The Weekly Newspaper of Torrance Herald Publications - Torrance, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 6, No. 37 - September 1, 2016 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................8 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Entertainment......................2 Legals.................................5,9 Pets........................................6 Real Estate...................10-12 Sports....................................5 TerriAnn in Torrance..........7 Weekend Forecast Pediatric Therapy Network’s Annual Community Basketball Game See City Council, page 5 Torrance School District Teachers Ready To Kick Off New Year By Cristian Vasquez Throughout the South High campus, resource teachers in all subject areas led orientation and introduction efforts for new teachers to the district. The three days were broken down and structured to better assist the district’s new teachers to transition into the classroom with a clear understanding of what the district requires of them. “Torrance Teacher Institute is designed so that all new hires in the district are provided an opportunity to see what the expectations are in the district in terms of instructional practice, aligning curriculum to common core standards and to better prepare them for the beginning of the school year,” Sue Key, Career Pathways/ Induction, said. “How this whole thing is laid out is very intentional.” Day one [Aug. 30] introduced the new teachers to Torrance Unified School District’s frameworks, lesson designs and standards in math, science, English Language Arts/Literacy [ELA] and Next Generation Science Standards [NGSS]. Teachers were placed into groups based on grade and subject matter, with teachers in elementary/secondary schools in ELA and social science groups breaking off from secondary teachers in science, math and other content areas. “Content experts in all subject areas supported in the designing of what they Friday Sunny 74˚/65˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 74˚/63˚ Sunday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 72˚/62˚ The Los Angeles Laker Girls and Bailey from the Los Angeles Kings cheer on our campers during PTN’s Annual Community Basketball Game at Camp Escapades 2016 presented by Honda. Every August, Pediatric Therapy Network (PTN) hosts Camp Escapades – an innovative two-week summer day camp for children with developmental concerns. Camp Escapades offers a traditional summer camp experience for children in our community who otherwise would not be able to enjoy at typical summer day camp. Over the years, thousands of young campers ages 5 to 14 years, have experienced the joys of camp: pony rides, arts and crafts, music, dance and sports. Photo provided by the Pediatric Therapy Network. • Groundwater Well, Water Storage Tank Approved For Rehabilitation, Restoration By Cristian Vasquez In a unanimous vote, the Torrance Mayor and members of the city council approved an agreement to restore and rehabilitate the city’s groundwater well No. 9, located at McMaster Park. The approval will allot $197,400 from the city’s Water Enterprise Fund Balance to Wood Rodgers of San Dimas, who is projecting a completion date of Aug. 22. Also approved [via separate item] was the repair of the city’s 63-year-old, 1-million gallon water storage tank, which was discovered to have a leak near its steel base and which is where well No. 9 pumps its treated water. Superior Tank Solutions will carry out the rehabilitation of the Yukon Avenue Water Storage Tank at a $54,675 price tag, with a 20 percent contingency [$10,935]. “This tank is needed to receive the treated water provided by well No. 9,” Water Operations Superintendent Alan Berndt said. “Well nine has been inoperative and will continue to be inoperative until the tank repairs are completed.” Well No. 9, located at McMaster Park is the city’s only active municipal water well, was place into service in January of 2011 and produced 3,000 gallons per minute of pumping capacity. However, in the fall of 2014 its pumping capacity began to slow. “In response to decreased pumping capacity, water staff contracted South West Pump & Drilling to inspect the permanent pump components and make necessary repairs,” states the staff report signed by Berndt. “This work resulted in only slight improvements to pumping capacity.” To get an accurate measurement of the well’s pumping capacity the city had Wood Rodgers carry out well and pumping efficiency tests. The results determined that the well’s efficiency had dropped to 25 percent capacity, compared to its original 78 percent efficiency when first measured. With regional ground water levels having changed little during that same period of time, it was determined that significant clogging of the well’s screen, gravel envelope and/or near-well zone had led to the reduction in production capacity. “Water operations staff ran the well at the reduced capacity, as we needed well water to offset the allocation reduction implemented by the Metropolitan Water District in July 2015,” states the staff report. Pumping at reduced levels continued until April of this year when the leak was discovered. In August 2015, Water Systems Engineering, Inc. conducted an evaluation of groundwater samples pumped from the well, and concluded that: the groundwater quality showed a scale build up with regards to calcium carbonate; and, a level of bacterial activity that is pinpointed to the inside of the aquifer and near the well zone. Furthermore, an inspection and assessment of well No. 9 by Southwest Pump and Drilling, concluded that a minimum scope of work was necessary in order to restore the well to See School Board, page 8
Torrance_090116_FNL_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above