TWO SAD INCIDENTS IN SAN PEDRO RECENTLY MAKES ONE WONDER WHAT WE SHOULD DO ABOUT PIT BULLS AND OTHER DANGEROUS DOGS? SHOULD THEY BE CONSIDERED LETHAL WEAPONS THAT OWNERS MUST REGISTER?

By Diana L. Chapman

It was just another tragedy unfolding last week. The sun was shining. The boys played Wiffle ball happily outside as the June gloom of San Pedro days began to fold away to hazy summer afternoons.

The family cat, Oreo, hung out lazily on the porch seeming to watch the boys smugly. A sense of happiness clung in the air because the last day of school was around the corner and vacation was running after her heels.

And so, unfortunately, were two pit bulls – and what happened next is why I want the city of Los Angeles to consider forcing owners to register pit bulls -- and other dangerous canines known for aggressive and violent behavior – to be registered with animal control as potential, lethal weapons. I know what you’re thinking: She’s barking mad.

It’s not that I don’t like pit bulls or other dogs with aggressive tendencies. To me, they are beautiful creatures.

But it’s the only way I can see our laws being given more bite, because right now they don’t have more than a “woof.”

Think about these people:

· Diana Whipple of San Francisco, ripped to shreds and killed in February 2006 by her neighbor’s 120 pound presa canaria, dogs the neighbors knew were vicious and aggressive.

· A 12-year-old boy, Nicholas Faibish, was attacked in Northern California and killed by two family pit bulls in his own home. The mother blamed the boy.

· More recently, two pet pit bulls lived with the man they killed -- a 60-year-old Rubidoux resident, who lived with a couple and their three children, two, seven and 12.

All the dogs involved were put down, and crimes were charged against the owners in the first two cases, but why do we have to wait to get to that? Why do we have to wait for people to die, children to be maimed for life – and never mind the mounds of unreported pets that have been killed in vicious attacks all across the nation because we can’t determine the best way to control the situation.

To me, this is a much better solution than doing outright bans on the animals, which some cities have done, or trying to prevent future breeding. Ruling dangerous dogs as potential weapons tooled correctly could bring all sorts of potential actions that could give police and animal control the ability to confiscate such animals and cite owners for neglect.

I am quite sure gang members and other idiots, who use these animals in dog fights, will not register their animals, giving authorities another tactic to swoop on their crimes…where as good pet owners will.

Of course, there’s probably a million and one doggy reasons not to do this, but as I listened to my son and his friend recount their terrifying experience trying to save Oreo, in the back of my mind, all I could think about is what if, what if....they had attacked the boys?

“I was just stunned, just frozen” said one of the teens, whose family did not want to be named. “It was just too much to watch,” as the dogs played tug of war with Oreo hanging from their mouths.

His older brother acted more instinctively, punching one of the pit bulls repeatedly until it let go. And my son jabbed at the other dog with a plastic bat. When it finally let go, Oreo tumbled down, walked a few steps, stumbled, somersaulted and collapsed.

While the teenagers did everything they could to save Oreo, it was in vain. By the time the cat arrived at the veterinarian’s office, both of the feline’s shoulders were pulverized with little chance of recovery.

So I ask, just as Mary Lou Martinez did when her cat, Sylvester, sunning in her San Pedro yard, was grabbed by a neighbor’s wandering pit bull: What’s it going to take? Mary Lou worked desperately to rescue her cat – until the dog turned on her. Another neighbor raced out to help her and when the dog went after him, the neighbor shot the dog to death and is still haunted by it.

As for Sylvester, he also had to be put down.

Perhaps this plan would protect not just the public, but the animals from being used in dog fights – and force irresponsible owners to become more responsible or face charges for allowing their animals to escape.

I’m sure that many pets have been brutally killed by pits that go unrecorded – and it’s hard for some people to understand the pain it causes.

“I am still very upset and that nobody can understand the significance of the loss of the little furry part of our household,” Mary Lou complained in frustration, thanking God her grandchildren hadn’t arrived home from school yet. “My puppy still looks for Sylvester, and the stray cat that (hangs out on the porch) still cries for him at my back door. They slept by each other every night.

“I want Sylvester to have justice.”

To make matters worse, the owner was not cited and yelled: “You shot my dog!” to the neighbor who rescued Mary Lou from possible injuries.

A lot of all of this just comes down to common sense, which apparently many people don’t have. In Oreo’s story, a petite woman walking the two large canines, rounded the corner. When they sensed the cat, they dragged the woman -- whose job it was to walk the dogs -- up over the sidewalk, across the grass and straight toward the feline. The woman then dropped the leash.

In mere seconds, the two pit bulls had each end of Oreo in their mouths. My own 35-pound mutt can drag me – he’s that strong, so why would this walker have taken this job with well-known muscular beasts when she apparently didn't have enough training to handle them??

I have friends who own pit bulls, who are sweet as sugar and the owners are excellent. But still one never knows. Even responsible owners get caught off guard.

One day, as I strolled with Ryan when he was 2 years old, a young couple with a large pit bull told us their dog was friendly and that we could easily walk by. As we started to pass, the dog spotted Ryan’s toddling legs and lunged for him.

The owners were stunned, shock spreading across their faces. Even these owners – good owners -- didn’t understand what a weapon they had on their hands.

Even Before Stepping onto the Campus, Newly-Named San Pedro High School Principal Linda Kay Changes Her Mind and Submits Retirement Papers Instead;
The Beleaguered Harbor-Area School Has Lost Two Principals in Three Years and Remains Once Again Without a Leader

By Diana L. Chapman 

With excitement brewing about a new principal coming aboard San Pedro High 

School, Linda Kay “had a change of heart,” and not only removed herself from the 

post she accepted – but retired from the district mid-week.

Kay, 57, who helped clean Narbonne High in a two year period before leaving
in 2008 and whose career spanned more than three decades with the Los Angeles
Unified School District , appeared to be set for to take the reins of
San Pedro’s campus.

She surprised school officials with her decision, who have had difficulties
keeping the continuity of leadership running at the school. San Pedro High
also faces a myriad of troubles, from hanging by a thread to keep its
accreditation, overcrowding issues and test scores that are comparable
or below that of inner city schools.

Kay was supposed to replace retiring principal Bob DiPietro, who stayed
only two years before personal issues forced him to retire.

DiPietro replaced Diana Gelb, who served only for one year
before retiring.

“She had a change of heart and submitted retirement papers yesterday
(Wednesday),” said Linda Del Cueto, who heads the region in which San Pedro
and Narbonne both reside.  “I don't have a replacement yet as HR
(human resources) placed a hold on all secondary principalships. 

“I know the decision was hard for Linda to make as she a is a dedicated educator 

who cares about improving education for all students. Her mother is ill and 

retiring by June 30, 2009 gave her the opportunity to take advantage of the 

retirement incentive being offered by the district.” 

Reached later via email, Kay who came with a wealth of experience and held
jobs such as counselor, teacher, principal, and director of a group of
intermediate schools, wrote the decision was extremely difficult.  

“I am sorry it turned out this way,” Kay explained, saying the reduction of the work
force (the district’s conducting layoffs) and continuous problems with the
trouble-plagued district's new pay roll system were both part of the reasons
she cited about her departure.

“Please know my decision to retire was difficult and I wavered until the very end.
I am sorry that I could not keep my commitment to San Pedro,” Kay wrote.

Although she’s officially retired, she will return to the district to work with her
supervisor, Del Cueto,on an as needed basis as an interim administrator where
her pool of talent can be used in “a broad and comprehensive way.”

“I value the education of students. This should be our nation’s number one priority,”
Kay added.

Del Cueto said at this time, she does not have a replacement, but will continue to
search for a new leader to head the school.

Linda Kay, new SP High principal.
San Pedro High’s New Principal Contends the Staff Must Step Up to Make the Campus a Better Place: No One Can Work in “Isolation” – Especially a Principal, She Says; An Effort to Return the School to Its Better Days Must Be a Team Effort Because The Poor Accreditation Rate for this Community Remains Unacceptable

By Diana L. Chapman

Coming through some fairly rough patches in the past with other schools, Linda Kay – named principal of San Pedro High last week – plans to spend her summer educating herself about the campus.

Calling herself “straight-forward,” “a realist,” and “call-it-as-I-see-it,” leader, Kay, 57, moves into the rocky post July 30, apparently not afraid to tackle the school’s myriad of woes from intense overcrowding, a puzzling low-rating for accreditation, severe entrenchment issues and a 50 percent drop out rate.

The school’s test scores are comparable or lower than some inner city schools, but she points out she headed Narbonne High School not so far in the past – which also was plagued with many ills.

“I will be really proud of if we pull ourselves out of this,” she explained about San Pedro High. “I’m going in with an open mind and a positive attitude. I am interested in doing my own research. This is a community school and everybody should be proud of their schools.”

She will be the third principal to take the helm within three years. She replaces retiring Bob DiPietro, who due to family issues, decided to step down after only serving the school for two years. Prior to that, Diana Gelb ran the school retiring after one year.

Kay said her summer days will be spent doing her homework.

“People don’t do things when I tell them,” Kay explained during a phone interview, who said she plans to spend a good part of her summer meeting the school staff and assessing the situation. “They do things when they are part of the administration.
Change is not easy for anyone. But change is necessary and it has to be evolving.”

While some have said she’s hard-nosed, Kay painted herself as “fair,” but definitely a leader with high expectations for herself and her staff. If all goes well, the first issue she will tackle will be the troubles with the school’s accreditation.

On its accreditation scoring, San Pedro High received a two-- with the top points being a six. A two is considered a near failing rate by many educators. The campus has about one year to bring its standards up, before losing accreditation entirely.

As far as accreditation, she will ask the staff to explain to her what they think happened.

“If you get lower than a three, it’s not healthy. A three would be average,” the newly appointed principal concluded. “I don’t know why (the school received this rating). I will come in and talk to department chairs, the UTLA, the teachers.

“They have to know me and I have to know them. First, people have to buy into the leader.”

Kay comes as no slouch to San Pedro High. Her background includes more than three decades with Los Angeles Unified, where she’s held a variety of posts, including teacher, counselor, administrator, principal of Bret Harte Middle School and soon after that – the principal of Narbonne High School in Lomita from 2006 to 2008.

At Narbonne for two years, she tackled large problems with “accountability” issues, targeted a disturbing two-tiered educational system where a smaller campus received more than its share – and the eruption of alleged cheating scandal in girls’ basketball.

The coach resigned and the school lost several championship titles.

Some claimed she cleaned up Narbonne before taking her next LAUSD post, a director’s position overseeing eight junior highs in Region Three, which stretches from Westchester north to the Palisades and sweeps in the areas of Venice, Dorsey and Crenshaw.

On her resume, she touts her success at Narbonne, which was reflected in higher test scores, a cleaned-up physical education department and being able to obtain a three-year accreditation for the school – despite the scandal.

One San Pedro High teacher said she’s thrilled that Kay is on her way.

“I’m looking forward to someone who has a background in instruction and puts this as a top priority and someone who can face the vocal opposition,” the instructor said. “I’ve been waiting for that person to come along.”

Kay may be just that person. She insists on integrity and accountability, some of which has slipped away at the local school without consistent leadership over the past several years.

Instead of learning from what others tell her, she wants to explore the issues first hand. She leads by listening, but once she makes a decision, Kay said: “I own it.” She takes responsibility for that choice and does not turn back.

As far as students go, she abhors instructors who tell students that they are failures – and while she believes in discipline – she also considers herself an excellent student advocate.

“Kids need to know they are valued,” the principal explained. “If you tell them they are a failure, that is the day when the teaching stops. I like kids and my door is always open to them.”

Linda Del Cueto, who heads the region where both Narbonne and San Pedro reside, decided not to use a hiring committee and to select a principal from the pool of those whose positions had been cut, among them Kay's job.

It seemed clear from the start that Del Cueto had Kay in mind with her successes at Narbonne.

"I am extremely pleased to be able to assign Linda Kay to San Pedro High
School," Del Cueto said. "Linda Kay comes with wealth of principal experience in both middle and high schools. What's equally significant is her Assistant
Principal experience including her experience as Assistant Principal in secondary counseling services at Belmont High School, a large year round
high school with many challenges.

"Linda will be able to utilize this experience in ensuring San Pedro High School students have access and are successful in A-G (college required) classes. She will also use her experience to address and support the issues of high failure in core classes including Algebra 1."

While she was last serving as director, budget cuts forced 50 percent cuts in each region across the board. Due to her standing, the district had to bring her back on board as a principal along with many other administrators who held director posts that were eliminated during the cuts.

As far as San Pedro High, Kay said: “I don’t know what the outcome will be and I don’t like to make promises. It’s up to the (school) community to take on the challenge.”

ONE MORE ESSAY FROM A STUDENT WHO HAD NO PLANS TO GO TO COLLEGE AND CHANGED HIS MIND ONCE HE TOOK A WRITING COURSE IN HIS SENIOR YEAR AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB; WHEN THE CLUB OFFERED HIM A JOB, IT CEMENTED HIS NEW EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY

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When the writing teacher first met Brandon Hammitt, the first request he had -- standing at 6 four inches, was: "Please understand that I'm not a football or basketball player."

He was shy and believed he had little to offer. At least that's what he told the class. Once he began writing, however, at the encouragement of his classmates, he learned he had an ability to write. He will attend CSU, Domniguez Hills, this fall.

This is how he summed the experience up:

By Brandon Hammitt, 17,

“Going into this class for the first time, I felt uneasy at my ability and shy at having them accept or reject me based on their judgments.

I have changed.

I used to scoff at the idea of revealing myself to others, especially others who I see frequently or others who, even scarier, are my close friends.

I have changed a lot.

I didn’t want to look for a job or go to college or meet new people or talk in public because I hated rejection.

Now, at this point in my life, I fear not the trials and errors ahead of me. I fear not talking to unfamiliar people or speaking to others. I fear not rejection and failure as I had so soon before been immobilized by.

I have a job, and it’s helped me grow, both in my individuality and my social skills. I have grown not to fear failure or the resulting reprimands for it. I am changed so much now because of this class.

Writing to me used to be unfamiliar, and scary. But now, it is a way to express my true feelings and thoughts to others. It is somewhat impersonal but it is a start.

Writing to me is away to express my creative side in an environment that is in no way harmful to my self esteem or state of mind.

I can now tell someone what I think of them honestly, while not being mean or disheartening.

I have more confidence. I have higher self-esteem. I trust myself and put trust into others as well as myself.

I like writing. I knew I did when I was younger --, liked to write, liked to create, liked to draw. But that fervor diminished over the years by oppression of potential failure or the burden of embarrassment. I know now to trust myself as person to do what is needed, and I am thankful that the class led me to this solid state.

Ben Graham, new coach at Marymount, and Chris Widdy, who came out of San Pedro

Marymount College in Rancho Palos Verdes Hires Its First Soccer Coach and to Expand on Its Small Sports Program; The University of Bakersfield Assistant Coach Arrives in July and Reveals He Will Look at Players From Around the South Bay and Elsewhere

Also, TheUnderdogBlog Will Soon Go Under Reconstruction, Be Overhauled and Called: theunderdogforkids.com. For Now, the Stories Will Remain Here; Stay Tuned;

Plus a San Pedro Festival This Weekend

Marymount Coach to Start This July, Kicking off the First Soccer Program at the Two-Year College in Years

By Diana L. Chapman

A highly qualified soccer coach from England will soon land the ball at Marymount College – kicking off the first year the small campus has ever run a soccer program.

Under the agreement, Ben Graham – currently the assistant soccer coach at the University of Bakersfield – explained he was looking forward to recruiting for the college and believes there’s vast talent in San Pedro and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. He begins July 1.

Asked where he would find players, he remarked via email: “You can always find good players! Especially in California where the talent pool is so deep. I will be looking for players that are maybe looking to play at a Division 1 or a Division 2 school in the future, but do not have the grades to go straight there.

“I will probably also look to bring in some foreign recruits as well.”

Officials from the Bakersfield university continue to look more closely at San Pedro since its discovery of soccer player, Chris Widdy, at the San Pedro High School through the relentless efforts of the San Pedro High School soccer coach, Paul Butterfield.

Due to repeated calls from the San Pedro coach, Widdy was finally offered the chance to place First Division – and also received a full scholarship to Bakersfield.

Graham suspects a lot more players like Widdy, who typically plays forward for his team, reside in the Harbor Area, one of the many areas he hopes to recruit from. However, Marymount college has yet to qualify for any playing divisions, perhaps making it more difficult to lure potentially skilled soccer players.

Currently, the small college has a La Crosse program that it intends to keep, said Kelly Curtis, a spokeswoman at the school, and down the road an athletic facility.

Leaving Bakersfield, Graham said, has been a tough challenge as he’s participated in a huge investment in many of the students there to train them to play in First Division soccer.

“It is always hard to leave your existing players considering the investment you put in them, both emotionally and from a soccer perspective. But, after two years here, and four years as an assistant in total, I feel this opportunity to run my own program was too good to turn down.”

Campus officials hope that offering sports will attract more students, but also round out their academic education.

THE UNDERDOGFORKIDS WILL UNDERGO RECONSTRUCTION AND WITHIN TH NEXT FEW MONTHS BECOME THEUNDERDOGFORKIDS.com

Dear Readers:

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the gigantic letters, bizarre rainbow colors and the strange spacing that’s going on with my blog. This led me to take a good suggestion from Joshua Steker At San Pedro Today and buy the domain – and register the underdogforkids name.

And so I have.

After a period of reconstruction, you’ll be able to find my stories on theunderdogforkids.com, which makes much more sense! For now, they will continue on this site.

The blog has been running for four years and it’s gaining about 200 hundred readers a week. That’s awesome!

While I enjoy putting community service items on, if I miss some I apologize. I’m the only blogger on this post and it’s going to happen. I especially try to give top- dog billing to those community briefs that are related to kids.

Again, I want to emphasize that my blog is open to other writers so if you have something you want to put on, just contact me at hartchap@cox.net. Thanks so much and look forward to getting theunderdogforkids.com going.