Spring View residents speak out on gymnasium proposal

Angelique Flores

After months of silence from the Spring View neighborhood,

residents asserted their discord with the Ocean View School District’s

plans to build gymnasiums at the four middle schools.

Representatives from the Marine View and Mesa View middle school

communities welcomed new trustees Barbara Boskovich and Pam Ogdon and

gave the board a rest from the usual line of discourse on the gym

project, only to make room for the upset Spring View residents.

Speaker Stefan Rubendall, who lives in the Spring View Middle School

neighborhood, dispelled any belief the residents’ previous lack of

involvement was out of agreement with the project.

“Our past silence was due to a lack of knowledge,” he said.

Those in attendance cited many of the same concerns that were raised

over the last few months by residents in the three other middle school

areas. Among the list of issues are traffic, funding, parking, renting

the facility and property values.

Unlike many other residents from the other middle school areas who are

willing to work with a district to reach a compromise on the project,

many of these residents clearly told the board they do not want any

gymnasium in their neighborhood.

To support the residents, voices from the Crest View United campaign,

a group opposed the lease of Wal-Mart at the closed Crest View School

site, resurrected themselves at the meeting. Speakers drew comparisons of

the old Wal-Mart battle to the current gymnasium project.

“It’s our job to slow down these things and listen to the community,”

Trustee Carol Kanode. “There’s lots of things to look at.”

In other business at the meeting:

* Kanode, who has served on the board for 10 years, was unanimously

elected president. This is her second term as president. Ogdon was

unanimously voted in as the board clerk.

* The district honored Efren Barrera with the Wave Maker Award.

Barrera, a custodian at Harbour View Elementary School, works to ensure

administrators, staff and students return to a clean and orderly site

each morning. He goes above and beyond his assigned duties to help staff

and administration on special projects.

* Assistant Supt. of Human Resources Michael Luker updated the board

with the tentative contractual agreement between the district and the

California School Employees Assn. The proposed collective bargaining

agreement allows for a 10.96% increase to the salary schedule of

classified employees retroactive to July 1. A public hearing will be held

Jan. 16.