Foothills Sentry - December 2023

Page 3 Foothills Sentry December 2023 Past and future meet at historic Killefer School By Carrie Graham After nearly four decades of disuse, the Lydia D. Killefer School on Olive Street is getting a new lease on life as Chapman University’s Institute for Quan- tum Studies. The Institute will serve as a hub for Chapman educators to carry out research in the areas of experimental and theoretical physics. In addition to lab space, the campus will also feature three courtyards, a lobby, and a semi- public community room to spur engagement with the city, accord- ing to Chapman officials. After sitting unused for around 15 years, OUSD put the property on the market in 2014. At the time it received bids from four hous- ing developers as well as Chap- man University. It entered escrow only to fall through repeatedly as developers, who wanted to turn the land into student housing, re- ceived pushback from local resi- dents as well as the Old Towne Preservation Association. While those living in neigh- boring areas expressed concerns over the impact on parking, local resources, and the general spirit of the Old Towne area that in- creased student residents would cause, the OTPA wanted to pre- serve both the social and architec- tural history of Killefer School. Originally constructed in 1931 in the Cypress Street Barrio to serve its Anglo population, Kille- fer School is significant to social history because it became one of the first schools in California, and the first in Orange County, to desegregate. This decision was important historically because it was voluntary. Mendez v. West- minster, the ruling that brought about desegregation statewide and helped set the precedent for national desegregation, wouldn't come for another three years. Still standing In addition to its historical move toward racial equality, it also has architectural signifi- cance. It is one of the few Spanish Colonial Revival schoolhouses in Southern California that survived the 6.4 magnitude Long Beach earthquake in 1933. Some of the key features that identify the style include the school’s asymmetri- cal façade, octagonal bell tower with decorative terra cotta tile vents, arches above doors, and a low-pitched roof. While many of the building’s primary attributes are still intact, Winner of OUPSF car raffle announced Lucia Rodriguez from Garden Grove was the winner of a 2024 Nissan Sentra in the Orange Uni- fied Public Schools Foundation’s (OUPSF) first car raffle, present- ed in partnership with Stadium Nissan. The crucial moment of drawing the winning ticket was entrusted to Kimberly Limon, Captain of the Orange High varsity girl's basketball team. Out of more than 20 participating parent groups and booster clubs, the Orange High team excelled by outselling all others, earning an additional $500 grant. David Imboden, the chair of the OUPSF car raffle, along- side President Frank Tucker and Board Members Wendi Forrest and Christine Deihl, were pres- ent to oversee the presentation of the grand prize. "Months of me- ticulous planning, ticket tracking, and volunteer coordination cul- minated in an exhilarating mo- ment,” Imboden said, “handing over a brand-new car to a deserv- ing individual.” Sara Esparza, coach of the basketball team, aimed to take advantage of the fundraising op- portunity. Not only did the team members lead in ticket sales, but they also sold the winning ticket. The team used its $500 award to purchase spirit packs for all of the players and fund its Presentation Dinner before the season started. The OUPSF Board Members met up with Lucia Rodriguez and her daughters at Stadium Nis- san on Nov. 10, to hand over the new car. She said she was over- whelmed with surprise and grati- tude. Doug Willits of Willits Real Estate Group, Seven Gables Real Estate, contributed to the cost of printing the raffle tickets so that most of the ticket sale proceeds could go to the students of OUSD. The Orange Unified Public Schools Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bring- ing families, businesses, and schools together to elevate the educational experience of each student in the district. Lucia Rodriguez, winner of a 2024 Nissan Sentra in the Orange Uni- fied Public Schools Foundation car raffle, surrounded by OUPSF board members and members of the Orange High girl’s basketball team. HOLIDAY WAVE AND WOOD DESIGNS FIND US ON & :@WAVEANDWOODDESIGNS 9 A.M. - 4 P.M. DEC. 9TH & 16TH 1038 N LEMON ST. ORANGE, CA 92867 COME STOP BY! LASER ENGRAVING SERVICES YES! YOU CAN BRING YOUR OWN ITEMS! HOLIDAY DECORATIONS STOCKING STUFFERS HANDMADE GIFTS ENGRAVE-TACULAR EXTRAVAGANZA MORE EVENT DETAILS AT:WAVEANDWOODDESIGNS.COM the filings for the National Reg- ister cite there are also substan- tial damages. “The interior of the school has been heavily vandal- ized. There is extensive graffiti in the basement, and several of the classrooms and hallways on the main floor. Most, if not all, of the building’s copper pipes and wiring have been removed, and doors have been removed from their hinges. A partial-height wall in the northeastern classroom has been almost entirely demolished by vandals,” it states. Chapman has already begun construction after receiving City of Orange approval in July. The university will work with a pres- ervation specialist to ensure it is returned to its former external beauty as authentically as pos- sible. Chapman paid $3.7 million for the property in 2020 and will spend around $18 million to transform Killefer School into the Institute for Quantum Studies. In- side, the renovations will include offices, lecture halls, research labs, and better accessibility for those with disabilities. The proj- ect will also add exhibits open to the public, as well as courtyards and outdoor areas open to the public and a semi-public com- munity room. "I wanted the IQS to have a self-contained facility where all quantum-related activi- ties [superconductivity, founda- tions of quantum and quantum optics] could be implemented,” said Chapman President Daniele Struppa. “I wanted a place where our scientists could create a com- munity of equally-minded intel- lects focused on these very com- plex problems.” An artist's rendering depicts a renovated Killefer schoolhouse with the new Institute for Quantum Studies in the background. Courtesy Chapman University