Golf Tourney Scores $170K for Sheriff Youth Foundation

John March, Sheriff Lee Baca

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca visited the Santa Clarita Valley on Monday as a result of a shootout – for a good cause.

The event, which was hosted at TPC Valencia, was a “best-ball” golf scramble that raised $170,000 for the Sheriff Youth Foundation, according to Josh Premako of Mellady Marketing.

“The support was just tremendous,” said John March, director of operations for the Sheriff Youth Foundation. “All over L.A. County it was supported.”

The foundation runs a local center in Val Verde, and March said the organization was in talks with Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar to look at a facility within city limits.

The organization provides myriad after-school support programs to keep at-risk children too busy to make bad decisions after school, March said.

“We want to help kids who are at risk start making good decisions in their lives,” March said.

“We get kids from 7-17, right when they leave school so we’re open when school lets out. They have assistance in homework and tutoring, and then they go into activities,” March said.

The foundation comprises seven different programs: STAR, VIDA, START, BEAR, 999 for Kids, SHARE and the Youth Activities League, with locations throughout the county.

The center stays open until 7 p.m. The Val Verde center is managed locally by Deputy Brian Rooney of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

“Our goal is to cut down crime by helping kids make good decisions early,” he said.

Founded in 1991, the Sheriff’s Department’s Youth Activity League has made a difference in countless children throughout Los Angeles County.

While the league is well supported, the demand has created a need for more space. The program has a “wish list” posted on the Sheriff’s Youth Foundation’s site, which is the group responsible for the YAL.

“That program has a track record of success and doing good things,” city Mayor Bob Kellar said. “I certainly think that it’s something that, if possible, to bring to our community, it would be a good thing.”

Golf Tourney Scores $170K for Sheriff Youth Foundation

McGrath, Rio Vista Schools Honored for Work with Low-income Students

McGrath Elementary

Two local schools were chosen from thousands across California for recognition Tuesday.

McGrath Elementary in the Newhall School District and Rio Vista Elementary in the Saugus Union School District were chosen by state Superintendant Tom Torlakson, school officials said Tuesday.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that 56 California public schools with sustained progress in academic improvement among low-income students have been chosen for the 2012-13 Title I Academic Achievement Award.

Here’s the list of schools who earned Title I awards at the California Department of Education website.

“These schools serve students facing real challenges, and they’ve risen to meet them through hard work and dedication,” Torlakson said. “It is inspiring to see their students achieve more in the classroom today so they can enjoy more opportunity in the years to come.”

The Title I Academic Achievement Award is given only to schools receiving federal Title I funds as authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Title I, the single largest federal educational program for K-12 public education, assists schools in meeting the educational needs of students living at or below the poverty line. Of the more than 9,900 schools in California, more than 6,000 of them participate in the Title I program.

The criteria to qualify for the Title I award have become more rigorous in recent years. To receive this distinction, the school must demonstrate that all students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California’s academic content standards. Additionally, the school’s socioeconomically disadvantaged students must have doubled the achievement targets set for them for two consecutive years.

The National Title I Association also presents each year two National Title I Distinguished School Awards per state. The awards are given to one Academic Achievement Award winning school that has demonstrated exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years and to one Academic Achievement Award winning school that made the most progress in closing the achievement gap between student groups.

The CDE acknowledges the financial contributions of Comcast, Wells Fargo, the California State Lottery, the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, the California Building Industry Association, the California School Boards Association, and Lozano Smith, which will make possible the regional 2013 California school awards ceremonies recognizing the California Distinguished Schools, the Title I Academic Achievement Award Schools, andCalifornia’s nominees for the National Blue Ribbon Schools.

McGrath, Rio Vista Schools Honored for Work with Low-income Students

SCV Today, April 16th

Cowboy Poetry Festival is this weekend and Julie Ream joins us to tell us all about the amazing museum that will be open to the public during the Festival.

Hear why locals are running 200 miles from Mark Montoya tells us about Running for Hope.

The William S. Hart ROP Fire Academy is a program available to students to set them out on the correct path as a firefighter.  Master Chief Kelly Chulick joins us to let us in on how we can support the program.

SCV Today, April 16th

CougarNews.com | COC instructor describes the scene in Boston moments after marathon blasts

Two blasts rocked runners and onlookers in the final stretch of the Boston Marathon Monday afternoon. The blasts killed three and injured as many as 140 more according to the Associated Press.

Video immediately following the blast showed a chaotic scene where shattered glass and smoke enveloped the area near the finish line. The first explosion occurred at about 2:50 p.m. local time. Seconds later, another explosion took place about 500 feet away.

Video of the blasts also showed runners scrambling amid the chaos. One runner, identified as 78-year-old Bill Iffrig of Lake Stevens, Wash., could be seen collapsing from the blast. He later walked away.

Three of the marathoners have connections to College of the Canyons.

Betsy Kenyon, an adjunct photography instructor, finished the race about 30 minutes before the first explosion.

Angela Young-Reynolds, a staff member at the Center for Early Childhood Education, had also finished the race and was two blocks from the explosions.

Curtis Wynkoop, husband of COC photography department chair Wendy Brill-Wynkoop, was a block from the explosions after receiving medical attention after the race.

Kenyon had completed her third Boston Marathon and met her husband, Richard, at a meeting area beyond the finish line when she heard the blasts.

“They sounded like they happened right after each other. It was almost like they were on top of each other. But you don’t think its an explosion – even though it sounds exactly like an explosion – your brain says its something like metal, like somebody dropped some metal.”

Kenyon’s husband, Richard, had been watching the race between the area where the two blasts eventually occurred. They had cleared the area by the time of the blasts.

“You start to play back in your head, ‘What if I was slower?’ What if I walked when I felt like walking?’ You always feel like walking.”

Kenyon didn’t gauge the gravity of the situation until she saw authorities rushing to the scene behind her and people’s faces as she was leaving the area.

“I started seeing people in their street clothes running. There were these tense expressions on people’s face when they were on their telephones.”

Kenyon seemed most dismayed at the timing of the blasts. The blasts occurred at a time when casual marathoners – ”moms or older people,” according to Kenyon – were finishing up.

“It’s a strange time to target that area,” she said. “I feel so much for all those people there who were running or watching. It’s just a pathetic thing to target.”

Kenyon also laments that she believes the atmosphere of Boston Marathon will be different in the future.

“[The marathon] is so spirited and sweet. It’s so good natured,” she said. “There’s such an innocence, its such an innocent event. its just awful to think about metal detectors at the next one.”

“This is the third one I’ve run, and I just don’t feel good.”

 

COC instructor describes the scene in Boston moments after marathon blasts

Public Help Wanted to Find Palmdale 13-Year-Old

The Palmdale Sheriff Station is seeking the public’s help in locating a missing 13-year-old boy.

Nigel Hardy was reported missing at approximately 9:15 Monday morning from the 2300 Block of West Avenue N-8 in the City of Palmdale. He is described as a male white approximately 5’07” and 127lbs, with dark brown wavy hair. He was last seen wearing a black long sleeve shirt, dark pants and grey Nike shoes.

Hardy is despondent over an incident at school which resulted in being temporarily suspended. While searching the young man’s room, his father found an apparent suicide note. It was also discovered the father’s firearm was missing. It is unknown whether or not the young man took the firearm. As a precautionary measure the young man’s school was placed on a state of heightened awareness, although the note did not articulate any threat toward the school or any other person.

Anyone with information on Hardy’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Palmdale Sheriff Station at 661-272-2400.

Teenage suicide affects all members of society. If you or a loved one is in need of mental health assistance please refer to the numbers below for help:

Suicide prevention hotline:

877-727-4747

800-448-3000

California Youth Crisis

800-843-5200

For teenage runaway prevention please contact:

800-621-4000

Angel’s Flight

800-833-2499

Children of the Night

800-551-1300

Missing Children

800-222-3463

Public Help Wanted to Find Palmdale 13-Year-Old

Public Servants vs. Private Business | Commentary by Charlie Vignola

This week there was an amazing video clip making its way around the Internet.  The clip shows Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questioning some federal bank regulators about their investigations into unscrupulous banks illegally foreclosing upon innocent homeowners.

In the clip, which can be found on YouTube, Warren learns that while the regulators have amassed plenty of evidence that banks have indeed ripped off homeowners, they’ve not yet decided to share this evidence with the homeowners who’ve been victimized and are currently suing the banks for redress.

Just imagine that for a moment: A bank has unlawfully foreclosed on your home, kicked your family out and sold the house out from under you for pennies on the dollar; government officials actually have evidence of the crime that could help you prove you’ve been screwed in a court of law – and yet that evidence may never be revealed to you.

Such a situation seems impossible to believe, yet in a sick way it makes perfect sense.  After all, it was the reckless behavior of the banks and Wall Street that led to the Great Recession of 2008, and four and a half years later, we’re still dealing with the aftershocks of that financial catastrophe. Yet not one banker or Wall Street executive has been arrested.

Part of the reason is that Washington, D.C., is increasingly a wholly owned subsidiary of the financial services industry, which is why the banks and speculators and hedge fund managers have been so successful at killing the sort of regulations that might actually help avert future economic cataclysms.

Republicans like to say we don’t need any more regulations, we just need to enforce the ones that are already on the books – which would be a lot easier if the regulatory agencies responsible for enforcing the laws weren’t constantly getting their budgets and staffs slashed by these same Republicans in their zeal to pare back “big government” in the name of deficit reduction.

But that doesn’t stop a few conscientious public servants from still trying to fight the good fight and protect innocent people from getting fleeced.

Elizabeth Warren is one such public servant.  Prior to serving in public office, she helped to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a new government agency designed to fight back against the predatory activities of banks, credit card companies and mortgage brokers.  Sounds like a good idea, right?

Not to the Republicans.  Dancing to the strings of the corporate lobbyists who keep them in office, they’ve waged a bitter battle to kill this new agency in its crib, pulling every procedural trick in the book to prevent it from even having someone to run the agency.  In fact, it was the GOP’s refusal to consider Warren to head the CFPB that ultimately led her to run for the Senate in Massachusetts.

Boy, did that backfire. Not only did Elizabeth Warren unseat rising GOP star Scott Brown for the seat, but she’s since been appointed to the Senate Banking Committee and has turned out to be a bigger and more powerful thorn in the side of the banking industry in this new capacity.

Warren was shocked that the federal banking regulators who unearthed evidence of these illegal activities against homeowners seemed to be protecting the banks at the expense of the defrauded victims – the same banks that got bailed out by the government a few years back and even paid themselves billions in bonuses for running their businesses into the ground.

There are plenty of people to be furious at here, but the real villains seem to depend on your particular ideology.  If you’re a Democrat, you’re angry at the greedy bankers who gambled with the U.S. economy and lost, smug in the knowledge that the government would never let them go under and cover their bad bets.

If you’re a Republican, you’re angry at big government for forcing those banks to extend home loans to poor minorities in some misguided attempt to help out the less fortunate, and that’s the real cause of the financial meltdown.

In the grand conservative narrative, it’s never the greed or malfeasance of the one-percenters that’s the problem, but the failed social policies of bleeding-heart liberals.  If the government would just get out of the way and let the free market do its magic, everyone would reap the benefits.

Of course, as anyone who’s studied macroeconomics knows, the free market isn’t really “free.”  It’s not, as conservatives would like us to believe, a perfect and natural system handed down to us by God Himself, but a man-made product that’s shaped by regulation and taxation and international trade agreements constantly being revised by – you guessed it – governments.

Economics is a complicated business, and businesses subject to regulations still frequently flout the law.  Imagine what the world would look like if there were no regulations and businesses were free to behave without oversight of any kind, where the almighty profit was literally the only consideration.

Imagine if businesses could develop monopolies like the bad old days – monopolies on clean water or oil or health care, without any democratically elected body looking out for the common good.  If that sounds good to you, then I suggest you support Rand Paul in the 2016 Republican primaries. He hates the government interfering with businesses so much, he believes private businesses should be free to discriminate against blacks if they so choose.

God knows our government has its flaws, as we’re seeing with these banking regulators, but a government that’s subservient to corporations would be a far greater nightmare.  If I have to choose between publically elected and accountable representatives versus privately appointed and bottom-line-driven executives to look after the best interests of the American people, I’ll still pick the public servants over the profiteers any day of the week.

 

Charlie Vignola describes himself as a former College Republican turned liberal Democrat.  A resident of the Santa Clarita Valley since 1999, he works in the motion picture industry and loves his wife and kids.

 

Public Servants vs. Private Business | Commentary by Charlie Vignola

SCV NewsBreak for Monday, March 15, 2013

In this episode:

Authorities are investigating the two explosions that killed two people and injured at least 50 at the Boston Marathon on Monday; Homicide investigators were still trying to identify a decomposed body found last Wednesday in San Francisquito Canyon when more human remains were discovered in Palmdale.

Also:

When Hart district board members meet Wednesday, they’ll be discussing a number of items that could have a lasting impact on Santa Clarita Valley schools; local weather.

Sports: Trinity Classical Academy 3-sport athlete Dakota Prochnow has signed a letter of intent to play football at Benedictine College; College of the Canyons freshman and Hart High graduate Tim White won the triple jump at the Mount San Antonio Relays on Saturday.

Finally:

Meet the brave runners who weren’t afraid of a little mud at the Merrell Down and Dirty Mud Run in Castaic.

SCV NewsBreak is a co-presentation of KHTS AM-1220 and SCVTV. It can be viewed on both organizations’ websites – HomeTownStation.com, SCVTV.com and SCVNews.com.

Television viewers can catch it on SCVTV at the top of every hour from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., repeating the following morning at 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. SCVTV runs on Time Warner Cable Channel 20 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, and streaming on SCVTV.com.

SCV NewsBreak for Monday, March 15, 2013

Trinity’s Dakota Prochnow Signs to Play Football at Benedictine

Trinity Classical Academy standout QB/SS Dakota Prochnow has signed a Letter of Intent to play football at Benedictine College, a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas, a small city on the Missouri River. He was offered a $15,500 scholarship to play for the Benedictine Ravens.

“Dakota showed an interest in Benedictine because of our high academics and great sports tradition,” says Benedictine Head Football Coach Larry Wilcox. “Similarly, we recognized that Dakota was an outstanding student, from a great school and we saw that he was a great football player. Given all those factors, Dakota is a great match for Benedictine.”

Prochnow had in incredible 2012-13 season at Trinity leading the Knights to a 9-3 record (3-0 league), a Heritage League title, a fifth place ranking in CIF-SS 8-man Div. II, and a third-round semi-final appearance in the CIF playoffs. As the leading quarterback in the Heritage league, he led in three statistical categories with 1427 passing yards, 825 rushing yards, 164 points scored and he also led the league with nine interceptions on the defensive side of the ball. He finished the 2012-13 season with 25 touchdown passes with only seven interceptions and rushed for 18 TDs on the ground. He finished with a 56% completion percentage and a 107 QB rating.

His 46 total touchdowns scored are the most by a Santa Clarita Valley 8-man football player, breaking Collin Keoshian’s mark of 45 for Santa Clarita Christian in 2008.

Prochnow was named the to the CIF Southern Section All-Division II Offensive Player of the Year and played in the Daily News High School All-Star football game held at College of the Canyons on January 20^th, 2013.

“We are just all thrilled for Dakota,” says Liz Caddow, Trinity founder and Head of School. “Dakota has worked so hard as a football player during his time at Trinity and he has really helped take our program to the next level with his leadership and ability. He has been an excellent student and leader at our school. Benedictine is getting a great football player, a tremendous student and a fine young man.”

“Dakota is a determined young man, with a lot of upside,” says Mike Buchanan, Trinity Head Football Coach. “His character is always team comes first and he never wants to let his teammates down. He is such an intelligent player that he is really a coach on the field, always willing to help others to learn and achieve. That is why he has served as captain for the Knights since his sophomore year.  I have seen him pray with students and teammates and he is truly a tender warrior. St. Benedictine will be blessed with this young man in the years to come.”

Prochnow is Trinity’s second athletic scholarship from the first two years of graduating classes in the school’s history. Last year Kaeli Massetto was one of 10 graduates in Trinity’s first graduating class and was offered a scholarship to play softball at Northwest Christian University. Trinity wide receiver James Brooks (class of 2012) is a walk-on at Hillsdale College in Michigan.

Dakota is one of 18 students graduating this year and is the first male athlete from the school to be awarded an athletic scholarship.

Prochnow will play for head coach Larry Wilcox at Benedictine. The Ravens posted a 7-4 record in 2012.

The Benedictine Ravens are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and play in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) which includes Avila University, Baker University, Benedictine, Central Methodist University, Culver-Stockton College, Evangel University, Graceland University, MidAmeria Nazarene, Missouri Valley College and Peru State College.

 

Trinity’s Dakota Prochnow Signs to Play Football at Benedictine

April 23-27: Local Artists Team Up with Union Bank to Stage Art Show

The Santa Clarita Artists’ Association and Union Bank are co-sponsoring an Art Show April 23-27, with an open reception on Friday, April 26 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m at Union Bank on Lyons Avenue in Newhall. Beverages and refreshments will be served, along with musical entertainment provided by a local CalArts harpist. The public is invited to meet the 25 artists and sculptors who are exhibiting.

“Please come by and enjoy the wonderful work of our members,” said SCAA President Pat Thayer.

“Union Bank is proud to support our local Santa Clarita community with grants, sponsorships and volunteer opportunities,” said Union Bank Vice President and Manager Oscar A. Dominguez. “This year we have the pleasure of once again hosting the SCAA exhibit at our Newhall location. The event gives our community and customers the opportunity to meet so many local artists and view their artwork. We look forward to a very successful event.”

This is Union Bank’s third year sponsoring the Art Show, which generally includes some 50 art pieces and draws more than 80 guests. All art on display will be available for sale.

For more information on SCAA, visit their website or call 661-244-7689.

April 23-27: Local Artists Team Up with Union Bank to Stage Art Show

Comments from COC Instructor Betsy Kenyon, Who Ran in Marathon (Audio)

Betsy Kenyon, an adjunct instructor of photography at College of the Canyons, crossed the finish line in Boston about 30 minutes before the first explosion.

Also running the Boston Marathon was her brother-in-law, Curtis Wynkoop. Both were in the area when the explosions occurred.

On Monday afternoon, Kenyon spoke about the incident in a phone interview with the Cougar News team at COC.

 

Comments from COC Instructor Betsy Kenyon, Who Ran in Marathon (Audio)

Ex-Councilwoman Ender Takes Reins of Homeless Service Agency

Laurie Ender

[Family Promise] – The Board of Directors for Family Promise of SCV recently elected its new officers for 2013. Laurie Ender, a member of the inaugural Board of Directors for the Agency, was elected President.  Gary Choppe’ is the new Vice President; Nancy Taylor will continue to serve as Secretary; and Doug Lessard will continue to serve as Treasurer.  Founding President Larry Comp steps down and will serve on the Board as past President, focusing on corporate giving.

Family Promise of SCV Network Director Chris Najarro, was promoted to Executive Director, for the 2-year-old agency that serves homeless children and their families.

“I want to thank the community, our volunteers, our congregation families and our Board of Directors and Advisors for their dedication to Family Promise of the Santa Clarita Valley and the families we serve.  You can all be proud of our accomplishments over these past two years, and as a team, we look forward to our expanding role in the community to better serve homeless families,” commented newly-elected Board President Laurie Ender.

In addition to the newly elected officers, new teams/committees were formalized to work on important functions and areas of operation for Family Promise of SCV.

Currently supported by 23 local faith organizations, Family Promise of SCV was founded in 2011 and is part of a national organization to help homeless families.  Family Promise of SCV’s mission statement reads: Through mobilizing community faith groups, Family Promise of the Santa Clarita Valley works to assist homeless families to achieve sustainable independence while offering hope and compassion and preserving individual dignity.

For more information or to get involved with Family Promise SCV, visit www.familypromiseSCV.org or call 661-251-2867.

Ex-Councilwoman Ender Takes Reins of Homeless Service Agency

CSUN Prof Uses Super Scanner to Examine Neanderthal Skulls

California State University, Northridge anthropology professor Hélène Rougier and her research colleague, Antoine Balzeau of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and France’s Nation Center for Scientific Research, have used a “super scanner” to identify a unique way extremely thin bony structures are organized in Neanderthal skulls, which can help researchers in their efforts to identify the Neanderthal remains.

It is crucial that scientists studying human evolution and identifying prehistoric humans can single out anatomical traits of a particular species skeleton that are unique to the individuals within that given species. This unique trait, or feature, is called a derived trait, and they are difficult to find.

“This research illustrates the importance of applying cutting-edge technology toward fossil studies, as it could allow scientists to identify even the most fragmentary specimens which, in turn, will allow us to better understand our past,” Rougier said.

Balzeau and Rougier, using micro-scanner imaging methodologies, have identified a potential derived trait characteristic of Neanderthals as the suprainiac fossa, an oval depression on the occipital bone (the bone that forms the back of the skull). Whether the suprainiac fossa of Neanderthals is homologous to depressions observed in the same area on other human groups is a question that has been widely discussed by anthropologists around the world.

(A) Posterior view of the occipital bone of the Neandertal child La Ferrassie 8; Study of its inner structures as revealed by high resolution x-ray imaging (50 microns): (B) detail of the structures over the whole occipital and (C, corresponding to the white rectangle in A) thickness distribution of the external layer of the bone in the suprainiac fossa area. [Click image to enlarge.]

For their study, the results of which are being published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Balzeau and Rougier used the AST-RX platform, which includes one of the top high-performance micro-scanners available in a museum. They characterized the thinnest inner structure of the occipital bones of fossils and especially those of the Neanderthal child La Ferrassie 8, believed to have died at about age 2 and whose remains are kept at the Museum of Man in Paris.

Their study shows that the suprainiac fossa of Neanderthals can be identified even in childhood as a depression with specific external bone features along with a unique thinning of the diploe, the central layer of bone. The researchers said it also appears that the developmental pattern and causes of expression from the depressions observed in modern humans are uniquely different.

This is the first time that such features of the inner bony structure have been analyzed and characterized in Neanderthals. The research confirms that the suprainiac fossa is a derived trait of the species.

CSUN Prof Uses Super Scanner to Examine Neanderthal Skulls

April 19: Deadline to Enter Art-Essay Contest for Cash Prizes

The City of Santa Clarita, in partnership with the Santa Clarita Valley International Program (SCVIP), is inviting local teen artists and authors to submit artwork, poetry, or essays as part of the Sister Cities Young Artists and Young Authors Showcase contest, which is themed “The Power of Exchange.”

Sponsored by Sisters Cities International, local youth are encouraged to enter pieces that reflect how exchanges of people and ideas facilitate community development and educational opportunities, whether in person, online or through the mail.  Submissions should illustrate the long-term impact that exchanges have had on the participant or his or her community.

One winner will be selected from the categories of artwork, poetry, and essay and will receive a $100 prize each.  These local winning entries will be submitted to Sisters Cities International in Washington D.C. where they will compete with entries from other Sister Cities for the grand prize of $1,000 per category.

Sisters Cities International is a non-profit organization that fosters partnerships among communities around the globe to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.  Currently, the City of Santa Clarita has two international Sister Cities in Tena, Ecuador and Sariaya, Philippines.

To qualify, contestants must be between the ages of 13 and 18 by May 1, 2013.   Interested teens may submit only one original work, along with a completed entry form found at scvipsantaclarita.org.  Submissions are due by Friday, April 19, 2013 in Suite 120 in City Hall, located at 23920 Valencia Boulevard.  Judging will take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2013.

For more information on contest rules and entry specifications, please visit scvipsantaclarita.org or facebook.com/scvip, or contact Tess Simgen at (661) 286-4157 or scvip@santa-clarita.com.

April 19: Deadline to Enter Art-Essay Contest for Cash Prizes

Children's Hospital Names New Head of Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases

Alan S. Wayne, MD, an internationally renowned pediatric hematologist-oncologist, has joined Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California (USC).

After serving 14 years as clinical director of the Pediatric Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the internationally renowned pediatric hematologist-oncologist, Alan S. Wayne, MD, is joining Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California.

Wayne has been named director of the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and will serve as the division head of Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation in the Department of Pediatrics at the hospital. He will also hold positions as professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and associate director for Pediatric Oncology at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. He will begin his duties on July 1, 2013.

“This is a major recruitment for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and represents a significant step forward in distinguishing ourselves as the undisputed clinical leader in the treatment of pediatric cancer and blood diseases and the research hub that identifies the cures for these debilitating conditions,” says Richard D. Cordova, FACHE, president and CEO, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “Dr. Wayne’s work at the National Cancer Institute has earned him an international reputation as one of the top clinicians and researchers in his field, and it’s an honor to have him join our prestigious Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases, one of the largest such centers in the United States.”

“Alan Wayne is among the foremost hematology and oncology physician researchers in the country,” says Brent Polk, chair of the Department of Pediatrics and vice president of Academic Affairs at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and chair of Pediatrics and vice dean for Child Health at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “His work has already become the vanguard of clinicians studying childhood leukemias and lymphomas and developing innovative therapies.”

At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Wayne will assume the Stuart E. Siegel Endowed Chair and his directorship duties will include responsibility for the delivery of patient care services to all inpatients and outpatients of the hospital’s cancer and blood diseases center and the hematology-oncology and bone marrow transplantation division. In addition, he will oversee direction for research, lead fundraising efforts and promote the hospital’s missions and values in the community. He also will supervise the quality and accreditation of oncology and hematology teaching programs for interns, residents and fellows.

“Dr. Wayne will increase the scientific integration and collaborative work between the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases and the broader community at Children’s Hospital, The Saban Research Institute and the University of Southern California,” says Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA, dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and a member of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Board of Trustees. “We welcome him to Children’s Hospital and to the USC faculty.”

Each day, the Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases treats the most complex and rare conditions. Because of the Center’s expertise, it is a major referral center for families from all over Southern California, the United States and the world. The Center provides care for more than 1,100 new patients each year and handles approximately 25,000 outpatient visits annually. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is ranked fifth in the nation for cancer care on the U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals list.

“Treating cancer and blood diseases and finding cures is a core mission of the hospital and Dr. Wayne’s leadership and guidance will enable the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases to achieve new heights,” says Stuart E. Siegel, MD, the current director of the hospital’s Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases. “This is a major coup for the hospital.”

In his new role with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and USC, Wayne looks forward to working with these institutions and the Los Angeles community to build upon the excellence of the current programs to support the clinical care, research and education missions, to further advance the fields of pediatric hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplantation and to improve the outlook for children with cancer and blood disorders.

“It is a great honor and privilege to join the hospitaland the university and to follow the impressive legacy of Dr. Siegel, who in his decades of service has led the development of the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases into an internationally-recognized institution,” Wayne says.

Wayne received a bachelor’s of science in Medicine and his MDfrom the Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University in Evanston and Chicago. He served his internship, residency and chief residency at Boston Children’s Hospital, and he completed his fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at the Children’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.Board-Certified in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Wayne has held academic appointments atHarvard University School of Medicine, the University of South Florida College of Medicine, the University of Miami School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and most recently at the NIH where he serves as the clinical director and senior clinician of the of the Pediatric Oncology Branchand Deputy Clinical Director for Medical Affairsin the NCI’s Center for Cancer Research.

At the NIH, Wayne also heads the Pediatric Oncology Branch’s Hematologic Diseases Section where he directs a leading-edge research program to develop new treatments for hematologic malignancies (blood cancers). He has developed and leads multiple clinical trials, and these pioneering efforts have resulted in complete remissions being achieved for children with chemotherapy-resistant leukemia. Through this work he has become a recognized leader in the area of targeted and immune-based therapies for acute lymphoblastic leukemia,the most frequent cancer type in pediatrics. He also has played a lead role in the NCI-sponsored international efforts in the area of relapse after blood and bone marrow stem cell transplantation.

Wayne has authored more than 20 scholarly books and monographs and more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific papers in the fields of pediatric hematology,oncology, stem cell transplantation, and transfusion medicine, and in the past five years he has contributed to 40 exhibitions and presentations at national and international conferences.

Throughout his career, Wayne has served in leadership roles on institutional and national committees and as a member of numerous professional societies and organizationsincluding the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium, Children’s Oncology Group and The American Society of Hematology. His current editorial responsibilities include the position of associate editor, Frontiers in Pediatric Oncology.Among his numerous awards and honors, he has received the NIH Director’s Award for Mentoring and has been listed among“The Best Doctors In America” every year since 1995.

Wayne has a long-standing commitment to training future leaders in medicine and science. He has directly mentored numerous students and fellows and he served as the founding Co-Director of the NCI/Johns Hopkins University Joint Fellowship Training Program in Pediatric Hematology/Oncologythat under his direction matured into one of the largest and most competitive training programs in this subspecialty.He also has traveled the globe to lecture at numerous conferences and academic institutions.

 

About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the top five in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children’s Hospital is also one of America’s premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

For more information, visit CHLA.org.

Children's Hospital Names New Head of Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases

May 22: See If You Qualify for City's FirstHOME Loan Program

Residents thinking of buying their first home in Santa Clarita may qualify for affordable loans through the City’s FirstHOME program. Local residents are invited to attend one of four informational meetings for the next round of FirstHOME loans beginning on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Century Room at City Hall, located at 23920 Valencia Boulevard.

FirstHOME is a program designed to assist eligible lower income families in purchasing their first home and is made possible through funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

Due to high demand for FirstHOME loans, interested applicants must attend at least one informational meeting to be entered into a lottery for eligibility to apply for the FirstHOME Program. Applicants who have lived or worked inside City limits for at least the last 6 months will be given priority in the lottery. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance into the program by late summer 2013, and may begin their search for homes as early as October 2013.

The program offers a second mortgage loan at a rate of zero percent. The deferred-payment, second mortgage can be used to assist in purchasing a home within City limits.  Household income limits vary with household size. For example, the maximum annual income for a household of four is $66,250.

Homes purchased through the program may be single family or condominiums and must be located inside the City limits.  Mobile home purchases are not eligible.  Loans cannot exceed 50 percent of the sale price of the home.  Additional limits on the number of bedrooms and total loan amounts also apply.

Additional informational meetings will be hosted in the Century Room at City Hall at various dates and times, including: Thursday, May 23, 2013 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Wednesday, May 29, 2013 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Saturday, June 1, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to noon.  Spanish translation services will be offered at the first meeting held at City Hall from 10:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 1, 2013.

Interested homebuyers must RSVP for one of the meetings by clicking on     the link under FirstHOME online at Santa-Clarita.com/housing, or call (661) 286-4141. Program fact sheets in English and Spanish are also available for downloading on the website.

For more information on the City’s FirstHOME Program, contact (661) 286-4141 or visit Santa-Clarita.com/Housing.

May 22: See If You Qualify for City's FirstHOME Loan Program

Obama Comments on Incident in Boston (Video)

[White House] – Monday evening, President Obama made a statement about today’s explosions at the Boston Marathon.

The president explained that he had been briefed by his Homeland Security team, who are continuing to monitor the situation as it unfolds, and had “directed the full resources of the federal government to help state and local authorities protect our people, increase security around the United States as necessary, and investigate what happened.”

“The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight,” he said. “And Michelle and I send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims in the wake of this senseless loss.”

We still do not know who did this or why.  And people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts.  But make no mistake — we will get to the bottom of this.  And we will find out who did this; we’ll find out why they did this.  Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.

Today is a holiday in Massachusetts – Patriots’ Day. It’s a day that celebrates the free and fiercely independent spirit that this great American city of Boston has reflected from the  earliest days of our nation. And it’s a day that draws the world to Boston’s streets in a spirit of friendly competition.  Boston is a tough and resilient town. So are its people. I’m supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other, and move forward as one proud city. And as they do, the American people will be with them every single step of the way.

You should anticipate that as we get more information, our teams will provide you briefings. We’re still in the investigation stage at this point.  But I just want to reiterate we will find out who did this and we will hold them accountable.

Obama Comments on Incident in Boston (Video)

April 20: COC Hosts Evening of Improv

Instructor Allan Trautman

The COC theatre department will host an evening of unscripted laughter and excitement as the college’s student improv troupe, Comedians of the Canyons, presents its second show of the spring semester.

Comprised entirely of student performers enrolled in the college’s advanced improvisational performance theatre class, the Comedians of the Canyons will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20, in Pico Canyon Hall, Room 202, located on the college’s Valencia campus.

“These are students who have gone beyond the basics of improv and are now ready for their hour in front of an audience,” said Allan Trautman, COC instructor and host of the show. “During each performance, scenes are made up on the spot using audience suggestions. There is no script and no safety net, which makes each performance both exhilarating and hilarious to watch.”

The Comedians of the Canyons series has grown in popularity and enjoyed tremendous success in recent years, with students routinely performing to a packed house of comedy and improv enthusiasts.

“These improvisational performances are terrific opportunities for our students to test the performance skills they’ve learned in the classroom,” said Paul Wickline, chair of the COC theatre department.

All Comedians of the Canyons performances are free and open to the public. However, seating may be limited.

For more information about the Comedians of the Canyons performance series please contact Allan Trautman at allan.trautman@canyons.edu or Paul Wickline at 661-362-3152.

April 20: COC Hosts Evening of Improv

Caltrans Closure Schedule in Gorman-Lebec Area

Click image to enlarge

The California Department of Transportation plans to close the lanes, ramps and connectors listed below as part of a $100.1 million pavement improvement project on the Golden State Freeway (I-5) between Vista Del Lago Road and the Kern County line. Closures are subject to change.

Closures for this project had been suspended for the winter and have recently begun again. Motorists should expect regular closures at multiple locations in the project area through November 2013.

For the safety of the construction crew and motorists, please be attentive to closures, slow for the cone zone, and move over one lane where possible.

Closure information for this and other freeway projects is available on the Caltrans website: http://www.lcswebreports.dot.ca.gov/lcswebreports/

Closure Dates: Monday, April 15, through Saturday, April 20

Northbound I-5

Northbound I-5 between Vista Del Lago Rd. and the Kern County line

One lane: One lane may be closed at any time.

Up to two lanes: 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day

The most restrictive closures (i.e., the most lanes closed) will happen between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when traffic volumes are lower.

Smokey Bear Road off-ramp and on-ramp

9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Southbound I-5

The Frazier Mountain Park Road on-ramp to southbound I-5 will be closed through May 4, 2013, while crews place new concrete pavement. Detour signs direct motorists to access southbound I-5 at the Gorman Road on-ramp. Additional closures below.

Southbound I-5 between the Kern County line and Vista Del Lago Rd.

One lane: One lane may be closed at any time.

Up to two lanes: 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day

The most restrictive closures (i.e., the most lanes closed) will happen between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when traffic volumes are lower.

Smokey Bear Road on-ramp

TIME: 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Gorman Road off-ramp

TIME: 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

About the Project

This project will replace slabs in both directions of I-5 between the Vista Del Lago Road overcrossing and the Kern County Line, a distance of 15.4 miles.

The two outside lanes and outside shoulder will be completely replaced, and damaged pavement slabs will be replaced in the inside lanes. Additionally, the project will update drainage features, upgrade the wooden guardrail posts to metal, add post mile signage, widen the inside shoulders, replace broken approach and departure slabs, and repave ramps.

This $100.1 million project, which will be completed in mid-2015, will extend the life of the pavement, reduce maintenance costs and closures, and provide a smoother ride for motorists. The contractor is Griffith/Coffman Joint Venture of Brea, Calif.

Most of the construction will be completed at night to minimize inconvenience to motorists, though there will be some work during the day.

Caltrans Closure Schedule in Gorman-Lebec Area

Track & Field: Cougars Shine at Mt. SAC Invitational

Tim White

Freshman Tim White continued to blow away his competition as he won the triple jump at the Mount San Antonio Relays on Saturday. White leaped 49 feet, 10 1/2 inches to beat out the second-place finisher, Michael Lewis from San Joaquin Delta College, by more than two feet, and never posted a jump lower than anyone in the 13-man field.

White, who was 1/2 inch short of his season-best jump, is ranked second in the nation among community college triple jumpers. He also came in third place in the high jump after clearing 6 feet, 6 inches.

COC saw three new season-best marks posted by members of the squad.

Freshman sprinter Andrew Sanchez ran the 200-meter dash in 22.46 seconds to shave .10 seconds off his fastest time of the year.

Freshman Jessica Gill ran 1 minute, .82 second in the 400-meter dash to rank 11th in the Western State Conference in the event.

Sophomore Nouneh Assadouria turned in a season-best mark in the triple jump, with a leap of 33 feet, 4 3/4 inches. Assadouria finished in seventh place at the conference championships in 2012 with a jump of 34 feet, 3 1/2 inches.

White and the rest of the track and field team will participate in the WSC Prelims on Friday at Ventura College.

 

Track & Field: Cougars Shine at Mt. SAC Invitational

April 20 Wine Fest to Raise Funds for Hospital

Reserve your tickets today for the April 20 First Sierra Pelona Valley’s First Wine Festival.

The first Annual Sierra Pelona Valley Wine Festival will be held Saturday, April 20, 2013, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Reyes Winery  approximately 45 miles north of downtown Los Angeles in Agua Dulce. The event will be sponsored among others by Galpin Ford, Union Bank of California, Southern California Edison and Reyes Winery. Proceeds will benefit Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.

Guests will enjoy tastings of the vintner’s best wines, gourmet food and specialty fancy food samplings from Los Angeles area chefs and artisanal food makers. There will also be an organic market brimming with harvests from local farmers; an open air bazaar featuring local artists’ original works; a gift boutique; and a silent auction.

Prepaid general admission tickets are $65 and $75 at the door. A limited amount of VIP tickets are available online at $90 and $100. VIP Passes will include early entrance at 11 a.m., private winery tour and barrel tastings, VIP lounge reserve wine tasting paired with gourmet bites; plus all general admission ticket benefits. To reserve tickets and for more information, visit http://reyeswinery.com/spv-winefestival.

 

 

April 20 Wine Fest to Raise Funds for Hospital

Eat at Wendy's, Raise Money for Your School

Wendy’s of Santa Clarita has launched its latest effort to assist schools in easy fundraising. Now through May 15, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. every guest who mentions a participating school upon ordering will have 20 percent of his/her order donated to the PTA of that school. No flyers are necessary.  Wendy’s is even giving away a $500 cash prize to the school that raises the most money.

Wendy’s is encouraging parents to visit the restaurant each week. This simple action can help assist their school in receiving important funds. “Now, when school districts are announcing further cuts, we’re glad we can help PTA’s with a very easy, low-cost way of giving back to important programs and events that benefit our kids,” said Rob Montgomery, owner of Wendy’s of Santa Clarita. “I’m excited that we’ve found a new way that we can involve everyone in the effort to improve the educational experience for our children.  This really is community in action,” he added.

The Spring FUNdraising Contest is the second community-wide school fundraiser that Wendy’s has done in the Santa Clarita Valley. Currently, all Wm. S Hart School District schools are participating in the Wendy’s Key Tag program where a $1 key tag can be purchased in exchange for up to a full year of free Frosties with any order. This $1 key tag purchase goes back to the designated school in the form of a donation. The Frosty Key Tag program is going on its third year in Santa Clarita with over $15,000 raised so far!

For more information about the Spring FUNdraising Contest and the Wendy’s Frosty Key Tag program, please visit www.wendysofsantaclarita.com or call Andrea De La Cerda at 818-516-9810.

 

Participating schools include:

Leona Cox Community School

Plum Canyon Elementary

Rosedell Elementary

Pinetree

Golden Valley High School (PAC)

Helmers Elementary

North Park Elementary

Cedarcreek Elementary

Meadows Elementary

Bridgeport Elementary

James Foster Elementary

Oak Hills Elementary

Rio Vista Elementary

Tesoro del valle Elementary

West Creek Elementary

Peachland Elementary

Castaic Middle School

Eat at Wendy's, Raise Money for Your School

County Announces 'Green Leadership' Award Winners

On April 23, 2013, the County Board of Supervisors will present its Fifth Annual Green Leadership Awards recognizing outstanding and innovative energy conservation and environmental efforts by the private and public sectors.

 

The awards will be presented by Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, Chairman, at 9:30 a.m. during the weekly Board of Supervisors meeting, Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple St., Room 381-B, downtown Los Angeles.

 

Recipients of the Green Leadership Awards are:

 

• CHAIR:  Christina Kull Martens, Manager, Process Improvement, Northrop Grumman Corp.


• BUSINESS:  Sony Pictures Entertainment – Sustainable Education and Outreach


• PUBLIC AGENCY: Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission – Culver City Rainwater Harvesting Program


• NON-PROFIT: California State University Los Angeles – EcoCAR2 Team


• LOS ANGELES COUNTY: Department of Public Works – Sustainable Pavement Treatment for County Roads

 

Chief Executive Officer William T Fujioka said, “The County’s Green Leadership Program recognizes outstanding environmental sustainability efforts, which benefit the residents of Los Angeles County.” The award-winning projects range from employee-led sustainability initiatives to college students modifying a fossil fuel vehicle into a Plug-In Hybrid electric vehicle.

 

“The County proudly honors the 2013 recipients of its Green Leadership Awards,” added CEO Fujioka.

 

The Chair’s Green Leadership Award was selected for the following accomplishments:

 

Christina Kull Martens

Manager, Process Improvement

Northrop Grumman Corporation

 

She has served as an environmental engineer at Northrop Grumman since 2007, where she has developed and implemented an award-winning employee sustainability team, which was honored by the South Bay Business Environmental Coalition (SBBEC), Southern California Edison – Climate Registry Cool Planet Award and the West Basin Water District. She has spearheaded efforts in the areas of greenhouse gas reduction, waste reduction and recycling, energy conservation, air quality compliance, corporate social responsibility reporting, and efficiency identification and implementation. She is an active member of Connect1 NG, GreenBiz.com, Sustainability Learning Centre and the California Conservation Corp Greening Board.

 

Ms. Martens, who is fluent in Japanese, is certified in Zero Waste Management and Landfill Diversion and Commercial Organics, and specializes in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental science and engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

 

The Los Angeles County Green Leadership award winners were selected for the following accomplishments:

 

 

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)

Sustainable Education and Outreach

 

The entertainment giant built its sustainability program on several employee-based initiatives, which focused on educating employees, their families and local communities. SPE’s aggressive environmental goals included a zero waste studio, a 20 percent carbon reduction across the company, electronic paystub system, an internal bike shuttle program, and a cash-incentive for employees to purchase clean air/energy efficient vehicles, and solar panels for their homes.

 

For the community, SPE funded 14 projects on which employees collaborated. These include the Orville Wright/Westchester Community Garden, Green Up with Los Angeles Universal Preschool, and People, Pets and Native Plants with the Village Gardeners of the Los Angeles River.

 

Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission

Culver City Rainwater Harvesting Program (CCRH)

 

The pilot program was launched to teach Culver City residents about urban water management and provide an opportunity for participation in “best management practices” on their properties. Rainwater flowing from sidewalks, driveways and streets collects pollutants (lead, copper, nitrate, phosphorous, bacteria) before it reaches a nearby storm drain. Capturing the water from rooftops reduces pollution into the Santa Monica Bay.

 

CCRH installed 396 rain barrels and redirected rainwater to gardens and lawns, and provided direct education to more than 1,000 residents at public events, home consultations and through the distribution of instructional literature. Each year the rain barrels capture between 175,000 and 400,000 gallons of storm water that otherwise would have flowed into the Santa Monica Bay.

 

 

California State University – Los Angeles (CSULA)

Eco CAR2 Team

 

It is the only California team participating in a three-year competition, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors. The contest challenges the 15 university teams to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles by minimizing the vehicle’s fuel consumption, reducing emissions while at the same time retaining performance, safety and consumer appeal.

 

The CSULA Eco CAR2 team aims to meet the competition goals while also educating fellow and middle school students and the public about sustainable technological advances in transportation. Team members, who represent the next generation of engineers, gain real world experience in the development of complex vehicle technologies. The students are designing and integrating their Ethanol 85 powered plug-in hybrid solution into an all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.

 

 

Department of Public Works (DPW)

Sustainable Pavement Treatment for County Roads

 

The Department manages the largest network of County roads in the state and keeping them in good condition is always a challenge. DPW implemented a sustainable pavement treatment program, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage. The three-prong approach to treating County roads includes 1) pavement preservation, 2) using recycled materials, and 3) reutilizing existing materials in place.

 

Pavement preservation materials use far less energy to perform the specific treatment, and utilizing recycled materials reduces the amount that typically would go to landfills. Major road re-construction projects have a major impact on the environment due to removing existing asphalt and layered materials below the pavement and hauling them away. Cold-In-Place Recycling and Cold Central Plant Recycling are two processes which refurbish existing asphalt in place, eliminate truck traffic and avoid removing raw materials from the earth.

 

For more information on the County’s Green Leadership Awards, contact Victoria Pipkin-Lane at (213) 974-1361, vpipkin@ceo.lacounty.gov or Mary Savinar at (213) 974-1390, msavinar@ceo.lacounty.gov.

 

 

County Announces 'Green Leadership' Award Winners

Comments from SCV Pastor who Ran Monday's Boston Marathon

Zack Totten

Authorities are still investigating the two explosions that killed two people and injured close to 50 at the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Zack Totten, a Santa Clarita Valley resident and pastor of Connections at The Sanctuary Church in Canyon Country, was in Boston participating in the race and crossed the finish line approximately 15 minutes before the explosions.

“I was making my way through the finish chute, where you get medals and get your clothing and was trying to get to my wife and heard the explosions,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what it was. My wife was convinced it was a bomb, and she was correct.”

“When the bombs went off, it was chaos,” Totten added. “Many many just freaking out, understandably so.”

As they were making their way out of the area, Totten and his wife saw at least 24 ambulances and emergency response vehicles going toward the site of the explosion.

“(We) were just a block away, sitting for probably the next 45 minutes … in communication with family and friends, letting them know we’re okay.”

Totten finishes the 2012 L.A. Marathon

Eventually, officials began shutting down the entire area, and they brought in what Totten described as state troopers. He and his wife were asked them to leave the restaurant where they had been waiting.

Initially Totten had trouble getting his phone to work and thought they might be shutting down phone service because of reports that a cell phone had been used to detonate the bombs. Currently that report is unconfirmed.

“It’s tragic, obviously, something like this,” he said, “…the bombs being planted, from what I understand, right by the finish line.”

At least twelve athletes from the Santa Clarita Valley were participating in the race:

* Gerald Jones, Canyon County

* Zack Totten, Canyon Country

* Elaine Woodward, Canyon County

* Hoshang Dubash, Valencia

* Angela Reynolds, Valencia

* Steven Loy, Valencia

* Mara Stegemann, Valencia

* Dennis Lebman, Saugus

* David Weary, Acton

* Jodi Broz, Stevenson Ranch

* Wayne Lee, Stevenson Ranch

* Jana Whatley, Agua Dulce

Comments from SCV Pastor who Ran Monday's Boston Marathon

Hart Board to Discuss Castaic High, Teacher Contracts

When Hart district board members meet Wednesday at 7 p.m., they will be discussing a number of items that could have a lasting impact on Santa Clarita Valley schools.

There will be a discussion of school board elections, a presentation on the school’s CADRE program, a changing of school schedules and potentially new weight room facilities and more security for Golden Valley and West Ranch high schools, respectively.

There will also be a presentation by Hart District Teachers Association.

The following information is taken directly from the agenda for the William S. Hart Union High School District.

The Hart district school board agenda is posted online. The Hart district governing board meets Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the district office, which is located at 21515 Centre Pointe Parkway.

 

Castaic high school naming

The board will review seven name suggestions recommended by the Citizens Advisory Naming Committee for the new high school in Castaic, as directed by Board Policy 7310.

An online survey was conducted in February for community members, parents, staff and students to suggest a name for the new school, anticipated to open in August 2016. More than 330 suggestions were submitted. The Citizen Advisory Naming Committee was formed and met last month to review the survey results.

The following people were on the naming committee: Gail Pinsker, chair; Greg Lee, Hart district director of human resources and equity services; Flo Lawrence, Castaic Town Council; Greg Kimura, Val Verde Town Council; Pete Romo, Valencia High School parent living in Castaic; Barbara Cawley, West Ranch parent living in Castaic; Roxanne Kamins, Castaic Elementary School representative (Parent / PTA); Michele Olafsson, Castaic Middle School representative (Teacher / Parent); Suzanne Graff, Live Oak Elementary School representative (Teacher / Castaic Teachers Association President); Kim Baljet, Northlake Hills Elementary School representative (Teacher / Parent); Renee Sabol, Castaic resident; John Zaring, Castaic resident / parent. All but one person attended the meeting.

The following seven names were recommended by the committee: Castaic High School; Castaic Lake High School; Castaic Hills High School; Ramona High School; Kashtuk High School; Romero Canyon High School; Lakeview High School.

 

Also on the agenda regarding Castaic high school

There was also some development news regarding the board-approved site for a Castaic high school.

There are construction license grants from District officials to Romero Cyn LLC; a California Limited Liability Company; and Romero Cyn II LLC.

This item is a “Request to consider granting construction licenses for a temporary roadway to access the high school site in Castaic.”

The district is acquiring temporary construction easements (Construction Easements) over certain real property owned by Vernon Sprankle, Frances Sprankle, Norman Sprankle and Helen Gubrud (Sprankle Property).  The Construction Easements allow for the construction of a temporary roadway over the Sprankle Property to access the Castaic High School site.  The temporary roadway is necessary to allow for the commencement of construction activities on the Castaic High School site.

The Construction Easements, by their terms, permit the District to assign its rights to perform the authorized construction activities.

Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement for Castaic High School site, the Sellers are to deliver the site in its construction-ready condition with all improvements fully constructed.

Accordingly, the Board is now requested to approve the Construction Licenses to assign the District’s rights under the Construction Easements to Romero Cyn and Romero Cyn II, to allow those entities to complete the construction of the temporary access road.  Romero Cyn and Romero Cyn II will be required to complete their construction activities in accordance with the environmental impact report approved by the District and any plans or specifications approved by the county.

There also is a letter of assurance for the Sprankle family on the agenda.

In order to provide a temporary access roadway to commence construction at the high school site in Castaic, the district requested and was granted temporary construction easements over two parcels owned by the Sprankle family.

The Sprankle family has requested assurances that the District will not oppose the Sprankle family’s efforts regarding the possible future sale or securing of development entitlements for the two properties. Further, the Sprankle family will similarly not interfere with the District’s temporary construction easements or permanent road easements.

It is requested that the Governing Board approve the attached letter of assurance to the Sprankle family through their attorney Ms. Cynthia M. Wolcott, Esq.

 

The moving of school board elections

Hart district staff has submitted required paperwork to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Office, as well as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, to request approval of the district’s move from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years for governing board elections. It is anticipated that this decision will be made by May 5. Should the BOS not approve the request, this resolution will be forwarded to the necessary offices to ensure that the board election takes place November 2013.

The election shall be held on Tuesday, November 5. The polling hours shall be from 7:00

a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The purpose of the election is to submit to the voters of the district the question of whether three (3) members shall be elected to the Governing Board of the William S. Hart Union High School District.

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (Registrar-Recorder) will perform all the duties incident to the preparation for and holding of the above-mentioned election.

 

School schedule change

On Feb. 26, 27 and 28, certificated staff at Rancho Pico Junior High School participated in a site-based vote to replace their current schedule and implement an early release schedule for Thursdays for the 2013-14 school year.

The early-release time Thursday will be used for content collaboration.

The decision was approved by 90 percent of certificated staff. A total of 50 certificated staff members were eligible to vote (42 teachers, 3 counselors, 1 librarian, 3 administrators and 1 school psychologist).

The vote was 45 (yes) and 5 (no).

 

Campus additions for Golden Valley High School

School staff has requested that an outdoor weight training area be developed in the area adjacent to the current weight room.

This will be an outdoor area that will have a concrete slab and will be fenced off with an 8-foot tall chain link fence.

The plan may also include other amenities, such as landscaping and sidewalks. Golden Valley High School has a commitment from donors to cover the cost of the new fencing and gates for the area.

This fee proposal will cover the work needed to develop the design and bid documents for this project.

 

Campus additions for West Ranch High School

There is a small area on the West Ranch High School campus that is currently not fenced and vulnerable to unchecked entry onto campus.

An addition of approximately 200 linear feet of fencing and gates will resolve this security issue. This fee proposal will cover the work needed to develop the design and bid documents for this project.

Once the bid documents for this work are complete, staff will return to the governing board with a project budget and for authorization to award bids for the work.

The fiscal implications are$10,330 plus reimbursable expenses from Measure V (Fund 21.0).

 

Hart District Teachers Association

The bargaining proposal from the Hart District Teachers Association requests a change to add three furlough days back for teacher in-service on Common Core (new state standards that are to be implemented by 2014-15) and two furlough days back as instructional days.

The teacher salary schedule would reflect an additional five days of pay.

There are also items reflecting lab science changes that may be viewed online by viewing the agenda.

Hart Board to Discuss Castaic High, Teacher Contracts

More Human Remains Found Sunday, This Time in Palmdale

Homicide investigators were still trying to identify a decomposed body found last Wednesday in San Francisquito Canyon when more human remains were discovered in Palmdale.

Detectives responded Sunday afternoon to the 6200 block of West Avenue N in Plamdale, where the new remains were found.

Anyone with helpful information about either body is asked to contact L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau detectives at 323-890-5500.

More Human Remains Found Sunday, This Time in Palmdale

CSUN Hosting Emergency Preparedness Expo Thursday

California State University, Northridge’s Department of Police Services will be hosting an Emergency Preparedness and Crime Prevention Expo on Thursday, April 18.

The expo is scheduled to taken place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Cleary Walk along the front of Bayramian Hall on the west side of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

“The idea behind the expo is that as a Department of Police Services, we are responsible for providing many education programs in the areas of emergency preparedness and crime prevention,” said Kit Espinosa, emergency management and preparedness coordinator for the department. “This is one of many ways we can get the information out to our campus community and our local community as well.”

Espinosa said the event was an opportunity to partner with other CSUN departments and programs, as well as with vendors, who can provide information regarding crime prevention and/or emergency preparedness.

“This is part of our building a resilient community here at CSUN that is prepared for any and all types of emergencies and to raise the level of safety awareness and reduce the risk of criminal victimization in the campus community,” she said.

Vendors at the event will include AAA Auto Club Association, CSUN Associated Students, Los Angeles Fire Department Community Emergency Response Teams, Los Angeles Police Department, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Home Depot, More Prepared, Matador Bookstore, Los Angeles County Public Health, Grainger, Western Bagel, US Forest Service, CSUN National Student Speech/Language/Hearing Association, Noah’s Wish, Inc., National Weather Service, Wells Fargo Bank, CSUN’s Klotz Student Health Center, Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, COSTCO, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Federal Trade Commission.

“We hope the attendees will walk away from the expo with information on emergency preparedness and crime prevention and be motivated to take what they have learned and apply it to their own lives and share this information with others,” said Kit.

For more information, contact Kit Espinosa, CSUN Emergency Management, at (818) 677- 5973 or kit.espinosa@csun.edu.

CSUN Hosting Emergency Preparedness Expo Thursday

COC Honored for Commitment to Serving Community

As one of only two California community colleges honored for providing students with access to high quality service-learning educational opportunities, College of the Canyons has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for a seventh consecutive year.

This year, College of the Canyons is one of only 31 higher education institutions in the state to appear on the Honor Roll. Mira Costa College in Oceanside is the only other community college to be recognized.

“We are proud to help strengthen our community and give our students an opportunity to contribute to its collective good through involvement in service-learning,” College of the Canyons Chancellor Dr. Dianne Van Hook said. “It truly is a ‘win-win-win’ situation. Our students benefit from the experience, the organizations they serve benefit from the added help, and that ultimately benefits the clients of those organizations.”

Administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, inclusion on the annual Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service learning and civic engagement.

Originally inspired by the thousands of college students who traveled across the country to support relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll initiative is meant to celebrate the transformative power and volunteer spirit that exists within the higher education community.

With the belief that students can make valuable contributions to the world while gaining educational experience, College of the Canyons strives to increase community involvement, strengthen student leadership skills and build meaningful community relationships by carrying out various service-learning projects.

College of the Canyons has been included on the honor roll every year since its inception in 2006.

“We are excited to once again receive this award, attesting to the college’s continued commitment to providing hands-on learning opportunities for our students,” said Anthony Michaelides, Director, Career Services at the college. “This honor has been made possible through the dedication and involvement of our faculty, staff, students and the participating community agencies.”

In the academic year for which the college was recognized and awarded, service-learning projects at COC included the participation of roughly 57 faculty members from the college’s various departments, 86 non-profit community-based organizations and 717 students.

Recent College of the Canyons service-learning projects have included student placements with The Wildlife Learning Center, Penny Lane Centers, Heads Up Therapy with Horses, William S. Hart Museum, Placerita Canyon Nature Center, Friends of Castaic Lake, Help the Children, Habitat for Humanity, Single Mothers Outreach, the Boys & Girls Club, SCV Senior Center, LARC Ranch, and Adult Health Day Care of SCV.

“Student, faculty and agency feedback has all been positive,” Michaelides said, “and as a result the college’s service-learning program has seen tremendous growth in the past year.”

The Corporation for National and Community Service oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.

Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

For more information about service-learning opportunities at College of the Canyons please contact the COC service-learning office, 661-362-3231.

 

COC Honored for Commitment to Serving Community

Sure ... There’s No Attack on Religion | Commentary by Joe Messina

Not all religions are under attack. It seems the emphasis is on Christian-based religions. Let’s review a couple of examples.

According to the AP and other news sources, an LGBTQ group (for the uniformed that stands for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer”) has asked that a priest be removed from George Washington University. They want Father Greg Shaffer removed from campus over his anti-gay and anti-abortion views.

Damian Legacy and Blake Bergen want the university’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion to investigate the priest and are calling for the student government association to de-fund the Newman Center on campus.

News reports indicate they were particularly offended by a blog post the priest wrote calling gay relationships “unnatural and immoral.”

Interesting. This doesn’t sound like they really care to have someone with a diverse thought process to be included. In fact, it doesn’t sound at all like they want to understand why he believes what he does. Isn’t that intolerance? And does the priest not have a right to express what the Catholic Church teaches? The church that he works for and pledged an oath to is dedicated to upholding the truth according to God’s word (as laid out in the Bible), and it’s what he believes.

Did they not know what the Catholic Churches believe and teach? Did they not know what 99.9 percent of Catholic priests believe? A testimony to how deeply the left does its homework.

This is one of the few cases where the school has shown some spine. School officials have said it protects the right of religious freedom and is defending the rights of all religious beliefs to express themselves.

Newman Center, the building in which the priest was teaching, is a Catholic-based center. The have Catholic mass in there and teach the principles of the Catholic faith. No one is forced to go and participate.  So what’s wrong here? I’ll tell you. It’s all about hate. Period.

The people who complained about a Catholic priest teaching Catholic principles in a Catholic hall are just hateful.

This shows the real hypocrisy of the left. If I say I don’t believe in gay marriage and I don’t believe same-sex couples should be allowed to be married, then I am, or will be, labeled a “homophobe” and “gay hater.” They say we should be silenced and not allowed to teach in our churches what the Bible clearly states about marriage, abortion and so on. They say it’s hate speech.

When they speak against Christians, it’s considered freedom of speech. But when Christians speak against LGBTQ lifestyles, it’s hate speech. Really. How disingenuous can one be?

Then, there is the kid who asked the teacher for a Bible. No way, you say? Yes. Another news source posts, “The teacher’s trouble started last October when he was standing by a door waiting on middle school students to enter the building. One student trailed behind the rest.”

“Just remember, son,” he told the tardy student, “The first shall be last but the last shall be first.”  A few days later the student asked about the origins of the quote. The teacher “told him it was in the Bible.”

There’s that nasty word, and being uttered in a school, oh my. Doesn’t sound like the teacher was pushing his views, but let’s continue.

“On Oct. 12, the teacher was eating lunch in the cafeteria when the student approached and brought up the Bible verse. So the teacher took out his Bible and showed the student the verse.

“At some point the student mentioned that he did not have a Bible. The teacher, who also serves in Gideons International, happened to have a spare book.

“The teacher basically said, ‘would you like mine?’ said a friend of the teacher and a fellow Gideon. The student said yes, and so the teacher gave him his personal New Testament.”

Still doesn’t sound to me like pushing his religious beliefs. So what happens next? He is fired. What did he do wrong? They hand out all kinds of fliers and books on sex and how to and where to and with how many to the kids who didn’t ask for them, but a teacher, who is asked specifically about a book the student is curious about, is forbidden from sharing? Just outrageous.

There are so many examples of these kinds of incidents happening more and more in our schools. Only a dishonest person would say there is no attack on religious liberties in this country.

 

Joe Messina is host of The Real Side (TheRealSide.com), a nationally syndicated talk show that runs on AM-1220 KHTS radio and SCVTV [here]. He is also an elected member of the Hart School Board. His commentary publishes Mondays.

 

 

Sure ... There’s No Attack on Religion | Commentary by Joe Messina