Planning Commission Vice Chair Brian Rosenstein (center) was honored with the Lawrence I. Shapiro Memorial Award at Tuesday afternoons study session for his volunteer involvement with the Police Departments Disaster Communciations System program. BHPD Chief David Snowden (left) and Mayor Willie Brien (right) presented Rosenstein with the award, which was created in 2004 to recognize meritorious and dedicated service by Police Department volunteers. Esther Mazo, who passed away in 2009, was honored with the award posthumously for her 12 years of volunteer work with the Police Department. Her son Neil Mazo accepted the award. The book group, which will take place at a private home, will include a conversation for parents and teachers about technology specific to BHUSD led by Chief Academic Officer Jennifer Tedford and Beverly High teacher Steven Rubenstein, who is BHUSDs technology TOSA (teacher on special assignment). The response from my students and parents and also my private book group to this book has been overwhelming, said Goler, who facilitates book groups. I really had to sell the book because of its length, but everyone says they cant put it down [because Jobs] life was so compelling, horrifying and inspiring. Goler said leadership will also be a topic of the book group discussion. Sarah Gallop, PTSA executive board member in charge of programs, is coordi-
nating the event. What I enjoy most about it is bringing together the parents with the teachers to talk about something other than academics or their childrens grades, Gallop said. Its something that everyone can have a discussion about and have it not be about their particular child. Steve Jobs will also be the first featured title for the BHUSD staff book club, Goler said. Look for more specifics about the program in the PTSAs September newsletter. E-mail sgallop100@aol.com with any questions.
Casablanca and Mirror, Mirror. Free parking is available to patrons of the shows: Get a coupon at the concert or movie and redeem it for parking in the Beverly Gardens parking structure. The gardens feature plentiful seating and a large, grassy area for picnic blankets. Tables and chairs will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Patrons are encouraged to enjoy outdoor dining at Bouchon or The Montage, enjoy special pre- and post-show discounts at Beverly Hills restaurants and bars and pick up custom to-go boxes from a selection of local restaurants offering picnic options in connection with this series. For more information, call (310) 2856830.
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letters cont. from page 2 Measure Es $300-million blank check, and d) is just about the dumbest idea since the non-renewal of the oil lease. On the bright side, the new Hawthorne will be a monument to good feelings, obscene spending, and local big government trying its best to emulate federal big government. A proper tribute to our age. Steve Spitz Beverly Hills Beverly Hills has a proud past. So much of that pride is because of our schools. We simply have a great educational system and students both past and present are aware of that. We also have memories of growing up in schools that are a part of who we are as individuals and as a city. There has never been a school system like BH. To even think of tearing down one of these historic schools is awful. To actually do it is shameful. While we are taking steps to preserve our history, we must also realize that our schools are a part of that history. Maybe even more so than Rodeo Drive because we learned in buildings named Hawthorne and were taught how to make the world a better place. We should think about changing our history grades to an F if we allow any of our schools to be destroyed. After all, if we cant protect our past, then what have we learned? George Vreeland Hill Beverly Hills
Fine Art Commission tests sites for placing public art [Issue #662] This is in response to a Letter to the Editor in the June 14 edition of Beverly Hills Weekly. The Fine Art Commission (FAC) did not decline Guy Dills sculpture, Egalmah, The Great Palace. The donation of the Guy Dill piece was accepted by the City Council in 2000, bypassing the approval process of the FAC. At the time, the Fine Art commissioners expressed concern as to the appropriateness of the work, given its size with regard to it potentially overpowering any other work that might be installed on the Burton Way median. Again, please note, there was never a point at which it was turned down. Mr. Dill has agreed to reconfigure the components of the original sculpture to form two new tableaus that will not overpower, but enhance the site; he has also agreed to allow the City to sell the remaining components to any interested party. Since the City took possession of this work in 2000, it has never been installed anywhere and now must soon be removed from its storage place to make way for improvements to the Citys water services for the residents of Beverly Hills. The Fine Art Commission believes that this option is the lease expensive, least intrusive and most timely solution. Terri Smooke Fine Art Commission Chair Beverly Hills
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briefs cont. from page 5 the Board of Education learned it could be impacted by $3.27 million to $6.63 million in cuts over the next three years, depending on whether or not Governor Jerry Browns tax initiative passes in November. Although experts initially thought language in the state budget bill indicating basic-aid districts, which are funded mostly through property taxes, would be subject to mid-year fair-share reductions was an oversight, the BHUSD learned earlier this week it likely will have to account for the reductions as early as Jan. 1, 2013. In the past, basic-aid districts were required to account for fair-share reductions at the end of the school year. Chief Administrative Officer Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard said the fair-share reduction facing the district totals approximately $2.03 million. As a basic-aid district, fair-share reductions to BHUSDs budget equal those of districts with revenue-limit funding, meaning districts receive a certain amount of funding from the state for each student in addition to property-tax revenue. Regardless of what happens with the tax initiative and additional fair-share reductions, BHUSD needs to reduce expenditures by $3.27 million over the next three school years based on the 2012-2013 adopted budget. The Board of Education approved an $800,000 reduction for the current year, but has yet to specify a plan for reducing expenditures by $1.9 million for 2013-2014 and $550,000 for 2014-2015. I would like to know whether my colleagues would be interested in exploring explaining to LACOE one way or another, were providing a budget that is qualified because we are not going to be able to find the 3.2 to 5 or 6 million dollars worth of cuts, and whether youre comfortable with a qualified budget for this year to send a message, Manaster said. Honestly, there has got to be some sort of line in the sand. Theres no reason we cant revise it once we figure something else out, but to me, its like this goal post keeps going and going and going. Id like to see us threaten a qualified budget. By the end of the study session, the majority of the board agreed with Manaster. The board directed Murakawa-Leopard to make an appointment with LACOE representatives to discuss potential implications of submitting a qualified budget. I dont want to deficit spend, I dont want to tap into the reserve, I dont want to put this district in any sort of a precarious situation. That is absolutely not the goal here, Manaster said. This is artifice to some degree. This is to send a message that, You know what? Were not healthy either. We want to be healthy but it is impossible when frankly were not given anything close to what we need to operate anything like a school district in this county. On Tuesday, Manaster said he learned LACOE would likely consider BHUSDs interim budget, which is due in November, a self-qualified budget, which means that a cleanup process needs to be put in place or other funding needs to be realized. Thats what Im going to be in favor of doing. According to information provided by
LACOE Chief Business Officer Alex Cherniss, who was formerly BHUSDs assistant superintendent of business services, actions required by school districts with qualified interim budgets include submitting a fiscal recovery plan addressing the districts fiscal conditions and an endof-year financial statement to the county superintendent. A qualified budget may prevent school districts from being able to borrow money using COPs (certificates of participation) or TRANs (tax and revenue anticipation notes), but a bulletin from LACOE says districts that self-certify qualified budgets may not be affected. To our knowledge, conversations with rating agencies are yet to be had regarding this view of self-certification, the bulletin
states. The LACOE bulletin says self-qualifying is a way for school districts to openly communicate with stakeholders regarding financial challenges. In many cases, the districts need additional time to address future budget reductions in order to meet their reserve levels and the self-qualified certification demonstrates the districts commitment to address the budget issues, the bulletin states. Districts that are self-qualified may be supervised by a fiscal advisor appointed by the county superintendent. That advisor would have the authority to stay or rescind actions by the Board of Education it considers inconsistent with the districts ability to meet its fiscal obligations in the current or following year.
In the worst case, school districts unable to meet their financial obligations can be taken over by the state. In response to a question about at what point the state can take over a school district, Cherniss wrote in an e-mail, Upon receiving an emergency loan, there are specific parameters that are followed. The BHUSD is not currently in that situation. At the end of last Thursdays study session, the board agreed to also develop a plan involving cutbacks and exploring potential revenue sources. It may not have been the job of the board in the past to actually actively be part of saving our own district by whatever means that were necessary, Board member Noah Margo said. But it might fall on this board briefs cont. on page 9
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in the BHUSD each year. We also have a student representative to our board of directors, a young man by the name of Nathan Cohen who has been wonderful at getting students to volunteer to help us with our fundraising events. In addition, we provide mental health services to City of Beverly Hills employees should they choose to work with The Maple Counseling Center. We are also available to our fire and police departments. In times of crisis, the police and fire I know appreciate that TMCC is there not only for themselves if they wish to process issues, but also for the constituency in Beverly Hills who are going through different crises at different times. TMCC is an invaluable resource and thats really due to the training that we provide. This year I believe we have approximately 72 interns at TMCC who provide the counseling services to the community and they are supervised by licensed professionals and trained by our staff. TMCC is probably one of the most sought-after placements in the Los Angeles area because in part the training that we provide. We have marriage and family therapy interns, licensed clinical social worker interns and doctoral candidate interns. TMCC receives approximately $75,000 in the form of a Community Assistance Grant, and an additional $35,000 for EAP [Employee Assistance Program] monies for City employees. For the 2011/2012 school year, we received $60,000 from BHUSD for our school-based services at the elementary and high schools. We have not received word on any disbursements for the next school year. Youre a clinical psychologist. Tell us how you got into the field of mental health. As an undergraduate, I initially had been considering a career in reconstructive surgery but I was at UC Irvine and became very disenchanted with the process and decided to take some psychology courses and I was hooked. When I realized that, I transferred to UCLA and completed my bachelors there and then received my Masters and doctorate at the California School of Professional Psychology. Sounds like you made the right choice. I love going to work every day and I love what I do. I am privileged to have a practice here in Beverly Hills, where I have been that entire time and primarily work with couples and adult individuals. In addition, Im on the clinical faculty at the David Geffen School of Medicine in the doctoring program there. Tell us about your involvement with Donate Life. As I mentioned, in April 2010 I received a new heart and I attempted to contact the family whose donor heart I received, but they are no longer participating in the system. One Legacy Donate Life is Los Angeles procurement organization and I decided that as a way of giving back, I became educated as a Donate Life ambassador. When there was an opportunity to become a Donate Life ambassador to a city, I approached then-Mayor Barry Brucker and was able to get the City of Beverly Hills to participate in the annual Donate Life celebration, which happens in April. [The City Council] declared [April] Beverly Hills Donate Life Awareness month and [the organization] received a proclamation from the City.
In addition to my work with TMCC I raise money for Donate Life and also educate the community about organ donation, tissue donation and transplantation. I just finished three different in-services for the Beverly Hills emergency system, EMS Fire Department workers, on organ donation and transplantation. It was particularly moving to me because it was Beverly Hills paramedics that saved my life on two separate occasions. I was first rescued in 1971 and then again in 1974. Tell us what it means to be able to give back in this way. When I think about it, part of being a transplant is that I have to maintain the quality of my heart. I exercise daily. On the days that I dont want to get up and walk, I do it for this blessed young man whose heart resides in my chest. Its an honor to speak about organ donation and transplantation as this is life saving. Its truly miraculous care that we are blessed to have in our [community], both at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as well as at UCLA Medical Center. Giving back is a way of educating and enlightening our community and dispelling the myth about organ transplantation and donation. You attended Hawthorne and graduated from Beverly High in 1974. How did growing up in Beverly Hills inspire you to become involved in nonprofit work? I believe that those of us who are privileged with some financial means have an obligation to give back, whether its through our time or our money. I am privileged enough to be able to give a little of both to my community and Im so grateful for that opportunity. My parents were involved in the American Jewish Committee and a few other organizations. I became involved [in the 1980s] as a donor through my work at the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center. Its interesting that there are at least five members of my graduating class from Beverly High who currently serve on our board of directors: Deborah Kallick, Gail Millan, Jeffrey Lapin, John Jameson and myself. There are other Beverly High graduates who serve on our board of directors as well. Tell us about your family. My partner [Rami Aizic] and I have been together for the past 16 years. He is also a mental health professional here in Beverly Hills. Were blessed to have two children, Ben and Bailey. Ben is 18 and will be a freshman at Sonoma [State University] in the fall, and our daughter Bailey is 12 and attends the Oakwood School. What do you find most rewarding about your involvement with TMCC? For me, it has to be the stories of the people who have been immeasurably helped by the work that we do. What I hear from a lot of my board members is that they are continually inspired in listening to the stories of people that they may know or those stories that are presented to our board anonymously through our interns who make us aware of the work that they are doing on a daily basis in healing our community. These are services that these individuals could not find anywhere else.
briefs cont. from page 9 of $82,000, of negotiating up to six noninstructional day furloughs for a maximum savings of $996,636, and reducing fourthand fifth-grade teachers from 33 to 30 by removing the guarantee for students to attend their home school for a savings of $298,008. Its basically come to a point where were in this situationI know the threshold for other districts that have been suffering for so long that they will be unable to fund education. They simply cannot do it, Manaster said. You cannot teach chemistry in a 60-person classroom with one teacher, so I just feel like we were potentially doing a lot of work there that we will not need to do because I have some faith that one of two things will happen: They will realize they cannot just put this on education or we will find another revenue stream. Chris Bushee, a member of BHEAs negotiating team, said it was too early to speculate about furloughs. Im just hopeful that a lot of the revenue options that were looked at last [week] will be put into play because any time you can generate more revenue, that reduces the amount of cuts that you would need to make to balance the budget, Bushee said. In June, the Board of Education approved an agreement with the teachers union that provided for salary increases for the first time in three years. Goldberg did not return a phone call from the Weekly before deadline. --Briefs compiled by Melanie Anderson
detention&arrestsummary crimeblotter
Beverly Hills Weekly receives the information that appears below from the Beverly Hills Police Department. This information is released each week to the public. We assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions in the Detention and Arrest Summary. GARRETT MICHAEL COLLINS, 23, of Pasadena, arrested on 7/15/2012 for driving while intoxicated and hit/run misdemeanor. ABBAS KHALIGHI, 53, of Encino, arrested on 7/15/2012 for BHPD bench warrantfelony. JOSE LUIS GARCIA, 40, of Los Angeles, arrested on 7/15/2012 for petty theft. LAKIMBA J. BANKS, 29, of Los Angeles, arrested on 7/14/2012 for driving while intoxicated. GABRIELA GAYLE GRULLON, 22, of Los Angeles, arrested on 7/14/2012 for driving while intoxicated. ALEXANDRA MARQUIS, 43, of Los A ngeles, arrested on 7/14/2012 for driving while intoxicated. MICHAEL DAVID KOSDON, 40, of Los Angeles, arrested on 7/13/2012 for driving while intoxicated. MARIO ALEJANDRO URIBE, 23, of Wilmington, arrested on 7/13/2012 for driving while intoxicated. BARRY FISCHER, 60, of Los Angeles, arrested on 7/11/2012 for intimate touching against the will of the victim. RICHARD BARCLAY SURRICK, 36, of Beverly Hills, arrested on 7/10/2012 for disturbing the peace and public intoxication. ROMAN CHRISTOPHER HENRY, 21, of Palmdale, arrested on 7/10/2012 for criminal conspiracy; burglarycommercial; forgery: false checks/records/certificates; obtaining or using personal identifying information without authorization; resisting or obstructing public officer. BRETT ORGLER ROSEN, 19, of Los Angeles, arrested on 7/9/2012 for possession of deceptive government identification and public intoxication. COURTNEY MARIE CHAMBERLIN, 20, of West Hills, arrested on 7/9/2012 for possession of marijuana while driving a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated causing injury. Burglary occurred between 7/5/2012 and 7/9/2012 in the 300 block of N. Bedford Drive. No suspect information available. Loss: $15. Burglary occurred between 7/9/2012 and 7/10/2012 in the 100 block of N. Doheny Drive. No suspect information available. Loss: $3,240. Burglary occurred between 7/9/2012 and 7/10/2012 in the 200 block of S. Oakhurst Drive. No suspect information available. Burglary occurred between 7/9/2012 and 7/10/2012 in the 300 block of S. Maple Drive. No suspect information available. Burglary occurred on 7/10/2012 in the 9700 block of Wilshire Boulevard. No suspect information available. Loss: $1,500. Burglary occurred between 7/14/2012 and 7/15/2012 in the 200 block of Lasky Drive. No suspect information available. Loss: $2,550. Burglary occurred on 7/15/2012 in the 9300 block of W. Olympic Boulevard. No suspect information available. Loss: $800. Identity theft occurred between 7/8/2012 and 7/9/2012 in the 200 block of N. Almont Drive. No suspect information available. Identity theft occurred on 7/9/2012 in the 8400 block of Wilshire Boulevard. Suspect is a 32-year-old Hispanic female, 57, 220 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes. Identity theft occurred between 6/24/2012 and 7/9/2012 in the 300 block of N. Palm Drive. No suspect information available. Identity theft occurred between 6/1/2012 and 7/9/2012 in the 1200 block of Lago Vista Place. No suspect information available. Identity theft occurred on 7/9/2012 in the 200 block of S. Almont Drive. No suspect information available. Identity theft occurred between 6/6/2011 and 9/12/2011 in the 400 block of N. Rexford Drive. No suspect information available. Identity theft occurred on 7/11/2012 in the 8400 block of Wilshire Boulevard. No suspect information available.