Page 6 December 1, 2016 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Herald in Hong Kong Da Vinci RISE Charter Approved; Kids Get More Dining Options By Haleemon Anderson Wiseburn Unified School District’s Board of Trustees got some mouth-watering news on the state of student dining at its most recent meeting, and also moved forward on a new initiative to help the most at-risk students. Janet Lusk, Director of Dining Services at Wiseburn schools, updated the Board on the partnership with Nutrislice. The online app allows parents and students to access school menus on mobile devices and provides nutrition analysis, ingredients, allergens and photos. Lusk said the new marketing components are getting more kids engaged, and numbers are up. “We used to have trouble with kids not eating,” said Lusk. “Now we have lines and kids are running to the lunchroom. They can’t believe the choices.” Average daily lunch count is around 636 for the elementary schools, according to Lusk. “We’re really getting participation,” said Lusk. “Finances are in the black $3,500 as of October.” Prices for the full lunch run $3.20 to $3.40, regular price and 40 cent, reduced price. Elementary students have a choice of two entrees and several fruit and vegetable options daily. At Dana, the options are even more varied, with more entrees and five to six produce choices. Board President Israel Mora asked about food safety. The Health Department comes in regularly said Lusk, adding, “We always score in the high 90s.” Dave Wilson, Chief Business Official, noted that one or more staff members per school site have the Safe Serve Certification. “We know it’s important to the Board to have a high quality of meals and selection,” he said. The Board also approved the charter for Da Vinci RISE High, putting the District one step closer to making the project a reality. The unanimous action was met with applause from Board members and those in attendance. The action confirms full compliance with state requirements and regulations for charter schools. “We are extra excited about RISE,” said Mora. The innovative concept will serve homeless and foster youth through a partnership with Wiseburn, the Da Vinci schools and RISE founders Karl Croft and Erin Whalen. The hybrid-model school combines online curriculum with classrooms at existing sites, and a mobile unit. The RISE concept was awarded a $10 million grant this year and will be operational in 2017. Board member Roger Banuelos also expressed complete support for the RISE project. “I am so pleased with the timing of this project and Phase II of Wiseburn High,” he said. “Costs are going through the roof [already].” He added that with the billions in bonds passed recently, new constructions will boom. With that comes increased costs for materials and competition for companies and workforce. Board member Neil Goldman also expressed his excitement about the RISE project, thanking Board member Nelson Martinez and Banuelos for their work with the facilities committee. “We’re really pleased with the way that project is going,” said Martinez, who praised Director of Facilities Planning Vince Madsen and his team for their diligence. Board Vice President JoAnne Kaneda gave an update on the mural project sponsored by Boeing. “We are down to four finalists,” she said. The student-designed artwork blends art, technology, science and community and will be installed at the new Wiseburn high school site. Kaneda also thanked Goldman and Superintendent Tom Johnstone for their work with Little League. Johnstone indicated meetings with AYSO and Wiseburn Little League have been productive and sign-ups can proceed at Dana Middle School. A mediation process had been called for by the Board after several months of impasse regarding leadership and other governance issues at the local level. Results included an agreement to establish oversight criterion by December 16 and a completed financial review by January 15. Wilson confirmed the District will completely overhaul its current human resources and financial systems in the coming months, replacing the current outdated system. He said that the cost is $28,000 over five years to implement, including software. Wilson also reported that the District’s audit review was completed last week in preparation for the 2015-16 final audit, due to the County December 15. Madsen updated the Board on the high school, announcing that bids for the pool and electrical and mechanical infrastructure will open December 9. Bids are currently underway for the gym and additional site work, and will close early next month. With passage of Proposition 51, Madsen noted that the District is eligible for $2.3 million toward new construction funding. He announced the Da Vinci Foundation has approved to absorb $12,000 in costs for the redesign needed in Phase II. • The Hands-Free Device Every Driver Needs By Rob McCarthy No Texting, No Selfies, No Exceptions A stricter version of California’s hands-free driving law is coming in 2017, making it illegal for a driver to hold a cell phone for any reason or to look away at a mobile device. While it’s well understood that talking or texting while driving is a no-no, smartphone features and apps like Google maps that didn’t exist when the original law was written created unanticipated loopholes. Sacramento lawmakers have been playing catchup since 2008 when cell phone use while driving was first banned. Unlike the early generations of talk-and-text phones, smartphones are handheld computers that store and play music, stream videos and Netflix shows, snap and edit pictures, follow friends on social media, and run apps with driving directions, maps and traffic reports. The technology embedded in smartphones makes it easier to find a nearby restaurant or a parking place, and harder to tune them out when drivers should be watching the road. Distracted driving is a national problem--and mobile phones, tablets and other communication devices are blamed for a spike in traffic collisions and pedestrian injuries and deaths throughout the country. Reducing the number of crashes involving vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists is tops on state and federal government to-do lists next year. While individual responsibility and self-control by drivers are key to the success of the traffic safety campaign, an inexpensive device sold at stores and gas stations could be the difference between a ticket and a safe driving record. A cell phone can be used legally as long as it’s mounted to the windshield or dashboard and the driver swipes the screen of the phone or device, under the change in law. Getting caught holding a cell phone, a Blackberry or any messaging device after January 1 can result in a citation. A first offense of the hands-off law is $20, with an increase to $50 for repeat violations. The phone holders sell for between $6 and $30, and attach to the front windshield or hang from the air vents, according to a Google search. Department stores and online retailers list them on their websites in car accessories. Some manufacturers call their product a phone cradle. Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) said he wrote the bill to bring the hands-free driving law up to speed with technology. He announced the signing of his bill into law in September, and cited statistics from the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Highway Patrol about the high numbers of citations issued to drivers whom officers observed writing, reading or sending texts or talking on a wireless phone while driving. In 2015, the Highway Patrol issued more than 13,000 citations for violating the ban on writing, sending or reading text-based communications while driving, and 78,000 citations for using a wireless telephone while driving. “Technology has improved so rapidly, and our cell phones are more capable of much more than just calls and text messages. Smartphones have an abundance of available features that demand a driver’s attention, leading to very dangerous driving behavior. However, such activities are not clearly prohibited by law,” Quirk said. The Governor signed Quirk’s bill in September, prompting the Northern California lawmaker to say “the accidents, injuries and deaths associated with this form of distracted driving are completely preventable. … This bill will save lives.” A Fresno appellate court in 2014 ruled that using a mapping app on a smartphone did not violate the state’s ban on driving while using a cell phone. A Fresno man who was cited after an office saw him checking his phone argued successfully that the existing law was vague on the issue of using electronic maps, either on a phone or a GPS device. If a paper is okay under the law, why not an electronic one, the defendant argued. Police departments insisted, despite the appellate court decision exception to the law for Google and Apple maps, they could issue citations for distracted driving under a different section of the California vehicle code. The Fresno appeals court limited its decision to the cell phone driving law and did not expand its ruling to protect all electronic maps. Earlier this year, the Automobile Club of America (AAA) revealed that 87 percent of drivers admitted taking unnecessary risks behind the wheel, including driving while distracted. Other risk behaviors drivers said they were guilty of included driving impaired or drowsy, speeding, running red traffic lights, and not wearing a seatbelt. “There is a culture of indifference for far too many drivers when it comes to road safety,” said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Two-thirds of motorists told the AAA they had talked on a cell phone while driving in the past month, while nearly one-third said they do it regularly. Another 42 percent said they had read a text message while driving in the same time period, while 32 percent of drivers said they typed or sent a text while in the car. Those revelations prompted a Southern California AAA spokesman to characterize the attitude about phones and texting as “do as I say, not as I do” even though drivers know better. Many drivers admit to engaging in the same dangerous behaviors they criticize as unacceptable and life-threatening, said Anita Lorz Villagrana, the Community Programs & Traffic Safety manager. It’s estimated that distracted driving causes 3,000 deaths per year in the United States, and the actual number is believed to be even higher. Drivers who take their eyes off the road for more than two seconds can double their risk of being in a crash, researchers warn. Play it safe this year and give phone holders as holiday gifts to family, teens and friends. They’ll be glad, and ready for the new year because you did. • Celebrating Thanksgiving with Big Buddha. Julie and Cooper Stolnack took along the El Segundo Herald on their trip to Hong Kong. This 112-foot-tall bronze Buddha sits atop a mountain overlooking Lantau Island in Hong Kong, China. • Using a cell phone while driving without one of these will result in a ticket starting January 1.
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