Developer helps with school, park: this regular feature focuses on philanthropic activities by Valley-area companies and business people.

When Shawn Evenhaim purchased seven acres of land in Canoga Park where the old Pine Grove Hospital used to stand, little did he know that he would later break down the land into 20 lots to create a Jewish Day School and what will soon be 18 new homes and a natural wildlife park.

Shawn Evenhaim, owner of California Home Builders, a home construction and development company based in Canoga Park, personally made it his mission to convert the hospital into a Jewish Day School, a $7 million development on 4 acres of the original site.

When Evenhaim was notified that canadian geese were on the property, he worked with the Sierra Club and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy donating one lot, formerly meant to become a home and developing the property at a cost of approximately $900,000 into a natural wildlife park. The park is slated to be completed in a month.

The development of the park has also inspired a program between Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Jewish Day School into creating a program with the Jewish Day School for the children to work and maintain the park.

"I really believe that business is meant to give back to the community," said Evenhaim.

Police Scholarships

21st Century Insurance awarded 21 graduates from the Los Angeles Police Academy Magnet School Program a total of $21,000 in scholarships.

Woodland Hills-based 21st Century is the founding program sponsor, helping establish the program in 1996 with an initial donation of $250,000 and has donated $500,000 in total since the program has begun.

The magnet, designed to prepare high school students for careers in law enforcement and public service, currently has 1,200 students enrolled at five other high schools in Los Angeles.

Executive Director and founder of the program, Roberta Weintraub said: "This program has come so far, so fast, thanks to the vision and support of the LAPD, the LAUSD and founding sponsor 21st Century Insurance.

Of this year's 130 graduates, 95 percent are expected to enroll in college. Graduates enrolled in the Police Community Worker program will have the opportunity to work and train with the LAPD after graduation instead of waiting till they are 21.

The graduating class has accumulated more than $750,000 in college scholarships, grants and student loans. An additional $36,000 in scholarships were awarded at the graduation ceremony in Elysian Park on June 9.

Hospital Scholarships

The Encino-Tarzana Hospital Charitable Foundation, an all-volunteer organization awarded a total of $57,600 in scholarships for those pursuing careers in the field of medicine.

The Executive Board director, Dr. Marlene Bane, presented the 39 recipients each with a $1,200, to assist students interested in nursing at the Nursing Awards luncheon in May.

The foundation will grant additional funds to 10 non-profits that work to improve health and welfare in the San Fernando Valley at an event in October.

BY VANESSA HERMAN

Staff Reporter