Rodriguez is new chancellor of L.A. Community College District

The Los Angeles Community College District has selected a veteran educator to be its next chancellor, officials said Thursday.

Francisco Rodriguez, 51, has been president and superintendent of the MiraCosta Community College District in north San Diego County for the last five years. He replaces Daniel LaVista, who announced his resignation in early 2013.

Adriana Barrera has served as interim chancellor since last summer while L.A. district officials conducted a search for a permanent executive.

Rodriguez said he was first approached by the Los Angeles district's search committee over the summer and again during the winter. He had two formal interviews and several informational conversations before being offered the job. The district's Board of Trustees unanimously approved a contract for Rodriguez during a closed session Wednesday night.

Rodriguez, 51, has also worked at UC Davis and Woodland Community College in Yolo County. He was also the president of Cosumnes Community College in Sacramento for six years.

The Los Angeles Board of Trustees is scheduled to formally approve Rodriguez at their next meeting on March 26, and he would begin his new job in June. The district will release Rodriguez's contract details after he is approved and Barrera will return to her previous position of deputy chancellor.

At the time of his resignation, LaVista had an annual salary of $370,000.

MiraCosta College is the only school in its district and has about 18,000 students. The Los Angeles district is the nation's largest, serving about 250,000 students at its nine campuses.

"It's an extraordinary leadership opportunity," Rodriguez said.

Since Rodriguez has been president of MiraCosta, enrollment increased by nearly 25% and the number of military veterans and active-duty students has doubled, according to a district news release.

"We thank him for his incredible leadership in driving us forward to increasing access and success for students, while maintaining financial discipline," said David Broad, president of the MiraCosta College Board of Trustees.

Rodriguez said his top priority in Los Angeles will be to improve the district's finances. "The biggest challenge might be to ensure there is sufficient and adequate funding to deliver the academic funding that L.A. County deserves and expects," he said.

Although the economic outlook has improved recently, the district had its funding cut by nearly $1 billion during the recession and saw enrollment drop by more than 500,000 students.

The district came under tougher scrutiny after a 2011 Times investigation uncovered poor planning, questionable spending and other flaws in a $6-billion campus rebuilding project.

jason.song@latimes.com

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Beverly Hills principal cleared in sports camp probe

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has concluded its investigation into Beverly Hills High School Principal Carter Paysinger and the for-profit summer sports camp he owned — clearing him of any criminal wrongdoing, authorities said Thursday.

The district attorney's Public Integrity Division did not find any evidence of criminal activity, said Jane Robison, an L.A. County district attorney's spokeswoman. The office received a complaint about Paysinger and the sports program in August 2013, she said.

Paysinger's attorney, Reed Aljian, said in a statement that Paysinger "has never engaged in any wrongdoing."

"The D.A.'s decision fully supports that fact," he said. "Mr. Paysinger could not be happier that these baseless accusations are now behind him."

Supporters of Paysinger rallied on his behalf at a Beverly Hills Board of Education meeting last week. The group lauded Paysinger for leading the campus during a period of academic achievement and encouraged the board to retain him as principal. Paysinger's contract expires after the current school year.

Paysinger has effectively run the school despite "steep declines in student population and with extremely limited budgets," said Jonathan Prince, former president of the Beverly Hills Education Foundation. Prince added that Paysinger had also been under the burden of "political threats" and "legal maneuverings."

The district attorney's investigation came after The Times reported that the Beverly Hills Sports Academy, held on campus, was owned by Paysinger and operated by two school employees. The article stated that none of the camp's fees — which range from $200 to $385 for the monthlong training session — went toward the athletic teams at Beverly Hills High. The camp brings in $60,000 to $70,000 each summer, according to the Beverly Hills Unified School District.

Parents have said they were led to believe that the summer program was a mandatory, school-sanctioned camp for athletes and that fees would be used to support sports teams. Others say they were strongly encouraged by the principal and other administrators to enroll their children to give them a better chance at making teams.

The district hired a law firm to conduct a review of the program.

A draft report from the law firm, reviewed by The Times last month, showed that Paysinger did not report more than $40,000 he received from the summer camp — a possible violation of conflict-of-interest and ethics policies.

The report found that since becoming principal in 2010, Paysinger had $40,205.97 in checks from the academy deposited into his personal bank account. According to the report, Paysinger told the investigators that the checks were intended for his brother, who is the school's athletic director, and were transferred to him in more than 80 transactions over three years.

Aljian said that there was nothing improper or unlawful about the arrangement and that Paysinger was simply asked by his brother to collect his summer compensation and pay him over the course of the year. Paysinger agreed and has paid him in full, Aljian said.

stephen.ceasar@latimes.com

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Rodriguez is new chancellor of L.A. Community College District

The Los Angeles Community College District has selected a veteran educator to be its next chancellor, officials said Thursday.

Francisco Rodriguez, 51, has been president and superintendent of the MiraCosta Community College District in north San Diego County for the last five years. He replaces Daniel LaVista, who announced his resignation in early 2013.

Adriana Barrera has served as interim chancellor since last summer while L.A. district officials conducted a search for a permanent executive.

Rodriguez said he was first approached by the Los Angeles district's search committee over the summer and again during the winter. He had two formal interviews and several informational conversations before being offered the job. The district's Board of Trustees unanimously approved a contract for Rodriguez during a closed session Wednesday night.

Rodriguez, 51, has also worked at UC Davis and Woodland Community College in Yolo County. He was also the president of Cosumnes Community College in Sacramento for six years.

The Los Angeles Board of Trustees is scheduled to formally approve Rodriguez at their next meeting on March 26, and he would begin his new job in June. The district will release Rodriguez's contract details after he is approved and Barrera will return to her previous position of deputy chancellor.

At the time of his resignation, LaVista had an annual salary of $370,000.

MiraCosta College is the only school in its district and has about 18,000 students. The Los Angeles district is the nation's largest, serving about 250,000 students at its nine campuses.

"It's an extraordinary leadership opportunity," Rodriguez said.

Since Rodriguez has been president of MiraCosta, enrollment increased by nearly 25% and the number of military veterans and active-duty students has doubled, according to a district news release.

"We thank him for his incredible leadership in driving us forward to increasing access and success for students, while maintaining financial discipline," said David Broad, president of the MiraCosta College Board of Trustees.

Rodriguez said his top priority in Los Angeles will be to improve the district's finances. "The biggest challenge might be to ensure there is sufficient and adequate funding to deliver the academic funding that L.A. County deserves and expects," he said.

Although the economic outlook has improved recently, the district had its funding cut by nearly $1 billion during the recession and saw enrollment drop by more than 500,000 students.

The district came under tougher scrutiny after a 2011 Times investigation uncovered poor planning, questionable spending and other flaws in a $6-billion campus rebuilding project.

jason.song@latimes.com

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L.A. school board approves amended contract for Supt. John Deasy

Los Angeles Unified schools Supt. John Deasy has a newly modified contract that includes an annual buyout of unused vacation days and new performance measures that require him to bring in revenue and enroll more students. He will also pay his own pension deduction for the first time, a cost offset by an increase of $20,000 to his annual salary.

The amended pact, approved by the Board of Education last week after private discussions, offers the latest evidence of a board that is exerting more control over the direction of the nation's second-largest school system.

The contract was provided to the Times in response to a Public Records Act request.

Deasy originally accepted the job in 2009 with the understanding that he would be able to advance his own aggressive reforms. These included revamping teacher evaluations to include student test scores as one measure of effectiveness. Deasy also has pushed, with limited success, to conduct layoffs based on performance rather than seniority.

Deasy's revised contract drops the superintendent's previous goals related to student achievement because the state is moving to a new exam and won't provide scores.

Despite incremental progress, the district has fallen short of most of Deasy's targets, which experts have characterized as ambitious. Deasy, for example, was never able to earn a $10,000 bonus by increasing the percentage of ninth-graders proficient in algebra by 8 points.

Instead, Deasy will be required to submit a plan for increasing revenue for schools by June 30. He's also charged with increasing enrollment by 5% a year; that strategy also will be required by June 30.

The enrollment target is intended to blunt growth at independently operated charter schools. The loss of students to charter schools and for other reasons has resulted in reduced funding for district operations.

Boosting enrollment could be difficult because numbers are trending the other way. From 2009 to 2013, enrollment in L.A. Unified's campuses has dropped 11% to 567,150.

"Charters are in direct competition for our enrollment," said school board member Steve Zimmer. "Anyone who doesn't recognize that is not in contact with reality. One thing we ask for in this contract is that we compete."

Emily Galbreth, a spokeswoman for the California Charter Schools Assn., said that in choosing charters, parents are "voting with their feet."

"If LAUSD believes that this new policy will improve their educational offerings such that parents would be excited and driven to seek traditional district schools — that would be a great thing," she said.

According to the revised contract, Deasy's plan for enrollment should include developing magnet schools as well as programs designed to help students become fluent in two languages. Improving daily attendance and lowering the dropout rate also must be involved.

Deasy will be eligible for a pay bump at the end of each year for vacation days he fails to take, beyond the 36 he's allowed to accrue. Each day is worth $1,341.

In an email, Deasy said the vacation buyout was a practical matter, because he simply could not take off the 24 days a year his contract provides.

Other employees must use or lose their vacation time, although they can petition to have their maximum number of days increased. Typically, unused days are paid when an employee leaves the school system.

Only board member Bennett Kayser opposed that provision, saying that the superintendent should not, in effect, receive a pay increase prior to other employees.

The modified deal also makes more visible a salary perk that Deasy had been receiving. L.A. Unified had been paying Deasy's share of his annual obligation — $20,400 — to a state pension fund.

This contribution came on top of Deasy's $330,000 salary. Now, the district will add $20,000 to Deasy's salary, and he'll pay his share of the pension deduction.

This restructuring was proposed by general counsel David Holmquist.

He noted that some union employees also receive a subsidy for their pension deduction, but could lose that benefit under recent state regulations. These rules would not necessarily apply to Deasy, but the superintendent decided to conform to them.

Over the last year, the school board has evolved into a more assertive but fractious group less inclined to back Deasy's priorities.

In October, matters reached a low point when Deasy told insiders he wanted a buyout of his contract over personal and policy differences. He decided to stay in response to statements of support from the public and board members.

Shortly thereafter, the board evaluated the superintendent and gave him a positive review, which automatically extended his contract to June 2016.

Deasy now also will be assessed on five-point scales for his relationship with board members, his communication with them and his responsiveness to policies and positions the board adopts.

Board members have complained that Deasy has ignored or delayed complying with their numerous resolutions. Some critics have said the board passes too many of these, which are sometimes unclear or conflicting or that create too much extra work for district staff.

howard.blume@latimes.com

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Ducks overwhelmed in 7-2 loss to Flames

CALGARY, Canada — Mikael Backlund scored twice and added an assist to help the Calgary Flames rout the Ducks 7-2 on Wednesday night.

Backlund set up Mike Cammalleri in the slot for a power-play goal at 11:28 of the first that chased Ducks starter Jonas Hiller, then beat Frederik Andersen two minutes later to make it 4-0.

Backlund added his second of the night 1:31 into the second period, this time shorthanded. Firing a wrist shot past Andersen as he broke in alone off the wing, it was the Flames' second short-handed goal of the night and NHL-leading 11th of the season. Backlund has four of them, tying him for top spot with Boston's Brad Marchand and Tampa Bay's Tyler Johnson.

Mark Giordano, TJ Galiardi, Ladislav Smid and Corban Knight with his first NHL goal also scored for Calgary. Andrew Cogliano and Nick Bonino scored for Anaheim. The Pacific Division-leading Ducks are 0-2-0 in their last four games.

The Flames entered the night tied for the league-lead in one-goal games. The unusual blowout offensively for the home side was embraced by the crowd announced at 19,829, who gave the team a boisterous standing ovation after the first and second periods and once again when the game ended.

The crowd got one last treat when Knight, from nearby High River, scored his first NHL goal with 1:57 left.

Flames rookie goalie Joni Ortio made 20 saves to improve to 3-3-0.

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The No. 1 Swiss tennis player? It's not who you think

Wawrinka won the recent Australian Open and is now No. 3 in the world rankings. The other guy becomes Mr. Avis in Switzerland now, and as he tries harder, he holds on to No. 8 in the world.

We jest, of course.

Even Wawrinka knows it will take more than one Grand Slam title to displace Roger Federer as the king of Swiss celebrity. Maybe even as the king of tennis, period.

Nor would Wawrinka want to.

"I'm No. 3," Wawrinka says, somewhat meekly, "but Roger is the best player ever…I would never compare myself to him."

If it sounds as though there is some little-brother syndrome there, judge for yourself.

Wawrinka is 28, Federer 32. They have played 16 times and Wawrinka has won once, in the third round of the 2009 Monte Carlo Masters Series tournament. The public and press grumbled about that one because it deprived them of yet another classic Federer-Rafael Nadal final.

"Roger was just coming back from his wedding then," Wawrinka said, "and I think he was tired."

When they teamed to win the Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008, Federer clearly took over the late stages of the doubles match and served it out. Sunday morning, when the topic of that gold-medal match came up, Wawrinka agreed heartily that "Roger was really something" at the end.

Federer carried the Swiss flag in opening ceremonies at the Athens Olympics in '04 and in Beijing. When the Swiss delegation asked him to carry it again in London in 2012, he suggested somebody else be the flag bearer. He meant Wawrinka, and Wawrinka got to carry it.

Still, there is much more to the current hottest player on the men's tour — 9-1 since the beginning of the year — than merely being a tag-along to Roger Federer.

Wawrinka is the ultimate survivor, a poster boy for hanging in there. He has mastered the art of not despairing. He speaks English, French and Spanish — and is fluent enough in English to nod enthusiastically when asked if he understands the word "perseverance."

It best describes what he has done, who he is.

"I always try to find positives in losses," he said. "It is my way of staying closest to the top players."

His career is written on his left forearm. Literally.

The tattoo says, "Ever Tried. Ever Failed. No Matter. Try Again. Fail Again. Fail Better."

That was penned by Irish writer Samuel Beckett, a Nobel laureate in literature. It is a perfect summary of the player born in Lausanne, who was No. 55 at the end of 2005 and took until the end of 2013 to crack a year-end top 10 at No. 8.

It seems as if he has played, and lost, more excruciatingly long and frustrating five-set matches than anybody on the tour.

— In '09, he lost a fourth-rounder at Wimbledon in five sets to Andy Murray.

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

AMN Healthcare Services poised for healthy growth under Obamacare

The San Diego company is the nation's largest healthcare staffing firm, and if the Affordable Care Act proves successful in its goal of providing healthcare for Americans who don't have it, the scramble for quality doctors and nurses will be intense.

There could be a shortage of up to 45,000 primary care doctors in the U.S. by 2020, according to the Assn. of American Medical Colleges.

The American Assn. of Colleges of Nursing says that the need for registered nurses will be so acute that the workforce will need to jump 26%, to 3.5 million in 2020, from 2010.

AMN Healthcare handles the recruiting and hiring of temporary and permanent doctors, nurses and other health professionals, helps the new employees integrate into their new surroundings, and offers solutions on how to manage staffing.

Its client list includes acute-care hospitals, government medical facilities, community health centers, clinics and physician groups.

AMN Healthcare was founded in Las Vegas in 1985 as American Mobile Nurses Inc. Two years later, it relocated to San Diego.

The company has 14 brands, some acquired through mergers and acquisitions. They include Nursefinders, for local daily nurse placements, and the Merritt Hawkins permanent doctor placement service.

Susan R. Salka joined the company as its first chief financial officer in 1990, and the company name was changed to AMN Healthcare Services in 2001 to reflect that it expended beyond nurses. The company went public in November 2001, raising $170 million.

Salka was named president in 2003 and added the title of chief executive in 2005.

The latest

Last month, AMN Healthcare reported fourth-quarter net income of $8.4 million, up 18% compared with a year earlier. Sales for the quarter were flat at $248.7 million.

For the full year of 2013, profit jumped 102% to $32.9 million. Sales increased 6% to more than $1 billion.

In November, the company acquired ShiftWise, considered a leading provider of workforce vendor management technology software and services in healthcare.

Accomplishments

AMN Healthcare has evolved from a single service — nurse staffing — to a much more comprehensive approach in providing healthcare personnel.

"We have the largest national network of quality clinicians and physicians," Salka said, adding that the company now includes other "customizable solutions that help a hospital or health system manage their entire workforce."

Usually, hospitals would have to work with several companies to fulfill their staffing needs, but the company's Managed Services Programs have proved, Salka said, that it can serve as "a single point of contact" for "candidate quality screening, selection and interviews, time-keeping, invoicing and billing."

Salka said this "more efficient process reduces costs and improves the consistency of quality clinicians delivering care for each client."

Challenges

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USC women beat Oregon State, 71-62, for Pac-12 tournament title

SEATTLE — Kiki Alofaituli scored 12 of her 15 points in the second half, and USC earned its first Pac-12 Conference tournament title by rallying for a 71-62 win over Oregon State on Sunday night.

Ariya Crook had 16 points as the Trojans claimed their first Pac-12 title since winning the regular-season crown in 1994. USC (22-12) trailed, 34-23, late in the first half and 36-29 at halftime, but used a press defense to quickly make up the deficit in the second half.

Deven Hunter led Oregon State (23-10) with 19 points.

USC was already the first team in tournament history to win three games just to reach the final. It capped its four-wins-in-four-days streak with a defensive effort in the second half that flustered the Beavers and took away any doubt about its NCAA tournament status.

USC was making its second appearance in the title game, losing to Stanford in 2009. It was the first time in tournament history that Stanford wasn't involved in the final after the Cardinal lost to the Trojans in the semifinals Saturday.

But USC wasn't done after knocking off the No. 4 team in the country. First-year Coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke then directed the Trojans to their first NCAA tournament berth since 2006.

Cassie Harberts, who came up big in the closing minutes against Stanford, added 12 points and Brianna Barrett had 11 for the Trojans.

Sydney Wiese added 17 points for Oregon State, which was the first team outside California or Arizona to reach the conference title game.

Oregon State could be headed for the NCAA tournament a season after finishing 12th in the conference, but was unable to claim its first Pac-12 title of any type in women's basketball. Oregon State has not been to the NCAA tournament since 1996.

USC trailed by seven at halftime, but then scored the first nine points of the second half, causing havoc with a press defense Oregon State struggled to break.

The Beavers committed turnovers on four of their first six possessions to start the half. Their five turnovers in the first five minutes of the half nearly surpassed the six they had in the entire first half.

Oregon State struggled to even get into its offense and when it did, the shots didn't fall. The Beavers missed 11 of 15 shots to start the second half and started one for seven on three-pointers.

Ruth Hamblin, Oregon State's 6-foot-6 center, was a nonfactor. She was held scoreless for nearly 13 minutes of the second half before hitting a pair of free throws with 7:02 left to get the Beavers within 10.

The Beavers went nearly nine minutes without a field goal between Wiese's three-pointer with 11:53 remaining and Hunter's driving layup with 3:03 left. By the time Hunter scored, the deficit was too much to overcome. Oregon State got within five, but Harberts scored with 1:17 left with one on the shot clock and the Trojans hit free throws to hold on.

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At convention in L.A., Democrats are warned against complacency

California Democrats gathered Saturday to celebrate their dominance in state politics, buoyant about their prospects in this year's elections.

But the party's annual convention showed potential minefields for a group that appears to be at the peak of its power. In particular, there were fears that Democratic voters could be complacent in November, along with fissures on a critical environmental issue and a series of endorsement battles that could presage significant internal fights in California's changed electoral landscape.

The environmental issue, fracking, shot to center stage at the downtown Los Angeles gathering. A wealthy new political force vowed to launch an effort to regulate the controversial oil-extraction practice, and Gov. Jerry Brown faced a demonstration on the issue as he gave his first major speech since announcing that he would seek reelection.

Energetically taking credit for righting the state's financial ship and other accomplishments, he was drowned out by scores of anti-fracking advocates chanting and waving signs that read "Another Democrat against fracking."

"All you guys like to make noise," he said at one point, trying to quiet the protesters. "Just listen a moment."

Although Brown signed legislation last year imposing regulations on fracking, in which chemicals, sand and water are injected deep into the ground to release oil and gas, the governor has irked many environmentalists by not supporting a ban on the practice.

Opponents say fracking pollutes groundwater and triggers earthquakes.

Brown's stance on fracking fits his decades-long pattern of confounding critics who try to cast him as too liberal. But it could put him at odds with a new political player who has emerged as a national force on climate change.

A few hours after Brown's remarks, Bay Area billionaire Tom Steyer, who has said he plans to spend at least $100 million this year against candidates who oppose efforts to curb global warming, announced that he would make a legislative push to forbid fracking in California unless approved by two-thirds of voters in counties where it is proposed.

"After all, when it comes to the health and safety of our local communities, the burden of proof should be on the oil companies, not the other way around," Steyer told the assembled Democrats, also calling for oil companies to pay an extraction tax.

In addition, he said, California should develop strict fracking standards.

National Democrats, including Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is eyeing a 2016 presidential bid, and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, a rising star in the party, also addressed delegates Saturday — a reflection of the state's influential donors.

The overall mood of the conference was celebratory: Democrats hold all statewide offices and large majorities in the Legislature. The state Republican Party has historically low voter registration and is having trouble fielding credible candidates for some offices this year.

State Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris, who many believed could be the most vulnerable Democrat on the statewide ballot, appears to be facing token opposition.

"People were saying this was a failed state — that was only a couple years ago," Brown told the group, recalling that some pundits likened the state's economy to that of Greece.

"The fact is, California is back. We got a million new jobs, and this is still a beacon for the whole world!" Brown said.

But party Chairman John Burton cautioned delegates not to grow complacent.

"We have a lot of work to do," Burton told hundreds of people at a reception Friday evening on the pool terrace of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel.

He mentioned local races, congressional contests and legislative elections. "And that's going to take each and every one of us to get out and work," he said.

Democrats are trying to preserve their two-thirds supermajority in the state Assembly and regain the one they recently lost in the Senate when two lawmakers in trouble with the law took leaves of absence.

The convention featured lively endorsement battles for state controller and secretary of state, as well as nine congressional and legislative seats. The party's nod can serve as a guide for voters, especially in down-ballot campaigns that can garner little attention and may feature candidates unfamiliar to them.

Candidates had small armies of young volunteers waving signs, handing out campaign stickers and chanting their names.

Assembly Speaker John Pérez of Los Angeles, who is running for controller, hosted a "taco truck throwdown" outside the Convention Center on Saturday afternoon. State Sen. Alex Padilla of Pacoima, a candidate for secretary of state, helped host a party at the Conga Room on Friday night. Volunteers for controller candidate Betty Yee, who sits on the state Board of Equalization, distributed apple pecan bars with her name on the wrappers.

As they crisscrossed the hotel courting voters, state Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco, who is also running for secretary of state, and Padilla exchanged a quick handshake when they ran into each other en route to caucus meetings.

"Gotta keep moving," Padilla said before rushing off.

Endorsement voting took place Saturday. Official results will be announced Sunday.

seema.mehta@latimes.com

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

jean.merl@latimes.com

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A legendary racehorse will get a new resting place

Archaeologist Lynn Swartz Dodd has excavated ancient sites in Egypt and Turkey. Her colleague Tom Garrison runs a dig site of Maya ruins in Guatemala.

On Saturday they descended into a trench outside the former Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood to explore some more recent history.

They were looking for the remains of a legendary racehorse.

Native Diver was a wild-eyed black colt so fast and so beloved that when he died in 1967, he was buried at his hometown track. An elaborate stone memorial marks the grave, a testament to a bygone era when horses and their owners were national celebrities, and when tens of thousands of fans packed the stands of Hollywood Park to cheer on their favorite steed.

The track closed in December after years of declining revenue. Its owners plan to tear it down and build an office and shopping complex. Richard Shapiro, the grandson of the man who bred and owned Native Diver, said he couldn't bear the thought of buildings atop the horse's grave.

"He's racing royalty," said Shapiro, 60, who asked USC for help with the excavation. "You couldn't leave a horse like this beneath a real estate development."

Once exhumed, Native Diver's remains will be taken to Del Mar racetrack and stored there until a new burial site is prepared.

Before the dig started on Saturday, Shapiro gave a short presentation about Native Diver to Dodd and Garrison, who are both professors at USC, and about a dozen archaeology students who had come to help.

The first horse bred in California to earn more than a million dollars, Native Diver won 34 stakes races and still holds the record, with another horse, for most Hollywood Gold Cup wins.

Shapiro showed off a photograph taken as Native Diver crossed the finish line in his 1961 Gold Cup win. On the back, actor Cary Grant, who served on Hollywood Park's board of directors, wrote: "Congratulations Richard!"

The track was opened in 1938 by a group of shareholders that included Al Jolson, Bing Crosby and Walt Disney and was long a favorite destination for Hollywood celebrities.

Shapiro, a real estate developer who served on the California Horse Racing Board from 2004 to 2008, grew up at the track. He remembers sitting in a box with his grandparents, who paid the young boy a dime for every race he correctly called. His grandfather, Louis, ran a women's coat company and bred horses as a hobby on the family's rambling ranch in Canoga Park.

They raised many horses, but only one Native Diver.

"He was jet-black and he was very fiery and he knew he was a star," Shapiro said. When trotted out in the post parade after a successful race, the horse would stop, throw his head back and look proudly into the stands, Shapiro said. He quickly became a fan favorite.

Native Diver died of colic at the age of 8. His death made headlines around the country. At home in Canoga Park, the Shapiros were bereft. "It was like a death in the family," he said.

Standing on the side of the dig site after six hours of excavation, Shapiro said he felt unexpectedly emotional. The skeleton of the horse was slowly emerging from the earth.

Garrison, holding a trowel, pointed at one of the front legs, which appeared to be striding. "He actually looks like he's running," Garrison said.

Shapiro nodded: "He never stopped."

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

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