Stephanie Snyder

Iran hostage crisis remains vivid memory for Oxnard man from Stephanie Snyder on Vimeo.

Thirty-three years ago, the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, was taken over by Islamists supporting the Iranian Revolution, marking the beginning of a hostage crisis that involved 52 Americans being held for 444 days.

The recent release of the film "Argo," starring and directed by Ben Affleck, may heighten awareness of the Nov. 4 anniversary of the event. But for one Oxnard man, the day hits home year after year.

"You don't forget about this stuff when you're part of it," said Tom Rooney, 72, sitting at his kitchen table sifting through old documents and photographs from when he lived in Tehran more than three decades ago. "It sticks with you."

SB 1070 Supreme Court hearing prompts protests from Stephanie Snyder on Vimeo.

Hundreds of singing, chanting, marching – mostly civil – protesters gathered in front of the Supreme Court to make their voices heard while the justices weighed arguments on Arizona's SB 1070 immigration law April 25, 2012.

The state law sparked a variety of strong opinions – whether it was former Arizona resident JoAnn Abbott who said she came from Virginia to support SB 1070 because the federal government is not doing its job, or Pedro Lopez, 19, who drove from Phoenix to Washington where he and other Arizonans participated in a prayer vigil hoping the court would reject SB 1070.

Rock Springs Cafe: A Slice of History from Stephanie Snyder on Vimeo.

Rock Springs Cafe in Black Canyon City has gained international recognition for its specialty pies since the restaurant opened in 1924.

Selling up to 70,000 pies annually, many travelers make sure to make a pit stop at the historic location off of Interstate 17 – 45 miles north of downtown Phoenix – for one of the cafe's 21 varieties of cream, fruit and speciality pies, including the signature Jack Daniel's pecan pie.

Never Left It: A Legendary Artist's Lifelong Pursuit of a Dream from Stephanie Snyder on Vimeo.

Jefferson Eugene Grigsby Jr. has played many roles in his life – educator, soldier, author, scholar, husband, father – but through it all, he has always been an artist.

Whether Grigsby was trying to make a living as a teacher, serving his country during World War II or caring for his two sons, he would constantly manage to find a way to express himself through art.

At 93 years old, Grigsby still paints every week, producing new prints for display in his Phoenix home and various locations throughout the community that are viewable by the public.

“Work hard. Enjoy what you do,” Grigsby said. “If you enjoy it, you’ll keep doing it. But if you don’t like it – no chance for success.”