Diamond Bar friends root as Alex Morgan goes for Olympic gold

As Alex Morgan helped her team to the gold medal during the London Olympics
women’s soccer final on Thursday, a group of close friends, family and hometown
fans were cheering her on thousands of miles away.

The spectators gathered at the Buffalo Wild
Wings restaurant in Brea, where they witnessed the 23-year-old Morgan and Team
USA earn the Olympic championship in a 2-1 victory over Japan.

While some of the group had attended Diamond Bar High School with Morgan,
others had never even met her. However, the sentiment among the group was the
same – pride.

“As her friends, to see her dedication, hard work and focus all these years
and to see her reach what she wanted to achieve, we’re so happy for her,” said
Diamond Bar resident Colleen Davis, Morgan’s close friend.

Morgan’s cross in the first 10 minutes of the game led to the United State’s
first goal by teammate Carli Lloyd.

Read the story and find more photos at MORGAN.

Valinda National Night Out march begins at Grandview Middle School


The Valinda National Night Out will begin with a
march from
Grandview Middle School through the Valinda area to
Rimgrove
Park, followed by the planned activities from 5 to 9 p.m. today.

These activities will include, a concert, arts displays, games, free
food, and prizes that were donated from Target and other organizations. Residents should bring a blanket
or chair to sit on.

This year the
Valinda Shuttle hours until 10 pm to accommodate residents that use for
the event.

Walnut High tunes up new music building

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Whoever said lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place obviously didn’t have the Blue Thunder Marching Band in mind.

Walnut High School not only has an impressive performing arts
center, now it boasts a $3 million home for its orchestra and bands.

Contractors are putting the final touches on the facility that’s much more than a bland band building.

“It reminds me of a music conservatory, a state of the art
facility that you’d expect to see at a university,” said band
co-director Buddy Clements.

The new 11,000-square-foot building is tucked alongside the
football field. Inside, visitors will find a 2,640- square-foot
orchestra hall as well as a 3,850-square-foot band room. There’s even
five recording rooms.

Read more in Rich Irwin’s story MUSIC.

Mt. SAC writing class leads to marriage proposal

MARRIAGE PROPOSALS happen in all sorts of unlikely places – even during a writing class at Mt. San Antonio College.

Teacher Elizabeth Casian had stepped out to make photocopies one
day last week when she ran into a nervous young man whom she remembered
as the boyfriend of one of her students.

Ivan Morales, who is from Barcelona, told Casian in Spanish
that he was going to propose to student Araceli Alvarez. He patted the
engagement ring in his shirt pocket.

“For some reason I covered my mouth in disbelief, as if he
were asking me,” Casian confided later. She agreed to translate Morales’
Spanish into English.

When Casian returned to her classroom, Alvarez raised her hand
to ask a question. As Casian walked over to answer her, Morales entered
the room.

“She notices him and gets this puzzled look on her face,” Casian related.

“Then he starts to say how he has come from afar, has crossed
many rivers and an ocean, how he is a simple man, and how he wanted to
ask for her hand in marriage, while presenting her with the ring.”

Students gasped, then applauded when Alvarez accepted Morales’ proposal and the couple kissed.

“The men quickly went back to their compositions,” Casian
said, “while the women chattered away about how sweet the whole thing
was.”

Walnut Valley confirms at least $10,000 is missing

The Walnut Valley Unified School District
confirmed Wednesday that at least $10,000 is missing from Walnut
Elementary School’s Community Club, a PTA-like organization.

The district’s auditors produced a draft report that
recommended the school district turn the matter over to Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s investigators at the Walnut/Diamond Bar station,
Superintendent Dean Conklin said.

“We do expect that a crime was committed,” he said after reading the report. “We are victims of a crime.”

Deputies at the Walnut/Diamond Bar station will receive the
auditor’s report shortly, as soon as it is finalized, Conklin said.

“They will follow through with their investigation,” he said.

Conklin said the auditor pored over the club’s bank accounts
and could not account for “at least $10,000.” He said the report points
to a single volunteer with the group who is not an employee of the
district.

The missing money comes from the group’s fundraising cash and
is not taxpayer funds, he said. The district’s funding is not affected.

Read more in Steve Scauzillo’s story MONEY.

Rowland Unified renovates two elementary schools

Kids at Killian and Yorbita schools will
return to newly remodeled classrooms on Aug. 20. Rowland Unified School
District spent more than $3 million to renovate the two campuses in
Rowland Heights and La Puente.

“The students will find new classrooms that are much quieter and energy efficient,” Assistant Superintendent Ruben Frutos said.

The renovations are the latest projects finished under the district’s $118 million construction bond passed in 2006.

Read more in Rich Irwin’s story SCHOOLS.