The San Fernando Valley Bar Association, one of the largest local bar associations in the United States has close to 2,100 members, many of whom volunteer their time on pro bono matters, community service and other projects benefitting the public. As just one example, every winter during the holiday season, the association sponsors its “Blanket the Homeless” event, during which we distribute hundreds of blankets to the homeless and provide free legal advice to those in need. Members also work on the court’s jury service committee which is focused on, among other things, improving and increasing public respect of jury service. Another committee focuses on introducing students from Valley schools to the practice of law, working with children as young as elementary school, through to college, so boys and girls of all ages and races understand they too can go to law school and succeed in the legal field. The Bar works closely with the Valley Community Legal Foundation, the association’s charitable arm that provides scholarships and grants to needy students and others. This year, the Foundation has been working hard to raise money for the creation of children’s waiting rooms for the Van Nuys and San Fernando Courthouses. The Bar Association and Attorney Referral Service recently presented a $30,000 check to the Foundation to be applied towards the children’s waiting room. The Bar is also proud of its close relationship with Valley judges. On February 21st, the Association had its annual “Judges Night” during which we honored judges for their noteworthy contributions to the legal community. Judge of the Year was bestowed upon the Honorable Michael Harwin who has been involved with the community and with the Bar Association for many years. He has served on the courts for more than 20 years and is currently serving in the Van Nuys Courthouse. He is widely known to be even-handed and even-tempered in his rulings and his treatment of those in his courtroom. Special recognition awards went to Judge Barbara Scheper and to Maureen Tighe. Judge Scheper spearheaded the VAST program at the Chatsworth Courthouse this past year. VAST is a settlement program where lawyers in the bar association volunteer to mediate select cases in an effort to reduce the number of cases pending in our courts. The Court assigned 144 cases to the VAST program and our VAST volunteers settled 35% of them. Judge Tighe, a bankruptcy judge, established the Bankruptcy Self-Help Center, which will prove to be a significant benefit to members of the public. Lawyers in our Bar Association do far more than just litigate cases or make deals. We give to the community as well Sue Bendavid is president of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association and a shareholder in Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, Marshall & Harlan in Encino.

This is a regular feature on philanthropic activities by Valley-area businesspeople and companies. Henry Mayo to Participate in Komen Walk The Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital will participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, March 15, near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The center invites the public to join its group, the “Sheilas,” during the event. Sheilas Team Captain Terry Bucknall will discuss how the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure provides grant funding to the Breast Imaging Center to assist women without insurance. Information: (661) 253-8824. SFV Community Mental Health Center Invites Public to Day at Races The San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center invites the public to its second annual Day at the Races March 16 at Santa Anita Park. There will be food, entertainment and horses in the Clubhouse Terrace, which will be reserved specifically for the center. Gates open at 10:30 a.m. The first race begins at 12:30 p.m. Donations are $50 for adults, $25 for teens between the ages of 13 and 17 and $15 for children between the ages of 4 and 12. Participants will receive a free buffet lunch, admission, valet parking and program. Proceeds will benefit the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center. Make reservations on or before March 7. Information: (818) 901-4830 or www.sfvcmhc.org. CLU Association Awards Scholarships California Lutheran University’s Community Leaders Association has awarded scholarships to five students. Three students each received $1,500: Timothy Chandler, an accounting major from Moorpark; Gina Marinello-Sweeney, a liberal studies major from Thousand Oaks; and Aracely Reyes, a psychology major from Oxnard. Awards of $1,250 each went to Ryan Boudreau, a senior business major from Thousand Oaks, and Amanda Benzel, a junior exercise science and sports medicine major from Live Oak. The students were selected for their community service, leadership potential and academic achievement. Founded in 1963, the CLU Community Leaders Association was developed to stimulate the interest of the community in CLU’s academic, athletic and cultural programs. The organization has provided more than $1.5 million to enhance academic programs and facilities at the university. Information: (805) 493-3151 or http://www.cal lutheran.edu/cla. DaVita Teammates Build Wheelchairs for Developing Nations Last month, teammates from DaVita’s home office, known as Casa DaVita, dedicated a day to building and refurbishing wheelchairs for UCP Wheels for Humanity in North Hollywood. Non-profit UCP Wheels hand-fits rebuilt and refurbished wheelchairs for children and adults in developing nations. DaVita is a provider of kidney care services with three corporate offices in the state, treating patients in more than 300 dialysis clinics.

By Gregory N. Lippe On January 31 , 2008 Assembly Member Cameron Smyth introduced a bill (co-authored by Senator George Runner) that would require, by July1, 2012, the reorganization of a unified school district with an annual enrollment of at least 500,000 pupils into multiple school districts enrolling no more than 50,000 pupils. The primary target of this bill is, of course, LAUSD. This is not the first time that the topic of breaking up the LAUSD has been raised. Parents and employers are continually frustrated by the lack of performance of students, high dropout rates, campus violence and inappropriate expenditures of the district and actions of the Board. In 2005 Harvard Researchers reported that the dropout rate in LAUSD was approximately 50 percent (compared to a statewide average of 13 percent). Additionally (in the LAUSD) only 39 percent of Hispanic (who now represent approximately 73 percent of the LAUSD student population) and 47 percent of African American students graduate in four years. Although I was unable to locate actual dropout percentages for the 2007 school year it is estimated that there has been only slight improvement since 2005. In addition to the high dropout rate, student performance, although somewhat improved, is still dismal. According to the California Department of Education, in 2005 only 27 percent (a 9 percent increase over 2001) of LAUSD students tested proficient or advanced in English-language arts on the California Standards Test (“CST”). Test results for the California High School Exit Exam (“CHSE”) presented much better results: 66 percent of 2007 LAUSD graduates passed the English-language arts portion and 59 percent passed the math portion. Although this looks good on the surface, these pass rates are significantly lower than the statewide averages of 88 percent for both English-language arts and math in 2006. Additionally, with such a significant difference in pass rates between the 2007 CHSE and the 2005 CST one must wonder if a comparison of the levels of difficulty between the two tests is similar to a comparison between apples and oranges. As indicated above, poor performance is only one of the sources of frustration people have with the LAUSD. Amid cries of funding deficits and under conditions where teachers must dig into their own pockets to provide supplies to their students, the following expenditures are strong examples of a school district that appears to be out of control: 1. Four years ago the district decided that it needed to adopt a new, computerized, pay system. It purchased a German program that had performed poorly in the past. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu was given a $55 million contract to customize and install the software. Despite repeated failures upon testing (due to a significantly flawed database) and inadequately trained payroll clerks, the new system was implemented at the beginning of 2007. The results included overpayments of an estimated $53 million to approximately 36,000 teachers and others and underpayments or lack of payments to thousands more. Finally after seven months of errors the school board members ordered the superintendent to devise a recovery plan. To date, approximately $13.5 million has been paid to 10 new consulting firms and the system still isn’t reliable. Total estimated costs to fix the system are in excess of $35 million. 2. The Belmont Learning Center, originally estimated to cost $45 million, will finally open (under a different name due to the tainted image) at a cost of approximately $400 million. 3. As reported in the Los Angeles Daily News in November 2007, due to a barrage of negative publicity the LAUSD quietly hired two consultants at a combined cost of approximately $300,000 to improve the districts image. Previously, the district engaged the Rogers Group to focus exclusively on repairing their image due to the payroll system debacle. It is estimated that adding the cost of the two new consultants to the cost of the Rogers Group will result in a combined cost approaching $700,000. Now, as if the above information as to performance and expenditures is not enough to make the case for dismantling the LAUSD, the president of the School Board has decided that it would be an appropriate use of the Board’s time to debate and take positions regarding non-school-related politics. On Feb. 26, the LAUSD Board was scheduled to vote on a motion (authored by their president) to impose a district boycott of non-union hotels on Century Boulevard (near LAX). The boycott motion brings the LAUSD into the debate over mandated wages for workers at non-union hotels. For those who wonder what the LAUSD does at these hotels, start with spending almost $400,000 for meetings at three of these hotels just last year for meeting and conference rooms. Perhaps this money could have been saved by meeting at school facilities? Should the LAUSD be dismantled? Based on the information above and the findings of both a nine-member team at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management that centralized management led to higher district spending on administration and Harvard economist Caroline Hoxby that smaller and more numerous school districts are linked to higher student achievement, I say, unequivocally, YES. — Gregory N. Lippe, CPA, is Managing Partner of the Woodland Hills-based CPA Firm of Lippe, Hellie, Hoffer & Allison, LLP, Chairman of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA)and a Director of First Commerce Bank.

Ivy Weiss Contributor Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley The Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications from area high schools for the Patricia Soteras Scholarship awards that will be announced in May. Last year, more than 10 were awarded to students attending schools in Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Agoura, Thousand Oaks and Malibu. Call the Chamber at (818) 889-3150 to nominate an outstanding student. Canoga Park/West Hills The Canoga Park/West Hills Chamber honored its board members, President John Parker and its represented communities on Feb. 1 at the Hilton Woodland Hills. The Large Business of the Year Award was given to Hometown Buffet. Al and Joyce Mooney, along with their son Brian, accepted the Small Business of the Year honor for Mooney Industries. Mr. Mooney also sang at the opening of the event. Philip Imhoff, Primerica, was selected as Board Member of the Year and Janet Crisman, Mary Kay Cosmetics, was named Volunteer of the Year. John Parker, chamber president said that thanks were owed to installation committee co-chairs Susan Basler, Valley Village, and Mark Vetter, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, and their hard-working committee members: Joe Andrews, Prudential California Realty; Janet Crisman, Mary Kay Cosmetics; Florine Goodman, Automobile Club of California; Mike Hattar, Hometown Buffet; Jean Jauck, Canoga Owensmouth Historical Society; Anush Orudzhyan, Valley Village; and Ivy Weiss, Walk of Hearts Foundation. Chatsworth/Porter Ranch On March 13 the Chatsworth/Porter Ranch Chamber will celebrate with member Lucie Volotsky as she opens her second store location on Topanga Boulevard. Volotsky, who was recently installed as the chamber’s vice president of marketing, will host a ribbon cutting and after-hours mixer at Beds Unlimited,10240 Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Chatsworth from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. To RSVP, please phone the chamber office at (818) 341-2428. Northridge The North Valley Chamber of Commerce will have its annual Board of Directors Installation Luncheon on March 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Odyssey Restaurant in Mission Hills. Tickets are $50. The keynote speaker will be community leader and attorney David Fleming who is involved with numerous organizations, including the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority, California Regional Leadership Foundation, the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, the James Madison Foundation and the newly-formed Los Angeles County Business Federation. NVRCC will be presenting a Community Leadership Award to chamber member C.K. Tseng. Tseng is also affiliated with the Asian Business Association, Northridge Business Improvement District, Community Advisory Committee, Commercial Bank and the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley. This is the inaugural year for the award which will annually be given to an individual demonstrating leadership qualities and commitment to the business community. To attend the NVRCC’s Installation Luncheon, call the Chamber office at (818) 349-5676. Winnetka The Winnetka Chamber of Commerce Installation dinner took place on President’s Day at the Warner Center Marriott. LAPD Captain John Sherman asked for a minute of silent prayer on behalf of fallen SWAT officer Randall Simmons and the injured James Veenstra while Michael Stafford, from the St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, also spoke eloquently about LAPD’s heroes. Pauline Tallent, outgoing chamber president, then asked LAPD Officer Peter Repovich who sits on the board of the Los Angeles Police Protective League to personally deliver checks from the Winnetka Foundation, in the amount of $500 each, to Veenstra and the family of Simmons. Two special awards were also given out. The first went to Sandy Halter, Minuteman Press of Northridge. He was honored not only for his contributions to the chamber board but also for the many community organizations to which he devotes time and money. The second award was given to Marilyn Robinson, chamber treasurer for her tireless work over the years putting on events for the chamber. Event emcee Councilman Dennis Zine thanked Pauline Tallent for her year as president and welcomed Gene Giegoldt, 2008 president and the new board of directors. Woodland Hills-Tarzana The annual Festival in the Park presented by the Woodland Hills-Tarzana chamber will be June 22. Vendor applications are due by May 31. The chamber invites businesses, non-profit organizations and crafters to apply. Spaces are assigned on a first come, first served basis. Please contact Rhonda for more details at (818) 347-4737. The chamber announced it is matching the $2,000 donation from the Grateful Hearts fundraiser for the families of LAPD officers Simmons and Veenstra.

Food delivery services have been around for years, but Burbank-based Fresh Mommy is a novelty in the market. It’s the first such service designed for new and expectant mothers, according to Todd DeMann, CEO and chairman of Fresh Dining LLC, of which Fresh Mommy is an extension. The program is also unique in that, in addition to offering calorie-restricted, organic meals, clients receive in-home fitness training to help their bodies to rebound quickly from pregnancy. Fresh Mommy has been up and running for approximately a month. “So far it’s been fantastic,” De Mann said. “We’ve been signing up customers every day.” De Mann believes that Fresh Mommy does a service to mothers because, in the months following childbirth, all focus is on the newborn. “No one really focuses on the mother,” he said. While it goes without saying that the newborn needs attention, mothers do as well, due to the fact that they experience dramatic physical and mental changes following childbirth, De Mann added. The idea to launch Fresh Mommy came from the experiences of De Mann’s wife, Rosemary, along with an associate named Heather Clay. According to De Mann, the trio decided, “Let’s focus on mommy while she’s taking care of the baby. Mothers don’t take care of themselves, and they never get back to their [pre-pregnancy] weight.” Some mothers aren’t just satisfied with simply reverting back to their pre-pregnancy weight, either. They want to be in better shape than ever. The program can also be useful to pregnant women, who are asking, “How much weight am I supposed to gain? I’m gaining too much weight too fast,” De Mann said. Fresh Mommy comes in three packages: platinum, gold and silver. Each includes the insight of Blue Clay Fitness professionals, who provide workout sessions that combine cardio training, weight resistance, stretching and core stability in clients’ homes. A typical day’s menu for a Fresh Mommy participant might include mixed- berry crepes with natural blueberry sauce and fresh fruit for breakfast; California Cobb Salad with smoked turkey for lunch; sweet and sour pork chops with sugar snap peas and grilled pineapple for dinner; edamame with red sea salt for a snack; and banana bread pudding for dessert. “It’s like having a personal chef,even my snacks are gourmet. I can’t believe I get to eat like this and still lose weight,” exclaimed new mother and actress Constance Zimmer, who has appeared on shows such as “Entourage” and “Boston Legal.” In designing the menu, Fresh Mommy seeks to ensure that the right types of proteins, carbohydrates and total calorie counts are chosen. Food offerings take into account whether mothers are breastfeeding as well as their height, age and other traits. A breastfeeding mother, for example, requires more calories per day than a non-breastfeeding mother. “Fresh Mommy adheres to the needs of breastfeeding, nutrients for me and the baby and losing weight at the same time, so I don’t have to think about anything,” Zimmer stated. “It makes my life easy even though I’m taking care of a newborn at the same time.” Moreover, Fresh Mommy seeks to minimize inappropriate foods for both expectant and new mothers, such as shellfish, due to its mercury content. Gas-causing foods are also cut from the menu, which could be considered a benefit for fathers as well. Fresh Mommy’s purported benefits for its clients include increased energy, lower insulin levels and faster muscle recovery. The cost for the program depends on which package the mother chooses. The standard program, for example, is $65 daily, and can be upgraded for $10 to provide an additional dinner and dessert. The platinum program is $6,000 monthly which includes additional fitness and chiropractic services, organic baby products, pet care, spa services, personal shopping, laundry services and more. Their clientele includes all sorts of mothers, according to De Mann. Fresh Mommy is “for any mother who really wants to take control of their own bodies,” he said. “We have mothers who stay at home, career mothers looking to snap back very quickly.” Fresh Mommy is the latest success for Fresh Dining LLC, which is located in a 15,000-square-feet facility near the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. “It’s centrally located,” De Mann said of the company’s headquarters. “It allows us to produce a large quantity of food in a very nice, high-end facility very easily (accessible) to downtown and over the hill to West L.A.” Established in 2005, Fresh Dining has recently expanded service to Orange County and San Diego. It has 75 employees, including a team of five-star chefs. The Burbank location has also given the company sway in the entertainment industry. “We don’t solicit any celebrities,” De Mann said. But new moms such as Ricki Lake and Debi Mazar, who are looking to stay in shape, will often have food delivered to them on set. “We even service studio heads,” De Mann said. “Their own private chefs don’t know how to cook healthy.” The company took a slight hit during the writers’ strike. They offered discounts to those in the entertainment industry for the duration of the dispute. “We’re here to support the industry,” De Mann stressed. Later this year the company plans to offer FreshKids, which will attempt to provide children with the chance to remain at a healthy weight and ward off obesity. Information: www.freshdining.com.

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The Southern California Super Lawyers list is published in the February issues of Los Angeles Magazine, and in the Southern California Super Lawyers edition mailed to every lawyer, judge and corporate counsel in the state. The Super Lawyers honor, which is bestowed upon the top 5 percent of attorneys in Southern California, is decided by an elaborate selection process conducted by a panel of 270 Southland legal peers and leaders after balloting 65,000 lawyers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties requesting nominations of great attorneys in more than 60 practice areas. Following are those who were selected from the greater San Fernando Valley area. Attorneys are listed by name, area(s) of practice they’re recognized for, their law firm, and its location. Sam Abdulaziz, Construction Litigation, Administrative Law, Abdulaziz Grossbart & Rudman, North Hollywood; Peter Abrahams, Appellate, Horvitz & Levy LLP, Encino; Bruce Adelstein, Appellate, Law Offices of Bruce Adelstein, Encino; David M. Axelrad, Appellate, Horvitz & Levy LLP, Encino; Mark D. Apelian, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Employment & Labor, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Bryman & Apelian, Calabasas; Barry M. Appell, Employment Litigation: Plaintiff, Employment & Labor, Appell Hilaire Benardo LLP, Sherman Oaks; Glenn Alperstein, Estate Planning & Probate, Non-Profit, Tax, Alperstein, Simon, Farkas, Gillin & Scott, LLP, Encino; Zane S. Averbach, Tax, Business/Corporate, Estate Planning & Probate, Goldfarb Sturman & Averbach, Encino; Robert A. Adelman, Family Law, Adelman & Seide, LLP, Encino; Alan D. Aronson, Real Estate, Aronson Light LLP, Encino; Kenneth R. Ballard, Employment & Labor, Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt, LLP, Universal City; David H. Baum, Family Law, Estate Planning & Probate, The Law Offices of David H. Baum, APLC, Encino; Susanne M. Bendavid, Employment & Labor, Employment Litigation: Defense, Lewitt Hackman Shapiro Marshall & Harlan, Encino; Douglas G. Benedon, Appellate, Benedon & Serlin, Woodland Hills; Lynette Berg Robe, Family Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Law Office of Lynette Berg Robe, Studio City; James R. Birnberg, Estate Planning & Probate, Oldman, Cooley, Sallus, Gold, Birnberg & Coleman, Encino; James E. Blatt, Criminal Defense, Law Offices of James E. Blatt, Encino; Carol Boyd, Appellate, Insurance Coverage, Michelman & Robinson LLP, Encino; Barry A. Bradley, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation Defense, Employment & Labor, Bradley & Gmelich, Glendale; Robert F. Brennan, General Litigation, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Business Litigation; Brennan, Wiener & Associates, La Crescenta; Robert A. Brenner, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Law Offices of Robert A. Brenner, Woodland Hills; James S. Bright, Business Litigation, Energy & Natural Resources, Environmental, Bright and Brown, Glendale; Maureen J. Bright, Environmental Litigation, Business Litigation, Energy & Natural Resources, Bright and Brown, Glendale; Ronald F. Brot, Family Law, Brot & Gross LLP, Sherman Oaks; Mark D. Brutzkus, Business Litigation Ezra Brutzkus & Gubner LLP, Woodland Hills; Andrew C. Bryman, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Bryman & Apelian, Calabasas; Bruce M. Bunch, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Plaintiff: General, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Contos & Bunch, Westlake Village; Bradley M. Bush, Civil Litigation Defense, Employment & Labor, Elder Law, Crandall, Wade & Lowe, PC, Calabasas; Robert A. Bush, Employment & Labor, Employee Benefits/ERISA, Bush, Quinonez, Gottlieb, Singer, Lopez, Kohanski, Adelstein & Dickinson, Burbank; David L. Burg, Entertainment & Sports, Business Litigation, NBC Universal, Inc., Universal City; Ronald R. Camhi, Real Estate, Business/Corporate, Michelman & Robinson LLP, Encino; David B. Casselman, General Litigation, Government/Cities/Municipalities, Construction/Surety, Wasserman, Comden & Casselman, L.L.P., Tarzana; John S. Cha, Business Litigation, Employment & Labor, Real Estate, Stone, Rosenblatt, Cha, PLC, Woodland Hills; Frank Christine, III, Workers’ Compensation, Tobin Lucks LLP, Woodland Hills; Frederic D. Cohen, Appellate, Horvitz & Levy LLP, Encino; Jonathan B. Cole, Professional Liability: Defense, Civil Litigation Defense, Business Litigation, Nemecek & Cole, Sherman Oaks; Thomas H. Coleman, Business Litigation, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Coleman Law, Valencia; Leonard J. Comden, Business Litigation, Real Estate, Intellectual Property Litigation, Wasserman, Comden & Casselman, L.L.P., Tarzana; James E. Cox, Family Law, Estate Planning & Probate, Bleier & Cox, Encino; William A. Daniels, Class Action/Mass Torts, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Schwartz Daniels & Bradley, Agoura Hills; Edmond R. Davis, Estate Planning & Probate, Davis & Whalen LLP, North Hollywood; Kevin D. DeBre, Intellectual Property, Business/Corporate, Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP, Sherman Oaks; David Drexler, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Employment & Labor, Law Offices of David Drexler, Sherman Oaks; Steven B. Effres, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Effres & Associates, Calabasas; Howard A. Emmer, Workers’ Compensation, Emmer & Snowden, Canoga Park; Stuart B. Esner, Appellate, Esner Chang & Ellis, Glendale; Jonathan W. Evans, Securities Litigation, Jonathan W. Evans & Associates, Studio City; Robert Ezra, Business Litigation, Business/Corporate, Ezra Brutzkus & Gubner LLP, Woodland Hills; Susan E. Fields, Workers’ Compensation, Koszdin, Fields, Sherry & Katz, Van Nuys; Andrew Flier, Criminal Defense, Appellate, Flier & Flier, Encino; Bradley C. Gage, Employment & Labor, Class Action/Mass Torts, Civil Rights/First Amendment, Goldberg & Gage, Woodland Hills; Fred Gaines, Land Use/Zoning, Real Estate, Environmental, Gaines & Stacey LLP, Encino; Gregg S. Garfinkel, Transportation/Maritime, Business Litigation, Personal Injury Defense: General, Stone, Rosenblatt & Cha, PLC, Woodland Hills ; John M. Genga, Entertainment & Sports, Intellectual Property Litigation, Business Litigation, Genga & Associates, PC, Sherman Oaks; William H. Ginsburg, Civil Litigation Defense, Health Care, Business Litigation, Peterson & Bradford, LLP, Burbank; Thomas P. Gmelich, Civil Litigation Defense, Personal Injury Defense: General, Business Litigation, Bradley & Gmelich, Glendale; Andrew Goodman, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Business Litigation, Business/Corporate, Law Offices of Andrew Goodman, Westlake Village; Robert S. Goldberg, Workers’ Compensation, Wilson Pesota & Fox LLP, Encino; Terry M. Goldberg, Employment & Labor, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, General Litigation, Goldberg & Gage, Woodland Hills; Irwin D. Goldring, Estate Planning & Probate, Tax, Attorney at Law, Sherman Oaks; John B. Golper, Employment & Labor, Employment Litigation: Defense, Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt, LLP, Universal City; David Gould, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Alternative Dispute Resolution, David Gould, Calabasas; Lawrence P. Grassini, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Grassini & Wrinkle, Woodland Hills; Arthur A. Greenberg, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Business/Corporate, General Litigation, Greenberg & Bass LLP, Encino; Ted R. Gropman, Construction Litigation, Law Office Ted R. Gropman, Woodland Hills; Mark P. Gross, Family Law, Brot & Gross LLP, Sherman Oaks; Steven T. Gubner, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Business Litigation, Ezra Brutzkus & Gubner LLP, Woodland Hills; David Gurnick, Franchise/Dealership, Intellectual Property, Intellectual Property Litigation, Lewitt Hackman Shapiro Marshall & Harlan, Encino; Barry T. Harlan, Family Law, Lewitt Hackman Shapiro Marshall & Harlan, Encino; Les Glenn Hardie, Family Law, Attorney at Law, Calabasas; Robert K. Holmes, Family Law, Holmes & Holmes, Glendale; Stephen T. Holzer, Environmental, General Litigation, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Lewitt Hackman Shapiro Marshall & Harlan, Encino; Ellis J. Horvitz, Appellate, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation Defense Horvitz & Levy LLP, Encino; Scott H. Howard, Government/Cities/Municipalities, Land Use/Zoning, Personal Injury Defense: General, Office of the Glendale City Attorney, Glendale; Glenn R. Kantor, Employee Benefits/ERISA, Insurance Coverage, Health Care, Kantor & Kantor LLP, Northridge; Steven Kolodny, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Attorney at Law, Woodland Hills; Richard M. Koep, General Litigation, Crandall, Wade & Lowe, PC, Calabasas; Nate G. Kraut, Appellate, Law Offices of Nate G. Kraut, Sherman Oaks; Jeffrey Krivis, Alternative Dispute Resolution, First Mediation Corporation, Encino; Robert A. Levinson, Business Litigation, Employment Litigation: Defense, Real Estate, Levinson Arshonsky & Kurtz, LLP, Sherman Oaks; Barry R. Levy, Appellate, Horvitz & Levy LLP, Encino; James M. Lichtman, Entertainment & Sports, Intellectual Property Litigation, NBC Universal Television Group, Universal City; Hugh A. Lipton, Family Law, Appellate, Business/Corporate, Lipton & Margolin, North Hollywood; Lori A. Loo, Family Law, Brot & Gross LLP, Sherman Oaks; Joseph Lovretovich, Employment Litigation: Plaintiff, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Employee Benefits/ERISA, Law Offices Of Joseph Lovretovich, Woodland Hills; Mitchell B. Ludwig, Business Litigation, Real Estate, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Knapp Petersen & Clarke, Glendale; Paul J. Magdalin, Workers’ Compensation, Goldman Magdalin & Krikes, LLP, North Hollywood; Ian Malatesta, Family Law, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Attorney at Law, Encino; Christine Masters, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Employment & Labor Masters & Ribakoff, Toluca Lake; Jeffrey N. Mausner, Intellectual Property Litigation, Intellectual Property, Business Litigation, Mausner IP Law, Woodland Hills; Sanford L. Michelman, Business Litigation, Class Action/Mass Torts, Administrative Law, Michelman & Robinson LLP, Encino; Business Litigation, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Real Estate, Horgan Rosen Beckham & Coren, Calabasas; Charles M. Miller, Immigration, Miller Law Offices, Studio City; Terri Senesac Miller, Immigration, Miller Law Offices, Studio City; Alan M. Mirman, Michael McCarthy Professional Liability: Defense, Business Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, Nemecek & Cole, Sherman Oaks; Garry L. Montanari, Personal Injury Defense: Products, Insurance Coverage, General Litigation, Michaelis Montanari Johnson, Westlake Village; Kent Y. Mouton, Real Estate, Business/Corporate, Kulik, Gottesman, Mouton & Siegel, LLP, Sherman Oaks; Paul G. Murtagh, Business Litigation, Appellate, Insurance Coverage, Murtagh and Associates, Universal City; Alan I. Nahmias, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Business Litigation, Plotkin Rapoport & Nahmias, Encino; Frank W. Nemecek, Business Litigation, Professional Liability: Defense; Nemecek & Cole, Sherman Oaks; Caren R. Nielsen, Elder Law, Estate Planning & Probate, Law Offices of Caren R. Nielsen, Encino; Robert C. Norton, Business/Corporate, Tax, Mergers & Acquisitions, Stone, Rosenblatt, Cha, PLC, Woodland Hills; Frank J. O’Kane, Jr., Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Employment & Labor, The O’Kane Law Firm, Encino; Marshal A. Oldman, Estate Planning & Probate, Trust & Estate Litigation, Oldman, Cooley, Sallus, Gold, Birnberg & Coleman, Encino; Kenneth E. Ostrove, Estate Planning & Probate, Law Offices of Kenneth E. Ostrove, North Hollywood; Gregory Owen, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Owen Patterson & Owen, Valencia; David Pallack, Legal Aid/Legal Services, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, Pacoima; Mark D. Pastor, Tax, Criminal Defense: White Collar, Attorney at Law, Encino; Clifford H. Pearson, Class Action/Mass Torts, Business Litigation, Business/Corporate, Pearson, Simon, Soter, Warshaw & Penny, Sherman Oaks; Lisa Perrochet, Appellate, Horvitz & Levy LLP, Encino; Barry S. Pearlman, Workers’ Compensation, Employment & Labor, Insurance Coverage, Pearlman, Borska & Wax LLP, Encino; Mark J. Phillips, Estate Planning & Probate, Goldfarb Sturman & Averbach, Encino; Norman Pine, Appellate, Pine & Pine, Sherman Oaks; Drew Pomerance, Business Litigation, Insurance Coverage, Class Action/Mass Torts, Roxborough, Pomerance & Nye, LLP, Woodland Hills; Clara (Zazi) Pope, Intellectual Property Litigation, General Litigation, Entertainment & Sports, Warner Bros., Burbank; Michelle S. Robins, Family Law, Lewitt Hackman Shapiro Marshall & Harlan, Encino; Mark B. Robinson, Administrative Law, Business/Corporate, Michelman & Robinson LLP, Encino; Jon D. Robinson, Professional Liability: Defense, Business Litigation, Nemecek & Cole, Sherman Oaks; Richard S. Rosenberg, Employment & Labor, Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt, LLP, Universal City; Ira H. Rosenblatt, Business/Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Litigation, Stone Rosenblatt & Cha, PLC, Woodland Hills; Nicholas P. Roxborough, Business Litigation, Class Action/Mass Torts, Employment & Labor, Roxborough, Pomerance & Nye, LLP, Woodland Hills; Marc L. Sallus, Estate Planning & Probate, Business Litigation, Oldman, Cooley, Sallus, Gold, Birnberg & Coleman, Encino; Linda Miller Savitt, Employment & Labor, Employment Litigation: Defense, Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt, LLP, Universal City; Ron Schlager, Business/Corporate, Business Litigation, Attorney at Law, Sherman Oaks; Arnold W. Schwartz, Class Action/Mass Torts, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Business Litigation, Schwartz Daniels & Bradley, Agoura Hills; Neil David Schwartz, Workers’ Compensation, Pearlman, Borska & Wax LLP, Encino; Randall B. Schwartz, Workers’ Compensation, Attorney at Law, Studio City; John A. Schulman, Entertainment & Sports, Intellectual Property, Warner Bros., Burbank; Juli C. Scott, Government/Cities/Municipalities, Civil Rights/First Amendment, Employment & Labor, Burbank City Attorney’s Office, Burbank; George N. Seide, Family Law, Adelman & Seide, LLP, Encino; Gerald M. Serlin, Appellate, Benedon & Serlin, Woodland Hills; Leslie E. Shear, Family Law, Appellate, Attorney at Law, Encino; Kevin D. Smith, General Litigation, Professional Liability: Defense, Business Litigation, Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman, LLP, Glendale; Adam J. Soibelman, Business Litigation, Business/Corporate, General Litigation, Stone, Rosenblatt & Cha, PLC, Woodland Hills; David C. Solinger, Environmental, Environmental Litigation, Resolution Law Group, P.C., Woodland Hills; Gary S. Soter, Class Action/Mass Torts, Insurance Coverage, Employment & Labor, Pearson, Simon, Soter, Warshaw & Penny, Sherman Oaks; Harold J. Stanton, Family Law, Business/Corporate, Business Litigation, Stanton Law Corporation, Encino; Gregory E. Stone, General Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Rights/First Amendment, Stone, Rosenblatt & Cha, PLC, Woodland Hills; Mary-Christine “M.C.” Sungaila, Appellate, Horvitz & Levy LLP, Encino; Ronald M. Supancic, Family Law, Collaborative Law, Estate Planning & Probate, Law Offices of Ronald M. Supancic, Woodland Hills; Richard J. Tasoff, Immigration, Tasoff & Tasoff, PC, Encino; Ronald J. Tasoff, Immigration, Tasoff & Tasoff, PC, Encino; John A. Taylor, Jr., Appellate, Horvitz & Levy LLP, Encino; Todd D. Thibodo, Business Litigation, Law Offices of Todd D. Thibodo, A Professional Corporation, Encino; David A. Tilem, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Appellate, Law Office of David A. Tilem, Glendale; Mitchell C. Tilner, Appellate, Horvitz & Levy LLP, Encino; Stephen J. Tully, Civil Litigation Defense, Business Litigation, General Litigation, Garrett & Tully, Westlake Village; Valerie Vanaman, Schools & Education, Newman Aaronson & Vanaman, Sherman Oaks; Daniel L. Warshaw, Class Action/Mass Torts, Employment Litigation: Plaintiff, Business Litigation, Pearson, Simon, Soter, Warshaw & Penny, Sherman Oaks; Alan J. Wax, Workers’ Compensation, Wax & Wax, Glendale; Mary Lee Wegner, Employment & Labor, Entertainment & Sports, Business Litigation, Law Offices of Mary Lee Wegner, Sherman Oaks; Michael L. Wolfram, Employment & Labor, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Wolfram Workplace Law, Camarillo; Roland Gregory Wrinkle, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Appellate, Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products, Grassini & Wrinkle, Woodland Hills; Alice M. Yardum-Hunter, Immigration, Attorney at Law, Encino; Gregory A. Yates, Personal Injury Plaintiff: General, Civil Rights/First Amendment, Law Offices of Gregory A. Yates, Encino; Donald Zelinsky, Family Law, Law Office of Donald Zelinsky, Woodland Hills; Stuart D. Zimring, Elder Law, Estate Planning & Probate, Attorney at Law, North Hollywood;

When Eagle Rock teacher Melodie Conrad saw a student stomp on a bug several years ago, she knew she had to do something. But while student monitors for the hallways, chalkboards and classroom windows have been around for years, nobody was quite prepared for the new duty she created: bug monitor. Now, if any creepy-crawly wanders into her classroom at Eagle Rock Elementary School & Magnet Center, the student bug monitor swoops in with a paper towel or napkin, scoops up the critter and shepherds it outside. Read the full story at http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8432323

The City of Palmdale will lay off 11 employees, its city manager has announced. Cuts have also been made to six positions in planning, engineering and building and safety that were already vacant, City Manager Steve Williams said. “This was an extremely tough decision that the City worked diligently to avoid, first by enacting a hiring freeze three months ago and then by stopping or delaying several capital projects for the last half of this fiscal year,” Williams said. “Unfortunately, revenues have continued to decline, with an expected drop of 48 percent in engineering alone for this fiscal year,” he said. The revenues of departments in development are expected to drop to $4.1 million for the 2008-09 fiscal year. Compare this to the 2006-07 fiscal year in which revenues were $11.9 million. For the 2007-08 fiscal year, revenues are expected to be $7 million, according to Williams. The City hopes to save $2.3 million per year as a result of the cuts. Employees who have been laid off will receive severance packages as well as health care premium payments for a period of time and outplacement services through a professional firm. City officials say they do not know whether more lay offs will be made.

Expenses related to the acquisition of another company contributed to a net loss for the fourth quarter at MRV Communications Inc. The Chatsworth-based optical components maker closed on its purchase of Fiberxon Inc. in July and then merged it with subsidiary Luminent Inc. under the name Source Photonics. MRV took an inventory write-down of $2.3 million related to the acquisition. For the fourth quarter, the company reported a net loss of $1.4 million, or a loss of $0.01 per diluted share, on revenues of $140.9 million. For the same period in 2006, the company had net income of $593,000 on revenues of $102.6 million. For fiscal year 2007, the company reported a net loss of $18.6 million, or a loss of $0.13 per diluted share, on revenues of $448.2 million. For fiscal year 2006, the company reported a net loss of $5.5 million, or a loss of $0.05 per diluted share, on revenues of $356.5 million.