Valley News Group

Community Leader Norm Roberts Dies: Woodland Hills resident and community leader Norm Roberts passed away at home June 12. Roberts was an active member of St. Mel Catholic Church, a published and award-winning attorney and committed community volunteer. He had been senior vice president and general counsel of Litton Industries in Woodland Hills, retiring in 1994. Previously he held the same position at Western Atlas, Inc. and Unova Inc. He was awarded the Los Angeles Bar Asso...ciation’s Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award in 1999, and the Gonzaga Law Medal in 2007. From 1959 to 1968, Roberts was one of three Administrative Law Judges for the U.S. Army European Board of Contrac tAppeals, with jurisdiction over all contact disputes arising from performance of government contracts with foreign contractors. While employed by the US government, he was appointed Chief Legal Advisor for U.S. Army Procurement in Europe and the Middle East and legal advisor for negotiation of multilateral international agreements among NATO forces. His community involvement included past Chairman and Board of Directors member of Premier America, a position he held until his death. He served on the Board of Regents for Gonzaga University, his alma mater, from 2001 to 2010. Roberts was Chair of the Public Contract Law Section for the American Bar Association, and chaired many legal and industry association committees.Trustees of Columbia West Hills Hospital and was a tireless volunteer for the Guadalupe Center in Canoga Park. He received the Mary Logan Orcutt Award from Catholic Charities in 2010, and received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award from Pope Benedict XVI for his contributions to the building of the St. Mel Preschool and Activities Center, where he was a constant and involved parishioner. Roberts was extremely dedicated to his family and friends, mentoring his children’s and grandchildren’s education. He leaves a huge void in the leadership and oversight of St. Mel. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Rita, daughters Tracy (Chuck) Myall, Monica (Jim) Diamond and Debbie (Chris) Gregory, sister Merrily (Doug) Denton, brother Ron (Joann) Roberts and grandchildren, Jimmy, Alex, Mary, Brennan, Bryanna, Trevor, Sarah and Andrew. A rosary will be held Tuesday, June 19 at 7 pm at St Mel. The memorial service will be held on Wednesday, June 20 at noon at St. Mel Church. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Guadalupe Community Center, 21600 Hart Street, Canoga Park, CA See more

LAPD Searches Chatsworth Home in Gavin Smith Investigation: In a new development in the case of missing local executive Gavin Smith, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Missing Persons Unit served a search warrant on a home in the 8600 block of Santa Susana Place in Chatsworth on June 9. The owner of the home, according to real estate records, is Chandrika Wianta, who also owns a cafe in Beverly Hills. In serving the warrant, crime scene technicians collected bags of evidence and... moved throughout the house. A dog was used during the search. A black SUV was towed away from the house, although no arrests have been made. A $20,000 reward for information in the Smith case was announced shortly before the search warrant was issued. Smith’s family also have set up a website, FindGavinSmith.com, to aid in their search. Gavin Smith went missing after departing from a friend’s home in Oak Park on May 1. A sighting of Gavin Smith and a women at a restaurant in Morro Bay on May 7 was reported. Smith is aproximately 6 feet, 6 inches tall, white with green eyes and graying blond hair. He has a 4-inch scar on his right wrist and a 5-inch scar on one of his calves. The West Hills resident was a distribution executive for Fox who worked in Calabasas. If you have information about Gavin Smith’s whereabouts, call Detectives at (323) 890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS. You can also submit annonymous tips online at lacrimestoppers.org. See more

The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Woodland Hills walk will take place on Saturday, June 23 at Warner Ranch Park. The walk starts at 9:00 a.m. and participants should arrive at the park (at Topanga Canyon Blvd. and Califa St) by 8:00 a.m. This is your opportunity to not only honor breast cancer survivors and remember people we have lost, but also to raise funds and awareness to help save lives and create a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays! The Making ...Strides event is not a race; it is a celebration of survivorship, an occasion to express hope, and a shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love. When you raise funds for a Making Strides event, you’re helping create a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays - where breast cancer never steals another year from anyone’s life. By raising funds for a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, you will provide hope and help to millions of people nationwide whose lives have been forever changed by this disease. Join the walk for a few hours of exercise, inspiration, camaraderie, entertainment, and most importantly, to honor someone you know who has been affected by breast cancer - especially if that person is you. While there is no registration fee or minimum fundraising amount, all ages are welcome to participate and help raise funds. To register visit: http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/woodlandhills, email [email protected] or call (800) 227-2345. See more

Leonis Adobe Offers Lil’ Ranchers Round Up: Leonis Adobe Museum will offer its summer program, Lil’ Ranchers Round Up, every Tuesday from July 10th to August 14th, 9:30-11:30am. The camp will be held at the Leonis Adobe Museum, 23537 Calabasas Road, Calabasas. The program will include music, games, crafts, farm animals, tortilla making, Native American dancing, blacksmith demonstrations, and story time. Admission: members are free; non-members - $2 for children, $4 for adults. Tickets may be purchased online at www.leonisadobemusuem.org or at the Leonis Adobe Museum office. For more information, please call: (818) 222-6511.

Crime Blotter Tarzana 6/12: A 23-year-old Caucasian male was arrested by the LAPD for possession of a narcotic controlled substance. Bail is set at $10,000. Woodland Hills 6/12: The LAPD arrested a 40-year-old African American man for being a fugitive from justice. Bail amount is no bail. Tarzana 6/11: The LAPD arrested a 20-year-old Hispanic male for possession of controlled substance paraphenalia and driving without a license. His bail amount is $12,750. Tarzana 6/11: The L...Continue reading

Squabbles at the West Valley Playhouse: Clyde Porter’s West Valley Playhouse proudly presents Squabbles, a hilarious comedy by Marshall Karp, directed by Jon Berry, opening on June 1. The play will run through June 30.Squabbles stars Esther Rosen, Paul Michael Nieman, Jim Follett, Quinn Gonzales, Karen Lehman, Chris Karmiol and Diane Chernansky. Set design is by Charles Hall and lighting design is by Danny Truxaw. Showtimes are on Thursdays June 7 and 21 at 8:00 p.m.; F...ridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Regular tickets are $25, senior (62-plus) tickets are $23 and student tickets are $23. Group discounts are available for 10 or more people. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (818) 884-1907. The West Valley Playhouse is located at 7242 Owensmouth Avenue in Canoga Park. For further information, visit www.wvplayhouse.com See more

HELPFUL NEIGHBORHOOD PHONE NUMBERS: Abandoned Vehicle 800-222-6366 Trash & Bulky P/Up 800-773-2489 Street Light Repair: Day - 800-303-5267... Night - 800-821-5278 Motor Vehicles (DMV) 800-777-0133 The Gas Company 800-427-2200 DWP 800-342-5397 Drug Crime Hotline 800-662-2878 Street Services 800-996-2489 Recycling Information 800-773-2489 Animal Services: Lost/Found - 888-485-7381 Dead Animal P/Up - 800-773-2489 Shopping Cart Collection 800-252-4613 Police (non-emergency) 877-275-5273 Parking Enforcement 818-756-8784 Hazardous Waste 800-988-6342 City of Los Angeles Info 311 WoodlandHills-Tarzana Chamber347-4737 Calabasas Chamber 222-5680 Canoga Park Chamber 884-4222 See more

Community Calendar: Woodland Hills: An Italian Dinner sponsored by the San Fernando Valley Sierra Club will be held on June 19 at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, 5700 Rudnick Avenue in Woodland Hills. The dinner menu includes lasagna, canelloni and manicotti, plus rolls, salad, soft drinks and dessert. To attend, send $25 payable to San Fernando Valley Sierra Club (attn: Julie Szende), 6501 Penfield Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Please include your phone number. Confirmati...on will be sent upon receipt of your check. For more information, call (818) 999-5384 or email [email protected]. Chatsworth: Angie R. Bartel, Associate Director of Membership and Annual Fund for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, will be the featured speaker at the morning session of the general meeting of Canoga Park-West Hills Republican Women, Federated, to be held on Wednesday, June 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chatsworth Hotel, 9777 Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Chatsworth. Speaking to the group in the afternoon will be Radio Host Mark Isler. The cost for the luncheon is $23. Call 818-884-5261 to make a reservation. Woodland Hills: Rusty Blade’s Dream of Pirate Adventures with Christopher Yates will kick off the Children’s Summer Reading Club on Tuesday, June 19 at 4:00 p.m. at the Los Angeles Public Library, Platt Branch, 23600 Victory Blvd in Woodland Hills. Are you brave enough to board the good ship Bold Adventure and learn what pirate life was like: navigation, knots, barnacles and booty? Come and visit exotic parts, encounter strange creatures and unscrupulous characters. Free tickets are available at the Reference Desk one hour before the performance. For further information, call (818) 340-9386. Canoga Park: The West Hills Optimist Club is hosting a night at the West Valley Playhouse at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 30. The ticket cost is $25. For more information contacct Kathy Willets at (818) 881- 0521 or [email protected]. The West Valley Playhouse is located at 7242 Owensmouth Avenue in Canoga Park. See more

Get Your Ticket to Ride This Sunday: Ticket to Ride, a tribute to The Beatles, will play at the Valley Cultural Center’s Concerts in the Park this Sunday, June 17 at 6:00 p.m. The concerts are held at Warner Center Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd. (at Califa) in Woodland Hills. Go across the universe on a magical mystery tour at the concert, which will include spot-on performances of The Beatles most beloved hits. will enjoy. The band performs with authentic instruments ...add costumes to recreate the spirit of the Fab Four. The show will feature hits from every Beatles album. takes the audience on a grand tour of classic Beatles hits from Twist & Shout to Revolution. David takes on the role of the quiet Beatle, but his Gretsch guitar screams out volumes of classic George Harrison guitar licks from the rocking’ Roll Over Beethoven to the beautiful Something. Precise drumming and vocals best describes Mike’s musical style. From I Wanna Be Your Man to Yellow Submarine, Mike captures the personality and spirit of rock’s most famous drummer. As Ringo, Mike has no equal.The Beatles influenced countless generations, defined the British Invasion of the ‘60s, and opened the floodgates to a new style of music. Ticket To Ride creates an incredible rendition of The Beatles from their first hit to the songs from their final album, Let It Be. A rock ‘n roll evening not to be missed, Ticket To Ride not only brings you back it invariably turns into a sing-a- long concert the whole family.Members of Ticket to Ride have traveled the World re- creating the Beatles Live in Concert. Members include Jeff Toczynski as Paul McCartney, Gilbert Bonilla as John Lennon, David Brighton as George Harrison and Mike Sarafian as Ringo Starr. Jeff brings to the stage the charm and enthusiasm of Sir Paul McCartney. With exact attention to detail, his acoustic guitar rendition of Yesterday and his piano performance of Hey Jude are truly awesome. Gilbert is the complete John Lennon. With excellent guitar, harmonica, vocal and keyboard skills, Gilbert The Ticket to Ride concert is sponsored exclusively by 99 Cent Only Stores. For more information about the Concerts in the Park, including upcoming acts, visit valleycultural.org or call the Valley Cultural Center at (818) 704-1358. See more