Over 85 members, guests and local politicians attended the March 2 Woman’s Club of Cypress (WCC) 50th anniversary luncheon at Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach.
Giving back to those in need
The ladies from the American Legion Unit716 Los Alamitos recently took a trip to the City of Orange to cook dinner for the families at the Ronald McDonald House on March 31. Pictured from left to right are Jan Ridgeway, Leslie Carter, Second Vice President Irene Hallam and Chaplain Carrie Taylor.
Pioneers grinding way to opening of league play
The Western High baseball team is grinding out eight games in 12 days as they prepare to open up Empire League play next week. The Pioneers were 10-7 heading into this week, while still in the midst of the Beach Pit Tournament. They were 2-2 in the Anaheim Lions Tournament just prior to getting into the Beach Pit. In a 4-2 win over Culver City, the Pioneers were led by pitcher AnthonyEquiarta, who pitched seven innings, scattering seven hits with three strikeouts. Equiarta also had a hit, run and RBI. Shortstop Jeremiah Vison was 2 for 4 with a triple and two runs. Chris Morgan had a double and two RBIs. Mark Hyun had an RBI and Garrett Scott had a hit and run scored. Prior to that game, the Pioneers had a 4-0 win over Viewmont of Utah, with Darren Hernandez pitching the complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits, with 10 strikeouts.The offense pounded out 13 hits. Equiarta was 3-3 with a run scored. Vison was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Iram Jimenez had a hit, run and RBI. Hyun had a RBI. Scott was 2 for 4 with a run and stolen base. But the Pioneers stumbled in a loss to Capistrano Valley in their final game of the Lions Tournament and then opened the Beach pit with a 3-1 loss to Saugus. The Pioneers looked to get back on track as they had three more Beach Pit games this week (past our deadline) and will open Empire League play at home against Kennedy on April 13, at 3:15 p.m. Pioneer softball tops Pioneer High The Western High softball team defeated Pioneer High, 7-3, last week at Western High. The Pioneers were led by Julie Gakere who was 2 for 3 with a double, 4 RBIs and a run scored. Emily Muro was 2 for 3, with a double and two runs. Pitcher Jennifer Hartman pitched seven innings, with three runs allowed and a strikeout. The Pioneers are hosting a double-header against Valley Christian of Cerritos on Saturday. The first game will be at 9 a.m. with the second about 20 minutes after the end of the first game. They will open Empire League play on April 12 at Kennedy High, at 3:15 p.m.
La Palma-Cerritos AAUW recognizes outstanding women students
The Local Scholarship Committee of the La Palma-Cerritos American Association of University Women (AAUW) held its Twenty-Third Annual Recognition and Awards Program and Brunch at the Cerritos College Board Room on Saturday, April 2. The AAUW Branch proudly presents AAUW scholarships and recognition awards to women students at Cerritos College each spring semester during Women’s History Month in March or in early April. Faculty and staff members of Cerritos College were invited to nominate women students for these awards. The nomination process requires students to submit an application to the Cerritos College Foundation. The application included a personal essay listing the students’ educational goals, community involvement, personal hardships, and two letters of recommendation with at least one letter of recommendation from a faculty or staff member. The Local Scholarship committee then reads the application packets and selects the winners of scholarships funds that were raised by the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW. In addition, the grade point average required for scholarship applicants this year was 3.5 GPA or higher. La Palma-Cerritos AAUW President Paulette Smith welcomed everyone to the recognition and awards program. Smith introduced Tobi Balma, one of the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW’s founding members, helped to start the recognition and awards program 23 years ago. Balma spoke briefly about National AAUW as it worked in the past and also how it continues to work today to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research. Since Cerritos College is a member of the AAUW, she reminded Cerritos students that they are eligible to join the AAUW and register for a Free Electronic National AAUW Membership by which they can receive e-mails of AAUW materials. When they graduate from a two-year or four-year college and they inform National AAUW, they can receive a free electronic membership for one year. Additional fees are required for membership in state AAUW and local AAUW branches. Balma introduced the informative video, “AAUW Breaking Through Barriers,” which re-emphasized the work that the AAUW has done to achieve equity for women and girls and the need to continue working for equity for women and girls. As part of the program, Steve Richardson, president of the Cerritos College Foundation, thanked the La Palma-Cerritos Branch of the AAUW for working jointly with the foundation since 2012 to recognize and support outstanding women students at Cerritos College with Scholarships. He said that the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW has presented 37 recipients with a total of $27,000 in scholarships over the years. This year, the Local Scholarship Committee selected seven outstanding women students at Cerritos College who will receive a total of $7,000. Each of the seven students will receive $1,000 when they are officially enrolled in a four year college or university. Congratulations were extended to all the Local Scholarship winners by La Palma-Cerritos AAUW President Paulette Smith. Faculty members who were present read their letters of recommendation for each student. Nursing Professor Patty Riedel and Local Scholarship Co-Chairperson Carol Marsh helped to read letters of recommendation for faculty members who could not be present. The following are the La Palma-Cerritos Local Scholarship winners for 2016 listed alphabetically, with their future goals for higher degrees: Portia Broome in Business Administration, Alejandra Carranza in Biology, Samantha Dawson in Geography, Nancy Gomez in Psychology, Japneet Kaur in Business and Informatics, Chyann Richard in Clinical Psychology, and Patsy Rodriguez in Clinical Psychology. The students received certificates of recognition of their achievements from the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW, U.S. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, State Senator Tony Mendoza, 32nd District, and State Assemblywoman Christina Garcia, 58th District. These awards were presented by La Palma-Cerritos AAUW President-Elect nominee Joyce Grohmann. At the conclusion of the awards program, Local Scholarship Chairperson Carol Marsh thanked everyone who helped to prepare for the awards program and brunch. She especially thanked the parents, family members, friends of the students, Cerritos faculty and staff members who came to honor their students, Cerritos College Foundation President Steve Richardson, and Dr. Shin Liu, President of the Cerritos College Board of Directors. Dr. Shin is also a member of the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW. Marsh also thanked the twenty-four members of the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW who came to the Awards Program and Brunch to honor this year’s scholarship winners and provided a variety of refreshments for the brunch. For more information about joining the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW, contact Membership Vice- Presidents Sue Solomon at 562-926-2746 or Barbara Sparks, at 562-921-7307 or AAUW websites at http://www.aauw.org or http://aauw-ca.org. The public is invited to the next meeting of the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW which will be held on Thursday, April 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.at the La Palma Community Center King Palm Room, at 7821 Walker Street in La Palma.
Local student makes Dean’s List for three semesters
Kelsey Seko, of La Palma, is a Sociology major at Cal State Fullerton and has made the Dean’s Honor List for the past three semesters: Fall 2014, Spring 2015 and Fall 2015.
Seko just received a letter this week acknowledging her achievement for Fall 2015 from Cal State Fullerton.
Students who earn a spot on the Dean’s List maintain a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale while taking 12 or more units of course work.
Local named to Scholars Without Borders
Brian Nguyen, a Cypress native and student studying Social Sciences at San Diego State University, was named to Scholars Without Borders, an honors society dedicated to promoting international exchange and service and recognizing scholarly achievement in an international context.
Scholars Without Borders supports programs with an international focus and builds awareness of international issues and opportunities. Members strive to inspire SDSU students, faculty and staff to become engaged scholar-citizens of the community.
Learn more about Scholars Without Borders at SDSU’s website, www.sdsu.edu.
About San Diego State University
San Diego State University is a major public research institution offering bachelor’s degrees in 89 areas, master’s degrees in 78 areas and doctorates in 21 areas. The university’s rich campus life features opportunities for students to engage with, the creative and performing arts. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.
Navy to present pier project April 7
A meeting will be held Thursday, April 7, to look at the U.S. Navy’s proposed plan to replace the ammunition pier at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. The meeting will be held in an open house format, 5-8 p.m., in the Community Room of Fire Station #48, North Gate Road, near Leisure World. Navy personnel will be on hand to answer the public’s questions about the proposal.
Navy officials want to build a 1,100-foot by 125-foot replacement ammunition pier inside Anaheim Bay. The project would include a new civilian boating channel.
“I support our Navy and our Navy’s work around the world to keep us safe. Seal Beach has an excellent relationship with our Navy and the Navy is doing an Environmental Analysis to be sure that any possible unintended negative consequences are identified and mitigated. It is premature to support or oppose this particular project until an Environmental Analysis is done,” said Seal Beach Councilmember Ellery Deaton. She said she would ask for another meeting in Old Town as Old Town and Surfside will be effected by the project.
“We’re only at the earliest stages of this project,” said Gregg Smith, public information officer for the base.
The Navy is preparing a document that is called an environmental assessment for the project. But nothing has been approved yet.
According to Smith, the Navy must first prepare a document called an Environmental Assessment. Before doing that, the Navy wants to know what the public’s concerns are. Getting public comment will take about a month.
Then the Navy will prepare a draft of the Environmental Assessment, a process that will take about a year. Then, Smith said the Navy would seek public comment on the draft. In late 2017 or early 2018, the Navy will issue the final assessment.
Depending on the assessment, the Navy could determine that an Environmental Impact Report is necessary. That could take another two years, according to Smith.
One of the changes that could result from the project is the relocation of the civilian boating channel in Alamitos bay. Smith said that right now, the civilian boating channel goes by the ammunition facility. This is a security concern for the Navy, which sometimes makes it necessary to shut down the harbor to civilian boat traffic.
Smith said the project would move the channel farther from Navy operations, with less need to shut down civilian boating traffic.
Seal Beach merchant Joe Kalmick said repairing or possibly realigning the breakwater on Seal Beach’s side of Alamitos Bay would possibly reduce erosion of the city’s beach. Kalmick would also like to see improving the visual appearance of the fence at the end of the beach.
Smith said there has been no formal study on the economic impact of the project, but the base would be able to handle larger ships, which would mean more business opportunities because of the potential for more sailors to visit Seal Beach on liberty.
Los Al History club scores big at competition
Los Alamitos H.S. History Club took second place in the Southern California History Bowl Championship held on March 5 at UC Irvine. Jourdan Mendoza and Arianne Crosby went against Whitney, Troy, Woodbridge, and two teams from Arcadia. Los Al went undefeated (5-0) in the prelims. In the finals, Los Al went against Arcadia’s A team with the score tied at 220 but the tiebreaker went to Arcadia. In the History Bee Individual Competition, Arianne Crosby took 1st place. In the finals, she went against two seniors from Arcadia and Whitney. You can find more information at http://www.historybowl.com/regional-sites/past-bee-results/.
Lee student wins Achievement Award
Brandon Till, a fourth grader at Lee Elementary School in the Los Alamitos Unified School District, was awarded the Every Student Succeeding Award by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) on Friday, March 11. This prestigious honor is awarded yearly to individuals across the state who have exceeded expectations by overcoming great obstacles to succeed. Brandon shows an immense amount of compassion, kindness, and generosity towards others. He is a Peace Maker, a classroom volunteer, and a student leader. His resilience through personal tragedy has not only served as an inspiration to students, but to the staff as well. Brandon has succeeded against all odds and has won the hearts of every student, teacher, and community member at Lee Elementary School.
New Chief at Long Beach Memorial
Maged Tanios, M.D., a respected physician leader, educator, researcher and recipient of numerous grants and rewards, has been elected Chief of Staff at Long Beach Memorial. During his two-year term, Dr. Tanios will serve as a liaison to Long Beach Memorial administration and board of directors. He replaces James Wells, M.D., who recently completed his term.
Medical Director of Long Beach Memorial’s Intensive Care Unit and Program Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Training Program since 2012, Dr. Tanios led the Department of Internal Medicine for six years.
He currently is a member of Long Beach Memorial’s Board of Trustees.
Associate Clinical Professor at both UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Dr. Tanios has the distinction of being board certified in four clinical areas—Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine and Sleep Medicine.
“It’s an honor to be selected by the medical staff and follow in the footsteps of Dr. Wells and the distinguished chiefs of staff that have served since the hospital opened in 1907,” says Dr. Tanios. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help lead our 2,000 world-class Long Beach Memorial physicians and look forward to all we can accomplish together to improve the health of our patients and the communities we serve.”
“Dr. Tanios has been active in leadership, clinical and research capacities, is highly regarded by his fellow physicians and a perfect choice at this time,” says John Bishop, CEO of Long Beach Memorial, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and Community Hospital Long Beach.
“As chief of staff, he will work closely with our physicians and leadership to advance our culture of excellence in patient care and clinical outcomes.”
Dr. Tanios served on MemorialCare Health System Academic Advisory Board and as an expert medical reviewer for the Medical Board of California. He is a highly prolific author and recipient of multiple awards and grants, including recognition from American Lung Association and funding from National Institutes of Health.
Cypress Mayor Yarc named Woman of the Year
Assemblywoman Young Kim (R-Fullerton) recently announced that Cypress Mayor Mariellen Yarc has been named the 2016 Woman of the Year for the 65th Assembly District. Yarc was selected from numerous nomination applications sent in by constituents and community members throughout the district.
“Mayor Yarc is an ideal choice for Woman of the Year,” said Assemblywoman Young Kim. “She exemplifies leadership, public service, and community commitment. Her contributions to the City of Cypress, the Women’s Club of Cypress, local charities, and the fight against domestic violence are truly commendable. I am proud to have such a strong leader and advisor in the 65th district.”
Yarc is currently serving her first term on the Cypress City Council, and was appointed Mayor in December of 2015. She is also a former Commissioner for both the Cypress Parks and Recreation Commission and the Senior Citizens Commission. She serves as Vice President of the Board for the Cypress College Foundation and is an active board member of the Cypress Chamber of Commerce.
“I am very honored and humbled to have been selected as the Woman of the Year for the 65th District,” said Yarc, “and I appreciate Assemblywoman Young Kim’s efforts to encourage and recognize women in our area.”
Mayor Yarc has served on the Executive Board of The Woman’s Club of Cypress and led as President from 2009 – 2011. For the last two years, she has been the 1st Vice President/Dean of the Orange District for the California Federation of Women’s Clubs and will be installed as the President in April of this year. In 2011, she was chosen to represent the State of California at a national leadership conference for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and was previously recognized as “Woman of the Year” by the Cypress Chamber of Commerce. She is also the founder of the annual Cypress Women’s Conference, which has since grown into a regional event.
Yarc has volunteered her time to numerous charity organizations and events such as Relay for Life, Autism Walk, Pancreatic Cancer Walk, Precious Life Shelter, Seal Beach Animal Shelter, and the Boys and Girls Club. She is also dedicated to the cause of Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention and volunteers to assist victims at the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Mayor Yarc holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of California Los Angeles and a Juris Doctorate Degree from Southwestern University of Law. She is a partner of Brandon & Yarc, LLP and a Certified Family Law Specialist.
The selection of “Woman of the Year” coincides with the California State Legislature’s commemoration of Women’s History Month in March. This annual tradition salutes women with outstanding community service leadership.
Assemblywoman Kim represents the 65th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, La Palma, and Stanton.
Griffins start strong, fade in loss to Long Beach Poly
The Los Alamitos High boys basketball team had a solid start but eventually faded in a 56-39 loss to Long Beach Poly in the CIF State Division II Regional Semifinals, last week at Los Alamitos High. The Griffins led 28-26 at halftime and trailed just 39-36 at the end of the third quarter. But the run the Jackrabbits began in the third quarter continued into the fourth, as the Griffins went cold from the outside. Trying to drive the ball and work from the inside played right into the size of the Poly defense, as they disrupted any inside attempt by the Griffins. In the end, Los Alamitos coach Eddie Courtemarche said his team just seemed to run out of gas. “I was really proud of the way we competed with them, especially in the first half,”Courtemarche said. The Griffins had 16 points from EyassuWorku, as well as 10 each from Jacob Eyman and Pepe Garcia. But in the second half, when the Griffins began to struggle with their outside shots, the Poly defense collapsed on the inside. Long Beach had 16 points each from Drew Buggs and Zafir Williams. They hit a three pointer early in the fourth that extended their lead to 44-36. Long Beach blocked two shot attempts on defense, then drew a foul on the offensive end. After another defensive stop, the Jackrabbits got a fast-break basket that pushed the lead to 48-36, with 4:39 left in the game. The Griffins could not regain any momentum and Poly slowly put the game away. The loss ended the season for the Griffins and saw the end of the high school career for Worku. Worku has been the standout player among a talented group and Courtemarche called him a once-in-a-lifetime player. “He does it all, and the way he prepares himself and the responsibility and pressure that he shoulders for this team, game in and game out, if very very commendable,” Courtemarche said of Worku.
Los Al Choir Director receives award
Los Alamitos High School Choir Director David Moellenkamp was recently awarded the 2016 Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award. Moellenkamp joins 13 other teachers from across the country who were selected from a pool of nominees received through the Kennedy Center’s website.
“Mr. Moellenkamp is a brilliant teacher who takes advantage of every second to improve the lives of his students,” said Los Alamitos Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Sherry Kropp. “His love of music and teaching inspires hundreds of young people, every year, to join his program and become an integral member of the choir family. He is simply extraordinary.”
Moellenkamp was nominated by former student Ryan Rusin, who’s submission essay said in part, “He forever is an imprint on my life, making me realize the possibility to make that imprint onto someone else, which is truly far greater than any other lesson I’ve ever learned in my educational career.”
As part of his recognition, Moellenkamp will receive a $10,000 grant and will be showcased on a website dedicated to inspirational teachers.
“In high school, when I didn’t make the basketball team, I thought my life was over,” said Moellenkamp in accepting the award. “The choir teacher saw me sitting alone at lunch and said that he had a part in the musical for me to play.”
“This opportunity transformed me from a shy kid to a confident person. I knew that I had no other option than becoming a teacher myself, so I could provide similar opportunities for kids,” he added.
The Kennedy Center/Sondheim awards were created by the Kennedy Center to honor Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday in 2010. Sondheim is the winner of the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre and he has received more Tonys than any other composer. To date, 61 awards and $610,000 in grants have been awarded.
The award is open to any teacher who has taught in a K-12 school, college or university in the United States.
Teachers of all grade levels and subject areas are eligible. A panel of judges reviews a pool of nominations and selects the recipients based on the power and quality of the nomination from their former students.
Moellenkamp oversees eight choirs and more than 400 students as Los Al’s choir director. He will continue helping his students reach their potential when he leads a group of 120 performers from the school’s mixed advanced choir, SoundFX, and the advanced women’s choir, Soundtrax, to both compete for their third straight national titles at the Grand Ol’ Opry in Nashville on March 30 through April 3.
For more information about the Los Alamitos High School Choir program, go to www.losalamitoschoir.com or to the program’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LosAlamitosShowChoir .
Cypress City Council seeking commissioners
The Cypress City Council recently announced its annual Commissioner recruitment. Registered voters residing in Cypress who are interested in serving on the City Council’s Recreation and Community Services Commission or Senior Citizens Commission are encouraged to apply by April 29.
Applications are available on the City’s website (www.ci.cypress.ca.us) or from the City Clerk’s office. Commissioner interviews will be conducted by the City Council and appointments will be made in June. Commissioners serve a four year term that begins July 1.
“Serving on a City commission is an outstanding way to become more involved in our wonderful community. As a former Recreation and Community Services and Senior Citizens Commissioner, I encourage all residents interested in serving to apply,” stated Mayor Mariellen Yarc.
Recreation and Community Services Commission
The Recreation and Community Services Commission currently has two openings. The Recreation and Community Services Commission advises the City Council on parks acquisition, development, and maintenance. The Commission meets once a month, on the third Tuesday, at 7 p.m. at the Cypress Community Center.
Senior Citizens Commission
The Senior Citizens Commission currently has two openings. The Senior Citizens Commission advises the City Council on the concerns of senior citizens, including recreational opportunities, social services and affordable housing. The Commission meets once a month, on the second Wednesday, at 3 p.m. at the Cypress Senior Citizens Center.
The City of Cypress Boards, Commissions and Committees Policy Manual is also available on the City’s website.
The deadline to submit applications is Friday, April 29 at 5 p.m. For more information, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 714-229-6683.
‘Teamsters’ takes over for Los Al City workers
The union representing Los Alamitos City Staff officially changed hands last week at Los Al’s monthly city council meeting.
Teamsters Local 911 was officially named the union representative for approximately 19 Los Al city employees on March 21 following a unanimous 5-0 vote to decertify City Employee Association (CEA), which is Los Al employees’ former representation.
Although this formal change occurred last week, a few councilmembers believed the organization held that role already.
“I thought Teamsters was representing them all along,” said Los Alamitos Councilmember Dean Grose. While the decertification was up for discussion, both Grose and councilmember Troy Edgar expressed they’ve only dealt with a Teamster representative on any union issue in the past, which is why the official change surprised them.
The source of the confusion during the meeting stemmed from the old union representation.
For over the past couple years, Teamsters Local 911 was representing Los Al’s now former union CEA on a consulting basis, explained Jason Al-Imam, Los Al’s Administrative Services Director, at the meeting.
On Feb. 18, CEA submitted a Decertification Petition to no longer represent Los Al City workers. That began the process for the change and Los Al’s City Council authorized the petition last week, which made it official.
The change looks to be a good fit as city staff expressed employees already had a working relationship with union leaders.
Teamsters will now be in charge of representing city employees for purposes of wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment.
The positions now represented by Teamsters are: Accountant, Assistant Planner, Associate Planner, Building Official, Code Enforcement Office, Department Secretary, Finance Assistant, Maintenance Foreman, Maintenance Worker, Master Mechanic, Mechanic, Planning Aide, Receptionist, Records Clerk, Records Specialist, Recreation Coordinator, Secretary, Senior Finance Assistant, Senior Maintenance Worker.
New officer joins Los Al PD
Officer Nicholas LaCarra is a young man with a solid life plan. LaCarra grew up within the Los Al community, attending school within the LAUSD system, where he was a Student Athletic Trainer in high school and a Police Explorer from 2006 to 2009, achieving the rank of Corporal.
LaCarra joined the United States Marine Corps in 2009, where he served as a machine gunner, an I.E.D. Dog Handler and a Scout Sniper until his Honorable Discharge in 2015.
LaCarra promptly enrolled in the Golden West Criminal Justice Training Academy, from which he graduated last Friday.
On Monday, March 21, which was the very next day, Mayor Richard Murphy administered the Oath of Allegiance to Officer LaCarra.
Los Alamitos is fortunate to add Officer LaCarra to its ranks, and Chief Eric R. Nunez, along with the Los Alamitos Police Department, welcome him to the agency.
Plenty of fun at Rossmoor‘s Communtiy Festival
The 2016 Rossmoor Community Festival will be held on Sunday May 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rush Park located at 3021 Blume Drive in Rossmoor. The Rossmoor Homeowners Association and Rossmoor Community Services District are hosting this annual event.
For the kids, there will be large and small bounce houses, including “Cars” the movie slide, inflatable rock wall, extreme obstacle course, and the Euro Bungee Trampoline. For the younger ones there will be a petting zoo, a trackless train and pony rides. All day ride and game wristbands will be on sale.
Orange County Fire Department will have an engine there and information about fire safety. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department brings their vehicles and provides safety tips for everyone.
This year’s entertainment line- up includes “Mosaic Music” Band, which was such a big hit last year they are returning for a repeat performance. Mosaic Music consists of seven members including two lead female vocalists. Esencia Flamenca Dance Company performers is a new edition to the entertainment program. Hopkinson School 4th and 5th grade Husky Chorus – performing will include approx. 60 children from one of the local elementary schools. On Stage Dance Center Performers – part of the entertainment program for the past few years and a festival sponsor. The Youth Center band and string players- approximately 20 members strong, these two groups of young performers will delight all. “Forever Young” Band -this not so young group will be an inspiration to us all. FOREVER YOUNG is–America’s Oldest Act of Professional Entertainers. More information is available on the website.
The Car Show gets larger every year. Plan to spend some time looking at all the amazing entries. Car Show Trophy presentations start at 2:30 p.m.
At 3 p.m. the Dog Parade will begin. Small and large dog categories will compete for best in show and for best costumes and tricks. Prizes and treats will be awarded. Sign up for the Car Show and Dog parade is available on line prior to the event. Dog Parade entry on site from noon to 3 p.m. There is no entry fee for this event.Attendees can also look forward to a great variety of food vendors and truck. For more information regarding the festival, go to RossmoorFestival.com, call 562-799-1401 or send an email to in**@**************al.com.
Griffins roll into break with scrappy win over Cypress
After a grueling early tournament schedule, the Los Alamitos had one last tough challenge before heading into a spring break and needed rest before the Carew Classic Tournament in April. The Griffins hosted Cypress, in a matchup of two top 10 teams in the CIF-SS Division 1 rankings.
Los Alamitos was ranked No. 2 in the division, with Cypress at No. 6, the two highest ranked Orange County teams. As expected, defense was the anchor for both team, but it was the Griffins who were able to plate single runs in the late innings to take a 3-1 win over the Centurions.
Earlier in the week, the Griffins had held off Gahr High, the No. 3 ranked team in Division 3, so Griffin coach Rob Weil was certainly pleased his team was able to grab two more quality wins, as they head into a break.
“We came out this week against two quality teams and took care of business,” Weil said.
Weil admitted that pitcher Ryan Denhart didn’t quite have her A-Game, but she was pretty good. She pitched six innings, with just four hits allowed, one run and seven strikeouts. She improved her record to 10-0 with the win.
After the Griffins took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, the Centurions were able to cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the sixth. Senior outfielder Marissa Wightman drew a walk and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice, when she beat out a throw to second on a bunt by senior shortstop Paige Hallam.
Denhart was able to get a pop up and a strikeout to get two outs, but Maddy Byrd was able to single up the middle to drive in Wightman for Cypress’ run.
Los Alamitos threatened in the bottom of the sixth, but the Centurion defense held.
In the fourth inning, the Griffins had the bases loaded but Hallam made a lunging grab of a liner towards left, that ended the threat. Paige Austin came on to pitch for the Griffins in the top of the seventh and set the side down in order to end the game.
The Griffins were led by senior shortstop Mary Iakopo, who was 2 for 3 with a double, triple and RBI. Andrea Gonzalez had a hit and RBI. Ariana Belarde, Caitlin Ladd and Jade Loe each scored a run for the Griffins.
For the Centurions, Byrd was 2 for 2 with the RBI and Wightman had a single and a run scored. Pitcher Olivia McWhorter was steady, as was the defense behind her. She went six innings, scattering six hits with three strikeouts. While disappointed with the loss, Cypress coach Kevin Dull was also encouraged by the team’s effort, given the quality of team and pitcher they were facing.
“The fact that our girls hung in there and were able to keep in competitive, I’m real proud of them,” Dull said.
The Griffins improved to 12-1 with the win. Cypress opened the season 6-0 before hitting some bumps. They were 8-4 after the Los Alamitos game, but are looking like they will be a tough team to beat in the division.
The Griffins won the Sunset League last year, while the Centurions took second in the Empire League, behind Pacifica, which was the No. 2 team in the rankings at the end of last year. Both Cypress and Los Alamitos will participate in the Carew Classic. Los Alamitos will open against El Toro on April 6, while Cypress will open against Lakewood, also on April 6.
Tennis team competes in All-American tourney
Los Alamitos Boys Varsity Tennis competed in the prestigious 17th Annual All-American Invitational Tennis Tournament hosted in Corona Del Mar on March 25-26. This tournament recognizes the most outstanding high school tennis players and teams throughout the USA. Los Alamitos finished as Consolation Champs and Senior Team Captain, Riley Smith was recognized as an All-American player and selected to the All-Tournament Team. From left to right are Coach Brian Collison, Danny Jeong, Sean McCann, Nick Vogt, Riley Smith (co-captain), Ethan Kolsky (co-captain), Luke Moorhead, Andrew Wakamoto, Colter Smith, Coach Jordan Bridge (not pictured: Michael Sanger, Danny Lassos and Karsten Stouffer)
Nine current Griffins from the same family
It’s not unheard of for a couple that have three children to end up with nine grandchildren – except when the grandkids are only three years apart. Such is the case for Donn and Sharon Loe, who have been Seal Beach residents since 1965.
All three of the Loe’s children attended Los Alamitos High School and continue to live locally. And, now, all nine grandchildren are currently Griffins- one freshman, three sophomores, four juniors and one senior. How is this possible? Two sets of triplets certainly make it easier to understand.
Perhaps it helped that Sharon, who was waiting for grandkids who were not forthcoming, asked her Bible study group to pray for grandchildren. It appears to have worked, as all nine were born between Feb. 28, 1998 and March 27, 2001.
The Loe’s eldest son, David, who also lives in Seal Beach, has identical twin sons, Denzill and Dylan, and a triplet daughter Alexis who are juniors. Their daughter, Teri , lives in Rossmoor and has a son Harrison, who is a junior and a daughter Lauren, who is a freshman. The youngest son, Gary, lives in Los Alamitos and has a daughter, Jade, who is a senior, as well as triplets, sons Jack, Julian and daughter Jazzmyn, who are sophomores.
All of the grandchildren are active at Los Al, participating in golf, lacrosse, softball and choir – and the eldest grandchild, Jade, recently accepted a softball scholarship to California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Donn and Sharon, who love to travel, have taken their grandchildren on many trips, seeing countries such as France, New Zealand, and Italy in 2008, when they gathered all of their children and grandchildren to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
So, in the end, the moral of the story? Be careful what Grandma prays for!