Author: Rose Wright
John Altobelli FOR FAMILY. FOR COMMUNITY. FOR THE WORLD. Words by Meredith Wash John Altobelli was a beloved coach to hundreds, a friend to many and family to few. But on Monday, February 10, John, or “Coach Alto,” represented an entire community as over 4,000 people filled Angel Stadium to commemorate his life as well as the lives of his beloved wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa. The nation was shocked when it awoke to the news of the tragic helicopter accident on the morning of January 26. And while the world began mourning the loss of iconic athlete, Kobe Bryant,…
Women’s and Men’s Basketball Returns to GWC After Being Gone for Nearly Two Decades The sound of bouncing basketballs and sneakers screeching on the hardwood court reverberated throughout the gym at Golden West College. For the coaches and players on an October afternoon of back-to-back practices, it was sweet music to their ears. After nearly two decades, basketball is back at GWC — thanks to a push to resurrect the teams by President Tim McGrath, who took over the reins of the college in June 2018 and is an avid hoops fan. “He (McGrath) told me, ‘Do it yesterday,’” said…
Building Reliable Structures, Growing Bright Futures Words by Meredith Wash For Huntington Beach local, Michael Grant, the common thread that runs through his life is a deep-rooted desire to help others build a life they love—both literally and figuratively. Grant is a husband, father and entrepreneur who sits as the President of the Board of Directors at Golden West College all while operating a successful construction business, Michael Grant Construction. Hailing from Glendale, California, Grant grew up with two loving parents who moved their family to Huntington Beach in 1964. Grant’s passion for helping others began early on in life…
An Evening with the Stars On April 4th, 2020, the Golden West College Foundation will host its 22nd annual Gala at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach. Guests will enjoy dinner, dancing and silent auction. Proceeds from the Gala support Golden West College Students, the Faculty Wish List program, and the STAR Textbook loan program. $175 per person The Waterfront Beach Resort, A Hilton Hotel Huntington Beach GWCGala.com
Happy Holidays! Hope this email finds you all well and getting ready to celebrate this special season with friends and family. Wyatt’s is in full holiday mode! The annual Wyatt’s Christmas Party is scheduled for Weds., Dec. 18th! We will once again be swapping Christmas presents with the “White Elephant” gift exchange. Here’s your chance to re-gift, have fun with a zany present, or simply treat somebody to some holiday cheer. The evening festivities include DJ Evan spinning the country and Christmas tunes, caroling by the “Carnegie Kids”, and lots of holiday treats! Grab the family and join us for…
Golden West College donor Paul Motenko, a successful restaurateur, is forging a lifelong partnership with the College Paul Motenko, who co-developed BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse into a national chain, always seeks to forge strong ties to the communities in which he opens his restaurants. Motenko’s latest venture is Stacked: Food Well Built, which was a pioneer in restaurant technology when he launched it in January 2009 with longtime business partner Jerry Hennessy. Guests use tabletop touchscreens to order fully customized meals at STACKED, which is famous for its mac and cheese and burgers. The latest STACKED location, in Huntington Beach,…
New Math & Science Building, with its own STEM Center, to be ready for Fall 2019 Semester An exciting era begins this fall for the Mathematics & Sciences at GWC with the long-awaited opening of a building that will house the Mathematics and Physical Science Department and also a new STEM Center. The finishing touches are being put on the 125,000-square-foot, three-story building, and was opened at the start of the semester on Aug. 26, said Rick Hicks, interim dean of Mathematics & Sciences. The new Math & Science Building is critical for the continued development of GWC’s curriculum in…
Pictured Left to Right: Igor Len (Roland US), Grammy Award winner Iz Avila, Andy Almada, and Grammy Award winner Dave Hampton Andres ‘Andy’ Almada now has his dream job thanks to the skills he began learning at GWC while earning a certificate in Digital Media/Audio Recording Growing up, Andy Almada loved music but never played an instrument. “I never could afford one, or lessons,” Almada recalls of his days growing up at UCI in student housing. Not knowing what he wanted to do professionally, Andy knew he wanted to go the junior college route before transferring to a UC. He had…
Old World Huntington Beach has been the host of Orange County’s Biggest Party since 1977! This year’s Oktoberfest promises to be the best celebration yet, offering authentic German Food (voted “Best Bratwurst” in California), imported German Beers, German Bands straight from Germany, an army of Beautiful Shot Girls, and other festivities, competitions, games and more. So come on down and experience the best Oktoberfest celebration in the World—Old World Huntington Beach. OKTOBERFEST PARADE In Munich, you can watch the landlords of the Oktoberfest beer halls and the Oktoberfest breweries make their festive entry to the Theresienwiese, the annual location of…