Sailing away with the Youth Center Community Support Campaign Chairman Scott Newton of the Seal Beach Lion’s Club, volunteers kicked off the 18th annual fundraiser on March 31 at the Youth Center in Los Alamitos.

The nautical themed month-long event meets at various locations every Tuesday each week until April 28. More than 100 volunteer campaigners are raising funds to support the Youth Center’s programs throughout the year including their After School Program (ASP), Music Program, Summer Day and Teen Camps, Every 15 Minutes drunk-driving determent program, and Leadership Academy for teens. The fundraiser enables the nonprofit, which is not funded by any governmental assistance, to keep prices low and provide for full or partial scholarships to families in need.

Newton touched on how when the Youth Center saw a need for an elementary school music program, then fulfilled it. “Twenty four years ago, the school district had to do some budget cutting, and cut out the music program,” he said. “The Youth Center started with 50 kids in six classes. Roll forward to 2015, they now have 45 classes in seven campuses with over 350 students.”

Youth Center Music Director Daniel Van Adler said that since the program started, they have taught music to close to 10,000 kids. “This program is very special and is unique to our area,” he said. “Our teachers are fantastic and have 20 to 30 years of experience teaching children.” The program offers music for kindergarten through 5th grade in more than 20 different instruments throughout the entire year.

One music student mentioned was violin player Andrew described as a “very energetic” child. When he began playing he reportedly used his bow as a sword and violin as a shield. He learned to channel his energies into music, switching a year later to playing the trumpet. Andrew grew into being a lead soloist trumpet player who now plays for the Oak Middle School Jazz Band having six years of music experience under his belt thanks to the Youth Center Music Program.

“Even if the students move on to new things, they were able to learn how to build confidence to try new things, creatively solve problems, and to be a part of a team working together for a common goal,” said Van Adler. “These are things that really help every child get through life and do the things that they want to do without fear.”

Newton went on to talk about the After School Program (ASP) where the 120 kids go when they have no other place to go to keep them safe and improve their academic performance in the ASP Learning Center. The ASP promotes student well-being and is an investment in the future of the community. “The kids are going to be our leaders someday,” he said. “Many of them are already our leaders.”

Many after school programs typically cost $350 to $500 a month, but the Youth Center’s program only costs $25 a month (for materials) or nothing if parents come in to volunteer a few hours, according to Newton.

For the kids, the heart of the ASP is with the staff. One staff member and campaign leader who spoke was Miles Rubin who has been worked at the Youth Center since June 2013. He said that when he comes in every day to work and sees all the kids playing basketball, air hockey, ping pong and doing homework, that it never fails to put a smile on his face. He loves to see how much of an impact the Youth Center has upon their lives. “Coming to work at the Youth Center was like becoming a part of a special family where everyone that is a part of this place is family, especially the kids,” said Rubin.

One such kid who grew up coming to the ASP and has worked in child care for the last eight years is Marquis Knowles. He shared that as a kid growing up in Long Beach and not having much, he came to the ASP while in middle school. Knowles began to notice a world of difference coming from Long Beach to Los Alamitos. “It was kind of a culture shock,” he said. “I will never forget it was the first day of school and I remember meeting some new friends.”

His friends took him to the Youth Center, and Knowles’ mother ended up speaking with past Youth Center Executive Director Tom Stretz. After that, Knowles came to the ASP five days a week from 6th to 8th grade. “Those years were the most important years of my life because growing up in my neighborhood, the Youth Center exemplified a better way of life,” said Knowles. “Coming here just opened my eyes to a whole new world.”

Knowles was able to meet new friends and become more social through the ASP thanks in part to the influence of then ASP Staff Member Hans Lumme who taught him to play basketball.” I often speak of Hans and how he would beat me at basketball,” he said. “I tell them that now I’m doing the same to them (the kids he cares for in his job).” Knowles went on to thank Hans, and said he’d never be a father, family man or care for children if it wasn’t for the Youth Center’s influence upon his life.

Another amazing story of how the Youth Center “transforms lives one child at a time” came from Barbara Hallberg, grandmother and guardian of ASP student Hunter Rakutt. She told a story of Hunter’s problematic life at home, his being bullied at school and having no friends until he came to the ASP. “The Youth Center gave back Hunter’s self-esteem,” she said. “They taught him how to be caring, honest, loving and fair. These are all things that can’t be bought with money but that last a lifetime.” Hallberg went on to say that the Youth Center is about “out of self and into others,” a saying she learned in being a Soroptimist. The sole guardian of her grandson who lives on Social Security is very grateful to the Youth Center for giving Hunter a full scholarship for Summer Day Camp last year, and that he’ll be coming again this summer.

As for 9-year-old Hunter, he said the Youth Center means a lot to him because they are so nice to him, and that he recommends people send their children there.

“They’ve changed my life and it might be able to change yours,” he said.

For more information on the Youth Center and their programs, please visit online at www.theyouthcenter.org. To campaign for or make a donation, please call Executive Director Lina Lumme or Office Manager Julie Rubin at 562-493-4043.

Thirty-six students from the Los Alamitos High School Drama program recently went to the California State Thespian Festival, where they earned an amazing 28 “superiors” and 10 place distinctions in both performance and technical categories.

They had the honor of being selected to perform their one-act play on the main stage of the state competition, and were selected to perform at the national competition which was even a greater achievement.

Griffin Puppet Players Stella Thermos, Kaylie Harrington, Kendallyn Beltran, Sabrina Gludt, Kiley Barker-Taylor and Tara Virgil performed “Pyramus and Thisbe”.

First Place awards went to Improv Team members Nikki Law, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ellie Sims, Michael Schultz, and Simon Martin. Comedy Showcase members were Stella Thermos and Ryan Smith. Miles Gutierrez-Riley won for Monologues, and Mercy Hightower won for Theatre Marketing. Skye Meredith earned Second Place for Makeup Design, as did Shane Ferguson for Sound Design.

Third Places went to Derek Madrid for Set Design, to Sydney DeMaria for Solo Musical, and to Kayla Wiggs and Tara Virgil for Duet Acting.

If students earn a “Superior” rating from the judges, they then qualify to move on to Nationals. Actors Katie Brown-Greaves, Kaitlin Buxton, Cassandra Cianciola, Evan Cusato, Sabrina Gludt, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Alyssa Hahn,Kaylie Harrington, Nikki Law, Michael Schultz, and Spencer Woolard all rated “Superior” in Monologues.

“Superiors for Solo Musical went to Sydney DeMaria and to Bridget DeMaria, and to Sydney De Maria for Duet Musical.

Five pairs for Duet Acting qualified went to Nikki Law and Alyssa Hahn, Jessie Winslow and Simon Martin, Ellie Sims and Spencer Woolard, Stella Thermos and Keith Ahlstrom, and to Tara Virgil and Kayla Wiggs.

Two teams qualified in the category of Group Acting including teams of  Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Jade Kaiser, Ryan Smith, and Katie Brown-Greaves as well as the team of Stella Thermos, Simon Martin, and Alison Parsons.

Tech Theater “Superior” ratings were earned by Oliva Elvidge, Mercy Hightower, Cameron Reed, Skye Meredith, Shane Ferguson, John Fujisawa, and Derek Madrid.

This was indeed an impressive showing by Los Al’s aspiring actors. They’re now looking for sponsorship to go to Nebraska in June for the International Thespian Festival.  If you have any leads, please contact Director Stacy Castiglione at scastiglione@losal.org.

Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor received a $700 check from the Youth Center in Los Alamitos for their support of the Youth Center Music Program. Pictured (left to right, front row) holding a copy of the check are music students Taylor Drake, Paige Steele, Gabe Freedman-Finch, Kaia Majka and Joseph Eng. Pictured (left to right, back row) are Youth Center Music Director Daniel Van Adler and Office Manager Julie Rubin.

Growing up in Seal Beach, Katie Neipris’ life was pretty standard for the area. She hung out at the beach, played softball with her friends and had a healthy appetite for books. The Los Alamitos High graduate developed a taste for writing through reading of some of her favorite authors.

Though Neipris grew up in the quiet Seal Beach and Los Alamitos area, like many young people, she didn’t truly come of age until she left for college and UCLA and began to make the sometimes arduous transition from childhood to adulthood. Seeing some the life changes that she and other people her age struggled with, led Neipris to take on the task of writing a book that spoke to those people.

The end result was her first novel, entitled, The Inconvenient Process of Falling. The book was launched as an e-book through Creators Publishing. Neipris’ own experiences shaped the story as much as her writing.

“Her honesty, sadness and humor reflect this age of transition, an age that has been largely ignored by the literary world,” Creators said about the book in a release.

Neipris graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA, where she studied English and Film, Television, & Digital Media. She currently lives with some of her college friends and works as an executive assistant at Lighthearted Entertainment.

Katie recently spent time with the News Enterprise to talk about her book and experiences with her home town.

NE: What was the most difficult thing about writing this novel?

Katie: Finding time to write!

NE: How much of your personal experience shaped it?

Katie: I wanted to write something that felt universal and relatable for 19-year-olds. The conflicts endured are things I saw people my age going through.

NE: You studied for a summer at Oxford and traveled Europe at that time, how was that experience?

Katie: It was definitely a life-changing summer. Visiting the favorite haunts of my literary heroes was the most inspiring experience I could ask for. I got to see how books bring people together and decided it was time I did the same.

NE: What are your favorite memories of the Seal Beach/Los Al area growing up?

Katie: Going to the beach as much as possible, playing softball at Rossmoor Park, and eating Nick’s burritos on Main Street with my friends.

NE: Who are some of your favorite authors/books?

Katie: J.K. Rowling, Pat Conroy, the Brontes; The Bell Jar, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice.

Publisher’s Summary

The Inconvenient Process of Falling

By Katie Neipris

Growing up is a strange process, and no one is exempt.

Seven childhood friends go camping together after their first year of college. Separated for several months and thousands of miles, they expected to have the same relationship as before. They could not have been more wrong.

Each character is an overachiever, driven by a defining characteristic — a love of medicine, a love of books, a love of love — and during that first year of college, they’ve each lost a little bit of whatever that thing is. They’re all experiencing some sort of identity crisis, and they’re relying on their childhood friends to remind them who they used to be.

The Inconvenient Process of Falling describes the real struggle of growing up and accepting that life is not going to turn out exactly as planned. It depicts the coming-of-age experience of returning home and seeing how much you’ve changed. It’s about friends coming together and old feelings colliding in unexpected ways. And it’s about moments of extreme sadness bolstered by dark comedy, because sometimes laughing is the only way to deal with things.

Ultimately, The Inconvenient Process of Falling is a novel about realizing that friends are the family you get to choose.

Creators Publishing

Ebook available at creatorspublishing.com. Also available on Amazon, iTunes, Nook, and Google Play.

ISBN: 978-1-942448-05-1

Price: $5.99

Pages: 222

Boys & Girls Club of Cypress recently received a $5,000 grant from the Festival of Children Foundation to pilot a program to support children who need additional academic and behavioral assistance.

The Boys & Girls Club of Cypress, in partnership with local community and educational agencies, will provide “Study Buddies” for children with unidentified social, behavioral and academic needs who would otherwise be unable to afford access to these services. Local college students will serve as tutors and mentors to these children. These tutors will work under the guidance and direction of the club’s volunteer coordinator.

Entitled “The Possible Dream,” nonprofits were invited to submit a proposal for a new initiative or program that would help organizations fulfill their mission and improve the lives of children.  Organizations were judged based on the need, creativity, projected outcomes, cost effectiveness and the strength of collaboration of the proposed program.  Boys & Girls Club of Cypress was one of only eight recipients to receive funding for this highly competitive grant.

Boys & Girls Club of Cypress is open daily during the school year from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and accommodates early release schedules for the Cypress School District and other select schools. Transportation is provided from all schools in the Cypress School District, Lexington Junior High, Los Alamitos Elementary, and other schools based on demand.  They provide daily homework help as well as high-quality enrichment and recreational programs to youth of all ages. For more information or to register your child, please visit www.boysandgirlsclubofcypress.com, stop by the club at 10161 Moody St. in Cypress or call 714-527-2697.

About the Boys & Girls Club of Cypress

For more than 40 years the Boys & Girls Club of Cypress has been at the forefront of youth development, working with people of all economic, ethnic, social and family circumstances, with special concern for those who are disadvantaged. The club provides children with a safe place to grow and learn, ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals, and life enhancing programs. Today, more than 1,200 youth between the ages of 5 and 18 take advantage of the services and programs provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Cypress. The club is open each day after school until 6:30 p.m., and during the summer months from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The club also hosts a variety of family activity nights and partners with the local school district as well as other youth-serving and family organizations.

While updating the collective vision for the future of the city, the Los Alamitos City Council adopted a General Plan by a vote of 5-0 at their meeting on March 23. The general plan includes land use, economic development, open space and recreation, mobility and circulation, public safety and growth management.

It replaces the City’s previous plan adopted in 1990.

Over the past 3 1/2 years and 40 public meetings, the city engaged the community to update their vision with the recent adoption of the Los Alamitos General Plan. The city held public hearings with the Planning Commission in October, November, December, January, and February. As a result of the public review period and public hearings, the City made a small number of revisions based on comments from the property owners, public agencies, and the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission then recommended approval and certification to the Los Alamitos City Council.

The Los Alamitos General Plan is the principal long-range policy and planning document guiding the development, conservation, and enhancement of the physical environment of Los Alamitos. It is a comprehensive collection of goals and policies related to a multitude of aspects of community life. State law requires every city and county to adopt a general plan to represent the jurisdiction’s view of its future.

The Los Alamitos General Plan is based on residents’ and community stakeholders’ long-range vision for community growth and values. Public involvement and input helped to define the character that led many citizens to live in Los Alamitos, and helped the planning team develop goals and objectives that preserve and expand upon that character.

To download the latest documents of the General Plan, please visit online at www.Losalgeneralplan.org.

Her left forearm and hand were amputated when Faith Lennox was just nine months old, but thanks to a 3D printer at Build It Workspace in Los Alamitos, she received and tried on a new left hand on Tuesday, March 31.

Faith’s left hand and forearm were amputated when she was an infant. During her mother Nicole Lennox’s labor, the circulation to Faith’s left forearm was cut off resulting in Compartment Syndrome, a common crush injury in adults and children. It was so rare in neonatal that Faith was only the 25th reported case.

Due to the lack of circulation, the skin and muscle tissues died and had to be surgically removed during the first three weeks of her life. At six months old, the bones in her forearm broke and would not heal due to the syndrome. At nine months old, it was decided that amputation was Faith’s only option.

Faith adapted quickly and has thrived despite her limb difference. She tried a couple of prosthetic options but they have been too bulky and uncomfortable plus can be quite costly. A professionally made, muscle-actuated hand can cost $6,000 to $10,000 while a myoelectric hand can cost up to $40,000.

But now, 3D printing has emerged as a viable and less expensive option.

Thanks to a non-profit organization called e-NABLE and Build It Workspace President Mark Lengsfeld, Faith has a new hand for $50.

Faith’s new hand took approximately 24 hours to create.

The Lennox’s are involved in many organizations related to their daughter’s limb difference, including the Lucky Fin Project. Through the organization, the Lennox’s have created many strong relationships with families and people that have experienced limb differences. One of their friends in the Lucky Fin Project recommended the family call Build It Workspace President Mark Lengsfeld.

When Lengsfeld heard the Lennox’s story, he immediately authorized full use of his facility and equipment to make Faith’s new hand.

“We couldn’t be happier than do this for the Faith and the Lennoxs,” said Lengsfeld. Faith is an A student who is incredibly mature for a 7-year-old. She is also a very talented surfer for her age – and especially with the use of one arm. Her dream is to become a professional surfer like Bethany Hamilton, who survived a 2003 shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off. She ultimately returned to—and was victorious in—professional surfing. Faith’s other heros include one-handed guitarist Tony Memmel, one-armed MMA fighter Nick Newell and Nicole Kelly, the 2013 Miss Iowa who also has a limb difference.

Faith decided the color of her new hand is pink, purple and blue.

Build It Workspace is located at 4478 Cerritos Ave. in Los Alamitos.

At 41 years, people have been running, walking and focusing on the Seal Beach community every spring for the annual 5K/10K and the last few years, the 1K kids fun run. This year, Seal Beach’s Centennial, Run Seal Beach successfully completed an incredibly smooth and enjoyable race.

“Our registration was smoother than ever this year. We were down some runners, but overall, nearly 5,000 people ran, walked or strolled our courses,” said Elizabeth Kane, one of the three Run Seal Beach directors. “We also had a wonderful group of experienced volunteers which made this so easy.” The run takes a full year of planning and execution from the day after this year, to the date next year.

The operational team led by Marc Loopesko, race director, said, “we had 37 teams representing 1,100 runners. Additionally, there were 21 states and 2 other countries represented in the race this year. Our youngest participant in the 5K/10K was four years old and the eldest an even 90.”

Run Seal Beach is one of the largest grant giving organizations in the region. Funds go to a variety of non-profits, via the director’s awards and the grant process. The grant application is open now and completed grant applications must be in by April 30 for consideration for funding. At the date of publication, there was not a determined total amount available for the grant process, though it will likely exceed $100,000. In general, grant recipients range in awards from $500 to just over $8,500. Please make sure that if your non-profit wishes to apply you do so as quickly as possible.

Run Seal Beach awarded the William T. Ayres “Fastest Seal Beach Resident” awards on Monday night. The perpetual plaques hang outside the Parks & Recs office through the year. These were presented Monday night at the City Council meeting by race directors Marc Loopesko and Elizabeth Kane. Fastest overall 5K was Corey Martin at 16:58 for the men and Natalia Gaerlan for women, two minutes later at 18:58. In the 10K, men were lead by Daniel Evora 35:55 and women Lindsay Carter with a time of 40:23. Seal Beach resident Kathleen Phair was only .12 seconds behind Lindsay. For more results visit www.racewire.com.

Marc Loopesko said, “We are very thankful for our participants, particularly our teams, corporate sponsors, the City of Seal Beach and our volunteers. It is through great collaboration that Run Seal Beach is successful, so many thanks all around.”

For more information on race results, volunteer opportunities, grant applications, and general information go to www.RunSealBeach.com.