SEE PAGE 3 FOR SCHIFF DEMANDS BODY-WORN CAMERAS FOR OFFICERS
SEE PAGE 4 FOR “KILL-SWITCHES” NOW MANDATORY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 7, 2014
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Ten day waiting period for guns ruled unconstitutional BY JENNIFER SCHLUETER
The case was introduced in 2011 by two individual gun owners and two gun owner rights groups, the Calguns Foundation and the Second Amendment Foundation, who disagreed with the waiting period. According to the San Francisco Gate (SF Gate), “the two individual plaintiffs in the case, had decided not to make the
their respective jurisdictions. The Norwalk District Attorney’s Office has filed eight felony counts against Mr. Pulver. He was arraigned on Tuesday, August 19, 2014, and is being held in lieu of $2.4 million dollars bail. If convicted, Mr. Pulver could face up to 15 Please see page 4
Please see page 2
purchase because of the time and expense needed for a second trip to a gun shop.” Last Monday, Ishii declared the waiting period unreasonable because people who rightfully purchased a gun had already passed criminal and mental health state background Please see page 2
LASD Special Victims detectives arrest teacher for Lewd Acts on a 3-year old child Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Special Victim’s Bureau South Team Detectives, arrested Thomas Burke Pulver, (Male, White, 36 years of age) in regards to a Lewd Acts with a minor allegation in the La Mirada area on Friday. The victim is a 3-yearold female, who is a family member of the suspect.
During the investigation, detectives discovered that the suspect was previously employed as a day care teacher in the Orange County area as well as a teacher in several Orange County locations. The concerned police agencies have been notified and are presently conducting their inquiries and notifying potential victims in
Welcome back to a new school year! Welcome to another wonderful school year at Cypress School District! The start of a new year is exciting for all of us. The entire District team— from the Board of Trustees to teachers in the classroom to District support staff—spent the summer eagerly preparing for your student’s return. Cypress School District is committed to the development of each child’s maximum potential so they can grow to be happy, healthy, contributing members of our society. The District’s theme for the 2014/15 school year is “Together Toward Tomorrow.” Together, we are all working Toward preparing our students for a bright Tomorrow. It is our goal to ensure that all students develop the critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creative skills necessary to become 21st century learners who are college and/or career ready. Welcome New Staff: We are pleased to welcome new staff members for the 2014/15 school year. Across the District, we have hired 18 teachers, 2 School Psychologists, a Library Clerk, and a District Nurse. These well qualified, highly trained, dedicated, and enthusiastic new employees will be joining an already outstanding staff. Arnold School: We are happy to announce the reopening of the newly modernized A.E. Arnold School site for the 2014/15 school year. A Grand Reopening event is planned for October 17, 2014 on the Arnold campus. Passage of the Measure M bond measure by
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First-time gun purchasers in California not only have to go through a detailed background check, but also wait ten days to hold their new gun in their hands. In Silvester v. Harris, such a ten day waiting period for already-judged competent gun owners was ruled unconstitutional by U.S. District Judge Anthony Ishii of Fresno.
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Guidance on unaccompanied immigrant children issued to CA schools Setting aside $3.5 million in federal funding to assist schools that see an increase in unaccompanied immigrant children this school year, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson last week advised school districts of their obligation to serve every child in California regardless of where they come from or where they were born. “We don’t make immigration policy in our classrooms; we help every child who comes through our doors,” Torlakson said. “With our help and support, I am confident that California’s schools will be able to provide a safe haven for children waiting for authorities to reunite them with their families.” Torlakson said the $3.5 million represents federal Title III funds to help school districts that may have experienced a significant increase in immigrant students. The funds may be used for improving instruction, providing tutoring and intensified instruction, and conducting community participation programs. School districts are eligible when data demonstrate a growth of 3 percent in the qualifying student population as compared to the average of the two previous years. To receive funding, school
districts submit a plan for a quality supplemental program to help these children, and then apply for the Title III Immigrant funding. However, this funding does not distinguish between those students who enter the United States accompanied or unaccompanied. CDE receives and distributes funds from several federal programs to supplement existing programs designed to assist immigrant children, whether they enter the United States accompanied or unaccompanied. These services include: •Services for educationally disadvantaged children (Title I, Part A); •Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); •English language acquisition programs (Title III); •McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; and •Migrant education programs (Title I, Part C). Other assistance is available directly from the federal government. The United States Department of Education outlined assistance to help schools welcome immigrant children through its fact sheet on Educational Services for Immigrant Children and Those Recently Arrived to the United States.
No 10 day waiting period for guns Continued from page 1
check, and thus would not pose a safety concern. Opponents of the ruling, such as Attorney Lindsay Nichols of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a San Francisco gun-control organization, told the SF Gate that she found Ishii’s decision “disturbing” because the waiting period serves as an important “cooling-off” period for people who intend to buy the guns out of an an emotional act such as suicide, or out of anger. Ishii disagreed with Nichols point: “For those who already own a firearm and are known to be trustworthy due to the licenses that they hold and a history of responsible gun ownership, there is no justification for imposing the full 10day waiting period,” he wrote. Miko Tempski, general counsel for the Second Amendment Foundation, agrees and told the Washington Post: “Basically, the waiting period doesn’t make any sense when someone has already been cleared, has a concealed-carry permit and already owns a gun.” The judge wrote: “The
Second Amendment applies to ‘arms’ and its language does not limit its full protections to a single firearm. Some firearms are better suited for particular lawful purposes than others. Defendant has cited no authority that suggests that the Second Amendment only has application to a single firearm.” Brandon Combs, executive director of the Calguns Foundation, agrees calling Ishii’s decision “an important step toward restoring fundamental individual liberties in the Golden State.” The possibility of an appeal to the NinthU.S. Circuit Court of Appeals exists, because Ishii delayed his 56-page ruling’s effective date for 180 days. This time period would also allow the Legislature to rewrite existing laws. California is one among 10 other states imposing a waiting period on gun purchasers. Furthermore, the state bans models that are legal in other state’s and requires “micro-stamping” in new semiautomatic handgun chambers in order to identify cartridges at crime scenes.
Welcome back to a new school year Continued from page 1
voters in 2008 allowed the District to fully modernize Arnold, King, Luther, Morris, and Vessels Schools and partially modernize Landell School. In addition to being newly modernized, Arnold was selected as a 2014 California Distinguished School! Congratulations Arnold Lions! Safe Schools: Cypress School District will continue to provide a high quality education for every child. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and staff, I would like to thank each of you for your support of our bond modernization program, which has resulted in safe and well-equipped schools. As partners, we are making a difference each day for all students.
Parent Involvement: Parent involvement is important! There are many opportunities to be involved in your child’s education, from joining the PTA to helping out at special events and volunteering in classrooms. We welcome you and value your participation in your child’s education. Communication is Key! Please make it a point to regularly visit our District and school web pages (www.cypsd. k12.ca.us) for valuable and helpful information. Thank you for your continued support of our students and District. I know 2014/15 will be another great year of many successes for our students and community.
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Rep. Schiff urges Department of Justice to fund body-worn cameras for local police departments Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that he is circulating a letter to his colleagues which will be sent to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice to help fund local police departments’ purchase of small body-worn cameras in order to increase transparency, decrease tensions between police and community members, and create a record of events. Schiff, who is a member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee and former Assistant U.S. Attorney, stated: “As the investigation into the death of Michael Brown illustrates, the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting can arouse the strongest passions in a community and breed an atmosphere of profound distrust. Having a video record of events not only deters the use of excessive force, but it also helps dispute or demonstrate claims of police brutality – in either case it improves community confidence in a just result. Studies done in localities that have implemented body-worn cameras have shown a positive impact by demonstrating a commitment to transparency and accountability and helping to deescalate potentially tense interactions. “Given the Department of Justice’s crucial role in helping state and local law enforcement adopt best practices, I believe it’s time to expand our support to include assistance to law enforcement agencies that would like to adopt body-worn camera technology for their police officers. The Department of Justice can use existing funding streams, or work with Congress to create a new pool of resources for local governments to help implement body-worn cameras for police officers throughout the country.” From the letter: “Police
departments around the country have begun adopting small body-worn cameras for police officers on patrol. These cameras provide a visual and audio record of interactions with the public, so that in the event of a confrontation or policeinvolved shooting, such as the one that occurred in Ferguson, there is an inalterable record of the events. There are also indications that the presence of body cameras has a civilizing effect on both police officers and the public, resulting in lower incidences of excessive force complaints and deescalating tense situations before they
become violent. Perhaps most importantly, cameras can instill greater trust in police departments on the part of the public they are sworn to protect. In communities with frayed police-community relations, cameras demonstrate a commitment on the part of the local police department to transparency and accountability, while protecting officers from false or frivolous complaints. For all these reasons, the adoption of body cameras has been well received in the jurisdictions that have begun to use them, both by the public and the officers wearing the cameras.”
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Ten second warning of FEMA urges caution following Napa earthquake makes California Earthquake The Federal Emergency vate interest groups who provide the case for full west coast Management Agency (FEMA), emergency assistance required through its Regional Office in to protect the public's health and Oakland, California, is monitor- safety and to meet immediate huearly warning system ing the situation following the man needs. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) released the following statement after the U.C. Berkeley Seismological Lab provided residents in Oakland and San Francisco with a ten second warning before the Napa Valley earthquake shook their homes, businesses and infrastructure: "Today's successful use of the early earthquake warning system shows that a full West Coast system would be successful in giving residents, businesses and critical infrastructure an important warning of a large magnitude earthquake. While this was not the 'big one,' we need to be prepared to save lives and protect vital infrastructure -- even a few seconds of warning will allow people to seek cover, automatically slow or stop
trains, pause surgeries and more." Earlier this year, Rep. Schiff through the Appropriations Committee included $5 million in funding in the Fiscal Year 2015 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill for the Earthquake Early Warning System, the first time Congress has ever provided funding specifically for the system. Schiff also led a group of 25 Members from California, Washington and Oregon in organizing a request that the committee fund an early earthquake warning system. A limited system developed by Caltech, UC-Berkeley and University of Washington, in conjunction with the United State Geological Survey (USGS), has already been deployed and has proven that the early warning technology is sound.
Update: “Kill-switches” for cell phones now mandatory BY JENNIFER SCHLUETER Last Monday, Governor Jerry inoperable should they fall into Brown signed a bill into law which the wrong hands. Rightful ownrequires cellphone producers to ers would be able to lock their install a “kill-switch” into phones phones with antitheft software. manufactured after July 1, 2015, The bill was introduced by State and sold in California. These “kill- Senator Mark Leno as a result of switches” will make smartphones constantly rising cellphone thefts.
U.S. Geological Survey report of a 6.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred this morning six miles south southwest of Napa, California. FEMA remains in close coordination with California officials, and its Regional Watch Center is at an enhanced watch to provide additional reporting and monitoring of the situation, including impacts of any additional aftershocks. FEMA deployed liaison officers to the state emergency operations center in California and to the California coastal region emergency operations center to help coordinate any requests for federal assistance. FEMA also deployed a National Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT West) to California to support response activities and ensure there are no unmet needs. “I urge residents and visitors to follow the direction of state, tribal and local officials,” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. “Aftershocks can be strong enough to cause additional damage to weakened structures and can occur in the first hours, days, weeks or even months after the quake.” When disasters occur, the first responders are local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations and numerous pri-
-Expect aftershocks. These secondary shockwaves are usually less violent than the main quake but can be strong enough to do additional damage to weakened structures and can occur in the first hours, days, weeks or even months after the quake. -During an earthquake, drop, cover and hold on. Minimize movements to a few steps to a nearby safe place. If indoors, stay there until the shaking has stopped and exiting is safe. -If it is safe to do so, check on neighbors who may require assistance. -Use the telephone only for emergency calls. Cellular and land line phone systems may not be functioning properly. The use of text messages to contact family is the best option, when it is available. -Check for gas leaks. If you know how to turn the gas off, do so and report the leak to your local fire department and gas company. -More safety tips can be found at www.ready.gov/earthquakes. FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.
Lewd Acts on a child Continued from page 1
years to life in prison. At this time, there are no additional victims in the Los Angeles County area; however, the investigations of the other concerned agencies are currently on-going. Anyone with information about Mr. Pulver, or if your child had contact with him, should please contact your lo-
cal law enforcement agency. If you would like to provide information anonymously, you can call “L.A. Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or texting the letters “TIPLA” plus your tip to “CRIMES” (274637). You can also report information by accessing the website at www.lacrimestoppers.com.