Burbank Mayor Anja Reinke’s daughter drama

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Burbank Mayor Anja Reinke at a city council meeting last May.

The Burbank City Council is dark tomorrow. That should give Council Member/Mayor, Anja Reinke, some extra time to deal with a personal matter that has serious public ramifications. Last Thursday, the popular Semichorus blog was the first to nail down some details on the DUI arrest of Mayor Reinke’s daughter, Ericka Reinke, who happens to be a Burbank City employee.

Here’s what two sources reportedly confirmed for Semichorus.

2:15AM on Sept 1, 2010

Ericka Augusta Reinke

arrested for DUI by the LAPD NorthEast Division.

Placed in Van Nuys Jail

booking # 2461650

$5,000 Bail

Released to Mayor Reinke at 2:00PM

Some reports say that when arrested Ericka Reinke tossed out her mother’s name and position as mayor of Burbank, apparently in hopes of getting some kind of preferential treatment. 

You know, Daughter Reinke may have had a shot at getting special handling if her misfortune had happened in Burbank. If she’d been busted here, I suspect proponents of the city hall status quo would have made sure that police arrest report disappeared or at least got sealed up in some kind of legal mumbo jumbo that would prevent the case from ever going to court. 

Sadly, DUI arrests happen all the time.This arrest is news in Burbank for a number of reasons. First, many have pointed to Ericka Reinke’s hiring and quick promotion as a  prime example of the brazen and rampant nepotism in Burbank city government.  Yesterday a Burbank employee, who doesn’t want to be identified, told me that in her department the workers in their 20s and 30s are the hardest hit by this culture of favoritism. She says these employees are qualified and skilled, but see themselves as being passed over in career advancements by marginal candidates with connections.

We should keep in mind that at this point, Daughter Reinke has not been convicted of a crime. However, her duties reportedly involved investigating other Burbank City employees with personal problems or issues of concern. If that is the case, Reinke should be removed from handling those investigations immediately.

As Burbank City Attorney, Dennis Barlow, is known to say there is “the potential for litigation” — especially if some of the employees Reinke is or has investigated, would challenge her fitness to conduct those investigations.

Yeah, I know, there is a chance Daughter Reinke could beat the DUI rap or the case  could be thrown out for whatever reason. No matter, in the best interest of the city, Daughter Reinke should step down from her Burbank position. If she’s as bright as supporters claim she is, finding a new job without the influence or the appearance of influence from her mother, should be a breeze.

Those Dog Days of Summer

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Burbank dog, "Jack," enjoys a walk in the Burbank sunshine, except when it's a hot summer day.

 ”Jack”, a five-year-old lovable mutt, is a member of the Settlemoir family. Jim Settlemoir tells me “Jack” was a pound puppy the family discovered at the Burbank Animal Shelter.

I’ve know the Settlemoirs for years, but only met “Jack” on a sunny day last May at the Burbank Fire Service Day event.

Like a lot of canines, “Jack” gets a kick out going outside for a walk.  However when it’s a hot summer day, I’m told, “Jack” seeks out the coolest part of the Settlemoir Burbank home to hang out. Smart dog.

Burbank could get some more upper 90s and 100 degree days through September and even in October. So staying cool is still a concern for pets as well as people.

Photo: Lawrence Jackson/White House -- President Obama prepares to tape his weekly Saturday address on September 2, 2010

Yesterday, President Barack Obama’s weekly addressed focused on the  struggles of the American worker and the middle class.  Here is the full text of President Obama’s address:

On Monday, we celebrate Labor Day. It’s a chance to get together with family and friends, to throw some food on the grill, and have a good time.  But it’s also a day to honor the American worker – to reaffirm our commitment to the great American middle class that has, for generations, made our economy the envy of the world.

That is especially important now.  I don’t have to tell you that this is a very tough time for our country.  Millions of our neighbors have been swept up in the worst recession in our lifetimes.  And long before this recession hit, the middle class had been taking some hard shots.  Long before this recession, the values of hard work and responsibility that built this country had been given short shrift.

For a decade, middle class families felt the sting of stagnant incomes and declining economic security.  Companies were rewarded with tax breaks for creating  jobs overseas.  Wall Street firms turned huge profits by taking, in some cases, reckless risks and cutting corners.  All of this came at the expense of working Americans, who were fighting harder and harder just to stay afloat – often borrowing against inflated home values to pay their bills.  Ultimately, the house of cards collapsed.

So this Labor Day, we should recommit ourselves to our time-honored values and to this fundamental truth: to heal our economy, we need more than a healthy stock market; we need bustling main streets and a growing, thriving middle class.  That’s why I will keep working day-by-day to restore opportunity, economic security, and that basic American Dream for our families and future generations.

First, that means doing everything we can to accelerate job creation. The steps we have taken to date have stopped the bleeding: investments in roads and bridges and high-speed railroads that will lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs in the private sector; emergency steps to prevent the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers; and tax cuts and loans for small business owners who create most of the jobs in America. We also ended a tax loophole that encouraged companies to create jobs overseas. Instead, I’m fighting to pass a law to provide tax breaks to the folks who create jobs right here in America.

But strengthening our economy means more than that.  We’re fighting to build an economy in which middle class families can afford to send their kids to college, buy a home, save for retirement, and achieve some measure of economic security when their working days are done.  And over the last two years, that has meant taking on some powerful interests who had been dominating the agenda in Washington for far too long.

That’s why we’ve put an end to the wasteful subsidies to big banks that provide student loans.  We’re going to use that money to make college more affordable for students instead.

That’s why we’re making it easier for workers to save for retirement, with new ways of saving their tax refunds and a simpler system for enrolling in retirement plans like 401(k)s.  And we’re going to keep up the fight to protect Social Security for generations to come.

That’s why we stopped insurance companies from refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions and dropping folks who become seriously ill.

And that’s why we cut taxes for 95 percent of working families, and passed a law to help make sure women earn equal pay for equal work in the United States of America.

This Labor Day, we are reminded that we didn’t become the most prosperous country in the world by rewarding greed and recklessness.  We did it by rewarding hard work and responsibility.  We did it by recognizing that we rise or we fall together as one nation – one people – all of us vested in one another.  That is how we have succeeded in the past. And that is how we will not only rebuild this economy, but rebuild it stronger than ever before.

Thank you. And I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend.

President Obama’s weekly address, both text and video, is posted on  the  White House website.

Two lucky lottery winners could have a whole lot more green in their bank accounts  and wallets to celebrate the Labor Day Holiday. If only they had cashed in those winning lottery tickets.

California Lottery officials say there’s a Mega Millions ticket purchased about a month ago at the Lorena Market, 3360 East Olympic Boulevard in L.A. that has all but the winning Mega Ball number. That ticket is worth $197,117.

Another lottery ticket bought for the May 4 draw at the El Mexicano Market, 6625 South Avalon Boulevard in L.A., also matched all the numbers except the Mega Ball. That one has a value of $179,428. Now time is running out for the owner or owners of that ticket. Winners have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim their prizes. This ticket will expire on December first.

By the way, the Mega Millions jackpot is growing again. It stands at $25 million for next Tuesday’s game.

The heat is on in the Media City. The temperature hit a sweltering 100 this afternoon. I spent some time running Saturday errands and getting the car washed today. I did not linger. As quickly as possible, I was back inside the house with the air conditioning blasting and the fan blowing.  At 5 p.m., Burbank still baking in 90 degree temps.

The forecast is for at least 80s through Monday, Labor Day. However, the temperatures could creep up into the triple digits in B-City and other parts of the San Fernando Valley. So don’t think about the utility bill — be health smart and do what you need to do to stay cool.

NASA challenged the pros on the reality show ”Top Chef” to come up with a tasty dish that could be freeze-dried and sent into space for the astronauts to enjoy. The popular Bravo TV show  “Cheftestants” for this seventh season took up the challenge in the Wednesday, September first episode.

Angelo Sosa won the cook-off with his ginger lacquered short ribs with pea puree, pickled mushrooms and horseradish crème fraiche. In a news feature on the NASA website, officials explained why they consider food a top priority in the space program: “Crew members continually say that when they’re in such an unfamiliar environment so far away, food is one of the main things that reminds them of home.”

Following nutritional guidelines set up by NASA scientists, the menu for the space crews has 180 food and beverage items including beef tips with mushrooms, chicken fajitas, shrimp cocktails, coffee, orange juice and lemonade.

The NASA cooks will soon be whipping up Sosa’s dish and adding it to that menu. Oh, for winning the challenge Sosa gets a brand new Toyota Avalon and a chance to attend one of the final two space launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.   

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the last voyage of the Space Shuttle Discovery set for November first, 2010. A few months later, the final flight of Endeavour on February 26, 2011.

NASA is offering the public some opportunities to take part in these historic space missions. One is the “Fly Your Face in Space” or you can send just your name into orbit program. Check out the details here. The second, is a chance to either vote on or submit a tune as a wake song for the astronauts on the final missions. For contest information  click over to the really cool  NASA Space Rock website.

Discovery Channel real life hostage drama

The Discovery Channel is dealing with a real crime scene at its headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. Earlier today suspected gunman, Radical Environmentalist, James J. Lee, reportedly took three hostages at the network’s building. The standoff ended when Lee was apparently shot and killed by SWAT snipers and the hostages freed.

Previously, Lee reportedly shopped a reality TV project to Discovery, according to The Wrap.  Also, the site has quite a bit of background on Lee and his bizarre brand of social activism.

This evening, the Discovery Channel corporate office released the following statement about the hostage drama:

David Leavy, Discovery Communications Executive Vice President Global Communications and Corporate Affairs stated:

“First and foremost, Discovery Communications wants to express how relieved and grateful we are that all employees and the children from the Discovery Kids Place daycare center are safe. Employees in Silver Spring demonstrated courage, compassion and cooperation throughout the situation, which aided law enforcement efforts — for which we are thankful and proud.

In coordination with Montgomery County, Md., Police, an evacuation procedure was executed for all persons in the building. The evacuation procedures were handled with professionalism and with safety as Discovery’s primary concern. Discovery thanks the Montgomery County Police and Fire & Rescue and other state and federal safety personnel whose quick thinking and fast action ensured the safety of the employees and children in the building as well as the Silver Spring, Md., community.

The events of today showed the strong heart of the Discovery family.”

The statement was released through PR Newswire.

“Takers” beat the competition at the Box Office

The bank robbery thriller “Takers” has surprised many with its take at the domestic Box Office. “Takers” debuted as the number one film in the country last weekend with a haul of $20.5 million, beating close rival “The Last Exorcism” by a couple of hundred thousand dollars or so.

“Takers” proved its weekend victory was not fluke by holding onto the lead on Monday and Tuesday. “Takers” is about a group of skilled bank robbers who bump up against a tough detective and his partner during a final heist. Matt Dillion, Hayden Christensen, Pop Singer Rihanna’s ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown, and Rapper, T.I., are  in the ensemble cast.

Despite a number of bad reviews, “The Last Exorcism,” managed to find an audience. The new horror mockumentary, scared up $20.3 million, to finish in second place. The movie is about a disillusioned minister who agrees to the exorcism of a farmer’s daughter and a documentary crew goes along to film it all. Patrick Fabian, Iris Bahr and Louis Herthum star.

The action flick, “The Expendables” came in third with $9.5 million, bringing its three week total to around $82 million. Rounding out the top five,  romance drama, “Eat Pray Love” with $6.8 million and the buddy-cop comedy, “The Other Guys” with $6.2 million.

Photo: Pete Souza/White House -- President Obama shares a moment with a soldier at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, August 31, 2010

 Before speaking to the nation tonight, President Barack Obama flew to Texas to visit the soldiers at Fort Bliss in El Paso. Troops at Fort Bliss have participated in every phase of the seven-and-a-year war in Iraq and continue to service in the new support role. The President went there to say “thank you” from a grateful nation. Later from the Oval Office, President Obama kept a campaign promise and ended the controversial war

“I know this historic moment comes at a time of great uncertainty for many Americans.  We’ve now been through nearly a decade of war.  We’ve endured a long and painful recession.  And sometimes in the midst of these storms, the future that we’re trying to build for our nation — a future of lasting peace and long-term prosperity — may seem beyond our reach.

But this milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that the future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment.  It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century.”

The full text of President Obama’s address to the nation on the White House Blog.