Cuttin’ a rug for the city

Laura Sturza

The fancy footwork, and sometimes flailing arms, of several city

officials -- including the go-go dancing of Deputy Financial Services

Director Judie Sarquiz and the twisting gyrations of Police Chief Tom

Hoefel -- premiered during the mayor’s State of the City Address.

The dancing extravaganza was part of a 29-minute video presented

Wednesday at the Chamber of Commerce-spon- sored event.The videotape

featured the City Council’s goals, highlighting progress the city has

made toward reaching them -- including completing the new Buena Vista

branch library and strengthening the business community.

“Focusing on public outreach and education to develop a citywide

consensus plan” to help solve disputes with the

Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport was high on the goals list, Mayor

David Laurell said.

Some of the event’s 375 guests thought the video represented the

city’s spirit.

Financial Rescue Services, which helps financially stressed

families find solutions, moved its office from Glendale to Burbank

just over a year ago.

“I believe our CEO [moved] not only for the benefits of our bottom

line, but because of the sense of community,” company spokeswoman

Liza Bernardino said.

Honorary Lifetime Chamber of Commerce memberships were presented

to Mary Alice O’Connor and Paul Lambert, whose combined community

service comes to more than 100 years.

“She and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary,” Lambert said of

their joint effort to open Camp Lakota for Girl Scouts in Frazier

Park.

Nearly 100,000 girls have visited the camp, Lambert said.

For contributions of employee time, resources and money, the event

also honored Sport Chalet as the Burbank Unified School District’s

Partner of the Year, and IKEA as Corporation of the Year.

For most city officials, getting to cut a rug to the tune of

“American Bandstand’s” theme song was reward enough.

“[The dancing] reflects the attitude that we all have,” Hoefel

said. “We take our jobs seriously, but we have a fun time doing it.”

The video airs on Charter Communications’ Channel 6. Programming

information is available on the city’s Web site at

www.ci.burbank.ca.us.