SHHS Baseball Coach Challenges His Demotion
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Property of Fullerton Public Library, Local History Room Community & Fine Arts Calendars p. 9-12 Fullerton Observer r Fullerton’s Only Local Independent Newspaper(printed on recycled paper) No.2407 October 15,1995 OCT OCT 15, 1995 FULLERTON OBSERVER PLEASE RETURN TO MAIN DESK FULLERTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ! 353 W. COMMONWEALTH A vE. , SHHS Baseball:phO I | CoachI A Q ph MB1I FULLERTON, CA 92632 I Challenges His Demotion By Ralph A. Kennedy Baseball Team. Your prompt response is fter serving 9 years as the pitching requested.” coach and last year as the head Burnett told this reporter that he believed coach of the Sunny Hills High the fact that he is partially disabled due to the A cerebral palsy which he has suffered since he School Junior Varsity Baseball Team, Joe Burnett is angry about being pushed out of a was about 3 years old was the determining job he believes he has been doing very well. factor in his demotion. “Apparently the Head Varsity Coach “I don’t think Coach Elliott ever was very Doug Elliott thought highly enough of my comfortable with my disability, and some of coaching to ask me to coach a combined the team’s parent boosters also were not varsity /junior' varsity baseball program this pleased with having a coach whose body was summer when he had to be away,” Burnett not completely whole,” Burnett explained. told the Observer when we interviewed him His answer from SHHS came from its in his home in La Habra. Principal Loring Davies, who explained that “After what I consider to be a successful “State law requires that ‘walk-on’ coaching summer, I was informed recently by one of positions must first be made available to my student players that I would not be the JV teachers employed by the District. If the coach next year. I am angry both at being position is not filled by a teacher employed pushed aside, and at the way I had to hear by the District, it may then be offered to a about the planned demotion,” Burnett said. walk-on coach (like Burnett).” Later, after SHHS Athletic Director, Ralph Later we learned in a conversation with Trigsted, had notified him by phone that he Davies that a new member of the Sunny Hills was being replaced, Burnett wrote requesting staff, who will be teaching English and more information about the reasons behind coaching the varsity basketball team at his demotion. SHHS this year, had also been hired to coach Student and Mentor Given his excellent 10-year record as a the Junior Varsity Baseball Team as well. Dr. David L. Pagni, professor of math want to pursue careers in teaching math in baseball coach at SHHS and prior to that with Burnett was crushed when he first heard of ematics at California State University, Ful the Santa Ana Unified School District. lerton, meets with Billy Cat Tran, a univer Tran is a Vietnamese immigrant who many other youth baseball leagues, Burnett the school’s plan to replace him with a wrote, “I believe a more detaiied explanation teacher recc: fly tmtmferred from another sity freshman who is the first recipient of came to the United States in 1990. It was in is warranted and necessary. I fee! I am both school in the FJUHSD. the Santa Ana Unified School District-Cal Vietnam that Tran’s interest in mathemat capable and highly qualified to continue in “I have been involved with baseball and State Fullerton mathematics scholarship. ics was sparked. The $300 annual scholarship is for students the job as Head Coach of the Junior Varsity pitching since I was a very small child when He is currently enrolled in 19 units of my dad, who played some semi-pro ball, . from the school district who are majoring in calculus, computer science and English at insisted that I and my 7 brothers learn his math. Cal State Fullerton. After completing his trade,” Burnett said. Pagni, using the cash award he received undergraduate studies, Tran hopes to pur “I have never met, nor do I know of, as the 1993-94 California State University sue a graduate degree. Anyone wishing to anyone who has studied the science and art of Outstanding Professor, launched the en contribute to the endowment may receive pitching more than I,” he said confidently. “I dowment funding the scholarship. The goal additional information by calling Pagni’s of the scholarship is to fund students who office at (714) 773-2671. Continued on p. 13 Fullerton School Trustee Blames Teachers Unions for Public Education Decline with a flyer at the Sept. 12 FSD Board meet _______By Ralph A. Kennedy______ unions have on our schools?” she asked. ing. Predictably, Urey, who boasts recognition The meeting was opened with a Christian Trustee Chavez acknowledged the by the Orange County Republican Party as prayer, but from then on it was strictly busi podium’s recognition of her presence and “Local Elected Official of the Year” and ness at the “Education Forum” in Yorba later coyly asked Saddleback Valley School recipient of the '“Defender of Freedom” Linda recently, sponsored by the Republican District Trustee and State Assembly candi award by the California Republican Party, Women Federated of Yorba Linda. date, Frank Urey, whom she had first met at explained that the change would have to Actually, it wasn’t as much a forum for the a Conference for'School Board Members, if come at the state level with legislation to exchange of ideas on education as it was a it would be O.K. for people in the audience to break the power of public school employees’ Pitching specialist and Sunny Hills rally of dissident parent groups leading an make contributions to his political campaign unions. High School Coach of the Junior Var organized attack on California’s and the U.S. But her follow up question to Urey, who There were 4 other speakers in addition to sity Baseball Team, Joe Burnett, public school system. had just spent about a half hour castigating Urey, but they pretty much spoke a single, shows how to grip ball to throw a fork This is why we might have been surprised teachers unions, bilingual education, and albeit many-faceted, message, which the ball. Burnett says he doesn’t teach to find Fullerton School District Trustee departments of education from the county to Observer has attempted to summarize below. Karen Chavez right up front, had not Chavez this pitch because it is bad for the the national level, was not so innocent. “How We attended the meeting with a retired mas- been the person who tipped us to the meeting " Continued on p. 7 pitchers’ arms. can we break the stranglehold teachers’ MORE INSIDE County Partially FFD Captain Paul Turney, A Man of Many Transportation Modes Page 2 Funds OCHRC The World Needs a Peaceful Way to Make Up Its Mind Page 3 for at Least One CSUF Treats Community to Concert & Fireworks under the Stars page 8 More Year Page is [150 Friends Give Kerry Fox Fax, Legal Briefs, Retiremnet Dinner Page 16 Bulk Rate Commentary FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 3 CAR-RT Sort Council Doings Page 4 POST OFFICE BOX 7051 U.S. Postage PAID School Subjects Page 5 FULLERTON, CA. 92634 Permit No. 1577 About Fullerton Page 6 Fullerton, Ca. Classifieds Page 15 Property of Fullerton Public Library, Local History Room Page 2 FULLERTON OBSERVER NEWS October 15,1995 T lie JZast fdouleuardier Bicyclist of the Month rBy Chris Heard Capt. Paul Turney, A Man of Many Modes - of Transportation on Commonwealth Avenue. There he East Fullerton was my 1960’s version of the Garden of Eden. As a lst-grader, Captain Paul Turney of the Fullerton mounts his bicycle for the final part of his I pedaled religiously each school day to St. Mary’s Annex, thanks to special permission Fire department is the Fullerton granted by principal and good friend Sister Ruth Andrew. Observer’s Bicyclist of the Month for Oc multi-transportation mode commute to Fire Station #6 on N. Gilbert Avenue. My bicycle was an over-sized, single-speed flyer painted black. With my tober. The Observer learned of Captain freeway flier gear, demoralizing the older, slower members of the pack on the way to His regular use of alternative means of school was easy. transportation have already resulted in his winning a new bicycle from Sunrise Bikes, Mustard fields and orange groves outnumbered buildings, but there were places to drop a buck. My favorites were: 1. Garten’s...marbles & stuff under the City’s ride-sharing, trip-reduc tion program. 2. Brookdale...cherry cokes A Fullerton firefighter for the last 20 3. Boy’s Market... my first album - Herb years, Turney is married and has two chil Alpert and the Tiajuana Brass’s “Whipped dren. Cream and Other Delights” He would like the City of Fullerton to be 4. Buddy’s Burgers...heaven on a bun - 250 alert for any opportunities to acquire right- 5. Custom Barbers...regular boy’s hair of-ways that could be used to construct cut by Kelly more Type I (off-street) bikeways. 6. Lakeman’s Market...the epicenter of We were pleased to present Captain Americana Turney with a $20 gift certificate, compli ments of Sunrise Bikes, 1865 N. Euclid St., Fullerton. Turney from one of its readers: Dick Blosser. Asphalt 36 - Pepper Trees 0, or going Turner uses the Amtrak Metrolink to A slice of East Fullerton 6:59 a.m. 10/1/95 travel to and from his home in San llnciral on von Clemente, although he actually boards the My favorite weekend train at San Juan Capistrano, where he bicycle path ran from reports the parking is easier.