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Shooting shatters a community Killing of rookie police officer most telling moment of year, also marked by budget woes, airport upheaval. December 31, 2003 The Burbank Police Department and members of the community will not likely forget what happened the night of Nov. 15 in a Ramada Inn parking lot. Rookie officer Matthew Pavelka, 26, was killed during a shootout outside the hotel on North San Fernando Boulevard, and fellow Officer Gregory Campbell was critically wounded. Pavelka became the first officer slain in the department's 82-year history. Campbell survived and continues to recover at a local hospital. One of the two men who police said opened fire on Pavelka and Campbell during a routine traffic stop, 25-year-old Ramon Aranda, was shot and killed during the gun battle. The other man, 19-year-old David A. Garcia, eluded law enforcement for nearly two weeks before Mexican authorities took him into custody in Tijuana. Garcia, a suspected gang member from Sun Valley, was charged with murder and attempted murder, and remains in jail without bail awaiting a preliminary hearing date. Prosecutors could seek the death penalty. "This was a loss to everybody, to the family, the city and the department," Burbank Police Capt. Gordon Bowers said. "But the support from the community has been overwhelming. "To a certain degree, we will never move on," Bowers said. "We want [Matthew] to be part of the tradition of the things we honor. From that perspective, we don't want to ever move on, because a big part of law- enforcement tradition is respect for people who brought law enforcement to the professional level it is now." City, school district deal with budget woes In June, the City Council voted unanimously to approve a proposed $412.5-million budget for the 2003-04 fiscal year, which included cuts in several areas to overcome a projected $9.5-million deficit. Increased city employee compensation and benefit costs, along with rising general liability and workers' compensation costs, were among the biggest contributors to the deficit, city officials said. Additionally, the city received less funding from the state, which was faced with a deficit of its own.The city planned to eliminate 62 full-time positions, 50 of which were vacant by June. Ten of the remaining employees were past retirement age and were offered a supplemental retirement package. To lessen the effect on the two remaining employees to be laid off, the council opted to fund their positions for an additional six months. A variety of city fees were increased as a result of the deficit, including monthly parking permits from $20 to $25 and film permits from $200 to $300. The cost to adopt an altered dog was raised $10. The school district, meanwhile, faced several cuts in services and personnel because of increased health and welfare benefits costs, combined with unanticipated expenditures for special education and reduced money from the state. In an attempt to trim nearly $3 million from the 2003-04 budget, the superintendent's budget committee, composed of parents, teachers, union leaders and business people, recommended about $2.5 million in cuts, including nearly $600,000 from facilities maintenance and operations. The district's $100-million final budget, approved 48 hours before the June 30 deadline, trimmed $2.8 million in costs. Budget deficit forces school district layoffs In March, the Burbank Unified School District issued preliminary termination notices to 250 teachers in response to a projected $4-million deficit caused by a reduction in state funding, combined with increased costs for health and welfare benefits and workers' compensation. At the time, district Supt. Gregory Bowman said not all teachers who received notices were expected to be laid off, but, without a budget from the state, it was impossible to know how many would have to be let go. In May, final termination notices were handed out to 44 teachers, counselors and other certified employees. Additionally, the board of education eliminated the equivalent of 19 full-time jobs in the district's maintenance and operations section. The job cuts affected the custodial services section and meant that in a 10-day cycle, classrooms would be cleaned only three times during the first week and twice in the second week. If a custodian was absent during the second week, it resulted in a one-time cleaning that week. Voters oust three school board incumbents Community members demanded change and got it when they voted a majority of school board members out of office. During the Feb. 25 primary election, retired Burbank High School teacher Dave Kemp, one of 15 candidates for three open seats, amassed enough votes to unseat board President Richard Raad, who was seeking a second term. In the April 8 general election, Ted Bunch, another retired teacher, and attorney Paul Krekorian ousted incumbents Mike McDonald and Elena Hubbell, a 12-year board member. Kemp, Bunch and Krekorian took the oath of office May 15, joining Trish Burnett and Connie Lackey. The Burbank Teachers Assn. backed Kemp and Krekorian, who were seen as a breath of fresh air by many in the community who said they lost faith in the board's ability to lead. The association's other candidate, businessman Larry Applebaum, tallied almost 100 votes more than Bunch in the primary, but narrowly lost to him in the general election. The board's decision to reassign popular Supt. David Aponik the previous year helped fuel the ire of many voters. Aponik, who sued the district for wrongful termination and breach of contract, agreed in July to drop his lawsuit in exchange for a $56,250 payment, and left the district to become director of personnel and risk management for the Fillmore Unified School District. Bob Hope dies; airport renamed for entertainer Burbank lost an adopted son in July, when legendary entertainer Bob Hope died at the age of 100. Although he made his home in nearby Toluca Lake, Hope's ties to Burbank were numerous. In 1973, he was named the city's honorary mayor, and in 1989 the city renamed a portion of Catalina Street near NBC Studios, changing it to Bob Hope Drive. Less than six months after his death, the airport Hope frequently used was renamed for him during a Dec. 17 ceremony attended by about 200 people outside the 73-year-old terminal. Hope's family and friends, including Phyllis Diller and Kathryn Crosby — the wife of late entertainer Bing Crosby — watched as Bob Hope Airport was unveiled the same day the centennial of flight was celebrated around the world. Following his death, the Hope family and the Airport Authority began discussions on a licensing agreement to use the Hope name, which was approved by council members from the cities of Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena. In November, President George W. Bush signed legislation to rename the post office at 135 E. Olive Ave. for Hope. Bob Hope Airport supplants the name Burbank-Glendale- Pasadena Airport, and is the sixth name for the airfield, which opened in 1930 as United Airport. FAA demands airport repay money for new terminal The Federal Aviation Administration delivered a wake-up call to the Airport Authority in May, demanding repayment of $46 million in grants that were supposed to be used to buy land for a new terminal. FAA Administrator Marion Blakey sent a letter to airport officials ordering repayment of money earmarked for the purchase of 139 acres of land on the northeast side of the airport's property because no terminal had been built. Airport officials responded with a proposal to use the land for various airport and security functions, including a noise buffer and relocation of the Burbank and Glendale National Guard armories. Blakey responded by saying the airport could retain 84 acres of the land, 62 of which must be used as a noise buffer. But, she added, the Airport Authority has not justified keeping the remaining 55 acres "under the standards of the grant insurance." The authority, meanwhile, has not determined whether it will sell the 55 acres of land the FAA is seeking payment for, according to airport spokesman Victor Gill. Downtown redevelopment takes off The move to revitalize the downtown area took shape in 2003 with the opening of AMC Burbank 16, the demolition of its predecessor and the opening of a trendy clothing store. The cornerstone of Burbank Entertainment Village, a 4,200-seat movie theater megaplex that cost $68 million to build, opened to the public June 20, and is expected to draw more than 1.5 million moviegoers annually. The entertainment village is expected to bring in an estimated $300,000 or more in yearly tax revenue sales from tickets, restaurant and retail sales, city officials said. Urban Outfitters opened Sept. 23 in the long-vacant former Newberry building at 330 N. San Fernando Blvd. The popular retail chain has attracted a new niche of young adult shoppers, officials said. Chipotle Mexican Grill opened Dec. 17 at 135 Palm Ave., and Romano's Macaroni Grill is expected to open in February in the entertainment village. The second phase of redevelopment, which will include 30,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space where the AMC 14 theaters once stood, is in the early stages of development. Neighboring Media City Center, meanwhile, is undergoing a facelift of its own. An estimated $7 million in renovations are being made to the mall and its Magnolia Boulevard façade, and P.F. Chang's China Bistro and another unannounced restaurant are moving in. The first phase is expected to be complete by the end of 2004, said officials at Crown Realty, the Irvine-based company that owns the mall. Ovrom leaves Burbank for greener pastures After 18 years overseeing the day-to-day operations of the city of Burbank, City Manager Bud Ovrom stepped down in March to head the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency. In his new role with the city of Los Angeles, Ovrom works in concert with the mayor's office, 15 council districts, politicians, developers and communities to revitalize blighted areas, including parts of San Pedro, Watts and North Hollywood. Among Ovrom's most significant accomplishments as Burbank city manager was leading the city's transition after Lockheed Martin Corp. and other aerospace companies left — depleting the city of 20,000 jobs. To help fill the void, Ovrom attracted studio-related businesses and shopping hubs such as the Media City Center, Empire Center and Costco, which have helped boost the city's tax revenue. In April, the City Council approved naming the South San Fernando Park project for Ovrom, who helped spearhead the $6-million development. Assistant City Manager Mary Alvord, a 33-year city employee, was selected by the council to succeed Ovrom. Star Park takes the fight to airport For the second time since Zelman Development Co. opened Star Park at 2555 N. Hollywood Way, the competition for parking dollars forced Bob Hope Airport to cut its prices. In May, the Airport Authority voted to cut the daily maximum rate for short-term parking from $18.18 to $15.45, and cut the daily maximum rate for valet parking from $12.73 to $11.82. When Star Park opened in December 2002, airport officials removed a crosswalk leading from the privately owned parking lot to Terminal B, erected signs saying it was illegal for pedestrians to cross, and issued citations to 120 people who did so. Zelman Vice President Paul Casey argued that the crosswalk was there for 60 years, but was deemed a safety risk only after the company opened its lot. Zelman appealed court rulings allowing the crosswalk to be closed, and in June, a judge ruled that the airport did not have the authority to enforce the regulation. Mayor Stacey Murphy and Councilman Dave Golonski rejected the idea that the crossing dispute was the result of safety concerns. "It's disingenuous to say this has anything to do with anything except a war over finances," Murphy told Airport Authority Executive Director Dios Marrero and Commissioner Don Brown at a City Council meeting. In a letter to city officials, parade board members said they would "cease organizing and conducting" the parade effective Nov. 18. News Topics | Home | Research | History | Blood Gangs | Crip Gangs | People| Life in a Gang | Gallery | Iraqi Cards | Memorial | Migration | Graffiti | Resume| Injunctions Homicides | Maps | California Prisons | Contact

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