On Saturday, Feb. 27, the Cypress City Council attended the 41st Annual Cypress College Americana Awards sponsored by Union Bank.
The event featured a live auction that included the opportunity to win a donut breakfast and ride to school in a police car with Cypress Chief of Police Rod Cox.
The Americana Awards is organized by the Cypress College Foundation and is the largest fundraiser for Cypress College. Proceeds from the event support scholarships, emergency assistance, book loans, the “mini grants” program, and other college initiatives that wouldn’t otherwise be funded. Since 2001, the Americana Awards has generated more than $1 million for Cypress College.
For more information about Cypress College and the Americana Awards, visit www.cypresscollege.edu.
For more information about City programs and services, please visit www.ci.cypress.ca.us. Cypress can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcypress or Twitter at www.twitter.com/City_of_Cypress.

Ebba Adinew was recently notified by the National Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2016 California National Geographic State Bee. Ebba is a sixth grade student at Luther School located at 4631 La Palma Ave. in La Palma.
The contest will be held at Fresno State University on Friday, April 1, 2016.
This is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, which is now in its 28th year. School Bees were held in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout the state to determine each school champion. School champions then took an online qualifying test. The National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the State Bees.
Each state champion will receive $100, the National Geographic book “The National Parks: An Illustrated History” and a medal, and will journey to Washington, D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship at National Geographic Society headquarters on May 22-25. The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The national champion will also travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, on a Lindblad expedition to Southeast Alaska aboard National Geographic Sea Lion, including Glacier Bay National Park, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Travel for the trip is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. Visit www.natgeobee.org for more information on the National Geographic Bee.
The 2016 National Geographic Bee Championship final round, moderated for the first time by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca, will air on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD on Friday, May 27, at 8 p.m. ET, and later on public television stations. Check local television listings for air date and time in your area.

Parents experience peace of mind with The Youth Center’s After School Program (ASP) in Los Alamitos, which has been making a difference in the local community for school children for the last 64 years.
Children ages 5 to 17 years old have a home away from home once school is out for homework help and activities including indoor/outdoor basketball, arts & crafts, pool, air hockey, foosball, games and Snack Shack all while under the watchful eyes of The Youth Center staff.
“It makes me happy that Ryan has a safe and secure place to go to after school and I have complete peace of mind knowing that he is in very good hands for the time he is there,” said Lidia Ziedins, of her 7-year-old son, who attends the Youth Center After School Program.
She continued to say that Ryan has made a lot of friends and likes spending time with them playing games, doing crafts or other various projects under the supervision of attentive and friendly staff members.
“The Youth Center provides a safe place for kids to come and enjoy themselves, hang out with their friends and have homework assistance,” said Youth Center After School Program Director Judy Nunez. “It’s a safe environment where parents don’t have to worry about the well-being of their kids and can instead focus on their own daily tasks. Parents share they are very happy with our program.”
“The Youth Center is able to keep the cost as low as $25 per month for this program because of the generosity of our community. Their strong belief in investing in youth and in The Youth Center’s ability to create positive and life-changing results for kids and their families is why we can keep costs low for all of our programs,” shared Lina Lumme, Executive Director.
To register your child in the program, please contact The Youth Center at 562-493-4043 or go online at theyouthcenter.org. The Youth Center is located at 10909 Oak St., in Los Alamitos and is open Monday through Friday after school until 6 p.m.

Rossmoor Woman’s Club presented scholarships to Los Alamitos Seniors Lindsay Gill (January scholarship) and Heidi Ansorge (February scholarship).  Lindsay has not only excelled academically, but is a proficient swimmer and accomplished musician.  She was a member of the Lakewood Aquatics swim team and also swam on the varsity swim team at Los Alamitos. She has also played a French Horn for eight years. She is also part of the Los Alamitos marching band an a member of the Wind Symphony.  She plans on majoring in English at California Baptist University and then teaching English after she graduates.
Although Heidi Ansorge was born legally blind, this has not stopped her from achieving many accomplishments.  She was a cheerleader for ten years until a back injury prevented her from this physical activity. During that time, she won many national and state awards. In high school, she directed her efforts to academics and community joining the Assistance League of Long Beach.  After taking college courses in neurobiology, microbiology, and international relations, she has decided to study neuroscience and pursue a career in medical research.
Please join the Rossmoor Woman’s Club in congratulating these two remarkable students on their outstanding achievements and being recognized as Senior of the Month.  The Rossmoor Woman’s Club is dedicated to serving the community and is open to all women in the Orange County and Los Angeles County areas.  They can be contacted at www.rossmoorwomansclub.com.

Cypress recently announced that the convenience of credit card payments at the counter is now available at Cypress City Hall.  There is no longer a need to bring a checkbook for transactions such as building permits, business license fees, temporary use permits, etc.
“We are excited to now offer a more convenient way to do business with the City to our residents and businesses,” said Mayor Mariellen Yarc.  The acceptance of credit card payments is intended to improve customer service at City Hall and help achieve the City Council’s goal of strengthening organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
For more information about City services and the ways we are working to improve customer service, please visit www.ci.cypress.ca.us. Cypress can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcypress or Twitter at www.twitter.com/City_of_Cypress.

Cypress Police Officer Rebecca Mondon and her K-9 partner Sem visited Cypress Recreation’s Kids Corner Preschool-Aged Program on Feb.17.  For more information on the Kids Corner program please visit cypressrec.com or call 714-229-6780. Ms. Charmaine and Miss Diana are their teachers at the Junior Kids Corner Preschool-Aged Program class, which services 3 year olds.

Girl Scout, Boy Scout and Cub Scout members of St. Hedwig Church gathered to celebrate Scout Sunday Mass on Feb 21. Scout Sunday is the annual date to recognize the youths and adults for their contributions to Scouting. Scouts who earned religious awards and Eagle ranks were recognized for their achievements.

The Cypress School District recently announced that Tim McLellan, Ed.D., has been named Business Services Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), Region 17.
McLellan has served the Cypress School District as Assistant Superintendent of Business Services since 2010 and has led several major initiatives during his tenure in the district. As the result of a successful bond measure in 2008, McLellan provided leadership and direction during the modernization of school facilities to ensure students and staff are afforded an optimal environment for teaching and learning.
McLellan also facilitated several revisions to the district’s Facilities Master Plan to effectively meet the changing needs of the school district.
Such enhancements include new modular classrooms to support the state’s class size reduction program at the primary level as well as the construction of dedicated classroom space on each campus for innovative arts and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programming for all students.
Superintendent Anne Silavs said, “Without question, Tim is an important member of the Cypress School District team. He understands the impact of high quality instruction on student success and ensures our teachers have the resources needed to deliver a world class educational program. His genuine love of learning, his commitment to all students, and his support of our staff makes him an exceptional leader.”
Before coming to Cypress,  McLellan served in the Magnolia School District as Executive Director, Human Resources and Technology for four years and as a site administrator at the secondary level in Torrance Unified School District for eight years.
McLellan earned his bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach; master’s degree from Pepperdine University; and Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California.
Upon hearing about this award Tim said, “It’s an honor to serve this community and work with a team that can bring it all together for kids!”
McLellan will be honored at the ACSA Region 17 Administrator of the Year & Friends of Education Celebration of Excellence dinner on May 9 at the Irvine Marriott.

The cost of a college education continues to increase each year, resulting in students waving both their diploma and student loans when they graduate. To help local students with escalating college expenses, there are several scholarships available through Republican Women Federated that can assist high school and college students with the ever-increasing cost of a college education:
Charlotte Mousel Scholarship – From the California Federation of Republican Women Southern Division, the essay theme for male or female high school students is “What the US Constitution Means to Me.” First place scholarship is $1,500 and second place is $1,000. For more information, visit www.cfrwsoutherndivision.org.
Pat Nixon Scholarship – From Orange County Federation of Republican Women, the scholarship is for Orange County women 25 years or older who are returning to college to acquire additional skills or qualify for a position of employment. For more information, visit www.ocfrw.org.
National Pathfinder Scholarship – Through National Federation of Republican Women, the scholarship in honor of First Lady Nancy Reagan, awards three $2,500 scholarships to active female undergraduate or graduate students who are advancing their studies. For more information, visit www.nfrw.org/pathfinder.
Betty Rendel Scholarship – Through the National Federation of Republican Women, the Betty Rendel Scholarship in honor of the organization’s past president, awards three $1,000 scholarships to women majoring in political science, government or economics and have successfully completed at least two years of college coursework. For more information, visit www.nfrw.org/rendel.
According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2015-2016 school year was a whopping $32,405 at private colleges, $9,410 for state residents at public colleges and $23,893 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.
With impending deadlines, those interested in applying for a scholarship(s) need to do so through the Rossmoor-Los Alamitos Republican Women Federated club. Submissions can be emailed to: RossLARepWomen@aol.com.
“Deadlines are fast approaching so I would strongly suggest that those interested in any of these scholarships immediately visit the websites,” said Rossmoor-Los Alamitos President Nancy Hathcock.

The Los Alamitos Education Foundation (LAEF) crowned the King & Queen of Hearts on Feb. 19 at The Grand in Long Beach.  The Queen of Hearts is Seal Beach Lion of the Year Adriana Preciado-Ziegenbusch and the King of Hearts is Matt Herrick of Southland Credit Union.  All seven Royal Court candidates ended their 10-week fundraising campaign at the Royal Ball and Coronation; the grand fundraising total was $93,000.  Every dollar that each candidate raised counted as a vote, and Preciado-Ziegenbusch and Herrick were the top fundraisers.
Carrie Logue, LAEF Executive Director said, “We are ecstatic and humbled by the vast amount of time and effort all the candidates put into the King & Queen of Hearts campaign.  We are thrilled by the engagement of our community and how the candidates introduced many new people to LAEF’s mission!”
Archduke sponsor Southland Credit Union’s team was on hand to cheer on all the candidates and was very excited to see their very own Matt Herrick crowned king.  Duke sponsors Alamitos Eye Care and Wells Fargo also applauded the Royal Court and their amazing fundraising accomplishment.  The crowd enjoyed music from a Jazz quartet led by Oak Middle School Instrumental Music Director (and past King of Hearts candidate) Justin Padilla.  Dr. Andrew Pulver, Los Al USD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, was the Master of Ceremonies.
The 2015-16 Queen Royal Court members are Los Al alumna Gina Biri, Los Al USD school board member Diana Hill and Rossmoor Elementary principal Kiva Spiratos.  The King Royal Court members are Dr. Sean Braithwaite of Braithwaite Chiropractic and Aaron Roberts of Anytime Fitness.
LAEF President Sean Payne said, “I am amazed by the ongoing success of King and Queen of Hearts campaign.  Fundraising has totaled to nearly $240,000 over the past three years and Royal Ball attendance has grown to nearly 200 community members.  This will continue to benefit all students as proceeds support STEAM instruction and fairs (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, Math) on all campuses and the district-wide STEAM showcase on May 21 at LAHS.”
LAEF is the non-profit partner of Los Alamitos Unified School District.  LAEF enhances educational excellence in our community by providing after-school and summer enrichment programs to Pre-K to 12th grade students.  For additional information on LAEF, please call 562-799-4700 x80424 or visit www.LAEF4Kids.org.   The King and Queen of Hearts campaign link is www.LAEF4Kids.org/kingandqueen.