Crescenta Valley High School

Students and teachers of Crescenta Valley High School last week delivered approximately 7,000 cans of food for the Crescenta Valley Sheriff Station's 19th Annual Christmas Toy and Food Drive. The very generous donation will allow each of the 186 families being assisted by CVSS to receive not only food for their holiday dinner but for many more meals. Teacher John Pehar organized the food drive but gives much of the credit for the success of the effort to teachers Matt Schick, Pat Rabe, Kimberly Mathias and Vanessa Blackwood, who really spurred their homeroom students to actively support the drive and encourage their friends to "get with the program."

Student given best animation award Rafaella Angelica “Ella” Nepales , a junior at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in La Cañada, won the best animation award in the first Filmfest 43 held at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Ella’s short claymation entry, “Love Will Come Through,” was among 24 films chosen from more than 100 submissions screened at the film festival for young filmmakers. The best entries in four categories — animation, narrative, experimental/music video and documentary — were chosen by a panel of judges, including Dug Ward, academic administrator and an adjunct faculty member of the UCLA Animation Workshop; Robert W. Peterson, chair of the graduate film program at the Art Center of College of Design; and Mike Petros, associate professor of television at Glendale Community College.

Jessica Rae Sloan, the daughter of Joseph and Robin Sloan of La Crescenta, will wed Paul Andrew Breckow, son of Dennis and Betsy Breckow of La Crescenta, on July 25 in La Cañada Flintridge, it was announced recently. Jessica is a 2003 graduate of Crescenta Valley High School. She earned her bachelor?s degree in psychology from Azusa Pacific University and a master?s in psychology from Pepperdine University. She currently teaches and works with autistic children at the Elliott Institute in La Crescenta.

The Crescenta-Cañada YMCA Youth and Government delegation returned last week from Sacramento where they spent four days debating bills, presenting court cases and speaking on pressing international issues on the floor of the California Legislature. CCY delegate and Crescenta Valley High School senior Wallis Locke received the Outstanding Youth Delegate award. "This is just an amazingly positive and important program," said Larry Hall, president and CEO of the local YMCAWe are so pleased to be able to offer this program to the youth of our community.

Over 50 local students are participating in Revolution Dance Center's first annual Summer Theater Project's production of Disney's "High School Musical" which opens Thursday, Aug. 2 at Crescenta Valley High School's MacDonald Auditorium. The production features La Cañada residents Josh Adler (as Troy), Lindsey Trujillo (as Ripper), Doug Robbins (as Zeke), Alexis Slater and Lauren Gerard (as cheerleaders), Jungmin Lee and Megan Elmassian (as skaters), Tara Elmassian (as a brainiac)

A June 2008 wedding is planned by Meghan Breeden and Eric Ulfeldt, it was announced this week. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Fergus and Ellen Foley, and Bruce and Phyllis Breeden, all of Glendale. She is the granddaughter of Dolores and Harvey Marsh of La Cañada Flintridge. Her fiancé is the son of John and Marianne Ulfeldt of La Crescenta and the grandson of the late George D. and Lisbeth C. Morris of La Cañada Flintridge. Eric proposed to Meghan in the same Italian restaurant where her mother and step-dad ?

A summer wedding is planned by Nicole Marie Roberts and Jeremy John Guinta, whose engagement was announced at a family party. The bride-to-be's parents are Mr. and Mrs. Gary Roberts of La Crescenta; her grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Tom Densmore of Glendale. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Guinta of La Cañada Flintridge are the groom's parents. Nicole is a graduate of Crescenta Valley High School and California State University, Northridge. She is a member of the CVHS Alumni Chorale.

Amid salsa dancing, pirate-fighting and chili tasting, culinary arts students from nine area high schools became pioneers for the chili cook-off at Glendale Community College. "It's been quite a learning experience for all of us," said Sarah Harms, culinary arts advisor for Crescenta Valley High School. "The lessons the students have learned from this have been amazing. When you don't know what to expect and learn how to deal with last-minute change, it really prepares you for the real world."

Verdugo Hills Art Association has chosen two high school students to receive scholarships. During the organization's June general meeting two recipients from Crescenta Valley High School will be honored. Megan Nelson and Raymen Assaf will display their work and both will receive their scholarship checks at the general meeting on June 3. The presentation will take place in the Citibank Community Room at 2350 Honolulu Blvd. in Montrose. Megan Nelson is a talented senior who will be attending BYU in the fall with plans to eventually enter into the university's art department.

Clutching towels, sunblock and boogie boards, two dozen foothill residents lined up Tuesday morning at Memorial Park in La Cañada Flintridge with one destination in mind — the beach. Now in its 20 t h year, the summer Beach Bus provides fun seekers with cheap and convenient transportation to the Santa Monica Pier. Children and adults ride for $3 roundtrip, and the disabled and people 60 and older ride for $1.50. The bus operates through the first week of September on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Labor Day. Local stops include Memorial Park, Two Strike Park in La Crescenta, the La Crescenta Library and the southeast corner of Montrose Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard.

Area 1 2700 block of Altura Avenue : A victim reported that he parked a 1997 Nissan Frontier on the street on May 6 at 6 p.m. When he went out to the street the next morning the vehicle had been stolen. Crescenta Valley High School : Several students reported that their vehicles, parked in the vicinity of Crescenta Valley High School, were vandalized on May 7 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Somebody apparently threw raw eggs at the cars, in some cases damaging the paint.

Golf tournament funds scholarships The 13th Annual Montrose City Golf Championship was played on a beautiful day in the foothills. There were 50 players trying to win the opportunity to wear the coveted green jacket. Longtime tournament player and former Asian Tour pro Mark Campbell defeated last year?s champion Greg Osbourne , golf coach at Glendale Community College, in a playoff. Both golfers fired a 2 under par 52 to qualify for the playoff. Other flight winners were Rick Dinger of Crescenta Valley Insurance and Bill Rountree . The 2010 team championship was captured by Leo?

For small businesses looking to broaden their customer base, events like Sunday’s Taste of Montrose have helped boost sales during the prolonged recession. La Cañada Flintridge-based Food Art Catering & Events had relied on word of mouth for five years, which co-owner Sharon Giragosian said had worked out great for the business. “But this year, unfortunately, we found the need to start advertising,” she said. When she and her husband found out two weeks ago about the food-tasting event, they got on board in hopes of expanding their clientele, Giragosian said.

Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station officials confirmed community concerns last week that drug activity has been increasing in the past five years. While drug activity has increased in the Crescenta Valley, sheriff’s station Capt. Dave Silversparre said at the Crescenta Valley Drug & Alcohol Prevention Coalition meeting April 22 that the issue is not rampant. “If it was out of control in the La Crescenta area, I think we would have seen an increase in calls for service,” he said.

CHILDREN’S CLASSES Artists in the Garden — May 4 to May 25, 4 to 5 p.m . Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada. Youngsters in grades three through five will explore the basic principles of art in a natural garden setting, using a variety of media. $50, $40 Descanso members. (818) 949-7980 or visit www.descanso gardens.org .   EVENTS Taste of Montrose — May 2, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m . Crescenta Valley High School Prom Plus presents “Taste of Montrose,” allowing participants to taste offerings in booths and restaurants along Honolulu Avenue.

All drug-related offenses in January investigated by the Glendale Police Department in the Crescenta Valley were attributed to heroin, an increasingly popular opiate among youth in the region, Glendale Police Chief Ron De Pompa said last week. Heroin use has been escalating in the Crescenta Valley in the past five years as more high school students and young adults have become hooked, he said during a presentation on drug use in north Glendale to the Glendale City Council. “For years and years, La Crescenta seemed to be untouched by a lot of the big-city ailments that we started experiencing in the rest of the community, and we are starting to see a change in that now,” he said.

Four local youths earn Eagle rank Aaron Broberg , Jonathan Malmrose , Porter Bent Hansen and Samuel Clark will be presented at a Court of Honor at 5:30 p.m. March 21 at the LDS Church building at 4550 Raymond Ave., La Crecenta. Broberg , a 14-year-old eighth-grader at La Cañada High 7/8, has earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of Troop 398, associated with the La Cañada Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Mountain Avenue Elementary School students, many of whom were evacuated from their homes last week, were still able to dance and sing their way through Camelot on Saturday, Jan. 23 as they staged a musical theatre production of “King Arthur’s Quest” in partnership with the Missoula Children’s Theatre Program. With only one week to rehearse the show, it was almost cancelled when authorities closed the school on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday and they had no site to practice at. Crescenta Valley High School was able to offer their cafeteria after school and with only 12 hours of rehearsal, these 60 students performed two one-hour performances on Saturday, Jan. 23 at Roosevelt Middle School to a packed audience.

A 49-year-old man died early Wednesday from injuries he sustained after being struck and thrown 70 feet by an SUV as he crossed a street on New Year’s Day, authorities said. Montrose resident Joo Lee, suffered from numerous broken bones and brain trauma as a result of the impact, died at about 12:49 a.m. at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, police said. “It’s sad to think that a family will be starting the new year with the death of a father,” Sgt. Tom Lorenz of the Glendale Police Dept.