Disneyland has chosen both the Crescenta Valley High School jazz band and symphony orchestra to be among the select few to perform at the theme park this season. The CV jazz band will perform on Monday, Jan. 28 and – for the first time – the symphony orchestra will take the stage on Monday, Feb. 4.

“The jazz band and symphony orchestra submitted for Disneyland’s ‘Community Arts Showcase,’ said Mathew Schick, director of the school’s music department. “This is the theme park’s outreach where arts programs (band, orchestras, dancers, etc.) in the community submit three videos and a picture and are judged to see who gets to perform for free at Disneyland. Both jazz band and symphony were selected and are performing there for the first time! It’s a wonderful program.”

Both groups have selected special music for the occasion, which is now being practiced to perfection.

The jazz band will play the Disney hits “I Wanna Be Like You” from “The Jungle Book;” “Cruella DeVille” from “101 Dalmatians;” “Beauty and the Beast” from the movie sharing that title; and “The Incredibles” from the hit Pixar film.

The symphony orchestra will be performing “Pirates of the Caribbean” from the classic Disneyland ride that became a hit movie franchise; “An Outdoor Overture” by Aaron Copland; and “Frozen,” the smash hit from that animated blockbuster.

Both groups are excited to visit, perform and represent La Crescenta well as be proud musical guests of “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

For more information, contact Mathew Schick, Crescenta Valley High School instrumental music director, at mschick@gusd.net.

By Lori BODNAR, intern

ComedySportz is a family-friendly comedy show with improv comedy played as a sport. Like is commonly found in sports, two teams – blue and red – compete against each other. There is even a referee who keeps points and can call fouls, such as the “groaner” foul if a joke is too “punny” or the “brown bag foul” when comedians or audience members have to put a brown grocery bag over their heads if they approach the boundaries of good taste in the family-friendly event.

The audience is asked to participate – lending to the unpredicatability of the show – guaranteeing hilarious fun. On the evening of Jan. 11 the Crescenta Valley High School MacDonald Auditorium hosted a ComedySportz match between alumni and current CVHS ComedySportz members. There were four people on each team. One of the alumni team members, Keeley Gibson, attended Crescenta Valley High School for her freshman year and was on the ComedySportz team, but she moved out-of-state in her sophomore year. Though she had moved, she earned a spot on the CVHS alumni team, even flying in for the contest. She was captain for the first half of the match.

After intermission, another four members populated each team. Alumni team members included Carter Thomas, Matt Bomar, Aidan Perry, Camille Gibney, Emily Perkins and Zach Timson. Teacher Gavin Hall coaches the high school ComedySportz team. The recent ComedySportz match was well-attended and was a great place for family and friends to get together and have a good laugh. 

Some of the improv sketches included “My Movie, My Movie, My Movie,” when the team would suggest movie names and taglines that started with a certain letter and then, if the referee liked it, the entire team would act out the pretend “movie” clip. Another favorite was when the team members borrowed three phones from the audience and acted out a scene; however, they could only speak words found in texts from the audience members’ phones.

The final score of the night was 28 to 27, with the blue varsity CVHS team beating by one point the red alumni team.   

The next ComedySportz match is Thursday, Jan. 24 for the freshmen teams.  The varsity match is Feb. 1 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Underground Theater, 2900 Community Ave. in La Crescenta. Admission is $5 for students, $10 for adults.

By Charly SHELTON

To celebrate the release of “Thunder Pug,” illustrator Keika Yamaguchi came to Once Upon A Time bookstore in Montrose to sign books, new and old, for legions of Puddle Pug fans.

Percy the Puddle-Loving Pug is back in an all-new adventure, “Thunder Pug.” When Percy’s best friend Petunia the Pig wins a blue ribbon at the fair, she suddenly has no time for playing with her friend. When Percy finds an old comic book in a puddle, he decides to take on a new alter ego – and Thunder Pug is born! But without a sidekick, he is still lonely. This children’s book teaches the importance of friendship, and frames the difficult task of navigating popularity in a way that young kids can relate to and understand.

Yamaguchi said she enjoyed her appearance at OUAT.

“The event went great! It was a great turnout, and I had a great time,” Yamaguchi said. “At the end of the signing I did a drawing activity with the children and the audience. The kids and I came up with a super hero pug together. The pug was named Daisy the Thunderbolt and we made a sidekick super hero who is a frog. The frog’s name was Mr. Pizza. Daisy the Thunderbolt can summon lighting, and Mr. Pizza can summon pizzas. Daisy the Thunderbolt lives in a city and Mr. Pizza lives in a box. Daisy the Thunderbolt likes eating dog kibbles, and Mr. Pizza likes eating leaves. They both love eating a pizza with salad on it together. I love sparking kids’ imaginations. We had a lot of fun coming up with these ideas, the kids were really into it.”

In addition to “Puddle Pig,” Yamaguchi is also the illustrator of the newly released sequel “Thunder Pug,” both by author Kim Norman. Yamaguchi has also illustrated “Sick of Being Sick” by Justin Sullivan, “What About Moose?” by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J Gomez, and “Teeny Tiny Toad” by Jill Esbaum. As a La Crescenta native, the first place Yamaguchi comes to for promoting a new book is Once Upon A Time.

“I grew up in La Crescenta, and so [I’ve known] the bookstore for a long time. Seven years ago, when I had my first book published, I came to the bookstore to promote it. And since then I’ve been a regular visitor and a friend of the owner Maureen [Palacios],” she said.

“Thunder Pug” has a deeper message than just the moral of the story. Yamaguchi dedicated her illustrations to a hero in her own life.

“I dedicated ‘Thunder Pug’ to my big fan Baron Aranda and his family. Baron was born with tuberous sclerosis and, since 2010, he and his family have been walking every year at the Step Forward to Cure Tuberous Sclerosis Complex to find a cure and to show support for families with this genetic condition,” Yamaguchi said. “During the making of the book, I went to the walk and was inspired by the love and the true heroes at the event. One of my favorite aspects of ‘Thunder Pug’ is how Percy and Petunia became true heroes because they had each other. We all have a goal or a dream, and sometimes we can’t achieve it without the help of others.”

To find out more about Step Forward to Cure Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, visit Giving.TSAlliance.org and for more information on Yamaguchi’s books, visit KeikasHouse.com.

All-Community Mattress Sale Benefits Music Department

In an effort to replace band uniforms that are approaching 19 years old and, according to CVIM board members, are hanging on by a thread – literally – the CV High School Instrumental Music board is hosting a mattress sale.

According to board member David Jones, “We chose and love this fundraiser because it ties in with our need so well and because we feel like we are providing a community service at the same time. This is such an easy and local way to replace an aging mattress so a better night’s sleep can be enjoyed.”

A mattress showroom will be set up at Rosemont Middle School in the gym on Saturday, Feb. 16. There will be over 30 name-brand models for customers to try. The beds come in all sizes, are brand new, made to order, have factory warranties and cost less than retail stores. Beds from Simmons Beautyrest, Wellsville, Southerland, and more will be on display.

In addition, there will be pillows, sheets, frames and adjustable power bases available. Every purchase benefits the Crescenta Valley High School band. Delivery and haul-away of old mattresses are available.

To learn more about the fundraiser, visit the Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_pQ6O8aVus.

Rosemont Middle School is located at 4725 Rosemont Ave. in La Crescenta.

Casino Royale at OLL

The community is invited to try its luck at Casino Royale, a fundraising event benefitting Our Lady of Lourdes School. The fundraiser is on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland.

Ticketholders can enjoy music, dancing, raffle, and silent and live auctions. From 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. a complimentary signature drink will be served.

Tickets are $70 per person, which includes dinner, dessert and $250 playing chips (no cash value). Special pricing for full tables of 10.

Purchase tickets ASAP by visiting
www.ollcasinonight.com.

Angeles National Golf Club, 9401 Foothill Blvd.

By Lori BODNAR, intern

An array of fairytale characters, including a queen, two henchman, a princess, seven dwarfs, forest creatures, bats, trees, a woodsman, and a special “Magic Mirror,” were found on the stage of Mountain Avenue Elementary School when 64 Mountain Avenue students performed “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in the auditorium at Rosemont Middle School. The Missoula Children’s Theatre and Mountain Avenue PTA hosted the production, which entertained the audience of over one hundred people. The play, an original adaptation of the classic fairytale, was free to attend.

Missoula Children’s Theatre is a traveling theater company that has been producing plays with kids for over 40 years. It is partially supported through a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts. Just this year, organizers will work with 65,000 children in more than 1,200 communities in all 50 states and even 17 countries.

Every year, in just one week’s time, the Missoula Children’s Theatre teaches students from participating schools a new play. The original play is usually a funny adaptation of classic stories, with original twists, singing, dancing and acting. The play was written by Jim Caron, with dialogue by Jeff Hall. The music was written by Michael McGill and Don Collins and the director of the “Snow White” play was Alice Gittins.

“It is great,” said Gittins of directing the play. “It is nice to work with the kids and to travel.”

There were also student directors, older sixth grade elementary school students, who assist in directing the younger kids in the play and also help out back stage.  Ariah Armen, Molly Necus, Andrew Oh and Chloe Sim were the student assistant directors.

The students has plenty of help in their roles, whether backstage or front of house. Annie Liskow, also from Missoula Children’s Theatre, played Witless the Woodsman. She also worked with the kids. Samya McCoy and Gean Rhodes were volunteer PTA parents who helped with the production. Kimmie Blood, a sophomore high school student, played the piano as accompanist for the play (her two brothers, Charlie and Matthew, were both in the play), Joo Park, Matt Cullen and Lainy Cullen did large format printing and programs for the play. Bryan Goldsworthy was the videographer.

Many siblings performed in the play together. Taking on the role of the seven dwarfs were Allison Curtis, Brent Fortis, Harper Goldsworthy, Maya Hakushi, Paige Jordan, Willie Rhodes and Zora McCoy. Zora’s little sister, Freya McCoy, was one of the queen’s “evil bats.” Pranav Arunachalam, a third grader, was a frog in the play.

“The play was good,” said Pranav. “We had to speak loud and with emotion.”

Pranav’s brother, first grader Vivek Arunachalam, was an “evil bat” that helped the wicked queen.

“It was a lot of fun to be with my brother in the play,” said Vivek.

Lincoln Cullen, another third grader who played a forest animal, said, “It was fun to be in the play. Everyone was really cooperative. My favorite part was when we first came on.”

His sister, sixth grader Sabrina Cullen, has been in a Missoula play seven times – every year since she ws in kindergarten. Sabrina played the queen who also disguised herself as an old peddler woman to give a poison comb and poison apple to Snow White to make her sleep forever.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Sabrina of her role. “I loved my part because I got to have fun with it. The play was great.”

The role of Snow White was played by Christina Park, who was awakened from the “magical sleep” not by a kiss from a handsome prince but by the entire audience participating with the dwarfs and forest creatures. Audience members had to stand up, cross their feet, hold their ears and chant, “Up, up, up!”

The magical mirror was played by Nicole Stephan, and the queen’s hilarious henchman were Matthew Blood and David Boktor. The role of the king was played by Robby Schroeder, who brought comedy to the show as King Backwards who could only speak the opposite of what he really meant – which is how he ended up marrying the evil queen. 

After the performance, as part of a long tradition, many of the performers and their families headed to Montrose where they enjoyed frozen yogurt and signed each others’ Missoula play T-shirts. 

All-Community Mattress Sale Benefits Music Department

In an effort to replace band uniforms that are approaching 19 years old and, according to CVIM board members, are hanging on by a thread – literally – the Crescenta Valley High School Instrumental Music board is hosting a mattress sale.

According to board member David Jones, “We chose and love this fundraiser because it ties in with our need so well and because we feel like we are providing a community service at the same time. This is such an easy and local way to replace an aging mattress so a better night’s sleep can be enjoyed.”

A mattress showroom will be set up at Rosemont Middle School in the gym on Saturday, Feb. 16. There will be over 30 name-brand models for customers to try. The beds come in all sizes, are brand new, made to order, have factory warranties and cost less than retail stores. Beds from Simmons Beautyrest, Wellsville, Southerland, and more will be on display.

In addition, there will be pillows, sheets, frames and adjustable power bases available. Every purchase benefits the Crescenta Valley High School band. Delivery and haul-away of old mattresses are available.

To learn how the fundraiser works, visit the Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_pQ6O8aVus.

Rosemont Middle School is located at 4725 Rosemont Ave. in La Crescenta.

Apps Accepted for Scholarship Program

California Credit Union invites college-bound students in Los Angeles County to submit an application in its annual College Scholarship Program. Through the program, California Credit Union provides $20,000 in scholarships to recognize students who are motivated in their academic studies, active in their schools and communities, giving back to others through service and volunteer work.

Los Angeles area college-bound high school seniors and community college students transferring to a four-year university who maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and plan to attend an accredited college or university in the coming year are eligible to participate. Selection criteria include academic performance, school or community involvement, a letter of recommendation, and an essay submission.

Interested students can find more information and apply online at ccu.com/scholarship. Online applications will be accepted through March 21. Recipients will be announced on April 19.

Casino Royale at OLL

The community is invited to try its luck at Casino Royale, a fundraising event benefitting Our Lady of Lourdes School. The fundraiser is on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland.

In addition to having the chance to be a high roller, ticketholders can enjoy music, dancing, raffle, and silent and live auctions. From 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. a complimentary signature drink will be served.

Tickets are $70 per person, which includes dinner, dessert and $250 playing chips (no cash value). Value pricing for full tables of 10.

Purchase tickets ASAP by visiting www.ollcasinonight.com.

Angeles National Golf Club, 9401 Foothill Blvd.

Dunsmore Elementary School, with all schools across GUSD, celebrated International Day of Acceptance. The day is dedicated to recognizing and embracing people with disabilities and to honor the late Annie Hopkins, founder of 3E Love and creator of the International Symbol of Acceptance.

Dunsmore’s student council distributed special buttons with the organization’s symbol to students and staff who wished to participate in the day of awareness. Students were also encouraged to bring a $1 donation to their classrooms to support programs for fellow students who attend Glendale’s College View Elementary School.

Provided by
Viehanoosh NAZARIAN

The students of local preschool Hogg’s Hollow followed a relatively recent but uncannily accurate annual tradition of picking the winner of the Super Bowl – including the point spread!

“After two years of hitting the nail on the head, we felt it was time to go public with our prognostication this year,” said Hogg’s Hollow program director and founder Rose Hogg.

What started as a lark two years ago has become a thrilling spectacle sure to draw the interest of Las Vegas bookies. Here’s how this miraculous feat of precognition was accomplished.

On Thursday, Jan. 24, the Hogg’s Hollow staff hid 48 mini footballs in nearby Mayor’s Discovery Park – 24 representing the NFC champion Rams, and 24 representing the AFC champion Patriots. The children, aged 2-5, were given five minutes to find as many footballs as they could. When the dust had cleared (literally) and the count was tallied, the Rams were the victor: 21 footballs to 14. The seven-ball difference is how the point spread was determined.

The Super Bowl picking was more than just fun and games, however. The occasion helped reinforce mathematics as the students were in charge of counting (and re-counting) the footballs. They also learned that an NFL game has four quarters, which is why 24 footballs were used – six for each quarter.

Best of all, the event got the young’uns outside in the fresh air, running and laughing as they searched high and low for the elusive footballs.

“We’re big believers in daily outdoor exercise,” said Hogg. “Every day we make use of the quarter-mile track and yard attached to our school. Well, almost every day. After all the recent rain, it was great for the kids to get out in the sunshine again!”

Hogg’s Hollow was founded in La Cañada in 1975. It’s been successfully caring for local children so long that some of the current students are second and even third-generation alumni.

By Lori BODNAR, intern

Over two hundred Mountain Avenue Elementary School students and their families enjoyed an ocean of adventure at the 10th annual Science Fun Fair on Friday, Feb. 1. The theme this year was “Dive Deeper into Science!” recalling the science of aquatic exploration including famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau (inventor of the Aqua-Lung). Entry into the science fair was voluntary and open to grades from transitional kindergarten (TK) to sixth. 

There were more than 150 students who entered science projects. In addition, 40 sixth-grade students competed in the “Great Paper Roller Coaster Engineering Challenge.” The goal was to design and build a roller coaster made out of paper cardstock and tape that could keep a marble rolling down the coaster the longest. The students worked in teams of two to four people to complete the coaster, learning about engineering design and physics principles such as inertia, momentum, velocity, energy and acceleration in the process.

Second grade student Suzy Bodnar echoed the comments of many: “I really liked the paper roller coaster challenge!”   

One of the highlights of the Science Fun Fair was the on-site Aquarium of the Pacific mobile aquarium touch tank, housed in a semi-truck parked on the kindergarten play yard. Kids and parents loved seeing and touching the sea creatures. There were rough-skinned small sharks, prickly purple sea urchins, colorful sticky sea anemones, bumpy sea stars and smooth sea snails.

“I liked the touch tank. In the touch tank there were starfish, three real sharks, sea anemones, and sea urchins,” said Pranav Arunachalam, a third grader. “The sea urchins hugged my finger and the sea anemone was very sticky.”

Pranav entered a science project called “What Minerals Are in the Soil?” His brother, first-grader Vivek Arunachalam, also entered a science project, “Walking Rainbow Water.” Last year, their older brother Mahesh Arunachalam and his teammate Mihir Manchikatla won second place at the Los Angeles County Science & Engineering Fair, as well as placing in the Top 300 at the Broadcom Masters National competition (see CV Weekly, Sept. 20, 2018).

The Crescenta Valley High School robotics team (FRC 589) brought its cube-stacking robot Galileo, which was designed to compete in the FIRST Robotics Challenge 2018 Power Up! Game. FRC 589 team members were Claire Gantan, Shyla Summers, Joey Brown and Lukas Fullner (Lukas attends Clark Magnet High School).  The CVHS robotics team is supervised by CVHS teacher Greg Neat and liaison Lyn Repath-Martos. 

“Thank you for the opportunity to share our robot with your students and their families,” said Repath-Martos. “Our goal is to inspire as many folks across our community as we can!” 

Shyla Summers is a junior on the robotics team.

“It is a really fun experience to be part of robotics because it is something that has real world applications,” she said. “I really enjoy being a member of the robotics club.”

Mountain Avenue robotics teams were also at the Science Fair. There are 12 students and two First Lego League teams, supervised by Mountain Avenue teachers Jennifer Garrubba and Laurie McFarlane. Former Mountain Avenue students Sarah Chin and Ally Bell, now at CVHS and Waverly in Pasadena, also help mentor the Mountain Avenue team to build, program and prepare for their competitions.

“We sure enjoy the Science Fair!” said Garrubba. The elementary students and their families enjoyed seeing and interacting with the robots in the courtyard.

In the auditorium were a variety of student science projects, including a Van de Graaf Generator and a Mars rover. The Van de Graaf Generator used electrostatic repulsion of like charges to make people’s hair stand up making students laugh at the comical sight. The Mars Rover had students and adults lying on the ground as the rover rolled over their backs.

The science fair projects explored different topics, and students could work alone or in teams. Since there was no judging for the projects, they could also receive help from parents if needed.

One team project, Project Mc2, explored food science activities. Alisha Singh, a second grade student who worked on Project Mc2 also did a team project with her little sister, kindergartener Alina, describing “How Wood Becomes Paper.” Other projects explored electricity, germs, volcanoes, geodes, wind power, solar power, slime, circuits, lemon or potato batteries, seed germination, trains, tornadoes, DNA, cleaning pennies using a vinegar chemical reaction and making a robotic hand. In addition there were static wand fly sticks that could float tinsel shapes, whirlpool tubes, dry ice fog bubbles and an air cannon. The air cannon showed the power of wind and how it can make waves across ocean water. There were also fun sea animal crafts and origami, a Cartesian diver nicknamed “Squiddy” that used air pressure to move up and down when a bottle is squeezed, a plasma globe, and an ocean-in-a-box display that held a variety of ocean shells, sand dollars and a dried seahorse. In another room, there were two microscopes where students could look at moving microscopic plankton from actual seawater. There were also other interesting specimens to look at under the microscope. Some students also tried pH testing to measure the acidity or alkalinity of various solutions such as lemon juice, orange juice, milk, water, seawater, soapy water and a baking soda solution.

Many PTA volunteers worked together to make the Science Fun Fair possible.  The co-chairs were Meena Chokkalinga Arunachalam and Jackie Bodnar. In addition, over 30 volunteers from Rosemont Middle School and CVHS Academy of Science and Medicine came to help. Steve Schroeder, a NASA/JPL parent, brought the Mars rover. Science fair tri-fold project boards were donated to the school by Synopsis Outreach Foundation.

To top off the fun-filled night of science exploration and learning, the Bodnar and Arunachalam families compared the height of soda-geysers generated from Diet Coke/Mentos vs. Diet Pepsi/Mentos, a science fair tradition. The result was a tie; both geysers exploded over 15 into the air.

Night of Music, Food and Fun

All are invited to the La Cañada High School Music Parents Association on Saturday, Feb. 9 for a festive evening of music, food, auctions and raffles. La Cañada High School’s 7-12 instrumental music groups will be a part of the 20th   annual dinner show and fundraiser at the La Cañada Flintridge Country Club. Hours for the event are 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. plus an after-party at 9:30 p.m. featuring the jazz band.

“For the Love of Music” is the theme for the evening. Showing off their skills under the leadership of LCHS Instrumental Music Program Director Jason Stone will be the advanced orchestra, concert band, 7/8 orchestra and 7/8 band. In addition, there will be specialty ensembles to enjoy throughout the venue.

Information on tickets, silent auction and more can be found at http://bit.ly/CelebrateMusic2019. Ticket questions can be directed to Sheryl Madonna at sherylmadonna@charter.net.

The La Cañada Flintridge Country Club is located at 5500 Godbey Drive in La Cañada.

All-Community Mattress Sale Benefits Music Department

In an effort to replace band uniforms that are approaching 19 years old and, according to CVIM board members, are hanging on by a thread – literally – the Crescenta Valley High School Instrumental Music board is hosting a mattress sale.

A mattress showroom will be set up at Rosemont Middle School in the gym on Saturday, Feb. 16. There will be over 30 name-brand models for customers to try. The beds come in all sizes, are brand new, made to order, have factory warranties and cost less than retail stores. Beds from Simmons Beautyrest, Wellsville, Southerland, and more will be on display.

In addition, there will be pillows, sheets, frames and adjustable power bases available. Every purchase benefits the Crescenta Valley High School band. Delivery and haul-away of old mattresses are available.

To learn how the fundraiser works, visit the Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_pQ6O8aVus.

Rosemont Middle School is located at 4725 Rosemont Ave. in La Crescenta.

Scholarship Opportunities

The following organizations are accepting applications for scholarships:

The La Cañada Thursday Club Foundation will be awarding scholarships to graduating high school seniors who live in the City of La Cañada Flintridge or attend school in La Cañada. The scholarship applications are available on the La Cañada Thursday Club website lacanadathursdayclub.org. The deadline is 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25. 

The California Credit Union invites college-bound students in Los Angeles County to submit an application in its annual College Scholarship Program. Through the program, California Credit Union provides $20,000 in scholarships to recognize students who are motivated in their academic studies, active in their schools and communities, giving back to others through service and volunteer work. Interested students can find more information and apply online at ccu.com/scholarship. Online applications will be accepted through March 21. Recipients will be announced on April 19.

Casino Royale at OLL

The community is invited to try its luck at Casino Royale, a fundraising event benefitting Our Lady of Lourdes School. The fundraiser is on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland.

In addition to having the chance to be a high roller, ticketholders can enjoy music, dancing, raffle, and silent and live auctions. From 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. a complimentary signature drink will be served.

Tickets are $70 per person, which includes dinner, dessert and $250 playing chips (no cash value). Value pricing for full tables of 10.

Purchase tickets ASAP by visiting www.ollcasinonight.com.

Angeles National Golf Club, 9401 Foothill Blvd.

All-Community Mattress Sale Benefits Music Department

In an effort to replace band uniforms, the Crescenta Valley High School Instrumental Music board is hosting a mattress sale at Rosemont Middle School in the gym on Saturday, Feb. 16. There will be over 30 name-brand models for customers to try.

In addition, there will be pillows, sheets, frames and adjustable power bases available. Every purchase benefits the Crescenta Valley High School band. Delivery and haul-away of old mattresses are available.

To learn how the fundraiser works, visit the Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_pQ6O8aVus.

Rosemont Middle School is located at 4725 Rosemont Ave. in La Crescenta.

Dine Out!

The Crescenta Valley Instrumental Music Dept. is hosting a dine out on Tuesday, Feb. 19 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at IHOP in Tujunga. When you enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner, 20% of the proceeds benefit the CVIM Dept.

Scholarship Opportunities

The following organizations are accepting applications for scholarships:

The La Cañada Thursday Club Foundation will be awarding scholarships to graduating high school seniors who live in the City of La Cañada Flintridge or attend school in La Cañada. The scholarship applications are available on the La Cañada Thursday Club website lacanadathursdayclub.org. The deadline is 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25. 

The California Credit Union invites college-bound students in Los Angeles County to submit an application in its annual College Scholarship Program. Through the program, California Credit Union provides $20,000 in scholarships to recognize students who are motivated in their academic studies, active in their schools and communities, giving back to others through service and volunteer work. Interested students can find more information and apply online at ccu.com/scholarship. Online applications will be accepted through March 21. Recipients will be announced on April 19.

Casino Royale at OLL

The community is invited to try its luck at Casino Royale, a fundraising event benefitting Our Lady of Lourdes School. The fundraiser is on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland.

In addition to having the chance to be a high roller, ticketholders can enjoy music, dancing, raffle, and silent and live auctions. From 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. a complimentary signature drink will be served.

Tickets are $70 per person, which includes dinner, dessert and $250 playing chips (no cash value). Value pricing for full tables of 10.

Purchase tickets ASAP by visiting www.ollcasinonight.com.

Angeles National Golf Club, 9401 Foothill Blvd.

Japanese FLAG and English kindergarten classes celebrated Setsubun on Friday, Feb. 1 at Dunsmore Park. This event celebrates the coming of spring.

Kindergarten students and parents participated in a bean-throwing event called mamemaki. It is symbolic of the action of getting rid of the negativity from the previous year and welcoming good and positivity for the coming year. It is a common school and community event in Japan. Not only does it drive out evil spirits and the seeds of misfortune, it is also a prayer for the family’s well-being and good business. One person acts as the goblin and runs around while the others throw beans at the person. Dunsmore Elementary kindergarteners made the goblin masks and had great fun running around with their parents.

Contributed by Viehanoosh NAZARIAN

Foothill Municipal Water District (Foothill MWD) is conducting its eighth annual K-12 student art contest with the theme of competition adhering to the phrase “Water Is Life.” This fun and educational project serves to inspire student creativity about the stewardship of our precious water resources.

The theme relates to the stewardship and conservation of water. This means wise and efficient water use inside and outside of the home, at school, in the community, in business and industry, in agriculture, and in recreation.

Climate change is already stressing Southern California’s water supplies. Every watershed the Southland depends on, from the Colorado River to the Sierra Nevada to local groundwater basins, is becoming less reliable. The future requires that everyone use water wisely. This theme of conservation and stewardship should be reflected in the artwork.

The contest is open to all K-12 students attending a school located within the Foothill MWD service area. This includes schools primarily located within La Crescenta-Montrose, the City of La Cañada Flintridge and Altadena.

All art entries for the 2018 “Water Is Life” student art contest will be separated into three groups (grades K-3, 4-6 and 7-12) prior to judging. The grand prize-winning entry for each group will receive $100 for the student and a $50 gift card for the sponsoring teacher.

This event is co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and all winning entries will be submitted to MWD for a second round of competition to be included in the 2019 “Water Is Life” Student Artwork Calendar.

Deadline for entries is Monday, April 15 including postmarked submissions.

For further information about the contest, including all rules, judging criteria, and other prizes, visit www.fmwd.com and click on “Student Art Contest Information” on the main page.

The Kiwanis Club of La Cañada hosted a luncheon in January honoring 22 “Terrific Kids” chosen from the sixth grade classrooms at La Cañada, Palm Crest and Paradise Canyon elementary schools.

Teachers chose the Terrific Kids based on positive attitude, good character and responsible citizenship. 

Prior to the luncheon, students were notified by a surprise visit from Kiwanis Club of La Cañada members and Terrific Kids coordinator Nancy Leininger, Dr. Michael Leininger and Tom Slaughter, who handed out certificates. 

Among the nearly 100 in attendance at the luncheon were La Cañada Unified School District Superintendent Wendy Sinnette; LCUSD Board of Education members (who are also members of the La Cañada Kiwanis) President Brent Kuszyk, Vice President Joe Radabaugh and board member Kaitzer Puglia. Also present were school principals Carrie Hetzel from Paradise Canyon Elementary and Emily Blaney from La Cañada Elementary. Participating in the recognition program, but unavailable to attend, was Palm Crest Elementary School Principal Karen Hurley.

Parents and guests of the awardees were invited to attend the lunch celebration.

“We congratulate the students and thank the families for nurturing and supporting extraordinary positive behaviors and activities,” said Nancy Leininger. “I’m proud to share their wonderful words – all about you.” She then read a few sentences submitted by each teacher to summarize why each student was chosen.

The Kiwanis Club of La Cañada Terrific Kids program has been honoring local students for over 30 years. The program is conducted by Kiwanis Clubs all over the world who define “Terrific” as: Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Responsible, Inclusive, Friendly, Inquisitive and Capable. 

Those interested in joining the Kiwanis Club of La Cañada are welcome to attend a lunch meeting. The group meets every Wednesday at 11:50 a.m. at Descanso Gardens in the Van de Kamp Hall. The goal of the club is to help youth thru sponsoring community projects and scholarships. Visit www.lacanadakiwanis.org and click on “Meetings” to reserve a seat.

Every month Crescenta Valley High School student Thalia Miller gives her perspective on some of today’s most popular YA titles.

(review)

“The Knife of Never Letting Go”

Once upon a time a man walked on the moon and, by doing so, opened a new frontier of possibilities with his “small step.” Today scientists are talking about exploration and life on Mars. And who, of all the millions of people on our planet, can find the most profit from these amazing acts of science? Mainly authors who are able to add their own twists to space stories in order to make these tales their own. One of the most intricately woven stories based in space is the novel “The Knife of Never Letting Go.”

This novel, the first in the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness, is set in a “New World,” where everyone can hear each other’s thoughts in a never ending Noise. In a place

where everyone knows everything about you, it’s impossible to keep secrets. So when the main character – Todd – learns a secret, he must run away from his hometown to protect it.

That’s when he meets Viola and together they learn that everything Todd thought he knew was a lie. Chased by angry men from Todd’s town, they are faced with many challenges and setbacks that cause them to question their morality and humanity.

The high-paced action of this book will hook readers to the very end, and even after, as the cliff –hanger ending leaves readers with multiple questions. But don’t let that discourage you from reading it. Thankfully, the second book in the series begins immediately where the first book ends, so anyone who hates waiting should buy the books at the same time to prevent unneeded suspense. Additionally, fans of “Divergent” and The Lunar Chronicles will find similar enticing elements of mystery and action in this novel.

So if you enjoy novels from award winning authors and to discover a new world inside a book, or just want to read a fun, exciting story, get your hands on a copy of  “The Knife of Never Letting Go” and start reading.

Once Upon A Time, the nation’s oldest children’s bookstore, has this plus many more YA titles. Stop by the store at 2207 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose, call them at (818) 248-9668 or visit online at www.shoponceuponatime.com.

‘Addams Family’ Coming to CVHS

The Crescenta Valley High School Performing Arts Dept. presents “The Addams Family” in the MacDonald Auditorium (4400 Ramsdell Ave., La Crescenta) March 1 and 2 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10 student balcony, $15 general admission and $20 reserved orchestra. To reserve orchestra seats, visit https://goo.gl/forms/Md7Tug9ILVSt8cR03.

Special Lincoln Musical Event

The community is invited to an unforgettable live musical performance benefiting Lincoln Elementary School on Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. Flutist Salpy Kerkonian has toured the world with international superstars Andrea Bocelli, Pavarotti and the Three Tenors among others. She will be performing with award-winning harpist Sossy Kargodorian.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for kids over the age of 14;  kids 13 and under are free admission. Limited seating. To reserve a spot, call Sevag at (310) 415-0600 or Mineh at (818) 974-9589.

The concert will be performed at the school, 4310 New York Ave.

Scholarship Opportunities

The following organizations are accepting applications for scholarships:

The California Credit Union invites college-bound students in Los Angeles County to submit an application in its annual College Scholarship Program. Through the program, California Credit Union provides $20,000 in scholarships to recognize students who are motivated in their academic studies, active in their schools and communities, giving back to others through service and volunteer work. Interested students can find more information and apply online at ccu.com/scholarship. Online applications will be accepted through March 21. Recipients will be announced on April 19.

The Community Scholarship Foundation of La Cañada Flintridge (CSF) is accepting 2019 scholarship applications. Full-time students who attend a public or private school located within the City of La Cañada Flintridge, as well as Crescenta Valley High School, regardless of home residency, are eligible to apply. 

Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 unweighted grade point average and references and the electronic Student Aid Report (SAR) 2019-20. The completed applications, and additional required information, must be received by April 1. Award recipients will be notified in May, and awards presented to the recipient at their school’s awards night.

On Feb. 12, the Glendale Police Department’s K-9 Unit made a special visit to Dunsmore Elementary School third graders. The third grade classes had been working on an animal helpers unit in language arts. They read a non-fiction story called “Aero and Officer Mike” about a police officer and his K-9 partner. They also read about other animal helpers.

The three dogs that visited the school were Eddie with Officer Matt Wilson, Idol with Officer Kyle Heinbechner and Jeff with Officer Eric Meyer and Sergeant Shawn Sholtis, who took pictures for the group. The three K-9 dogs listened carefully as their handlers described their jobs and answered many questions from the Dunsmore students.

Submitted by Viehanoosh NAZARIAN

Scholarship Opportunities

The following organizations are accepting applications for scholarships:

The California Credit Union invites college-bound students in Los Angeles County to submit an application in its annual College Scholarship Program. Through the program, California Credit Union provides $20,000 in scholarships to recognize students who are motivated in their academic studies, active in their schools and communities, giving back to others through service and volunteer work. Interested students can find more information and apply online at ccu.com/scholarship. Online applications will be accepted through March 21. Recipients will be announced on April 19.

The Community Scholarship Foundation of La Cañada Flintridge (CSF) is accepting 2019 scholarship applications. Full-time students who attend a public or private school located within the City of La Cañada Flintridge, as well as Crescenta Valley High School, regardless of home residency, are eligible to apply. 

Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 unweighted grade point average and references and the electronic Student Aid Report (SAR) 2019-20. The completed applications, and additional required information, must be received by April 1. Award recipients will be notified in May, and awards presented to the recipient at their school’s awards night.

The annual Lincoln Talent Show was held during the Lincoln PTA’s Screen Free Week to encourage students to turn off their TV screens and interact with their families and friends in a fun environment. The evening began with a pizza dinner before the show, organized by the Armenian Parents Club. 

First grade teacher Nicolas James again directed the talent show with the help of PTA moms Lorita Meg, musical director, and Ameri Ramirez, talent coordinator. The Lincoln Student Council was also instrumental in running the show, including members Jamie Shoemake, Matthew Baldwin, Dominic Esquival, Noah Walch and Artem Seregin, Penelope Lusparyan, and Serena Karjian, Cody Burrow and Keya Patel.

Students sang, acted, danced and performed a variety of talents for the audience, which showed its appreciation with enthusiastic applause.

The evening ended with the talent show participants taking the stage for a final curtain call as the Lincoln PTA parents showered them with confetti as they took their final curtain call.

ALFie Company of the Assistance League® of Flintridge (ALF) Drama Program will present “James & the Giant Peach JR.” at Lanterman Auditorium on Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. This charming tale is a musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s offbeat adventure of a boy and his insect friends. It is a story about courage and self-discovery. 

Twenty-five ALFie Company cast members, local students in grades five through seven, will play the outlandish and larger-than life human and insect characters under the direction of ALF drama director Katelyn Fike. Tristan Waldron assists with song and dance numbers. Nancy Abbott is the accompanist.

This production is appropriate for all ages. Admission is free.

Lanterman Auditorium is located at 4491 Cornishon Ave., La Cañada Flintridge. 

For more information about Assistance League of Flintridge, the ALF Drama Program, or the performance, visit the ALF website at alflintridge.org or contact the ALF Programs Office at (818) 790-2211.