SATURDAY MAY 15, 2010

VOLUME 4 NO. 19

PUSD ISSUES LAYOFF NOTICES 

$23 Million Deficit Will Raise Class Sizes, Close School 
Libraries 

Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) 
Board of Education voted on Tuesday to issue final layoff notices 
to 207 teachers, librarians, administrators, nurses, counselors, 
psychologists, clerical and maintenance workers to meet a $23 
million budget deficit and to prepare for possible additional 
reductions in state funding. PUSD had hoped to rescind and/
or avoid some layoff notices with funding from the Measure 
CC parcel tax, which failed to earn the super-majority of votes 
required for passage. The Board voted to finalize the layoffs in 
time to meet a May 15, 2010 deadline required by state law.

“These layoffs mean that class sizes will rise, libraries will close, 
and it will become more difficult to deliver enrichment and 
support to students,” said Bob Harrison, President of the PUSD 
Board. “As we approach June 30, we will continue to examine our 
resources and maximize every dollar to ensure that academic 
achievement continues to progress.” 

Final layoff notices will be issued to 158 certificated employees, 
including teachers, administrators, counselors, nurses, and 
psychologists as approved by the administrative law judge. 
Certificated employees received preliminary reduction notices on 
March 15.

Layoff notices will be issued for 49 “classified” employees this 
week, including 15 elementary school library coordinators. Hours 
for another 25 classified employees were reduced. Classified 
public school employees perform a wide range of essential duties, 
including security, food services, office and clerical work, school 
maintenance and operations, transportation, academic assistance 
and para-educational services, library and media assistance, and 
computer services. In California, reduction in force notices for 
classified employees require a 45-day notice.

PUSD has cut $33 million from its budget since 2005 as part 
of organizational restructuring to reduce the district’s central 
bureaucracy and to absorb the decline in state funding during the 
current economic crisis. 

“I don’t want to have to lay off anybody. That is not my preference. 
Raising class sizes is not my preference,” said Board Vice President 
Renatta Cooper. “Our schools just don’t have the resources to do 
everything. This is painful and this is cutting to the bone.”

In the next two months, Superintendent Edwin Diaz and district 
staff will deliver specific recommendations for the 2010-11 budget. 
Issues for consideration include flexibility for school expenditure 
of categorical funds; allocation of restricted funds for class size 
reduction; and adjustment of budget cuts to preserve critical 
positions. At its upcoming meetings, the Board will also discuss 
policy recommendations to align categorical funding to identified 
priorities such as preservation of class size, dropout reduction, 
and parent engagement. 

The 2010-11 budget is scheduled for a first reading on June 8, 
second reading on June 15 and must be finalized by June 30.

“The severity of the budget shortfall requires that we target 
our available resources to support instructional and strategic 
priorities,” said Superintendent Diaz. “Our primary focus will be 
to keep class sizes below 31 students.”

City Council 
Awards Contract for 
Renovation of Sierra 
Madre Room

 At the regular meeting of May 11, 2010 the Sierra Madre City 
Council awarded a contract for the construction of Sierra Madre 
Room building improvements to CA Construction in an amount 
not to exceed $933,116.

 The project includes the following improvements to the existing 
facility: new ceiling, energy efficient roofing and air conditioning, 
energy efficient recessed lighting, new entry and restroom additions 
to the Sierra Madre Room with ADA access, replacement of exterior 
doors at north side of room for ADA access, removal of the existing 
west side interior stairs and landing as well as replacing the existing 
ceiling and north doors of the Fireside Room and upgrades of the 
Fireside Room restrooms.

 According to the bid documents, the project schedule includes 90 
working days. Assuming necessary contract documents are in place 
and issuance of official Notice to Proceed takes place on June 1, 2010 
the project is expected to be complete by approximately October 7th.

 During the project, the Sierra Madre Room and adjoining Fireside 
Room will remain closed to the public. The remainder of the 
building, including the YAC, the Pool House, and the office spaces 
will remain open and in operation.

 The Sierra Madre Room project is funded through grants from 
the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 
the amount of $570,000 and Los Angeles County in the amount of 
$350,000. Additional Workforce Housing Reward Program funding 
was recently identified by staff and approved by the City Council 
for use in defraying design costs on the project in the amount 
of $13,116. Thus, the available funding for the project stands at 
$933,116.

Additional Background:

The Sierra Madre Community Recreation Center was constructed 
in 1969. Initial public discussions about renovating the facility 
centered on demolishing the facility and replacing it. Unfortunately 
the costs for a project of that magnitude were more than the City 
could afford at that time. Consequently, a phased approach to 
renovating the facility has been taken; projects have been initiated 
and completed only as funding has become available. Previous 
remodel projects have rehabilitated the pool house, the staff offices 
and a portion of the Fireside Room, and added the second-story 
YAC. The remaining original sections of the building are showing 
the wear of their nearly 40 years of hard use. 

 The Sierra Madre Room project is the last phase of the renovation of 
the Sierra Madre Recreation Center. This portion of the Recreation 
Center includes the Sierra Madre Room, the un-renovated portion 
of the adjacent Fireside Room, the existing kitchen, and the existing 
(original) restrooms which serve the Fireside Room. The project 
does not include the second story of the building which is currently 
used as the Youth Activity Center.

A True Sierra Madre Treasure

 On Friday, Sierra Madre resident 
Fran Garbaccio was honored as 
the city’s 2010 Older American Of 
The Year.

 Fran is an active member of 
the Sierra Madre Friends of 
the Library Board and United 
Methodist Church, past Scout 
Leader, strong supporter of the 
Sierra Madre Environmental 
Action Council and much, much 
more.

 Each year the President of the 
United States, the Governor of 
California and the Los Angeles 
County Board of Supervisors 
designate the month of May as 
Older American Month. This 
year’s theme is: “Age Strong! 
Lice Strong!”, a motto certainly 
appropriate for the effervescent, 
ever busy Garbaccio.

 In a room filled with family and 
friends, Fran was presented with 
honors from Mayor Mosca and 
the City of Sierra Madre, Congressman David Dreier, and David 
Monroy from State Senator Bob Huff’s Office.

 The event was sponsored by the Sierra Madre Senior Services 
Commission. 


Sierra Madre’s Art Faire

Clarification: In the story about Sierra Madre’s very successful 
Art Faire, we inadvertently failed to mention that the event was 
sponsored by the Friends Of The Sierra Madre Library.

Sierra Madre Little League 
Closes Out Its 2010 Season 
With FUN Saturday, May 22!

Sierra Madre Little 
League invites everyone 
in the community to 
attend Closing Day in 
Sierra Vista Park on 
Saturday, May 22.

The day starts with a 
pancake breakfast and 
two farm prep (6 & 7 
year olds) games, with 
the popular carnival 
starting at 10:00A.

The carnival includes 
obstacle courses, a 
rock wall, a giant slide, 
a bounce house, milk 
bottle toss, football toss, speed gun and face painting. And the 
world famous Heasley Diner will be open all day for hamburgers, 
hot dogs and pizza. 

After all the games on Heasley Field, a league photo will be taken, 
followed by Closing Ceremonies and the traditional league slide 
show and baseball movie. Families are invited to bring lawn 
chairs, blankets and picnic items to the outfield, where the slide 
show and movie will be shown.

The day’s schedule for Heasley Field and Sierra Vista Park:

8:15A Lugnuts v. Bats/Diner Opens

8:30A Pancake Breakfast Start

9:00A River Dogs v. Iron Birds (T-Ball Field)

9:30A Scrappers v. River Bandits 

10:00A Carnival Opens (goes until 6:00P!)

11:00A Farm All-Star Game 

 Grasshoppers v. Rock Hounds (T-Ball Field)

1:00P Coaches Softball Game

2:45P Minors Playoff/Final

5:00P Majors Playoff/Final

7:15P League Photo 

7:30P Closing Ceremonies (with tribute to longtime 
announcer Tom Canterbury)

8:15P SMLL Slide Show/Movie

For more information, call SMLL president Pete Siberell at 
355-6746. 


Sierra Madre Woman’s Club Awards Scholarships

On Thursday, the Sierra Madre Woman’s Club made their 
annual Scholarship Presentation to three outstanding young 
women. 

 Receiving the awards were:

Filomena Pirrone, Pasadena High School $3,000.00 

Tracy Sullivan, La Salle High School $1,500.00 

Deanna Palazzola, La Salle High School $1,500.00.

 President Janet Ten Eyck was proud to announce that this was 
the first time that the club had awarded scholarhips to local 
students. Club member Marilyn McKernan, coordinated the 
effort.


Sheila, mother of Deanna Palazzola, who was unable to 
attend, ,Tracy Sullivan, and Filomena Pirrone 

Photos by D. Coutant

Pasadena Playhouse Bankruptcy Could Leave 
The City on the Hook For Its’ Debt

In attendance at the event (above)

Front row: Filomena Pirrone, scholarship winner;

Tracy Sullivan, scholarship winner;

Sheila Palazzolo, mother of scholarship winner Deanna

Marilyn McKernan, Sierra Madre Woman's Club 
Philanthropy Chairman

Betty Mackie, Sierra Madre Woman's Club Treasurer

Back row: Allison Steppes PHS counselor of Filomena 
Pirrone

Mrs. Pirrone, mother of scholarship winner Filomena

Mrs. Sullivan, mother of scholarship winner Tracy

Mr. Pirrone, father of scholarship winner Filomena

Janet Ten Eyck, Sierra Madre Womans' Club President

By Dean Lee

Although city officials say they 
remain optimistic that the Pasadena 
Playhouse will emerge from Chapter 
11 Bankruptcy soon, they also said 
the 90-year-old theater still has an 
obligation to produce plays. 

“While there is no specific term before 
they would be found to be in violation 
of the lease,” said Mayor Bill Bogaard, 
“at some point, if there are no plays 
produced by this operator then the 
question has to be raised, as to whether 
or not they get to continue to control 
that space.” 

The theater operators could be out 
of bankruptcy as soon as this fall 
according to Bogaard although 
reluctant to give an exact time. He also 
said the city extended a $750,000 line 
of credit in 2004 with the expectation 
that a $1 surcharge on every ticket sold 
would pay the debt off. 

“But there is an amount outstanding 
of $440,000 from that line of credit,” 
he explained later saying, “from the 
city’s point of view, that is potential 
indebtedness we would have to pay if 
the Playhouse doesn’t. We want that 
situation to be carried through to the 
new operation [out of chapter 11].” 

Bogaard added, “We expect them to 
live up to their agreement and pay us 
off.” 

Other reports also said there was a 
$49,000 loan from the city, something 
Bogaard said he was unaware of, “I 
don’t know where that came from or 
what it’s for,” 

In a prepared statement, Playhouse 
Executive Director Stephen Eich said 
about the bankruptcy filing, “This 
is a necessary step in our strategy to 
reorganize the Playhouse for the benefit 
of our creditors and the Pasadena 
Community at large,”

 Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon 
Epps added, we (cont. on page 4)

SIERRA MADRE’S FARMERS 
MARKET!

Wednesday 3-7 pm 

Fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits from California family farms. Specialty 
foods, vegetarian and vegan dishes, ethnic foods and hot food - Everything you’ll 
find at the farmers market has been made or picked fresh, is pesticide-free and 
preservative-free. Free public parking on Mariposa. 


MountainViews-News 55 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 302, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com www.mtnviewsnews.com