controversies

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Oscar Sunday: Awards, Chris Rock, and diversity controversy

The curtain will go up in a few hours on the 88th Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Host Chris Rock is expected to, ah, rock the house — and he will have plenty of material with the controversy about the lack of diversity in Hollywood hanging over the glam event. Here’s more on the controversy  from […]
Friday, May 1, 2015

City Buzz: MPMA reacts to controversy and complaints

The embattled Magnolia  Park Merchants Association responded  today to a letter from an irate merchant on Magnolia Boulevard, posted here on Media City Groove, which has drawn more than two dozen comments and fired-up a smoldering controversy in that business area of trendy shops, eateries, and retro stores in Burbank. Last summer, a dispute among merchants over parking on the […]
Thursday, February 19, 2015

Burbank Walmart case headed back to court next week

Walmart is making good on its plans to continue the legal fight to open one of its mega-stores in Burbank. Oral arguments for the case are set for next Thursday, February 26, in the Second District Court of Appeals in Downtown Los Angeles. The retail giant is appealing a decision by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Allan J. Goodman, back […]
Wednesday, February 4, 2015

The Burbank primary, Chris Rizzotti, and that anti-gay controversy

It seems to happen like clockwork. Just as the ballots go out and shortly before Election Day, out of nowhere ugly charges are dumped on a candidate. As we head into the final days of the 2015 campaign for the Burbank Primary Election on February 24, 2015, city council candidate/Burbank Planning Board vice-chair, Chris Rizzotti, is battling anti-gay accusations. At […]
Tuesday, October 14, 2014

City Buzz: Progress in Mag Park parking dispute

Progress is being made in that bitter parking dispute among some merchants on Magnolia Boulevard in the Magnolia Park area of Burbank. The two-hour parking signs were replaced by one-hour signs on the north side of the 3400 block of Magnolia last Friday. When I dropped by the block the day after, Burbank Antiques owner, Ralph Persinger, told me visitors are […]
Thursday, September 18, 2014

Web Buzz: Update on Joan Rivers’ death controversy

The web has been buzzing for days with wild reports about circumstances surrounding the shocking death of legendary comic, Joan Rivers, last month. Now some of the big media players have followed up on those reports, one of them is CNN.  Not only is CNN reporting that Rivers’ personal physician was there during the comedienne’s scheduled endoscopy for a throat […]
Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Talk of the Town: Burbank mayor selection

Some issues, like the debate over the selection of Burbank’s mayor, never seem to die. It frequently comes up in the spring when a new mayor is picked by the city council members. In the past, there have been some ugly episodes with certain council members being shut out of the rotation for mayor. Dr. David Gordon has been passed […]
Monday, April 28, 2014

Updated:Several sponsors drop the L.A. Clippers in light of Sterling debacle

  UPDATED: By the end of the day, the list of major advertisers cutting ties with the Los Angeles Clippers had grown to more than a dozen — including heavyweights like Sprint, Burger King and Samsung. The L.A. Clippers should be focused on tomorrow’s crucial NBA play-off game against the San Francisco Warriors, but the Sterling controversy is a major […]
Friday, July 12, 2013

City Buzz: Plastic carryout bags banned in Glendale. Is Burbank next?

Forget your reusable grocery bag and you’re going to pay extra to get a carryout sack for your purchases at some retailers in nearby Glendale now. It’s part of a strict plastic bag ban ordinance, which is being rolled out in two stages. The new ordinance is listed on the City of Glendale website. Here’s the first phase: “Beginning July […]