ROUND OUNDUP www.theroundupnews.com
Woodland Hills, California
A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION
Volume 116 - Issue 8
May 2, 2012
One copy free, each additional copy 50¢
The past comes alive as Pierce College hosts Heritage Days
William Welles
Ready,Aim, Fire: Confederate soldiers fire blank rounds during a mock battle at this years Heritage Days Civil War reenactment at the Pierce College Farm Center. See the full article on page 5.
Adult education campus to close in June Brent Spector
bspector.roundupnews@gmail.com
West Valley Occupational Center will close after June 30 due to budgetary constraints, unless the May revision of the state budget provides more money for the district. The occupational center, part of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), is facing the closure of its school after a $557 million shortfall in the budget resulted in cutting funding to all adult education in the district,
said Assistant Principal Don Kihara. “It’s not one hundred percent positive that it will be closing,” Kihara said. “We’re funded through June 30. After that it’s uncertain what the future will be.” Approximately 30 schools within the LAUSD, which covers San Pedro, Huntington Beach, East Los Angeles and a majority of the San Fernando Valley, will be affected by this decision, according to Kihara. Servicing about 200,000 students in the LAUSD, adult education provides adult students a way to change careers, obtain a GED or high school diploma, and keep trained while between jobs.
“The are private schools students can go to for occupational training, and they can go to community colleges to some extent,” Kihara said. The center was “categorically funded” for some time, meaning the funds were earmarked for adult education. But the 2009/2010 budget changed their funds to Tier 3 Flexibility, meaning the district can choose to adjust the funds as they see fit. However, many people have shown their support for the adult education program, writing to their congressmen, and legislators have come to support the program. “We have a lot of support from
legislators who have written to the school board,” Kihara said. “It’s really a budget issue. If the budget could be balanced without sweeping money away from adult education, I’m sure they would.” Richard Fischetto, Head of the Electronic and IT department and instructor at the school, will have been with the school 25 years in June and believes the decision is a strategic mistake. “What aggravates me the most is that they’re taking away choice,” Fischetto said. “Everybody needs choices. You should have the choice to go from school to work or school to college.”
He also sees the effect that it will have on those that use adult education to obtain the training they need to get back to work immediately. “You’re not going to get out of poverty without career skills,” Fischetto said. Student Norma Tapia knows exactly what Fischetto is talking about, as she has been at West Valley for almost a year and a half studying cosmetology, taking advantage of training provided by her unemployment. “If the unemployment continues to pay for my training, I’m going to continue [elsewhere],” Tapia said. “If not, I’m going to have to find a job.
This was my opportunity to change my career. I wanted to be my own boss, but we’ll have to wait and see.” Steven Lofton, a student of medical billing and coding, started attending the center this January, making this announcement just another bump in the road to occupational training. “I first looked at Pierce, and after I made some inquiries I found out they offer an extension,” Lofton said. “Otherwise[, if that doesn’t work, I’m going to] LA City College.” The bleak future doesn’t bother Kihara so much because the value of these centers to the community would make closures have a negative impact on the San Fernando Valley.
24 hour relay walk to fight cancer
Cancer survivors gathered over the weekend to march for a cure
Kevin Perez
kperez.roundupnews@gmail.com
Ava Weintraub
Survivors: Dr. Leland Shapiro, and student Kat Ivey, participate in Saturdayʼs Relay for Life.
Weekly Weather Wed. May 2
Courtesy of Sean Clemmons
Tears filled many eyes the night children, parents, relatives and friends of cancer victims walked up onto the stage at this weekend’s Relay for Life, and shared memories of their loved ones starting with the words “I remember.” During this luminary ceremony, hundreds of candles were lit inside bags around the track, each decorated and dedicated to someone who is fighting, survived or was beat by cancer. The lights were meant to eliminate the pain of fears of all those who encounter the disease. The fourth annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life took place on Pierce College’s soccer field April 28 and 29 to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. The goal was to keep at least one person from each volunteering team on the track for a period of 24 hours.
Fri. May 4
Sun. May 6
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74/55
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Thu. May 3
Sat. May 5
Mon. May 7
71/55
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Husband and wife Dick Bublitz, 80, and Rosemary Bublitz, 78, volunteered during the event, and ran the track as well. Rosemary beat cancer more than once in his lifetime. She fought skin and breast cancer. She’s had three skin operations and three mastectomies, Bublitz said. Although it was his first time participating in Relay for Life, he was fortunate to contribute to a cause so personal to him and his wife, he said. “I want to help eradicate cancer, to find a cure, so people don’t have to go through what we went through,” he said. At their tent, Bublitz and his wife exchanged clothes and other wares from Rick’s company for donations. Although many just walked the track because of the heat, they did not let the weather stop them from running. “Rosemary likes to run rather than walk, so we will run,” Bublitz said before they began their run. For Rosemary, running has been one way to deal with cancer.
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“I run and I exercise,” she said. “It keeps me going. I’ve reached the point where I don’t think about cancer anymore.” Bublitz admits, however, that they used to live in a constant state of anxiety, always wary of another episode of cancer occurring. Whenever she got an ache or pain, she would attribute it to having cancer again, he said. “Just the fear of cancer is probably the worst thing of anything,” he said. Bublitz, who runs the company Fibrenew West, is a member of the Woodland Hills-Tarzana Chamber of Commerce. He’s the chair of the Marketing and PR Department, and since arriving to Woodland Hills in 1970, he has tried to stay active in the community, he said. Pierce students also showed up to participate in the relay. Rodrigo Espinoza, a Political Science major and member of the ASO, volunteered for the event for the first time.
[See Cancer Walk on page 3]
Did you know?
For details about last nights town Sunday May 6 is the last day hall meeting see page 3. to drop classes with a “W. ”