October is here and Halloween horrors will soon be upon us. Even before that, ghouls will be running the streets of Rossmoor.
Centurions blown past by Monsoons
Cypress High girls volleyball team suffered their only defeat of tournament pool play held at Mayfair High, losing to the host squad in two sets, 13-25 and 23-25.
The Centurions started off the match on their back foot and never really found a way back. Mayfair’s hitters keenly placed their hits between and around Cypress blockers, which led to kills and the early lead.
“We started off not prepared,” said Cypress head coach Aric Anderson. “We need to do a better job of preparing before we step out on the court and we didn’t do that.”
Cypress top outside hitter Katie Ashman was the hardest hitting player out on the court but her efforts were constantly dug up by an impressive Mayfair backline.
Mayfair’s Sarah Clausen delivered some early kills for the Monsoons and even stuffed a couple shots in the defensive end.
Cypress never got back within reach of victory in the first set, but they did regroup and made a better effort in the second. The turn around came late for the Centurions and wasn’t enough to force a third set, but it did display the team’s resilience and it displayed a facet of their abilities they need to improve on.
“We just need to be a little more prepared and a part of that is warming up early, and then being mentally ready to step on the floor,” said Anderson.
The Centurions started off the tournament in an opposite fashion than their start to the defeat to Mayfair. The girls picked up a win in their first game against Montebello high and a victory against San Dimas after that game.
“It’s just a matter of keeping our errors down, which is something we’re working on,” said Anderson.
Anderson noted that it was the girl’s comfort level that led to the early victories in the tournament.
“As long as were playing relaxed and we’re having fun, we can do a lot,” said Anderson. “They were relaxed [in the first two games] and they had fun.”
Cypress’ ability to maintain its composure will need to strengthen this season if they have hopes of a league title. They need to develop a bit more resilient in getting over frustrations and be able to capitalize when their opponents make mistakes.
“I’m not going to say we’re afraid out there, but I think we just don’t have all the confidence in the world that we need,” said Anderson.
With the regular season coming up in the first week of October, the Centurions have limited time left to coordinate their efforts before the all important league match-ups begin.
“Being so early in the season [our mistakes] are things that we have to learn from, and we need to learn to let the other team be nervous.” said Anderson. “We need to go out there and play how we do in the gym.”
Weaver celebrates new media center at school
Weaver Elementary School celebrated the opening of its new Media Center, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 19.
Tying Yellow Ribbons
If you’ve seen yellow ribbons popping up around the Los Alamitos area, you may have also discovered that those yellow ribbons are signifying that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month.
Los Alamitos volleyball reaches tourney semis
The Los Alamitos Girls volleyball team reached the third place game of the Molten volleyball classic tournament held at Lakewood High School on Tuesday September 9.
‘No Bullies’ campaign reaches LAUSD
It’s said that anyone can be bullied and anyone could be a bully.
A little over a year ago, this became clear in the heart of a young teen who happened to be a member of the Miss Seal Beach Court. She wondered: How do you stop bullying?
Close first win for the Centurions
Cypress High’s football team held off Fullerton High 26-21 to secure their first victory of the 2014 campaign on Friday, Sept. 5 at Western High’s stadium.
The Centurions took the lead early in the game thanks to their powerful offense bolstered by the notable efforts of quarterback Nick Buras and receiver Quinten Pounds.
Buras lead his team by example and hustled his way to a successful night that saw the Centurions put up a couple touchdowns in a row to start off the game.
Buras’ willingness to go the extra mile for his team seemed to have rubbed off on the rest of the Cypress squad and influenced others to play the same way.
Buras showcased his drive to succeed when left with no options in the pocket and a swarming Fullerton defensive line. Buras broke to the right and made a dash to the endzone. With only one defender between him and the goalline, Buras attempted to hurdle the player but was clipped on the way over, which caused the Centurion to flip into the endzone.
The play was remarkable and caught the attention of the crowd in a heartbeat. It would’ve been Buras’ first rushing touchdown of the season but the officials over-ruled the play on the count that what he did was against the rules.
The ability to make something out of nothing was also exemplified in Quinten Pounds’ performance on Friday night.
The Centurion receiver gained the most yards for his side against Fullerton, and Pounds efforts led to a great start to the second half of the game.
Fullerton came out of the locker room roaring and yelling at the top of their lungs, “what time is it?”, with the reply “game time.” The intensity displayed by Fullerton going into the second half made the 17-7 lead that Cypress had put up look it was about to change.
It did change.
Just not in Fullerton’s favor.
Pounds received the second half kick off around the 10 yard-line and then it was off to the races. Pounds skipped by Fullerton defenders on the left side of the field then he cut in and dodged a few tackles before making a break to the right side of the field, and eventually ran into the endzone.
Pounds’ touchdown put his team on top 23-7 with a half to go, and gave Cypress just enough momentum to go on and win the game.
With the offense doing it’s job Cypress’ defense rallied and provided some great third down stops in the latter half of the match.
Fullerton would not go away, however, and kept persistent in it’s attack until it could break down a fatigued Cypress defensive line. It’s persistence would come up short in the end as they could not convert a final touchdown to steal the game away from Cypress’ grasp.
This first victory of the season will be a great boost for Cypress’ new head coach Rick Fellowman. With his team showcasing abilities that can break down the best of teams so early on, this year’s squad is surely going to go above and beyond last year’s run, which saw the Centurion finish with a 3-3 league record.
Cypress plays its next game against Los Amigos on Friday September 12. The Centurions will feel confident going into this week’s game against the Lobos coming off this win. They will especially feel confident knowing that last year they blew out Los Amigos by a score of 30-3. Cypress needs to add to its momentum by getting a victory this Friday not only for their record, but also to display that they can put away teams like a championship program is supposed to do.
Look for Cypress going far this season if Buras and Pounds can provide stellar performances week after week.
Chromebooks hit the mark with school and students
Several years ago, a handful of parents, several educators and a member of the Cypress School District Board, decided to get together to help upgrade the technology component of learning at Juliet Morris Elementary School in Cypress.
So far, so good. Last year, the Friends of Morris, were able to generate enough money from their fundraising efforts to purchase 32 Google Chromebook computers. More precisely, Friends of Morris raised nearly $10,000 to add one computer per classroom at the school. With 750 students sitting in 25 classes, the Friends of Morris organization made a huge splash with their generosity to the school.
They are hoping to more than duplicate that success this November when the Friends of Morris team come together for its third annual fundraising gala. The gala is scheduled to take place Nov. 14 at the Cypress Marriott. Cost of the event is $50 per ticket and has to be pre-ordered at the school.
“We pretty much do it all,” said Valerie Stone, president of Friends of Morris.
Stone said the nonprofit was able to attain that goal by moving off-site where it could generate more avenue of funds to come in. Stone said the group came to that conclusion after raising just over $1, 200 for its first fundraising event.
“Our first year, we didn’t have a whole lot of money to spend,” Stone said.
The goal of the fundraising is to help advance the technological side of the school. Asked why not go through the local PTA, Stone said that the PTA is somewhat limited in its functionality and ability to raise money, which is why Friends of Morris was created.
“They have a great PTA, but they can’t do off-site events,” Stone said. “They can’t go to corporations. It’s a different awareness. They have more rules to follow. Stone and the rest of the Friends of Morris crew hope to draw more people out this time around, stating that their goal is draw more parents and individuals to the gala, hook up with some local corporations and double what they made last year. Stone added that all money raised go directly back into the fold for which the funds are raised for in the first place.
“There is no salary,” she said.
The parents, teachers and Cypress School District Board member Steve Blount, all volunteer their time to make this happen. Besides Stone and Blount, Friends of Morris, consists of members Lauren Kennedy, Don Gagnier, Jillian Bowman, Peri Sorenson, Isis Ortiz, Bernadette Swails, and Cindy Schoemann. Friends of Morris will hold a second event in April to benefit the school.
Joe Schmoe’s Classic Dogs, Hamburgers and Frozen Custard a gem
What’s in a hotdog? A better question would be what’s in a good hotdog? Well, A lot can go into a hotdog these days. Chili can do the trick. Cheese always has a way of working its magic. How about the typical condiments such as ketchup, mustard and relish?
If you happen to stop by Joe Schmoe’s Classic Dogs, Hamburgers and Frozen Custard restaurant in Cypress, well, you’re going to be getting g a lot more than the usual suspect of wrapping around the wiener. Located at 5123 Ball Rd., Joe Schmoe’s Classic Dogs, Hamburgers and Frozen Custard is the right place to stuff your belly with a good dog, stuffed burgers and tater tots.
The eatery is a nice hub away from the hustle and bustle of the main street and freeway arteries. Once inside, you see and feel the ambiance of yesterday, wanting to chill out as you throw down one of their monster sandwiches or slurp down a scoop of ice cream. For this special occasion, I took my chances and tried out the restaurants’ favorite hotdogs.
There is much to choose from on the menu. As I strolled up and down the menu, I saw items that I really wanted but didn’t want to suffer the consequences of rolling over on the floor with stuffed ambitions. There’s the Reuben Dog, Spicy Redneck Dog (coleslaw and bacon-wrapped), L.A. Street Dog (fried Jalapenos), the Beer battered Fish Dog (Cod), The Works Dog (the house) and the Chicago Dog to choose from.
That’s not to mention the Babe Ruth Dog, Jersey Ripper Dog (deep-fried) and the Blue Cheese Slaw Dog (bleu cheese slaw). Hmmm…makes a guy want to holler. So, after holding up the line trying to decide what to eat and feeling the quiet wrath of regular customers staring at my every move because of my indecision on what to take on the menu, I settled in on ordering the Chicago Dog.
It was a great choice. More garden-like in its appeal, the Chicago Dog, with its sprinkle of pickles, tomatoes, peppers, mustard and celery salt, hit the spot, along with the order of French fries that compliments the dog with style. There’s always hidden gems in every community. I am excited about being to locate this one on a whim.
Every eatery likes to boast about hot it able to separate itself from its competitors. Joe Schmoe’s is the perfect antidote for something out of the ordinary, something that it is different and make you wish you had discovered it long before you did. That is exactly how I felt after leaving the aroma-dome of sweet-smelling hotdogs and hamburgers that can get you hooked.
I am excited to know that I don’t have to drive all the way to Hollywood to get a first-class hotdog. Combine that with a soothing, calm setting, Joe Schmoe’s Classic Dogs, Hamburgers and Frozen Custard is right on point.
LAHS ‘Fab Five’ XC impresses
The Los Alamitos High cross country team opened its season at the 3-mile Cow Run in Cerritos on Saturday, Sept. 6. The varsity girls ran an impressive race against 21 teams and a total of almost 200 finishers.
When school’s out, the Boys & Girls Club is in
It’s back to school time when the slower pace of summer is replaced by school project deadlines, sports practices and the general busyness of today’s very active families.
Locals ride Epic Surf Day
Cypress dentist Kevin Rummler had planned to take the family to the high Sierra’s for some trout fishing, but when news reports started rolling in about Hurricane Marie and the high surf, his plans changed.
Cypress resident wins hotdog contest
Cypress resident Charles G. Bill Jr. sure knows how to eat his hotdogs. If you don't first succeed, try and try again. That's what Bill has done when it comes to eating hotdogs during an eating contest. Bill recently participated in the Wienerschnitzel Jurupa (Valley) Grand Opening hotdog eating contest and came out the winner. It was his third try at this. The other times Bill came up on the short end of the stick. Not this time, though.
Q&A with Los Al football coach John Barnes
Los Alamitos High football program has been under the leadership of head coach John Barnes for over 40 years now. Over the years the Griffins have had some success, and they will be looking to add to their successful tradition this year. Barnes has been bolstering his squad this summer by entering his team in a couple passing tournaments and summer practices.
Fall practices began August 13 and the Griffins are looking sharp, and are well on their way to make a run at the league title. OCNN caught up with Barnes recently during their first week back and got to ask what he thinks about this year’s squad.
What’s your outlook on this year’s season?
“We got a lot of returning players. We have about 11 to 12 starters on both sides back, and we have a lot of really good athletes. Probably the best we’ve had in the past four or five years.
We’ve covered some bases. Right now after two days of practice we still need a ton of work but we’re on the right path. I think we’re expecting big things.”
How far do you see your team making it in the league?
“Well you know everybody always says, ‘we’re going to win the CIF title.’ Our goal is to win our league and then go win the CIF title. It is two steps. Win your league first then go and win the CIF title.”
With the amount of talented players you have on your squad, is there any egos that get in the way of practice?
“This is one of the best teams I’ve ever coached for good attitude. We don’t have any divas. You know guys who look the other way when we talk. They are just really good kids and they are hard-working guys.”
How do you feel about your team’s summer league performances?
“We had a great summer camp. They worked hard. We did a lot of good things. Passing league, we went to the tournament in UCLA and finished second, with about 20 or something teams. At the Edison tournament we beat Bosco in the first game of the tournament. That was really good, after that we didn’t do as great on defense as we’d like, but we did on offense. We scored a lot of points. We played by far the toughest bracket down there: Serra, Bosco, Centennial Corona. It was the who’s who of football. We played real well.”
Yeah, you guys played really well over the summer and you have some talented players on your squad. What do you believe is the strongest part of this Los Alamitos football squad?
“I don’t know. We just have a good team.”
You guys have been playing hard this summer. How do you feel about this year’s squad?
“Yeah we’re good. We have to be better coached. We need to have more enthusiasm, but we’re just starting. I’ve done this for 44 years. I don’t panic. Every day is a process to try and get better. We were better this morning than we were on Saturday. Hopefully we will be better this afternoon. That’s why we watch film and do all this to get better. Then it’s up to the players to do it. They have got to want it as bad as the coaches do.”
You’ve been coaching here a while now. How do you keep it fresh?
“I’m always excited. I woke at five this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. I told myself I need to sleep but I couldn’t. I’m excited. I want to get down here and watch some film from the other day. Start the day and get out on the practice field. That’s something I have no control over. It’s just who I am. It’s in me. That’s who I am. It’s never been a job. It’s always been a joy. It’s difficult at times, and frustrating at times but the whole process has been a fun thing for me. And we’ve had a lot of success. If I hadn’t won a bunch of championships and games I’d probably wouldn’t be here right now. I still enjoy it.”
With all the success there will inevitably be some hurdles your team will need to get over. What do you think is your team’s biggest obstacle this season?
“We need to get game experience as fast as possible, and get confident in games.”
How do you feel about this year’s league?
“Tough. Everybody but Marina can win it. It’s going to be a competitive league.”
Who are you top players to look out for?
“Denzal Brantley, Styler White at safety, runningback, and Devon Cornea at corner, runningback. Jake Stouffer and Jon Jennings the two big defensive tackles, and Matt Locher at linebacker. Blake Johnson at linebacker. Jack Delanko our quarterback. Joe Wysocki.”
What do people need to know about Los Alamitos this year?
“They’ll know they’ve been in a tough game when the game is on, and we are going to be real good.”
Youth Center graduates Leadership students Students learned life skills, goal setting and received career mentorship
With high hopes and aspirations graduates of the 2nd Annual Youth Center Leadership Academy received their certificates of completion at a celebratory breakfast served by the Seal Beach Lion’s Club at the Youth Center on Aug. 23.
In all, there were 26 students in the six-week long academy which is designed to prepare youth for the real world, with workshops on everything from cooking and laundry basics to goal setting, resume writing and interview skills as well as the basics of budgeting and banking. Business entrepreneurship, car maintenance, careers in medicine, photography and occupational therapy were also featured.
Completion of the Leadership Academy heralds in the future for its students by teaching them to be strong leaders.
“It tells employers that they excel at what they do, are committed to any project they undertake and that they will bring the highest levels of success to their future life’s work,” said Youth Center Office Manager Julie Rubin, who presented for the first time at the event this year.
Returning for a second year was Youth Center Board of Director Member and mentor Karen Frankenberg, who said she is looking forward to mentoring and teaching in some role in future academies.
A mentee of Frankenberg was Dakota Costa, 16, of Rossmoor. The Los Alamitos High School student, who wants to go to college and study Biology or medicine, said the most valuable thing he learned was goal setting for his life’s plan.
“It’s the Leadership Academy that helped give me strategies for planning out my life,” Dakota said.
Dakota’s father, Cris, praised how the academy exposed his son to many different things and careers. “It was nice for him, and he was very excited,” he said.
Another student who said the most valuable thing he learned was about time management and setting goals was Ryan Elliot, 14, of Rossmoor. The Los Alamitos High School freshman hopes to use what he learned to become a pediatric oncologist or go into business.
“The Leadership Academy has shown me to set goals,” Ryan said.
Students learned from Long Beach City College Student Health Services nurse, Tina Cassar, R.N., and children’s book author about careers in medicine and nursing, while occupational therapist Vicki Vu taught about careers in her field.
Meanwhile, Celeste MacFarlane, 17, of Seal Beach who attends Los Alamitos High School said, “The most valuable thing I learned from the academy was all the opportunities there are in the world, and about all the different careers.” Celeste wants to attend college but is yet undecided as to her major.
Los Alamitos High School student, Lauren Mihkelson, 17, of Los Alamitos who also wants to go to college and is thinking of becoming a doctor, especially valued the workshop on budgeting but her most memorable workshop was on cooking.
“It was completely different from the rest of the academy,” she said. “I love cooking, and liked learning how to hold a knife left-handed.”
Students were provided with a professional cooking class from Amy Loe and Teri Villanueva, owners of Chef Tech Professional Cooking School. They learned how to read nutritional labels and how to cook healthy on a budget as well as how to do laundry properly.
Lauren’s father, Brian, said the academy taught “fantastic life skills.” Her mother, Kristy, said of the academy, “When we saw what the program offered, we thought it covered all the areas we should have been teaching her. It’s so amazing that all the people have come to teach these things.”
Professionals from in and around the community donated their time and resources to run the workshops. Some of the instructors served as mentors alongside members of the Youth Center Board of Directors, and remain in contact with academy graduates during and after the academy concludes.
One workshop instructor, Jody Roubanis, Ph.D. who teaches Family and Consumer Sciences at Point Loma Nazarene University, mentored and taught academy students on goal setting and communication skills.
“It’s so exciting,” Roubanis said. “This next generation is so skilled at knowing who they are and what needs to be done to make the world a better place. Sometimes the best leaders are the best listeners.”
Other instructors like Dr. Andy Galpin of the Cal State University Center for Sports Medicine taught about groundbreaking scientific research and working with professional athletes. Mark Mayuga of I.D. Energy AG taught business entrepreneurship, running your own business as well as resume basics and interviewing skills.
Tom Ingram of Viva Las Vegas, who organizes the Rockabilly weekend in Las Vegas every year, taught about a career in festival organizing, the importance of keeping your word professionally and personally. He also taught the importance of maintaining physical and mental health as well.
Many of the students benefited from the basics of budgeting and banking conducted by Josh Wilson of Southland Credit Union.
“My most memorable thing about the academy was the workshop on banking,” said Matbeal Tordecilla, 15, of Stanton who attends Los Alamitos High School. “I learned important life skills like cooking, managing credit cards and about credit scores,” he said. “The Leadership Academy influenced my future plans in that they made them clearer. I’d like attend college to be an environmental biochemist.”
Students also learned about investing from Certified Public Accountant James Davidson, something that comes handy for being able to plan and afford college.
Other instructors included Youth Center Board Member and Ganahl Lumber Sales Manager Brandon Petersen who taught the basics of car maintenance, Melinda Kim of Melinda Kim Photography who took professional photos of academy students and gave them the basics of the photography business, and Anna Mendioloa, a Park Development Officer with the City of Long Beach who taught about careers in architecture.
Teresa Pisani, 14, of Garden Grove voiced how the academy “taught you the basics of being independent,” and that she especially liked the banking and cooking classes. The Los Alamitos High School student wants to be a pediatrician. She said, “The Leadership Academy helped me on how to take care of my body and being out on my own.”
The Youth Center congratulates the 2014 Leadership Academy graduates including Courtney Allard, Hailee Allard, Samantha Chaffee, Dakota Costa, Viviana Diaz, Matbeal Tordecilla, Ryan Elliott, Sarah Enyart, Tyson Ezell, Jr., Indira Galvez, Jake Garkow, Chase Graham, Kelly Kessloff, Timothy Lee, Celeste MacFarlane, John Merrill, Lauren Mihkelson, Christina Mishreki, Dawn Penn, Sarah Pisani, Teresa Pisani, Jessica Saliba, Austin Thompson, Taylor Turpin, Crystal Villalpando and Victor Villalpando.