Happy Fourth of July!

Dodger Stadium festivities

The guys in blue kick-off a four game series against the New York  Mets tonight.  Also, fans will be treated to fireworks and tributes to our military. Gates at Dodger Stadium open at 3:40 p.m.

Fireworks and more at the Starlight Bowl

A July 4th tradition continues tonight at the Starlight Bowl in Burbank.  A spectacular fireworks show is planned along with entertainment and surprises. The U.S. Air Force is joining in on this “Salute to America.”  There are only 100 tickets left to this event, according to the Starlight Bowl website this morning. Tickets must be bought in advance — none will be sold at the door.

Burbank viewing parties

The Starlight Bowl fireworks are huge and can be seen for miles. Fireworks viewing parties are held in yards, on porches, and even in the streets throughout Burbank, especially in the hillside area. Watching these fireworks have become part of the July 4th celebration in many neighborhoods. And you don’t have to buy a ticket.

Fireworks illegal in Burbank

There are places in the SoCal where they allow you to set off your own fireworks — Burbank is not one of them.  The Burbank Police Department sent out a press release reminder recently stating: “… that it is illegal to manufacture, sell, possess, or discharge fireworks in the City of Burbank.”

The Burbank PD has patrol units out cracking down on fireworks violators. The public is asked to report violations by calling the Burbank Police at (818)  238-3000.

Keep your pets safe

All of this celebrating, particularly the fireworks, can really freak out dogs, cats, and other pets. On July 4th and the day after, animal shelters across the nation get the greatest number of reports of lost dogs and cats, according to a community alert from the Burbank PD.

It is recommended that you keep your pets indoors on Independence Day. Make sure the little critters are wearing proper identification. If by chance your animal becomes lost, call the Burbank Animal Shelter (818) 238-3340 and leave a message — and then follow-up in person to file an official lost pet report.

Burbank buzzing over that bonus pay report 

 For months the City Attorney’s Office, with the support of the  city council majority and City Manager Mike Flad, fought the release of this data.  The Los Angeles Times/Burbank Leader sued to get access to the information.  On May 20, 2011, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered the city of Burbank to turn over the merit bonus data to the newspaper.

Last December, I joined the newspaper in requesting this bonus data  by delivering a written public records request to the City Attorney’s Office. I haven’t seen the report yet –  but others have studied it. The Semichorus blog had a report last Friday.  The Leader had a story about the merit pay for city employees on the same day and a more extensive report yesterday.

The Leader reports city employees have received $4 million in merit pay from 2007-2011.  Burbank Water and Power General Manager, Ron Davis, reportedly got $79,000 in bonuses during that period . You might remember, Davis and his executive crew at BWP got raises after city officials jacked up utility rates last summer. Davis is fleecing the taxpayers with the approval of the city council majority. Last year, Davis’ salary topped out at $263,028. 

By the way, not only did city officials squander thousands of taxpayer dollars on fighting the newspaper lawsuit – now the city of Burbank has to pay legal fees for the L.A. Times/Burbank Leader, which are at least $37,000. Could that money, along with those bonus millions, have been better spent? Oh yeah, on city services and programs that benefit the citizens of Burbank.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G --Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse

In light of the controversial shooting death of an alleged knife-wheeling suspect, Los Angeles Police Chief, Charlie Beck, made a promise to his community in an opinion piece he wrote that appeared on the Los Angeles Times website today.  In the op-ed piece, Chief Beck says he’s “… committed to providing as much detail as I am able to release about the facts of the investigation, and to providing a sense of understanding of the law and our department policy.”

You might remember, a  Guatemalan day laborer was shot to death by LAPD officers in the Westlake District of Los Angeles back on September 5, 2010. The shooting sparked violent protests and serious accusations against the LAPD. In the op-ed piece, Chief Beck writes “… A thorough and transparent investigation is necessary to build trust in the Police Department …” That is so true. Beck gets it — why doesn’t Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse who spent years in the ranks of the LAPD? LaChasse appears to have discarded quite a bit of what he learned in the LAPD and embraced “the city hall insiders’ philosophy” here in Burbank.

LaChasse needs to step up and make the same pledge to the Burbank community about his firing of some police officers, that officer-involved shooting at the Burbank Kmart Last July, as well as come clean about his department’s policy on releasing mug shots. As I’ve reported on this blog, there seems to be a racist policy in BPD that allows the mug shots of minorities to be released, but not those of white suspects.

No more hiding behind the Police Officers’ Bill of Rights. LaChasse needs to set the record straight. if LaChasse wants to send me an opinion piece, I’ll post it on this blog. So what will it be, Chief LaChasse?

Burbank & the Bell salary flap

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Burbank City Council members (left-right) Jess Talamantes, David Gordon, Gary Bric, Dave Golanski, and Mayor Anja Reinke. Council members posed for pictures after voting in Reinke as mayor on May 3, 2010

Here ‘s a sad, but true tale of two Southland cities where the pay of  selected officials/employees has been jacked up to ridiculous levels.  The Los Angeles Times outed the  small community of Bell recently for paying exorbitant salaries to a handful of its city officials. Nearly $800,000 to the Bell City Manager, $457,000 to the Police Chief, and $376, 288 to the Assistant City Manager. Oh, and most of the Bell City Council members were banking a $100,000 a year.

 The Times’ investigation produced a series of stories and columns, sparking outrage among Bell citizens.  That outrage prompted  the city manager, assistant city manager, and police chief to resign. And grudgingly, the Bell City Council members gave-up their six-figure salaries.

The Bell flap has focused national attention on the problems created by city officials who shell-out hefty salaries and raises to some ”allegedly-more-valuable- than -the-rest” employees to the detriment of the communities they’re supposed to serve.

Here in Media City, many residents are ticked off at the Burbank City Council for recently voting to hike the salaries of the senior executives at the Burbank Water And Power an estimated 7-to-11 percent. Thanks to the generosity of the city council, Burbank Water And Power General Manager Ron Davis’ salary reportedly will take a huge leap from around $218,000 a year, to somewhere between $233-and-$270-thousand per year. Nice gift. I blogged about it in a City Buzz column back on July 7.

 It happened days after the city council approved a budget with fee increases that included a 13 .5% hike in water rates and 2.9% for electrical. Apparently, the four city council members, Jess Talamantes, Dave Golonski, Gary Bric, and Mayor Anja Reinke, who voted for the raises, came down with Bell fever. Council member David Gordon, who did not show signs of the political ailment, voted against the  BWP pay hikes and those proposed by staff at last Tuesday’s city council meeting as well.

On July 27, city staff presented new requests to the city council for some job re-classifications and pay hikes in the Park, Recreation, and Community Services Department as well as a 19 and ½ percent raise and new title for a graphic illustrator in the Community Development Department.

This time around, Councilman Golanski refused to support that 19 and ½ percent raise, but three other council members voted for that salary increase and the others as well. So all of those salary hikes passed. Dr. Gordon voted “no” on all the raises. Reinke, Talamantes, and Bric voted “yes” on all of the raises.

I find it distrubing that the city council is handing out fat raises to some city employees — while members of the Burbank PD work without a contract. The BPD has been hit hard by scandal, corruption, and mismanagement. Still, Burbank cops are out there on the streets putting their lives on the line to protect the city and its citizens. You’d think the city council members and top staff would be scrambling to get raises and a contract for Burbank cops. Now, that would benefit the entire community — not just line the pockets of a few select employees with more taxpayer dollars

Bell fever. I wonder how long certain Burbank City Council members will be afflicted with the malady. Somebody needs to find a cure fast!

Politically Speaking

Photo by Milton Alvarez-Ramos -- Steve Ferguson, Chair of the Park, Recreation, and Community Services Board in Burbank

 Steve Ferguson, Chair of the Park, Recreation and Community Services Board in Burbank, has a new blog, Politically Speaking. Ferguson has posted a thought-provoking piece called, “The Unspoken Conflict.”

Ferguson writes: “Police lawsuits, cut-throat political tactics and gossip have created an environment of fear, paranoia, and desperation. It’s not okay to disagree, to want to know more, or even to read a blog or two in our City. As a result, the dominant culture of our community divides those who are involved, based on their current views of City policies, into three groups: those who are right, those who are wrong and those who are not involved or don’t have a clue. There is no longer any appreciation for a difference of opinion. The division is everywhere. When two individuals from different groups interact it is mostly unspoken and sometimes even eerily cordial.” Read the entire post here.

Update on San Fernando Boulevard Fire 

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Smoke billows from a huge commercial building fire on San Fernando Boulevard near downtown in Burbank on Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Fire officials are still investigating that major fire at a commercial building in the 500 block of  San Fernando Boulevard near downtown in Burbank, last Tuesday, July 27.  The fire broke out shortly before 7 p.m. and burned hot and fast. Smoke from the blaze billowed out into the neighborhood and could be seen for miles.

There were no injuries, but on Friday,  Burbank Fire Spokesman, Captain Ron Bell,  put the damage estimate to the gutted building at $1 and ½ million and damage to the contents at around $250,000.

Captain Bell says they don’t know yet exactly what caused the fire and it is still “… under investigation and will be so for some time.”

Gripes & Complaints

Some sharp criticism of the Burbank Adult School over on the Semichorus blog. The educational facility is accused of charging for some courses that reportedly should be free to students.  Details here.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Police and Fire Headquarters at 200 North Third Street in Burbank

In the Los Angeles Times print edition and on its website today an extensive report about the troubled Burbank Police Department. The report covers quite a bit of territory from the allegations of suspect beatings, racial discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and those federal investigations into possible misconduct in the Burbank PD.

The allegations, lawsuits, and scandal have taken a heavy toll on the department. The Times says, “The Burbank force has been so bitterly divided by the accusations that newly appointed interim Chief Scott LaChasse, who this year replaced Chief Tim Stehr, asked psychologists to help him sort through the morass and come up with a corrective plan.”

Also in the Times’ report, some new details surrounding the suicide of Burbank Police Sergeant Neil Thomas Gunn Sr. on October 29, 2009. Sgt. Gunn left two notes in his truck before taking his own life, according to the Times. One note from Gunn reportedly said, “This is absolutely work related.” Click here to read the story. 

On this blog, I have been covering the recent problems and controversies plaguing the Burbank Police Department since last spring. Click here for those posts.  

UPDATE: 3/15/10

Over on Jim Carlile’s blog today, a heated discussion about the Times’ article; among the topics, what was left out of the report and speculation the newspaper was pressured to water down its story.

Also, I’m hearing more media reports are in the works about the Burbank PD.

The Walt Disney company scored a major promotional deal with the Los Angeles Times for its new movie, “Alice in Wonderland.” The Times created a special front page newspaper ad just for “Alice” that runs in today’s edition. This is not a first for the Times and more than likely, it’s part of a trend.  

The Wrap has a nice story about the controversial decision and what it says about the possible direction of the Times.

“Alice in Wonderland,”which opens in theaters today, has received mixed reviews. An interesting review of the film, with photos and video, on the Times’ website.

UPDATE:  Nikki Finke, over on Deadline Hollywood, reporting “Alice in Wonderland” is headed for a super weekend debut — somewhere between 75 and perhaps $100 million!

2ND UPDATE: Deadline Hollywood has some early figures from Friday that show “Alice in Wonderland” is on track to becoming a huge hit. The live action/animated fantasy adventure rang up an estimated $45 million when it opened yesterday. At that pace, “Alice” could surpass the $100 million mark this weekend.