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THURSDAY, MARCH 06, 2014 - MARCH 12, 2014
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TUSD California winter storm aftermath: appoints No drought relief despite 2 days of heavy rain Kathy Perini interim superintendent BY SHEL SEGAL Elementary school principal Kathy Perini has been appointed by the Temple City Unified School District Board of Education on Monday to serve as its interim superintendent, officials said. And in another matter, David Jaynes, the district’s chief business officer, gave his resignation on Monday. The moves come as the district voted to place Superintendent Chelsea Kang-Smith on administrative leave at its Wednesday night meeting. Perini, who has been with the district since the late 1970s as a teacher and administrator and was most recently the principal of Emperor Elementary Please see page 8
Arcadia council candidate forum tonight The Arcadia Chamber of Commerce is once again partnering with the Arcadia Association of Realtors to present the 2014 City Council Candidates Forum tonight from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Arcadia Public Library, 20 W. Duarte Road.. Aracdai residents will have a chance to see and hear the five candidates running for three open seats on the City Council: See page 9 of this week’s issue for more information on candidates Thomas Beck, Burton Brink, Roger Chandler, Sho Tay and Paul Van Fleet .
Volume 19, No. 10
San Gabriel Unified School District starts a kindergarten dual immersion program BY SHEL SEGAL
Los Angeles was about 6 inches and up to 10 inches along the mountains. Because of the Colby and Madison Fires and the rainfall, the foothill communities of Glendora,
If you want your child to be able to say “buenos dias,” this might be the opportunity you’re looking for. Starting in the fall the San Gabriel Unified School District is starting a kindergarten dual immersion program at McKinley Elementary School with the hopes that over time students will be bilingual in both English and Spanish. Assistant Superintendent Educational Services Mayra Perez said she is hoping the program gets off to a promising start.
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Preparing for the worst: On Thursday, 9 year old Ava Shechtman helps out parents Michelle and David fill sandbags in preparations for the rains Thursday evening in Monrovia. Ava’s dad he only wished she shared similar enthusiasm cleaning her room. -Photo by Terry Miller
BY JENNIFER SCHLUETER Following last weekend’s winter storm which included mud slides, power outages, and road closures, Southern California is now expecting
its 70s/80s average temperatures again. Even though the heavy rainfall brought a short drought relief, the National Weather Service forecasts a persisting or intensifying drought for the upcoming months.
Arcadia Unified launches new online application for meals program The Arcadia Unified School District has launched a new online application for its meals program. For each student who qualifies for free or reduced-priced meals, the savings can equal more than $1,400 per school year. Under the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) adopted by the state, school districts will also receive additional money for each student who qualifies. “This great program is really a win-win for everyone involved,” said Director of Nutrition Services Dr. Brook Reynolds. “The students are provided
with healthy and nutritious meals, our parents can save a significant amount of money, and now with the new funding model our district will get additional money from the state for every student who qualifies.” AUSD is encouraging students and families that have not already applied during the current school year to do so, as it’s not too late. Arcadia High School students who qualify will receive additional savings. They will have their fees waived on AP and SAT tests, graduaPlease see page 7
NWS graphs also show that rainfall in Southern California has been up to 75 percent below average despite more than one inch or more rain fall for more than three consecutive days. The total precipitation in downtown
Russian amphibious aircraft the future of firefighting? BY JENNIFER SCHLUETER
-Courtesy Photo
Due to rising number of wildfires and an outdated fleet of air tankers to defeat them, Los Angeles County called for international
support for firefighting planes. The Russian company Beriev Aircraft Co. suggested their amphibious Be-200, which already battles
wildfires in Europe and Asia. “I truly believe that the Be-200 is the best piece Please see page 15