Lawndale Tribune AND lAwNDAle News The Weekly Newspaper of Lawndale Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - May 1, 2014 Inside This Issue Calendar...............................3 Classifieds............................3 Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................6 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Food.......................................8 Legals.................................2,7 Looking Up...........................7 Pets........................................5 Politically Speaking............4 Police Reports.....................2 Seniors..................................6 Sports....................................4 Weekend Forecast Friday Sunny 86˚/62˚ Saturday Sunny 76˚/56˚ Sunday Mostly Sunny 70˚/55˚ Cougars Send Sentinels Packing Inglewood batter Meghan Moore takes a cut at a pitch during last Thursday’s Ocean League baseball game against Hawthorne. The Cougars routed the Sentinels 16-2. Photo by Joe Snyder. Da Vinci Student Awarded Scholarship By Dylan Little The Wiseburn School Board congratulated Daisy Chavez, a senior at Da Vinci Science Academy, on being awarded the Caldwell, Flores Winter’s Foundation award, which includes a $1,000 scholarship. During the April 24 meeting a representative of the financial planning company presented Chavez with the award. Chavez will use the scholarship to assist her in attending Sacramento State University to study biology. District Superintendent Tom Johnstone said she was a “very deserving recipient” of the award. He told Chavez that he expects her to be well suited to college. “Daisy, we are very proud of you,” said Johnstone. “We know you are very well prepared and you’ll go up there and be very successful. Keep up the good work.” The scholastic financial firm funds an annual scholarship open which is open to all graduating seniors in California. Caldwell, Flores Winters representative Patricia Raphael said the firm looks to help students overcoming challenges on their path to high education wit the scholarship. Board president Roger Banuelos expressed the Board’s gratitude to the company for their assistance in fueling the success of one of the district’s students. “Thank you for . . . the scholarship,” said Banuelos. “It really does go a long way.” Also during the meeting, the Board was addressed by Bill Magoon on behalf of the residents of the “Choice Blocks,” made up of the four blocks south of 138th Street between La Cienega Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue, during the public comment portion of the agenda. Magoon said the residents of this area are once again looking to leave the Lawndale Elementary School district and Centinela Valley Union High School District and join the newly formed Wiseburn Unified School District. However, Magoon said they are facing a problem with building enthusiasm for the possibly long political battle. “We have started this again,” said Magoon. “We had a lot of momentum last time, this time not so much. People have in some respects lost hope and faith because it didn’t happen the first time. And there’s a little bit of apathy about it, which has been me nervous.” The residents of the Choice Block have cited both the stronger academic record in Wiseburn and the looming threat of additional property taxes under Lawndale and Centinela as motivations for pushing to join Wiseburn. What Magoon thought would further energize the residents is a Board resolution supporting the community in its efforts to join the district. “They want some support from you,” said Magoon. “They want to know that this Board supports this effort and that this Board is behind this effort 100 percent. And kind of what they’re looking for is something in writing, so they know you’re behind this.” The Board agreed to approve a resolution stating their support, which will be signed during the Board’s May 8 meeting. Banuelos explained that Magoon’s belief that these four blocks belong in Wiseburn is in line with beliefs of the Board, which views every neighborhood in the Wiseburn community as part of the district. “We view everyone who lives in the Wiseburn area as being in Wiseburn, as part of our school district,” said Banuelos. “We support this effort, you definitely have our support.” More personally, Board member Dennis Curtis said he has been fighting for this change for over two decades and will continue to push for the Choice Blocks to join the district. “This has been a hot ticket item,” said Curtis. “This has been on my radar for over 20 years. At one time I thought we had all figured out. This is still on my to-do list. You have my support, no matter what it takes. I want to dispel any inkling of, ‘Well they don’t care,’” because I personally do.” Board member Blanca Estrada also expressed that making these blocks into a full-time fixture of the district is a personal goal of hers. “It one of the big things I’d love to do as a Board member,” said Estrada. Magoon said he and his neighbors won’t give up on their goal of moving into the Wiseburn School District. He hopes for an agreement that keeps Lawndale, Centinela Valley and Wiseburn school districts out of the courtroom, but the recent issues with the Centinela Valley Union High School district has made the prospect of joining Wiseburn especially pressing. “The residents, the neighbors, want to be part of the district. They always have and always will. It’s everybody’s hope we can resolve this amicably,” said Magoon. “At the same time, we as a community, we’re determined to get what we want – what we’ve deserved from 30 years. We’re just done. Everyday it’s shenanigans in the paper.” Johnstone hoped for a quick resolution to the issue. No stranger to long political battles himself, he referenced the district’s long road to unification but said this conflict will be dealt with faster. “It won’t take 14 years this time,” said Johnstone. •
Lawndale 05_01_14
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