AROUND THE VALLEYS

Water feature designer and manufacturer WET completed its new building dubbed the Idea Playground to house its training, research and development and testing departments. The U-shaped building near the WET facility in Sun Valley features a permeable grass surface for a parking lot, a first in the City of Los Angeles. Rain and water used to test the company’s intricate features soaks back into the ground or is used for landscaping. Inside can be found the company’s model shop, optics lab for designing energy efficient lights, chemistry lab, and testing center for the full-size mock ups of new water features. WET founder and CEO Mark Fuller said the new building is dedicated to the bright minds and inventive spirit that have propelled the company to its success. His favorite part of the new building is the wing with three classrooms for training for all the employees. The curriculum includes 3D computer modeling, physics, and English language skills. The environment of the Idea Playground is to have interaction between the many disciplines. The lunch tables even dispense engineering sketch paper and have drafting tools and pencils so that ideas can immediately be committed to paper. “When you are running a creative enterprise you get the best ideas when all those people are together,” Fuller said. – Mark R. Madler SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Reseda Pay: Instant Tax Service opened a new location owned by Mario and Elizabeth Valverde. The office offers more personable and approachable service than larger tax preparation services. Discounts and free over-the-phone tax return quotes are now available. “I’m really looking forward to bringing the Instant Tax Service experience to Reseda,” Mario Valverde said. “As a minority-owned business, we wanted to serve the community we live in.” Instant Tax Service has nearly 1,200 locations mostly owned and operated by independent franchise owners. Seniors: Residents will begin to move in to the new Fountainview at Eisenberg Village, a continuing care retirement community that is part of the Los Angeles Jewish Home. Fountainview sets the bar for dynamic senior living with a full menu of services, amenities, and activities that includes a creative arts studio, fitness center, fine dining, spa salon, and business/computer center. Fountainview consists of 108 one- and two-bedroom apartments and is designed to provide active, healthy living options for independent seniors. Burbank Learning: Nickelodeon Animation Studios made the list of Top 10 Internships as selected by job search and career management website Vault.com. The website chose the studio for providing interns with in-depth, hands-on-work experience in animation production, post-production, finance, casting, animation, CGI, human resources, and business and legal affairs. Nickelodeon produces such hit animated TV shows as Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Penguins of Madagascar, Fanboy and more. The goal of the animation studios has been to remain a leader in the entertainment industry, said Internship Coordinator Ashley Morley, a former intern herself. “We are thrilled that our internship program has been recognized for its success in offering students classes with executives, opportunities to take animation skills tests, and much more – all resulting in a 1 in 3 chance at being hired,” Morley said. Name: Warner Bros. Entertainment has re-branded its in-house record label from New Line Records to WaterTower Music. The name change allows the label to communicate its role in supporting all divisions within Warner Bros. Entertainment as a full-service music label. Jason Linn, who started the label, will remain as its head, reporting to New Line President and COO Toby Emmerich and Paul Broucek, president, music, Warner Bros. Pictures. The label received a Grammy nomination for the soundtrack to “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” a Golden Globe nomination for best original score for “The Informant!” and a Broadcast Film Critics nomination for “Sherlock Holmes.” Competition: Area students will vie for scholarship money in a furniture design contest sponsored by the F3 Foundation. The competition provides a launching pad for college and university students to explore furniture design as an integral part of design practice. “In the past, furniture design was a much more integral part of the overall design, in the tradition of Eames, Wright and Schindler,” said Reto Eberle, founder of the F3 Foundation and CEO of design firm dTank in Burbank. “In recent years, however, less focus has been given to the art of furniture design. “ The participants will conceptualize the exterior and interiors for a Music Utility Vehicle – a pop-up mobile music store to promote a recording artist on the go. A winner will be chosen from among five finalists in May. Studio City Romance: Global Sophisticate Records is offering “The Loungescape Kit” to set the right mood this Valentine’s Day. The set that includes a CD from recording artist Porkpie, custom drink coasters and tapered cocktail toothpicks, and three cocktail potion recipes, is the first in a series of themed-lifestyle entertainment packages being offered by the label. Global Sophisticate was founded by musicians and composers Elyse Schiller and Jim Watson whose work has appeared in televisions series and feature films. “Our first release provides a sophisticated ambiance that can serve as the perfect soundtrack for Valentine’s Day,” Watson said. “Our goal is to provide a sexy, lounge scenario that would work within the setting of any Valentine’s Day celebration.” Los Angeles Chiefs: Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills presents a free educational program on U.S. presidents and the Constitution on Feb. 3 and 4. “A Visit with Great Presidents” features actors portraying George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison discussing the significance and impact of the Constitution. A question and answer session with the audience follows each president’s presentation. The program takes place in the Hall of Liberty at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on both days. Encino Change: Market research software developer United Sample has changed its name to uSamp as part of a rebranding campaign. The new name reflects client-centric technology and the global sample delivered through its surveys, company officials said. uSamp develops market-research software and provides online surveying and panel-recruitment tools,. ANTELOPE VALLEY Palmdale Employment: The Palmdale Public Library is offering a free online job coaching service through the city’s website. Coaching through JobNow is available daily between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. Online assistance is given for every step of the job search process, from resume writing to tips on interviewing. “With the unemployment rate in double digits here in the Antelope Valley, our free JobNow job coaching resource is more valuable than ever before,” said Deputy City Manager Nancy Quelland. JobNow can be accessed at www.cityofpalmdale.org/library. SIMI VALLEY Eat: The Citrus and Peppertree rooms at Simi Valley Hospital will function as a temporary dining area as the Sycamore Café undergoes renovations. Crews will install new flooring, wall finishes and seating. The work is anticipated to take eight weeks to complete. After the dining room work is completed, the Citrus and Peppertree rooms will be refurbished, and the physician dining room and adjacent space that formerly housed the gift shop will be converted into a physician lounge. SANTA CLARITA VALLEY Santa Clarita Re-emerge: The I3 Advanced Technology Incubator has re-opened in a new location in the Van Hook University Center at College of the Canyons and become a component of the Small Business Development Center. The incubator will provide local entrepreneurs with an innovative way to learn, compete and grow in the current economy. “Allowing the resources of the SBDC and its 15 professional business advisors to be deployed on behalf of our I3 clients will reenergize the program and allow it to finally reach its potential,” said center director Steve Tannehill. The incubator opened in 2007 and was put on hiatus in 2009 due to state budget cuts. A grant from the state Chancellor’s office Economic and Workforce Development program helped in re-opening the incubator. – Compiled by Mark R. Madler