Dominican Republic

Two weeks of volunteering in a medical mission in the Dominican Republic helped Marlee Jackson see what she wants to do with her life. “I always had a natural inclination to help people, and over there I got to,” said the 17-year-old Glendale resident, who wants to pursue a career in medicine. Marlee got up at 6 each morning to work in pharmacies set up by the Medical Ministries International organization. The pharmacies were in local schools, churches and orphanages.

For the sixth consecutive year, the La Crescenta Presbyterian Church sent a 31-member mission team to the town of La Romana in the Dominican Republic to do the work of the Lord. The team of 21 teenagers and 10 adults recently set out to continue the construction of a church and to provide medical aide. Their destination was a slum called Kilometer Six. The name describes its geographic distance from the center of La Romana. The La Crescenta Presbyterian Church was working in conjunction with the Haitian Baptist Church, which ministers to the poor Haitian immigrants that live in Kilometer Six. Previously, the people there had been worshipping in a shack-like building.

With every sip each tea connoisseur took, the condition of a person's health improved in the Dominican Republic. Last Saturday, members of Project Angel Club of Crescenta Valley High School hosted their annual charity tea to benefit citizens of the Dominican Republic and the Elizabeth House that is centered in Pasadena. The event was attended by more than 60 people and included tea, pastries and a silent auction of 20 gift baskets generously donated by local businesses and community members.

The bachata, a sultry Latin dance performed to romantic music, is moving West, and local instructors hope to give it a little nudge with a new beginners class in Burbank. Bodygroove dance company is adding beginning bachata classes to its course instruction because of its growing popularity at Los Angeles nightclubs, said Hollie Lee, owner of the dance school that already offers salsa, merengue and cha-cha. “The steps are slower and easier than salsa, and the music is slower and very beautiful,” Lee said.

The Dominican Republic has moved its California consulate to Glendale to be closer to movie studios and maybe get a bigger slice of the film-industry pie. It's also created a film commission and tax incentives to attract production companies. The consulate had a grand-opening celebration Saturday with executives from Disney, NBC Universal, Legendary Films and Cartoon Network on the guest list, said Ron Lizardo, vice-consul. Rafael Alburquerque, vice president of the Dominican Republic, also attended.

Ladies donned hats and tweed skirt suits. Girls wearing skirts and brightly-colored twin sets greeted them with smiles at the door of a not-quite-opened tea room for Saturday's Project Angel charity tea fund-raiser. "We're really passionate about this, and very dedicated," said Gohar Kotcharian, a Crescenta Valley High School junior who is co-president of Project Angel and a member of the family that owns The T Room at 2405 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose. "We're just grateful to be a part of this cause," said Marianna Kotcharian, who helps manage The T Room.

Resident's outreach efforts has him leading teens in other countries.Lending a helping hand to teenagers in the community comes naturally to Glendale resident Jay Hoehn, who has always been involved with the lives of his own children. "I think I'm good with kids," Hoehn said. "I was very involved with my kids when they were growing up. I was involved with their sports and coached for 10 to 12 years." When he is not busy running his own business, Hoehn, a ceramic tile contractor, makes time for children.

The La Cañada Flintridge Country Club will be the site of the first Manny Mota International Foundation's "Field of Dreams" Charity Golf Tournament on Aug. 8. In addition, a sports memorabilia auction and dinner will be held in conjunction with the tournament with the proceeds from both events benefitting the MMIF's humanitarian programs in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. Tournament registration and the sports memorabilia auction will both begin at 10:30 a.m. The auction will continue with the dinner which will starts at 6 p.m. For non-golfers, tennis and swimming will be available at the club.

This year La Crescenta Presbyterian Church has made a quantum leap in its involvement in mission projects. "Approximately 31 percent of the funds raised for our church in 2006 went directly to missions this year," said Pastor Andy Wilson. "In addition to our budget-appropriated missions, our members and friends have added $86,600 in off-budget mission support for a grand total of $188,000 in givings this year." That represents a 30 percent increase from 2005 and a 66 percent increase from 2001.

In the year 2006, La Crescenta Presbyterian Church has made a quantum leap in its involvement in mission projects. "Approximately 31 percent of the funds raised for our church in 2006 went directly to missions this year" said Pastor Andy Wilson. "In addition to our budget appropriated missions, our members and friends have added $86,600 in off-budget mission support for a grand total of $188,000 in giving this year." That represents a 30 percent increase from 2005 and a 66 percent increase from 2001.

The Dominican Republic has moved its California consulate to Glendale to be closer to movie studios and maybe get a bigger slice of the film-industry pie. It's also created a film commission and tax incentives to attract production companies. The consulate had a grand-opening celebration Saturday with executives from Disney, NBC Universal, Legendary Films and Cartoon Network on the guest list, said Ron Lizardo, vice-consul. Rafael Alburquerque, vice president of the Dominican Republic, also attended.

This is beginning to sound a bit like a broken record, I realize, but today's paper marks yet another round of changes. In concert with the changes with the Life & Leisure section, the addition of Marquee, we've decided to make a few design changes. We've changed the look and feel of the skybox (the text above our front-page logo), making it easier to read. We've changed the headline font, giving news stories a traditional serif font, while more feature-type stories receive a san-serif treatment.

Two weeks of volunteering in a medical mission in the Dominican Republic helped Marlee Jackson see what she wants to do with her life. “I always had a natural inclination to help people, and over there I got to,” said the 17-year-old Glendale resident, who wants to pursue a career in medicine. Marlee got up at 6 each morning to work in pharmacies set up by the Medical Ministries International organization. The pharmacies were in local schools, churches and orphanages.

The bachata, a sultry Latin dance performed to romantic music, is moving West, and local instructors hope to give it a little nudge with a new beginners class in Burbank. Bodygroove dance company is adding beginning bachata classes to its course instruction because of its growing popularity at Los Angeles nightclubs, said Hollie Lee, owner of the dance school that already offers salsa, merengue and cha-cha. “The steps are slower and easier than salsa, and the music is slower and very beautiful,” Lee said.

In a celebration of diverse countries and cultures, parents, students and staff at Holy Redeemer School thronged the campus blacktop Thursday for the annual United Nations Day festival. Now in its twelfth year running, Holy Redeemer School?s U.N. Day is the culminating event of a schoolwide education project where students get to exhibit their chosen country?s traditional music, dance, food and facts. ?This tradition began 12 years ago when I became principal,? said Principal Susan Fite.

For the sixth consecutive year, the La Crescenta Presbyterian Church sent a 31-member mission team to the town of La Romana in the Dominican Republic to do the work of the Lord. The team of 21 teenagers and 10 adults recently set out to continue the construction of a church and to provide medical aide. Their destination was a slum called Kilometer Six. The name describes its geographic distance from the center of La Romana. The La Crescenta Presbyterian Church was working in conjunction with the Haitian Baptist Church, which ministers to the poor Haitian immigrants that live in Kilometer Six. Previously, the people there had been worshipping in a shack-like building.

With every sip each tea connoisseur took, the condition of a person's health improved in the Dominican Republic. Last Saturday, members of Project Angel Club of Crescenta Valley High School hosted their annual charity tea to benefit citizens of the Dominican Republic and the Elizabeth House that is centered in Pasadena. The event was attended by more than 60 people and included tea, pastries and a silent auction of 20 gift baskets generously donated by local businesses and community members.

This year La Crescenta Presbyterian Church has made a quantum leap in its involvement in mission projects. "Approximately 31 percent of the funds raised for our church in 2006 went directly to missions this year," said Pastor Andy Wilson. "In addition to our budget-appropriated missions, our members and friends have added $86,600 in off-budget mission support for a grand total of $188,000 in givings this year." That represents a 30 percent increase from 2005 and a 66 percent increase from 2001.

In the year 2006, La Crescenta Presbyterian Church has made a quantum leap in its involvement in mission projects. "Approximately 31 percent of the funds raised for our church in 2006 went directly to missions this year" said Pastor Andy Wilson. "In addition to our budget appropriated missions, our members and friends have added $86,600 in off-budget mission support for a grand total of $188,000 in giving this year." That represents a 30 percent increase from 2005 and a 66 percent increase from 2001.

PROJECT ANGEL CLUB TEA RAISES $3,000 The Project Angel Club raised $3,000 during a fundraising tea on Feb. 25 at the T Room, a tea house in Montrose, which will open next week. Co-presidents Hannah Wilson and Gohar Kotcharian started the club at Crescenta Valley High School to help those in the Dominican Republic as well as other charities. The club raises funds for the Health Care Promoter Program of the Dominican Republic. This program trains indigenous women in the basics of public health.