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.

JD Hobbies Inc. is one of a kind. It’s actually sports memorabilia, hobby collectible and toy shop that is a dying bred. Sure, there are hobby, toys and sports collectible shops all over the place in Orange County and elsewhere. But none can stand up to the mighty collection and vast spread that is JD Hobbies Inc. JD Hobbies Inc. sits on close to 10,000 feet of property in the middle of downtown San Pedro.

It is a two-level vacuum of antique die-cast model cars, hard-to-find World War II figurines, books and memorabilia that folks from as close as Orange County and as far as Europe come by to pick up these treasured artifacts. In between, visitors travel from East Coast cities such as Chicago and Detroit to step foot into one of the biggest hobby and memorabilia shops in the country.

The sports part of the massive enclave of memorabilia can be found all around the store, whether in the form of the highly sought after McFarlane sports figures, in the form of vintage magazines such as Time, Life, Ring Magazine and through an assortment of sports trading cards. JD Hobbies Inc. (471 W. 6th Street, San Pedro, 90731) is a one-stop shop for everything that sports and memorabilia collectors can want and find.

This is the Treasure Island when it comes to that particular genre. Oh, let’s forget about the uniquely, expansive model train set that used to lie in front of the store that customers would gasp at in jaw-wondering awe. Unfortunately, that particular item, which has come to define the essence of JD Hobbies Inc. was sold by owner Louis Lee for some change around $10,000 to a train engineer.

As anyone knows, tracking down long lost memorabilia can be a sometimes fruitless chore. Lee says that JD Hobbies Inc. gives the ultimate memorabilia hawker or even the generic store shopper a little of everything that parlays on their wants and needs. The biggest thing that JD Hobbies Inc., open for business Tuesday through Sunday, does is get people thinking about what they used to enjoy during their childhood. It ushers in a sense of nostalgia for a lot people, Lee said.

“Here, you don’t know really what to expect,” Lee said. “A hundred times a day, people say this invokes my childhood. What’s here cannot replicated, cannot be duplicated on a computer screen. If they’re looking for a water canteen from the Civil War that’s under lock and key…you get to see it, you get to see the condition of it, the weight. How can you duplicate that on a computer screen? It is so specific to the hobby, in all of its forms, in all of its genres. You have to touch it, people have to see.”

One of the greatest allure of any hobby or memorabilia shop is recapturing or reminiscing about an era that is no longer here. Lee says he sees this all the time with his customers.

“I got one collector who is a medical doctor. He’s a medical doctor. He collects model kits. He doesn’t build, doesn’t open the kits,” Lee said. “What he does is he puts it in his storage unit, and he opens the door and takes a big whiff of the plastic and it flashes back to his childhood. And he closes it up.”

That kind of sentiment is missing today Lee says. It is an era that has perhaps said good-bye. However, Lee he is motivated when he and his talented staff tools around to gingerly tend to the products that line the shelves at JD Hobbies Inc. This makes JD Hobbies Inc. an even more of a hot commodity in the dying hobby industry, Lee says.

“It’s gone. Not missing, but gone,” Lee said.

With JD Hobbies Inc. operating in full force, it is safe to say that the hobby industry is still in good hands. Lee was studying pre-law when his uncle began asking him to help out with the shop in a myriad of ways, including looking over contracts, when he was younger. His uncle called him so much that Lee eventually got hooked in the hobby madness that he thoroughly enjoys.

Amazingly, JD Hobbies Inc. has been able to thrive for decades by just word-of-mouth advertising. And that’s been the strength of collectible company.

“We are one of the largest, independently-owned hobby shops in the United States. It is just under 10,000 square feet,” Lee said. “The good news is that the barometer to all of this is that people from the East Coast travel. If you take the mix of current and out of production stuff and print items, well that creates a certain fascination and appeal. That to me is perhaps the most gratifying thing that I do.”

The Friends of the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library had a Grand Opening Celebration for their new Front Porch with more than 200 community members including local and county dignitaries on Feb. 21.

The entire City Council of Los Alamitos, representatives from the Rossmoor Homeowners Association, a representative from the 2nd Supervisory District of Orange County, as well as the County Librarian Helen Fried came to the celebration.

The Front Porch is a space so much more than was envisioned. Even though the plans showed everything to scale, it was hard to imagine just how it would look.

The Front Porch goes far beyond any expectations. It is a beautiful space with new trees, native plantings, gorgeous wall bench, tables, and the personal tiles and pavers.

There have already been many photos taken of children sitting next to the lovely statue of a boy and girl reading together.

“I had the privilege to witness a very touching moment before the dedication ceremony,” said Cathy Oliver. “An elderly lady with a walker went over to the wall and put her hand on a plaque (obviously purchased for a loved one) and bowed her head for several minutes. She then moved away and left with an older gentleman.  It was so moving it brought tears to my eyes.”

There are more such stories. The library never imagined that the tiles and pavers would have the impact they are having. It has made the project even more rewarding for the library.

The project has been an amazing undertaking. The library wishes to thank the community for their help and support. They hope all will come to visit the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library and enjoy the new front porch.

The Friends of the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library had a Grand Opening Celebration for their new Front Porch with more than 200 community members including local and county dignitaries on Feb. 21.

The entire City Council of Los Alamitos, representatives from the Rossmoor Homeowners Association, a representative from the 2nd Supervisory District of Orange County, as well as the County Librarian Helen Fried came to the celebration.

The Front Porch is a space so much more than was envisioned. Even though the plans showed everything to scale, it was hard to imagine just how it would look.

The Front Porch goes far beyond any expectations. It is a beautiful space with new trees, native plantings, gorgeous wall bench, tables, and the personal tiles and pavers.

There have already been many photos taken of children sitting next to the lovely statue of a boy and girl reading together.

“I had the privilege to witness a very touching moment before the dedication ceremony,” said Cathy Oliver. “An elderly lady with a walker went over to the wall and put her hand on a plaque (obviously purchased for a loved one) and bowed her head for several minutes. She then moved away and left with an older gentleman.  It was so moving it brought tears to my eyes.”

There are more such stories. The library never imagined that the tiles and pavers would have the impact they are having. It has made the project even more rewarding for the library.

The project has been an amazing undertaking. The library wishes to thank the community for their help and support. They hope all will come to visit the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library and enjoy the new front porch.

Community members and members of the Los Alamitos Police Department gathered last week to honor the efforts of two of their own, at the 33rd Annual Los Alamitos Police Appreciation Luncheon on March 11, at the Eagle’s Nest Clubhouse at the Navy Golf Course.

The officer of the year and civilian employee of the year were the honorees of the event, with retired Cypress Police Chief Rick Hicks acting as the guest speaker. Officer Brent “Mal” Malatesta was recognized as this year’s officer of the year, while Police Aide Amanda McDowell was chosen as the civilian employee of the year.

Hicks opened his speech with the acknowledgement that there is often a disconnect between police departments and the public, but noted that that gap has been closed in Los Alamitos.

“The evidence of positive and profound policing exists right here in Los Alamitos,” Hicks said.

Los Alamitos Police Chief noted that part of the impact that Malatesta has had on the Los Al community has been his efforts in community policing. Mattern noted that while on a call that turned out to be a simple dispute between and business tenant and landlord, Malatesta went beyond his required intervention to try and resolve the matter.

Malatesta went so far as to invite the two parties to meet with him for coffee on a follow-up day to make sure the two were finding a reasonable resolution.

“What Mal brings to us is just outstanding people skills,” Mattern said.

Prior to joining the Los Al PD, Malatesta worked for the Hermosa Beach PD and served with the US Army in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Malatesta thanked his family for support and being in attendance, noting his father, who was a Medal of Valor winning police officer before retiring. As for himself, he simply acknowledged how much he enjoyed his job.

“I love being a police officer, I love serving the public and I love serving Los Alamitos,” Malatesta said.

Mattern called McDowell a great asset and noted the multiple duties she has performed for Los Al PD. He also called her one of the best cupcake makers that he knows.

“Mandy just does anything we ask of her and she does it with great enthusiasm and talent,” Mattern said.

McDowell said that she has received great training and assistance from both her co-workers and her family. And she admitted a motive with the cupcakes.

“I gave him [Mattern] cupcakes to say all those nice things about me,” McDowell quipped back.

Cypress Police Chief Jackie Gomez-Whiteley has announced she is retiring effective March 16. Chief Gomez-Whiteley provided the following statement regarding her retirement:

State Assemblywoman Young Kim (R-Fullerton) recently announced that she has formally introduced state legislation to require a two-thirds vote of the Orange County electorate before any new toll facility in the county could be constructed.

Kim, who made the announcement along a stretch of the I-405 Freeway that Caltrans officials have targeted for new controversial toll lanes, stated that she wanted to allow Orange County voters the decision on whether or not they wanted toll lanes on their public freeways.

“We cannot allow Caltrans to force toll lanes down our throats,” stated Kim, a member of the Assembly Transportation Committee. “It should be the decision of the residents of Orange County, not of the state bureaucrats in Sacramento. The Orange County Transportation Authority has twice voted to reject toll lanes on the I-405 Freeway, yet Caltrans continues to try and march forward.”

The cities along the northern stretch of the I-405 Freeway in Orange County have banded together and formed the “405 Freeway Cities Coalition” to formally fight the proposal to add toll lanes along the stretch of the freeway between the SR-55 Freeway in Costa Mesa and the I-605 Freeway at the Los Angeles County border. The six cities and the unincorporated area of Rossmoor have held town hall meetings, lobbied OCTA and various state legislators, and held press conferences in their effort.

“We would prefer that OCTA and Caltrans add additional free lanes to the I-405 freeway, rather than one toll lane and one free lane in each direction,” stated Westminster Councilwoman Diana Carey, a member of the 405 Freeway Cities Coalition who also attended Assemblywoman Kim’s press conference. “We are excited that the Assemblywoman has decided to take Caltrans on.”

“It is great that Assemblywoman Young Kim is fighting back for the residents of Orange County and has chosen to introduce AB 1459 in the California State Legislature,” said Seal Beach City Councilman Gary Miller, an OCTA Board Member and member of the Coalition. “I applaud and support her courageous leadership to take our battle to Sacramento”

“Before joining the Assembly, I spent two years on the OCTA Board of Directors fighting to keep toll lanes off our freeways,” added State Assemblyman Matt Harper (R-Costa Mesa) who also attended Tuesday’s press conference. “Now that this fight has moved to Sacramento, I am pleased to be coauthoring Assemblywoman Young Kim’s legislation and look forward to working closely with her to help keep our freeways free.”

AB 1459 returns control to the Orange County residents. Caltrans should not force drivers to pay a double tax in order to widen the freeway without their consent. Most who cannot afford $5,000 per year will be forced to remain in gridlock in the same number of free lanes. As Kim stated, “Let the residents of Orange County decide. It is their money, and it is their decision.”

Kim is the first Korean American Republican woman to be elected to the State Assembly and the first Asian American to represent the 65th District in Sacramento, which includes communities of Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, La Palma, Stanton and West Anaheim.

On Saturday, Feb. 28, the Grand Ballroom at the Disneyland Hotel was the site of the 40^th annual Americana Awards. The ceremony recognized and honored outstanding citizens who have dedicated their time to serving our communities.

The evening was a time to celebrate these community leaders, with all of the proceeds going to the Cypress College Foundation. Pat and Roberta O’ Toole were the recipients of the Citizen of the Year Award for the city of Cypress. And William Meil was the recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award for the city of La Palma.