Greater Hope Foundation has a track record of being an incredibly successful Foster Family Agency operating in the high-need area of Barstow, California. Greater Hope Foundation puts children with loving families and gives those children a better chance for a more successful, happy life.

But recently, they’ve been growing. A lot.

Greater Hope Foundation has unveiled its plans for Greater Hope Prep school, an innovative environment for young children to learn, explore, and be positively influenced. Also, last year Greater Hope Foundation launched a subsidiary business, All Clear Livescan, to assist and supplement their other businesses. All Clear Livescan is a service that fingerprints and uploads fingerprints for individuals requiring an “all clear”, whether it is to gain access to documents or to be allowed to be a foster parent.

These two services are in addition to the Foster Parent College, a training program for prospective foster parents, that Greater Hope Foundation has been working with for many years.

Most recently, Greater Hope Foundation announced it has the ability to support Supervised Visitations of non-custodial parents with their children.

After a call from a Greater Hope Foundation employee announcing that indeed Greater Hope Foundation would be able to expand its Foster Agency services into Riverside this year, GHF’s principle Helena Smith said, “I just keep getting good news” with a broad, bright smile indicative of all of the hard work that has gone into making all of this success possible.

To go along with all of the growth, the not-for-profit needed a facelift as its old monicker, Greater Hope Foundation for Children, was no longer reflective of all of the services the Foundation is engaged in. Thus, it is now Greater Hope Foundation, it has a new logo which WSmad designed and implemented on the site (which we originally designed and built), and we all decided it would be best to soften the blue of the site, which is now close to a “robin’s egg” blue.

The re-done site looks great and continues to perform extraordinarily well.

Congratulations from all of us at Web Site Maintenance And Design to everyone working their tails off at Greater Hope Foundation. We’re extremely pleased and very proud to be a small part of all that success.

As residents of Palos Verdes Estates know, making what even small changes in a home remodel is incredibly difficult. PVE’s Art Jury must approve every tiny modification you consider, and most of the time, they’ll say no. You want to upgrade your roof from red-tile shingles to a more modern style? NO. You want to change the color of your home to be like Mr. Pine? NO. You want to improve your windows insulation performance, lifetime, and keep your house’s historical look? NO…well… That is, until recently.

Jim Cook of Cook’s Windows & Doors, a South Bay company that has been fitting windows and doors in new homes and remodels for almost 90 years, has finally been able to make an upgrade during a remodel. Jim knew what it was going to take going in as he and his family have been residents on the Palos Verdes Peninsula for over 55 years. But since that’s what his customer wanted, Jim lowered his shoulder, gritted his teeth, and worked hard with the art jury and all of the architects and contractors involved, and put in late hours to make sure that’s what his customer got. Nobody else in his business has ever been able to do it. Or, they simply weren’t willing to work hard enough for it.

But Cook’s is. They do whatever it takes to make their customers happy.

There are some things the Palos Verdes Estates Art Jury simply won’t tolerate. But thanks to Cook’s, there’s one less item on the list. It’s an impressive feat, and Cook’s Doors and Windows were the first to do it.

Congrats Jim, Bob, and the whole Cook’s team! We celebrate your triumph of collaboration to help make Palos Verdes Estates home owners happier!

If you can guard Kobe but you’ve never had a chance to prove it, Summer Pro League is for you.

If you can knock down threes with a big sweaty hand in your face and the shot clock at 2, Summer Pro League is for you.

If you can drive the lane through three seven-footers and get the brick through the hoop, Summer Pro League is for you.

The Southern California Basketball Summer Pro League is back, and it’s taking applications for players, agents, and sponsors.

Tryouts are happening July 12th and 13th at the Roybal Center near Downtown LA – about a mile from the iconic Staples Center where both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers throw down. League play commences at the Roybal Center on July 15th and concludes on July 29th.

Applications for basketball players who wish to demonstrate their talents on the NBA Level in front of Talent Scouts, Agents, Pro Teams and NBA Players should be sent in immediately. Applications completed and paid before May 20th, 2012 are $150. Direct applications, for players with pro-level résumés, are $185. After May 20th, the price goes up. For agents or other organizations wishing to enter teams, the price is under $2500.

Players, here is your Pros versus Joes moment. You want your one game to prove what you got? $150 and you have your chance to play against the best. Test yourself. See if you really can play in the Pros.

Sitecon Concrete has been awarded the concrete portion of the new Water Recycling Demonstration Facility at Anaheim City Hall.

Michael Nolen of Sitecon Inc, is excited about the project. “Sitecon is performing all of the concrete scope of work for this project”, Mike told us, with a certain confident excitement in his words.

The miniature water recycling plant is the first of its kind in Southern California. It will treat 100,000 gallons of wastewater per day, saving 35 million gallons throughout a year’s use. That’s enough water for 220 houses, and it will save the City of Anaheim $70,000 annually.

Construction has already begun and the site is fully operational by March 2012.

Great work, Mike and Sitecon! Saving us all some taxpayer money and one of our world’s most precious resources – water – that’s something we can all get excited about!

For more information, contact:
SiteconInc.com

Project Overview Video

City of Anaheim

LA Art Stream has interviewed Los Angeles Master Artist Jim Morphesis about his exhibition, Time and Desire to be shown at the GARBOUSHIAN GALLERY in Beverly Hills starting January 28th.

The candid interview with one of Los Angeles’ best known Master artists was recorded and placed on YouTube. Morphesis has been seen by almost every Los Angelino has seen his face on the 110 freeway. In 1984, Morphesis’ portrait was painted under an overpass and is undergoing restoration.

The interviewer is well-known throughout the art work as a curator of exceptional taste – Shana Nys Dambrot’s credentials in the art world are extremely stout. Nys Dambrot speaks about the details of Morphesis latest creations – stunning and powerful images of roses, about their character, their depth, and his inspiration to create them. It’s a wonderful look into stunning pieces by a master artist.

The exhibition will be at GARBOUSHIAN GALLERY – one of the most exciting Los Angeles art galleries. Exhibits have included Masters like Seery and Altoon, and up-and-comers like Katrin Kampmann and Yvette Gellis.

The end is nigh! At least for Corvettes and their owners.

The Wally Parks NHRA Museum is hosting the 50th Anniversary of the Ford Motor Company / Carroll Shelby partnership that marked absolute dominance in racing and gave generations of Americans a whole new meaning to the term ‘Cobra’.

Carroll Shelby found a British A/C that he thought looked alright, put the ultra-powerful, ultra-reliable small-block Ford motor in it and the rest of the competition on the track simply became history. The birth of the Ford / Shelby Cobra marked a swift and painful death for anything else on wheels in the 60’s. The power-to-weight ratio was simply unstoppable.

2012 is upon us, and the celebration of that racing Armageddon will be accompanied by a massive and dangerous Cobra infestation at the Pomona Fairplex. Spirited “demonstrations” of Cobras and Shelbys around the historic Pomona circuit will accompany a massive gathering of the finest examples on the West Coast and in the World.

It’s a wonderful thing to see history preserved in museums – it’s a whole other to see these Snakes in motion (in their natural habitat), to hear it pound your ears and to feel the vibration of small block Ford motors in chorus beat at your feet.

If you’re an owner of a Shelby, you may apply to include your car in the festivities by going to Museum.NHRA.com and if you’re a wannabe owner of a Shelby, you can come and feast your eyes and ears and heart as the Museum brings some of the most exciting examples of its history to life.

Desi Bryant has one mantra when it comes to making things happen: To think only of the best and expect only the best.

Mr. Bryant is an experienced mover and shaker – a bona fide hustler in the world of Sports and Entertainment. Out of Los Angeles, Bryant has his hands in movies, sports, and talent, and with a background in law he is making things happen behind the scenes.

If you’re interested to see what’s coming in the Entertainment or Sports industries in the coming years, have a look at what Bryant Sports & Entertainment is doing now at www.BryantSpEnt.com. Everything he works on is “the next big thing”.

Medawar Fine Jewelers, in Palos Verdes, CA, is well known to the Peninsula Community through the famous Talking Clock it donated, its excellent in-house jewelry, clock and watch repair services, and of course, for it’s fantastic offering of fine jewelry.

Every year, they open their doors to the community to host a Holiday Open House. It’s a very fun event where the whole family joins in to have fun and catch up on old times with the customers. It’s also an excellent opportunity to come in to the relaxed atmosphere, and look at Pandora bracelets, Rolex Watches, and literally hundreds of other gift ideas, from jewelry and watches, to knives and jewelry cleaners.

Medawar has taken this opportunity to significantly upgrade their web site from a half-dozen pages to nearly a hundred pages with links to all of the manufacturers offerings they sell. This makes it easy for guests to the site and their regular customers to peruse what they have on offer before they come in.

Also in the upgraded site are details about the history of the Store, the Medawar Knowledge Center where you can learn all about jewelry, and details about their custom service center, where they create from scratch and repair jewelry, repair clocks and watches, all in-house.

If you’re puzzled as to what to get that special someone, Medawar has a very good answer – in fact, the best answer money can buy!

“There’s never been such a day… in Redondo Beach, L.A.”

It’s December again – though us locals have had a hard time noticing, what with the near-80 degree weekend and all. Nonetheless, there’s to be snow in the mountains soon and perhaps the temperatures will soon be below 70, and that means it’s time to get the family out for Riviera Village’s Holiday Stroll.

There are a whole host of shops to see in The Village on December 1st, starting around 6pm. There are boutiques and restaurants who all will be sharing cookies, cider, cocoa and close down Catalina Avenue for fun with the kids and families.

Of course, our favorite neighbors up in that neck o’ the woods (about a mile from WSmad’s HQ) are (in alphabetical order) Abbracci Studio, Fowler & Moore at Home and Peters Realty Center.

Abbracci Studio (and now Baci, as well) is a medical spa offering state-of-the-art facials, laser-hair removal, and other excellent treatments. Of course, they also have a fabulous gift boutique where you’ll have a excellent chance of finding something for the hard-to-shop-for. They stock the finest skincare items from the best companies in the business, and their kind and expert staff will be able to tell you exactly what’s right for you. If you prefer, they will deliver to you if you use their site, www.AbbracciStudio.com.

Literally next door is Fowler & Moore AT HOME, created by interior designers Chris Fowler and Suzy Moore. If you’re looking for holiday decor (or during the rest of the year, anything to spruce up your home), Fowler & Moore is the place to go. They have items of all prices, from a few dollars on up to the best things money can buy. And, of course, when it’s time for a full home makeover, there’s no place to go but to see Chris and Suzy at Fowler & Moore. They are the best Interior Designers in the whole Palos Verdes/beach cities area.

And if your home makeover just didn’t work for you and you’re ready to just trade the whole thing out, there’s nobody better than Nick Peters to find you a new home. Peters is THE expert of REO’s and short sales, and nobody on the planet knows Torrance Real Estate better than Nick. He knows everything there is to know about the Beach Cities Real Estate market. His real estate office is just up the street from the other two, right near Chez Malange on the corner of I. He’s invited you to stop by, too!

So in between horse carriage rides and cider, stop in to see some of the small businesses that are making the Riviera Village tick. And we all wish very happy holidays upon you!

Greater Hope Preparatory School for infants to five-year-olds is open in Barstow, California with the first day of school set to be January 16th, 2012.

The new school, “Where Children Reign Supreme”, focuses on creative energy and giving children a place to grow and thrive, already has a waiting list. Founded by Greater Hope Foundation’s Helena Smith, the school for kindergarten and pre-school aged children only has 74 spots available, and they have all been filled.

The Greater Hope Foundation for Children (www.GreaterHopeFoundation.com) assists with the placement of children into foster care in the high-need area of Barstow, Calfiornia. AllClearLivescan.com is a fingerprinting and checking service in Barstow, also.

One of the pieces that Greater Hope Prep boasts for parents is the use of KidCam, which allows parents to check in on their children at any time during the day using their telephone or computer. Greater Hope Prep also has a brand new 3000 square foot purpose-built facility and some of the best teachers on the planet. They all retain a Master’s Degree in Child Development (or higher degree) and are trained in CPR and first aid. It’s a top-notch school to promote top-notch learning and growth.

Congratulations to Helena Smith and the whole Greater Hope gang! Opening Day is just around the corner!