AROUND THE VALLEYS

Northridge This is the ninth year that the Northridge Fashion Center has hosted a seasonal Farmer’s Market and Family Festival, officially opening Wednesday, April 9. The market is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. every subsequent Wednesday until Oct. 29. Customers can choose from among the approximately 10,000 pounds of farm-fresh produce grown by more than 30 regional farmers. Patrons can also enjoy live entertainment, hot food, fresh flowers and crafters’ booths. Amusements for kids include pony rides, a petting zoo and moon bounces. This year’s Grand Opening will be celebrated by the Granada Hills Charter High School Highlander Marching Band beginning at 5:30 p.m. A “carrot cutting” ceremony commences at 6 p.m., and percussionist C.G. Ryche will go on stage at 6:30. Linda Frost, assistant general manager for the mall a General Growth Properties, Inc. facility said the mall operators decided to pick a slower day of the week for the market. She said that 3,000 to 5,000 people reportedly attend each week, a number the operators have stuck with for a few seasons and which may only be a measure of parking space density changes from non-farmers market Wednesdays. She guessed that perhaps 50 percent of attendees make it into the mall from the market’s parking lot location. One of the tangible measures of attendance impact, Frost said, is the increased use of the nearby Macy’s rest rooms, for which the mall operators compensate the department store by underwriting an additional housecleaning shift. “We’re happy to do it. It works out best for everyone,” she added. Macy’s location adjacent to the weekly event was a marketing opportunity for the retailer, Frost said. They got a booth space and highlighted various cosmetic vendors they feature, she said, rotating between them from week to week. Mall tenants can receive discounted booth spaces at the farmers market. “It’s good to branch out beyond the permanent four walls they have,” Frost said, “to have an outdoor outpost to draw people in.” –James Hames SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Burbank Enrich: Two Burbank high school seniors were the recipients of $10,000 scholarships and paid summer internships at Warner Bros. Studios as part of the Burbank Youth Enrichment Program. Providence High School student Yvette Malara will pursue her passion for filmmaking and editing. Burbank High School student Diana Shaginian will focus on the business and legal side of the studio’s operations. The enrichment program has awarded eight local students with scholarships and internships since starting in 2006. The program builds upon the studio’s longstanding partnership with the Burbank community by providing local students with on-the-job opportunities to explore career options within the company. Jets: Avjet Corp. added two new planes to its charter fleet operating from the Bob Hope Airport. The 2008 Gulfstream G150 and 2008 Bombardier Challenger 300 will be available for domestic and international destinations. Chatsworth Girl Scouts: The Girl Scouts of the San Fernando Valley and Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center hosted Girl Scout Medical Day March 29 on the hospital’s Tarzana campus. More than a dozen members of the hospital’s staff were on hand to lead the girls through various “rotations,” highlighting different areas of the hospital. There was also a behind-the-scenes tour of the facilities and a “career center,” where girls spoke to medical professionals such as nurses, physicians and therapists to learn more about career options in the healthcare field. “It is essential to acquaint our young people with hospitals and healthcare careers,” said hospital head Dale Surowitz. “It is also important to provide these Girl Scouts an opportunity to really see what a hospital is all about and to take the fear out of caring for patients. Exposing them to the world of healthcare professionals at an early age can provide positive feelings and experiences that will last a lifetime.” CONEJO VALLEY Camarillo Chair: Stephen D. Woodworth was named as the new chair of the business advisory council at the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics at California State University Channel Islands. The council is an advisory board that makes recommendations and suggestions to assist in the development of the business school. Woodworth is COO/CFO for Blois Construction Inc. in Oxnard, and serves on the boards of a metals company in Ohio, a convalescent care hospital in California and a construction company in Arizona. Presentation: Cheri L. Kurman of Kurman Law Group will discuss and explain the recent changes in conversatorship laws at the Ventura County Paralegal Association Conference April 5, 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. The one-hour presentation will review changes to the laws concerning conservatorships and actual conservatorship procedures. The Ventura County Paralegal Association’s Springtime MCLE Conference will be held at the Four Points Sheraton in Ventura. Thousand Oaks Exhibit: The Multimedia Department of California Lutheran University will host an exhibit April 2-21in its Soiland Humanities Center honoring excellence in student multimedia work. CLUFEST 2008 features more than 200 entries in the field of digital and interactive media that will be displayed in print form or projected in the Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture. The competition showcases the university’s most talented and promising student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers and computer artists. Included in the exhibit are 3-D animation, graphic design, Web design and digital illustration and photography. Students also produced works in digital sound and high-definition video. There will be an opening reception April 2, 7 p.m., featuring additional displays, including a laser graffiti demonstration. Information: thengst@ callutheran.edu or (805) 493-3241. Radio: KCLU received four Mark Twain Awards from the Associated Press Television and Radio Association for the western United States. News director Lance Orozco won the Pat Davis Reporter of the Year award as the best small-market broadcast journalist. Orozco also won for spot news reporting and news writing for coverage on wildfires in Ventura and Los Angeles counties; and with Jim Rondeau and John Palminteri won for best live coverage of a news event for their reporting on the wildfires. The winners were chosen from among hundreds of entries from 2007. SANTA CLARITA VALLEY Santa Clarita Ads: Awards in 34 categories were presented March 16 to the winners of the 2008 ADDY Awards for members of the Advertising Professionals of North Los Angeles County. Winners were chosen for Awards of Distinction, Awards of Excellence and Best of Category. The Best of Category winners will be forwarded to an upcoming ADDY regional competition. The Best of Show honors were given to Noelle Meade, of Studio M Creative in Valencia. Meade created a press kit and stationery system for the Monta Vista Luxury Townhomes. Other winners included J.D. Viescas Design, Selling Points Design, Jacobs Creative Design, Riff Color, Watters Edge Design, Huerta Quorum, and Baby Steps Design Group. Also, the Valley Fair in Santa Clarita, to take place June 26-29 at Saugus Speedway, received an ADDY of distinction for Web Site Consumer, HTML. Valencia Daffodils: In honor of the American Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days, the staff of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital recently delivered daffodils to hospital cancer patients and departments as a sign of hope and renewal. Daffodil Days symbolize hope for a cancer-free future. SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley Days: The annual Simi Valley Days Celebration and Carnival will now be held in Rancho Simi Community Park. “We are excited about this change in location. This venue allows for additional and bigger carnival rides, and best of all there won’t be any dust,” said Gordon Voshall, chairman for Simi Valley Days. Sponsorship opportunities are available for the event at various levels; and applications are now being accepted for vendors for the Merchant’s Pavilion and the annual Simi Valley Days Parade. “Lots of volunteers are needed for the overall event, Sept. 10 – 14 and for the parade, which will be held on Sept. 13” Voshall said. Simi Valley Days needs a new logo and theme and residents are asked to submit their theme ideas and logo graphic designs via email to [email protected] or mail to Simi Valley Days, P.O. Box 164, Simi Valley, CA 93062. Include name, address and telephone number with each entry. Opening: The first franchise of exercise studio Cardio Barre will have a grand opening April 5, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 2975 “B” Cochran Street with free classes throughout the day. Simi Valley resident Melissa Collins is owner of the fitness studio. Anniversary: Welcome to The Neighborhood Magazine will mark its four-year anniversary April 1. “We are very excited to reach this milestone,” said Ben Gilbert, who co-created the magazine, along with his wife, Kid. New customers receive feature stories about their company in the magazine as well as on the Web site, which has a 3D interactive map feature with push pins linked to the location of every advertiser. Currently, the magazine has two local editions: Simi Valley/Moorpark and Thousand Oaks/Newbury Park. Plans are underway to launch the Westlake Village/Agoura Hills edition later this year.