Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Site of a future Walmart 1301 North Victory Place at the Empire Center in Burbank

The Burbank Walmart controversy just keeps growing. Now there are questions about the fairness of that quickie vote taken by the Burbank City Council at its  February 21 meeting, which cleared the way for Walmart to get the permits it will probably  need to renovate the site of The Great Indoors out at the Empire Center.  Despite  protests and hours of emotional speeches by opponents of the project, the council voted 4-to-1 to accept a staff report that dismissed all those protests and concerns.  The lone “no” vote came from Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy.

Last night, anti-Walmart forces returned to the Burbank City Council meeting with new ammo. Several people raised questions about the council vote last week on Walmart, which came after midnight, but the decision appeared to be reported in the media as early as 10 p.m.  Council members, Dave Golonski, Dr, David Gordon, and Mayor Jess Talamantes insisted their votes to not scrutinize the Walmart project further were on the up-and-up and not part of any back-room deal.   

Here’s the e-mail sent out by Stop Walmart in Burbank on Monday, February 27.

Hi Everyone,

Many of you probably saw the headlines in the media this week – we are sad to report that city council has approved the building permits for Walmart at the Empire Center.

If you would like to see the podcast of the council meeting, you can see it in its entirety here: www.ci.burbank.ca.us/index.aspx?page=633.

In a nutshell, after 7 long hours of waiting for the Walmart issue to be discussed on the agenda, we were disappointed to find that staff did not expand their report, as unanimously requested by council at the previous meeting.  There was little discussion on the issue regarding either (1) the unsatisfied traffic mitigations or (2) the prohibited sales of grocery in sub-area D.  Only Ms. Gabel-Luddy made a concerted effort to further explore these issues, and she was out-voted four to one.  The staff report, which basically gave city leadership an “escape hatch” to avoid properly vetting this store, was approved, rubber stamped, and filed away.

What’s also disturbing, at 10pm (hours before the Walmart agenda even came up for discussion), KTLA reported that the Council gave approval for the Walmart permits to be issued – curious because the vote wasn’t made until well past 1 am.

There will be some sort of recourse for the council’s vote to go ahead with allowing the permits, and further investigation of their vote count that was leaked to the media.  As we know more, we will let you know more.

Thank you for all your support!
Team Stop Walmart

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Media City Groove will continue to follow this developing story.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

 Last week, I read a letter a father wrote to his daughter who is getting married.

In the letter he wrote,
“Dearest daughter, a long time ago in England, wives were called peace weavers.”

It seems to suggest that the father was hoping that his daughter would be able to create peace in the new family she will start with her husband-to-be.

As I read the letter, I was reminded of something.

The Korean word for wife is ‘ah-neh’.
The root of that word is ‘ahn-heh’.
‘Ahn’ means inside and ‘heh’ means sun.
So what the word means is the sun inside my heart.

A family stays and grows together through peace and because of the brightness in their hearts as if the sun is shining on them.The peace weaver or sun of the heart can be either the wife, husband, son, daughter, mother, or father.

I hope that this week will be a week of peace and brightness in your heart.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Actor Arlow Stewart in Abraham Lincoln Park 300 North Buena Vista Street Burbank February 25, 2012

There’s a ton of great talent in the Southland. So we’re going to be giving shout-outs to some of  that talent in a new feature called Media City G Profiles.  First up: Actor Arlow Stewart.

I heard Arlow Stewart give a cold reading during a community event here in Burbank a short while ago. I was impressed with his skill. Others there commented on his strong vocal delivery as well.

At the age of 16, Stewart and his mother took what he called “a risk of faith” by leaving Oklahoma City for Hollywood. Stewart enrolled at John Burroughs High School in Burbank where he graduated with the class of 2000. Also, he beat the odds and quickly broke into the acting field. He got work in commercials and in television series like “Chicago Hope,” “Judging Amy,” “The Practice,” “ER,” and “Without A Trace.”  His movie credits include the 2003 action film, “S.W.A.T. “  In addition, Stewart says, “I have a love for live performance… ” such as local theater.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Actor Arlow Stewart in Abraham Lincoln Park 300 North Buena Vista Street Burbank February 25, 2012

NEW CONTACT INFO:

Manager
Griffith Talent
Shaunna Griffith
(818) 415-4169

Agent
Nancy Chaidez Agency
(323) 467-8954

Arlow Stewart, Jr.
(818) 272-6870
arlow.b.stewart@my.csun.edu

Photo: Courtesy www.oscars.com -- Octavia Davis accepted the Oscar for best supporting actress and gave a heartfelt emotional speech at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood February 26, 2012

As expected “The Artist” collected the major prize of best picture last night at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood. However, one of the best moments of the night occurred when Octavia Spencer won the best supporting actress Oscar for her work as a feisty maid in “The Help.”

Octavia Spencer received her golden statuette from last year’s best supporting actor, Christian Bale, and she joked about it.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, Academy, for putting me with the hottest guy in the room.

“I have to thank my families. My family in Alabama, the state of Alabama… um… my L.A. family, watching at Steven’s or at Gada, my ‘Help’ family,Tate, Brunson, Kathryn, Allison Janney, thank you for being in my life. I share this with everybody. Thank you Steven Spielberg for changing my life, thank you Stacey Snider for changing my life.”

“Please wrap up, I’m wrapping up. I’m sorry, I’m freakin’ out. Thank you world! Oh God, and thank you to WME, and Viewpoint L.A. I’m sorry guys, thank you, I love you.”

Davis did wrap-up with tears in her eyes and golden boy in her hand. Also, she got a well deserved standing ovation from the audience.

Meryl Streep picked up her third Academy Award for best actress for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady” and Jean Dujardin bagged best actor for “The Artist” and 82-year-old Christopher Plummer took home best supporting Oscar for the “Beginners.” For more winners,photos, speeches, glittery fashions, and highlights from the show and the red carpet click over to the official Oscar website.

The Best Picture Oscar is the most-coveted prize at this Sunday’s 84th Academy Awards ceremony. The odds-on favorite to win best picture is “The Artist,”  the homage to Hollywood ’s silent film era. However,  most Americans believe “The Help,” the story of two African-American maids living in Mississippi during the civil rights movement,  should walk away with that honor, according to a survey by The Harris Poll.

Last week, 2,239 adults were surveyed online by Harris and 21 per cent said “The Help” should win best picture. “War horse” got 9 per cent of the vote, “Moneyball 7 per cent, “The Artist” 6 per cent, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” 5 per cent, “The Descendants” 5 per cent, “Hugo” 3 per cent, and “The Tree of Life” 2 per cent.  Oh, 34 per cent were not sure who should win and 6 per cent said none of the nominated films should be the victor. Here are poll results for two more major categories.

Best Actor

George Clooney “The Descendants” 23%
Brad Pitt “Moneyball” 16%
Gary Oldman “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” 10%
Jean Dujardin “The Artist” 7%
Dimian Bichr “A Better Life”  1%

The rest did not know who should win or felt none of the nominated should get the award

Best Actress

Viola Davis “The Help” 23%
Meryl Streep “The Iron Lady” 22%
Rooney Mara “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” 11%
Michelle Williams “My Week with Marilyn” 7%
Glenn Close “Albert Nobbs” 4%

The rest did not know who should win or felt none of the nominated should get the award

Some good news for veteran host Billy Crystal and the Academy. Fifty per cent of those who participated in this poll feel Crystal will be better compared to host from the previous years.

Last Sunday, February 19, the Writers Guild of America West and East announced the winners of the 2012 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for screen, television, radio, news, promotional, videogame, and new media writing. Simultaneous ceremonies were held at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles and the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City.

SCREEN WINNERS

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Midnight in Paris, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants, Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings; Fox Searchlight

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Better This World, Written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega; Loteria Films

For more 2012 WGA winners go here .

NAACP Image Awards

The 43rd NAACP Image Awards ceremony was broadcast  Friday, February 17, 2012 from The Shrine Auditorium in Downtown Los Angeles.

Outstanding Motion Picture
The Help
DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Laz Alonso
Jumping the Broom
TriStar Pictures

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis
The Help
DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures

A full list of the winners as well as highlights from the Image Awards event here .

SAG Winners

The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards took place last month, Sunday, January 29 at The Shrine Auditorium in Downtown Los Angeles. The top honor of the night, outstanding performance by a cast went to “The Help.”  The other two major awards, outstanding performance by an actor to  Jean Dujardin for “The Artist” and outstanding performance by a leading actress to Viola Davis for “The Help.” The complete list of winners on the SAG Awards website.

2012 DGA winner

Michel Hazanavicius won the 2012 DGA Award for feature film achievement for “The Artist” at the 64th Annual DGA Dinner in Hollywood on Saturday, January 28, 2012,  making him the leading contender to pick up the Best Director Oscar this Sunday at the 84th Annual AcademyAwards glamfest.

The nation’s largest cable company, Comcast, announced  a sweeping deal today with four new minority-owned network with some famous names like Earvin “Magic “Johnson, Sean “Diddy”Combs, and filmmaker, Robert Rodriguez. Comcast did not suddenly decide to reach out to minorities. The deal was part of the conditions of last month’s controversial approval by the government of that mega-merger of Comcast/NBC Universal.

The Comcast press release, states the four proposals were selected from a field of over 100. Comcast agrees to distribute the selected networks on its cable systems between April 2012 and January 2014. Two of the networks have major African American owners and the other two,  have Hispanics as the majority owners.

Here are brief descriptions of the four networks:

Aspire: Headed by entrepreneur and NBA Hall of Famer, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, in partnership with GMC TV. “Aspire will be a network that encourages and challenges African-Americans to reach for their dreams and will appeal to all generations. Aspire will celebrate our heritage, our groundbreaking achievements and the fearless talent that has shaped American culture. I’m most excited about Aspire creating opportunities for the new voices, new visions and the next generation of storytellers,” according to “Magic” Johnson.

REVOLT: Project from superstar and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs and MTV veteran Andy Schuon. Combs says, “… REVOLT will be live, like all great moments in television history.  REVOLT will also be immediate, like today’s social networks…”

El Rey by Hollywood movie director Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures executives John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa. ”We are passionate about creating a wildly entertaining destination that we can be proud of by appealing to both Latino and mass market audiences,” said Robert Rodriguez and CEO of FactoryMade Ventures John Fogelman.

BabyFirst Americas proposed by Spanish language television veteran Constantino “Said” Schwarz. Constantino “Said” Schwarz, CEO and Chairman BabyFirst Americas explains, “BabyFirst Americas aims to bring the essential academic building blocks for kindergarten readiness into the home, making it accessible for families all across the U.S.”

David L. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation,“Comcast is committed to delivering programming that reflects the interests of our customers, and we look forward to integrating these great networks into our rich programming line-up.”

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Does your car have any features that stand out?
Sometimes I notice some very interesting accessories on cars.
I have seen some pretty interesting vanity license plates and bumper stickers. Among these bumper stickers are some that proclaim the driver is “Born Again,” and I understand that holds a religious message.

Quite a while ago, I remember driving on a one lane road with solid double lines separating the directional paths in the median. The speed limit was 50 miles an hour but the car in front of me was driving 35 miles an hour. Behind me a long line of other cars were forming because of this car in front of me. I noticed that the reason the car was going so slow was because the driver was talking on his phone and was visibly very angry and yelling into his phone. Another thing I noticed was that this car had a bumper sticker that stated “Born Again.” So at the time I remember thinking to myself, if someone is so angry and so inconsiderate as to be talking on his phone and holding up traffic for people that have places to go, what does it even mean for this driver to be born again?

So what does it mean to be born again? It means to start over on a clean slate. Similarly, we shower and put on fresh clothes to start the day clean.

It’s not just outward cleanliness that matters, sometimes we like to get a fresh start in a more inwardly manner. Maybe you want to start fresh with a relationship with someone in your life or you feel you need to start over in a more personal way with your own life. Isn’t this a good way to ensure happiness in your life?

One of the things that keeps me happy as a dry cleaner is the thought that I am playing a small part in helping people start every day fresh with a clean slate because I keep their clothes clean.

I hope that this week, you can start over fresh, whatever that might mean for you, I hope it helps in your experience of happiness.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Wanted extras for TV crime drama  

Extras needed for upcoming filming in Los Angeles. The posting on craigslist says the film shoot involves bank, museum, and jewelry/mall scenes. They reportedly need around 40 males 18-60, and 40 females 18-60 background work.  All ethnicities, character types , and  non-union are encouraged to apply. This is a paid gig.  Call 323-468-7365 for an appointment – pre-auditions/interviews: Tues. 2/21 & Wednesday 2/22.

For more details check out the craigslist posting here.

The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens has job openings

A head gardener, curator, and development associate are just some of the positions listed on the organization’s website.  Job responsibilities, qualifications, and details on how to apply here.

Another opening with the Dodgers

 The baseball organization is looking for candidates interested in the position of ticket seller. Deadline to apply is a week from today, February 27, 2012. More details on the Dodgers website .

Honor the hero presidents, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, and enjoy the day.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Mayor Jess Talamantes at a Burbank City Council meeting December 13, 2011

Today one of Burbank’s classroom warriors got some high marks, kudos, and acknowledgement from Mayor Jess Talamantes in a letter released to the media. Here’s the full text.

As Mayor of the City of Burbank I am writing this letter in support of one of Burbank’s middle school teachers, Ms. Rebecca Mieliwocki, who was named the 2012 California Teacher of the Year, and is one of the four finalists nationwide for the 2012 National Teacher of the Year award.

On behalf of the City of Burbank, I could not be more proud that this community is being represented by such an amazing educator who has been described as “remarkably gifted and innovative,” and  an “inspiration to other teachers as well as her students, who are learning and succeeding due to her tremendous classroom skill.”

Ms. Mieliwocki has been teaching for more than 14 years, including nine years at Luther Burbank Middle School, my Alma Mater, where she teaches general education and Gifted and Talented Education classes. She is faculty chair and serves on the school leadership team. Her lessons are infused with a wide array of technical tools that, as her principal says, “brings lessons to life.”

It is professionals like Ms. Mieliwocki, with her classroom skills combined with her dedication to the youth of this community, that make Burbank such an amazing place in which to live, work and play.

Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to formally recognize Ms. Mielwocki’s amazing achievement and wish her the best of luck and gratitude as she proudly represents Burbank across this great nation.

Ten scribes for the first Fox Writers Intensive program have been announced. The names of the lucky writers appear on Deadline.com. The program is “… designed to introduce experienced writers with unique voices, backgrounds, life and professional experiences that reflect the diverse perspectives of the audiences we create to a wide range of Fox staff writers, showrunners, directors, screenwriters and creative executives,” according to the Fox Network. These are not newbies, but writers with plenty of connections as well as relevant experience on their resumes.

Oh, employment is not guaranteed, but the network claims the goal is “… to provide the accepted writers with intensive creative and professional development and exposure that would best equip him or her to succeed at Fox.”

The winners were selected from 300 submissions. More details Deadline.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for a producer/editor to handle the producing and editing of video content to be used in stadium, online and for marketing and broadcast.  For details on qualifications go to the team’s website www.dodgers.com

The deadline to apply is Saturday, February 25, 2012.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Though it really depends on the particular individual, it seems kids often don’t share all their thoughts and feelings with their parents. I’m sure that many of us can relate when we think about our teen years and early 20s. It was the same way 4000 years ago. This is what we call generation gaps.

Even if we do succeed in trying to understand younger generations and even older generations, there would still be some clear differences between generations.

An example of this generation gap is evident as I work at the dry cleaners. I have noticed that mothers and young daughters often argue about skirt length. The daughters want their skirt to be shorter and moms want their daughter’s skirts to be longer.

Despite the existence of generation gaps, love seems to be what keeps generations together. Generation gaps in families have existed for thousands of years but families have still made it through because of love. No generation gap is too much for love.
 

It is almost Valentine’s Day! Love is what wins over differences. I hope that this week you will overcome differences with people with love.

Thank you for all of the love you give to our dry cleaners.
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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo from http://www.whitneyhouston.com

Today the entertainment world and music fans around the globe are mourning Whitney Houston — a phenomenal talent with a voice like no other.  The pop superstar was found dead in her Beverly Hilton hotel room yesterday afternoon.  She was 48. Details of her death are still sketchy. The Los Angeles Times has extensive coverage on its website. Also, photos, videos, and more on the official Whitney Houston website.  

Houston was once a powerhouse in the music industry as well as a succesful movie producer and actress, then personal struggles with addiction and erratic behavior derailed her career. Recently, there were indicators  the singer was attempting to clean up her act and was on the road to a comeback. Houston was in the Southland this week taking part in the events,  leading up to today’s 54th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are hiring. The Dodger organization is looking to fill several positions among them, security officer, account executive, usher, and stadium operations assistant.  Deadline to apply is Monday, February 13, 2012.

Current Los Angeles Dodgers employees can submit a cover letter and resume directly to the Human Resources Department for consideration.  All other job seekers  are asked to apply on line at http://www.dodgers.com/ or send a cover letter and resume to Human Resources Department via fax at (323) 224-1595.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Garden Guru Emilio "Elmo" Telles

 ”What is a black rose like the ones they have in the florists that I can grow”?

Well those “black” and also the “blue” roses are only found in those 1960 Hercules movies and the “NCIS” TV series! Those rose colours(and other florist colours) are dyed by fresh cutting the stems and putting them immediately in the colored water to slowly absorb the color to the “tight” budding blooms.

There are two popular roses that the gardener can grow in their garden that can give them a reasonable facsimile.

Black Baccara rose

Black Baccara and Ink Spots are two extremely dark red roses that bud out to almost black and last in color until they open up to a nice velvety red.

There are also the blue roses, Blue Girl and Blue Nile, which are “lavernder-ish” roses with a blue-cast colour in bud form. Another one that I’ve found that customers really want is a “real” yellow rose as opposed to a rose with a  “golden” colour. What I have discovered is that yellow roses tend to fade to a bland yellow in the summer heat. Although, all roses will be more colorful during the spring to early summer months, which is fine because that is when you want to do your “summer haircut” (pruning) to your roses anyway. We’ll talk about that in about three months.

Any questions, feel free to post here. Now that I’m not working two jobs, I’ll have time to post answers and more articles!

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Emilio “Elmo” Telles is a garden expert at Armstrong Garden Center  5816 San Fernando Road, Glendale  91202.

Photo:Greg Harbaugh /©A.M.P.A.S. -- Academy Award nominees at the traditional Oscar luncheon, (center) Glenn Close, Jean Dujardin, George Clooney, February 6, 2011 Beverly Hills

A lot of smiles at the Oscar luncheon in Beverly Hills on Monday, February 6.  The traditional get together for Academy Award nominees includes a photo shoot. A series of pictures from that event  as well as video highlights  are on the official Oscar website.

The 84th Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live around the world later this month on Sunday, February 26, from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Do you like flowers? If so, what kind do you like?

The most popular flower in Korea, China, and Japan is what’s called Me-wha.

Its English name is Japanese apricot blossom.

If you look at a lot of old Asian art, many are images of Me-wha or Japanese apricot blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo trees.

However, among Me-wha plants, there is a kind that blossoms in the winter time. It is called seol-jung-me. No matter how harsh the winter, this plant’s flowers blossom even underneath winter’s snow.

So as a symbol of overcoming adversity, people have grown particularly fond of this flower.

Even though winter might be bitterly cold and long, people would see this flower and see it as hope that the spring time isn’t all that far off. Also, it also reminds people no matter how tough circumstances might become, like the me-wha flowers that bloom under the cold winter snow, people can also overcome any situation as long as they have hope.

With the intent of inspiring new hope in a new week, I send you the sweet aroma of the me-wha flower.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.