Gary Mora Gary Mora - The Spectrum Magazine - Redwood City's ...

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Inside The Spectrum: Cover Story Photo Shoot Publisher Steve Penna set up this month’s cover photo shoot through his Facebook network. He and cover subject Gary Mora arranged to meet at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, at the Grind coffee shop at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and El Camino Real. Cover story photographer James Kaspar showed up first and introduced himself to Mora. The two began to talk in the parking lot and realized right away they had a lot of musical interests in common. Penna showed up a little after the scheduled time and exchanged greetings with Mora, whom he has known of for years. They both attended Sequoia High School and Penna was close friends there with Mora’s sister Vickie and her husband, John Iomio. They began the shoot in the coffee shop, with the beautifully hand-painted mural of movie icons covering one wall as the background. If you have not had the opportunity to view it, you should stop by and see this work in progress. One of those shots was used for the cover. The sunlight was beaming strongly through the windows, so after taking several photos there they decided to move down the street to finish the shoot. Once they arrived at the Record Man, located at 1322 El Camino Real, Mora was in his element among the thousands of albums and rock ’n’ roll memorabilia. Owner Gary Saxon and Mora started reminiscing about the “oldies” and several times Penna and Kaspar just talked between themselves, letting the two enjoy their conversation. The entire shoot took just about an hour and a half. Mora is one of those people who instantly attracts you and draws you in when you meet him. His personality is as memorable as his voice. He was described as a “class clown” in high school and judging by the attention he musters, it is easy to see why. The Spectrum salutes those like Mora who grow up in our community and leave to accomplish so much but never forget where they came from. Mora reminds us that our community spirit is spread throughout the world. www.SpectrumMagazine.net
RCSD Corner: News From the Redwood City School District A Message From Superintendent Jan Christensen About Redwood City Schools On June 2, the Redwood City School District faced the disappointing loss of Measure E, a $91 annual parcel tax that would have generated $2.3 million per year for five years to help fill the gaping budget hole created by California’s fiscal crisis. Since Election Day, I have heard questions and comments from many community members about what this loss means to the future of our schools here in Redwood City. Whether or not you have children in the Redwood City School District, you have a right to understand both the challenges and opportunities facing our schools at this critical juncture: CHALLENGES California is facing its worst budget crisis since the Great Depression. This crisis was not created by our local school district, but our students in Redwood City are deeply affected by the severe budget cuts it is causing. Redwood City must look for local solutions to a statewide problem. Some suggest addressing the education budget crisis through solutions such as eliminating unions and tenure, or instituting vouchers for private schools. Whether or not you agree with these solutions, it is important to understand that they cannot be carried out on the local level — these are legal reforms that can only be achieved on a state or national level, not by an individual school district. Such solutions do not address the urgent crisis we are facing right now in Redwood City, or the disparity in education funding between our community and neighboring communities such as Menlo Park and Woodside, which receive thousands of dollars more per student than Redwood City. Redwood City students are at a disadvantage compared to students in neighboring elementary districts. Of the districts feeding into Sequoia Union High School District, the amount of basic, non-earmarked funding per student varies significantly from district to district. For example, in 2007–08 Woodside Elementary — the top-funded district that feeds into Sequoia Union — spent $15,364 per student, Menlo Park School District spent $9,201 per student, and Redwood City School District spent $6,752, dead last among the eight local elementary districts. 1 Over the course of a K–8 education, that amounts to a total difference in per student expenditures of $77,508 compared to Woodside and $22,041 compared to Menlo Park. Despite this large disparity in the amount of money spent on their educations, our students are expected to compete with these students in English, math and history classes at Woodside, Sequoia, Menlo-Atherton and Carlmont high schools, and compete with them for entry into college and well-paying jobs in our community. with each school staff at least once a year. I am constantly impressed and pleased by the high level of creativity and commitment I see among staff at every school in the district. Redwood City has a deeply experienced management team that is working to maximize the resources we do have so that they are used effectively, efficiently and creatively. We have put a focus in recent years on frequently measuring our students’ learning, analyzing results critically and adjusting teaching strategies to make sure students are learning what they need to thrive in a 21st-century economy. We have also put a strong emphasis on transparency in our fiscal and academic affairs, and have made communicating with parents, staff and the community a top priority. In our disappointment over the loss of Measure E, it is natural for the community to look back and question whether the campaign could have done more to increase the strong 63.6 percent majority who voted “Yes” to the two-thirds supermajority required by California law. As superintendent, I would like to encourage you instead, however, to look ahead and think about how the Redwood City community can provide the competitive education our students deserve. Please join me in coming up with creative solutions for how we can bring the level of resources for Redwood City students on par with our neighboring districts. I welcome your comments and suggestions at jchristensen@rcsd.k12.ca.us. 1 Source: EdSource. Based on the 2007–08 school year, the most recent year for which figures are available. Funding does not count federal or state funds earmarked for specific purposes such as English language development, but does include money from local sources such as local parcel taxes and foundation contributions. Due to steady reductions in state funding, the Redwood City School District has cut nearly $10 million from its budget in the last seven years alone, and we already expect to have to cut an additional $5 million to $6 million for the 2010–11 school year. After the loss of Measure E, the Redwood City School Board of Trustees voted to increase class sizes, lay off many first-year teachers, eliminate several critically important administrative positions and reduce the hours that school libraries are open. OPPORTUNITIES Redwood City elementary schools have never been better. Since 1999, test scores have risen dramatically at every school in Redwood City. We are on an upward trajectory, and if we can keep the momentum going, we have the opportunity to make our local schools premier in the region and the state. Redwood City has outstanding teachers, and it has invested in providing teacher training and staff development to give teachers the support and tools they need to provide a rigorous, well-rounded education. I visit schools every Thursday morning, and I meet for lunch The Spectrum 5
Page 1 and 2: Gary Mora Sequoia’s Class Clown T
Page 3: The Spectrum.AUG.2009 Steve Penna O
Page 7 and 8: New Redwood Shores School Construct
Page 9 and 10: The Spectrum 9
Page 11 and 12: P.S. The People Speak: Letters to t
Page 13 and 14: News Briefs Another Camp Glenwood W
Page 15 and 16: Parties Around Town The Redwood Cit
Page 17 and 18: Bros. and Bugs Bunny,” said Mora.
Page 19 and 20: The Spectrum Mag AD 4/2/08 4:23 PM
Page 21 and 22: REDWOOD CIT Y ROADWORK ADVISORY Bus
Page 23 and 24: The Spectrum 23
Page 25 and 26: espectively, both gave wearing the
Page 27 and 28: News Briefs: (Continued from page13
Page 29 and 30: Finance: Can You Invest for College
Page 31 and 32: So much more than tires since 1957.

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