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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

AROUND THE VALLEYS

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Encino Research: Online panel company uSamp has been named as a finalist in the 2010 American Business Awards. uSamp will compete against three other companies in the category of Best Overall Company, up to 100 employees, advertising, marketing and public relations. The commendation from the American Business Awards is an acknowledgement of uSamp’s groundbreaking technology and diverse global team, said CEO and co-founder Matt Dusig. “With a talented team of industry veterans, we’ve built a reputation as an invaluable and trusted supplier of online panelists for the most respected market research firms in the industry,” Dusig said. uSamp provides survey panelists and technology for use in market research. Award winners will be announced June 21. Burbank Flight: Bob Hope Airport marked its 80th anniversary with the unveiling of new banners on June 2. The airport opened Memorial Day weekend in 1930 and has undergone a number of name changes over that time. The airfield was named after entertainer Bob Hope in 2003. The 80th anniversary banner was installed on the terminal tower where it will remain throughout the summer. The banner announces the anniversary theme – Celebrating 80 Years of Service to Your Community – and features the bas relief sculpture of Bob Hope that was unveiled in February this year, currently on display in the lobby of the Airport terminal. Airport employees, elected officeholders, government officials and civic and business leaders were among those present for the unveiling of the banner. Report: The City of Burbank received recognition by the Government Finance Officers Association for its comprehensive annual financial report. This was the 26th consecutive year the city has won a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Criteria used include demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story. “It’s an honor to be recognized for our work,” said Justin Hess, Burbank Deputy City Manager. “We work diligently to provide accurate and concise budget information each year and are so pleased to receive this award.” Sun Valley Experience: The 250-seat theater at the National WWII Museum with contributions by LA ProPoint has been recognized with a Gold Award from the America Association of Museums. The Solomon Victory Theater includes a 30-foot tall, curved, sharkstooth scrim screen on which is shown “Beyond All Boundaries,” a documentary produced by Tom Hanks. LA ProPoint designed, fabricated and installed the theater’s overhead rigging equipment, show action equipment, sub-system show control, and scenic elements. The theater was unlike anything the company had taken on before, said President and Founder Mark Riddlesperger. “It incorporated moving 3D props and scenic elements such as city flats, the recreation of a concentration camp guard tower, the installation of a naval anti-aircraft gun turret, and the suspension of a scaled-down replica of a B-17 bomber’s nose cone from the theater’s ceiling,” Riddlesperger said. Sherman Oaks Contributions: The United Chambers of Commerce released the names of its Small Business Award Winners to be presented on June 11. The winners are Adelman Enterprises and Doug Kidley; Howard Sommers Towing and Robert Sommers; All About Printing and Barry Shapiro; ECOLA Termite and Pest Control and Susan Fries; Fink & Steinberg Attorneys at Law and Keven Steinberg; EmbroidMe and Jeff Newcomer & Sarah Keller; SmartBox Portable Storage and Peter Given & Brian Given; Black Meetings & Tourism Magazine and Solomon & Gloria Herbert; Traders Loan & Jewelry, Inc. and Diane Taylor; Lindain & Baldomero Law Offices and Ed Alan Lindain & Lance Rolda; Willett Travel and Tama Holve; Beezley Management and Jonathan Levy; Aim Mail Center # 143 and Arthur DeLorenzo; Executive Propellers, Inc. and Eissa Shousha; and Holiday Inn Woodland Hills Warner Center and Colleen Langford. Glendale Shopping: Three new stores have opened at the Glendale Galleria. Tilly’s, a retailer of West Coast active lifestyle clothing, will offer an eclectic and edgy assortment of clothing, shoes and accessories from Volcom, DC, Vans, Hurley, Fox, RVCA, Levi’s, RSQ, Billabong, Infamous and many others in its second level location. Soma Intimates will be on the first level and offers designer quality intimate, active, sleep and lifestyle apparel fitted by trained experts. Crazy 8, will open in early summer in the Nordstrom Wing and offer fashionable outfits for girls and boys, sizes 0 – 14. Woodland Hills Navigate: James Huddle, with Northrop Grumman, was the recipient of the Kershner Award for his technical contributions to the navigation industry. Huddle is the director of advanced projects in the Advanced Technology and Strategic Applications organization at Northrop Grumman’s Navigation Systems Division. The Kershner Award was presented by the IEEE/Institute of Navigation to Huddle for his work on inertial and multi-sensor navigation and referencing systems. “Jim Huddle’s commitment to furthering navigation technology throughout his career is commendable,” said Charles Volk, vice president and chief technology officer of Northrop Grumman’s Navigation Systems Division. “This award is tribute to his contributions to the field, the industry and Northrop Grumman.” Huddle joined the former Litton Industries, now part of Northrop Grumman, in 1961 and he has held numerous technical and management positions related to systems analysis and advanced systems engineering in his nearly 50 years with the company. Autos: Motor Trend Automotive Group has hired JMPR Public Relations to handle its media relations initiatives and public relations outreach. JMPR will be responsible for continuing to grow the Motor Trend Automotive Group’s visibility within the national media market. The auto group’s publications include Motor Trend, Automobile Magazine, Motor Trend Classic, IntelliChoice, and Truck Trend as well as the industry’s most coveted awards, Motor Trend Car, SUV and Truck of the Year. JMPR represented Motor Trend magazine and its related editorial properties in the mid-90s under publishing magnate, Robert E. Petersen of Petersen Publishing. Calabasas Living: A groundbreaking took place May 26 for Canyon Creek, a new senior housing complex in the Old Town District. The project includes 75 units designed exclusively for independent senior living and is slated for completion in fall 2011. “We couldn’t be more excited to begin construction on this brand new senior community in Old Town. It shows what’s possible through public/private partnership,” said Andrew Gross, a vice president with developer, Thomas Safran & Associates. “We couldn’t be more grateful to the City of Calabasas and our other development partners.” Pacoima Electronics: A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place May 21 for the new Best Buy store in Plaza Pacoima. The consumer electronics and appliances store is one anchor of the 209,000-square-foot center, which has been under construction for more than a year. The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles provided $9.8 million for the project. The store’s grand opening takes place June 12. Plaza Pacoima is the site of the Price Pfister plumbing fixtures manufacturing plant. An advisory coalition of business and community organizations helped create the plan for the site, which also includes 4,000 square feet of specialty retail, restaurant and office space. “Today, we move closer towards realizing the vision that propelled the redevelopment agency in 2002 to target this formerly polluted and abandoned industrial site for revitalization,” said Margarita H. de Escontrias, CRA/LA Regional Administrator for the East Valley. CONEJO VALLEY Thousand Oaks Press: California Lutheran University junior Caitlin Coomber became the first staff writer for the student newspaper, The Echo, to win an award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Coomber won a second place Mark of Excellence Award for editorial writing for her piece on the controversy surrounding a speaker at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Coomber is majoring in communication and political science and was opinion editor of CLU’s student newspaper, The Echo, during spring semester. The Echo’s staff competed against those at four-year colleges throughout Region 11 of SPJ including Stanford University, University of Southern California and University of California, Los Angeles. Water: A California Lutheran University senior has received a research fellowship and internship from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Jennifer Arceo, of South Gate, is receiving $46,500 to support her research and educational activities. Arceo is studying environmental contaminants of waterways in Ventura and Los Angeles counties under the guidance of Grady Hanrahan, the John Stauffer Endowed Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the university. Testing locations include Malibu Creek, the Ventura River and the Long Beach coast. In June, Arceo will begin a paid internship at the Region 8 EPA Laboratory in Golden, Colo., where she will validate a new standard operating procedure for extracting pesticides from water samples. The completed method will be standardized for the federal agency.

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