April 2015 Voice of the Village
Transcription
April 2015 Voice of the Village
April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 1 Voice The Serving the Community of Sunland-Tujunga and Beyond April 2015 Volume 6, Issue 4 Visit us online at www.voiceofthevillage.org Sky pilots: How these ‘Flying Tigresses’ soar By Kresse Armour Margaret Viola’s business card gives an address in Mojave, CA, USA, EARTH. It’s because she clocks in at The Spaceship Company (TSC). It’s the aerospace facility at the Mojave Air & Space Port where Sir Richard Branson’s White Knight spacecraft is housed in Virgin Galactic’s hangar. Viola, who holds a degree in physics, is an Executive Project Specialist for TSC. She’s also a pilot, both fixedwing and glider, who is dedicated to mentoring students and promoting STEM scholarships for women. In June of this year she’ll serve as co-pilot as she teams up with commercial pilot and seasoned racer, Anne Marie Radel, as the pair takes on the See PILOTS, Page 4 S-T-SH Rotary Club hosting 2nd annual Chili Cook-off The Sunland-Tujunga-Shadow Hills Rotary Club is hosting its second annual Chili Cook-off on Saturday, April 18, and is up to its jalapenos in some pretty hot competition. And, appropriately, the band ‘Thunderclap,’ will be providing the day’s lively entertainment. Chili cooks from around the Southland are invited to ‘turn up the flame’ and prepare their best chili dish for this fiery hometown event. In addition to individual entries, the Rotary Club is challenging all businesses and organizations to compete in a special business/organization chili cook-off category. The more, the spicier! As for chili-cooking recipes, there Young Eagles flights: Where kids meet the sky! Page 11 Photo by Kresse Armour Pilots Anne Marie Radel and Margaret Viola will team up for the 2015 Air Race Classic, in support of STEM scholarships. are categories for ‘Chili Con Carne,’ ‘Chili With Beans,’ and ‘Vegetarian Chili.’ And Rotary won’t even stick you in the hot seat: rules are that chili is to be made at home and brought to the event for judging in a crock pot or similar large container. Team names and decorations are greatly encouraged and are known to make the chili taste even better. Bring enough chili for public sampling – you’ll want the world to know what good chili is! Cost is $10 per entry. Chili aficionados are invited to taste the various offerings for a donation of $5. It’s all money well spent. The Rotary Club is See CHILI, Page 3 Photo by Kresse Armour Pilot Lisa Fusano, center, prepares for a YE flight. Blazing Star Bazaar Treasures & Plant Sale Little Landers Historical Society announces the April return of our annual rummage and plant sales. Both events are fund-raisers for Little Landers and Bolton Hall and will be held at Bolton Hall on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donations of new, gently used, antique, retro, vintage and collectible items may be brought to Bolton Hall during public hours any Tuesday or Sunday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. or on Friday, April 24 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. For plant donations, please call Bolton Hall to make arrangements. Bolton Hall Museum is located at 10110 Commerce Avenue, Tujunga. Additional information is available from Little Landers Historical Society, 818-352-3420 or www.littlelandershistoricalsociety.org. Or, e-mail: [email protected]. Spring Carnival set April 3-5 By Mark Seigel Carnival Chairman The Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that the 2015 Spring Carnival will be held Easter weekend and will open on Friday, April 3, and run through Sunday, April 5, at Sunland Park, 8651 Foothill Blvd. The S-T Chamber sponsors this event annually with the help of local businesses, organizations, resident donations and sponsorships. And the admission is free! The carnival will feature over 20 rides, Easter Egg Hunts, Kids Crafts, Games and a Vendor Marketplace with handcrafted items, art and gifts. Don’t miss this annual family fun event. Visit the www.stchamber.com website for additional information including sponsorship opportunities. The Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization that supports the local business community. Check out the promotional video: https://vimeo.com/123549958 Carnival Hours: Friday, April 3, 5-10 pm Saturday and Sunday, April 4-5, 11a.m. -10 p.m. The Voice and Verdugo Hills High School in partnership to help students succeed! April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 2 Page 2 Voice of the Village Animal Issues Committee finds full STNC support on ‘compassionate’ animal rescue letter to mayor 80 new trees planted along Foothill Blvd. By Pat Kramer By Pat Kramer STNC Region 1 Rep/Co-chair Animal Issues Committee On March 11, a letter asking for a new policy on compassionate animal rescues, drafted by the STNC Animal Issues Committee, received a unanimous vote of approval from the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council. Addressed to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the letter asks for a policy to be put in place w h e r e b y DWP workers c o n t a c t SMART (Specialized Mobile Animal Pat Kramer Rescue Team) of the Department of Animal Services when an animal is trapped on their equipment. The purpose of the letter is to create a more humane and compassionate system of animal rescues throughout the city of Los Angeles, instead of putting the care of a frightened animal in the hands of an untrained DWP worker. The basis for the letter was an incident that took place on November 14, 2014 on Jardine Avenue in Sunland when a DWP worker arrived with a bucket truck to help a cat that had been trapped on a power pole for three days. The cat was frightened and the situation required careful handling of the cat to get it safely to the ground. Unfortunately, after removing the cat from the pole, the DWP tossed the cat from the bucket truck 15’ – 20’ from the ground, saying that it was scratching him. Would-be rescuers on the ground were not prepared to catch the cat or to provide the care it may have needed, and bystanders said the cat may have been injured when it hit the ground. In presenting the letter, our Animal Issues Committee Chair Dana Stangel and Pat Kramer noted that the DAS April 2015 Photos courtesy of Councilmember Felipe Fuentes’ office Volunteers join Councilmember Felipe Fuentes in LABT tree planting project. SMART team, led by Acting Lieutenant Navarrete with Wildlife Officer Dinh, are specially trained to handle frightened and possible antagonistic animals. Additionally, they have special equipment to rescue wildlife that may be injured or become trapped. Presently, there is no policy for city agencies or police to work with the SMART team on animal rescues. As our city becomes increasingly urbanized and hillsides become populated, there are more cases coming to light of wildlife becoming victims of police as they cross into areas where people reside. Our Animal Issues Committee is committed to educating our community about ways to coexist with wildlife and, of course, to treat all animals with compassion. In a related matter, the city’s Budget Representatives recently released a White Paper in which they reSee LETTER, Page 3 For the record ... you heard it here FIRST It’s your e c i Vo The On March 21 volunteers from the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, the community and the Los Angeles Beautification Team (LABT) came out in force to begin the process of planting 80 trees along Foothill Boulevard. (There were 25 droughtresistant trees planted on the 21st, the rest were planted the following week). Councilmember Felipe Fuentes (CD7) paid the LABT for weekly waterings for the next three years. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and City Plants donated the trees. A grant from the Bureau of Sanitation covered the cost of planting the trees. On hand to create the tree wells was the local nonprofit, the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. The trees were planted by youth working with the Los Angeles Beautification Team as well as many community volunteers which included: STNC Board Members Gail Carlson (chair of the Beautification Team), Pat Kramer (Region 1, Sunland) and Jon von Gunten (Neighborhood Watch Rep); and Karen von Gunten. Also on hand for this event were Councilmember Fuentes and STNC President and S-T Chamber President Mark Seigel. April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 3 April 2015 Voice of the Village Page 3 Growing Up In Sunland Geronimo: The wildest kid in Sunland By Tom Gilfoy I had some pretty wild friends growing up in Sunland, but none quite so wild as my pal, Geronimo. He was the only kid in Sunland who my dad eventually told me I couldn’t have as a friend. I mean he really was wild, and dangerous too. He never killed any of his friends, but he came close. Once, he even came close to killing himself. I know his real name, but it’s just as well I don’t include it here. After all, he could still be living among us so why give him away. Besides, as a kid, he only answered to Geronimo, anyway. He was part Indian, or at least claimed to be. He gave himself the name Geronimo, and I think the rest of us went along because calling him by that name reinforced our belief we were hanging out with a real live Indian. The fact he was a couple of years older than us, and only seemed to play with younger kids, is probably something a child psychiatrist would have a lot of fun analyzing. Geronimo led our gang of young followers into many questionable activities. One was sneaking into the old Sunland Grammar School building at night where he organized rubber gun battles in the darkened hallways. These battles were, in their own way, sort of a poor man’s forerunner to the now popular games played with paintball guns. Geronimo taught us how to make the guns, which, basically, only amounted to a piece of wood carved to look a little like a long-barreled pistol with a clothespin serving as a trigger. With thick, powerful rubber bands, the guns were reasonably accurate. If you were hit at close range, you could get a pretty good sting. It was fun shooting each other in the Sunland rattlesnake: One of Geronimo’s playmates. school’s halls this way, and we kept it up until my dad found out what was going on and put a stop to it. As best I recall, it was at about this time he put a permanent stop to my playing with Geronimo altogether. As things turned out, it was a good thing he did too –– getting stung by a rubber band was pretty mild compared to some of the things that happened later. In fact, it was only a short time later when Geronimo shot one of us with a real pistol. About 70 years later I saw the victim of the shooting, my friend Johnny O’Connell, at a class reunion and asked him to refresh my memory about what had happened. Not surprisingly, Johnny has an indelible memory of the incident. He told me he was with Geronimo and some other friends at a neighbor’s house when Geronimo started horsing around with a supposedly unloaded .38 caliber revolver. It Letter gets full STNC support LETTER, from Page 2 searched the goals of the city’s various departments. In regard to the Department of Animal Services, the White Paper states, “The Department of Animal Services is charged with the responsibility to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of animals and people in Los Angeles.” Accordingly, one of the DAS’ goals is to become a no-kill shelter by 2017. The White Paper further states that “the LA City Council is deliberating whether to raise the limit of number of cats owned by city residents from three to five,” which would help to keep the population of cats out of the city’s shelters. We believe this is clearly indicative of progressive, compassionate and forward moving deliberation — and possible legislation — in support of all shelter pets, but with specific consideration for the welfare of cats. If there is ever a situation where an animal requires rescue (such as the cat on a power pole), please contact L.A. Department of Animal Services at: 213-485-8613. The SMART team is available 24/7, anytime in any weather and will be contacted by LA DAS if you request their help. If an animal is being abused or neglected, contact the Animal Cruelty Task Force (a division of the LAPD) at 213-486-0450. To report an animal crime in progress, please call 911. Within our own community of Sunland-Tujunga, the STNC Animal Issues Committee holds meetings on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at North Valley City Hall, 7747 Foothill Boulevard, Tujunga. We welcome anyone in our community with an interest in animal issues to attend our meetings and to hear informative and exciting presentations from people involved in all areas of animal rescue or care. wasn’t long before he started pointing it at his friends and pulling the trigger. The click, click, clicking made Johnny so uncomfortable he got up to leave. As he was walking by, Geronimo pointed the gun at him, pulled the trigger one too many times and fired a live round into Johnny’s stomach. Johnny recalled it didn’t hurt too much at first and that he remained conscious as he was driven down to the old Doc Mahon office on Foothill Boulevard. Doc couldn’t do much for him and called an ambulance. It was only later, when Johnny was being rushed to the hospital by ambulance, that he finally lost consciousness. Eventually, Johnny fully recovered, but not before he became quite famous for being the only kid at Verdugo Jr. High with a real bullet lodged inside of him. In those days they didn’t dare remove the bullet until Johnny had re- gained enough strength from the initial trauma to withstand the operation. The result was he carried the bullet around inside of him for about six months before they finally operated and took it out. During the interim, I was among his many friends who were always asking Johnny to pull up his shirt so we could look with amazement at the rather pronounced protrusion on his back where the bullet had come to rest. Another of Geronimo’s dangerously bizarre activities was playing with rattlesnakes. Not surprisingly, he handled them quite carelessly, with impunity really, claiming that even if one bit him it wouldn’t matter as his Indian blood made him immune to the snake’s poison. To the surprise of no one, he was eventually bitten and when his punctured hand started to swell, Indian blood or no, he rushed himself down to Hober’s corner drug store in hopes of finding some antivenin. Not finding any, he was leaving the store when he lost consciousness and fell down on the sidewalk out front. He was rushed to the hospital by ambulance where his life was saved. An interesting epilogue to this latter episode is that Hober’s Drugstore (more recently known as Sunland Pharmacy) later gained a reputation as being the only pharmacy in the entire San Fernando Valley that kept a permanent supply of antivenin in stock. Lloyd Hitt, who later became the store’s proprietor, does not recall whether the Geronimo incident is what caused them to start keeping the supply on hand, but it does not seem unreasonable to speculate that this may well have been the case. Reach Tom at: [email protected] STNC public meeting is scheduled on April 8 at North Valley City Hall The public is invited to attend the next meeting of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, to be held April 8, at 6:30 p.m., at North Valley City Hall, located at 7747 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga. Celebrate the 2014 STNC Board’s Year in Office and its accomplishments. Learn about current issues facing the community as well as the STNC’s current projects and 2015-16 goals. For more information about the STNC and visit: stnc.org Chili Cook-off planned by Rotary CHILI, from Page 1 a 501(c)3 that works to support many good community causes and occasions like the annual Sunland-TujungaShadow Hills July 4th Parade down Foothill Boulevard. Volunteers are welcome and appreciated. The event will be held at the Elks Lodge, located at 10137 Commerce Ave., Tujunga. Competition starts at 11 a.m., with judging beginning at noon. Terrific hosts that they are, the Elks will have beverages available at the Lodge. Entry forms may be obtained at the S-T Chamber of commerce or by emailing [email protected]. April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 4 Page 4 Voice of the Village April 2015 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PILOTS, from Page 1 2015 annual Air Race Classic. The four-day event will send racers on a sky-high course that starts in Fredricksburg, Virginia, zig-zags over 10 states, and ends in Fairhope, Alabama. They’ll be racing in Radel’s sleek Gumman Tiger. A longtime pilot, Radel grew up in a ‘flight friendly’ family. Her brothers are also pilots. Her father was an oilman, who piloted a Mooney Mite all around West Texas. “It was faster than driving,” Radel said. “He made all of us love flying. I thought it was all magic. You’d pick a field to land in and shoo away the cows.” Radel, who holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating (single and multi-engine), as well as a Commercial seaplane rating, also flies traffic watch over the Los Angeles basin as a relief pilot for AM Station KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO. And she is passionate about racing. Her logbook tells of air races from all around the country, one even taking her from Oklahoma City to St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, a distance of 2,400 miles. Radel is also an ASCAP songwriter with her own publishing company, Flaunch Music Co. (www.flaunchmusic.com). Her song ‘See Her Fly’ is played at the start and terminus of the Air Race Classic every year. She was inspired to write it, she said, “By all the women racers I’ve Photos by Kresse Armour Anne Marie Radel, photo at left, is president of the San Fernando Valley NinetyNines, an active chapter of the women pilots organization. Above, chapter members ‘fly low’ in Pasadena’s annual Doo-Dah Parade. met along the way.” The Air Race Classic has drawn 55 teams this year, all of which will be looking to set new speed records. The ARC, which began in 1929 as the first “Women’s Air Derby,” started with 20 female pilots who tore through the sky from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio, landing at the site of the Cleveland National Air Race, which was already underway. Though women had been barred from this male-only event, it didn’t deter the 20 pilots from coming to the party. The Women’s Air Derby would earn its nickname, “The Powder Puff Derby,” from humorist Will Rogers, who was attending the National Air Race with good friend and pilot, Wiley Post. Staff Acknowledgements: Voice of the Village is published on the first day of each month by the Sunland-TujungaShadow Hills Community Fund, a non-profit 501c3 organization established to provide financial support to student organizations at Verdugo Hills High School through matching grants for community service performed by the students. VHHS Journalism students are encouraged to write for Voice of the Village. Content may also be submitted by people in our community, who may send in articles, letters, photos, and announcements for publication –– the content of which expresses the views of senders and is not necessarily that of the Voice of the Village. The Voice promotes submission of articles on subjects of interest in our community and reserves the right to edit articles and/or to not publish them. Deadline for advertising, articles and announcements is the 15th of each month. Manager/Publisher: Brenda Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Kresse Armour • [email protected] Managing Editor/Photographer: John Emig Staff Reporter: Eric Owens Advertising/Account Manager: Ruth Logan • [email protected] • 818-397-3835 Distribution: John Clausen • [email protected] Voice of the Village: P.O. Box 4323, Sunland, CA 91041 E-mail: [email protected] Website: voiceofthevillage.org Looking for your own Voice? We deliver 10,000 copies to locations throughout Sunland, Tujunga, Shadow Hills, Sun Valley and the Foothills communities — be sure to get yours! Locations include: JOSELITO’S IHOP MI CASITA DENNY’S CROW’S NEST SPORTS GRILLE S-T BRANCH LIBRARY DO IT CENTER RALPHS, VONS and FRESH & EASY markets MISSION VALLEY BANK STARBUCKS VERDUGO HILLS HOSPITAL C & M PRINTING S-T CHAMBER OF COMMERCE McDONALDS GIAMELAS ANGELES GOLF CLUB VERDUGO HIGH SCHOOL In the weeks following that first Air Derby, the idea for a national women’s pilot organization took off. Letters were sent to all 117 female pilots in the United States, inviting them to Curtis Field, Valley Stream, Long Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 1929. They would have dinner and talk about the future of women in aviation. Ninety-nine of them responded. Among them was Amelia Earhart, who would serve as the first president of an organization that would come to be known as the ‘The Ninety-Nines, Inc.’ It is now more than 6,000 members strong, with chapters in more than 35 countries. Radel is current president of the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, and she and Viola will be flying the ARC for a tremendous cause –– broadening hopes and horizons for women. As ARC Team #24, they’re raising funds for Virgin Galactic’s STEM scholarship program, which benefits women seeking careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Viola’s hometown is Oshkosh, Wisconsin, site of the world famous an- See AIR RACE, Page 5 April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 5 April 2015 Voice of the Village AIR RACE, from Page 4 nual air show. And while all kids have their various interests, for Viola it was jet engines and space ships. As soon as she was old enough to get a work permit, her first job at Oshkosh was folding T-shirts. “The pivotal moment came,” as Viola describes it, “when I saw Spaceship One.” Richard Branson’s White Knight. It was love at first sight. “The idea of Spaceship One landing in Wisconsin –– the excitement, the prestige, the glamour, the greatness of it,” she said, “was combination of everything I loved in life.” As the aerospace industry contin- ued to rocket forward, she set her sights and hung in. And noting the many industry changes since that long ago day in Oshkosh, she said, “The job I have now didn’t exist.” Radel and Viola happened to meet one year in Oshkosh –– two high-energy, accomplished women who both wanted to inspire and foster opportunities for others –– and Team Tigress was born. They’re on a mission this year to make a difference in the futures of young women, by making their racing effort a fundraiser. After racing expenses, all proceeds will go to Galactic Unite. “Galactic Unite aims to support stu- dents who want to advance their education in STEM fields,” Viola said. “All scholarships offered through Galactic Unite come with the option for mentorship within the team at Virgin Galactic/TSC, so not only do students find financial support for their goals, they find a bridge of mentorship that can support them as they look further ahead to their careers. There are no overhead costs to this program, so all donations are allo- Page 5 cated directly to its scholarships.” Readers: you’re encouraged to ‘go along’ on this ride. There are two ways to track progress and donate to ARC Team #24. Go to: www.teamflyingtigresses.com Or, visit gofundme.com/sixeasy For more information about the Air Race Classic, visit the website: airraceclassic.org. For more information about the Ninety-Nines: sfv99s.org. 5V " Q Q F S T P O 4 U SF S F F U t 5V 5V K V O H B $ " LICENSE # R1016 (BNF1BDLPOTIFFUT QFSQBDL QFSQBDL EARLYY BIRDS (6:30PM) :: (BNF1BDLPOTIFFUT EARL &953"4IFFUT4PMEPOUIF'MPPS QFSTIFFU QFSTIFFU &953"4IFFUT4PMEPOUIF'MPPS REGUL AR GAMES (7:30PM) : (BNF1BDLPOTIFFUT (BNF1BDLPOTIFFUT GPSTU1BDL GPSTU1BDL REGULAR SPECIALS: DOUBLE AACTION: CTION: (BNF1BDLPOTIFFUT QFSQBDL QFSQBDL (BNF1BDLPOTIFFUT &953"4IFFUT4PMEPOUIF'MPPS QFSTIFFU QFSTIFFU &953"4IFFUT4PMEPOUIF'MPPS (BNF4IFFUGPSHBNFTBOE (BNF4IFFU QFSTIFFU QFSTIFFU GPSHBNFTBOE N New ew Construction Remodel Additions Additions Kitchens & Baths Home Repairs Painting Decks Call Call fo ffor or a free estimate, free estimate, n oo ssmall! mall! noo jo jobb iiss ttoo 0G mD FT PG $IS J T U PQIFS 4 3FZFT Tim Armer construction c onstruction License # B557720 818-749-0422 818-7 49-0422 [email protected] April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 6 Page 6 Voice of the Village Upcoming Events STNC Community Cleanup planned As an integral part of the STNC’s Outreach Committee, the Community Cleanup Committee is making a big difference in our local communities. People are taking pride in the beautification of our Foothills. The next STNC Cleanup Day will be held Saturday, May 2 from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. The location is Foothill Boulevard and Valmont Street in Tujunga. Sunland-Tujunga Library April events The Sunland-Tujunga Library, located at 7771 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga offers the following events for April: Tuesday, April 7, 4-5 p.m. RETRO SHORTS: 16mm Films from USC’s Hefner Moving Image Archive • “Field of Honor” (1973) 14 min Student Academy Award winner in 1975. Director, Robert Zemeckis. • “The Face of Lincoln” (1955) 22 min Academy Award winner for Best Short Subject 1956. • “The Doomed” (1958) 21 min Writer-Director, Ramzi Thomas. Monday, April 27, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. BOOK CLUB • Join the Sunland-Tujunga Book Club in reading “Anil’s Ghost,” by Michael Ondaatje. Ask for a library copy to check out at the reference desk. Every Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. COMPUTER TUTORING Learn computer basics though a oneon-one, 30-minute tutoring session (reservation required). Call to reserve your time slot: 818-352-4481. Crows Nest to host Elks fundraiser The Crows Nest and Sports Grille, 7270 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga will host an Elks Lodge STEMPPy fundraiser on Monday, April 13. Join us for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The fundraiser will run from 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. Takeout is also available. A percentage of sales will benefit the Elks PURPLE PIG FUND. For more information call 818-3530852. Elks Omelet Bar set April 2015 Poetry Corner Los Angeles Poet Society will be featured at Village Poets on April 26 The Village Poets of Sunland-Tujunga are delighted to announce that in celebration of National Poetry Month, April 2015, poet, Jessica Wilson and members of the Los Angeles Poet Society (LAPS) will feature at their upcoming Monthly Reading Series, Sunday, April 26, 4:30-6:30 p.m. In celebration of this special occasion, the event venue location will be the McGroarty Arts Center, 7570 McGroarty Terrace, Tujunga, the former home of John Steven McGroarty, designated Poet Laureate of California in 1933. LAPS is a not-for-profit community organization. They work to create and bridge the creative community all over Los Angeles County and partner with literary Los Angeles. LAPS began in 2009 with East Los Angeles Poet, Jessica M. Wilson, with a goal of uniting literary Los Angeles! LAPS has created writing showcases to serve the many creative communities of Los Angeles County. LAPS has currently served: Downtown Los Angeles, Venice Beach and Venice, CA, North Hollywood and surrounding areas. The LAPS mission is to fuse the communities of Los Angeles and Southern California Poets, poetry organizations, writer groups, booksellers, publishers, literary enthusiasts and supporters into a unified social and literary network. LAPS’ focal point is to publicize the events and achievements of its members. LAPS also organizes and promotes events, pulling from within its own community, to create and sustain Los Angeles’ literary anchor. For more information about LAPS, visit the website: http://www.losangelespoetsociety.org/ Poets are welcome to sign-up for the open reading upon arrival. Light refreshments will be served and a $3 donation is appreciated. Bring your friends and enjoy an early evening of poetry in this beautiful setting surrounded by the Verdugo Hills and the San Gabriel Mountains. Village Poets of Sunland-Tujunga: http://www.villagepoets.blogspot.com The Elks Lodge will host its monthly Omelet Bar on Sunday, April 19, 9 a.m. – noon. This event, held on the ‘Third Sunday of the Month,’ offers one of the best breakfasts in town, served up hot, fresh and to your order. Cooks are great and the atmosphere is family friendly. The Elks Lodge is located at 10137 Commerce Ave., Tujunga. Phone 818352-2098 for more information. #FUUFS 0EET 5IBO spacious new boarding kennels & air conditioned runs 6934 Foothill Blvd, Tujunga, CA 91042 • (818) 352-6085 Retirement Planning Associates Tel (818) 781-7721 Ext. 25 Stocks Fax (818) 787-2232 Municipal Bonds Efax (847) 628-0426 Closed-End Funds [email protected] Mutual Funds James A. Ellis Retirement 7145 Woodley Avenue Van Nuys, CA 91406-3932 Sunland-Tujunga Employer Plans Registered Representative of, and securities offered through, J.K.R. & Co. Inc. Lions Club Member NASD, SIPC 7FHBT PS 5IF -0550 063 -"%: 0' -063%&4 '3* %": /* ()5 #* /(0 "11&340/ 45 tø 56+6/(" '03 (". &4 1":065 8* / 5J DLFU T '03 Be of service, be a volunteer! April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 7 April 2015 Voice of the Village Page 7 Opinions Letter Out-of-towner building 242 McMansions? No way! Dear Editor: Once again, some deep-pocketed out-of-towner wants to come up here and destroy all he sees. Build 242 “McMansions” in the “canyon?” I’d like to know how much this developer and others like Robert Hall have given to our councilman, one Felipe Fuentes, otherwise known as the do nothing invisible man. We haven’t had a decent representative on the city council since Wendy Gruel, who fought against “McMansionization,” Home Depot, and countless other attacks on our rural well-being. She respected what this place was all about. Perhaps it’s time to launch a recall petition against Mr. Fuentes. Developers continually exceed what is legal around here, and apparently the building department, the city council, the planning commission and everyone else involved is too busy counting their money to notice. Enough is enough! Come back Wendy, we need you. William Winkler, Sunland-Tujunga Huntington’s Asian Gardens curator to speak at Descanso The featured speaker for the Pacific Camellia Society’s last meeting of the season will be David MacLaren, curator of the Asian Gardens at the Huntington Gardens and Library in San Marino. He will be making a PowerPoint presentation about the new, multi-million dollar Chinese Garden, including what’s been completed so far and what’s planned for the next phase of construction. MaDavid MacLaren cLaren is also responsible for the Huntington’s collection of approximately 1,400 camellias. Also on the program will be Dr. Bradford King, a former psychologist at USC, who, since his retirement, has turned his research skills from human to plant behavior. Dr. King will be speaking to us about the proper way to fertilize camellias. The meeting will be held Thursday evening April 2, at Descanso Gardens in La Canada, at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited. Admission and refreshments are free. For more information write to: [email protected]. Or, call 818790-6947. Wildness vs. civilization: An equestrian’s viewpoint By Susan Kelejian Horse people are a different breed; they find a place spiritually, emotionally, and physically satisfying joining up with their animal of choice, in varying degrees of each component and often simultaneously. Often it feels like it isn’t a choice: it’s a way of life, a deep connection in the soul. We just aren’t “right” when we don’t get to the barn. We ride when we are happy, when we are sad, depressed, lonely, joyous, excited, need a work out, or to see friends. We go to our horse for comfort, to grieve, to bond and to express our unconditional love. We have been known to anthropomorphize them and they can become replacements for humans, we give them human traits and qualities. Regardless of when they don’t bend to the leg, give in the bridle, go straight down the line or the number of other things they might have an opinion about, horse people can’t live without, well, horses. It goes deeper than nonhorse people think. We spend hours at the barn, around the sage brush, the manure, the sweet feeds, the sweat. We are community, we are the horse tribe, we’re the balance of the natural and unnatural world. We fight the builders and developers and earth-movers because this is our soul, this is our passion, this is so embedded in our spirit that we are the representatives of what is free and full of spirit. We don’t do it for money –– good lord, we’ve all gone broke with the love of these creatures; we just find more and more creative ways to afford them. We joke about it being in our DNA (it actually could be a genetic memory) and having to go to “horses anonymous” meetings because of our nearobsession with them. What I look at is the deeper meaning of what they represent for us. I have found that they are the manifestation of carrying us at a balance between our longing for wildness and desire for civilization. As riders, it is the literal symbol of the “in between” of those two worlds: we bridle that 1000 pounds of power and we ride the ever constant fluctuation between letting go and being in control. We ride the unknown –– no matter how good a rider, or for how long, we know that horses have many variables, and even good riders take falls. What Photos by Kresse Armour happens to rural Photos accompanying this article feature some of the pockets in urban many people at Rancho Tujunga, in Big Tujunga Canyon, cities, like horse who love horses and mountain trail riding . property and open land is a microcosm of a bigger picture: upon these activities, incorporating our the way we as humans evolve from our social outlets, our attachments to others, innate wildness and choose a more civ- our places where we find our groups, ilized, strategized, domesticized way of tribes, and clans. It is a mixture of the life. There are, of course a myriad of wild and the civilized; it is a choice of benefits to human societal advance- a first world country that wants to techments, including social structures that nologically evolve without losing symcan be perceived as order, safety, and bolic, mythic, and ancestral meaning. comfort. On the other hand, losing our Here, in our rural community, many wildness, or the ability to walk harmoniously in nature, might be the single of the socio-political-economic divimost destructive force for us as hu- sions between hierarchies diminish mans, driving us around a particular association with this further away from unique animal. When I was a kid in the instinct and intu- south San Fernando Valley, we rode our ition and into a horses over the hills of Tarzana and world led by tech- dead end streets leading into trails that nology, greed and could take us from Woodland Hills to Malibu. I galloped down the wash of corruption. Many of us like the Sepulveda Dam and met up with a having one foot on gaggle of girls on their horses to ride either side of the bareback on Sundays, all day. That of proverbial fence. course, is gone, due to mini malls, We are drawn to housing developments, and the illusion the elements of the of progress. I left to live in Ojai for a natural world and number of years, finding that the orange yet many of us de- groves there mirrored an early Los Ansire to stay safe, or geles and the stories my father, a surat least take calcu- veyor in the 1940s, told me about. I lated risks while returned to Los Angeles a few years ago pushing at the to Shadow Hills, once again, finding edges of literal and that I could have one foot in the country figurative compla- and one in the city. Now what? Am I to cencies in contem- face the unforgiving change of housing porary life. These projects and tunnels? We have this unique combination of risks at times become a way of life being a country of forward motion, the –– passions turned romance of Manifest Destiny and the in to hobbies and undeniable ability to compartmentalize then into a daily the destruction that manifests from the routine. We be- so called destiny: the slaughter of an encome dependent See VIEWPOINT, Page 14 April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 8 Page 8 Voice of the Village April 2015 Restaurant of the Month Giamela’s offering tasty Italian fare Photo by Kresse Armour Established in 1964, for more than 50 years Giamela’s has been serving up Italian food so good that it tastes like it came straight from your grandmother’s kitchen. The atmosphere, with its red-and-white checkered tablecloths and walls arrayed with colorful mirrored beer signs, is friendly and pure hometown. Service is fast and the menu full of classic Italian dishes. Soups, salads, pasta, hot and cold sandwiches round out the tasty selections. The Pepper Steak Sub is a local favorite. Take-out pizza at night is a long-standing tradition. Catering is also available, call Elia at 818-530-8933. Giamela’s is located at 8728 Foothill Blvd. (corner of Foothill and Sunland). Phone is 818-352-2285. Check out the website at: www.giamelas.com. BUILDINGAFOUNDATION FORYOURFAMILY! U O Y t s ju ! t i d e v o pr Voice The Voice The Voice The Voice Voice The The V The JJANAACEWUNDERLICH ANAACEWUNDERLICH R Realtor® ealtor®, CRS, GRI, ABR, SRES, E EcoBroker coBroker R Residential esidential and Senior R Relocation elocation Specialis Specialistt CELL 818.472.3131 818.472.3131 OFFICE 8 818.583.1208 18.583.1208 People DO read ads in The Voice! [email protected] EMAIL [email protected] JJanaAceWunderlich.com anaAceWunderlich.com And those people could become your customers. Cal CalBRE BRE ##01438712 014387 12 Find out how you can share your business story with the people of the Sunland-Tujunga-Shadow Hills area. Contact the Voice Advertising Department at 818-397-3835 or [email protected] Voic e The Voice The follow follow me online! online! The Voice Voice The The Voice The e c i Vo Th Voice V The The e e c i o V The Voice is a non-profit newspaper that provides opportunities to Verdugo Hills High School journalism students Your advertising dollars help support VHHS student success April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 9 April 2015 Voice of the Village Page 9 Photo by Kresse Armour Refreshing rainfall brought relief to our parched Foothills a few weeks back, and with it came a rainbow that spanned the mountain sky bringing a beautiful ray of sunshine to local residents. Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! Shop the Rock! April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 10 Page 10 Voice of the Village April 2015 Religion Easter Week Services at SH Presbyterian Church Laying of stones at Jain Hindu Temple The Shadow Hills Presbyterian Church, located at 10158 Johanna Ave, Sunland, (corner of Sunland and Johanna), will hold Holy Week Services at the following times: • Maundy Service, Thursday April 2, 7 p.m. • Easter Service, Sunday April 5, 10 a.m. A Pancake Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt (ages 0-10) will follow the Easter Sunday Service. Shadow Hills Presbyterian Church 2015 Blessing of the Animals A beloved community tradition continues as Shadow Hills Presbyterian Church celebrates The Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, April 25, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Shadow Hills Presbyterian Church has a 60-year history of welcoming all of God’s creatures. From the early years, when folks in the community rode their horses to church, to our recent Sunday evening “Pets Are Welcome” services, Shadow Hills Presbyterian Church has shared the community’s love of animals. Pastor Arlo Tysinger will pray for each animal that is present, and a complementary photo will be taken. Andy’s Hot dogs will be available, also. So, bring your horses, cats, dogs, llamas, iguanas, fish, hamsters, goats, sheep, rabbits, lizards, birds –– all of your furry, feathered, hairy, and scaly friends are welcome! Shadow Hills Presbyterian Church is located at 10158 Johanna Ave (at Sunland Blvd), Sunland. For more information call 818-353-2500. Or, email: [email protected] For the record ... you read it here FIRST. Its your e c i Vo The For more information on the Jain Temple visit: jaincenter.org Photos by Kresse Armour The Jain Temple of Los Angeles has ‘broken ground’ on a new location on Commerce Avenue in Tujunga. Members gathered amid much tradition and celebration. Dr. Jasvant Modi, lower left, and his wife, Dr. Meera Modi (not pictured), were major financial contributors to the temple. Photo by Corina Roberts John Denver used to sing about the stunning beauty of ‘fire in the sky.’ An exquisite mountain portrait in stone is captured at sunset by local photographer Corina Roberts. April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 11 April 2015 Voice of the Village Page 11 Introducing young people to the thrill of flight Photos by Kresse Armour The Experimental Aircraft Owners Association offers free flights to kids. EAA offers ‘ticket’ to high adventure On the fourth Saturday of every month, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) offers young people a special ticket to an amazing adventure –– a free introductory ride in a small plane. The EAA wants to share the thrill of flight. Kids ages 8-17 are invited to come out and participate in the ‘Young Eagles program. It will be a day they’ll never forget. Locally, Chapter 40 of the EAA, is offering flights at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, located at the corner of San Fernando Road and Osborne Street. See YOUNG EAGLES, Page 13 April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:37 AM Page 12 Page 12 Voice of the Village April 2015 Jim and Anita Sutton celebrate 70 years Jim and Anita Sutton celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on February 18. They were married in Santa Monica in 1945 toward the end of World War II. Jim and Anita were stationed in several communities throughout the USA before moving to Tujunga in 1964, after Jim retired as a Commander from the U.S. Navy with 22 years of service. The couple just completed their 51st year of living in their home in the Crystal View area, as one of the few known original homeowners. Family from Colorado, New Mexico, Washington and local communities gathered on Valentine’s Day to celebrate this momentous occasion. Jim and Anita have 4 children, 6 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:38 AM Page 13 April 2015 Voice of the Village Page 13 Free introductory flights for kids YOUNG EAGLES, from Page 11 To date, the EAA has flown more than 1.5 million young people, many of whom have gone on to earn pilots licenses and pursue careers in aviation. Rides include pre-flight inspection training, and kids all receive certificates commemorating their rides. The next Young Eagle day will beheld Saturday, April 25. Participants should arrive at Whiteman Airport no later than10 a.m. Many of the monthly Young Eagle rides are given by member of the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the NinetyNines, an international women’s pilots association. Regular contributing pilots include Ceci Stratford, Lisa Fusano, Ruth Logan, and Stacie Crowther. The Ninety-Nines also sponsor Explorer Post No. 747, which is also based at Whiteman Airport, a program where young people have the opportunity to study aviation and earn their wings. For more information on membership at Explorer Post 747, contact Ruth Logan at: www.sfv99s.org. For more information on Young Eagle flights, call the EAA Chapter 40 Hotline at 818-725-4247. Or, check out the website at: www.eaa40.org. ABOUT EAA: The EAA has been in operation for more than half a century. Founded in 1953 by a group of individuals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who were interested in building their own airplanes, EAA expanded its mission of growing participation in aviation to include antiques, classics, warbirds, aerobatic air- …time for Spring Cleaning. Complete Graphics & Printing Solutions for your Business or Organization C&M Designs, Prints & Mails Proud Sponsor of the Photo by Kresse Armour Front, from left, young aviation enthusiasts Archie Mendoza and Alexandra Mendoza receive their Young Eagles certificates following their introductory flight at Whiteman Airport. Back row, is proud father Lucas Mendoza. craft, ultralights, helicopters, and contemporary manufactured aircraft. It has grown from a handful of aviation enthusiasts to an international organization representing virtually the entire spectrum of recreational aviation. EAA is the only association that offers the fun and camaraderie of participating in the flying, building, and restoring of recreational aircraft with the most passionate community of aviation enthusiasts. The EAA is now more than 180,000 strong, and members pride themselves on being able to build an aircraft for the price of a car -- with many of these planes built in their own home garages. For more information on this exciting and innovative organization, visit the EAA’s website at eaa.org. For the record ... you heard it here FIRST It’s your e c i o V The Spring is he re! ✓ Brochures ✓ FAX service ✓ Flyers /Postcards ✓ Forms in 1-day or less ✓ Business cards ✓ Document Scanning ✓ Banners ✓ Mailing Services Get a BETTER PRICE, more ATTENTION TO DETAIL, PERSONALIZED SERVICE & more EXPERIENCE YOUR LOCAL COPY & PRINT CENTER IN HISTORIC OLDE TOWNE TUJUNGA 10034 COMMERCE AVENUE (818) 353-7135 SUNLAND-TUJUNGA SPRING CARNIVAL HOURS 9am-5pm M-F • ORDER ONLINE 24/7 www.cmprintmail.com Gateway to the Angeles National Forest® Remodel Additions Decks Deck Repair Dan Murnan Construction Termite Damage Repair Dry Rot Repair 818-517-1560 [email protected] California Contractors License #592570 Sweet Cherrie’s Diner %UHDNIDVW6HUYHG$OO'D\/XQFK'LQQHU6SHFLDOV ',1(,17$.(287&$7(5,1*)25$1<2&&$6,21 15 % OFF Monday-Friday All Day ìÜÚÜÓÚb¬å»¬¨ #¬ÜÚܬÚXvÚb¬£X¨vl with any other offer. íbålvÓÚlÏÓÚ£v¨åÀÚ 818-353-0465 )RRWKLOO%OYG6XQODQG The Best Omelettes in Town Waffles Charbroiled Burgers Deli Sandwiches ÐvlÚJXåÜÚaÚ4У» OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Mon–Fri 7am–9pm 6DWDP²SP6XQDP²SP April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:38 AM Page 14 Page 14 Call LA Sanitation for easy bulky item pick up Voice of the Village Community News Elks Lodge establishes community library Have a couch, mattress, piece of old furniture, a table, chairs or dresser that you need to dispose of? Residents are encouraged to recycle bulky items through charitable organizations and thrift stores. However, if you are unable to do so, LA Sanitation (BOS) will pick-up your large or bulky household items, such as mattresses, couches, and other furniture from all residents serviced by the City of Los Angeles free of charge. To make arrangements to have these items removed from your curbside, please call us at 1-800-773-2489, from Monday through Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., at least one day before your regular collection day. BOS does not collect automotive parts, construction materials, commercial materials, and cardboards. Sanitation also picks up ‘white goods,’ large household appliances, free of charge. For more information: http://www.lacitysan.org/solid_resources/refuse/services/bulky_items.htm The Elks Lodge is encouraging the Sunland-Tujunga community to read, and has joined a growing trend to make books available to more people. The Elks Lodge has recently installed a small “Free Library” in the front of their facility, located at 10137 Commerce Ave., Tujunga. The project was completed by Jim Saurer, with assistance from Bill Andrews and Earl Bouchard. For more information about other Elks’ projects, or to learn more about joining this active community organization, call 818352-2098. The Elks Library appears to be an immediate success, as pedestrians walking by have stopped and selected a book before continuing on their walk. An equestrian’s viewpoint VIEWPOINT, from Page 7 tire culture, for one. Americans live the double edge sword of a Capitalism –– a belief that we can do anything we put our minds to, a freedom of expression and thought and belief, and the flip side of greed, ego, misplaced power, and destruction of others. The symbols of freedom for us Americans: the eagle, the mustang. Powerful representations of our wildness, our hope, and our connection to spirit. And yet, so many of us are ready for the diminishment of these symbols and for them to be replaced with a dollar sign. We plan to build high-speed rails, cutting through the veins of the April 2015 earth, upsetting the natural balance of the last vestiges of this land. We thirst for status and monetary gain by building housing where it is not needed or wanted by the existing community. To me, this is a direct fear of our wildness, and it is masked in so called progress, expansion and need. There was a 1982 film titled, “Koyaanisqatsi” -it is a Hopi word for “life out of balance.” I believe it exemplifies what we wrestle with as Americans, bred with the thoughts of gain and social evolution, built on the backs of others, always striving for more. Sometimes however, that more can lead us to our demise. We often forget to take a look around, to what is real, and to see what is profound in its simplicity. Photo by Earl Bouchard The horses. These unique animals in relationship to humans have led us thousands of years to where we are now. We certainly would not have had the social and technological advancements without them. From food to agriculture, to transportation, war, sport and now to the last stages of our attachment to them, we find more and more that they give us service, that they have the capacity to heal us. They are far more profound in how they are connecting with us now, a sentient being literally carrying us into our future from the past. They carried our cavalry through the desert hills of Afghanistan 10 years ago; they allow the disabled child to find his core strength or her first words. With Veterans, they bridge the gap between the nightmare of combat and civilian life by healing the trauma of war. People recover from addictions of drugs, alcohol, eating disorders with equine assisted therapies, bringing back a sense of self, a sense of self worth. Development isn’t an evil –– it is a drive. Sometimes, a misplaced drive, a denial of what is gnawing at us to not look at our own wildness. A fear of the chaos that it might represent of we just allowed ourselves to be, and not wish for more, more, more, as we find ourselves never satisfied. Devel- opment in its creative form can be destructive, and it’s just not needed everywhere, all the time. So I challenge all of us to ask ourselves the question: “Where do I want to live, in the wildness of my soul or the safety of the civilization? Can it be somewhere in the in-between? And if so, what does it take for the land to be left alone? What does it take to not lose the last vestiges of our sacredness as human beings?” For me, I’ll always find my answer in the eye of a horse. Susan Kelejian is a published author, a professor at Woodbury University, a Mental Health professional and Riding Instructor at Shadow Hills Riding Club, and Artistic Director of Equine Dell Arte, a unique theatre company that combines actors and horses. April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:38 AM Page 15 April 2015 Voice of the Village Page 15 S-T Chamber President’s Message Farewell, Foothills communities I have been absolutely blessed over the past 11 years with the opportunity to serve the Foothills communities through my work at the YMCA and involvement in the Sunland-Tujunga Chamber. The accomplishment of both organi- zations, during my tenure, enables me to leave with a sense of pride that our community is a better place as a result of our dedicated staff and volunteers. I am confident that our communities are poised for greatness. The key to unlocking that greatness will be our ability to understand the inter-relatedness of all our work and together creating a more collaborative environment focused on the greater good of the community. I have no doubt that this will be achieved. I recently accepted the position as the Executive Director at the Westchester Family YMCA in Los Angeles. While I am excited about this new chapter in my career, I am also saddened by how I will miss those with whom I’ve developed relationships with over the years. Although my involvement at our Y and Chamber will change, I find comfort in knowing that through change, there is growth. Finally, I want to thank everyone for providing me with a sense of belonging, connection, purpose and support, which made the Foothills community an extension of my family! With heartfelt gratitude, John Loussararian Vice President of Social Responsibility, YMCA of the Foothills President, Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce Family owned RE firm celebrates 10 years, opens new office This year marks the 10-year anniversary and a new location for Seward Real Estate & Financial, Inc. Formerly located in La Crescenta, the company has moved to 9687 Sunland Blvd., Shadow Hills. What started out a decade ago as a garage space consisting of two desks, a bookcase, two file cabinets, and a couple of computers, has grown into a beautiful 2000-square-foot office space. The success of the business is attributed to joint efforts of members of the Seward family and professional team. The father, John Seward, serves as broker. His son, Nick Seward, and John’s right-hand, oversees management and operations, while daughter-in-law, Marina, manages the underwriting. John’s wife, Rachel, will head up community engagement. The family has the support of team members Virginia, Elvis and Tina, who are well informed and dedicated to the success of the business. “As a team, we collectively participate in the customer’s realization of the American Dream – home ownership,” they say, and all look forward to working in the Shadow Hills community and building upon the successes of the past 10 years. For more information, call 818-352- Mountain Lions Dear Dana: I live near Hillhaven in Tujunga, and my neighbors are talking about mountain lion activity. What does this mean? I have pets, and I’m here alone pretty often. Should I be worried? Dear Reader: Once again, we are hearing about mountain lion sightings in town. These have been near Hillhaven, Reverie and Inspiration Way. People are getting worried for their pets and themselves. Photo by Kresse Armour Members of the Seward Real Estate & Financial team gather in their brand new offices on Sunland Boulevard. 6338, stop by the office, or visit www.sewardfinancial .com. And a message from Seward: Special thanks to our contractors, suppliers and vendors that went above and beyond in every way to get us in our new office. We thank you sincerely. We couldn’t have done it without all of you… Andy Thrift Home Improvement • Arya Technology – IT/Computer specialist • Adler Networks • Ysani Design All Things Animal It is not typical mountain lion behavior to attack humans. We are not part of their food chain. (You can find the real numbers online here: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/lion/attacks.html; you will see that they are very low.) Mountain lions are not lying in wait for us out there. They are simply living their lives. Their lives and the lives of their prey are closer and closer to us now because of the drought we are experiencing. They are here for the deer and the water, not the humans. One more thing that seems to be pushing them into neighborhoods lately is the ongoing nighttime construction. This creates noise and light that no wild animal likes. They go over the hill and there they are and there’s YOUR backyard...(but they don’t even want to be seen by you!). Finally, mountain lions have very large territories. When a mother mountain lion has her babies, they depend on her at first. She teaches them everything. But when they get bigger, they as they are moving from one living area to another. This is the very reason things like overpasses and underpasses for nature are so vital. We cannot block wildlife from getting to the territories they need to survive. You DO need to be VERY careful about your outdoor animals. Mountain lions, but coyotes, raccoons, ringtails, hawks and owls might be around and can be opportunistic with small dogs, cats, chickens, etc. Supervise dogs, and keep all animal areas and coops very secure and clean. Empty water containers at Photos by Denis Callet night. Keep cats indoors whenA female mountain lion makes her way through our local woods. Photo at lower left is ever possible. Do not feed of a mountain lion’s track. wildlife. Many small steps are necessary. don’t hang out in groups anymore, they Remember that we live adjacent to are solitary. They need to disperse to the Angeles National Forest and that find and claim their own territory. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of them See ANIMAL, Page 16 April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:38 AM Page 16 Page 16 Voice of the Village All Things Animal ANIMAL, from Page 15 this is their home, too. Seeing a mountain lion or his tracks is not an emergency situation. (The animal tracks could even belong to a bobcat! Most mountain lion “sightings” are actually large bobcats!) If you’re worried about finding a mountain lion in your backyard, I suggest you get a small inexpensive air horn. Mountain lions do not like a lot of noise, and they will usually run from it. If you ever find yourself in the rare situation where you do feel threatened by a mountain lion, make yourself big, loud and unexpected. You want to scare him away. Mountain lions are incredible. They are keystone species that has a HUGE impact on the environment around them. Did you know that our awesome songbird population is dependent upon the mountain lion? The mountain lion’s favorite prey is deer. Deer’s favorite food is flowering plants. Songbirds also need flowering plants to survive. If the deer population gets out of control, April 2015 they will eat all the flowering plants, and the songbirds will disappear. So, next time you hear the song of your favorite local songbird, I hope you’ll take a minute to silently thank your friend the mountain lion! Hope you’ll submit a question for an upcoming column! Contact info is: [email protected] Business Card Ads * ' : 0 6 3 4 $ ) 0 0 5 & " . 0 3 0 3 ( " / * ; " 5 * 0 / 0 0 , * / ( ' 0 3 " ' 6 / % 3 " * 4 & 3 $ 0 / 5 " $ 5 * 4 " / % : 0 3 3 & 4 5 (&/&3"- ."/"(&3 * )01 ' #-7% 56+/6 $" 005)* (" * 3 & $ 5 % * )01 * 4 "/ "$5* 7& * /5&(3"- 1"35 0' 063 -0$"- $0..6/* 5: "/% 806-% -* ,& 50 (* 7& #"$, 8)&/&7&3 1044* #-& 8& 8* -- 3&563/ 0' 130$&&%4 #"$, 50 :063 4$)00- 5&". 03 03("/* ;"5* 0/ :06 .645 )"7& " /0/130'* 5 5"9 * % '03 1"35* $* 1"5* 0/ Your LOCAL Locksmith 818-430-5244 MARK’S LOCK + KEY Licensed • Bonded • Lic #5481 Residential - Commercial LOCKOUTS - KEY LOCKS ALIKE PAINTING 818-951-1181 www.richardstewartpainting.com Residential / Commercial / Interior / Exterior LIC# 510600 April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:38 AM Page 17 April 2015 Voice of the Village Page 17 School News Plainview’s young artists Plainview Avenue School PTA Reflections Participant List: • Primary Division Medal winners (Grade 1-3 students who advanced to Division) Literature: Tristan Gonzales – 1st Grade Abril S. Anavisca – 1st Grade Film: Nicholas Shone – 2nd Grade Photography: Christopher Shone – 2nd Grade Abril S. Anavisca – 1st Grade Visual Arts: Nicholas Shone – 2nd grade (advanced to State) Christopher Shone – 2nd Grade • Intermediate Division Medal winners (Grades 4 and 5 students who advanced to Division) Visual Arts: Elly Shin – 4th Grade Jerom S. Kim – 4th Grade • Primary Participants Certificates (Grades 1st, 2nd, 3rd) Visual Arts: Olivia Wilgus – 1st Grade Franklin Wilgus – 2nd Grade Abril S. Anavisca– 1st Grade Triston Gonzales – 1st Grade Nicholas Shone – 2nd Grade Christopher Shone – 2nd Grade Abril S. Anavisca – 1st Grade Film: Nicholas Shone – 2nd Grade Photography: Abril S. Anavisca – 1st Grade Christopher Shone – 2nd Grade • Intermediate Participants Certificates (Grades 4th, 5th) Visual Arts Diego Daniel Barrera – 4th Grade Cristian Delapena – 5th Grade London C. Torres – 4th Grade Alyson Padilla – 5th Grade Christopher Johnson – 4th Grade Elly Shin – 4th Grade Jerom S. Kim – 4th Grade Photos by Kresse Armour Plainview student winners and participants in the National PTA Reflection Arts program. Above, second from left, Nicholas Shone, 2014 state level winner, is again in the running for the 2015 competition. Below right, PTA President Dan Hatcher and young artist Olivia Wilgus lead the flag salute prior to the awards ceremony. Literature: Tristan Gonzales – 1st Grade Eric Owens’ Sports Roundup By Eric Owens Voice Sports Columnist Dons Soccer Roundup On Feb. 13, the reigning City Section D2 Champion Lady Dons soccer team hosted a special night game ‘aka Senior Nite’ against their rivals from Arleta. Senior forward and captain Makayla Nichols goal in the 54th minute secured a 1-1 draw to extend their program’s league title streak to six in a row. Nichols’ goal against Arleta was the 48th in her four-year career at VHHS and set a new season-record best at 18 at the time this article went to press. The day after the rival contest, the Lady Dons learned that they were rewarded with the top-seed in the Los Angeles City Section Division III playoff tournament. In conclusion, the soccer team crushed its first postseason opponent, Roybal, 7-0 on Feb. 20. Senior co-captain Beth Blackwell contributed a hat trick and assisted the first goal of the game from Ashley Rivera, who had two goals overall; junior City Final hero Danielle Gelsinger poured in two assists; while Makayla Nichols and Erin Timmins assisted two goals and freshman Katie Flores and Diana Chilian each scored. In Division 3 Finals on March 6, Verdugo Hills Dons Girls Soccer Team took the championship. Verdugo beat Maywood 3-1. HS Basketball Roundup Senior center Adrian Gutierrez and the Dons boys’ basketball team concluded their final two weeks of the season with a 56-46 win at home vs. Chavez on Feb 11 and a 72-60 victory at Arleta on Feb 13. Next, the Dons (ranked 6th in Division 1) squared off against the Eagles of Bell on Feb 18 in which we won 6252 in overtime to give head coach Jared Gibson his first victory in Division 1). Senior starting point guard and 2014 You’re looking at this ad. The other people who are looking at this ad could be looking at YOUR advertisement. To find out about advertising in The Voice call 818-397-3835 or e-mail: [email protected] East Valley League MVP, All Day Otte made two huge free throws to send it to overtime and that’s when the Dons ended the game on a 16-4 run. Senior Leoni Aleksan posted a career-high 28 points. Unfortunately then fell on the road to #3 and East Valley League rival Polytechnic 49-50 two days later. Gutierrez finished with 18 points, while senior Shane Hughes-Williams had 17 points. Baseball & Softball Recap The Crescenta Valley High baseball team played a scrimmage contest at Stengel Field on Feb. 5 against Golden Valley in which UCLA bound-ace and CIF Champion Brian Gadsby threw a No Hitter striking out 10 over the course of four innings. The Falcons won the game 11-0 following a 10-6 win over VCS. UNLV grad Matt McCallister won the now ‘McCallister Family Homerun Derby” at the 2015 Verdugo Hills alumni baseball game held on a very cold and rainy February 7. Current Yankee pitcher and Tujunga Little Leaguer Mike D. Noteware’s three-run short helped the Alumni beat the varsity 7-6. Junior Bree Harmon pitched the Lady Dons softball team to a 5-1 Lincoln Tournament win over the Pythons of Panorama. Harmon struck out five batters allowing one run in 7 innings to win her first varsity contest in the circle. Freshman catcher and CIF Champion Ashley Wright went 3 of 4 with a double. The Lady Dons hosted the Lincoln Classic on March 7 starting with your Dons vs. Sherman Oaks CES. They’re continuing with games featuring teams like Village Christian from nearby Sun Valley, Faith Baptist and Channel Islands. Mid-March, they hosted the alumni game. Finally, junior Clay Suggs, the younger brother of Jesse – who struck out a major league draft pick in 2012, pitched a 7 inning complete game for the junior varsity Dons baseball team against the previously unbeaten San Pedro Pirates on February 21st in which we won 6-1. JV ends the month at 2-1 overall. In the San Pedro game, new players (Aurelio ‘Boo’ Colon, Jose Zamudio and Mason Van Kempen) all record their first hit at home, while returnee Victor Brito’s RBI double scored left fielder Vinny Mahoney after his single broke up a No-No with one out in the bottom of the 3rd. Starter Clay Suggs had the best performance I have ever seen from him giving up two hits and one earned run. Suggs also got the opposition to pop up 11 times and ground out seven times as well as had 13 first pitch strike on 81 pitches under first year coach Eddie Marquez, Jr. April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:38 AM Page 18 Page 18 Voice of the Village April 2015 Girls soccer team wins Division 2 final VHHS Sports Roundup By Edward Tatulian Girls’ soccer season has been indescribable. From having a “rebuilding season” after losing 11 of last year’s 18 players, to winning the L.A. City Section Division 2 girls’ soccer final, our girls’ soccer team has been phenomenal. Our varsity girls’ soccer team tackled the competition, winning 11 league games and ending only one in a tie. Throughout the duration of their season, the girls’ varsity soccer team lost only five of the 27 Marywood. Verdugo prevented games played, winning the other 20. Marywood from Verdugo won scoring and vicethe most games in versa in the duration of the game, both the Los Angeles City Section pushing it to penalty kicks. Division II Girls’ Soccer Standings Our own freshand the East Valley man Brisa Flores was not fazed, preGirls Soccer Photo by Edward Tatulian Standings. venting all but one On March 6, our goal during the girls’ varsity team faced off against shootout from entering her post. Her team retaliated brutally. Players Beth Blackwell, Danielle Elsinger, and Kelsey Sanford scored their penalty kicks securing a victory for Verdugo 00 and shootout 3-1. The season came to an end on March 10th to the hands of the Cathedral Catholic High School Donst in the 2015 CIF Southern California Regional Girls’ Soccer Championships presented by Farmers Division III tournament. Our varsity girls’ soccer team had a win-loss-tie ratio of 20-5-2 overall and 11-0-1 in league. Boys Baseball hoping to nab a top 3 in league standings By Andrew Angelastro Since everyone, except for David, is new to the team, they are putting a lot of focus on training them in core skills, such as servings and return, and communication for when they are playing a doubles match. Though they are new to the program, some players are showing a plenty of talent to the sport. Captains David Kevliyan and Kenny Gonzalez are having the players work hard and have fun amongst each other in the sport. David Kevliyan has been on the team since he was in freshman year. “Actually, in 9th grade year, I was going to do football, but then I said ‘You know what? I want to try something new, something no one actually does nowadays,’ which I figured was Tennis, the last thing I would play, and I just stuck with it.” He is the only returning player this year as well as last year. His attitude towards the sport is not competitive, but rather it’s the finding the enjoyment in playing the sport. David said, “As I said, just try to have fun while playing. That’s what I tend to do. If I win, I would win. If I lose, I would lose. It just matters that I had fun.” Every game so far has not been a league game, meaning that the teams The Verdugo Hills Dons baseball that Verdugo have been playing against team can expect the month of April to so far are not on the same level of skill. be eventful. The first game of the As of March 11th the Dons are on a month has yet to be announced, but the three game winning streak. The first second and third games are taking place game which kicked off their winning on April 8th and 10th against the Mon- streak was against Golden Valley High roe Vikings. These School. The final will be very interscore of the match esting games conresulted in 6-3 in sidering both favor of the Dons, teams are doing which started the well at this time. Dons’ winning The first game streak. Next they against Monroe took on Paraclete will take place at High School and Monroe High won with an ending School, while the result of 4-1. Culver second will be City High School played at home. High School didn’t The next game will seem to be much of be against Bell a challenge against High School and the Dons considerwill be a part of the ing the score was 6Tiger Classic Tour1. nament on April The Dons in 11th. On the 15th the East Valley Photo by Christian Morales and 17th, Verdugo Baseball standings will take on Poly are holding 4th High School. The first game will be at place, being behind 1st place Cesar Poly High School, and the second game Chavez High School, 2nd place Grant will be held at Verdugo. Another game High School, and 3rd place James that will be a part of the Tiger Classic Monroe High School. Although the Tournament is against San Fernando Dons have not grabbed a spot in the top High School. This game will be held on three standings yet, I have great confiApril 18th. Arleta High School is clash- dence in our varsity baseball team that ing against the Dons on April 24th at they will soon climb the ranks and Verdugo Hills High School. The last make it to the top. The Dons are known two games in April will be against El to start their seasons slow and end their Camino Real and Grant High School. seasons on a high note. The Dons have Grant will be at Verdugo Hills while the high hopes and would appreciate the El Camino Real will be apart of the support of all of their fans by attending Tiger Classic Tournament. their home and away games. tha Contreras (outfielder), and Tiffany Corrales (middle infielder) are helping with practices and working with the two newest freshman varsity players, Ashley Wright (starting catcher) and Grace Pazos (outfielder). They’re hoping for a good season, although it may be more difficult with such a young team going into division one. They started off well after winning their first home tournament game against Panorama beating them 5-1. The returnees and the new players are excited to start their season because they take joy in playing softball. Their season last year went very well, making New season and new captains for VHHS Boys Tennis team Photo by Christian Morales By Cristian Morales Winter was an enjoyable season filled with exciting sports. Now that spring has arrived, new sports are arriving as well. Of the sports, boys tennis, is prepared to have an enjoyable season. The boys tennis team has two captains: Kenny Gonzalez and David Kevliyan. This is Kenny Gonzalez’s first year in the program, and he shows some natural talent at the sport. David Kevliyan is the only returning player that has been in the program since 9th grade. He stuck to the program for four years and has enjoyed every bit of it. Both these guys are determined to make the season a fun and enjoyable one for the players. The captains work out their boys by having them run a few laps, do stretches, do four hill runs, and do push-ups. The captains also may add to the workout, as Kenny Gonzalez said, “Sometimes I just add things that I feel like they should be doing... so if they’re being lazy, I make them do more, and if they’re doing everything fine, they do less work.” Verdugo Hills Softball prepares for upcoming season By Caitlyn Sealander The Verdugo Hills softball team is preparing for their upcoming season. Returning players are helping the new players to get ready for their first round on a varsity team. Kacee Howser (starting pitcher and third baseman), Saman- it to city championships. Leading to them making it to division one. One of the returnees, Samantha Contreras, said, “I’m excited for this season. I love softball; a majority of my time goes into it. I’m dedicated to the sport and my See SOFTBALL, Page ?? April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:38 AM Page 19 April 2015 VHHS 2K15 event showcases talent Voice of the Village Page 19 School News Photos by Kresse Armour VHHS students wowed the crowd March 20 with dazzling performances. Below left, emcees keep the show lively. Below right, the ‘People’s Choice’ winner. VHHS Softball preview for 2015 season SOFTBALL, from Page 18 team. I have faith in our team having another great season although a lot of the girls are younger. Our coach has been pushing us to do well, and we’ve gotten a lot of support from our parents and our school.” Another player, Desiree Marquez, said, “I feel like we’ve put in a lot of work during practice, and being in fall and summer ball has really prepped us to do good.” They also have plans for fundraising and donating to non-profit organizations. They’ll be selling popcorn and giving to goodwill to raise money for season and to give to a good cause. They’ll be holding the Goodwill fundraiser on March 28th in the student parking lot at Verdugo from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Anyone interested in donating can drop off the items there or email coach Eddie Marquez at [email protected]. Although their practices may be straining, the girls are willing to put in the work. During their practices they start off by stretching and doing progressions. Then they do fielding for infield and outfield for about the first hour, and afterwards, they practice hitting. Their season kicks off March 11, starting with their toughest opponents: Cleveland, Poly, San Fernando and Arleta. That should set a tone for the rest of the season, which we all hope will be a good one. April 2015 Voice _Layout 2 4/3/15 9:38 AM Page 20 Page 20 Voice of the Village April 2015 99s helping Girl Scouts earn aviation badges Girl Scouts earn Aviation Badges with SF Valley Chapter of 99s Photos by Kresse Armour “Pi in the Sky,” held March 14, 2015 (that’s 3.14.15, think back to your geometry class) at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, was a very sweet day for the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. With the help of the event’s sponsors, the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, an international women pilots association, 41 Girl Scouts earned their aviation badges. Members from a total of 12 Girl Scout troops took to the tarmac and learned about the aerodynamics of flight from prop to rudder. The day also included a tour of the control tower. The annual event is geared toward expanding leadership skills and opportunities for Girl Scouts who may pursue careers in aviation.
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