News Scrapbook 1989

Ann Landers 2 / Erma Bornbeck 2 / Con{ics 4 / Crossword 4 / Entertainment 6 I Movies 6 I Scrabble 9 I TV 8

John Sinor's column returns tomorrow

OF THE

Rachael, below, is one ofa bunch of fourth-graders who have some strong ideas for Mayor O'Connor's ...

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By Jane Clifford Tribune Sufi Writer W ELL, IT'S MAY nounced in her January State of the City address that children would be her priority in 1989. She set aside sew ge, growth, traffic and all the other big-city headaches to focus on things that would make San Diego a better place for children. Wonder what they would tell the mayor .. . The poll was small and very infor- mal - the thoughts of 30 fourth- graders at Walker Elementary in Mira Mesa. Walker is a large elementary school in the San Diego Unified School Districl About 1,000 children fill its classrooms. About hall are white, the rest a mix of ethnic groups. It's a school the district se- lected as representative of the aver- age student population in San Diego. And a place to poll average kids about their city. Fourth-grade teacher Sandra Harris, whose commitment to chil- dren has translated into 23 years in the classroom, welcomed the idea and explained the concept to her stu- dents: Maureen O'Connor is the mayor of their city. Her priority this year is children's needs. Harris' students were a little fidgety. It was their last day before a long break. Inside, the classroom was warm. Outside, a Santa Ana baked the mesa. They nodded in understanding as they were told of the mayor's plans: • A ASA-like space camp where children could learn about space and science io general and aerospace ca- reers in particular. O'Connor pro- posed funding the facility through a ''public/ private partnership" such as Is being used to pay for the Soviet Arts Festival in the "Year of the Child.'' Mayor O'Connor an-

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Tribune photos by Barry Fitzshnmons Other fourth-graders with opinions: Hong-Huong, left, who "would just start helping kid ," and Alby

• A children's workshop-museum- academy in Balboa Park, modeled after the Children's Museum of San Diego. • A "Children's Czar," who would act as the San Diego's first child-care coordinator and also head the city's activities for young people, promot- ing on-site child care facilities for city employees, off-site reading and recreation programs for latchkey kids and jobs for teen-agers. • Establishment of Kids' Club San Diego sites through the police and recreation departments and the li- brary. The goal would be to provide

• A "landmark children's play cen- ter in a suitable park environment." Sandra Harris' fourth-graders agreed these sounded like good ideas. Farah is glad the mayor wants to

teens who could

employment for

teach younger children draw, write, dance, etc.; and which, once a month, would afford free ad- mission for local children to facili- ties on city-owned. property such as to read,

do something about day care. So is the zoo, Sea World, museums and the Michael: "My Mom complains about Sports Arena. how hard it is to find it." ·• Creation of a "Metro Strike Ramses, too, wishes the mayor Force" of 40 police officers to fight luck on this issue. He said the prob- illegal drugs and gang violence and lem in his family is how far his mom establishment of a police substation has to drive for care she feels is ade- near 30th Street and Imperial Ave- quate for her children. nue - a permanent police presence But these 19 boys and 11 girls are in an area with some of the highest unanimous w\th a sole concern: crime rates in the city. Please see MAYOR: D-3, Col. 3 --;..--.......,.-¥7'...-,.;;,;.-. --=---

==::=::::::..::......._____ DFo Children------7

San Diego, Monday, May 1, 1989

1BESTRIBUNE YOR: What San Diego children want her to know )) perienced crime up close. Tricia. lion, the environment and nuclear D-3 CoatJ ucd 1'ram lJ.J hen Roy, "In my neighborhood there's a A few of the kids, though, nodded weapons. gang," said Jill. "They robbed my in agreement with Scott, who's leery And some of the kids, when asked ''Stop drugs," said Liem, then Mark.

Continued from Page JA .::211.(y::> One of the center's most notable projects of late has been leading the overhaul of the state's system of disciplining lawyers. After pushing from Fellmeth and despite opposition from the State Bar, the lawyers group that disciplines lawyers, the state Legislature created an official State Bar discipline monitor position and At- torney General John Van de Kamp dents.

appointed Fellmeth to the post. Bar Discipline The program has resulted in tak- ing discipline out of an undefined power core in the Bar that worked with volunteer referees handling discipline cases and putting it in the hands of a professional State Bar Court staffed with full-time judges. The unpaid Bar monitor post lasts until 1991, said Fellmeth. Fellmeth said his only income comes from his roughly $70,000 USO professor salary, not from the center's projects, which ake up about 75 percent of his time, though ch of it overlaps with his consumer law teaching. In an interview yesterday, Fellmeth, father of two, said his goal when he formed the center was to become an advocate for children, but the opportunity hadn't arrisen until now. The center has formed what it calls the California Children's Ad- vocacy Institute to carry out the grant project. The institute has of- fices in San Francisco, Sacramento, including a full-time lobbyist, and at the USD center. Children's Center Goals: It will first aim at: • "The lack of adequate child care spaces, due in part to the unavailability of affordable liabili- ty insurance for family day care fa. cilities and child care centers." • "Child abuse detection, using San Diego as a case study."

Fellmeth said the center will at- tempt to amplify the recent critical findings by the County Grand Jury. • "The overall fragmentation and lack of coordination in the state's delivery of children's ser- vices." This will include producing a newsletter to the agencies in- volved that are scattered through- out the state. Peterson Heads Board Local land use attorney Paul Peterson chairs the new California Children's Advocacy Institute's board of directors, which also in- cludes: • Dr. Birt Harvey, president- elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics; • Dr. Quynh Kieu, professor of pediatrics at UC Irvine and presi- dent of the Indochinese an~mer- ican Women's Association; • Los Angeles deputy district attorney Thomas A. Papageorge; • Los Angeles attorney and former State Bar President Sam Williams; • Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Leon Kaplan, who works in that court's juvenile division; • National City Junior High Principal Gloria Perez Samson. The center's three staff people are lawyer Kate Turnbull, Mark McWilliams, who headed Hastings College of Law's environmental law section, and Steve Barrow, lobbyist for Common Cause for five years. The program will also use the participation ofstudents.

"No more drugs," the rest answer- ed one after another, to the question, "What do you want the mayor to do

what they would do if they were mayor of San Diego, shared dreams

about the idea of Kids' Clubs being set up in rec centers. "Gangs hang out at the rec centers," he said. And these youngsters have other issues they want their mayor to ad- dress. Concerns that illustrate child- hood isn't what it used to be, no mat- Rick wants "more police and pa- trol cars in his neighborhood." So do Eduardo, and Josh, who told of rob- beries near his home. Jason and Taneshia put it simply: ter where you live. "No more child abuse," said Obedt. Shari, Rachael, Paul and Anja have more global concerns - pollu- "Stop crime."

dad's truck."

"I'm scared to go to the park be- cause of the gangs,'' added Ryan. And most of these youngsters voiced doubts they would be able to get to Balboa Park on school days to take advantage of a space camp or a children's academy. They are like children in most American families: They have parents who work. Most said there's no one to take them anywhere on weekdays. Many weren't even sure how often they'd get to downtown San Diego on week- problem for activities located in Bal- boa Park. Fully one-third of the stu- dents indicated they would prefer to live someplace other than San Diego. All 30 hands went up to show support for more to do in their own commu- nity. Maixue just wants "a place to play at the park . . . but I need the police." "Make the kids' clubs," urged Tommy, in upport of the mayor's plan. "Get more places for children to go, to do things after school," said en . More than half the class - indicated transportation as a 17 kids -

that speak volumes.

for children?~

"I would just start helping kids,"

Drugs ran a cl

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race with a sec-

said Hong-Huong.

ond problem

Matt would build a park "just for kids and kids' parents." Under his ad- ministration, no one else would get

Many finished their sentences the way Jacqueline, lby and Eric did: " . . . and stop the gangs." O'Connor, a former teacher, is on the record about both those prob- lems. She made it clear in her speech that she wants th city to provide activities that offer "someplace fer the children lo go and something po - itive for them to do" as alternatives to drugs and gangs. But scrunched-up noses and puz- zled looks were the response to, "Do you think the mayor's plans will help you?" These children, ranging in age from 9 to 11, live a long way from 30th and Imperial. But these nice kid from average families in a mid- dle-class suburb have the same fears. They talked about avoiding parks in their own neighborhoods because th y have been offered drugs or frightened by people hanging around. 'veral also talked about having ex-

in.

Maryam would "help people not to take drugs," and Gerald would make sure people "stopped selling drugs to kids." And Huong )\'OQ)d do her best to "let parents speQd more time with their kids." l (

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.I Evening Tribune (Cir. D. 123,064) MAY 2 1989 Jl/~,. P C. B F.,1

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Vroreros sign Arizona high school guard Tfibun t.J.IIReport d- I 75"'

floor. He leaves Chaparral as both the single-season and career field- goal percentage leader and also holds the school record for single- game (43 points) and career (1,870) scoring. . Meyer is the second player signed by USD during the spring signing pe- riod. Pat Holbert, a 6-3 guard from Mesa (Ariz.) CC, signed a scholarship agreement last week, The Toreros signed forward Shawn Hamilton, a teammate of Holbert's at Mesa, dur- ing last fall's early signing period.

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Tbs U D basketball team yester- day a~e signing of Neal yer, a 6-foot-3 guard at Chaparral High in Scottsdale, Ariz., to a nation- I I tter of Int nL Meyer, a second- team all- tate selection, averaged 26.5 po n and 8.2 rebounds a game along with 4.6 assists and 3.4 stea this p t ason. Mey r could be a three-pornt threat for the Torer

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