AROUND THE VALLEYS

After making her name as teenage witch Sabrina, actress Melissa Joan Hart is now conjuring up ice cream, yogurt and other sweets at her new dessert shop in Sherman Oaks. A grand opening takes place May 30 for Sweet Harts located at the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Woodman Avenue. While a down economy may not be looked at as the best time to open a new business, Hart and her business partners are looking at the shop as a long-term investment. If successful in the first location, Hart said she would like to open elsewhere in the Los Angeles area. Sweet Harts sets itself apart from other dessert-type shops in that it does not sell just one item ?as Pinkberry does with yogurt or Crumbs with cupcakes ?but offers a large assortment of candies, self-serve yogurt, ice cream, gelato, and pies. The shop also includes a coffee bar for those needing a jolt of caffeine, and a party room. ?t is the one thing that it is only a couple of bucks and makes your day go better,?said Hart, who lives in Sherman Oaks with her husband and two sons. Not just an investor, Hart took in active role in selecting the candy sold in the shop and in the design, which she describes as modern baroque. The color scheme is predominantly white with green chairs and a purple floor meant to evoke melting ice cream. Hart has a had a long-time desire to own such a shop, having visited similar businesses in other parts of the country to get ideas. For the candy choices, Hart put a call out to friends for suggestions of what the store should stock Among the replies were Charleston Chews and a Pucker Powder candy dispensing machine. ? didn? want the typical candy on the shelf,?Hart said. Hart continues to act and her production company Hartbreak Films remains her main business venture. In April she starred in and was executive producer for ?y Fake Fiance?airing on the ABC Family Channel. SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Burbank Jets: Avjet Corp. received approval to offer a Boeing Business Jet for charter travel. The approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Transportation follows a seven month process to show Avjet meets financial and operational targets. The Boeing Business Jet is the premier large cabin aircraft in Avjet? fleet. The aircraft has a range of more than 6,000 nautical miles and has three times the interior space of other corporate aircraft. “With this approval, Avjet joins an elite and exclusive handful of companies approved to operate Boeing Business Jets for worldwide charter operations,?said Avjet Chairman and CEO Marc Foulkrod. ?e are delighted to offer our charter customers the ultimate in long-range corporate aircraft.? Reality: BASE Production opened a new facility in Burbank. The 26,000-square-foot building will house the company headquarters, studio and post-production offices. The building can accommodate the staff of more than 100 people working on BASE? slate of unscripted series for cable and other projects. By putting all capabilities under one roof, BASE can expand upon its tradition of exceeding audience and network expectations for exceptional production values at any budget level, said Co-CEO John Brenkus. ?his new facility will allow us to be more efficient and creative than ever, and we look forward to continued growth and success in our new home,?Brenkus said. Current titles produced by BASE include ?esse James is a Dead Man?for Spike; ?rime 360?for A & E; ?uman Wrecking Balls?for G4; and ?nown Universe?for National Geographic. Glendale Cameras: Arecont Vision has supplied surveillance cameras at the new Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Kuching, Malaysia. The 139 cameras provide both live monitoring and to enable operators to zoom in on the details of live and archived video after an event. The multi-streaming opportunities in various video formats was among the reasons Starwood Hotels chose Arecont cameras for the new hotel, said Carl Lee, Area IT Manager, South East Asia, Starwood Hotels. ?he cameras’ higher resolutions provide detailed coverage of larger areas, allowing us to pan, tilt and zoom electronically within a larger, detailed image area, whether live or on recorded video, ?Lee said. ?recont Vision cameras in areas such as the parking lots enable us to recognize vehicle color, license plate number and even see the driver’s face.? Pacoima Building: Vista Aviation hosted a grand opening of its new facility at Whiteman Airport on May 16. Vista invested $6 million into developing a 12,000-square-foot fixed base operation building on the north side of the airport. The new building has an expanded maintenance and avionics facility and parts and pilot supply shop, with a flight school and accredited computerized FAA testing. This four-acre location includes 32 tie-downs, 26 nested T-hangars and 8 rectangular hangars now available for rent. The grand opening featured product demonstrations and seminars from many of the major aviation manufacturers, food and tours of the new facility. Chatsworth Touch: Samsung will use 3D displays developed by Provision Interactive Technologies Inc. to market its new smart phone in Europe. If successful, the program will lead to increased sales of the 3D interactive units. The displays will project 3D holographic videos of the Tocco, a touchscreen smart phone, that consumers will be able to reach out and ?ouch.?br>Samsung will place the displays in high-traffic public and retail spaces throughout the United Kingdom. Upon successful testing, the program will expand throughout Europe. The promotion using point-of-sale displays takes Provision technology to the next level, said company CEO Curt Thornton. ?amsung is a great company to introduce it,?Thornton said. ?onsumers will be completely engaged with this interactive campaign.? Film: Image Entertainment Inc. acquired the U.S. rights to ?dam Resurrected?from Bleiberg Entertainment at the Cannes International Film Festival. The film was featured as an official selection at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival, AFI Fest and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film was directed by writer-director Paul Schrader, and stars Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Ayelet Zurer and Derek Jacobi. Sherman Oaks Education: Voice actress Nancy Cartwright provided an additional $100,000 to a scholarship fund for students attending Ohio University. The Nancy Cartwright Artist Achievement Scholarship is now in its fourth year. Cartwright will present the check June 4 at the graduation ceremony for her alma mater, Fairmont High School in Kettering, Ohio. Hall: The Valley Industry & Commerce Association? Hall of Fame will grow this year to include Beverly Garland? Holiday Inn, Gelson?, Pierce College, Spectrolab and Ritchie Valens. VICA created this award in 2008 to recognize individuals, businesses and other community organizations that have been responsible for the continued success, economic vitality and culture of the San Fernando Valley. ?ICA is looking forward to continuing the tradition that was started last year, by honoring five outstanding inductees who have significantly contributed to the Valley? culture and economy,?said VICA Chair Greg Lippe. ?he San Fernando Valley Business Hall of Fame is VICA? way of thanking those who have helped mold the Valley into a community that we can take pride in today.?br>The inductees will be recognized at VICA? Business Hall of Fame Dinner on June 18 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City. Valley Glen Sports: Los Angeles Valley College has announced this year? inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame. The hall recognizes excellence in sports by athletes who got their start at Valley College. Among the honorees are the 1995 Football Team who, with head coach Jim Fenwick won the Metro Conference Title with a 10-0 record; the 1975/76 men? volleyball team that won 3 United States Volleyball Association tournaments; Billy Reed, a recipient of five varsity letters from 1951-54 that included Football, Basketball, and Track and Field; and Roberta Mulkey, a softball coach in the 1960? that won several conference titles including the 1962 Southern California Junior College Championship. The induction takes place June 27 on the Valley College campus. Tickets are now available. VENTURA COUNTY Camarillo Investors: AML Commnications Inc. has named Financial Profiles Inc. to provide investor relations services. With AML poised for growth Financial Profiles will take the investor relations program to the next level, including a proactive communication and outreach program to the investment community. AML is a designer and manufacturer of military-grade microwave amplifiers and subsystems for the defense industry. SANTA CLARITA Valencia Trade: The Valley Industrial Association will host its Business-to-Business Industry Show on June 10 and 11. The indoor exhibition is Santa Clarita? largest dedicated business-to-business show offering a variety of opportunities for companies to connect in a professional environment. The show gives VIA members an affordable way to showcase their business in front of buyers who are looking to find local sources. ?any companies are looking to build relationships close to their operations, since the economy has caused some to pull back and sustain themselves at the local level,?said VIA President and CEO Kathy Norris. For more information, contact Norris at (661) 294-8088 or visit www.via.org to view a floor plan and to register online.