Hacienda La Puente Unified OKs design work on high school football fields

Los Altos High players scrambles for a first down.

Los Altos High players scrambles for a first down.

The Hacienda La Puente Unified School Board has taken the first step toward getting new artificial turf at three high schools, as well as a new swimming pool at La Puente High. The board voted to add the projects to its priority list and begin design work on the $23 million proposals.

“It was a great day because this is long overdue,” said Board President Gino Kwok after the meeting. “It’s a watershed moment because its important to our students.”

Members of the boosters club from all four high schools packed the board meeting.

“We had 26 speakers comment about the poor shape of our fields and the La Puente pool,” noted board member Penny Fraumeni. “They complained about strained and broken ankles suffered from gopher holes on the football fields.”

La Puente High already has artificial turf on its football field and track. But the original swimming pool is full of cracks, which leaks up to six inches of water every day, according to Fraumeni.

“We keep wasting taxpayers’ money trying to fix that old pool,” Fraumeni explained. “We could have put that money toward a new swimming pool.”

The new board member ran on a platform calling for a new football stadium at Wilson High School. After the election, she said she realized the district couldn’t afford a new stadium.

“So I worked with board member Kwok, who thought we can could afford to replace the football fields and tracks,” Fraumeni said.

Kwok said they fought to get the projects added to the priority list. He said board member Anthony Duarte expressed serious concerns about paying for the projects.

“I’m for replacing the fields and the swimming pool,” agreed Duarte. “But I also want to know how we’re going to pay for it.”

Caltrans sets closures on 60 freeway this week

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will close portions of SR-60 from the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) to the Orange Freeway (SR-57) separation, as part of a pavement rehabilitation project.  Closures are as follows and subject to change.

Monday, September 15, through Friday, September 19

Eastbound SR-60

  • 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. – Up to three lanes between I-605 & Azusa Avenue
  • 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. – High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane CLOSEDbetween I-605 & Azusa Avenue

Westbound SR-60

  • 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. – Up to three lanes between southbound SR-57 & Azusa Avenue
  • 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. – HOV lane CLOSED between southbound SR-57 & Azusa Avenue

Friday, September 19, through Sunday, September 21

Eastbound SR-60

  • 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.   – Up to three lanes between I-605 & Azusa Avenue
  • 7 p.m. to 9 a.m.     – Seventh Avenue on-ramp CLOSED
  • 12 a.m. to 8 a.m.   – HOV lane CLOSED between Seventh Avenue & Hacienda Boulevard
  • 11 p.m. to 11 a.m. – Connector from north- and southbound I-605 to eastbound SR-60 CLOSED

Westbound SR-60

  • 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.   – Up to three lanes between southbound SR-57 & Azusa Avenue
  • 10 p.m. to 11 a.m. – Fairway Drive and Old Brea Canyon Road on-ramps CLOSED
  • 12 a.m. to 8 a.m.   – HOV lane CLOSED between southbound SR-57 & Nogales Street
  • 11 p.m. to 10 a.m. – Connector from north- and southbound SR-57 to westbound SR-60 CLOSED
  •  Friday 11:59 p.m. to Saturday 5 a.m.  –FULL FREEWAY CLOSUREbetween southbound SR-57 & Azusa Avenue

Detours will be posted. New pavement will improve mobility and enhance safety for motorists.  Flatiron West Inc. is the contractor on this $121.5 million project which is expected to complete fall 2014.

Caltrans advises motorists to “Slow For The Cone Zone.”

Kids Cook-off

On Food Network’s “Rachel vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off,” Walnut youngster Sean leads the pack with six stars going into the final challenge next week.

He won his sixth star in the Seafood Challenge by cooking octopus “perfectly,” according to judge Melissa D’Arabian, using a mixer and a pressure cooker to tenderize it.

See whether our local boy can win next week — 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 21, on Food Network.

Andy Shin named Community Hero by Diamond Bar

Andy Shin has been named one of Diamond Bar’s community heroes. The teen at Diamond Bar High was nominated by Wanda Tanaka, adviser with the Leo Club.

“Andy has been a wonderful community volunteer in our city of Diamond Bar. Whenever there are activities to help out anyone, Andy is the first one to sign up.”

“Andy has not missed any club meetings the whole year, and will be our Leo Club vice president next year…. The Leo Club is sponsored by Lions Club International and the Diamond Bar Breakfast Club.”

“You can count on Andy for helping our people and our community. This year, Andy has been awarded the Lions Young Leader Gold Service Award from Lions Club International for his community service.”

Andy is also a member of the Make A Wish, French Club and Go Club at the local high school.

 

Diamond Bar veteran honored for work on 9/11

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Diamond Bar is honoring it’s own 9/11 hero today at the Los Angeles County Fair. The fair committee thought it was fitting since Diamond Bar Day fell on the anniversary of this tragic event.

“We wanted to find someone who had responded to the 9/11 attack as a tribute to those who died that day,” said committee member Pamela Robinson.

The committee had a hard time locating a local person, until they talked to a resident during a Concert in the Park this summer.

“Khai Luu said he had been a platoon leader assigned to protect the Pentagon and the Capitol after the 9/11 attack,” Robinson recalled. “He agreed to help us pay tribute to our 9/11 responders.”

The Diamond Bar resident had been serving as a young lieutenant with the 274th Military Police Company in Washington, D.C.

“I was working for the District of Columbia’s National Guard,” Luu explained. “Before attending officer candidate school, I had served four years as an enlisted man.”

Unfortunately, Luu was participating in an exercise at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri when the attack occurred.

“It was an ‘aw shucks’ moment, I felt profound guilt and loss when I found out about the attack,” he remembered. “But they let us graduate early so we could help out in Washington.”

He was hoping to be one of the first to make it back, but Luu said it took a week to return to the D.C. barracks.

“I was given command of a reinforced platoon of 60 soldiers to help guard the Pentagon and Capitol buildings,” Luu said. “The Capitol Police were happy to have the help, because we didn’t know what would happen next.”

Luu was stunned to see a section of the Pentagon destroyed after being struck by an airliner. Another had targeted the Capitol, but crashed in western Pennsylvania when the passengers rushed the cockpit.

For more, read Rich Irwin’s story 9/11.

Walnut woman gets 20 years to life for killing husband, pet

Deputy District Attorney Taraneh Saba said Socorro Mora got 16 years to life in prison for fatally stabbing George Mora, 47, on Oct. 19, 2011 at his home in the 21600 block of Brookside Court.

In addition, the 46-year-old Mora also received four years and eight months for stabbing to death the family pet, Snowflake, and for attacking her husband on Sept. 13, 2011.

Saba said Mora was ordered to pay over $17,000 in restitution to the victims for counseling and for funeral expenses. She must also pay over $20,000 in restitution fines, the prosecution added.

A Pomona Superior Court jury on May 12 convicted Mora of second degree murder, cruelty to an animal and corporal injury to a spouse.

The last charge stems from an incident that happened a month before the murder.

Authorities said Mora attacked her husband on Sept. 13, 2011, scratched herself and claimed he did it. George Mora ended up with scratched and bleeding arms, according to the prosecution.

He later filed for and received a restraining order.

A judge ordered Mora to move out of the family home. On the day she was supposed to leave, Sept. 24, 2011, family members discovered the place ransacked and Snowflake the dog dead.

Mora allegedly broke into the Walnut house on Oct. 19, 2011. Her attorney said she knew George Mora wasn’t at the house and wanted to get some of her things.

George Mora arrived home and found his estranged wife.

The defense said an argument between the couple escalated into a knife fight. The defense claimed it was self defense.

Gunman robs Hacienda Heights cell phone store

A masked man with a handgun robbed a cell phone store Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The heist was reported just before 6 p.m. at Bell Star Wireless, in the 16400 block of Colima Road, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Boese said.

The robber entered the store and demanded money at gunpoint, Boese said. He fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, and was last seen running north on Punta Del Este Drive.

A man and woman working at the store were not injured, he added.

Deputies described the robber as a white or Latino man in his 20s, about 5 feet 5 inches tall and 130 pounds. He wore all-dark clothing and a mask.

The robbery was being investigated by detectives from the sheriff’s Industry Station.

Walnut opposes new Mt. Sac parking garage

By Steve Scauzillo, Staff Writer

Opponents of a proposed 2,200-space, five-level parking garage at Mount San Antonio College have gained a powerful ally: City Hall.

What started with one member of the City Council having some concerns in July grew into full-fledged opposition last week by the entire council to the construction of a concrete garage directly across from the Timberline neighborhood at Mountaineer Road and Edinger Way.

In a letter addressed to Mt. SAC Board President Fred Chyr and in a three-page resolution both passed on 5-0 votes, the City Council objected to the location, saying it would lower property values, bring congestion, air pollution and result in public safety hazards to Walnut residents.

Both documents are “urging the relocation of the proposed parking structure” and are asking the college board to find alternative locations for a parking garage within the sprawling, 420-acre Walnut campus.

In addition, the City Council demanded the Mt. SAC Board of Trustees hold a joint meeting on the topic. So far, Mt. SAC President William Scroggins has agreed to allow two trustees to meet with the Walnut City Council, a gesture that was rejected during the Aug. 28 Walnut City council meeting.

“It is imperative for us to meet with all of them,” said City Councilman Tony Cartagena. Councilwoman Mary Su said she wanted at least a majority of the seven-member Mt. SAC board to sit down with the City Council. “Two won’t represent the full board,” she said.

Walnut City Manager Rob Wishner and his staff are reportedly in discussions with Scroggins regarding some kind of joint meeting.

Scroggins said Thursday he was talking with Wishner about a meeting of three Mt. SAC board members with two Walnut city council members. “It is in the discussion stages,” Scroggins said. No dates have been announced.

Read more in Steve’s story GARAGE.