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Cypress Council honors retiring engineer

David N. Young
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Cypress Council honors retiring engineer

The Cypress city council paid tribute to retiring city engineer Kamrah Deadbeh at their May 24 meeting, saying after more than two decades of service he had become a valuable member of the staff.

“He’s one of the most valuable members of our public works staff,” said Doug Dancs, the city’s Director of Public Works.

Dancs said Dadbeh “has been involved in every major engineering construction project in the city, including the city hall, community center and police department modernization projects.”

Dancs told the council that rough estimates are that Dadbeh has overseen or engineered more than $100 million worth of projects during his time with the city.

“He’s shed a lot of intellectual blood sweat and tears, getting these products built. The public should be proud to have such a dedicated person who has watched over these essential components,” said Dancs.

Cypress Mayor Jon Peat told Dadbeh “it’s been a pleasure working with you over the years,” as he invited the retiring city engineer to “enjoy his retirement” and his family.
“Thank you for your service,” said Peat.

Also, the Cypress council awarded a contract to Hinderliter de Llamas and Associates (HdL) to provide full-service business license registration, renewal and auditing services.

According to the staff report, the Municipal Code requires all commercial and residential businesses operating in the city obtain and maintain a business license. Businesses are required to renew their license annually and the City issues approximately 3,500 licenses each year, collecting approximately $1.2 million in tax revenue.

Business licensing is a complicated, highly specialized function overseen by the Finance department.

In 2017, the City Council approved a contract with HdL Software, LLC to provide a new, web-based business licensing system, according to a report from Matt Burton, the city’s Director of Finance and Administrative Services.

The system enabled businesses to register, renew and pay for their annual license online. A city employee, a Senior Licensing Specialist, used the HdL system for all licensing matters and provided onsite support at City Hall, according to the report.

“Sadly, the Senior Licensing Specialist passed away unexpectedly late last year and leading the City to reassess how best to meet the City’s ongoing business licensing needs,” it said.
In addition to providing business licensing software solutions to local governments, HdL offers a turnkey, full-service business tax solution which includes administration, discovery and audit services,” the report concluded.

Before a vote on the consent calendar, Council member Anne Hertz asked that Burton clarify the licensing system’s relationship with the city.

Burton’s memo said the transition to HdL has been seamless and business owners using the new services appear satisfied with the new way of handling business licensing matters and the associated technology does come with the licensing arrangement.

The city will enter into a five-year contract with HdL in which the contract continues tax revenue audit and discovery services for which HdL receives 35% of any newly discovered, unlicensed or underreported business taxes.

Further, Burton’s framework suggested the cost for HdL to provide full-service administration of the business license program is $15 per license and includes web-based software, customer service, printing and mailing, and all State required reporting and remittance.

With 3,500 business license accounts, the total annual cost is estimated to be $52,500. However, the City will no longer have to pay a separate fee for the HdL software ($14,000) or mailing costs ($4,500) which results in a net annual cost increase of $34,000.

Anticipated salary savings due to vacancies in the Finance Department will be available to cover the cost of the contract in FY 2021-22, the memo said, and these staffing vacancies will be reviewed and evaluated in the coming months and future budgets will incorporate the recommendations associated with the analysis.

In other action, the city:

• Renewed the Cypress Corporate Center Landscape Maintenance District No. 1 for maintenance of the landscape and irrigation system located at the berm on the north side of the Stanton Channel and establishing a public hearing for July 12, 2021.
• Approved plans and specs for concrete rehabilitation project 266, which includes a contract for $140,290 and contingency of $21,000 to CJ Concrete Construction, Santa Fe Springs; an inspection task order for TRC/Vali Cooper and Associates for $16,312 and a contingency of $2400.
• Approved a timeline approved in January 2021, the city Council directed the staff to work with the city’s solid waste hauler, Valley Vista Services, to develop an organic recycling program to comply with newly enacted state laws. The new services include organic recycling programs for single family homes and providing additional programs for commercial and multi-family customers and are anticipated to begin in Januar

Historically powerful fire fighting tech now housed at JFTB

David N. Young
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Historically powerful fire fighting tech now housed at JFTB

Joint Forces Training Base will host two of the world’s largest fire fighting helicopters as a joint task force designed to provide coverage across Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties unveiled a selection of fire and emergency equipment Monday.

Southern California Edison has provided about $18 million to fund the Quick Response Force (QRF), Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Thanh Nguyen reportedly told a news conference Monday at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos.

He said the multi-agency team assigned to battle wildfires across Southern California.
The SCE funding will provide for the “world’s largest, 24-hour capable, fire-suppression helicopters with unique water and fire-retardant dropping capabilities,” according to a statement released by the group.

The arrangement gives OCFA, as well as the Los Angeles County and Ventura County fire departments, access to a pair of Chinook CH-47 helitankers, which are capable of flying day or night and can each carry up to 3,000 gallons of fire-retardant or water.

A Sikorsky S-61 helitanker capable of dropping 1,000 gallon payloads is also part of the QRF’s arsenal of firefighting equipment. The collaborative effort augments each participating agency’s existing aerial fleet, and will operate for 180 days during the peak of summer.

Additionally, the retardant base is capable of mixing up to 18,000 gallons of 259-Fx retardant every hour; the only long-term fire retardant approved by the U.S. Forest Service for fixed tank helicopters, according to the release.

Millions of people in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties live in wildfire-prone areas, officials said, and the effort was formed in light of the recurring threat of disaster these communities face. It makes its debut Tuesday amidst historically dry conditions and predictions of an exceptionally dire wildfire season.

Officials appearing at the Monday news conference at the Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos included Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby, Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy, Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen, Brigadier General Michael Leeney and Southern California Edison President and CEO Kevin Payne.

The event also included a hover-filling and water-dropping demonstration.

Aquarium to bring back in-person Scout Days

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Aquarium to bring back in-person Scout Days

For the first time since the pandemic, the Aquarium of the Pacific is now bringing back its in-person Scout Days. Scouts, with their family and friends, are invited to the Aquarium on June 19, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at a special price with limited availability.

With many animals to discover and learn about, the Aquarium has self-led activity sheets, available online to download and print, for the Scouts to complete for badge requirements. Scout leaders or parents are expected to assist in the learning experience as some steps need to be completed at home.

In addition, Scout leaders and parents are advised to review the Scout council approved activities for each desired badge. Fun patches will be available in the Aquarium’s Pacific Collections gift store for $1 on Scout Day, and Scouts wearing their uniform can receive 20 percent off a total purchase.

Scouts and their guests can add on a 30-minute theater experience to meet the Aquarium animals and learn about them. This add-on experience requires its own tickets and reservations separate from Aquarium general admission.

During this program, the Aquarium’s animal husbandry staff will bring animals into the Ocean Theater and teach attendees about the animals’ adaptations that help these species protect themselves and find food in their natural environments. They will also learn about the importance of conservation and environmental stewardship.

The cost will include a discounted admission: $24.95 adult (ages 12+) (regular adult price $36.95) and $19.95 child (ages 3-11) (regular child price $26.95), and free for Aquarium members and children under age 3.

The 30-minute theater experience with Aquarium animals is a $10 add-on per person.

Reservations are required for both and can be made at aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/scouts/.

For additional info, please call (562) 590-3100 or visit aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/scouts/.

The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and where important challenges facing our planet are explored. The Aquarium is dedicated to conserving and building nature and nature’s services by building the interactions between and among peoples. Home to more than 12,000 animals, Aquarium exhibits include Shark Lagoon, the June Keyes Penguin Habitat, Lorikeet Forest, and the Molina Animal Care Center. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages, including a variety of lectures by guest speakers. The Aquarium offers memberships with unlimited FREE admission for 12 months and other special benefits. To make a donation to help support the Aquarium, please visit Pacific.to/donate. To visit, advance reservations are required for everyone and can be made at aquariumofpacific.org or by calling (562) 590-3100. The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802.

 

Griffin girls capture CIF-SS golf title

Ted Apodaca
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Griffin girls capture CIF-SS golf title

It took a better than average score from every player, but the Los Alamitos High girls golf team was able to edge out league rival Edison by one stroke to capture the CIF-SS Division 2 team championship last week at Jurupa Hills Country Club in Riverside.

The Griffins won the first-ever CIF-SS championship in girls golf with a 391-392 score to edge out the Chargers. Keira Cheng and Kylee Gregory, who have been the team’s most consistent top scorers for the team, again led the way. Cheng had a team-best score of 74, shooting just three over par for the course. Gregory was the next best scorer with a 78.

“All of the girls played pretty solid,” Head Coach John Haygood said.
It was the first time the Griffins had advanced as far as the CIF Finals since 2006 and it is the first CIF-SS Championship for the girls golf program at the school. The team had never played the course at Jurupa Hills, so not being familiar with it presented additional challenges. Overall, Haygood said the team has a pretty good short game. The strategy focused on limiting mistakes. He impressed upon them to not try to do too much, in order to stay out of trouble. He said they talked about the idea that every stroke would be important. As it turned out, it was just one that made the difference.

Los Alamitos started its girls golf program in 1998. They have become a consistent league contender in the Surf League, the top league in the Sunset Conference. The boys program has won two CIF-SS titles. The girls now have their first.

“It was really nice to see the girls get that,” Haygood said.
CIF title match players include: Abby Sickles, Keira Cheng, Kylee Gregory, Andrea Camacho, Kate Younger, Sophia Tipton and Janelle Abbott.

Long Beach gather in the shape of a giant 50 in honor of the hospital’s 50th anniversary.

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Long Beach gather in the shape of a giant 50 in honor of the hospital’s 50th anniversary.

On Friday, May 14, MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach ended National Hospital Week with a celebration that brought staff together in a large group for the first time in more than a year. Physicians, nurses and clinical staff gathered outside in the shape of a giant 50 in honor of Miller Children’s & Women’s 50th anniversary.

In 1970, Miller Children’s & Women’s became the sixth free-standing children’s hospital in California. Today, it remains one of only eight free-standing children’s hospitals in the state. However, due to the pandemic, the hospital had to put its golden anniversary celebration on hold.

“It’s been a challenging year for our hospital and staff,” says Graham Tse, M.D., chief medical officer, Miller Children’s & Women’s. “As we emerge from this pandemic, it’s nice to give our staff and physicians an opportunity to pause and take a moment to celebrate. We’re so excited to finally recognize this significant milestone together.”

Five decades ago, Miller Children’s & Women’s was founded by the late Dr. Harry Orme, Long Beach’s first pediatric cardiologist, after recognizing a community need for health care designed to meet the unique needs of children.

Over the last 50 years, Miller Children’s & Women’s has stayed true to its founder’s vision and continues to provide care to nearly 15,000 children who need hospitalization, as well 65,000 children who need ongoing specialized follow-up care each year.

Learn more at millerchildrens.org/50.

Youth Center is hosting a Par-Tee on the Green to support kids in need

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Youth Center is hosting a Par-Tee on the Green to support kids in need

On Monday, July 12th, The Youth Center will host a fundraising golf tournament at Rio Hondo Golf Club in Downey. It will be a day of golf, contests, giveaways and fun on the greens, raising awareness and much need funds to support program scholarships for at risk and disadvantaged youth in Los Alamitos and the surrounding community.

The Youth Center’s Annual Golf Tournament day of activities will start with registration at 10am, which includes a putting contest at 10:30am, lunch from 11:30am – 12:25pm and a shotgun tournament starting at 12:30pm. Dinner will begin around 5:30pm with awards, raffle and auction announcements by 6:30pm.

Festivities will include 3 hole-in-one contests, a ball launcher, a long drive contest, cigar giveaways, jerky tasting, sunglass giveaways, beverage giveaways at a hole, raffles and much more.

Unlike most golf tournaments, golfers are encouraged to sign their kids up for the opportunity to play on a team and gain tournament experience. Golfers and youth will want to register by June 12 to enjoy early bird fees of $165 for adults and $125 for kids (fees will increase by $20 after June 12th). Space is limited. Golfers can register online at www.theyouthcenter.org.

The Youth Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform children’s lives one family at a time through collaborative social, educational and recreational programs. Since the birth of The Youth Center in 1952, The Youth Center has been honored to establish valuable partnerships within the community and acknowledges their critical importance in the organization’s current and future success. For additional information on The Youth Center, please call (562) 493-4043 or visit www.TheYouthCenter.org.

 

 

 

LAHS Senior Builds Science in a Box for The Youth Center for Eagle Scout Service Project

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LAHS Senior Builds Science in a Box for The Youth Center for Eagle Scout Service Project

Mathew Borkovich recently gifted The Youth Center with a Science in a Box container full of science experiments for the kids to learn from and enjoy. The generous and lasting gift is the result of Matthew’s Eagle Scout project.

Matthew is no stranger to The Youth Center. He and his sister participated in programs during elementary and middle school and he volunteered at Camp SHARK for two summers and Matthew wanted to give back to the organization that gave so much to him.

In January 2020 Matthew identified The Youth Center as his beneficiary and started the project in April 2020. The Youth Center had a vision of a Science box but could find nothing on the market. Matthew took on the challenge and began planning his project. He wanted it to have a greater impact than a storage container for projects. He wanted it to inspire STEM and science projects in youth.

He received approval from his troupe parent committee and the Long Beach area Council for the beneficiary and project. He then raised all of the money needed to build and fill the box, through fundraisers and bottle recycling. He then raised an additional $200 to purchase more science supplies for the box. After planning the construction of the box, solidifying a budget, scheduling the workdays and identifying the experiments would go into it, he was ready to begin building the Science in a box.

Matthew’s parents, sister and fellow boy scouts joined him to work on the project with no more than 3 helpers working at a time, due to COVID restrictions. An Eagle Scout service project should not be simple enough to be completed alone. The scout is expected to lead at least two other people in completing the project. Matthew’s sister Sara created the design on the box and did most of the painting.

The Science in a Box project was completed and presented to The Youth Center in late May and will bring hours of enrichment and fun to kids for years to come.

“At The Youth Center, kids never stop learning. Our staff does an amazing job of providing learning activities with every fun activity they enjoy,” said Lina Lumme, Executive Director of The Youth Center. “The Science in a box contains educational materials, supplies and everything needed to provide enrichment science opportunities and experiments for children during the school year and summer. We can’t thank Matthew enough for the hard work, creativity, enthusiasm and heart he put into this amazing gift,” she said.

The Youth Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform children’s lives one family at a time through collaborative social, educational and recreational programs. Since the birth of the Youth Center in 1952, The Youth Center has been honored to establish valuable partnerships within the community and acknowledges their critical importance in the organization’s current and future success. For additional information on The Youth Center, please call (562) 493-4043 or visit www.TheYouthCenter.org.

 

OC Girl Scout moderates virtual event with former First Lady

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OC Girl Scout moderates virtual event with former First Lady

Girl Scouts of Orange County (GSOC) is delighted to announce that distinguished local Girl Scout alum and current Harvard University freshman Isabella Madrigal was selected to moderate a national Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) virtual event with Former First Lady Michelle Obama. The event, held yesterday, gathered tens of thousands of Girl Scouts and adult members from across the country and around the globe.

In mid-March, GSUSA shared exciting details about the Becoming Me program, a special collaboration with Penguin Random House and Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama. The program follows the recent publication of Mrs. Obama’s book, Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers, and offers a unique opportunity for Girl Scouts to embark on their journeys to become their best selves. A virtual event with Mrs. Obama was held yesterday during which Temecula native and Girl Scouts of Orange County alum Isabella Madrigal moderated a conversation with the former First Lady and six younger Girl Scouts.

“I am so pleased to be working with Girl Scouts of the USA on the Becoming Me program,” said Mrs. Obama. “It is a joy and privilege to support young girls along their journeys of becoming, working together to unlock the unique and profound power that lies within each of our own stories.”

“Mrs. Obama is so grounded and down-to-earth. I was truly honored to have the opportunity to facilitate a conversation with her and younger Girl Scouts,” said Isabella. “So much of what is taught in Girl Scouts – resilience, finding your voice, serving one’s community, the importance of mentorship, and owning your story – overlaps with the themes in Mrs. Obama’s new book. And this is the perfect time to further support girls, as we relaunch our lives after such a challenging time. I’m thrilled to be a part of this.”

Girl Scouts’ Becoming Me program will be available at no cost to any Girl Scout enrolled for the 2021–22 membership year. Drawing on existing Girl Scouts’ programming, the curated Becoming Me program series includes a six- to eight-week experience centered around core themes from Mrs. Obama’s Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers that align with the Girl Scout mission, such as knowing and telling your story, maintaining mental health and wellness, and supporting and nurturing girls on their own journeys. The program also includes a journal activity through which participants reflect on their personal experiences as they answer the question “Who are you, and who do you want to become?” Learn more about Girl Scouts’ Becoming Me program by visiting www.girlscouts.org/BecomingMe.

Isabella Madrigal is a Harvard student on the pre-med track. A National Gold Award Girl Scout (Girls Scouts’ highest award), Isabella hails from Temecula and attended the Orange County School of the Arts. Being of Cahuilla and Chippewa descent, Isabella saw a need for cultural strengthening in her community. For her Girl Scout Gold Award project last year, she addressed Native representation in the arts, collaborating with ethnic playwrights, cultural consultants, and musicians to develop the play “Menil and her Heart.” The play, which has been performed to over 1,000 individuals from California to Washington, D.C., follows the disappearance of a Cahuilla girl, her family’s subsequent grief, and sister’s efforts to find her. Isabella’s project included a corresponding workshop series for tribal members and mainstream participants that wove traditional Cahuilla stories into the current issue of missing and murdered indigenous women. Learn more at www.isabellamadrigal.com.

About Girl Scouts of Orange County

We are the Girl Scouts of Orange County. We are 30,000 strong – nearly 18,000 girls and 12,000 adults who believe that every girl can change the world. Girl Scouts began over 100 years ago with one woman, Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low, who believed in the power of every girl. Today, we continue her vision of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place, by helping them discover their inner strength, passions, and talents. With programs in every zip code in Orange County, there are opportunities for every girl to do something amazing. We are the Girl Scouts. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit girlscoutsoc.org.

First District-Wide STEAM Contest is a Big Success

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First District-Wide STEAM Contest is a Big Success

On May 24, twenty finalists in the Los Alamitos Unified district-wide STEAM Contest presented their projects before a panel of judges. The contest was sponsored and facilitated by LAEF (Los Alamitos Education Foundation) and took the place of what would have been the 7th annual district-wide STEAM Showcase. Students of all ages created amazing projects that incorporated science, technology, engineering, the arts and math (STEAM).

Last year, the 2020 STEAM Showcase was cancelled due to COVID-19 and LAEF worked with Los Alamitos USD schools to bring Virtual STEAM Fairs to each school community. This year, still unable to provide the showcase due to the pandemic, LAEF organized this STEAM Contest for elementary (grade levels TK-2 and 3-5) and secondary (grade levels 6-8 and 9-12) students. First, Second and third place prizes were awarded to each grade level group. LAEF, with the help of Los Al STEAM teachers, provided students with video lessons and online information to assist with their project creation.

The contest began April 1, with projects due by May 10. Over 150 STEAM projects were submitted and five finalists in each grade level group were announced on May 17.

“We are so excited about student participation in our STEAM Contest,” exclaimed Carrie Logue, LAEF’s Executive Director. “Students did an amazing job, and it was evident that much hard work, time and effort were given to each project.”

The following is a list of the finalists (in alphabetical order), their projects and the prize winners:

Elementary Finalists

Grade Levels TK – 2nd

  • Arya Longlerno – “Hydroponics” (2nd Place, $150)
  • Delilah Rios – “Salt Crystal Garden”
  • Isabella Joanne Roy-Lazarito – “Robot Build” (3rd Place, $75)
  • Carson Schiele – “Banana Circuit” (1st Place, $300)
  • Leah Thompkins – “Where Does Wind Come From”

Grade Levels 3rd – 5th

  • Leah Jackson – “How Does Temperature Affect Oxygen in Ocean Waters” (1st Place, $300)
  • Manav Sathish Kumar – “Soil Erosion”
  • Emma Livingston & Joanne Marki – “Ferris Wheel”
  • Ellie Oh – “COVID-19 Animation” (2nd Place, $150)
  • Nathaniel Priyakumar – “COVID and Lungs” (3rd Place, $75)

Secondary Finalists

Grade Levels 6th – 8th

  • Lucas Beltran, Emma Osborne and Kayla Rhee – “It’s Just Water Under the Bridge – Or is it?” (3rd Place, $125)
  • Spencer Bystrom – “The Pet Feeder” (1st Place, $500)
  • Luna Cerrillo & Sofia Linzaga – “Gluten Free -vs- Gluten Cupcakes – The Differences”
  • Phyllisia Rosen – “COVID or Convenience? A Pandemic Survey of the Public”
  • Alivia Seard – “Read Seed” (2nd Place, $250)

Grade Levels 9th – 12th

  • Alexander Bystrom – “Final Jeopardy Wagering Using Reinforcement Learning” (3rd Place, $125)
  • Arjun Ghosh – “Investigating Effective Alternatives to Silver-based Pressure Sore Treatments and Other Novel Applications of Gold and Copper Nanoparticles” (1st Place, $500)
  • Landon LaPoint & Zachary Norris – “Hydrogen Endurance Racing Team Telemetry System”
  • Lucas Torgerson – “Commonsense Antifungal Defense”
  • Nora Zajzon – “Using Brain Computer Interfaces to Play Video Games” (2nd Place, $250)

On May 24, the finalists in each grade level group presented their projects to a panel of judges, who determined the winners. The judging panel for elementary students featured Los Al science educators Morgan Martin and Matt Maya, LAEF board members Felicia Gonzalez of Edward Jones and Kendra Jones of Epson, NovaWurks Mechanical Engineer Marc Baldwin, and Boeing Director Bill Cusato.

The judging panel for secondary students featured educators Melisa Baluyot, Dr. Dan Bennett and Dr. Kenneth Lopour, LAEF board members Leanne Voigt and Ruth Anne Salau Kurkjian, Chiropractor Dr. Sean Braithwaite and Javatinis owner Rob Jahncke.

First, second and third place winners in each grade level group were announced on May 25. Winners received cash prizes and all finalists will receive plaques.

LAEF is the non-profit partner of Los Alamitos Unified School District. LAEF enhances educational excellence by providing after-school and summer enrichment programs to children in grades Pre-K to 12. LAEF impacts all students by providing significant funding for STEAM teachers and instruction, mental health and wellness, and social emotional learning as well as igniting new programs and providing valuable resources. For more information, visit www.LAEF4Kids.org or email info@LAEF4kids.org today.

 

Pictured below are 2021 LAEF STEAM Contest First-Place Winners.

 

Los Alamitos rocketeers compete in American Rocketry Challenge

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Los Alamitos rocketeers compete in American Rocketry Challenge

By Staff Sgt.
Crystal Housman
CA. National Guard Public Affairs

A group of teenage rocket scientists from STARBASE Los Alamitos will make their second successive appearance in The American Rocketry Challenge National Finals as they travel to Lucerne Dry Lake this weekend to launch a rocket they’ve spent nearly two years designing and testing.

The team, made up of middle and high school school students who live near Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, and practice on the installation, earned a place in the finals by scoring among the top 100 teams nationwide with their qualifying launches in early May.

“I’m so proud of these guys,” said STARBASE teacher and rocketry coach Tim Ziesmer, after the team launched two rockets within the competition’s targeted time duration and each within 10 feet of a specified launch altitude.

“They’re more organized, tighter, and more focused,” Ziesmer said, comparing this year’s team to previous years. “We have a lot more practice and more experience under our belts.”

The challenge tests a team’s ability to meet particular engineering requirements along with specific launch parameters while assessing points for going over or under a targeted flight time and launch height. The lowest score wins.

“I’m pretty happy with today. I’m really happy with our score,” said fourth year team member and high school freshman Emily Rodeghiero after the team submitted two 10-point qualifying launches.

“We definitely have to work on our parachute,” she said, after tangled parachute lines caused one practice launch to fly outside of the competition’s zero-point time window.
The rocketry program at STARBASE Los Alamitos began four years ago, and each year the team makes technological improvements in its design and build. This year is no different.

“They found a place to get carbon fiber fabric [for the body] and we figured we could do it,” Ziesmer said. “It’s a commitment, though, because you have to make everything. There are no more off-the-shelf parts.”

The teens used simulation software to design a rocket with a carbon fiber body and laser cut fins and other parts from aircraft-grade wood. They used a 3-D printer to create a nose cone and other parts, as needed.

The new design is a lightweight rocket that gives the team a wider latitude to add or subtract weight depending on launch day weather conditions.
Each launch also includes the weight of one egg, which must return intact with no visible cracks.

STARBASE Los Alamitos is one of four Department of Defense STARBASE locations in California and one of two operated by the California Military Department’s Task Force Torch. The program focuses on promoting science, technology, engineering and math to elementary students while also offering STARBASE 2.0 extracurricular opportunities for middle and high school students.

While most of the team is returning from previous years, David Asraf is competing for the first time. Last summer, the Los Alamitos High School freshman asked his mother for help finding extracurricular activities.

“She found this rocketry program on the military base, and I was like ‘that’s cool,’” he said. “I went here and checked it out and I really liked it.”

The American Rocketry Challenge is the world’s largest rocket contest with nearly 5,000 students nationwide competing each year. The contest gives middle and high school students the opportunity to design, build and launch model rockets and hands-on experience solving engineering problems.

The competition’s top team will receive $20,000 in prize money with an additional $1,000 presented to the team’s school site. Additional prize money will be awarded to the 2nd-5th place teams, nationally, along with $1,000 presented to the lowest scoring team at each national finals launch location.

STARBASE Los Alamitos earned its first national finals appearance in 2019, traveled to Virginia and placed 51st overall. The team flew practice launches in 2020, however the national finals were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Los Al gains three new black belts

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Los Al gains three new black belts

Recently, Los Alamitos gained three new blackbelts in a grueling test of perseverance at the National Hapkido Center.  Despite the pandemic, St. Hedwig students Maddie, Lizzie and Ben Maciel culminated four years of physically demanding training with grit and determination during an intense four-hour black belt test involving physical conditioning, sparring, and performance of motions.  Their father, Travis Maciel, who is also a blackbelt in Hapkido, happily assisted in judging their test and concurred with the promotion.

Courtesy photos

 

Left to Right; Maddie, Ben, Lizzie, rear Travis

 

 

 

 

 

The youngest of the Maciel family- Nick, who is four years old, is still working on his foundational movements and it will be sometime before he is promoted.

 

 

Cypress College remembers Mark Eaton

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By Marc S. Posner

Mark Eaton’s path to a record-setting NBA career could have been a Hollywood script. But, dig deeper and it also accurately depicts the role of community colleges: an instructor sees possibility and sets a student on a path they never expected. Eaton — the college’s 2004 Alumnus of the Year, the Cypress College Foundation’s 2014 Americana Man of the Year, and a member of the Chargers Athletics Hall of Fame — died on Friday.

“Eaton played above the rim and all plausible dreams,” columnist Mark Whicker wrote in yesterday’s edition of The Orange County Register.

Eaton frequently shared the story that brought him from the tire shop at the corner of Lincoln and Knott to Cypress College, where he learned to play basketball. While driving past what’s now Just Tires (but was then Mark C. Bloome), Chemistry Professor Tom Lubin saw a tech looking in the window of a car — that was raised on the auto lift. Lubin, an assistant coach on the basketball team, swung back to the shop and began recruiting the 7-foot-4, 21-year-old who hadn’t been a basketball player at Westminster High.

In fact, he said he didn’t even like the sport.

But, Lubin and Cypress College Head Basketball Coach Don Johnson saw possibility. And, from there, the sky became the limit. He went on to UCLA and then the NBA, where he helped transform the culture of the Utah Jazz into a winning organization.
Eaton was part of Cypress College’s 1979-1980 state championship team. He transferred to UCLA, where he played, his bio says, “just 53 minutes in a total of 11 games” during his senior year.

That number later graced his Utah Jazz jersey and now hangs in the rafters after his #53 was retired by the franchise in 1996, the fourth player so honored by the team. His number #35 jersey was retired by Cypress College in 2014 during the first-ever Legends of Hoops night.

Eaton was drafted by the Jazz in 1982 and spent his entire 11-year NBA career with the team. He still holds the record as the NBA’s best shot blocker as well as for most blocks in a season. Twice, he was the league’s defensive player of the year. An NBA All-Star, Eaton is fourth in league history with 3,064 blocked shots, a category he topped in four different seasons.

Following his playing career, Eaton remained in Utah where he worked with at-risk kids, partnered in a restaurant, did TV work for the Jazz, became the president of the NBA’s retired players union, and hosted a nationally syndicated radio show.

He remained in Utah where he enjoyed the outdoors, “especially fishing, mountain biking, and golfing,” he said. It was while mountain biking on Friday night that Eaton apparently had a fatal accident, according to the Jazz.

In 2008, Eaton became a motivational speaker — and, Lubin again played a role in shaping his student’s future. As they struggled to articulate his story, Eaton’s speaking coach reached out to Lubin, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Lubin identified keys to Eaton’s basketball success — “he knew his job, he did what he was asked, he protected people, and he unselfishly embraced making others look good” — the Tribune article noted. This became the foundation of Eaton’s message, Four Commitments of a Winning Team.
When Professor Lubin passed last summer, Eaton authored a tribute titled “Today I lost my Coach,” and he graciously shared his words for Cypress College’s remembrance:

“In his wake he leaves legions of doctors, researchers and scientists who wandered into his Cypress College chemistry classes thinking, ‘I hope I can pass this course.’ They left inspired, by a man who would not let them fail. … He was committed to helping everyone he met find their potential.”

Undoubtedly, Mark Eaton was one of those alumni.

Note: Marc Posner is Director of Campus Communications at Cypress Collcge.

Congrats to the Los Al High School Class of 2021

David N. Young
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Aanestad, Caitlin
Abarca, Samantha
Abbott, Janelle
Adams, Drake
Adams, Ian
Agamaite, Carli
Aguilera, Raul
Ainslie, Kasey
Al Ameri Martinez, Andrea
Alaimo, Angelina
Alameida, Alexandra
Albino, Angelie
Aleman, Brenda
Alexander, Nikki
Alfaro, Andrea
Alfaro, Vivianna
Allen, Shain
Alverson, Christian Riley
Amory Perez, Abraham
Anderson, Dylan
Andraska, James
Andres, Ethan
Andrews, Mary
Antisdel, Jacob
Armenta, Ellie
Arrighi, Priscilla
Aston, Kayla
Atencio, Tayven
Atkinson, Benjamin
Austin, Imani
Avalos, Ryan
Ayala, Cynthia
Baddeley, Madelyn
Bailey, Faith
Baines, Timia
Baker, Matthew
Balcacer, Carina
Banh, Ryan
Barcelo, Carlos
Barnett, Colby
Barragan, Logan
Barrera, Marfred Ramon
Barrett, Ethan
Barrett, Summer
Barton, Hunter
Barton, Ren
Basabro, Christian
Bayan, Ivan
Bazz, Jacob
Beal, Luke
Becerril, George
Becker, Sara
Belshe, Tenley
Benson, David
Benyamin, Joshua
Bergsma, Kylee
Bermudez, Angel
Berry, Madeleine
Berthon, Madalaine
Betancourt, Aurora
Biernbaum, Jennifer
Biernbaum, Scott
Bingham, Serafina
Bitton, Raphael
Black, Jacob
Blanco, Issabella
Blandino, Alexa
Blankenstein, Lukas
Blaset, Chase
Bolinger, Jason
Bolton, Claire
Bond, Jacquelyn
Booncompar, Natnary
Borkovich, Matthew
Boyce, Kyle-Rafael
Bozanich, Victoria
Bradford, Loralei
Brazier, Chelsea
Brennan, Aidan
Brennan, Patrick
Brown, Abby
Bui, Kira
Burke, Hayden
Burt, Mason
Byone, John
Cadiz, Kristen Joy
Calderon, Alexia
Callahan, Maya
Cameron, Ava
Cameron, Vance
Campbell, Brianna
Campuzano, Patrick
Carachure, Adrian
Carlson, Lindsay
Carrasquillo, Neismar
Cha, Jane
Chamberlain, Craig
Chang, Gabriel
Chao, Iris
Chapman, Caleb
Chatto, Austin
Chavez, Diana
Chen, Caden
Cheng, Jenna
Chernila, April
Chesser, Jonathan
Cheung, Solomon
Chin, Hailey
Cho, Daniel
Choi, Edward
Choi, Sooyoung
Chow, Iris
Chow, Tsz Yau Abbie
Chung, Jaslyn
Chung, Michael
Ciago, Angelo
Clarke, Molly
Cline, Colin
Cochran, Emily
Cogdill, Sarah
Cohen, Elle
Coil, Holly
Colcol Ely, Allie
Cole, Kelsie
Cole, Kode
Coleman, Connor
Collins, Emma
Combs, Margaret
Conley, Sydney
Coppersmith, Sean
Corbin, Audrey
Cours, Noah
Crabtree, Rebecca
Crammer, Levi
Creighton, Andrew
Cruz, Andrew
Cueto, Liliana
Cuevas, Juliane Daena
Dagampat, Kainoa
Dale, Jacob
Dalrymple, Gavin
Dalton, Dylan
Dao, Kimmy
David-Reed, Savanna
Dawsey Pettigrew, Stephen
De La Cruz, Isaya
De Prez, Ella
Deal, Faye
Deal, Michael
Deaton, Rachel
DeLaFuente, Brianna
DeLeon, Tyler
Delos Reyes, Elisha Aron
deRamos, Kevin
Desautel, Michaela
Devlin, Clara
Diaz, Frankie
Doan, Daniel
Dockstader, Justin
Doktorczyk, Jason
Donahue, Sionna
Donovan, Sydney
Dooley, Darius
Dougherty, Kate
Dougherty, Nolan
Downey, Andrew
Dozier, Travis
Driscoll, Ian
Drylie, Lauren
Dunn, Hunter
Durbin, Danielle
Dziadkowicz, Matthew
Egan, Kevin
Elizarraras, Mateo
Emfinger, Grant
Emmons, Andrew
Endelman, Jacob
Engel, Ashley
Escalante, Dominic
Esparza, Tyler
Espeleta, Emilie
Espinoza, Daniel
Esquivel, Francesca
Essayli, Hadi
Estrada, Charles
Evans, Jeremiah
Evans, Reese
Evors, Chase
Falabella, Rocco
Farfel, Elana
Faris, Ava
Feinour, Rylie
Felix, Ellie
Fell, Ryan
Felter, Trevor
Fernoll, Gianna
Ficke, Mackenzie
Fitzgerald, Frances
Flor, Selin
Flores, Cade
Flores, Zaydee
Fogel, Joan
Foley, Charles
Fong, Andy
Fontanez, Devin
Ford, Connor
Fowler, David
Fox, Rebecca
Franco, Edward
Frank, Paige
Frechette, Ryan
Freyre, Jordan
Friedrichs, Luke
Fuentes, Jeslie
Fujisawa, Mitsuo
Galicia, Madelynn
Gamarnik, Yohanna
Garate, Chloe
Garcia, Damien
Garcia, Francis
Garcia, Isadore
Garcia, Joseph
Garcia-Ramirez, Grace
Gardley, Cyerra-Leonne
Garner, Liam
Garrett, Dan
Gathright, Khalia
Gertz, Olivia
Giancaspro, Domenic
Gianformaggio, Faith
Gilfillan, Connor
Gillespie, Colin
Ginaven, Oden
Gines, Keila
Girgis, Youssab
Glines, Baylee
Golebiowski, Jacob
Goltry, Michael
Gonzales, Alex
Gonzalez, Elijah
Gonzalez, Niomi
Gordon, Emma
Gorman, Avery
Gossett, Caleb
Grabill, Beau
Graham, Gavin
Graham, Kinley
Grant, Cambria
Gray, Brenna
Griggs, Spencer
Grimes, Lauren
Grindle, Gabrielle
Groves, Ethan
Guenther, Grace
Guerin, Percival
Guerrero, Kaya
Guldimann, Domonique
Gulmatico, Madison
Gutierrez, Samantha
Gutierrez, Sierra
Haas, Landon
Haley, Caitlyn
Halfhill, Maria
Hamamoto, Josh
Hamdan, Rayan
Hameister, Dylan
Hammers, Joshua
Hancock, Cameron
Hansen, Austin
Haq, Naveed
Hardin, Camryn
Harris, Austin
Hart, Jacob
Hart, Rex
Hawkey, Madison
Hayes, Peyton
Heilbron, Benicio
Helm, Hailey
Henriquez, Hannah
Hernandez, Jesse
Hernandez, Juliana
Hernandez, Maya
Hernandez, Natalie
Hernandez, Oscar
Herrick, Dylan
Hibbison, Isabel
Hightower, Lily
Hindman, Kyndall
Hobson, Remick
Hoeffken, Phoebe
Holguin, Chloe
Holmes, Kaleb
Holt, Ryder
Hon, Alexis
Hong, Jio
Horio, Amanda
Howard, Davin
Howder, Leila
Huffington, Leah
Hughes, Carson
Hughes, Kevin
Humphrey, Lea
Hunter, John
Ilog, Nathan
Inez, Ryan
Iniguez, Valery
Irons, Mia
Ishibashi, Kaitlyn
Ivanovich, Trinity
Iwashita, Alex
Jacobs, Connor
Jacobson, Danielle
Jacot, Daniel
Jefferson, Reign
Jenkins, Kate
Jenkins, Paige
Jiang, Mingyang
Jimenez, Hannah
Jimenez, Jasmin
Johnson, Drew
Johnston, Rydder
Jones, Benjamin
Jones, Grace
Jones, Kristin
Jones, Solomon
Judy, Brandon
Junkes, Jacalyn
Kaiser, Andrew
Kaiser, Karl
Kasem, Sarah
Kaufmann, Paige
Kean, Ashlee
Keller, Jackson
Kendrick, Owen
Kerns, Elizabeth
Ketcham, Lucas
Khalil, Merian
Killeen, Amanda
Kilpatrick, Erin
Kim, Catherine
Kim, Janelle
Kim, Justin
Kim, Matthew
Kim, Nathan
Kim, SoJung
Kimbrell, Travis
Kirkendall, Jared
Kode, Shreshta
Kraus, Matthew
Kreal, Miranda
Kussler, Katherine
Kustich, Skyler
Kwak, Aleum
Kwak, Hannah
Lam, Amy
LaParl, Tabitha
Lasao, Jenna Lee
Lathouwers, Vaughn
Law, Ryan
Lawrence, Catherine
Lazar, Courtney
Lazaro, Derik
Leal, Hannah
Lear, Matthew
Lebovitz, Jacob
Ledgard, Slater
Lee, Jun Young
Lee, McKenna
Lee, Sarah
Lee, Sean
Lee, Shannon
Legere, Elizabeth
Lehman, Madelyn
Lenton, Nicholas
Leon, Randall
Leonard, Jacob
Levy, Aaron
Levy, Matthew
Lewis, Kellie
Li, Tong
Lim, Joseph
Ling, Kejin
Linture, Marcus
Littig, Daphne
Livingston, Alexandra
Lopez, Anthony
Lopez, Madelyn
Lopez, Madilyn
Lopez, Santiago
LopezLewin, Carolyn
Lu, Nina
Lua, Stefanie
Lucasan, Tre
Lucus, Frank
Lumme, Cassandra
Lunsford, Kaylyn
Ly, Cory
Macias, Devo
MacKenzie, Macilee
Mackey, Jillian
Mackey, Joely
Macomber, Francesca
Maeda, Jason
Maeda, Kylie
Magallanes, Adam
Magallanes, Christian
Magana, Alexandria
Mageo, Jacob
Magie, Victoria
Malley, Cade
Manfro, Eliana
Manrique, Jordyn
Manzanares, Alyssa
Manzo, Kyle
Marchese, Genevieve
Margetis, Ian
Marrs, Ashton
Marshall, Mary
Martin, Alana
Martin, Lea
Martinez, Edgar
Martinez, Jared
Martinez, Jorge
Martinez, Joshua
Martinez, Naomi
Martinez, Nathaniel
Martinez, Nicholas
Martinez, Sebastian
Massoumi, Nicole
Masura, Adam
Masura, Grace
May, Everett
McCarthy, Stephanie
McElderry, Eliana
McHenry, Lucy
McHugh, Antonio
McIlrath, Sean
McIntosh, Katherine
McKinley, Serenity
McNeil, Madison
McNeill, Sydney
Medina, Avery
Meehan, Cassidy
Mendez, Dante
Mendoza, Alyssa
Mendoza, Erin
Mendoza, Jenevieve
Meni, Asialeata
Meraz, Favian
Merriman, Marissa
Meyerhofer, Andrew
Meyers, Maxwell
Miller, Tyler
Millsaps, Daniel
Min, Lea
Mingram, Matthew
Minniti, Alessandra
Miranda, Alejandro
Moffatt, Spencer
Montgomery, John
Montion, Angie
Moore, Cate
Moore, Orion
Morales, Gabrielle
Morales, Isabella
Morgan, Sydney
Moriel, Sarah
Morris, Hunter
Morris, Tristan
Moses, Jessica
Motter, Sirena
Muhlenbruch, Grant
Multhaupt, Canyon
Munson, Jack
Murphy, Jo
Murray, Brennan
Murray, Isabela
Nakamura, Ethan
Naranjo, Jessica
Nasser, Elaine
Navarro, Natalie
Neal, Samuel
Nefulda, Delaney
Nemeth, Ethan
Ngo, Vincent
Nguyen, Amanda
Nguyen, Ellie
Nguyen, Sydney
Noda, Tatianna
Noh, Elliot
Nuez, Joseph
Nugent, Sophia
Nunez, Shane
Nunez, Yanelly
Ochoa, Karen
Ogaz, Aiden
Oliver, Hayley
Oliver, Kiersten
Olson, Katelin
Onesto, Jared
Osborne, Hannah
Osgood, Kendall
Ov, Jenny
Paclibar, Criz
Padilla, Oscar
Padua, Angela Nicole
Paduano, Giovanni
Page, Evan
Palacios, Alexander
Palacios, Fernando
Palmares, Bryce
Parada, Alize
Parent, Paisley
Park, Daniel
Park, Sean
Park, SeJin
Parker, Euan
Parra, Nicholas
Parriott, Taylor
Partlow, Trevor
Paul, Samantha
Paulos, Lena
Payne, Dylyn
Pelayo, Isabella
Pelonis, Mitchell
Pennock, Corissa
Peralta, Jesus
Peraza, Angel
Perez, Christopher
Perez, Gisselle
Perez, Miranda
Perkins, Emma
Peters, Zachary
Peterson, Brian
Peterson, Tori
Petrina Morrison, Lukas
Pettus, Rashaun
Pham, Preston
Pham, Sydney
Phelps, Samuel
Pierce, Jordan
Pirazzi, Augustino
Pittsey, Kyla
Plager, Ilana
Poelstra, Anneliese
Poetsch, Gwyneth
Pokorny, Mia
Pollard, Branson
Porras, Jamie
Powers, Sloane
Price, Jade
Prunty, Shane
Pycior, Christian
Quan, Andrew
Quan, Sarah
Quinones, Sophia
Quinonez, Kai
Quirke, Sinead
Ramakrishnan, Amrita
Ramirez, Elizabeth
Ramirez, Jeovanny
Ramos Perez, Stephanie
Rappa-Brainard, Rhys
Ratzlaff, Maddisen
Reddick, Justin
Reddy, Sophia
Reece, Madison
Reece, Taylor
Reed, Jake
Reinard, John
Rennie, Braeden
Reyes, Carlo
Reyes, Clare Therese
Reyes, Trinity
Reyna, Itzel
Reynolds, Tyler
Ridenour, Peirson
Riley, Abigail
Rios, Catherine
Rivas, Jared
Roah, Tyler
Roberts, Cameron
Robinson, Marcella
Robinson, Syrus
Rodriguez, Alex
Rodriguez, Callista
Rodriguez, Carson
Rodriguez, Leyla
Rodriguez, Raquel
Rodriguez, Ryan
Rogers, Summer
Rojo, Eva
Ronnau, Joseph
Ronquillo, Julianne
Rothery, Danica
Rowley, Joshua
Roy, Jefferson
Rubio, Zeus
Rush, Justin
Ryan, Jack
Ryan, Owen
Saavedra, Santino
Sagusay, Dominic
Salazar, Pedro
Salgado, Sarina
Salter, Ethan
Salvoni, Marco
Sam, Todd
Samayoa, Zechariah
Samed, Sajaad
Sanchez, Delysia
Sanchez, Gabrielle
Sanchez, Isaiah
Santana, Sierra
Sapiga, Keely-Shae
Sarkisian, Jason
Sarquiz, Jillian
Saulog, Kristen
Sauvao, Mark
Schultz, Eric
Schwartz, Megan
Segal, Daria
Segura, Melissa
Sellers, Emma
Senteno, Chase
Serrano, Jordan
Sewell, Davin
Sharma, Hritik
Sharp, Ashton
Shatsky, Olivia
Shean, Edward
Shean, Madison
Shellenbergar, Timothy
Shimizu, Lauren
Shimohara, Kaitlyn
Shuptrine, Chance
Silva, Elyse
Simpson, Michael Angelino
Sisneros, Jaedon
Sly, Jordan
Smith, Emily
Smith, Owen
Smith, Trent
Smitson, Brooke
Smitson, Shane
Smulson, Dallas
Somogyi, David
Song, Irene
Sonntag, Danielle
Sorensen, Dyllan
Sorensen, Jenna
Soto Cano, Fabiola
Spathopoulos, Arianna
Sproule, Donovan
Spurlock, Emma
Squires, Taylor
Stage, Graeme
Steenhausen, Taylor
Stefanescu, Nicolae
Stein, Nicole
Stobaugh, Emma
Stom, Christopher
Stone, Dylan
Stoneham, David
Stuart, Sally
Stumpfl, Luke
Sullivan, Jean
Summers, Jacob
Suredechakul, Nicole
Swun, Nathan
Taga, Brent
Taibi, Michelle
Tanaka, Jonathan
Tanner, Cody
Tavlarides, Nicholas
Tem, Cody
Templeton, Shiloh
Teodoro, Takashi
Thai, Kevin
Thiel, Hannah
Thome, Ethan
Tiffany, Corinn
Timoney, Charles
Tinsley, Braydenn
Tirambulo, Cielo
Torgerson, Lucas
Torres, Jocelyn
Torres, Yanyxia
Totorp, Taylor
Tran, Jason
Travis, Delani
Trigo, Alexa
Triplett, Cole
True, Kade
Tsamous, Elizabeth
Tsarofski, Dominic
Turis, Willow
Turk, Reezyn
Tu’ufuli, Austin
Udria, Tyler
Unfried, Harrison
Urzua, Brielle
Valencia, Adriana
Valencia, Marcos
Valencia, Valeria
Valenzuela, Isiah
Van Meter, Steven
Vanegas, Alexandra
Varonos, Alexander
Vaughan, Lukas
Vaughn, Kaylynne
Vera, Adrian
Vicente, Nathan
Vilensky, Elazar
Villado, Joseph
Villalba, Jonah
Villanueva, Nicolas
Villegas, Brock
Voge, Jakob
Von Arx, Jack
Vosskuhler, Jordan
Vu, Katherine
Vuong, Caden
Wait, Tyler
Walker, Brandon
Walker, Jake
Walker, Victor
Wallrich, Shaun
Watts, Gavin
Webber, Ethan
Webber, Victoria
Wehr, Samantha
Wehring, Aubree
Welton, Nathan
Weninger, Mia
White, Daniel
Whittaker, Seth
Wicks, Olivia
Williams, Eva
Williams, Sara
Wilson, Kaylyn
Wilson, Zachary
Wines, Luke
Wingfield, Darrien
Wolferd, Carson
Wolfley, Ashley
Wolovich, Jacob
Wolstenholm, Gavin
Wong, Kenneth
Wooten, Sydnie
Worku, Feben
Wu, Elizabeth
Yamamoto, Kalen
Yamanaka, Musashi
Yamashiro, Kaitlin
Yamauchi, Serina
Yip, Angelina
Yoo, Caitlin
Yoon, Eunice
Young, Alexa
Young, James
Young, Sophia
YoungDucich, Madison
Yu, Brandon
Yukihiro, David
Zajzon, Abel
Zeitz, Jynel
Zeller, Frederich
Zito, Anabella
Zoolakis, Alexandra
Zsigmond, Emma

Los Al to premiere first-ever student created short film

David N. Young
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Los Al to premiere first-ever student created short film

By any measure, the students of Los Alamitos High School, like students everywhere, have had a very difficult year.

Even though students were confined for part of the year, afraid for most of it, they have managed to find new ways to communicate and prosper. The dance team, the choir, the Jazz and Orchestra department, among others, all of them found ingenious ways to craft productions that have aired throughout the year.

Now comes the announcement of another first.

According to Conner Brown, the school’s new Video Production teacher, he and Stacy Castiglione, the school’s Drama Teacher, have teamed up to empower students with the talents and skills to make their own short film.

Brown said he and Castiglione created a plan to provide students with the skills and talents they would need to write and direct their own short film.

“This film opportunity came at the best time. In a “normal” year, we never would have been able to collaborate on a project like this because of competition and production schedule, but here we are! It has been amazing to watch students from different activities come together to learn a plethora of new skills, leadership, and a different way to create art,” said Castiglione.

“This has truly been an experience of a lifetime,” she said.

The resulting film, entitled “6:20 a.m.” will have a red-carpet premiere at the Los Alamitos High School Performing Arts Center, June 14 at 5PM, said Brown.
According to Brown, when the effort began earlier this year, students submitted scripts they had written, and a panel of students and advisors read them all before selecting one script that would be produced.

After the “6:20 a.m.” script was chosen, Brown said the students selected two directors, Madeliene Berry, a senior and Lily Gomoljak, a junior.

Berry, said Brown, “has an extensive knowledge of filmmaking and directing while Gomoljak has experience with acting and directing actors.”

Following the selection of directors, Brown said the school held “open casting auditions” to the entire school. Anyone who wanted a part in the film could sign up to try out for it, he said.

Also, they offered students an opportunity to work on the film crew and “we were surprised when more than 80 students applied to work on the film,” said Brown.

“What happened next was amazing,” he said. A team of students began the planning and pre-production process, said Brown, “with no help from the adults.”

“They began rehearsals with the actors as well as started to collect props, costumes, makeup, etc. and began location scouting for scenes,” the video production teacher said.
Brown said pre-production lasted five weeks and the principal photography started April 19. He said students shot film for four straight weeks.

“Students used all the highest tech equipment to produce this film. They used professional lights, cameras, and sound equipment,” said Brown.

Students got plenty advice from himself and area industry professionals who volunteered their time were able to teach students how to operate all the fancy equipment.
Brown said by the end of the fourth week, the students were fully self-sufficient with the entire set.

“They were able to run the whole show,” he said.

Once all the scenes were shot, Brown said another team of students went to work on the post-production process, editing the scenes and putting all of the elements together into a finished film.

Post-production lasted eight full weeks, he said, noting that the students “edited together the scenes, added music and sound effects, color graded the footage, and assembled a final product. Brown said, he and Castiglione were astounded at the result, “a 30-minute short film that looks like it came out of USC.”

With the premiere set for June 14, Brown said students are all clamoring to see the final product. The amount of knowledge and experience these students gained from working on this project is encouraging,” said Brown.

“The final product is something that all of them will be putting on their portfolios for years to come,” he added.

Brown and Castiglione hope to make this an annual project to continue to give students a creative outlet to explore as well as an opportunity to gain hands on experience with industry-grade equipment.

Be looking for the film “6:20 a.m.” to be posted to YouTube after the June 14 premiere.
Vital info:
When: June 14th, at 5PM & 6:20 p.m.,
Where: Los Alamitos High School Performing Arts Center (PAC)
What: Premiere of Los Al’s very first student produced short film titled “6:20 a.m.”
There will be a live audience. Tickets are free, but tickets can only be reserved in groups of 4 for social distancing. In addition, at least 1 person from each group must fill out a waiver stating they understand that they are going to be sitting in a theater during COVID.

LAUSD planning for return of traditional, in-person instruction

David N. Young
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LAUSD planning for return of traditional, in-person instruction

While Los Alamitos Unified School system is already back in person, the superintendent said Tuesday that the 2021-22 school year will begin in the traditional model, in person, five days a week.

“We’ll be back to full day, five days a week, traditional, in-person instructional model at all of our school sites; elementary, middle and our high school for next year,” District Supt. Dr. Andrew Pulver told the LAUSD board Tuesday.

He said that “we keep hearing” that the Governor’s new guidance is to be issued on June 15 and that current guidelines “are going to go away.”

Pulver said the current restrictions are expected to be replaced with “Beyond the Blueprint” guidance. During regular meetings with the Orange County Healthcare Agency “we have been told the social distance requirement is going to go away.”

Pulver emphasized that the June 15 update could still change, but that school administrators are being told that the state will issue three types of guidance.

“They have shared with us that the state will be issuing basically three types of guidance,” said Pulver, including one type of guidance for most businesses, schools and childcare.
Currently, Pulver said, school officials believe both the requirements for face masks and for social distancing are going away.

He said if that is the case, the district will not have to purchase additional furniture for classrooms. “We had earlier planned that we may have to buy new furniture,” Pulver told the board, if the social distancing and close contact requirements are not changed.
He said all schools will have recess and lunch during the school day and that most will also have a real recess, with students “playing on the playground” and “not just a brain break.”
In addition, Pulver said, “transportation will be an option for all of our families like it has been in years past.”

Nevertheless, Pulver said LAUSD policy will strictly follow the new requirements set forth in the new guidelines. “We will continue to adhere to the guidance that is outlined by the California Department of Public Health, as I share we expect to be able to hear that soon that will take place beginning June 15.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced his intention to make public a major change in the protocols earlier outlined in the state’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” on June 15.
Even though final details won’t be known until then, Pulver said, while some thought there would be an option for distance learning in the new rules, “at this point it seems to indicate that there will not be a virtual option.”

He said elementary schools are on a modified year-round calendar, and whle Weaver starts on August 4, while the other five elementary schools start in-person instruction August 16.

While Pulver said there may be some options for homeschooling in the new regulations, Gov. Newsom has made it clear that the state “fully expects our pupils to be in a traditional school calendar” for the next school year.

Moreover, Pulver told the board that the staff was also looking for “various ways that we can provide additional academic and social-emotional support for our students as we come back full time, five days a week.”

“This is one of the things we’ve heard from our high school parents probably the most for the past several years, is the need for some of our parents to be able to hire tutors to provide additional support,” said Pulver.

In fact, later in the meeting, Deputy Supt. Ondrea Reed announced an agreement, which was approved by the board, with a private company that will provide one-on-one tutoring to students throughout the system.

Pulver said mentoring will be available “in just about every subject matter we teach at LAHS, and so there is a myriad of ways we are going to continue to support our students.”
With students returning after an incredibly traumatic year, “we are looking to enhance the mental health and wellness supports for all of our students at all of our school sites next year, and quite honestly even for our staff,” the superintendent said.

“I just want to reiterate this commitment of really recognizing the whole child and the wellness in addition to the academic, but we also know that one of the best ways to provide intervention support to students is to ensure that they are social and emotionally well,” said Pulver.

He said the district is ramping up the number of mental health counselors at school sites to almost double the current number and wellness counselors will be added to elementary sites to “support both proactive and reactive” strategies.

“And so, with the intense support of our board, and lots of feedback from our parents and our staff, we look forward for next year; we really will be all about providing rigorous instruction as well as providing social-emotional supports for our students.”

LAUSD Board of Ed Approves Ethnic Studies Elective Curriculum

Jeannette Andruss
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LAUSD Board of Ed Approves Ethnic Studies Elective Curriculum

With two unanimous votes at their last meeting, Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education trustees approved coursework for a high school ethnic studies elective saying the course is a response to what students requested one year ago and was developed through a rigorous process led by experienced district staff to fit the community.

The ethnic studies curriculum was approved during the June 1 virtual meeting that included the reading of 73 public comments by board members and Supt. Dr. Andrew Pulver. While the number of comments for or against approval was roughly even, a few comments referenced retaliation for adopting the coursework.

“If you do proceed with this we will do everything possible to stop this. You will be voted out of your positions never to be in office again,” read one comment. “We are infuriated and will throw all of you out if this continues on,” read another. A group is looking to recall some trustees, according to LAUSD parent David Ryst, who said he’s involved in the nascent effort and is also considering running for the board.

The Orange County Registrar of Voters office, which oversees local elections, said it has not received any recall paperwork related to Los Al board members.

The June 1 meeting was the second meeting in a row LAUSD held online due to safety concerns. At the meeting, Board President Marlys Davidson explained that people from all sides of the spectrum had contacted the district with worries about the safety of meeting attendees. “The police advised us that the best way to keep people safe was to go virtual and that was why we made the decision,” Davidson said.

Via ZOOM, board members considered the proposed coursework for an already approved ethnic studies elective due to be offered next year for juniors and seniors at Los Alamitos High School. The coursework has been on public preview since April 27.

A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki will serve as the “core text” for the class supplemented with other materials including primary source documents like the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, articles and documentary videos. The list of materials and an overview of the eight-unit course for 11th and 12th graders is viewable on LosAl.org. According to the overview, the intent of the course is “to expand students’ awareness of the role of ethnic groups in a diverse American society in order to build community and solidarity across various groups and differences.”

During discussion about the core text, board member Meg Cutuli noted the final chapter of A Different Mirror, entitled “We Will All Be Minorities” would serve as the first chapter read by students in the course, a decision she praised.

“It doesn’t put anybody up, it doesn’t put anyone down. It just says we have all contributed … together we are stronger,” Cutuli said of the chapter.

Davidson agreed. “That chapter going first sets a completely different tone,” she said noting anchor textbooks are used to promote discussion and are not always read in order from start to finish.

Praise, Criticism and Personal Stories in Public Comments

The tone of public comments read at the meeting ranged from high praise for LAUSD to intense criticism. Supporters lauded the board with one writing: “Thank you for your courage to be on the right side of history.” Some critics called for the board and Pulver to be removed with one opponent writing: “We do not trust you to do the right thing for our children.”

Other comments reflected personal stories to explain points of view.

A former LAUSD student wrote as a “brown body” in the district they would have liked to have had the ethnic studies class when they were at LAHS to help them understand their identity and to better deal with being called slurs by classmates.

“An ethnic studies course, though not a panacea, would have given me the tools to critically assess my own experiences and to contextualize how it fit into a broader American landscape,” the public comment read.

On the other side, a commenter who identified as an “American Mexican” warned of “unintended consequences” of teaching about topics such as the practice of excluding minorities from living in certain neighborhoods, which the commenter wrote their own ancestors experienced in Southern California.

“When children are taught that some people were treated differently because of the color of their skin it may bring about shame, embarrassment and/or additional bullying from newfound information,” they wrote.

Many opponents said the coursework represented critical race theory, an academic discipline that examines systemic racism. LAUSD has repeatedly said the ethnic studies class is not based on critical race theory.

The June 1 public comments echoed the remarks shared over the past several months at board meetings, including at the last one on May 11 when the trustees adopted a framework of social justice standards meant to aid teachers and staff in their discussions about racism and intolerance.

Coursework ‘best fit’ for LAUSD Community

The board took two separate votes to adopt the coursework for the ethnic studies class: one for supplemental materials and one for the core textbook. Both ended 5-0 in favor of adoption. Prior to the votes, board members explained their thinking.

Board member Meg Cutuli read a statement before the vote that said, in part: “Students need to hear different and varying opinions. This course does all these things,” Cutuli said. She also mentioned the benefit of LAUSD having its own ethnic studies coursework as a bill to use ethnic studies curriculum from the State Board of Education for a mandated class makes its way through the legislature. “It’s a good idea to be ahead of the state,” Cutuli said. “This will serve our community well and it’s good we’re ahead in this course.”

Diana Hill said she had been asked by people to vote against the ethnic studies class or to table the vote. She explained the timeline of roughly the past year, dating back to the initial request for the course by students. Hill emphasized there was a back-and-forth between the public and the district to find the curriculum that matches the LAUSD community. She noted some people wanted the course to be a graduation requirement but said the district decided to keep the elective optional.

“What we’ve done is we’ve developed with all of that input what would best fit this community. And I just think that some people came maybe late to the party and didn’t know all that has been done for that,” Hill said and added the course is still “a work-in-progress” and there will be updates to it.

Trustee Chris Forehan said he thinks teachers will bring important discussions to life with these materials. “I truly believe that these classroom discussions … will be closely monitored by our extremely competent staff and I believe these discussions will also celebrate the contributions of all Americans regardless of their ethnic background. They will demean no one, and make a much-needed effort to end racism, bullying, and provide a safe environment for all our students.”

Board member Scott Fayette expressed his faith in LAUSD staff citing their “track record” of creating programs. He called the ethnic studies coursework version 1.0 and encouraged the public to “stay involved” and “stay aware to shepherd this process through.” He said it was important to move forward with the ethnic studies class “because the students are asking for this and that’s who we want the best for.”

President Davidson also specifically addressed how the ethnic studies curriculum was developed. As a former teacher and facilitator in LAUSD for 30 years, Davidson said “nobody does it better than this district” when it comes to course development. She outlined LAUSD’s multi-step process for creating, implementing, and revising curriculum that involves much debate and discussion between many different teachers and staff.

“I give my full support to what we are doing and this support … does not come just haphazardly or because it’s easier to OK something. It comes from months of research and hard work and discussion. So, I hope that you will realize that our community has called for this and we are responding to the needs of our students,” Davidson said.

Be a Master of Giving at Festival of the Arts

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Be a Master of Giving at Festival of the Arts

Pageant of the Masters at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach is proud to once again provide the opportunity for patrons to gift tickets to the world-famous performance of “living pictures” with the Masters at Giving program. Since 2011, the Masters at Giving program has donated over 14,000 Pageant tickets to charitable organizations in the Southern California area.

“Our Masters at Giving program provides a memorable evening to charities and non-profit groups who might not otherwise experience the Pageant of the Masters,” shared Sharbie Higuchi, Director of Marketing & PR, Festival of Arts. “This year, our list of charitable organizations includes COVID-19 frontline responders, senior centers, at-risk youth, veterans’ groups, art students, outreach organizations, military families, food banks, and mentoring programs.”

Masters at Giving offers the opportunity to give a group of tickets to charitable organizations in the Director’s Tier side section of the Irvine Bowl. Tickets are $40 each and will also admit the group to the Festival of Arts Fine Art Show all summer long. Give the gift of an unforgettable experience at the 2021 performance of Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories today by visiting www.foapom.com/support/masters-at-giving/.

“We would like to thank past contributors who have provided tickets to these nonprofit and charitable associations,” added Higuchi. “Everyone should be able to reconnect and immerse themselves with the arts, and with the help of our patrons and donors we can make this possible this summer.”

The Festival of Arts is a 501 © (3) non-profit corporation, IRS Tax ID 95-1964772. Donations are used to support the arts and are fully tax deductible.

The 2021 Pageant of the Masters runs July 7 – September 3, 2021. Tickets start at $30 per person. A Pageant ticket is also a season pass to the 2021 Festival of Arts Fine Art Show, which will take place July 5 – September 3, 2021. For more information, ticket policies, and to purchase tickets, visit www.PageantTickets.com or by calling 800-487-3378.

The Festival of Arts, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has long been a local leader that has helped with the growth and development of the community and the arts in Laguna Beach. Established in 1932, the Festival of Arts’ mission is to promote, produce and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts. Each summer for nearly 90 years, the Festival of Arts has produced two world-class events:

The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters. Together both shows attract more than 225,000 visitors into Laguna Beach annually.

Statham seeks revenge in Wrath of Man

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Statham seeks revenge in Wrath of Man

By Lady Beverly Cohn

Husbands seeking revenge for the murder of their families is a familiar cinematic genre. Some of those films include Death Wish, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Mad Max, and Memento. Currently, there is a continuation of that theme with one of the latest being Without Remorse, starring Michael B. Jordan, whose wife and unborn baby are killed.

On the small screen, Christopher Meloni seeks revenge for the murder of his wife in the “Law & Order: Organized Crime” spinoff. Continuing that cinematic theme comes Wrath of Man, starring super hero/antihero Jason Statham, whose family member was murdered during an armed robbery. Dad sustained life-threatening wounds but when he comes out of his coma, he embarks on a quest to find the killer. How he achieves his revenge is what makes Wrath of Man a particularly interesting tale.

The screenplay by director Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson, Nicolas Boukhrief, and Marn Davies is based on the film Le Convoyeur written by director Nicolas Boukhrief, and Éric Besnard.
The story begins with a sweeping city shot by cinematographer Alan Stewart, whose camera hones in on the action, dramatically underscored by Christopher Benstead’s pulsating music. In a daring day-time robbery, a big rig blocks an intersection forcing a Fortico cash truck to stop. Two guards are killed and the gunmen get away with the loot.
The scene segues to Statham’s character of Patrick Hill applying for a security job at Fortico. He is being interviewed by Bullet, nicely played by Holt McCallany. The personnel all have code names and “H” is bestowed upon this new recruit who is then put through a rigorous training program, barely passing the shooting test. His quiet arrogance and unfriendliness doesn’t win him approval from the team.

One particularly hostile employee is Sticky Fingers, well characterized by Cameron Jack. He takes an immediate dislike to “H” because he is his replacement. Bullet invites the new guy to join everyone for a game of pool at a local bar. Sticky Fingers tries to antagonize “H” by calling him Mary Poppins. That attempt backfires and he is embarrassingly dismissed out of hand. “H” is given his first assignment on a cash truck containing $10,000, but when they arrive at the bank, a robbery of another cash truck is in progress.

His partner, Boy Sweat Dave, well played by Josh Hartnett, loses it and wants to drive away, which is the protocol, but “H” has other ideas. One of the robbers holds Bullet as hostage and issues orders on where to drive the truck. “H” complies but instead of turning the money over, there’s a big shoot out with our hero killing all the bad guys, which immediately gains him respect from the crew.

However, there are questions as to who this guy really is and how he honed his shooting skills. Manager Terri, sympathetically played by wonderful Eddie Marsan, is concerned about “H’s” mental health after this shoot-out and suggests he take some time off. “H” answers, “What for?” I was doing the job you hired me for.” The plot begins to thicken as FBI Agent King, played by awesome Andy Garcia, has a brief phone conversation with Hill. Who the heck is he and why is the FBI involved? Agents Okey (Jason Wong) and Hubbard (Josh Cowdery) are the other two “suits” on the case and voice concern about Hill’s methods.

King tells them that their operative gets carte blanche in his pursuit of the gang behind the cash truck heists. So, there is a duality to “H’s” motives. In one shocking moment, during a potential heist, our hero gets out of the truck and removes his mask. One of the robbers looks at his face and makes a hasty retreat. Just who is that unmasked man?
We soon learn “H’s” real motivation for taking this job. What started out as a father-son outing, ended with the craven killing of his son Dougie during another heist. Dad suffered from multiple gunshot wounds, but after being unconscious for three weeks, he recovers. Look out you villains, he’s coming after you. Needless to say, there are some gory torture scenes at the behest of the gang’s ringleader Jackson, played by Jeffrey Donovan who endows his character with cold, deadly precision. His team is made up of special ops veterans who served in Afghanistan so each heist is planned and executed as a military mission.

We soon get a picture of who shot Dougie. It was psycho, Jan, played by Scott Eastwood. Unlike the supporting cast, who give creditable performances, I didn’t find his characterization believable. It was forced and in acting parlance, he “indicated” emotions, which means no real inner life supporting the external action, resulting in a shallow performance.

As far as his looks and voice, yes, he’s a dead ringer for dad and delicious eye candy, but perhaps he should seek acting technique advice from Clint. The tension mounts as the mother of all robberies is planned by Jackson to take place on Black Friday when there will be approximately $150 million in cash at the Fortico facility. Ritchie’s razor-sharp direction presents a fascinating visual of how that plan will be executed, moving back and forth from planning stages to the actual execution. There is a surprising traitor involved so watch the film to see how that plays out and how “H” achieves his revenge.

With his understated, almost monotone, stone-face delivery, Statham gives a powerful, riveting performance. His control of his character is grounded and methodical, with a strong subtext. He maintains the same unemotional demeanor, whether eating a sandwich or pumping bullets into criminals. Generally, I don’t care for ultra-violent films but there is something about Statham’s character that has you rooting for him. With its fascinating storyline, excellent direction, and talented supporting cast, Wrath of Man is an entertaining, action-packed roller coaster ride.

Metro-Goldwyn Pictures
Distributor: United Artists Releasing
Release Date: Current
Where: In Select Theatres
Language: English
Music includes Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison”
Running Time: 119 Minutes
Rating: R – Strong Violence Throughout, Pervasive Language, & Sexual References

First annual S.E.T.H. Scholarship honoring Seth Eaker awarded

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First annual S.E.T.H. Scholarship honoring Seth Eaker awarded

On Thursday, June 3, 2021, Andy Fong, a senior at Los Alamitos High School was presented with the first S.E.T.H. (Scholarship for Education and Training from the Heart) Scholarship for Model UN Leadership.

At the MUN Banquet, Andy was honored with a Certificate and a check for $2,000 presented by Seal Beach Lions Secretary, Mary Hollen.

The S.E.T.H. Memorial Scholarship Fund was recently established to honor Seal Beach Lion and community activist, Seth Eaker, who passed away suddenly on December 18, 2019. Seth was a prominent figure in many of our community events and endeavors. He was recognized as an inspirational leader and motivational presence. He inspired all those he met and was known for his motto, “Kindness Matters”.

Andy was selected for demonstrating incredible strength in leadership and associated skills. He has accomplished great strides through his work with the Model UN, math club, science Olympiad, Students Against Hunger and more. His work ethic is one that hopefully he will continue to share and instill in others.

Seth would be proud to see such an amazing and smart young man following his dreams.

Los Al welcomes Aviara Center with grand opening

Loreen Berlin
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Los Al welcomes Aviara Center with grand opening

Aviara Center, 11121 Los Alamitos Blvd., Ste. 201, in Los Alamitos, is an open and airy dental office, comprised mostly of glass doors and walls, allowing visibility throughout nearly all of the 4,500-square-foot office space. It has a welcoming feeling.

Their flagship offices are in San Clemente and Beverly Hills.

It’s a new look for a dental office and a new dental approach, founded by Dr. Ahn Wallace, DDS, that encompasses a total program of whole-body-wellness with nutrition, probiotics, airways, breathing, TMJ, sleep and environment.

It’s a revolutionary look at a multi-disciplinary offering that’s a new and comprehensive method to dental care and a person’s general wellness.

Dr. Wallace is a trained pediatric dentist offering comprehensive and proper breathing, along with education that focuses on current breathing and reasons for any problems.
“Aviara Centers offer a unique and integrated approach to solving these issues,” said Wallace. “We’re leading the way in comprehensive care, addressing key issues such as sleep apnea, TMJ disorders, including smiles and facial imbalances and we work with medical doctors, therapists, and other healthcare professionals.”

Dr. Tim Yu, DDS/MS an orthodontist with Aviara, said their services are about body wellness. “Educating the patient can be quite revealing and incorrect breathing can be an underlying problem because the body works in concept with itself,” said Yu.

Aviara offers Nutrition Counseling to improve overall wellness, a Weight Loss Program to improve breathing, sleep and pain relief. There’s also a space for Yoga and Chiropractic care, continuing the overall-wellness approach.

Dr. Wallace has written a paper on the “Holistic Approach to Dentistry,” that takes in the shape of a person’s face and teeth alignment that can relieve TMJ pain with long-lasting results. Aviara also approaches sleep apnea and TMJ through treatment with orthodontics.
A Holistic Approach to Dentistry looks at alternative fillings such as bio-compatible materials like resin, plastic, porcelain, and/or gold.

For information, call 714-230-2424 or visit info@aviaracenters.

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