La Vista

By Risha Rohera
Theme Editor
and Alex White
Executive Opinion Editor

The proposed idea of changing Manhattan Beach Unified School District’s Parent Teacher Associations into Parent Teacher Organizations will help save money and give the district more freedom to support state decisions that are better for MBUSD.

Across all schools in MBUSD, PTA leaders have been meeting to discuss reform that would separate the district’s organizations from the California and National PTAs and allow them to operate more freely. For example, when the California PTA supports certain propositions, MBUSD’s PTAs must also support them. With this change, the new PTOs could support legislation as they see fit.

One area where the district sorely needs help is funding. With a separation from state and national PTAs, yearly dues that come from each parent’s membership donation would be eliminated. Groups like the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation work to keep administrative overhead to a minimum. The proposed PTOs would be able to save money that would go directly to programs instead of paying higher groups that don’t even necessarily support measures that benefit MBUSD. Teaching positions may be cut for the next school year, and additional funds could go to helping pay for teachers.

Furthermore, the state and national PTAs often have differing interests than the parent-led groups in MBUSD. Because MBUSD serves such an affluent community, the district has needs that are very unique when it comes to certain tax proposals and legislation. The needs of MBUSD are different from LAUSD or similarly underfunded districts.

But those districts are the majority in the state, so the California PTA represents state-wide interests, leaving MBUSD behind.

Allowing PTOs to operate independently would also have benefits beyond lowering costs and would keep MBUSD free of overall state and national interests. For example, PTOs, instead of fundraising and collecting membership donations individually, could collude and fundraise together. That means that all the schools can work together in order to reduce class sizes instead of having to operate individually.

Opponents of the change to PTOs claim that being free of state and national influence would allow a smaller group of people to have more power. However, PTOs are very democratic organizations in their voting process where all those who wish to participate in the community can do so, preventing a few parents from having too much influence.

A shift in MBUSD from having PTAs to having PTOs would help the district in terms of freedom and would get more funding directly into classrooms. If created, The new organizations will also be able to tailor their actions to the specific needs of Manhattan Beach students.

By Alex White
Executive Opinion Editor

Manhattan Beach has aquired a new addition to its trendy restaraunts. Downtown’s new establishment, Pitfire Pizza, lives up to the expectation of quality food, and while its service is questionable, it’s definitely fixable.

Pitfire Pizza opened on the corner of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Morningside in January 2013 and is the latest addition to the restaurant chain whose goal is to provide good food while keeping cooking times to a minimum, offering both take-out and sit-down dining options. Customers order at the counter, take a number and wait to be served.

Pitfire’s extensive menu, packed with delicious items, delivers fully. Serving Americanized versions of Italian food, the menu features paninis, pastas, salads and most importantly, pizzas.
The pizzas range from the basic Margherita to the “Sausage Party,” which features five different kinds of quality meats.

The pastas and paninis also measure up to the standards set by the pizza. Pitfire Pizza functions much like a trendier, more upscale version of California Pizza Kitchen, boasting better food and a more varied menu.
The Baked Mac & Cheese, topped with a thick crust of bread crumbs and five cheeses, creates a blend of flavors that wows the palate. Also, the Crispy Pork Belly Panini features caramelized braised pork, a good decision that works excellently with the chibatta bread and its flavorful sauce. Dishes like these, in combination with excellent preparation and quick service, make Pitfire great.

However, as is the case with many recently opened restaurants, there are several kinks to work out with service. While food is prepared quickly, the patron can see that bringing the food from the open kitchen to the table may take a lengthy amount of time. Because ordering happens before seating, getting simple things like water are also difficult.

The ambiance of Pitfire is very modern and trendy, fitting in with many of the other establishments in downtown Manhattan Beach. The decor is based on the current industrial look, similar to that seen at Chipotle Mexican Grill.

All in all, Pitfire Pizza is an excellent addition to the Manhattan Beach restaurant scene. There is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to service, but, with time, that will work itself out. Pitfire will likely become a mainstay in downtown Manhattan Beach for years to come because of its quality food, moderate prices, and welcoming atmosphere.

Pro: Firearm regulation would benefit U.S., Costa

By Alex White
Executive Opinion Editor

After the recent shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, it has become clear that further firearm regulation is necessary to keep Americans safe against senseless violence, especially school shootings.

Advocates of gun rights attempt to deflect the focus away from the regulation toward the underlying causes of gun violence. While this approach makes sense, and factors such as a failing mental health system and a glamorizing media do play a part, federal and state governments should work to place more restrictions on deadly weapons. Or, at the very least, they should take smaller measures, like reducing the size of magazines, which would come with the passage of President Barack Obama’s proposed legislation.

Some opponents of gun regulation believe that it is the portrayal of violence in the media, namely movies and video games, that lead to mass shootings, not access to guns. However, studies that compared the United States to other modern countries say the opposite. According to the Washington Post, the Netherlands and South Korea both spend more than double the amount of money per capita on video games, but see less than one-sixth of the firearm-related murders. The difference between the U.S. and both nations is simply the more lax regulation in the U.S.
The real debate should be over how far firearm regulation measures should go. Assault weapons were invented for the military, not the American communities. A ban on these weapons that can spread such gross amounts of violence so quickly is simply common sense.

Additionally, regulation should be made to limit the use of handguns, as opposed to long guns such as rifles and assault weapons. Handguns accounted for over 90% of firearm murders in 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Restricting handgun use would go a very long way in limiting total firearm homicides due to the objects to be concealed and their comparatively large ammunition magazines. Finally, penalties for those who cannot safely keep and store their weapons should be installed at the federal and state levels in order to help prevent future tragedies like Newtown.

But, if an assault weapons’ ban is too drastic, a middle ground should be found. Making magazines smaller would make handguns more functional for self defense than attacking others.
President Obama proposed fire arm regulation legislation in January to reenter the assault weapons ban and to limit magazines clips to 10 rounds, both of which are excellent ways to prevent future firearm disasters. It also goes even further to include better mental health services in schools, helping attack the problem at its source. While the bill may be met with opposition in Congress, it must be passed in order to achieve substantial change that will help save American lives.

At Mira Costa, things are excellent in terms of student safety. Apart from being in a safe community with good access to mental health resources both on and off campus, like Costa’s guidance counselors, the administration and security do a good job of keeping students safe. There are rarely security issues, and when there are they are handled quickly. Giving firearms to safety officials on campus is unlikely to prevent a tragedy, especially when these weapons would be able to be out-matched by intruders’ equipment. The best way to make the Costa campus safe is to make the entire country safe. An assault weapons’ ban or limits on the use of handguns would greatly decrease the amount of damage a shooter could do in a short period of time and would give security a much better chance at effectively stopping threats.

It has taken too many tragedies for the citizens of the United States to respond to gun violence, and comprehensive action should be taken as quickly as possible. Costa’s campus is already safe, and change in legislation would be the best option to make Costa even more secure from danger moving forward.

By Alex White
Executive Opinion Editor

In the South Bay, cheap bites to eat are a dime a dozen, so separating restaurants from the rest is no easy task. One restaurant, 4 Brothers Burgers, has tried to break the mold in the past year and has had success in doing so.

Opened in the past year and nestled just outside the border of Manhattan Beach in Redondo Beach, the 4 Brothers Burger Grill is conveniently located on the corner of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue.

“We have three separate menus for each meal of the day so we can be specific about what customers want,” cashier and server Diana Fermeli said.

4 Brothers serves a wide variety of different types of food. Although the interior design indicates a Mediterranean Greek theme, the menu doesn’t end there. It features not only several different kinds of burgers but also salads and sandwiches. Customers can also order off the Mexican section of the menu, containing burritos, the restaurant tacos and other ethnic items.

“I thought the food was really diverse but also did a good job of not getting too exotic,” senior Brooke Winterhalder said.

Like many other restaurants trying to fill the same niche, 4 Brothers Burgers has a very relaxed and casual feel to it. Customers order at the counter, but food is served to them at the table, cafe style.

“As you can see, the theme is Greek, but we don’t want that to hold us back with everything else that we do,” Fermeli said.

As is true with any restaurant, the taste of the food matters above all else. 4 Brothers chose to stick to the basics with the items they serve, and they did it exceedingly well. 4 Brothers is currently offering a combo meal consisting of a cheeseburger, fries and drink for $5. The other fares are equally scrumptious, showing the menu’s balance.

“I have been there a couple different times, and each time I went there I found something else that I really enjoyed,” junior Jigar Bhakta said.

By Alex White
Staff Writer

Mira Costa’s staff was honored for its hard work and dedication with several staff events over the last few weeks.

Breakfast, lunch and gifts were given to the staff the week of April 30. Furthermore, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Trustees designated May 9 as Day of the Teacher.

“ASB decided to take an active role in teacher appreciation and it was a success,” ASB member Jill Thompson said. “We’re happy showing teachers we care.”

The MBUSD joined with other school districts statewide in the initiative for the California Day of the Teacher. With approval on May 2, the Board officially recognized the vital role that teachers play in the students’ educational process.

The teachers were enthusiastic about the appreciation that was shown to them. Costa math teacher and MBUSD Teacher of the Year Linda Gesualdi believes there has been a beneficial relationship between students and teachers at Costa.

“Students show appreciation the whole year, making work great,” Gesualdi said.

ASB’s efforts included cookies and other small tokens of appreciation for the teachers. While no single Student Government member was in charge of the orchestration, all members helped the effort to honor the teachers.

“We made sure teachers have something to look forward to each day,” junior ASB commissioner Morgan Thaler said.

As always, the administration, in coordination with the MBUSD Parent Teacher Association, held an honorary breakfast on May 2 before school. Costa Principal Ben Dale thought the event was a success.

“We went all out this year,” Dale said. “That said, nothing we do can ever be enough thanks for our great teachers.”

By Alex White
Staff Writer

Labor negotiations between the Manhattan Beach Unified Teachers Association and the Manhattan Beach Unified School District began yesterday in Torrance at the South Bay UTA headquarters.

MBUTA and the district began the “sunshining” process, in which they received each other’s proposals for the negotiations, at the March 7 board meeting.

The March 7 meeting began with speeches from members of MBUTA and its supporters, including MBUTA president and Costa science teacher Karl Kurz. The speakers advocated for a market-rate adjustment for the certificated staff members. The district last raised certificated staff salaries in 2007, but it hasn’t made a cost-of-living adjustment toward the salaries since 2002.

“It’s time a first-class district offer its teachers first-class compensation,” Kurz said.

As a symbol of unification and protest, nearly 150 MBUTA members attended the March 7 meeting to support their union leaders and make the district aware of the scope of the issue.

“I speak with pride when I say that I am an MBUSD teacher,” Manhattan Beach Middle School science teacher Rebecca Allen said. “I am not proud, however, of the fact that I am facing difficult financial times.”

Both MBUTA and the district have presented their initial bargaining proposals. Negotiations over the collective bargaining agreement continued in detail yesterday, but the specifics of the negotiations were unknown at the time of publication.

MBUTA has assembled a negotiation team that consists of five certificated staff members: Costa social science teachers Bill Fauver and Adam Geczi, Costa English teacher Wendy Thornton, MBMS social science teacher Jed Rucker and Pennekamp Elementary School teacher Linda Hunt.

“The teachers are highly valuable to the district,” Geczi said.

Although the financial situation within the state has not seen much improvement in recent years, the district has not been forced to release teachers for the last two years. With nowhere else to turn for additional funds, the board decided year after year to keep MBUTA compensation constant.

Some MBUTA members suggest funding salaries increases through the district surplus reserve that has accumulated over the past years.

“Three years from now the reserves will be gone,” Board member Penny Bordokas said. “A raise is an ongoing increase, and we cannot sustain that.”

Much of the district’s future funding hinges on the passage of a proposed California tax initiative in November. If passed, the measure would give additional funding toward districts across the
state, including MBUSD. Although Deputy Superintendent Rick Bagley hears the teachers’ requests, he believes that in all likelihood, there simply will not be enough money.

“They’re going to say what they want,” Bagley said. “Then we’re going to say, ‘let’s talk about this and come to a conclusion.’”