Ucla

Jeff Tully BURBANK -- Alfonso Tucay did all he could to help his UCLA men's water polo team win its third straight NCAA championship. However, despite two goals from the former Burroughs High standout, the Bruins fell Sunday to top-ranked Stanford, 8-5, in the title match at Palo Alto. It was the third time this season Stanford (22-1) defeated the Bruins (16-5). Brett Ormsby also had two goals for UCLA. The Bruins suffered from a sputtering offense early in the match, as the Cardinal jumped out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Jeff Tully The blacktops and city park courts of Burbank is where Shaina Zaidi first learned to love the sport of basketball. Beginning in the Burbank Park, Recreation and Community Services leagues, Zaidi also developed a taste for competition, along with a flair for a game that has become an extension of her being. With basketball such a big part of her life, it's not surprising that Zaidi has become a successful girls' player for L.A. Marlborough School.

Hertz -- Pickett Jennifer Christine Hertz and Jeff Robert Pickett have announced their engagement and will marry in September. The bride-to-be is the daughter of William and Suzanne Hertz of Glendale and Barbara Hertz Chamberlain of La Verne. The groom-to-be is the son of Robert and Mary Pickett of Walnut Creek. The bride-to-be graduated from Glendale High School in 1993 and UCLA in 1998. At UCLA, she was Josephine Bruin, the university mascot and a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.

PERRON--COTTI Nicole Perron of Burbank and Daniel Cotti of Burbank were married at St. Bartholemew Catholic Church in Long Beach. Father Elder officiated. Many of the couple's friends and family members came from the East Coast to help the couple celebrate. The maid of honor was Rayanne Perron. The bridesmaids were the groom's sister Cathi Cotti McMahan, the bride's sisters, Erica Perron and Toni Madore, and friends Jessica Byrne, Lori Valquette, Jodi Higgins and Erika Wadsworth.

McKinley Elementary School students on Friday staked their loyalties in one of college football's classic matchups. The campus was awash in the cardinal and gold of USC, and the blue and gold of UCLA for Rivalry Day, an annual college-focused celebration that coincides with the annual matchup. "The main point is to inspire them to think about what they want to do in their future," said Suzanne Weerts, a McKinley mother and the founder of Rivalry Day. "And some people go to a college because of college sports.

Jeff Tully If all goes well, a group of young Burbank tennis players will get the opportunity to play at the same venue that has hosted the likes of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. Two 12-and-under youth teams from the Burbank Tennis Center will be busy this weekend taking part in the Southern California Assn. Championships at UCLA. If the local boys' and girls' squads do well in the six-member team-tennis format event Saturday at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, they will earn a spot in Sunday's finals at the center-court stadium at Los Angeles Tennis Center on the UCLA campus.

Two students from John Muir Middle School are participating today in a panel discussion at the Festival of Books at UCLA. Eighth- grader Sunny Patel and seventh-grader Bethany Daniels will discuss the novel "A Northern Light" by Jennifer Donnelly from noon to 1 p.m. at the ETC Stage for radio station KPCC's Book of the Air For Young Adults program. The students will also question Donnelly, who will be at the discussion, said John Mercado, an English and journalism instructor at Muir Middle School.

DOUDIAN Alexandra C. Getty, the daughter of Craig D. Getty of Reno, Nev. and Gail Getty Brown and Craig W. Brown of Sausalito, and Garo M. Doudian, the son of Edward and Zarouhi Doudian of Burbank, have announced their engagement. The bride-to-be graduated from San Rafael High School in 1996. She received a degree in mathematics of computations from UCLA in 2001. She was a member of Alpha Phi sorority. She develops games for Black Ops Entertainment.

BOWNE Shelby Nielson Corliss and Ryan David Bowne have announced their plans to marry in June. The bride-to-be is the daughter of David and Judy Corliss of Orinda. She graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in sociology and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority. She earned her master's degree in education from Pepperdine University. She is a teacher at La Ballona Elementary School in Culver City. The bridegroom-to-be is the son of Robert and Dianne Bowne of Burbank.

BURBANK -- It's not uncommon for some college graduates to take a break after they finish school and escape to Europe for awhile. Former Burroughs High and UCLA men's water polo star Alfonso Tucay is doing just that. However, unlike other college grads who go abroad to take a vacation, Tucay is going to Europe to work. The 22-year-old, who graduated with a degree in political science and who plans to go to law school -- someday -- has signed a one-year professional contract with Les Frances Naguers Cheminots of the French First Division.

Bob Hope Airport is aiming for a financial touchdown with a new marketing agreement with UCLA Athletics and the Rose Bowl that will tap into the university's millions of sports fans. The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday unanimously approved spending $327,000 over the next three years on a contract that will position Bob Hope as the official airport of the Rose Bowl. That designation includes signage at the stadium, a special logo, promotion on the video board during UCLA football games and inclusion in all print publications, such as the Rose Bowl Stadium Guide.

McKinley Elementary students on Monday competed against each other as either USC or UCLA patriots during the school's annual Rivalry Day, capping a month college-related activities. At the start of November, students wore logos of any college they chose and made pennants of the campuses they want to attend. This week, fifth-graders will visit UCLA on a field trip. By the end of the year, McKinley administrators will award a college scholarship to a John Burroughs senior who attended the elementary school.

On Rivalry Day at McKinley Elementary School Wednesday, students got to pick a team: USC or UCLA. Wearing the colors and stickers of their choice, students competed in football relay games and were able to pet USC's equine mascot, Traveler, whose owner is Burbank resident Joanne Asman. The annual Rivalry Day - part of the school's November College Month activities - was established to get kids thinking about college. One second-grader flaunted her shirt sleeve that read “USC” to teacher Carol Derry, but the UCLA fan waved it off. “She's been showing it to me all day,” Derry said.

McKinley Elementary School students on Friday staked their loyalties in one of college football's classic matchups. The campus was awash in the cardinal and gold of USC, and the blue and gold of UCLA for Rivalry Day, an annual college-focused celebration that coincides with the annual matchup. "The main point is to inspire them to think about what they want to do in their future," said Suzanne Weerts, a McKinley mother and the founder of Rivalry Day. "And some people go to a college because of college sports.

Anton Arboleda grabbed his driver, removing the head cover, a bear surrounded by blue and gold — the mascot, colors and insignia of the UCLA Bruins. It's Arboleda's skill with a driver, and all the other clubs in his golf bag, which has helped him land a spot at his dream school, UCLA, on a partial golf scholarship. In the fall, he will begin classes in Westwood, only months after graduating from La Cañada High, where he made a name for himself in the sport. The 17-year old Arboleda started honing his prowess with a club when he was just 3, going out to the driving range with his dad, Antonio.

Homeowners throughout the region continued to struggle with mortgage payments during the first quarter of 2010, during which the number of foreclosure filings jumped 11%, according to a report from real estate tracking firm RealtyTrac. Borrowers who owe far more than their homes are worth are finding it difficult to modify those loans, real estate agents and experts said, which partially explains the increase from the previous quarter. The figures included homes in Glendale, Burbank, La Crescenta and La Cañada Flintridge.

PROVIDENCE HIGH — There is a lot Paolo Velasco has to be proud of during his tenure at Providence High. Along with teaching at the school for five years, he also served as a boys' basketball coach for the Pioneers for 11 years. As Velasco came to the conclusion recently that he was going to have to leave the school, his thoughts hearkened back to what has meant the most to him during his tenure. "It is with a heavy heart that I leave Providence High," said Velasco, a 1994 graduate.

Bits and pieces from the local sports scene: Former Burroughs hoop standout among UCLA title team honorees : The UCLA men's basketball program doesn't forget about its own ? especially its championship own. The Bruins took time out Saturday to honor the 1967 UCLA team that won an NCAA championship. Coached by the legendary John Wooden , the team included former Burroughs High standout Lynn Shackelford . The squad also featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Warren . Shackelford ?

Nassir -- Webster Nicole Diane Nassir of Burbank and Robert Martin Webster of London and Lancashire, England have announced their engagement. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Minnie Tobey Lush of Burbank and the late Norman E. Lush. She is the granddaughter of Micheal Cunningham of Burbank and the late Mayme Cunningham. Nassir is a graduate of UCLA and McGeorge School of Law. She is an attorney and educator and has served in federal, state and local government in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.

Two students from John Muir Middle School are participating today in a panel discussion at the Festival of Books at UCLA. Eighth- grader Sunny Patel and seventh-grader Bethany Daniels will discuss the novel "A Northern Light" by Jennifer Donnelly from noon to 1 p.m. at the ETC Stage for radio station KPCC's Book of the Air For Young Adults program. The students will also question Donnelly, who will be at the discussion, said John Mercado, an English and journalism instructor at Muir Middle School.