Just shy of a month, NoirFest Santa Monica, a three-month arts festival kicked off at dnj Gallery at Bergamot Station. The first of many events to come was an opening reception for "Encaustic Noir" featuring the work of Helen K. Garber. Each week, as part of NoirFest Santa Monica, various events have occurred and will continue to do so, all over Santa Monica celebrating Noir. NoirFest Santa Monica was a longtime aspiration of multi-media artist, Noirist, and thirty year resident of Santa Monica, Helen K. Garber. Garber conceived the idea and has been working endlessly since 2010 on NoirFest Santa Monica. The three-month festival is reminiscent of the Getty Foundation's Pacific Standard Time Initiative, however, NoirFest Santa Monica is ... more

Nestled on a shady block near the equestrian community of Riverside Drive and rubbing shoulders with Toluca Lake and the Burbank studio district is a relatively new chiropractic and holistic nutrition center. Founded in November of 2008 by partnering doctors, John Ciambotti and Gassia Titizian, GLENDALE CHIRO CARE includes two massage therapists, an acupuncturist, and a nutrition consultant among its staff. After Ciambotti's sudden death in 2010, both Gassia Titizian (the Chiro Gal) and Garry Sztanski (the Vitamin Guy) pledged to carry on his legacy of compassionate care and holistic wellness. Dr. Gassia Titizian grew up wanting to be a doctor. She'd had enjoyable chiropractic experiences as a child, so after finishing graduate sc... more

---Theatre Review The 2011 holiday season marks Glendale Centre Theatre's 47th consecutive production of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," the classic, time-honored, and beloved story about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, whose response to Christmas is... 'Bah Humbug!' Mario DiGreggorio, who plays Scrooge (for the 36th time), continues to be a crowd-pleaser. Even at his grumpiest, you can't help but love him. There have been a few other Scrooges over the years, good ones too, but DiGreggorio has become the personification of the man, at least for GCT audiences. The GCT production owes its freshness to Brenda Dietlein, whose adaptations incorporate narration, and traditional and original music and lyrics (by Steven Applegate, By... more

---Theatre Review "It's a wonderful life" is not what George Bailey (Scott Harris) was thinking on a snowy Christmas Eve as he stood on an icy bridge and contemplated jumping off. In fact, he thought his life was pretty hopeless at that point. He'd tried his best and had failed everyone he cared for. Now he believed his family would be "better off" without him. With a sigh, Bailey takes off his coat, grabs the railing, and swings a leg over it. Enter Clarence (Karl Maschek), a novice guardian angel who's trying to earn his wings. His urgent assignment is to dissuade Bailey from jumping and convince him that he is important to the people of Bedford Falls. In the same way that the 'Spirits of Christmases Past and Present' showed ... more

Bohemian Exchange decks the halls on Sunday December 4th, at the Abbot Kinney Holiday Extravaganza from 11:00 am till 6:00 pm. On this special day, Bohemian Exchanges offers a very Bohemian stocking stuffer giveaway as well as incredible sales, a Holiday vintage rack and refreshments It's all about the holidays this weekend.....so stop in for some holiday refreshments and enjoy fabulous deals all through the store. If you are in the area for First Fridays on Abbot Kinney (Dec 2nd, from 6-9), you can also pick up some wonderful items at great prices. If you have never been to Bohemian Exchange, it's a Parisian style boutique with old world charm. Feathers, vintage furniture, bodacious fashions, even bohemian style paintings adorn the wa... more

---A Grand Opening Friday, November 11, marked the grand opening of a new business in Tujunga, the Way of Life Christian Store, conveniently located on Commerce Ave right next to Zena's Beauty Salon. The small but beautifully appointed store is a first-time venture for owners, Arthur and Marianna Saribekyan, whose excited faces beamed as the door opened and their first customers began arriving. Owning a Christian Store has been a longtime dream for Marianna. Late in her teens she worked for the Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Glendale and loved every minute of it. She, as well as many of their customers, were dismayed when the company lost its lease and had to close its doors. Soon after, at one of the evangelical services led ... more

Stop into Very Venice Art & Design Gallery to see the work of photographer, Erik Fischer. Located at 1629 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Very Venice Art & Design Gallery is a combination of a co-up, and a gallery together. Each month specific artists are featured in a new show. Erik Fischer's exhibit recently opened and is still welcoming new visitors. This brilliant photographer has been published in numerous magazines, newspapers, and books. Fischer has combined his unique training and experience in photography and cooking to weave stories with his portrait, landscape, and architectural images. Fischer was born in Aachen, Germany and graduated in Art History and drawing in 1989. He then proceeded to culinary school, graduating in 1993. He m... more

Lifelong Rochester resident Chad Goodness joins PODS as new territory manager. (ROCHESTER, NY) ... PODS of Rochester, a franchise with Storage Mobility, one of the world's largest independent providers of PODS. Moving and Storage services in the U.S., welcomes Chad Goodness as territory manager. A lifetime resident of Rochester, Goodness will provide personal service to customers within a 60-mile radius from greater Rochester and serving the counties of Genesee, Monroe, Ontario, Oswego, Tompkins and Wayne. He also will continue to grow community partnerships through corporate philanthropy, providing logistics and donations of its storage containers for nonprofits. Benefactors in the past have included Toys for Tots, Cross Roads Hou... more

(VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.) - The Resource Conservation District of Ventura County (RCD) and FOOD Share (FS), in collaboration with the local agricultural agencies, associations, the Ventura County Farm Bureau and the Ag Futures Alliance, are evaluating the best practices of seven local agricultural firms that have been nominated for the 2011 Ventura County Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship and Sustainability Award. For the second year in a row, the RCD's Ventura County Excellence in Stewardship Review Panel will look closely at the policies and practices of nominated growers, critiquing their strengths in land and resource management, economics, innovation, conservation excellence, overall land health, community outreach and industry ... more

An active group of young agriculturalists, better known as the Ventura County Young Farmers and Ranchers, rallied together on Saturday, Sept. 17, to scour Ventura County agricultural fields and harvest excess produce for FOOD Share, Ventura County's regional food bank. These budding farmers and ranchers, ages 18 - 35, fanned out across the county gleaning harvests from 20 participating growers, packers, shippers and individuals. At the end of the day, they collected over 33,000 lbs. of fresh produce that FOOD Share will use to feed over 74,500 hungry people each month. "Our members collected fruits and vegetables from farms in every corner of Ventura County," said Chris Garmon, State Representative for the Young Farmer and Ranchers of... more

Many non-profits are feeling the pains of a struggling economy, and face the challenge of a decreasing number of individual and business supporters to help them keep their organizations running. PODS Lexington, the official moving and storage partner of Lexington Habitat for Humanity, met this challenge head on when they recently teamed up to support the non-profit in building a home for a local family in need. "When Lexington Habitat for Humanity asked for PODS help, we jumped at the opportunity," said Ken Kocon, manager of operations for PODS Lexington. "Supporting local non-profits is a major aspect of our business model and we hope that our support will motivate other businesses to do the same." PODS Lexington has provided PODS. ... more

As the saying goes, "the key to success is often the ability to adapt." On Thursday, October 27, 2011, Ostrofe Financial Consultants, Inc. and ICON will put this saying into practice when they team up to host a "global perspective" free portfolio allocation seminar designed to show investors strategies for better managing their investment portfolios. Drew Larson, ICON Regional Vice President, and Allen Ostrofe, President of Ostrofe Financial Consultants, Inc., will speak about the importance of utilizing a "tactical asset rotation" in order to diversify ones stock portfolio and capitalize on the strengths of the global stock market. "Thinking globally is not a new investment concept but, in our ever-changing marketplace, it is more ... more

PODS Jacksonville was recently honored by the franchise's corporate headquarters for their high marks in customer satisfaction. Using a customer feedback survey to rank truck drivers in 48 U.S. states, PODS Enterprises Inc. listed PODS Jacksonville amongst the corporation's top tier of high performing franchise operations. "Every PODS operation focuses on customer service so it's especially satisfying to be recognized," said Bob Eales, owner of PODS Jacksonville. "Our drivers are the very best in the business and always go above and beyond to make a customer's move as stress-free as possible." The HR and training departments at PODS Enterprises, Inc., headquartered in Clearwater, Fla., plan to interview the top-ranked drivers and ... more

Venice, CA (September 10, 2011) ... Very Venice, an art gallery that opened its doors last month on Abbot Kinney Blvd., is featuring global works of beauty by award-winning photographer Felice Willat. A silent auction is being held on several of Willat's striking photographs of Myanmar during this special exhibit, which runs until September 23rd. The proceeds from the auction will benefit the Parami Foundation, which provides education and crucial health support for rural communities in Myanmar. An avid traveler with an intuitive eye for beauty, Willat captures the heartbreaking humanity she sees in remote countries. A recent trip to Myanmar, historically known as Burma, yielded exquisite photos of villages plagued by disaster... more

This album cover was designed by David Willardson, one of the artists featured in the PAID TO PLAY exhibition at The Robert Berman Gallery this Saturday. PAID TO PLAY illustrating Los Angeles: 1945 ... 1985 opens this Saturday, September 17th at the Robert Berman Gallery from 5:00 p.m. til 7:00 p.m. This exhibition features artists who earned their living as illustrators. This was a genre, looked down upon by many in the art field. To be involved in such commercialism was considered "selling out." However these artists created memorable works that have stood the test of time. Iconic images such as Playboy, Levi's, the Rolling Stones, along with major studio films such as American Graffiti and Tron. The artists who created these imag... more

Local community asked to donate household items to help foster youth create a home of their own. (MODESTO, Calif.) ... PODS Moving and Storage of Stockton, The Chicken Barn and KAT Country 103 Radio are partnering for Aspiranet, one of California's largest and most innovative providers of transitional foster care programs, to host a donation drive to benefit teens transitioning out of foster care on Oct. 1. In California, foster care currently ends at 18 with approximately 4,000 foster youths aging out of the child welfare system annually. Aspiranet provides THP-Plus (Transitional Housing Program) programs that provide a safe living environment for youth 18-24 while teaching them life skills to help them become self-sufficient. Wha... more

When Bonnie Weigel, FOOD Share CEO, visits Ventura County neighborhoods and sees ripe lemons, avocados or peaches that have fallen to the ground and are rotting, she cringes. Weigel knows that rather than go to waste, each piece of fruit has the ability to feed a hungry person in our community. On Saturday, Sept. 24, FOOD Share will publically embrace the old adage "waste not, want not" as they launch their new "Fruit Share" backyard harvest program and community fruit drive. From 9am ... 3pm, Ventura County residents are encouraged to donate their excess homegrown produce to FOOD Share at the following locations: Target stores in Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and Simi Valley as well as Vons in Ojai and Chevrolet d... more

--- Theatre Review Doug Haverty's NEXT WINDOW, PLEASE, playing now at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in NoHo, takes audiences behind the Plexiglas shields that banks erect to insulate and protect their employees, to meet five hard working female tellers, their female boss, and a lone male junior executive... all in the midst of a crisis. The bank they work for is facing a merger and the downsizing that goes with it. Three of the five tellers must be laid off and it's up to Cassie (Kady Douglas) the bank's manager, to recommend which ones to let go. She struggles with the decision because all the tellers have admirable, if differing, traits and desperately need their jobs. Between transactions, we learn about each character's personal ... more

(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) ... The Pacific Coast Business Times, the premier weekly business journal reporting news for California's Central Coast, is hosting its annual awards presentation for the 2011 Fastest Growing Companies in the Tri-Counties on Sept. 12. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel. More than 50 companies will be honored with eight Editor's Choice Awards presented to: FastSpring, Santa Barbara InTouch Health, Goleta Fleet Management Solutions, San Luis Obispo Experior Laboratories, Oxnard SemTech, Camarillo NovaCoast, Santa Barbara NiMinEnergy, Carpinteria Hardy Diagnostics, Santa Maria Tickets to the event are $45 per person and include a drink ticket and appetizers. Group... more

(VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.) ... Republic Services, Inc., a leading provider of solid waste collection, transfer and disposal services, recently launched a "Food and Funds Drive" in support of FOOD Share, Ventura County's regional food bank. Throughout the month of September, Republic Services, Inc. will donate 15 cents to FOOD Share for every pound of donated non-perishable food that is dropped off for FOOD Share at their Del Norte Regional and Recycling Center, 111 S. Del Norte Blvd. On Sunday, October 1, the "FOOD and Funds Drive" will continue when Republic collects FOOD Share donations at the 16th annual Multi-Cultural Festival taking place from 10 a.m. ... 6 p.m. at Oxnard's Downtown Plaza Park. For more information, go to www.fo... more

The concept is simple but the potential pay-off is huge. If every single individual, family and business makes the personal commitment to take action to battle hunger during the month of September, FOOD Share, Ventura County's regional food bank, can continue feeding more than 74,500 people that visit its 150 pantry partners each month. In September, FOOD Share is promoting a 30-day Hunger Action Month calendar on its website www.foodshare.com and offering simple suggestions anyone can implement to help feed the hungry in Ventura County. "Whether it is skipping your morning latte and contributing the cost, buying an extra bag of groceries and donating it to FOOD Share or growing a backyard garden and sharing your harvest, if we all w... more

Prior to last year's passage of AB12, the California Fostering Connections Success Act, foster care for most California youth came to an abrupt end at age 18. Ready or not, about 5,000 foster youths "age out" of the state's child welfare system each year. AB12 provides critical funding that allows youth to stay in foster care until age 21; building an important bridge between traditional foster care and adult independence. Research shows that without transitional foster care programs, foster youths who age out of foster care have lower educational achievement and are more likely to experience homelessness, unemployment, unplanned pregnancies, drug use and involvement in the legal system. Aspiranet, one of the state's largest and mos... more

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) ... PODS of Riverside and CB International Realty in Temecula have implemented a unique partnership to help homeowners on the move. Designed to provide a cost-effective alternative to help homes look their best, sell quicker and assist clients moving into a new home the agreement will provide clients of CB International Realty with a credit of up to $1,000 towards the purchase of moving or storage services through PODS of Riverside. "We are delighted to be able to bring our clients an additional service that assists them in making the transition from one living environment to another," said Blake Cory, Broker of CB International Realty. "Through our partnership with PODS of Riverside, we can help our clients with s... more

Hosting a sporting competition for as many as 20,000 firefighters and law enforcement personnel from 70 different countries is no small feat, but that is just what will occur in New York City at the 2011 World Police and Fire Games, Aug. 26 ... Sept. 5. PODS of Long Island is supporting the 2011 World Police and Fire Games with the donation of multiple PODS. containers to be used for equipment storage at several event locations around the New York area. Captain Joseph Brosi, FDNY and Chief Executive Officer of the Games approached PODS about providing storage for the games. "We appreciate PODS support, and especially the support from the people at PODS of Long Island. I love to tell people about the guy who said, 'Let me put your mi... more

(SAN FRANCISCO.) ... Prior to last year's passage of AB12, the California Fostering Connections Success Act, foster care for most California youth came to an abrupt end at age 18. Ready or not, about 5,000 foster youths "age out" of the state's child welfare system each year. AB12 provides critical funding that allows youth to stay in foster care until age 21; building an important bridge between traditional foster care and adult independence. Research shows that without transitional foster care programs, foster youths who age out of foster care have lower educational achievement and are more likely to experience homelessness, unemployment, unplanned pregnancies, drug use and involvement in the legal system. Aspiranet, one of the st... more

This summer, PODS Lexington teamed up with the Lexington Art League (LAL) to bring cutting edge mobile art installations to the state of Kentucky. Local artists transformed three PODS. containers into interactive works of modern art which traveled to various locations around the Lexington area. The first PODS. container was on display at the Loudoun House lawn where viewers experienced the work of Annie Strader and Matt Weedman which highlighted a unique portrayal of manmade objects surrounded by nature. The container exhibits were on display in the community for two months before being featured at the 36th annual American Founder's Bank Woodland Art Fair on August 20th and 21st where attendees marveled at the artistic work of these unu... more

While most people may look at a PODS. moving and storage container and see a large, white utilitarian storage box, Tm Gratkowski, director of FLAG STOP, an alternative contemporary art exhibit, sees so much more. Gratkowski, a Los Angeles-based contemporary artist, came up with the idea of using the large white PODS. containers as micro galleries to house artwork for a major Southern California Labor Day weekend art event. "FLAG STOP is dedicated to presenting the best curated examples of what, why, and how art is relevant today," said Gratkowski. "The PODS. containers are perfect self-contained portable art galleries that allow us to showcase ground breaking contemporary art in a very unusual setting outside of mainstream art venues... more

For most children, an afternoon at the ice rink or at a youth carnival sounds like a fun summertime activity but, for Fresno and Madera County children in foster or adoptive care, two recent events meant the rare chance to see their brothers and sisters. During the first two weeks in August, Fresno and Madera County foster and adoptive children participated in two events designed to provide separated siblings with a few precious hours of togetherness. Aspiranet, one of states' largest and most innovative providers of family service and foster care programs, partnered with counties and other providers to put on these events. Brothers and sisters, some whom have not seen each other for years, were offered the chance to talk, share and re... more

Whole Foods welcomes back renowned homeopath, Dr. Stuart H. Garber on Tuesday, August 16th at 6:30 pm. Dr. Garber has practiced holistic medicine in Santa Monica for the past 30 years. He has lectured all over the world and is happy to be able to make a local appearance at Whole Foods in Venice (225 Lincoln Blvd at Rose 90291). The subject of this lecture will be Allergies: what causes them, how to avoid them, as well as actions to be taken to feel better and become healthier. Being the first person in the United States to receive a Ph.D. degree in homeopathy, Dr. Stuart H. Garber has led the way for natural remedies to become accessible to the average person. He is the developer of Dr. Garber's Natural Solutions line of condition spec... more

Ava Bird delivers a fresh and bold new book of poetry and prose entitled Rage Against the War Machine. An excerpt from Rage Against the War Machine: Circumcised Wars Sometimes I see the residues of War: Homelessness, Mental Illness, Broken souls, Refugees and Rescue Me! Last night I saw the word 'god' in GenOciDe. g-o-d, you won't save me , I tried to Hide! I cried Over killing sons For sins Killing sons Over circumcised wars For fools gold Rage Against the War Machine assaults the dominant paradigm. Taking refuge in honest, yet abrasive verbiage, it withdraws from normalcy, reveling in an outsider's view of what is expected from today's society. Ava Bird's consistent choice of words embodies the power of the fem... more

Ava Bird delivers a fresh and bold new book of poetry and prose entitled Rage Against the War Machine. An excerpt from Rage Against the War Machine: Circumcised Wars Sometimes I see the residues of War: Homelessness, Mental Illness, Broken souls, Refugees and Rescue Me! Last night I saw the word 'god' in GenOciDe. g-o-d, you won't save me , I tried to Hide! I cried Over killing sons For sins Killing sons Over circumcised wars For fools gold Rage Against the War Machine assaults the dominant paradigm. Taking refuge in honest, yet abrasive verbiage, it withdraws from normalcy, reveling in an outsider's view of what is expected from today's society. Ava Bird's consistent choice of words embodies the power of the fem... more

(Grass Valley, CA) ...Patty Lum, a 20-year employee of Ostrofe Financial Consultants, Inc., was recently promoted to Office Manager of the Grass Valley-based financial planning firm. Lum, who began her career at Ostrofe Financial Consultants, Inc. in 1991, is responsible for establishing and maintaining client relationships, handling a variety of administrative accounting and regulatory duties and overseeing the company.s marketing, advertising and client relations activities. Lum, who also serves as the company.s notary, has been a Grass Valley area resident for 24 years. About Ostrofe Financial Consultants, Inc. Ostrofe Financial Consultants, Inc. (OFC) located in Grass Valley, Calif., is a Registered Investment Advisory firm w... more

Diabetics who face the challenge of staying healthy while touring at higher elevations can get first-aid at one of eight PODS. containers placed along the race route. (LONGMONT, Colo.) ... Cyclists in the 2011 Tour de Cure race to stop diabetes on Aug. 20 will find something new in their sights along the ride this year ... mobile health stations. For diabetics who face the difficult challenge of regulating blood sugar at higher altitudes, staying healthy when competing is a life-saving priority. Recognizing the need to keep athletes safe, event organizers teamed with PODS of Boulder to place eight storage containers at regular intervals along the race route. Each mobile health station will be staffed with volunteers to provide first-... more

Neatness not your niche? From July 25 ... August 7, 2011, radio listeners of KNX 1070 and KFWB 980 in Los Angeles are invited to submit photos of their messy garages to the station websites for a chance to win a garage transformation makeover by Garage Envy and a PODS. brand container to store the stuff. Beginning on August 8, the radio stations will post photos of the messy garage finalists and ask listeners to go online and vote for their top pick. Voting ends Monday, August 22. The winner will receive a PODS garage makeover provided by PODS Los Angeles and Garage Envy. PODS will donate six months of free storage while the makeover is taking place. For more information or to nominate a messy garage, go to http://losangeles.cbsloc... more

Honor guard set to open donation drive where organizers hope to collect a record number of donations for military families in need. (SAN DIEGO) ... Now is the time to show your American pride and help our U.S. military and their families with basic necessities for living while they selflessly serve our country. The first donations drive, hosted by PODS of San Diego, Homefront San Diego and AM 600 KOGO was so successful, a second drive has been planned. During this drive, organizers hope to collect items specifically to help babies, toddlers and kids. The community is encouraged to stop by before the start of the event, where a U.S. Marines Honor Guard will open with a flag ceremony and the National Anthem at 9:55 a.m. Current n... more

Daytona Beach, FL.) ... PODS. of Daytona Beach is a longtime supporter of the Central Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Since 2002, Bob Eales, owner of four PODS moving and storage franchises located along Florida's northern and central coastline, has donated storage containers that are used at Cub Scout day camps. Kelley Bookhardt, Program Director for the Central Florida Cub Scout Day Camps, says that the PODS containers have been instrumental to the success of their annual summertime day camps. "Our long-standing partnership with Bob Eales and PODS has been a true blessing for the Cub Scouts, said Bookhardt. " We use the containers to store everything from archery equipment to craft supplies to first aid kits. By saving on... more

With thousands of submissions received from 22 countries, marketing and public relations agency places third in the not-for-profit category with its adoption and foster care video. (VENTURA, Calif.) ... A panel of international judges from 20 different countries recognized Consortium Media Services of Ventura, Calif. with a bronze Summit Creative Award in the not-for-profit video category at the 2011 Summit International Awards Competition. The 12-minute video entry was designed exclusively for San Francisco-based Aspiranet, one of California's largest nonprofit social service agencies, to increase awareness and recruit new foster parents for thousands of foster children in need. The video, "Building Heroes," was accompanied by an ori... more

(SAN FRANCISCO) ... From June 13-26, Mike's Bikes teamed up with PODS of San Francisco to collect bicycles for its Sister Shops project in Africa. In just two weeks, PODS. helped the bay area retailer gather 500 donated bicycles in record time at eight northern California store locations. "As a result of our partnership with PODS of San Francisco, we experienced great success during last month's bike drive," said Ken Martin, founder and CEO of Mike's Bikes. "Normally it would have taken us several months to collect that number of bicycles. Thanks to PODS, we were able to fill the donated containers in just two short weeks ... faster than ever before." Mike's Bikes helps people in developing African countries by donating bicycles to r... more

(MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif.) ... Aspiranet, one of the largest nonprofit social service agencies in California, has launched an innovative new program, Intensive Treatment Foster Care (ITFC). It is the first program of its kind in Monterey County. Created for at-risk youths requiring intensive support and structure, ITFC partners foster parents with an Aspiranet social worker and youth support counselor. Collaboratively, Aspiranet works with troubled foster teens and their foster families, therapists, teachers and county social workers with the ultimate goal being to reunite the youth with permanent families (birth, relative or foster) and to promote greater self esteem and social acceptance. Aspiranet's ITFC team provides a myriad of s... more

(SPOKANE, Wa.) ... PODS Spokane recently sponsored two male adult teams at the 2011 Hoopfest, the biggest 3-on-3 street basketball tournament on the planet. This year the event welcomed 7,046 teams and 27,876 players on 458 courts spanning 40 city blocks, June 25-27. With 4,000 games played over three days, PODS Team One played five games in its assigned bracket consisting of 16 teams in an elimination and advance format to win its Bracket 399's championship. PODS Team Two played and won three games in Bracket 326 and was awarded third place. "Hoopfest was an amazing community event with participants from across the country coming together to celebrate basketball," said David Henry, territory manager of PODS Spokane. "In addition to ... more

So many great stories end up in book form, some become plays or movies; why not songs? On Saturday, July 16th, at 7:30 pm, experience of "The Lit Show" with veteran vocalist and Diva Deluxe, Suzy Williams. Suzy hosts a magical evening of songs with lyrics by famous writers such as Charles Dickens, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Dorothy Parker, J. D. Salinger and Kurt Vonnegut (to name just a few). Suzy Williams is the ultimate performer. Unlike some singers who are glued to the microphone, Suzy can barely contain herself on the stage. She leaps beyond the fourth wall, sharing her talent with audiences with such humor and compassion you cannot help but fall in love with her. As the lights gradually come up, the stage is set with pro... more

At the age of 18, youth in most California foster care programs are required to leave the child welfare system, regardless of whether or not they are prepared for independence. Often times, these emancipated youth exit without a secure residence or birth family to live with. Aspiranet, one of the state's largest providers of Transitional Housing Programs (THP), knows that transitional care is critical to ensuring success for youth as they "age out" of foster care. Beginning July 1, Aspiranet will take over administration of the Orange County THP Plus program which offers a stable living environment for up to fifteen former foster children, ages 18 ... 24. THP Plus partners with local businesses and agencies to provide housing opport... more

(Ventura County, CALIF.) ... From now through July 24, all Ventura County Vons supermarkets are partnering with FOOD Share to help fill the regional food bank.s shelves. Over the summer months, food donations to FOOD Share tend to drop dramatically, despite the fact that demand for food assistance continues to soar. Unemployed and low-income parents, whose children receive free or reduced-priced school meals during the school term, are forced to turn to other nutrition assistance programs for help feeding their children during the summer months. Vons is helping FOOD Share fill the gap created by this increased demand with its "Help Us End Hunger" campaign which runs through July 24 at all Ventura County Vons supermarket locations. ... more

New gourmet food trucks from Los Angeles and Santa Barbara and the return of The Shoemaker Brothers highlight Ventura County Food Truck & Bocce Ball Festival, July 24 (VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.) ... The second stop for the Ventura County Food Truck & Bocce Ball Festival on July 24 at Limoneira Ranch will feature an exclusive VIP lounge, several new gourmet food trucks and four live music performances to keep guests entertained throughout the afternoon. New gourmet food trucks from the Los Angeles area include Ta Bom Truck, introducing the savory flavors of Brazil to Ventura County and Wrap Me Silly, offering premium organic culinary fusions. Fresh from Santa Barbara, O Street Truck will serve up Mediterranean, French-Mex and French-Vie... more

Terri Kruger knows firsthand how hard being different can be. Legally blind and dependent upon a guide dog, Kruger has overcome major obstacles in her journey to becoming a therapist. The Family Service Long Beach (FSLB) trainee was honored by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) Long Beach/South Bay Chapter on June 10 as its "Most Loyal Attendee of the Year." Kruger, a masters student at California State Dominguez, did not realize the difficulties that she would face when searching for an organization to complete her required clinical training. Kruger spent more than nine months applying and interviewing with local professionals in the Long Beach area to no avail, often being turned away because of her d... more

PODS Moving and Storage and Homefront San Diego hope to collect donations from the local community to give U.S. Military families a hand up. (SAN DIEGO, Calif.) ... Now is the time to show your American pride and help our U.S. military and their families with basic necessities for living while serving our country. PODS., Homefront San Diego and AM 600 KOGO have issued a call to action to help bridge the economic deficiency some military families are experiencing and help fill the PODS. container with donations for service men and women. Current needs include baby items such as new cribs and mattresses, new or gently used strollers, high chairs, bassinets, baby clothes sizes newborn to 5T, crib bedding, new packages of diapers, wip... more

(Jacksonville, Fla.) ... A different school of fish will swim with the current when rods hit the water for the 31st Annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament July 18-23 at Jim King Park and Boat Ramp at Sister Creek. PODS. Jacksonville will be the kingfish of storage, swallowing prizes, equipment and supplies needed to organize the tournament inside several large PODS. storage containers for the largest kingfish tournament in the world. "Although this is the eighth year PODS Jacksonville has donated storage containers to Jacksonville Marine Charities for the Kingfish Tournament, we look forward every year to celebrating with our community and providing storage and logistics behind the scenes," said Bob Eales, franchise owner. ... more

Bike drive supports the Mike's Bikes Sister Shops project which aims to improve everyday life in Africa, one bike at a time. (SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.) -- PODS of San Francisco donated nine PODS. containers to Mike's Bikes, the largest independent bicycle retailer in the U.S., to store donations for its ongoing Africa Bike Drive, through June 26. The PODS. containers will serve as temporary bicycle donation centers and provide on-site storage at nine Mike's Bikes locations throughout Northern California. At the end of the bicycle drive, PODS will drive the containers to a central staging area where volunteers and staff will prepare the bikes for shipment to Africa. "PODS is committed to aiding Mike's Bikes and this worthy cause,... more

New model allows PODS. to continue U.S. expansion by servicing customers in smaller markets. (Clearwater, Fla.) ... PODS, a leader in moving and storage, introduces a new service model to meet demand in smaller markets. PODS currently provides service to over 250,000,000 people in 22,000 cities, within four countries through its company-owned and franchise operations. The new agency model allows the organization to expand services to smaller U.S. markets. The innovative agency program reduces the investment requirement associated with a traditional PODS franchise while taking advantage of the community connections and entrepreneurial spirit of a local operator. "We have received a tremendous number of inquiries about the new struct... more

The Venice Art Crawl, a monthly event that continues every third Thursday of each month in Venice is back in full swing. It runs from 6:30 pm till 9:00 pm, however, some events go later. The summer months are expected to help this relatively new event blossom. This Art Crawl was inspired by the very successful Downtown Art Walk. Still in its infancy stage, the Venice Art Crawl continues to grow at a "crawl." But remember, it is just the first year. The commitment and passion, local venetians feel for their art community is definitely paying off. Some fun events are going on and I have listed my favorites. Start off the Crawl at Figtree's for some tasty appetizers on happy hour specials such as Empanadas and Potato Latkes for as litt... more