BRAVES' BOOSTERS BRACE FOR CHANGE.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer They've sold over 1,000 T-shirts and accumulated more than 3,000 signatures of support, but a group of Birmingham High School Birmingham High School is a public coeducational high school in the neighborhood/district of Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley section of the city of Los Angeles, California. The school is a part of District One of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). graduates hoping to keep the ``Braves'' nickname is wondering if anyone is paying attention Noun 1. paying attention - paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people); "his attentiveness to her wishes"; "he spends without heed to the consequences" attentiveness, heed, regard . Specifically, the Los Angeles School The Los Angeles School of Urbanism is an academic movement emerged during the mid-1980s, loosely based at the University of Southern California and UCLA, that poses a challenge to the dominant Chicago School of Urbanism. Board, which voted in September to force Birmingham to change its nickname within a year out of respect to Native Americans. The board does not appear likely to change its decision. And that is too bad, as far as Frank Arrigo and Jim Pitillo are concerned. The two Birmingham graduates head the ``Save the Braves'' campaign, which is seeking to reverse the board's ruling. They contend that the school name and team logo - a profile of Chief Pontiac Pontiac or Obwandiyag (c. 1720 – April 20, 1769), was an Ottawa leader who became famous for his role in Pontiac's Rebellion (1763–1766), an American Indian struggle against the British military occupation of the Great Lakes region following the British victory that is displayed at various sites on campus - are symbols that have been treated with respect and dignity. ``The reason Chief Pontiac was chosen (as the school logo) in the first place is because he was a strong and wise spiritual leader of his people,'' said Arrigo. Arrigo and Pitillo are doubtful that an agreement can be reached. As a result, they plan to file an injunction and fight to have the decision overturned in court. ``It will be a lawsuit (the board) will have brought on themselves,'' said Arrigo. ``We would rather (legal action) not happen, that this can be settled outside of court. But at this point we don't see any other alternative. ``Apparently (the board) thinks we're just a bunch of San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. people that can be ignored and that they can implement their policy whether we like it or not.'' School Board Member Julie Korenstein said she and her colleagues are well aware of the ``Save the Braves'' campaign. Korenstein, who represents the Birmingham District and abstained from voting in September, also foresees a courtroom resolution. ``That is (the group's) prerogative,'' Korenstein said. ``Certainly (the board) is not ignoring them. But if they feel that they can not get justice any other way than by suing, I suppose that is what they'll do.'' Arrigo and Pitillo have sold T-shirts and collected signatures for their cause while working the concession stand at Birmingham football games. During one game in September, they were cited by Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. police for trespassing. They have had exclusive rights to concession sales at games for 20 years. Although the school district never filed official charges, Arrigo and Pitillo spent nearly a full day in court last Friday awaiting arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted . ``They didn't have enough respect to call us and let us know we didn't need to go to court,'' Arrigo said. The school board voted 6-0, with one abstention ABSTENTION, French law. This is the tacit renunciation by an heir of a succession Merl. Rep. h.t. , to force the school to change its nickname after the American Indian Commission complained that the name Braves and the school logo - Chief Pontiac - were offensive to Native Americans. |
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