The Weekly Newspaper of Torrance Herald Publications - Torrance, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 3, No. 32 - August 8, 2013 Inside A Favorite Sport in the South Bay This Issue Business & Professional ........................7 Calendar...............................3 Classifieds ...........................9 Crossword/Sudoku ............9 Looking Up ........................10 Pets.....................................11 Politically Speaking...........4 Standup paddle-boarders are silhouetted against the blue ocean in the late afternoon sun. Photo by www.christopherbarnesphotography.com. Real Estate........................12 Sports...................................8 Senator Wright Talks to Council about SoCal ROC TerriAnn in Torrance.........6 By Dylan Little other school districts.” ing may have fallen out of style with some One of Torrance’s two senators in the To further fight for SoCal ROC’s existence, people, he sees it’s importance. California state senate, Roderick Wright gave Wright proposed bringing Gov. Brown to the “We want to get the Governor to see a short presentation to the Torrance City So Cal ROC campus in order to give him a what’s happening there,” said Wright. “A Council about the future of the Southern first hand look at the skills, trades and college number of people don’t appreciate what takes Weekend Council’s August 6 meeting. center. He said that while vocational train- place at SoCal ROC or the other regional oc-See City Council, page 3prep work being done at the occupationalFor many California educational institutionsCalifornia Regional Occupational Center(better known as SoCal ROC) during the Forecast funding formula was a welcome reprieve from Volunteers Dedicate Time,Governor Jerry Brown’s new educational years of budget cuts, however for SoCal ROC Efforts to Increasing it was a death knell, as the new formula put Friday compromise spearheaded by Wright, senator Literacy Among Adultsits funding at risk. At the moment thanks to a Partly Ted Lieu, and representative (and former Tor- By Cristian Vasquez opportunity to participate in American societyrance School Board member) Al Muratsuchiby becoming better citizens, the ability toWith an all-volunteer staff and three Cloudy SoCal ROC will be funded for the next two programs at their disposal, the South Bay attain personal and professional goals, and 68˚/61˚ Wright said that he and his fellow Torrance years to the mission of teaching adults how children succeed in school.for parents to gain the ability to help theirLiteracy Council has been dedicated 31years, but beyond that it’s future is uncertain. area legislators are interested in keeping the to read, write and speak English. “I tried “If you can’t read, you can’t do anything. Saturday “I’m happy to say it’s not dead, it has but this has been one that really made the of why people come to learn to read or toWe have a lot of different personal storiesvolunteering for a few different organizations,occupational center’s funding. AM Clouds/ draw for the time being, but I will continue to do with the nature of the organization,” said. “Some come simply to help their kidsjoin ESL,” Publicity Chair Christine Campisibiggest impression on me and I think it hasa two year reprieve,” said Wright. “It’s a PM Sun working on it.” volunteer Heather Johnson said. “It is an all- so that they can speak with teachers or to 69˚/60˚ joint agreement between several South Bay that I have been involved with are just some of stories of people who did not know howbe able to go to the doctor. There are a lotvolunteer organization and all the volunteers Formerly SoCal ROC was funded via a school districts (including Torrance Unified), of the most wonderful people I have met, to read, such as a man who had a sister in Sunday past, SoCal ROC had been funded as it’s allows personal issues to get in the way of got older he decided to get a driver’s license,Pismo Beach but no driver’s license. As heperiod. They are just amazing people. Nobodyhowever that was not always the case. In the AM Clouds/ own micro adult school district and Wright the mission. There is no competition. There so he took our class to learn to read so he PM Sun “What were going to have to do is we’re is no pettiness.” go see his sister. He passed the test. Somecould take his driver’s license test so he couldFrom its office located at 24564 Hawthornethinks it may see a similar future. 71˚/61˚ an independent school district with it’s own teaches adults how to read, write and speak the citizenship test.”people want to learn so that they can takeBoulevard, Suite 211 in Torrance, the SBLCgoing to restore SoCal ROC to what it was, revenue limit,”said Wright. “So people in English, and hopes to help people gain the The three programs used by the SBLC Sacramento will have to know they’ve got skills needed to find and keep a job, the See SB Literacy Council, page 2 their own money, it won’t be dependent on
Torrance 08_08_13
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