Spring Sing brings students to the stage. See Images, page 12 May 16, 2013
Volume 86, Issue 14
Published Since 1927
Woman dies in hit-and-run on Carson
D.A. PHILLIPS/VIKING TRAGEDY: Long Beach police and firefighters investigate a deadly crash at Clark Avenue and Carson Street next to the LAC on Wednesday, May 15 at 11:15 a.m.
Fatal four-car collision shuts down intersection at Clark Avenue during middle of the day. Multiple motorists also injured as LBPD reroutes traffic for hours. By Tonia Ciancanelli Managing Editor Additional reporting by Clara Cordeiro and Jesus Hernandez
The driver of a white Lexus sedan fled the scene on foot after causing a fatal collision involving three other cars in the intersection of Carson Street and Clark Avenue about 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15. Will Nash, Long Beach Fire
Department public information officer, said a female in her 30’s was driving a white Toyota Supra and was killed in the collision. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:17 a.m. The Los Angeles County coroner could not release the identity. Authorities did not release her name because her family had not been officially notified. The driver of the Lexus, a 21-year-old male, identified as Mario Ivan Palasox, was arrested in
connection with the crash, police said. Accident investigator detective Sirilo Garcia said Palasox will probably be charged with gross vehicular manslaughter and hit and run. Whether Palasox was under the influence of any substance is still being investigated, police said. He was not a student at LBCC, Garcia said. The body of the female remained in the vehicle and was re-
moved by the coroner around 1:30 p.m. Two victims in the white Scion were transported to a nearby hospital on basic life support with nonlife threatening injuries, Nash said, and their names were not released. Victor Munoz, 21, a former LBCC student who lives across from the P Building, said he pulled a man and a woman out of the Scion, but when he went back to the Supra, he was unable to pull the woman from the car because the
door would not budge. “I tried to break the glass on the Supra, but couldn’t and then I saw the body just lying there. I just feel terrible,” Munoz said. The suspect was located in the parking lot north of the Auditorium at LAC where he was detained and positively identified as the person in the collision who fled, Garcia said.
By Marcy Lopez Staff Writer
City Hall protesting and holding their signs while loudly chanting, “Save our trade!” Other signs said, “Don’t tread on me or my classes.” Cirilo Hernandez, 50, an auto mechanics major was in front of City Hall protesting. He only needed one more class to complete the requirements for his auto mechanic certificate, but due to the budget cuts, the program closed. Clemente Jassco, 36, an aircraft mechanics major, said, “I am one of the few students coming from a different city and expecting to be educated at LBCC, because of the environment and the good things that I’ve heard about the particular classes that I want to take.” Jassco is trying to further his education in the aviation pro-
gram, but because of the cuts, he has had to divert his education. Jassco handed out fliers outside City Hall to spread the awareness of what is going on with the programs. Troia believes that the cuts will have a bad impact on LBCC because there will be less access to education for minority groups and veterans. President Eloy Oakley has said that many of the courses that have been discontinued will be part of other degree or certificate programs. More modern classes, such as alternative fuels and cyber security will be added. Oakley believes that these changes are part of LBCC’s attempt to look ahead when it comes to career and technical training.
See Crash, page 3
Gala scheduled to Protests continue at PCC celebrate 85 years
By Mayra Castro Staff Writer LBCC will celebrate 85 years of excellence by recognizing Vikings alumni of the decade, nominated favorite employees and Hall of Fame members in a gala celebration on Thursday, May 30. Vikings of the Decade will be recognized for each decade from the 1930s-2000s. Alumni are nominated based on their LBCC spirit, career accomplishments, community service and dedication to LBCC. Among those being recognized at the gala as a Viking of
the Decade is C.C. Sadler, who attended LBCC from 1980-1982. Sadler began working part-time for LBCC’s Foundation in 1992. In 1999, Sadler was hired as the first educational technologist of the college. Yahne DuQuesnay, 45, a human services major, said, “C.C. is the face of LBCC, she is very interactive, she knows a little about everything.” DuQuesnay, who has worked alongside Sadler as a student assistant for the past two years, also said, “It’s good that people who have extraordinary talents and personalities are being recognized.”
See Gala, page 9
More than 100 LBCC students and supporters marched from the PCC to Long Beach City Hall, on Wednesday, May 1, from 9:00 a.m., to 11:30 a.m. The march was organized by Student Trustee Jason Troia to reach out and attempt to regain the programs discontinued. In January, the Board of Trustees voted 4-1 to cut programs that were subjects of the protest, such as conditioning and refrigeration, audio production, auto body, auto mechanics, aviation maintenance, carpentry, diesel mechanics, interior design, photography, real estate and welding. Students and supporters who are being affected by program cuts stood outside Long Beach
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See Protest, page 9
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