photography by LA Daily News Photographer Hans Gutknecht
Los Angeles Lakers' Sasha Vujacic #18 passes the ball between Golden State Warriors' defenders during their NBA match up at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ca. December 28, 2008. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Robert Romo, Sylmar, trains his horse Lola to walk sideways at the Orcas-Gabreieleno Equestrian Center in Lake View Terrace Sunday, December 28, 2008. The Orcas-Gabreieleno Equestrian Center is part of the Hansen Dam Recreation Center. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
My dogs Maggy & Mina
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant goes over the top of of Boston Celtics' Kendrick Perkins in the second half during their NBA match up at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ca. December 25, 2008. The Lakers defeated the Celtics 92 to 83 ending Boston's 19-game winning streak. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Gorilla Repunzel, 24-years-old, examines a cardboard candy cane filled with treats at the LA Zoo Tuesday, December 23, 2008. The Los Angeles Zoo’s western lowland gorillas celebrated the holiday season with gifts containing vegetables and other treats. The Los Angeles Zoo’s gorilla exhibit is divided into two areas, a family of four lives in one and a pair of males in the other. Native to West Central Africa, gorillas are herbivores, eating leaves, vines, bark and other vegetation. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Valley for Obama member Petrice Bankhead unloads donated food that the group collected Monday, December 22, 2008 at the Victory Vineland Recreation Center in North Hollywood, Ca. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
People enjoy themselves during the 6th annual Chabad's Chanukah festival at Universal City Walk Sunday, December 21, 2008. A 15-foot Menorah was lit during the ceremony that featured music and dancing.(Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Weston Lutz, 17-years-old, and Ryan Fahar, 14-years-old, throw snowballs at a passing train on Soledad Canyon Road in Acton, Ca. The boys drove from their homes in Santa Clarita to play in the snow after a winter storm hit Wednesday covering the area with powder. (Hans Gutknecht)
New York Knick Al Harrington #7 takes a breather during their NBA match up against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Tuesday, December, 16, 2008. The Lakers defeated the Knicks 116 to 114. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol #16 is fouled by Minnesota Timberwolves' Al Jefferson #25 in the 4th period during their NBA match up at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA Sunday, December 14, 2008. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Children enjoy themselves as the ride disks in manmade snow at Pierce College. 110 children at the Pierce College Child Development Center had the opportunity to play in 12-tons of snow created by the Union Ice Company at Pierce College in Woodland Hills Ca. Thursday, December 11, 3008. The center held bake sales and had an art auction to raise money for the event and Union Ice Company donated 1-ton of snow. For many of the children it was the first time they had ever seen or played in snow. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Taft High School's Amanda Spencer serves the ball during her City Section Girls' Tennis Tournament, quarterfinal match against Taft High School's Yuliya Maystruck Wednesday, December, 10, 2008 at the Balboa Sports Complex in Encino Ca. (Hans Gutknecht)
Nayasa Hills, 6-years-old, plays with her sister Bra'enysa Davis, 2-years-old, outside of their North Hollywood apartment Tuesday, December 9, 2008. The girls mother Bernice Davis, a single mother, became homeless in 2006 after she could no longer afford a rented room at a friend's home. In the ensuing months, she exhausted her savings while staying with family and friends and ultimately sought refuge at a Skid Row mission. Discovered by Los Angeles County's Skid Row Outreach Team, Davis was referred to Beyond Shelter, which relocated her family to a hotel within 24 hours. Within a few months, the nonprofit agency helped her move into a two-bedroom apartment in North Hollywood and obtain a Section 8 voucher to continue paying the rent. With only an 11th grade education, Davis is now attending adult school to obtain her GED and is working toward becoming self-sufficient again. The outreach team and Beyond Shelter have helped Davis and 234 other homeless families, including about 700 children and 300 adults obtain permanent housing and services and get off the dangerous streets of Skid Row. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Moorpark High School's Brody Rohach #3 passes the ball as Valencia High School defenders apply pressure in the first half during their CIF Northern Division Semifinal playoff game at Valencia High School, in Valencia Ca. December 6, 2008.(Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Saugus High School's Desi Rodriguez #2 catches his breath after a hard hit in the 2nd quarter against Saint Bonaventure High School during their CIF semi-finals playoff game at Ventura High School in Ventura on Friday, December 5, 2008.(Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Artists Elan Palmer-Hagouel and Levon Demirjian pose with the art they created from discarded furniture as a pedestrian takes a look along Victory Blvd. in Van Nuys, Ca. December 4, 2008. The pair finds trash that has been left in public areas and creates "Public Trash Art" by changing the material in to something that is more pleasing to the eye. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
The home of Barbara Hunt at 6718 Vantage Ave in North Hollywood where a skeletonize body of a person consisting of leathery skin and bones was discovered by Los Angles Police officers on Monday, December, 1, 2008. Barbara Hunt, 86-years-old, who is missing lived at the home with her son Robert Hunt, 48-years-old. No charges have been filed in the case and the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office is conducting an investigate to determine the cause of death. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Forest Lawn Museum is featuring a stained glass window exhibit entitled “Light & Hope” at the Glendale Memorial Park through January 11, 2008. The exhibit will feature windows that depict the seven most significant events in the birth and early life of Christ. Most of the windows in the display were created by the Franz Mayer & Company of Munich, Germany, and date back to 1903. For more information go to www.forestlawn.com. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
