can't play hide-and-seek with that."

gretchen.meier@latimes.com

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Residents 'blown away' by bonus amounts

By Gretchen Meier, gretchen.meier@latimes.com

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-0703-bonussidebar,0,7547023.story

July 1, 2011 | 12:41 p.m.
The public reacts to information recently released by Burbank officials that shows city employees have recieved $4 million in bonus pay since 2007.

“I’m blown away by that amount of money. That’s incredible — I want to work for Burbank.”

— Jerad Moreno, 28, outside of Porto’s Bakery in Burbank

“That’s outrageous! Families are losing their jobs, insurance and homes in record number and they are giving themselves bonuses? What is our world coming to? How can I get a job with them?”

— Emily Lindwood, 56, Porto’s Bakery in Burbank

“I don’t know, it’s fair because there’s the possibility and these people are actually doing a really good job. On the other hand, $22,000 or even $5,000 is a lot of money for ‘a really good job’ every year.”

— Paul Ivanov, 31, outside of Starbucks, Empire Center

“Things like this just stink of corruption, even if there isn’t any going on. After Bell, I think everything needs to be scrutinized, especially people getting these huge bonuses....”

— Patricia Garcia, 38, Starbucks, Empire Center

“That’s scary. I live on the border between Burbank and Glendale, but I come to Burbank for the services. Just in the past few years I’ve noticed less librarians and the children’s department seems to be okay, but I haven’t gotten as many books. It’s everywhere, seems like there’s less police and fire on the street and times are tough for everyone. They’re city employees and we all have to take a cut. I’d even be happy with a $30 bonus.”

— Sarah Garcia, 30, outside of Burbank Central Library

“They are making cuts from regular working people. Instead they should use the money to open up more jobs. They’re just burning the money and if they open more work places, there are not going to be as many problems with families.”

— Mike Matvosyan, 46, Burbank Central Library

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Bonus payouts to city employees totals $4M

Documents show the city has paid out $4 million collectively since July 2007.

http://www.burbankleader.com/news/tn-gnp-0703-bonuses,0,4566838.story
Comments

Burbank City Hall
Burbank City Hall. (File photo)



Hundreds of Burbank city employees have received a collective $4 million in bonuses since July 2007, according to documents the city fought in court to keep out of public view.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge in May ordered city officials to release bonus pay amounts for individual employees to the Burbank Leader, which sued to obtain the information after its public records request was denied under the auspice that it would harm employee morale and violate workplace privacy rules.

On Thursday, City Council members noted that they had suspended bonuses for mostly executive-level employees for the coming fiscal year, given a budget in which library upgrades were put off, fire services were reduced and fees were raised.

“As a result of that, we are returning that money to city services which is important,” said Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy said. “Frankly, it was a very important step to take. Actually, it was critical. And we took it.”

But the majority of employees who received bonuses this past year will continue to be eligible because the pay outs are written into their union contracts. The City Council would have to renegotiate those terms to completely suspend the system.

The records released by city officials reveal a work culture built around that bonus system, which for some employees has amounted to tens of thousands of dollars in the past four years alone.

Burbank Water and Power General Manager Ron Davis pulled in $79,000 in bonus pay during the four-year period, putting him at the top of the list. Davis’ total salary in 2010 was $263,028.

Public Works Director Bonnie Teaford, who made $207,176 last year, was paid $55,000 in bonuses during the past four years. The directors of Management Services, Information Technology and Library Services each accumulated between $31,500 and $40,000 in bonus pay during the same period, according to the records.

City executives have defended the bonuses as an important tool in retaining top talent, but records show that the annual payouts extend to hundreds of employees, many of them rank-and-file, each year. Over time, the bonuses — which range from $30 to $22,000 at a time — can accumulate and add significantly to their salaries, and the city’s pension obligations.

A $7-million increase in pension costs was singled out as the main contributor to Burbank’s $8.7-million budget gap for this fiscal year.

In fiscal year 2009-10 alone, the city doled out $1.16 million in bonuses for 527 city employees, or about 43% of the of 1,214 eligible workers. One hundred employees earned $10,000 or more in bonuses during the four-year period.

The data also shows that 19% of those who received a bonus did so four years in a row.

“Most of your top performers will continue to be your top performers each year, typically, unless something drastic [occurs],” said Management Services Director Judie Wilke, who earned a $12,000-bonus this year. “If you are a competent employee, you remain so.”

Even as tax revenues have been hit by the recession, the cumulative amount of bonus pay has increased. In fiscal year 2007-08, the city distributed $1.07 million. In 2008-09, that amount increased to $1.11 million, and then to $1.16 million in 2009-10 as the City Council continued to expand the program for some unions.

To earn a bonus, employees must meet specific goals and objectives established at the start of the fiscal year, although oversight of how they’re divvied up varies by department and depends on the management structure, officials said.

“We trust the department directors to review what’s brought to their desks,” said city spokesman Keith Sterling, who earned a $5,500 bonus this year.

Approval of a bonus may pass through three people before reaching a department chief. Amounts can be a percentage of a salary — such as the $123.71 listed for a Park, Recreation and Community Services employee — or a flat figure, like the $5,000 awarded to a city attorney.

City Manager Mike Flad, whose contract does not allow for a bonus, approves merit payments for executives.

Burbank’s employee bonus program dwarfs its counterpart in Glendale, a city nearly twice as large where only executives are eligible for the payouts.

Glendale, which suspended bonuses in 2008 due to mounting budget problems, distributed $1 million during a 10-year period to its upper management. The highest payout — $10,765.20 in 2007 — went to disgraced former Police Chief Randy Adams, who is now embroiled in a corruption scandal in the city of Bell. It was one of only three individual payouts of more than $10,000 since 1999 in that city.

But Burbank officials argue an “apples to apples comparison” isn’t possible with Glendale.

Former Burbank City Manager Mary Alvord, who teaches a management training course at Woodbury University for Glendale and Burbank employees, said the bonuses were an important tool to reward those “who work their butts off for the city.”

She cautioned that workplace morale would suffer after the Burbank disclosure because she saw it happen among Glendale employees after bonus pay figures there were made public.

Still, she said, “I agree it should be out there. You are paid by taxpayers’ money. As a taxpayer, you have the right to know. And you can’t play hide-and-seek with that.”

Melanie Hicken contributed to this report.

COMMENTS:
ecarle at 8:08 PM July 1, 2011 On December 15, 2010 The Leader reported: “...employees made more than $1 million in bonuses last year.” Then they sued, cost the city another $37,000 or so and found out what earth-shattering information? Read today's headline: “Hundreds of Burbank city employees have received a collective $4 million in bonuses since July 2007...In fiscal year 2009-10 alone, the city doled out $1.16 million in bonuses.” Yeah, you told us exactly that way back in December! Did you get $37,000 worth, Burbank Leader? Because as far as I can see, we learned absolutely nothing we didn’t already know.

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    lightnapper at 4:35 PM July 1, 2011 Donate those bonuses to the "Debell-- "We Ain't Bell-- bailout." Cocktails anyone?

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      tomdavis at 2:47 PM July 1, 2011 Another public employee free-for-all with the taxpayers' money.
      What do they care? It's not their money... until they take it from you.

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        Cutspendingnow at 4:08 PM July 1, 2011 Government employees should not receive bonuses. No one person goes above and beyond that of another employee in their same classification. If that is happening on a regular basis, than the lower performer should be addressed. The answer is not to increase the other employee's pay via a bonus. Every employee receives a salary to perform their job. Bonuses are favoritism at its best. No one employee goes beyond the expectations of their job function. If they are, than promote them. An example would be a firefighter or police officer who saves a life. That is their job! Are you telling me the taxpayers should further reward them with a bonus that keeps on giving? It doesn’t matter how much you produce or the quality of your work, you won’t get a bonus or a big bonus if you are not well-liked. All cities within California do not give bonuses. Why should one city receive bonuses over another. After all, all the jobs are comparable and are paid good wages. If you want a job that gives bonuses, go into sales or join Wall Street.

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          Catherine in Hollywood at 2:36 PM July 1, 2011 As a public employee whose salary is locked in once you hit the top range, not working in Burbank, I think bonuses are a good idea on the surface. My government employer can not give out bonuses and sometimes can barely offer a lame thank you despite working long thankless hours on behalf of the public. People do leave for higher paid jobs and bonuses...that's a fact of life. BUT bonuses can't be given to everyone there needs to be standards and documentation to prove they deserve them. And I'm not sorry to say this but no government employee deserves thousands in bonuses. These bonuses need to be looked at to be made FAIR based on their salaries and to ensure there is no favoritism. BUT before these are given out again..the City Council needs to explain to its citizens WHY they allow BWP to raise its fees. This has become a yearly event and even Seniors on fixed incomes aren't exempt. What rationale is used for that when bonuses are given out...bonuses that WE pay for in these and other fees? I'd give the head of BWP a bonus too, only IF he reduced fees!

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            LAProphet at 12:42 PM July 1, 2011 Can residents get bonuses, too??? I guess not.... All we get are annoying letters from BWP chastising us for our energy use as compared to "green" residents, whoever they are....

            Bob, is that You??

            Just received this funny photo... thanks LeAnne!

            Cathy - I took this picture last week. I can't drive past (I don't think it is possible to drive "through") Sardis, Texas without smiling because of this little cafe.

            Thanks for everything you do.

            LeAnne (Benedict) Dann '67



            Here's a closeup... yep, that's him alright! Wonder where they got him??



            Location:
            653 Sardis
            Midlothian, TX 76065
            Phone: 972-923-2155


            These folks like the food:
            4/13/2011

            We just finished. I had sautéed tilapia with sautéed potatoes and green beans, Susan had grilled tuna steak, assorted vegetables and sautéed potatoes. Mine was delicious as expected and Susan says it was the best food she has eaten in a long while. It is THAT good. We are sharing a chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Need I say more? Try it for yourselves. You will not be disappointed!!!!!!!!"

            In the meantime, be sure to check out Burbank Bob's Website: http://www.bobs.net/