June 2011 Voice of the Village

Transcription

1
Voice of the Village
◆
the
◆
good
◆
news
◆
newspaper ◆
online at voiceofthevillage.org
Volume 2, Issue 6
LEADS:
American Pride-Home town heroes honorsmen and women in the military-page2
June 1, 2011
Features:
A whole new way to market your business!page 20
Arts:
City Champs to perform in Fourth of July
parade -page 29
Johny Carpenter Arena becomes a reality
LEFT TO RIGHT: Lee Diebold, Mary Benson, Skeeter Mann, Joel Druckman, Terry Kaiser,
Katherine Carpenter and in front, Randy Horton.
Michael Carpenter
The New “Heaven on Earth” Ranch (NHOER), took the first steps in the construction of the
“Johny Carpenter” Arena on Foothill Place in Lake
View Terrace. The first day of construction was Saturday April 30, 2011. Attending the start up was Mary
Benson representing Council Member Paul Krekorian, Terry Kaiser of FTDNC & ETI and members of
the board of directors of NHOER: Lee Diebold Presi-
dent, Randy Horton Vice
President, Katherine Carpenter secretary, Joel Druckman and Skeeter Mann.
The first task was
to display the banner announcing the “future location” of the arena, which is
the same historic site of the
original Heaven on Earth
Ranch, where Johny Carpenter built an authentic western town and taught physically & mentally challenged
children and young adults
how to ride a horse. All Nations Church purchased
the land and upon learning
about Johny and the ranch,
said to “bring it back.” The
arena is part of the churches
conditional use permit with
NHOER listed as the organi-
zation to maintain it.
The land where the arena will sit was dedicated in a public ceremony, by the church, on September 12, 2004. The Johny Carpenter working group
recommended to honor Johny, an independent 501
c(3) should be created to build the “Johny Carpenter”
Arena, make it available to the community and establish the “Johny Carpenter” riding program, free of
charge. NHOER is now a fully recognized CA based
501 c(3) public charity and has its LA City Business
Tax Registration Certificate and is a member of the
Sun Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.
Other activities that day included the plotting of the site plan and working on the round pen in
the adjacent “horse rest” area (Part of the dedicated
trail around the church). Thanks to Terry Kaiser and
his tractor, this made a huge difference in the round
pen. This is also available to the community, 7 days a
week.
Future activity will be a formal “groundbreaking the community will be invited to and then
on to the final construction. The “target” date for the
formal opening is around September 17th, 2011 or
soonafter. The arena will be open 7 days a week, daylight hours. Monday-Saturday, you will be able to
park horse trailers in a staging area next to the arena.
Use by individuals is free of charge, as will the riding
program NHOER will be offering. Local groups, for
a nominal fee, will be able to “reserve” half the arena
for their use. There will be no “public” events taking
place, but local groups can conduct their programs.
A bulletin board will be on site with rules and be
available for community postings. The arena dimensions are 125’ x 250’ with 3 gates.
For more news about NHOER and the “Johny Carpenter” Arena,
please call 818 470-5235, email: lamikec@yahoo.com or come by the
board of directors meeting, last Thursday of each
month (Through October) at Cocos Restaurant on Sunland Blvd
in Sunland, 7:00pm.
Fire station 74 comes out and sets the record straight
Tomi Lyn Bowling
After weeks of controversy surrounding reports
that the fire station in Tujunga was closing amid
drastic budget cuts, fifteen firefighters along with
Assistant Chief Yamahata and Batallion Chief Duca
attended the May meeting of the Sunland Tujunga
Neighborhood Council to give everyone in the
audience a complete description of the changes
that will occur.
Clearly, the fire stations are not closing. There
will be changes that will result in less manpower and
vehicles including the loss of the normally scheduled
back up paramedic vehicle. There will be a remote
vehicle available to be utilized but the manpower to
activate the vehicle will need to be called in to action
from elsewhere. Both stations 24 and 74 have trained paramedics
that are firefighters so there is not a great deal of
concern for normal amount of calls per day. It is the
instance where one call is received, for example, for
a fire in Sunland, and another call is received
for a paramedic in Tujunga, at about the same
time that has firefighters fighting to keep a
response time of less than five minutes.
Calling in aid from outer areas in those
situations can result in a very long response
time so multiple call situations are of great
concern. Also present at the STNC meeting was Mr. Lima a representative from United Firefighters of Los Angeles who was there
to rally support for not cutting any emergency services in Sunland Tujunga because
of our isolation and distance to other possible
responders. Residents were urged to contact Councilman Krekorian to request that he allow no cuts in emergency services. PaulKrekorian@lacity.org or call 213-473-7002
Verdugo students thank Sunland-Tujunga’s emergency services
Index:
Staff Acknowledgements:
Editor in Chief
Bob Georgius
818-523-5494
Ad Sales - Sandy ShafferBroms
818-397-3835
adsales@voiceofthevillage.org
Ad Design - Jeannine Crowley
Liaison/Journalism Advisor
David W. Riemer
Layout Advisor
Arshavir Steven Saryan
Supervising Co-Editors
Samantha Willson
Amy Hwang
Section Editors
Josh Esquivel
Lina Hwang
Christy Kim
Connor Newell
Travis Pierce
Irene Penn
Web Address
www.voiceofthevillage.org
P.O. Box 4323
Sunland, CA 91041
News....................................................
Business..............................................
Features..............................................
Who We Are........................................
School News.......................................
Service Clubs......................................
Announcements..................................
Church News......................................
The Arts..............................................
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page 30
American Pride: Hometown Heroes organization
honors men and women that serve in our military
Brad, Wendell, and Deanna Bowers with a prototype of the
proposed signs
Kresse Armour
Nestled into the foothills of Sunland, the
home of Deanna and Wendell Bowers is warm, inviting, and bears all the markers of a big family on
the go. In a living room housing various projects in
the works, a gallery of photos, featuring their four
children, commemorates their busy lives. A guinea
pig, there for the weekend from the fourth grade
class Deanna teaches, offers spontaneous bubbling
purrs while a big yellow Lab cruises about sniffing
and nudging, making sure that everyone’s getting
enough love.
It’s the kind of place you’d really miss if you
found yourself far away, and the people there would
miss you right back –– and do something about it.
Like put up a sign. A big one. And then rally
the community around the cause of keeping people
close in heart –– especially those in the military who
are far from home.
Like many families in the Sunland/Tujunga
community –– one that is distinguished by an unusually high population of veterans, a standing figure of
12 percent –– the Bowers’s also have a family member in the military. Their youngest son, John, having
enlisted in the Air Force for a long-term commitment,
will give most of his 20s in service to his country.
“He is a very motivated young man,” Deanna said, recalling an energetic youth that found her
son tackling life at full speed. Excelling in sports, he
was also an Indian Guide and a member of the Sea
Cadet Corps, a program for young people sponsored
by the Naval Seabee Battalion based in Port Hueneme.
He developed a passion for aviation. “When
he was a little boy he had a lot of airplanes and a big
imagination,” Deanna said. “We had a friend, a pilot
for Delta, who had his own private plane. One day
took John up and let him take over the controls.”
It was love at first flight.
“We went to all the air shows and air museums,” Deanna said, adding that John’s decision to
join the Air Force had come at her suggestion. “It just
seemed the natural choice.”
While a student at Verdugo High School,
John had entered the ROTC program. “It was some-
Richard Stewart
Celebrating their first anniversary
of marriage, Richard and Susan
Stewart were honored to have Pastor
Bill Manning bless their marriage. Under the Giant Live Oak tree
where they were married last year,
Pastor Manning blessed the couple
and the park and ended by saying,
“Today we lay a commemorative
stone at the base of the majestic trees
and pray that God bless these trees,
this park, and Richard and Susan.” Richard surprised Susan and the
guests by lifting a carpet up revealing
a stone he had etched and placed at
the base of the tree. Carved into the
stone are these words:
Christened
“The Wedding Tree”
by
Pastor Bill Manning
“Two trees, two branches
overhead,
Embracing, becoming one”
So was blessed and wed
Richard V Stewart and Susan
B Boughton
On this site
Bandito Wedding
May 16, 2010
Richard spent a full week mowing
the lawn and preparing the park
for the ceremony. Cake and punch
was served to the guests who came
to help celebrate the one-year
anniversary of the Bandito Wedding.
You can view the commemorative
etched stone any time under “The
Wedding Tree” on Tujunga Canyon
Boulevard. Be sure to look up as well
and notice the branches of the two
trees “embracing, holding hands and
becoming one.”
Story continued on page 4
Angeles National Golf Club sponsors the Relay for Life
“wrap up” party celebrating the success of the event
Sandy Schaffer-Broms
On April 27, Angeles National Golf Club
sponsored an elegant buffet for all the volunteers of
the 2011 Relay for Life. The celebration was for the
American Cancer Society’s signature event “Relay
for Life” which was held on April 9 at Verdugo Hills
High School.
It was announced that our Community’s
“Relay For Life” has now raised over $33,000.00 with
the top 3 leading fundraising Teams being the “Walking Stiffz’s” (the Working Stiffz Band) with $6,277;
Quiet Hair Growing with $3,674 and Team Tack-y at
$3,155. Our Top Participants have raised $2,715 by
Jodi Lakatos; $1,950 by Jennifer Wollard; and Tami
Revel at $1,900. Keep informed on the finals of these
categories as it can change up until the close of the
2011 year on August 31, 2011. Our web site is www.
relayforlife.org/sunlandca
Ann Dodge, Event Chair, presented Certificates of Appreciation to all Committee Chairpersons:
Marcy Bucy, Charlotte Sexton, Noelle Arias, Sheryl
Buhr-Sanchez, Elizabeth Tholberg, Terry Dodge,
Kelsey Hurst, Heather L Burgess, Sandy ShafferBroms, Megan Hurst, Rocky Livingstone, Maryann
Baghdasarian, Kathy Koch, Elizabeth Jahelka, and
Emily Lopez. A Special Thanks was given to Sonia
Chamber round
table session is
a huge success
Ann Marie Dodge, Relay of Life Event Chair, presents Carrie Contreras, Banquet Manager of Angeles National Golf
Club with a Certificate of Appreciation
Lopez, American Cancer Society’s Sr. Relay for Live
Manager.
FRIDAY NIGHT BINGO
Sonia Tatulian
Given current economic situation and its impact on California business, it has never been more
important for businesses to learn about and be involved in the political process in our city, county, and
state. With this in mind, the Sunland Tujunga Chamber of Commerce sponsored its first quarterly Round
Table on April 26th, at the Century 21 Crest office in
Sunland.
The round table featured Field Representatives from the offices of Councilman Paul Krekorian,
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Assemblyman Cameron Smyth and State Senator
Sharon Runner, and was attended by several of our
local service organizations, such as the Elk’s Lodge,
The Kiwanis Club, The Lion’s Club and the Rotary
Club to name a few, as well as several local business
owners and residents.
Sonia Tatulian, President of the Chamber
started the meeting by asking all the attendees to
introduce themselves and their affiliation. The audience heard from Heather O’Connor, field representative for Councilman Paul Krekorian about some of
the local activities and outreach services provided
by our Council Office. Field representative, Millie
Jones presented an update on the county budget issues that remain an area of deep concern for all of us.
Field representative, Christine Ward from Assemblyman Cameron Smyth’s office, updated everyone on
the issue of the Assembly Bill 741 as it pertains to the
newer standards proposed for our sewer/septic issues and their impact on our area. District representative, Linda Johnson from Senator Renner’s office
provided more background on our newest Senator
and detailed some of her positions on several issues
affecting our State overall.
These presentations were followed by a
Question and Answer session that addressed several
issues including education, fuel price increases, relaxing the cost of fees and permits for local events,
such as the upcoming 4th of July Parade and Watermelon Festival. By the close of the meeting, the overall message was we need help and we need to make
our voices heard. How? By being involved, actively
participating in your right to vote at each election
and understanding the issues you are voting for.
Please watch for more upcoming information in this paper about our next Round Table Session scheduled for Tuesday, July 26th.
For additional information on ACS/Relay for Life, contact Ann
Marie Dodge anndodge13@yahoo.com
LOURDE’S S
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Bandito makes a lasting
mark for his anniversary
thing that had really brought out his leadership qualities,” Deanna said. “He wanted to join the service
and had gone to all the recruiters: Army, Navy, Coast
Guard, but it was the Air Force that recognized his
service for ROTC and offered him a higher rank at
entry level.”
Deanna added that John would also be able
to work on his AA degree while in the Air Force.
“They want their airmen to continue their education,
and John wants to advance as an officer.”
The Bowers’s son is currently stationed at
historic E.F. Warren Air Force Base, in Cheyenne,
Wyoming, one of just three strategic missile bases in
the US and the oldest continuously active base in the
Air Force. He’ll be there for the next four years. A
nuclear base, John’s detail at Warren finds him assigned to security forces.
But Cheyenne wasn’t the first stop. That
would have been boot camp, a while back, in San
Antonio, Texas, learning maneuvers under a blistering summer sky.
“I don’t know how those guys did it,” his
father, Wendell said. “It was hot, humid, miserable.
And then he was sent to Wyoming, where it drops
below zero in the winter.”
When John completed boot camp, his family
was invited to be among those who would attend a
very special ceremony. John had graduated in the top
10 percent of his class. It was the trip to Texas that
inspired Deanna to reach out to the dedicated service
men and women of the US military.
“They serve to honor a country they love
and want to keep safe,” she said. “We wanted to
honor them. We had visited the USO in San Antonio
and were so impressed with what they were doing
there. It’s a great organization. One day we saw ban-
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4
American Pride: Hometown Heroes organization
honor the men and women in our military continued from Page 2
have to sponsor to have a banner. They
can simply nominate a veteran or current
member of the military. Our goal is to have
everybody recognized. We’re working on
getting sponsorships so that everyone can
be honored. All donations, of any amount,
are appreciated and tax-deductible.”
The banner project is gathering
speed and pulling people together. “I’m so
happy that our church allowed us to start
there,” Deanna said. “Now it’s a community project and we want to get the word
out.”
Nominations are being accepted for
both living and deceased veterans. Era of
service has been divided among the project’s supporters and will be processed by
the respective organizations. Those wishing to honor veterans who served at any
time prior to 9/11/2001 should contact the SunlandTujunga Rotary Club to nominate a service member.
Those wishing to honor veterans from 9/11/2001 to
the present should contact Deanna Bowers at ollmilitaryoutreach@gmail.com or Councilman Krekorian’s
office.
“The cost of banners is $250 each,”
Deanna said, “But we want people to
know that they don’t have to sponsor to
have a banner. They can simply nominate a veteran or current member of the
military. Our goal is to have everybody
recognized. We’re working on getting
sponsorships so that everyone can be
honored. All donations, of any amount,
are appreciated and tax-deductible.”
ners, and I thought, ‘why couldn’t we do
that here?’ It would be a wonderful way to
recognize these brave individuals.”
She would become a woman on
a mission. The first stop was her ministry, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, which
agreed to help launch the project, gathering nominees for the banners.
Then armed with photos and advice from officials in towns around the
Southland with their own successful banner programs, Deanna approached the
city of Los Angeles. “We had to draw up
a proposal,” she said. “Then we met with
reps from Councilman Krekorian’s office.
We are the first ones in the city of L.A. to
do this.”
In addition to support from
Krekorian’s office, the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club and the Lions Club have also
jumped on board.
The design for the new banners was a creation of Hrag Yedalian, Director of Special Projects
at Los Angeles City Hall. When completed and dis-
played, the red, white and blue three-by-eight-foot
banners will depict a service member’s name and
branch of service.
“The cost of banners is $250 each,” Deanna
said, “But we want people to know that they don’t
Does representative Paul Krekorian’s Proposition O
have what it takes to “Save the Golf Course”?
VOICE Press Release
On Wednesday, May 18, representatives from Glendale-Crescenta
VOICE, the Sunland-Tujunga Alliance,
the Little Landers Historical Society,
the Southern California Golf Association and other organizations attended
a meeting of the Proposition O Citizens
Oversight Advisory Committee.
Proposition O is the bond measure passed by the voters of Los Angeles in 2004 that funds projects to clean
up pollution in the City’s watercourses,
beaches, and the ocean. The Citizens
Oversight Advisory Committee is responsible for monitoring the bond program, reporting to the Mayor and City
Council on the status of projects, and
reviewing projects for potential inclusion in the program.
Councilmember Paul Krekorian has proposed two potential new
projects for Proposition O funding, the
Verdugo Hills Golf Course and the Studio City Golf and Tennis Center – both
in Council District 2. The nine-member committee watched PowerPoint
presentations describing the merits
of both projects and heard testimony
from members of community organizations and the public. After a series
of questions directed to the staff of the
City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, the committee determined that
both projects had value and directed
staff to move forward with “conceptual reports” on each.
The staff presentation on the
Verdugo Hills Golf Course, as well
as the presentation made by VOICE,
included the Regional Park concept
[seen at the top of this page] created
by VOICE President, Richard Toyon.
The design, which was first introduced
to the community in 2008, contains
many features for storm water capture, ground water recharge, and water quality improvement – exactly the
kind of project envisioned by Proposition O.
While nothing is certain at this
point, this is a small positive step in
the fight to save the Verdugo Hills Golf
Course. We thank Councilmember
Paul Krekorian for his continued support for preserving this historic recre-
ational resource.
To find out more about Prop O,
its projects and its long range benefits, visit www.lapropo.org. You can
find out about the criteria for Prop
O funding, as well as view some of
the projects that were approved for
funding, such as Echo Park Lake,
Los Angeles Zoo Parking Lot, and
the South Los Angeles Wetland Park
Project. It’s well worth checking out.
Please take the time to let Councilmember Paul
Krekorian know what you think about his efforts to
save the Verdugo Hills Golf Course by emailing him
at: councilmember.krekorian@lacity.org. Or you can
write to the councilman at: City Councilmember
Paul Krekorian, 200 N. Spring St., Room 425, Los
Angeles, CA 90012
Is remodeling the right choice for your home?
Scott Cloud, Cloud Construction, License #481406
You’ve owned your home for several
years now. You’re used to its looks, its quirks.
It looks its age. Its value might have taken a
bit of a hit the past few years, but it’s “home”.
Besides, you like the neighborhood; you’ve
made good friends over the years; and you
have a stable environment, which is irreplaceable.
However the family is growing, you need
more living space. You thought of moving up,
but the thought of selling the old girl is daunting.
Qualifying for a mortgage is not like it
used to be, and finding a qualified buyer for
the price you want will be tough. What to do?
Remodel!
An add-on will give you the extra space
you need for your expanding family or new
projects.
Maybe it’s time for that new look you’ve
been dreaming of for years. It could be as simple as a new coat of paint or maybe some new
windows, doors and moldings. A little bit of TLC can
make it look and feel like new and above all, protect
your investment.
When you remodel remember to use a Licensed
Contractor. A licensed contractor will be insured and
accountable for the whole project. Unlicensed workers may not be, putting you and your home at risk
for any mishaps that may occur, leaving you with
little (if any) legal recourse.
A General Contractor will coordinate the various
trades needed to execute your project according to
design and plan specifications. They will work with
the various trades, i.e., the electrician, the plumber,
the cabinet and woodworking professionals, the
painters and appliance installers, ensuring they are
there when needed, and are not in each other’s way.
The General Contractor will verify that the time and
material prices charged are in line with your budget.
Remodeling is the answer; and now is be the
time. After all, this is your castle.
Jay “Scott” Cloud, owner of Cloud Construction has been a
licensed contractor since 1985, specializing in residential and commercial construction and renovations. Call Cloud Construction at (310)
919-7394 for all of your construction needs.
5
Features
Verdugo Hills High School - the unsung Dental Bits
gem of Sunland-Tujunga
and Bites
- it may be
your sinuses
David W. Riemer
VHHS Journalism Advisor
Located at 10625 Plainview Avenue in Tujunga, Verdugo Hills High
School has been serving the local community and Los Angeles region since
1937. Over the course of its history the
school has undergone many changes
and shifts -- as is happening right now.
Many in the local community may
not be aware that VHHS is ranked
among the top 6% of high schools
in the United States by Newsweek
magazine. In its America’s Best High
Schools rankings, which, according to
Newsweek, are based “on how hard
schools challenged students with advanced placement college-level courses and tests.” VHHS is ranked at number 1,309.
Others may not be aware that AP
calculus teacher, Scott Kemple was
honored by the College Board with
the inaugural Jaime Escalante Award
-- named after the inspirational teacher
of Garfield High School in East Los
Angeles Last year, Mr. Kemple’s 20 out
of 39 calculus students all passed the
test with an average score of 4.4 out of
5 possible.
These 39 students are among hundreds taking advantage of the impressive array of educational opportunities
Verdugo has to offer.
The school doesn’t stop at a productive advanced placement program.
It offers a comprehensive, traditional
high school experience to all of its students. Verdugo’s Leadership program
is a training ground for future leaders.
The school offers a complete sports program, with playoff level and leagueand city-championship programs; an
award-winning marching band and
thriving music program; a state of
the art multimedia Magnet program;
a-g. University of California/California State University entrance requirements available to all students; and a
unique 90- minute block schedule that
has boosted student achievement, attendance, and graduation rates for
over a decade, moving the school consistently to the top of local district 2
LAUSD high schools.
With the recent proliferation of
place-less store-front academic credit
factories, expensive private academies,
and single-subject themed “small
schools” VHHS stands out as a place
with a history—a real part of the community, a free resource open to all and
welcoming all. And Verdugo is BIG!
With ball-fields and vistas abounding.
It’s a throw-back that can hold its own
in a competitive field of learning environments.
Recent state budget funding issues and the national economic situation have challenged all schools, putting pressure on special programs such
as journalism. Voice of the Village is a
product of the Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce’s
attempt to find a solution to funding the
school newspaper, La
Yuca.
High school editors lay out the paper
you’re reading and
the chamber repays
them for this work by
paying for the publication of the school
paper. The kids gain
valuable experience
in journalism and the
community gets a
top-notch local newspaper. Through these
kind of programs
and projects, VHHS
contributes to and receives support from
the local community.
And Verdugo Hills High School
continues to change and adapt to the
changes taking place in the world of
education. Outgoing principal, Diane
Klewitz, has moved the school over
the last few years to consider becoming a conversion charter high school
as many of the top schools in the San
Fernando Valley have done. El Camino
Real, of West Hills most recently, along
with Granada Hills High School and
Birmingham High of Lake Balboa are
among the largest high schools in the
nation to have converted to charter status..VHHS is considering joining the
ranks of these and other high schools
seeking more autonomy from the bureaucracy of the large urban school district that is now LAUSD.
Teachers recently conducted a poll
that showed 77% support by the faculty for researching and potentially preparing a formal application for charter
status within the next couple of years.
So, the beat goes on and the school remains the heart of the local community. Alumni from Verdugo are fervent
of the school and support the efforts
of their successors – present-day students – through scholarship contributions, attendance at athletic events, and
many other special events sponsored
by the school.
Graduates are spread across the
country, attending the finest universities in the nation: Syracuse, Yale, Oberlin, Haverford, Berkeley, Stanford,
studying abroad and attending virtually all UC and Cal State campuses as
well as local community colleges.
So the next time someone smirks
and makes derogatory comments
about your local high school, direct
them to this article or have them drop
me an e-mail. We’ll set them straight
and see that this community continues
its productive relationship with the
school so many local citizens call their
alma mater. Steely Dan – the wry iconic
70s band once sang, “and I’m never going back to my old school.” Well, your
old school is now “old-school” and
would love to have you back.
Visit VHHS on the web at verdugohs.org. Or come
on over to the campus and get a guided tour.
Dr. James Mertzel, DDS
When a patient comes to a dental
office in pain, the usual diagnosis is an
abscessed tooth.
In some cases, however, the patient
has neither a filling nor a cavity on any
teeth on the side where the pain exists.
Upon interviewing the patient, he/
she may disclose that they have had
a cold or a chronic sinus flare-up. It is
possible that the pain is not a defective
tooth, but a sinus infection.
In some cases, a root of the upper
first molar may be into the maxillary
sinus. A sinus filled with fluid may put
pressure on the root of the molar, causing the tooth to come into premature
contact with the opposing tooth. Each
time the patient bites on that side, the
patient could experience pain.
The converse could also be true.
An infected upper molar can cause a sinus infection. I had a patient who had a
badly infected upper molar. Root canal
therapy was not indicated. I informed
the patient that the tooth should be removed. The patient told me that the
tooth did not hurt, and she was not
ready to have it extracted at that time.
She returned every six months for her
regular checkup and dental cleaning.
Each time I reiterated the fact that the
tooth should be extracted. About 18
months went by with the tooth still
untreated. At the next visit, I was quite
frustrated with the patient’s reluctance
to receive the proper treatment and I
was quite concerned about the spread
of infection.
I said” I am very concerned about
that tooth and the strong possibility
that you could develop a severe sinus
infection.”
She exclaimed, “Sinus infection!
I have been receiving treatment from
my physician for a sinus infection for
the past year.”
I said, “Didn’t the physician ask
you about the condition of your teeth.”
She replied, “He asked me if I had
regular dental checkups and I told
him that I visited the dentist every six
months.”
The physician assumed that if she
were going to the dentist on a regular
basis, the dentist would have treated
any infected teeth. The patient never
told the physician that I had advised
her to have the molar extracted several
years ago. I extracted the tooth and the
sinus infection was resolved.
Prior to the advent of antibiotics,
some patients, who ignored treatment
for an infected upper molar, would die
due to the spread of infection through
the sinuses.
Dr Mertzel is a member of the American
Dental Association, the California Dental Association and the San Fernado Valley Dental
Society. He has been awarded a Fellowship
in the Academy of General Dentistry. He has
served on the Board of Directors of the SFV
Dental Society as Legislative Chairman for the
past 11 years and presently is a member of the
CA Dental Association’s Governmental Affairs
Council.
6
Greg’s Getaways - Exploring Alaska’s
Rugged Interior with Gray Line of Alaska
Greg Aragon
Great Bank…Great Bankers…
Great Banking…right down the street.
Mission Valley Bank is a strong, independent community bank.
We have the financial solutions you need for you,
your business & your family.
Come in or call us today.
(818) 394-2300
I’ve taken a few cruises along the
coast of Alaska and all were amazing.
The endless, rugged beauty that passes
by the windows and decks of the cruise
ship is unforgettable. And the shore excursions into port cities are exciting.
But on my last journey to Alaska,
I wanted to see things from a different angle. I wanted to experience the
mountains, glaciers, wilderness and
people of the “last frontier” in greater
depth. To do this I booked a weeklong
tour with Gray Line of Alaska. My Gray Line getaway began in
early July, when a friend and I flew to
Fairbanks, where we met a Gray Line
representative, who led us aboard a
comfortable charted bus. We rode to
the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks. Here
we explored the small town charm of
Fairbanks, where gold mining history
coexists with art deco buildings, native
Alaskans and rugged individuals.
Located 358 miles north of Anchorage at the end of the Alaska Highway,
Fairbanks is known as “The Golden
Heart of Alaska.” Because of its location, Fairbanks sees remarkable temperature fluctuations, ranging from
65 degrees below zero in the winter to
more than 90 degrees in the summer.
In the morning, our tour took us
to Gold Dredge No. 8, near Fairbanks,
the only gold dredge in Alaska still
open to the public. Between 1928 and
1959, hundreds of thousands of ounces
of gold passed through the five-deck
dredge, which functioned as a gigantic
mechanical gold pan.
Next we took a wooden train ride
through an actual mine, where we met
a “miner” working below. The miner
wore a microphone and told us of gold
mining techniques used in the early
1900’s, and about the harsh conditions
miners faced. Out of the tunnel, we
encountered a black bear, old mining
cabins and equipment, and a flowing
stream.
The train then stopped at a visitor’s center, where we watched workers pan for gold at a real working mining slide. We were then handed a bag
of dirt and a pan and went mining for
ourselves. Afterwards we explored giant Gold Dredge No. 8, a National His-
toric Site. Besides mining equipment,
the site is a museum with items such as
mammoth tusks and other prehistoric
bones dug up by the dredge. We concluded our visit with a hearty miner’s
lunch of stew and biscuits.
On the third day of our tour we
visited the world-famous Alaskan
Pipeline. A modern marvel of engineering, the 800-mile-long pipeline
was built to move oil from the North
Slope of Alaska in Prudhoe Bay, to the
northern most ice-free port in Valdez,
Alaska. Along the way, the 48-inch diameter pipeline, which opened in 1977,
crosses three mountain ranges and
more than 800 rivers and streams.
After putting our hands on the
warm pipeline, our Gray Line tour
group took a cruise down the Chena
River on the paddleboat Discovery.
The trip featured interactive encounters with a dog sled training operation,
an Alaskan boat plane pilot, and an
authentic Native Alaskan village along
the river.
We then experienced the McKinley Explorer, one of the world’s great
rail journeys. The trip runs through
Alaska’s rugged interior from Fairbanks to Anchorage and back again.
Operated by Holland America Cruise
Line, the two-story dining-lounge cars
are highlighted by glass domed roofs,
which blend into the train’s large side
windows, providing riders incredible
360-degree views of the Alaskan landscape.
On our four-hour trip from Fairbanks to Denali National Park, we
past a never-ending post card of lush
forests, rivers and streams lined rocks
and beaver houses, lonely bridges,
grazing moose, bald eagles, Alaskan
peaks covered with snow, and opaque
lakes shimmering in the middle of lost
meadows. During the ride, I sat in a
large reclining chair and enjoyed a
steak and eggs breakfast in the train’s
dining room.
At Denali National Park, we
checked into McKinley Chalet Resort, overlooking the gorgeous Nenana River. Located one mile from the
park’s entrance, the 345-room lodge is
a masterpiece of Swiss-style and cedar
wood.
From the resort, we took a bus ride
deep into Denali Park. Covering more
than six million acres of protected wilderness, the park is home to 20,320-ft
Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain
in North America, as well as some of
Alaska’s most stunning vistas and
most popular wildlife.
In the morning, we rode the
McKinley Express to the tiny town of
Talkeetna, where we checked into Talkeetna Lodge for the night. The next day
we met Iditarod champion Martin Buser and his dog sled team. We then visited Kenai Fjords National Park, near
Seward, where we took a cruise deep
into the fjords. During the voyage, we
drifted past towering glacier ice and
encountered bald eagles, sea otters, sea
lions, hump back whales, and a pod of
killer whales.
For more info of Gray Line of Alaska and its
tour packages, visit: www.graylineofalaska.com or
call (800) 544-2206.
Compassion Every Day Keeps Inflammation and Disease at Bay!
Jennifer Cleary – Gobble Green
www.MissionValleyBank.com
Did you know that being a compassionate and caring person could
actually improve your physical health
and increase your life expectancy?
Inflammation is one of the major
contributors to the aging of our bodies and plays a key role in the onset
of many diseases. Inflammation most
commonly occurs after a cut is made
on the body or a breaking of bone occurs. When severe, inflammation can
be quite painful and even crippling.
Fortunately, the vagus nerve allows
our bodies to respond to and repair
traumas like cuts and breaks. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in our
bodies. It runs from the top of the
brainstem and through the face, throat,
chest, heart, the GI tract, all major organs, and into parts of the immune sys-
tem. Without the vagus nerve, the cuts
and breaks, which our bodies sustain,
could not heal properly, leading to septic shock and organ failure. The vagus
nerve tells the body how to heal and is,
therefore, of enormous importance to
people’s general health and longevity.
So how do we keep the vagus nerve
healthy? Research indicates that there
is a strong connection between the vagus nerve and compassion. In these
studies, people who were the most
compassionate were found to have the
healthiest vagus nerves whereas people who did not make compassionate
choices regularly were found to have
weaker vagus nerves. Due to this finding, scientists postulate that it is possible to train our vagus nerve much like
we work out our bodies at the gym. By
consistently exercising compassion, we
can improve the strength of the vagus
nerve and help this pivotal body part
to function optimally; a healthy vagus
7
nerve results in decreased inflammation, faster healing and a healthier you!
8
A Whole New Way to Market Your Business!
Ray McKay
The Debt Lady Says…
Jerri Simpson is The Debt Lady
I was standing in line at the X Factor audition last weekend and there
were two women talking about money
behind me. I normally don’t eavesdrop on others’ conversations, but
since it was about money I listened.
One said to the other, “I feel like I’m
always thinking about money and
worrying about making my bills. How
can I reorganize my life and stop doing this?” Just then, a big, black SUV
pulled up and Simon Cowell stepped
out; her question was never answered.
I thought it was a great question, so
the Debt Lady says:
Do a budget - and know where
every penny goes in and out of your
household.
Give yourself and your family
members an allowance - and don’t
go over it. If you have $4-a-day latte
habit, allow for it but make sure the
bills are paid first.
Have money set aside for emergencies - and don’t spend it unless it’s
an emergency.
Pay cash for the bigger purchases
- You can do this by playing a game
with your family. For instance, if you
want to buy a new plasma TV with
surround sound, plan it out and get
everyone in your household involved.
Have the kids do additional chores,
have a garage sale, sacrifice a couple
of lattes a week. Figure out how much
you need and how long it will take.
Talk about it often, and then when
the date comes and you have all the
money, go buy it--together. It’ll be that
much more memorable for the family
and no payments or interest afterwards.
Don’t enter into a long-term obligation - such as a car payment, unless
it’s workable in your budget.
Coordinate with your spouse - if
you’re married, to make sure you’re
on the same page money-wise.
By putting in these simple steps
and sticking to them, you can focus
more on life, children, family, love,
honesty and playing games. Isn’t that
what it’s all about anyway?
If you would like to submit a question for the
Debt Lady, email it to thedebtlady@thedebtlady.com.
Follow the Debt Lady on Twitter at the_debtlady, on
Facebook at debt lady and the Blog at thedebtlady.
blogspot.com.
9
In the world of marketing and
promotion, things have been moving
fast. A lot of new marketing channels
have been created within the past
few years and, for many, it has been
a dizzying ride. Now there is a whole
new channel for your marketing efforts
and it is exploding! Find out about it
and make use of it now. Don’t get left
behind!
The Internet created entirely
new avenues for seeking information
about products and services. Business
owners and marketers picked up on
this and developed ways to reach
internet users with their messages.
Over the past several years, new
ways for people to interact have been
developed and business owners have
found themselves grappling with
how best to utilize “social media” for
marketing. Many businesses are still
working out the best ways to utilize
the social media phenomenon.
And, while many businesses
are already playing catch up, there
is yet another channel expanding
exponentially. What am I talking
about? Mobile! Mobile marketing…
“State of the Internet: Mobile
will be bigger than desktop internet
in 5 years.” This was the headline
kicking off Morgan Stanley’s analyst
presentation in April of 2010. This was
followed by an extensive presentation
backing up that statement.
When referring to “Mobile
Marketing”, people are talking
about reaching potential customers
and engaging them via their mobile
phones. This includes having sites,
landing pages and ads suitable for easy
viewing and use on a mobile phone.
It also includes a variety of ways to
reach out to people, inviting their
interactive response via mobile phone.
Text message campaigns are just one
example of this.
Why is this so important? Why do
I say it’s exploding? Well, check out the
statistics…
At the end of 2009, there were
4.6 billion cell phone subscriptions
worldwide. That’s 76% of the world’s
population using cell phones!
51% of mobile phone owners use
them to send and receive text messages,
up 38% from 2008. This is seen as an
early trend indicator that people are
increasingly using their mobile devices
for communication other than voice…
and the amount of non-voice usage is
increasing daily!
Regarding text messages, of the
over 255 million US mobile phone
subscribers, 70% have sent or received
a text message. Over 740 billion text
messages were sent in the first half of
2009 in the US alone. The typical mobile
phone user now sends and receives
more text messages than mobile calls.
Every day in the US alone, more
than 4.1 billion text messages are sent
and received. That’s 3 times as many as
in 2007.
97% of all text-marketing messages
are opened and 95% of those opened
messages are read within 3 minutes of
receipt!
The growth of the internet is
nothing compared to the rate of growth
in use of mobile phones!
“It’s clear that retailers who don’t
embrace mobile phone technology in
the coming year will be left behind,
much as those retailers who sat on
the sidelines during the early days of
digital or social media and are now
playing catch-up.” Advertising Age
Mobile Advertising in all its forms
is growing rapidly. In 2009 it was a 3
billion dollar industry. It is predicted to
be a 12 billion dollar industry by 2012.
That’s a 4,000% increase in spending by
advertisers on just this one advertising
channel.
You may be a bit overwhelmed
by these numbers, wondering how
this all relates to you and what you
should be doing for your marketing.
Well, to quote a white paper recently
published by Mongoosemetrics, “If
you don’t start understanding and
implementing mobile marketing now ahead of the curve - you might lose out
on the biggest opportunity since the
invention of online marketing.”
People take their mobile devices
with them everywhere. Literally, they
“don’t leave home without them”!
So, savvy marketers need to find
ways to interact with their prospective
customers where they are, in ways that
those customers want to be interacted
with. Where they are is with their
mobile phones…
You will see an increase in ads
asking people to text a keyword to a
shortcode (the term for the number
you’re asked to send your text message
to - example: Text “response” to 94932)
You’ll also see more and more
text campaigns and QR codes (quick
response codes or square bar code
boxes that interact with phone
applications) appearing in print ads,
television, billboards, bus ads, t-shirts,
envelopes, you name it. These are
already increasingly easy to find.
The interesting thing about all this
is that there is not a huge technical
barrier preventing someone from
launching mobile marketing initiatives.
Setting up text message campaigns
is relatively easy. There is usually a
set-up charge to get the whole thing
going and, depending on the response
and how you wish to continue the
interaction with your prospects, there
may be some ongoing costs to cover
the text messages you send out.
Creating sites that are mobile
friendly does require someone with
programming skills or it can be done
by using specific software platforms
that make it easy to set up.
An important thing to know is
that mobile campaigns can easily be
incorporated into the more traditional
methods of marketing and promotion
already in use. It’s really just an
additional channel to add to your
campaigns. The best mobile campaigns
will integrate all the marketing
initiatives a company uses. It should
be included at all levels, including
product, promotion, advertising and
PR.
While business owners and
marketers are managing their ongoing marketing, they should include
mobile channels in their efforts. Text
marketing
campaigns,
including
text for coupons, polls, voting, trivia
contests, information, etc. can all be
used right now to invite your prospects
to interact via mobile phone with the
result that they use your product or
services. Mobile text campaigns can
be added to your existing printed
promotion, mail campaigns, radio and
TV ads – any channels you already use
for your promotion.
My advice… do it now. Don’t wait.
Ray McKay is owner of Media City Marketing
Group, a successful marketing company assisting
business owners with design, printing, mobile
marketing and reputation management.
ray@mediacitymarketing.com - text “response” to
94932 – 818-353-6750
www.mediacitymarketing.com - www.
quickresponsemobile.com
10
Secrets of the Repo Man revealed
Gerald McNally
To many people the Repo Man is
a creature of legend He repossesses
your car!. He appears in the night,
and –Poof—your LuxMobile is gone,
never to be seen again. Until you receive the bill in the mail from the original lender. So what happens...really?
To begin, you usually have
missed more
than
one
payment before your lender decides
you are no longer a good risk.
Often, it’s a series of missed
payments, combined with no insurance. (Not exactly a recipe for
getting lenders to believe in you.)
Why can the lender take your
car, you ask? It’s in that long yellow contract you signed when your
bought that shiny car. And no, the
lender does not need a court order.
You may believe you have to be given notice before the Repo Man strikes.
Not true. Otherwise, you would hide
your LuxMobile in the wilds of Fontana, at your biker cousin’s house.
Or in your garage, safely locked
up and out of reach. While you do
have the right to notice in a foreclosure
on your home, lenders know what will
happen if they give you notice. You’ll
hide the vehicle - or worse, vandalize it.
So
the
Repo
Man
cometh.
At work. At night. In the early
morning. He has a key or a device
which will open your car, even if you’ve
changed the locks. And he knows
how to hot-wire your LuxMobile.
There are limits. He can’t break into
a locked garage. He can’t destroy
your property while taking your car.
And if you call the Police, well he
has called them first, so officers won’t
mistake the repossession process for a
car theft. By the way, if you threaten
him with your gun, or your attack
dog, the Police may come for you!
But, you say, “I have personal
property in my car!” Well, you can
visit the repo man’s office the next
day and retrieve your personal property. They are required to give it back.
Or you want to get back in the
lender’s good graces. OK. Sometimes
that’s as simple as making up the back
payments—plus the repo man fee.
(Neither the Repo-Man nor the lender
is responsible for any damage done
during the repossession.) Other times,
if your lender is really fed up, you have
to pay off the car to get it back. With a
Cashier’s Check and within 5 working
days or off the car goes to the auction.
The LuxMobile is sold for much
less than it’s worth. Then the lender
sends you a bill. How much? Add the
total you owed on the car loan, plus
the repo-man fees and subtract what
the lender got at auction. What’s left is
a “deficiency.” The lender can and will
take you to court and get a judgment.
So what do I do? Can you make
up the payments? If so, that’s your
best prevention. Hide the car?
How do you get to work then?
Can bankruptcy help? Actually yes, sometimes. If you haven’t
been late too often, you can make
up your payments as part of a bank-
Paradise
Perfumes
& more
on Pu
25
$
r
e
v
O
Gerald McNally is an attorney licensed in the
State of California, who specializes in bankruptcies,
divorce law, wills and trusts, and tax matters. His
office is located in the city of Glendale Calif. For
more information call: 818-507-5100 or e-mail client@mcesq.com.
Monday–Saturday 10–7
8125 Foothill Blvd. Sunland
Men’s Cologne
Watches
Wallets
Paco Rabanne, Perry Ellis, Salvatore Ferragamo, DKNY, Issey Miyake, Prada, Liz Claiborne, Kenzo, Tommy,
Sean John, Dirty English, Usher, True Religion, Ed Hardy, Burberry, Azzaro, Clavin Klein, Versace, Gucci, D&G, Hugo Boss,
Kenneth Cole, Cartier, Escada, Givenchy, Nautica, Hermes, Bvlgari, Jean Paul Gaultier, Carolina Herrera, Davidoff, Halston
ruptcy proceeding. If you have sufficient equity, you can even refinance
it for what it’s worth now, not what
you owe on the loan. And if the payments are just too high, in some cases,
I’ve persuaded lenders to reduce
the principal, reduce the interest rate
and reduce the payments. And if you
just want to turn the car in, you can do
that with no more bills from your lender.
818-352-0696
Happy Father’s Day
F
F
O
3
$
s
e
s
a
h
c
r
tory
n
e
v
n
i
rgest
a
l
and
e
s
e
h
t
m
l
l
u
Sti
s perf the
’
n
e
m
s in
of wo
e
i
r
o
s
acces
lley!
a
v
e
r
i
ent
Life Lessons learned from Horses
Celie Weston
“Everything has been figured out, except how to live.” ~ Jean Paul Sartre
Do you feel in control of your life?
Do you walk your talk? What are
you thinking right now after reading those words? Are your thoughts
positive or negative? Can you
quiet your mind and just listen?
Your mind is a separate entity
from you - always busy with something, and quite often, that “something” is destructive. The mind is busy
worrying, telling you to hold yourself
back - “Don’t get too involved” - “Be
careful” - “Don’t say too much” “Who do you think you are anyway?”
Does this sound familiar? The
mind bases its information on previous
experiences, good or bad. The problem
is that it makes interpretations all by
itself based on “facts” that most likely
aren’t even true. Every time a thought
crosses your mind, ask yourself “Is this
really true? Or could there be other options, other explanations?” Whenever
you experience a negative thought,
keep asking yourself this question
until you see the depth of the lie…
The mind is a huge influence
on how we communicate with
others. It gets in our way more
than anyone could ever imagine.
Years back, I participated in an exercise on Powerful Listening. However, I didn’t know that I was participating. My teammates and I
were simply taking a break, eating some food, having a chat about
what was going on in our lives.
At the end of our break we were asked
to fill out a sheet with the question:
“What did the other person talk to you
about?”
I was mortified!
All I could remember from my
conversations was what I had said, my
thoughts, my LIFE! I could barely re-
member a single thing any of the other
people had said…as it turned out, they
felt the same way. It wasn’t my fault,
I just wasn’t aware of what my mind
was doing.
Hearing and listening are two
very different things. The first is
merely physical, the second is the
ability to silence your own inner dialogue and understand the message
11
that someone else is trying to convey - without any form of judgment
or comparison to your own opinions.
It’s the ability to Empathize. This
is not possible if your mind is busy
judging whether what that person is
saying is right or wrong, good or bad.
Be still, be present - try to avoid
labeling anything as good or bad, just
let it be. -Like the flower on the side of
the road - pure beingness - experience
how you can become awareness itself.
Empathy creates understanding,
the same interests, mutual feelings,
shared realities. The result of all of
this is love. It is difficult to love someone if you don’t understand them.
But once you can empathize, you
can identify and love begins to grow.
This is how friendships are founded.
Good rapport is when two people are on the same wavelength,
they have things in common.
When I work with horses, I also
need to create rapport. A great way
to indicate that they can trust me,
that I can understand them, is to mirror their behavior and body language.
This can be done with humans as well.
If a person is quiet or shy - soften your voice; don’t overwhelm
them with loudness or big movements.
Mirror
everything
that
they do, but do it in a natural way.
Mirror the way they talk, the
volume of their voice, what position they are standing or sitting in,
even mirror their mannerisms if
they have any. Body language is a
key factor to successful communication - Horses have taught me that.
If you can achieve a mutual
understanding
and
trust
on this level, your communication is already off to a great start!
So the life lesson is Gain control of your life by gaining control of your mind. And remember, when you let yourself go,
others will be less willing to let you go.
When is the right time to move a loved one with Alzheimer’s?
Mary Mulally
Have you ever asked yourself
when is the right time to move your
loved one with Alzheimer’s? You
could have promised them long ago
that you would never put them in a
nursing home. You have to remember that years ago that’s all we had.
Nursing homes back when I was
growing up is all we knew and no
body wanted to end up there. Nowadays we are fortunate enough to have
homes that specialize in Alzheimer’s
care and they are far from the nursing
home environment, which I believe
plays a big part in one’s quality of life.
The decision about the right time
to move a parent or loved one with
Alzheimer’s is always challenging,
but keep in mind you are not warehousing them. I agree to keep them
at home as long as you can, but as
someone’s dementia progresses, it is
important they are in a safe place in
which they have care when they need
it 24 hours a day, and where they can
continue to be active, both physically
and mentally. It requires real skill to
know how to continue to keep people with dementia active, which is
very important to their quality of life.
At some point it is simply not
possible to provide all this yourself,
and even if you have 24-hour help
it can be very stressful and quite
costly. If you allow your guilt to get
in the way of making the best decision for your loved one, it will not
be healthy for you, other members
of your family or for your loved one.
Once your loved one is in a new
place, you can spend as much time
as you like with them, rather than
being the caretaker, or the manager
of 24 hour caregivers. In all my 16
years of experience of working with
people with Alzheimer’s, I know that
they adapt to their new environment.
There is of course an adjustment
period for both your loved one and
the staff of the new home. During this
time your loved one gets used to the
new environment and the people taking care of them and the staff of the
home learns about their behaviors
and how to best take care of them.
This can typically take 2 to 4 weeks.
12
13
Who We Are
The Character and Characters of Rancho Tujunga
STNC Profile: Belinda Woodruff
18. Flair
19. Amscrayed
Across
1. Paperlike cloth
See Answers Page 29
6. Apple variety
36. Frenzied
59. 1987 Costner role
10. Window part
38. Bauxite, e.g.
61. Greek letter
14. Owning land
39. Gingrich
65. Head starts
15. Carbon compound
40. Head starts
68. Flu symptoms
16. Arch type
44. Case
69. Bog
17. Head starts
45. Do exist
70. Fred of hockey
20. Military cap
46. The “N” of U.N.C.F.
71. Form
21. Channel
47. Microprocessor type
72. Aspersion
22. Anxiety
48. Calculator grid
73. Itsy-bitsy bits
23. Defunct ruler
51. Precognition (abbr.)
25. Hit ground
52. Wounded ___
27. Dust remover
54. “___ my word!”
30. “You betcha!”
56. Pond buildup
32. Has a mortgage
Presenting the
Agave Bar & Grill
Phantom Food Critique
The Agave Bar & Grill at Angeles
National Golf Course - 9401 Foothill
Blvd. Sunland, CA
Is a hot spot for all locals featuring
breathtaking views with indoor and
outdoor dining.
Deluxe dining and service open
for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Happy Hour and Sunday Brunch from 11-
3pm all at affordable prices.
Now that summer is here, don’t
miss a mesmerizing sunset outdoors
while dining and enjoying a cocktail.
FOOD *****
Service *****
Atmosphere *****
Enjoy! - Phantom FC
24. “The Open Window” writer
26. Blown away
27. More crude
28. Cremona artisan
29. Masters
31. Bunk
33. Shoe type
34. Cream vessels
35. Razor sharpener
37. “My Little ______”
41. Camp sight
Down
42. Dowel
1. Approach
43. Annul
2. Feel pity
49. Narc’s target
3. Strengthen, with “up”
50. “Spirit” rock band
4. European gull
53. Colo. neighbor
5. Obstacle to learning
55. Dusk to dawn
6. Actor Depardieu
56. First fellow?
7. Soon, to a bard
57. Child’s building brick
8. Mooning
58. Showy trinket
9. A pint, maybe
60. Almond
10. Metaphysical poet
62. Sundae topper, perhaps
11. All excited
63. Course
12. Ryan and Tilly
64. Stirs
13. One-up
66. Dash lengths
67. Group w. troops
Pat Kramer
Community service is something
Belinda takes very seriously. Growing
up in a family of nine siblings in Chicago, she recalls that her parents were
her early role models working in the
ghettos to help set up the Head Start
Program there. She remembers marching in support of Martin Luther King
Jr. and the Civil Rights movement as a
young woman and feeling a sense of
pride in her community. “My main interest in joining STNC,” says Belinda,
“was to pull the community together
to get people involved in their own future, similar to what I experienced in
my youth in Chicago.”
As the Region 4 Rep on the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council,
Belinda Woodruff represents issues
affecting stakeholders south of Foothill Boulevard from Lowell Avenue
on the east to the 210 freeway on the
west in Sunland-Tujunga. In addition
to her board position, she also serves
as co-chair of STNC’s Arts, Culture
and Recreation Ad Hoc Committee
and as a member of the Safety Committee, where she helps Chairperson
Nina Royal organize and promote the
committee’s two main events: National
Night Out and the Safety Fair, both of
which take place in the fall. Belinda
also gives her time to neighborhood
beautification projects such as the new
Oro Vista Park at the corner of Oro Vista Avenue and Big Tujunga Canyon in
Sunland.
Belinda was active in community
service in her own neighborhood before joining STNC where she organized a local Neighborhood Watch in
Tujunga trying to eradicate drug dealers who were conducting illegal activities in her neighborhood and victimizing residents.
During that time, she also took
started a gardening project on a vacant
lot behind a Tujunga hotel. Through
her efforts and by getting others involved, that dirt lot became a beautiful garden with native trees and plants.
She recalls that both the Neighborhood
Watch and the volunteer garden project helped improve the quality of life
in her neighborhood while introducing
neighbors to one another.
One of the neighbors she met
back then was Dan McManus, now
STNC’s president. Through Dan, she
heard about STNC and the opposition
to Home Depot, which was trying to
open a store at the former K-Mart on
Foothill Boulevard in Sunland. After
attending community meetings, she
decided to run for Dan’s Region 4 Rep
position in 2008. Her focus is to try to
promote individual participation in
government to find solutions to their
problems.
Outside of her STNC role, Belinda
works in a public relations capacity for
the City of Los Angeles Public Works
Bureau of Engineering where she is
lovingly known as “The Voice of the
Valley.” Belinda frequently responds
to “311” phone calls assisting residents
with information on sewer-related issues. In addition to her day-job, she is
a member of the Our Lady of Lourdes
Choir.
Says Belinda, “I personally know
all of my neighbors through my involvement in the community and I
would like to help others get to know
their neighbors. It’s a very rewarding
experience to be active in your community; to actively work on your own
neighborhood or with your neighborhood council to improve the quality of
life in your community.”
Belinda believes in promoting respect for others, no matter what their
age or cultural background is. “If you
show someone respect,” says Belinda,
“their attitude and behavior will always exceed your expectations.”
Sunland’s History: Old, Dusty and Rusty
Marlene Hitt
It’s today and its problems that
grabs our attention and curiosity about
tomorrow. Why should anyone care
about the past, save all that old stuff
and keep the words of all those long
gone people? Here is why our history
fascinates me.
Preparing a docent training plan I
re-read some of the oral histories that
have been transcribed and placed in
one of the three huge docent handbooks at Bolton Hall museum. By the
time I finished reading Chan Livingston’s memories I felt a kinship. I wanted to meet him, have a good talk. He
had become a friend. Just like the characters in a favorite TV show.
All through my childhood, I wondered who was buried beneath the
cross up on McGroarty hill. The structure that used to be called the Cross of
San Ysidro and is now called the “Tujunga T”.
After another good read, I found
that no one is buried there. Some of the
older fellows in 1913 or thereabouts
wanted a marker. They managed to get
it built, put up a light on it and gloated about the distance it could be seen
from across the San Fernando Valley.
“Maybe someday 200 families will live
here” one said.
As a docent at the museum, I often
tell the stories of the beginnings of our
valley and the way people lived. I see
photos of a very lovely agrarian community surrounded by, OMG, those
mountains. I learn to appreciate rather
than to judge. For example: On Foothill in Tujunga there is an old building that the up-the-hill people call a
dump. But I know it isn’t. It is all that
is left of Jerry’s pool hall where some
of our friends grew up, where the local
Irish priest went for a beer because he
could speak Gaelic with the owner. It
was where the soldiers in WWII went
when they were home on leave. It was
“Cheers” where everybody knew your
name.
One day a mommy and her little
boy came in to look at the displays. She
saw an address marker for George Harris, the self-described “nature builder,”
rock mason and stone sculptor who
built Bolton Hall and said “Oh! That’s
where I live” she was so happy to live
on famous land.
In this town, we appreciate individualism. There was a woman who
wore towels wrapped around her
head, a big black coat and boots. She is
remembered, with affection as we trade
stories about how she would commandeer rides from us. Once I drove her
over to San Fernando to pay for a jay
walking ticket. When she got back into
the car I said, “Well you won’t do that
again!” and she said, “Oh yes I will”.
And indeed she did: and was hit by a
car on Foothill in Sunland. When the
EMTs came to her rescue, she tried to
beat them up with her cane. We all remember together.
In 1929 a prisoner locked in the
Bolton Hall jail accidentally set fire to
his mattress but there was no one near
the premises with a key to get him out
of jail. The man was unconscious before the Chief of Police reached the jail
to rescue him. No, he didn’t sue. Who
knew that?
In 1932, firefighters painted and repaired toys for needy children. That’s
an idea! The Valley Service Club had
a shawl program at the McGroarty
home and the highlight was the shawl
that was so fine that all four feet of it
could be pulled through a wedding
ring. There’s an idea for a program!
That year some fire department execs,
hired by the Tujunga City Council,
traded an old fire truck for a new one,
which made a lot of people chuckle.
The new engine was almost useless on
these hills, and the old one had been a
“Climbing fool”. Did you know that?
And we find the comparisons that
help us appreciate the world of today.
In the 1900s every man was urged to
carry a shovel in case a fire broke out.
Women kept house in tents accompanied by red ants and scorpions. Every
meal you ate had to be hunted and/or
grown and dinner was not a matter of
deciding which restaurant to go to or
what to thaw out.
Having a ‘good time’ meant to
hike in the hills or wade in the Big
Tujunga River. Falling asleep on a hot
summer night meant lying outside
on your cot listening to the neighbors
two miles away murmur or cough and
hearing coyotes not far off.
Those old timers started this place
for us, our fathers and mothers improved it, now we have our chance.
They had some very good solutions to
practical and moral problems that we
can all learn from.
Come on in to Bolton Hall museum on Tuesday or Sunday afternoon,
1:00-4:00 and find out why we cherish
every story and photograph. We can
tell you some good stories. And you
can tell yours.
14
Students march against drugs - a
bright spot for the community
Corina Calanoc and Richard Stewart
Verdugo Hills High School students gathered in
Bolton Hall the morning of May 14 for their annual
Anti-Drug walk. Members of the Interact Club began
to show up at seven in the morning, ready to go with
their vivid yellow “Creating a Drug-Free World” tshirts.
The Anti-Drug Walk, an event held every year’
begins at Bolton Hall Museum and extends to Sunland Park to convey a drug free message to the Tujunga community. VHHS’s Interact Club aided by
the Delphi Interact Club is heavily involved in planning as well as contributing volunteers and walkers
to this rally.
At nine thirty, everyone headed out with highspirited attitudes and signs sporting drug free messages. Along the way, the group of participants was
pumped up by honks of supporting cars and the
occasional thumbs up by fellow pedestrians. As the
journey ended in Sunland Park, they were greeted by
a DJ, Lion Frank Elms, an enthusiastic group of Leos
Club members from Mt. Gleason Middle School adding to the spirit, bagpipe tunes by local piper George
Allen and inspiring speakers.
The speakers included people who have been
drug free their entire lives, and recovering users
cleaning up their lives at Phoenix House Rehabilitation Center.
Once the speakers had finished, people were free
to enjoy the music and browse through informative
drug pamphlets provided by Foundation for a Drug
Free World. Nick Mauser, President of the Foundation spoke and acknowledged the good works of
both Interact and Phoenix House.
It’s so refreshing having our Sunland-Tujunga
students and Phoenix House standing up and being
vocal against drugs. They are good people; which is
to say, we can be proud of our students despite the
often-depressing news regarding the youth of today
and the toll of drugs, they are a bright spot in Sunland-Tujunga.
Bootlegging in the
foothills
Cecile Page Vargo
From 1920 to 1933, the manufacture, sale, and
transportation of alcohol was banned throughout the
United States, forcing many who enjoyed the beverage either to go dry or become criminals in the eyes
of the law. It was common for communities away
from the big city, such as our own Sunland/ Tujunga
area, to find creative ways to make their own booze
in private with little danger of being discovered.
The climate of our local foothills was ripe for
grape growing, and vineyards of table and wine
grapes were popular. In 1906, a ride through the lower part of present day Tujunga Canyon Blvd would
have revealed 45 acres of recently planted Cornishon
table grapes, as well as Tokay and Malga wine varieties.
The Fehlhaber family eked out a decent portion
of their living on the income provided from these
grapes for many years.
There was no irrigation in those days, but the
family lovingly hand watered their grape crop with
water from a deep spring behind their home. With
the illegalization of liquor, 60 lugs of grapes sent to
a Montrose wholesaler brought in a meager $5, forcing the Fehlhaber’s to find other resources to make
money that were legal and more profitable.
Caves in the canyon became popular places to
hide stills. One such cave across from the Big Tujunga wash was discovered when the still inside caught
fire. As the fire was put out, no one came forth to
claim the equipment.
A larger still was found in 1928, also in a cave
in the canyon, after a search which took several
months. Four men were arrested for the operation.
Two hundred gallons of liquor, 9,000 gallons of mash
in 30 wooden vats were confiscated. The cave was
outfitted with a concealed trap door containing an
electric signaling device to warn the approach of the
federal officers.
A cottage owned by Dr. Humphrey, of Los Angeles, was raided by prohibition officers in June 14,
1924. Several varieties of kegs and barrels full of
“White Mule” were punctured and allowed to drain
into the ground.
Of the four men arrested, the leader was carried away in irons. A few days prior to the arrest,
Dr. Humphrey had been alerted to illicit activities
when nearby residents reported the smell of liquor
amongst the natural fragrances of rose and wild honeysuckle.
Complaints of all too frequent visitors and odd
noises were reported, as well. The liquor that was
dumped by authorities flowed across the driveway
of Dr. Humphrey’s cottage into a nearby orchard, irrigating a number of fruit trees.
No reports were made of ill effects on the trees,
but it was noted that a young fig tree “received an
especially copious wetting.” During the arrest, 2,000
gallons of mash and 20 gallons of whiskey were
seized.
Local pharmacists were allowed to sell alcohol
with a license authorizing them “to use Spiritus and
Intoxicating liquors for compounding prescriptions
upon the Prescription of any Practicing Physician.”
One man with a permit to make beer for medicinal
purposes for his wife’s health was happy to share
with friends who knocked on his door, but never
profited from his brew.
Some homes in the area served as illegal warehouses for liquor. Others were known to serve as
speak easies. At least one property in our local hills
still retains the flag pole that was raised when the
speak easy was open for business for thirsty foothill
residents.
One bootlegging family buried their bottles of liquor on their property when the word came that the
feds were on their way. Be careful digging on your
property, you never know what long forgotten liquor
bottle you might find.
15
Youth for Human Rights International holds forum on youth violence
Trissie Badger
While 2007’s darkest days of gang-related murders and mayhem are hopefully behind the Pasadena community, the mid-February, 2011 shooting of
Muir High School football standout Brandon Jackson
and the rash of gun-related incidents that followed it
show that Pasadena youth remain the perpetrators
as well as the unfortunate targets of violence. The
continuing plague of periodic community brutality
and bloodshed is of course not limited to this city or
state. It is an international phenomenon.
To raise awareness and community solidarity in combating this grave infringement of human
rights, Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI)
sponsored a forum on “Youth Violence and Human
Rights, Creating Safer Communities through Education,” on Saturday, April 30, 2011 in the Church of
Scientology chapel in Old Pasadena.
The program addressed the realities of youth
violence as a human rights abuse as well as solutions
for prevention, locally, nationally and abroad.
Among the speakers were Porforio Frausto, Impact Coordinator, Outward Bound Adventures of
Pasadena; Pasadena Chief of Police Phillip Sanchez;
Randy Ertll, Executive Director of El Centro de Accion Social, Inc.; Skipp Townsend, founder and executive director of 2nd Call, a Compton-based organization addressing the resolution of gang violence;
Detective Martin Pinedo, Hate Crimes Coordinator,
LAPD; Ms. Rebecca Pratt, Outreach Coordinator,
Neighborhood Outreach Workers (N.O.W) Program;
and Joseph Jay Yarsiah, YHRI’s program director for
sub-Saharan Africa. Tim Bowles, Pasadena attorney
and YHRI’s Director of International Development
was the chief organizer and moderator.
Many community leaders, local educators and
civil servants were among those attending, including Rev. Nicholas Benson, Interministerial Alliance
Pasadena; Joe Brown, Pasadena NAACP; Horace
Wormley, Deputy Director, Pasadena Human Services/Recreation and Neighborhood Department;
Chris Chahinian, Armenian Identity Harvest; Chris
Garsevanian, Armenian Council of America; Jayme
Hirashiki, President, Ziquin Educational Group;
Brian Hovey, Executive Vice President, PROGENY;
Bryan Marin, Pasadena Police Department, Youth
and Family Services; Yvette McDowell, director for
Ambassadors for Peace; Jim Morris, Executive Director, Men Educating Men About Health; Richard
Ruiz, LA County Sherriff Department, Special Victims Bureau; James Smith, Teen Futures Pasadena;
Rita Gail Turner, Pasadena Commission on Status of
Women; John Smith, Neighbors Empowering Youth
(NEY), Altadena; Alejandrina Flores, Program Director, Neighborhood Outreach Workers (NOW) program of Pasadena; Millie Lee, Pasadena community
activist; and Myra Whittington, Pasadena City College Student Association.
Mr. Frausto, a 30-year veteran leader on the mediation of gang conflicts in Pasadena, emphasized
that violence issues will never be resolved without life as seemingly the only alternative. He pointed out
well-meaning residents taking responsibility for Pasadena is a community with unique resources to
their often fixed, but just-as-often unacknowledged, provide young people with significant opportunities
prejudices based on race, culture, religion and age for contribution to change conditions for the better.
that can divide local neighborhood from neighborYet, while there are some 1600 non-profit pubhood, school from school, congregation from congre- lic benefit non-profit organizations in the city, Chief
gation.
Sanchez observed they too often work separately,
Mr. Frausto learned the importance of taking re- and thus less effectively, on critical community desponsibility at an early age. “My dad would insist velopment issues. He acknowledged Youth for Huthat we did not complain about injustice unless we
continues on page 16
were prepared to do something about it,” he remarked.
SM
Calling for renewed
communication and dialogue, Mr. Frausto observed there is too little
emphasis and coordination on expanding traditional and proven founSINCE 1977
dations for youth to find
their way as responsible,
active community contributors. He pointed out,
“As citizens, we are all responsible for peace.”
Chief Sanchez struck
a similar chord. Defining
violence broadly as “an
absence of hope and an
absence of knowledge,”
he observed youth with no
routes of inclusion in the
society around them can
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YHRI holds forum on youth violence
continued from page 15
man Right’s efforts at bringing together local elements on the common cause
of human rights education and leadership as an example of sort of initiatives
needed to reverse otherwise fragmented community efforts.
Chief Sanchez concluded” “When
people ask what is the greatest threat
regarding violence (for example, domestic, terrorist, gang), I answer ‘an
apathic community.’”
Randy Ertll, utilizing video clips
of Salvadorian child soldiers and gang
members, described his growing up
in the violence-scarred worlds of El
Salvador and South Central Los Angeles. Citing to the work of the El Centro organization in local schools, Mr.
Ertll stressed education as the means
to prevent the recurring exploitation of
young people, including recruitment
into the violent gang life.
Introduced by Los Angeles Police
Captain Peter Whittingham, Skipp
Townsend described the mission and
work of 2nd Call, short for “Second
Chance at Loving Life,” a grass roots
community organization addressing
violence reduction in the greater Los
Angeles area.
Mr. Townsend outlined the group’s
process of taking seemingly hopeless
gang members, including former inmates, and training them in vocations
that enable their productive re-entry
into the community.
Detective Martin Pinedo is pro-
gram director for LAPD’s Stop Hate
and Respect Everyone (SHARE) program, a crime prevention initiative
for elementary and middle school students. He emphasized the program’s
actions to build knowledge, responsibility and effectiveness across the
seeming ethnic and cultural boundaries of greater Los Angeles communities.Rebecca Pratt, Outreach Coordinator for the Neighborhood Outreach
Workers (NOW) program of Pasadena,
introduced her program’s purpose
to train and engage young people as
community leaders and advocates
and thus to prevent the recurrence of
the widespread madness that gripped
Pasadena during the rash of shootings
in 2007.
Two John Muir High student leaders, Ricky Barros and Denise Jackson,
also spoke, calling for heightened ethics and responsibility among young
and old alike, while praising the NOW
program as instrumental in demonstrating the potentials for life beyond
the gang mentality.
Jay Yarsiah described his life growing up during 14 years of civil conflict
in his native Liberia. He was threetimes a refugee from his country, including a two week ordeal at sea on the
overcrowded, derelict freighter “Bulk
Challenge” in 1995. He presented From
the Ruins, the introductory documentary on YHRI’s African Human Rights
Leadership Campaign, a training and
competition initiative that enables
high schoolers to create effective human rights awareness campaigns. Mr.
Yarsiah closed with the plan to implement a similar pilot human rights com-
petition with diverse Pasadena youth
starting in September.
Among his remarks, moderator
Tim Bowles cited Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr’s observation that “in the end,
we will remember not the words of our
enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
“I believe that there is such a thing as
‘silence in action’ just as there is ‘silence’ in speaking one’s convictions,”
Mr. Bowles stated. “It is the challenge
of the older generations to endow the
younger population with greater courage, knowledge, and effectiveness than
our own.” Sounding an overriding
sentiment of the gathering, Mr. Bowles
encouraged those attending to find the
heighted confront, compassion, perseverance necessary to eliminate violence and human rights abuses wherever and in whatever form.
Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to worldwide human rights education using
the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It inspires and
equips young people as advocates for
tolerance and peace.
YHRI works with educators, civil
servants, religious leaders, youth, and
any person or organization of good
will. The organization distributes audiovisual and printed human rights
educational materials that may be ordered from its website. www.youthforhumanrights.org.
17
School News
MGMS Woodshop Teacher builds confident students
Jackie Houchin
Marley Chung’s classroom is
unlike any other at Mount Gleason
Middle School. It’s huge, almost cavernous, with high windows that let in
natural light. Hulking pieces of machinery and large square worktables
are spaced throughout the room. A
large, double-door cupboard at oneend swings wide to reveal rows and
rows of hand tools, from hammers and
mallets to saws, squares and screwdrivers.
In an alcove at the back, 36 numbered desk-chairs face a teaching
podium. Here students begin the semester by learning safety rules and
procedures, how to “be in a shop”
and work together, and how to clean
up. Each must pass this important 2-3
week course before they can go into
the work area or touch a tool.
Ms Chung has been teaching Wood
Shop for twenty-eight years, all of them
at Mount Gleason. All six classes (6-8th
graders) are co-ed, but that wasn’t always the case in the LAUSD. When
she was in high school the only elective
open to girls was Home Economics.
“As a child, I’d always been good
with my hands. I could organize and
make things without anyone teaching me,” remembers Chung. “I didn’t
want to take cooking and sewing!”
She finally got the school to allow her to take a shop, but only after
all the boys had a chance to sign up. “I
didn’t get to take wood or metal shop,
only drafting. But that wasn’t creating
things with my hands.”
After High School, Chung got a
Business/Math degree at CSUN and
went to work at Universal Studios.
“But I took Wood Shop in night school.
I liked it and was good at it, so I enrolled at Cal State LA for a degree in In-
dustrial Arts (auto, wood, metallurgy,
graphic art).
Her professor, local Shadow Hills
resident Scott Cappiello, was her inspiration. “You love it, why don’t you
teach it?” It took Chung almost five
years to earn the degree because she
was working and student teaching at
the time. Then, after three months at
another school, the position opened at
Mount Gleason.
“Why teach Wood Shop?” I ask
her. Ms Chung’s answer surprised me.
“I’m artistic. I like working with my
hands. I like to see results. And... I have
a math degree.” My raised eyebrows
were enough to put her into teaching
mode.
“I teach Math as a part of wood
shop. You need to know fractions and
algebra to plan and construct things.
I also teach basic Science principles,
like the formula for sanding. W=fd
(work=force x distance).
For more information on YHRI and its local
campaigns and projects, please contact Tim Bowles,
Director for International Development, One South
Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 301, Pasadena, California
91105, (626) 583-6600, tbowles@tbowleslaw.com
And I teach English too. The kids
must learn to read the plans, comprehend what they’re reading, then follow
instructions.” She shows me a typical
instruction sheet for a project they’re
working on which has a long, detailed
sentence with specific tools, supplies,
and measurements. “I have the kids
point out the “verb” and “object” in
the sentence. When they see that, they
know what to do. The rest are modifiers.”
I look at the beautiful 6”x6”x6”
wooden boxes with lids in various
stages, including some uniquely decorated ones from previous years. The
students are certainly learning their
Math, Science, English and Wood
Working well!
Next this versatile teacher proudly talks about her Leadership Class,
made up of thirty ambitious seventh
and eighth grade students who want
to” make things happen” at Mount
Gleason. Student Body Officers and
the entire Student Council meet daily
during class, but often give up their
lunch break or after school time too.
They brainstorm ideas, plan activities, then advertise and execute them.
They want to make school interesting, exciting and memorable for the
students. “Twin Day,” “Mardi Gras,”
“Turkey Talk,” costume contests, and
charity drives are just a few. This year
they’re responsible for the school yearbook.
They also host an annual “Teacher
(Staff) Appreciation Day” and honor
the 100+ people who run Mount Gleason Middle School. This year they
baked cupcakes, cookies and brownies for each person. Another year the
created decorated wood magnets. Last
year they collected river rocks, then
painted and personalized them for
each teacher. The Wood Shop teacher’s
rock is purple with pale lettering, “Ms
Chung Rocks!”
Marley Chung loves teaching kids,
(“I wouldn’t do it otherwise!”) She’s
full of exciting projects and ideas to
turn out responsible students who are
able to create something with their
hands. Her excitement is contagious.
“Magic happens here,” she
says, and I believe her.
Pinewood Elementary implements
Transitional Kindergarten program
Stephanie Compton
Registration is open now for this
Exciting Program. Pinewood is the
only school in the Foothills area that
was selected by the district to pilot this
new and exciting transitional kindergarten program known as TK.
Kindergarten has become increasingly academic and demanding. Some
parents have expressed a concern that
their children are not quite ready for
the pace and challenge of today’s kindergarten program.
A TK program is the first year of
a two-year kindergarten program that
incorporates Language and Literacy,
Mathematics, Science, Art and P.E.
The curriculum is developmentally implemented with hands-on ac-
tivities. Students will develop skills at
their own pace. This gives students the
gift of extra time to develop socially,
emotionally, physically, and academically.
Children with a fall birthday benefit from an extra year that prepares
them for success in their future school
careers.
Children who have a birthday between September and December of this
year and will be turning 5, children
who were unable to attend preschool
and those children whose parents request this program will be considered.
The daily schedule is the same as
all the kinder classes. They all enjoy
recess and lunch together and extra activities, including art and P.E.
Inside the classroom, students will
receive whole group and small group
instruction with hands–on learning using centers, manipulative, and one-onone instruction.
Transitional Kindergarten is only
at Pinewood Ave. Elementary for the
2011-2012 school year in Sunland/Tujunga.
Pinewood’s Open House is scheduled for June 2nd from 5-7pm. Dinner
begins at 5pm and everyone is welcome to visit classrooms from 6-7pm.
If you are unable to attend and have
any questions about this exciting
new program please contact Stephanie Compton or Belinda Gonzales at
818.353.2515.
Is your child ready for kinder?
Does your child...
*show interest in books and reading?
* retell stories?
*know some songs and rhymes?
*can recognize and write their na
me?
*sit for short periods?
*communicate
their
personal
needs?
Also consider these questions:
Does my child have a fall birthday?
Is my child ready for structured
academic work?
Would my child benefit from having more time to develop social and
academic skills?
What else would my child be doing if not attending kindergarten?
18
Jackie Tanker: Retiring but still comitted!
Patricia Livingston
Human dynamo, energizer bunny,
woman on a mission – these are just
some of the phrases that describe Jackie Tanker, Director of Religious Education at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish,
Tujunga.
You can’t miss her as she literally races around the parish setting up
events, working with volunteer catechists, stopping to listen intently to a
young student, organizing everything!
Indeed, Jackie has been on a mission – to provide the many religious
education programs for children and
adults at OLL.
After 17 years of strong leadership in the parish, Jackie is retiring. We
caught up with Jackie at the May 15
Family Fun Days parish carnival.
She revealed that her work at OLL
actually all began in 1990 when she volunteered to “help out” in the Religious
Education office. In 1994, she was appointed to the position of Director.
She took charge of the weekly Religious Education Program for parish
children who attend public schools.
Quickly, she developed RCIA for
children and Liturgy of the Word for
children; she plans retreats and events,
and she assists the teachers at Our
Lady of Lourdes School.
In her spare time, she volunteers
to help plan and execute all parish parties, such as the recent celebration of
Our Lady of Lourdes’ 90th Anniversary.
At Family Fun Days, Jackie was
working as she does every year at the
Religious Education Booth.
When asked about her retirement,
she said, “I never dreamed when I was
a volunteer that I’d be doing this work
the rest of my working years – that
God was calling me to work for his
cause. I never realized how fulfilling it
would be.”
Fortunately, OLL parishioners will
still see Jackie volunteering with the
Children’s RCIA and Liturgy of the
Word. She says she’s so committed to
these programs she just can’t let them
go.
Fr. Freddie Chua, Pastor of Our
Lady of Lourdes Parish, commented,
“Jackie’s leadership has been a gift to
our parish.
She has made a significant impact
on our Religious Education program.
We’re fortunate that she’ll be volunteering in some of the programs she’s
created.” The whole parish will celebrate Jackie Tanker’s gift of leadership
on Sunday, June 12, at the 12:30 Mass
and Reception afterwards in the Parish
Hall. All are invited.
For information about Religious Education,
the schools, or any of the programs at Our Lady of
Lourdes, call 818-352-3218.
Can your child think like a
genius?
Carlynn McCormick
Can you teach your child to think
like a genius? Yes, that’s capital Y-E-S.
But before we push children into
the realm of genius, it would be good
to look at what it means to be a genius.
Most people equate geniuses
with high I.Q. but that is the last definition in Webster’s college dictionary.
And the World Book Dictionary lists
that definition as specific to psychology.
All other definitions talk about
qualities such as: guardian spirits; having influence over others; very great power
of mind; great natural ability; originality;
creativity; the same as a jinni (or genie).
By taking these definitions into consideration, a concept emerges: a genius is
someone who stands out from the ordinary: someone who colors the world
with his own special paintbrush.
The geniuses of the past had to
break away from the ordinary thought
of their own day to bring the world
ideas such as electricity and heavier
than air flight.
Time has proven that Thomas
Edison and the Wright brothers were
geniuses - but here is an interesting
question. How many of their contemporaries labeled them crazy? How
many thought these geniuses foolish
for not conforming to the authoritarian
thought that prevailed?
Barring the ability to teleport to the
future to verify who will be proven ge-
nius and what will be deemed laughable, people tend to stick with what is
already agreed upon.
Think of the teacher who is adamant that her students do math problems the way they are shown in the
book.
When one of her students devises
another way of getting the right answer, he still gets it marked wrong.
The outcome, he usually conforms
and quits trying to find alternate ways
of doing something. After all, most of
schooling is about getting the right answers as they appear in the textbooks.
Perhaps this is the hardest part of
education - helping our children get
the basics that are needed to function
well in life without stifling their creativity.
They must know 7 x 8 is 56, for example, but how they arrive at the answer should be left to them. They may
memorize it outright. Or they may say
in the wink of an eye, “5 x 8 is 40 and 2
x 8 is 16, add 40 to 16, the answer is 56.”
Or they might remember the answer
by using the sequence 5, 6, 7, 8 by saying the answer to 7 x 8 is 56 (first two
numbers in the sequence). There may
be a thousand different ways to learn
one’s multiplication tables. The point
is we don’t want to kill a genius idea
just because it seems foolish to us.
There is, after all, a uniqueness
of thought that resides in every child.
And that is what we want to encourage
and bring out. Rather than just giving
your child an answer, let him discover
the answer.
When he gives you a “wrong”
answer to a problem ask him how he
came to that conclusion. Really listen
to what he says - sometimes you will
be amazed at the uniqueness of his reasoning.
When you have the data your child
is operating from, you will often find
his reasoning is quite logical.
A child’s ability to think, to figure
things out by observation or inspection, is far superior to reciting back a
pat answer someone or some book has
given him. This is true even when the
child’s answer is not quite spot on.
As parents and teachers we assist
our children best in developing their
ability to think intellectually when we:
Give them lots of opportunities to
think and puzzle things out for themselves.
Encourage them to observe the
world around them.
Show them how to spot similarities among differences.
Show them how to spot differences among similarities.
Support their imaginations.
Let no one fetter their minds.
As well, the more we develop these
traits in ourselves, the greater our own
intellect rockets. If anyone can learn to
think like a genius, then doesn’t it stand
to reason that we are one-for-one capable of coming up with brilliant ideas?
Senate Committee puts Union
Interests First –
Students Last
Press Release
Education reform legislation authored by Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) was voted down in the Senate Education Committee following
an outburst of opposition from union
interests that were bent on protecting
the status quo.
SB 355 would have allowed school
districts in California to base layoffs
on teacher performance rather than
just teacher seniority. The measure is
part of a broader, nationwide wave of
school reform that will allow school
districts to foster and retain quality
teachers.
“With our schools struggling to increase their education quality, I’m disappointed the Senate education committee chose the status quo related to
which teachers we let go,” said Senator
Huff following the hearing. “Half of
our state’s schools are experiencing declining enrollment. Regardless of this
year’s difficult budget, layoffs are being made. The defeat of SB 355 means
incompetent teachers are still given
preference to better teachers because
of the quality blind approach we currently use.”
Union members with the California Teachers’ Association showed up
in force during the committee hearing
to oppose Senator Huff’s reform efforts, and at the same time, defend the
“Last in, First Out” (LIFO) hiring policy. This policy ensures that, no matter
how proficient many teachers are, no
matter how hard they work, no matter
how well they teach, they will receive
layoff notices solely based on the date
they were hired.Senator Huff’s legislation had the support of former Senators
Richard Polanco and Gloria Romero,
who serve with Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), California Chamber of Commerce, Brea Chamber of
Commerce, Congress of Racial Equality of California, Orange County Department of Education, school districts
or Superintendents in Clovis, Newhall,
Palmdale, Twin Rivers plus numerous
letters of support from individuals.
“The LIFO policy often results in
layoff notices for our best and brightest teachers,” said Senator Huff. It
is not uncommon for ‘Teacher of the
Year’ award winners in California to
receive layoff notices under this policy.
How does this approach best serve the
needs of our schoolchildren?”
Current law prohibits teachers being laid off by any process other than
seniority. SB 355, had it passed, would
have provided an alternate path, as
long as school districts voluntarily established a rigorous and fair evaluation
system for both teachers and principals
based in part on student outcome data.
“When you lay off the best and the
brightest teachers in California, many
don’t come back,” stressed Senator
Huff. “They find other careers, because
these are highly qualified people.
Our students are the real losers
in this unfair process.”Senator Huff
serves as the Senate Republican Caucus Chair and is the past Vice-Chair of
the Senate Education Committee. He
represents the 29th Senate District covering portions of Los Angeles, Orange
and San Bernardino Counties.
19
Business
Bookstore owner offers ESL classes for Moms
Jackie Houchin
Over 50,000 books! It’s hard to imagine, but that’s
what Priscilla Luther-Heft, owner of Ocean View
Books Etc., says about her “new” used bookstore
located next to Quiznos and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
in Montrose.
This wonderful little shop has walls lined with
books, freestanding bookcases set diagonally down
the center, and a staircase (books in boxes on each
step) leading to a loft with more book-filled shelves
and kiosks.
Nestled in the back of the store is a cozy carpeted
area with a few chairs and a table – a perfect spot
for thumbing through a mystery or a history or for
showing a picture book to a child.
But the friendly, knowledgeable shopkeeper has
another idea for this area. She plans to turn it into a
small, informal “classroom.”
“I see a niche in the community that I want to
fill. There are many ethic families living here, where
the Dads are using English at work and the kids
are picking it up in school. But stay-at-home-Moms
never get out to use their English, and if they do, it’s
often with other ethnic-speaking friends.”
“ESL for Moms” will offer small low-key classes
on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from
9:30-11:30am where Moms can develop their oral
language skills in a “non-threatening” environment.
“There’ll be some written material, but mostly they
will use and increase their vocabulary, and practice
pronunciation. I’ll begin with what they know and
work from there.”
“Each lesson will be self-contained,” explains
Priscilla. “Moms can drop in any time and pay as
they go. I’ll provide free coffee and goodies.”
Moms who sign up for “Tuesday Trippers” will
enjoy field trips to interesting places and restaurants.
One week they’ll discuss where they’re going (look
at brochures, menus etc.). The next week they’ll drive
there (Priscilla has a van), practice talking about what
the see and do, and order from menus.
Teaching ESL is not new to this bookstore owner.
She taught it part time for 30 years at both USC and
Cal State LA. She led tours for exchange students
and coordinated a program for the wives of graduate
students from around the world, teaching them how
to do things while living here. (One woman thought
there were “meat-grinders” in the sinks.)
Oh, about those 50,000 books…there’s a good
Biography section, older and modern Fiction, lots
of Children’s books, Mysteries, Westerns, Sci-Fi,
Cookbooks, large prints, Philosophies, Drama/plays,
Art books, Comics, two shelves of Audio books, and
a great History section with a super collection of
World War II books.
Most books are priced at half the original cost
(some lower), and the owner will give store credit for
1/4 of the original cost for books brought in. She also
offers a “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” deal.
Printed at the bottom of every Ocean View Books
ETC cash receipt is the request, “Please tell a reader!”
So…Sunland-Tujunga readers, here’s an affordable
little bookstore, and not too far from home.
Five years ago Priscilla and her husband decided
May Chamber Mixer
Sonia Tatulian
On May 18th Sunland Tujunga
Chamber of Commerce had its
monthly mixer at Rise-N-Shine
restaurant in Shadow Hills. We
had the restaurant packed with
businesses and residents from our
community.
The 3 Honorary Mayor Candidates
were present and talked about
coming up events.
Sunland Tujunga Chamber of
Commerce thanks the owner of
Rise-N-Shine, Sharon + Keith and
family our hosts for this fun event.
to open a used bookstore. “I’ve always had books
– LOTS of them – and Mike collected history and
geography books.” They started in a little storefront
between Vons and T.J.MAX in La Canada and called
their store “Around the World Books.” The rent was
low, but so was visibility, and they needed more
space.
Last summer Mike helped Priscilla pack up
those 50,000 volumes and move to Montrose. The
Grand Opening was in October, but the store had to
close temporarily after last winter’s heavy rains to
repair water damage along one wall. Now Priscilla
is “ready for business” and eager to start the ESL
classes.
Store hours: Monday-Thursday 12:00 - 6:00pm (to allow time for
morning classes) and Friday-Saturday 9:00am – 9:00pm. Address:
3701 Ocean View #E, Montrose, 91020. Phone: (818) 236-2897
Cloud Computing –
a Bittersweet Virtual Reality
Remote Help Expert
What is cloud computing?
And what, if anything, does it have to
do with the average Joe as a computer
user? Read on.
The Cloud, of course, refers to
the Internet. Therefore, cloud computing refers to the model in which data
is kept and software is run outside
the physical location where the user
and his computer are.
Facilitated by the inter-connectivity provided by the Internet, this
model is possible today and in fact, to
many users are already using it. Examples include: Web-based email where
the user logs on to a website to read
and write emails, cloud-based malware detection like the Panda Security
model where large servers are processing and classifying malware samples
and supplying that information to the
user’s computer, online backup services, just to name a few.
It seems like migration to
cloud computing is going to continue
at an increasingly faster rate. Google’s
whole model for businesses is heavily
dependent on it. Windows cloud based
services (Azure), although a little late
compared to Google, is being developed, etc. The question is, is this beneficial or detrimental?
Covering in detail all the rel-
evant data needed to make an adjudication would escape the scope of this
brief article. However, 3 main elements
are the main concern of those that tend
to oppose the model: Privacy, security,
availability (control).
Privacy and security concerns
become obvious at a glance, when
one considers the current day news
on computer breaches such as hotmail
servers being hacked and passwords
stolen, the recent Epsilon security
breach disaster, on and on.
When it comes to availability and control, the fundamental problem is, of course, that the individual or
even a single company is not in control
of the internet, while factors like a cyber-security bill would give the president the power to flip an internet kill
switch that would render cloud computing systems useless. Plus the remote computers the cloud computing
system is based on are not necessarily
under the normal user’s control either.
In summary, while the concept
of the model is not detrimental per
se, the above factors, if not handled,
will probably corrupt the model and
make it more a liability than an asset.
In a perfect world, with no security or
availability/control concerns, implementation of the model would probably be considered evolutionary. But in
the real world; not so much.
20
21
Announcements
Obituary - Louis E. Bickel
Lou Bickel, 54, of Santa Clarita, CA, died suddenly at his home on Saturday, April 16, 2011.
Lou was born on August 6, 1956. He grew up in Sunland-Tujunga as the
older brother of Lori and Jennifer. Lou graduated from Verdugo Hills High
School. After graduation, he worked at Lockheed Martin, and then went on to
own and operate his own pool and spa service.
As a young boy he developed a lifelong love for “anything motorcycle”.
He could be found dirt bike riding, watching races and attending events
year-round. A water-lover as well, Lou jet skied with similar intensity and
enjoyment.
Lou has been a resident of the Santa Clarita Valley since 1984. He was most
recently owner/operator of a local motor sports sales and service business.
Lou is survived by his son, Chad Bickel; his mother and stepfather, Sandra
and Marv Kassen of LaQuinta; his father, George Bickel of Valencia; his sisters,
Lori (Frank) DiAcri of Valencia and Jennifer (Art) LaBare of Costa Mesa; Chad’s
Mom, Nanette Hamby Bickel of Valencia as well as numerous relatives and
friends.
Services & burial were held on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. at Eternal
Valley Memorial Park, 23287 N. Sierra Hwy.
Lou’s family wrote, “In addition to his son, Chad, who shared many of Lou’s
passions and experiences, his other family members, friends and fellow sports
enthusiasts, will dearly miss him.”
Love,
hope,
success,
family,
Poetry at Flintridge Bookstore
and Coffeehouse
security.
Victoria Benedek Luskin, Agent
Insurance Lic. #: 0753370
8340 Foothill Blvd.
Sunland, CA 91040
Bus: 818-353-8518
1003065
Some things we all
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Like a good neighbor,
State Farm® is there.
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Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse, www.flintridgebooks.co m,1010
Foothill Boulevard, La Canada hosts two unique poetry events in June – all are
welcome!
Sunday, June 19, 2 – 4 P.M., Moonday East presents poet Sarah Maclay
Sunday, June 26, 3 – 5 P.M., Susan Tidwell, editor at Buddha’s Light
Publishing reads “For All Beings,” an introduction to basic Buddhist concepts,
virtues, meditation practices and wisdom .
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL
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818 352-8935
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fireplace in living room and has an extra room for office/den area. Huge
wood deck in back of house great for entertaining. So much more.
Price just reduced
Call Fran and Ray for viewing appointment.
“Good People Doing a Good Job”
New Summer Programs at the Y
Designed to Help Youth Grow
The Verdugo Hills Family YMCA is introducing several new programs
to help today’s youth build relationships and gain confidence. The Y is adding to
its already wide variety of offerings in the areas of youth development, healthy
living and social responsibility.
New this summer is Indoor Floor Hockey, which is a great opportunity
for youth to try something new and to make new friends. Team work and sportsmanship are the focus of this program. All participants will receive a team uniform and trophy. The program is open for kids in grades 1st – 9th and begins in
July.
Our Youth Volleyball Workshops are a great way to learn about the game
with skills development, scrimmages and team building. Kids ages 10-15 are
encouraged to experience the game of Volleyball, while making new friends at
the same time. The program will take place in July and August and is on Monday
and Wednesday evenings. Each participant will receive a YMCA Volleyball Tshirt.
“The programs we create are merely vehicles used to profoundly impact
today’s youth,” said Darlene Brink, Youth & Family Director at the Y. “We are not
here to merely teach sports skills, but rather to have an impact on young people’s
lives and help them grow stronger physically, mentally, and spiritually.”
For more information on these programs, please call (818)-352-3255.
“Chefs for a Cure” Fundraiser
Please join the American Cancer Society’s “Chefs for a Cure” Benefit on
June 15, 2011 at FIRENZE OSTERIA of Toluca Lake located at 4212 Lankershim
Blvd., Toluca Lake, Ca. 91602 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The restaurant will do
all the food by Chef Fabio Viviani, America’s Top Chef and a Season 5 Fan Favorite. Tickets are $25.00 per person, which include non-alcoholic drinks. A cash
& carry bar is provided; and a Silent Auction will be a part of the festivities. All
proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.
We are asking for donations for the Silent Auction. In return for your
generous donation to our cause, your Company as a Sponsor will be recognized
on all marketing and signage throughout the night; and its tax deductible. Firenze Osteria of Toluca Lake has already donated a Dinner for 4 at Chef Fabio’s
table, and Cooking Classes for 2 with Chef Fabio. What a dream!
Quiet Hair Growing and DD Family Supporters, two Teams of the 2011
Sunland/Tujunga Relay for Life®, will be your host for the evening. For further
details, contact Sheryl Buhr-Sanchez at (818) 352-4715 or Ann Marie Dodge at
(818) 926-2262. All checks should be made payable to American Cancer Society
and mailed to: 10326 Mountair Ave., Tujunga, and CA. 91042. Please join us.
The Verdugo Hills Family YMCA
Reminds Kids and Adults to
Village Poets open poetry readPractice Water Safety
Summertime means pool time for many kids and adults, as they venture ing on Sunday, June 26
to their favorite spots to swim, play and create lasting memories. Whether it’s the
pool, beach, water park or lakefront the Verdugo Hills Family YMCA reminds
the Sunland-Tujunga community to keep safety first when in or around the water. With this in mind, the Y offers swim programs that teach water safety skills
and give kids and adults the chance to explore the many health benefits of swimming.
“It’s important to make sure children and adults are confident in the
water to ensure they have a fun and safe experience,” said Suzanne McMillen,
Aquatics Director at the Verdugo Hills Family YMCA. “The Y encourages all kids
and adults to learn how to swim. It’s never too late. Basic swimming skills and
water safety practices save lives every day.”
Swimming is a fun and enjoyable activity for children and adults alike,
and it has many health benefits, as it’s a fun and easy way to stay physically active and improve strength, flexibility and stamina. The Y offers a variety of programs for children and adults including swim lessons, family recreational swim,
water fitness classes, lap swim and much more.
When in and around water, the Y recommends the following safety precautions for children and adults:
Only swim when and where there is lifeguard on duty; never swim alone.
Adults should constantly watch children in and near the water. If multiple
adults are in the vicinity, designate a “water watcher” so everyone knows who
is “on duty.”
Inexperienced swimmers should take precaution and wear a U.S. Coast
Guard-approved personal floatation device (PFD) when in, on or around the water.
Children who are beginners should stay within arm’s reach of an adult in
the water.
As a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community through
youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y works to ensure everyone has an opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. This philosophy
drives the Y’s commitment to help children and adults experience the joy and
benefits of swimming.
To learn more about the Verdugo Hills Family YMCA’s swim programs, please contact Suzanne
McMillen at (818) 352-3255, ext. 328 or at smcmillen@ymcafoothills.org.
The Village Poets of Sunland-Tujunga invite you to an open poetry reading on Sunday, June 26, 2011, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at Bolton Hall Museum,
10110 Commerce Ave., Tujunga. Bring your own poetry – Admission is free!
Ms. Alice Pero will be featured. She was born in New York City and
graduated from Putney School in Vermont and The Manhattan School of Music
in New York City. She received dance training, including training at the Martha
Graham School in New York. Pero also studied flute with Harold Bennett and
while a student, she played with the National Orchestral Association in New
York City. Currently, she is playing chamber music concerts, after a long hiatus
from the flute. She is a member of the California Poets in the Schools, and was
a workshop leader for the New York City Ballet Education Department Poetry
Project.
Pero also teaches poetry to grade school children and she has developed
a unique curriculum that utilizes her experience with music. In October 2002,
Pero founded a poetry reading, Moonday, at Village Books in Pacific Palisades,
California, which she co-produces with Lois P. Jones. She recently inaugurated
the Moonday East series at the newly constructed Flintridge Bookstore in La Cañada, while continuing the popular Pacific Palisades readings.
Pero discovered poetry after studying rhythm with the music educator,
Jamie Faunt, and has been writing poetry seriously for 29 years. She has done
many featured readings in New York and Los Angeles and has been published
in over 60 small magazines and anthologies, including North American Review,
13th Moon, The Alembic, North Dakota Quarterly, RiverSedge, New Delta Review, The
Distillery, Lullwater Review, Poet Lore, River Oak Review, The Cape Rock, Fox Cry
Review, The Griffin, G.W. Review, Main Street Rag, Quercus Review, Oregon East, The
Pikeville Review, Xavier Review, Studio One, Three Mile Harbor, Salonika, San Gabriel Valley Quarterly, Soundings East, Spillway, Sulphur River Literary Review, Minnetonka Review, Word Thursday, Très diverse-city, Valley Contemporary Poetry Anthology, Albatross, Lummox, Bayou, Carquinez Poetry Review, Cadillac Cicatrix, California
Quarterly, Cairn, The Old Red Kimono, and Sanskrit.
Her first book of poetry, Thawed Stars, published in 1999, was hailed by
Kenneth Koch as having “clarity and surprises.” Lyn Lifshin has said, “Alice
Pero’s poems are deliciously open, brimming with leaps, twists and surprises,
often joyful and fizzy as a fireworks display.”
22
Tuesday Table Talk On Tuesday, June 7, Bethel Church, 10725 Penrose St., Sun Valley, 818767-4488, will offer a showing of the video “The First of May” preceded by a
potluck supper.
The potluck starts at 6:30 PM; the video starts at 7:15 followed by dessert
and discussion at about 9:00. In this film, a boy feeling unwelcome in a new foster home meets a
onetime circus performer chafing at her new surroundings in a nursing home.
Inspired by her tales of the big top, the boy runs away with his new friend to
join the circus where the pair finds a real home at last. Its wonderful family
entertainment and its Free.
American Legion Post 377 Hosts
Public Events
June 4, 6pm to 11pm - Casino night featuring Fun – Food – Blackjack,
Roulette, Craps Script Gambling. Cocktails and Complimentary Dinner at 6,
Tables open at 7, Auctions and Raffles to 11 p.m. $20 ticket includes $2,000 in
script.
June 5, 1pm - Legion Meeting
June 11, 2pm - Col. Hill, Ret. will show how old, worn flags are disposed of
properly by burning, followed by hamburgers, hot dogs and live band music at
Post 377. $5 donation requested.
Following dinners are under $10; please call in advance for dinner
reservations: 818 353-9856
June 18, 6:30pm - Moon 4 Mayor Fundraiser with hot dogs,
hamburgers and live band dance music.
June 25, 6:30pm - Ray Moon’s Appreciation Day dinner & dancing
Events are held at Post 377, 10039 Pinewood Ave, Tujunga, 818 353-9856
and are open to public, Hope to see you at all these great events.
For more information contact: Commander Pat O’Brien 818 653-2192 or runningstream46@yahoo.com
Little Landers Historical
Society Presents…
On Saturday, June 11 2011 at 1:00pm at Bolton Hall Museum, 10110
Commerce Ave. Tujunga CA the Little Landers Historical Society presents
“Paratroopers a History of the Airborne Divisions of WWII”.
Paratroopers played a vital part in winning the war both in the European and
Pacific theatres. Our speaker this month is Taylor Menadue. Taylor is a sophomore in high
school. Despite his young age, Taylor is an accomplished WWII historian. He
is an Honorary Member of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Southern
California Chapter. He is also a member of the re-enacting group from the
82nd Airborne WWII Living History Association whose motto is “Remembering
History and Those Who Served.” He has given many talks about this segment
of our American history to both adults and other students. Taylor will also
display items from his collection. Immediately following the presentation Bolton Hall will have the honor
of hosting the POW/MIA Table Ceremony. This solemn dignified ceremony is
a tribute to the POW/MIA still missing from all wars. The ceremony will be
conducted by the Polytechnic High School JROTC. The program is free. Everyone is welcome.
Bruce Hale’s, “The Great Nile
River Valley,”
The Crescenta Valley Sierra Club Group will feature Bruce Hale’s, “The
Great Nile River Valley,” at
7:30pm on Tuesday evening June 14 at the Los Angeles County Public Library,
2809 Foothill Boulevard, La Crescenta, California. (Please enter on La Crescenta
Avenue for the parking lot and meeting room.)
Bruce Hale will provide a sampling of ancient and modern Egypt and its
culture, history and people. Hale, a long-time Sierra Club member is a world
traveler and has given programs for our group and the community in the past,
Vietnam to name one.
Our program follows news of Conservation and Outings. Refreshments
will be served. This is a community event and it is free. Please contact Wayne
Fisher at 818 353-4181 for information.
23
Service Clubs
STNC
Chamber of Commerce
th
Celebrates
its
8
President’s Message – June 2011
Our Lady of Lourdes opens food
pantry for needy
It’s called “The Pasture” and it’s located in the rear of the lower church
parking lot at 7344 Apperson, Tujunga. The Grand Opening is June 4th and The
Pasture will be open the first and third Monday of every month thereafter.
Anyone in need is invited. The Pasture has collected 1,200 pounds of food
and personal care products and looks to serving those in dire need as well as
families trying to make the budget stretch to accommodate higher gas prices or
other ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’.
Rummage Sale - Shadow Hill
Presbyterian Church
Saturday June 4, 8:00a.m. - 3:00p.m.with an Early Bird Special: 7:30AM
Join us for a day of shopping in our large Parking Lot at 10158 Johanna Ave.
Sunland, Look into our treasure room and find jewelry and vintage items – Good
Stuff
Thank you for your support!!!!
Sonia Tatulian
Happy Father’s Day – June 19: I want to wish all
the Fathers a very Happy Father’s Day. Remember we
have some great places in our area that can provide
some fun, food and entertainment to celebrate
Father’s Day.
4th of July Events - The S-T Chamber is joining
several other community groups to prepare and
coordinate our 4th of July Celebration. There will
be a parade this year and if you are interested in
participating in the parade, you need to contact
Ellis Robertson with the Rotary Club at 818352-3671
to get an application and additional information.
The Sunland-Tujunga, Shadow Hills Community
Fund is also working with the Sunland-Tujunga
Neighborhood Council to sponsor the fireworks
display at Verdugo Hills High School, which promises
to be as excellent as last years. Other organizations
and school groups are also getting ready to provide
food, games, music and fun for the whole family.
Please plan to attend and support your community.
Our ticket sales for this event go into the community
fund that the High School groups can use to match
fundraising monies with the community fund to
assist with a variety of school group needs, including
sporting equipment, uniforms, transportation to
offsite events, etc.
Easter Carnival - I want to take this opportunity
to thank all the volunteers from the Chamber Board
Members, Lion’s Club, and Rotary Club, as well as
the students of Verdugo Hills High School Booster’s
Club, Easter Bunny, Subway Mascot and the JROTC
whose time and help made our Easter Carnival a
great success, we couldn’t have done it without
them. Thank you also to some of the best local
entertainment we’ve ever had who volunteered to
participate including the Apperson Street School
Drill Team, The Vince Lombardi Band, Sandra
Dickson Dancers, Alive & Amplified, Christopher
Brothers Band, Marcus Lane Blues Band, Living in
July and the Garage Band. Also thank you to Wendy
Reategui who put on a great demonstration of a
Zumba dancing/exercise class.
Thank you to all who attended this event and we
will continue to listen to your suggestions to make
this annual event the best we can.
Quarterly Roundtable Session - On April 26th
the Chamber hosted a roundtable session with
representatives from the offices of Councilman
Paul Krekorian, Los Angeles Supervisor Michael
Antonovich, Assemblyman Cameron Smyth and
Senator Sharon Runner. We had a good turnout,
learned some interesting facts, updates regarding
local, county, and state. This was also an opportunity
for many attendees to share some of their concerns.
See more details on this event within this issue.
Honorary Mayor’s Race –Fundraiser Events Buy a vote for $1 for the candidate of your choice.
The candidate with the most votes wins the election
and can then share the winnings with their respective
sponsor. Your vote is also entered into a raffle for
cash prizes. First place is $300, 2nd place is $200 and
3rd place is $100. So please vote and vote often. Here
are the candidates:
Al Timins - sponsored by Rotary Club of Sunland
Tujunga. All fund raising will be held at various
community functions. Call Richard Stewart at 818321-5912 for additional information
Ray Moon – sponsored by American Legion Post
377 All fund raisers will be held at the American
Legion located at 10039 Pinewood Avenue, in
Tujunga. Call 818 353-6291 for additional information.
Jim Saurer – sponsored by Elks Lodge All
fundraisers will be held at the Elks Lodge located at
10137 Commerce Avenue, in Tujunga. Call 818 3522098 for additional information.
Chamber’s June Mixer - June 15: Join us as our
Chamber of Commerce co-hosts our monthly mixer
from 6 to 8 PM at McGroarty Art Center, located
at 7570 McGroarty Terrace in Tujunga. Enjoy some
great food, fun and raffle gifts while you mix and
mingle with our local community business owners
and representatives.
Office Hours - Your Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of
Commerce office is open Monday through Thursday
from 8 am to 12 noon.. For further information about
the events and activities going on in the Foothill
Community, please check our website at www.
STChamber.com under the community calendar tab.
As always, we encourage the Sunland Tujunga
community to utilize the products and services
provided by our local businesses and organizations,
remember to
“Shop on the Rock”
American Legion - a tradition of honor
Katie O’Brien
---- Back to School Special ----
American Legion Post 377 has been conducting
Memorial Day Ceremonies at Sunland Park for over
30 years, offering a free lunch following the ceremony.
This year’s celebration was held on Monday, May 30,
at 11AM and was followed by lunch served at Post
377 around noon.
Evie Calvin recited a Memorial Day poem,
Kelly O’Brien provided the musical portion of the
ceremony and Tally Tallakson could be found hiding
behind a tree playing Taps at the end of the ceremony. Post Commander Pat O’Brien officiated at the
ceremony while Art Otten read the list of Wars to the
ringing of a bell after each war.
Legionnaire Al Timins was part of a group who
originally built the memorial in 1976. Bud Fales
usually donates a wreath to the ceremony.
There will also be a Flag Ceremony at Post 377,
beginning at 2pm Saturday, June 11th, when one flag
will be burned. Hot Dogs, hamburgers and live band
music will ensue from 3 - 7 pm.
Anniversary
Pat Kramer
The Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council
celebrated its 8th anniversary as a certified
neighborhood council for the City of L.A. at their
monthly board meeting on May 11, 2011. Since
becoming a “voice” for the people of SunlandTujunga to city government, STNC has been involved
in some of the most significant changes in L.A.’s
politics.
In recent years, the neighborhood councils have
gained a voice in the budget decisions being made
at City Hall on what services should remain or be
cut during these hard times. STNC board member Ed
Novy serves as the North Valley rep for the citywide
Budget Advocates attending monthly meetings with
the Mayor and other budget advocates.
In 2005, STNC was one of the first neighborhood
councils to sign-on to the Memorandum of
Understanding between the L.A. DWP and the City’s
Neighborhood Councils. In an effort to develop
a similar memorandum with the City Planning
Department, STNC helped initiate the Planning Pilot
Program in 2008, which provides early notification
to neighborhood councils of development projects
(at the same time they are filed with the Department
of City Planning).
In the area of safety, STNC’s Safety Chair, Nina
Royal, has helped strengthen our community’s
safety through her work as a liaison with the LAPD
and LAFD. It’s Nina who sets up our annual Safety
Fair and organizes National Night Out, which has
been held for the past few years on the grounds of
Bolton Hall. Nina has also coordinated the CERT
(Community Emergency Response Team) training
in our area with the fire department. As a result of
her outreach, STNC features reports each month at
our board members by Sunland Senior Lead Officer
Larry Martinez and Tujunga Senior Lead Officer Rich
Wall. The two officers keep us informed on whether
crime rates are going up or down as well as ongoing
investigations and arrests.
Parent Rep Lydia Grant (formerly STNC’s
Education Rep) has been instrumental in getting the
Parent Trigger legislation to the L.A. United School
District and now, before the Sacramento Legislature.
This historic legislation gives parents the power and
legal right in California to force a transformation at
their child’s school if it is failing, provided 51% of the
parents organize and sign an official Parent Trigger
petition. Lydia has been on the news all over the state
and has personally met with lobbyists and legislators
to get this passed.
These are just a few of the “heroes” of STNC who
work as volunteers on their own time, sometimes
putting 20 hours or more of their time in every month
to help this community make positive changes.
City politics has come a long way since eight years
ago when the Sunland-Tujunga community was
just an outpost on the northeast end of the City of
L.A. Now STNC is seen as one of the most active
and accomplished neighborhood councils in the city
and our structure and organization is used as a role
model for new NCs that are just getting started.
To find out more about upcoming meetings, go to the official
STNC website at: www.stnc.org or call 818-951-7411.
24
Foothill Optimist Club
fundraiser in June
Phil Bonk
Here we go! A one day party bus
trip to the Pechanga Indian Casino
in Temecula near San Diego. We will
spend 5 hours at the casino including
free goodies there and you can come
too!
There will be games, prizes, and
snacks on the bus, such as 50/50
drawing, Trivia etc. The Price is just
$25.00 non-refundable per person. The bus will leave from The Fairways
Restaurant 10400 Glenoaks Blvd. June
25th and return at 5”00 the same day.
Reserve your seats now 818-353-9589.
Remember The Foothill Optimist
Club serves youths in our area like
The Optimist Boys Home, Junior Blind
America Olympics, Operation Smile
providing surgeries for Cleft Palette
children, Respect for law, essay and
oratorical contests for college bound
youths, cultural arts at McGroarty and
more.
Let’s have fun together.... Contact
Phil Bonk 818-353-9589 for details.
What’s up with those LEO’s?
Marynance Schellenbach
Next LEO Club BlackOut Dance June 3! - The popular and well attended
monthly BlackOut Dance for teens 12-17 sponsored by the S-T LEO Club will be
held on Friday, June 3 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Recreation Center at Sunland Park.
Admission is $5 at the door and $3 for pre-sale tickets, which may be
purchased from any member of the LEO Club. Glow in the dark merchandise,
water and chips are available for purchase at the dance.
Happy Birthday Ayah! - On May 6, Ayah Hosn celebrated her birthday at the
BlackOut Dance and said that she and her guests had a great time! If you have
a birthday coming up, the LEOs invite you to bring your guests and dance the
night away to the music provided by DJ Frank Elms. To make arrangements, give
Frank a call at 818-640-1187.
For Parents Only - Yes, there is adult supervision at all times during the
dance. Rules include appropriate dress and behavior; no food or drink on the
dance floor; and no leaving the dance early unless a parent is there to pick up the
teen. The dance gets out a 10 p.m. and the teens are released when the parent is
there to pick them up. Parents are welcome to attend; any help a parent wishes to
volunteer would be very much appreciated. Call Frank or talk to Frank or Sonia
at the dance if you have any questions or suggestions.
What is the LEO Club? - The S-T LEO Club is a service club for teens 12-18
who live in Sunland, Tujunga and adjacent communities. It is sponsored by the
S-T Lions Club. It meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6:30-7:30 at the Verdugo
Hill YMCA.
The LEOs had an activity booth for kids at the Easter Carnival, walked in
the Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society, participated in the Drug Free
Walk sponsored by the S-T Interact Club, worked on the Halloween Haunted
House, serving as cast members, and served refreshments at the art exhibit
“Healing From the Ashes.” A trip to Pyramid Lake for a day of water skiing is
planned for mid-June and the charter party and installation of officers will take
place in June. In July, they will help with the Lions Club float in the Fourth of July
parade and at the watermelon booth at the Fireworks Festival.
If anyone is interested in learning more about the LEOs or would like to join, please call Advisor Lion Frank
Elms at 818-640-1187
25
Kiwanis announces 400+
attended Ester Sunrise Service
Dave Belushi
This was the 86th year that
the
Sunland-Tujunga
Kiwanis
Club, along with the Verdugo Hills
Ministerial Association, had put on
an Easter Sunrise Service at the Cross
of San Ysidro atop Mt. McGroarty in
Tujunga.
To get the cross ready for the
service the Club members start
preparing the area on Saturday, this
is an all day job entailing grading the
road, setting up chairs, a generator, a
sound system, van rental and setting
up a comfort station. A member
spends the night ‘on guard’ until
the people start arriving early in the
morning.
Transportation is provided by the
Club to and from the cross area.
This year was a successful service
as it has been in the past 85 years. Five
ministers from five different churches
in the area performed the Easter
service coordinated by the Verdugo
Hills Ministerial Association. The club thanks Bonner Rentals
for the Chairs, Generator and comfort
station. A big thanks to the Miller
Family for their ongoing participation
in the Sunrise Service. They have
carried on their fathers ongoing
participation of the service supplying
the pickup of the chairs generator and
getting the electrical power at the site,
and most of all the grading of the road.
Thanks to the YMCA for their
van, bus and drivers to help in the
transporting the people to and from the
Cross Area. There also from one of the
churches The Sons of God had donuts
and coffee at the cross site. At 4:30 am,
a cup of coffee and a donut was very
appreciated by both the worshipers,
the Club & Miller family.
This year’s service was attended
by 400 plus worshipers. Our thanks to
all that attended to make Traditional
Easter Sunrise Service as special event
for the community of Sunland-Tujunga
26
Parade News - Dan
McManus, Grand Marshall
Richard Stewart
Sunland Tujunga Shadow Hills
Rotary Club is proud to announce that
they have selected Dan McManus as
the Grand Marshall for the 29th Annual
4th of July Parade in Sunland-Tujunga.
This year’s parade theme, “Making
Friends, Building Memories” aligns
with the character and spirit Dan has
demonstrated in his many community
activities.
As President of the SunlandTujunga Neighborhood Council and a
Board member of the Sunland-Tujunga
Shadow Hills Community Grants
Fund, Dan has helped to close the
gap, pulling the community together,
working as one.
Ellis Robertson, Parade Chairman,
made the motion for Dan to be Grand
Marshall stating “Dan’s calm voice
and keen insight has guided our
community as Neighborhood Council
President and it only seems natural to
have him guide the parade this year.”
and the club responded unanimously
to second and pass the motion.
This year’s parade promises to be
one of the best, especially after the near
cancellation of last year’s parade due
last minute city fees, a crisis that was
handled only by the miraculous pull
together of the community to Save the
Parade!
Rotary
member,
Candace
Laughlin, has been contacting prior
parade entrants and letting them know
that we welcome their entry this year
and we are encouraging all entrants to
present more of a “float” type presence,
along with the bands, equestrian units
and marching groups. There will be a
trophy for the best float.
Sunland-Tujunga Rotary Club
is proud to have selected a Grand
Marshall from within the community
this year. We welcome Dan McManus
to the long list of dignitaries who have
been Grand Marshalls for the SunlandTujunga 4th of July Parade.
Anyone wishing to enter the
parade can procure entry forms by
calling Ellis Robertson at 818-378-1887
or emailing him at OKTrophy@verizon.
net.
27
Church News
Loads of fun at OLL carnival
Eric Owens
Our Lady of the Lourdes hosted
the 2011 Family Fun Days on Friday,
May 13th through 15th –now in its
34th incarnation- at their location on
the corner of Tujunga Canyon and
Apperson in Tujunga. FFD is held
every year on the weekend after
Mother’s Day and remains one of the
large community-wide events in the
area and the main purpose for the
event was to raise funds for the new
ministry ‘The Pasture’.
Attendees enjoyed delicious
meals (that included a wide range of
American to Oriental-styled foods),
drinks, music and rides. The Rock-O-
Over sixty years ago, these may have been
the words of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed
Virgin Mary when they decided to build a school
next to Our Lady of Lourdes Church. The sisters
envisioned a school for the children and began
the journey for future generations.
Rock and brick made way for a small school
Shrimp Scampi or Rack of Lamb
AL
Restaurant
Lunch • Dinner • Cocktails
Steak • Prime Rib • Fresh Fish
Special Fathers’ Day Hours
1:00pm - 10:00pm
Regular hours M-F 11-3 Lunch 5-10 Dinner
Saturday Brunch 10-3 Dinner 5-10
Sunday Dinner only 4-10
818-353-9070
10504 Mt. Gleason Ave,
Tujunga
Attendees could place a bid in
the silent auction were you could win
Dodger Stadium tickets to a two-day
getaway from our friends at Montrose
Travel or buy a $2 raffle ticket to enter
a chance to win a 50 inch HDTV and
up to $1,500 in cash. One man by the
name of Carl Nicchitta won both in
the raffle – this was the first time in the
history of the raffle that one person
won both. FFD wants to send out a
special thanks to Platinum Sponsor
Commercial Paving & Coating;
Golden Sponsor Russell’s Delivery,
Moving and Storage; and the many
others sponsors and volunteers (who
ranged in age from 13 to 85).
If you build it, they will come
Lois Higgins
Choose a Delicious
Fathers’ Day Special
Plane (a ride that rolls you around like
a little hamster) was the most popular
ride; while others preferred to slide
down the super slide or got their hair
spray-painted by Boys Scout Troop
#315.
Entertainment
Headliners
included: the Working Stiffz on
Friday; Stolen by Gypsies, La Rue
Sounds and Clean Slate on Saturday;
and the teen group ‘Living in July’,
12 After, Mighty Bo Young Band, and
The Bad Dancers on Sunday. LIJ is
an exciting blend of danceable pop
and rock music under the leadership
of Terry Messal featuring Lindsey
Trujillo, Meghan Dorosy, Brandon
Pickering and Scott Harris. Dorosy,
the drummer of LIJ, stated that she
“really loves this carnival, we need
more events like this.” Jim Williamson
of Clean Slate provided the audio
system for the bands and was the
drummer in the group Mighty Bo
Young Band.
below the church, which over years grew to
two school buildings on opposite sides of the
street. The community has kept the vision alive
with the expansion of the school to include a
kindergarten classroom and play yard. And the
journey continues...
On January 31, 2011, Our Lady of Lourdes
Rose Cottage Preschool opened its doors to the
children of the community. The vision for the
preschool began several years ago as the need
for quality Catholic based preschools emerged.
In the past two years, the community came
together and offered a multitude of services
and goods to build a beautiful preschool on the
church grounds in the house next door to the
Knights of Columbus Parish Hall. Our Lady
of Lourdes Family now includes the preschool,
elementary and junior high, church, parish and
the local community.
The Rose Cottage Preschool is designed to
provide a quality faith-based developmentally
appropriate program ministering in the
Spirit of Christ to children ages three to five
years. The preschool offers a developmentally
appropriate curriculum with an emphasis on
self-help skills, respect for self and others and
hands-on experiences. Children are encouraged
to seek mastery through exploration and
experimentation in addition to being taught
basic pre-reading, writing, and math skills.
Our enriched curriculum has been created
to invite young learners to actively engage in
the world around them. This interaction allows
each child to gain skills that develop him/her
as a whole child. Some of the goals of the daily
activities are: encourage independence, foster
positive self esteem, develop social skills and
problem solving skills, language development,
physical development, foster creative expression,
develop health, nutrition and safety practices,
respect cultural diversity, and to develop a
Catholic Identity.
Our Lady of Lourdes Rose Cottage
Preschool is a cooperative learning environment
acknowledging parents as the primary educators
of their children and teachers as facilitators of
the learning process. The Rose Cottage sees
parents as an integral part of the program. Our
program is open 7am -6pm and offers a variety
of schedules to meet the needs of the parents
and children, including 5 full days 7am-3pm
with extended care 3pm-6pm. and part time 3
days and half days. The Rose Cottage Preschool
doors are always open for a tour, so stop by to
see all the exciting things we have to offer. For
additional information about applying to our
school, please call: Lois Higgins, Director (818)
352-4455.
28
St. Luke’s Anglican Church
Summer Community
Youth Activities
Kay Wisdom
St. Luke’s Anglican Church Youth Ministry
looks forward to “walking its talk” as they prepare for an exciting and fun slate of upcoming
outdoor community service local mission projects beginning in June. Youth in the community
are invited to participate in these summer activities in Los Angeles and Malibu.
Led by Youth Minister David Bartholomew,
St. Luke’s will demonstrate love beyond the
church walls to residents and visitors at Union
Rescue Mission in Los Angeles on June 17 &
18 as they undertake a local mission service
outreach project. St. Luke’s youth will model
the Body of Christ in this hands-on weekend
outreach project where they will do meal prep
work and serve in the food line in the cafeteria over their weekend stay. “Our goal is
to put a walk to our talk and actually do what
we say,” said Youth Minister Bartholomew.
On August 12-14, St. Luke’s Youth is plan-
ning a 2-night camping trip and youth retreat at
Malibu State Creek Park. Fun outdoor activities
including swimming, hiking and kayaking are
planned. Youth from the community are welcomed to attend this exciting and fun-filled weekend camping adventure. For more information
on either of these events contact Youth Minister
Dave Bartholomew at david@stlukesanglican.
org or call St. Luke’s church office at 818.249.5100.
St. Luke’s welcomes the community to
attend its weekly Sunday worship services
at 8:00 am and 10:15 am at the Seventh Day
Adventist Church Chapel, 300 Vallejo Dr.,
Glendale. For more information, go to www.
stlukesanglican.org or contact Parish Administrator Kay Wisdom, at (818) 249-5100.
Fourth Friday Healing Services are also held
monthly on the fourth Friday of every month
at 7:00 pm at St. Luke’s Anglican Church offices, 3901 Foothill Blvd., 1st Floor, La Crescenta.
For
more
information,
log
onto
www.heallacrescenta.org.
La Crescenta Presbyterian sends
mission teams near and far
During the week of April 2 La Crescenta
Presbyterian sent two mission teams into
the field – one to La Romana, the Dominican
Republic and one to the Vah Ki Indian
Reservation in Arizona.
The Dominican Republic team consisted of
43 people, with 19 of them being high school and
college students. This marks the 9th consecutive
year that the church has sent a team to the DR.
The purpose of the mission is two-fold: One
team works on construction building a church
and a school in a poor barrio in La Romana.
The other team is a medical team that consists
of doctors, dentists, nurses and volunteers. The
medical team visits multiple bateyes which
are small villages located out in the sugar cane
fields. The residents have no running water or
electricity and many of the men cut sugar cane
for $10 a day.
This year the medical team, led by Dr.
Randall Wetzel of Los Angeles Children’s
Hospital, treated approximately 1000 patients
including over 200 adults at a prison. The team
also distributed thousands of dollars worth of
medicine and medical supplies to the patients.
Pastor Andy Wilson and his wife Mary head up
this mission each year.
The
Arizona
team
consisted
of
approximately 30 people including 14 junior
high students. This marks the 19th year the LCPC
has sent a team to the Vah Ki Reservation. This
year the team worked on small construction
projects such as painting and patio building for
the Vah Ki Presbyterian Church. Team members
distributed used bicycles to needy residents on
the reservation. The team was led by church
members Jerry White and Mike and Sue Pratt.
Coming to grips with
the End of Times issue
Pastor Pat
Mountain View Baptist Church
It seems today that the end times is
back in the media and being hyped up by both
critics of this Christian event and date setters. In
recent days there has been a person on a Christian radio station who chooses once again to put
forth the exact date and time of the “Rapture”
of the Church. In response there has been those
opposed to Christianity from the Freedom From
Religion Foundation, who wish to attack Christianity through this prediction and show it up to
be a false belief system.
Well I have decided to try and clear
the air though “Eschatology” as it is technically
known seems to be a taboo at times in the church
due to its seeming complexity and various views
on particulars. This is though, is no reason to
leave these matters clouded when some foundational clarity exists to be known. The basic question to start with is Jesus coming back. Jesus and
the Apostles definitely taught that, in fact yes, he
would. Jesus said in the Olivet Discourses that
He would come again and all the nations would
see it (Matt. 24:27, 30,37, 39, 42; 25:31). Jesus
promised to come again and takes us to be with
Him (John 14:3). After the Lord had risen from
the dead he was with his disciples giving them
instruction and there commission and was taken
to Heaven but they were told by an angel that
He would return as He departed (Acts 1:11). This
then means it will be a personal return (1 Thess.
4:16).
With the assured coming clearly
taught in Scripture the next issue is the timing.
Here is the area of most trouble as Jesus Himself
conveyed that the exact time is not known and is
not revealed . Jesus made clear that even He did
not known the time nor hour but only God the
Father (Acts 1:7). Jesus asked us to be on watch
because we will not know the exact time or hour
of His coming (Mark 13:32-33, 35; Matt. 24:36-44).
God has set a time to be sure but it has not been
revealed to us and thus, date setters need to stop,
for if God the Son did know nor reveal the time
we surely cannot pin point it either and are futile and silly in our efforts to do so. We need to
be instead seeking to share lovingly the Gospel
of truth and eternal life with the lost as we do
at Mountain View Baptist Church. I will be expounding much more on this topic. God Bless.
Pastor Patrick Taylor. Mountain View Baptist
Church • mvbcinlvt.org
29
Arts
Become a friend on the new McGroarty Arts Center Staircase
Monica Hicks
Since 2001, the Tile Wall of
Friends has captivated imaginations
at
McGroarty
Arts
Center,
adding whimsy and charm to the
grounds. Now, for the first time
in nearly a decade, this public art
installation is being expanded, and the
community is invited to be a part of it.
Just a few weeks ago, the Center
completed construction of a new
outdoor staircase that provides a safe
way for guests to access the Center
from the lower parking lot.
The staircase includes seating
ledges and retaining walls that provide
the blank palette for the expanded Tile
Wall of Friends. The gorgeous upgrade
to the McGroarty Arts Center grounds
was designed by Sloan Foxe Ashley of
Wormwood Designs in Sun Valley and
funded by a grant from the Ahmanson
Foundation.
A limited number of tiles is on sale
now through the end of the summer.
Starting at only $300, you can reserve
a handcrafted, ceramic tile in your
name. Unlike other donor walls, each
tile on the Wall of Friends is a unique
work of art in itself. When assembled,
individual tiles become part of larger
permanent art installation that
represents the community as a whole.
New to the 2011 expansion of the
Wall of Friends, the $1,000 Legacy
Level Tile includes a face-to-face
consultation between the donor and
the tile artist, which allows the donor
to give input about the overall design,
style, and color scheme of their tile. A
Legacy Tile will reflect the personality
of the person or organization it
represents. Tiles at every level will
carry the inscription of the donor’s
choosing.
“The purchase of a tile, which is
as always, a tax-deductible donation,
is a fabulous way to put your name
on something permanent and special.
My greatest heroes are my parents.
They are getting a tile. No question.”
says Monica Hicks, the Center’s
Communications Associate. Hicks
adds, “I will also be considering the
largest tile size and am pleased to
know that I can pay for it in automated
installments.
Now I don’t have to be worried
about breaking the bank.” Anyone
who purchases a tile has the option
to spread his or her payments over
multiple years.
A tile in the wall of friends makes
a meaningful and lasting gift. It is the
perfect way to honor an individual,
business or organization that has done
important work in the community, or
to memorialize a loved one who has
passed.
“I’m definitely buying a tile
for myself,” adds Claire Knowlton,
Executive Director. “My mother has a
tile, all the previous directors have tiles,
I want to be my name to be there too.”
Proceeds from the Tile Wall of
Friends will be used to cover a portion
of the construction costs for the staircase
and to support existing programs and
operations at McGroarty Arts Center.
A limited number of hand-made tiles
are available, and they will be offered
on a first-come basis. Don’t miss out…
reserve your tile today!
For more information about the Tile Wall of
Friends levels and pricing, or additional donation
opportunities, contact Claire Knowlton by calling
818.352.5285 or emailing claire@mcgroartyartscenter.org.
VHHS Drum line: A great year ends for the school’s
music department ends on a remarkably high note
Eric Owens
POWERFUL PERCUSSIONS: Verdugo students line up in their full uniforms , showing off the many
awards and medals they’ve earned over this incredibly successful year.
A year ago, the Verdugo Hills
High School music program under Director Mrs. Lopez began preparing for
the 2010-11 school year. Working hard
throughout the summer practicing
music while others were on family vacations; learning the basics of marching in unison.
It wasn’t until October that
Percussion Instructor Edward Rivas
realized that he had a special group of
teens on the Drum Line. He took them
to their first competition at El Camino
Real High School in Woodland Hills:
they finished third behind San Fernando & Chatsworth. Then, a week later in
a competition at Granada Hills High,
the Don’s took first place with final
score of 81.50.
After Marching Band season
was over, Rivas decided to start a
winter percussion ensemble featuring
students from Drum Line, Marching
Band and Color Guard and rehearsals
began in earnest.
Their work paid of in early
May when the Verdugo Marching
Dons Regiment’s Drum Line took
home first place medals with a score
of 87.50 in the LAUSD Drum Line
Championship defeating two-time
champion Santee High School.
And you can see them in our
own 4th of July Parade! Make sure
you don’t miss it!
30
Father’s Day on the Beach
Maja Trochimczyk
Did you notice how children want you to admire
them when they are doing something special? I used
to sit in my garden and watch my son jumping on
the trampoline. As it turned out, I had to watch
him, I could not read my paper instead, because the
moment I lowered my eyes he’s cry out from the air,
“Mommy, Mommy, look at me, look how I jump.
Did you see what I did? Oh, you are not looking…”
Their childhood passes so quickly: they grow up,
graduate from high school, from college. Then,
they move away. We are left alone, wishing that we
looked at them when they asked. (I’m glad I did). In
June, we celebrate graduations and the Father’s Day.
Here’s a poem I wrote about a father and his little
daughter playing on the beach. That daughter might
have been me, on the distant, cold shore of the Baltic
Sea. My father did not like water, but I spent hours
swimming, I even knew how to swim backwards…
For a companion piece to this childish
monologue of a five-year-old, I picked a “geometric”
poem, structured in two parts with a “horizon” line
in between, just like the paining it was inspired by.
(“Linea in aurea” means “line in gold” – almost, it is
not correct Latin, but sounds good. “On the Beach”
also has this pivotal central point in the little girl’s
song, so there’s a structural similarity in two vastly
different poems.)
For some reason, a beautiful, geometric painting
by my favorite Hungarian painter, Susan Dobay,
called “Sunset,” reminded me of pearls. Maybe it
was the memory of the shining surface of water at
dusk, an expanse of brilliance against the quickly
graying sky. But the geometric transformation made
this image a beach from an alien planet. Pearls are,
according to one legend, made of a mother’s tears
that fell into the water and became jewels, shining
with sadness. There is something melancholy in their
glossy sheen. They also lose their luster when not
worn, for they have to be touched by warm human
skin to stay shining and brilliant. The subdued
colors of Susan’s “Sunset” are quite melancholy,
just like the pearls. I created a subdued mood by
repeating the “sibilants” – shell, sunset, shelter, sun,
Olvera Street
Marynance Schelbach
All that is left is a shell
a colorful deceptive shell
which once held the life
of a culture destroyed by time
now idealized and quasi-preserved.
sadness, sand, shore, silver… The word “shell” has
another meaning in the last line: “shell-shocked”
means “deeply traumatized.” One consequence of
trauma is a tendency to escape from reality; another
is compulsive control over one’s surroundings,
continually organized in perfect order, just like the
waves in Susan’s painting. That’s what makes this
image so sorrowful and full of meaning for me, ten
years after the death of my father from gunshot
wounds. A home invasion robbery I wish I could
forget. Or, maybe today I’ll wear another string of
pearls…
Shelled Sunset ~ after a painting by Susan Dobay
In a parallel universe
umbrellas are made of seashells
and shelter suns from the glare
of the waves – daintily, stealthily
threading lines through more lines
ad infinitum. The air breathes
with golden contours of silence
after sadness danced away
on the sand, at the shore,
above silver waves – twirling,
circling towards the horizon.
Linea in aurea in linea
Line after line after line
You have to tread carefully here,
not to be snared by metallic vines
that multiply, moving into calm.
You have to be cautious – so close
to the heart of sorrow in this cosmos
of resignation, dignity and absence,
where waves petrify into shells,
the rhythm of their frozen crests
echoing the pearl-grey patterns
that blossom in the foreign,
distant, shell-shocked sky.
© 2009 by Maja Trochimczyk
a noisy and alluring shell
which seems full of Life
the distortion of memories
fragments of yesterday’s substance.
a sighing, tantalizing shell
that hints of the life
of a dusty pueblo
lingering on in the heart of the City. Voice of the Village
31
On the Beach
Daddy, Daddy! Look at me!
Look how I jump! Higher than the waves!
Daddy, look! I caught a fish!
Oh, it got away…
Don’t worry, Daddy, it’s okay,
I can be a fish.
Look, I’m swimming.
I’m a fish now and you are a shark.
Try to catch and eat me!
Let’s play fish!
Na-na-na-na-na
You can’t get me
You can’t get me
Na-na-na-na-na
Wow! That was a big wave!
Salty! I swim backwards now.
Did you know I can swim
backwards like a crab?
Watch out! I got you!
The crab caught the shark
and ate him! I win! I win! I win!
Let’s walk along now,
Maybe we’ll find
pretty seashells for my room.
Maybe we’ll find a pearl.
Will you make me a crown with my pearl?
I’ll be a real pearl princess.
I love you, Daddy, I love you so much!
I’ll always be your princess!
Daddy, Daddy! Look!
I found a pearl!
© 2008 by Maja Trochimczyk
Love’s Name
Marynance Schellenbach © 2010
Patience is love’s given name;
Pain her baptized one.
Confirmed as hope
She adds
The surname joy.
Cookin’ with Mary! - Italian Antipasto Salad
Sharing Your World View—Getting Published
A.R. Peterson
In I996, two Stanford Ph.D.s, Sergey Brin and
Larry Page set out to make the world‘s information
universally accessible and useful. The result was the
search engine, Google, which empowers ordinary
people to access the world‘s knowledge, without
having to rely on experts to tell them what and how
to think.
In the next decade, Amazon empowered ordinary
people to publish their thoughts, without having to
rely on publishing houses to tell them what to write.
Why, you ask, does everyone have to be able to
publish what they write? Why do they have to write
in the first place? The answers to both questions are
irrelevant!
Something has impelled one to write and publish
those writings. That is enough. You don’t have to
read what one has written. But if you do, you may
benefit from seeing the world through the eyes of
someone else—someone who has felt impelled to
share their world view with you. Amazon has made
it possible for ordinary people to share their views of
the world.
So what’s in it for Amazon? You don’t pay to get
published; in fact, they pay you in royalties. What
they get out of it is essentially a no—risk way to make
money off the sales of your book. Their major outlay
is to produce, strictly on demand, a perfeet—bound
paperback of the book and to also make it available
through Kindle (and presumably through I-pad or
other online means of access).
Here‘s how I got my book, “The Symbiote” on
Amazon and Kindle.
First, 1et‘s consider some of the mechanics of
producing a finished manuscript. Many people
have described these mechanics in detail, so I’ll just
touch on three points that need special emphasis.
First point: revise, revise, revise, let it sit for awhile
then revise again. Second point: find people to
critique the manuscript then you revise it again,
according to what you want to keep from the
critiques. Third point: get someone independent to
edit the manuscript. If you want to be sure of truly
representing your worldview, these three points are
of paramount importance.
To publish my book on Amazon, l found it
convenient to have someone liaise with them and
put the manuscript into a form acceptable to them.
Hazel Peterson, my editor, took on this role. So she
actually produced the book. I’1l let her tell you details
of the mechanics of producing the final printed/
downloadable book.
Hazel writes: The primary job of an editor is to
ensure that the manuscript is in an acceptable form
for publishing; this involves correcting, formatting,
general lay out, and of course producing a cover that
will ‘sell’ the contents of` the book. For publication
by Amazon subsidiary CreatSpace* this all was
required in PDF file format. Once uploaded to CS a
very simple step by step process resulted in a proof
copy of the book being mailed to me. l accepted the
proof and boom! We were available at Amazon.com.
A few minor changes for Kindle formatting (no page
numbers or font sizing) and the book was available
on Kindle.
Editor’s Note: A local resident, Dr. Peterson’s fist
novel, a Science fiction work titled “The Symbiote”
is now available in either paperback or Kindle
format at Amazon.com. It’s and ambitious story of
considerable scope. JRR Tolkien took three volumes
to tell a story this size; Peterson has accomplished it
in one. And did it without skimping on the dragons,
wizards, and a look at the basic survival values of
his heroes that allow them to overcome, survive and
ultimately win the day. If this sounds like a tale for
you, check it out at Amazon.com.
*CreateSpace: name of the publishing and manufacturing
on-demand leader for independent content creators, publishers, film
studios, and music labels. Their website, CreateSpace.com, describes
their requirements.
Mary Russo, Corsica’s Deli
An Italian Antipasto Salad - This is
one of my favorite Salads. Great way
to start a meal. Antipasto means before
the meal. In Italy green salads are
served at the end of a meal. This salad
does have lettuce, but it’s accompanied
by flavorful meats and cheeses, with
pepperoncini, olives, and other goodies
making it a perfect antipasto!
An Italian Antipasto Salad
Makes 10 to 12 Servings
• Jar of Corsica’s Deli Oil & Spice
Italian House Dressing
• 2 Head Roman Lettuce Washed &
cut
• 2 Tablespoons Corsica Deli Special
Blended Grated Cheese
• 4 to 6 Fresh Roma Tomatoes cubed
• 1 Small Red Onion cut julianed
• ¼ lb Prosciutto Di Parma Sliced
and cut into ¼ inch squares
• ¼ lb Sopresatta Sliced and cut into
¼ inch squares
• ¼ lb Dry Salami Sliced and cut into
¼ inch squares
• ¼ lb Cappocolla Sliced and cut into
¼ inch squares
• ¼ lb Mortadella Sliced and cut into
¼ inch squares
• ¼ lb Provolone Cheese Sliced and
cut into ¼ inch squares
• ¼ lb Mozzarella Cheese Sliced and
cut into ¼ inch squares
• 6 oz jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts
drained
• ½ pint Corsica’s Deli Marinated
Mushrooms sliced in ½ drained
• ½ jar of Red Roasted Peppers
drained & sliced
• ½ cup Pitted Kalamata Olives
• Whole Pepperoncini whole about 1
cup
• Croutons-Optional
• Anchovies-Optional
Directions
Use a large bowl. (I like to use
clear glass)
Layer bowl with lettuce, then
sprinkle with a little grated cheese,
and
each of the remaining ingredients;
repeat until everything is used.The top
layer should be a work of art. Use only
the ingredients you prefer. That’s
what’s nice about this recipe. You can
make it any way you like!
When ready to serve, mix dressing
and carefully drizzle onto Antipasto
Salad.
A large platter can be substituted
for the bowl. Start with a bed of
lettuce, Add grated cheese, now you
have your canvas. Arrange all the rest
of the ingredients as you please on top
of lettuce.
When ready to serve, mix dressing
and carefully drizzle onto Antipasto
Salad.
Serve with Breadsticks or, garlic
bread and a bottle of your favorite Red
wine.
Bona Fortuna! (Good Luck)
*NOTE: You will find some of these ingredients at
Corsica’s Italian Deli in Sunland.
Call Mary (818) 352-7213
32

June 2011 Voice of the Village

Transcription

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