A new Burbank mayor, but will it mean real change?   

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — (L-R) Vice-Mayor Jess Talamantes, Councilmen David Gordon, Gary Bric, Dave Golonski, and in the center, Burbank Mayor Anja Reinke             

Burbank has a new mayor and a new vice-mayor. Yesterday, the Burbank City Council selected Anja Reinke as mayor and Jess Talamantes as vice-mayor. I must say, Reinke smiled and bubbled at this city council meeting more than at any other I’ve seen her attend in the past year. However, the big story is who did not get picked for one of these high profile positions — long time council member, Dr. David Gordon.

In a rare consensus, both The Burbank Leader and Jim Carlile’s popular blog reported on the Gordon snub. Ah, Carlile’s post has a lot more punch and vigor than the Leader story.  Carlile calls the council action against Dr. Gordon discriminatory — and I agree. 

The Leader reports that some Burbank council members have said privately “… they wouldn’t support him (Dr. Gordon) based on his never voting to approve a budget and his earlier call for then-Chief Tim Stehr to step down.” Who made that rule that certain decisions by a council member means he or she gets disqualified from holding the office of mayor or vice-mayor? Is that in the city charter?

Some tough issues facing the city and the council in the coming weeks and months. How much confidence can the public really have in the council’s handling of these issues on its behalf — when council members can be so blatantly unfair to one of their own. 

Secret tapes, lies, and conspirators

Photo of Sgt. Neil Thomas Gunn Sr.

Another hot topic on Carlile’s blog — alleged secret tape recordings made by Sergeant Neil Thomas Gunn Sr.,  the Burbank police officer who committed suicide last fall. I have heard many rumors about Gunn leaving behind a clever trail of evidence accusing ex-Police Chief Tim Stehr and others of complicity in the Burbank Police mess.

Carlile reports that Gunn made some secret tapes, which his wife and her lawyers are going to use in a wrongful death lawsuit against the city. Read about it here.

Controversial changes on Verdugo Avenue

 Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — A cyclist rolls along in the new jumbo bicycle lane on a section of Verdugo Avenue in Burbank May 3, 2010

Before the city council reorganization meeting kicked off, I had a brief chat with Burbank Public Works Director Bonnie Teaford about the Verdugo Avenue project. I’ve heard quite a bit of grumbling and complaining about the changes (some of the gripes are in the comment sections of this blog).

Bike lanes have been added to a stretch of Verdugo Avenue from Olive Avenue to Hollywood Way, reducing traffic lanes to one in each direction with a  yellowed turn section in the middle. I occasionally drive this section of Verdugo Avenue. Yesterday afternoon at around 5 p.m. I drove it again.  I spotted several, perhaps 5 or 6, cyclists riding in the bike lane during a 20 minute period.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — A cyclist shares the road with traffic on Verdugo Avenue in Burbank May 3, 2010

Teaford says her department is monitoring the project and collecting data from the community – now  through October — then will report the findings to the city council for a decision on whether it gets a thumbs up or thumbs down verdict. Teaford summed up many of the claims about traffic hassles to simply, “…change is hard for people.”

Major “Honey Bee” sighting in Downtown Burbank

 Plenty of hot looking cars in the Southland — many in Burbank. I scoped on Chevy Jim aka Burbank Police Commissioner Jim Etter cruising down Olive Avenue yesterday, in his very cool fully restored 1956 Chevy Bel Air convertible called “Honey Bee.”  Etter was behind the wheel, the top was down, and the ”Bee” was turning heads and getting stares.

Check out the before and after photos of this award-winning classic car on chevyjim.com  

The sun is blazing in the Southland today, that means sizzling temperatures in the valley – especially Burbank. At 10 a.m. the thermometer shot-up to 72 degrees in the Media City.  A high of 85 is predicted. You might need to get that umbrella out again – not for rain — but for shade.  Sigh, summer is coming.

The Mega Millions lottery game is turning into a real hoot! You gotta remember, folks in 39 states are playing this game. Nevertheless, no one got all six numbers correct in Friday’s drawing. The winning numbers were 14, 20, 41, 47, 53, and the Mega Ball 40. In California, five players picked five numbers right– but missed the Mega Ball. Each of those tickets is worth $204, 482.

So another tumble for the jackpot, which now stands at $266 million. The next drawing is tomorrow, Tuesday, May 4, at 8 p.m.

A lot of buzz about Comedian/Former “Tonight Show” Host Conan O’Brien’s appearance on “60 Minutes.” Excerpts from that interview popped up all over the Internet last week. Last night, Reporter Steve Kroft’s complete interview with the comic ran on that CBS News program.

And yes, O’Brien talked about the NBC mess, his road tour, his new show, and his feelings about Jay Leno. Nikki Finke’s deadline.com/Hollywood has the video and the transcript. Some funny and witty Conan moments in this interview.  Check it out here.  

A familiar scary face, Freddy Krueger, topped the Box Office this weekend. A remake of the 1984 “A Nightmare on Elm Street” debuted red hot — with an estimated $32.2 million — to become the number one film in the country. This fright franchise is apparently very much alive. It now includes 9 slasher films, novels, a TV show, and comic books. In the 2010 reboot/update Krueger is up to his old tricks of stalking and killing victims by first attacking them in their dreams. The horror flick stars Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, and Rooney Mara.

In second, the animated adventure fantasy “How to Train Your Dragon” with around $10.8 million. Next, a couple of romantic comedies. “Date Night” nabbed third with about $7.6 million. Close behind in fourth, earning $7.2 million, J-Lo and company in “The Back-Up Plan.” 

Rounding out the top five, the new family comedy “Furry Vengeance,” which had trouble attracting an audience. It managed only $6.5 million in its debut. Brendan Fraser, Ricky Garcia, and Brooke Shields star in this film about some furry critters who launch a protest against a new development in the wilds of Oregon. 

Photo: Lawrence Jackson/White House — President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama chat with guests, including Comedian Jay Leno, at the White House Press Dinner in Washington, DC,  May 1, 2010

A lot of chatter today about who was funnier last night at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner; “Tonight Show” Host Jay Leno or President Barack Obama. The zingers were flying, but who got off the best lines?

Leno was the headliner, but President Barack Obama stepped to the podium first at the Washington Hilton and declared: “I’m so glad that I’m speaking first. We’ve seen what happens when someone takes the time slot after Leno.” A reference to that NBC screw-up that resulted in Conan O’Brien walking away from “The Tonight Show” — and Leno taking over the program again in March.

Later when the comedian took his turn in the spotlight, Leno said the criticism of Obama being anti-social was all wrong.”He loves to socialize…health care, car companies, things of that nature.”

More of Leno, the President, the jokes, and that glitzy media event on CNN and Nikki Finke’s Deadline.com/Hollywood.  Both sites have photos of celebrity guests, among them the Jonas Brothers, Jessica Alba, Justin Bieber, Betty White, Steven Spielberg, and Michelle Pfeiffer.