The James Logan Courier

By Maria L. La Ganga
Los Angeles Times (MCT)

HAYWARD — Twenty-nine eager fifth-grade faces stare up at Ines Trinh between recess and lunch one day last week. The children have been studying stories about perseverance in the face of pain; "Give It All You've Got," the lesson's catchy theme, is printed in big letters on a poster in Room 21.

The teacher has just read her young students at Lorenzo Manor Elementary School a book called "The Bracelet." It's the story of Emi, a Berkeley second-grader sent to an internment camp during World War II just because she was Japanese-American. New vocabulary words: "Injustice." "Inequality."

By Jeffrey Fleishman and Borzou Daragahi
Los Angeles Times (MCT)

CAIRO and TUNIS, Tunisia — Police and protesters clashed across Egypt on Friday, and opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei was doused by a water cannon before escaping the swinging batons of riot police and taking cover in a Cairo mosque.

Late in the day, army tanks and trucks flowed into Cairo to augment the police. At least one building was on fire, and there were reports that President Hosni Mubarak would address the nation.

A 6 p.m.-to-dawn curfew was imposed, but it was ignored by many protesters, who remained in the streets well after dark. Sounds of gunfire could also be heard in downtown Cairo after dark.

By Justyna Torres, Courier Staff Writer

James Logan High School will host its first annual Academic Achievement Night, a night centered on garnering parent involvement and support for the school's academics.

Formerly known as Open House, Achievement Night gives parents the opportunity to directly get involved with their child’s education. This year, however, it is revamped with many new features, such as workshops and a family fundraising dinner.

The fundraising dinner at 5 p.m. will give families a place to enjoy a meal together, plan what activities in which they want to take part and help support the school.

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Director of Parent & Community Relations

The Board of Education on Tuesday night directed staff to prepare a recommendation calling for a May 6 special election, a mail-in ballot asking New Haven voters to approve a parcel tax that would raise approximately $3 million annually. The proposed tax of $180 per parcel — the equivalent of only $15 per month — would provide stable local funding to offset some of the cuts that continue to be forced on the District because of the state budget crisis. The recommendation will be brought to the Board on Feb. 1.

By Dawn Chmielewski
Los Angeles Times (MCT)

LOS ANGELES — News Corp.'s struggling social network, MySpace, on Tuesday formalized an anticipated restructuring that will result in the loss of 500 jobs worldwide, or about 47 percent of the workforce.

MySpace Chief Executive Mike Jones said the job cuts were necessary to streamline operations and put the site on a path toward profitability, following its relaunch last fall as an entertainment destination for Gen Y.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune (MCT)

Video games may be the new fitness gimmick battleground, but the old truths remain true: If the equipment is a pain to use, it simply won't be used.

"EA Sports Active 2" is exhibit A. As fitness interfaces go, it bleeds promise, with a polished arrangement of tools and a suite of online features that completely outclass those of its competitors. But the actual act of working out — both in terms of preparing for it and the diminished returns from that preparation — provide too much aggravation and not enough upside to make the year's most expensive exercise video game ($100, regardless of system) also the year's best.

VOA News

U.S. President Barack Obama is honoring Martin Luther King Jr. during a national holiday celebrating the life of the slain African American civil rights leader.

Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, are scheduled to participate in a service event Monday in Washington, while members of the president's Cabinet attend memorial events and do community service across the nation.

The King Center in Atlanta caps more than a week of events Monday with commemorative ceremonies, volunteer activities and community programs. The center describes the federal holiday as a day to be involved in community events and service - "a day on, not a day off."

Photo: James McDonald, Courier Staff Photographer
Click for a larger version

Most of Logan's seniors showed up at school early to sit for the annual Senior panoramic picture, snapped by photographers from Prestige Portraits in Hayward and Lifetouch School Portraits . Seniors were asked to show up at 8 a.m. so they could be done by 8:30 a.m, in time to go to class.

To order an official copy, available from Lifetouch/ Prestige, obtain an order form from the attendance window, or order online by clicking here.. The cost is $22 for a 10 in. by 30 in. laminated copy, or $34 for a framed copy.

By Linh-Chi Nguyen, Courier Music Editor

Yesterday, James Logan High School teachers met in their house offices and discussed possible schedules to accommodate collaboration for next school year.

The meeting was held to discuss the mandatory schedule change which would come into effect starting the 2011-2012 school year. The school's Site-Based Decision-Making group will examine the possibilities of this change.

The main reason for the implementation of the new school schedule is to come up with another hour to allow for collaboration time. This time would be set aside for teachers to collaborate about issues and suggestions during meetings.

By Wailin Wong
Chicago Tribune (MCT)

LAS VEGAS — Tablets may have been all the rage at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, but with tens of thousands of products on display, there was something for everyone.

Here are some interesting nuggets from the four-day show, which ends Sunday:
—Oh, baby: The Smart Baby Monitor from French startup Withings consists of a small camera that beams audio and video to the screen of any Web-connected smart phone, tablet, computer or TV using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. It's a gadget made for an iPhone generation of parents, as it eschews traditional bulky baby monitors for a smooth, white design. The sensor can track temperature and humidity in the baby's location, and parents can play lullabies remotely through the device. Withings said the monitor will be available in late March.

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Director of Parent & Community Relations

In an effort to meet the needs of families who would like their children to attend school outside their neighborhood, the New Haven Unified School District is opening the intra-district transfer process for 2011-12 earlier than in past years.

Parents and guardians seeking to have their children attend a District school outside of their attendance area must apply for an intra-district transfer. Applications turned in by Feb. 1 will be given high priority for placement; however, placement cannot be guaranteed.

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
Los Angeles Times (MCT)

TUCSON, Ariz. — It was a busy day at the Tucson Mountain Park shooting range Sunday, where the aroma of gunpowder filled the air one day after 20 people were shot, six fatally, at a shopping center.

Alex Anderson, 24, was armed with a 9-millimeter Taurus, the same caliber as the gun that authorities say Jared Lee Loughner used in the shootings. Anderson, who works at the Home Depot next to the Sportsman's Warehouse where the gunman's weapon was purchased, has a permit to carry his gun concealed but no longer needs that, thanks to a state law passed last year.

"Arizona's gun laws are what they should be everywhere," said Anderson, who was teaching his girlfriend to stand and shoot. "More people should be carrying to protect us."

By Linh-Chi Nguyen, Courier Music Editor

The beginning of January signals the end of the holiday season, where giving without receiving should be an important instruction. With the holiday season coming to its close, so does the winter food drive, which showcased James Logan High School's attempt at spreading the holiday generosity by gathering donations for families in need of assistance. Mainly, the annual food drive is Logan's opportunity to adjoin both Logan staff and students to aid families that are struggling during the holiday season.

The Canned Food Drive began on December 6, when Logan Leadership requested donations for canned foods, toys or money. Donations are sent to Hope Connections, a service club which provides assistance for needy families.

By Linh-Chi Nguyen, Courier Music Editor

Asian-American Studies teacher Tina Bobadilla-Mastel has developed a creative project to benefit both her students and the younger generation, prompted by New Haven Unified School District's focus on improving literacy. Bobadilla wants high schoolers to join in on the effort to encourage children to read.

“Logan students have so much talent and energy and I am always trying to think of ways to channel it all to benefit the greater community. Also, I searched through about 500 children's books that my own children and my nephews have on their shelves at home. Guess how many I found which featured non- white characters? Three. Just three. This is a problem,” says Bobadilla.

She said she believes that there is minimal representation of other ethnic groups in mainstream media, which is a potential problem that could affect a child's self-esteem. Having few inspirational resources for children to look up to is a limitation for children whose ethnicities aren't represented in a positive light.

By Mike Taugher
Contra Costa Times (MCT)

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Delta fish continued to languish at very depressed levels in 2010, according to the latest numbers from the California Department of Fish and Game.

A key annual survey performed each fall showed the Delta smelt population continues to hover at a level some biologists believe is near extinction, while year-old striped bass, a popular sport fish, dropped to a record low.