—Courier photo by Gwendolyn Johnson
RAIN ON THE SUNSHED— This sunny delight dampened the spirits
and lightened the wallets of Kirsten Finlay and her husband so much
they couldn't afford it. Now PCC has placed the “Welcome" mat in
front of the house and is looking for buyers.
'Sale-ing' Off Into the Sunset;
Solar House Still Needs Buyer
By Arthur Wood
Associate News Editor
PCC sold its solar house this sum¬
mer. Now it’s got to do it all over
again. A combination of inflated
estimates, procedural problems and
financial misunderstandings cost
Kirsten Finlay the house she'd been
wanting ever since construction
began.
This is the third time PCC has had to
resell a house since it began its student
building program.
Ms. Finlay, a former PCC nursing
student, and her husband bought the
house last July when it was auctioned
by the school. Their S40.050 bid was
S12.475 more than the next highest bid.
The couple put a down payment on a
lot in Glendale.
At $45,000, the lot was about $10,000
more than they had planned on. but
that wasn't the main problem. Ms.
Finlay told the Courier.
“We had gone to lots of different
banks for an interim financing loan."
she said. “Bank of America wouldn't
help us. even though we both bank
there."
Interim financing is difficult to
obtain because banks and other len¬
ding institutions don’t like to lend
money on a house that isn’t already on
its intended lot. The house had to be
moved. The Finlays secured a loan
from Home Federal Savings, putting
Iheir present house up as collateral.
But their luck changed.
They shopped around for estimates
on moving. “Only two house movers
would do the job,” she said. They paid
the movers a $1000 deposit on the job,
estimated at $8000. “They must have
decided we could afford more when
they saw the lot,” she continued,
“because they upped the estimate to
over $10,000."
Increased estimates included the
foundation. The Finlays had an
estimate of $3000 for a foundation. That
jumped to $5000.
The final blow came when they
couldn't get final approval of their
house loan.
"The person who arranged our loan
at Home Federal was transferred to
another branch." Ms. Finlay said.
"When we went to them for loan
confirmation, they told us the loan
wasn't possible until the house was on
the lot.”
PCC wouldn't let go of its house
without the money. When the Finlays
asked for a reason, the reply was
“We're not in the business of lending
money.” Ms. Finlay wasn’t sure what
they meant.
With the bank unwilling to lend
money until the house was on the lot
and PCC unwilling to let go of the
house until the money was paid, the
other problems became moot points,
Ms. Finlay said. She’s not even
worried about the $1000 deposit she and
her husband paid to PCC.
“I'm so disappointed the $1000
doesn’t even seem important now,”
she continued. “Not that we're so rich
$1000 doesn't mean anything.” But
after all the hassles, it's not the first
thing on her mind.
"I'm really disappointed. I like the
house, the solar energy idea.” she
added. "PCC was really good about it
all. They were very helpful."
When the deadline for moving the
house came on September 1, the
Finlays were unable to move and the
school would not give an extension.
“The deadline for payment was June
30," said Robert Burns, director of
purchasing at PCC. "We didn’t do
anything until September 9, but Ms.
Finlay knew our requirements before
she bought the house."
Burns agreed that excessively high
moving costs are a major problem in
buying PCC houses. He also pointed
out that PCC “strongly recommends in
advance that prospective bidders
already have a lot.”
“There will always be loan
problems,” Burns continued. Ms.
Finlay had to arrange too many things
in too short a time he told the Courier.
“First, she had- to arrange a home
loan after she found out her bid had
been accepted. Then she had to
arrange financing for the lot. the
foundation, and moving, all within a
few months.”
With all that added onto the
developing snags, Ms. Finlay was up
against more than she and her
husband could handle.
“It's more practical to baild a house
on a lot and sell both the lot and the
house," Burns stated. “I’ve supported
the idea before, but it would take
administrative action to put such an
idea into effect.”
Meanwhile, the solar house is up for
sale again, to anyone with the money
Any takers?
Secrecy Characterizes
Superintendent Search
METAMORPHOSIS— Frank’s Coffee Shop sits
where Bob’s stood for so many years. PCC wanted
the property for parking, but funds dissolved in
wake of Prop. 13.
—Courier photo by Gwendolyn Johnson
Price Tag on Old Bob’s Building
A Real Big-Boy for PCC Budget
4
By Kathy Braidhill
News Editor
Hungry PCC students wanting a bit
of breakfast before class may be a bit
surprised and disappointed to see that
the Bob's on Colorado is no longer
there.
Oh. that's right. PCC was going to
buy the property to make more space
for parking.
Wrong again. As another victim of
Proposition 13', the funds set aside to
purchase the property were gobbled up
during this summer's post-Jarvis
budget crunch.
Frank's Coffee Shop now rests in
Bob’s old building, the familiar "Big
Boy "sign covered by black letters on a
white background, with a little chef
balancing a plate in his hand.
“We had been talking to them
(Bob’s) for four or five years,” said
Dr. E. Howard Floyd, "but we didn't
do anything more than talk to them.
We never even made an offer.”
Bob's finally closed down about a
week before the new Lake Avenue
facility opened — June 13. According to
a Bob's spokesman, “there was no
room to develop at that location : it was
a sub-standard operation for us. We'd
have to tear it down to do the job
right."
The furthest stage of the
negotiations, according to Art Garr,
district facilities planner at PCC, was
the $200,000 appraisal of the property.
"We were in the process of acquisition
when everything fell apart at the
seams."
PCC students will continue to have
parking headaches for some time to
come Although PCC would still like to
have the property, Garr said he sees no
more progress being made in the
foreseeable future to purchase it.
“We'd have to start at square one
and contact the new owner," he said.
Plans for Red Cross Blood Drive
Set in Motion for November 1, 2
J
PCC's new superintendent-president
is one vote away from being chosen.
The Superintendent Selection Com¬
mittee. formed by the Board of
Trustees in July will hold its final vote
in October.
According to Derek Coleman,
student representative on the com¬
mittee. the 75 original applicants were
pared to eight recently and later to an
undisclosed number of finalists.
"I wish the ASB Board would func¬
tion as smoothly this year." Coleman
s^id. describing the selection process.
"There was a great deal of mutual
respect between members of the
committee," he added. "Opinions
were easily discussed. There was a
clear exchange of ideas.”
When the Superintendent Selection
Committee was first formed, Coleman
was not a voting member. After
protests by students and faculty
members. Coleman was given a voting
role. Trustees Roger
/
Gertmenian.
Robert Spare and Warren Weber
opposed his having a vote on the
committee. Walter Shatford. Richard
Green. David Hannah, and Charles
Briscoe supported the measure.
The eight semi-finalists selected by
the Board Committee were the result
of independent selections by the
Most awards are handed out by
committees. They reflect the choices
ota few individuals. But it's a different
story with the J. Ray Risser Award.
The students have to like you or you
haven't got a chance. That's why Dr.
Norman Juster was “tremendously
happy” when he received the award
last Tuesday at the PCC faculty
meeting.
The award, in the form of a check for
31000, was presented to Juster by
Kisser himself. Risser characterized
the type of person who wins the award
as someone “who inspires the student
respective members, according to
Coleman. The independent selections
were “remarkably similar” when
compared, he said.
Still. Coleman would not discuss the
selections further.
"We followed affirmative action
procedures in choosing the can¬
didates." he continued. "If the com¬
munity is against the one we pick." he
added. I believe we can cover our¬
selves."
Coleman would not discuss more
specific questions. When asked who
the candidates were and who the semi-
PCC students will be seeing some
much younger students sitting next to
them in "the classroom next spring
semester.
A new piece of legislation (AB 229)
will enable students of all grades to
attend PCC while attending their
regular grade or high school.
to learn by his own enthusiasm for
knowledge." Risser spoke to the
audience of faculty, recalling a
teacher "who changed my life and
made me want to learn." He went on to
describe teachers as "part of the
destiny of this country."
Dr. Juster has been teaching at PCC
for 22 years, and was appointed
chairman of the Physical Science
Department last July.
He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.-
D. from Cal State L.A. and has been
with the Pasadena School District for
31 years.
finalists were he replied. "1 can't
answer that question." He cited out¬
side political pressure as the reason.
"There's the potential of a lot of
political pressure from the outside."
Coleman stated. "That's why we've
kept quiet: to keep trouble from
brewing."
Coleman would not say where he felt
the outside political pressure might be
coming from.
Other members of the selection
committee were not available for
comment at press time.
"An eighth-grader capable of doing
college-level calculus will be able to
take it here." said Dr. Irvin Lewis,
vice-president of student personnel
services and co-formulator of the
gifted students program.
Conceivably, high school students
who go through the newly revised
gifted students program can receive
their A. A. upon high school
graduation.
"Our major goal is to give able high
school students a chance to move
ahead: it will provide a challenge."
said Dr. Lewis.
Before the new law was passed, only
high school juniors and seniors could
take classes at PCC. All junior colleges
in California will permit any grade to
enroll starting January 1. 1979.
The more advanced students in the
high school-college program follow a
structured schedule of classes to take
each semester. Some courses, such as
English 1A and IB or biology can be
waived and the student given credit for
the class if he takes an advanced
placement test in that subject and
scores a high enough grade.
Dr. Lewis will meet with the local
high school principals in October to
discuss the legislation and the revised
gifted students program.
Not only will AB 229 benefit am¬
bitious grade and high school students ;
PCC also stands to gain.
Falling attendance has plagued PCC
in the past few semesters, and ad¬
missions administrators here hope the
program will boost enrollment.
Although the program will increase
admissions this spring semester and
eventually in the long run. "it's not our
main goal,” said Dr. Lewis.
Course Ready
for Returnees
Persons returning to work or seeking
career directions have a course
designed for them. The class, offered
by the Office of Extended Campus
Programs, will teach them to set
goals, determine strengths, relate
skills to jobs and write resumes.
The course will be taught by Valerie
Hood, M.A., at Arcadia High School.
Monday evenings at 7:30. It will run
from September 25 through December
11. The fee is $25.
Pre-registration is at PCC, room
Cl 17, or by mail. Further information
is available by calling 578-7261 or 578-
7301. '
Keeping people alive in the Los
Angeles-Orange County area takes
blood, 1500 pints a day. But, just where
is all this blood found? From donors,
such as those at PCC.
Preparations by Circle
К
for the
volunteer blood drive to be held on
campus November 1 and 2 of this
semester are already underway.
John Koss, Circle
К
president, and
Alvar Kauti, dean of student activities,
met Monday -with Shawn Sorensen, a
consultant of the Red Cross to discuss
the organization and publicity of the
event.
The purpose of the conference is
three-fold. It plans: to teach the
college representatives about their
own community's individual need for
blood ; to teach them the techniques of
a successful drive; to give the par¬
ticipants educational information
about blood usage and component
theory. Members of the Circle K, the
sponsor group at PCC. will attend the
conference scheduled October 7-8.
This advance preparation is
necessary if PCC is to have a suc¬
cessful drive, Koss explained. The goal
set by Circle
К
is 140 pints for each of
the two days.
A total of 12 beds will be set up in the
Campus Center to accommodate the
Tryouts for the 1978-79 Tournament
of Roses royal court will be held
Saturday, Sept. 23, in the Wrigley
Gardens, 392 S. Orange Grove Blvd.,
Pasadena, from 9 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5
p.m.. and again from 3 to 5 p.m.
September 25.
Members of the Association's Queen
and Court Committee under the
chairmanship of George L. Throop,
donors. Participants can sign up for
the event, held from 9 a.m. to 1:30
p.m., at tables located in front of C and
U buildings.
There will be more locations if Circle
К
can get volunteers to man them.
"The more people involved, the more
beneficial the drive will be to the Red
Cross," Koss added.
Jr., are currently visiting schools to
acquaint coeds with the entry
requirements.
Both the atmosphere and dress is
casual for the tryouts. Contestants are
asked to wear school clothes, but to
avoid wearing pant suits or slacks.
Further information may be ob¬
tained by calling the Pasadena
Tournament of Roses Association at
449-4100 or 681-3724.
JUSTER TRIUMPHS— Dr. Norman Juster accepts the J. Ray Risser
Award from Risser himself. The grand tribute is chosen expressly
by PCC students. Superintendent-President E. Howard Floyd
watches the proceedings. -courier photo by s.k.
Risser Award Presented
To Dr. Norman Juster
Adolescent Wizards
Can Enroll for Spring
Rose Queen Interviews
791966