Support Our Heroes This Veterans Day …

With Veterans Day coming up on Nov. 11, it’s a great time to help honor and thank our nation’s heroes for their service and sacrifice to the country.

Our Veterans need our help and support. They are disproportionately represented among the homeless population, and many of them return from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan with lasting physical and emotional wounds.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

Donate or volunteer with Veterans Affairs of Greater Los Angeles.

The National Coalition on Homeless Veterans offers these tips to support Veterans:

Volunteering at a shelter, be a mentor or offer legal aid

Organize a Stand Down program

Develop a Veteran burial program

Volunteer or donate to community-based Veteran support organizations in your neighborhood

Advocate for homeless Veterans

Donate to the National Coalition on Homeless Veterans

New Devonshire LAPD Captain Warns: ‘Hide It, Lock It, Keep It’

Captain Kris Pitcher speaks at Chatsworth’s Neighborhood Watch meeting.

Talk of property crime in Chatsworth dominated Thursday evening’s discussion at the Neighborhood Watch meeting at St. Eudes Church. Captain Kris Pitcher, the new LAPD Devonshire Division commander, used the meeting to introduce himself to the Chatsworth community, discuss his division’s successes and pinpoint areas of concern for next year.

Chatsworth is safer than most areas in Los Angeles with regard to violent crime, Pritcher said. It is second-safest in L.A. overall.

“We’re in our fourth to fifth year of crime reduction,” he said. “It’s hard to improve upon success year after year.”

Property crime is an area of concern for the Devonshire Division as well as residents who attended the meeting.

Eight-eight percent of Chatsworth’s crimes are property crimes, Pitcher said. Many of these crimes are home burglaries and theft from motor vehicles. Compounding the issue is the state unemployment rate, which is still above 10 percent.

“Unemployment leads to crime,” he said.

AB 109, the state’s Inmate Transfer Bill, will release 14,800 low-grade offenders into the community in the next six to eight months, Pitcher said.

“We are not getting rapists and robbers. Burglars and car thieves… are to be released,” he said. [Read more...]

Students Build Their Class Computers

Local tech firm partners with Chatsworth charter school to teach kids how to assemble computers.

 When Our Community School needed new computers for its computer lab, it did not take the easy way out by simply buying the computers and having professionals set them up. Instead, they partnered with a local technology company to teach students how to assemble and set up the computers.

Engineers from MSM Technology Group, a Chatsworth-based computer manufacturer and support company, supervised the charter school’s film elective class Tuesday as they seated heat sinks and CPUs, wired USBs and misplaced a screw or two.

Mitchell Marcus, president of MSM Technology, explained his company’s arrangement with the school. [Read more...]

The Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital Encourages a Burn-Safe Halloween!

 WEST HILLS, CA – Halloween is a time of year when spooky and haunted are considered part of the festivities, but it is no reason to risk the frightening experience of a burn injury. To keep you and your family safe this Halloween holiday, The Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital recommends the following burn and fire prevention tips:

 Stop, Drop and Roll – Make sure children know what to do should costumes or clothes catch fire. Look for costumes with the label “fire resistant” or “fire retardant.”

Prevent burns by using flashlights or battery operated candles to light jack-o-lanterns and luminaries.

Out – Make sure children look for exits at Halloween parties and know how to get out in case of emergency.

Overload – Make sure extension cords are not overloaded to avoid a dangerous fire hazard.

Keep decorations away from heat sources including open flames and light bulbs. Remember,

decorations are the first thing to ignite in more than 1,000 reported home fires each year!

Yes, to cool a burn! Should a minor burn occur, cool a burn with water for 15 minutes.

Have a burn-safe Halloween!

For more information about The Grossman Burn Center, visit www.grossmanburncenter-westhills.com

Set for Today’s Great California ShakeOut?

Thursday’s 10:20 a.m. earthquake drill will involve 8.7 million participants in the United States and Canada.

October 19, 2011

On Thursday, Oct. 20, “Great ShakeOut” earthquake drills will be held in California, Nevada, Guam, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia, and involve more than 8.7 million participants.

The ShakeOut will motivate people to be prepared to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” to protect themselves during earthquakes at work, school and home.

To participate, register on the Great California ShakeOut website. [Read more...]

October Mixer #2

Sponsored By  Santa Fe Cafe

Join your fellow Chamber members for a no-costevening of food, beverage, networking… and FUN!

Date: OCTOBER 20th, 2011

Time: 5:30-7:30pm

Cost: FREE

Santa Fe Cafe

8319 Louise Avenue

Northridge, CA 91325

GUESTS WELCOME!

LAPD Topanga Community Police Station Memorial Golf Tournament…
Come for a great day of golf for a good cause, at LAPD Topanga Station’s inaugural Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday, Oct. 17. The tournament will be held in memory of fallen LAPD Officer Joshua Cullins, who lost his life while serving our country as a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in Afghanistan.

Monday, Oct. 17
Check in 8:30 am. Shotgun Start 10:00 am. Award Dinner 4:00 pm
Woodland Hills Country Club
21150 Dumetz Rd., Woodland Hills

Join special guest Tim Conway, Jr. for this golf tournament. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the “Officer Joshua Cullins Memorial” at Topanga Station, and a portion will be donated to Josh’s High School, Royal High, in Simi Valley. The remaining proceeds will benefit the Topanga Area Station Fund.