LAUSD AUCTION TURNS TRASH INTO FUNDS.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer John Harvey, a musician from Granada Hills, surveyed the graffiti-accented blond piano in the Salvage Annex Warehouse. He, along with about 200 people, had come to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Unified School District's public auction Saturday at the warehouse, located behind Hyde Park Hyde Park, park, London, England Hyde Park, 615 acres (249 hectares) in Westminster borough, London, England. Once the manor of Hyde, a part of the old Westminster Abbey property, it became a deer park under Henry VIII. Elementary School elementary school: see school. , to pick through pallets of shrink-wrapped obsolete computers, industrial-sized mixers, stacks of chairs and discarded tables and desks, microwave ovens and even a pile of roller skates roller skates npl → patines mpl de rueda roller skates roll npl → patins mpl à roulettes roller skates roll npl . ``I'm a drummer, but I want to get a piano for my family,'' explained Harvey, 46. ``But I've got to do it cheaply.'' ``It's mainly for me, but the kids,'' sons Ethan, 2 1/2, and Ryan, 6, ``are going to jump right on it,'' Harvey added. Quinton Dean, supervising purchasing services coordinator for LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) , said the district holds about four public auctions a year to get rid of obsolete and old equipment. Instead of just throwing the items away - and in some cases, paying for the disposal - the district auctions the items off, turning the money back into the general fund. Dean anticipated Saturday's auction would net between $50,000 and $60,000 for LAUSD. ``I think it's a good idea,'' Harvey said. ``It always amazes me how many people will come out to get junk.'' Mike Clark, 58, Los Angeles, who works in the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). , Los Angeles's Affirmative Action affirmative action, in the United States, programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. office, came to the auction just for fun with his grown daughter, Lisa, who teaches at Henry Clay Middle School. A few years ago, he bought about 50 tennis racket presses at an auction, thinking his wife could make them into clocks, but they ended up going to Goodwill, he said. ``Today, I saw some tennis racket covers, and I might buy them just to annoy my wife,'' Clark said, his eyes twinkling. `` 'Linda, look what I've got!' '' In addition to private individuals, the auction also draws people who are opening day-care centers and others who refurbish the items for resale, Dean said. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Auctioneer Austin Roberts accepts bids at the LAUSD surplus auction Saturday in Hyde Park. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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