Briefly In The News

GCC gets technical education grant

Glendale Community College received a $25,000 scholarship from the Sempra Energy Foundation to provide financial aid for students enrolling in career and technical education programs.

The scholarship money will go toward the college’s Power Academy, a daily 16-week course, that takes unemployed workers and retrains them as utility workers, for future jobs potentially with any of the energy companies under the Sempra umbrella, Tony Tartaglia, a college trustee and manager with the Southern California Gas Co., a Sempra Energy Utility.

“Glendale was selected because it was on the cutting edge,” he said.

The college is also eligible for $12,500 in matching dollars from the Bernard Osher Foundation, officials said.

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Portos raises thousands for Haiti

Portos raised $3,465 in donations from employees and customers for its Haiti relief campaign held throughout February, said Betty Porto, vice president of community relations.

“I want to thank my customers and my employees of Porto’s Bakery for helping us to raise this money through their generosity,” she said.

“It’s amazing with the economy the way it is.”

Porto counted all the money herself and said there was a lot of change and dollar bills.

“The employees put their tip money into the fund,” she said. “Their hearts were in the right space.”

The funds were donated to the American Red Cross, Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter, Porto said.

“Once again, Porto’s has been there at the beginning of the relief effort to start a collection among their employees as well as providing an opportunity for their customers to conveniently show their compassion,” said Ron Farina, executive director of the local Red Cross.