Basic Skills

Believe it: The Glendale Community College women's volleyball team would like to become heavy hitters. It's a program that's struggled for many years, culminating in it being shut down in 2002 because the college's athletic department decided the team couldn't field a sufficient amount of players. Things have changed since. Granted, the Vaqueros haven't posted a winning record since the program resurrected. But, they appear to have followed through on their well-conceived plan to recruit from the local talent base.

GLENDALE -- For the first time in her life, Mariam TerOganesyan has a job, and she's thrilled. TerOganesyan was one of six students to graduate Friday from the 2003 Foothill Area Community Transition Services program. The Glendale Unified School District funds and coordinates the program, which prepares developmentally disabled adults 18 to 22 for the transition from the classroom to life in the community. Five of the graduates, along with family, friends and educators, attended a graduation ceremony Friday at Glendale First United Methodist Church.

Forum targets parents with pre-teens LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- The Community Prevention Council is holding a forum on parenting fourth- through sixth-grade students Thursday at the Roger Barkley Community Center. The forum is titled "Who is this Stranger in our House? Survival Tips!" and licensed marriage family therapist Peter Gero will give suggestions for raising pre-teens. Gero is also director of Tom Sawyer Summer Camp and a Los Angeles Unified School District teacher.

Karen S. Kim GLENDALE -- Beefing up the basic skills of the local work force by improving literacy levels in Glendale, Burbank and La Canada Flintridge is a goal set out by the Verdugo Work Force Investment Board. To reach this goal, the board will circulate surveys to local groups with literacy programs to investigate the depth of the problem. "We feel there is a huge demand in the community for these kind of services," said Don Nakamoto, labor market specialist for Glendale and the board.

Alex Coolman CIVIC AUDITORIUM -- About 250 city employees spent Tuesday puffing into the plastic mouths of mannequins and learning to jump-start an ailing heart as part of a clinic to ready Glendale's staff for CPR emergencies. The program, held in the Glendale Civic Auditorium, will be repeated in January and February. Eventually, said Fire Department Training Officer Chief Don Biggs, training will reach around 1,700 city employees. All of Glendale's police officers and firefighters and some of its utility workers receive regular CPR training, Biggs said.