Dear Editor,
As a Filipina in this community… this email is to support ethnic studies at Los Alamitos High School. Cultures are our history and very important to our well being.
Thank you,
Naomi LeDoux
“Astounded to find so much praise” for ethnic studies
Dear Editor,
I read the March 3 Event-News Enterprise newspaper and was astounded to find so much praise for the new “ethnic studies” course approved by the Los Alamitos Unified School Board. But let’s start with your misleading headline: Los Al Unified Adopts First-Ever Ethnic Studies Course.
Those like me who grew up when public schools offered American History & Civic courses already received “ethnic studies.”
In those original “ethnics studies” courses known as American History & Civics, students learned how millions of people from all over the world from many different ethnicities came to America to be part of our nation’s wonderful melting pot. Those born here and legal immigrants savored their ethnic backgrounds, but together we were proud Americans who shared a patriotic love for the United States of America.
The studies included issues that showed how the country made horrible mistakes (slavery, treatment of Native Americans, internment of Japanese Americans, etc.). As many have said and written, the United States of America strives to be a perfect nation. But the goal of the American History & Civics course was to teach our nation’s united history while recognizing the contributions of many ethnic groups.
How about Los Alamitos Unified School District offering the original “ethnics studies” course known as American History & Civics?
Sincerely,
Gayle Posner
Rossmoor
LAUSD is failing our minority students
Dear Editor,
As a former 12-year elected member of the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education, it is very disheartening to watch the school board put so much time and effort on an elective “ethnic studies” course rather than focus on mandatory “math and English.” Yes, one can walk and chew gum but apparently not very well at Los Al. There are already dozens of electives at Los Al High School. Ethnic studies should already be addressed in US History and the social sciences as all of our American Founders were from a foreign country – ethnic!
When all our students of all ethnicities have at least met (and better yet exceeded) math and English test results, only then should we consider feel-good courses. If the ethnics studies course focus is on minorities, let’s look at the California Smarter Balanced 2019 results. The report clearly tells us that LAUSD is failing our minority students when it comes to math and English.
– MATH: Nearly 20 percent of Black students and 14 percent of Hispanics have not met basic math requirements as compared to just over 1 percent for Asians. Whites and Pacific Islanders are over 7 percent and Filipinos are about 6 percent. And, at the high school over 40% of all students are below grade level in math.
– ENGLISH: Just over 12 percent of Black students and 8.25 percent of Hispanics have not met basic English requirements as compared to nearly 2 percent for Asians and Filipinos. Pacific Islanders are at about 7.5 percent and Whites are at just over 5 percent.
LAUSD parents are very proud that there are many LAUSD students who have met or exceeded basic math and English requirements. However, until all students (and especially minority students) have met or exceeded math and English requirements – the basics needed to succeed in college and advance in the working world – elective courses like “ethnic studies” are a distraction from the basic 3-R’s mission of public education.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey I. Barke, M.D.
Co-Founder Orange County Classical Academy – a free public charter school in Orange, CA
Something we can agree on
Dear Editor,
This is my response to article Letters to the Editor in Event-News-Enterprise March 3-2021 (from Robin Itzler and Glenn Kovanda).
It was interesting for me to read the responses from Robin Itzler and Glenn Kovanda to my Opinion Article published in the ENE on February 24, 2021. I will try to make my response to these articles short. I, of course, disagree almost 100% with your responses, but both of you and millions of others who adore Donald Trump, most definitely know this would be my opinion. Except for the final paragraph of the article by Robin Itzler, this 1st opinion article does correctly document many statements made by prominent Republican politicians recently. When Donald Trump speaks, you gaze in awe of him and believe everything he says wholeheartedly. I would like to mention other very famous, or should I say infamous, leaders, but present and past, who have mesmerized their followers in other countries, but you would disagree with me when I say that Donald Trump is adapting techniques that are used in their playbooks. No need to state their names. One, in particular, was horrific, but you, most certainly, would disagree that there would be any comparison of Donald Trump to that one.
So, to change the subject, I would like to mention, probably to your surprise, that there is almost definitely something that we can agree upon. YES THERE IS! And that is the Event-News-Enterprise for their willingness to publish our articles. Maybe when the editor published the first political opinion article on February 3 by Nancy Hancock of the West Orange County RWF after such an absence of these articles, it could have been to obtain more readership for this paper. That is only a guess on my part. But, in retrospect, I am certain that is what has been the result. There are so many interesting stories pertaining to local issues and events in our local communities that are not published anywhere else and all of us most certainly agree on this. I take many walks through our local communities and it is disappointing for me to see so many ENE papers on our sidewalks untouched and eventually trashed. There is so much good news, and, of course, local advertisements in the ENE. The Event-New-Enterprise is to be praised by all of us. If only there was a way for many others in our community to be as enthused as we, the readers of this great throw-away-paper, are.
Sincerely,
Art Oster
Rossmoor
Student says ethnic students “extremely beneficial”
Dear Editor,
I am currently a senior at Los Alamitos High School and I serve on the student board of the Griffins With A Mission (G.W.A.M.) outreach program. Our team is focused on creating a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment where every student can express themselves freely at school. We are largely focused on building empathy and unifying the community which is why we as well as many others believe that Los Al is in need of an ethnic studies course. Many of my peers don’t feel as if their culture is properly represented within social studies classes because of biased textbooks. However, ethnic studies would serve to educate students and amplify the history and voices of people of color. In the past, my school has had many instances of racism, but we now have an opportunity to prevent these incidents from happening again. This class would expose students to new, diverse perspectives in hopes of widening their empathy for others. For these reasons, the addition of an ethnic studies course is extremely beneficial for Los Alamitos High School.
Keila Gines
LAHS Student
“It’s called American History”
Dear Editor:
I read in today’s newspaper that the Los Alamitos School District has approved an elective ethnics studies class. The United States of America has so many wonderful ethnicities that I wonder how classroom time will be determined. Will teachers look at population percentages to determine how much time is devoted to each ethnicity? For instance, if an ethnic group is 5% of the population, will only 5% of class time be devoted to that ethnic group?
Every ethnicity has a magnificent story to share about its contributions to our great country. It’s called American History.
Sincerely,
Cindy O’Malley
“Can’t someone claim this is a form of racism?”
Dear Editor:
Congratulations to the Los Alamitos Unified School Board for approving the “Cultural Experience in America” elective course. Certainly, if the school board has the time and energy for this touchy-feeling ethnics study course, it means that 100% (or very close to it) of LAUSD students excel in the basics such as reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and science.
If minority students are lagging white students and LAUSD focuses on ethnics studies instead of subjects that students need to succeed in college and the working world, can’t someone claim that is a form of racism?
Sincerely,
Karen Swenson
Rossmoor (Los Alamitos)
Excited LAUSD going to offer ethnic studies
Dear Editor,
As a parent of three kids at Los Al HS next year, I wanted to say I am so excited our district is going to offer ethnic studies as a college prep course. Understanding other cultures and backgrounds is critical to success in our world, and the more we cultivate tolerance and understanding the better off the next generation will be.
As parents we can teach our kids tolerance and values, but teens often hear the message louder from their peers.
Please don’t only give oxygen to the vocal minority who want to keep other cultures invisible.
Thank you,
Erin Rank
Ethnic Studies: Well done LAUSD
Dear Editor,
When I attended Orange County, CA public schools, I learned little of other cultures. Race, gender, and cultural identities were barely mentioned. In the decades since then, I have discovered that what I was taught in the 1960’s and 1970’s about others was often incorrect and frequently incomplete.
As I understand it, Ethnic Studies is an academic field that spans the humanities and the social sciences. It emerged in response to a narrow perspective I, and many others, received in courses such as history, literature, and sociology. As a nation, we’ve intentionally ignored so much in our educational system.
The resistance (and in some cases, hostility) to offering an Ethnic Studies course at LAHS to juniors and/or seniors is unwarranted and confounding. Exposing students to a global perspective should be a goal of education. As a Cultural Anthropology professor at Duke University noted, “The US is a very diverse country, and an advocate would say we should teach kids to understand multiculturalism and diversity…” because these tools will be needed for careers in law, government, and teaching to name a few.
These courses, this knowledge, can enrich our children by teaching them to value diversity and to prepare them for the globalized world in which we live. Frankly, I’ve spent my last few decades reading and traveling just for that reason: to appreciate others; to participate in diverse opportunities with other cultures; to understand real history; and, to lay bare stereotypes learned in my youth.
I applaud the LAUSD Board of Education members for voting to create an Ethnic Studies course at LAHS. Well done.
Denise Miller
Rossmoor
We must protect our God given rights
Dear Editor,
How is “Cultural Experience in America” a new idea? American History has been vitalized by a series of (legal) migrations to this land of opportunity. Not all of us came willingly.
Every generation has its own conflicts and challenges. Characterizing our current ethnic tensions as unique is as fallacious as judging history through the lens of today’s understandings.
I question if the ethnic studies program will genuinely embrace the array of cultures in our nation, including those of European ancestry. Euphemisms like “diversity” initially sound positive but are too often a disguise for swapping one prejudice for another.
Will our students learn that America’s Founding Fathers were profoundly gifted and dedicated? It is necessary to be proud of our forebearers, but it is also essential that students are taught to respect the country we live in, our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and our traditional Judeo-Christian principles.
If the Cultural Experience in America course places our heroes and heads-of state-in a critical, negative light, this will cause erosion of respect in our society and disintegration of our Republic.
We have come too far on this road already. Let us be vigilant and protect our God-given rights.
Diane Rush
Rossmoor
Let Oak Middle hero, Janet Murphy, warm your heart
By Meagan Clements
“It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superwoman!” read Erin Kominsky, principal of Oak Middle School in Los Alamitos.
During a board meeting held on Feb. 7, Kominsky spoke about this year’s Hero of the Heart recipient, Janet Murphy.
“She’s faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive,” Kominsky said. “She can handle any problem and come up with multiple solutions.
Los Alamitos Unified School District Supt. Dr. Andrew Pulver agreed, commending Murphy’s dedication to serving others, including her children Violet and Tristan. Violet is a 7th grader at Oak Middle School and Tristan is a sophomore at Los Alamitos High School.
“The hallmark of this district are the people and obviously the parents are a part of that,” Pulver said. “Janet epitomizes [what it means to be] a humble servant.”
Murphy is more than the PTA president of Oak Middle School. She has a dog named Broomstick and a collection of board games she believes is the largest of any family in her Rossmoor neighborhood.
“I challenge them to have as many as we have,” Murphy laughed.
As for her role in the PTA, Murphy is quick-witted and confident in uniting a team of volunteers despite the devasting Coronavirus pandemic. She is organized, engages others and is determined to make a difference in the lives of students, faculty and staff.
“A hero is someone who goes out of their way to try and improve the world,” Murphy said.
Regardless of the accolades, Murphy has received, she is humble in accepting her award. The mother of two says she owes it all to the support of her Los Alamitos family.
“If I had my say, this would be heroes [plural] of the heart,” Murphy said, emphasizing that there is more than one deserving face for the award.
When asked what sets her apart from other parent volunteers, Murphy says it isn’t much, admitting her path was carved out long before she was appointed PTA president.
“If I answered that, I would sound arrogant,” Murphy said humbly. “I am just following the direction and the example of what other parents have [set] before me.”
Murphy strives to provide parents and teachers with a recipe for successfully meeting the needs of children and teens. PTA bylaws — the legal document for how business is governed within each school site — guide Murphy in problem-solving during the pandemic to meet students’ academic, social and emotional needs.
“If we use them as a tool, we can solve any challenge,” Murphy said.
Operating as a PTA during a pandemic is no easy feat. Despite challenges presented, Murphy remains optimistic, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with her strength and charisma.
“There’s a whole PTA board of parent and community volunteers,” Murphy said acknowledging those who help her stay strong given the situation at hand.
Nevertheless, Murphy is proud to be a part of such a supportive team. The community at Los Alamitos Unified School District motivates her as she works smarter each day, bringing the best to those in need.
“We work with the schools, the teachers and the community to bring people together and give the kids [and] the families the best experience they can in school,” Murphy said.
Additionally, the PTA has partnered with the Orange County Department of Health to shed light on such topics as vaping and drugs.
“We were super excited to find out that they offer workshops for children on different issues they are being challenged with, vaping and drugs [to name just a few],” Murphy said.
Murphy acknowledges a multitude of other ways the PTA supports parents and teachers, for example by requesting funds for mental health workshops that support adults in raising well-rounded teens.
“The PTA can advocate and act as an influential body,” Murphy said. “[We can say], ‘we wish you would put more money toward parent education’ or ‘we request that you put more funding toward mental health.’”
Guiding students toward understanding and awareness of the human body is another way the PTA is doing its part to help. A virtual puberty program called The Talk invites parents and their children to participate.
“It’s [about] trying to think outside the box and do everything that we can to make this year the best it can be for the students and their families,” Murphy said.
Murphy is thankful for her parents, David and Alison, Rossmoor residents since 1969.
“I need to give my parents credit because when my kids were in elementary school, they made all of my volunteering possible,” Murphy said. “They would watch the kids while I went and did the carnival clean-up for two hours.”
Volunteering has been a part of Murphy’s life for as long as she can remember. Prior to having children, she fulfilled her passion assisting at animal rescues and shelters.
“Ever since I was a kid, volunteering has been my hobby,” Murphy said.
With the rising numbers in Coronavirus cases, Murphy is grateful to spend more time with her family and friends in the comfort of her home. She looks forward to less running around, enjoying a little extra peace and quiet.
“A slower lifestyle might be nice,” Murphy said.
Like the train Kominsky painted in her Hero of the Heart tribute, Janet Murphy is chugging along in the heart of the PTA, inspiring parents and teachers to hop aboard, smiling every step of the way on the fast track to success.
Courtesy photos
LAUSD approves elective ethnic studies course
The Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education has voted unanimously to adopt its first ever ethnic studies course which will now be available for students this fall.
“I can guarantee you that you have my whole heart behind what you’re doing, and you can say that to the world,” said Board President Marlys Davidson before the vote. “I can’t speak for everybody here, but I pretty much think you could tell by what they had to share with you that they feel the same way.”
Davidson cast the final vote to make it a 5-0 unanimous board action to adopt the new elective as part of the school’s permanent curriculum.
Following what has been a “year-long” process, the board’s vote will give incoming Los Al High School seniors and juniors the opportunity to schedule the new course entitled “Cultural Experience in America” for the fall 2021 session.
District Supt. Dr. Andrew Pulver assured the board that the staff had followed “the standard process” for creating this course as it does in creating any course.
“Why would we go through any different process,” Pulver rhetorically asked? The superintendent said the process was already underway organically when the “horrible experiences” of racism and bullying came to light in the spring and summer of 2020.
Students both demonstrated and in a riveting meeting last summer, students, former students and parents laid bare a myriad of experiences they had endured. Pulver recounted the events that led the board then asking administrators to formally develop an ethnic studies course.
In addition, “we do want to offer our students a myriad of opportunities,” said Pulver who asked Deputy Superintendent Ondrea Reed to again explain the course and the process.
Reed provided the board, and the public, with a thorough review of the now adopted ethnic studies course, which she said is entitled “Cultural Experiences in America (see related story).”
Like Pulver, she explained the process used to develop the ethnic studies course was “the same” as used for any course development.
The ethnic studies course will focus on cultural differences only and will be added to the more than 100 elective courses students can currently select from, said Reed. The course is an elective and will not be a requirement for students, she added.
The board briefly acknowledged “misinformation” that was circulating about the course, prompting Reed to explain in significant detail the pathway of the course, its specific contents and purpose.
When it came time for the public to weigh in, there were so many speakers signed in to speak that the board had a make a motion to extend their normal public comment period so that everyone could be heard.
The diverse group of speakers included teachers, students, parents and experts, all of whom strongly urged the board to adopt the ethnic studies course.
The “expansion of racial literacy and resulting critical thinking” will create “significant cognitive development for all of our children of all races and ethnic backgrounds. This program will be a valuable part of building our community,” said Barbara Farrell.
“When my daughter comes home from 3rd grade, she told me about things and it just gives me chills,” said Old Town Seal Beach resident Steve Miller told the board. “She’s learning about things that I never experienced. I was born in the middle of nowhere in Missouri. Everybody I grew up with looked just like me,” he said.
Mariesa Hayes asked Dr. Pulver to “double down” to ensure passage of the course “because you already promised them when they came out so to protest.”
“We collectively got into this mess we need to collectively get out of it,” she said.
A former Los Al graduate, Amy Lounsbury, urged the board to approve ethnic studies so the next generation will be more prepared when “they face the world.” Using a cadence and ironic wit, Lounsbury lamented the fact that she missed out by not having any ethnic studies in high school.
“By the time I graduated from Los Alamitos High School I knew the following: the slaves were kidnapped and brought on ships; that slaves were freed when the civil war ended; that Spaniards colonized California; indigenous were abused and mainly wiped out but the Japanese were interned during World War Two; Jews died in the Holocaust and Chinese Americans had something to do with railroads. I was uneducated,” she said.
“I don’t see myself in the school curriculum,” LAHS senior Emy Chen said. “I feel privileged that our school district is considering passing an ethnic studies course, and I’m excited to see myself within the curriculum,” she said.
“What is happening in this room right now is ethnic studies,” said her mom, Cathery Yeh. Ethnic studies “is honoring everyone’s voice,” said Yeh. “If you know your history, you know yourself; if you know others, you know yourself. All of our lives are interwoven,” she said.
Teacher Drew Sells suggested ethnic studies was a “very important step in the right direction. “I encourage you to vote to overwhelmingly support this proposal,” he said.
Brandon Hart, another teacher, said the new course was “just one piece of a larger puzzle. I’m very proud of the work we’ve done,” he said.
“I’m very appreciative of this moment, said Los Al teacher Mossey Kennedy. “This represents how the high school is connected with the community in such a really meaningful way,” he said.
As a woman of color, said Tara Farajian, “I had to wait…until the university to take black studies or woman’s studies to have a better picture of our world.” She urged the board to pass the course because “I think our children are faced with historic experiences that our society never faced.”
Frankly, “we need to reevaluate our priorities on what is being taught and how it’s being taught to the students,” said graduating senior Iris Chou. “We need to rethink what type of student we want to put out into the world,” Chen said.
Another senior, Jackie Bond, said Los Al is a “district of inclusivity.” The world, she said, “is bigger than one race, one view.”
“It strengthens our community,” said Anisha Nicholson, “and students perform better academically and have increased engagement when presented with an inclusive curriculum.”
“The amount of diversity in the class is stunning,” offered Dr. Nimesh Pathak. Another parent, Nathan Searles, said ethnic studies “also makes me a more informed parent.”
Following the board’s historic 5-0 vote, board members offered their own perspectives on approving the ethnic studies course.
Board member Meg Cutuli said “this course is the study of ethnic[ity], not racism,” saying that even though “a lot of people brought up the whole racism part of it, that is not the goal of this class,” she said.
“We’re looking at this culturally and we’re looking at it through the lens of ethnicity,” she added.
Board Vice President Diana Hill thanked the passionate speakers. “Thank you to everybody for being so civil and passionate about your feelings, but also respectful of everybody else.” A major objective of the course is to “create critical thinkers” and that the course would create opportunities for that type of discussion.
“I think that there’s a fear out there that we want to indoctrinate our students, and I do not believe that with any part of my heart. I believe that there’s a difference of opinions and that’s what this country is supposed to be about,” said Hill.
“Ethnic studies allow all children to learn the histories of others and bring about greater understanding of people, so I support this,” said Board member Chris Forehan.
Board member Scott Fayette simply said, “great job and without reservation, I say yes.”
Davidson said while some expressed concern that the board should focus strictly on academics, she pointed out that “a Stanford study showed when you have an effective ethnic studies program in a high school, not only does it raise the overall GPA, but more course units are also completed, more students are college-bound and their grades go up.”
The reason, said Davidson, citing the study, is “because (with ethnic studies) they feel like they are a part of things, they feel engaged because they aren’t fearful because they feel that they are now part of a team.”
Cypress School District won’t adjust calendars, prepares to move
With little explanation, the Cypress School District Board of Trustees pulled the controversial item regarding a vote on returning Landell Elementary to its year-round scheduling from the board’s agenda, and parents of students who pushed for the reversion say now there is little more they can do.
Hundreds of parents had signed an online petition before the most recent Cypress School District meeting asking the board to return the year-round schedule to the elementary school which had been changed to a more traditional school schedule during the pandemic.
According to Cypress School District Supt. Anne Silavs, the Landell scheduling change was required to allow for the seamless transition of students between all six district schools, as the district tried to resume instruction during the pandemic.
“We have to put the needs of our families first,” she said then.
Despite the petition and a brisk email exchange with Brittney Cook, head of the school’s Parent Teacher Association, the superintendent’s position was little changed.
She claims there is still too much uncertainty to allow Landell to revert back to year-round scheduling while the other five schools operate on a traditional schedule.
“We just have to make scheduling adjustments,” to accommodate the pandemic, said Silavs in a follow-up interview after the board meeting.
She again insisted that all schools follow the same scheduling in the event that the pandemic requires seamless transitioning during the upcoming school year.
According to Silavs, however, the Landell year-round scheduling will eventually return, just not next year. “This is a temporary change,” said Silavs, saying again that the Landell scheduling “is not permanent.”
Silavs said she fully expects the year-round scheduling that parents at the school have enjoyed for three decades will return once the threat of the pandemic has largely passed.
While the other five schools within the Cypress School District operate on a “traditional” school calendar, Landell has operated for nearly three decades on what is more or less a year-round calendar, providing students with fewer massive gaps in instruction.
“There’s nothing more we can do,” said Cook this week. “They (Cypress School District) aren’t willing to work with us and it’s clear there’s no changing their minds,” she said.
“I just hope our community keeps all of this in mind come election time. Our school board really should have done more in this situation.”
Meanwhile, the Cypress School District is also planning its big move, having sold the property on which the administrative buildings now stand, using the funds to purchase a modern office building that is currently being renovated to accommodate the CSD’s administrative staff.
Silavs said the board is planning to move during the summer.
At the board’s most recent meeting, they approved several agreements facilitating the move to the district’s new administrative headquarters at 5816 Corporate Avenue in Cypress:
• Corporate Avenue Tenant Improvements Project: M.P. South, Inc. will perform office space improvements to allow the district’s administrative headquarters to relocate by the fall of 2021. The total project cost of $2,128,613.50 will be paid from the special reserve for capital outlay fund.
• Corporate Avenue Electrical and Low Voltage Improvements Project: ICS Service Company will perform electrical and low voltage work (data lines, fire alarms, etc.) at the Corporate Avenue building. The total project cost of $1,170,039.94 will be paid from the special reserve for capital outlay fund.The Cypress School District Board approved the following items related to the new Maintenance/Operations, Transportation, and Technology (MOTT) facility planned for the former Christine Swain Elementary School site:
• California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Exemption: The Board held a public hearing to receive comments from the community prior to considering adoption of a resolution declaring the project as exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. There were no speakers for the public hearing, and the Board subsequently adopted the resolution finding the project exempt and directing staff to file a Notice of Exemption.
• Architectural Services Agreement: Ghataode Bannon Architects will provide architectural design services for conversion of the closed Swain campus for use by the district’s MOTT department. The total cost of $177,900 will be paid from the special reserve for capital outlay fund.
In order to provide for internet and wide area network connectivity, the Board approved contracting with Spectrum Enterprise for wide area network connectivity districtwide for three years at a monthly cost of $6,260, which will be offset by a 50% E-rate discount reimbursement.
Finally, the Cypress School District also approved the mandatory annual audit of its finances and pupil attendance procedures. The Board received the 2019/20 audit report from Nigro & Nigro, PC, which revealed no findings or exceptions.
Mayor lauds staff for keeping Los Al humming through pandemic
Los Alamitos Mayor Mark Chirco told members of the Los Alamitos Chamber Thursday that dedication and creativity by staff has kept city hall open, an innovating, during the entire pandemic.
“They done an excellent job in keeping the city going,” said Chirco in an address to Chamber members. One of the city’s greatest benefits, said Chirco, is that the staff is made up of “people trying to do the right thing for the city,” adding that they endured throughout the pandemic with “no drama.”
“The past year has been difficult for everyone,” he said, and “for businesses there has been no exception.”
He said staff had endured “very real health risks, government shutdowns and new regulations,” yet were always “readily available” to help.
“The city has had no shutdowns,” said Chirco. In fact, he said the staff has created a virtual city hall and said the city’s Recreation Department has been super creative in creating sold out virtual events.
The mayor also said they are now coordinating with Orange County authorities to get the city open as soon as possible under all CDC, CPHD health regulations and is working with them on vaccine distribution.
City Manager Chet Simmons said he visited the county’s Disney Super POD COVID-19 vaccine site, saying they can vaccinate up to 10,000 people per day. For a massive operation, Simmons said it was a complex, yet very efficient process.
Almost 700,000 people have now been vaccinated in the county, he said, and said the city is encouraging people to sign up to be vaccinated while they work to eventually get more local sites open.
Chirco cited the small business relief program and said he is working with other mayors seeking a return to indoor dining for restaurants as soon as safely possible.
Finally, he said the passage of a new sales tax will put the city back on track for fiscal sustainability, also telling the Chamber that each of the council members have taken the “Fiscal Accountability Pledge” and the city will manage accordingly.
Chamber Chairwoman Nesi Stewart asked Chirco about efforts to boost the business community in Los Alamitos, some of which has been hard hit by the pandemic.
City officials say they are open to ideas for partnering with the Chamber and local businesses. In addition, they say more economic development activities are planned.
Finally, Chirco said the city was attempting to work with nearby communities to prepare an Active Transportation Plan to make the city more walkable and bikeable.
Additional state and local grants may be available soon, they said, so they hope to be ready.
Emeline Noda, Recreation Director, presented a number of upcoming activities as did the Youth Center, Precious Life Shelter and other local organizations.
La Palma city council begins reopening discussion
By E. Isaac Lee
The La Palma City Council met on Feb. 2 to discuss city matters, including the possibility of holding public events in the near future.
Those attending included Mayor Nitesh P. Patel, Mayor Pro Tem Michele Steggell, Council Member Debbie S. Baker, Council Member Marshall Goodman, and Council Member Mark I. Waldman.
The council discussed ways they could initiate public events in La Palma again. It is especially relevant given that many public events in La Palma were cancelled last year. The council is particularly interested in getting an open date for the Festival of Nations. This was a celebration of the city’s cultural heritage that was planned in 2019 and was supposed to debut on May 2, 2020 before being cancelled.
Councilmember Steggell stated that it would be unlikely that regulations would be lifted to allow public events within the calendar year.
“I don’t think we’re going to have sufficient vaccination in the county to make that plausible,” Steggell said. “I think we’re probably talking, the latter part of this year at the earliest and I think for sure in 2022,” she said.
Orange County, as of now, is still in the purple tier of California’s four-tier reopening system. The tiers are yellow, orange, red, and purple – yellow tier allows for the reopening of indoor businesses, while purple tier requires closure or limited service from all businesses. At best, Orange County would need to reach the orange tier in order to hold public events of some kind.
The council discussed the possibility of holding socially distanced concerts or movie nights in the park, with the earliest dates set for late August or September. Other ideas for increasing community engagement included a drive by event for Halloween, if social distancing wasn’t an option.
The council also proposed setting up a Free Library book exchange in the neighborhood. These are public bookcases, usually shaped like a birdhouse box, that allow people to take or drop off books at their leisure – no paperwork or late fees required.
While the council was receptive to the idea, Councilmember Goodman was concerned that the Free Library exchange would serve as a point of contact for Covid-19 transmission. The council agreed to delegate matters of safety and the book exchange itself to the city manager and community service director. They also hoped to get community members involved in setting up the bookcase as well.
One final item of note was an email from former El Monte city clerk Jonathan Hawes. Hawes claims former El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero is guilty of embezzlement from the El Monte Promise Foundation Scholarship Fund and is asking for the council’s public support. The council did not make any comments or decision on the matter, as it had no relation to La Palma city matters.
Cultural Experience in America explained
The ethnic studies course developed by a coalition of teachers and administrators with the Los Alamitos Unified School District is an introductory course that will generally explore the complexity and diversity of the American experience, Deputy Superintendent Ondrea Reed explained to the board on Tuesday.
The course, entitled Ethnic Studies: Cultural Experiences in America, was approved by the board (see related story), though the textbook and supplemental materials have not yet been selected.
Reed again reminded the public that when the supplemental materials and textbook are selected, they will still require additional approval by the board of education.
Moreover, Reed reminded parents and the public at this week’s board meeting that they too will have an opportunity to weigh in on materials selected during a 30-day public comment/review process regarding the textbook and supplemental materials for the ethnic studies course.
“In that process, the community will also have an opportunity to engage,” she said. Only “after the textbook sample materials have been on a 30-day community preview, we would ask the board” for final approval.
Once instituted, students will ultimately receive 10 credits for successfully completing the course as Reed said they will pursue UC and NCAA clearinghouse approvals.
She reiterated ethnic studies course is an elective. Students will not be required to schedule the class, as the new ethnic studies class will now become one of more than 100-course electives available to Los Al High students.
“Our proposed outcomes for ethnic studies and cultural experiences in America are really fourfold,” said Reed. Using historical documents and historical interpretation, students will be able to discuss their identities including race ethnicity, culture and nationality to describe the ways in which these categories are socially constructed and how they affect the student’s lives in the lives of others,” she said.
Students will also participate in grassroots community organization and explain the dynamics among internalized interpersonal and institutional oppression and resistance, said Reed.
Students will also explore the dynamics among internalized interpersonal and institutional oppression and resistance, she said.
Reed reinforced an earlier point made by Supt. Dr. Andrew Pulver, acknowledging again that many other school systems in Orange County already have similar ethnic studies courses.
“We did listen to the voices of students and parents who came forward,” the deputy superintendent said, adding that the LAUSD board asked us to begin a journey to develop a course “which many other districts across the County are currently operating.”
While the board is ultimately looking at a “diverse framework” on ethnic studies, the current course approved by the board is merely “an introductory course” based on “cultural experiences.”
The board voted 5-0 to approve the course (see related story).
You could almost hear the future
The conviction with which the Los Alamitos Unified School District this week voted unanimously to add ethnic studies to its curriculum demonstrates a milestone that deserves more than passing interest.
Just a year ago, a vast contingent of students felt unheard. Apparently, many have for a long time. Awfully long, in fact. In the summer of 2020, however, they demanded to be heard.
Superintendent Dr. Andrew Pulver read some of the letters out loud. The marathon meeting of complaints lasted hours. This was the summer of George Floyd.
The racial reckoning for Los Alamitos had arrived. “Silence is no longer an option,” declared Dr. Pulver and the system went to work.
The many events since then within LAUSD have been well reported. No need to re-hash them here. Nevertheless, this is the time to recognize the significance of what the community has done.
The intersection of unprecedented events created a unique mindset. LAUSD, when presented with a choice, reaching a proverbial fork in the road, where they faced choices of the future or the past, they planted their flag firmly in the future.
The arc of history moves in massive waves. The decision made by the board this week only illustrates a triumph of both the courage to speak and a willingness to listen.
Details are critical, but the larger message of what just happened should not be lost on this community. As our world trends in a certain direction, the Los Alamitos Unified School System must be seamlessly aligned, not only for educational value but LAUSD is the massive driver of the local economy.
Where the school system goes, most trends follow. A small step, maybe, but a huge beacon thabeckons all to collectively share in what we call community.
And, if there is any question whether a move to ethnic studies was warranted, a quick analysis of the 20 people assembled to speak before this week’s vote should provide more than a clue.
In this small group of people signed up to speak during open communication, there were students, parents, grandparents, teachers, students, and former staff. Moreover, they represented many races, nationalities, ages and backgrounds, very representative of the world we live in today.
Sothy Chhe, a parent, is a survivor of the Cambodian Killing Fields. He left at 4 and now has his own children enrolled at Los Al. Gloria Carrasco, another parent, whose family came from Mexico City said she is so proud of what the district has done. “As a woman of color,” Tara Farajian also spoke her truth.
Another parent, Cathery Yeh, was blunt. “What is happening in this room right now is ethnic studies,” she said.
Despite their different backgrounds, motivations, and choices of words, they were all summarily asking the same thing: please recognize everyone. In that one thought alone, need there be any more justification for inclusion?
Students were firm. “I’m excited to see what the future holds,” said Emy Chen. “It is worth the commitment,” said Jackie Bond. “The addition of something so simple as a class in school where the mission is to educate our children, I believe will do nothing but benefit us,” said Kevin Thai. “I think ethnic studies will have value and perspective for our students,” said Ryan Banh.
Then a Los Alamitos High School senior, Iris Chou, said this to the board…“we need to rethink what type of student we want to put out into the world.”
At that moment, if you listened intently, you could almost hear the future.
Fortunately for this community, LAUSD appears to be listening.
Here’s how to vote in the OC Supervisor District 2 Special Election
Orange County voters living in the second district of the Orange County Board of Supervisors are electing a new representative.
The winner of the March 9 special election will complete the term of Michelle Steele which ends in 2022. Steele was elected to Congress in November 2020.
The Second Supervisorial district covers Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, and Stanton.
The candidates for the race include former District 2 supervisor John Moorlach, Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley, Fountain Valley Mayor Michael Vo, Newport Beach City Councilman Kevin Muldoon, and international tax attorney Janet Rappaport.
If you’re a registered voter in the district, you should have received a vote-by-mail ballot by now. You can return your completed ballot in the mail (it must be postmarked by March 9) or drop if off at a vote center or a ballot drop box within the second district.
In-person voting is also happening now through March 9 at vote centers including locations at the Seal Beach Senior Center on Electric Avenue and at the Cypress Community Center on Orange Avenue.
Ballots can be cast at these locations daily through March 5 from 8am until 5pm. Hours will expand from March 6 through 8 to 8am until 8pm and on Election Day, March 9, polls will be open 7am until 8pm.
In addition, from March 6 through 9, another vote center will be available at Rush Park in Los Alamitos. The site will be open 8am to 8pm from March 6 through 8 and then 7am until 8pm on March 9.
You can also drop your completed ballot off at any time through March 9 at one of the many drop boxes available throughout the district. That includes one outside Mary Wilson Library in Seal Beach, another at La Palma City Hall, and one at Los Alamitos Community Center.
To see a complete list of vote center locations and ballot drop boxes throughout the district, visit The Orange County Registrar of Voters at ocvote.com.
Miryam Fernandez to speak to AAUW
The public is invited to attend the General Meeting of the La Palma-Cerritos Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) on Thursday, March 18, 2021. It will be a Virtual Zoom meeting in the evening with a Waiting Room opening at 6:30 p.m.
A presentation at 7:00 p.m. by guest speaker Miryam Fernandez will focus on her story as “An Immigrant’s Success Story of the American Dream.” Miryam was born in Peru and came to the United States at the age of five. She will be telling about her experiences living in the United States, serving in the U.S. Air Force, and succeeding in her educational goals in her teaching career. A brief business meeting will follow her presentation.
Persons interested in joining the La Palma-Cerritos Branch’s virtual zoom meeting on March 18, 2021, can contact Co-Program VP Karen Cox at 562-519-0596 to receive the Link for the virtual meeting. A meeting I.D. and Passcode will be required to participate in the meeting.
photo courtesy o Miryam Fernandez
OLLI provides seniors with lifelong learning using Zoom
Using Zoom, the ever-present video conferencing software, has become the new norm to engage in daily life for people of all ages. Now classes offered on Zoom through the Osher Lifelong learning Institute (OLLI) at Cal State Long Beach are helping seniors cope with isolation and fear during the coronavirus pandemic.
For 25 years OLLI has offered people 50 or older a variety of classes on the university campus. The program shifted to online Zoom classes last spring enabling OLLI members a new way to learn and connect with classmates while staying safe in the comfort of their home. “This is also the first year the OLLI program is being offered to people outside of the greater Long Beach area,” OLLI Executive Director Barbara White said. “Thanks to Zoom there are now friends and family joining classes from the east coast, Minnesota, Nevada and even Mexico.
“Classes are intended for personal enrichment and fun”, White said. “There’s no homework or testing”. Many members join to rekindle an old interest or develop a new passion. The program is more than fun to member John Halligan, 91. “It’s a way to cope during the pandemic”, he said. The Long Beach resident was enrolled in seven in-person classes in spring when the shutdown occurred. “I was in shock from such a total change of life,” he said. “Then this little lifeline came (in the form of online classes). Since I have a computer I said, ‘I’ll try it.” While Halligan misses meeting with friends made since joining OLLI in 2016, he found Zoom more convenient than in-person classes. “Ordinarily you meet on campus for one class at a time, (or several per session). Now with no parking problems, I ended up going a little berserk and I signed up for ten.” Most classes offer students ways to interact through live discussions or in small groups. Participating in the program helped him with being “shut up and afraid,” Halligan said. “I have never felt bored or depressed because I have this outlet.”
“A challenge for some students is having the technology and assuming Zoom is difficult to access”, White said. OLLI offers Zoom instruction and tech support for those new to the platform. Students receive an email with a link to click that takes them straight to the class on a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
The current winter session has approximately 800 members signed up for 56 classes including: “You’ve Been Pop Culture’d”, “Stories of the Bible”, “Asian Art History: Queens and Empresses”, “Healthy Not High – Cannabis explained”, “Artists Meetup”, “Geopolitics Update” and “Financial Rules of the Road”.
Registration for the Spring session begins March 12. Those interested in finding out more, can check the OLLI website www.csulb.edu/olli or contact the OLLI office 562.985.8237.
Courtesy photo