A4  PALO VERDE VALLEY TIMES, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Spirit week at Palo

Verde High School
BY CATHYLEEN RICE
TIMES REPORTER
All week long at Palo
Verde High School, stu-
LOANED PHOTO dents were encouraged
SUPERINTENDENT CHARLES BUSH RECENTLY  responded to to participate in the
accusations of bullying within PVUSD. school’s annual spirit
week by dressing up ac-
Taking the floor right
after JV, the Varsity
Yellow Jackets also fell
to the mighty Spartans
ending the game with a
58-51 score.
However, with a 5-2
record regionally, the
Yellow Jackets played BEFORE THE START OF THE THIRD QUARTER,  the JV Boys

Supt. Bush replies cording to daily themes

and coming out to last
Thursday’s spirit day
in their first round of
the playoffs last Monday
night against the San
Coach told athlets to pick their heads up and play defense,
as he drew out a defensive “pick” to form, to help put more
numbers up on the board for the home team.

to accusations of
home games. Ysidro High School Cou-
Facing the Central gars.
Union High School In addition to team
Spartans, the Junior spirit week and regional

district bullying Varsity Yellow Jackets

basketball team fell in
the last quarter, ending
the game with 52-46; and
home games, outside on
the fields, the lady Jack-
ets went head to head
against the Holtville
BY CATHYLEEN RICE culture for a long time.” their season with a 10-16 High School Vikings,
TIMES REPORTER Because of that, he said, record. where they also fell 2-0.
On board with the Palo “Now, that [we’re] try- WITH A MISSED LAYUP AND FILED  by the Yellow Jackets, the
Verde Unified School ing to reset the course of PHOTOS BY CATHYLEEN RICE/PALO VERDE VALLEY TIMES Spartans were given the opportunity to make two shots from
District for the past 18 things, we are uncover- the file line.
months, Superintendent ing a lot of stuff, [and]
Charles Bush shared with when people (board mem-
the Times that while serv- bers) perceive that, when
ing in his position he can they think that the way
confirm that bullying is they have always done
something being experi- something is under at-
enced at all levels in the tack, they react and push
district. back. We have dealt with
a great many of issues in
According to the dis-
the last 18 months, and
trict administrator, not
most of those issues have
only is bullying a problem
required a change to our
experienced at almost ev-
processes to get us in
ery school site in the dis-
compliance with the law.
trict, where students are
“I have sought to make
allegedly being bullied by
the changes without seek-
peers or by teachers, but ing to blame someone and
Bush said bullying is also get us on the right track.
an issue amongst higher To me it doesn’t matter
ups, which is “exactly the why we are violating the
wrong example for our law, it only matters that
kids.” we take steps to correct it.
From school admin- However, there are
istrators down to board many in the district that
members on the school sees this as a change and
board, Bush said there is a personal attack on their
a lot of dysfunction in the power and authority.
district that is disabling Sometimes these people
the board from operating push back against things THE SPARTANS GOES UP  for a  lay-up over the head of the Jacket’s Center Guard No. 15.
cohesively. and it can be seen as bul-
Bush shared with the lying. I don’t think the
Times, “Straightening board members see them-
out this dysfunction selves as bullies, but yes,
sometimes is a difficult I have seen board mem-
task. As a board, we lack bers treat each other very
good communication. badly to try to intimidate
For instance, not all the another member of the
board members do their board.”
homework. This means Even as acting super-
that they are not read- intendent of the district,
ing the information pro- Bush said he, too has
vided to them by staff, been intimidated and bul-
are not communicating lied by school board mem-
problems that they hear bers. THE VARSITY BOYS GOING HEAD  to head with
about to staff so it can be “This goes back to the THE NIGHT WAS COLD,  but the lady Jackets played tooth and nail keeping up the Spartans during the 1st quarter of the game
addressed, and [some] issues of power imbalance with the Spartans. on last Thursday at Spirit Night.
are not seeking to resolve and how people deal with
problems. that power imbalance.
When some Board The thing is, though that
members don’t do their it is extremely important
homework and others do, that the board work hard
CA sues Trump administration over water protection
it makes it hard for them to set the example, if they BY JULIE CART ment and depletions and undo yet another critical end to a free-for-all in
to have good discussions can demonstrate positive CALMATTERS.ORG as a bulwark against pol- environmental protec- which states applied dif-
about things.” problem solving, we can
Therefore, when it use it as the example for California has joined a lution. tion,” Becerra said in fering interpretations.
Attorney General a statement. “We will The new definitions in-
comes to closed or open how everyone else is sup- group of states suing two Xavier Becerra an- do what is necessary to
session meetings, Bush posed to act.” federal agencies for sus- nounced today that he defend the Clean Water cluded floodplains and
said when board mem- Inferring that some pending a 2015 rule that sued the Environmental Rule and our right to streams that do not flow
bers aren’t able to do board policies aren’t fol- extended the definition Protection Agency and clean water. The Rule year-round.
their homework, the re- lowed because of a select of streams and wetlands the U.S. Army Corps of was legally promulgat- Those rules were
sponse to attending to the board member, who al- entitled to protection un- Engineers, bringing the ed, based on science, and strenuously opposed by
bullying needs of the stu- legedly intimidates his der the Clean Water Act. number of suits filed by will help protect our pre- developers, who said
dents, parents and teach- way of power holding, The “waters of the California against the cious water resources.” they swept up much of
ers aren’t being handled Bush said the entire staff United States” rule was Trump Administration The Obama-era regu- the undeveloped land in
responsibly by board can use more training adopted in 2015 to better to more than two dozen. lation was intended to
California.
members. and use opportunities to define which bodies of “The California De- apply rigorous science
Although he said board inquire information so water are covered under partment of Justice will to more clearly spell out CALmatters is an independent public
members are trying their that no-one group of peo- federal law, both for pro- not spectate as this ad- which waterways were interest journalism venture covering
best to reverse this be- ple aren’t favored over tection against develop- ministration attempts to protected and to put an California state politics and government.
havior so that reoccur- another, which will help
ring issues are fixed and stop board members from
resolved in a timely man- refusing to open their
ner, Bush shared with the ears to the loud cries of
Times, “It is hard to say bullying, and forced to re-
as a district we are hear- spond responsibly to com-
ing and responding to the munity needs.
needs. Part of the problem He said, “It can be a
is that as a school district, slow process, but as long
we have gone on with this as everyone is working
dysfunction as part of our on it, we will get there.”

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The Blythe Animal Shelter is
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Call (760) 921-7857 or
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Give them away! Free animals
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n Cakes 9026 W Hobsonway.
Cub Scout Pack 442
148 North 1st Street Meets
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kindergarten thru 4th grade
California Women For
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Meets every 2nd Tuesday at 12
noon in the County Ag Building
Palo Verde Improvement
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Tuesday of each month at the
PVIA building 1:00 pm. Palo
Verde CA. Public welcome.
Rotary Club of Blythe
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at Steaks n Cakes
9026 W. Hobsonway.
SOROPTIMIST Addiction Recovery Program
INTERNATIONAL OF BLYTHE 700 N. Broadway
Meets first 3 Tuesday's of Thursday Nights @ 6pm.
each month at 5:30 pm
at Steaks & Cakes
9028 W. Hobsonway Weight Loss
TOPS
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post 2987 148 North 1st Street at the Nazarene Church
Meets on the 1st Monday of 131 N. 2nd St.
every month @ 6 pm
Special Interest Groups Women’s Groups
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Meets every Monday
Meets Thursday at 6 pm
at the Nazarene Church at 5:30 pm
131 N. 2nd St.
131 North 2nd Street
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AL-Anon Meetings Boys Scouts Troop 429
131 N. 2nd St. Tuesday 6-7 pm 700 N. Broadway
meets weekly For more info. Cubs Meet at 6pm
call Bob (760) 574-0292. Boy Scouts meet at 7pm

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