Feb. 25th vote could be be a tentative first step toward possible campus expansion

The possibility of a major campus development lies tantalizing on the Bellarmine-Jefferson horizon this winter.

The development would take mega doses of determin- tion and dollars to reach reality. And a dollop of luck. It would also require a 66% approval by Burbank voters on a February 25, 2003, bond issue.

The city wants to replace its central library, building a new one across Glenoaks Blvd. from the existing one, at a cost of $30 million. The current structure, of course, abuts the BJ campus.

And that’s the stuff of which dreams are made. Maybe, just maybe, some day the whole block could be ours. City officials are aware of the school’s interest.
Money for construction of a new central library would come from the February bond issue, $13 million Measure L, and a state proposition approved by voters in 2000. The funding split would be 65% state, 35% Burbank. Plans include rebuilding the Northwest library branch on Victory Blvd. near Hollywood Way.

“It’s the best bang you’re going to get for your buck,” says developer Roger Cusumano, member of a citizen’s group which backs Measure L. Also the father of two BJ graduates, Julie (‘90) and Tony (‘92), Roger warns, “Once that (state) bond money’s used up, you’re not going to see (another) bond issue passed for libraries in 10-20-30 years.”

The city calculates it would cost each Burbank homeowner $1.00 per $100,000 assessed (taxable) value per month ... $12 per year. Factoring in the city’s substantial business taxes, homeowners would receive $1.00 worth of construction for each 17 cents they pay in property tax.

The city warns that, with favorable terms like these, the competition for state grants is intense. In the first cycle, 61 cities and counties applied. Eighteen were approved from the $350 million Proposition 14. If the state refuses Burbank’s application, the city’s Measure L would become moot, no tax increase.

With a reputation for finding and acting on successful real estate development deals, Roger Cusumano virtually brims with enthusiasm over what two new libraries would do for the community.

“Anybody who has any thoughts whether or not to vote for it (Measure L), needs to go over there (the new Buena Vista branch opened in Dec. 2002). I took my grand kids and they’re only three years old. They’re walking in and they see the big (interior) tree. They see the pretty pictures and the bright colors. It’s some place they can get enthused; they want to go.”

By most standards the new Buena Vista branch is, indeed, impressive ... so much so that some ask whether Burbank needs two more.

“It would be like saying we have one park. It’s all fixed up and that’s all we need,” according to Roger. “You have to have libraries strategically located, where everybody can use them. All the parks have been worked on. They’re in good shape. The library is the next thing.”

There’s a reason why Burbank residents are “so happy about the price of their homes,” says Roger. “We have better public facilities. It’s not necessarily because of the paint job they’ve put on the house. It’s what’s around it.”Another thing that makes Burbank attractive, according to Roger, is the money being spent on public school construction and reduced class sizes.

For that, there’s a seconding vote from BJ principal, Sr. Cheryl Milner, who keeps classes at about 25 students. As a result, current space available caps total enrollment in the 350 range. Sr. Cheryl sees a library acquisition allowing 600.

“A school with 600 students is able to provide a greater variety of programs. This would be a dream come true. Every Bellarmine-Jefferson principal has dreamt of this possibility. It looks like the dreams of all those years may be coming true.”

Fr. Lawrence Signey, pastor of St. Robert’s (Alumni News, Autumn 2002), also would like to see the current library property acquired. For one thing, his parishoners would appreciate the extra parking.

If the bond issue passes and the city’s application is accepted by the state, says Roger, there should be a mini-master plan to see “what the needs of the parish are; what the needs of the (high) school are ... (The library property) is the only place they’ve got to go ...“The nice thing about it, you’ve got three or four years to do something. It’s doesn’t have to be a crash program.”

From dawn until after dark, BJ students heaped Christmas 2002 cheer on many of the less-fortunate. From Los Angeles’ Skid Row to Burbank supermarkets, boys and girls contributed hours and hours of weekend and vacation time.

For a second year, with cheery smiles and tinkling bells, they helped the Burbank Salvation Army counter a national downward trend of charitable giving.
Donations from the Guards’ buckets actually exceeded their 2001 total by nearly one third.

Other students “saw real poverty,” according to campus minister Jeanne Essa. After an
early Saturday morning blessing by Cardinal Roger Mahony, the teenagers and faculty headed out from Los Angeles’ new cathedral to nearby Skid Row.

To families selected in advance, they delivered the food and gifts gathered in BJ’s annual student charity drive. Some of them, like Marcia Corcio, a junior, helped out with their knowledge of Spanish. “You could tell these people needed help, really bad,” she said.
Marcia told of pulling up to a building that “looked like a warehouse.” Inside, the young Guards found a family of four living in a single room, “smaller than a dormitory room”, with a communal bath at the end of the hall.

“They were very sweet,” said Marcia, “and very grateful. The children had never seen so many things (gifts and food) at one time.” BJ economics teacher Dennis Ryan, a retired stockbroker, coordinated the Salvation Army program again. He noted that a number of donors were alumni who recognized their school’s uniform on the bell ringers.

“Thank you for posting information about a Fall musical at Bellarmine-Jefferson (Alumni News, Summer 2002),” writes Rocio (Meave) Alonso (’85). “The young cast of ‘Alice’s Wonderland’ is very talented. My daughter Adrienne, 5, was in awe of Alice #1 (senior Lisa McVicker). It is so nice to see that the performing arts are still well and alive at BJ.”

For his next little number, faculty moderator, chemistry and video teacher Michael Kane has adapted Bertolt Brecht’s “The Good Woman of Sezuan” and
dressed it up with electronic special effects. It’s the story of three gods arriving on earth, in search of one good person.

Performances are April 3-5 and April 10-12, 2003. Seating is limited. Tell them Adrienne sent you.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Please Remember
Bellarmine-Jefferson
in your Will, Trust
or Estate Planning

1953 – Organizers are looking for help in planning a 50th. Contact: Anita Verwaltz, 818-842-1701 or Marcia (Romaker) O’Rourke, jorourk@pop3.utoledo.edu

1974 – John Agaman has set up shop at BJreunion1974(@aol.com for a 30th reunion. He welcomes help from any classmates.

1983 – On May 24, 2003, they’ll take over the top floor of Burbank’s Holiday Inn with its spectacular Valley view. Contact: Colleen (Shields) Campbell, colleenc@us.ibm.com, or Pat (Mattera) Saraceno, saraceno@aol.com

As befits the oldest Catholic high school in the San Fernando Valley, BJ alumni have some marvelous memories of their time together. Alumni Board members at their Nov. 14, 2002, meeting suggested this newsletter set about recording a few of those tales.

The inaugural offering comes from a former faculty member in the 1959-1967 period. Students of the time will remember her as Sr. Mary St. Albert, BVM, or Sr. Mary Sharon. She taught music primarily.

“Who could forget that first Christmas Cantata that I directed (1960, I think) when half the singers fainted. Someone had turned on the heat in the auditorium! When the student body performance was over (not-soon-enough), there were so many “bodies” laid out on the parade grounds in their white flannel robes that it looked like a disaster drill! It was Dr. John Flynn (he fortunately had attended the afternoon performance because his son had played the part of St. Joseph), who went from one student to the next, making sure that they would survive.”

Sr. Mary Sharon left the BVM Community in 1967, married Albert Piper, had two children and taught in the East Whittier City School District for 25 years. “Each time I read the Alumni News, I realize how much I miss all of you. aspiper@earthlink.net.”

There’ll be more lively nostalgia from now-Sharon Piper in a future issue. Meantime, if readers have memories they’d like to share, please submit them in writing to the alumni office via USPS or e-mail listed on the newsletter’s back page. Include a phone number. The editorial staff reserves the right to judge taste, verify claims and invoke the statute of limitations.

Three straight playoff seasons for the football team ... 12 straight league championships for the girls cross country team ... those were the highlights for BJ’s Autumn 2002 sports program.

Coach Rolando Aguirre’s football team tied with St. Genevieve for second in the Santa Fe League, then lost out in the first playoff round.

Coach Jim Couch’s cross country girls have come a long way from the days when Jonita Gallup (’76) ran with the boys for three years because the girls did not have a team. The 2002 team’s stunning 12th straight league championship came despite moving to a new league, Sunshine. In the CIF preliminaries, led by junior Pharrin Lewis, the girls finished a respectable fifth place. They did not qualify for state.

The cross country boys, behind sophomore Gerad Herkey, finished second in the Santa Fe League. In the Mt. SAC CIF finals, Herkey, at 17:01 for the 2.9 miles, came within three places of going to the state meet in Fresno.

Anybody for Stats?

Coach Aguirre has started building a statistics database for the football team. He has some impressive numbers from the 2002 team. Junior quarterback Brendon Doyle completed 103 of 203 pass attempts for l,553 yards, including 15 for touchdowns. As a free safety on defense, he had seven interceptions.

Whippet-fast (4.7 sec. for 40 yards) Derek Leiphardt totaled 920 yards in 75 carries. The sophomore running back tied a CIF record, bolting 99 yards from scrimmage against St. Monica for a touchdown.

Coach Aguirre scoured the campus for previous years’ stats but found none. He’d love to hear from any alumni with scrapbooks to share, 818-972-1411.

(Let us know where you are.)

1955—“We now live in Paradise,” writes Suzan (Fonnet) Honzik, from a “beautiful senior park” in Paradise, California. She’d love to hear from former classmates: Suezik1937@aol.com

1957 – Now in his 10th year as a rules official on the PGA Champions Tour, Richard (Skip) Whittet spends much time traveling the tournament trail. SWhittet@PGAtourHq.com

1958—Bernardine (Wombacher) Gordon retired as a bankruptcy court clerk in Connecticut and traveled for two years with husband Steve, a retired physician. Now they’re settling in Texas to be near their youngest daughter and grand children.

1960—As principal of a Santa Barbara high school, Morey Claydon earned the following awards in 2002: California co-Administrator of the Year (Assn. of Calif. State Administrators) and California’s MacDonalds National co-Administrator of the year. MClaydon2@cox.net

1962— As a late vocation, Kathy (Schoengarth) Schneidermeyer took up teaching the 5th grade 13 years ago. She visited a daughter in Pennsylvania over the holidays “with many inches of snow.”

1966—From Lawrence Livermore, Guy Dimonte transferred “to seek fame and fortune” at Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico. dimonte@lanl.gov

1969—By airplane and telephone, five former classmates re-united in October 2002. Becky (Arens) Kraft and Julie (Haley) Garrick joined Mary Ellen (Sullivan) Malan in Utah. While there, they ran up the phone bill talking to Andrea Kovalesky in Washington and Connie (Madrigal) Estrada in California.

1971—Her daughter Jennifer reports that Anne (Launder) Shelton died of cancer in March 2000. Anne and her husband Fred had five children.

Sue (Martens) Clement and husband Cliff moved to the Livermore Valley in 2001 and Sue poured over the local culture at a Wine Boot Camp.

1972—Richard Raad, serving as president of the Burbank School Board, is running for re-election in the February 25, 2003, primary.

1974—“I would love to know if anyone is down my way (Temecula, CA)”, writes Vicki (Adams) Tomaryn. “Receiving the latest Alumni News always puts an extra ‘spring in my step’ for that day.” crazyhorse44259@msn.com

1975— Mike Chapman wonders whether former classmates would like to work with him on a 30-year reunion, perhaps combining with 1974 or 1976. ChapmanMRB@cox.net

1978— Post-BJ, Joseph (Jay) Hud was graduated from Loyola Marymount and Creighton School of Medicine. His wife Karey suggests he set a record for Most Time Spent in Catholic Schools. They have four children and live in Tucson. Jay asks whether there’ll be a 25th. josephhud@yahoo.com

1979—Margaret (Puzio) Ingersoll works at Northridge Hospital and has three children. She would like to hear from former classmates. magieou812@aol.com

1980—After eight years in Pennsylvania, Robert Sanchez and wife Erin are working at Incarnation School, Glendale. They have two children. erinrobert@adelphia.net

1983—Tony Nitti is manager of film services at a quality assurance company “right down the street” from BJ. He reports that Sarah Acevedo works on-air at KCAL Ch. 9. tnitti@thx.com

1986—In the Nov. 5, 2002, election, Shane McLoud won a seat on the Santa Monica-Malibu School Board. He continues to teach in the L. A. District.

1989—Last summer, Tracy (Ross) Nelson moved to Florida with husband Matt and their daughter. CCBTracy@earthlink.net Richard Coles went to work as a project administrator after earning a Bachelor Degree from DeVry University in 2002.

1992—Lori Iacobellis owns an importing company and built a second home in Tuscany, Italy, last year.

1993—Titina (Folliero) Sarti and husband Gianluca had their first child Oct. 19, 2002. They live in Eagle Rock. tfolliero@aol.com

1995—Recently returned from Kuwait, Air Force Lt. Stefanie (Nocum) Williams is expecting another Mideast deployment soon.

1998—Besides being classmates, what do Jennifer Potter and Mullaney Richmond have in common? Mothers, Diane (Zambrano) Potter (’66) and Coleen Richmond (’76), took their first turns as St. Robert’s eucharistic ministers at the same Mass, Nov. 9, 2002.

1999—Lynda Marie Doria plans to graduate from Whittier College with a psychology degree in May 2003. hlpwako@yahoo.com

Please Email the information with your name, maiden name, graduation year, phone number to johnflynn@bell-jeff.net.

You can also mail all this information including your email address to BJHS Alumni Assn. 465 E. Olive Ave. Burbank, CA 91501