PUSD Board Unanimously Approves Issuing Layoff Notices to 64 Certificated Employees (Altadena Patch article)

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PUSD Board Unanimously Approves Issuing Layoff Notices to 64 Certificated Employees

Board members were not happy with the decision they had to make Tuesday night, but all agreed the cuts were necessary because of the state's financial situation

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch and Sierra Madre Patch, 3/9/2011

Despite some reluctance from a couple of board members, the school board unanimously passed a resolution at a sparsely attended meeting Tuesday night to reduce or eliminate 64 full-time equivalent positions in the district, including teachers, teachers' aides, librarians, and principals.
The district has until March 15 to issue the layoff notices to the 64 certificated employees in order for the board to make the layoffs an official possibility for next year, but even the notices would not commit the board to finalizing the layoffs just yet.
"The worst thing I think we have to do as a board is to even warn somebody that their job is in jeopardy and then making good on that," said board president Bob Harrison. "In the education field I think we've been forced to head in the wrong direction on this, and there's no doubt about that."
However, he added he feels this is a "necessary requirement to give (the district) the flexibility so we can meet head on the situation (of) not knowing what the future will bring here with our state and our finances."
Outgoing Superintendent Edwin Diaz put the resolution to reduce employees in context during the meeting by pointing out that this time last year the district issued 160 layoff notices. According to Diaz, 57 of those positions were officially eliminated.
"What this resolution accomplishes is prioritizing class size so we don't increase class size above this year's level," said Diaz.
Board member Tom Selinske pointed out that the district has also made significant administrative cuts.
"If we were looking at prioritizing administrative cuts we really are taking that as a priority of keeping the cuts away from the classroom," said Selinske. "So if we were to do the math, I'm sure we'd have a lot larger percentage of administrative cuts. I know I don't wish to do any of these, and I understand we're trying to minimize the impact on people's lives, although I know to help us get flexibility with any of our potential budget scenarios we have to do this."
Diaz added that none of the resignations and retirements since the district issued those layoff notices last year were factored into the cuts being made now.
"In other words this number will be reduced by anybody who retires or resigns who is certificated," said Diaz.
Board member Ed Honowitz, however, was quick to point out that the number would be reduced unless the state takes even more from local school district budgets.
"We may need the full amount of this to give us enough flexibility in the worst case scenario," he said. "We have to remind ourselves that in the last three years over 30,000 teachers lost their jobs in the state of California plus another 10,000 educators. All of these are people who have been working with our kids who are no longer going to be there, and even though we'll be able to call back some of these who may get noticed, we're still getting a net reduction in the number of adults interacting with kids in the district, and that's happening in districts all over the state, and that's been happening year after year after year."

Protesters Slam Focus on the Family at Mayor's Breakfast (Arcadia Patch article)

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Video: Protesters Slam Focus on the Family at Mayor's Breakfast

At Friday morning's community breakfast, Patch spoke with protesters who had gathered in opposition to the mayor's choice of Focus on the Family's Rev. H.B. London as keynote speaker

By Justin Chapman, Arcadia Patch, 3/4/2011

Early Friday morning around 6:30 a.m., before community breakfast got underway at the , about 100 people gathered in the parking lot to protest the mayor's invitation to Focus on the Family pastor H.B. London Jr. to speak at the event, with many criticizing that taxpayer money was used to host the breakfast because of the controversial position that Focus on the Family has regarding the gay and lesbian community.
More than a dozen different organizations that support the LGBT community helped organize the event and members from other organizations and churches showed up to protest what they view as Focus on the Family's hateful stance on gay marriage, gay families and other related issues. The protest was confined to a designated space in the parking lot where attendees of the breakfast parked.
As attendees made their way towards the community center, protesters chanted slogans such as "Focus on all families," "Jesus was no bigot," "We love Arcadia, too," "Focus on equality," and held up signs that read "Marriage is a Basic Civil Right," "Arcadia Cong. Church U.C.C. Loves Our Many Gay Members," "Are you really my mayor?" and "Where's Our Breakfast," among many others.
Around 10-15 Arcadia police officers stood watch over the peaceful protest. At the end of the protest, those protesting chanted thank you's to the officers on duty, who were respectful of the protest and did not interfere.
Although many Arcadians participated in the protest, people came from all over, including West Covina, Pasadena, Los Angeles, and even Northridge to show their support.
"We're here to protest the mayor's breakfast and his invitation to a speaker from Focus on the Family," one of the main organizers of the protest and an openly gay pastor who created a church in Pasadena called Good Shepherd with the goal of restoring the church as a sanctuary for everyone.
"I'm here to support all families, gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender. We're all part of God's family. We want to raise everybody's awareness that families are diverse. It's not just the narrow definition of Focus on the Family. Families consist of gay dads, lesbian mothers, blended families; we're all families and we all have dignity and worth and we're all loved in the eyes of God. If I could say something to the mayor, it would be, 'Shame on you. Shame on you for spending public money to invite someone from a hateful group like Focus on the Family.'"
Several young people were in attendance as well, a few of whom spoke to Patch about why they decided to join the protest.
"I'm here to support gay rights," said Andrew Cuann. "I have a lot of gay friends, and I just think what (the mayor and Focus on the Family) is doing is wrong, so I wanted to come out and show my support."
Marisa Watins, a friend of Cuann, reiterated his statement and added, "People are born this way. There is no cure. Homosexuality is not a disease, it's just what it is."
Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, the first to file the lawsuit for marriage equality in California and the only gay couple to be married in LA County, were also in attendance, even though they live as far away as Northridge.
"There are a lot of Arcadia residents here and a lot of us not from Arcadia, and the mayor called us outside agitators," Tyler said. "We're not really outside agitators because this is a civil rights movement. We will show up in every town, every rural area, everywhere, until we have equal rights and we will support our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. We're a peaceful group. If the mayor got to know us, he wouldn't be afraid of us."
Tyler also took issue with the fact that the mayor used taxpayer's money to host the breakfast, calling it "unfair."
"For him to use city money or taxpayer's money to have people who are in deep prejudice towards our community is really shameful of the mayor. To us it's like he's hosting the Ku Klux Klan. This idea of having to double the police force… as you can see there are a lot of ministers and children here. We're not the violent ones; we're the ones who are being violated by Focus on the Family, by them saying we're bad and sinful. The mayor will receive our message loud and clear, that bigotry belongs nowhere, and especially at taxpayer's expense. I don't think I would change the mayor's mind if I got a chance to speak to him, so I would just say to him, 'Shame on you, shame on you.'"

Marsha Izumi, an 18-year Arcadia resident whose son graduated from Arcadia High School, came out to support her transgender son.
"He lives every day to be himself and I think that takes a lot of courage," said Izumi. "I'm here to support him so he knows how proud I am of him. I disagree with Focus on the Family's position on transgenderism. They say that there are only males and females, and whatever you're born as is what you should be. But my child was born female and I've always known from when he was very young that he was meant to be a boy. I would consider myself religious; however I focus mainly on the love part.

"And I don't focus it on the idea that you have to be a certain way for God to love you. I think God loves everybody. Love doesn't have any boundaries. I wish the mayor would have chosen somebody that focused on all families, so that all of the community, not just those of us in Arcadia, but the community outside, that we support all families, and not just what Focus on the Family deems to be 'acceptable.' I want more acceptance of the LGBT community," Izumi concluded.
Gary Searer, an Arcadia resident who participated in the protest, believed the mayor would not get the protesters' point.
"I don't think the mayor is going to get our message," Searer said. "I think he may think twice about doing something like this again, but I think this is who the mayor is. We had nine people get up and talk at one of the council meetings. Three of them were moved to tears, and then the mayor mocked them."

The controversy hit particulary close to home for protester Eric Nakano, who was meeting. Nakano's father spent years working for Focus on the Family and as a child, Nakano was so deeply involved in the organization that he met and received a letter from Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family. Nakano even has appeared on the cover of one of the organization's magazines.

"It's very ironic that Focus on the Family, which talks about strengthening families, has, in fact, weakened mine," Nakano told Patch.  
Gary Schneeberger, Vice President of Communications for Focus on the Family, observed the protest outside and spoke to Patch about his thoughts on the whole situation.
"You gotta commend (the protesters)," said Schneeberger. "They're out here very, very early on a Friday to speak their mind. We don't necessarily agree with what they're saying but they have every right to do it and they're being very peaceful and respectful and I think that's great. Rev. London has been asked to speak on the subject of family, what family means to society, what family means to individuals, but none of the issues that have kind of been raised in the controversy, if you will, for the event. He's not going to talk about homosexuality; he's not going to talk about politics or public policy issues. He's going to talk about family.
"We don't agree with the things the protesters are saying," he continued, "but it's certainly their right to say it and I haven't heard anything that's disrespectful, I haven't heard anything that's been a personal attack against any of us, so good for them. That's their right to come out and do that. In terms of what we disagree with regarding the protestors' message, a) the speech is not going to be about any of the subjects they're speaking about. Secondly, yes, we do believe that God has designed human sexuality in a way that's best for society and best for people. Premarital sex, infidelity, and same sex activity are all outside the bounds of God's design. There's no hate behind that, there's no animus behind that. That's just the way we believe God has designed human sexuality as explained in the Bible."
For video of Mayor Amundson's comments and Rev. London's speech, .

Benefit for La Salle Cancer Survivor Raises $1,200 for Medical Fees (Sierra Madre Patch and Arcadia Patch article)

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Benefit for La Salle Cancer Survivor Raises $1,200 for Medical Fees

The organizers of the benefit concert, as well as Gino Buccola and his family, were very pleased with the success of their effort and look forward to the next one

By Justin Chapman, Sierra Madre Patch, 3/2/2011


On Saturday more than 50 people attended a at St. James Methodist Church in Pasadena to show their support for Gino Buccola, a 23-year-old  alumnus who was diagnosed with cancer last October during a period when he had no health insurance, and to donate to the fund that's going towards paying off Buccola's excessive medical bills.
The benefit was a great success, said Jennifer Luna, an organizer of the event and a former classmate of Buccola. By hosting a musical concert and auctioning donated art, they raised more than $1,200 that will all go to help Buccola's bills.
Buccola himself was in attendance, as was his family and girlfriend, all of whom he said have been incredibly supportive during this entire painful ordeal. He was very appreciative of all the effort his family and friends have put into helping his unfortunate situation.
"Gino is still the same happy, positive guy as he always has been," said Luna. "He was all smiles the whole night and even made a special guest appearance on stage and sang a song while one of his closest friends, Joey Cleveland, accompanied him on guitar. The night was also a great success in that we created an awareness of Gino's situation and have recruited more people interested in helping with events in the future."
 The next event to help raise money for Buccola is scheduled for March 24 to celebrate Buccola's 24th birthday. The party and fundraiser will take place at Santa Anita Park from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be a cost of $10.50 per person for admission, parking, and a race program. The party will be held at the Frontrunner on the 5th floor with a $10 cover.
Buccola has been struggling with this tragedy since he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that grew from a tumor on his neck. He had surgery and underwent chemotherapy right before he got back on his parent's health insurance. He and his family are still waiting to see if the insurance will retroactively cover some of the costs he incurred.
The reason the benefit being held on his birthday will take place at the Santa Anita Park racetrack is because Buccola's ultimate passion is horse racing. Since mid-January he has held partial ownership of a horse that the main owner, Mark Verge, and its trainer, Doug O'Neill, decided to name after him in early January: "Fight on Gino," a three-year-old Gelding out of Moscow Ballet horse that will be ready to race at the Santa Anita Park racetrack in a couple of weeks, according to Buccola.
Until then, Luna said, she and other supporters will be collecting more art to auction off, as well as other goods and services such as movie tickets and haircuts, to help Buccola raise as much money as possible to combat his overwhelming medical bills.




The organizers of the benefit concert, as well as Gino Buccola and his family, were very pleased with the success of their effort. The money raised will help Buccola in paying his medical bills.

By Justin Chapman, Arcadia Patch, 3/2/2011

On Saturday more than 50 people attended a benefit concert and art auction at St. James Methodist Church in Pasadena to show their support for , a 23-year-old La Salle High School alumnus and frequent visitor of who was diagnosed with cancer last October during a period when he had no health insurance, and to donate to the fund that's going towards paying off Buccola's excessive medical bills.
The benefit was a great success, said Jennifer Luna, an organizer of the event and a former classmate of Buccola. By hosting a musical concert and auctioning donated art, they raised more than $1,200 that will all go to help pay Buccola's bills.
Buccola himself was in attendance, as was his family and girlfriend, all of whom he said have been incredibly supportive during this entire painful ordeal. He was very appreciative of all the effort his family and friends have put into helping his unfortunate situation.
"Gino is still the same happy, positive guy as he always has been," said Luna. "He was all smiles the whole night and even made a special guest appearance on stage and sang a song while one of his closest friends, Joey Cleveland, accompanied him on guitar. The night was also a great success in that we created an awareness of Gino's situation and have recruited more people interested in helping with events in the future."
The next event to help raise money for Buccola is scheduled for March 24 to celebrate Buccola's 24th birthday. The party and fundraiser will take place at Santa Anita Park from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be a cost of $10.50 per person for admission, parking and a race program. The party will be held at the on the 5th floor with a $10 cover.
Buccola has been struggling with this tragedy since he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that grew from a tumor on his neck. He had surgery and underwent chemotherapy right before he got back on his parent's health insurance. He and his family are still waiting to see if the insurance will retroactively cover some of the costs he incurred.
The reason the benefit being held on his birthday will take place at the Santa Anita Park racetrack is because Buccola's ultimate passion is horse racing. Since mid-January he has held partial ownership of a horse that the main owner, Mark Verge, and its trainer, Doug O'Neill, decided to name after him in early January: "Fight on Gino," a three-year-old Gelding out of Moscow Ballet will be ready to race at the Santa Anita Park racetrack in a couple of weeks, according to Buccola.
Until then, Luna said, she and other supporters will be collecting more art to auction off, as well as offer other goods and services such as movie tickets and haircuts, to help Buccola raise as much money as possible to combat his overwhelming medical bills.






Hundreds Turn Out for Brandon Jackson's Funeral (Altadena Patch article)

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Hundreds Turn Out for Brandon Jackson's Funeral

Hundreds of people from the community showed up to grieve the loss of young Brandon Jackson on Saturday

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch, 2/27/2011

As snow and hail lightly fell upon Altadena Saturday morning, at least 400 people attended the funeral service that was held for 18-year-old Brandon "Franchise" Jackson at the 1st Presbyterian Church on N. Lincoln Avenue.
The mourners came to show their support and love for the talented young junior at John Muir High School who was tragically taken from this world way too soon when he was after a party on Palm Street on Feb. 12.
The main auditorium was completely packed, as was the overflow room that had audio speakers set up. In addition, groups of people stood outside.
The atmosphere was extremely emotional, with many people unable to control their tears over this terrible loss. Most people who even agreed to speak to Patch declined to give their last names or wished to remain anonymous entirely.
One such man hit the nail on the head when he said anonymously, "He was a great kid. He didn't deserve this and that's all there is to it."
Another attendee, Darrell Gay, called Jackson the "sunshine of Altadena," adding, "He was a good guy and a motivational dude. He was part of the sunshine of this town."
When asked what measures can be taken to prevent senseless violence like this in the future, Gay said, "You can't prevent youth violence like this. You just can't, man."
Kelly, one of Jackson's classmates, said, "I never saw him down. I never saw him upset, even during the hardest times."
Jackson's nickname, "Franchise," was coined by one of his coaches, David Mitchell, according to Coach "T," who said, "We were blessed to have him every day."
Rev. Mark Buchanan, who officiated the service, spoke during his sermon about the importance of everyone in the community to "choose life, always choose life."
Jackson's family released a statement that read in part: "(We) respectfully acknowledge each of you for your acts of kindness, expressions of love, and many prayers during this difficult time."
Jackson was Benita Brown-King's fifth and last child, the youngest in a set of twins. According to family members, he was a practicing Christian who always had a smile on his face and always parted ways with someone by saying, "I love you," even if he had just been in an argument with the person.
He was very involved in numerous activities at Muir. He excelled on the Mustangs' football team, ran track, and played basketball for a traveling team. He was also a member of Mustangs on the Move and Outward Bound, two community outreach programs. He was recently presented the Mustangs Achievement Award for a 3.0 and above GPA and Student Athlete.
Following the service, the burial took place at Live Oak Memorial Park in Duarte and the repast took place back at Muir. One thing was crystal clear from watching this outpouring of emotion and grief: young, talented Jackson was taken away too soon for senseless reasons and he will be missed by many in the community.






La Salle Alumnus Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Benefit Concert Tonight (Sierra Madre Patch article)

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La Salle Alumnus Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Benefit Concert Tonight

Several friends and family have organized a benefit art concert to help the 23-year-old, who was diagnosed with cancer last October without health insurance

By Justin Chapman, Sierra Madre Patch, 2/26/2011

Although Gino Buccola has been struggling with an unfortunate tragedy since Oct. 22 when he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that grew from a tumor on his neck, he has received nothing but undying support from family, co-workers, former classmates at , and friends, some of whom have organized a benefit art concert, which will take place Saturday night, to raise money for his mounting medical bills.

Buccola, who spent weeks in and out of the hospital at his own expense, got a job last February as a production assistant at TVG Network, one of the largest horse racing television networks that is headquartered in Santa Monica. His career goal is to be a horse race analyst on television.

But since he worked part-time he never received health insurance benefits from that company. He is now on his parent's health insurance but that was finalized after the surgery, diagnosis, and treatment.

He told Patch that "there's no retroactive coverage" since his diagnosis and treatment happened before he got on his parent's health insurance. "I didn't have insurance for ten months, and that was the worst part. That's when I went through all the chemo and treatments, during that short period."

According to Buccola's sister, Chanel, he has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy at City of Hope in Duarte, but his doctors have temporarily stopped treatment because they are optimistic about his progress. In the meantime, unfortunately, Buccola and his family have to pay for that expensive treatment out of their own pockets.

"(His specific cancer) is very curable and the doctors are very optimistic about it," Chanel told Patch. "They really like how he's responding to the treatment at the moment, and he's looking good right now. Although he still has little nodes inside that they still have to clear up, the neck tumor has decreased massively."

Buccola was living in an apartment in Pasadena until he was diagnosed, at which point he moved back in with his family in Temple City. He has also slowly started getting back to work in the past couple weeks, and tries to maintain a positive attitude.

"He knew he had to have a positive attitude to get through this," said Chanel. "He's been getting a lot of support from lots of different people, from friends to La Salle classmates to co-workers at the racetrack. The support has really boosted his spirits. He definitely has his tough days but he tries to maintain a positive attitude."

Indeed, despite the horrific series of events that Buccola has had to endure the past few months, he acknowledges that the situation is getting better.

"The first month was the worst," he said. "After that I thought it was going to be bad. I lost my hair, I lost my car, I lost my apartment. Not being able to do every day activities, that was rough. But as it goes on it's been getting better. My doctors say things are getting better and I've met a whole bunch of people who have supported me and held fundraisers to help me."

The type of cancer that Buccola developed, Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, at such a young age can most definitely be fatal if not treated properly. The cancer cells move very rapidly, as they did with Buccola, which he described as "very very scary." However, he feels he has received as much as support as can be expected and he's overwhelmed by the number of people who have reached out to him to offer a helping hand.

"I'm absolutely getting the support I need (emotionally and psychologically)," he said. "This is the third or fourth fundraiser they've had for me. My parents always made sure someone stayed the night with me when I was in the hospital, and my girlfriend has also been very supportive."

Buccola's ultimate passion, however, is horse racing. Since mid-January he has held partial ownership of a horse that the main owner, Mark Verge, and its trainer, Doug O'Neill, decided to name after him in early January: "Fight on Gino," a three-year-old Gelding out of Moscow Ballet will be ready to race at Santa Anita Park in a couple of weeks, according to Buccola.

Jenny Luna, a former classmate of Buccola's who performed in and worked on plays with him in La Salle's theatre department, helped organize Saturday's benefit concert.

"The goal of the benefit is to raise money for Gino, but it's also a community awareness event," said Luna. "We're trying to make it as cool and fun as possible, but also very La Salle-based, especially people who know Gino, so that we can create awareness of his condition and so people can start talking and maybe go to other events. We just want to raise money for him and his family because his situation sucks. And we want him alive."

Luna expects a good-sized crowd at Saturday's benefit and hopes it will be a big success. There has been a lot of outreach to the La Salle community to gather support for this important event. Most of the art that will be auctioned off was donated by students, faculty, and staff from La Salle. Luna said that the theatre department has been instrumental in making this event possible.

"The theatre department is really what's making this whole thing happen," she said. "They've donated money, space, lighting, and food."

The benefit concert takes place Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the St. James Methodist Church, and will include performances from Nick Guarna and Joey Cleveland, Adam Barnes, Jenny Luna, Sam Broderick, and Eddie Trager and Brad Steele, among others. There will be a $5 cover charge and organizers will be accepting donations and auctioning off art pieces and photo prints from Barnes, Jessica Luna, Alyssa Stefek, and more. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase. Any artists of all stripes are welcome to participate in the event. All proceeds will benefit Buccola's medical bills fund.

Then on March 24 another benefit is being held to celebrate Buccola's 24th birthday. The party and fundraiser will take place at Santa Anita Park from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be a cost of $10.50 per person for admission, parking and a race program. The party will be held at on the 5th floor with a $10 cover. All proceeds from this event will also benefit Buccola's fund.



Horse-Owner Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Saturday Benefit Concert (Arcadia Patch article)

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Horse-Owner Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Saturday Benefit Concert

Gino Buccola, a 23-year-old Santa Anita Park regular, was diagnosed with cancer last October without health insurance

By Justin Chapman, Arcadia Patch, 2/26/2011

Although Gino Buccola has been struggling with an unfortunate tragedy since Oct. 22 when he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that grew from a tumor on his neck, he has received nothing but undying support from family, co-workers, former classmates at , and friends, some of whom have organized a benefit art concert, which will take place Saturday night, to raise money for his mounting medical bills.

Buccola, who spent weeks in and out of the hospital at his own expense, got a job last February as a production assistant at TVG Network, one of the largest horse racing television networks that is headquartered in Santa Monica. His career goal is to be a horse race analyst on television.

But since he worked part-time he never received health insurance benefits from that company. He is now on his parent's health insurance but that was finalized after the surgery, diagnosis, and treatment.

He told Patch that "there's no retroactive coverage" since his diagnosis and treatment happened before he got on his parent's health insurance. "I didn't have insurance for ten months, and that was the worst part. That's when I went through all the chemo and treatments, during that short period."

According to Buccola's sister, Chanel, he has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy at City of Hope in Duarte, but his doctors have temporarily stopped treatment because they are optimistic about his progress. In the meantime, unfortunately, Buccola and his family have to pay for that expensive treatment out of their own pockets.

"(His specific cancer) is very curable and the doctors are very optimistic about it," Chanel told Patch. "They really like how he's responding to the treatment at the moment, and he's looking good right now. Although he still has little nodes inside that they still have to clear up, the neck tumor has decreased massively."

Buccola was living in an apartment in Pasadena until he was diagnosed, at which point he moved back in with his family in Temple City. He has also slowly started getting back to work in the past couple weeks, and tries to maintain a positive attitude.

"He knew he had to have a positive attitude to get through this," said Chanel. "He's been getting a lot of support from lots of different people, from friends to La Salle classmates to co-workers at the racetrack. The support has really boosted his spirits. He definitely has his tough days but he tries to maintain a positive attitude."

Indeed, despite the horrific series of events that Buccola has had to endure the past few months, he acknowledges that the situation is getting better.

"The first month was the worst," he said. "After that I thought it was going to be bad. I lost my hair, I lost my car, I lost my apartment. Not being able to do every day activities, that was rough. But as it goes on it's been getting better. My doctors say things are getting better and I've met a whole bunch of people who have supported me and held fundraisers to help me."

The type of cancer that Buccola developed, Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, at such a young age can most definitely be fatal if not treated properly. The cancer cells move very rapidly, as they did with Buccola, which he described as "very very scary." However, he feels he has received as much as support as can be expected and he's overwhelmed by the number of people who have reached out to him to offer a helping hand.

"I'm absolutely getting the support I need (emotionally and psychologically)," he said. "This is the third or fourth fundraiser they've had for me. My parents always made sure someone stayed the night with me when I was in the hospital, and my girlfriend has also been very supportive."

Buccola's ultimate passion, however, is horse racing. Since mid-January he has held partial ownership of a horse that the main owner, Mark Verge, and its trainer, Doug O'Neill, decided to name after him in early January: "Fight on Gino," a three-year-old Gelding out of Moscow Ballet will be ready to race at Santa Anita Park in a couple of weeks, according to Buccola.

Jenny Luna, a former classmate of Buccola's who performed in and worked on plays with him in La Salle's theatre department, helped organize Saturday's benefit concert.

"The goal of the benefit is to raise money for Gino, but it's also a community awareness event," said Luna. "We're trying to make it as cool and fun as possible, but also very La Salle-based, especially people who know Gino, so that we can create awareness of his condition and so people can start talking and maybe go to other events. We just want to raise money for him and his family because his situation sucks. And we want him alive."

Luna expects a good-sized crowd at Saturday's benefit and hopes it will be a big success. There has been a lot of outreach to the La Salle community to gather support for this important event. Most of the art that will be auctioned off was donated by students, faculty, and staff from La Salle. Luna said that the theatre department has been instrumental in making this event possible.

"The theatre department is really what's making this whole thing happen," she said. "They've donated money, space, lighting, and food."

The benefit concert takes place Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the St. James Methodist Church, and will include performances from Nick Guarna and Joey Cleveland, Adam Barnes, Jenny Luna, Sam Broderick, and Eddie Trager and Brad Steele, among others. There will be a $5 cover charge and organizers will be accepting donations and auctioning off art pieces and photo prints from Barnes, Jessica Luna, Alyssa Stefek, and more. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase. Any artists of all stripes are welcome to participate in the event. All proceeds will benefit Buccola's medical bills fund.

Then on March 24 another benefit is being held to celebrate Buccola's 24th birthday. The party and fundraiser will take place at Santa Anita Park from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be a cost of $10.50 per person for admission, parking and a race program. The party will be held at on the 5th floor with a $10 cover. All proceeds from this event will also benefit Buccola's fund.



Officials Say Rubio Canyon Wall Will Finally Be Removed Within a Week (Altadena Patch article)

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Officials Say Rubio Canyon Wall Will Finally Be Removed Within a Week

The illegally built wall in the Rubio Canyon streambed that neighbors and activists said could cause damage to infrastructure will finally be removed in about a week or so, according to county and state officials

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch, 2/18/2011

The seemingly never ending saga of the illegally built wall in the streambed at the bottom of Rubio Canyon may be nearing an end, according to county and state officials, after the homeowners worked out a mitigation plan with LA County Public Works and the California Department of Fish and Game.
Months after the county issued a stop-work order to Moninder and Ruchi Birdi for building a 10-foot retaining wall in the Rubio Canyon streambed in September, the wall and all the tools used to build it remain to this day. This has had many Altadenans concerned, especially in the midst of winter and a storm on the way this weekend.
That stream, located just north of where Rubio Canyon Road turns into East Loma Alta Drive, is what's called a blue-line stream. It has certain legal standing and even if you own the property, as the Birdi's do, you cannot do work on it. Essentially it is undevelopable land.
After submitting a mitigation plan to the county and Fish and Game, the Birdi's promised to remove the wall about a week or so from now. The exact date of the wall's removal, however, depends on the weather, according to state regulations.
"Part of the stipulation is that (Moninder Birdi) can't (remove the wall) when it's raining or about to rain," said Andrew Hughan, Public Information Officer for Fish and Game. "It's about to rain so he might wait until the weather subdues a little bit. Once he removes the wall he has seven days to submit to our department what's called a 'Final Wall Demolition and Debris and Removal Plan.' He's good to go as far as we're concerned to take the wall down, and once he's done and submits the plan, we'll be happy."
Mitch Miller of county Public Works reiterated that the Birdi's received approval from Fish and Game to remove the wall, as well as the county's blessing.
"The county issued its permit to the Birdi's a month ago," said Miller. "The removal of the wall should start within the next week or so."
As Patch in November, officials from Public Works claimed that the wall was supposed to be removed three months ago. The delay comes to no surprise to some local activists, such as Paul Ayers, staff counsel of the Save the Altadena Trails nonprofit organization, who said at the time he was doubtful that the county would even do anything about the situation.
"They should have regulatory agencies swarming all over them," Ayers . "Unfortunately my experience is the county won't do anything. At the end of the day what usually happens is there's some kind of casualty and there's a lawsuit."
Ayers added that he doesn't think the Birdi's are bad people intentionally working against the public interest; they were just ignorant about the rules they were violating.
"I would like to think the county will do something about this, but you really have to rattle favors at them to get anything done," Ayers said.
The Birdi's had hired workers that, according to Moninder Birdi, misinterpreted his instructions by grading the streambed and building the stone wall in a position that could divert the entire stream to the east, potentially causing untold property damage during the rainy season to local neighbors and infrastructure and pipes that connect to mains that run into Pasadena, which are owned by the Rubio Canyon Land and Water Association.
The property, which includes the Birdi's home and an old octagonal building that once was a Boy Scout facility and the gateway to Camp Huntington before the bridge and dam to the south were built, is still littered with tools, wheelbarrows and other equipment surrounding that building.
"(Mr. Birdi) was cited for the stream abatement thing, and late last year I looked at this issue and if I remember right the homeowner was stuck between county and state regulations," said Hughan in response to why the removal of the wall has taken longer than initially expected by all parties involved. "This homeowner put up the wall and now he has to take it down. He's had to go back and forth with county agencies and the state several times. Our biologist is well aware of the situation now, and she's going to be keeping an eye on it more carefully now that a schedule has been set."