Community protests closure

Farm Center director alleges fraud

Members of the community called for an investigation on the Pierce College Administration concerning their decision behind the closing of the Farm Center during the Board of Trustees meeting, on Wednesday Nov. 5.

Robert McBroom, director of the Pierce College Farm Center, had tears in his eyes as he spoke to the Trustees about the issue. His presentation included posters that showed what the land looked like before and after Asylum Productions, Inc. took over.

While at the podium, McBroom presented a recording of the Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher to the trustees, as part of his defense.

The recording said the following:

“If I do commercial I have people who have already entertained that I can make 5 to 10 million a year off the property you’re on right now without me spending one dollar on it. There are multiple ways to engage that property. I have people who have actually done studies and reviews and have provided me those proposals.”

According to McBroom the tape was about all the proposals and development offers that Schleicher received in regards to the 32 acre Farm Center.

“I’m not going to make any comments, because it was taken out of context and it was not legally approved when he recorded us. So at this time I am just going to have to be very formal about what I do,” Schleicher said in response to the audio recording.

The Pierce administration and the Trustees assured everyone in attendance that the property will not be sold for development, but that the area would remain campus land. This would also include incorporating the use of the facility to create future educational programs.

“They have done a wonderful job out there,” Pierce College President Kathleen Burke said. “We just couldn’t come to a business arrangement or agreement that was

Virus infects computer lab

USB drives comprimised

Nicollette Ashtiani Roundup Reporter

A virus that destroyed and replaced files on USB storage devices with “inappropriate” pictures and videos was discovered on computers in Pierce College’s Library / Learning Center‘s computer lab on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Despite the discovery of the virus, the computer lab remained opened until Friday, Nov. 7. The Library / Learning Center sent emails to students and staff that advised the use of cloud storage until the Information Technology department fixed the issue.

“We just want to create an environment where students can be successful, so when things like this happen it just breaks us,” said library department chair Paula

Custodians demand wage increase Frustrations voiced about proposed contract

Jäel Allen Roundup Reporter

Several custodians and Local 99 union representatives expressed their anger with the recent pay raise approved by the LACCD at Board of Trustees meeting on Wed. in the Great Hall at Pierce College.

The Asylum Productions signed an agreement at the beginning of this year to end the farm center operations and leave Pierce grounds by April 2015, according to president of the board of trustees Scott Svonkin.

satisfying on both sides.”

“We do have a desire to use that land within our own instructional programs. That is college land and our first job is with our students,” Burke said.

For the past 10 years McBroom and his wife Cathy have operated the Farm Center and recently started a not for profit organization.

“When the President separated their foundation, my wife and I took all the values of that foundation, adopted them and created the Pierce Farm Center Foundation,”

McBroom said.

“This is a lease and a lease can be ended. It could be ended very appropriately. The lease that they had before us was 25 years, replaced by a four year one.”

The McBrooms and others who spoke in support of the Farm Center said that Burke has never visited the Farm Center in her tenure as president of the college.

“I may not have toured the facility, but I have been there multiple times,” Burke said.

Tony Oliver, of “Save the Pierce College Farm Center”, presented 9,868 petitions from community members to the trustees and said that $2.1 million has been provided to the college while Asylum Productions has invested $3 million into the infrastructure.

Cesar Diaz, a representative for Bob Blumenfield of the Los Angeles City Council 3rd district, read to the trustees a letter of support for the

Farm Center.

Susan Shelley, candidate for California Assembly in District 45, also has been conducting a petition drive to support the preservation of the Pierce Farm as an agricultural preserve.

“By the way I received a letter from your attorney saying that it violates state law to mention Pierce College in a political campaign and I think that’s at odds with the First Amendment,” Shelley said to the Board of Trustees. “That might be considered an effort to ‘chill’ free speech.”

The McBrooms and the “Save the Pierce College Farm Center” group are hoping an independent investigation on the decision behind the eviction of Asylum Productions, Inc. will take place.

“The college and the board remain committed to serving our students and the community with close attention to appropriate use of tax payer supported property,” Svonkin said.

Svonkin called for speakers to present their arguments on items from the agenda in front of the board and many were custodians from Colleges within LACCD who had been negotiating their contracts.

“We’re trying to ask for a livable wage and we presented a proper number back in July and two weeks ago and they came back with the same proposal they had in July,” Valley College custodian Mark Ledesma said.

Custodians at LACCD are the lowest-paid of any community college district in the region, according to SEIU Local 99.

Paggi. The virus was brought to the library’s attention when a student discovered that documents on a USB storage device had been erased and replaced. Within a few hours, notices were sent out and signs were placed in the computer lab that warned students not to use their USB storage devices with the computers.

[For video footage and student reactions visit theroundupnews.com] [To VIRUS

Soccer draws with Ventura Page 8

“The percentage doesn’t work for our members because they are the lowest paid,” internal organizer of SEIU Local 99 Diva Sanchez said.

Members of the SEIU Local 99 including custodian staff are paid 27 to 17 percent below the rest of the California Community Colleges in the area, according to Sanchez.

“All we’re asking for is a fair wage; just give us a fair wage.” Sanchez said.

LACCD custodians have double the work with half the staff to cover their assignments.

“We’re trying to see if we can shine a light on that through certain actions and activities,” Pierce College custodian Rudolfo Covarrudias.

Hoping that their oral presentations have made some impact on the board the custodians hope to see a reasonable pay increase in the near future.

“If we don’t get what we ask for we’re willing to go as far as we can,” Mission College custodian Irma Lopez said.

The next Board of Trustees meeting will be Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the Educational Services Center.