A Message from Associate Publisher Amanda Benson – June/July 2016

 Sitting in one of my favorite local wine bars, I noticed a tall handsome guy walk in who looked familiar, but I couldn’t place his face.  About a glass and a half later it hit me – it was Jacob from Lost!  Fast-forward to a few emails and phone calls later, and Mark Pellegrino is on our cover!  That’s how this town is: small but big!  You never know who you might see, just enjoying a moment to themself in our quaint little community.
Packed full of stories, this is another issue of discovery!  Flipping through our pages, you’ll learn about people you never knew were here, or you’ll uncover new details about people you’ve known for years.  With a focus on community, we’re working hard to bring you the best this valley has to offer!
In the business of shining light on outstanding people and organizations, we bring you a feature on one of our favorite new organizations: The Battle Buddy Foundation.  What an incredible difference that organization is making in our veterans’ lives!  We are touched and moved by your work!
You will also meet 24-year-old multimillionaire Jake Kassan in this issue.  A Valencia High School graduate, Jake sees the world from a whole different perspective, and we love his vision!  Jake’s true success, however, is the life and business lessons he’s passing onto the next generation.  We can’t wait to see what you do next, Jake!
To celebrate our fathers, we have an amazing story about a shared passion that brought a father and son together – and the incredible chance of fate that has kept the father’s memory alive.  A tale of art, love, war and humor, this is one you won’t want to miss!  Read Howard and Morgan Weistling’s story on page 64.
Speaking of fathers, Fabulous Finds is all about dads this issue!  With unique and trendy ideas, we’ve got something for every dad – from auto ideas to a tabletop bar.  Take a look on page 44.
Rolling into summer, we have a lot going on.  Tanya Tucker will be performing at the PAC, benefiting our local Sheriff’s Foundation.  She’s a past élite cover star you won’t want to miss!  As the season heats up, be sure to read our new Beauty section and growing Health and Wellness section!  We have a great article from a local nutritionist about the psychological behaviors behind bad eating habits, and she just so happens to be an Ultimate winner!
Speaking of Ultimates … please help us in congratulating the 2016 élite Magazine Ultimate Beauty and Fitness winners!  Our winners truly feel ultimate for being acknowledged in such a way by you – our readers!  Thank you to all who participated in the voting process.  Now, get voting on the Ultimate Home & Garden Awards at www.scvelitemagazine.com.
I also would like to welcome our new clients and thank all of our advertisers for their continued support!  It is because of you all that we are able to publish such a beautiful magazine, filled with informative, inspirational and heartwarming articles.  We look forward to each and every issue, and we hope you do, too!
On a personal note, I want to say thank you to everyone who contributed to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital’s #DonateABear drive.  A few years back, my son needed stitches under his eye from a swimming pool accident and he received a teddy bear he appropriately named Stitches!  This provided him such comfort while they were “sewing up” his eye.  (His words!)  It also acted as a great distraction, helped me calm him and remain calm, too, as we tried to think of a name for the bear.  Once I learned these bears were given to the hospital on a donation basis, I quickly got involved.  This year we had an outpouring of donations, and they are still coming in!  On page 48 is a sweet story about a young boy who used his birthday money to buy bears!  We live in the best community!  Bear hugs to you all!

Cheers,
Amanda Benson

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