President's Message

PRESIDENT’SUPDATE NOVEMBER 2009 IN THIS ISSUE President’s Message President’s Message We have much for which to be grateful! The Accreditation Follow-up visit from the two-person WASC/AACJC team went very well. When we receive the draft Around Rio Hondo’s College copy of the team’s report it will be posted on the website. We are hopeful that our full reaffirmation of accreditation will soon be restored. Please do thank Campus in November! the ART members for their commitment and diligence to organizing a thorough and professional response to the recommendations. November 2009 Board Meeting Kudos to the Staff Development sub-committee working to lay the groundwork for a Leadership Academy, and thanks to members of the campus community who participated in the focus group sessions to glean input as to the purpose College Deans Flying High! and design of such an academy. Congratulations to the Wrestling Team for landing the state championship again, Roadrunner Athletic Highlights for the fourth year running, and to the Men’s Soccer team for their play-off Dr. Ted Martinez, Jr. berth in the championships. We hosted the first play off game November 24. ‘Baskets of Hope’ Aim to Help We are pleased to report that students are embracing the new AccessRIO registration system to such a degree Those in Need that as of the 20th day of activity, headcount registration was up over the same period for Spring 2009 by a whopping 49 percent! Thanks to those who are assisting students in the registration labs, and to everyone who Gonzalez Appointed as worked so hard for so long to participate in the development of the AccessRIO system. Director of Facilities Services Our National Holiday of Thanksgiving approaches while we endeavor to meet student needs and to keep the doors to success open. Our campus has been tested these past months, as we will continue to be in the future. CSEA Holiday Boutique Nevertheless, it is also timely to express gratitude for the continuing commitment our extended family demonstrates every day. The Rio Hondo College community is special! I wish you all a safe and restful Thanksgiving holiday. Campus Forum Provides Update on AccessRIO and Building Program Around Rio Hondo’s College Campus Cyber Securities Workshop in November! Provides Useful Information for Students, Staff and Photos of students in Rio Hondo College’s TV 135 class shoot- ing their projects on campus as well as two students working Local Community professionally on Style Network’s new show “MOB: Mother of the Bride,” which is scheduled to air in January 2010. ■■■■■ Board of Trustees College Deans Flying High! Meeting Dr. Judith Henderson, Dean of Social Science, Humanities and Philosophy, and Joe Santoro, Dean of Public The Rio Hondo College Board of Safety have each recently been honored through their personal connection with flight. Here are their stories. Trustees held its regular monthly meeting Nov. 11, 2009 on the College campus. Because of the Veterans Day Holiday, the College was not able to se- cure a community facility. The ‘community’ reception and mixer were held in the foyer outside the Board Room. The College Color Guard presented the Colors. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by ICC Representative Brent Sanchez of the Rio Hondo College Veterans Club. Judi Henderson Joe Santoro Judi, as she is called, was invited to be a Key Influ- Rio Hondo College’s Dean of Public Safety, Joe San- ence Rider with the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, flying toro, has a first-person connection with flight, in the Hornet as a passenger. Next time, they may thanks to his experiences with ultralight aircraft in well give her the throttle! law enforcement. He was invited to make a presentation on that topic at the Smithsonian Institution, “Are you ready to fly?” Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar Center near “Absolutely!” Washington D.C. Hey, nobody is ready for this! Flying with the Blue In the early 1980s Santoro was a Police Lieutenant The Board of Trustees presented a Angels! with the Monterey Park Police Department. He started the ultralight aircraft patrol program there commendation to La Serna High We were in an F/A 18 Hornet, taxing slowly (for it) after seeing a 12 year-old boy flying one on a TV School Principal, Drew Passalacqua, down a runway at Miramar Marine Corps Air Sta- program. The TV program sparked a six-month re- after his school site was named a “Cali- tion in San Diego, when Lt. Ben Walborn explained search effort on ultralights and a four-year experi- fornia Distinguished School” this year. that when we got cleared for takeoff some things ment on the use of ultralights in law enforcement. They recognized Tim Keeler from Cali- needed to happen. (Things had been explained in a fornia High School for his outstanding briefing earlier. The briefing made all things more The experiment marked the first use of an ultralight teaching and coaching contributions. terrifying to me.) aircraft by a law enforcement agency in the world. The ultralight was used to provide air support for The Board of Trustees provided a com- The first thing after clearance was that I was to arm officers on the ground during crimes in progress, mendation to the Whittier Chamber of my ejection seat. (Getting the flavor of terrifying?) I traffic control, neighborhood watch meetings and Commerce for its excellent job repre- could hear all of the traffic chatter, including the senting local businesses within the Miramar tower telling Ben where other aircraft crime suppression in the City of Monterey Park Cal- community and support of Rio Hondo were, and informing the others that an F/A 18 is ifornia from 1982 to 1986. The program was de- College. cleared, and will be coming FAST! But at that point, signed to function much like the current use of helicopters in law enforcement. At that time the Rio Hondo College also presented Andre we were sitting on the runway, I was looking out the program was a very innovative and exciting con- Quintero and Garry Couso-Vasquez clear canopy, being careful (really, really careful) cept that generated interest from around the world. plaques of appreciation for their dedi- not to touch anything (especially the yellow and cation and service to the Board of black marked levers) as instructed. It was much Trustees during their terms. Each re- quieter than I expected. “I cannot express how much I ceived commendations and recognition We started to go. Ben had said that when we got to from area elected officials as well. about 250 mph, he would ask me this question, “Are admired my fellow pilots and you ready to fly?” And that he hoped that my answer the officers who volunteered would be, “Yes!” Because then, he promised, he would engage the afterburners, and it would get in- to participate in the program” teresting. I armed the ejection seat—no time, fortu- nately, to think about actually getting ejected— During the four years of the program, officers pur- because we were at 250 mph and very close to the sued criminals and used the ultralight for air sup- ground. Flying by the air station at eye level, with a port during the 1984 Olympic Field Hockey event real sensation of speed. I was thinking, OK, this is that was held at East Los Angeles College in Mon- really fun, not so scary, when he asked his question. terey Park. Ultimately, Santoro had to ground the And I responded, “Absolutely.” And the air station was program in 1986 because of engine problems and gone. We went straight up, to about 50,000 feet. Then the loss of insurance. we rolled and I was looking at all of San Diego and Santoro would later go on to become Dean of Rio lots of surrounding territory through nothing but glass. Hondo’s Police Academy and many of the aircraft We flew a parabola to experience weightlessness. used during the four year program, such as the You might think it isn’t much of an experience, American Aerolights Double Eagle, Double Eagle 2 continued on next page. continued on next page. Roadrunner Judi Henderson Joe Santoro Athletic Highlights continued from previous page continued from previous page strapped into the plane in a 12-point harness, but it and the Ultraflight Lazier SS are now displayed at Men’s Soccer Dominates Conference, is amazing. As is the experience of the plane plum- the Smithsonian Institution Air and Space Museum, Wins Title meting toward the ocean. Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Under the guidance of Head Coach Or- lando Brenes, the Rio Hondo College Lt. Ben Walborn explained, while we were doing Santoro says he still believes the ultralight program, Men’s Soccer team recently was named maneuvers, that what makes the F/A 18 such an ef- as a concept, was good; however, to make the use of Foothill Conference Champions for the fective fighting aircraft is how slow it can go (every- ultralights in law enforcement viable, there needs eight consecutive year. This week, the one always focuses on it’s speed). He said, “We’re to be an ultralight with a fuselage and engine that Roadrunners will host the 2nd round going to stand it on its tail now.” We slowed way are strong enough for daily operations. playoff game on Roadrunner Field against down, perhaps to less than 100 mph. Speed, alti- In his presentation, Santoro touched on many of the winner of #9 Santa Barbara and #8 tude, all kinds of information shows on computer his experiences dealing with ultralights and their College of the Canyons.

Load more