PCC Courier, July 29, 1977

VOL. 44, NO. 3 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA JULY 29, 1977 Negotiations To Begin Bob's Purchase Nears Negotiations for the acquisition of Bob’s restaurant across from PCC will begin in the next 90 days, according to Facilities Planner Art Garr. Worth $200,000, according to an appraisal conducted by Pasadena appraiser Timothy M. Holabird, the property is planned for parking, said Garr. “Bob’s knows we are interested in the property,” he said. The restaurant acquired property on Lake Avenue near the 210 Free¬ way in Pasadena in April. “They want to sell” the property to the college, he said. PCC can claim eminent domain and force the restaurant to sell, said Garr. The college may obtain a slightly lower buyer’s price and possibly help Bob’s achieve a tax break by forcing the sale. College officials will meet with Bob’s personnel to discuss the purchase. “There is a tentative okay of the concept of purchasing Bob’s,” said Garr. While the property is in escrow, the college will request zoning clearance from the city. The college already has the city’s informal permission to purchase the property. Garr noted the state of California has specific rules governing the acquisition of property by the school district. Several steps must be followed: First, the availability of the property must be determined, as it was by Holabird’s appraisal. The Board of Trustees must be informed of the first two steps, which was completed at last week’s Board of Trustees’ meeting. Steps in the future include ob¬ taining an option to buy the property and obtaining the Pasadena Planning Commission’s approval before exercising the option. Some campus groups want to use the property as a child care center. However, there must be a geological survey to determine if the property lies on an earthquake fault. Insurance must also be found and, according to Garr, companies willing to insure school buildings are becoming scarce. Although the property would be easy to convert to a child care center, these steps are so ex¬ pensive that the cost would be pro¬ hibitive, said Garr. Included in Holabird’s appraisal was an estimate of the Copp property, 1670 E. Colorado Blvd., just east of Bob’s. Holabird estimated its worth at $245,000 but the purchase price was not in¬ cluded in this year’s budget by the Board. Purchase of the Copp property would clear the entire block for use by PCC. Money for the purchase of Bob’s is included in the 1977-1978 budget. UP FOR SALE— A popular eating spot for PCC students, Bob’s Restaurant is in the process of moving to a new spot on the corner of Lake Avenue and Hudson Street in Pasadena. The land is up for sale and negotiations for the acquisition of the property will begin in the next 90 days. —Courier Photo by Blake Sell Enrollment Standards Change For Financial Aid Recipients Requirements set by the Higher Education Amendments of 1976 will affect fall students receiving either basic grants or federally insured loans. Raised Walkway Will Prevent Students Getting Cold Feet A new walkway under con¬ struction between the A bungalows will banish wet feet during the rainy season, Leonard Knapp, director of building ser¬ vices, said Wednesday. In the past, students have been inconvenienced by the puddles that accumulated between the north and south A bungalows. The wooden porch deck, 110 feet long, eight feet wide and 38 inches above the old concrete slab, will stretch between the two bungalows. DEADLINE FOR PERMITS Fall parking permit applica¬ tions must be mailed and post¬ marked between August 1 and 5. To obtain one of the 2200 avail¬ able permits, students are asked to send only a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Pasadena City College Security Department, Room CC108A, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasa¬ dena 91106. Plans include a ramp for wheel¬ chairs at the west end of the porch and steps at the east end. “We had two choices to eliminate the problem: either blacktop over the concrete or build a raised walkway. Construc¬ ting the porch eliminated more problems at one time,” said Knapp. The platformed walkway will replace six of the nine existing stairways. “They were a main¬ tenance problem becuse the planks get loose, expand and need to be renailed. It is justifiable that they get knocked out,” said Knapp. The concrete curbs next to the bungalows are going to be drilled out to make the driveways five feet wider for two-way car traffic. In addition, the interior remodeling of the south A bungalow will begin sometime this fall and be completed within the next six months. Rooms 106, 108, 110 and 112 will have interior walls removed, will have a fresh paint job, and will have new paneling and air- conditioning installed. The Ac¬ counting Department is planning to occupy the refurbished rooms after completion. ASSISTANCE FOR WOMEN Women returning to college after long absenses may obtain help in enrolling and registering through the Women’s Discovery Program. Peer counselors and para-professionals will be on hand Monday, Aug. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. in D209 and Wednesday, Aug. 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in C238 to assist. Students are now required to meet the same unit enrollment standards as students receiving National Direct Student Loans, college work study benefits or supplemental grants. The requirements demand that full time students receiving aid complete an average of 24 units a year. Requirements differ for part time students. Basic grants and federally insured loans have had no such re¬ quirements in previous years. Gene S. Miller, coordinator for the offices of scholarships and financial aid, said that students who had not completed enough units by fall will not be eligible for further aid. “Students receiving money through any of those programs must meet requirements as defined by each institution,” she said. The Higher Education Amend¬ ments were signed into law last October, and include a number of changes' in financial aids procedures. Mrs. Miller said that the basic grant and federally insured loans were added to the list of aid types requiring enroll¬ ment standards to avoid potential abuse by students. “It was possible,” she said, “for a student to enroll in 12 units, receive a check and drop out of school. He could do this for four years. “If these provisions were not enacted I predict that you may see a decline in some of the financial aid programs.” Over 2500 PCC students received either basic grants or federally insured loans last year. First class letters were mailed to each recipient throughout the year, informing them of the change. Students who do not have suffi¬ cient units to meet the require¬ ments can make them up with summer classes, Mrs. Miller said, although units transferred from schools other than PCC are not allowed. “We do not have any kind of cooperative arrangement with other schools,” she said, although some schools do permit it. The only recourse the ineligible student has is to file a petition with the Financial Aids Policy Com¬ mittee. Exceptions are sometimes made if a student could not complete enough units during the year because of hospitalization or similar circumstances. Designed To Improve Study Skills Enrollment Open for CCP 1 12 UNDER CONSTRUCTION— There has been a lot of ground¬ breaking and building going on around campus and one of the newest spots is a raised walkway between the north and south A bungalows. The wooden porch-deck is designed to banish the numerous puddles that students find on the concrete during the rainy season. -Courier Photo by Dawn Adams By Steve Johnston Staff Writer Enrollment is open for College and Career Planning 112, a one- unit fall semester course designed to improve study and motivational skills. Robert Navarro, humanities counselor, said CCP 112 is in¬ tended for students needing work on study skills and for successful students who want to cut down on study time. The class originated as a remedial tool for minority students but in recent semesters has expanded to include students from all backgrounds, according to David Sanchez, instructor. “In addition to study skills, we work with motivation— the emotional issues that students face,” Sanchez said. “The course is ideal for students who aren’t sure why they are in college,” he added, noting that young people from all ethnic backgrounds fall into that category. The course began at East Los Angeles College in 1969 to combat a high drop-out rate, Sanchez said. The course includes exercises to improve concentration and memory skills and increase reading speed and com¬ prehension, Sanchez said. “We also use group dynamics techniques to explore attitudes toward education and help change negative attitudes to positive ones. It’s very interesting to me to watch the students actually change their attitudes toward education,” he said. CCP 112 meets Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. Course credit is non- transferable. The final class session takes place the week before Christmas break. “The last four weeks of the semester are used to apply the techniques the students have learned,” Sanchez said. Navarro noted that there is an enrollment limit for the course and urged interested students to enroll as soon as possible. Summer Program Offers Head Start for Students PCC’s Summer Readiness pro¬ gram offers a head start to high school graduates who lack the finances to begin college. These students, approximately 50, will receive an Educational Oppor¬ tunity Grant (EOP) as well as tutorial help and peer counseling. The grants may be used for living expenses, books, school supplies and transportation. “Readiness” students will begin classes during second session of summer school. John Hardy, director of the program, said this early start is beneficial because “students can get the feel of what college is all about.” In the fall they will take part in the regular academic program. Students of many varied in¬ terests and fields of study enter into the readiness experience. They may pursue the career of their choice by graduating with an A. A. degree or by enrolling in a series of classes leading to transfer into a four-year college. “We have different ways of helping students. We try to con¬ sider their individual needs,” said Hardy. “We offer direction in proper class selection with realistic goals in mind.” An applicant’s eligibility to participate in the program depends on his financial need. Students are selected through basic EOP guidelines. Hardy encourages any high school graduate interested in qualifying to contact him in the Student Resources Center.