A GOOD LEADER RETURNS TO THE HARBOR REGION: WHY THIS MEANS GOOD FORTUNE FOR US

By Diana L. Chapman

I remember the exact day I met him, not knowing yet he was a rare breed among Los Angeles city officials. He had just settled into his new job as captain of LAPD’s Harbor Division.

At the time, I wondered if Pat Gannon would be like all his predecessors. As an advocate for San Pedro’s Peck Park Pool – where impoverished kids feared cops more than gang members – I routinely requested prior captains to allow officers to play water polo with the kids.

The request fell on deaf ears. And then Gannon arrived in 2000. I met him at a press conference, introduced myself, and with a big grin and a firm handshake he turned and said:

“You know what I’d really like to do? I’d like my officers to come and play water polo with the kids at the pool.”

He probably didn’t know just how golden those words were to me. And he did it. When he left for another division, many community leaders here were deeply disappointed. Even Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn tried to curtail his departure. So I was in my glory when it was announced in December that he was promoted and returning to this region as Deputy Chief and Commanding Officer of Operations South Bureau.

I can’t think of a better commander to be in charge of 1,500 officers and 800,000 residents. Once again our community finds itself under his radar – and this we should all be delighted and grateful for. Why? Because he cares.

No pun intended, I believe Pat, 54, is a straight shooter – and he’s not out to glorify himself or after his own self-interests. He’s out to serve his community and his officers the way he knows best. While he grew up in San Pedro, it doesn’t matter what region he’s heading. He stands for the same things: aiding the little guy, working with kids, cutting crime and gangs, supporting programs that work and helping out wherever possible.

When the Spanish speaking community asked him to provide translators, he did it in a heartbeat. When he was asked to attend a peace rally that honored the survivors of murdered victims, he showed up readily. And each time he was asked to have officers play basketball with kids at the Boys and Girls Club or Dana Middle School, he made it happen.

Action counts and having a high-ranking official respect every-day-people sends

vast ripples across any community. While he served as commander of the 77th division,

he found himself impressed with one man in particular.

Edgar, who lived with his family in a dangerous pocket of South Los Angeles, spoke little

English and fled here during El Salvador’s civil war. Coming with two beliefs, Edgar and

his wife were determined to keep their family safe and make sure both children

attended college – despite the high crime in their neighborhood. Because they were

active in their son's lives, the boys did just that.



While Edgar attended English classes at night, both sons went to Manual Arts High

School.

But Edgar did even more than that.

Scared of  police officers at the time, it took a lot of gumption for him to meet with Pat,

who he asked for help to solve crimes in his neighborhood. Edgar wanted the

Spanish-speaking community involved and Pat supported him. In the end,

Edgar pulled together dozens of families – many Spanish speaking only – to organize

neighborhood watches. These families in the past would have fled from officers,

but now they worked closely with them.

“I have so much respect for the Hernandez family and they are the American dream,” Pat said. “I would help them any way that I can.”

He added that Edgar’s eldest received a scholarship and attended MIT, graduating last year, while the younger son attends Cal State Northridge.

This, to me, is what makes Pat an excellent leader. He plugged Edgar into the department where others might not have listened or taken time to meet with him.

It was the same with the water polo.

The day of Peck Park game several years ago, the cops and the kids found out a few things about each other and discovered they needed – on both sides – to reevaluate their attitudes.

During a fairly splashy and raucous, fun game -- where the police eventually lost to the teens -- a sense of change overcame both sides.

Kids came streaming out of the pool calling the officers “nice,” and “caring,” and to their surprise like “other people.” Officers, too, marveled at the youth’s polite behavior and realized that many of the kids they served in the poor neighborhoods were often good teenagers –not juvenile delinquents.

That’s exactly what Gannon wanted.

Born in San Pedro and attending the public high school there, Pat joined the force after a long line of his family members. His grandfather became an LAPD detective in 1927, his father served as an officer starting in 1947 and his son, Michael, 27, joined the force in 2005, chalking up more than eight decades of service from the Gannon family.

Prior to his most recent promotion, Pat was in charge of LAPD’s homicide division where he and his officers worked diligently to drop the homicide rate to the most recent all time low, from 365 a year to 304.

While many with LAPD believe youth should come to the police station to learn from officers, such as its young Explorers program, Pat’s always believed officers should go to the youth. I can’t think of anything closer to the truth.

Many kids I’ve volunteered to work with over the years remain terrified of officers, seeing them as the “bad guys” when they break down a door to arrest someone or they handcuff and take away a parent, a neighbor or a friend. It seems Pat understands this.

As a youngster, Pat enjoyed repeated episodes of Dragnet which should come as no surprise -- which also helped lead him to his future career as well as his family members embracing one of the most difficult and dangerous professions in existence.

Over the years, he’s lost many comrades, some shot while on duty, and stood by his officers when they’ve suffered personal tragedy.

Officials like this are a rare breed anywhere, but especially in the streets of Los Angeles.I am honored and thrilled that Pat has returned.

SAN PEDRO HIGH AUDITORIUM JAMMED WITH PARENTS AND STUDENTS TO HEAR SCHOOL TEAM’S FINALIZED REFORM REPORT: IT APPEARS THE CHANGES WILL RECEIVE WIDESPREAD APPROVAL AT UPCOMING ELECTIONS – AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT THE AUDIENCE’S TONE REFLECTED

THE OUTPOURING OF INTEREST FROM THE RESIDENTS GREATLY ENCOURAGES STAFF WHO’VE SEEN LITTLE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY IN THE PAST

DON’T MISS THIS SATURDAY (Jan.30) MORNING AT 9 A.M.: YMCA BASKETBALL GIVES YOUNGSTERS A SHOT AT THE BIG TIME

By Diana L. Chapman

Besotted with good humor to an overflowing auditorium, San Pedro High School officials promoted their finalized reform package Thursday to turn the overcrowded campus into a more personalized institution using a block schedule and seven learning communities.

Some 700 plus residents -- a mixture of students, parents and community leaders –packed the auditorium to the gills, a rarity for years at a school which has gone downward in test scores, but upward in population. In the past, the school has rarely attracted this much attention except for football games.

Dozens of people stood next to the doors, unable to find seats, or on the floor in front of the first row. It was a titanic explosion of interest unprecedented from the community in more than a decade.

“This is fantastic,” said a beaming David Kooper, chief of staff to Los Angeles school board member, Richard Vladovic. “This is exactly what we envisioned. Honestly, I had no doubt that this school would move forward, but it surpasses all of our expectations.

“I’m floored by this.”

The Los Angeles school board targeted San Pedro High as an under performing school, which allowed the board to put it out to bid to charters and non-profits for a possible takeover. Eleven other schools were also listed, including Gardena High.

No other organization bid on any of the 12 campuses, but outside organzations can apply again next year for any school’s the board continues to red flag as under performing.

School Principal Jeanette Stevens, however, told the audience she believed in the the plan -- a package her team has worked on diligently for the past three months.

“We all care about the outcome and more importantly, about the students,” Stevens said to a respectful and friendly audience.

The reform, she explained, entails curtailing the number of absences, building seven small campuses on the site and adding a block schedule. It, however, must face another obstacle course before heading off to the school board for final aproval.

Community members, primarily students, teachers and parents, will be allowed to vote on the plan on Feb. 2 in the school auditorium from 7 to 10 a.m. and again from 3 to 7 p.m. Voters will have another shot to record their voice at the ballot box on Feb. 6, a Saturday, from 9 to noon, also in the school auditorium.

Stevens, who also was flabbergasted and pleased by the large crowd, said the new block schedule -- where most classes will be 100 minutes each and a total of four classes a day -- allows teachers time to bond better with their students. It also gives instructors time to help struggling students and to up the ante for high performing students.

In brief, the changes include:

· A block schedule proposed to run four days a week, Monday through Thursday. Friday will include all class meetings. A 7^th period will be held all five days that runs around 50 minutes

· Seven learning communities in which each house will have classes geographically close together, allowing students more time to know each other and their instructors and eliminating wasted time to scramble to classes across the sprawling campus

· Advanced placement (AP) classes offered for tenth graders – something that was once only provided to juniors and seniors

· Starting this spring semester, only allowing five days of absence instead of ten

· Enabling high achieving students to attend college on and off campus

· Building after school programs using community efforts that will run every day after school from 3 to 6 p.m. at the school site

· Creating more hands on approach to lessons rather than straight lectures

· Giving professional training to teachers to help invigorate their lessons and keep students interested

· Students will be given time in the longer classes to work on homework

To ease the anxiety of the crowd, English teacher Tony Saavedra, dressed in shorts, a plaid shirt, sneakers and carried a backpack. He acted out the day-in-the-upcoming life of San Pedro student forcing much giggles and laughter from the audience as he pretended to march off to his next class, chatting on his cell phone, and getting ready to work on a video project that he was doing in all three classes on a block schedule.

Students clapped and hooted along with parents. While no comments were taken from the audience – since the team held many community meetings already – school officials did take questions that mostly focused on the block schedule.

One question, which appeared to come from a student, asked: “Why don’t we wear uniforms?” The entire student audience groaned when they heard the question.

Again, Saavedra received loud claps when he explained: “We feel our student body is mature enough to handle it and dress appropriately. We have never considered uniforms. And we have no intention of going anywhere next the subject.”

On the staff’s side of the fence, several teachers said they were enthralled by scores of people who showed up at the meeting and that they felt energized to move forward with the plan.

“To be honest, they (the changes,) we’re a bit shocking,” said Steve Gerhart, who heads the English. “But I’m really encouraged…especially with the community stepping forward.”

Kathy Carcamo, a long time teacher whose daughter attends the school, added that she believed the changes will rejuvenate the school overall.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a change for the good and that the kids will have pride like it was ten years ago,” Carcamo explained. “We had lost our spark.”

At least two students after the meeting weren’t too excited, however.

Senior Jerry Ciolino, who has already been accepted to two state colleges, said he was irritated that in his senior year, he won’t be allowed more than five absences and contended that it was unfair.

“I don’t like it,” Ciolino said. “We (also) didn’t get the chance to have AP courses in tenth grade. “

Another student argued that his concerns about the longer class time was his trouble with focus.

“It’s hard for me to concentrate for an hour, and now it’s going to be two,” explained Cole Bender, a tenth grade football player.

San Pedro High, which has 3,300 students, far above the 2,000 it was built for, has been riddled with problems from overcrowding and poor test scores to nearly losing its accreditation, especially in regards to the “lack of rigor,” offered to students.

The school now has two years to prove itself.

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YMCA OFFERS HOOPS EVENT FOR YOUTH AGES 9 to 14

Children, ages 9 to 14, can participate this Saturday in a hoop contest at the local YMCA. The top champions from regional competitions will be offered the chance to go to other regional competions held in NBA arenas.

They also have a shot at winning NBA tickets. First place winners in the regional competions can advance to the National Finals and win a trip to Orlando, Fla., according to a YMCA flier.

Youths who want to show their stuff can showcase their skills in a “time-based, half court obstacle course.”

The event begins at 9 a.m. at the San Pedro & Peninsula YMCA, 301 S.Bandini Street. For more information and an entry form, contact Angela Johnson at (310) 832-4211 ext. 7032 or email: angelajohnson@ymcala.org

FORMER WRITING STUDENT ASKS US TO HELP HAITI: HE WRITES A PIECE OF POETRY TO COPE WITH HIS OVERWHELMING COMPASSION AND SENSE OF HELPLESSNESS

T-SHIRTS SAVE THE DAY AT THE SAN PEDRO BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB

PECK PARK BASEBALL SIGN UPS ARE FEB. 5^th WITH A LOT OF TREATS IN STORE FROM A SMALL NON-PROFIT FORMED BY PARENTS

ALLIANCE CHARTER SCHOOLS LOOKING FOR STUDENTS TO APPLY

Dear Readers:

This poem comes from one of the former writing students at the Boys and Girls Club College Bound program. As a high school student, Emmanuel didn’t think he had much to offer – in fact considered himself “worthless” until he enrolled in the Boys and Girls Club College Bound program which encouraged him to consider a higher education. He turned his grades around from a 1.8 to 4.0 nearly over night and said he had “found a family” at the club. He is now at the University of Florida.

“We all should donate somehow to the Haitians
It’s a human race issue. Kids are dying.” Emmanuel Catalan

TEARS POURING DOWN LIKE RAIN

By Emmanuel Catalan

Tremendous Fear in the streets,

not knowing what you're going to eat,
where do I sleep?
on the floor?

My Home and everything I own decimated,

my mom and daughter both eliminated,
walking down the street,
looking for food to eat,

But nothing in sight,

try as I might,
which god do I pray to for Him to assist?
and get me out this abyss,

My tears pouring down like rain,

to illustrate my pain,
so much suffering, so much agony,
can't take seeing so much death

I'm losing my sanity,

how do I shake it off?
how do I make it all go away?
for the first time I can't really say.

Yet whatever sadness I may have I …

must move on,
otherwise any chances of survival
will be gone.

More time passes by as my energy

enervates,
slowing my pace as my hope
disintegrates,

Then I suddenly drop and

pass out
falling victim to a horrible
drought,

Staying steady in my long sleep,

not even hearing a peep,
I see in my dreams where
lies my fate,
seeing if I enter the pearly
gates…

Suddenly I awake with someone

there to revive me,
who would think anyone would bother
to care about me,

What a miracle it was to see,

when no one thought it could be,
another human being there to
help his fellow man,
guess my survival was all a part
of God's plan,

I'm rejuvenated and now know
my calling in life, helping others in need to overcome
their strife,

How amazing it was for me, a man who
was minutes away from Death,
get back up and take another breath,
Let it be told to those who wish to burn
in the fire,
that you control your own destiny if only you
persist and desire.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REMEMBER THOSE RAINY DAYS LAST WEEK! AN AVALANCHE OF SOAKED KIDS POURED INTO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB – DONATED T-SHIRTS SAVED THE DAY

Within seconds of the bell ringing last week, students poured out of San Pedro High last Wednesday and were drenched from head to toe as buckets of rain plummeted from the sky. Some students had rides home. Others walked. Still others, spilled by the dozens into the Boys and Girls Club on Cabrillo Avenue.

The flood of dripping students caught the club a bit off guard. "I was giving a tour to a foundation that was considering funding the college bound program," said Mike Lansing, the executive director. "The torrential downpour on Wednesday hit right at dismissal -- and as I was walking these guest around, we had DOZENS of members coming in the front door soaked to the bone."

Desperate to get their kids out of sopping clothes, the staff founds scores of donated T-shirts that came in handy to solve the problem. The shirts were donated by Da Vita Kidney awareness and were left over from their annual run/walk events from 2009, the staff said.

"Thank goodness for the recently donated T-shirts," Lansing added. "We were able to get them out of at least their drenched shirts and into something warm and dry. In a way -- it made me think about "Haiti" and what those poor people are going through without food, water or shelter."

Break out the raincoats and umbrellas, as forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of rain and the Boys and Girls Club are out of shirts.

PECK PARK BASEBALL LEAGUE SIGN-UPS FEB. 5;

AND THERE’S ROOM FOR TREATS: PARENT-RUN NON-PROFIT

IMPROVING BALL FIELDS AND THE PARK OVERALL: 

COACHES NEEDED!!!!!

Mark down your calendar on  Feb. 5 for baseball sign-ups at

Peck Park and make room for pleasant surprises as this year’s

fields have markedly improved thanks to a batch of parents

who formed a non-profit.

Parents, dismayed by the decline of ball fields around Los

Angeles-operated parks,launched the San Pedro Youth

Association to work  with the city to clean up  ball fields

and other needs at parks’ throughout the Harbor Region.

Originating with Peck, the parents added $5,000 worth of dirt

to the field, reduced the price to join the park’s

league (now $85) and paid for umpires using its own funds,

said Allen Quinton Jr. who helps run the association along

with Mark Arriola. John Delgado, president of the Central

Neighborhood Council, remains the official president of

SPYA as well.

The group also went after $430,000 in Quimby funds to

make repairs at Peck, which helped park officials obtain

a brand new air conditioning unit for the recreational

building, develop a $20,000 handicap ramp to help access

the fields, add a scoreboard, put in new back stop covers

and set aside money for lighting – and hopefully – shade

covers at Peck Park Pool.

“We started this together not knowing what to expect,”

Arriola explained adding they hoped to partner with

other facilities. “We like partnering. Our goals are bigger.

We’d love to do it for all the parks.”



This year, baseball evaluation day will be held at the park March 9 for minor

division players,born in 1999 through 2001from 5:30 to

6:30 p.m.



Juniors and Majors evaluation on March 11 will be

held at the same time. Juniors are born in 1994-1996 and

majors players must be born in 1997 or 1998.T-Ball division

players, born in 2002 to 2004have no evaluation day “for the

little guys,” Quinton said. Cost remains the same.

League games begin March 22.As always, coaches are

needed. Peck Park offices can be reached for further

questions at 310-548-7580.

___________________________________

ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY SCHOOLS LOOKING FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND ITS CHARTERS



Los Angeles, CA - Alliance College-Ready Public Schools,

a charter school 

organization offering a college-prep curricula for students in academically

low-performing, overcrowded Los Angeles communities, announced today that it is accepting applications for incoming 9th graders and incoming 6th graders to its

high-performing network of public schools for the 2010-11 academic year.

Alliance public charter schools, recently featured in the L.A. Times story

"L.A. Charter Schools Flex Their Educational Muscles," operates 11 high schools

and 5 middle schools in south, east, southeast, northeast and mid-city Los

Angeles and will open new schools in Watts, East L.A. and the northeast end of

the San Fernando Valley in 2010-11 school year. Alliance offers safe campuses

and a quality learning environment based on an educational model that focuses on five core values: high expectations for all students, small personalized

schools and classrooms, increased instructional time, highly qualified

principals and teachers, and parents as partners. They are tuition-free and open

to all students in California.

Five Alliance high schools earned 2009 Academic Performance Index (API)

scores that rank them in the top 16 public high schools in the Los Angeles

Unified School District; two scored higher than 800 and rank in the 10

top-scoring high schools.

To learn more about Alliance schools-where they are located and how students

can apply-contact Mary Louise Silva at (213) 943-4930, ext. 1011 or

msilva@laalliance.org.