www.palisadesnews.com
February 24 - March 31, 2023 Volume 42, Issue 68
Paul Revere Robotics Club Qualifies for State Championships State tournament set for March 10 By Keemia Zhang The Paul Revere Middle School Robotics club is heading to the 2023 State Championships following a parent-led effort to raise funds for the group’s formation. Sarah Wood, the parent chair of the team, sought to form an after-school robotics club through Revere’s Personal Enrichment Program’s program in both 2021 and 2022 but was informed there was a lack of teacher participation and financial resources to support the group. Last August, Wood, who researched grants to fund the team, recruited coaches from the parent body instead – Danny Moghnie, who offers “engineering feedback and coding support” and “paces the kids projects”, as well as Joe McKelheer, who provides “educational resources, and rallies them to work towards
team goals.” Wood also shares responsibilities of supervising and motivating the kids, in addition to organizing team logistics and is frequently in touch with the competition officials and parents. Wood decided to apply for grants in September to fund the club and won the Nelson Grant, which exchanged robotics kits for participation in one of their robotics tournaments. The club is substantiated primarily through these grants – including donations from the Palisades Rotary club – as well as additional fees paid for by parents. Revere’s PRIDE Booster Club assisted with the entry fees for the State Championship, an “unexpected” expense. The three rookie teams of the club participated in the LAUSD West VEX IQ League, meeting for three of the four competitions from October to January after their kits were back ordered for the first round. “We went to the second one, failed miserably, and learned a lot. We went to the third one and to the finals and improved significantly. Our teams came in second place and tied for third,
and won the Design Award, Excellence Award, and Teamwork Award.” Wood expressed pride in her students, who started their building for the competition with a singular kit at the end of October, finally receiving the back-ordered kits the first week of November, while many teams “got a much earlier start.” Wood also organized participation in the Slapshot Tournament, a robotics competition in the Valley, where the team competed “with a lot of private schools and private club teams, as well as public schools teams with extensive experience and resources.” With difficulties in finance, resources, and a lack of experience, Wood and her colleagues have felt the weight of the challenge they will face at the State Championship. “We are scrambling trying to do as much as we can.” The parent-led effort has faced multiple challenges, with Wood anticipating having to increase the joining fees next semester to pay the entry fees for competitions. But Wood is adamant about the group’s importance for children as they develop.
“There are a lot of great after-school activities at Revere such as sports, debate, mock trial, and drama – involving athletic, verbal, or performance-related skill sets, but nothing STEM related until now. STEM is really important for the future, considering our world’s direction.” Wood, who previously worked at Google as a test engineer and linguist, also points out that kids can learn teamwork and problem-solving. “It’s nice to find other kids that have similar passions to you and to bond with them.”
Pacific Palisades American Legion Post 283 Renamed and Rededicated in Honor of Ronald Reagan Post Commander Jim Cragg speaks about the renaming of the post, the new Post 283 community initiatives, and his plans for the future. By Dolores Quintana The Pacific Palisades American Legion Post 283 has been rededicated and renamed in honor of the late President Ronald. The idea for the rededication came from former Commander Eric Measles and actor Joe Matenga was the emcee of the event and CD11 councilmember Traci Park and The USC Marching Band were featured guests at the ceremony. The post will now be known as The American Legion Ronald Reagan Palisades Post 283. We spoke with American Legion Ronald Reagan Post 283 Commander Jim Cragg about the renaming of the post, the new Post 283 community initiatives, and his plans for
the future. Dolores Quintana: I understand that one of the former commanders, Eric Measles, was instrumental in renaming The Pacific Palisades Post 283. I was just wondering how exactly the decision was made and how it came to pass. Jim Cragg: President Reagan lived in the Palisades, and was a member of our post. We took great pride in pointing out to our younger members the example set by a man who went from Captain Ronald Reagan, Governor Ronald Reagan, to the President of the United States. Whatever people’s politics are, we focused on him as Comrade Reagan and the fact that he was a great inspiration to veterans that the sky’s the limit. DMQ: I noticed that you refer to him as Comrade Reagan. Is that a nomenclature that your organization uses among the members of the post? JC: Within the American Legion, we have no rank. Everyone is referred to as comrades and the camaraderie among veterans is the mission. DMQ: Most people think of the word comrade as being related to Communism, but even in communism that’s the meaning of the
Photo by Michael Hjelmstad/American Legion A portrait of the Post 283 namesake is presented by John Lehne (left) of the Ronald Reagan Foundation and Institute and Post 283 Commander Jim Cragg to hang among the curated artifacts that now adorn the building.
word. You’re my comrade. We’re all comrades together. We’re all equals. JC: Severe irony considering the one thing people attributed to Reagan was that he was at the helm when Communism fell apart. Eric Measles took it upon himself to contact the Reagan family and descendants to ask
permission. It was very nice that the Reagan foundation sent a representative out from the Reagan Museum in Simi Valley. They presented us with a very nice photograph of Ronald Reagan saluting.
Ronald Reagan, see page 5