By LINDA COBURN Contributing Reporter There’s no need to go out of town to experience a down-home July 4th fireworks extravaganza just head out to one of these local events. Please note: due to the high fire danger, the L.A. Fire Department is reserving the right to cancel fireworks at the last minute if necessary. At the 12th Annual San Fernando Valley Independence Day Celebration at the Hansen Dam Recreation area you’ll find music, food and fireworks. When: July 4, 12:00 noon 10:00 p.m. Where: Hansen Dam Recreation Area, 11770 Foothill Blvd. Cost: Park entry is free; there may be $5 fee for parking Sponsor: City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks Info: 1-888-LA PARKS (527-2757) www.laparks.org The Studio City Chamber of Commerce is hosting “1 Night of Peace, Love, Music & Fireworks”. New this year is a “teen-scene” on New York Street featuring teen musicians. When: July 4, 4:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. Where: CBS Studio Center, 4024 Radford Ave. Cost: Adults $15 ($20 at the door), Children $8 ($10 at the door) Sponsor: Studio City Chamber of Commerce Info: 818-655-5916 www.studiocitychamber.com At the Dennis P. Zine July 4th Extravaganza in Woodland Hills you’ll have the opportunity to meet a councilman and enjoy a free concert featuring Don Sweeney and The SRO Big Band, a 17-piece ensemble that will play a tribute to the U.S.O. shows and The Swing Dolls, a trio that pays tribute to the Andrews Sisters and the McGuire Sisters. When: July 4, 6:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Where: Warner Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Cost: Free; Parking is available in any Douglas Emmett buildings for $10 per car. Sponsor: Valley Cultural Center; Keyes Automotive Group Info: 818-704-1358 www.valleycultural.org In Porter Ranch, the Shepherd of the Hills Church will host its ninth 4th of July Spectacular” with an aerial fireworks presentation by Pyro Spectaculars, live entertainment, inflatable “moon bounces” for the kids and a wide variety of local food vendors. A flag salute will honor members of the military. When: July 4, 4:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. Where: Shepherd of the Hills Church, 19700 Rinaldi St. Cost: Free Sponsor: Shepherd of the Hills Church Info: 818-831-9333 www.4thofjulyspectacular.com SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Burbank Classic: Wondering what’s still a classic in this fast-paced world? Warner Home Video has made some very classic selections for new DVD releases. The company in September will introduce the 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition DVD of “Deliverance,” which first premiered in the 1970s amidst much controversy. Also in September, Warner is launching “The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection: Ultimate Collector’s Edition.” The five-disc DVD collection includes “Babes in Arms,” “Strike Up the Band,” “Babes on Broadway” and “Girl Crazy.” The films were all released between 1939 and 1943. Ink: An open house took place June 7 at LAgraphico to demonstrate a new inkjet printer that meets the company’s environmental standards. Company principals Dan Stillwell and Brandon Gabriel conducted tours of the facility for its clients with an emphasis on how the company is reducing waste and cutting paper usage; their commitment to recycling materials; and how they have lowered emissions of volatile organic compounds. Tour participants saw a demonstration of the Durst 350R UV Inkjet Printer, one of four in use in the nation and the only one in California. The printer uses recycled and recyclable materials and ink made from environmentally friendly ingredients. “There’s a delicate balance between the environmental issues and being able to provide our customers with a wide variety of the quality displays they want,” Gabriel said. “Our new Durst printer plays a major role in helping us deliver on both sides of that balance.” Calabasas Growing: TheUSARealty.com, a web-based national real estate marketplace based in Calabasas has expanded into 32 new regional markets, including Houston, Atlanta, Tampa, coastal New Jersey and Cincinnati. The firm’s website provides consumers with access to numerous multiple listing services and pre-screened real estate professionals. “Our rapid expansion in such a brief time represents the validation of both the professional broker community and consumers as to the broad appeal of our unique business model,” said company founder Daniel Nussbaum. USARealty.com launched in November, 2006. Chatsworth Kids: Child Care Resource Center will open its Chatsworth headquarters on June 25. The new center, at 20001 Prairie St., will combine the resources that had been split between its Van Nuys and Northridge facilities, including a lending library for books and toys, parenting workshops and assistance in finding child care. It will also provide resources for child care providers. CCRC also has a full-service location in Lancaster and operates 15 Head Start locations. North Hollywood Diving: Orbital Outfitters Chairman and CEO Rick Tumlinson was interviewed for the cover story on space diving in the July issue of Popular Science magazine. Tumlinson calls space diving in which a diver freefalls in a vacuum at 2,500 miles per hour “the most extreme sport in human history.” Orbital Outfitters is designing space diving suits that give protection from increased heat and near-deadly G-forces and provide adequate oxygen and pressurization. Joining Tumlinson in designing the suit is Dr. Jonathan Clark, a former NASA flight surgeon with an expertise in extreme environments. Northridge Bags and Beauty: General Growth’s Northridge Fashion Center is getting some new tenants. Coach opened a 2,500-square-foot boutique at the center offering its signature handbags, shoes and accessories. Next month, beauty retailer Sephora will open at the mall. Universal City Tourism: The Travel and Tourism Marketing Association is honoring Fourth District Councilman, Tom LaBonge, with the Anastasia K. Mann Leadership award. Universal Studios is also being honored, with the association’s Landmark award. LaBonge is being honored for his support of the Los Angeles tourism industry while Universal Studios is being honored for being a stronghold in L.A.’s tourism industry. A ceremony to bestow the honors will take place Sept. 27 at the Universal Globe Theatre in North Hollywood. CONEJO VALLEY Thousand Oaks Launch: Have a weekend getaway planned and no time to get your gear together? J. Crew is providing a weekend getaway service at its newest California store at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks. Let’s say you are riding off to wine country. The store might customize a tote filled with long sleeve button-ups, ballet flats and a wide-brimmed hat. If Palm Springs is your destination, the tote might include some flip-flops and a bathing suit. The store will make the selections based upon customer requests and pack it all up in a tote. For college students, the retailer is offering a 10 percent discount with college ID. “We like to create special programs for each of our stores based on the personality of the area,” said Meaghan Feodoroff, a spokeswoman for J. Crew, noting that there are similar programs in some of the chain’s other locations. J. Crew, with more than 180 stores across the country, offers men’s and women’s apparel and accessories. Santa Clarita Valley Newhall Improvement: The downtown Newhall re-striping and signal improvement project is scheduled to be completed this week, with the striping of angled parking spaces along San Fernando Road between Lyons Avenue and 5th Street. The project is the first capital improvement project to help revitalize the downtown area. Railroad Avenue has expanded from two to four lanes and Railroad Avenue has diminished from four to two lanes to allow for more parking. Antelope Valley Nurses: The nurses at Antelope Valley Hospital were honored for their dedication by the hospital last month as part of National Nurses Week. The hospital held a celebration entitled “A Profession and a Passion” for the employees in its nursing division. The nearly 1,250 workers include registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, nurse technicians, unit secretaries and monitor technicians. “Their work touches all aspects of patient care, whether it is in the emergency room, in the operating room, in a patient room, even comforting families in the hallways,” said Les Wong, former chief executive officer of AVH. “For these reasons, a caring attitude and compassionate heart are required for the hard work that nurses do and we sincerely thank them.” Scholarships: The Antelope Valley Hospital Auxiliary and Antelope Valley Hospital have awarded $15,000 in scholarships to high school students in the Antelope Valley who are pursuing health care careers. Fifteen students have been selected to receive $1,000 each. The recipients were chosen from among hundreds of applicants and were awarded the scholarships based on panel interviews and scholastic achievement. To qualify, applicants were required to have a 3.5 grade-point average or higher and have plans to pursue a career in a health-related field. The scholarship program is a partnership between AVH, which contributed $5,000, and the AVH auxiliary, which contributed $10,000. Correction A photo of Antelope Valley Hospital nurses taken last month as part of National Nurses Week was incorrectly placed next to an item about an accelerated nursing degree program at California State University, Northridge, in the Around the Valleys section of the June 11 issue. Nurses: The nurses at Antelope Valley Hospital were honored for their dedication by the hospital last month as part of National Nurses Week. The hospital held a celebration entitled “A Profession and a Passion” for the employees in its nursing division. The nearly 1,250 workers include registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, nurse technicians, unit secretaries and monitor technicians. “Their work touches all aspects of patient care, whether it is in the emergency room, in the operating room, in a patient room, even comforting families in the hallways,” said Les Wong, former chief executive officer of AVH. “For these reasons, a caring attitude and compassionate heart are required for the hard work that nurses do and we sincerely thank them.” National Nurses Week coincides with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Entertainment: Jazz guitarist Jeff Golub, saxophonist Richard Elliot and The Rippingtons will be highlighted performers at the Palmdale Jazz and Wine Festival on Sept. 15. The festival will be held from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Palmdale Amphitheater at Marie Kerr Park, 2723 Rancho Vista Boulevard. Entertainment will begin at 3 p.m. with the Antelope Valley College Jazz Ensemble. Golub, who has released six solo albums as the leader of the band “Avenue Blue,” will begin performing at 6 p.m. The Rippingtons, who have topped the Billboard charts several times, will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Elliot, who has released four No. 1 albums, will perform at 9 p.m. The festival will also feature products from a variety of local and state wineries. Tickets can be purchased at www.palmdalejazz.com. For more information, call the Palmdale Parks and Recreation Department at (661) 267-5611. Retirement: The city of Palmdale was named one of the top eight cities in California in which to retire in “Where to Retire” magazine’s May/June 2007 issue. The publication lauded the Antelope Valley city for its clean air, abundant sunshine and affordable housing, as well as its variety of shopping centers, cultural arts and outdoor recreational activities. The activities include the award-winning Palmdale Fall Festival, the summer-long Starlight Concert Series, Thursday Nights on the Square and the Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. Other attractions include the DryTown Water Park and the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark.
