Glendale News Press
April 13 2005

Manoukian starts second stint as mayor

Councilmen change seats, welcome a new member, and Yousefian
announces he’s married the woman he proposed to last year.
By Robert Chacon, News-Press and Leader

CITY HALL — Rafi Manoukian was unanimously appointed mayor Monday
during a meeting in which new city officials were sworn in and
outgoing Mayor Bob Yousefian completed his wedding vows.

Manoukian, who has served six years on the council, will serve his
second term as mayor.

“I am not as nervous as the first time around,” he said.

Zoning standards for downtown, traffic congestion and strengthening
relationships with the Glendale Unified School District and Glendale
Community College were among issues he plans to tackle in his
one-year term.

Manoukian promises to meet with residents at the Glendale farmer’s
market on the first Thursday of every month, and at the Montrose
Harvest Market on the first Sunday of the month. As he did during his
first term as mayor, he will continue his Coffee with Rafi sessions,
where he will meet with residents and answer questions.

After the city’s traditional and informal mayor-selection process,
Manoukian was next in line to sit at the head of the dais.
Traditionally, the chairman of the Redevelopment Agency is voted into
the mayor’s seat. This year, Gus Gomez sat in that position, but his
departure from the council to become a Superior Court judge allowed
Manoukian, as vice chair of the agency, to move to the front.

The council remained largely intact with the reelection of Bob
Yousefian, Frank Quintero and Dave Weaver. Ara Najarian is the sole
newcomer to the council, though he received the most votes during the
election. Najarian was sworn in Monday.

“I am going to work very hard to do the best I can,” he said. “My
door is always open. I can’t promise that I will agree with you, but
I will listen.”

All four newly elected council members, as well as three Glendale
Community College Board of Trustees members, the city treasurer and
city clerk gave their oath of office and were sworn in.

The night’s surprise came when Yousefian announced that he had
married his girlfriend, Sue Eller, shortly before the meeting and
exchanged wedding rings with a packed audience looking on. He
proposed while being named mayor last year.