Steve Churm, and his company, Churm Publishing...

Steve Churm, and his company, Churm Publishing Inc. of Newport Beach,

was among 11 honorees at a recent Orange County United Way

recognition breakfast. The company received a community-excellence

award for its work with Human Options, a nonprofit group that helps

battered and abused women. Churm started the company in 1990 and has

always provided advertising space and editorial support, along with

monetary contributions, to many nonprofit organizations.

Also honored at the breakfast were Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach;

the law firm of Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth, which has a

Newport Beach office; and Newport Beach-based Pacific Life Insurance.

Jillian Van Ness of Corona del Mar made the dean’s list at Berklee

College of Music in Boston for the fall 2004-05 academic semester. In

order to be eligible for this honor, full-time students must have

earned a grade point average of 3.6 or above.

Navy Seaman Recruit Aric M. Millar, son of Cindy Poulain of Hill

City, S.D., and Mark R. Millar of Costa Mesa recently completed U.S.

Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.

Millar is a 2000 graduate of Costa Mesa High School.

Kris Dow has been promoted to district sales manager for Vector

Marketing in Costa Mesa. Kris joined Vector in 2000 as a CUTCO sales

representative while a college student at Boston College. Vector

Marketing Corporation, a subsidiary of Alcas Corporation, is the

exclusive marketer of CUTCO Cutlery and accessories.

Jane Macha, a teacher at Harbor View Elementary School in Newport

Beach, was one of 10 local teachers named teacher of the year through

Wal-Mart’s 10th annual Teacher of the Year program. As a winner,

Macha will receive a $1,000 educational grant from the Wal-Mart and

Sam’s Club Foundation to benefit Harbor View, a $50 shopping card to

buy classroom supplies and an honorary Wal-Mart greeter’s vest.

Teachers were nominated by members of the community during the month

of February. Awards are given out this week in honor of National

Teacher’s Day (May 3) and Teacher Appreciation Week (May 1 through

7).

* NEIGHBORS spotlights achievements in the community. Please

direct noteworthy information to Lindsay Sandham by fax at (714)

966-4679, or send e-mail to lindsay.sandham@latimes.com.