PACOIMA : Bus Purchased for Youth Culture Center

Children from the Pacoima Community Youth Culture Center got a bus Thursday, but only after making a promise.

“I’ve never had the opportunity to buy a bus before,” Los Angeles Councilman Richard Alarcon told 22 children in a brief ceremony at the Roger Jessup Recreation Center.

“This bus is going to give you a chance to go to new places outside of Pacoima. It’s very important to take care of this bus. You can’t scribble on it and ruin it because there probably won’t be another one to replace it.”

Alarcon made the elementary-age children promise to take care of it by a show of hands before handing over the $500 check to Irwin Rosenberg, a vice president of Laidlaw Transit Services.

The bus company had promised to sell the vehicle--generally worth about $4,000--to the center for $500. Alarcon used money from his City Council budget to buy it for the center.

“The Pacoima Community Youth Culture Center has been in need of transportation for many, many years,” said Jane McGlory, who founded the center to help youngsters with activities, counseling, and classes in 1977. “And this is our first bus.”

Depending on whether they can get the vehicle insured, center officials said they hope to use the bus to take a group of children to the Shrine Circus next week. The 1986 bus seats 21 children, Rosenberg said.

“This is a reward. And we’re going to thank the councilman for the reward,” Rose Castenada told the children. Castenada tutors at Pacoima Elementary School through the center’s homework assistance program.