The Long Beach Police Department had a promotion ceremony for Lieutenant Steven Ditmars and Lieutenant Joseph Stilinovich to the rank of commander. Also promoted were Sergeant Joel Cook, Sergeant Patrick Burns and Sergeant Max Jones to the rank of lieutenant. Officer Donald Mauk, Officer Brenda Relph and Officer Robert Woos were promoted to sergeant while clerk supervisor Patricia Flinn will be senior records clerk.

Congresswoman Laura Richardson received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Academic Placement Program at UCLA. Congresswoman Richardson represents the 37th Congressional District that includes Long Beach, Signal Hill, Carson, Compton, Watts and Willowbrook.

Asian and Asian American Studies Professor Hiroko Kataoka of California State University, Long Beach, received the Florence Steiner Leadership in Foreign Languages Teaching Award. The American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages presented the award.

Assistant Professor of English at California State University, Long Beach, Patty Seyburn has been named the winner of the 2008 Green Rose Prize in Poetry for her book titled “Hilarity.” Seyburn won $2,000 and the publication of her manuscript by New Issues Press.

John Blake was named the Executive Director for the Children’s Dental Health Clinic on the Miller Children’s Hospital campus. Dr. Blake has had the combined position of Executive and Dental Director since the previous Executive Director retired last year.

Teacher John Webb has been named the Long Beach Yacht Club’s Youth Activities/Aquatics Director. Webb has been an elementary school teacher for 13 years and a Long Beach lifeguard for 20 years. r