Modernization

Janine Marnien All that's left in the La Canada Unified School District's second phase of modernization is the ironing out of some smaller glitches at the three elementary schools before the project is deemed complete, district officials said. Those projects could be completed as soon as the end of September, marking the end of modernization updates on those campuses for several years, Supt. Sue Leabo said. "Our focus for the next round is the high school and remodeling the science labs," she said.

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — An $8.6-million renovation project at John Marshall Elementary School is nearly done, and educators there are lauding the improvements, which they say have freshened up the facilities while retaining the architectural charm of the school’s older buildings. Construction for the school’s modernization began almost a year ago, and the whole project is nearly finished, Principal Lynn Marso said. “We’re between 90% and 95% complete,” Marso said.

Janine Marnien A proposition on the November ballot could benefit the La Canada Unified School District to the tune of $2.1 million, and that is why School Board President Jinny Dalbeck is encouraging residents to give it a yes vote in November. Proposition 47 allocates $13.05 billion to be used for construction and renovation purposes only for California schools. "The $2.1-million amount is what we have not been funded for yet," said Dalbeck, who spoke in favor of the proposition at the Oct. 1 meeting of the School Board.

Marshall Allen The second phase of modernization continues with some glitches at two La Canada Unified elementary schools and projects scheduled to be completed at all three schools by the end of the summer. The district is spending more than $1.9 million on Phase II construction, which is ongoing at Paradise Canyon and La Canada elementary schools. Work will begin at Palm Crest Elementary after summer school ends on the campus. The work has been monitored closely by the district and schools sites after Phase I construction was so over budget it used much of the money that had been allocated for all three modernization phases.

INTENT TO UTILIZE EMERGENCY PERMITS FOR TEACHERS WHAT HAPPENED School board members voted unanimously Tuesday to approve as many as 31 emergency permits for teachers next year. WHAT IT MEANS The emergency permits allow fully credentialed instructors to teach a class that falls outside of their subject area because no other teachers are available or no other authorization for credentials is available. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing requires that local school boards approve requests for emergency permits annually.

Give credit to Supt. Sue Leabo of the La Canada Unified School District, who last week said the district needs to do a better job of monitoring work being done during modernization of Palm Crest, Paradise Canyon and La Canada elementary schools. Leabo was responding to questions about the quality of work during Phase I of the school district's modernization program, which included improvements at Palm Crest and Paradise Canyon. The work, bid out at just under $1.1 million, came in more than $700,000 over budget, and much if it was substandard and incomplete, according to modernization committee and school site council members.

New art facilities, air conditioning and nursing offices will come sooner than expected for some public schools after the School Board's unanimous approval Wednesday of a timeline for modernization projects. The four Burbank Unified School District schools waiting to be modernized as part of a $122.5-million bond passed in 1998 are Luther Burbank Middle School, McKinley and Providencia elementary schools and Monterey Continuation High School. Each were scheduled to begin construction in sequence about a year apart from each other.

The school board voted to approve a contract with Western Alta Construction to repair construction defects at Crescenta Valley High School. Western Alta Construction will be the general contractor for the project, which will involve repairs to windows and walls as well as electrical wiring in four buildings at the school. WHAT IT MEANS The contract states that Western Alta Construction will be paid on a ?time-and-materials? basis, according to the school district.

GLENDALE — Construction at Marshall Elementary School intensified Monday as workers raced to get the heavy work finished while students are on summer break. Moving crews hauled away about 300 boxes of books from the school library and about 60 computers from the computer science room, said Ata Mooraj, supervisor for S&M Moving Systems. "They'll be moving stuff out to storage in preparation for those [rooms] to be modernized," said John Fenton, administrator of Glendale Unified School District's planning development and facilities department.

You asked how we would handle the $3-million cost overrun on Crescenta Valley High School's modernization? I would seek out the person or persons responsible for the overrun and ask for an accounting. The school board and the people of Glendale need to exercise their responsibilities in this regard. There will come a time when another school bond is put to the vote. If the bonds are to pass, confidence must be restored in the school financing processes.

The way that Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and the cabalists of the San Gabriel Valley cities treated Glendale Councilman Ara Najarian over his Metropolitan Transportation Authority board appointment because he opposes the 710 Freeway tunnel project is symptomatic of a dangerous trend in our political culture. We are seeing this kind of political thuggery in the name of righteousness in Washington, in Sacramento and in Los Angeles, where widely respected former Mayor Richard Riordan recently was humiliated publicly by the pipsqueak City Council President Herb Wesson for having the temerity to suggest real pension reform is needed to avoid bankruptcy.

"Modern Family" teen star Ariel Winter, who accused her mother of abusing her, will continue to live with her adult sister while her father temporarily handles her personal finances, according to an agreement hammered out Wednesday.  L.A. County Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas outlined the agreement giving Glenn Workman control of the 14-year-old actress' finances while allowing her to live with Shanell Gray, her adult sister. The deal...

A judge is set to consider Tuesday whether "Modern Family" teen star Ariel Winter should stay away from her mother, a Montrose resident who has been described in court documents as physically and emotionally abusive. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas will review whether the 14-year-old should continue living with her sister, who has temporary guardianship of the actress. The judge Oct. 3 temporarily stripped Chrisoula Workman of custody of her daughter. Workman has denied all accusations of abuse and filed more than two dozen declarations from friends, acquaintances, stylists and others saying they never witnessed any abuse.

Teen actress Ariel Winter of "Modern Family" will stay with her sister under temporary guardianship and her case will be set for trial, a judge ruled Tuesday. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas said a report by the county Department of Children and Family Services found physical abuse allegations made by Winter against her mother, who lives in Montrose, inconclusive and emotional abuse allegations substantiated. The judge on Oct. 3 temporarily stripped Chrisoula Workman of custody of her daughter.

After several days of investigation, detectives don't believe documentable crimes occurred in the public battle between "Modern Family" actress Ariel Winter and her mother, a law enforcement source said. L.A. County sheriff's officials have spent the last week probing accusations against Winter and her mother. They plan to submit their findings to prosecutors. But the sources said they are doubtful any charges will be filed. Winter's mother claims that her daughter's 18-year-old boyfriend had unlawful sex with the 14-year-old actress in her Montrose home.

L.A. County sheriff's detectives plans to present their findings to prosecutors in two separate investigations involving  "Modern Family" actress Ariel Winter, law enforcement sources said. The sources said they doubted either investigation -- one focusing on Winter, the other on her mother -- would result in charges. Winter's mother claims that her daughter's 18-year-old boyfriend had unlawful sex with the 14-year-old actress at her home in Montrose. Winter is claiming her mother, Chrisoula Workman, physically abused her. So far, detectives have not gathered any specific evidence to substantiate the allegations in either investigation involving Ariel, known to millions as Alex Dunphy, the brainy member of "Modern Family's"  Dunphy family.

One of the unexpected dividends of the Getty's far-reaching “Pacific Standard Time” series is the cross-pollination of audiences and institutions; another is focused historic perspective. The Pacific Asia Museum, not known for modern-art exhibitions, is playing host to a modest retrospective of the influential Pasadena Art Museum. The former was initially housed in the Pacific Asia's building, hence the title of the show: “46 N. Robles: A History of the Pasadena Art Museum.” It's a nifty piece of site-specific heritage in the form of a mixed media art survey.

While I'm not completely a curmudgeon or skeptic, it is rare that I pick up a book having to do with spirituality or faith or anything that chirps of religion. Nor do I tend to read Christmas books in March. However, it is books like Glendale author Judd Parkin's “The Carpenter's Miracle” that really make me appreciate the opportunity I've been given to review books, because doing so allows me to step outside of my normal reading genres and happen upon gems such as this. The book tells the story of a carpenter named Josh, who happens to be doing some ice fishing one day. All of a sudden he hears some boys calling for help.

For some reason, I have become a bit of a medical connoisseur. For most of my life (knock on wood), I have managed to avoid the need for doctors, aside from a chronic pain in my neck exacerbated by prolonged exposure to my ex-wife. Sadly, there does not seem to be a remedy for this particular ailment, although I remain optimistic a cure will be found one day. Half of this particular odyssey began about 22 years ago when I entered the world of advertising. Glamorous though it may appear from TV shows like Bewitched and Mad Men, it can be a stressful occupation.