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Los Al Unified reopens; new dates set for return to classroom

David N. Young
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Los Al Unified reopens; new dates set for return to classroom

After much consternation and internal planning, students within the Los Alamitos Unified School System on Monday finally returned to school for the new year, even if they are still not able to return to their classrooms.

Nevertheless, in a memo to parents, Dr. Andrew Pulver, Supt., said “I want to reassure you that we have and will continue to base our decisions on the latest science and data from the state and county public health officials.”

In a bit of good news, the superintendent’s office confirmed receipt of state guidance for special education students, a bone of contention that had earlier driven the system to threaten legal action if not received.

Although Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a revised reopening plan, Pulver said in the update that “if people throughout the county continue following state mandates and guidance and doing everything they can to reduce the spread of COVID-19, schools in Orange County will be able to reopen for in-person instruction after the Labor Day holiday.”

In a further update on Tuesday, however, Pulver announced new dates for a hybrid return to classrooms, explaining the significance of the governor’s new system.
“We know that responding to the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us to be quick on our feet to meet changing conditions; today is no exception,” he added.

“The (new) tiers are designated by colors: Purple, Red, Orange and Yellow.  In order to slow the spread of COVID-19, each tier carries restrictions on activities in a county,” the superintendent said. This new monitoring system went into effect Monday, August 31.

“While the COVID-19 data in Orange County continues to move in the right direction, Orange County has initially been placed in the State’s Purple tier, the equivalent to being on the State Monitoring List under the previous tracking system,” explained Pulver.

“In order to move to the less restrictive Red tier, Orange County’s COVID-19 numbers must meet the lower tier’s thresholds for 14 days,” said Pulver.

Even though Orange County’s COVID-19 numbers continue to improve and already meet the Red tier requirements, the state and the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) have indicated that Orange County is expected to transition to the Red tier on Tuesday, September 8, said Pulver in the updated letter to parents.

“We must remain there for 14 days before schools will be allowed to reopen for modified in-person instruction on Tuesday, September 22,” he noted.

“In collaboration with our advocacy and support from legal counsel, we also have obtained confirmation from the California Department of Education that under our approved CDPH elementary waiver, we can open our elementary special education classes at the same time as our elementary classrooms,” said Pulver.

Pulver said that 77% of Los Al Unified families have selected our traditional schooling pathway while 23% have selected the distance learning, LosAl@Home pathway.

Nevertheless, he said the school year began “in a distance learning setting for all levels.”

As part of our reopening plan, Pulver said “if COVID-19 cases continue to remain static or decrease and Orange County meets the 14-day threshold, we are planning to reopen for in-person instruction in a Hybrid Setting.”

According to the superintendent, the “tentative” transition to classroom instruction under the new tiered system is as follows:

  • All elementary schools will reopen in an AM/PM Hybrid Schedule on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.
  • McAuliffe and Oak Middle Schools will reopen in an AM/PM Hybrid Schedule on Monday, September 22, 2020.
  • LAHS will reopen in an AM/PM Hybrid Schedule on Monday, September 29, 2020.

Pulver said the decision to stagger the reopening dates between elementary, middle, and high schools “will allow us to provide additional staffing and resources at each level during their reopening week, ensuring a more successful transition from distance learning to in-person learning.”

The staggered schedule will also be used to evaluate our systems, routines, and procedures detailed within the School Opening and Safety Plan approved by the board.

“Any decision to move out of the hybrid setting would be made only after measured consideration of the COVID-19 situation in the county,” he said.

“No matter how circumstances may shift, we are committed to providing the highest quality distance learning instruction we can implement through LosAl@Home and the safest experience possible in our Hybrid/Traditional Schooling Pathway, said Pulver in the letter.

Finally, Pulver issued a welcome back to school message to parents. “I am confident we will retain the gift of your flexibility and grace in making this extraordinary school year extraordinarily safe and successful for all. We are all truly Better Together.”

Cypress School District prepares for in-person instruction

David N. Young
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Cypress School District prepares for in-person instruction

Although the approximately 4,000 students within the Cypress School District are already back in school with distance learning, Superintendent Anne Silavs says they are making final preparation for in-person instruction.

“Under the circumstances,” said Silavs, “we are as ready as we can be.”
She said the staff and Board of Trustees were busy studying changes made in the state’s reopening plan by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday.

Yet, she said they are still tentatively, is planning a move into classrooms in September.
“Things could change,” she said, and if they do, “we will make the necessary adjustments.”
The Cypress School District is an elementary only system, she said, and parents were offered three options for reopening, including traditional in-class instruction, a hybrid and distance learning only.

Like most systems, the Cypress School District has developed a detailed reopening safety plan that is available on the system’s website, she said.

The plan’s overall priority, said Silavs, protects “the safety our students, teachers and staff,” and it also laid out policies and procedures for each of the three options.
Although the Cypress Board of Trustees has authorized the system to apply for an elementary school waiver, she said, they have not yet filed an application.

“We knew that Orange County was coming off of the watch list,” said Silavs, so there was some reluctance to engage in a massive application process when it would likely be unnecessary to enter the classrooms, she added.

While Orange County’s removal from the watchlist theoretically paves the way for in-school to begin as early as Sept. 7, Silavs said at press time, it was still unclear as to whether or not the governor’s new plan would complicate the move into the classrooms.

However, if indeed it becomes necessary to do so, Silavs said they would indeed file the waiver application to get students back in class.

Anne Silavs

Silavs said, like other educators, they are studying Gov. Newsom’s newly released “California Blueprint for a Safer Economy.” It introduced a four-tiered system with more precise color-coded rankings based on 1) the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents and 2) the testing positivity rate.

The blueprint imposes a mandatory 21-day waiting period before counties can move up a tier. Counties must meet the metrics of the next tier for two straight weeks. If a county fails to do so, it will move back down to the previous tier. The state will assess county case and positivity rates on a weekly basis.

Accordingly, “Orange County superintendents are awaiting further interpretation of the state’s new system and its impact on school reopening from Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau,” said Silavs.

Cypress School District’s teachers and administrators are prepared to reopen whenever it is finally allowed, she said.

Meanwhile, Silavs said the district has used COVID relief funding to purchase new software for distance learning, desk shields and other products to enhance safety throughout the system.

According to statistics released by her office, students and their parents are relatively split on how they want to attend school this year.
• Just over 30 percent chose to attend in person, regular schedule.
• Less than a third, 23.56 percent, chose to use the hybrid schedule which includes 2 days in-person and 3 days of distance learning, and
• The remainder, and nearly half, 46.39 percent, chose to attend the entire year in distance learning.
“We were as flexible as possible,” said Silavs, not wanting to “force parents to accept one model over another.”
“We want what is most comfortable for them,” she said.

Cypress hears concern about coyotes; later learns incident did not happen

David N. Young
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Cypress hears concern about coyotes; later learns incident did not happen

mplaints about coyotes from several citizens after a reported coyote attack that was, as of the the meeting, still under investigation.

Stephanie Harrison, of Westminster, said her mother lives in Cypress and is concerned about coyotes.

“I understand this past week that a person near the Cypress Senior Center was bitten by a coyote, and that’s really concerning,” said Harrison.

Harrison told the Council that she understands coyotes have a 10-mile range and that she lives only 5.5 miles away, so Harrison said she is concerned.

“So what I’m here tonight to ask about is perhaps greater public education and greater awareness about these animals in our community,” said Harrison.

“From a bigger picture, it would be wonderful if the cities could work in unison, collaborating on making it better for all the citizens,” she said.

But in the meantime, because I know there is a lot of concern with the pandemic, if the residents could receive more education information brought up to them, because people forget… they are concerned about other issues and some people still get water bills in the mail,” said Harrison.

Harrison also urged the city to reach out to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for assistance. She suggested the state department would hold informational meetings with citizens about coyote safety.

Wendy Tochihara, who said she grew up in Cypress, was concerned about coyotes because her 89-year-old mother still lives there and often takes walks alone.

In Huntington Beach, said Tochihara, coyotes were so bad they were snatching dogs off leashes as the owner’s walked them at the park. There have been a lot of kids attacked, she said, similar to the alleged attack in Cypress.

If the coyotes are not managed by the cities because of the CDFW won’t manage them anymore, you can ask them for help. Bring experts to educate, teach them not to feed them and habituatls, public safety issue, can’t play lone anymore. Put it on the agenda.
City Clerk Alisha Farnell said there was also written communication from a resident who “express some concern about coyotes as well.”

Mayor Rob Johnson thanked all of the speakers. “I know that was an issue (in Cypress) about five years ago and it “sounds like it’s coming back at us,” said the mayor.

City manager Peter Grant said the city has a robust coyote management plan which is managed by Farnell and suggested she provide an update, suggesting no problem.
She said the coyote management plan was updated in 2019 by an ad-hoc committee and the city has monitored all reported activity and provided several different ways to report incidents.

The speakers asked that the topic be put on a future agenda. The Council is not allowed to act on topics raised in oral communications since they are not considered to be “agenda items.”

Farnell said in the meeting that they were tryingto verify the reported attack, not yet able to ascertain there was a victim.

Farnell said the city was cooperating with authorities and the state’s fish and wildlife agency to verify the latest reported attack that was spread on social media.

Following the meeting, however, it turns out that there is no problem at all all after city officials learned the “attack” that spawned all of the social media attention did not occur.
“Immediately after hearing about the incident, the City of Cypress spoke to both OC Animal Care and the Department of Fish & Wildlife regarding the possible coyote bite that occurred on Friday August 21,” said Cypress spokeswoman Brooke Strauss.

She said the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife had been investigating the incident and was working with Dr. Niamh Quinn of UC Irvine, who by working together were “able to confirm that no coyote bite occurred.”

Dr. Quinn leads up the University of California research project that created and monitors the CoyoteCacher website.

Cypress officials eventually determined that the woman was walking in the area of Grindlay St and Vista Del Sol and indicated in her report that she did not want her information shared with any local animal services agencies, said Strauss.

Therefore, Dr. Quinn contacted her directly to follow up on the report and get additional information, she said, when the woman explained to Dr. Quinn that she was out for a walk with her two-year old child when they saw a coyote.

In response, the woman picked up her child and ran.

“The true story is that the coyote did not chase nor display any aggressive behavior toward them and left the area without incident,” said Strauss in a statement.

The reporting woman indicated that she submitted the report on CoyoteCacher as a coyote bite because she “thought it would get someone’s attention”. Dr. Quinn and the DFW determined that this incident was a general sighting at large and that the animal exhibited natural behavior and did not pose a safety threat.

Strauss said the state has closed the case regarding the alleged attack and the city of Cypress is satisfied that their existing Coyote Management Plan is providing sufficient protection to citizens against the coyotes.

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve: from ashes to revival

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Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve: from ashes to revival

By Siena Odrich & Kayla Tracy

On July 26, a fire consumed over 62 acres of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. The fire burned for approximately 2 hours, destroying nearly everything on top of the soil.

The Bolsa Chica Land Trust Executive Director Kim Koplin explains that the quick spread of the fire was aided by non-native European grass on the upper mesa. When dried up, this grass forms a thick ground covering known as “thatch.” The thatch provided a fuel source that allowed the fire to spread quickly.

“This place went up like kindling,” Koplin said.

During the fire, both native and non-native plants were destroyed, leaving the ground barren and charred. But the fire was contained on the upper mesa and spread away from the water. Fire fighters were able to work from the homes at the top of the hill and fight the fire as it approached the houses.

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands provide a trail bubbling with life, but this natural preserve holds more purpose when you look at it microscopically. This mesa’s main purpose is to preserve wildlife, protecting 23 endangered species with no other habitation options, creating as much oxygen as a rainforest, nursing native plants, insects, and fish, and providing mutualism between many plant and animal species with its diverse terrain.

The wetlands are home to snakes, coyotes, lizards, rodents, birds, and more. One of its endangered species, the Southern Tar Plant, nurtures native bees and its population has been increased by the Bolsa Chica Land Trust (BCLT) who planted 15,000 of its flowers. The Belding Stella Sparrow is another endangered species that the BCLT is protecting by keeping people away from the water’s edge during its nursing periods. The Bolsa Chica Wetlands are a fragile territory that offers an equilibrium upon which the survival of its wildlife depends.

The fire was the biggest in a century at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and it started from the public trail and moved towards the Brightwater Community in less than 20 minutes. Thanks to surrounding fire departments much of the wildlife survived and no houses or residents were harmed.

“We found some crispy critters, but not many,” Koplin said.

Despite the damage it caused, this huge fire created unique restoration opportunities by destroying non-native plants, such as the European grass that was left over from when people farmed the land. The soil was preserved for the native plants, and the fire left behind organic ash which aids in restoration.

“Ash generated by the fire is good, organic material that will aid the restoration of our plants,” Koplin said.

Non-native plants provide no nutritional value to natural wildlife which means the fire has already completed the first step of restoration by ridding the area of invasive plant species.

But it is difficult to determine how much of the non-native plants will return when rain arrives.

However, Bolsa Chica Land Trust volunteers will have a chance to try and contain the growth of non-native plants and increase native plants. The BCLT is working with scientists from UC Irvine to try and predict which plants are likely to return in larger numbers. Koplin said they are pulling in experts from as many organizations as they can get.

“Because, we’ve never had to deal with this,” Koplin said.

The BCLT’s restoration goal is to provide pristine survival conditions for its treasured wildlife by planting more native plants to nourish these animals. The timeframe for this “emergency restoration” is from now until April 2021 before the non-native plants return and begin taking over the native plants’ territory. But it will need to be done in phases, as needs arise.

The BCLT will be accepting help financially and through volunteer opportunities. For more information, visit bclandtrust.org, or call 714-846-1001. More information on the wetlands is also available at bolsachica.org and amigosdebolsachica.org.

Siena Odrich is a junior at Los Alamitos High School
Kayla Tracy is a sophomore at Los Alamitos High School

La Palma celebrates 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment

Edna Ethington
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La Palma celebrates 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment

To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment that gave women their constitutional right to vote, the Women’s Suffrage Commission of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) asked for cities throughout the nation to light up in purple and gold on August 26, 2020, as part of the AAUW’s “Forward Into Light“ campaign. The campaign was named in honor of the historic suffrage slogan, “Forward Through the Darkness, Forward into Light.”

The cities of La Palma and Cerritos responded by lighting up portions of their cities in purple and gold on August 26, 2020. The City of La Palma posted information about the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment on the city’s bulletin board in purple and gold at the La Palma Community Center. The City of Cerritos illuminated the Civic Center Plaza and Cerritos Sculpture Garden with purple and gold lights. The City of Cerritos will also publicize the100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment on the city’s TV3 station. Both cities prepared proclamations that declared that the month of August as National Women’s Suffrage Month and recognized the American Association of University Women for their commitment to secure equal rights and opportunity for women.

Both cities will be publishing information about the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment on their social media sites and city news publications. In addition, the Cerritos Library presented a special online hour-long lecture on August 27, 2020, on “Suffrage Stories: A Complicated Narrative.” This lecture was prepared with 15 Smithsonian Affiliates in collaboration with scholars from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

The Cerritos Library also hosts a digital poster exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution, on “Votes for Women-A Portrait of Persistence.” This exhibit celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the complexity of the women’s suffrage movement, and the relevance of this history to American lives today. For more information about the Cerritos Library exhibit, contact 562-916-1340.

According to the AAUW, although the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, it did not give all women the right to vote in that year. Native Americans did not gain the right to vote until 1924, and Asian and Pacific Islanders did not get the right to vote until 1952. African-American and Latin American women suffered voter suppression, such as literacy tests or residency requirements, in some states until passage of the Voter Rights Act of 1965 and 1975. The 19th Amendment was finally ratified on March 22, 1972, when the South Carolina State House of Representatives voted to ratify the ERA with a vote of 83 to 0.
Remembering all the difficulties women had fighting for the right to vote, and finally realizing the success of the women’s suffrage movement, the AAUW hopes that by commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, all current citizens, and future generations, will be inspired to preserve their right to vote. AAUW asks all citizens to vote on November 3, 2020, and vote at all future opportunities to vote!

Orange County announces “Earn and Learn” program

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Orange County announces “Earn and Learn” program

The County of Orange announced today the launch of a new “Earn and Learn” program, an innovative workforce model offered to prepare Orange County’s youth for future business and life skills while earning wages.

“COVID-19 has presented a special struggle for Orange County’s youth trying to find relevant work experience and navigating their future career paths,” said Chairwoman Michelle Steel, Second District Supervisor.

“The ‘Earn and Learn’ program will provide youth the opportunity to earn wages while learning modern-day workforce skills to prepare them for the future.” The “Earn and Learn” program will be offered through the County’s Ready S.E.T. Orange County (OC) Initiative and is designed to assist youth in making a successful transition to unsubsidized employment, post-secondary education, military, apprenticeship or trade placement to ensure self-sufficiency and a long-term positive employment outlook.

“A wide range of activities, services, and training needs to be accessible to youth, particularly at-risk youth and youth with disabilities,” said Vice Chairman Andrew Do, First District Supervisor.

“The ‘Earn and Learn’ program is designed to equip youth participants with the proper workforce development training to successfully transition into adulthood.” Youth enrolled in the “Earn and Learn” program will earn wages for participating in occupational skills training; financial literacy; leadership development, which includes peer-centered activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social behaviors during non-school hours; mentoring; and entrepreneurship.

“Businesses today are facing new challenges in how they operate due to COVID-19,” said Supervisor Donald Wagner, Third District. “This program allows the County to help the next generation of entrepreneurs anticipate and learn the skills needed to succeed in the years to come.”

Youth ages 14-21 will also have the opportunity to undergo a unique 10-week Entrepreneurship Academy delivered online. The courses will be delivered live by instructors with professional business experience who guide students through the process of turning a skill or idea into a venture. Students will learn the fundamentals of business and graduate with a prototype, business plan, and venture pitch.

“COVID-19 is impacting the community financially and that includes our youth,” said Supervisor Doug Chaffee, Fourth District. “The County is offering a unique model allowing youth to pursue their passion for business while also earning wages investing in themselves.”

The first academy for the “Earn and Learn” program begins on August 31, 2020, and enrollment will be on a quarterly first-come, first-served basis. Students will be able to choose among various days and times for their weekly classes. To sign up, students must be enrolled in the Ready S.E.T. OC Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Program. To review eligibility criteria or to sign up for the Ready S.E.T. OC WIOA Youth Program, please visit www.oconestop.com/young-adults.

LAUSD teacher planning committee recognized

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LAUSD teacher planning committee recognized

Throughout most of the summer, the Los Alamitos Unified School District enjoyed the service of a group of 72 teachers and administrators that volunteered their time to strategize and complie a very detailed reopening and safety plan that was recently accepted by the board.

Their service has drawn accolades from parents, board members and Supt. Andrew Pulver.
Each o the professionals served on subcommittees utilizing their expertise as LAUSD has tried to create detailed options that embraced many conceivable outcomes. They collaborated and were coordinated by Dr. Pulver and his team.
According to LAUSD, here are the professionals who participated in the TK-12 Remote Teaching/Distance Learning Committee:

Elementary Schools
Carrie Francisco, Traci Rynski, Gina Decker, Heather Fischer, Laura Trotter, Peggy Schiffer, Nadia Williams, Kristie Kuehnast, Megan Avalos, Linette Tung, Lisa Discenna, Marilyn Schefski, Stacy Schmitz

Middle Schools
Kristine Olmstead, Cory Alfaro, Wendy Hearn, Angela Acuna, Tiffani Orozco, Juliet Gardner, Brandi Amundson, Kimi Redden, Chris Miko, Caitlin Morrison, Sydnee Stewart, James Danforth, Morgan Siegmann, Lauren LaVache, Valerie Miller, Heidi Barnett, Sean Schiele, Allison Armstrong, Laura Velasco, Jenny Pagett

High School
Leslie Weber, Karen Y-Ha, Debby Brosius, Janelle Fox, Cynthia Hopkins, Kim Loggins, Lauren Helm, Kelly Rofe, Michelle Gur, Brandon Hart, Jeff Heeren, Stacey Meider, Dave Huber, Illeana Flores, Nathan Howard, Karissa Farrell

Special Education
Keri-Beth Michaels, Stacy Schmitz, Emily Dahlen, Amanda Lozolla, Nicole Manley, Jackie

Post
LAEA
Stacy Schmitz

Administration
Evelyn Garcia, Amy Coltey, Todd Schmidt, Erin Kominsky, Ryan Weiss-Wright, Chris Vlasic, Jason Farvour, Ken Lapour

Education Services/Human Resources
Ondrea Reed, Melissa Davis, Evan Grandon, Jill Kroese, Morgan Martin, Paul Chun, Dan Bennett, Grace Delk, Jerry Friedman, Joe Fraser

Los Alamitos finds creative way to celebrate 60th Anniversary

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Los Alamitos finds creative way to celebrate 60th Anniversary

The Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department is celebrating its zip code “90720” on 9/07/20! Join us for the first-ever Southland Credit Union My City My Los Al 90720 Celebration Event presented by MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach on Monday, September 7. This event features three parts:

1) Bikes and Bites- a socially distanced, self-paced restaurant tour around Los Alamitos. Purchase tickets at https://losalbikesandbites.eventbrite.com to taste and enjoy a variety of food and support your favorite Los Alamitos restaurants or try some new ones from 3:00pm to 7:00pm. Proceeds benefit the restaurants and the Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department Scholarship Program for families in need.

2) End the night with a FREE drive-up concert featuring Flyer Band from 6:00pm-7:30pm at the Los Alamitos Youth Baseball Parking Lot! Reservations are required at https://90720drive-upconcert.eventbrite.com. For more information, please visit www.cityoflosalamitos.org/recreation #LosAlamitos #60thAnniversary #MyCityMyLosAl

3) Follow us on all our social media platforms for some amazing contests and giveaways to celebrate 90720 @losalrecreation!
The Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department would like to thank Southland Credit Union and MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach for helping make this community event a reality. The Los Alamitos Recreation & Community Services Department is currently accepting applications for restaurant vendors. For more information, please visit www.cityoflosalamitos.org/recreation.

Participating Los Alamitos restaurants for Bikes and Bites as part of the Southland Credit Union My City My Los Al 90720 Celebration presented by MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach include A La Waffle, Angelina’s Famous Pizza, Flame Broiler, Hortencia’s, Jimmy John’s, Subway, Taco Surf, Teofilo Coffee, Wahoo’s and Wendy’s.

Los Al Unified making final preparations for students

David N. Young
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Los Al Unified making final preparations for students

With the doors of the Los Alamitos Unified School District now preparing to open for students, the superintendent says guidelines and data will guide the reopening.

Pulver and his team met all day Monday making final preparations, as the Superintendent was reported to have scheduled back to back meetings with key officials throughout the system as they now plan to implement their reopening and safety plan.

Last week, the state approved an elementary school waiver for LAUSD, paving the way to some level of in-person instruction for elementary students.

Over the weekend, Orange County was removed from the state’s watchlist which now removes the only remaining barrier (within 14 days) of in-person instruction at all grade levels.

Nevertheless, school will start on Aug. 31 with distance learning, said Pulver, as administrators work to safely return students to classrooms, likely in waves.

“Every decision I make will be grounded in science,” Pulver reassured this week.
During the summer, a collaborative team crafted a Reopening and Safety Plan that offers students at all levels three options, including traditional class instruction (within guidelines), a hybrid of in-person instruction and distance learning, and LosAl@home, the stepped-up distance learning platform.

Consistently, said Pulver, slightly more than 80 percent of parents chose the traditional option so he knows there is significant interest in getting schools opened safely, with even higher percentages of parents at the elementary level wanting their children safely back in traditional classes.

In total, there are about 11,000 students in the system for the current school year, he said.

Pulver said he is doing “everything possible” to make parents, and students, “feel safe.”
Nevertheless, given the fear and emotion of the pandemic, he understands there is still trepidation but he assured parents that the safety of students will factor into “every decision.”

No amount of pressure to get kids back into the classroom will rush any decision, said

Pulver. While many are looking forward to a return to a sense of normalcy in school, it must be done carefully and with scientific precision to protect students and assure the quality of instruction.

Pulver said his team plans to consistently check all of the scientific metrics and data as the reopen unfolds.

Even when they do begin to move students on campus, said Pulver, it could likely be a “phased approach.” As students repopulate the schools, Pulver said his team will be watching carefully to ensure all protocols are streamlined before inviting more and more students onto campus.

Once students are back on campus, said Pulver, even if OC returns to the watchlist, the students will have a right to continue in-person instruction.

The Los Al Unified Superintendent continues to reserve the right to implement the plan according to science, noting that the situation is incredibly fluid and dynamic, with conditions subject to change.

Laura Hall, a parent with two children in the system (Weaver Elementary and Los Al High School), said “I’m glad Dr. Pulver chose to start with distance learning.”
Regarding options, Hall said “it was a difficult decision.”

“Online is absolutely safer but neither of my children responded well to emergency distance learning. There was too much attempting to avoid their work and too much fighting with me over it,” she said.

“I want my children to return to campus when it is safe,” said Hall, adding that “I would prefer to remain in distance learning or hybrid learning until the scientific data collected by the state indicates that the risk is low,” said Hall.

“I want my children to return to campus when it is safe,” said Hall, adding that “I would prefer to remain in distance learning or hybrid learning until the scientific data collected by the state indicates that the risk is low,” said Hall.

Pulver said while every precaution possible will be taken to slowly and safely return students to class, he was aware of the state allowed “window” of time to implement a return to in-person instruction and that the LAUSD return to campus will occur within it.
Whatever decisions are made, said Pulver, will be made using monitoring data and “real science.”

LAUSD threatens lawsuit to obtain special ed guidance

David N. Young
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LAUSD threatens lawsuit to obtain special ed guidance

Specific guidance for special ed students omitted by the Californfor ia Department of Public Health for reopening is an “outrage” that has the Los Alamitos Unified School District threatening legal action.

“It’s a civic rights issue,” said Dr. Andrew Pulver, Supt. of the district said after reviewing the approval documents for the elementary school waiver.

Late Friday, an agitated Pulver said if necessary, the district will file a lawsuit on behalf of their special education students to get proper guidance. Moreover, he said the board and special education parents would fully support the district in a lawsuit over the matter.

At the heart of the LAUSD concern is the fact that while they applied for an elementary school waiver for all elementary schools, including special education classes, the state made it clear in their response that special ed students were left out.

“As part of our submission, we requested approval from the CDPH and the OCHCA to allow both our general education and special education SDC elementary classes to return to in-person instruction under the elementary waiver,” Pulver informed parents in an earlier letter.

“It saddens me,” he added, to learn ‘Special Education classes will have separate guidance forthcoming from the State and are ineligible for this waiver process.”
The superintendent said the Orange County Public Health Agency confirmed that the CDPH elementary waiver does not apply to any of our elementary SDC classes.

“The OC Public Health Agency claims the state is expected to release specific guidance for special education and SDC classes soon, “but the OCHCA could not provide me with an exact date” when that guidance will be forthcoming.

“Until further State guidance on special education is released, our SDC classes will be forced to remain in a distance learning setting until the county is off the State Monitoring Watchlist for 14 consecutive days.”

Pulver said it is a “moral imperative” that special ed be included, noting that “we have been tirelessly advocating on behalf of our special education students and families to allow an in-person option or waiver.”

If not resolved soon, Pulver said LAUSD would have little choice but to take legal action in an attempt to obtain the specific guidance for the special education students.

Los Alamitos rescinds resolution appointing Nefulda

David N. Young
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Los Alamitos rescinds resolution appointing Nefulda

The city of Los Alamitos held a special meeting Monday evening to undo the appointment of Jordan Nefulda to the Council after learning officials now have a new interpretation of the law regarding such appointments.

Nefulda, an attorney, was the only candidate to qualify to run for a seat on the city council in District 3, so with the blessing of the city’s legal counsel, the Council moved in a special meeting Aug. 17 to appoint Nefulda to the Council according to the conditions of Resolution 2029.

“Since then, we have obtained a different interpretation of the law,” said Mayor Richard D. Murphy, so he said the city council held a special meeting this past Monday, Aug. 24 to rescind the action appointing Nefulda.

“It was a three-minute meeting,” said Murphy, as the council voted to rescind the appointment.

While it was unclear why the council got the green light to make the Aug. 17 appointment, Murphy said in an interview that he believed there were some complications in the legal interpretation of election laws due to the city having its own measure on the ballot.
The new interpretation, therefore, negated the appointment process they’ve used before.

According to the special meeting agenda, the city “in working with the Orange County Registrar of Voters office, is was determined that since the City has a qualified measure on the ballot for November 3, 2020, the District 3 seat cannot be filled by appointment and must be placed on the ballot.”

There are two additional seats under contention on the council, including Districts 1 and 2. There are two candidates running in each of those districts so presumably, there will be no runoffs.

Therefore, Murphy said Nefulda is now expected to take office on Dec. 14 along with the winners from the two other districts.

Ironically, that will also be Murphy’s last meeting on the city council, having chosen not to be a candidate for re-election.

Nefulda, an attorney, who currently serves on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission, took it all in stride. “I’m still going to stay involved as much as I can and bring myself up to speed,” said Nefulda.

Nefulda said their family moved into Los Alamitos several years ago to take advantage of the Los Alamitos Unified School District. He said their daughter currently attends Lee Elementary.

His bottom-line reason for wanting to serve on the council, said Nefulda, was nevertheless to “make the city of Los Alamitos a better place to live and raise a family.”
While he understands the city has financial issues, Nefulda said “so do many cities do at the moment.”

Nefulda said he will not prejudge any issue and that he plans to keep an open mind to become more familiar with the key issues that will ultimately drive the city to a better place.

Having served the city on the Parks and Rec Commission, said Nefulda, was a significant advantage.

As most residents understand, the city has voted to place a 1.5 percent sales tax proposition on the November 3 ballot. If approved, the measure will provide city officials with an estimated $4 million per year and a return to fiscal sustainability.

An article in last week’s ENE incorrectly stated that Council member Dean Grose had signed the argument in favor of the proposed 1.5 percent sales. What Grose actually signed was the “rebuttal argument,” after offering edits to the document.

According to city clerk Windy Quitanar, the official Nov. 3 election Voter’s Guide will include an argument for, and, and now, an argument against the city’s proposed sales tax. The “direct argument,” in favor of the tax was signed by four council members. Grose was the only council member not to sign the “direct argument” from the council to voters justifying the tax.

However, as per the rules, the Council received an argument opposing the sales tax proposition from Phil Silverthorn, a 25-year Los Al resident. The public has a right to submit arguments against any such measure, according to the city.

Silverthorn argues in his opposition that now is not the time for the city to pass a sales tax.
Therefore, under state law, since the Los Alamitos Council received an opposition argument, the city has the right to “rebut” the opposition argument.

Therefore, the Voter’s Guide will include not only the ‘direct argument,’ which is the city’s main argument in favor of the sales tax, but it will also include Silverthorn’s opposition and the city’s “rebuttal” to it.

In the special meeting we reported on, while Grose refused to earlier sign the “direct argument,” he did agree to sign the “rebuttal” argument drafted by Council members Shelley Hasselbrink and Mayor Pro-tem Mark Chirco.

To clarify and correct the record, while Grose did not sign the city’s original argument explaining the tax to voters, he did agree to sign the city’s rebuttal argument to the tax measures only written opposition.

AAUW mission of gender equality for women and girls

Edna Ethington
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AAUW mission of gender equality for women and girls

When one joins the La Palma-Cerritos Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), that person also becomes a member of AAUW California and AAUW National. The mission of all AAUW branches is to advance gender equality for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. All branches help to raise funds to support AAUW Fund, which is the world’s largest source of funding exclusively for graduate women.

The AAUW Fund provides grants and fellowships to support aspiring scholars around the world, teachers and activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and those pursuing professions where women are under-represented. It also provides funding and a support system through Legal Advocacy for women seeking judicial redress for items such as unequal pay, sexual harassment, and sexual discrimination in the workplace and in educational institutions and activities.

According to Dianne Owens, President of AAUW California, 2020-2022, with donations received from branches nationwide and with interest money from endowments from members over many years, the AAUW National awarded $4 million dollars to 259 women and community projects in 2019. President Owens said that AAUW National is currently in the process of finalizing a list of recipients for 2020-2021 which might be similar in a amount.

AAUW National allocates $100,000 annually to support Legal Advocacy cases that are selected after careful consideration and review by a panel of experts. According to AAUW CA President Owens, last year AAUW National awarded a total of $95,000 to five individuals to support their cases. Plans are being made to help two more active cases this year. Persons interested in more information about the AAUW Fund regarding Grants, Fellowships, and potential Legal Advocacy Fund cases can contact AAUW by e-mail at aauw.org.

One of the cases that AAUW National has been supporting since 2015, is the case of Aileen Rizo, a math consultant for the Fresno County Office of Education (FCOE) in Fresno, California. Rizo was hired in 2009 after earning a master’s degree and teaching for 13 years and moving from Arizona to California. She sued the FCOE after she learned, in 2012, that a male colleague was recently hired and placed at step nine on the county’s 10-step pay scale where she had been placed on step one. She filed an internal complaint and was told that the FCOE based new employees’ salaries on just one factor: the employee’s previous salary history, which was higher than her past salary.

Rizo filed suit under the Equal Pay Act and California’s sex discrimination statutes in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in 2014. In April of 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Court handed down an unfavorable decision in Rizo’s case. Rizo argued that using prior salary alone to calculate current wages perpetuates existing pay disparities and undermines the legislative intent of the Equal Pay Act, which is to address pay inequity based on sex.

On April 9, 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court held that using prior salary alone, as a “factor other than sex,’ or in combination with other factors cannot justify a wage differential which would allow employers to profit on this inequity and perpetuate a gender wage gap in direct contrast with the intent of the Equal Pay Act. On August 30, 2018, the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools filed a petition for an appeal with the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court decided on July 1, 2020 decided to leave in place the Ninth Circuit Court decision that employers cannot use past salary history to justify a pay disparity between male and female employees.

The Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal by the Fresno County Office of Education. Persons with an associate or higher degree, from an accredited college or university, who would like to join are invited to start by joining the La Palma-Cerritos Branch of the AAUW. Due to COVID-19 virus restrictions, the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW branch is meeting virtually at this time. Interested persons in joining the branch can contact Membership Co-Vice Presidents Joan Flax at 562-860-0642, or Diane Merrick 562-594-4129 for future meeting dates.

Youth Center has programs to assist distance learning

For Event-News Enterprise
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Youth Center has programs to assist distance learning

SHARK Alert! The Youth Center Has Programs to Assist Children During Distance Learning
With Distance learning starting soon, many parents are concerned that their children’s learning experience will not be as positive and successful as with traditional schooling. Los Alamitos Youth Center has two programs designed to help children during distance learning and after school.

The Youth Center’s S.H.A.R.K.s At School program provides individualized assistance with school and independent study in small groups. Parents can add The Youth Center to teacher communications so they can better assure the child’s success. Fun activities are provided during each break. Extra activities include science, art, P.E., history, crafts and hands on projects.

The Sharks After School program offers homework help, reading time, games, sports, arts and crafts, movies and special themed days with snacks available for purchase.
The two programs are filling up fast and limited space is available. Parents can choose the best program days for their children’s schedule.
For more information about SHARKs at School and SHARKs After School programs, or to register your child today, go to www.youthcenter.org/after-school-program or call (562) 493-4043.

Boys & Girls Club of Anaheim-Cypress open for full day programs

For Event-News Enterprise
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Boys & Girls Club of Anaheim-Cypress open for full day programs

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Anaheim-Cypress are open for full-day School Year programs for teens at the Bandai Teen Center! The Clubhouse is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 AM – 6:30 PM for 7th through 12th grade students. Teen members have the option of attending either full-day or after school only.

Highly-skilled Instructional Aides will help each student follow their daily educational schedule, ensure they participate in remote classroom instruction with their classroom teachers, and provide support to help them complete their assignments. Specialized programs for teens including cooking classes, book clubs, speech and debate, career readiness and college preparation activities, community service and leadership opportunities, and much more are included weekly. Local organizations partner with us to provide mentors and job shadowing opportunities.

“We’re here to help families through the pandemic. We opened three Clubhouses to serve the children of essential workers this summer and we’re opening full day programs for the entire community this school year. Our staff are working closing with the school district to help children succeed in school while campuses are closed,” stated Anne Hertz, President of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Anaheim-Cypress.

Enhanced safety precautions for staff and members are in place within the Club. This includes frequent cleaning and sanitizing of all Club areas, wellness checks, social distancing, additional hand washing stations, small groups with lower member to staff ratios, and additional safety training for staff. Face coverings are required by all staff and members.

Space is limited and early registration is encouraged for the Club’s high-quality, low-cost programs. Scholarships are provided to ensure that no child is ever turned away for inability to pay. Additional information is available on the website at www.theboysandgirlsclub.org or by calling 714-527-2697.

Orange County reviews $7.5 billion budget

David N. Young
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Orange County reviews $7.5 billion budget

The Executive Office has presented a proposed budget of $7.5 billion to the Orange County Board of Supervisors with provisions for handling the “extraordinary” circumstances of COVID-19.

“As a result of the unprecedented public health challenges and significant economic impacts resulting from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the budget development process for FY 2020-21 differs from that in prior years,” according to a county press release.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21 Recommended Budget is the second step of a two-step budget approval process.

According to the county, on June 2, 2020, the Board approved a base budget which set Net County Cost (NCC) limits for departments and included transfers, essential technical adjustments such as position realignment (including deletion of 548 vacant positions), and funding for in-progress, ongoing capital and information technology projects. This permitted the County to make payments in accordance with the approved appropriations when the fiscal year began on July 1, 2020 and provided time for the County to better assess the pandemic’s economic impacts and operational challenges for FY 2020-21, according to the county.

The Executive Office said they plan to present the FY 2020-21 Recommended Budget to the Board of Supervisors during the Public Budget Hearings scheduled for September 1, 2020. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to adopt the FY 2020-21 Annual Budget at their September 15, 2020 meeting.

In summary, here are the major categories ($M).
• Public Protection $1,541.6 20.4%
• Community Services 3,275.3 43.4%
• Infrastructure & Environmental Resources 1,435.2 19.0%
• General Government Services 215.7 2.9%
• Capital Improvements 169.8 2.3%
• Debt Service 153.7 2.0%
• Insurance, Reserves & Miscellaneous 747.7 9.9%
Total Recommended Budget: $7,539 billion.

“The County will continue to prioritize public health and safety. The combined efforts of the Board of Supervisors and County employees toward proactively addressing the pandemic’s impacts coupled with responsible fiscal management will position the County to anticipate and address challenges as they arise,” said County Executive Officer Frank Kim.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announces new testing initiative

David N. Young
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Gov. Gavin Newsom announces new testing initiative

California residents will soon be able to access rapid and affordable COVID turnaround testing, Governor Gavin Newsom has announced.

Newsom held a press conference Wednesday to announce a new partnership with diagnostics company PerkinElmer (Waltham, MA) that he said will dramatically improve the state’s testing ability.

PerkinElmer will create a new testing lab in the state, one that Newsom said will be built out over the next eight to ten weeks. Once operational, the new lab will facilitate accelerated testing, contract tracing and other diagnostic benefits, said Newsom.

The state has “pushed the testing envelope,” the governor said, and will soon be able to provide coronavirus rapid testing results, perhaps within 24 hours, and in “no more than 48 hours” across the state.

In addition to adding as many as 150,000 tests per day, the new testing apparatus should reduce the COVID test cost to only about one-third of tests currently being offered by the federal government, the governor said.

From a range of $150-200 per federal test, Newsom said the new partnership will bring testing costs for California residents down to less than $50, and in some cases, potentially as low as $30 each.

“I’m very pleased to make this announcement,” said Newsom, noting that “we (California) are doing what the federal government should be doing.” Newsom said the state’s massive “market muscle” created the economic scalability “to drive down (testing) costs.”

The enhanced testing effort will provide “much more stability” for people are who “are at risk,” he added. Newsom said the new testing supply chain should be in place before the rapidly approaching flu season.

In the addition to the new contract with PerkinElmer, Newsom said there will be a number of other “third-party” agreements required to facilitate the agreement. They will all be made public, he added.

Once in place, the governor said the state’s new testing regime will allow for “real-time” decisions to be made by state and local officials that could be critical for reopening schools and businesses across the state.

Update on the Los Al Unified School District reopening plans

Jeannette Andruss
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Update on the Los Al Unified School District reopening plans

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students in the Los Alamitos Unified School District will start the school year with distance learning when it begins on August 31.

But in-person classes with safety modifications could resume after Labor Day for some elementary school students if the district is granted a waiver.

“…While the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) elementary waiver was submitted [August 13], it could take 14 or more days to be approved and that too is unsettling to have to wait to learn what the start of school will be at the elementary level,” LAUSD Superintendent Andrew Pulver wrote in an August 14 message to families explaining the decision to start with lessons online.

Students enrolled in the district’s online-only academic option, known as LosAl@Home, will engage in distance learning the entire year.

Routes to Reopening Schools

There are two routes to reopening schools in Orange County amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. One is by gaining a waiver to reopen only elementary schools. The other route, which would allow for students at elementary, middle and high schools to return to campuses, is for Orange County to be removed from the CDPH Monitoring list for 14 consecutive days.

As of Monday, there are 42 counties on the list. These counties cannot open schools and are limited in reopening businesses due to increased disease transmission among other metrics. Orange County has been on the list since June 29.

Waiver Process

Schools and districts can submit the waiver to be reviewed by the Orange County Health Care Agency and the CDPH to allow elementary school classes to resume with heightened health and safety precautions.

If LAUSD’s waiver application is approved, classes at the district’s six elementary schools would resume in what’s being called a hybrid model where half of the students in a class have in-person instruction on campus for half of the day, while the other half of the class is engaged in learning at home. Then they switch.

(Update: The California Department of Public Health did approve the waiver on August 20. More details as soon as they are final)

Measures such as mandatory cloth face coverings for staff and students third grade and above, plastic dividers on students’ desks and increased cleaning procedures are part of LAUSD’s COVID-19 safety plan.

Private Catholic school St. Hedwig in Los Alamitos has also applied for a waiver to have in-person classes when school starts on September 8, according to a statement on its website.

“We have completed the reviews of 10 schools,” HCA Director/Acting County Health Officer Dr. Clayton Chau wrote in an August 17 email. It’s not clear if St. Hedwig’s or LAUSD’s waiver application are included in the ten schools.

“As of this morning, no school application packets have been forwarded to the California Department of Public health,” Dr. Chau wrote noting that was because the state had been dealing with a backlog on test results that had frozen movement on some aspects of reopening plans.

An announcement later on Monday from California Governor Gavin Newsom reported a review of the backlog of nearly 300,000 tests resulted in an additional 14,861 COVID-19 cases statewide landing five more counties on the state’s monitoring list.

What about Middle and High School Students?

The only way for students at LAUSD’s two middle schools and Los Alamitos High School to return to classes on campus is if Orange County is removed from the state’s Monitoring list for two weeks straight.

For a county to be removed from the Monitoring list, the COVID-19 case rate per 100,000 people must be below 100, among other factors.

“The only measure that still keeps us on the Monitoring list is the case rate per 100,000. We are currently at 117.9,” Dr. Chau wrote in an email message on August 17 saying there had been a trending down on the number and that he’s optimistic that the county will be removed from the Monitoring list soon.

LAUSD Learning Pathways

LAUSD families have been given two academic pathways for students — a traditional pathway, which will offer an in-person version of instruction with modifications to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and a 100% distance learning option known as LosAl@Home.

Families had to decide by August 17 the track they prefer. The commitment is for the entire academic year. LAUSD says it will issue a survey in December to see if families would like to transition from one pathway to another, but there is no guarantee it will be possible. “The opportunity for a student to switch between the traditional schooling pathway and the LosAl@Home pathway may be limited and will be solely based on enrollment and staffing availability within each program,” LAUSD said in a Frequently Asked Questions portion on its website.

Los Al Unified lays off 292 employees

David N. Young
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Los Al Unified lays off 292 employees

Despite an empathetic plea from a fellow classified employee to save the jobs, the Los Alamitos Unified School Board, unanimously agreed to layoff nearly 300 classified employees.

Following a profoundly somber discussion, the board voted unanimously on a motion that will provide the affected employees 60 days severance, and other benefits.
Knowing the layoff resolution would be considered later in the meeting, Kerry McDaid, a classified employee unaffected by the layoffs, asked to speak up on behalf of her colleagues.

“After years of doing more for less, working more hours, taking on more responsibilities from security to learning new programs, new software, dealing with all types of positions, filling in where there are voids….we are now basically rewarded with being completely eliminated or abolished,” said McDaid, who is an office coordinator at McGaugh Elementary.

“They are so critical to our teachers and so critical to our kids,” she said. “To think that they are not needed even in a remote situation, I think is misguided,” said McDaid.
“Our staffing needs with distance learning greatly differ from our staffing we need with students on campus,” Dr. Joe Fraser, Assistant Supt. of Human Resources told the board.

The 290 affected employees, said Fraser, were to be sent a certified letter informing them they will be employed until the 2nd week of October, after which they will no longer be employed by Los Al Unified.

“These reductions actually, in no way, a reflection of the employees’ performance,” said Fraser. “The 60-day notice will provide us time to reassess our needs and potentially rescind and return employees to work fully or partially,” he said.

Pulver told the board that the laid off employees will have a 39-month priority to reclaim their jobs if they reopen.

Board member Diana Hill wanted to know how best to mitigate benefits for the laid off employees.

Board member Maryls Davidson, a former teacher, said looking over the list, “we see faces and people that we’ve known for years and years who have given their hearts and their dedication so I want to say we’re sorry,” she said.

“To say I’m sorry seems so weak and empty,” sshe said,”but I just want us will do everything we can to restore those positions.”

Davidson also asked the community to do their part to bring the numbers down
Only after an awkward pause did Board member Karen Russell “with a heavy heart” made the motion. “It’s not a good time to be a board member,” she said, and “if we don’t have the funds, we can’t run the district.”

Her motion, which passed unanimously, authorized attorneys to send certified letters to officially notify the affected employees.

Board officials said the move had been under discussion since June as the pandemic has realigned their overall staffing needs.

State law prevents school districts from making any cuts in transportation, custodial or food services employees, but not classified employees, board officials said. The had approximately 600 classified employees.

Three days after the vote, affected employees staged their own protest, outside the office of Dr. Pulver and the LAUSD administrative team at the central office suite.

A large group of affected employees, their families and some Los Al teachers gathered to show support for the classified employees.

They carried signs protesting pay raises for other employees, including Dr. Pulver, and questioned the system’s theme of “Better Together?”

Spokeswoman Lisa Francis, a classified employee who was laid off, said “I would like to thank the Los Alamitos Teachers who are supporting us here, and at home,” she said.
Francis is one of the classified employees losing her job.

She said since the budget is already set for this coming school year, “the money is there to pay us. During this global pandemic, rather than making everyone so stressed out on top of what’s going on already. So now almost 300 people’s positions have been “abolished” according to the district’s statement. It’s not very friendly. Some of us have been here 20 years, I’ve been here 17 years. We love our students, we love our jobs,” she said.

“Every teacher in the district has benefited from our amazing support staff. To our students, we love you and we miss you, and we hope to see you soon. “

“A lot can change between now and then (60 days),” said Pulver. “It pains us,” said Pulver, adding that board delayed the layoff in June, hoping conditions would change, and he said they still have an additional two months to “see if conditions change.”

Editor’s Note: Andrew Ficke contributed to this story.

Breaking…Los Al Unified gets state waiver approval for elementary in-person instruction

David N. Young
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Breaking…Los Al Unified gets state waiver approval for elementary in-person instruction
Breaking News:
The Orange County Health Care Agency has just announced (afternoon of August 20} that the California Department of Public Health today approved a second batch of school systems for in-person elementary instruction, including the elementary schools within the Los Alamitos Unified School District.
Los Al Unified had applied for the waiver last week, submitting a detailed application to the state health department that included safety protocols and other requirements necessary for consideration.
Dr. Andrew Pulver Superintendent of Los Alamitos Unified, was in a meeting and not immediately available for comment. We will keep our readers informed as soon as any announcements are made.
Meanwhile, St. Hedwig was not on the list of approved schools released today. Principal Erin Rucker confirmed they too, have applied for a waiver for in-person elementary instruction and are still waiting for final approval.

Law enforcement appreciation day celebrated in Los Al

David N. Young
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Law enforcement appreciation day celebrated in Los Al

Officers and administrators of the Los Alamitos Police Department were treated to a special lunch from Maderas Steakhouse on August 11 as part of Orange County Law Enforcement Appreciation Day declared by OC Supervisor Michelle Steel.

The meal, organized by the Los Alamitos Area Chamber of Commerce, was sponsored by SoCalGas, with additional desserts from Katella Deli.

It was held at the Los Alamitos city council chambers, set up for a socially distanced meal.
Mayor Richard D. Murphy thanked the police department for everything it does to ensure public safety, and Chief of Police Eric R. Nunez thanked his officers for all of their hard work on behalf of the city. Nunez also thanked the community for their support during a difficult time.

Given that the meal was catered by Maderas, Nunez graciously told the crowd about the once-a-year meal the owner of Maderas, Art Garcia, serves to severely injured veterans at the VA Hospital in Long Beach.

“Sir, that is just so loving and patriotic,” he said.

The lunch included steak, vegetables, and bread delivered by Art Garcia, the owner of Maderas, who also brought his own special cheesecake usually served with holiday meals he provides to patients at the VA Hospital in Long Beach every year.

Councilmembers Dean Grose and Tanya Doby were also on hand to show their support for the Police Department.

Nunez thanked Garcia, Steel and all of the vendors for their support including the National Association for Republican Women, who sponsored protests in support of police.
Steel proclaimed August 11 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in Orange County.

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