AROUND THE VALLEYS

A portion of Lancaster Boulevard through downtown has been torn up for improvements to make the area a gathering place for residents and visitors. When completed the $10.5 million project will have removed two lanes of traffic, slowing speeds to 15-20 miles per hour, and added landscaping, including rows of trees to mitigate the wind and heat. In addition there will be new paver sidewalks, curbs and gutters, paved streets, an at-grade paver center median for parking, an extended storm drain, decorative street lights, an audio/sound system, landscaping, and street furniture. Over the past year, new restaurants and an artist’s loft and gallery have opened in downtown. The new Lancaster Museum/Art Gallery will join the Lancaster Performing Arts Center in creating a vibrant cultural scene, city officials said. SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Law: The Los Angeles Superior Court has launched an awareness campaign to alert the public to courthouse closures due to budget constraints. All county courthouses will be closed Wednesday, May 19 and Wednesday, June 16. Vivid reed-and-black posters will be displayed in courthouses and other county buildings. Ads have also been placed at the Superior Court’s website. “Thousands of people needing Court services, unfortunately, are turned away on court-closure days,” said Presiding Judge Charles W. McCoy Jr. “The Court’s awareness campaign may eliminate fruitless trips as well as explain how our web and telephone services can complete court business.” An automated telephone service serves traffic customers paying tickets, extending court dates, applying for traffic school and countless other functions. Van Nuys Shelter: Medical practice firm MaxiMed Inc. donated a building for use by Safe Passage, a non profit serving victims of domestic abuse. A grand opening took place in April featuring women who have been transformed by Safe Passage, a Spring Stuffed Animal drive for children of domestic violence, and the collecting of other new or used items for families. “I am so excited about the new location in Van Nuys,” said Safe Passage founder and CEO Trish Steele. “We will be able to provide more services to woman and children in need and have a place to store all the product donations.” Donate: Les Sisters’ Southern Kitchen and BBQ will give 30 percent of every bill to the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center every Wednesday in May. The proceeds will help the center provide programs to improve the mental health of individuals and families. To participate, download the flyer available at www.centerevents.org. Les Sisters’ is located at 21818 Devonshire St., Chatsworth. Burbank Competition: Five area college students were named finalists in the F3 Awards – Student Furniture Design Competition. The students will compete for cash scholarships on May 21 at furniture design studio dTank by giving a presentation on their design concept to a jury of relevant business leaders. The caliber of work by the students was truly exceptional, said Reto Eberle, chief executive of dTank and founder of the F3 Foundation, the main sponsor of the scholarship competition. “Each of these students displayed a level of creativity, design and presentation on par with many professionals in the industry,” Eberle said “It’s very exciting to see that the future of furniture design is alive and well, and we look forward to seeing their live presentations.” The finalists were Jamison Hammers, California State University, Long Beach; Jason Hanley, California State University, Long Beach; Lauren Montgomery, California State University, Long Beach; Alexander Nevarrez, Art Center College of Design; and Minh Nguyen, Art Center College of Design. Van Nuys Clinic: Providence Health & Services and the Health Net Foundation offered free health services to the uninsured at nine locations in the East San Fernando Valley on May 10. The program seeks to improve community health by providing ongoing services and education to uninsured patients with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes. Providence and Health Net worked with Dr. Glenn Lopez, who operates a mobile clinic in the east Valley. Encino Repair: The owners of Tremor Ready Inc. received the “Home Pro of the Year” award from ServiceMagic.com, a service professionals website. Jeff and Nancy Board were recognized for their outstanding performance and community involvement. Tremor Ready, founded in 1993, specializes in foundation repair and retrofit. The Boards contribute to the Encino Children’s Fund, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Starlight Foundation, and the GO Green for the Encino Our Lady of Grace School donating education and materials for the new garden for the homeless and the poor to feed the local community. CONEJO VALLEY Westlake Village Kids: The My Stuff Bags Foundation and representatives of the toy industry got together on May 7 to fill duffel bags to be distributed to shelters and foster care agencies in the U.S. The 5,000 bags provided by the My Stuff Bags Foundation were filled with toys, toiletries and handmade items. Employees from The Walt Disney Co., Jakks Pacfic, Mattel, Funrise, Pacific Play Tents, Educational Insight, and The Piggy Story were among the volunteers filling the bags. Hasbro, iToys, and Schoenhut Piano Company provided product for the bags. My Stuff Bags Foundation was founded in 1998 to address the immediate physical and emotional needs of children who must be rescued from abuse, neglect and abandonment. Thousand Oaks Gold: Popular PBS television host Huell Howser visited the residents of University Village to share stories of his show, “California’s Gold.” Howser encouraged the audience to uncover and explore their own California “gold.” He said the stories are easy to find, if people take the time to talk to others, make new friends and ask questions. “Every person living on this planet has a story worth listening to,” Howser told the audience. “Show interest in other people’s lives, acknowledge their existence, and you can uncover some pretty amazing stories.” Howser has hosted “California’s Gold” for nearly 20 years. VENTURA COUNTY Camarillo Academics: California State University Channel Islands had its second annual Faculty-Student Research Forum on May 9. Presentations from 31 student-teacher teams were open for viewing to the public. The forum highlighted collaborative projects on a variety of topics, including social networking, obesity, and the braceros of Ventura County. The forum was designed in response to the university’s desire to strengthen research activities as part of its academic foundation and to increase the number of faculty and student research activities. The faculty-student projects have encouraged community partnerships that enhance the research projects through resources, information and education. ANTELOPE VALLEY Lancaster Health: Antelope Valley Hospital has invested in a da Vinci Surgical System, a robotic platform assisting doctors to perform less invasive surgeries. The da Vinci system provides surgeons greater dexterity and sharper precision and visualization than traditional surgery. Smaller incisions mean less chance of infection and quicker recovery time for patients. Faster recovery times mean patients can resume their normal activities much sooner than they would with traditional surgical approaches. “Feedback from patients as well as the physicians on staff at AV Hospital has been very positive,” says hospital CEO Edward Mirzabegian “The local community is already reaping the rewards of the da Vinci Surgical System, and it has put AV Hospital on the map as a destination healthcare facility.” Palmdale Riders: The City of Palmdale will serve as host city for the Stage 6 start of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California. The stage start on May 21 had to be moved from Pasadena due to road closures on the Angeles Crest Highway caused by recent fires and subsequent mudslide damage to the route. Palmdale City Hall will serve as the backdrop of the most difficult stage of race. Riders will follow Sierra Highway to Angeles Forest Highway into the San Gabriel Mountains. The race finishes in the San Bernardino mountains at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Relocate: Public relations professional Mark Kruskol has moved his business to Palmdale from Van Nuys. Kruskol will continue to represent clients in the entertainment industry and other fields in the Los Angeles area while expanding his client base in the Antelope Valley. Kruskol has joined the local chamber of commerce and visited a video and film production class at Highland High School to talk about the publicity aspect of the film industry. SANTA CLARITA VALLEY Valencia Dream: Valencia Acura and the Experience Genie partnered to provide a special day for Andrea Espinosa and her family. The dealership provided the Espinosas with a new Acura ZDX. Andrea Espinosa was then treated to a luxury hotel suite in Los Angeles, indoor sky diving, a private helicopter tour and an afternoon at a spa. Andrea’s husband, Jose, is battling colon cancer and he and their two children asked for the Experience Genie’s help in surprising Andrea with a one of a kind dream day. “For many years, we have been supporters of the American Cancer Society and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital” said Cheri Fleming, co-owner of Valencia Acura, “So when the Experience Genie called, we were thrilled to help create Andrea’s dream day.”