THE CIVIC CENTER in Westminster could become a revitalized mixed-use project. (OC Tribune photo).

Three community forums on the proposed new Westminster Civic Center are scheduled for this week. They will be held on Wednesday (April 18) from 6-7:30 p.m., Thursday (April 19) from 6-7:30 p.m. and Saturday (April 21) from 10 a.m. to noon.

Each will be held in the east/west room at the Community Center, 8200 Westminster Blvd. in Westminster.

Proposed for the Civic Center site are:

• a new purpose-built City Hall and community/senior facilities
• enhanced community use of facilities
• activation of economic development
• activation of public open space
• new single family housing
• a family destination and city culture.

Mendez vs. WSD Day resolution approved

The California State Senate – with the sponsorship of State Sen. Janet  Nguyen (R-34) – has declared April 14, 2018 as Mendez v. Westminster School District Day and recognizes the efforts of Sylvia Mendez.

In 1947, the Mendez family sued the WSD, which had a policy – along with several other Orange County cities – of segregating Mexican students, such as 9-year-old Sylvia, from white pupils and sending them to other campuses. The lawsuit was settled in behalf of the Mendez family and the segregation was dropped statewide.

Mendez vs. Westminster served as a precedent on the constitutionality of “separate but equal” public schools and led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 which banned segregation in schools nationwide.

Take a look at new language textbooks

New World Language textbooks recommended for adoption and purchase by the Garden Grove Unified School District will be on public display from Monday, April 16 through Monday, May 14 at the Garden Grove Unified School District Education Center, 10331 Stanford Ave., Garden Grove.. The new materials are for French, Spanish and Vietnamese grades 7 – 12.

Regular preview times are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Textbook Preview Area, on the first floor of the Education Center, with an additional examination period on Wednesday May 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 pm. An evaluation form will be provided for visitors.

The Board of Education is scheduled to consider adoption of the recommended instructional materials at its May 15 board meeting for introduction beginning next school year.

All materials on display are recommended for Board of Education adoption after a parent review period and following extensive evaluation by teachers, GGUSD staff, and school district administrators.

Materials are evaluated based on accuracy, organization of content, and alignment with the state’s academic content standards. Evaluators also examined the integration of technology and the presence of clear and definite strategies for working with diverse student populations.

Additional information is available by calling the Office of K-12 Instructional Services at (714) 663-6143.