Gym

Angelique Flores After months of struggle between school officials and neighbors over Ocean View School District's proposed middle school gym construction, the two sides pulled together, slightly, in presenting recommendations to the school board Tuesday night. But the support from residents was far from overwhelming. The recommendations, made by community advisory committees set up at each school by the board, were an attempt to lay out what construction both the school and surrounding neighbors could live with.

Angelique Flores Ocean View School District's proposal to build a gymnasium-auditorium at each of the four middle schools has raised both concerns and confusion among residents. With many questions unanswered, some have all but welcomed the proposed gyms into their neighborhoods. While the district is still in the early stages of the project, some concerned residents are still unsettled about the plans. The school community has been discussing the project for a few years, but Supt.

The Ocean View School District Board of Trustees will hold two special meetings on March 13 and April 3 regarding the proposed auditoriums/gymnasiums slated for the middle schools. The first meeting will include the recommendations of each middle school community advisory committee on the proposed gyms. The recommendations will be available to the community March 15. At the second meeting in April, the board will review and discuss the funding, usage, location, size, design, traffic and parking at each site.

Neighbors of the Brethren Christian Junior and Senior High School are in settlement talks with the city of Huntington Beach, after filing a lawsuit against them. The neighbors, who formed the Neighborhoods for Safety and Quality, filed a lawsuit June 19 over the construction of the private school?s new gymnasium. The 26,785-square-foot, 31-foot-tall building is part of the school?s $3.5-million renovation plan. The settlement talk is a common first step in a lawsuit, said Terry Crowther, a Neighborhoods for Safety and Quality member in the settlement discussion.

Angelique Flores A passionate group of about 400 residents, teachers and students crowded the Marine View multipurpose room as Ocean View school board trustees took initial steps toward the construction of controversial gymnasiums at three middle school sites. The 4-1 decision brought mixed support from the crowd, half of whom wore yellow tags in support of the gyms, and others waving bright, red "disagree" or "Think Recall!" signs. Still, board President Carol Kanode said she thought the decision addressed many concerns.

Angelique Flores HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Ocean View School District Trustee Pam Ogdon may vote on the Spring View Middle School gymnasium project even though she lives near the site. This legal opinion, the second one sought in this matter, came after questions were raised earlier this year regarding a potential conflict of interest. Ogdon, who lives near Spring View Middle School, recused herself from "participation, discussion and decisions that could involve Spring View" at the April 3 study session on the gyms until a legal counsel opinion was made.

Angelique Flores Ocean View School District trustee Pam Ogdon has asked a former attorney with the Fair Political Practices Commission to rule on whether she has a conflict of interest in voting on the district's middle school gymnasium project. Ogdon who lives near Spring View Middle School, recused herself from "participation, discussion, and decisions that could involve Spring View" at the study session on the gyms Tuesday night. According to the government code, "No public official at any level of state or local government shall make, participate in making or in any way attempt to use his official position to influence a governmental decision in which he knows or has reason to know he has a financial interest."

Area rug rats are turning into gym rats. Fitwize 4 Kids, which opened July 1, is geared to kids and youth between the ages of 6 ½ and 15. More than just a fitness center, it offers classes like yoga, hip hop and step aerobics, as well as nutrition classes where kids learn about what Fitwize calls “Go Foods,” “Slow Foods” and “Whoa Foods.” Within the colorful, modern space, specially sized and calibrated workout machines are used in a circuit that is alternated with social activities like basketball and relay races.

Angelique Flores The creation of community advisory committees to help channel a controversial middle school gym project hasn't healed all the wounds in the Ocean View School District, as some residents continue to claim the planning for the gyms was unfair. "Things had an opportunity to get better, but I think now they're worse," said Marine View resident Todd Emmons.In September, the board approved the construction of a gymnasium/auditorium at each of the four middle schools: Marine View, Mesa View, Spring View and Vista View Middle Schools.

Angelique Flores HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The Ocean View School District Board of Trustees want to work with upset residents before building gymnasiums at the four middle schools. However, another batch of emotional residents addressed the board Tuesday night about concerns relating to traffic, public use and the size of the buildings. While a few requested that the board rescind the vote to build the gyms, others said they understood the need for them.