San Fernado Valley Chatsworth Waste: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne hosted a hazardous waste recycling event for city and county residents at its facility in Chatsworth on Jan. 26 and 27. Residents were invited to drop off used motor oil, electronic equipment, cleaning supplies, used motor oil and filters, cell phones, televisions, batteries and other items. “Pratt & Whitney is committed to protecting and being good stewards of our environment, and we are proud to be part of this community-wide effort to make sure hazardous waste is disposed of properly,” said environmental manager Jerry Tucker, Jr. Glendale Seminar: The Oak Society of the Healthcare Foundation at Glendale Adventist Medical Center will host a seminar on common ear, nose and throat conditions Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. in its main auditorium at 1509 Wilson Terrace. Ear, Nose & Throat Surgical Associates will present the event, featuring discussions on snoring and sleep apnea, presented by Dr. Carl B. Ermshar; vocal disorders presented by Dr. Hrair A. Koutnouyan; and the neck mass presented by Dr. David K. Yun. The event is free for Oak Society members and $10 for nonmembers Registration: (818) 409-8100. Delegation: A delegation of 18 members of the Chinese Institute for International Labor Studies visited Glendale Community College Jan. 23 to learn about interpreting labor laws pertaining to issues such as working hours, breaks, salaries and holidays. During the visit, Vicki Nicholson, associate vice president of human resources at GCC, gave a presentation to the visiting delegates, detailing specific practices at the college. Encino Growing: Online marketing agency AvatarLabs moved into a new 4,000-square-foot studio with room for future expansion. The company specializes in creating online rich media and enriched websites for major Hollywood films. They have provided online marketing for three of the top holiday films “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” “I Am Legend,” and “Alvin and The Chipmunks.” North Hollywood Rummage: A rummage sale by members of the Motion Picture Costumers Local No. 705 takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9 in the parking lot of prop shop History for Hire. More than 30 members will have clothing, fabrics, furniture and other items for sale. The proceeds benefit the local’s welfare fund for financial assistance to members adversely affected by the ongoing television and film writer strike; and to the members themselves. “It’s like we are selling the clothes off our back to pay our bills,” said Buffy Snyder, business representative for the local. The welfare fund has been “inundated” with requests from members whose paychecks disappeared as primarily television work halted after the start of the Nov. 5 strike, Snyder said. History for Hire is located at 7149 Fair Ave., North Hollywood. San Fernando Luncheon: The San Fernando Valley Financial Development Corp. hosted the annual San Fernando Mayor’s Business Luncheon Jan. 30 at the Casa Torres Banquet Hall. The annual event gave business owners and community leaders alike the opportunity to learn about new projects and services available to them in the city. During the event, Mayor Julie Ruelas presented information on projects underway, such as the Pacoima Wash Project, the new trolley system and historic preservation. Sun Valley Sculpture: LA ProPoint has been commissioned to contribute to the new Seily Rodriguez Park in Hollywood. The Sun Valley-based company will fabricate and install nature-inspired fence sculptures created by artist Ricardo Mendoza. “It has been a pleasure experiencing the LA ProPoint team’s professionalism and thorough attention to detail in realizing my design,” Mendoza said. “They have successfully managed a challenging installation with smart composure.” Other LA ProPoint projects include the Hollywood Bowl, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Launch: New marketplace, the Indoor Shopping Plaza, celebrated its grand opening Jan. 26. Many of those evicted from the Valley Indoor Swap Meet in Woodland Hills can be found in the new venue. More than 75 vendors call it home, selling jewelry, footwear and apparel, electronics, sporting and home goods, party supplies, toys and more. The facility has approximately 45,000 square feet and is open Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is at 7200 Vineland Ave. at the corner of Sherman Way. Sylmar Products: QPC Lasers Inc. showcased its next generation of laser products at the SPIE Photonics West Conference and Biomedical Optics exhibition in San Jose. Both events are the largest annual conferences featuring the latest innovations in optics, lasers, biomedical optics and imaging technologies. QPC exhibited a 120-watt eye-safe model laser for medical and defense applications; and a 425-watt near-infrared model for fiber amplifier pumping and direct industrial applications. Van Nuys Anniversary: Valley Presbyterian Hospital is celebrating its 50th anniversary, with a kickoff in the hospital’s historic hallway on Feb. 6. Donated by Albert L. and Jo-Linda Greene, the hallway display features a gallery of framed photographs from the past five decades. The theme of the celebration is “Doing What Matters.” In honor of the anniversary, there will be 50 days of celebration activities, including a birthday party for all born at the hospital since 1958, with a special appearance by Katherine Hollingsworth, the hospital’s firstborn. Woodland Hills Invest: Wataire International has hired Premier Media Services as its public and investor relations firm based on the firm’s track record in creating custom investor awareness campaigns and their contacts within the investment community. The year should be a banner one for Wataire, a manufacturer of water generation and purification products, said CEO Robert Rosner. “We have carefully invested a considerable amount of time and money developing the right projects and we took the same care in selecting Premier Media Services,” Rosner said. SANTA CLARITA VALLEY Santa Clarita Goal: The Michael Hoefflin Foundation will present a professional soccer match between Chivas USA and Columbus Crew at 5 p.m., Feb. 23 at Cougar Stadium, College of the Canyons. Proceeds from the game benefit the Foundation and its financial and emotional support to children and their families facing childhood cancer. General admission tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for youths 18 years and under when purchased before Feb. 18. After that date tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for youths. For more information contact the Foundation at (661) 250-4100. CONEJO VALLEY Thousand Oaks Radio: KCLU-FM won six Golden Mike Awards, for its coverage of recent wildfires and other local stories. The station, based at California Lutheran University, won in the category for stations with news staffs of five or fewer people. The Golden Mikes are given by the Radio & Television News Association of Southern California. News director Lance Orozco, program director Jim Rondeau and reporter John Palminteri received an award for best live coverage of a News Story for “Zaca Fire Flare-Up.” The station also won for its coverage of the Ranch Fire and the 2006 election; for feature stories on volunteers in a literacy program, and of a breast cancer survivor; and a story on an organization helping women start their own businesses. [W/PIC OF OROZCO] Series: The third Corporate Leaders Breakfast Series hosted by Cal Lutheran on Jan. 29 focused on trends in higher education. Featured speakers were Eva Conrad, president of Moorpark College; Dr. Richard Rush, president of California State University, Channel Islands; and the Rev. Howard Wennes, interim president of CLU. Hugh Ralston, president and CEO of the Ventura County Community Foundation, moderated the panel. ANTELOPE VALLEY Palmdale Forum: The City of Palmdale’s Public Safety and Community Relations Department hosted a Business Watch forum for business owners and employees interested in crime prevention Jan. 22 and Jan. 24 in the Joshua Room of the Larry Chimbole Cultural Center located at 38350 Sierra Highway in Palmdale. Agenda topics included theft and fraud trends and their impact on business, how to identify counterfeit currency, credit cards and travelers checks. [W/PIC] Housing: Palmdale will host a free, walk-in Housing Rights clinic Feb. 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the city’s Development Services Building, 38250 Sierra Highway. These clinics take place the third Thursday of every month and provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions and receive answers about fair housing, rent increases, repairs and more. The Housing Rights Center assists homebuyers, tenants and housing professionals with free counseling services on fair housing law, public education seminars on housing discrimination and housing discrimination complaint investigation. Information: (661) 267-5126, (800) 477-5977 or www.hrc-la.org.