Archive By Author - Melissa Gasca
Education: 'We all have limits'
Some of Chynna Fudale's teachers seem to be wearing thin on patience this year, but the Hart High School 10th-grader doesn't blame her instructors.
‘Newborn Care 101’ for newbie parents
Palmdale residents Tim and Rachel Burhans had attended Lamaze classes for about five weeks, as they prepared to give birth to their first child. But preparation was cut short when Rachel Burhans went into labor seven and a half weeks early.
Lost in language and ‘Little Rock’
Michael Ott was living every aspiring director's dream, traveling to foreign countries and promoting his first film.
Early risers pray at the pole
Jessica Kwon only slept for three hours on Tuesday night. But when her alarm went off just before 5 a.m., the Valencia High student diligently packed up her bag and headed to school. The sky was dark, the air was crisp and Valencia's classrooms were empty. Jessica, a freshman, gathered with a small group of Christians in front of the school's flagpoles. They bowed their heads and started to pray. "It's better to come ...
Adopted youth find their voice
Moriah Levy is 13 now, but she still remembers the harsh words of a third-grade peer. "At least I have real parents and a real sister," the child told Moriah, a Canyon Country girl adopted at age 3. The comment bothered Moriah but its sting was not long-lasting. Moriah knows that she does have real parents and siblings, she said. They may not be her biological family, but they are "real." "Even when you're adopted, ...
Building up homes and lives
At 11 a.m. on a Monday, Bret Wims scribbled some notes in his journal. "Our first build day - survival appears unlikely," he wrote. It was just a few hours after Wims and 30 others began building homes for needy families in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. The heat reached 98 degrees coupled with high humidity. But the group, a mix of Santa Clarita church members and friends, were eager to get to work despite the weather ...
Goodwill shooting victim’s condition ‘critical’
A Goodwill store employee from Newhall who had apparently shot himself in the head remained in serious condition at a local hospital Thursday.
Teaching teens cash smarts
Patti Handy has heard the story all too often - a teenager overdrafts several times in one day after swiping their debit card at the mall, Starbucks Coffee and lunch with friends. All the while, the teen is unaware they didn't have enough money in their bank account. A $4 vanilla latte becomes a $49 pain-in-the-wallet fee owed to the bank, added to four more $25-35 fees.
Unemployment continues to rise
Fewer Santa Clarita residents are losing homes to foreclosure compared to last year, but more are without jobs, according to city numbers.
Time for reflection, community
Local Jews on Thursday morning exchanged greetings of "Shana Tova," or "Happy New Year" in Hebrew, coupled with kisses, handshakes and welcoming smiles for fellow temple members. More than 500 Rosh Hashana observers packed seats in the Hyatt Regency Valencia ballroom, singing and reciting Hebrew prayer songs led by Rabbi Mark Blazer and Cantor Kenny Ellis of Temple Beth Ami. Thursday morning began with the second day service of Rosh Hashana, the beginning of a ...
After dark, from keystrokes to doorsteps
Editor's note: The final in an occasional series on the people who keep the SCV humming while the rest of us are snoring.
Rescued horses find loving home
Tammy Craven stood in her driveway, her body covered with goosebumps, as she watched horses leap from trailers and trot onto her acres of Acton land.
Walk, or run, for hunger
It's called the "CROP Walk" but if you're the running type, don't feel limited.
Preparing for ‘days of awe’
Jay Hodes and wife, Esther, spent the past week writing checks to charities, studying Jewish texts and making amends with certain friends or relatives.
Rodriguez to die for sex-killing of 5-year-old
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Thursday formally sentenced Antonio Rodriguez to death for the rape and murder of 5-year-old Desarie Saravia in a Castaic park bathroom. Antonio Rodriguez, 29, of Van Nuys, was sentenced Thursday in a San Fernando courtroom for the 2004 attack that killed Desarie Saravia. Her mother is expected to stand a trial of her own soon. "I'm happy I got justice for Desarie," prosecutor Mary Sedgwick said. "She was ...
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