LA MIRADA, CA -- More than 200 industry professionals packed the Holiday Inn, here, Aug. 2 for the Fresh Produce & Floral Council's membership luncheon featuring the City of Hope.

The Produce/Floral Division of the Food Industries Circle presented City of Hope with a check for $120,000 to help continue the Southern California facility's cutting-edge technology in its continual effort to prevent and cure cancer and other life- threatening illness.

Maxco Packaging, located in Parlier, CA, announced that it has completed negotiations with Steve Jewell, president of Green Valley Packaging in Watsonville, CA, on a deal that will bring Mr. Jewell to Maxco as director of sales for the coastal region, a newly created position within Maxco.

Green Valley Packaging is a packaging distribution corporation that supplies a complete line of packaging primarily to strawberry grower-shippers throughout California as well as major vegetable companies on the central coast.

Keith Frosceno, who recently left the W. Newell & Co. in Champaign, IL, after about one year of service, joined Price Chopper in Albany, NY, July 31.

For many years Mr. Frosceno was vice president of produce and floral at Bozzuto's Inc. in Cheshire, CT. At his new company his title is senior category manager -- a new position -- and he told The Produce News, "I'll be involved in the produce procurement side of the business."

By now most people have heard of the bird flu that has spread across Southeast Asia and parts of Europe and the doomsday scenarios that the media have reported that could take place should the Influenza A/H5N1 virus become capable of being transmitted from human to human.

Potato industry veteran Bob Meek has joined Wada Farms Marketing Group as the operation's new chief executive officer.

Prior to his recent move to the Wada office in Idaho Falls, ID, Mr. Meek held the positions of vice president of potatoes and onions and of vice president of sales for tomatoes, avocados and vegetables with Del Monte Fresh Produce in Coral Gables, FL.

SAN MARTIN, CA -- Though the Christopher family has been farming in California since the 1880s, today's Christopher Ranch has grown to a position of prominence through the expertise of third-generation family member Don Christopher.

The company is celebrating 50 years in business, and at its annual dinner July 28 at the CordeValle resort, here, it marked the milestone.