The cast and crew of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" is looking for someone to record their final performance on Sunday afternoon. If you’re able to help, please call Cheri at 650.576.8991, or [email protected]
NOTE: Tickets are still available for tonight and Sunday’s final peformance.
In case you haven’t notice, there is a miracle taking place in Half Moon Bay. This particular miracle is the Spring Musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” at Half Moon Bay High School. Now before I go any further, here is my disclaimer and notice of full disclosure. My daughter Victoria plays the lead, Molly Brown. I am biased, in favor of and enormously proud of the work she and her classmates have done. That being said, if you want a completely unbiased view – go this weekend. You’ll be glad you did!
The spring musical is not produced by the school, a senior drama class, or even a school drama club. The spring musical, now in its 24th year running, is produced entirely through the efforts of community volunteers. Each year, over 50 adult volunteers and of course, the entire cast and crew, come together to put on a professional musical production, replete with custom made costumes, choreography, props and sets built from the ground up, and a live orchestra.
Shoeless, spunky and full of dreams, young Molly Tobin (Victoria Ortiz) is the only daughter of an Irish immigrant in Hannibal, Missouri. She strikes out on her own landing in Leadville, a tiny mining down in the Colorado Rockies where she meets lucky prospector “Leadville” Johnny Brown, (Ryan Dill). Refusing to let love get in the way of her dreams, Molly first refuses to marry Johnny, but once she gives in they strike gold and Molly is on her way to Denver.
The Denver elite, the sacred 36, lead by society maven Gladys McGlone, (Katy Walker is perfectly cast in this role) are not about to accept Molly Brown. Her chase for acceptance takes her to the clubs of Monte Carlo, where she wins the hearts of royalty, but loses Johnny. After realizing that it’s Johnny she wants, Molly sets sail on the “unsinkable” Titanic. But, as we now know, it will take more than an iceberg to stop Molly Brown.
The production is newcomer Patti Appel’s first at the high school, after confidently stepping into the vacancy left by beloved director Jim Ward. Appel didn’t miss a beat, ably leading the cast and crew while adding her own brand of magic. Student stage manager Kathryn Nassar, in her first year with the musical, ably guided the crew in over 10 full stage changes.
In the lead role, Victoria Ortiz perfectly captures Molly’s joy for life and unbreakable spirit. Equally deft in both comedic scenes, and those small contemplative moments, Ms. Ortiz has come a long way since her first performance in Grease. The standout scene of the show, “Beautiful People of Denver; Are You Sure?” brings the first act to a uproarious close with Ms. Ortiz leading the cast in a hallelujah-inspiring high point that got the audience clapping along. Her key take away from the show? “Don’t ever forget who you are and where you come from. If you were born with a strong spirit and unsinkable nature, don’t let any amount of judgment or harsh words change that. True friends and family will accept and love that part about you, even if it means you set three hundred thousand dollars on fire from time to time!
NOTE: The CUSD board normally meets on Thursdays. This is the regular meeting that was originally scheduled for Thursday, March 11.
The Cabrillo Unified School District board of directors will meet Wednesday to finalize its layoff plans, among other agenda items, at its monthly meeting Wednesday, March 10 at 7pm in the Cunha Intermediate School library.
The agenda includes the following resolutions [pdf]:
A protest is planned for the meeting. Parents and interested commmunity members are asked to bring signs and wear pink to protest the cuts.
Signs and pink are also requested for a pink slip protest at HMB High School from 6:45 to 7:45am, at the base of the hill.
The Cabrillo Unified School District will cut the high school’s counselors and librarian, all athletics funding, and all class-size reduction if the proposed parcel tax does not pass.
The CUSD board voted to accept superintendent Rob Gaskill’s proposed cuts from the district’s budget, designed close the district’s forecast budget deficit for 2010-11 school year, at an increasingly emotional meeting in the Cunha Intermediate School library.
The district forecasts a $2.5 million budget shortfall if its proposed five-year $150/year parcel tax does not pass, and $1.0 million if the tax passes. Superintendent Gaskill also noted that the cuts were reduced by a one-time federal stimulus payment of $545,000 and that this money will have to be made up in the 2011-12 school year.
Superintendent Gaskill said that his proposed cuts were informed by his past experience as a high school principal during budget cuts in 1992, and that his priorities were protecting the classroom and maintaining safety. All cuts in the first $1 million would come from administration. The next $1.5 million would cut the high school’s counselors, librarians, athletics funding, and class-size reduction.
Some cuts that were on an earlier list were not on the final version: closing Kings Mountain School, eliminating literacy coaches in the elementary schools, and eliminating all regular ed busing.
Many parents and teachers came to speak in favor of athletic programs, counseling, and the high school librarian—all of which will be cut if the parcel tax fails, but which will be saved if the tax passes. Board president Dwight Wilson reminded the speakers that they might want to work to pass the parcel tax.
In the list of proposed cuts, those items at the top of the list would be cut first. Those at the bottom of the list would be cut last and would be reinstated first if additional money or savings are found. In other words, the district’s highest priority items are at the bottom of the list.
| Proposed cut (first cut, last reinstated) | Parcel Tax fails | Parcel tax passes |
|---|---|---|
| Increase current rates charged for facility use to non-school groups by 50% | $35,000 | $35,000 |
| Staff-to-Ratio in Special Services, cut 3.0 FTE’s | $199,800 | $199,800 |
| Cut eight additional hours of District classified positions | $72,852 | $72,852 |
| Cut transportation administrative position | $40,972 | $40,972 |
| Cut BTSA Coordinator position (new teacher training) | $37,000 | $37,000 |
| Cut one addl Senior District Adminstrative position (attrition) | $129,363 | $129,363 |
| Use one-time federal stimulus dollars as temporary backfill | $545,000 | $545,000 |
| Reduce HMBHS Registrar from 12 to 11 months | $4,200 | |
| Reconfigure Pilarcitos/Adult Education Secretary position | $4,754 | |
| Reduce Repo Depo position to .5 FTE | $32,600 | |
| Reduce Custodial workforce by 1.0 FTE | $60,600 | |
| Cut 1.0 Groundskeeper position | $67,300 | |
| Cut balance of School Clerk positions | $106,460 | |
| Cut High School Librarian position and replace with Library Tech | $44,199 | |
| Cut all remaining contributions to athletic programs | $90,275 | |
| Reduce Class Size Reduction by 50% | $302,254 | |
| Cut remainder of Class Size Reduction | $332,790 | |
| Reduce counseling positions by 1.0 FTE in High School and 1.0 FTE in Middle School | $101,216 | |
| Cut remainder of school Counseling positions | $318,972 | |
| Total cuts | $2,525,607 | $1,059,987 |
The Cabrillo Education Foundation has given money to each school in the Cabrillo Unified School District for immediate use.
"The Starlight Soirée fundraiser far exceeded our attendance expectations, allowing for a quick cash infusion to our schools during a very critical budgeting time," said Christine Mendonca, President of the Foundation. "We thank our community for their generosity in support of our children."
Specific portions were determined based strictly on numbers of students attending each school. During the past twelve months, $182,000 dollars have been raised through various community efforts and directly distributed. In May of 2009, the High School Academic Fund was established with CEF acting as fiduciary agent, providing an additional $75,000 to the school’s budget for the 09-10 academic year. Thus far, $37,000 has been added to the high school fund for 2010-2011. The CEF Endowment remains untouched, continuing to grow independently of immediate use distributions.
The dollars distributed to each school based on student population.
The Cabrillo Unified School District will seek a five-year $150 per-parcel tax, reports the Review. The tax will require approval from 2/3 of the voters in the June primary election.
The tax would raise $1.5 million this year toward the district’s projected $2.5 million budget shortfall.
The district also distributed a list of potential cuts, in order of decreasing desirability.
The school district will be starting negotiations later this month with its employee unions for possible cost savings including furlough days, salary reductions and shortening the school calendar by five days.
Follow the jump to see the list of possible cuts.
The Half Moon Bay High School leadership class is producing a talent show Friday, with proceeds going to the student association and Haiti relief.
The show is in the High School’s Multi-Use Room from 7 to about 10pm on Friday Feb 5. Tickets are $10 at the door.
The Cabrillo Unified School District board is holding a series of public hearings to discuss its developing budget crisis and possible remedies, in addition to regularly scheduled Board meetings scheduled for January 14 and February 11.
The four special public hearings have been scheduled for 6pm over the next few weeks. The first hearing is Thursday night at Farallone View in Montara.
From the press release:
Like school districts throughout California, scrambling to respond to a structural budget deficit of nearly $2.5 million… and some key decisions will need to be made over the next two months in preparation for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year.
“It is incredibly frustrating,” CUSD Superintendent Rob Gaskill noted. “If we were funded at the appropriate level guaranteed by state formula we would be holding our own in these tough times. We’ve cut just about everywhere we can by now. The next round could prove really painful. The Board has some very difficult decisions to make by the end of February that will impact this school district for many years to come.” [...]
“We encourage members of our Coastside community to fully engage with us in developing creative strategies to cope with this imposing deficit,” Gaskill noted. “Everyone has something at stake in this one.”
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