Farm Walk to raise funds Fundraiser is planned to collect money for Pierce

The Agriculture Department hopes to raise enough money during their only major fund raising event April 22 to help feed the farm’s animals, and to give the community an enjoyable experience.

Farm Walk will include cow milking, sheep sheering and wool spinning displays to entertain and inform those who participate in the Farm Walk.

“We’re trying to have as many contests as possible to get the community involved,” student volunteer team leader Stacy Carpio said. “We always try to do something different every year.”

Also, competitions, such as pieeating contest, will be featured in this year’s event.

Community members, faculty and student volunteers from Pierce will be lending a helping hand during the event.

“The community is really starting to get involved and we’ve been receiving a lot of generous donations,” said Carpio. “They are coming in and caring for the animals and are willing to help so we don’t get shut down.”

Agriculture Department Chair Leland Shapiro has a strong belief that the community plays an important role in keeping the farm active at Pierce.

“I believe the farm belongs to the community, and we wouldn’t exist without their support,” Shapiro said. Volunteering and donations from the community has played a large part in helping the farm raise funds to help feed and care for the animals.

In addition to attending this annual fund raising event, people can donate to the Pierce College Farm at accounts opened through the Foundation for Pierce College.

The “Adopt a Cow” account, opened and managed by Shapiro has been available for donation for about five years, Shapiro said.

Shapiro is now saving the money in this account to buy a truck and a trailer for the hay at the farm. He will buy those once he has the money.

The second account, set up by Pierce College President Kathleen Burke-Kelly, was opened due to recent concerns about the farm’s financial stability, Burke-Kelly said.

This account is targeted to raise awareness to the farm’s problems, she said.

She does not know how much money in the account, but the account is planned to be publicized by the Foundation.

The Department of Agriculture is hoping to reach a $5,000 goal to help feed the animals and provide an experience for the community to enjoy.

“Where else can you get to experience all this in the valley?” said Carpio. “It’s going to be a great event and a really unique experience for everyone.”

Farm Walk will be between 9:3010:30 a.m. in Parking Lot 8.

Yajayra Gil ygil.roundupnews@gmail.com

The annual 24-hour Relay for Life in Woodland Hills will take place at Pierce College beginning April 28 at 9 a.m.

The money raised will help further research by the American Cancer Society.

“[Cancer] is a terrible disease that affects so many people,” Dean of Research, Planning, and Enrolment Management Carol Kozeracki said.

A dean of eight Pierce College departments announced his retirement March 2, while the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) considered to dismiss him due to unprofessional conduct and being unfit for service.

Pierce College President Kathleen Burke-Kelly notified Pierce faculty about Paul Whalen’s retirement through an e-mail containing a letter, and did not specify the reasons for his leave.

According to the LACCD Board agenda, the district was to consider Whalen’s dismissal March 7.

Whalen worked at the college for more than 40 years, and was heartbroken when choosing to retire, Senior Secretary of Academic Affairs Aaron Chan, who worked with Whalen daily in the past year, said.

Whalen’s retirement, which took effect March 6, surprised the administration.

“It was a shock to everybody,”

Vice President of Academic Affairs Anna Davies said March 8. “He announced Friday that he will be retiring, and asked that his last day

“I can’t tell much in light of the situation,” Chan said. “But he wasn’t ready to retire.”

Whalen did not return phone calls or emails seeking comment.

Whalen was the dean of the Art and Architecture department, English department, Media Arts department Modern Languages department, Music department, Speech Communication department, Pierce Online, and Theater and Dance department.

Administration is not seeking to replace him because the college is looking to save money, Pierce College President Kathleen Burke-Kelly said during an Academic Senate meeting. Instead, his role will be divided amongst the deans left on campus.

Whalen retired suddenly, and Burke-Kelly had not announced his retirement until two weeks later because she was away at a conference in Dallas, she said at an Academic Senate meeting.

“Academic Affairs will be working with Paul to organize an event recognizing his long service to the college,” Burke-Kelly said in the letter she sent to Pierce faculty and staff.

Sheriff’s Blotter

Burglary: March 13 - Locker broken into in North Gym. Wallet was stolen.

Petty theft: March 13 - A bicycle was stolen from Village 8400 building.

Petty Theft: March 20 - A man’s bicycle was stolen from the bicycle racks at the South Gym.

Kozeracki, who is the event’s chair of the planning committee, has been involved with Relay for Life since its first year.

There will be teams participating in the relay the members will take turns walking the track for the entire event, said Kozeracki.

The event will begin with a cancer survivors’ lab.

There were 30 teams in last year’s Relay for Life, she said.

On the night of April 28, participants will be taking part in the

Luminaria ceremony. The soccer field will be outlined by lit-up white paper bags bearing the names of people who have survived or died of cancer.

There were approximately 600 to 700 white bags during last year’s Luminaria, Kozeracki said.

“I think [cancer] is the hardest thing you go through,” said Associated Students Organization President Shane Mooney, who will be the head of the ASO team in the relay.