Santa Monica Mayor Ken Genzer gives Father Mike Gutierrez of Saint Anne's Church and Shrine, a proclamation during his farewell party on Sunday, June 28, 2009. Father Mike is being transferred to St. John the Baptist Church in Baldwin Park. He served in Santa Monica for the past 10 years.

(1-5) The Santa Monica Fire Department Graduation Class of 2009 demonstrate their life-saving skills during the graduation exercise on Saturday, June 27, 2009, at the Fire Academy. (6) Santa Monica Fire Captain MikeMcElvaney pins and his son, Tyler McElvaney, 22, with his new SMFD badge as Chief Jim Hone looks on. (7) (right to left) Matthew Anderson, 26; Dominick Bei, 26; Preston Delgado, 25; Jason Frebe, 28; Daniel Galvan, 25; Tyler McElvaney, 22; and Dustin Rodriguez, 26; take the Oath of Office during the 2009 Santa Monica Fire Department Graduation Exercise on Saturday, June 27, 2009, at the Fire Academy. The recruits complete an intense one year training program consisting of 2 months at the academy and10 months in the field before becoming official firefighters.

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(above) Ayaba Robinson (left) and her younger sister Aliya dance to the live music of the Derek Bordeaux Group at Santa Monica College during Celebrate America on Saturday, June 27, 2009. (top) Fireworks by Pyro Spectaculars light up the sky at Santa Monica College during Celebrate America on Saturday, June 27, 2009.

Participants walk an 8-mile course through the streets of Santa Monica during Lighthouse Medical Missions' inaugural Walk to Africa fundraiser on Saturday, June 27, 2009. In 1998 the first Lighthouse team went to The Gambia, Western Africa. The needs of the people were clear immediately, but their warmth and appreciation were evident as well. This made an impact on our hearts and our relationships with the African people has kept us coming back.

Since then, Lighthouse Medical Missions, working with the Door Christian Fellowship in Africa, has organized medical missions to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burundi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo and The Gambia.They have also built churches, schools, constructed water projects and dug wells.

It has been an amazing journey; people coming together from around the world to serve others in need. I have been able to witness this all first-hand and my hope is the work of Lighthouse Medical Missions will continue to grow and that we will achieve an even greater impact on a world in need.

Mission Statement

The vision of Lighthouse Medical Missions is to bring the love of God to the sick and dying in the poorer nations of the world. Our teams consist of volunteers who freely give of their time and finances to reach the forgotten and neglected with the truth of the Gospel through medicine.

Walk to Africa

A harem of California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) lay on the 'Monica One' at the Santa Monica Pier on Friday, May 22, 2009. Sea Lionsare quite intelligent, can adapt to man-made environments, and can be easily trained. Because of this, California sea lions are commonly used for entertainment in circuses, zoos and marine parks; and are used by the US Navy for certain military operations.They can be trained to do different behaviors such as throwing and catching balls on their noses, running up ladders, or honking horns in a musical fashion.California sea lions grows to 660 lb and 8 ft long, while females are significantly smaller, at 210 lb and 6.5 ft long.

Tom Dinh (right) and Jose Aguilar of Randall/McAnany Company repaint the world famous Santa Monica Pier neon sign on Thursday, June 25, 2009, in preparation for the Pier's Centennial Celebration on September 9. The Santa Monica Pier sign was installed in 1940 by the Santa Monica Pier Businessman's Association to celebrate the opening of the newly-built ramp. It is an internationally-recognized tourist destination and a symbol of the Southern California lifestyle.

A Bill Poster from Clear Channel Outdoor installs a new panel on Main Street on Monday, June 23, 2009, advertising Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which will be released on Wednesday, July 15. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a fantasy-adventure film based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth film in the popular Harry Potter film series. It is directed by David Yates, the director of the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

   Photographer Emilio Sanchez, 17, shows his photograph, "65 Impala" to Founder and Director of the Pico Youth and Family Center (PYFC), Oscar de La Torre and his son Oscar, 3, during his opening reception of "From Streets to Sunsets: The Photography of Emilio Sanchez" at Virginia Avenue Park's Teen Center Gallery on Monday, June 23, 2009. The exhibition will continue through August 8, 2009.

   It was less than two years ago that Emilio Sanchez took his first photograph in his ROP (Regional Occupational Program) class at Santa Monica High School. David Wood, SAMOHI’s photography teacher told him he had a “good eye” inspiring him to pursue the activity wholeheartedly. Since then Emilio has honed his skills with the camera, won a silver medal in the Los Angeles ROP Student of the Year competition, maintained his 3.5 grade point average, and is now establishing his career as a free-lance photographer. On the side, he has also taken up a career in boxing with his first professional bouts in the ring scheduled for this summer.

   Carla Fantozzi, director of the Teen Center, is very proud of the young man’s accomplishments during his tenure there. “Emilio is a multi-talented teen who follows through on his passions and interests which makes him an inspiration and role model for his friends,” she says without hesitation. Fantozzi first met Sanchez as a middle-school student taking boxing lessons at the Police Athletic League (PAL) gym. “In both boxing and photography,” she says, “Emilio is an amazing talent.”

   The multi-talented 12th grader’s work spans the gritty streets of Santa Monica’s Pico Neighborhood (Sanchez’ home turf) to the breathtakingly beautiful sunsets over the Santa Monica Beach.
The Teen Center Gallery at Virginia Avenue Park is open Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Virginia Avenue Park is located at the intersection of Cloverfield and Pico Boulevards. Ample parking is available at the Park.

   Virginia Avenue Park is served by Big Blue Bus Lines Nos. 7 and 11. The park is wheelchair accessible and welcomes persons of all abilities. For special accommodations, please contact 310.458.8688 or TTY 310.917.6626.

   Admission is free and open to all ages. For additional information, please call 310/458.8688 or e-mail Carla.fantozzi@smgov.net.