AROUND THE VALLEYS

News and notes from around the greater San Fernando Valley area ANTELOPE VALLEY Lancaster Permits: Business owners can now renew their business license online at the city’s website. The service is part of the city’s efforts to cut down on paperwork and maximize customer convenience options. “Many people now pay their bills from the comfort of their home via the internet, reducing the time and energy they spend on a necessary task,” said Mayor R. Rex Parris. “We’re glad to offer this convenient option to our citizens as well.” The renewal system accepts both full and partial payments. A business license, however, will not be issued until paid in full. Business owners will continue to receive their renewal notices in the mail. Information on renewing online will be included with the notices. SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Woodland Hills Crane: The Multi Terrain 4-wheel drive Mobile Crane Base by Panavision Remote Systems is now available at the company’s Woodland Hills and UK locations. The Multi Terrain Base (MTB) attaches to cranes as large as a 50’ Supertechno crane arm and is able to maneuver it off-road or over rough terrain. The MTB is a time and money saver for the motion picture and television industry in its ability to be operated from a driver’s seat. The crane is controlled by a joystick or remote control and requires only one or two technicians for operation. John “Beef” Janusek, a veteran key grip in the entertainment industry was impressed with the MTB’s functionality. “What I liked best about it was its stout, low-slung design and the fact that with the way in which the controls were configured, either myself or the technicians assigned to it could operate it easily,” he said. “The leveling jacks make that part easy. Would I use it again? Definitely.” Van Nuys Airport: In July, Van Nuys Airport began their updated Fly Friendly Program which promotes quiet departure for jets flying out of VNY. The program includes updated noise level requirements and new noise abatement techniques. It has also expanded the number of aircraft participants. The program corresponds with the new annual “Friendly Fliers” award program which will begin on January 1, 2012. The program awards operators, who conduct at least 30 departures from the east runway in a calendar year, do not exceed the applicable target levels more than three percent of the time, and who follow all other noise abatement policies and procedures. The first award ceremony will be held in the first quarter of 2013. Jess Romo, Van Nuys Airport Manager said the new award program will allow for “friendly competition among the jet operators and further expand the airport’s commitment to the community.” Fly Friendly’s July kickoff date allows operators a six-month adjustment period to the new noise abatement techniques as well as the new target noise levels before the award cycle begins. The techniques have been approved by aircraft manufacturers and are supported by the National Business Aviation Association. Ventura County Simi Valley Partnership: Electrical distributor, Associated of Los Angeles (ALA) and LED light manufacturer, Seesmart Inc. have joined forces. ALA, a primary electrical vendor for the City of Los Angeles, is the newest dealer of Seesmart’s LED products. The distributor will have access to Seesmart’s complete line of over 325 products to offer their clients. Seesmart Chief Executive Officer Ken Ames said the company has seen positive results in previous collaborations with ALA. The two companies are currently working on retrofitting a Los Angeles 911 call center. The center’s lighting will be upgraded to Seesmart LED lighting, which has a proven ability to lower the amount of energy consumption and increase light levels. Ray Sjolseth, president of Seesmart, said the company was proud to welcome ALA to their international network of dealers and distributors. “We look forward to educating ALA in LED technology for implementation across its extensive client base,” he said. Glendale Honor: Verdugo Hills Hospital was recognized as one of the “Healthiest Companies in America” by Interactive Health Solution. The award was given to 44 companies nationwide. Of the three hospitals recognized, VHH was the only in California. The award criterion is based on clinical evaluations of employee participants lead by an index of health indicators designed by IHS. Some of the indicators include heart disease, diabetes, smoking, and other measures of health status. Paul Celuch, vice president of human resources at VHH, said the hospital’s V-Care Wellness Program has been successful in improving the health and well-being of its employees over the past two years. “Over 80 percent of last year’s at-risk members showed improvement in the most recent health assessment,” he said. “And overall employees say they appreciate the wellness benefit with an overwhelming 97 percent saying they found value in it.” VHH President and CEO Len LaBella said the hospital hopes to serve as a role model for the community and assist other organizations in their service area to initiate similar programs. SANTA CLARITA VALLEY Valencia Agreement: This month, Weidmann Electrical Technology Inc., announced that its subsidiary company Weidmann Diagnostic Solutions Inc. has completed a five-year agreement with manufacturer H2scan Corporation. Under the agreement, Weidmann will sell a new stand-alone hydrogen sensing system produced by H2Scan. The system measures hydrogen in the oil of power transformers and is the first of its kind to offer real-time measurement of hydrogen online and in direct contact with the oil of the transformer. The system’s features also include the ability to measure hydrogen over wide range of temperatures and an easy–to-install process, making it ideal for retro-fit applications. Jeff Goolgasian, president of Weidmann Diagnostic Solutions Inc., said H2scan’s reputation as an expert in hydrogen sensing and its established product line made them an “ideal partner choice” to jointly develop this new transformer monitoring solution. “Now we can offer our customers a reliable, continuous, real-time, early warning sensing solution at the right price point which to date has not been possible,” he said. The system will debut this fall, on the conclusion of its testing and validation period.