AROUND THE VALLEYS

News and notes from around the greater San Fernando Valley area SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Cost: The Original PennySaver has started a new daily deals website, SaverTime.com The site gives members access to local daily deals in their local geographical areas. The deals are typically up to 50 percent off the original purchase price of goods and services. Two Valley businesses participating in the program are pet groomer The Groom Room in Valley Village, and Charlie’s Rooter Service in Reseda. The website fits in with the company’s goal of matching local advertisers with local customers, said PennySaverUSA President Loren Dalton. “Instead of having to travel miles for the typical once-in-a-lifetime special experience appearing on other daily deal sites, SaverTime’s approach allows members to access deals on essential products and services within their own local driving area,” Dalton said. Active SaverTime members can receive additional savings credits by referring their friends to the site. If the friends in turn refer their friends to join, the original referring member will receive more savings on purchases. Glendale Living: Senior assisted living group Southern California Presbyterian Homes has changed its name to be.group. The Glendale-based nonprofit organization, which started in 1955 as a single senior living community, now has 34 licensed and affordable housing communities. “We believe our new name is more reflective of our mission and the depth and breadth of what we offer today’s older generation,” said John H. Cochrane, III, be.group’s president and CEO. “We serve people of all faiths and beliefs, and our communities are truly places where residents can be everything they want to be.” While the name is changing, the organization is maintaining the same nonprofit status, mission and core values. Individual communities will retain their current names and cultures. The name-change process took nearly a year and involved extensive research and conversations with stakeholders, Cochrane said. Encino Organize: The Visual Effects Society has formed a new section serving New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The section becomes the sixth for the VES, which represents visual effects artists in the film, television, commercial, and video game industries. The New York Section will focus its short term goals on establishing member education and mentoring programs, organizing and hosting creative and technical panels, and expanding local membership in the region. “With New York coming online, the VES has made a major leap in the depth of art and technique across all verticals of the industry worldwide,” says VES Chair, Jeffry A. Okun. Burbank Speak: Roberto Barragan and David L. Warren were the speakers at the commencement ceremonies at Woodbury University. Barragan, president of the Valley Economic Development Center, attended the graduate ceremonies on May 6 and Warren was the speaker at the undergraduate ceremonies on May 7. Warren, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, also received an honorary doctorate. Barragan is a nationally recognized expert on small business loan funds and micro lending and a strong supporter of business development in low to moderate income communities. Under Barragan, VEDC serves more than 6,000 businesses with financing, training, and assistance. Tarzana Advice: Wedding planner Wayne Gurnick has started a 24-hour, 7-day a week Wedding Planning Hotline. The hotline provides live professional wedding planning expertise around the clock for couples using Gurnick’s services. “Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked on weddings of all sizes and income levels and found that everyone wants the ability to enjoy their wedding day without being overwhelmed by planning issues,” Gurnick said. “Planning a wedding requires the experience to handle any issues that arise and the ability to select vendors who are a good match, a high level of etiquette and the knowledge of contract terms unique to the wedding industry.” Northridge Corruption: Pulitzer Prize winning reporters Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives will speak at the Kenneth S. Devol First Amendment Forum at California State University, Northridge on May 10. Gottlieb and Vives received the Pulitzer for Public Service for their reporting that uncovered a corruption scandal involving elected and other officials in the City of Bell. The forum is free and takes place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunland Honor: Actor and radio talk show host Robert Conrad will dedicate his May 19 radio show to American soldiers and veterans. “The PM Show with Robert Conrad” will feature celebrity guests who were in the military, as well as soldiers past and present who will tell their stories of what the military has meant to them. Conrad is best known for portraying 19th Century super spy James West from the “Wild, Wild West” television series which ran on CBS from 1965 to 1970. “The PM Show” airs on the CRN Network and on its website, www.crntalk.com. Chatsworth Safety: Virtual Guard Inc. has expanded its location and operations of providing security to individuals and businesses. Virtual Guard offers security operations for their clients from custom planning of a stand alone VG System or a system that blends organically with existing systems. “A nanosecond of time can mean millions at risk,” said Steve Dvir, the chief operating officer. “In today’s time security is commonly top priority and I want to offer the best to our clients. It’s been my business for over 25 years to protect assets and guard from unknowns.” Van Nuys Compete: Two students from Van Nuys High School represented the Los Angeles area at the 2011 National Automotive Technology Competition in New York City in April. Traniece Hill and Shane Sullivan, the students, and their auto tech teacher, Joe Agruso, were sponsored by the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association. The competition pits the nation’s best high school automotive vocational education students against one another for the title of ‘America’s Top Technician’. Galpin Ford helped Hill and Sullivan train for the competition with over forty internship hours at its North Hills dealership. “We at Galpin Motors are happy to support our community and the youth of our county,” said Vice President Karl Boeckmann. “Our contribution to the auto tech competition allows us to cultivate the next generation of professional technicians.” Learn: More than 1,000 students were expected to attend Aviation Career Day at Syncro Aviation at Van Nuys Airport on May 9. The event exposed students to the many careers in the aviation industry. Fifty exhibitors were expected to participate in the event as well as static aircraft and helicopter displays. Aviation Career Day was sponsored by Syncro Aviation, Van Nuys Airport and the office Councilman Tony Cardenas. Sherman Oaks Efficient: Columbus Center on Ventura Boulevard is one of more than 200 buildings taking part in the U.S. EPA-sponsored National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. The competition pits buildings from across the U.S. into improving energy efficiency and determining who can reduce energy use the most. Columbus Center is a four-story building built in 1987. Competitors will measure and track their building’s monthly energy consumption using EPA’s Energy Star online energy tracking tool. They also will be able to exchange ideas and strategies through various social media applications, including a live Twitter feed and a Facebook forum. Finalists will be chosen in July with the winner named in November. CONEJO VALLEY Newbury Park Award: Software developer MAXON Computer has received a product of the year from Live Design Magazine. The publication recognized the company for its MAXON 4D modeling, painting, animation and rendering software used to create high-end 3D images. The Live Design awards recognize outstanding products in the live entertainment design and technology industry with a strong accent on projection. “We’re honored that the professional entertainment design technology community has recognized CINEMA 4D as a standout design tool and accept this award on behalf of our customers whose dedication to our products remains a key ingredient to our continued success,” said MAXON US President and CEO Paul Babb. Westlake Village Healthy: Dole Food Co. now sells bananas grown on farms certified by the Rainforest Alliance. These farms meet the Alliance’s comprehensive environmental and social standards, protecting wildlife habitat and workers alike. Joining forces with the Rainforest Alliance to bring certified sustainable bananas to consumers in the U.S. is one part of Dole’s long-standing commitment to environmental responsibility. “Being able to add the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal to our bananas is a great reminder to our customers of Dole’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the well-being of farm workers,” said Mike Cavallero, President of Dole’s North American Tropical and Fresh Fruit division. Driving: TicketBust.com has made available a mobile application to assist drivers in contesting traffic tickets. iTicketBust is available to the iPhone and Android. Using the app, a user can take a picture of their traffic ticket, fill out some basic information and send the ticket and information to TicketBust.com for help in contesting and dismissing the ticket. “We feel it’s a no brainer,” said TicketBust founder and President Steve Miller. “Everyone uses their smartphone for everything these days.” VENTURA COUNTY Simi Valley Publish: Welcome to the Neighborhood magazine was named as small business of the year for the 38th Assembly District by Assemblyman Cameron Smyth. The magazine began publishing seven years ago and focuses on the community and businesses of Simi Valley. Owners Ben and Kid Gilbert will receive the award in Sacramento on June 6. “Small businesses drive the economic engine of California, and I always welcome the opportunity to recognize hardworking business owners,” said Smyth. “In addition to their economic contributions to our community, the owners of Welcome to the Neighborhood Magazine have also shown community leadership as active members of the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce, as well as Leadership Simi Valley.” The Gilberts commitment to corporate giving is demonstrated by the support they give to programs that enhance leadership skills and foster community goodwill. ANTELOPE VALLEY Mojave Space: Commercial space vehicle SpaceShipTwo completed another test flight to demonstrate its re-entry method using its rotating tail section. The “feathered” configuration involves rotating the tail upwards to a 65 degree angle to the fuselage to slow the descent back to Earth. The May 4 flight was the third in 12 days for the spacecraft built by Scaled Composites and operated by Virgin Galactic. The test of re-entry is another important step to starting commercial operations with the craft, said Virgin Galactic CEO and President George Whitesides. “The spaceship is a joy to fly and the feathered descent portion added a new, unusual but wonderful dynamic to the ride,” said Pete Siebold, a co-pilot on the flight. “The fact that it all went to plan, that there were no surprises and that we brought VSS Enterprise back to Mojave safe and sound is a great testament to the whole team.” Palmdale Promote: The City of Palmdale is seeking businesses to sponsor banners in the new “Shop Palmdale” program. A limited number of banners are available at the intersection of Rancho Vista Blvd. and 10th St. West in the heart of the Antelope Valley’s largest shopping district. The banners will promote the sponsoring businesses to 40,000 potential customers who come through the area each day, city officials said. The $400 cost covers installation and maintenance. The summer/fall program runs from June 15 to Dec. 15. The winter/spring program runs from Dec. 16 through June 14. For more information call Stella Knight at (661) 267-5611.