ROUNDUP Los Angeles Pierce College
www.theroundupnews.com
Woodland Hills, California
Volume 127 - Issue 13
A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
For illustrator go to page 8
One copy free, each additional copy $1.00
Fire evacs find stable ground
Equestrian Center accepting animals; ranch owner reports losing 44 of 50 horses SAMANTHA BRAVO Editor-in-Chief & NATALIE MIRANDA Reporter
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wners found safety for their horses and large animals in the Pierce College Equestrian Center evacuation zone, escaping danger from the fire that broke out in Sylmar at 4 a.m. on Dec. 5. A brush fire, dubbed the Creek Fire, prompted mandatory evacuations for people and animals alike. The Los Angeles County Fire Department released a statement on twitter, letting residents affected by the fire know where they could evacuate their animals. One location they recommended was at Pierce College. The Equestrian Center is a temporary boarding facility for evacuated animals in mandatory evacuation zones. The Los Angeles County Animal Control officers and emergency response team’s focus was to board large animals such as horses and donkeys. Animal Control officer Nelson Gonzalez said that the Hansen Dam evacuation location has closed, and residents are being re-routed
to Pierce College’s Equestrian Center. Maximum capacity holds about 120 animals, and there are 62 horses currently boarded at the facility. Pierce College Senior Agricultural Technician Marci Sakapjian works at the Equestrian Center and helped owners who brought animals in for evacuation. “The facility is almost full,” Sakapjian said. “It happened within an hour. They could take them back to Burbank, but if they’re in crisis, we never send them away.” Sakapjian said a farm owner lost some of her horses due to the brush fire. "Out of 50 horses, six made it out,” Sakapjian said. “It was really dry, all the dry causes fire. Luckily for Pierce College, we work with the county and animal control, and we have specific protocols and use specific equipment.” Sakapjian said some owners don’t want to leave their horses behind, so they are writing their numbers on their horses and letting them go. Sakapjian said they don’t have trailers to bring them down. Sakapjian said the Equestrian Center is still accepting large or small animals, but they are almost occupied. [see evacuation on pg. 7]
Samantha Bravo/ Roundup
Horse owners bring their animals to the Equestrian Center for evacuation due to fires in the San Fernando Valley.
Consequences of free speech suit Pierce makes national news, loses donations for French program VANESSA ARREDONDO Copy Editor @V̲anana
Deivid Beytayoub/ Roundup Larry Kraus sits in his office in the Administration Building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Kraus came to Pierce in 1971 as a student, but also started working full time in the bookstore.
Forty and all its glory
Vice President Larry Kraus will retire at the end of the 2017 fall semester SAMANTHA BRAVO Editor-in-Chief @sammybravo93 During four decades at Pierce College change has been dramatic. Associate Vice President Larry Kraus has seen much of it unfold from the decline of grand farm events to the rise of new buildings and eye-catching gardens. But any future transformations will be missed by Kraus who will retire at the end of fall semester. “I don’t want to say bye, it’s been marvelous time, it’s been an amazing experience, most people today move from job to job but, I’m almost like a potted plant,” Kraus said. “I kind of just plotted here, and I enjoyed it immensely. Doing the best I can to help the students and faculty and staff.” Kraus said that at 18, he worked as a district manager for the Los Angeles bookstore,
RUONLINE?
Waldenbooks. He then returned to Pierce to work at the college as an assistant manager at the student bookstore, between 1981 and 1982 then became the store manager. “I’ve been here since 1971, but I was here as a student. I was employed as a cadet in the Sheriff 's Department,” Kraus said. “After high school, I came to Pierce, and got a job as a cadet. I ran around as a cadet for a couple of years, then went in the Air Force reserve from 1974 to 1975.” Other than working full time, Kraus was also taking classes at Pierce. Kraus received his associate’s, bachelor's and master's in business administrative. Pierce College President Kathleen Burke said in an email that Kraus was their go-to person for special projects because he knows the college’s history. “Mr. Kraus has provided
dedicated and loyal service to Los Angeles Pierce College for over four decades,” Burke said. “He is woven into the fabric of what Pierce College is and what it will be for the foreseeable future. While we will miss Larry’s expertise and tireless work ethic, we wish both he and his family the best as Larry transitions to this new phase of his life.” Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher has known Kraus since he started in 2012 and said it was a pleasure working with Kraus for the past few years. “He really loves the college. I think it’s in his DNA now,” Schleicher said. “He’s been here a long time; he grew up with the college.” Schleicher said he’s fascinated with Kraus’s knowledge and historical perspective.
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No trial date or settlement has been determined for Shaw v. Burke et.al., however that hasn't prevented repercussions for Pierce College. A preliminary hearing for the lawsuit filed by Pierce student Kevin Shaw, which states that the Free Speech Area is too small and the policies enforced are “arbitrary,” was cancelled. Whether the lawsuit goes to trial will be determined based on the legal briefs. However, Pierce dealt with consequences and media attention regarding the freedom of speech case.
Pierce has gained national attention due to the lawsuit. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions mentioned the college by name during his speech about the First Amendment at Georgetown University. In late October, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest supporting Shaw. Sessions states that the DOJ strives to protect Freedom of Speech on college campuses. The suit has also caused the Dennis and Anne Beaver Foundation to revoke the funding it provided to Pierce and LACCD students in the French programs. Dennis Beaver, a Bakersfieldbased attorney, said the foundation has been sending students to study abroad for more than 20 years, and
for the last ten years, has sent Los Angeles Valley College and CSUN students to France. He was hoping to extend the study abroad program in Paris to include a Pierce student, but after learning about the lawsuit, the foundation has decided to pause its funding to all of LACCD. “What the administration of Pierce and the college district is doing is clearly unconstitutional,” Beaver said. “It does anything, but encourage free speech. It is arbitrary. It allows faculty to decide who can talk and what they can say. This is galling. He was handing out copies of the Constitution for God’s sake.” [See free speech on pg. 3]
Fall 2017 final's schedule
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