Hawthorne Press Tribune
Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - June 7, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............3
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................4
Classifieds............................3
Film Review..........................2
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Lawndale..............................4
Legals............................. 2,6,7
Pets........................................8
Restaurant Guide................5
Weekend
Forecast
Hawthorne Well Represented at
2018 Medal of Valor Ceremony
Last month’s South Bay Medal of Valor Luncheon honored 28 deserving individuals from area public safety departments. Eight of those were from Hawthorne. Pictured above from left to right are Motor
Officer Anthony Barlin (Distinguished Service Award), Officer Ian Elliott (Life Saving Award), Officer Jason Moulton (Life Saving Award), Police Pilot Matthew Manley (DSA), Police Chief Robert Fager,
Canine Handler Jack Cunningham (Life Saving Award), Officer Andrew Salcido (Life Saving Award), Field Training Officer Michael Murray (Life Saving Award) and Sergeant Larry Grajeda (Distinguished
Service Award). Photo Provided by the SB Police and Fire Memorial Foundation.
Voters Pass Hawthorne Bond,
Reject Wiseburn Measure
On Tuesday, Hawthorne School District
voters overwhelmingly passed the $59
million Measure HSD. The bond monies
will go towards repairing aging classrooms,
upgrading facilities and bolstering technology.
With all 29 precincts reporting, the
measure garnered 73.34 percent approval
versus 26.6 percent in opposition. Taxpayer
cost will be on average 3 cents per $100
assessed value.
Meanwhile, Wiseburn Unified School
District voters rejected the $29 million
Measure W school bond. Preliminary
results with all 14 precincts reporting
listed 949 yes votes (49.87 percent)
and 954 no votes (50.13 percent). The
measure required 55 percent voter approval
in order to pass. The bond sought
to generate $2.1 million annually through
approximately 2042 at a taxpayer cost of
1.9 cents per $100 of assessed evaluation.
Targets for the funds included facility,
technology and security upgrades as well
as classroom upgrades. •
Friday
Sunny
70˚/61˚
Saturday
Sunny
69˚/61˚
Sunday
Sunny
72˚/61˚
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne
Wiseburn School Board Honors
Long-Standing District Employees
By Duane Plank
The very-well attended May 31 meeting of
the Wiseburn School Board featured recognition
of seven employees for their long-term tenure.
Those feted for their service to Wiseburn Unified
School District included Susan Daniels, Dana
Middle School, 35 years; Jennifer Flanders,
Burnett Elementary, 30 years; Melissa Mathias,
Burnett Elementary, 30 years; Sylvia Wagner,
Anza Elementary, 30 years; S. Renee Amaral,
25 years, Anza Elementary; Marcos Chavez,
25 years, Dana Middle School; and Catherine
Koundakjian, Anza Elementary, 25 years.
Superintendent Dr. Tom Johnstone said
it was “amazing” to him that many of the
tenured honorees are third grade teachers in
the District. “One of the nicest nights of the
year,” he said, being able to “honor people who
have made a big difference in the community.”
Daniels, a Dana campus tech aide, was
unable to attend the meeting, but Dr. Blake
Silvers, current principal at Dana who will be
taking over for the retiring Johnstone at the
end of the month, had emailed that Daniels
exhibits “a tremendous amount of flexibility
and willingness to support school programs,”
and that he was also “so very thankful for her
positivity, her commitment to Dana Middle
School, and her reliability.”
Anza Elementary Principal Alberto Paredes
took to the presentation podium to extol the virtues
of his site honorees. “These teachers work
tirelessly, are dedicated and passionate,” he said.
He then noted that he had gathered comments
from some of their Anza teaching colleagues, and
shared these thoughts with the meeting attendees.
Of third grade teacher Koundakjian, Paredes
noted that her fellow teachers praised her for
being a “true-champion of the little guy,” calling
her “the first person to celebrate someone
else’s success.” Of second grade teacher Renee
Amaral, Paredes, quoting colleagues, called her
“the glue that keeps the staff together” and
paid compliment to the fact that “every year
she raises thousands of dollars for our school.”
Paredes also shared colleagues’ thoughts on
third grade teacher Wagner, who was called
“so well-respected that, in some of the most
difficult times, she is the voice of reason among
our staff and makes class feel like a family.”
First-year Burnett Elementary Principal Kim
Jones also gathered observations from colleagues
and friends on the teaching careers of
Mathias and Flanders, both third grade teachers.
Mathias was hailed as “great support,” who is
“always willing to be a voice for other teachers”
and has partnered with other instructors in a
collaborative way to strengthen their teaching
skills. Flanders was called “a team player and
a kind, natural leader, as well as “an amazing
teacher, friend, mother and wife.”
Dana School head custodian Marcos Chavez
was unable to attend the meeting because of a
death in the family. Silvers spoke about what
Chavez has meant to the Wiseburn faculty, students
and parents over the years. He called him
the “true cornerstone of Dana Middle School”
and noted the “welcoming environment” that
Chavez helps cultivate. Johnstone referred to
Chavez and his brother Miguel (head custodian
at Cabrillo) as “Wiseburn treasures.”
After a brief reception to honor the longevity
honorees, the meeting continued with
comments from the public to the Board and
a public hearing on the pending renewal of
charter petitions for the Da Vinci schools. A
group of Da Vinci students approached the
podium and touted their upcoming summer
camps, as well as expressing their views
regarding certain school admission policies.
See School Board, page 8