myBurbank Talks
The Week That Was and That Will Be - November 13
The City of Burbank, known for its rich history and vibrant community, is a place where politics, public service, and police action intersect. In our latest podcast episode, we delve deep into some of the recent controversial decisions made by Burbank's City Council, which has been a hotbed of debate and controversy.
One issue we discussed was the recent 4-1 vote by the council to accept military equipment. The sole abstention, by Councilman Constantine Anthony, sparked a spirited discussion about the responsibilities of elected officials to take a stand on contentious issues. This decision has raised questions about the city's willingness to accept military equipment or funding through grants and its potential implications for the community.
Another intriguing topic we explored was the move to encrypt police radios. This decision could potentially hamper public and media accessibility, causing a significant shift in how information is disseminated in the community. We discussed the possible fallout of such a move, including the potential impact on the public's trust in the police.
One of the highlights of the episode was our tribute to Burbank police officer Matthew Pavelko. We explored the circumstances surrounding the unveiling of a flagpole and plaque in his honor on the 20th anniversary of his tragic death. This segment was a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by our police officers and the deep respect we have for them.
Another fascinating aspect of the episode was our exploration of the enigmatic possibility of a Green Lantern statue joining the ranks of Wonder Woman and Batman in Burbank. This stirred a lively discussion about the city's cultural identity and its ties to the comic book world.
The episode also touched on the suspicious switch in the location of the City Council meeting. This raised eyebrows and led to questions about the transparency of the city's decision-making process.
In sum, this episode offers a comprehensive insight into the world of Burbank politics, both past and present. It presents an intriguing mix of controversy, tribute, and celebration. The discussions underscore the city's commitment to public service, while also revealing the challenges it faces in navigating complex political landscapes.
From honoring our local heroes to scrutinizing the decisions of our city council, this episode serves as a reminder of the importance of active civic engagement in shaping our community. We hope that our listeners find this episode both enlightening and thought-provoking. Tune in to discover more about Burbank's dynamic political landscape and the people who shape it.
The City of Burbank, known for its rich history and vibrant community, is a place where politics, public service, and police action intersect. In our latest podcast episode, we delve deep into some of the recent controversial decisions made by Burbank's City Council, which has been a hotbed of debate and controversy.
One issue we discussed was the recent 4-1 vote by the council to accept military equipment. The sole abstention, by Councilman Constantine Anthony, sparked a spirited discussion about the responsibilities of elected officials to take a stand on contentious issues. This decision has raised questions about the city's willingness to accept military equipment or funding through grants and its potential implications for the community.
Another intriguing topic we explored was the move to encrypt police radios. This decision could potentially hamper public and media accessibility, causing a significant shift in how information is disseminated in the community. We discussed the possible fallout of such a move, including the potential impact on the public's trust in the police.
One of the highlights of the episode was our tribute to Burbank police officer Matthew Pavelko. We explored the circumstances surrounding the unveiling of a flagpole and plaque in his honor on the 20th anniversary of his tragic death. This segment was a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by our police officers and the deep respect we have for them.
Another fascinating aspect of the episode was our exploration of the enigmatic possibility of a Green Lantern statue joining the ranks of Wonder Woman and Batman in Burbank. This stirred a lively discussion about the city's cultural identity and its ties to the comic book world.
The episode also touched on the suspicious switch in the location of the City Council meeting. This raised eyebrows and led to questions about the transparency of the city's decision-making process.
In sum, this episode offers a comprehensive insight into the world of Burbank politics, both past and present. It presents an intriguing mix of controversy, tribute, and celebration. The discussions underscore the city's commitment to public service, while also revealing the challenges it faces in navigating complex political landscapes.
From honoring our local heroes to scrutinizing the decisions of our city council, this episode serves as a reminder of the importance of active civic engagement in shaping our community. We hope that our listeners find this episode both enlightening and thought-provoking. Tune in to discover more about Burbank's dynamic political landscape and the people who shape it.
From deep in the Burbank Media District. It's time for another edition of my Burbank Talks, presented by the staff of my Burbank. Now let's see what's on today's agenda as we join our program.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody. Craig Sherwood here along with Ross Benson.
Speaker 3:It isoh, I got to hit the button, I got to do all sorts of stuff. My hands are up, that means I'm moving, my voice is working and I took some cough medicine, so hopefully I won't have to use the cough button. Okay.
Speaker 2:Beautiful. Everybody enjoyed that. Well, let's umwait, let's um get off toyou, alright.
Speaker 3:Well, I just slipped a different camera.
Speaker 2:Okay? Oh, wait, a second. You got to take care of the chiclet. So we're off to a great start so far, aren't we? Everybody Welcome to the week that was, and the week that will be, our November 13th edition, and it's going to beit's, an edition we actually were putting together a couple days ago and said, yeah, not really much to talk about. And now we have Fireworks. We've got fireworks. Yes, we do, if youwe're finding the city has gone into secret mode, it's uh, mike Nolan would say that they've hidden the weenie and nobody can find it but them. So, anyhow, let's get on to last week's Councilor's Meet, to Start with.
Speaker 3:Isn't that where it starts?
Speaker 2:Yep Last, uh, on November 7th. Councilor, we talked about last week, you know, about the military equipment, and, as my prediction came to fruition, the Council voted 4-1 to accept the military equipment. Or, you know, quote, military equipment. And of course, who voted against it? Constantine Anthony, keeping his promise not to fund police things of that nature. Um, he also abstained from receiving the money from the COPS Foundation to support different services. I find that a little strange too. I mean, some of that can go to the MET team, but he did not want to vote for it or against it.
Speaker 2:You know what we ask our politicians to do. One thing take a stand. You know, it's just like the politicians in Sacramento who don't want to decide something controversial. They say, well, let's put it on the ballot and let the people decide. You know that's why we're voting for people to run our state, to run our city, to make decisions, not to abstain, not to take a position. I can live with him voting against the weapons thing. I can agree with that At least. Okay, he stayed true to his position, but not taking a stand either way.
Speaker 3:On the other thing, Like you say you recall he also asked for a report, which we saw on the city manager's page week or so ago, about moving the mental health the MET team to the fire department.
Speaker 2:The police to fire department, which makes no sense at all. If you'd ever listened to the radio back in the day, when you actually listened to the radios before the police department went to secret mode, you'd hear all the calls that would go out for the MET team and the situations involved, and that's not for a fireman to go out there in a hostile situation.
Speaker 3:Well, on an average basis, we can hear a radio go fire.
Speaker 2:We can hear fire.
Speaker 3:And how many calls do they go on that say stage four, PD, right, All those calls? And I'm finding you'll hear on the fire radio the captain of the rig will say what's the ETA of the police department? What are they doing? Why can't they get them back up? They can't hear them. Oh, they can't. My apartment can't hear them. We had an incident down here on Sarah about a week ago where a guy was threatening to shoot up a whole mess of apartments. Right, Fire department got called out there. The battalion chief on the scene said let me a police officer did my command post. We can't hear what they're doing and what they're talking about.
Speaker 2:You know, it's just a system, great system we have there. We're encrypted, so not even people can need to listen. Can listen, you know, and they're thinking that, okay, we encrypt them. But you got to remember, these aren't radio texts on fire rigs, these are firemen, right, they can't figure it out. Okay, if I push this button and I go to this channel and I do the, you know they don't have time for that. They just need to pick up the mic and say, hey, what's going on? Or you know, they want to list of something. But now it's the age of the secret police.
Speaker 3:Well, I just today, on my way here, there was a call at the Hilton Gardens of a knee and knee-breed female that was threatening staff, and I heard the captain come on and say do we know when the police are going to show up? We're staging outside, yeah, you know.
Speaker 2:And it just you know, we go. I put out a tweet and said we don't know what's going on, we can't hear the police anymore. I put a tweet out and I get a lieutenant sending me an email saying do not say that we're encrypted for a reason. And I'm going. You know what? Are you going to spank me or something I go, you get. And he said you know we're encrypted for a reason, I go. It was your choice. It's not mandated by law. It's mandated by law to have one channel encrypted so you don't put people's personal information over the air. You've had that for 10 years. Everything else is something you decided to do on your own. But don't tell me you guys decided to do this. This was your decision, your choice to lock everybody out from listening to you, so the media can't hear you anymore.
Speaker 3:Well, I think you're going to. We're going to hear when we get into the gritty of our show today. We're going to find out and show where the city somewhere else is not too transparent.
Speaker 2:Not too transparent at all. Okay, anyhow. So that was. The city also approved the $1 million for legal fees and the lawsuit fight, and right now I will get into it later. But I thought the city was going to do the right thing and this lawsuit we're going to talk about later. They just threw away a half million dollars of your taxpayers money and didn't disclose the thing about it. So we'll see and I'm worried about the million dollars what's going to happen. We're going to start the lawsuit and then say, oh, never mind, but that here's a million dollars, so we'll get into that. There are also voted to use the $250,000 received from the Avion development. That's the big development that they was put in by the airport. That is already in and functional. You know, some of you know what Randy's Donuts is. Randy's Donuts.
Speaker 3:Randy's Donuts, all right. Isn't there a doghouse there too? I have no idea. There's a cat house. No, no, there's not a cat. Easy this is Nevada. There is a doghouse up there and Randy's Donuts and oh you know it's interesting about this $250,000.
Speaker 2:So, as you probably, I'll let you explain in a second the $250,000 was given by Avion Cannabis, a strong arm tactic by the city saying we do, you know, do some things with this money, and they're using that money now to fund, to give it. No, they've given it to a consultant once again for this Golden State project. Now, what did you be aware of? What happened with Well?
Speaker 3:back in the day when the gentleman who owns Avion went to city council to get the project approved that night before they voted, council member Bob Frutos brought up I want $250,000 put aside for road improvements all the way down Hollywood Way at Pass or at Alameda Hollywood Way all along that corridor, because you increase traffic.
Speaker 2:Yes, and that money is now being used for something else.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's called bait and switch. Yeah, and it kind of gets me that that I remember that night he, the property owner, the developer, he was not too happy because he's going to throw a project away or you're going to agree with what this councilman threw in.
Speaker 2:And not one city council member probably even watched the meeting back then, knew about the meeting, or Right you know? It's all new council and they're saying they didn't even ask about the history of where the money came from, what was supposed to be used for, but now they're going to give it to a consultant. We're good with giving our money to consultants, aren't we?
Speaker 3:Oh, we are.
Speaker 2:And they taught and they approved the media district plan. It's got to be for it. It's progressing. I found it interesting that Nick Schultz and Um Nikki Perez they recused themselves.
Speaker 3:Well, they both live right in the middle of it.
Speaker 2:I get that. That's what happens if a third member had lived in that area too, so we wouldn't have a decision because it has two members now. And when you make projects up for the whole city, don't you live in?
Speaker 3:that city? Well, I don't see, because normally when the city attorney advises council members right to recluse themselves, it's because of financial gain somewhere.
Speaker 2:Right. I'm not sure how the getting a report on the plan that they're not going to vote on.
Speaker 3:Well, maybe the only thing is um, I pretty sure Uh, Nikki has made it pretty clear she rents, so I don't know where she would make any financial gains, but I would say property value where vice mayor Schultz owns. He owns that house. So you wonder, you know the value of that house, Maybe that one I?
Speaker 2:could Well, but he also owns that house when he makes their decisions, for the city too.
Speaker 3:But the media district specific pan.
Speaker 2:I understand that, but it's it's a more of a transportation plan, true, anything else. And I don't understand why.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:I get it, you want to be clear on things, but anyhow well, so they they was funny they they left the room. Yeah, they left and then they went to bring them. They wouldn't bring back, it's okay. We have future agenda. They already went home, left. The meeting went home.
Speaker 3:That one when they went to look for them and they couldn't find them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they decided to go home. I guess they had an agenda item. Nah, they're Spotted in.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it just kind of gets me when it's something like you know for us that watches them, watch the meeting weekly and have been going to council and they recluse them to okay, you can go to the restroom, they're not going down to the soda machine or whatever. Just go home. Yeah as well, go home.
Speaker 2:Um, there's either a promotion.
Speaker 3:But that the look, that the wait, wait, wait, wait a second. I got my sound effect.
Speaker 2:At least one of them. Oh, you have our meetings, look what happens.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know the very fire department. We got some guys you know they're retiring and some guys are promoting. And this last week I noticed on social media they put people on the phone. They put pictures of two guys Scott Smith, who is now a captain, and John Stockton.
Speaker 3:Now I ran into John Stockton a month or so ago Did you know not to that, but I've known John since he came on the department. The stock. The name in the Burbank fire department is quite well known. He has a cousin that is a Burbank fireman. He has another, I think a brother, that is a Glendale fireman.
Speaker 2:Don't tell David Gordon about that.
Speaker 3:His dad was a fireman, norm Stockton. He retired as a battalion chief and I believe his grandfather retired as a Burbank fireman. That family is very long in. So it's kind of neat to see John get promoted to fire captain Some good experience and it's great to see you know guys, young guys, get promoted up to captain and so forth.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. And then also you saw something about the spark of love.
Speaker 3:Well, you know, you're right. Spark of love, it's the. We're in November, getting ready for December. Years ago people probably remember the weather gentleman from Channel 7, Dr George. He used to be collect toys and I remember them. Along with the Marines and the fire department they collect toys for kids. Well, Burbank fire department again is has announced that the spark of love toy collection is in full force. If anybody would like to bring a toy, an unwrapped toy, to any Burbank fire station, there is a box there. The firefighters will be glad to accept your gift and, if I recall right, all the toys that Burbank fire department collects for the spark of love will stay here in Burbank. They will go to Burbank kids under not under the privilege, but kids that don't get toys, and so forth. So that is a great, great thing. Again, any Burbank fire station has a box for spark of love. I remember years ago the metro train used to come through town and they would collect and they had a huge truck all the way all these toys. So that's kind of nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but then back then it was kind of like measure H we do all the paying for it and all the give all the toys and take the toys out to give them somewhere else. But you know, I mean our Burbank people need toys. Yep, toys for Tots. You know the Toys for Tots? Oh yeah, that's CSP, does that, I think?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I believe you're right.
Speaker 2:Okay, uh, friday they observed observed Veterans Day at McAvish Park because it wasn't actually Veterans Day. We actually have that on Veterans Day usually, but no, not, not when it's a Saturday and people don't want to take their weekend off. And and If they observed the holiday on Friday, why not just work on Saturday? I mean it's it's a three-day weekend and you're getting, I'm sure they had the most people over time in the city to work on a Paid a city holiday.
Speaker 3:Well, and it's funny because at the ceremony I photographed it and we had a police captain there, police administrator there, fire chief there, department heads are, we're there, I don't know if they're salary people, but there were quite a few. But one of our legislators, our senator from this district, is a Marine, former Marine, and she got to speak about that. You think about the 11th at the 11th hour and so forth, the armistice day, and the mayor went off script and I tell you, when he said I'm going off script, I think everybody Kind of looked at each other and said oh, but he spoke about it quite well, about our Veterans day, those three-day holidays. We've made it into a, you know yeah commercialized and we forget the real reason.
Speaker 2:Well, the real reason it should have been held on the more on veterans day, I'm veterans day, and there were, if I you know, on Saturday. I watched the news a lot of, lot of. So, yeah, staff now has a big parade. Yeah, yeah, seven hundred parade. University of Prade in Burbank.
Speaker 3:In fact Carol Mander, our, our senator. She was the Grand Marshal of that San Fernando Parade, actually my state senator.
Speaker 2:That's the way Burbank slice the two different districts, oh you know, she got up, I have her and you on your side. You've got Senator Portatino.
Speaker 3:Portatino. Well, they were both there and Laura Friedman was there, but of the people speaking, she was the only one that was former military. She was a Marine out of high school. She decided to enlist and how does it help?
Speaker 2:our council members weren't there, though.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I, nikki press wasn't there and Tamela wasn't there, but the mayor was there and and vice mayor and Zazette I didn't see our city manager, but there were so many people. Yeah, it was kind of neat. There was a gentleman that came out here from Florida, has served in three wars, 99 years old, oh, and he drove out here. He had a little walker and he got up to the podium and he spoke and Got a couple of good laughs. You know he was, he was sharp and Just really, really yeah, and the community band played. We had to fly over and it was this time, you know, they lost the commander of the air squadron. He was killed in a plane to plane crash in Las Vegas. He didn't. The team did an extra flyby form. So they came by three or four times and the Burbank fire department used had their truck company out there. They put that huge American flag up.
Speaker 2:Well, not before that. There was actually a lot of firefighters at the ceremony Burbank high school. I saw that and you know I think you have a lot of military guys in the fire and police department, so you know.
Speaker 3:I think I saw some policemen in that picture too. Yeah, that was something that, bob Hart, you guys discussed, right and so forth. There's an article website now in fact, people take a look at that story. It's up, it has pictures now and that's a new writer. If you look at the byline on that, I was one of our newer. What's his name? Alexandra? Last name, oh there you go, there you go.
Speaker 2:I have to do the hiring software. Yeah right, you're, I gotta do the paycheck, so you have to know the names.
Speaker 3:But he wrote that article. It was nice to Bob Hart and, like he quoted one of those guys, they like being recognized. Yeah, you know they, some of them. You know veterans day is not about the ones that we've left behind.
Speaker 2:No, the ones that serve. Memorial Day is for the ones, correct? We didn't leave behind.
Speaker 3:No, didn't make it.
Speaker 2:They didn't make it. We don't leave people behind.
Speaker 3:But it was real nice to see the Veterans Committee was acknowledged. The mayor shook their hands, thanked them, the Several hundred people there besides the Burbank High baseball team. But it was a real nice ceremony, got some and I'll tell you we lost Jimmy Weldon this year. Um, he was the one that did a daffy duck, I think, and some of the other sounds. He did the story about the flag and he they did a rendition. He said he'd think he was there so, and they had a girl from burrows sing national anthem and another song. That she was just fantastic.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, that's it for the week that was. So we're gonna stand by for our, our usual commercial break. We're hopefully still trying to find. Well, we got one or two, we got one, one next week. Yeah, we have one next week. You know, we need more, we need more than just one sponsor.
Speaker 3:Oh, we do, you know but we have a new sponsor, you'll hear. They're on the front of my burbank, um, and next week, when our official voices back, we'll be able to maybe do a commercial with them.
Speaker 2:So so we'll be right back in In just one second.
Speaker 1:How would you like your business advertised in this very spot? My Burbank talks is looking for local businesses interested in a 30 second spot to appear in our podcasts. If you're interested, please email advertising at my burbankcom and we'll be glad to discuss all the exciting possibilities with you. Now back to our podcast.
Speaker 2:Okay, craig Sherwood, here again with Ross Benson. Hi there, there you guys. I finally got to talk.
Speaker 3:Well, I had to take the sip of water. Yeah, you're gonna be. I was gonna have to use the cough. Wait, is this a cough button or a sneeze button? It's, it's either one. Well, I don't want to sneeze on this microphone.
Speaker 2:Who knows where it's been. Um, we, um. Let's start off the the week that will be with our first, our announcement of our, of our winner from last week for our word of the week, and that would be Catherine Hurran. You are the winner of last week's gift card for ill street cafe, and we will have another word of the week for another winner Later in the show. So keep listening. Who knows when that word's gonna show up, but when it does, we'll let you know. So Thank you, catherine, for for lift, and please send us an email with your address so we can mail off the card to you right away. For hill street cafe Ross, hill Street cafe. Gotta love the food.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, and you know, catherine, right now they have turkey dinners, hot turkey dinner. They're gonna be open on Thanksgiving. If you don't have anything to do, you go get your turkey there.
Speaker 2:We love tally rand if it's a little too busy. Tally rand head over to hill street that's right, they're turkey dinner will give it a run for its money.
Speaker 3:You're very true.
Speaker 2:So we appreciate hill street cafe cats. We appreciate you listening to us. It's amazing how many people are listening to our show now on a weekly basis. It's a youtube or the podcast platforms. You know the crack and we appreciate it. You know we put a lot of work into this every week. You know we don't just just show up and sit down. We actually put a lot of work into it. You know writing a script. We have pre pre meetings before the show and and everything else, and we enjoy doing it, you know. But there's a lot of editing goes on afterward. So if you're watching this after not live To see the edited versions we have to put together now.
Speaker 3:Did I tell you that I had people come up to me at the vector in today's ceremony Tell me that they're really enjoying the podcast. So I do know people are listening.
Speaker 2:And the one thing I found interesting I was kind of looking at the the city manager's notes and uh, there was a note on there about the next statue coming to burbank.
Speaker 3:Are they putting a statue of craig shrewen finally up at one of the ballpark?
Speaker 2:No, there's not enough material in the world to put that together.
Speaker 3:That'd be a lot of material is that I don't know a lot of blubber pewter, copper, bronze, bronze yeah.
Speaker 2:I think it bronze me yeah.
Speaker 3:I just think of that. That statue got stolen. Yeah, you'd be worth a lot of bucks.
Speaker 2:Anyhow. So we're next. The next statue coming is going to be get this, you ready the green lantern.
Speaker 2:The green lantern why the green lantern? I have no idea. You know dc, I wanted butters and dc comics, these one their characters. And I'm not saying I'm not saying that the green lantern is not a good character, I mean it is. I think we've done one movie on him, though he's not in their superhero movies. Um, you know how about aquaman? He's in all our movies lately, you know, uh, but how about? How about this? How about the, the guy who started all superman Superman? Why not do a superman statue? I mean, I don't the green lantern anyhow. So the green lantern statue is coming next to join wonder woman, batman and Burbank.
Speaker 3:Uh, we don't know somebody. Somebody once told me I think they were looking at it magnolia park or something but I don't know, I don't know. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I guess they'll say something one year, in the next year, and there's a change over people. It's something else. How true, holy cow, anyhow. So look at that for that down the line. Um, on monday, which is today, is that today? I'd be today, right. All day and a half of tonight.
Speaker 2:Um, the sustainable Burbank commission met today at five o'clock in community services building. Now, once again, we're going to disrespect the sustainable Burbank commission because we are so good at that, the one commission that's working hard To do things and put ordinances on to do all sorts of work. You know we we give the police commission cart blanche. Give them the council chambers and everything else but sustainable Burbank. What do they get? They're being told now that number one there are some conflicts in a 2024 calendar that have three-day holidays on their meeting day and they need to change those days. Okay, I can get that, but they also want a new meeting location. So the ledler tenant commission can use the space instead On on those Mondays in the community services building. They don't know you want to go, ross.
Speaker 3:My brain's just overflowing here.
Speaker 2:They want to go back to the recycling center where they were before.
Speaker 3:I got a new sound effect I'm going to request next week. Isn't that the Pac-Man sound? Do you mean there?
Speaker 2:you go, there you go, I don't get it. So once again, you know after what? Five, six meetings at city hall in the community services building. They're not recorded on on video. They're going to send them back now and exile them. I don't get it. So You're going to have three or four meetings on a Monday, okay, and Not not only on Monday. Do they have the Stano Burbank commission going? They've got the economic development strategy plan committee workshop going at seven and Besides that they have the planning commission at six. So there's three meetings right there alone. I don't think there's enough parking downtown by the way Ross.
Speaker 3:What meetings do they have on Thursday?
Speaker 2:This week? Oh wait, they're not. There are no meetings on Thursday. So let's have four meetings on Monday at the same time and no meetings on Thursday. I mean, instead of having them change location, how about just change the day? You know, let's have it on Thursdays from now on. You know the second Thursday very much or something, and I why is that to be? What is it with the city? People and they just can't Think. Well, they can't make a decision on this one.
Speaker 3:I think they lost their calendar. Yeah, that's not all they've lost.
Speaker 2:I don't get it. I'm. It makes no sense to me why, once again, a commission that's done A lot of things and and working on ordinances and bringing things to the council, was actually doing More than most of our commissions do in the city, are just being treated like the a bad stepchild. There you go Anyhow, uh so we'll move on anyhow, economic economic development strategy plan community workshop is from six to seven thirty at community services. Light refreshments will be provided, I can promise you.
Speaker 3:Portos. Well, oh, my hand is up. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:Are they? Portos at every city meeting Betty.
Speaker 3:Portos takes care of them. But who's paying for it? Oh, come on, they're gonna meet for more than 20 minutes, are you not? Are you not paying for that? You got it.
Speaker 2:That's what I thought. Okay, the capacity is a hundred people, so that's, I can't imagine even 25 people showing for that thing. Yeah, kind of wonder. Um, anyhow, the workshop is for the economic economic development five years strategic plan. They want you to provide your ideas and insights on where you want to work. They want you to provide your ideas and insights on where you want to work each shop and play in Burbank. Yeah, and they're really gonna listen to you too. They're really gonna take those recommendations and do something with them. Or they're gonna say, oh, we had a meeting and we had community input.
Speaker 3:Well, you know, on this one I will say, um, we won't see it. Quick, put down the road, you'll see, and as we learned from the state of the city, economic development is really moving forward here Speaking of the state of the city.
Speaker 2:The state of the city, the state of the city that we just had recently, that mayor anthony kind of got yes, uh, anyhow. Um, he has this video go on the city's website that was supposed to be played at the state of the city address.
Speaker 3:Did you see that? Yes, it was. What was that?
Speaker 2:He was in a suit and tie, which is completely out of character for him.
Speaker 3:Well, they put a lot of time. You know, I will say you and I know that the pio's office just tremendous work. Working on that and it takes a lot of.
Speaker 2:Look, by the way. By the way, shout to legend, legend, legend, legend of PAO's office. If he's listening, you'll know who I'm talking about. Okay, Legend?
Speaker 3:Well, we'll see. But you know they spent tons of time working on this great video. Oh, it's fantastic. And then they scrapped it. You know, a week before they scrapped them here, they scrapped the video, you know, before the state of the city. And then so there's a show called the Week they, what no, the Mayor Show. And I was flipping around the other day on my computer and I said wait a minute, I've never seen that video and I watched it. It was actually what they filmed for State of the City. So if you want to see what was originally planned, there you go. It's said in Nick Schultz. So they, I will say within a week they, if you recall the video was shot.
Speaker 2:Their plan B could have been a plan A, a, a anywhere else.
Speaker 3:Yep, they had a great job on that. So kudos and our hats off to the PIO for, you know, throwing that together and then being able to fit that video in quite well.
Speaker 2:Okay, so the planning commission is being at six o'clock and they have one thing on the agenda after the last two meetings for cancel, for nothing on the agenda. This on the agenda all they have is a various tool out a proposed swimming pool and spa to encroach into the required front yard setback of 14 feet anyhow, the six foot five fence for a single family residence at 1310 Evergreen Street. I looked at that property real fast on the map and it's just kind of on a triangle area, you know, between Chandler and Burbank and I. You know they don't have a traditional yard and backyard so I can see where they have to kind of put the size of their house instead. So that's fine, you know. Hopefully they get that approved.
Speaker 3:I will say I was at a ribbon cutting and one of our planning commissioners was at that ribbon cutting. She's part of Burbank Coordinating Council. She listens to our podcast because she made a comment about my pet peeves and my rants not my pet peeves, but my rants and I won't say what she laughed about, but she was. She did bring it up to me the other day. So, samantha oh, I wasn't supposed to say her name, samantha. Thanks for listening.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, samantha. We do a thank you. Thank you very much. Okay, here we go. Tuesday, let's start Okay.
Speaker 3:In fact, wait, wait, wait, wait. We've got to warn them here. Fasten your seatbelt, folks, because this is going to be a rough ride here. I can see the steam coming out of my partner's eyes. You know I brought it up at dinner.
Speaker 2:At the original run through I put on the agenda for the council Me really not much to listen to. You know what we can do with that party agenda Blush it down the toilet, because there's a whole new ball game right now To start off with. I'm going to play for you a little, a little. Slip it from the last council being they had last week. Okay, so this is exactly from the council meeting one week ago when they adjourned it, and here is what was said.
Speaker 4:Great. We now adjourn the meeting in memory of city of San Fernando council member Cindy Montañez, to Tuesday, november 14th 2023 for a joint meeting with the Burbank Unified School District Board of Education in the community services building next door, room 104. That's across the street, 150 North Third Street, on the first floor. Do not come to council chambers on the 14th. Go across the street, all right.
Speaker 3:Thank you all and good night. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Can you repeat that? I know I'm kidding you, but I listened to that meeting too. Yeah, they were supposed to meet with the school board, because they can't fit all of them on the dias right up there.
Speaker 2:And when was that supposed to be Community services? Oh, tomorrow, tomorrow. So we look at the agenda and what's it say on top of the agenda? City Council meeting 6 pm at City Hall. And what's it say about the school board? They're not a word anywhere. So my question number one is this You've changed the meeting location without notifying the public after you notify the public in a public meeting that it was going to be there and said don't come to City Hall. Well, guess what? Don't go to the community services building people because they're going to be at City Hall. I'm going to hide in the weenie, you know important right now, and they're hiding the whole meeting now.
Speaker 3:Mike Nolan just turned over in his grave three times and he's going. I think I'm going to go get a beer.
Speaker 2:Now that's. That's strange enough, as it is the fact that they promised and I looked at the council for it is nothing, you know, it's on the agenda. There's a thing on the agenda saying let's have a discussion about when we're going to have a meeting with the school school board, and I'm going wait a second. That's what you're supposed to be having tonight, or maybe it is tonight or tomorrow night and it's at the community services building and they put the wrong thing on the agenda. I don't know. It is completely cats and dogs living together as one. Well, bill Murray, and back in the day it goes.
Speaker 3:You know, I've asked the city clerk's office once before and their supplied the agenda, yeah and so forth. It's not. We're not pointing fingers, but folks, you got people. I hope there's a road traffic officer out there directing people either to City Hall or the community services building, because either way, the agenda that they put out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, that's fine, but then at the meeting you heard what he said. I played the snippet right there. That's it, the mayor talking. The mayor saying last week I mean, we'll be said, don't go to City Hall.
Speaker 3:But can I bring up a good point? You recall a couple of weeks ago, or actually now, how many months ago, when they talked about encrypted radios and our city attorney didn't know what he was talking about? Our police chief was a little unfamiliar with what they were talking about Fire chief.
Speaker 2:So he knows that in police, that they went encrypted and it's secret radio now, but he didn't know about fire.
Speaker 3:But what gets me?
Speaker 2:is so we and we tweeted that out that they were going to do that and immediately you got calls from how many cities saying that's not true. We're only saying what was brought up by the city attorney of the city of Burbank.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and just now you guys heard what they said last week at the end of the meeting about tomorrow night's meeting. But it gets better, does it not?
Speaker 2:It gets better. This is not on the agenda. In fact, what this is is came out on a press release today. Now, as you guys know, we had the hearing last week for Tin Horn Flats and the judge ruled that Tin Horn Flats did not have a case against the city or First Amendment rights, which we all knew. It was just a ploy by great. Yeah, it goes just to counter to the city. But the judge also said in the case that the city of Burbank didn't have a case against them Having a business in Burbank, since they don't have a business in Burbank. It was a mute, a moot point and they dismissed that part. Well, what came out today in the press release? And now let's interject there A week later we had a reporter a reporter in the courtroom.
Speaker 2:You know now I got to say, by the way, he asked the lawyers for a comment and they wouldn't talk to him because they're lawyers, they don't. Yeah, that's going to pay him $500 an hour. They're going to talk to us.
Speaker 3:Well, folks, we're reaching out here. We had this time. We had a reporter in the courtroom taking notes and he wrote his story.
Speaker 2:And now Craig. So we got a press release today and said exactly what we said in our story, and then the last sentence said he dismissed the city. Well, now, this is it for it. They're done. They're done with it. So now, and by the way, so who made the decision that we're done with it? Because I've watched every time the city council meets and closed chambers and 10 horn flats is on the agenda, and even had a special meeting last week and not once did the city attorney come back after it and say there was something reportable. It's always there was nothing reportable to talk about. So that means the council did not make this decision, evidently, or if they did, and we're not getting the truth. Here's my problem and we're going to, we're coming after this big, big and hard. We're not this, this, we just kind of tonight. So, trust me, the next couple of days we are going to do some huge research.
Speaker 3:So let me read and what gets me is this press release. The exact wording is with this decision, all trial related dates were taken off the court's calendar and there are currently no further dates scheduled.
Speaker 2:Well, this means this so far as of maybe a year ago, we were already owed close to $300,000 in expenses, legal, um, please, everything. $300,000. That's put around power department, all the stuff that we had to do. They had it lined by line. We had to pay for everything else, and that was about a year ago. I'm going to, I'm going to find out exactly how much money this is.
Speaker 2:Right now I would think it's either easy half a million dollars and now somebody has made the decision we don't know who. It wasn't the council, because it was never reported out, it was never talked about at a meeting. Somebody has said we're not going after them anymore for for costs. We're not going to sue them for our costs. So what they're basically saying is this we're throwing away a half a million dollars of taxpayer money and we just don't really care.
Speaker 2:And and if you do something, that's really wrong and we have to go fight in court, we just do it for looks, yeah, but down the line, two, three years later, hopefully it just goes away and you won't even know we did anything about it. Well, no, we're not going to let this go away. That's money that we should have gone after. That's money that they purposely defied the city with. That gave the city a huge black eye nationally, and now we're going to say, oh, don't worry about it, it's OK, they took. They raised $100,000 on GoFundMe OK, so they have 100,000, at least the bank. They also took $65,000 in PPP money from the federal government.
Speaker 3:When you say that, you mean the owner.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Barfly Incorporated Right $65,000 in PPP money because that was meant to pay employees who couldn't work through the pandemic. But they were open and the employees worked. So what they basically did was they got paid employees for free and they made all the money during that time. This is all disgusting.
Speaker 2:And I am so disappointed right now with every one of our city leaders and city officials, who I always praise, is doing the right thing Right now. They've turned their backs on us as taxpayers, us as a city, and they've hidden the information and never, never, said here's the decision we're making and here's why it was all a secret.
Speaker 3:Well, I think we need to clarify here. Last week, every week, they the part of the agenda the mayor will ask what was brought up at closed session Any report.
Speaker 2:The only thing that they that our city attorney reported on was a personal injury single case and they're not allowed to talk about anything else that's not on that agenda in advance.
Speaker 2:Right because they did not put it out. So what? They had a meeting a week before about Tin Horn Flats, a special meeting, and I watched you and at that nothing, nothing. At the end of that, nothing that came back on and said nothing to report or anything. They, they, they. They're supposed to come back even on a closed session meeting and report out and then close the meeting. They didn't do that on the video.
Speaker 3:Well, and what's strange is we posted the article that happened in. Like I said, we had a reporter in the courthouse we reported last week. He said that there was going to be two more cases, the one in December, one in January.
Speaker 2:Another hearing in December and a jury trial starting in January. He reported out on the sixth.
Speaker 3:The seventh is when it says they the seventh is when.
Speaker 2:no, the seventh was last Tuesday. Yeah, Okay.
Speaker 3:So that's when? So council meets after a courthouse closes. Yes, it was decided on.
Speaker 2:Well, who knows? Did the council even have any decision on this? Did the council even know? We don't know, because once again you guys will be on encryption. You know only five people can hear it and that's good enough for them. I'm telling you this is actually Very disappointing that there I think they knew there'd be a huge blowback if they found, if they reported, that the city's not gonna try to recoup any other costs.
Speaker 2:There. A case, I understand their case. They, the judge, says you, you can't have a case against somebody. Have it, you know, but not having a business in Burbank. But they don't have a business in Burbank, so it's a mute guy. I get that, but it has nothing to do to address the court costs, the lawyer costs, the police costs, the public service costs. You know that I said $295,000 as of at least a year ago. I will find out exactly how much have been paid to these outside lawyers Who've been fighting this case for us, because I'm right now. This is not going to roll over easy in my, in my world, I'm sorry. Not when this city Continuously charges a fee for everything.
Speaker 2:You want to change your life, talking your home, you need to get a permit from the city and pay a pay a fee. You got to pay a fee for everything in the city and yet Now you know what. You got to pay fees so they can take money and throw it and throw it away and things like this. Well, a year and a half two years ago that they fought the pickwick thing, everybody knew they're gonna lose. We lost $500,000 on the pickwick fiasco, you know what, but nicely reclaimed $500,000 from barfly even if they didn't pay. Hey, it's. That's a presence saying if you do this, we're gonna go out and it's gonna cost you. But no, we're not doing a thing, we're just saying, oh well, don't worry about it. I just you know, and, and there's nothing stopping now to come back and getting another restaurant in Burbank. They legally could do that. Now they can't stop them.
Speaker 3:Well, it just kind of Folks we have brought up. Why are we?
Speaker 2:appealing it.
Speaker 3:There is. There's what's called transparency. We've had an issue with the police department going to Encryption. So the public Okay, we understand why they went to encryption, but they have had six months now to rectify so the media could hear what's going on. The other police calls. We you and I talked at our at our pre-planning meeting. They go on these, the fire department gets dispatched and they said PD suggests the stage, stage. For how long?
Speaker 2:they can't hear them. But you know, the point is is that they did not have to go to encryption of all their channels. They made a conscious decision. It's their choice to do it. The state law says you cannot put people's personal information over the airwaves unless it's encrypted. Yes, absolutely, that's the law. That's a state law. And you know what they did. 10 years ago. They put one of their channels encrypted that they've used for 10 years to use that information. So they've already had the technology, they already had an encrypted channel and and they tell me not to say things like don't, uh, you know, don't say it were secret. Don't say you can't, you know, don't, don't say these, no, no, you made the choice that we couldn't hear it.
Speaker 3:Well, my point is, you know, talk about transparency. There's one. This, this case with thin horn flats is very clear. We got the press release today. It went out to all the media and and I Like I said to you, a week after it happened.
Speaker 2:I know that's day you know.
Speaker 3:So it kind of gets us about this transparency at city hall folks. You know, if if we weren't here talking about it.
Speaker 2:Would anybody know about it? Nobody'd know about it. Yeah, they sent a press release out. Who's going to run the press release? The LA Times. So three thousand people in burbank who get the LA Times might say it had a hundred thousand that the daily news is gonna run it and nobody's gonna run the release. That's like saying, you know it's frustrating, but that's why we're we're still around, because somebody's got to watch them.
Speaker 2:You know, we've lost. We lost, uh, jules kimmet. We lost melvin purlis. You know, uh, we've lost, uh, mike nollett. We've lost all the, the guys you used to watch over the city. And and you know, I feel we have that responsibility now to do that. But I'm telling you right now I'm I'm, I'm disgusted with all this secrecy going on lately. It's just, you know, I mean, they have to tell us and we'll do freedom of information. Actually we have to, but we will find out. I mean, why don't we appeal that? Why is that not being appealed? Okay, and did we even ask for court cause? They've even asked for lawyer fees. Do we even ask for damages? According to that release, it didn't say anything about the damages or anything else right.
Speaker 2:It just said we, we, we lost the case about having them located in burbank. Okay, I get that, but that's not the whole case. But I guess we're just gonna Tuck our tails in our backside and run out of there.
Speaker 3:I Think somebody just text you. They're calling 911 for you on your probably are.
Speaker 2:By the way, I'm gonna try to figure out how we get the youtube youtube comments live in the future, just so we can actually um, um If we get public input during our show. So, moving on, we do have a holy cow. I gotta take a breath here anyhow, moving on.
Speaker 3:November 15th.
Speaker 2:We have a ceremony.
Speaker 3:Yes a very sad thing happened 20 years ago.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we go from that being all fired up. Now We've got something. We've got, you know, a sad thing and um, for those of you who remember when uh math burbank police officer Matthew Pavelko was was killed at, uh, the hotel at San Fernando and uh, ramon in Ramon in and officer Greg Campbell was Seriously, yeah seriously, injured. Um, anyhow, we're gonna put a.
Speaker 1:Uh the burbank the year's.
Speaker 2:Is going to now put a flagpole and a plaque honoring him Over on, uh, south johnny karson park, south south. Okay, that's, that's off riverside drive across from the the. Oh yeah, the dog park isn't there? Just an empty lot now because we have, it will be once again, we haven't figured out the dog park yet in four years. Um, they're going to have a unveiling of the Flagpole by the Burbank police foundation, who've paid for the funding and the city has approved it.
Speaker 3:There'll be a ceremony that will be we'll be covering on uh on wednesday and, if I recall, I saw a ceremony at last week's council meeting where the Burbank border reliters charitable foundation Made a very large donation to the foundation for a plaque memory With memorizing my moralizing boy.
Speaker 3:I'm glad my tooth is in, but um Matthew Pavelko, matthew's dad was an LAPD detective. Matthew had been on the street only 10 months. Um first time Burbank had a police officer, uh, involved and uh are killed in the line of duty. And um, like I said, I remember that day and it's not the first time, but I was seven, 40, 40 years, I think but what really gets me is Wednesday it's supposed to be raining.
Speaker 3:It was raining that night that he got shot and killed. Um, I remember will barry was the pio On the train tracks went down san fernando that's where all the media met. I lived on point of visit, just near Empire, so I was there rather quickly. When I got there, officer randy loyte, who is still a Burbank motor officer, went down on the tracks. I got out of my car to help him and he rendered a to him and he said ross, go shoot pictures, go shoot pictures. I got a picture of him down on the tracks. He reminds me all the time. He has that picture on his icebox. My son, matthew, at the time held the umbrella for will barry at the press conference and I was shooting pictures. I can remember it like it was yesterday.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I think every day in our inner city and it's I'm glad we're doing something to remember him. Every year we have a little ceremony, I think it at least fire headquarters, although it's very. It's not publicized much, which we we missed some years because they don't tell us. Well, I'm told that they're also going to run the.
Speaker 3:The guys that run the vaker to vegas, yeah, are running from the ceremony on wednesday through the police station in memory of matt. And there's also many things people do not know. His locker is still in the police department locker room. The officers that work that day will be in their Class A uniform all officers. That means long sleeve shirts, ties. The whole works in memory of Matthew, so people don't forget Matthew.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think of what you want to a police, okay, but I gotta tell you what, what, what, what job do you have where you wake up the morning and you really don't know if you're gonna make it home that night, and your family doesn't either. You know that's, that's everybody's nightmare in that situation and, yeah, we really have a, we have an obligation to support them when we can I know that's a big problem we can. I know their contact, their contract is coming up and I hope they get a nice new contract. But I'm gonna tell you we, in a lighter note, what else is that is by that flagpole.
Speaker 3:There is a monument that bob hope Dedicated many, many years ago to the troops that serve, and you and I were both there to watch it. Yep, and I don't know the name Of the top of my head and and unfortunately we call that statue. I'm not gonna say it the testicles.
Speaker 2:You, I said it, I, I'll go there. We, that is. We have no idea what that statue supposed to be.
Speaker 3:Something of the constitution.
Speaker 2:It's a forgotten statue. In fact, what we tried to look it up tonight On on the city website to see, you know the statues, there is not a list of statues anywhere on that city website. You couldn't tell. Yeah, we have a statue somewhere of dr David Burbank, I believe it. Um, uh, victory in Burbank, but there's nothing. You know, we talk about the, the batman statue and the wonder woman statue, but we don't talk about any other statues that we actually put up for a reason. So, uh, I, I don't know where our priorities are some days.
Speaker 2:Also, on Wednesday, they're having a media district specific plan update, public workshop number five, and they're going to be having that. I'm, I'm going to have that. They're having that somewhere. Let me take a look here. I got notes about that somewhere. It's at the point of Mr library, from six to seven thirty pm. So learn about the draft draft land use concept and ask questions to our project team Once again. Will they listen to you, who knows? But they can say at the next council meeting, oh, yeah, we had a meeting, we talked to residents and and we'll do what we want to do anyway. Okay, also On when I said Wednesday, I believe it's Wednesday, oh, your favorite, oh, yes, Wait, don't, don't.
Speaker 3:We know that one we do have that.
Speaker 2:This is not breaking news, this is just news. Enough of that. The police commission is going to be at six pm at City Hall. Now we're the police mission is not going to talk about things like encrypted radios and why they're doing it and what they're trying to do to be more transparent, because that's oh my goodness, that might be controversial, that might be actually police stuff that they can actually figure out. No, we're not going to talk about things like that. We're going to talk about number one.
Speaker 2:There'll be a presentation and a discussion of the recommendations presented in the racial identity and profiling act. They call RIPPA and the end report. So we're going to have a presentation on that report about RIPPA, rippa and I guarantee you when they're done with that report they'll say oh, thank you very much report, we'll know and file that. We're not going to send anything out to the public. We're not going to get any kind of presentation. Thank you very much. Then we're going to have a presentation and a discussion on trends of domestic violence with respect to mental health, substance abuse and coming out of the COVID pandemic.
Speaker 2:Now, I'm not sure they keep the stats for all that time. How much work is Burbank Police Department staff putting into putting this report together for these guys and what are they going to do with it? Absolutely nothing. No, it and file. Thank you very much for spending hours putting this together and spending your time to deliver to us and making these PowerPoint presentations and everything else you're going to do and we're not going to do a thing with it. And then a third presentation and discussion and get this one. It's going to be on mailbox steps, including types of property taken, trends and patterns of investigative actions. Well, let me tell you what happens. Somebody breaks into a mailbox. The Burbank Police will take a report and you know what they do. They turn it over to police mission. Listen, now I'm going to make this easy on you. They turn it over to the postal inspectors who run their investigation, who find out what mail was taking and what kind of had. That's up to, that's up to the federal government, that's not up to Burbank Police Department.
Speaker 3:They have my curiosity with it. What, the police commission? What are they going to do with the information and why? What is the purpose of them requesting this information?
Speaker 2:I sometimes I just baffles, we got to have, we got to have it. And then the councilman say well, we have. We have all these recommendations and all these things and all these subjects. They lift all the subjects off to the council and it's like OK, but what did you do about it? Well, what did you recommend, did you?
Speaker 3:do anything. It kind of gets me that every month they have a meeting and they request these reports.
Speaker 2:It's busy work. It's busy work for the department. It's busy work for the city attorney's office. It's busy work for the PIO's office, right it is busy work.
Speaker 3:But what do they do with the report Once it OK? They want to, they want to feel important, they want to feel that they sit on the police commission and they're doing something. But honestly ask go, if we. You remember the man on the street? I remember at the Daily Review, burbank leader, I would be sent down the Golden Bank scene.
Speaker 2:I did the.
Speaker 3:Burbank scene. Walk down the Burbank Mall. Ask six people A question. I guarantee if you ask them anything about the Burbank Police Commission, they're either going to scratch their head or scratch their ass, Because you know what? Ninety thousand people in the city have no clue. And if you ask them what? Last month they got three reports. Do you know what they were? Again, it's for the benefit of the seven people sitting there. That is all.
Speaker 2:I see people watching it on YouTube.
Speaker 3:I was on the wrong camera the whole time. I'm sorry, folks.
Speaker 2:Well, I got to see me instead. Is that it? They're looking at me.
Speaker 3:I'm going to do two things. We had a council member text to me.
Speaker 2:And so that's why it's tough to actually do two things at once. Isn't that nice? Do I have to over here on the side? Yes, ok, anyhow, I mean, please don't talk about encrypted radios, don't talk about things that are, you know, I don't know. And we brought it up to the commission, you know, and we asked them when it first happened to you. Oh, we know nothing about it and they didn't ask about it. They didn't, you know. It's like. Well, we don't want to rock the boat. They understand why the police was even formed back in the fifties because of all the corruption in the Birmingham Police Department and they had to have an oversight board. To you know, because we had a police chief fired, a mayor fired, mickey Cohen and his boys yeah, they all lived down in the In the car in the media district. No, rancher, rancher district, I'm sorry, rancher district.
Speaker 3:I think I told you the story and I did at lunch. When we had lunch the other day at the do drop in my buddy, glenn Duke, when he worked for the power department. He used to collect their bills and before you could go down to Mickey Cohen and his boys you had a phone there and they would wait for you to stop by and pick up your power bill and he said that's because they they were playing cards and everything else inside.
Speaker 2:So back in the day when Mickey Cohen ran the city of Burbank, I've heard which I can't verify, but I heard a lot of the mafia families back in the day. All lived on the Hill of Burbank, the Hills of Burbank, and there was never any crime up there whatsoever because the word was out you don't do crime around the families.
Speaker 3:Wait a minute. Is that what that chicken on my door?
Speaker 2:Well, that's the horse's head on your bed.
Speaker 3:Wait a minute.
Speaker 2:Oh, wait, a minute. Wait, mr Red. Mr Red, hello, I'm Mr Red. Yes, you are, and don't ever forget that.
Speaker 3:Um, okay, let's move on to um we told folks, we warned you, we told you to buckle your seatbelt Because and put on your bow tie because we this meeting. When we sat down at our pre-meeting, craig said turned to me and said you know, there's not much to talk about tonight. And then I dropped on him this press release and I saw he he took a bite of his burger and it started coming out his ears.
Speaker 2:Anyhow, um well Friday Rain or shine.
Speaker 3:Wait, was there a commercial? A car commercial used to say that, oh no, no Rain or shine. No.
Speaker 2:What? No, I think that's. You buy a ticket to a show and it says a concert. It says Rain or Shine Anyhow. Well, rain or Shine, it's holiday in the park this Friday night. And so far they've put, they are still actually waiting for a permit from the city. From what I understand, they don't have a permit yet to have this event from the city, but we're going to have it. It's going to happen. A lot of people put a lot of work into this thing. Ross, I know you're on the committee.
Speaker 3:You represent my beer bank on the hand here when I started on the darn committee.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that was back in the early days of rock and roll. Yeah, people.
Speaker 3:I will say the. It's put on by the Magnolia Park Merchant Association and they have a committee called Holiday in the Park Committee how appropriate. And we hired Ashley Erickson who kind of has run it before this year. She got paid to is very, very, very did I say very difficult she has. You know, her hair used to be red. I don't think she has hair anymore because she has dealt with a lot of problems that have become.
Speaker 2:The city keeps asking her more things, even a week before the event.
Speaker 3:Just last week they asked yeah, they asked for her. You know her traffic plan. It was in the original drive. We gave them back in August.
Speaker 2:No, because it starts earlier. Now they have to have a different traffic plan. That's the same traffic plan.
Speaker 3:So the committee there's Karen Ross, who is the president of Magnolia Park Merchant, teresa Anna and her husband David, who own a business in Magnolia Park. We have about six or eight committee members to put this whole event on Road Kings. Road Kings going to have, I think, 40 cars there, ferris Wheel, you and me, I must have said Ferris Wheel.
Speaker 2:I've said the word a week. So guess what? If you email to winners at myburbrinkcom or contest at myburbrinkcom and use the word Ferris Wheel that's again, what is that? Ross Ferris Wheel Then you'll be entered for a contest for a $25 Hill Street Cafe gift card. By the way, Catherine, only one winner every three months. So you're out of contest this week. Get everybody else sending your emails and we will select a winner for a report next week's show. So let's get back to the Ferris and everything else.
Speaker 3:Well, besides the Ferris Wheel, you and me for the first, I think Santa Claus will be there, chosen for official portraits. You and me, as a parting gift, will be doing their caramel, caramel, apples, caramel apples.
Speaker 3:Oh for the first 150 or 200 people. We have numerous food trucks. That will be all some news. Some have been out here before. The one of the churches I can't think of the name, my brain just totally flake but they will have the block between California and Ontario with a climbing wall and all sorts of stuff and again, rain or shine, the event goes on. The streets getting closed down earlier this year, 10 o'clock, eight o'clock, they'll close the street. We're going to have it cleared off by 10. 8 am. Yep, because it takes a lot to market and if we have to market, if it's wet where our booths are going to be, and so forth, and we have a lot going on that day. So come on out. It's the biggest thing going on in Burbank on Friday night.
Speaker 2:Only thing in Burbank going on anymore no more parade. The city's made it so hard to run any kind of event in this city. This is like the last event where the community can actually get together for one night and it's always the most well attended event of the year. And you know, and here's the thing, folks, bring your checkbook, bring your credit card, bring your smartphone with your credit card involved in your smartphone and go inside the businesses Magnolia Park, because you know those businesses are actually paying for this and support them. You know, buy something in these stores. Look, I just go in and take a look and say, hey, you know what, there's a presence in here. I might want to get later down the line. They need your support.
Speaker 2:We can't lose Magnolia Park. It's a very unique area. You know, I think there's a very few places like Melrose in Los Angeles is kind of a unique area to for shops. Well, so does Magnolia Park. Not a lot of places like that anymore. So support our little local merchants. They really do need your support. Those aren't corporations there, those are individual people.
Speaker 3:Well, you know you talk about support this event, our committee meeting last week. We added up the police department, the safety gear, the everything that we need to put in $98,000 price tag. It costs to put on this event. It costs $98,000. Now I will say, to make it safe, the city is nice enough to donate part for the street closure. They do part of it, we do the rest. This year there are people are going to see some new barricades which cost quite a bit more. They're required, but all those things add up and it's a very expensive event to put on. That's why we'd love to have people come out and enjoy it and think about kicking off the holiday season. Magnolia Park.
Speaker 2:Yep. Well then after you've walked up and down Magnolia Park for three hours on Friday night, go home and soak your feet, because on Saturday morning you get the street fair on San Fernando Road between Angelino and Magnolia. We're going to close down San Fernando and we're also going to have the wine walk at the same time. So this isn't whining about how much your feet hurt, this is whining about the drink.
Speaker 3:If I'm right, the fair goes from 12 to 8, but the wine sampling is from 4 to 7. Right, and you got to be 21. Got to be 21. And you got to get a ticket, but don't get a ticket driving home.
Speaker 2:Okay, yep, so there'll be a lot going on there. I'll tell you, this weekend. Now there was also supposed to be the. On Saturday there was supposed to be the family festival in the park at Johnny Carson. Now that was the family the Perfect Arts Fall Festival, they called it. It was supposed to be last month or so, about four or five weeks ago, but they thought it was gonna rain, so they canceled it.
Speaker 3:No, they thought we were gonna have what storm was coming through. I'm on soon or something yeah, tornado.
Speaker 2:I don't know what it was, but they canceled it and turned out not to rain that day. So they rescheduled for guess what? Saturday, and guess what's my do on Saturday it's supposed to rain again, but it's. It's a Johnny Carson Park from 2, 15 to 7 o'clock. We looked on the website, the city's website, to confirm it and it wasn't there. And if there's no mention of it anywhere. So we were assuming, and once again, we're assuming, because the city doesn't seem to be updating a lot of stuff lately. In fact, we went in the park and rec website to look and I Got I gotta be honest with you, if you got a few minutes, go look at the the city of Burbank's website and bring up Johnny Carson Park and Two of the three pictures show nothing but weeds.
Speaker 3:It is the most you can tell they're not Ross. I Benson folk, that's just it.
Speaker 2:I mean, you know our both photographers for how long and we the those that would not be the picture I would ever want to use to highlight a park is is a driver who were bed with a bunch of weeds in it. I mean that that was embarrassing to look at. So, holy cow, really, that's the best we can do. I mean, that's a show. You know you have to be a cell phone and and 10 minutes of education and that's where you get back, so, anyhow. So it's supposed to be on Saturday from 2, 15 to 7. It might be raining again.
Speaker 2:There's what should night the night before Christmas at 5 o'clock. It says to be food trucks and family fund, live performances, music, art and a 30th anniversary screening of the night before Christmas. We just said so. We don't know if they're gonna have it or not. We assume they were. You know. You know they wouldn't say the word assume, especially when it comes to the city of Burbank. Anyhow, okay, that's it for the week that will be, except, of course, I've got to come up with a sound effect for your rant. I've got to come up with something. You know, I just I don't have anything. That's really gonna be.
Speaker 3:We can't use Phantom of the Opera theme song, can we?
Speaker 2:know we can't use that, but we'll come up with something for you know. But I think this week's rant but it was Ross's rant for this week you know, I listen to two, two items.
Speaker 3:First the those what were they called? The hangers down in Orange County, right?
Speaker 2:And I, I think I'm.
Speaker 3:Austin and I've been down there because the police department used to use those are more were two hangers.
Speaker 2:They're very famous and using a lot of blimps in there and I've seen a blimp string World War two.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, I've said I've been right next to him because that's where I like Orange County Sheriff's trains, so I've seen them. But what did they experience today? Later that fire had to burn uncontrollably.
Speaker 3:The fire is still burning, it's still adding up and last night it was, but it's putting off asbestos, lead, other unknown contaminants. Folks, how Prepared are you? Two days ago I listened to LA City all night long Fight the fire down on the 10 freeway. You know we have pipelines crude oil going under our streets, along the railroad tracks along San Fernando. Remember when they put them in and what's on those railroad tracks, by the way, oh.
Speaker 3:Oh, train cars with unknown chemicals. We have two freeways coming through town that transport unknown chemicals, what I'm bringing up. How prepared are you when the unexpected happens, if you were locked down into your house for five days, or you, or there was a chemical, whatever, you have an N95 anymore. Are you prepared? Oh, and then 95 is in 95 net mask.
Speaker 3:Okay okay, and if you notice, that's what they've told all those people down in the tuss in right to wear. But how you know, things like this happen. Only I Can snap my fingers and you never know what's gonna happen. You need to be prepared and this is a good example. We might live in nice little Mayberry Arfty, known as Burbank.
Speaker 2:Let's not forget about earthquakes happen anytime, anytime.
Speaker 3:Well, these other things gonna happen anytime. And are you prepared? If it did and I highly recommend you just think about it and get prepared nothing to worry about. Do you have your water? Do you have, you know, in 95 masks? Do you know where to tune in? You know, do you have any cash with you? It's all these things. That you have, batteries?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, water battery. Just a simple thing, you know, because when that earthquake gets, you know, you know it's gonna happen.
Speaker 3:I get a lot of yeah, things are gonna break and I thought those were your, I thought those were your real good dishes oh those.
Speaker 2:Those gonna eat bed.
Speaker 3:Well, that that brings us. You know that that's my rant of the week. We did, we it's not that we did forget about Greg Durling. He's on special assignment.
Speaker 2:We forgot to say that you're talking about special assignment when you really think about it. You watch the newscast at night. They say so and so is on assignment or so and so is. Often nobody cares, just want to hear the news. And we love Craig and he does a great job and he's a great perspective, but nobody really cares why he's not here. But we still want to say he's on special assignment.
Speaker 3:He hopes to be back with us very soon. I know that.
Speaker 2:He's doing something that he loves to do right now, and that's that's that's amazing for him, right.
Speaker 3:Well, you know what? When we started this show, we thought we were gonna have a 21-minute show. Now turns out to be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're about an hour and 15 minutes. That's about what we know.
Speaker 3:And I don't want to. It's not because we could go that certain length, that's because I know how long before I need to get to the bathroom. You know those lemonade at patties?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, thank you very much the and when we're not gonna forget about this the tin horn flats thing. This is something that's to be a major story down the line. And if you listen to this, ask questions. Ask your city officials questions, because they're holy. I learned something a long time ago when it comes to city officials and Company officials and everybody who makes decisions, don't make a decision and they'll say Well, people aren't gonna like this, we're gonna a lot of blow back. Yeah, you know. They all say you know what. Yeah, it's the first 30 days. We're gonna get a lot of a lot of crap and a lot of next 60 days and we get a little after 90 days. Everybody's gonna forget about it and move right on, and that's what's gonna happen now. It's it? Ah, we'll take the heat and then they'll just forget about it.
Speaker 3:You know it's funny. You say that I had a very good friend in a program that I was in that would always say what was your biggest problem six months ago to the day? That day it was real big, but I bet you can't remember to the day what it was. That's a great point.
Speaker 2:And with that, think about that yourself. You're laying in bed tonight. Think about what was my biggest problem six months ago. Hell, what were your last biggest problem six weeks ago? So there you go. There we are. Okay Once again, for Ross Benson's is Craig Sherwood. We thank you. Those listen live and who are listening not live. We still appreciate you and thank you very much, so we will talk to you again next week.
Speaker 1:My Burbank talks would like to thank all of my Burbank's advertisers for their continued support Her bank, water and power to Simoneau real estate group. You me credit you, her bank, chamber of Commerce, game credit Union, providence, st Joseph Medical Center, community, chevrolet, media City Credit Union, ucla Health, tequila's, burbank Logix Credit Union, hill Street Cafe, hurtain, escobar wealth management and the UPS store on 3rd Street.