Colfax Elementary Kids Celebrate Their Heritage, NCVV Honored With Public Safety Award

Worlds collided (in a good way) at the annual Heritage Museum at Colfax Charter Elementary School in Valley Village on March 10. This was the culmination of a month-long project the 5th grade students had been working on highlighting family heritage, interests and future goals. In addition to an in-depth written report, students created displays showing their own family trees, photos of their family and special events, original cartoons, and artifacts of significance. The afternoon also featured a potluck lunch featuring family recipes from around the world.

Some of the family trees resembled works of art -- three dimensional creations with tissue paper, felt, and one that had its branches draped with white Christmas lights. Another student transformed his family tree into a ski run. Family trees spanned all points of Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, Australia, and of course USA. 

Perhaps the most entertaining portion of the displays was the section entitled “Future Analysis,” in which students wrote about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Naturally there were a lot of veterinarians, a few actors, and some who wanted to join the military. Louis Antonelli wants to own his own bakery and sell cupcakes or cookies or be a professional food stylist. Multitalented Nicholas Martin intends to become a baseball player, writer, inventor, graffiti artist or architect. Violet Farley (the creator of the Christmas light tree) plans to move to San Francisco and become a rollerskating waitress until she creates her own cartoon series called either The Daily Geek or Super Spark. Luke Hallada wants to simultaneously land a career as a therapist, comedian and a dog breeder. Another interesting combo profession came from Valerie Perez, who would like to be a dancer, singer, and a detective. Cole Kaitz was very specific: he is determined to go to a renowned school like Stanford or UCLA and ultimately become a tattoo artist, and have two children named Jeremy and Samantha. Other professions included joining the ASPCA to stop cruelty to animals, becoming a nature guide, and building puppets for stop-action movies.

Most of the students’ artifacts were medals – a gamut of them from karate, gymnastics, dance competitions, spelling bees, and academic achievements. Truman Farr posted the letter and envelope his great-grandmother sent to his mother when she first immigrated to America. Nicholas Martin posted the DVD he created which won the Reflections “Together We Can” award for video/film production, as well as the letter from Governor Schwarzenegger congratulating him. Mary Belle Morris brought in a poster featuring the many plays in which she had performed. Cole Kaitz hung up a baby sock, and avid drummer Cooper Ladomade posted a photo of Ringo Star along with her favorite drum sticks. Perhaps the most interesting artifact was from the ever-eclectic Violet Farley who displayed the Acoma Indian wedding chalice that was her parents’ wedding ring.

The photographic analysis portion primarily featured the students and their families on trip to local destinations like the Magic Castle, Griffith Observatory, Dodger Stadium, and outside the home of Marilyn Monroe; amusement parks like Disneyland and Sea World; trips to Yosemite, Sequoia, Mammoth, Big Sur and the Grand Canyon; and more distant trips like those to Washington DC and France.  Future artist Olivia Bodner displayed photos taken every year of herself in front of a bronze statue at the Childrens’s Discovery Museum in Rancho Mirage, with the final picture a collection of Olivias from past and present. Louis Antonelli, the boy with dreams of opening his own bakery, displayed a photo of himself with his Kitchen Aid Mixer.

Some of the smorgasbord of tasty treats included flan and tamales from south of the border, Iranian and Armenian Kabobs, English tea, scones with jam, Yorkshire pudding, baklava, and various pasta dishes. Amazingly, no one ordered a pizza.

The students and parents had a fabulous time touring the museum and feasting on the variety of delicious dishes. Today they take home their projects, and parents have the challenge of storing their child’s large displays in the box full of popsicle stick sculptures and glued macaroni.

VANC Awards

Also on March 10, the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Council (VANC) held their 8th anniversary mixer at the in Studio City. Several government officials were on hand to meet and greet, including District 2 Los Angles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, District 9 Councilwoman Jan Perry, 42nd District Assemblyman Mike Feuer, District 3 LAUSD School Board Member Tamar Galatzan, City Controller Wendy Greuel, and representatives from DWP and the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Neighborhood Council Valley Village was honored the "Best of Public Safety and Public Awareness" Award through their outreach efforts in the aftermath of the killing of , the Cafe and for persuading a tremendous number of residents to join Neighborhood Watch.

Northridge West Neighborhood Council won the “Best of Community Beautification & Pride” Award for their “Operation Clean Sweep,” a weekly event which at times attracts over 500 volunteers to clear trash throughout the city.

The Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council took home the “Best of Working with City Departments to Reduce Costs and Increase Efficiencies” Award for cost-cutting measures implemented at Castle Park, including the use of reclaimed water for irrigation, installing energy-efficient lighting, and more efficient use of air conditioning.

The two Councilmembers also received VANC “Got It” Awards – Kreokorian “For Fighting for Independence and Integrity of Neighborhood Councils” and Perry “For Embracing the Valley as Part of the City.”