2 JULY 2016 - The Foothill Record

2
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
Residents Critical of Police Response to Local Crime
Neighborhood Watch, LAPD, and citizens discuss the issues
From Staff Reports
At last month’s Neighborhood
Watch meeting, local resident
Dani
Hillyer
recounted
her
constant battle to have the LAPD
respond to her phone calls about
people shooting heroin in front
of her home. Hillyer also told
of the ongoing problems she is
having with nearby transient and
homeless encampments.
Another resident said that LAPD
officers had responded to a liquor
store’s phone call asking for help
with an intoxicated and hostile
person at that store by bringing the
man home—LA Family Housing’s
Day Street apartments—instead
of arresting him.
Yet another resident said he had
been told by a transient that LAPD
officers drove him (the transient)
to Big Tujunga wash and left him
there instead of arresting him for a
crime he had committed.
The June 15 meeting, held
at North Valley City Hall in
Tujunga, was moderated by Brian
Schneider, a local resident and the
administrator of the CD7 Open
Letter Facebook group. The Open
Letter group, which includes more
than 2,600 local residents who
have joined together to address
the community’s problems with
transiency, drugs, crime, and
homelessness, had called for
a meeting with LAPD Foothill
Division captain Ernest Eskridge.
Jon von Gunten, the liaison
between the Sunland-Tujunga
Neighborhood Council (STNC) and
Neighborhood Watch, organized
and facilitated the meeting.
Specifically, the Open Letter
group hoped to learn why a large
number of local residents believe
that LAPD officers are reluctant
to make arrests of transients after
an assault, even if the perpetrator
is identified and witnesses come
forward. The incident that gave rise
to this specific concern involved
STNC region 1 representative Pat
Kramer, who was assaulted by a
transient who was not arrested
for the assault. The group also
wanted to hear the LAPD’s plans
to work within the framework of
Laura’s Law.
The Open Letter group also
wanted to be updated on the
status of its request detailed
in its “Open Letter,” which was
published earlier this year in
several local papers. The letter
called for the LAPD to reopen the
Foothill Division jail and property
department.
Without
such
facilities, proponents said, patrol
officers cannot function efficiently,
especially when patrolling in
areas, like Sunland-Tujunga, that
are far from division headquarters
in Pacoima. The opening of the
jail and the property department
would come with an increase in
civilian staff so that more officers
could patrol the streets rather than
sit at desks doing support work.
The CD7 group also hoped to
discuss the status of patrols in
the Big and Little Tujunga washes
and other hillside areas that have
been affected by the homeless
and transients, some of whom use
the washes as bases from which
to commit crimes in adjacent
neighborhoods. Some transients
and homeless also light fires in
the dry brush, which could cause
wildfires.
For the meeting, Eskridge
had arranged a panel of LAPD
personnel that included Senior
Lead Officers Gloria Caloca and
Cesar Contreras and officers
from community relations, the
drug and gangs units, and the
Van Nuys Division’s Homeless
Patrol. The panel also included
a representative from LA County
Health and officers from the HOPE
(Homeless Outreach Partnership
Endeavor) Division, who were
present to discuss Laura’s Law.
Many
residents
recounted
incident after incident in which
they perceived that LAPD did
not respond appropriately to
their calls. Pastor John Candler
of Sunland Foursquare Church
reported, for example, several
incidents involving transients
and crime. One transient had
broken into and damaged church
property. LAPD officers did not
arrest the man despite Candler’s
request that they do so. Officer
Contreras suggested that in such
cases, the citizen should request
to speak with a supervisor.
Panelists discussed how difficult
it is for police officers to do their
jobs because of the passage
of California’s Proposition 47 in
2014. The Safe Neighborhoods
and Schools Act reclassified some
crimes as less serious. These
crimes include the possession
and use of drugs like heroin,
methamphetamine, and daterape drugs. The penalty for theft
of property, shoplifting,
receiving stolen property,
and other crimes also
was reduced from a
felony to a misdemeanor
(if the item stolen is
worth less than $950; the
previous threshold was
$400). Another part of the
law allowed nonviolent
offenders to apply for
resentencing and release from
incarceration. More than 4,500
prisoners have been released as
of this year.
The LAPD’s hands are often tied
because many crimes, formerly
classified as felonies, are now
basically considered on par with a
traffic citation. Shooting heroin in
front of children who are walking
home from school is no longer
a felony. Officers now need to
balance the time it takes to arrest
and transport an offender to
Foothill Division and then the Van
Nuys jail for a simple misdemeanor
with their desire to be in the area
for a violent crime.
This explanation did little to
lessen the concerns of residents
at the meeting. Some expressed
frustration that the truly needy in
our community were not being
cared for. Many homeless persons,
however, refuse to go to a shelter
or accept services, and laws exist
that keep these same persons
from being helped if they refuse it.
Another panel theme was the
need for increased police funding.
The Foothill Division, panelists
said, needs money. Eskridge and
Contreras suggested that the most
important thing the community
can do for money and others
resources is work with LA City
council member Felipe Fuentes
(District 7). But as one resident
answered, to general applause,
“We don’t have a council member.”
The meeting also included a
report about the LAPD’s efforts
to implement Laura’s Law. The
law covers assisted outpatient
treatment for the seriously mentally
ill. If a patient refuses treatment, a
mechanism is in place by which
the patient can be compelled to
receive it. The LAPD and other
agencies are working to identify
individuals in the Sunland-Tujunga
area who can benefit from Laura’s
Law.
Also, the LAPD has established
homeless units, like the Van Nuys
Homeless Unit, to work in the
community. The officers on the
panel were frustrated at the rise
in homelessness and transiency
since the passage of Prop. 47.
Several were clearly emotional
when discussing their efforts
to help those in need and the
community in general.
Many
meeting
attendees,
however, said that they had
“heard it all before” and expected
little improvement. In turn, some
panelists said that some incidents
reported by local citizens had
been “incorrectly” perceived and
even exaggerated.
Attendees also said that they
were not getting many answers
about how things were going to
get better. The panel once again
answered that the solution is
more money. Eskridge said he is
committed to working with the
community, adding that SunlandTujunga has it better than many
other areas under his jurisdiction.
Attendees said that the LAPD
should be working more proactively
within the current environment.
But the panel answered that real
improvement in the area’s quality
of life would come from not only
increased police funding but also
the amendment of certain laws.
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
3
4
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
The Wildlife Waystation: A Cult of Personality?
Animal sanctuary again mired in controversy as board members and loyal volunteers
are let go; all blame the director
Part one of a two-part
investigative series
By Eddie Rivera
News Editor
The oft-lauded, but more
recently oft-controversial, Wildlife
Waystation animal sanctuary in
Little Tujunga Canyon is mired
in controversy yet again, as
board members and numerous
volunteers, many of whom had
worked at the facility for years,
have been fired in the past few
months.
According to reports from
volunteers and observers, the
fired volunteers and board
members had all spoken out
or disagreed with the way
Waystation founder and CEO
Martine
Colette
maintained
either the facility, its animals,
its expenses, or its personnel.
Colette publicly dismissed the
complaints and called the firings
merely “a change in policy.”
Volunteers interviewed for this
report—many of whom asked not
to be identified, fearing reprisal—
described
a
management
situation at the Waystation that
could only be labeled “a cult of
personality.” One recently fired
volunteer, who spent more than
ten years at the Waystation,
agreed with the description and
added, “It’s founders syndrome.”
Founder’s syndrome is a
familiar one to many groups
or organizations where one
or more founders exercise
disproportionate
power
and
influence over a project or
company they have created,
leading to a wide range of
problems for both the organization
and those involved in it.
Most of the fired volunteers
echoed staff member Michael
Rapp’s concerns.
As Rapp wrote in an online
posting last month, “As many
of you know, I worked for The
Wildlife Waystation for nearly
seven years, the last four of which
I was their head animal trainer,
and managed the volunteer
animal handling program. It was
a place, and a job that I loved
very much. While I still love ‘the
place’ I have to publicly state that
I do not support the way that it
is run, and the way the animals
are cared for. In my opinion, the
management is corrupt, and
incapable of looking past their
own egos. I don’t believe they
have the animals well being as a
priority.”
Rapp told The Foothill Record,
“It was just the general attitude of
how they treat their employees,
the type of employees who were
hired, especially the ones who
are left now.”
Rapp, who was a paid
employee, said there was “a lot
of animosity from the staff toward
the volunteers, which I didn’t
understand.” When he would
bring up volunteers’ concerns
about this to Colette, he said,
Colette would “have the same
attitude, that the volunteers were
not intelligent people, and that
they had no place, but it was
always the volunteers who would
point out problems since they
were the ones who worked with
the animals every day.”
Former
Waystation
board
member Peggy Summers, who
was fired by Colette in February
of this year, said in a May letter
to former volunteers, “The
Waystation has lost sight of its
mission and goals.”
Said one longtime, now-fired,
volunteer and trainer, “The handson experiences the volunteers
Continues on Page 5
The Foothill Record
Continued from Page 4
The Wildlife Waystation
got was part of what made the
place magical for them, truly a
one-of-a-kind experience, but for
her [Colette], it was just a way to
exploit animals and make money
for herself.”
Whether labeled “founders’
syndrome” or a “cult of
personality”—what
sociologist
Max Weber defined as a
“charismatic authority”—all of
the volunteers interviewed for
this report agreed that it was an
apt description for the ongoing
situation at the Waystation. It was
for many both a nurturing and an
evil totalitarian state.
Martine Diane Colette, born
in China in 1939, reportedly to a
Belgian diplomat, founded the
Wildlife Waystation corporation
in April of 1977, after putting
$116,000 down and purchasing
the property, located in the
Angeles National Forest, in 1976.
She ran into trouble immediately
when, in a personal effort to relax
animal-enclosure standards, she
ran afoul of California Fish and
Wildlife (CFW) authorities after
she built cages with no roofs.
Undaunted, the charismatic
Colette acquired and “rescued”
hundreds of exotic lions, tigers,
apes, and other animals, and
her wildlife refuge soon became
the darling de rigeur charity of
Hollywood and its many animalloving stars and celebrities.
Millions of dollars poured in.
But, since the Waystation’s
founding, there have been
scores of complaints, fines, and
suspensions by CFW and the
US Department of Agriculture
(USDA), all directly tied to Colette’s
management and leadership of
the facility. The facility’s license to
operate publicly was suspended
in 1997, and the violations have
continued to pile up since.
There is a long list of
violations and reports against
the Waystation, but just a brief
sampling is revealing:
Though the Waystation has
no breeders’ permit, Colette
would, according to Cummins,
breed chimpanzees illegally at
the facility, with the baby chimps
(which she called “oopsies”)
proudly displayed at Hollywood
events and fundraisers.
From 1994 to 1997, US Fish and
Wildlife documented 26 illegal
births at the facility. Colette
claimed that all animals were
neutered, spayed, and separated,
but one source close to the
Waystation denied this.
In May of 2000, Colette was
cited by Arizona’s Department
of Game and Fish for illegally
transporting a tiger into the state.
She was sentenced to probation.
The state also denied Colette’s
application for a zoo permit in
a residential neighborhood. At
the time, she had been leading
efforts by the Waystation for the
possible construction of a zoo,
called Wilderness Edge, in that
state. The Waystation spent more
than $100,000 in that ultimately
unsuccessful effort.
More violations were found in
June of that year by a nine-agency
team including the LA County
departments of Health, Public
Works, Fire, Building and Safety,
Animal Care and Control, Housing
and Community Development,
and Regional Planning, along
with the Regional Water Quality
Control Board. Sixteen pages
of violations were found in the
areas of safety, environmental
regulations, illegal housing, and
water and septic systems.
“I need to have the opportunity
to raise money; we don’t just have
it sitting in the bank,” Colette
said, at the time.
In 1997, CFW suspended the
Waystation’s license because
of small, run-down cages, and
for the illegal dumping of animal
waste in streams. The license has
never been renewed.
In April of 2000, after reportedly
raiding the facility in Hazmat
suits, CFW barred the Waystation
from accepting new animals
and from giving tours, saying
the Waystation is a “roadside
disaster.”
In 2002, Colette claimed that
the Waystation was in danger
of closing if it did not receive
new funding, a claim she has
made numerous times over the
years. But continuous successful
fundraising drives have kept the
facility operating.
But let’s go back a few years.
In 1990, Dorothy (Dolly) Wellborn
Green, a scion to an oil fortune,
left the Waystation $2.6 million
in a bequest made before her
death. Colette immediately asked
the board to be “reimbursed for
her years of sacrifice” to the
Waystation. Until that time, the
Waystation, a nonprofit that
she started, had been paying
Colette’s rent and living expenses,
and provided her access to the
group’s checkbook.
This new infusion of money
changed everything, and this is
where the lines between who
owns and rents what get blurred.
This is also where the story gets
more than a little confusing.
The
Waystation
eventually
paid Colette $227,000 in 1992 to
reimburse her for the $116,000
she paid as down payment for
the 160 acres of land in 1976. The
payment included 5% interest.
Essentially, Colette owns the land
that the animals reside on, and is
compensated by lease money.
The Waystation, controlled by a
board of directors, owns 22 acres
of the approximately 160 total
acres. The animals themselves
are regulated by CFW and the
USDA, who have authority over
them, including removal or
relocation if necessary, according
to a longtime board member.
“They
are
not
Colette’s
animals,” says former board
member Summers. “She does
not own either the Waystation
or the animals. Colette greatly
oversteps her authority.”
In
December,
1993,
the
Waystation paid Colette an
additional $365,000 to cover the
mortgage due on the property.
Colette continued to accept
rent after, Waystation paid the
down payment and mortgage of
$592,000.
In exchange for the payment,
the property was to have been
turned over to the Waystation at
that time, but it was not. Colette
continued to be paid rent for a
property that was paid for and for
which the Waystation owed no
mortgage.
The year 1995 saw the first
of many mass resignations by
members of her board. Six of 14
members resigned, protesting
monthly payments to Colette of
$6,500 in salary and $4,500 in
rent. The board members also
questioned why Colette still
owned approximately 140 acres
of the Waystation’s property.
There also were complaints
from the board that Colette used
Waystation funds to remodel her
bathroom, to add a gun safe to
her personal residence, and to
buy clothes and jewelry as gifts.
Fred Perry, Colette’s executive
JULY 2016
5
assistant from 1990 to 1993, told
the Los Angeles Times in 1995,
“She accuses everyone of having
gold fever, but she herself is the
one with that.”
Perry provided the receipts to
the state attorney general, but
there was no apparent follow up.
A report in April of 2000 by
CFW stated that two-thirds of
the 200 cages inspected were
too small, did not have roofs, and
were not constructed properly to
ensure animals could not escape.
It was then that former Los
Angeles mayor Richard Riordan’s
daughter,
Kathleen
Riordan,
resigned from the board because
of her concerns over animal
health issues, and Colette’s
management style.
Kathleen Riordan also used
the term “founder’s syndrome”
in interviews, saying that Colette
“believes she is the only person
who can run the foundation.”
Former board member and
longtime volunteer Diana Higashi
also told the Los Angeles Times
in 2000, “To put it simply, the
rules don’t apply for her.” Gail
Lippman, a volunteer landscaper
for nine years, also added,
“Martine is a very difficult person
to deal with. She is like a dictator
up there. She always felt the rules
didn’t apply to her.”
Meanwhile, violations of the
Animal Welfare Act continued,
and in 2009, the USDA issued
a cease-and-desist-order and
fined Colette and the Waystation
$2,000. Since then there have
been at least eight noncompliance
citations issued by the USDA.
Next Month:
Violations continue. More board
members quit, more volunteers
leave or are fired. Martine Colette
responds.
The Foothill Record
is the
Proud Sponsor
of
Verdugo Hills HS
LaYuca
6
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
My name is Ramie Case. I am
the owner and director of the
preschool across the street from
Oro Vista Park. I am hesitant to
reach out to you on this because
the amount of mis-information
continues to grow. And frankly
I’m not sure that my business
can take much more of that. It
is unfortunate that people tend
to repeat things they’ve heard
without doing any fact checking
with the actual people involved.
In the article entitled “SunlandTujunga Seeks Sane Solution” by
Eddie Rivera, refers to the church
across the street from Oro Vista
park as “Church of the Seven
Hills”. That’s not the name of the
church across the street.
But
more to my point, he references
the online petition introduced
by Pat Kramer. In it she states
“he showed up at a preschool
across from Oro Vista Park and
threatened parents who were
dropping their children off at the
preschool..”This never happened!
The person in question showed
up, but there was no one in the
parking lot and he did not threaten
any parents. The children that
were here, never even saw him
or knew he was on the property.
What is also not mentioned is
the very prompt and large police
response that occurred when the
police were called.
What frustrates me about this
is I know this community well.
And people don’t care how
hard we’ve worked to not have
issues. They don’t care that our
children are always safe. They
care that someone repeated what
someone else said and took it for
a fact without any validation.
I have been in business for 12
years. This is a difficult community
to own a business in, especially a
childcare center. And our amazing
wash and mountain views are
certainly speckled with homeless
(some less than pleasant). In our
area, many consider the mere
presence of a homeless person
to be a threat. But never have
any of my parents or children
been directly threatened by
any homeless person.
But to
imply that this happened or does
happen, is extremely damaging
to my business and my credibility
in the community.
I realize you just publish the
article, but the author did not fact
check and the person who wrote
the petition did not fact check.
No one contacted me. I’m the
one that was standing at the
preschool!
Since I moved here 20 years
ago, I have worked to help
support the schools, families
and children in our area. And
I keep getting undermined by
people that say they mean well
but really just don’t get it....like a
STNC representative who once
introduced me to a mayoral
candidate as “the lady that owns
the preschool across the street
from the sex offenders”....not
the lady that brought awareness
to the community about their
existence and helped make sure
that the house was closed down
a month from the day it was
established!
I have already spoken to the
person that wrote the petition.
She is already working on a
revision to the petition. I realize
that the paper has been printed.
The on line version does not
yet seem to have been posted.
I respectfully request that a
retraction to this article be done.
The
inaccurate
information
included in this article must be
removed. It is very damaging to
my business and emotional well
being of my families.
Ramie Case: Time to Explore
Child Development Center
Correction
In the article “Sunland-Tujunga Seeks Sane Solution” (June,
2016), we quoted an online petition that incorrectly stated that
an assaultive man, coming from Oro Vista Park in Sunland, also
had threatened the parents of students at a nearby preschool. In
fact, the man did not threaten those parents, or students. Also,
we incorrectly identified the church that is located across from the
park: It is called Chapel of the Hills.
MONTHLY HEALTH UPDATE
Courtesy of
Dr. Charles E. Richardson III D.C.
7904 Foothill Blvd.
Sunland, CA 91040
(818)455-5443
Mental Attitude: Sleepless
Nights Linked to Changes in
the Brain. Chinese researchers
report that insomnia may lead to
abnormalities in the white matter
of the brain, the tissue which
carries information between the
various parts of the organ. For the
study, the researchers recruited
23 patients with primary insomnia
and 30 healthy volunteers. The
participants completed surveys
that allowed investigators to
evaluate their mental status
and sleep patterns. Using an
advanced MRI technique, the
research team also looked at
the pattern of water movement
in white matter to identify any
irregularities. They found that
participants with insomnia had
significantly reduced white matter
integrity in several regions of the
brain including the thalamus,
which regulates consciousness,
sleep, and alertness, as well as
the corpus callosum, the area
that connects the two halves
of the brain. Researcher Dr.
Shumei Li notes, “Our results can
potentially provide the evidence
about how the lack of sleep may
lead to the impairment of white
matter related to emotional or
cognitive disorders.” Radiology,
April 2016
Health Alert: Diabetes Has
Quadrupled Worldwide Since
1980. According to a new report,
the number of men and women
diagnosed with diabetes around
the globe increased from 108
million in 1980 to 422 million
in 2014, with the most severe
increases noted in low- and
middle-income countries. Experts
say these findings should sound
an alarm for large-scale, effective
action that focuses on reducing
the health and economic impact
of diabetes. The Lancet, April
2016
Diet: Daily Fruit Consumption
Helps the Heart. Consuming fresh
fruit, such as apples and oranges,
each day appears to reduce the
risk of dying from either a heart
attack or stroke by about onethird. Investigators collected
data on more than 500,000 adults
between 2004 and 2009 and
found that fewer than one-in-five
ate fruit on a daily basis. However,
the researchers found that those
who ate about a half cup of fruit a
day had a significantly lower risk
for developing cardiovascular
disease. Lead researcher Dr.
Liming Li reports that participants
who ate fruit the most often had
lower blood pressure and blood
sugar compared to those who ate
less fruit, which could explain the
reduced risk for heart attacks and
stroke. New England Journal of
Medicine, April 2016
Exercise: Too Few Children Get
60 Minutes of Exercise Daily. In
this study, investigators observed
453 schoolchildren during a oneweek period and found that only
15% achieved the recommended
60 minutes of moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA)
each day. Furthermore, compared
with normal or underweight
children, the researchers report
that the overweight and obese
children in the study were less
active overall and achieved fewer
minutes of MVPA during school,
out-of-school, and on weekends.
Senior author Dr. Jennifer
Sacheck comments, “Clearly,
schools need to be aware of
this disparity and should focus
on increasing all intensities of
physical activity equally for all
children across the school-day.”
International
Journal
of
Behavioral Nutrition and Physical
Continues on Page 8
For the most current
community news,
visit us at
TheFoothillRecord.com
Community
Breifs
JULY 2016
7
The Neighborhood Initiative
Billboard Blight
The Foothill Record
Advertising is coming at us
everywhere.
Whether on our
phones, computers, TV, or outside
billboards, we are inundated
with the marketing of goods and
ideas. Outdoor billboards are
especially intrusive because you
can’t simply swipe your screen
or change the channel. Billboard
restrictions, enacted in 2002,
banned most billboards in the
City, except for those allowed
in certain planned development
zones and those advertising
goods and services sold on the
premises and for noncommercial
billboards. The City’s billboard
restrictions are premised on
traffic safety and community
aesthetics.
Lamar Central Outdoor LLC
(“Lamar”)
challenged
those
restrictions citing the Free
Speech Clause of the California
Constitution in a lawsuit against
the City of Los Angeles. (Lamar
Central Outdoor, LLC v. City of
Los Angeles, 245 Cal.App.4th
610 (2016).)
Essentially, the
lawsuit tested the City’s authority
to regulate outdoor signs and
establish sign districts. Although
the trial court initially sided with
Lamar, the California Court of
Appeal reversed the trial court and
sided with City. Lamar requested
that the California Supreme Court
review the Court of Appeals
decision, but the Supreme
Court refused on June 8, 2016.
For now, the City’s authority to
control billboard blight remains
intact. The only legislative body
that could change or abolish the
restrictions is the City Council.
Billboard companies continue
to pour vast amounts of money
into local elections in the hopes
of buying favor. Now that the
California Supreme Court has had
the final word as to the legality
of the restrictions, you can bet
that Lamar, and companies like
them, will double their efforts to
gain access to elected officials.
These companies buy billboards
on behalf of candidates running
in local races. Next time you see
such a billboard, you have to ask
yourself: Who are they trying to
buy?
Venessa F. Martinez
Sunland-Tujunga Elks
Dictionary Program
From the time
that children
start
school
they are given
vocabulary
lists on a weekly basis, but by
the time they reach the 3rd grade
they are expected to look up
vocabulary words in a dictionary.
Look up a word, write the
definition, and use it in a sentence.
Not a hard assignment, unless
the availability of dictionaries is
limited. Some households may
not have a dictionary, some
classrooms may have only have
a handful of dictionaries to share
between 20 – 30 students. Our
program gives each 3rd grader
a dictionary to keep and have
with them throughout their years
of schooling, making homework
assignments easier on the
students and their parents.
Every
year
the
SunlandTujunga
Elks
Lodge
delivers
dictionaries
to
3rd graders in
local elementary
schools. Last year we delivered
dictionaries to eight schools. Our
goal is to continue to provide
dictionaries to these children. We
anticipate spending $1,250 this
year on this program.
Contributions you make today
are greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Rochelle Zenger, PER
Dictionary Project Chairman
Greeting S-T neighbors
Greeting S-T neighbors! Our most recent Love The Neighborhood Initiative
that took place on Saturday, June 4th was amazing. There are many
encouraging stories about some pretty significant things that happened
through our various teams that were serving together. It has been really
amazing to see how just two hours of simple service per month is not
only effectively cleaning up our streets, sidewalks and Sunland Park,
but also how neighbors are connecting, making new friends and finding
new ways to better serve and transform our beautiful S-T neighborhood
together. We are looking forward to what is taking shape through this
initiative and would love to have you join us in the months to come as we
love our neighborhood together!
SUNLAND WOMAN’S CLUB
Two $500.00 scholarships were awarded to Jocelyn Muro and Grace Kelly
Sachs from Linda McCollum of the Sunland Woman’s Club. The Sunland
Woman’s Club meets the second Wednesday of the month at
Center for Spiritual Living, 4845 Dunsmore Ave., La Crescenta.
Please call 818-531-5096 for further information about the Club and their
philanthropic support to the community.
Community Breifs
Monthly Health
Schaefer pitches
Continued from Page 6
March 2016
a near perfecto in Minors Final Activity,
Chiropractic: Musculoskeletal
8
JULY 2016
Pain Common in Veterans. A
recent study investigated the
prevalence of musculoskeletal
disorders among United States
veterans. The study included
5,237,763 former soldiers and
found that non-traumatic joint
pain (27%), back pain (25%), and
osteoarthritis (21%) are the most
commonly reported and treated
musculoskeletal
disorders
among those who received
Veterans Health Administration
care. The findings show that
musculoskeletal complaints are
highly prevalent, painful, and
costly disorders among veterans.
Pain, March 2016
Wellness/Prevention: Vitamin D
Levels Linked to Cardiovascular
Disease Risk. New research
suggests that the risk of
By Eric Owens
Shade Schaefer pitched his
Tujunga Little League team, the
Dodgers (20-1), to a Tournament
of Champions title with a onehit and nine-strikeout game in
5.1 innings and 75 pitches over
Vaquero Auto Body on June 13.
Schaefer, a recent graduate
from Sunland Elementary, went
2 for 3 at the plate to go along
with a run scored. Ryan Reisner
had a two-run double to right
centerfield in the fifth inning.
Teammates Dylante Herran had
a double, while Cristian Banuelos
and Chris Cotton each plated a
run-scoring base hit in the fourth
and fifth innings.
The Dodgers also feature
players Riley Albert, Justin
McCubbin, Elijah Craig, Brodi
Reinsch,
George
Sandoval
and John Valiquette as well as
manager Jason McCubbin - a
graduate of Verdugo Hills High
School in 1995.
Brandon Van Horn (a Tujunga
native) was recently drafted in
the 19th round by the hated San
Francisco Giants and helped
Masters College win the GSAC
tournament and reach the NAIA
World Series at Lewis-Clark
State.
Tujunga’s Nick Sergi from Cal
State East Bay and Sunland
native Joe Armstrong from Cal
State Monterey Bay shared the
CCAA North Division crown.
Sergi was 4-1 with a 4.14 era in
41 innings to go with 20 k’s on
four walks.
Verdugo Hills graduates Marco
Quintanar, Marlon Rizo and Grant
Mona were part of GCC’s Western
State
Conference
champion
team. Quintanar went 2-3 with a
2.48 era and 19 k’s in 29 innings
pitched in 18 appearances.
The Foothill Record
cardiovascular disease could be
predicted by measuring levels of
total and bioavailable vitamin D in
both men and women. The study
analyzed the vitamin D levels
of 4,200 individuals aged 52-76
and assessed whether vitamin
D levels had any effect on future
cardiac events. The findings
revealed that individuals with low
levels of both total vitamin D and
bioavailable vitamin D were at
the greatest risk for heart attack,
stroke, heart failure, and even
cardiovascular death.
American College of Cardiology
Scientific Sessions in Chicago,
April 2016
Quote: “Happiness makes up in
height for what it lacks in length.”
~ Robert Frost
McGroarty Art Center
On June 18, McGroarty Art Center hosted Art, Treasures and Craft
Rummage Sale, with a pancake breakfast served by the Sunland Tujunga
Shadow Hills Rotary Club.
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
9
Auntie Gail’s Pet Zone - High Anxiety!
By Gail Carlson
Boom! Poof! Bang! Arrrrooo!
Bark! Whimper. The car alarms
are all going off in harmony with
the masses of barking dogs.
It must be the Fourth of July or
World War III! The sensational
sounds and sky filled with artistic,
exploding, colorful fireworks is an
American tradition. Unfortunately,
this holiday leads many animals
to feel stress, panic, and, for
some of them, extreme fear.
Dogs hear at an amazingly high
range—from 40–60,000 hertz—a
wider range of frequencies than
humans, so what they hear is far
more intense to their ears. In the
past, I have suggested as calming
agents for dogs the infamous
Thundershirt and even a natural
chamomile liquid for these
loud evenings of celebration.
But some pets have a need for
something stronger to aid them
through these moments.
Luckily there is a new drug on
the market to help dogs. Just in
time for the Fourth of July: a new
veterinary prescribed medicine
called Sileo, which is made
specifically for treating pets with
high anxiety and fear caused by
loud noises. Noise anxiety is a
widespread problem that can
send dogs running away in terror
or whimpering in a corner.
Fear of loud noises is a common
problem for some of the 70
million dogs in the United States,
and for their owners. Dogs are
sometimes so frightened that
they jump through windows or
run through open gates, often into
neighborhood traffic. Sometimes,
they are then hit by cars. Sadly,
July 5 is the most common day
for frustrated pet owners to drop
a dog off at a shelter, according
to Zoetis, the manufacturer of
this new medicine.
Sileo works by blocking
norepinephrine, a brain chemical
similar to adrenaline that pumps
up anxiety. The drug comes in
prefilled plastic syringes with a
dial for setting a precise dose
according to the dog’s weight.
The needleless syringe is placed
between the dog’s gum and lip. A
little push ejects a small amount
of gel that’s absorbed by the
tissue lining the dog’s cheek,
which limits how much circulates
in the dog’s body at a time while
enabling the medicine to start
working within 30 to 60 minutes.
We are our pets’ guardians.
They need us to protect them.
As a professional pet sitter and
certified vet assistant for over
eight years, I highly recommend
taking proactive measures to
secure your pets and safeguard
them from the effects of
excessive noise like fireworks
and thunderstorms.
First, keep all your pets secured
in a safe, cool, unchained, quiet
space—preferably indoors. Make
sure they have plenty of fresh
water. Have them microchipped
and have them wear ID tags on
their collars. Consider speaking
to your pet’s vet about Sileo as a
solution for noise anxiety. Have a
safe and happy Fourth of July.
Gail Carlson has had a
professional pet-sitting business
in the foothills since 2008. For
more information about Auntie
Gail’s Happy Tails, email Gail at
auntiegailspets@yahoo.com or at
auntiegailshappytails.com.
Pat Kramer - Laura’s Law
Pat Kramer, Region 1 Rep, STNC - Laura’s Law and how it could
help those who are mentally ill get the care they need. The police
have acknowledged that they are aware of Laura’s Law and are
willing to use it if requested.
For those who are a danger to themselves or others can get the
help they may otherwise not receive.
Petition, which is: https://www.change.org/p/info-lamayor-orgget-lapd-to-enforce-laura-s-law-taking-violent-homeless-off-thestreet-for-making-threats.
Pat Kramer, Region 1 Rep, STNC
(818) 468-7278 - www.writerpatkramer.com
New Businesses
SUNLAND TUJUNGA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
WELCOMES THE NEW BUSINESSES TO TOWN
10
JULY 2016
The Foothill Record
The Foothill Record
P.O. BOX 472
Tujunga, CA, 91043
818-384-9670
News Director
Eddie Rivera
Creative Director
George Hakopian
Graphics & Layout
Robert & Julie Ward
Mediaworks
Shop Easy Liquor
Owner Bob Herron
7830 Foothill Blvd.
Sunland, Ca 91040
818-709-9100
6239 Foothill Blvd.
Tujunga, Ca 91042
818-248-4815
Congratulations and a welcome to Villa Terraza
on their ribbon cutting and their new membership in the
Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce!
Jorge Valladares came to United
States from El Salvador in 1984
with a desire of a better life. As
soon as he arrived, he began
working at a food market packing
groceries making $1.10/hr and
soon after went to school in hopes
of finishing his schooling. He
met his wife Nelly, who arrived to
America shortly after Jorge from
El Salvador, at a school dance.
Nelly’s first job was at a sewing
factory in Downtown Los Angeles
making logo’s working 14-16 hours
a day. They were married in 1989
and gave birth to daughter Leslie
in 1990 and son Justin in 1997.
Although Jorge desired to
continue with school, he stopped
attending and started working full
time to provide for his new family.
His first experience working in a
restaurant was at the Radisson
Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles
as a bus boy. Jorge has since had
many jobs including serving food,
packing groceries, parts delivery
driver, parts salesmen, and finally
ending up as a parts manager.
Experiencing how far he had come
with hard work and dedication,
fueled his desire to accomplish
more for the future and he began
his pursuit to own his own
business. Jorge’s dream to own a
restaurant began when he saw the
Old Vienna restaurant up for sale
in 2005. He went into business
with three partners naively
believing, and encouraged by the
city, it would be a relatively simple
task. The restaurant needed major
renovations and they all spent 3
years cleaning up and preserving
the beauty of the structure. The
restaurant finally opened in 2008
and did very well for one year.
Then, when the economy slowed
down, they had to close and wait
for better days. It took seven years
to re-open the restaurant.
Today Villa Terraza is owned
solely by Jorge and his family
and with the help of Jose Lopez,
the Manager, who runs the daily
operations. Jorge gives lots of
credit to his staff who he believes
is the backbone of the restaurant.
Villa Terraza is an exceptional
venue with small private rooms for
quite dinner, or a beautiful garden
setting for the summer graduation
or birthday parties. The food is
very good as is the service.
Ad Design
Edwin Miranian
Edward Tatulian
Advertising Manager
Sonia Tatulian
Printer
American Foothill Publishing
Consulting Editor
Desiree Dreeuws
The Foothill Record is a free
monthly newspaper covering
the foothills communities of
Sunland-Tujunga, Shadow Hills,
and Lake View Terrace.
Please
send
advertising
requests, news tips, story ideas,
community news, business
news, letters to the editor,
calendar items, event listings,
and other correspondence to
thefoothillrecord@gmail.com or
to P.O. BOX 472, Tujunga, CA,
91043.
Opinions expressed by regular
and guest columnists are those
of the columnists only and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions
of Foothill Record staff. Staff
editorials are marked as such.
Space limitations often require
that we edit letters to the editor.
Photo left to right: Leslie, Justin,
Nelly, and Jorge Valladares
The Foothill
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Record
MARCH
JULY 2016
2016
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12
The Foothill Record
SAY HELLO TO SUMMER
Happy 4th of July!
Building a foundation for your family!
JANA ACE WUNDERLICH
REALTOR®, CRS, GRI, ABR, SRES, EcoBroker
Residential and Senior
Relocation Specialist
818.472.3131
OFFICE 818.583.1208
EMAIL AceTheRealtor@gmail.com
JanaAceWunderlich.com
CELL
CalBRE #01438712
A portion of my earnings are donated to
& various other local charities to enrich our community!
ascenciaca.org
Sue Wheeler, Licensed
Executive Assistant to Jana
CalBRE# 01472335
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
Local 9 year old identical twins
casted in “SHARKNADO 4”
If you know Nicholas and
Christopher Shone, 9 year old
identical twins, you’d know that
they are just two regular kids who
enjoy most of the same things
other nine year old kids like. They like playing video games,
swimming, skateboarding, and
riding their bicycles. One thing
special about these two is that
they are living a dream.
Nick & Chris saw their first
Sharknado movie on Syfy back
in 2013. The entire family was
hooked. They eagerly awaited for
the each to come out. Watching these movies ended
up becoming a family tradition. At
the end of the third installment,
the boys realized that there was
the possibility of a new character
for the fourth movie. Nick and
Chris, who had already done a
national commercial when they
were 3 and starred in another TV
movie, The Heart of Christmas
in 2011, asked their mom, Mary,
to call their manager, and tell
her that they wanted to be in the
next Sharknado movie. Mary,
who helps the boys hone their
acting, explained to the boys
it doesn’t work like that. The
boys then decided to put it out
to the universe and the universe
responded.
In February the boys received
an e-mail regarding an audition. There were three pages of script
they had to read and memorize.
Although titled under a different
name, they quickly figured out
that it was Sharknado 4. Dad,
Mike, a teacher, credits the boys’
ability to read well as part of their
success. The boys went into their
audition with confidence and
great enthusiasm. Apparently, it
went better than expected. Approximately two weeks later
on a Friday night, their manager
April Mills called to deliver the
exciting news. The following
Monday they were on the set and
excited to begin work.
Filming lasted a few weeks and
was shot on a variety of location
through Los Angeles and Las
Vegas. Nick and Chris enjoyed
working with everyone, especially
Ian Ziering and Tara Reid. The
boys promise this to be a very
exciting and actioned packed
movie.
Sharknado 4: The Fourth
Awakens premieres July 31st on
the Syfy channel at 8:00 pm. You
can follow the boys on Facebook:
Nicholas and Christopher Shone;
Twitter:
@ShoneTwins;
and
Instagram: @ShoneTwins. The boys are somewhat new to
social media, and although their
accounts are closely monitored
by Mom and Dad, they would
love to hear from you.
Sunland&Printing
DESIGN CENTER
COMPLETE COMMERCIAL PRINTING
& DESIGN CENTER
7566 FOOTHILL BLVD. • TUJUNGA
818.353.1588
MAIL@SUNLANDPRINTING.COM
13
14
JULY 2016
Apperson Elementary 2016 Graduation
The Foothill Record
Kinder garden students held the hand of their principal, Mrs. Smissen, while she picked up a black eastern indigo snake.
Congratulations to the students and their teachers of Apperson Elementary, Class of 2016
The Foothill Record
Verdugo Hills High School
2016 Graduation
JULY 2016
15
16
JULY 2016
The Foothill Record
Century 21 Crest is now
a member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Team!
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
17
Misty morning sunrise.
Good day Sunland, city of happiness and prosperity.
Photo by Chris Savage
EDWIN MIRANIAN
9927 COMMERCE AVE TUJUNGA, CA 91042
PETE’S
COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR
Tech
Paul Kaloustian
Regular
Gross Pollutors
DMV Change of
Ownership
29.95
+ Certificate and Fees
$
818-353-2342
7545 Foothill Blvd • Tujunga
18
JULY 2016
The Foothill Record
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
19
RUBY IS THE GEM OF JULY
Has been the worlds most valued gemstone for thousands of years, its name comes from the
Latin word “ruber” meaning ‘’red color’’.
The owner of a fine ruby was said to be assured of a fine life, peace with all men and his rank,
or land would never be taken from him, in the judeo christian view, the ruby is the most precious
of the twelve stones God created when he created all creatures, and this lord of gems was placed
on Aarons neck by gods command.
Ruby has also been said to preserve wealth and remove evil thoughts., among the multitude
of legends and strange beliefs of ancient times, it was thought that the wearer of a ruby was
blessed with health, wealth, wisdom and outstanding success in ‘heart affairs’’. Furthermore
the wearer acquired the ability to live in peace with his enemies, in some places ruby was even
thought to confer invulnerability.
Rubies come in many shades of red sometimes people refer to the finest pure red color as
‘’Burma ruby’’ or pigeons blood rubies over 3 carat very fine quality are scarce.
One of the finest faceted rubies was sold at Sothebys in 1988 for $ 3,630.000 - this was 15.97
carat gem.while some of the finest rubies have been discovered in southeast Asia other regions,
such as Madagascar in Africa also yield some stunning rubies. ‘’Sri Lanca, Thailand, Myan’’.
*Cleaning usually is safe in ultrasonic or warm soapy water.
*Please stop by Classy Jewelers to see our unique collection at affordable price.
20
JULY 2016
Verdugo Hills High School
The Foothill Record
Amazing Teachers to Retire
By Vreean Taylor
Every person reaches a time in their lives when they get to put all of their hard work to rest and have an
awesome vacation. Three amazing teachers from Verdugo Hills High School will be retiring this year. They
are Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Mojica, and the famous Mr. Stirpe. They have all helped to make the educational
experience at VHHS fantastic. Mrs. Campbell has spent thirty-eight years working for LAUSD; she worked at
John Marshall High, North Hollywood HS, Eagle Rock HS, and lastly, Verdugo. Her other job titles were Project
Impact Coordinator and Journalism Advisor. She has one LAUSD recognition award and also wrote LA Times
Journalism Lesson Plans for LAUSD Journalism teachers. About her future, Mrs. Campbell said, “ I plan to work
with kids in some capacity. I’m looking at organizations that work with Syrian refugees. I’d like to volunteer to
work with refugee children.”
Mrs. Mojica has worked with LAUSD for thirty-four years. She has worked at DW Griffith Middle School,
(which she also attended as a student), Bell HS, and Verdugo. Another job title she held was Teachers Assistant
for the Title 1 program at Griffith Middle School. One recognition award Mrs. Mojica received was for Excellence
in Education sponsored by the Automobile Club for Southern California and awarded by the Los Angeles Unified
School District at a special LAUSD board meeting. Mrs.Mojica’s plan for her future is, “To work with 8th grade
mathematics teachers as a coach for the newly created i3 program out of CSUN. It is a part time position and
will leave me time to take piano lessons, learn how to Kayak and, of course, spend plenty of time with Mr. Mojica. We have grandchildren on the east
coast and so a road trip is in our future. We have one grandson closer to us and we will be spending lots of time with him, too.”
Mr. Stirpe has worked in LAUSD for thirty-three years. He worked at two schools, Mount Gleason and Verdugo Hills. Other job titles he has held in
LAUSD are counselor for a year, Leadership Advisor, Coach for Basketball, Volleyball, and Water Polo, and lastly, English teacher. One Recognition
Award Mr. Stirpe received was a $2000 fulfillment award, only certain teachers are chosen for this. Mr. Stirpe’s plans for his future are, “Moving back
to Palm Springs, maybe even run for Mayor there. I want to get to know the residents more and be involved in the voting elections. If my dream of
becoming a Mayor comes true and Hillary Clinton becomes president, I will invite her to stay in my Villa. She and I can discuss solar wind and water
conservation. Now, I used to be a lifeguard back in the day, so the last word I’ll say is, I was “Bay Watch” before there was a Bay Watch.” All of these
teachers and everything that they have contributed to VHHS will be missed.
Juggling Jobs and School
By Samantha Streett
Many students have not only
been working hard in school, but
during their after school jobs,
as well. Some students may
work at restaurants as waiters,
waitresses, or hosts. Other
students may also have jobs that
involve traveling.
Gwendolyn
Sullivan, a junior here, works
as a gymnastics photographer.
Every weekend for the past
couple of months she has
traveled to different cities and
states to photograph gymnastic
meets. She takes pictures of
the competing gymnasts during
their routines, and later edits
the photos to sell them to the
gymnast’s friends or family.
Other
jobs
available
to
teens that would like to earn
a little extra money would be
housekeeping, camp counselor,
tutoring, babysitting, becoming
a lifeguard, working in retail,
and even landscaping. There are
many jobs out there for teens to
try. Some jobs are volunteer jobs,
which don’t provide any payment
but give you lots of experience.
Students don’t have to wait until
they are 16 to get a job. They can
still do jobs outside of school at
14 or 15, like babysitting or dog
walking. Though these jobs may
not pay minimum wage, they can
give you some extra money for
when you need it.
Having a job as a teen can
teach you many helpful skills
for the future.
This includes
time management skills and
communication skills. You can
learn many of these skills from
school, as well, which can give you
experience for work. According to
an article about teens and jobs,
Concordia Online states, “Going
from school to extracurricular
activities and then to a job means
having to do homework late at
night, or, in some cases, working
ahead during the weekends in
order to ensure everything is
complete for the coming week.”
In other words, jobs help students
learn about the importance of
responsibility. Time management
and responsibility are a huge part
of having a job. Using these skills
will help younger people begin to
manage their lives on their own.
The Foothill Record
is the
Proud Sponsor
of
Verdugo Hills HS
LaYuca
Verdugo’s Summer Activies
By Aaliyah Galicia
At a certain point in life we all
face the struggle of keeping up
with our studies. Some choose
to keep the fail while others
decide to succeed. Students who
suffer from having fails on their
report card may receive a second
chance because Verdugo Hills
High School is providing summer
school. This summer the classes
that will be available are English,
math, biology, health and history.
Unfortunately, there will be no
foreign languages.
Summer school is just like
school; students will attend every
day except for the weekends
and certain holidays. The hours
are from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,
starting June 27 through July 29.
According to Mr. Woodhouse,
one of the counselors at VHHS,
his students will be automatically
enrolled, with a letter sent home
stating that the student has a
chance to get passing grades
in core classes needed for
graduation.
Football
conditioning
will
also be taking place during the
summer, as well. Conditioning will
take place at the Verdugo Hills
track field. The hours are usually
from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. On
particulary hot days, coaches
will notify parents and students
that practice will take place from
5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Practice
starts June 11 and run through
July 27. Some health and safety
suggestions are to stay hydrated
and eat very healthy. You’ll feel
good and be good on the field.
If any students are interested
in playing for the VHHS football
team be sure to talk to one of the
coaches. Coach Jackson states,
“We’re here to help.” If students
go in knowing nothing about
football, the kids and coaches
are there to help guide them in
the right direction. To be able to
participate in sports students
must have a GPA of 2.0 or above.
Coaches do weekly grade checks
to make sure students are on
track and have their priorities
straight. It takes hard work and
a lot of motivation to do these
things, but they are all worth it in
the end.
Verdugo Hills High School ~ Sports
The Foothill Record
Swim Team
By Sophia Nersesyan
Although swim isn’t the most
popular sport, it really is the most
challenging. Through the difficulties
and challenges, the Verdugo Hills
swim team stuck together. A lot is
required to be a good swim athlete.
Agility, determination, and good
sportsmanship are all needed. For
the Verdugo Hills team, everyone
knows they play an important role
in reaching success. Swimmer
JoAnna Yortiss is a senior. She
has been swimming for 11 years,
showing remarkable determination.
Emma Gale has demonstrated
extreme perseverance, urging
swimmers to become the best
swimmers they can possibly be.
Hannah Whitcomb, Faith Cancik,
Christian West, and Danielle
Gelsinger are clear definitions of
seniors taking command over the
team and driving them toward
success. Our seniors have shaped
the team, but our freshmen continue
to perfect it. Over the years they too
will become amazing athletes and
driven individuals. Swim displays
the intensity of competition and
the motivated mindset needed to
achieve greatness. Swimmers will
tell you that this is the most difficult
and fun sport out there. Even
through the difficult practices,
swimmers push themselves out of
their limit to perfect their technique.
They balance academics and the
sport proving their persistence
and commitment. Our Verdugo
Hills high school team has broken
boundaries to reach triumph.
For the most current
community news,
visit us at
TheFoothillRecord.com
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21
Boys Volleyball
Ashley Aglanao
Verdugo’s boys varsity volleyball
team came out on top of the East
Valley League and claimed victory
with the league championship
title. However, their thirst for
success did not stop there- the
boys set out on a journey for the
city championship title. Coach
Reinhart saw a great amount of
talent in this group of boys and
had high hopes that they have the
ability to take it all the way. Verdugo
was seeded 4th in CIF Los Angeles
City Section Division II Playoffs
and received a bye for the first
round. They were victorious in the
second round and quarterfinals
when they defeated both Rivera
High School and University High
School. Unfortunately, the boys
volleyball season finally comes
to an end as the Dons fall to the
Chatsworth Chancellors in this
year’s semifinal round #4 seeded
Verdugo Hills faced off with the
#1 seed, Chatsworth High School,
on the evening of May 17th at the
Chancellors’ home gym. After
losing the first set 18-25, Verdugo
fought back to take the second
set. The fan-filled gym roared with
excitement but the Dons were
unable to finish the job and lost
in a painstakingly close set 25-27.
Verdugo and Chatsworth battled
hard and long for the ticket to city
but the Chancellor’s overwhelming
momentum propelled them to
victory.
The boys varsity volleyball
team has made a lot of progress
from last year’s disappointing
2nd place league finish and early
elimination in the playoffs. They
have come far and made many
great accomplishments. Among
these achievements are, winning
the league championship (the
only one Verdugo has won this
year) and being the 4th best team
in DII city. Senior, Arthur Papyan
expresses, “I’m proud of my team.
We fought through the entire
season.” Verdugo’s boys volleyball
team will be saying farewell to nine
seniors so the upcoming varsity
team will have some big shoes to
fill. The bar is set pretty high for
next year’s team. Hopefully, they
could defend Verdugo’s league
title and possibly bring home
the city championship. Captain,
Brandon Roberts says, “I’m proud
we brought back the league
championship and I expect big
things from next year’s team.”
Verdugo’s 2016 boys volleyball
team has had nothing but success
as they defeated each opponent in
a nearly perfect season. Both JV
and Varsity finished first in league
with impressive 11-1 records,
clinching the East Valley League
Championship titles!
After three years, the varsity
team has finally come out on
top, securing the 10th league
championship in boys’ program
history. They are also the only
varsity team in the school to
win a league title this year. What
really propelled them to their
successful winning streak was the
fantastic win against their biggest
competition, Polytechnic Parrots,
earlier this month. After winning
the first set 31-29, the Dons fell to
the Parrots 15-25 in set two, but
brought it back in the following
two sets 25-20, 25-22. With the
Parrots plucked, Verdugo claimed
victory in the rivalry match at
home.
The boys continued to conquer
the contenders and pretenders
alike, dominating over Arleta,
Chavez, Grant, and Monroe.
Verdugo wrapped up the league
season with its 11th straight East
Valley win by knocking off North
Hollywood on Senior Night. Coach
Reinhart set the starting lineup
solely with seniors to give them a
last hurrah. With a roster of more
than 15 players, more than half of
them bid farewell and kissed the
court goodbye in one of their last
victories in our home gym. Nine
seniors will be graduating and will
be leaving a big void as they head
on to college including: Arthur
Papyan, Arthur Kasumyan, Artin
Kasumyan, Brandon Roberts,
David Castro, Gabriel Baltazar,
Jacob Maloles, Jacob Thompson
and Scott Beaty.
Team Captain Brandon Roberts
was named the East Valley CoPlayer of the Year and was joined
on the First Team All League by
co-captain Scott Beaty as well
as Arthur Papyan and Jacob
Thompson.
The closing of
league does not mark the end of
the season for the varsity. With
playoffs right around the corner,
it is certain that this year’s boys
volleyball team will crack the top
five in the CIF Division II seeding.
Verdugo may have yet another
group of city champions if the team
strings together all their talent and
leaves everything they have on the
court. If they do, they’ll have help
with an expanded roster that now
includes promising JV players
such as Dylan Espana, Theus Lee,
and Nathaniel Martinez.
A lot more may be in store for
the boys volleyball team in this
year’s playoffs!
22
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
2016 Small Business Honorees
The Sunland-Tujunga Chamber
of Commerce is honored to
nominate and award Art and Sue
Miner, owners of The Crows Nest
Sports Grille this year’s SunlandTujunga Small Business award!
The United Chambers awarded
each of their nominated business
at a Wells Fargo sponsored
breakfast June 14th, in Encino.
Art is all the way to the right,
sitting. Please congratulate Art &
Sue at The Crows Nest
7279 Foothill Blvd
Tujunga, CA 91042
The Foothill Record
Verdugo Hills High
School
A Year of Accomplishments for JROTC
Suprising Scholarships for Seniors
By Vreean Taylor
By Amber Foust
With the 2015-16 school year
finally coming to a close, and
many significant events that
have taken place out of the
way, the Dons Battalion reflects
back on their year full of many
amazing
accomplishments
and achievements. From the
very beginning of this school
year, they have been working
incredibly hard to organize key
events such as their annual Drill
Competition in December, all of
which included the participation
of 44 cadets in the program.
They ranked no lower than 6th
place in all categories, and even
maintained their rank among
the top 3 schools in the district.
Most recently, however, the Dons
Battalion hosted a 5k run in
celebration of the 100th year of
the program. There were as many
as 100 cadets who came in as
early as 9AM on Saturday, April
23rd to participate and finished
their run by noon. The day was
filled with joy, and many cadets
were successful in reaching their
goal to finish the 5k run in time.
While those were the many
highlights
of
the
second
semester for the Dons Battalion,
there are also other events worth
mentioning such as the Cadet
Challenge and Verdugo Day.
In correspondence with these
events also came the Annual
Awards Ceremony held to honor
cadets who have been involved in
the program and have displayed
many attributes of leadership
potential. Many of these cadets
have grown in just a short span
of time, with the newest cadet
just being enrolled this term,
while others who have been
here since their freshman year
have blossomed into wonderful
leaders and people. The battalion’s senior leaders
include BC C/LTC Taylor Hanes,
S-1 C/MSG Eunice Buyan, S-3 C/
CPT Carlos De Luna, SPO C/2LT
Jovany Gomez, and Charlie CC
C/SFC Steven Garmendia. They
will move on to the next chapters
of their lives, and their positions
will be taken over by the next line
of the program’s most devoted
cadets.
The Dons Battalion also enjoyed
the year’s concluding events such
as JROTC Fun Day, which was
held on Saturday, May 14th, and
the All-City Staff Competition.
Verdugo Hills High School has
been incredibly successful in the
All-City competition and intends
to be even more successful
than the year before. The Dons
Battalion plans to end this school
year strong and start working
toward a fresh start next school
year 2016-17.
JULY 2016
College is the next big step in
everyone’s life and sometimes
these universities can be costly.
Scholarships can help students
pay for college.
There are all sorts of different
scholarships and a lot of them
may seem bizarre. It doesn’t
matter if you’re tall, short, like
to dress up in duct tape, have
natural red hair or are
left handed; there is a
scholarship out there
for you.
Students
can
find many of these
scholarships online,
just go to www.
Google.com
and
type
in
“bizarre
scholarships” and it’ll present
you with a series of different
options for students to look at.
The
following
are
some
examples of unusual scholarships
that students may be eligible for;
all these were found at www.
marketplace.org. The Fredrick
and Mary F. Beckley scholarship
for left handed students is a
scholarship for sophomores,
juniors, or seniors attending
Juniata College. To earn this
scholarship students have to
show a need for financial aid, as
well as academic achievements.
Another interesting one is Tall
Clubs International Scholarship
for tall people. If you are a man
and are over 6’2” or a female
23
over 5’10”, you may receive up
to $1,000 for the scholarship. A
fun scholarship for any of you
who are Zombie fanatics is called
the Zombie Apocalypse Essay;
the topic of the essay is “How
would you escape a zombie?” If
the paper is approved, then you
would receive $1,500 for writing
that essay.
A student at Verdugo who is
attending Cal State LA, Heather
Seeley, says, “I had no
idea that these were
real scholarships. I’m
going to Cal State
LA to major in both
Psychology and Child
Care
Development
so I’m going to need
all the help I can
get. College is very
pricey and it’s a long process, so
everyone needs to make sure that
they have a plan on how they’re
going to pay for college. They
all seem really cool and I know I
fit in some of these categories.
I haven’t applied for any
scholarships, but after hearing
about these I might just do that.”
These certain scholarships can
help any student pay for their
college expenses. Students can
apply for scholarships at any
time, but it depends on what
scholarship they apply for. If any
students are interested in any of
these scholarships, go ahead and
sign up for them and await the
results.
Did You Know?
By Tyler Adams and Kai Dunn
It’s a hot, sunny day, so you decide to have some ice cream. One problem: the ice cream starts
melting as you eat it. Now, imagine eating ice cream without the worry of it melting and dripping all
over the place. Well, scientists from the Universities of Dundee and Edinburgh are coming up with
a formula for non-melting or slow-melting ice cream! The main ingredient for this miracle frozen
treat? A natural protein, known as BsIA. According to www.mentalfloss.com, this protein naturally
occurs in various other foods as a friendly bacteria. There isn’t an official brand for the ice cream
yet, however, the scientists developing this long-lasting frozen treat believe it will be fully developed
in as soon as three to five years.
How does BsIA keep the ice cream frozen? This protein binds the air, water, and fat in the ice cream to make it resistant to melting. By doing this, the
oils and fats are better melded and air can’t escape as quickly, which keeps the ice cream frozen. This also results in the flavor remaining the same,
but with a smoother texture. The treat isn’t completely meltless, however. “It’s not completely non-melting because you do want your ice cream to be
cold,” says Professor Cait MacPhee from the University of Edinburgh, according to the BBC. “It will melt eventually, but hopefully by keeping it stable
longer, it will stop the drips.”
Slow-melting ice cream is not the only thing this protein can potentially do. “By using this protein, we’re replacing some of the fat molecules that
are currently used to stabilize these oil and water mixtures so it can reduce the fat content, but it shouldn’t taste any different,” MacPhee says. Foods
containing high amounts of sugar, such as mayonnaise and various chocolate treats, can have their sugar reduced by using BsIA, which could help
benefit how we make sugar-free food today. In the near future, we’ll be all screaming for this protein on a hot, summer day!
24
July Calendar of Events
JULY 2016
July to October 31
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - Saturdays
Bloomin Squares
Sundays & Tuesdays 1-4 pm
Bolton Hall Exhibit
“NOW WE’RE COOKIN”
Free Event
All Welcome, donations accepted.
Featuring a look at the good old days to
see how people used to get by with much
less technology and lots of love. Display
of vintage kitchen items & cookbooks
with many items on-loan from community
members. Located at 10110 Commerce
Avenue (corner of Valmont), Tujunga
91042. Parking is available a few doors
uphill at the Elks Lodge. Sponsored by
Little Landers Historical Society, (818)3523420; www.littlelandershistoricalsociety.
org NOTE: No Monthly Program for the
months of July and August.
July
Entertainment
Saturdays
Crows Nest Sports Grille
-
7279 Foothill Blvd, Tujunga (818) 3530852.
July 2 – Midnight Train All Stars R&R
July 9 – George Michael Band – Country
Rock
July 16 – Continuous Signal / Pink Floyd
Cover Band
July 23 – Susie & the Troublemakers R&R
July 30 – Wumblooza R&R
All shows start at 8 pm unless specified.
Every Wednesday 5:30 to 8:30 pm Live
Acoustic Music
July 4 – Monday
Independence Day
Parade & Fireworks
10 am Parade starts on Foothill Blvd at
Gleason down to Sunland Park. Fireworks
held on the Football field at Verdugo High
School with live entertainment and food
starting at 5 pm. Admission: $8 Adults,
children under 30” height free.
July 4 - Monday
Elks Lodge #2098
Sepulveda VA Picnic
From 10 am to 3 pm at Sepulveda VA.
Meet at Elks at 8 am to carpool, return at
3 pm. Elks Lodge, 10137 Commerce Ave,
Tujunga. Call 818-352-2098 for more info
July 6, 13, 20, 27 – Wednesdays
Bloomin Squares
Dance Classes
Our DBD Workshop is held every
Wednesday from 6:30 – 9:00 pm at the
PreSchool Bldg in Sunland Park at 8701
Foothill, Sunland. Cost is $7.00. Sign Up
and More info: Diana (818) 945-1189
“There is Always a Reason to Dance!”
July 6, 13, 20, 27 – Wednesdays
The Roar Room
July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – Fridays
Our Lady of Lourdes (OLL)
July 7, 14, 21, 28 - Thursdays
Sunland/Tujunga Public Library
Friday Night Bingo
Doors open at 4:30 pm; Earlybird games at
6:30 pm; Regular play starts at 7:30 pm.
To 10:30 pm. ALL PLAY game pays $1199;
other games pay $250 or more. Snack Bar
Open. OLL Auditorium, 7355 Apperson St
(off Tujunga Cyn), Tujunga. Call 1-866402-4646 for more information.
July 2 – Saturday
Rio Boutique
Drumming Circle Presentation
Dedication of New Moon at 6 pm. Limited
seating. Reservations required: 818912-3499. Location 3642 Foothill Blvd,
LaCrescenta. See July 19th posting also.
Open Mic Night
Everyone Welcome. Local musicians
and song writers perform. Hosted by
Dale LaDuke. From 8 to 11 pm at the
Roar Room, 3645 Foothill Blvd (between
Lauderdale & Dunsmore). Local microbrews. Sandwiches & salads on menu.
2016 Summer Reading Program
July 7 – Author Sara Rafael Garcia,
inspiring young writer at 1 pm
July 14 - Fun with Duct Tapes. Limited
supplies & space. Pizza 4 pm.
July 21 – Magic Show Bill Perron & Paola
Peria at 4 pm
July 28 – Art of Mehndi, Henna for young
adults. Limited space. 4 pm
All events at library, 7771 Foothill Blvd.
Info: 818-352-4481
July 22 – Friday
Elks Lodge #2098
July 10 – Sunday
Shadow Hills Equestrian Center
July 29 – Friday
Sunland Senior Center
July 11, 18, 25 - Mondays
Knights of Columbus (OLL)
Obituary
July 1, 2016 at 12:30pm
Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills
at Church on the Hill.
Friday Night Dinner
Starts at 6:30 pm. Call for menu. 10137
Commerce Ave, Tujunga. Call 818- 3522098 for more info.
Pancake Breakfast
Community Champagne Brunch to launch
the Johnny Higginson campaign for Los
Angeles City Council District 7. Donations:
$20 Adults, $10 Students, children under
5 free. Location: 10263 LaCanada Way,
Shadow Hills. RSVP: ballzbabe@aol.com
or call 818-433-8372
Monday Knight Bingo
Doors open at 5:30 pm; Earlybird games
at 6:30 pm; Regular play starts at 7:30
pm. OLL Auditorium, 7355 Apperson St.
(off Tujunga Cyn), Tujunga.
July 13 – Wednesday
STNC
Monthly Meeting
Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council
Meeting at the Elks Lodge #2098, 10137
Commerce Ave, Tujunga. Starts at 6:30 pm.
July 17 – Sunday
Armenian Apostolic Church
Health Fair
Presented by the Educational Committee
with participation of Health Professionals.
Starts at 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, followed
by a lecture from Harry Balian, MD.at
1 pm. Learn of the Screening Tests to
ensure a Healthy Heart. Free reception.
July 17 – Sunday
Elks Lodge #2098
Monthly Omelet Bar
Join us for breakfast, 10 am to Noon,
$10. Bring your Dad for Father’s Day.
Details: (818)352-2098. Located at 10137
Commerce Ave., Tujunga.
July 19 – Tuesday
Rio Boutique
Drumming Circle Presentation
Dedication of Full Moon at 6 pm. Limited
seating. Reservations required: 818912-3499. Location 3642 Foothill Blvd,
LaCrescenta. See July 2 posting also.
July 21 – Thursday
Elks Lodge #2098
General Meeting
Starts at 8 pm. Join us at 10137
Commerce Ave., Tujunga. Call 818-3522098 for info.
Friday Night Dinner
Starts at 6:30 pm. Call for menu. 10137
Commerce Ave, Tujunga. Call 818- 3522098 for info.
Boutique
Sunland Senior Center at 7640 Fenwick St
(behind Sunland park) holds a “BOUTIQUE”
the last Friday of every month from 12:00
- 2:00. Many handmade items, knitted,
crocheted crafts, and jewelry. Please
come we need your support.
Vesta Mildred Drane passed away
peacefully June 22, 2016 in Westlake
Village, Calif.
Clark and Mildred Drane lived in
Sunland-Tujunga for many years.
Services are at Forest Lawn Hollywood
Hills July 1, 2016 at 12:30pm at Church
on the Hill. - 6300 Forest Lawn Drive Los
Angeles, CA 90068
see: Tributes.com for details.
Feel free to contact me her daughter;
Susan Carpenter - 818-808-9390
PO Box 8364, Calabasas,CA 91372
818.353.1588
Daily Activities
Fun environment to all Seniors in our
Community. Come hang out, work out, do
yoga, have coffee, eat delicious healthy
food, crochet & knit, play bingo, listen to
live music, sing karaoke and receive art
and line dancing classes! From Monday
thru Friday 9 am to 1 pm. Lunch at 11:30
am.
July 8 – Friday
Elks Lodge #2098
BANNERS
July 1 – 30
Sunland Senior Center
Advanced Dance Workshop
Class
“There is Always a Reason to Dance!”
Join us from 1:30 to 4:30 pm at the Senior
Center in Sunland Park at 8640 Fenwick
St., Sunland. Cost $10. Sign up and more
info: Call Diana (818) 945-1189.
The Foothill Record
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
25
26
The Foothill Record
JULY 2016
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The Foothill Record
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27
The Foothill Record
MARCH 2016
3