Joyce Grohmann, who was elected president of the Woman’s Club of Cypress (WCC) at their April 4 meeting, leads a new slate of executive officers for the 2014-15 one-year term.
Los Al tennis rises again in Sunset
The Los Alamitos High boys tennis team finished the league regular season with a 9-1 record, to take its third consecutive Sunset League title.
In the league finals tournament, the Griffins also captured several championships with
Griffins go for sixth title in row
The Los Alamitos girls lacrosse team will play for its sixth consecutive Orange County Championship when they take on Beckman High today at 5:30 p.m. at Aliso Niguel High.
Coming to Dante’s rescue
Dante was feeling sick, but he couldn’t tell anyone. Dante is a dog. But the Cypress Great Pyrenees, who belongs to Greg and Kelly Harris had someone else who was looking out for his best interest.
Nalani Dutro, a 10-year-old Cypress resident and student at Los Alamitos Elementary School already has dreams of becoming a veterinarian. She loves animals and was familiar with Dante and his brother Michajeh.
Derby belongs to California Chrome
California Chrome took his first step to history when he defeated the field to win the 140thrunning of the Kentucky Derby. The three-year-old California Chrome kind of baited his time with the field leaders before breaking off from the pack and running away with the race down the final backstretch, easily winning the first installment of horseracing’s coveted Triple Crown.
The Los Alamitos-based thoroughbred did his hometown proud with the victory. He no doubt had his trainer and jockey feeling good.
Art Sherman, a trainer at the Los Alamitos Race Track, is trainer of the horse California Chrome, who just won the Kentucky Derby last Saturday, May 3, with jockey Victor Espinosa guiding him through the finish line with an extended lead over the other horses in the field. The 77-year old Sherman is the oldest trainer to have a horse in the race win the Kentucky Derby.
Heading into the race, California Chrome was the leading favorite in the race, going off with odds at 3-1. This is the fifth win in a row for California Chrome. Before capturing horseracing glory with this victory, the biggest win for California Chrome leading up to Saturday’s showcase at Churchill Downs was snatching the Santa Anita Derby.
California Chrome was able to glide through race with experience hands guiding him. This wasn’t Espinosa’s first go-round at this. Espinosa rode World Emblem to the Kentucky Derby win in 2002. California Chrome is one step closer to the Triple Crown. He must now win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to go down in horse racing lore.
The task won’t be easy.
Winning the Kentucky Derby is only part of the Triple Crown. The Preakness Stakes is his next race challenge on May 17.That race is on the East Coast in Baltimore, Maryland. Should California Chrome win that race, then it’s on to the Belmont Stakes on June 7. in Elmont, New York.
Youth sports camp director arrested
The Seal Beach Police Department arrested, Scott Durzo, a 49 year old male resident of Seal Beach, after he allegedly committed several lewd and lascivious acts approximately eight years ago with a juvenile under the age of 14.
Youth Center celebrates support
It was an evening full of celebration and victory recently at the Youth Center’s final Community Support Campaign night when it was revealed the organization had met their goal of raising more than $115,000 for funding programs in the coming year.
Quirk-Silva’s Veterans Cemetery bill passes committee
Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva’s (D-Fullerton) Assembly Bill (AB) 1453, a bill that would establish a veterans cemetery in Orange County, passed with unanimous support in the State Assembly Veterans Affairs committee.
Local students land scholarships
The Friends of Cypress Cultural Arts (FOCCA) announced the recipients for the 2014 visual and performing arts scholarships at the annual performance reception Tuesday, April 29. The scholarships are awarded in two categories, Visual Arts and Performing Arts for 9-12 graders who are Cypress residents or attend high school in Cypress and Cypress residents attending Cypress College not older than 20 years of age. The performing arts scholarships encompasses dance, piano, instrumental and vocal while the visual art category embraces two and three dimensional art in all media.
Visual Arts recipients included Katelyn Nix, Lois Kang and Clarissa Knight; Performing Arts-Vocal recipient Susmitha Varghese; Performing Arts-Piano/Instrumental recipients included Kailas Pillai, Kyle Miller, Julia Martyn and Charles Tsao; Performing Arts-Dance recipients included Raquel Umbarila and Randall Belyea.
Sponsors for this year’s scholarships included Ginger Anderson, In Memory of Pauline Bowman, Dr. Matthew Davis, Phyllis Fairchild, Friends of Cypress Cultural Arts, G.F.W.C. Woman’s Club of Cypress, Andy and Cora Miller, Phillips Financial Services and Jim and Roberta Vigneau.
B-day celebration for Pastor Vaughn at Faith Christian Assembly
Isn’t it fun to celebrate historic moments? Pastor Gwyn Vaughn is turning 75 years old and has been with Faith Christian Assembly for more than 22 years.
Military Students
Three Los Alamitos High students were recognized at the April 21 Los Alamitos City Council meeting for their acceptance into various U.S. Military Academies. At left, Andrew Chaidez will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy. Haley Fessenden, center, will attend the U.S. Naval Academy, where she will play lacrosse for Navy. Vincent O'Reilly, right, will attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Coming to Dante’s rescue
Dante was feeling sick, but he couldn’t tell anyone. Dante is a dog. But the Cypress Great Pyrenees, who belongs to Greg and Kelly Harris had someone else who was looking out for his best interest.
Family named as March Youths of the Month
The Boys & Girls Club of Cypress selected Andrew, Steven, John Mark, and Brian Gillispie as their March Youths of the Month. Typically, only one member is selected to receive this honor each month, but due to the Gillispie family’s consistent good behavior, participation, and kindness towards others, the staff chose to honor all four members.
Centurions are back on track
Cypress High’s Jarren “J.D.” Duran slides safely into third base with a triple as Head Coach John Weber (20) keeps an eye on the location of the ball. Cypress defeated Bishop Amat 4-2 on April 19. Cypress, last year’s CIF Division II champs, is currently in second place in the Empire League.
Keller Williams out to fight cancer
One in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime,” said Robin Fairman. “That is a staggering statistic.”
Showing their support agents at Keller Williams Realty Los Alamitos have been raising funds, raising awareness, and helping out breast cancer patients and research.
Fairman, and fellow Realtor Erica Olsen are chairing the offices’ next event, which is participating in the 3rd Annual Standup For The Cure paddle board fundraiser being held on Saturday, May 3 at Newport Beach (Newport Dunes) supporting the Susan G. Komen organization. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Every $125 raised will potentially save a life by enabling women in need access to a mammogram. Entry fee for the event is $35 per person. Top International paddleboard experts led by Zane Schweitzer, will instruct attendees of all levels (from people that have never used a paddleboard before to more advanced participants).
The agents have organized a KW team (“Tides 4 Tatas”) to compete in the paddleboard event. They are collecting donations at: stand-up-for-the-cure.org team “Tides 4 Tatas”.
“We are trying to help raise money in a variety of ways to help fund research to find a cure,’ said Fairman. “And this event was one way we could participate.”
“We enjoy being able to help out in the community,” said Olsen. “This is such a wonderful way to make a huge difference in so many lives.”
“This is our third year and we’ve added new events to appeal to participants of all ages such as a kids’ relay as well as free life-saving breast and skin cancer screenings. Beer and wine during the happy hour can be enjoyed with the fun music of The Wheeland Brothers,” said Judie Vivian, volunteer and founder of Standup for the Cure. “Riviera Paddlesurf and others will supply loaner boards and demonstrations for new paddlers. Kaiser Permanente will host the Health Expo where free Breast Exams will be offered along with Skin screening for Melanoma”.
Some of the events are a Kid’s race, 5K expert and Fun “Pink Fleet” paddle, Industry Expo, Kaiser Permanente Health Expo with free screenings for Breast Cancer and Melanoma, Live Music, Lunch catered by Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Happy Hour with Kona Brewing and Barefoot Winery.
SUP lessons and Demos as well as an Opportunity Drawing Raffle and Silent Auction will take place. Agents at KW Los Alamitos will be selling opportunity drawing tickets for $5 for a chance for a weekend getaway to Big Bear.
KW Los Alamitos recently hosted Taco Monday at Amore Y Taco as a kickoff celebration for the event and to raise funds towards their team goal. Participants were urged to bring a special flyer and present it to the server at Amore Y Taco to get 10% donated to the cause.
“When I joined Keller Williams Realty, I met an agent and made a new friend in Erica,” said Fairman. “She quickly inspired me to get involved in this most urgent cause. People I know, like Erica, who are battling various types of cancer have at least two things in common; they are in the fight of their lives and they have an overwhelming spirit to overcome and survive cancer.”
“The care and support that the community has shown for previous fundraisers has been wonderful,” said Elaine Armogida, team leader at KW Los Alamitos. “So we are looking forward to a fantastic turnout from the community and looking forward to having a great time.”
Keller Williams Realty Los Alamitos has been active in helping out the local community in a variety of ways. Besides the yearly shredding event, they also collect food for Second Harvest Food Bank and collected items for Toys for Tots to name a few.
To get more information about Standup For The Cure and “Tides for Tatas” you can contact Robin Fairman at ro***@********me.com or Erica Olsen at ho***************@***il.com.