COMMUNITY NEWS VAN NUYS STUDENT WINS DENNY'S GRANT.

Kristle Robles of Van Nuys was among 85 college students recently awarded scholarships of up to $1,000 from the Denny's restaurant chain through a partnership with the Hispanic College Fund.

Robles, attending Brown University, qualified for the scholarship by pursuing a bachelor's in a major related to business, engineering, technology, or entrepreneurship and having a 3.0 grade-point average or higher.

The Denny's partnership has aided more than 325 Hispanic students with more than $300,000 in scholarships over the past four years.

California State University, Northridge, music student Ani Maldjian won first place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Western Regional Auditions earlier this month.

Maldjian, a soprano, studies with CSUN music professor Deanna Murray and plays the role of Cleopatra in the CSUN Opera's current production of G.F. Handel's ``Julius Caesar.''

CSUN music student Tara Davidson also competed in the western regionals, where she received an Encouragement Award.

Maldjian will travel in March to New York to compete in the national semifinals at the Metropolitan Opera. Ten finalists will be chosen to compete in the national finals, and the five top winners each will receive $15,000.

CSUN also recently received a five-year, $2.7 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences division of the National Institutes of Health to encourage minority students to consider careers in biomedical research.

``This award provides opportunities not just for the students who are directly involved in the program, but it is actually going to change the way we teach biology for all of our students by giving us the resources to make our courses even more competitive,'' said biology professor Maria Elena Zavala, director of the Minority Access to Research Careers program.

The Los Angeles Police Foundation recently honored Reserve Officer Anne Waisberger, Devonshire Area, with its Crystal Angel Award. Waisberger was one of four officers to receive the award, presented in recognition of exemplary community service.

Some San Fernando Valley girls were among those reaching out to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Girl Scout Troop 266 in the San Fernando Valley contributed $350 in proceeds from its cookie drive money to the American Red Cross, American Humane Society and Habitat for Humanity International for victims of the Gulf Coast disasters.

Sherman Oaks resident Andy Maltz recently was named to a national panel to advise the U.S. archivist on an electronic records archive system.

Maltz - director of the science and technology council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - was among 20 members appointed to the committee by U.S. Archivist Allen Weinstein.

``As we move forward to making the Electronic Records Archives a reality, it is more important than ever that we reach out to obtain advice from a broad spectrum of experts,'' said Kenneth Thibodeau, director of the Electronic Records Archives Program.