Promotion

At Wednesday?s meeting of the GUSD, Crescenta Valley High School Prom Plus coordinator Robin Goldsworthy, CV Sun?s city editor, encouraged all to take part in the second annual Taste of Montrose from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 4 on Honolulu Avenue in Montrose. The event is a fundraiser for Prom Plus, the organization that provides a safe haven for seniors after the prom. Prom Plus was established after the 1991 murder of a CV High School student who was attending an unsupervised post-prom hotel party.

Jackson Bell More inexpensive healthcare is accessible by the swipe of a card, and local health organizations are trying to help seniors make use of it. In honor of Grandparents Day on Sunday, representatives from VNACare Home Health & Hospice along with the Visiting Nurse Assn. of America presented an informational meeting about Medicare's pharmacy discount card program for seniors and their family members and caretakers at the Glendale Elks Lodge.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — It took about 30 seconds for Glendale High School junior Grace Fields to take the pledge. "I pledge not to discriminate against people who are suffering from AIDS," Grace said in front of a table of Gay-Straight Alliance club members in the middle of the school's quad on Friday. "Instead, I will help educate others and help try to find a cure for this disease." Walking away with a red ribbon pinned to her sweater, Grace became part of a group of students Friday supporting AIDS awareness and education.

GLENDALE — Glendale Adventist Medical Center President Scott Reiner — who has led the hospital since 1999 — has been promoted to senior vice president at parent company Adventist Health, hospital officials announced Friday. Reiner will now oversee four hospitals in the Northern and Central California area. The hospitals are part of a chain of 20 in the Western United States, with headquarters based in Roseville, near Sacramento. "There are mixed emotions," Reiner, 42, said of leaving the hospital.

The Pasadena Senior Center and the AAF Rose Bowl Aquatics Center will present "Fit for Life," a program held on three consecutive Mondays to promote health and wellness for maturing adults. "Fit for Life" is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, April 10 and 17 at the AAF Rose Bowl Aquatics Center 360 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena. "Fit for Life" is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. There is no charge for admission ? all activities, including a continental breakfast and lunch, are included.

Alecia Foster NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Arts education in Glendale will get a boost thanks to a $106,703 grant. The grant, awarded by the California Arts Council, is part of a $10-million state effort to promote the art programs in public schools, which have often suffered under budget cuts. "That's usually one of the first things to go," said Eve Rappoport, community services supervisor for the city's Arts & Culture Commission. The grant was awarded to the commission in partnership with the Glendale Unified School District.

Ryan Carter Stephen Ropfogel takes some pride in being unconventional. It is part of his business to get people's attention. "Yeah, I kind of look at things a little obtusely," he said. About a decade after he started it, Ropfogel's small Glendale-based promotional items distribution company, Creative Promotions, has gone from a core of about 10 clients to close to 75, he said. It has grown from sales of $75,000 in a year to high point of $750,000 one year.

Ryan Carter Children weaved through a long line of parents as they awaited the chance to slide down a celery slide, play on a giant soccer ball, sleep on a big bed or go on an imaginary vacation. For parents, it was a break from shopping. For children 42 inches and shorter, it was a chance to have some fun in a mall full of businesses intended for their parents. But it had a message. The new Healthy Habits for Healthy Living Play Area, unveiled Friday on the upper level of the Galleria, near JC Penney, is an attempt by its creators to fuse a message of promoting children's health with promoting the mall and Glendale Adventist Medical Center's public outreach programs.

Josh Kleinbaum The Glendale City Council is sending a simple message to its citizens: Participate. In three recent votes, the council reaffirmed its position that the more citizens get involved in local government, the better. The votes should encourage more participation in the day-to-day operations of the city. "We're talking about spreading out the joy of service, spreading out the fun," Councilman Gus Gomez said. "Different people should serve on different commissions."

Josh Kleinbaum Meet Walkin' Willie: He's slim, slanted and always on the move, and coming soon to the side of bus near you. Willie is the face of the city's new public outreach campaign, designed to increase awareness of pedestrian safety. The campaign debuts this week. "Pedestrian safety is a problem everywhere in the state of California," Glendale Police Sgt. Lewie Guay said. "All you have to do is look at the facts and figures and different stories that are hitting print media and live television media to see that there's a problem."