Hurricanes

To be a Weather Channel newscaster must be fun. These intrepid souls fly all over the country and into the heart of meteorological disasters. They are paid to face the fury of the storm instead of evacuating with the masses. They stand against the onslaught of hurricane-force rain and storm surges, protected only by a thin layer of colorful GoreTex, enduring gale force winds as they explain how bad it is out there. Heck, we could do that. Several weeks of watching hurricanes Katrina, Ophelia and now Rita have left us hankering for a piece of the news coverage action.

"Why does God allow" anything is not the right question. The truth is, it's a jungle out here, and it has been ever since Adam and Eve were tossed out of the Garden of Eden. There are numerous interpretations of the Genesis stories, but the "spin" I personally put on the Adam and Eve story is that once we (in the persons of Adam and Eve) were ejected from the Garden, we became subject to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune regardless of how strong or how weak our faith.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE ? The first inning was dubious, to say the least. Four errors by the Hurricanes led to three unearned runs by the Rowdie Girlz, which in most circumstances, would have decided the game. But the Hurricanes are experts when it comes to overcoming the odds. During the regular season, the Burbank-based Little League Major Softball squad finished third in District 16, so the fact that it was playing in the Tri-Cities Tournament title game was a surprise to many.

You remembered. I'm touched. Someone asked that I reprise a column I did years ago on hurricanes, how they are named and what all those categories mean. If nothing else, it's definitely timely. Thus, for your meteorological pleasure, I give you, Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Hurricanes But Were Too Wet to Ask. We begin. Where do the names come from? I have no idea. Just kidding. They come from the United Nations, of all places, which runs the World Meteorological Organization.

AYSO REGION 88 BOYS' UNDER-14 DIVISION PLAYOFFS CHAMPIONSHIP Avengers XII 1, Blue Devils Strike Back 1 (Avengers XII win in shootout, 2-0): Richard Lyans' Avengers XII squad (13-1) capped an undefeated run through the double-elimination postseason tournament, and finished the season on a 12-match winning streak, as it survived the Dec. 13 shootout at the Glendale Sports Complex. Christian Nitu scored in the third quarter for Avengers XII off an assist from Rene Goldfarb, but Victor Pinon's Blue Devils Strike Back (12-4)

GLENDALE ? The following are updates on local athletes competing at the collegiate level: Nick Seaver (Flintridge Prep, 2003) senior, Princeton University men's water polo ? The 2002 All-Area Player of the Year returned to California last weekend. Princeton improved to 7-3 this season with a pair of wins on Sunday at the NorCal Tournament at Stanford University in Palo Alto. Princeton recorded a 10-8 win against Santa Clara, before posting a 14-6 win against UC Santa Cruz.

Ahoy. Remember when a tsunami warning was issued for our coastline in the middle of June? Fortunately, the tsunami was only one centimeter high when it hit our coast. If it had been a full-fledged monstrous wave, however, Newport's low-lying areas would look similar to the places devastated by Hurricane Katrina. I have received many e-mails with hurricane questions and about the chances that a hurricane could hit Southern California. For the past few years I have been reporting on the hurricanes that have been pounding Mexico and Central America, where many American boaters visit.

The following are updates on local athletes competing at the collegiate level. Rachael Rigamat (Crescenta Valley, 2005) sophomore midfielder, Miami University ? Rigamat scored perhaps Miami's biggest goal of the season thus far, as she followed up on her own deflected shot to score the only goal of the match in the Hurricanes' upset of NCAA eighth-ranked Virginia on Sunday. Sheuneen Ta fed the former Falcon a pass on the right side of the box over the top of the defense, and after her initial shot was saved, Rigamat headed in the game-winner in the 54th minute.

I have mixed feelings about the month of June. It certainly is a busy month for our family. Not only does my own birthday take place this month (oddly enough as it has for many years now), but also one of our sons? and my father-in-law, too. Of course, who could forget that Father?s Day happens this month? Certainly not my kids ? at least I hope for their sake they don?t. But seriously, I?m just teasing; really. You loving, appreciative, generous children of mine. For years now, it has also seemed like every June one of our kids is graduating from either high school or college.

Hurricane Sandy is wreaking havoc on the East Coast, but in Glendale, the storm provided a last minute extension for negotiations between Glendale Unified and the teachers union over a federal grant application that could bring $40 million to the district. The 70-page application had all but been dead in the water Monday after missing the original deadline for making an overnight trip to Washington D.C. after the union refused to sign off on it. But then came Hurricane Sandy, which pummeled the Eastern Seaboard Monday, prompting officials to close federal offices and extend the application deadline for the Race to the Top funds to a yet-to-be-determined date.

I have mixed feelings about the month of June. It certainly is a busy month for our family. Not only does my own birthday take place this month (oddly enough as it has for many years now), but also one of our sons? and my father-in-law, too. Of course, who could forget that Father?s Day happens this month? Certainly not my kids ? at least I hope for their sake they don?t. But seriously, I?m just teasing; really. You loving, appreciative, generous children of mine. For years now, it has also seemed like every June one of our kids is graduating from either high school or college.

In 2004, he helped with recovery efforts for Hurricane Ivan in Baton Rouge, and in 2005, he was present to help the victims of Katrina. No stranger to offering immediate help, American Red Cross volunteer Bob DeWees, 69, has been deployed through the Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter three times for hurricane relief, most recently with Hurricane Gustav in September. Having been raised in Eagle Rock and being a 40-year resident of Glendale, DeWees might not have had to prepare for hurricanes in his everyday life, but as a volunteer, he understands the necessity of his service to those who have lost their homes and stability to the natural disaster.

The following are updates on local athletes competing at the collegiate level. Rachael Rigamat (Crescenta Valley, 2005) sophomore midfielder, Miami University ? Rigamat scored perhaps Miami's biggest goal of the season thus far, as she followed up on her own deflected shot to score the only goal of the match in the Hurricanes' upset of NCAA eighth-ranked Virginia on Sunday. Sheuneen Ta fed the former Falcon a pass on the right side of the box over the top of the defense, and after her initial shot was saved, Rigamat headed in the game-winner in the 54th minute.

GLENDALE ? The following are updates on local athletes competing at the collegiate level: Nick Seaver (Flintridge Prep, 2003) senior, Princeton University men's water polo ? The 2002 All-Area Player of the Year returned to California last weekend. Princeton improved to 7-3 this season with a pair of wins on Sunday at the NorCal Tournament at Stanford University in Palo Alto. Princeton recorded a 10-8 win against Santa Clara, before posting a 14-6 win against UC Santa Cruz.

When Katrina hit the Gulf Coast the news showed how badly it affected people and their animals. I knew right away I was going to go help with the animal rescue effort. The first night I slept on the floor of the airport. Little did I know that it was going to be the best night's sleep I would have for the next two weeks. Over the next two weeks I worked day and night trapping pets that were lost due to the storm. I saw more devastation than I could have ever imagined. Miles and miles of nothingness surrounded me. I met people who lost literally everything, their home, job, cars, pets and all of their personal belongings.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE ? The first inning was dubious, to say the least. Four errors by the Hurricanes led to three unearned runs by the Rowdie Girlz, which in most circumstances, would have decided the game. But the Hurricanes are experts when it comes to overcoming the odds. During the regular season, the Burbank-based Little League Major Softball squad finished third in District 16, so the fact that it was playing in the Tri-Cities Tournament title game was a surprise to many.

Students in many Crescenta Valley schools are "paying it forward" by collecting and sending books to the victims of the Katrina hurricane. Many schools had fundraising immediately after the hurricane, sending much needed money to the devastated area. Now almost eight months after the storm, schools still need help. "I found it on the internet," said Monte Vista Elementary Principal Susan Hoge. She spear headed this donation drive by contacting other principals to join. "I won't have a tally of how many books we have all sent for awhile," Hoge added She had been downloading activities through the National Education Association when she came across this Books Across America benefit.

The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts holds performance at Alex Theater to help victims of Katrina.The age-old battle between humankind and nature played out at the Alex Theatre Sunday, with students from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts wielding what is perhaps humanity's oldest weapon against tragedy -- music, dance, poetry and the power of imagination. "S.O.S. (Students on Stage) -- Response to Katrina," was a 150-student extravaganza to benefit victims of the hurricanes that have plagued the Gulf Coast this season.

by Mary O'Keefe Cub Scout Troop 310 will be holding a rummage sale from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday morning at Lincoln Elementary School at 3333 Altura Ave. in La Crescenta. The Cub Scouts have been collecting items for the sale since September. All proceeds will go to The Children's Health Fund to benefit elementary school aged children who were victims of Hurricane Katrina. All are invited to support the Cub Scouts and rummage through the sale. There will also be a lemonade stand and a bake sale at the event.