Monthly Archives: August, 2019

Only time will tell if Dr. Jeff Wilson’s recommendation to form a task force to review the San Marino Unified School District’s financial status...

There are probably no better local organizations to come to the rescue when something goes wrong, and the San Marino Firefighters Association and Rotary Club of San Marino came through once again last week when someone had the audacity to steal a local icon’s bicycle. “Little Paul” Elieff was making his rounds at City Hall last week and when he returned to his trusty bicycle. “Gone!” Elieff said recently, when he relayed his plight to this reporter. Elieff was aboard his back-up bike when he told the tale of woe to his buddies at the San Marino Fire Department. He was invited to the station for a Saturday morning shopping spree and within hours, Little Paul was rolling on his new Huffy. He also received a high-tech helmet-replete with flashing safety light-and another important accessory: a lock. San Marino Rotarians were informed of the theft at last Thursday’s luncheon meeting and within minutes, more than $300 was collected and soon delivered to the SMFD to help defray the cost or establish a maintenance fund. A lifetime resident of San Marino, Elieff can frequently...

Kicking off the fourth year of a special humanities seminar course, around 60 juniors and seniors from San Marino High School fully immersed themselves at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens and Caltech on Thursday, August 22 to gain deeper insight into the process of writing and research. “There was unprecedented interest this year, which means it has gained momentum,” SMHS Assistant Principal of Curriculum, Instruction and Guidance Dr. Soomin Chao told The Tribune. The blended interdisciplinary course is comprised of two groups who parted ways to explore both locations. One group visited Caltech and met with Caltech undergrads participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program. The experience was geared toward showing them how research is conducted, according to Chao. “They’ll get their first glimpse at some of the potential that they’ll be able to see in themselves,” said Chao. “As the year progresses, students will be able to work with undergraduate advisers as well as professors.” As the course goes on, the students will be working with four professors at Caltech to explore research areas such as material sciences, computer science and mathematics, among others. The other group of students traveled to The Huntington’s Thornton Portrait Gallery. The low-lit gallery is home to grand life-size portraits of people, notable sculptures and the ongoing renovation of Thomas Gainsborough’s Blue Boy. Led by English teacher Kellie Redmond and art teacher Michelle Pauline, the group will tour different parts of The Huntington each visit. This quarter involves portraiture, the next will involve arts and crafts with a focus on the human hand, the third will involve landscapes and activist pieces and the fourth will involving breaking the rules of art, according to Redmond. “We kind of ask them to look at what is art at the beginning of the year and then we come back to that question,” said Redmond. The group was first instructed to tour the gallery at their leisure. The students fanned out, quickly perused the works and soon came back to meet with their teachers in the middle. Pauline noted that most students took around five seconds at each piece. She then encouraged them to select a single piece and analyze it for one minute while jotting notes on who they thought the person within the portrait was and why they would be getting painted. They were told to not look at the description of the work itself, but to experiment with their own creative thought process. This time, when the students came back together, Pauline asked the students if anyone would have wanted more time to with the works. A crowd of hands shot up into the air. The students then returned to the same painting for around eight minutes to dive deeper into what they felt the symbolism meant, how the person was positioned and how constituted the scenery. Only in the last minute were they to read The Huntington’s description of the work. Senior Enzo Repetto studied the painting of Penelope (Pitt), Viscountess Ligonier, graced in a white dress with her hair in a stylish updo while thoughtfully leaning on a pedestal, by artist Thomas Gainsborough. He said the course’s experience of going from quick look to patient study helped him to take more aspects of the work into account. “From what you could see there, instead of just being a normal pose of a woman, once you were able to take a long stare at it, you were able to see her divine attitude, you were able to see the pen she was holding, that she’s kind of more of an intellectual writer and everything,” said Repetto. “You wouldn’t have simply seen that or noticed that if you were taking a quick glance at it.” “I think will help me have a deeper introspection, kind of more insight into how the artist sees their art and how they tried to present it the general audience,” Repetto continued. Junior Rediet Retta was drawn to the painting of a young woman resting on a boulder by artist George Romney. She said that having more time with the painting opened her eyes into considering who the person pictured was instead of just what colors were used in the work’s creation. “I feel like when I’d go to museums with my family, I would look around and see which ones look interesting but I didn’t actually pay much attention to any of the people in the paintings or what was going on,” said Retta. “So I think through this course, I’ll be able to understand the artist’s purpose and why they chose to paint that.” Pauline said the course began with a critique on online resources of paintings, and the trip to The Huntington was an opportunity to show the students what happens when they slow down and take a closer look at the works up close and personal. “The idea is that they now understand the scale, they now understand the textures, what the paint brush strokes look like, that kind of stuff is what I may end up seeing in their reflections,” said Pauline. Redmond concurred with her fellow teacher. She said they were working to encourage the students to get comfortable in their own analysis and interpretation of the art so that when they’re able to meet with a curator once a quarter during the year, they’ll feel confident in expressing their thoughts and observations. “In general, we would hope that they’re able to go out into the world, think critically, to visit museums and look at art in their everyday lives, to be able to feel empowered and feel like they have something to say,” said Redmond. “To not only interpret, but to be able to evaluate as well, so hopefully this helps prepare them for the type of thinking they’ll be doing in college and then for the rest of their lives.”

On his first official day at San Marino High School, Adam Millan wore a polo shirt from Cooperstown—home to the Baseball Hall of Fame—so he clearly knows how to dress for the part. And if he is able to live up to his impressive resume, the rest of the job might be a walk in the (ball)park as well for the man who will replace Mike Hobbie as the Titans’ varsity baseball coach. Millan was interviewed and hired at the beginning of the month and was cleared by the San Marino Unified School District earlier this week. “I am honored and humbled,” Millan said shortly after spending a few minutes Wednesday morning on dewy McNamee Field. “I really can’t explain it any different than that. I am looking forward to the days ahead. I am excited to be a part of the high school and to be the next head baseball coach. Personally, this is the perfect time for me to accept this position and it is perfect timing for San Marino as well. It’s a great opportunity for everyone.” This past spring, Millan served as a volunteer coach at both Garfield and Roosevelt High Schools while he substitute taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Millan comes to San Marino with over 25 years of experience as a teacher, instructor, coach and player. He prepped at Schurr High School, Cerritos College, and Cal State Fullerton. While at Cerritos, he was a two-time all-American, South Coast Conference Most Valuable Player and a two-time team MVP. At Cal State Fullerton, Millan played on the 1994 Big West championship team that advanced to the College World Series. He was also an all-Big West Conference selection. After being selected in the 28th round by Philadelphia, Millan played from 1994-99 in the Phillies’ minor league organization, where he was a three-time organizational player of the month recipient, a 1995 team MVP, and a Major League non-roster invitee between 1995-99. After his stint with the Phillies, Millan went to play for the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds (1999) and the Long Beach Breakers in 2002. He was selected to all-star teams while a member of those squads. Millan later coached in the Hawaiian Collegiate Baseball League in both assistant and head roles. He also spent six seasons as an assistant at East Los Angeles College and Claremont McKenna College. His experience as a coach includes all facets of the game as he has instructed pitchers, catchers, batters and has served as a recruiter, as well. At the high school level, Millan has coached at Bishop Amat, Montebello High School and Hamilton High School in Los Angeles. He has also helped out with school curriculum and non-baseball coaching positions. References describe Millan as “a calm coach who has a mind for baseball,” according to San Marino High School Athletic Director David Irie. Millan is well aware of the school’s rich baseball legacy as the Titans have won 14 Rio Hondo League championships and five CIF titles. Mickey McNamee, the man for whom the baseball field is named, is enshrined in the CIF Hall of Fame for his baseball coaching exploits. “I feel like I am inheriting a solid baseball program, one that people really care about,” Millan said. “I want that challenge. It is right up my alley.” Hobbie went 10-10 overall and 8-4 in the Rio Hondo League this past spring. Under Hobbie, the Titans finished in second place both of his years at the helm as he compiled an overall record of 22-19-1 before retiring from teaching and coaching. “This is like a professional stadium,” Millan said as he glanced towards the pristine baseball facility. “I am ecstatic to be a part of this. I can’t wait to get started.”

It’s never been proven to have actually happened, but there is an old story about Lee Corso, one of the anchors of the wildly...

Most loved ones would counsel against such an interaction, but for San Marino High School graduate Angela de Silva, the moment was, as she...

A preliminary hearing was extended last Thursday morning for the two 17-year-old males who face charges of vehicular manslaughter, street racing and other offenses...

It was a full City Hall council chamber as residents gathered for the first public presentation of preliminary refinements to two Metro Measure R-funded...

THE SAN MARINO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT opened the school year with a new superintendent but with the same old #1 ranking in the State...

The San Marino School Board is considering establishing a fiscal resources task force that, if approved at a future meeting, will research possible future revenue sources as the district enters the 2019-20 school year facing a $2.5 million structural deficit. The idea was presented at Tuesday’s board meeting by Superintendent Dr. Jeff Wilson as a vehicle to “examine all options and opportunities” to uncover monies that will hopefully move the SMUSD towards equilibrium. The task force would be comprised of between 10–20 members including a board member, community members, teachers and staff members with the goal of providing a report by March 30, 2020. “Let’s acknowledge that there are cycles the district goes though and sometimes there is less money we can spend,” Board President Lisa Link said. “What can we do to stabilize or subsidize our revenue sources? That is what this is about and it is something that Dr. Wilson as our new superintendent wants to do.” The board will hear a second reading on the proposal at its August 27 meeting. On the same subject, it was announced that the district has established what Wilson called an expenditure review team that consists of Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Julie Boucher, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Linda de la Torre and the new superintendent. “We will be looking at all expenditures and will come to with recommendations for cost-cutting,” Wilson explained. “We are considering all things and will be turning over every rock.” The board also directed Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jason Kurtenbach to task the Academics Advisory Committee with studying the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an educational system that ideally improves the educational process by “eliminating barriers.” “This program puts the tag ‘disabled’ on the curriculum, not the learner,” said Kurtenbach, quoting a supporter of the system. “What traditions do we have here that help or hinder students from learning?” “We all have different learning styles,” said Wilson, who is familiar with UDL. “It can be as simple as some of us read better in the morning and some of us read better at night. Some of us learn on podcasts and some of us on Twitter. We need to find something that will help kids academically and then behaviorally. I recommend this to become the construct of what the AAC does this year. Focus on UDL. If some of the other items fit into it, fine.” Other board members suggested CTE Pathways, dual enrollment and college admissions as other potential fodder for the AAC. Tuesday wasn’t Wilson’s first rodeo as superintendent. On Friday, August 9, the board, cabinet and the superintendent met in open session for six hours to carry out some board governance exercises and strategic planning. “We had a very useful session facilitated by Leadership Associates about best practices that support effective governance,” said Link. “The board, with input from Superintendent Wilson and the cabinet, started the process of evaluating board protocols and discussing effective methods of governance. Each cabinet member also made a presentation about their 2019-20 goals and areas of focus in their respective areas of educational services, human resources, business services and technology services.” The next board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27 at 7:30 p.m.