Pack 360 and Cubmaster John Jucksch held their first bike rodeo on March 29 at Rosemont Middle School. Scouts were invited to learn bike safety, rules of the road and bike maintenance and even try some tricks. There were obstacles like slowest rider, slalom through cones, and chances to go over the teeter-totter.

Thank you to Rosemont Middle School for use of the space and thanks to Officer Bejar of CHP for taking the time to teach the kids about bike safety on the road.

Submitted by Leslie DICKSON

By McKenna MIDDLETON, intern

On April 18, six Girl Scouts from Troop 15011 spent their Saturday weeding, painting, and planting at Valley View Elementary School. The seventh grade girls are alumni of the elementary school and chose to give back to Valley View as their silver award project.

Katie Clem, Miranda Mercer, Laine Stubbs, Sophia Atin, Kathryn Thamasian, and Sophia Wang had been noticing that the gardens at Valley View were looking rundown. The school has not had a garden club since the girls were in kindergarten and many of the flowers and gardens were beginning to exemplify this. They wanted to make a difference and give back to a school they had attended for so many years.

"It feels like home since we went here for seven years and we know everyone," Atin said.

The current Rosemont students raised money through their Girl Scout cookie sales to fund the project. Each girl sold over 75 boxes to reach the fundraising goal. Additionally, Orchard Supply Hardware donated supplies such as soil, buckets, wood chips, gloves, and flowers to the cause. Kelly Stubbs, the mother of one of the Girl Scouts and teacher at Valley View, acted as a liaison between the school and the girls to make the idea a reality.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Girl Scouts worked to repaint the planters outside of the classrooms, add new soil and flowers to the planters, weed and rake the area outside of the office and bungalows, and put down new ground cover in those areas. A Daisy troop made up of first graders from Valley View joined the project at noon. The younger Girl Scouts will be able to carry on the work begun by Troop 15011. They will help with maintenance such as weeding and watering during the day.

"Part of the Silver Project is to pass on the tradition so we wanted to keep it going by involving younger troops," said Mercer, whose younger sister is currently in the Daisy troop at Valley View.

As part of this continuation of the service project, the six girls will lead the Daisy troop for a badge they will earn in May on making the world a better place.

"It is the hope of our girls that the younger girls keep up this project while they are attending Valley View," Kelly Stubbs said.

Although the long day was filled with hard work, the Girl Scouts’ efforts were evident. Valley View’s landscape reflected their labor and dedication to beautify their elementary school campus.

The St. Francis High School robotics team, Team Brobot, won the 2015 VEX Robotics (Engineering Division) World Championship on Saturday, April 16. Over 12,000 schools from 29 different nations competed throughout the school year just to qualify to be one of the 450 high school teams in the World Championship competition. Out of the 90 teams in the Engineering Division, Team Brobot and its alliance finished in first place and earned the title of the Engineering Division World Champion.

Overall, St. Francis placed fourth out of the 450 teams competing in the World Championship.

In August 2010, the St. Francis robotics team, affectionately known at Team Brobot, was established as an extracurricular club at St. Francis High School to inspire Golden Knights to become future leaders in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Originally started by seven highly motivated young men, Team Brobot has grown into an award-winning competitor consisting of over 40 members from all four classes. Throughout the school year team members are actively engaged in exciting mentor-based STEM opportunities. The team competes in various forums including VEX, FRC, FTC and the JPL Invention Challenge.

Team members meet regularly as they collaborate to design, build and program their robots. Since its formation, Team Brobot has received numerous awards. Most significantly, the team remains heavily involved in several outreach and community service programs aimed at educating and inspiring the community’s youth. In doing so, this group has lived up to the team’s motto "Building Brotherhood One Robot at a Time."

Reflections Program

Crescenta Valley High School Senior Reflections for the Class of 2015 will take place Sunday, May 31 at 4 p.m. in the MacDonald Auditorium. Senior Reflections is a time for 2015 graduates to reflect on their scholastic and fun days at CVHS.

This program is a senior-centered event that will feature seniors, senior class officers, faculty and staff as they share their aspirational thoughts and inspirational memories with music, elocution and pictorial fanfare. Participants will showcase what it means to be part of the CVHS family.

Everyone – seniors, family, friends, students, staff – are invited to attend the hour-long event that will be followed by a PTSA-sponsored reception. There is no limit to the number of invitees. Photos with studens (outfitted in cap and gown) are welcome.

For more information, contact Frances Mencia at cfmencia@sbcglobal.net.

CVHS MacDonald Auditorium is located in the 4400 block of Ramsdell Avenue in La Crescenta.

‘All You Can Eat’ Pancakes

The Holy Redeemer - St. James Boy Scout Troop 317 is holding their annual pancake breakfast fundraiser on Sunday, May 17 from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Healy Hall in Montrose. Tickets are $5 per person and include all the pancakes you want with a variety of toppings, plus coffee and juice. The community is encouraged to support Troop 317 and enjoy a delicious breakfast.

Holy Redeemer Healy Hall, 2361 Del Mar Road, Montrose.

The city invites interested La Cañada Flintridge residents between the ages of 14 and 19 to submit applications for service on the City Youth Council. Three vacancies will occur during the month of May.

The Youth Council discusses issues facing the youth of the community. This Council provides a forum to expose youth to city government. Members of the Youth Council propose, develop and recommend policies and programs to further the interests and engagement of young people in the City. The Council makes policy recommendations to the LCF City Council that improve youth involvement with the community.

The Youth Council consists of nine members. Five "at-large" members are appointed by City Council to serve two-year terms. Four "school representative" members are appointed by the four high schools in the City, with one member from each school. The schools are Flintridge Preparatory School, La Cañada High School, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and St. Francis High School. These members serve one-year terms.

Two of the openings are for new two-year terms while one appointment will fill a vacancy for a term in office expiring in May 2016.

The Youth Council meets regularly at 3:30 p.m. on the first Friday of each month in the city council chambers. Additional meetings may be held as required.

Residents interested in serving on this commission may obtain an application from the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 1327 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge or online at www.lcf.ca.gov. The deadline for filing applications is Monday, June 22 at 5 p.m. It is anticipated that the LCF City Council will conduct brief interviews of applicants and will make appointments at their regular meeting to be held on Aug. 17.

For more information, contact City Clerk Tania Moreno at (818) 790-8880 or visit the city website at www.lcf.ca.gov.

Girl Scout Troop 5191 of the Crescenta Valley/Glendale Service Unit earned their Bronze Award after completing an outdoor tortoise enclosure for Teranga Ranch, a non-profit organization located in Sunland that specializes in reptile rescue and wildlife education.

Dana Stangel, executive director of Teranga Ranch said, "We were so grateful the Girl Scouts were able to come over and help our animal rescue. We were in desperate need of an outdoor area for our rescued tortoises to get sun. The Girl Scouts called and offered their help."

According to Stangel, the girls designed the enclosure, acquired the materials necessary for building, motivated their families to join them, worked as a team, and helped with enthusiasm and concern for the animals.

"This was a well thought-out project, and the girls worked very hard all day."

She added that once the Nature Center is opened, programs will be designed specifically to help Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts earn their badges.

The girls spent six hours building the enclosure, during which they learned about woodworking, carpentry and safety around power tools. The girls also conducted their own research in order to determine what type of enclosure would best suit the tortoises and keep them safe from predators. Funds to purchase the materials for the enclosure were earned exclusively through the sale of Girl Scout cookies.

Submitted by Carolyn DARIN

It was standing room only on a recent Tuesday morning when 126 second-graders took the Monte Vista Elementary School stage to sing for students and parents. The students were led by music teacher Ann Kleinsasser who also accompanied on piano. They performed songs such as "Erie Canal," "Land of the Silver Birch," "We Are the Rain in the Rainbow" and three-part round, "Soda Pop." The music concert showcased what the young students learned from "Mrs. K" in weekly music lessons during the school year. Kleinsasser teaches rhythm, dynamics, notation, pitch and musicality.

Kleinsasser has taught music to Monte Vista students for eight years. Due to a generous grant from the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, Kleinsasser will be able to continue working with the youngsters. The grant supports the school’s primary music program, which is led by Kleinsasser in kindergarten through second grade. The program also provides recorder lessons for third-graders.

Organizers of the Valley View Elementary School e-waste recycling event held in April report that the event, the fourth one held for the school, was the biggest one yet.

Held at the south lot of Bob Smith Toyota in La Crescenta, over 17 pallets of recyclable electronics were collected at an estimated weight of more than 15,000 lbs.

Proceeds benefit Valley View Education Foundation at Valley View Elementary School in La Crescenta. Past years events have raised over $3,800 for the school.

Collection conducted by Omni Tech CA Recycling (www.ca-recycle.com).

On Dec. 1, 1997 Anita "Mrs. Nita" Imm started her first day as the teacher of the Busy Bears (4-year-olds) at Crescenta-Canada Nursery School (CCNS). After 17 years, Mrs. Nita will be retiring in June as the Busy Bear teacher and director of CCNS. Though she will miss the giggles and smiles every morning at check-in, she is looking forward to taking time to travel with her husband, Bob.

On that day in 1997, she may have been excited for the new start, maybe even a little nervous. One thing she probably didn’t realize was how she eventually impacted the lives of hundreds of students and parents.

Prior to becoming the Busy Bear teacher and later the director of CCNS, Mrs. Nita worked for 17 years as a registered dental assistant. It wasn’t until her own children started school at Our Lady of Lourdes that she discovered  that she loved being in the classroom.

One parent approached Mrs. Nita and said, "I would like you to teach my children and there is an opening for a teacher at a co-op in La Cañada."

She applied for her first teaching position and soon learned that she loved being a part of a cooperative preschool because it allowed the parents to be directly involved with their child’s early education.

One thing she said she treasures is the friendships that she has built over the years and all that she has learned from the students and families.

Mrs. Nita has been able to stay in contact with some of her past Busy Bears through social media. She said she "loves finding out when past students have received student of the month awards or seeing prom and graduation photos." One of her past students, Megan Reilly, was recently voted Miss La Cañada Flintridge 2015.

"I know a former student who was accepted to UCLA," said Mrs. Nita. "I’m a USC fan but am still proud of her."

There will be an opportunity to honor who many call a "modern day hero" to many students at a retirement open house on May 16 at CCNS from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mrs. Nita said that she hopes to see as many former students and parents as possible when they walk down memory lane.

Crescenta-Cañada Nursery School is located at 1700 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada.

Scholarship Opp

Exceptional student leaders are invited to apply for the 2014 GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program. In honor of the legacy and character of President Ronald Reagan, this program annually rewards up to 20 college-bound students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship with $10,000 renewable scholarships (up to $40,000 per recipient).

Applications for the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program will be accepted online until Jan. 9. Additional information, eligibility requirements, and a link to the application are available online www.reaganfoundation.org/GE-RFScholarships.aspx. There is also a Facebook page.

Calling All to a Bike Rodeo

All bikers from preschool to fourth grade are invited to a Girl Scout bike rodeo on June 6 at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church from 10 a.m. to noon.

"Our Girl Scout Troop is planning it to earn our Silver Award," said Girl Scout Kayleigh Scott.

The event will promote bike safety and will have several booths with related activities.

The Bike Rodeo is free. LCPC is located at 2902 Montrose Ave. in La Crescenta.

Unlikely Hero Productions, and the producers of its forthcoming documentary "Skipping Joy," announced that they will be filming children’s poet laureate Kenn Nesbitt’s upcoming visit to Salem Lutheran School in Glendale. Nesbitt will present a "stand-up comedy, poetry-writing assembly program" to show Salem students how much fun they can have with a book and how easy it is to write poetry that they and their friends will enjoy.

Nesbitt’s work has been published in hundreds of school textbooks around the world, as well as on national television programs. His website, poetry4kids.com, is the most visited children’s poetry website on the internet.

Glendale’s Salem Lutheran School serves JK through seventh grade is a National Blue Ribbon School, and has been recognized with local awards including the Principal of the Year award by Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, National Distinguished Principal award presented by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

By Brandon HENSLEY

Local middle and high school students presented their possible solutions to California’s drought before the Crescenta Valley Town Council meeting on May 21.

As part of the Global Initiatives Alliance, two separate panels from La Crescenta’s New Hope Academy addressed the major water issues, including recommendations for the Town Council to possibly take to the Crescenta Valley Water District.

"I think they’re realistic. You could implement them and see a change from them," said Jason Choi, student president of the panel. "If the CVTC is willing to take them into consideration, I think it’d be beneficial to the community."

Those recommendations were presented by the second panel, consisting of Jilly Choi, Kevin Park, Irene So and Matthew Chung.

Park suggested a five-tier system for CVWD users, instead of the existing four-tier system. If a user goes over 52 units of water in a period it would equal $15 per unit.

"Our goal is to pressure those who waste water," Park said. "That makes people want to stop using water immediately because they’d have to pay more."

CVWD recommends people shorten their showers by two minutes, and wash only full loads of laundry. Park said if everyone had already been following the district’s recommendations, which also include letting grass grow two or three inches higher, it would have already saved 230,000 gallons of water.

Chung said a change to high-efficiency toilets would save 27,000 gallons over eight months, and a switch from flush urinals to non-flush urinals would save 25,000 gallons over that same time. Chung also recommended holding a Desert Plant-Palooza, a one-day per month event where people would buy and sell desert plants in the community.

"By increasing visibility and usage of desert plants, we can create a synergy effect in which the community as a whole can decrease water usage," he said.

Irene So, a seventh grader from Rosemont Middle School, recommended water education training, or W.E.T. She said elementary schools could hold assemblies and run PSAs. There could be mascots ("Wanda the Water Waster vs. Wendy the Water Hero") that would also help teach kids about conservation.

Park said he spoke to 250 CV residents for this project, and Chung said with the help of the CVTC, the CVWD and social media, people could become more aware of the need to conserve water. Jin Mary Oh, advisor to the group, said it is possible to implement some of the policies the students brought forth, but support from CVTC would be beneficial. Oh added that these ideas could expand to La Cañada and Glendale.

President Choi, a junior at Village Christian, said it took the group three weeks of intense research, including speaking with employees at CVWD, to prepare for the speech. He was part of the first panel, with Andie Chung, Minsoo Sung and Joshua Rhee.

They addressed the big picture of the state’s water problem including that 80% of water use is for agriculture.

Choi proposed gradual crop diversification, with less of an emphasis on corn.

"A wiser, more comprehensive form of regulation is necessary such as advancing programs that promote crop diversity, conserving soil and water resources," Choi said.

He also said more exploration of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, is needed, because the ability exists to create crops with genes that are more drought resistant.

Rhee said California is second only to Texas for the largest amount of irrigated land, and that there is too much dependence on engineered irrigation systems.

Sung cited the widely shared online article by Steven Johnson, "Apocalyptic Schadenfreude: What the New York Times – and everybody else – gets wrong about California’s water crisis."

Sung quoted part of the article that states, "California is running through its water supply because, for complicated historical and climatological reasons, it has taken on the burden of feeding the rest of the country."

The water problem is not a state problem, Sung said, but a national problem because of the amount of crops California provides to the rest of the U.S.

When it was time to answer questions from the audience, the students admitted their research was dedicated solely to the content of their presentation, meaning they could not adequately answer questions about recycled water, or jobs that would be affected if irrigation responsibilities moved out of state.

Both Choi and Andie Chung, who is a sophomore at La Cañada High School, started the academy this school year. They said they didn’t know anyone when they started, but the experience has been a solid one.

"I personally enjoy it," Choi said. "I don’t get to do this with other groups. It’s fun meeting with everybody."

Debating and making presentations might not be what both want to do as a career, but impacting people while using these tools is intriguing to Andie.