AROUND THE VALLEYS

Six high school seniors will receive scholarships and paid work experiences at the Warner Bros. Studios lot for being named the 2010 REACH Honorship winners. By providing the internships Warner Bros. is showing its commitment to the career development and continued success of the students, said Michelle Yates, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility. “These students are the future workforce of our industry, and we are always looking for new and diverse voices to help us grow as a company,” Yates said. “We are truly invested in these students and their futures—futures we hope they will spend here with us at Warner Bros.” Cosima Cabrera, who will graduate from Providence High School, and Rita Mansuryan, a senior at Burbank High School will each receive $10,000 college scholarships and four consecutive, paid summer internships in their areas of interest. Roberto Zuniga, from John Burroughs High School, receives a $2,500 scholarship and two consecutive paid summer internships. Alana Bonilla, attends Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and Christopher Cabrera is a senior at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex. Both receive a $10,000 college scholarship and the opportunity to complete up to four paid summer internships at the Studio. Brooke Regalado is the winner of the Warner Bros. Animation/Hanna-Barbera REACH Honorship. She receives a $10,000 scholarship and spend four summers in the Studio’s animation department. She attends Santa Susana High School, a magnet school for arts and technology in Simi Valley. SAN FERNANDO VALLEY North Hollywood Donate: Actor Michael McKean donated his $1 million Celebrity Jeopardy winnings to the International Myeloma Foundation. The donation creates the Michael McKean – Lee Grayson Fund, in honor of musician Grayson who was a friend of McKean. Myeloma is a cancer of cells in the bone marrow that affects production of blood cells and can damage bone. McKean was one of three finalists in the Jeopardy celebrity tournament taking place on May 6 and 7. “A million dollars will do so much to help the myeloma community, by empowering patients and their families through education and offering them realistic hope for a brighter future through research,” said foundation President and Co-Founder Susie Novis. Burbank Pets: Rosato Jewelry has released a new collection of necklaces, bracelets, and pendants based on popular dog breeds. The My Dog collection is a reminder to pet lovers of the four-legged friend all the time, said Rosato USA President Michael Pucci. “In addition to the cheerful dog portrait enamels, the My Dog Collection features such doggie-inspired charms as a dog’s bed, a paw-print, a collar, a doghouse and even a gemstone-encrusted bone,” Pucci said. Sylmar Educate: Three students and one school from the San Fernando Valley will receive Steve Allen Excellence in Education Awards on May 26. Allen, an entertainer and songwriter, spent much of his later years focused on and writing about the importance of education. Recipients of the awards include Krikor Kouyoumdjian and Catherine Smith, both of North Hollywood High School, with the Duke Moot Court Co-Recipient Individual Best Speaker Award; Katie Feldman of Los Angeles Valley College, for Poetry Interpretation at the Phi Rho Pi National Speech Tournament; and Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies as the National Magnet School of Distinction. In addition, Lowe’s receives the Business Education Partnership award for its participation in the Canoga Park Green Learning Sustainable Garden at Canoga Park High School. Woodland Hills Legal: Attorney Alex P. Katofsky has opened his law office in the Warner Center Towers. Katofsky is a resident of Calabasas and received his law degree from University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. He has experience in the prosecution and defense of business litigation, professional liability, real estate, insurance, collections, and personal injury matters, as well as transactions involving the purchase, sale and lease of commercial real estate, restaurants and other businesses. As a licensed real estate broker, Mr. Katofsky also has a vast knowledge of commercial and residential real estate transactions. [ Workplace: Moss Adams LLP has been named as one of the best firms for woman accountants to work for. The firm, with a local office in Woodland Hills, was recognized for its higher-than-average share of women partners, its transparency in measurement and public reporting on the status of women, as well as the effectiveness of their Forum W effort, a long-term investment focused on attracting, retaining, developing and advancing women at the firm. The study was conducted by 2010 Accounting MOVE Project, sponsored by the American Society of Women Accountants and the American Women’s Society of Certified Public Accountants. “We’re honored with the acknowledgement this study provides,” said Tammy Young, managing director of human resources at Moss Adams, “as it recognizes our long-term investment in identifying and encouraging the success of women in our firm and our industry.” Calabasas Nature: The City of Calabasas won the Excellence Award for Sustainability from the Southern California Association of Governments. The city was recognized for the Las Virgenes Creek Restoration project that project re-established an existing flood control facility in an environmentally harmonious and sensitive fashion. It is a habitat-friendly haven for wildlife in the middle of a bustling urban area. Lake Balboa Farm: The Valley Fair takes place June 17 through 20 at the Birmingham Charter Community High School. The fair features live entertainment, a variety of ethnic foods, livestock exhibits, home arts exhibits, horticulture exhibits, a petting zoo and pony rides. The entrance fee covers access to all entertainment. The headliner on June 20 is Grammy Award winner Poncho Sanchez. Other acts include Tribute to the Beatles on June 17; Tribute to Journey on June 18; and Tierra on June 19. Birmingham High School is located at 17000 Haynes, Lake Balboa. ANTELOPE VALLEY Palmdale Volunteer: The City of Palmdale is accepting applications for a seat on the Planning Commission. Interested residents must live in District 1 of the city, and have basic knowledge of the zoning and subdivision ordinances, the city’s general plan, and the ability to attend regular bi-monthly evening meetings plus additional meetings as needed. Commissioners receive $100 per meeting with a maximum of $200 per month. Applications will be accepted until 6 p.m. on June 14. Protection: Delta Scientific is making its security barriers and control systems available in a designer series of 14 decors to match the aesthetics of lanscaping. Customers asked the company to provide looks other than slats and bars and Delta Scientific responded with the designer series. Architects and contractors can choose from sliding and swing crash-tested gates in 14 different decors – green landscaping, screen printed glass, steel screen, back-painted glass, laser cut steel in two versions, panelized colored acrylic, panelized stone, panelized concrete, cast stone, wood and stone, panelized wood and wood screen. “Now, safety engineers can meet their security and aesthetic requirements with gates that have been tested in the field and trials for more than 25 years,” said David Dickinson, senior vice president. Steel: A ribbon cutting took place for the opening of the new location of Patton Steel. Present at the event were representatives f the city, chamber of commerce, and Jon Novak, Patton Steel President. Patton, with headquarters in Ontario, supplies steel, ornamental supplies, industrial tools, machinery and office furniture. VENTURA COUNTY Camarillo Scholarships: California State University Channel Islands received a $100,000 bequest from the Camarillo Women’s Club to endow a fund at the school. The endowment will fund four scholarships each year. The late Barbara Stirzel, a longtime member of the women’s club, made the money available to the club upon her death. “The scholarships are extremely important as they reduce the amount of financial debt a student incurs trying to fund his or her education,” said Marti DeLao, director of development for donor relations and annual fund. CONEJO VALLEY Thousand Oaks Recognition: Two books published by Corwin are finalists for the Distinguished Achievement Awards given by the Association of Educational Publishers. “The Fourth Way” by Andy Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley is a finalist in the school improvement category and “Developing Standards-Based Report Cards” by Thomas R. Guskey and Jane M. Bailey is a finalist in the assessment tools category. The awards, to be presented June 8, recognize the year’s top educational products in curriculum, periodicals, professional development, and technology & new media.