August 2008 Archives

So who is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and why did McCain pick her? It seems I'm not the only one with that in mind. 

Here are some bullet points about her:

 -Roman Catholic
-opposes abortion

-44 years old
-conservative mother of 5
-she played on her college's basketball team, is a hunter, a lifetime member of the NRA
-she was the runner up for Miss Alaska

 Here's one story:

NEW YORK (CNN) -- John McCain's brilliant but risky "Hail Mary pass" choice for vice president, Alaska Gov. Sarah "Barracuda" Palin, has the political world saying first: Who? And then: Why?

The "who" is a young, articulate, smart, tough, pro-life Roman Catholic who is the governor of our northernmost state. She is conservative and a mother of 5, including a son in the Army who is set to be deployed to Iraq on September 11. Her youngest child has Down syndrome.

The "Barracuda" nickname came from her aggressive basketball play on the state championship basketball team. She is a hunter, pilot and lifetime member of the NRA.

She is blunt, outspoken and charming. And don't assume she can't stand toe-to-toe with Joe Biden. She is a great debater. And she was runner-up for the Miss Alaska title, won Miss Congeniality in that contest, and plays the flute.

She also has a compelling story and is a most interesting choice. She will be known by all in 24 to 48 hours in this instant media world and I am betting she will be well-liked.

The "why" is she is a governor and outside the Beltway. Conservatives love her and she shares John McCain's value system. She is also known for taking on the establishment and ethics is her forte.

She defeated the longtime senator and Republican governor in a primary and then went on and defeated the former Democratic governor.

I don't believe people vote for vice president but only for president. That said, I think she is every bit as good a choice as Biden. Alaska has three electoral votes and so does Delaware -- so that part ends up being a wash.

Sen.John McCain picked Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate, according to the New York Times.

Here's the text of a press release Baldwin Park city officials sent out today about the decision to exclude owner-occupied homes from the downtown project:

MAYOR ANNOUNCES THAT CITY WILL NOT ACQUIRE OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES FOR ITS DOWNTOWN PROJECT

To those who have opposed the currently proposed project, we thank you for and seek your constructive input. We hope you will understand and accept the benefits a revised revitalization effort would offer the whole community of Baldwin Park."

I got these bumper stickers today.

Wow, looks like the next election in Baldwin Park could be real interesting.

Of course, Greg Tuttle needs to move into the city first before he can even consider running for City Council.

Tuttle may have a business in Baldwin Park but he lives in Pomona.

I paid a visit to La Puente pastor and Mt. Sac professor Eddie Romero today.

He had a lot of interesting stories to tell about his time in China, and going into hiding after vandalizing two Beijing hotel rooms in opposition to Chinese oppression. (Romero likes to call it "morphing.")

Romero hid from Chinese authorities for 18 days. Turns out he stumbled upon an enclosed, overgrown garden area on a Chinese military compound on the outskirts of Beijing.

He found a ditch and called it home until after the Olympics were over, when he turned himself in at Tiananmen Square.

Romero said he survived mostly on water, beef and turkey jerky and nutrition bars.

He also said he chewed up his cell phone's sim card while in an interrogation room so that Chinese authorities wouldn't get the names and numbers of people Romero was working with.

More to come in a story running this weekend.

In the meantime, here are some photos of Hacienda Christian Fellowship, where Romero has been a pastor for more than two decades.

Parishioners painted the church red in support of Romero's efforts.

The disappointed politicians are out in full force today.

This press release just popped up in my email from the office of Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, who said he is disappointed in the passage of the toll lane legislation that will allow the Federal Department of Transportation to implement a congestion pricing plan that would take existing carpool lanes on the 10, 110, and possibly the 210 freeway, and convert them all into toll lanes, as Dan Abendschein reported.

This is from the press release:

"I am disappointed that SB 1422 was able to move forward today. I had serious concerns about this toll lane plan from the start. This was a hastily crafted proposal that has led to fundamentally flawed legislation....

"We really needed more time to carefully consider this plan and flesh out the details before we voted on it. Not only were there obvious conflicts between the legislation we voted on today and the agreement Metro signed with the Department of Transportation, Metro only began actively seeking community input on these toll lanes this month.

In fact, the only real opportunity for affected communities to hear this plan in detail previously had been at a meeting I organized this past June in West Covina as Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus.

How could we have voted to authorize toll lanes when we don't even know what they will be charging people?"

"This whole plan is patently unfair on its face. We cannot ask people to start paying tolls to access their freeways already paid for with taxpayer dollars, especially when they can barely afford to put gas in their cars as it is... ."

Here's what Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Gloria Molina, according to a press release, has to say about a judge's decision that will allow taco trucks to continue to park and serve.

"I am very disappointed with Judge Aichroth's ruling in this case and, frankly, I do not understand the basis for his decision--especially since he provided no explanation at all.

Other municipalities--from Montebello to Los Angeles to Beverly Hills--have similar or more stringent laws regulating catering trucks. It seems that only in East Los Angeles is regulation on this issue problematic.

"I will continue to stand up for quality-of-life issues in East Los Angeles and elsewhere in the First Supervisorial District. As the residents I represent have continually made clear to me, catering truck regulation remains a top priority--and I will not be deterred by Judge Aichroth's ruling.

Quality-of-life issues, ranging from graffiti abatement to code enforcement to catering truck regulation, are all important to the residents of East Los Angeles--and I will continue to fight for them."

I made a call to Industry's city manager Philip Iriarte, but quickly hung up when I got the voice mail of Kevin Radecki, left.

Turns out, Kevin is the city manager now and Phil, right, is now the Deputy Executive Director of the Industry Urban-Development Agency.

Remember this post? Well, here is the biography for Andrew McIntyre, who is running for a seat on the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District:

Background

Andrew McIntyre was born and raised in West Covina. He attended South Hills High School and later went on to graduate from the University of Southern California (USC) where Andrew received his degree in Public Policy Management & Planning.

Commitment To Our Community
San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority
Citrus Valley Health Partners Foundation, Board of Directors
Covina Historic Society, Chairperson
Covina Rotary Club
West Covina, life long resident

Experience
Andrew is currently the Water Resource Manager for the Canyon Water Company. He is directly involved in the daily management and oversight of all water resources required to insure an adequate supply of high quality water.

Here's the problem: McIntyre never worked or sat on the board for the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority.

The Los Angeles Times reports that taco trucks are still here, for now. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, however, will be appealing a decision by a LA County Superior Court Judge on Wednesday.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Wednesday overturned a controversial ordinance passed in April by county supervisors that made it a misdemeanor in unincorporated parts of the county to park a taco truck in one spot for more than an hour.

The language of the ordinance, Judge Dennis A. Aichroth said, was "vague" and therefore "unconstitutional" in its description of how quickly a vendor could return to an area where the truck was previously parked. Aichroth said it also violated the vehicle code because county supervisors had not properly established that it was written in the interest of public safety.

The attorney who won the case on behalf of Margarita Garcia, a ticketed taco vendor whose violation was dismissed by Aichroth, said he expected that the county would try to rewrite the law. "It'll probably be just as miserable as the one they just wrote," said Philip C. Greenwald, who represents a newly formed association of catering truck operators. "They won't win."

The deputy district attorney who tried the case against Garcia was unavailable for comment, but a spokeswoman for Supervisor Gloria Molina, the ordinance's author, said the fight was not over.

"We knew from the start," spokeswoman Roxanne Marquez said, "that this case would go to court. We will appeal and we expect to win."

Looks like the Baldwin Park City Council has decided to exclude all owner-occupied homes from Robert Bisno's proposed downtown project.

The announcement was made at last night's council meeting.

That should save a couple dozen homeowners from the eminent domain process, easing some of the concerns about the scope of the project.

But I guess there is no pleasing business owner Greg Tuttle, who is spearheading a recall effort against council members Marlen Garcia, Monica Garcia (not related) and Councilman Anthony Bejarano.

Tuttle had this to say this morning about the announcement: "We don't trust them one bit. They are not giving any concessions. They are just following Prop. 99."

Tuttle referred to the recently passed state initiative which includes the following amendment: "local governments are prohibited from acquiring by eminent domain an owner-occupied residence for the purpose of conveying it to a private person."

What do you guys think? Is this a victory for Baldwin Park homeowners?

So it looks like there is "no doubt" that there will be an NFL team playing in Los Angeles by next season. Do you believe it?

Also, during a meeting with John Semcken, vice president of Majestic Realty, Semcken said that he has met with many local politicians in the SGV to try to get their support.

"How many of them have asked for free tickets," I asked him.

Almost every single one of them. But instead, Semcken said that he offers them a suite, which will run about $300,000. Of course, they decline. But if they didn't? Now that would be a good story.

Azusa got the go ahead to annex portions of Azusa Avenue and Arrow Highway into the city.

A large section of the corner section was recently purchased by the city's redevelopment commission, and officials said that it will be developed into a commercial center.

"The long wait is over and we can now focus our redevelopment efforts on this important gateway into the City," Azusa Mayor Joseph Rocha.

Supervisor Michael Antonovich is calling on the Governor to stay away from the Proposition 1A funds. His office sent over a press release, but more entertaining than that are the photos included. Talk about a jovial looking bunch...

Here's the press release:

ANTONOVICH JOINS GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER CALLING ON NEED TO PROTECT LOCAL TAX DOLLARS FROM STATE

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich joined his colleagues Supervisors Don Knabe and Zev Yaroslavsky, California Contract Cities Association President Mayor Frank V. Zerunyan (Rolling Hills Estates), and Independent Cities Association Mayor Kevin Stapleton (Covina), at a press conference with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger calling on the State Legislature not to raid Proposition 1A funds to balance the State budget.

"I applaud Governor Schwarzenegger's commitment to preserve Proposition 1A and protect our local revenues. In 2004, 83% of California voters sent a message to our state legislature -- that local tax revenues remain with local government and be spent for local purposes," said Antonovich. "It is unfortunate that the legislature has become stone deaf and forgot who elected them to office, as they look primed to raid our local funds once more to balance their budget."

"Here in Los Angeles County, with the protection of our local dollars, we have been able to invest in our public safety departments -- hiring 50 additional prosecutors, over 600 Sheriff Deputies, 3,300 jail beds, and 700 new positions in our Probation Department, said Antonovich.

Noting that 49 other states have enacted budgets, Antonovich called on the need for a part-time legislature and a 2-year budget.

"Right now many teachers amid uncertainty over the state budget are looking for other jobs, a two-year budget brings fiscal stability to this state. Also, California is one of only 10 states in the nation with a full-time legislature - it is not surprising that it is also among one of the most taxed states along with Massachusetts and New York. A part-time legislature would force lawmakers to focus on vital issues such as balancing a budget and not have the freedom to create so many new bills," added Antonovich.

Open Forum: Should council members go on conferences out of state if their cities are facing deficits?

It looks like the city has the numbers after all for the cost of sending city officials on a sister city trip to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Airan Scruby reports.

City defends lack of disclosure on Sister City trip cost
Airan Scruby, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/26/2008 10:44:17 PM PDT

PICO RIVERA - Officials said it was "happenstance" that the cost of sending a Sister City delegation to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was not released last week.

City Manager Chuck Fuentes said he did not provide information because he believed Interim Finance Director John Herrera would have records of how much money had been budgeted for the trip. Herrera was unable to provide the numbers, he said, because he was out of the office.

"This was one measly little trip, and I'm dealing with multimillion-dollar issues here," Fuentes said. "I think it's just out of proportion."

City spokesman Bob Spencer said he had prepared information on the cost of the trip and the goals of the visit last week, but was not asked for information when this newspaper reported that no figures had been released about the trip.

"Nobody called me," Spencer said. "I had the information. I don't know whether the city manager had that information at his disposal or not."

The city spent about $5,200 to send its five delegates, Spencer said. This was offset by $1,600 earned through sales of DVDs from the Miss Pico Rivera Pageant.

Last night's meeting in Rosemead was quick -- and comfortable. The new chambers made its debut last night.

The only thing the new seats were missing last night were a recliner. At the next meeting, the city will introduce the Granicus system, which is the system that allows the meetings to go up online.

City remains under federal review
By Jennifer McLain
Staff Writer

ROSEMEAD -- As the November election nears, city officials continue to grapple with a federal lawsuit that calls for compliance with voting laws.

Rosemead was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2005 after an audit found that the city did not provide voter information in multiple languages, which is required by the Voting Rights Act.

While Rosemead has since complied with the lawsuit, officials continue to pay for outside consultants.

"We have satisfied their concerns," said Councilwoman Margaret Clark. "But this helps ensure that we continue to follow their requirements."

Tonight, City Council members will vote to approve a contract for Linda Hudson of Hudson Consulting Services, who will be hired to monitor two elections for no more than $36,000.

The total cost of the November and March elections is expected to be nearly $150,000, including consultant fees.

City officials said the workload and complexity of the consent decree is too much for the city staff to take on alone.

The 2005 lawsuit named the Rosemead City Council, former City Clerk Nancy Valderama and past City Manager Bill Crowe for failing to provide election information in Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

The Voting Rights Act requires governmental districts with a substantial number of people who speak languages other than English to provide all voting materials in those languages as well as in English.

Among the requirements of the federal consent decree was for Rosemead to provide election materials in Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese, and to also provides oral assistance to voters who speak Korean, Japanese and Tagalog.

After the lawsuit, the city was reviewed by the Department of Justice during two subsequent elections, said City Manager Oliver Chi.

"It was a wonderful report stating that we had indeed lived up to the consent decree's requirements to make sure there is equal voting access to all of the residents in the city," Chi said.

The city will be monitored until the March election.

Rosemead was not the only local city targeted.

Walnut entered into a consent decree with the federal government after a complaint was filed in early 2007.

The agreement stated that election materials and assistance at the polling places would include Chinese and Korean languages for voters with limited-English proficiency.

The new ballot includes English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Tagalog.

In 2005, Azusa failed to fully translate its official ballots, polling signs and other voter information into Spanish, and Paramount did not provide official ballots in Spanish.

Paramount City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal said the city has one more election to go. At the last election, she said that the city met all of the requirements by the Department of Justice.

"In our case, we only had Spanish to deal with, and we handled that with our in-house staff," Benedetti-Leal said. "It was a lot of work, but if it was three languages, that would be a lot to deal with."

jennifer.mclain@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2477
www.insidesocal.com/sgvgov

There are several meetings today around the Valley:

Tonight will be a late night since I will be out covering Rosemead's council meeting. Also today is a meeting with Majestic Realty's Ed Roski, who will update the Tribune on his plans on building a football stadium in the city of Industry.

In Monrovia, the city is holding an informational meeting for residents on Royal Oaks Drive. I'm hoping they will give the reasoning behind having towering flood lights shining down on the street.

Rosemead, along with Azusa and Paramount, were sued the U.S. Department of Justice in 2005 for failing to comply with the Voting Rights Act.

In Rosemead's case, it didn't provide voter information in Chinese, Vietnamese and Spanish. Today, the city is still under review by the DOJ, and will be until the March 2009 election. Tomorrow, it will vote on whether to hire a consultant to take on the "burden of addressing the Consent Decree," according to the staff report. The cost is no more than $36,000, at $60 an hour.

If you want to go to sleep, here is a copy of the Consent Decree.

Killer bees in Covina, an alleged gang member kidnapped a customer in Alhambra and ended up with $3,000 and a few bottles of tequila, and, literally, a strong-arm robbery in Walnut.

Tomorrow is the Rosemead council meeting, and the most exciting thing about it isn't on the agenda: The City Council Chambers are finally completed.

For anyone who has ever been to a Rosemead meeting before, you know why this is exciting. I'm hoping this means that, for starters, we will actually be able to hear what speakers saying, and won't have to look at the "No Soking" sign anymore.

But in case you are interested, here are the agenda highlights:

1. The City Council is considering hiring a consultant to look at employee positions and define job duties, and to see if the duties are administered correctly compared with pay amount.

2. The City Council will likely hire a consultant to ensure that they don't mess up the elections like they did three years ago by not providing voter registration in multiple languages.

3. The City Council will vote on a $57,000 contract to get the staff reports online and other recrods.

4. The City Council will vote on awarding a contract to the Nazerian Group for construction of the Rosemead Park Trail Enhancement.

5. The city has been asked by Savannah Memorial Park and the San Gabriel High School Football Team. Each want about $15,000 for their organizations.

I just received this e-mail from La Puente pastor and Mt. Sac Professor Edward Romero's friend and unofficial spokesman:

Just gone midnight and I've been woken by a call from Rosie Romero telling me Eddie is on his way home and will arrive San Francisco tommorrow some time. More details as they arrive.
Tony

The message was sent at 8:30 this morning. We had heard reports yesterday that Romero had in fact - as promised - turned himself into Chinese authorities for vandalizing the walls of two Beijing hotel rooms in opposition to Chinese oppression. 

This was his last Twitter post, uploaded two days ago:

All is going as well. Last twit till surrender on sunday, 10pm Beijing time. Live audio stream of surrender atwww.exodus

8one.org GIG

At the Web site for Romero's project, Exodus8One.org, there apparently is audio of Romero's surrender in Tiananmen Square (seems fitting). 

Also, these pictures from the site: 

  

One thing that caught my eye was a display of old gas pumps.

First, it was interesting because the gas prices are so low! (Yes, that says 28 cents a gallon!)

Secondly, one of the pumps resembled the pumps spotted at an abdandoned gas station on Shamrock in Monrovia. Any one know anything about that abandoned station?

Some people I talked to, both on and off the record, said that they were surprised that Rosemead Mayor John Tran has raised $100,000 for a local race. Tran says that he has done so because of his surprise two years ago that Wal-Mart contributed so much to back former Councilman Jay Imperial and Councilman Gary Taylor during a recall election.

"The last time I ran, Wal-Mart contributed over $400,000 to a local election and taht was an eye-opener. I want to make sure I have enough funds to get my point across," Tran told me on Friday.

(As far as any speculation goes about Tran raising money for the Assembly, that can be put to rest right now, Tran said. He is now just focusing on the city council race, as well as on his family.)

Here's my story that ran today:

Mayor outpaces all others in money for City Council race
By Jennifer McLain, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/24/2008 07:07:36 AM PDT

ROSEMEAD - Mayor John Tran is leading the fundraising pack and has collected more than $100,000 for a City Council election that is seven months away, finance records show.

The city's election will be held in March, and candidates will be vying for three open seats currently held by Tran, Councilwoman Margaret Clark and Councilman John Nuñez.

Officials said they are surprised that Tran, who is seeking his second term on the council, has raised so much money so early.

"It's outrageous," said Clark. "We are a little city. It is outside money trying to buy power."

Campaign finance records show that from January to June, Tran raised $102,218; Nuñez raised $31,684; and Clark raised $1,969.

Also actively fundraising this period is Councilwoman Polly Low, whose seat is not up until 2011. She raised $37,407 this period.

Rosemead is a city of nearly 55,000 residents. Traditionally, candidates have raised no more than $50,000.

But a recall election in 2006 prompted by the construction of a Wal-Mart Supercenter heightened the bar for fundraising efforts.

During that race, Wal-Mart contributed nearly $400,000 to support the recall targets: Councilman Gary Taylor and former Councilman Jay Imperial.

Taylor and Imperial were not recalled.

Read more.

Looks like the Plaza Del Sol development in South El Monte will be completed soon, after a three year stall. Here's part of a story I wrote for Monday's paper:

SOUTH EL MONTE -- After a three-year battle to keep their homes, five remaining families at a Durfee Avenue mobile home park are packing up their things, officials said.

Together, the two developments will make up Plaza Del Sol.

Pico Rivera might be in fiscal crisis, but that doesn't mean they don't have the money to send a delegation to Mexico for four days.

Whittier Daily News reporter Airan Scruby reports:

PICO RIVERA -- City officials are mum on the cost of sending a delegation on a biannual visit to Sister City San Luis Potosi, Mexico, this month.

City Manager Chuck Fuentes said Pico Rivera paid for one city employee, Ray Chavez, to go as an official liaison to the Sister City. It also paid for Mayor Ron Beilke, Councilman Bob Archuleta and for Sister City Commission Chairwoman Grace Gallegos to attend. Miss Pico Rivera also went on the city's dime
.
Guests of those people were not paid for by the city, Fuentes said, and other community members who chose to go did not receive financial help from City Hall.

However, the cost of the four-day trip is not yet known, Fuentes said.

Interim Finance Director John Herrera said Friday that spending records would not be available for another week. He said he did not have access Friday to the amount budgeted for the trip because he was out of the office.

*****
Archuleta said he was not sure of the numbers, but he believed the cost came out to about $1,200 to $1,300 per person, and that Miss Pico Rivera's tickets were partially paid for by fundraisers.

Some questioned the necessity of the trip, considering the city faces a $4.8 million deficit if voters do not approve a 1 percent sales-tax hike in November.
*****
"It has zero benefit to the residents of Pico Rivera," Salcido said. "It's a city-paid vacation."

What do you guys think?

In a story Star-News reporter Alfred Lee writes in Monday's paper, Temple City Councilman David Capra's medical mystery is addressed.

Apparently, Capra suffered a mild stroke.

Lee writes: Capra added that although he is still in physical therapy, he has recovered "100 percent, mentally."

"I'm feeling great and the progress is remarkable," he said. "I look at things with more open eyes, a more open heart. It just changes things, because I was on a death bed and I got a second chance."

Once again, this week's installment. I can hear the phones ringing already on this one:

West Covina Councilman Roger Hernandez had an interesting idea last week about how to save the city some dough: Get rid of the public information officer.

"There is a misperception out there about the position. Some people wonder, 'What does a public affairs person really do?'" Rosemead City Manager Oliver Chi said. "But in Rosemead, we send a ton of responsibilities her way."

Many of our cities are facing budget cuts. So, here's an uplifting weekend question:

If you were in charge, what would be the first thing that you would cut out of your city's budget?

To address couple of comments made earlier about the campaign fundraising of Rosemead Mayor John Tran:

According to Roman Porter, spokesman for the Fair Political Practices Commission, a candidate can transfer funds from one committee to another if he were, for example, running for Rosemead City Council and later decided to run for the Assembly. But there are a couple of rules the candidate would have to follow.

1. The candidate would have apply for the proper paperwork.
2. The candidate would not be allowed to transfer contributions that exceed the state's limit of $3,600 contribution per one individual or business. That would erase some of these contributions.

Also, $100,000 is a start to fundraising for the Assembly, but if Tran were actually considering it, which he hasn't said and only commentors are speculating, he has about another $500,000 to collect.

This is from our photo department. Got any ideas?

We need your help.

We are trying to jumpstart the "Day in the Life" display on Vally Life page in the Tribune on Wednesdays. The idea is to have a reader document his/her day through photographs. Hopefully someone with a somewhat interesting or unsual job, but there are many factors that can make a person's day interesting.

Here is how it is supposed to work: someone carries a camera with him/her all day and documents everthing that happens and that he/she sees. We are talking many dozens of photos. We then download the photos and work with the person on captions. We will publish a gallery online and put the top three or four pics in the paper. Trib circulation area.

Please let me know. Thanks.

Local politicans just love their fliers. It is a common tactic that Rosemead Councilwoman Margaret Clark has used over the past year, and Dan Holloway uses them too. But a big difference: Holloway's flier uses what looks like a city seal, which could get him in toruble, Tania Chatila reports:

LA PUENTE - Some city officials are accusing Councilman Dan Holloway of misusing the La Puente logo in a letter sent to more than 200 residents.

Holloway mailed the three-page letter at the beginning of the month. It details his accomplishments since being elected to the City Council in November. One of the pages included a picture of Holloway and the official La Puente logo.

A city policy unanimously adopted in January states that council members may not use city stationery "for political or campaign purposes. ... City stationery is defined as any stationery that displays the city seal or logo."

City Manager Carol Cowley said Holloway misused the icon, which includes the city's name.

"Whether the (letter) was campaign or political literature, I think that's subject to opinion," she said, declining to comment further.

Holloway defended himself, saying the letter was in no way political. He said it was informative and was meant to address rumors that the council has been ineffective.

He also said the logo he used is not exactly the same one used by the city. It was something Holloway had in a file.

"Anyone who reads the letter would see that I'm obviously talking about things I've supported, things that I've recommended," Holloway said. "It has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with informing the public." Read more.

Driving while texting will be the next thing that could be outlawed:

Los Angeles Times
By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 22, 2008

SACRAMENTO -- Everyone knows not to get caught DWI, but tech-savvy drivers may soon be outlawed from engaging in DWT -- driving while texting.

Trying to keep pace with advances in technology, a divided state Senate approved a measure Thursday that would outlaw text messaging by motorists in California.

... 

The measure now goes to the governor, who has said he will not sign any bills until the Legislature approves a budget. Read more.

My weekend story will be about the campaign donation totals in Rosemead. Some of the commentors have asked where the money is coming from. I will develop a spreadsheet later in the day, but here are some of the numbers that pop:

  Friends of John Nunez: $31,684

-Garvey School School Board member Bob Bruesch is listed as Nunez's treasurer on the campaign statement documents.

-Architect firm JWDA, which has done several buildings in Rosemead, donated $1,000.

-Valley Hotel, 8711 Balley Blvd., gave $2,500

-420 Boyd Street LLC, out of Los Angeles, gave $2,500

-Friends of John Tran donated $6,000

 

Committee to Re-Elect Margaret Clark: $1,969

-Her largest donation came from Henri Pellissier, a retired Whittier resident, gave $1,000.

-Mike Lewis of Lewis and Company gave $244 worth of "publication supplies." Lewis worked as a consultant to help get support for the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Polly Low for Rosemead: $37,407

-H Hai Tran, an Arcadia resident who is the director of Saigon National Bank, gave $3,000.

-420 Boyd Street, LLC, of Los Angeles, gave $3,000

-Si Ming Lau, a Pasadena resident who is self employed for Si Lau CPA Associates, gave $3,000.

-Paul Chauderson, a Rosemead resident who is self employed at Classic Tees, gave $3,000

-Stephen Lam, a former Monterey Park planning commissioner who resigned because of questions about his residency in the city, gave $1,000.

-Valley Hotel gave $2,000.

-JWDA, the architectual company, gave $1,000.

-Yan Huang, a Rowland Heights resident who is self employed for Huang Tax Service, gave $3,000.

-She also paid back a $5,000 loan from Friends of John Tran.

Friends of John Tran: $100,218

-Tran may have raised 100 grand, but this period he also spent $58,913, including a $11,500 fundraising event in 888 Seafood Restaurant and a $7,500 donation to Foothill Unity Center for "children in need."

- Pan Construction, at 1234 San Gabriel Blvd in Rosemead, gave $3,000

-Hotels Southern California in Arcadia gave $5,000.

-Eastern Investment Group out of Rosemead gave $3,000.

-Valley Hotel gave $3,000.

-CB Home, at 1732 S. Wesetern Ave. in Los Angeles, gave $3,000.

-TT Investment from Los Angeles (no address is given) gave $4,000.

-420 Boyd Street LLC, from 420 Boyd Street Los Angeles, gave $6,000.

-JWDA gave $1,000.

-Hieu Tai Tran gave $3,000.

-Connie Lam, the owner of Classic Tees, gave $5,000.

-Mike Truong, owner of Kingfish Trading Inc, gave $3,000.

-Dana Denh Voong, a real estate broker out of Arcadia, gave $3,000.

-Polly Low for Rosemead gave Tran $5,000.

Rosemead Partners Political Action Committee: $1,349

-Largest contribution came from Councilman Gary Taylor, who gave $500

-Lewis and Company gave $150.

Here's one opinion on the recent tax hikes. This letter ran on the Opinion Page today:
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Vote down tax hikes

Every day you read or hear about tax increases. The economy is horrible and people are having extreme difficulties paying mortgages, bills, food and the worst: the cost of gasoline.

Now our local, state and federal governments all want to increase taxes. Are they for real?

You don't hear our politicians saying they will take a cut in pay. You do not see our politicians giving up their cars, drivers or staff paid by us. They don't work everyday and yet they take long vacations.

Their answer to everything is increase taxes.

Let them put all these proposed increases on the ballot. I urge everyone to vote "no."

It is time the politicians and big government spend within the budget and we should hold them accountable.

We in the San Gabriel "Forgotten" Valley need to come together and vote "no" on the MTA tax. We will not get our fair share. The mayor of Los Angeles only has one thought in mind and it is not us. In fact, he is probably one of the worst when it comes to spending taxpayers money. Just look at all the trips he has taken.

Let us all wake up and stop listening to the politicians. They need to spend wisely and stop using us as scapegoats.

Gil Dominguez

West Covina

Rosemead elections are in March, so that means that it is campaign fundraising time for these council hopefuls. Here is the money tally, according to campaign finance records that covers Jan. 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008:

"Friends of John Tran" - $100,218

"Polly Low for Rosemead" - $37,407

"Friends of John Nunez" - $31,684"

Committee to Re-Elect Margaret Clark" - $1,969

"Rosemead Partners Political Action Committee" - $1,349

Two points of interest here:

1. John Tran (pictured to the left) raised 100 grand!

2. Polly Low is not running for another two years.

It looks like a 1 percent sales-tax hike isn't just a theory...

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger moved to end the stalemate over the state budget Wednesday by offering a compromise spending plan that calls for a temporary 1 percent sales-tax increase and additional cuts.

In the past, the governor has said he is against raising taxes. But with the budget nearly two months overdue, he said it is time to move beyond partisan ideology. He said Republicans and Democrats must find a middle ground between taxes and cuts to state programs.

California was supposed to have a budget in place by July 1, the start of the fiscal year, but lawmakers differ over how to close the $15.2 billion deficit.

"This compromise budget proposal puts our state on the road to fiscal sanity and will give California a budget that works," Schwarzenegger said at a news conference.

The governor's proposal has put him in the curious position of having Democrats as allies, and getting criticism from his own Republican party.

Senate majority leader Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, said she appreciated the governor taking a practical view of the budget.

"I applaud the governor for forgetting about campaign pledges and ideology and trying to do what is right for California," said Romero. "We have to do cuts and we have to have new revenue ... we can't borrow our way out."

But Assemblyman Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, said he expected there would be no compromise as long as new taxes were part of the plan.

"It's a non-starter for us. ... it is the wrong thing to do to people in this kind of economy," said Huff. "Sadly, the governor has lost credibility on both sides of the aisle... he has not been the strong rudder he was earlier in his term."

Read more.

The L.A. Times wrote a really interesting article on the Aurora Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, where earlier this month, a 14-year-old girl was raped by a 16-year-old patient at the hospital, as staffers and the suspect's probation officer slept nearby.

A source told me the incident happened in the middle of the night, during the hospital's "noc" or night shift.

Since then, a nurse and a mental health worker have been let go, the source told me.

Needless to say, the Times piece also delves into the hospital's track record, which apparently isn't that great.

Worth a read.

Ever since I reporter on the DMV sickouts last week, I've been getting a lot of feedback from readers.

Here are some of the comments:

I read your article about the striking DMV workers and the $15.2 billion budget deficit. Could please explain to me what happened when the people voted to let the four gaming tribes contribute $9 billion to the deficit and where did the moneys go.

Went to Pasadena DMV and had a positive experience , had an appointment for 12:50 AM got waited on at 1 PM a very efficient employee took care of my renewal in record time, took a picture and gave me an eye test and I was out of there by 1:30 PM. This all occured on 8/12/08 on S. "Rosemead in Pasadena.
Most efficient appointment I ever experienced with DMV.

Thoughts? Anyone?

The Marshall Family had some not so nice things to say about Chalet Gourmet owner Sid Maksoudian.

The San Dimas business owner got the following note from someone - or some persons - who only go by "The Marshall Family." It's pretty self-explanatory, and almost a bit unnerving...

Reporter Brian Day said Maksoudian - who was denied membership into the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce - has reported the letter to police. That being said, the controversy is getting pretty ugly....

I got this e-mail from a San Dimas resident on Monday:

Its not only the executives at the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce that put the 'smackdown' on the Chalet Gourmet membership request. I have been a member of this Chamber for years and support my Chamber in this decision. This man is a bully and does not in any way represent what our chamber stands for. I applaud the Executive Board and stand behind their decision 100%.

Let the games begin. Here is the Web site for Andrew McIntyre, who is running against Bill Robinson for his seat on the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District. Andrew McIntyre works for the McIntyre Company, a development, managment and real estate company.

Here's his supporters for the position:

For whatever reason, this didn't appear online. This story ran today:

Effort to bring back televised meetings fails in West Covina
By Jennifer McLain
Staff Writer

WEST COVINA -- City Council members upheld their decision Tuesday to cut televised meetings as a means to save money.

Despite testimony from nearly 20 residents, including one who said the decision is a form of dictatorship, council members said that this was one of many cuts that had to be made to reduce a $7.9 million deficit.

"We are only doing this temporarily until we are in better times," said Mayor Sherri Lane. "But there have been no new taxes, we are preserving public safety and there have been no cuts to senior citizen services."

Residents presented the council a petition with nearly 1,000 signatures, collected since the broadcasts were pulled from TV and online in July. According to a staff report, cutting the broadcasts saves $180,000 annually.

On Tuesday, Councilman Roger Hernandez asked the council to consider reinstituting the broadcast of meetings.

"This merits a second look by the city council," Hernandez said Tuesday. "We can't break down the cornerstone of government."

He said there are other positions and places in the city's budget that can afford to be cut, such as the public information officer position held by Sue Williams, a legislative consultant contract and a newsletter.

Hernandez estimates that cutting those would result in a nearly $162,000 in savings.
But the other four council members disagreed, and said that budget cuts have impacted all departments, including fire and police, in the city.

"I understand that the broadcasts are important, but there are a lot of other things that are important, and we still have a $2 million deficit," said Councilwoman Shelley Sanderson.

Most of the residents that spoke Tuesday asked the council to reconsider reinstating the broadcasts, and some residents suggested the council find alternative funding sources, such as through grants.

"The live broadcast of the City Council meetings is not a luxury. It is a necessity," said West Covina resident Fred Sykes, one of nearly a dozen who collected signatures protesting the council's decision.

But others said that this temporary cut is one that they understand in this tight economy.
"I think this is one area where I can afford to lose," said West Covina resident Peter Davis.

West Covina has televised the meetings for nearly 20 years, and the addition of airing the meetings online has encouraged open government, residents said.

The decision to cut the broadcasts, some said, was a a step backward.

"To me it is a dictatorship, censorship and it's not right," said Azusa resident Mike Lee.
While council members said that they understood the frustration of residents, sacrifices need to be made during times of budget cuts.

"I didn't want to see us close City Hall on Fridays, but we had to," Councilman Mike Touhey said Monday. "You can't please everyone."

[TAG1]jennifer.mclain@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2477

The council meeting was still going on when I had to duck out at 10:15 p.m. to meet my deadline. I'll just catch up on the televised meetings. Oh, wait. That's right. West Covina cancelled that little feature. (I just crack myself up.)

Anywho, most of the meeting tonight was taken up by the nearly 20 residents that spoke about the pulling of the televised meetings. Most of them said they wanted to the meetings televised, one suggested alternative funding sources, and some suggested that the council cut other things in the budget, like trips to China and Japan, car allowances and getting rid of the horse property it is allegedly leasing. (I'll follow up on the horse property claim tomorrow.)

But in the end, the council majority said, basically, that the economy stinks, everyone is making tough budget decisions both at their homes and at their work places, and that this is after all just a temporary decision.

Also coming out of tonight's meeting: The council approved a master plan for Orangewood Park. As far as funding goes, that still has to be figured out. But this does mean bonified soccer fields so the hundreds of soccer players in the city.

Oh yeah, and Councilman Mike Touhey took a dig at Councilman Roger Hernandez, who asked the council to consider installing flagpoles at all city facilties. Hernandez was also the one asking the council to bring back the broadcasts of the meetings. Touhey said if it were him, he wouldn't be asking for the reinstatement of the broadcasts of the meetings AND the installation of the flagpoles at the same meeting.

To those dedicated West Covina residents: What did we miss?

A graffiti program brought about after the deaths of several residents, including Pico Rivera resident Maria Hicks , who was shot and killed when she caught taggers in her neighborhood, will allow the county to recover costs for graffiti clean-up.

The county approved the program today, and it will become effective Sept. 18.

The new ordinance allows the county to declare itself a "graffiti victim" and recover costs for graffiti abatement -- including enforcement, removal and damages.

The County can recoup unpaid costs through liens or special assessments against the property of the graffiti offender or guardian of offending minor.

Adult graffiti offenders are subject to a civil citation issued by the Sheriff for fines up to $1,000.

The new Ordinance expands Supervisor Gloria Molina's graffiti enforcement program which resulted in 168 arrests.

But tagging related deaths continue. On July 23, Joshua Rodriguez was shot dead in South Whittier at Mulberry Drive and Ruoff Avenue.

WHITTIER - Homicide detectives are asking for the public's help in identifying and tracking down three men involved in a July 23 shooting that left a La Mirada man dead.

While authorities said the incident was triggered by a fight between rival tagging crews the day before, 20-year-old Joshua Rodriguez wasn't a tagger.

Sheriff's Lt. Dan Rosenberg said they don't know why Rodriguez was involved in the fight.

What detectives know is that on July 22 there was a clash near a local wash between the tagging crews, My Squad Murder Krew and Potheads. Rosenberg said the groups agreed to meet the next day at Mulberry Drive and Ruoff Avenue in South Whittier.

"Our victim, Rodriguez, got in a fight with somebody. He was actually winning," Rosenberg said.

But he said two friends of the man fighting with Rodriguez approached. One of them shot him several times

Authorities said that Rodriguez wasn't a tagger. I shot these photos of Rodriguez's shrine, which included writing comments with a Sharpie on the sidewalk.

The search for Moe the Chimp and Bigfoot are still on...

Researcher: Bigfoot just a rubber gorilla suit
By JUANITA COUSINS
Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA(AP)-- Turns out Bigfoot was just a rubber suit.

Two researchers on a quest to prove the existence of Bigfoot say that the carcass encased in a block of ice -- handed over to them for an undisclosed sum by two men who claimed to have found it -- was slowly thawed out, and discovered to be a rubber gorilla outfit.

The revelation comes just days after a much ballyhooed news conference was held in
California to proclaim that the remains of the creature found in the North Georgia mountains was the legendary man-ape.

Steve Kulls, executive director of squatchdetective.com and host of Squatchdetective Radio, says in a posting on a Web site run by Bigfoot researcher Tom Biscardi that as the "evidence" was thawed, the claim began to unravel as a giant hoax.

First, the hair sample was burned and "melted into a ball uncharacteristic of hair," Kulls
said in the posting.

The thawing process was sped up and the exposed head was found to be "unusually hollow in one small section." An hour of thawing later and the feet were exposed -- and they were found to be made of rubber.

Matt Whitton, an officer who has been on medical leave from the Clayton County Police
Department, and Rick Dyer, a former Georgia corrections officer, announced the find in early July on YouTube videos and a Web site.

"Everyone who has talked down to us is going to eat their words," Whitton said at the
time.

Phone calls to Whitton and Dyer went unreturned on Tuesday. But the voicemail recording for their Bigfoot Tip Line -- which proclaims they search for leprechauns and the Loch Ness monster -- has been updated and announcing they're also in search of "big cats and dinosaurs.

If you see any of those, give us a call."

On Tuesday, Clayton County Police Chief Jeff Turner said he has not spoken to Whitton but processed paperwork to fire him.

"Once he perpetrated a fraud, that goes into his credibility and integrity," Turner said.
"He has violated the duty of a police officer.

I got a call today and a fax from a South El Monte resident who is upset about a Verizon Wireless antenna facility that is going up at 9700 Factorial Way. There is a public hearing tonight on the topic at 6 p.m.

The resident is opposing the antenna facility because she claims that it will cause cancer.
But according to the American Cancer Society's Web site, that is doubtful:

Humans generate electromagnetic fields internally as well as externally. The simple collision between 2 molecules is an electrical event. Since there is electrical activity inside the human body, the question arises as to whether radio waves emitted by cellular phone towers can influence cell function, and in particular whether they can cause cancer.

However, several theoretical considerations suggest that cellular phone towers are unlikely to cause cancer

Plus, she added, there is already an antenna behind the 9708 Factorial Way.

Billionare land developer Ed Roski, who wants to bring an NFL stadium to the city of Industry, is still jumping through the many hoops to find a team that wants to play in his state of the art facility.

But at least he'll have the city of West Covina backing his plans. West Covina City Council will vote on a memorandum backing the stadium, which will be near the intersection of the 60 and 57 freeways.

BTW: Interesting that Roski has said in the past that traffic impacts in that area will be minimal if a stadium comes to town. Do you believe him?

Here's the staff report:

City of West Covina
Memorandum
A G E N D A

ITEM NO. D - 8c
DATE August 19, 2008

TO: Andrew G. Pasmant, City Manager
and City Council

FROM: Chris Freeland, Assistant to the City Manager

SUBJECT: RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NFL STADIUM IN THE CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA

RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolution:

RESOLUTION NO. _____________

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA DECLARING ITS SUPPORT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NFL STADIUM IN INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA.

DISCUSSION:

On October 28, 2004, the City of Industry approved an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a 4.8 million square foot Industry Business Center to be located near the intersection of the 57 and 60 freeways in the City of Industry. On April 16, 2008, Majestic Realty Co. applied for modifications to the EIR to permit the development of a football stadium suitable for a National Football League (NFL) team and reduce the size of the Industry Business Center Development.

The proposed 592-acre development is to include:

Stadium (with Team Facilities): 75,000 Seats, including 11,000 Club seats and 175 Suites

Office Buildings: 1.49 million sq. ft.

Retail Shops: 833,000 sq. ft.

Restaurants: 162,000 sq. ft.

Live Theater: 5,000 seats (60,000 sq. ft.)

Movie Theater: 1,200 seats (60,000 sq. ft.)

Green and non-parking Open Space: 271 acres

The proposed stadium will include the following:

Total Seats: 75,000 (expandable to 80,000 for Super Bowl games)

Suites: 175

Club Level: 11,000 seats

Team Offices: 45,000 sq. ft.

National Football League (NFL) Attraction: 40,000 sq. ft.

Team Store and Other Sponsored Retail Stores: 30,000 sq. ft.

Restaurants: 30,000 sq. ft.

Banquet facilities: 20,000 sq. ft.

NFL Team Training Facility: 115,000 sq. ft.

Medical Center and Clinic: 100,000 sq. ft.

Parking Spaces: 25,000 spaces

According to Majestic Realty Co., the shape of the Los Angeles Stadium will be an asymmetrical bowl which will provide improved seat positions and site lines for both general admission and premium fans.

The Stadium will anchor nearly 3 million square feet of mixed-use (entertainment, retail, commercial, office) development designed to express the Southern California lifestyle and provide retail and entertainment to families year round. The proposed project will create thousands of new jobs in the region and based on Majestic Realty's success with Staples Center, property values of the surrounding communities will increase.

City staff also anticipates that the development could create ancillary benefits, such as, increased property tax, hotel occupancy tax, sales tax revenues, and the opportunity for new commercial developments/tenants in West Covina if the proposed stadium is approved.

The proposed stadium is completely funded with private investment funds and will be constructed using recycled materials, water conservation features, and other "green" elements to be environmentally friendly, including the restoration of adjacent waterway and trails.

Attached is a resolution supporting the proposed stadium project, as well as, a rendering of the proposed development.

FISCAL IMPACT:
The anticipated increases in sales tax, property tax, hotel occupancy tax, and other revenues to West Covina from the proposed stadium are unknown at this time.

Prepared by:

___________________________
Chris Freeland
Assistant to the City Manager

A group of petitioners are expected tonight at West Covina City Hall. Fred Sykes, one of several people who have been working to collect signatures protesting the end of the broadcasts of council meetings, said that there are up to 1,000 people that have signed it.

But at least from Councilman Mike Touhey's point of view, it doesn't sound like the council will change their mind. After all, Touhey said, the budget cuts have resulted in a loss of one fire fighter per engine.

"Mike Touhey is for public safety," Touhey said.

So is Councilman Roger Hernandez, the odd man out of the council majority said yesterday. It's just that he also thinks there are other places in the city's budget where they can cut and still be able to preserve the broadcasts, Hernandez said.

Here is the story I wrote today. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. tonight.

This is from reporter Brian Day:

In a Saturday, Aug. 16 article entitled "Chamber answers businessman's ire," it was written that Sid Maksoudian did not deny he had a vendetta.

This statement was my summary of what I perceived to be the facts of the situation, however as Maksoudian has pointed out to me, he did not himself use the word "vendetta" and takes issue with the term being attached to his statements.

When I wrote "vendetta," I merely meant to imply the ongoing disputes and issues between Maksoudian and and the Chamber of Commerce and local businesswoman Heidi Daniels.

Maksoudian has expressed concern that this phrasing is innaccurate and implies that he has ill will towards others or wishes to see others come to harm, which he said is not the case.

Maksoudian said he merely has a list of grievances with the chamber and perceived injustices he would like to see remedied, not a vendetta.

If all the tax measures pass, including a one-cent sales tax hike that the Governor is allegedly suggesting, cities such as Pico Rivera will be paying as much as 10.75 percent in sales tax.

Here are the proposed city and county tax measures appearing on the November ballot affecting San Gabriel Valley voters:

El Monte
What: A half-cent sales tax for a period of five years
Expected revenue: $4.4 million a year
Reason: To preserve funding for public safety, street and storm drain maintenance, rebuild reserve funds, plug a $400,000 deficit

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
What: A half-cent sales tax increase for 30 years
Expected revenue: $30 - $40 billion
Reason: To improve traffic flow, expand public transportation, extend light rail with airport connections and provide clean-fuel buses

Pico Rivera
What: A one-cent sales tax increase
Expected revenue: $6 million
Reasons: To preserve public safety, community programs, plug a $4.8 million deficit, and maintain city infrastrcuture

Pomona
What: An increase of the utility users tax to 10 percent from 9 percent for 2 years and 2 months
Expected revenue: $1.8 million
Reasons: Maintain city services and capital improvement projects

San Gabriel
What: An increase in the utility users tax to 8 percent from 6 percent
Expected revenue: $1.2 million
Reasons: Improve police protection and investigations that reduce crime, preserve fire and paramedic emergency response times, plug a $600,000 deficit, and perform capital improvement projects.

The budget proposal failed, again, and some local officials are getting upset. Here is what Assembylman Mike End (D-Monterey Park) had to say about it:

ASSEMBLYMEMBER ENG BELIEVES IT'S TIME FOR A BUDGET

Sacramento, CA - Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) released the following statement today after the Assembly voted down a budget plan proposed by the Democratic Caucus. The budget proposal, which requires two-thirds of the majority, failed on a vote of 45-30.

"I find it truly unfortunate that we are now 48 days into the new fiscal year and still don't have a spending plan in place. I believe the Democratic budget proposal taken up tonight is sound, realistic and fair because it depends on a combination of cuts to state programs, the infusion of new revenues and structural reforms sought by Republicans. Although they don't have a budget proposal of their own, our Republican colleagues would prefer to only cut and borrow out of this crisis. I don't believe most Californians support such an approach. The time has come for us to roll up our sleeves, reach across the aisle and get some meaningful dialogue going. The people of California deserve a budget."

Wednesday's Baldwin Park City Council meeting has been cancelled.

I just spotted this on the Web site:

NOTICE OF CANCELLATION
The regular meetings of the City Council, Community Development Commission, Finance & Housing Authorities scheduled for August 20, 2008 have been cancelled.
The next regular meeting will be August 27, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. August 20, 2008 - 7:00 PM

I guess we won't be hearing from Greg Tuttle this week....

They say the early bird gets the worm.

Think that's what Whittier City Council hopeul Mike Delgado is thinking?

The insurance agent is throwing his hat -- and his money -- into the race about two years early, according to Whittier Daily News Reporter Mike Sprague.

Here are some exerpts from the story running in Monday's paper:

Delgado, 48, had spent $15,650 for a poll and a consultant as of June 30, according to a campaign finance report filed with the City Clerk's Office.

"It's important for me to plan ahead," he said. "When it comes to something as important as getting a City Council spot, I want to be well ahead of the curve."

This week's installment:

With Carol Cowley retiring, Paul Philips getting axed and Robert Griego looking for another job, San Gabriel Valley city managers seem to be dropping like flies lately.

Really?

In the news today...

(This from the Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP)-- Leroy Sievers, a National Public Radio commentator who turned
his battle with cancer into a popular and touching radio and online series, has died
from his disease. He was 53.

Sievers died Friday at his home in Maryland, NPR announced Saturday in a statement.
He was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2001. In 2005, the disease returned as a
brain tumor and lung cancer.

A report on his own chemotherapy treatments in February 2006 was broadcast on "Morning Edition" and prompted an enthusiastic response from the audience. It eventually became a regular series and feature on the network's Web site.

"For the past two years, Leroy shared his life with cancer on the air and online with
passion, wit and a kind, brutal honesty that created a safe space for an open and
candid dialogue about the disease," NPR Vice President for News Ellen Weiss said in a
statement.

His cancer continued to spread during the past few years. After several surgeries, he
recently decided to stop treatment.

Sievers worked as a journalist for more than 25 years, including 10 at CBS News and 14
years at ABC News Nightline, four of them as executive producer. He covered more than a dozen wars and was embedded with Ted Koppel to cover the Iraq war and produce "The Fallen," a tribute to soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Cancer was not in Leroy's plans. But he turned his battle with cancer into the most
dramatic, the most moving and the most important story of his life," Koppel wrote on
NPR's Web site.

Sievers is survived by his wife, Laurie Singer. Funeral arrangements were pending.

I just wrote this story running in tomorrow's paper about staged sickouts at a handful of DMV offices in So Cal, in protest of state budget cuts.

I was at the West Covina DMV office this morning....

WEST COVINA -- Employees at Southern California Department of Motor Vehicles branches staged a sickout Friday in protest of the state budget impasse.

"We've experienced some serious challenges to be sure as a result of the delayed budget," Marando said. "Until the budget is in place, the department will continue to modify service to comply with governor's executive order and meet the needs of the public."

I've gotten a couple of comments on the blog and through e-mail from people wondering how much La Puente City Manager Carol Cowley will be getting in retirement.

Some clarifications on a few things: first of all, Cowley is NOT subject to any kind of severance package as some have asked me. Because she wasn't fired, she doesn't get any lump sums.

Now, like any other government employee, voluntary resignation or retirement means she's eligible to receive the normal benefits per her retirement plan. She'll get about half of nearly $140,000 salary annually and health and dental benefits paid for by the city for the rest of her life. The health and dental also extend to her dependents, of which she has one: a daughter, who won't be eligible for benefits anymore in about a year.

Also, just a quick clarification from Thursday's article: Tuesday's closed session agenda listed employee performance evaluation for the city manager. But apparently, the evaluation was completed at the last meeting. Tuesday's closed session item was really to inform the council of Cowley's impending departure.

In tomorrow's paper, you'll see an article on the departure of La Puente City Manager Carol Cowley.

We've seen a lot of San Gabriel Valley city managers announce exits this week: in Irwindale, Robert Griego is looking for another job in Oregon, and in Covina, Paul Philips was simply fired.

In La Puente, Cowley said she is retiring ---- after less than two years in office.

That's right, the city's first female city manager --- who rose through the ranks from the city clerk's office to the city's top executive spot without a college degree --- isn't sticking around through 2010, the term outlined in her original contract (view it here: Agreement_No._06-849.pdf) which took effect Jan. 1, 2007. That's when Cowley took the job.

City officials say Cowley's early departure is not unordinary. And the only reason her contract listed a three-year stint is because that's the standard contract usually outlined by the International City/County Management Association.

But other city managers tell me they find it a bit strange that someone in that position would retire so quickly.

Officials are being pretty mum on the hiring process from here on out. Looks like they had some discussions in closed session, but they can't talk about them per state laws. In the meantime, as I mentioned in an earlier post, Cowley will be sticking around for another few months until a replacement is hired.

She told me today she doesn't think she'll be included in the hiring process. That's gonna be up to the council...Any candidates out there? 

San Dimas Chamber of Commerce executives put the *smackdown* on an appeals request filed by Chalet Gourmet owner Sid Maksoudian, whose application for entry into the chamber was denied a few weeks back.

In it, chamber President Ted Powl discusses --- rather bluntly --- the reasons why Maksoudian isn't welcome:

Mr. Maksoudian,

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce, below is our reply to your requests:

1. There is no appeal process for denial of membership in the bylaws of the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce.

2. The name of any law firm or attorney the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce chooses to engage in any legal matter involving the Chamber is not public information.

3. Whether Chalet Gourmet is the first or only business to be turned down for membership by the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce is irrelevant to the action taken by the Board of Directors in denying your membership.

4. As to the reason for your denial, the bylaws of the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce bylaws state in Article II (Membership), Section 1: Eligibility

"Any person, association, corporation, partnership or estate having an interest in promoting the mission and objectives of the Chamber shall be eligible to apply for membership."

Given Mr. Maksoudian's quest to stop the Chamber of Commerce's Toast of the Town event for the past two years, his derisive comments about some of our Directors and our President/CEO at various City Council meetings, the actions he took with Albertsons that resulted in the Chamber of Commerce's incoming Board Chair, Mike Light, to resign from our Board and his vendetta (his word) against Director Heidi Daniels and the San Dimas Wine Shop and Tasting Room, the Board of Directors of the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce believes that Mr. Maksoudian does not meet the criteria of a businessman who has "an interest in promoting the mission and objectives of the Chamber".

Membership in the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce, as in any chamber of commerce, is a privilege, not a right. That is why there is a provision in their bylaws for the Board of Directors to approve members.

Ted Powl
President/CEO
San Dimas Chamber of Commerce

My sources last week were right.

The top city official rumored to be leaving La Puente is Carol Cowley, the city manager.

And her departure has been confirmed. Cowley is retiring Sept. 30. Looks like she'll be serving as a consultant for about two months after that, likely until the city can hire someone new.

Cowley  joins in on the mass exodus of San Gabriel city managers we've seen in the last week. I got this press release from the city just moments ago:

Press_Release_on_retirement__-_Final.doc

So Pasadena has a new city manager, Michael Beck. But what is he going to get paid? More on that later in the day...

Here's what a Riverside blog had to say about the hiring. And here's how a Pasadena blog intiated him.

Riverside asst. city manager named Pasadena city manager
By Janette Williams, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/11/2008 03:39:04 PM PDT

PASADENA - Michael Beck was named Pasadena's new city manager Monday and will take up the position on Oct. 1.

Beck, 43, who is assistant city manager in Riverside, emerged from an initial field of 60 candidates as the City Council's unanimous choice, Mayor Bill Bogaard said.

"We recognize this is one of the most important decisions any City Council can make," Bogaard said, announcing Beck's appointment before an audience of city staffers in the City Council Chambers. "We treated it with the urgency and importance consistent with that."

Beck, Bogaard said, would make a "significant contribution to the future of the city ... and provide leadership consistent with the expectations of this great community."

Beck, a Claremont resident, said Riverside and Pasadena were alike in many ways, including "their historic natures," commitment to revitalizing their downtowns, their "multigenerational residents," finding solutions to traffic problems, greenhouse gas emissions and to electricity and water issues.

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San Dimas and soon Claremont are protesting a proposed 37 percent rate increase by Golden State Water Company, Brian Day reports.

In 2002, a proposed 43.8 percent rate increase proposed by Golden State Water Company was cut down to 11.5 percent after San Dimas and other agencies protesting the hike.

For our readers: What is your current water bills, and how much would you be paying if it was increased by 37 percent?

Covina City Manager Paul Philips is gone, and the only explanation that we get from the City Council is that there were "philosophical differences."

That is the same explanation that the Rosemead City Council gave when they fired former City Manager Andrew Lazzarretto.

So should we feel sorry for Philips? Well, he IS getting a nearly $95,000 severance package.

Philips is the chair of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Government's City Manager's Steering Committee.

Here is reporter Amanda Baumfeld's story:

Covina fires city manager
Council ousts Philips, citing differing views
By Amanda Baumfeld, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/12/2008 11:38:32 PM PDT

Philips COVINA - The City Council fired City Manager Paul Philips in a special meeting Monday night, citing philosophical differences, officials said.

After two hours of discussion, the council unanimously voted to oust Philips from the city's top administrative position, according to Chief Deputy City Clerk Toni Taber.

Philips was paid $190,560 per year, according to Gregg Yost, the city's human resource manager. He will receive $95,280 as part of a six-month severance package.

Council members said they differed with Philips on the direction in which the city needs to go.

"Always somewhat of a problem when you have different views on how to move something forward," said Mayor Kevin Stapleton. "There was not a list of charges, just a matter of different views of where we should be going and how to get there."

Calls to Philips' home for comment were not returned Tuesday.

Philips was hired in June 2000 during a controversial budget period. Council members at the time credited him for bringing calm to Covina after a decade of turbulence.

Covina is expected to appoint an interim city manager within the week, then begin a search for Philips' replacement, officials said.

Assistant City Manager Karin Gallivan is one possibility for the interim position but the council does not want to "overwhelm" her, Stapleton said.

The mayor said he had differences with Philips for about a year.

"The general impression

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in the way we go about things and our vision in how to advance Covina, we just saw it differently," Stapleton said. "I can't really go into specifics."
Councilman John King also would not state specifics, saying it could be "construed as negativity."

"This was not an angry, ugly parting of the ways," King said. "It was very respectful. We appreciate Mr. Philips and what he has done in the community. We are all moving in a different direction."

Councilman Walter Allen declined to comment, saying it's a personnel matter and he did not want to interfere with Philips' privacy.

During the past year, Covina declared a fiscal crisis and proposed to cut nearly 100 jobs if a 10-year extension of the utility user tax was not approved. Voters approved the measure in June.

In April, Rob Bobkiewicz, president of the Police Association of Covina, criticized city management at a council meeting saying Covina needed new leadership.

Stapleton plans to meet with department heads today to discuss Philips' dismissal and to assure city staff that this is not a "witch hunt."

"We are not overturning the entire city staff. We had some problems and we didn't see eye to eye but that does not affect anyone else," Stapleton said. "It's our intent to move forward and this is the best decision in the long run for the city, residents and employees."

amanda.baumfeld@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2108

The County Board of Sups had a lively meeting today.

There was presentation by Sheriff Lee Baca, which was followed by testimony from the family of Jameil Shaw, who was killed by an illegal immigrant; consideration of an ordinance that calls for chain restaurants to provide caloric information about meals; the introduction of a graffiti pilot program, proposed by Supervsior Gloria Molina, that allows the county to recover costs civilly; and the reversal of a vote that will now place a half-cent sales tax measure proposed by MTA on a consolidated ballot in November.

The most controversy came out of the discussion about the the Sheriff's policies and procedures for undocumented aliends housed in county jails.

There were dozens of speakers, including the father of Jamiel Shaw, an African-American who was college bound but was shot in the head on March 2 in Arlington Heights by an illegal immigrant.

Some speakers said that they did not care what race the illegal immigrants are, but they are against illegal immigrants that are gang bangers and murders, and there needs to be a system in place to deport them.

One speaker, who was an African American, said that if the tables were turned and 4 million black people illegally immigrated to Mexico, they would be killed.

Supervisor Yvonne Burke made a comment after a member from the Minute Men spoke, who called for the deportation of illegal immigrants. Immediately following him was a Rabbi, who said that the testimony from the Minute Man would be a tough act to follow. Then Burke responded, "Today, it's the Latinos. Tomorrow it's the blacks and Jews."

The comment did not sit well with some people, who accused Burke of making this a racial issue. But Burke responded by saying that she was not race baiting, but rather she was aware of the work that the Minute Men did, and she understood their call for deporting illegal immigrants was really a call for the immigration of all Latinos, and that they wouldn't stop there.

There were also representatives from the Mexican American Legal Defense and ACLU who spoke against developing a system like Special Order 40.

Once the transcript and video becomes available, you should read and watch some of the comments for yourselves. It was one of the most surprising public meetings I've ever attended.

(The photo above is of Jamiel Shaw Jr. The photo can be found at the LA Times blog.)

Reporter Amanda Baumfeld said that Covina officials aren't saying much abou the firing of City Manager Paul Philips, other than it is due to philosophical differences. Here's the latest:

COVINA - City Manager Paul Philips has been terminated from his post due to philosophical differences, officials said.

In a special closed session meeting the City Council voted unanimously to rid Philips from the city's top administrative position on Monday, according to Chief Deputy City Clerk Toni Taber.

Philips and the council had differences in the direction the city is going, according to Taber.

It seems the Foothill Transit Governing Board wants Pasadena to join its Joint Powers Authority.

Frankly, I guess I'm a little surprised they weren't already a part of it......

La Puente pastor and Mt. SAC professor Eddie Romero had only one update today from his undercover hideout in China:

Have u ever seen the tv series LOST? My hobbit hole is situated in the same environment except everything is real here... And it bites?

Whoah. All this talk about hobbit holes and things that bite makes me wonder if Romero is hiding out in some obscure jungle bungalow in China. Maybe that's where Moe is....

El Monte is hoping to fight off an increased number of blighted homes that have gone into foreclosure. The city has ended up picking up the slack and incurred expenses responding to abandoned swimming pools, unsecured homes and property vandalism.

I'm assuming that this is a regional problem. Have you noticed an increased number of foreclosed homes in your neighborhood that are unkempt and an eyesore to the community?

This press release just popped in to my email. Will you vote on a proposal that gives less than 19 percent of funding to the San Gabriel Valley for tranist projects?

ANTONOVICH AND MOLINA INTRODUCE MOTION TO OPPOSE MTA'S ½ CENT SALES TAX MEASURE

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Gloria Molina introduced a motion for Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Supervisors to oppose the MTA's proposed sales tax increase for its failure to distribute transit dollars equitably.

"The measure fails to include funding for areas that will grow the most over the next 30 years, " said Antonovich. "The Antelope and Santa Clarita Valleys will more than double in population over the life of this sales tax measure, yet receive only 5% of the total project funding. The San Gabriel Valley and Gateway Cities both have approximately 19% of the County's population, and also generate approximately 19% of the County's sales taxes -- yet both areas were given much less than 19% of the total project funding available. The San Fernando Valley represents over 15% of the County's population but will only receive 5% of the total project funding available -- depriving Valley residents 2/3 of its fair share of funding."

"Los Angeles County residents in the San Fernando, San Gabriel, Cresenta, Santa Clarita, and Antelope valleys, the Gateway cities and East Los Angeles will reject this poorly constructed, unfair proposal," he added. "Rather than collaborating with the 88 cities and 134 unincorporated communities to build support, Mayor Villaraigosa's tax is being shoved down the taxpayers' throats because unlike Robin Hood, it takes from the poor and gives to the rich."

I wrote this story that ran in Saturday's paper about a La Puente pastor and Mt. SAC professor that vandalized some hotel room walls in China then disappeared.

Edward Romero, or E. Perez Romero has he likes to be called according to his colleagues, painted anti-oppression slogans on two hotel room walls in Beijing as a way to speak out against oppression of the Chinese people.

It's all caught on tape, as seen here on his YouTube page. He calls him self the "Gadfly." Hmm....i've heard that term thrown around before.....

Romero plans to turn himself into authorities - that is, after the Olympics are over on Aug. 24. He says he doesn't want to disrupt the summer games. Until then, he's hiding out in China but providing sporadic insight into his whereabouts via the Internet. I've been tracking him on his Twitter page. I thought I'd provide some frequent updates on this blog as the story is quickly getting the attention of news outlets around the globe.

His latest Twitter entry: "Pray that tonight is an improvement over last nights thunderstorm -- not fun, quite miserable. Nevertheless GIG"

**GIG apparently means God is Good.

Rumor has it some interesting things are brewing in La Puente City Hall.

Can't say what yet, but I'm being told to keep a look out for a major announcement after Tuesday's City Council meeting.

All I can say is if my sources are right, a city official could be on the outs.

Guesses anyone?

Once again, this week's Leftovers column:

***As a note, Monday's column was written as a first-person narrative by Jennifer McLain. In it, she talks about her recent move from West Covina to Monrovia. That's right, now we both live in Mayberry, er, the All-American City.

I've lived in West Covina for the past two years, and half of the time I spent complaining about it.

After all, what does West Covina have to offer a person in their twenties?
Sure, it has great freeway access, Big League Dreams and the city is home to the Tribune's headquarters.

But there's no ocean, no downtown and nowhere to go out on a Saturday night.
I learned to make do, but after my house was robbed twice, a friend's car window was smashed in on my street and I was awakened nightly by the sound of cop cars and helicopters, I had enough of the "Hub of the San Gabriel Valley."

That was, until I moved to Monrovia last week.

I remembered reading in the paper that Monrovia had its share of gang violence since December, but since I lived in West Covina I never really read with interest.

So I figured that the little haven I found on Royal Oaks Drive would finally give me what I wanted.

It was close to downtown, it was within walking distance to hiking trails, and there were national grocery stores within blocks of my house.

What were the chances that I would stumble on a neighborhood that was in the center of gang violence?

Turns out, those chances were pretty high.

I knew something was wrong the day I started moving in my things and I noticed a pair of towering flood lights shining down on a home in the 500 block on Royal Oaks Drive in Monrovia.

Equally strange was the day I came home from work only to see a group of kids that were playing in the street scatter when a low-flying helicopter ambushed our neighborhood.

And even more absurd was when I was carrying boxes from my car to my house, and I overheard a boy who looked to be about 8 years old say to his friend, "Bang, bang. I shot you, bro."

That's when I started researching my new street -- although I realize that I should have done this before I moved in.

On Royal Oaks Drive, there have been two drive-bys, including one as recently as July 12.
Sheriff's Temple Station Capt. Richard Shaw said that the towering floodlight, which shines into my window, is there to scare away gang members. Great.

Around the corner, there have been three other drive-by shootings since December, and all of the victims were Black and believed to have been targeted by Latinos.

My heart sunk when I realized that I moved into the middle of a race war, and it was at that point that I was really missing West Covina.

I'll take a robbery over a drive-by any day.

Then again, my neighborhood in West Covina certainly had its share of issues.

But all neighborhoods do.

As much time as we spend reporting on the crime that occurs in cities throughout the San Gabriel Valley, we also see neighborhoods overcoming the violence and developing a sense of community.

I'm hoping for the same in Monrovia.

You might remember that earlier this week Sid Mousakian, owner of Chalet Gourmet in San Dimas, sent an e-mail to the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce execs asking for an appeal of his membership application denial.

Mousakian had recently applied for membership with the Chamber of Commerce, but was denied entry for reasons unspecified by the chamber.

Mousakian says its because he's outspoken.

Well, apparently, Mousakian said after he sent that e-mail, he was told that the chamber does not have an appeals process - is that because they've never denied membership before?

It looks like Mousakian is going to have to get a chamber board member to request that his application be re-evaluated, or he's outta luck.

Wonder if anyone is going to ask that it be reconsidered?

This just in from reporter Amanda Baumfeld:

There may be trouble looming for Covina City Manager Paul Philips. The City Council has called a special meeting for Monday to discuss personnel issues surrounding Philips.

Special meeting starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 125 E. College Street.

People have been calling and e-mailing me all morning on this story I did in Baldwin Park about a band of women who shaved their heads in support of Louise Duran's fight against breast cancer.

An interesting tidbit that did not get into the story: Cecilia Bernal, Duran's sister, is a commissioner on the Baldwin Park Recreation & Community Services Commission. Her term ends in June 2009.

Read the full story here.

If you've seen the paper this morning, then I'm sure you couldn't have missed this story:

Council members say land deal cost La Puente
By Tania Chatila, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/07/2008 11:56:09 PM PDT

LA PUENTE - Two council members are claiming the city lost out on $4 million by waiting 45 days to finalize a developer for a proposed Hacienda Boulevard retail center.

Council members John Solis and Lola Storing said the Charles Co. was willing to pay the city $23 per square foot for about 422,000 square feet of Hacienda Boulevard before the council decided to take a 45-day stay to reassess the project and solicit interest from other developers.

The Charles Co. would have paid the city about $9.7 million in full within 30 days, Solis said.

Today, the Charles Co. is offering $13 a square foot, or about $5.5 million, he said.

"We lost all that money," Storing said. "It's very unfortunate because we do not have that kind of money to lose."

Some city officials argue the claims are unfounded and false, considering a city consultant and staff members advised the council last month that no developer would have been able to deliver at such a high price in this struggling economy.

"The economy has changed dramatically," Councilman Dan Holloway said. "If this had gone forward earlier, we would be in the same situation we were in with the community center where a contractor agreed to something and, because of the economy, cannot perform."

*********

Charles Co. owner Arman Gabay said Wednesday he had previously offered the city $23 a square foot, but that was under the impression that the project would include Triangle Square.

Now, Gabay is pegging the project without that site - since it has not yet been acquired - meaning the retail center will likely only include two big box stores and a parking lot, he said.

*****

Mayor Louie Lujan said Gabay's $23 offer was made long ago, and the council knew going into the 45-day stay that Gabay had dropped his offer to $13 a square foot.

The project has seemed to create quite a divide amongst council members, who are clearly split on their arguments.

Lujan seemed adamant Wednesday that the Solis-Storing argument was absolutely false. He also brought up a closed session meeting a few months back in which the council asked the city manager, asst city manager and city attorney to leave. Lujan said during that meeting, the council made critical decisions regarding the Charles Co. and he said he was dissapointed when Storing decided to walk out.

Storing said she didn't want to be in the meeting without any legal counsel.

Looks like the MTA sales tax measure isn't dead after all.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced today that at the next meeting of the Board of Supervisors, he will enter a motion to reconsider the Board's previous vote on the Metropolitan Transit Authority's (MTA) sales tax measure.

Supervisor Knabe has also decided that at the time of the reconsideration he will change his vote from 'no' to 'yes.'

Knabe's reconsideration and intention to change his vote means that the MTA sales tax measure has enough votes to go before voters in November, not as a separate election.

A private investigator from Woodburn, Oregon called me today asking me questions about Irwindale City Manager Robert Griego. Griego is one of two candidates being considered for the city administrator position in Woodburn.

Griego said today that he sent a letter to the council members informing them that he is interviewing for other positions outside of Irwindale.

More to come in tomorrow's paper.

The topic of Gregg Industries came up at the El Monte council meeting on Tuesday, the same day that the AQMD started its hearing of the plant.

Joseph Blackburn submitted a letter to City Council members, informing them of the constant "denial" by Gregg Industries' management that the faciltity produces foul odor.

According to Gregg Industries' Web site:

In March 2007, the South Coast Air Quality Management Board's hearing panel granted Gregg Industries a permit to continue operating while continuing to reduce odors. We wish to thank you for your patience as we have worked with AQMD and our neighbors to detect and reduce odors.

Our pledge is to keep you informed about our activities and no topic is too big or small in this effort. We were recently asked by a resident about chemicals used at Gregg, including mistaken claims by some that we use chemicals called Furan and Dioxin.

On Tuesday, staff members acknowledged that there is nothing they can do about Gregg Industries, since it falls under the responsiblity of AQMD. And there also seems to be some doubt that these residents are indeed smelling what they claim.

After Blackburn's testimony, in which he told council members that the smell is "just wretchingly awful...and the company is in delusional denial," Councilman Art Barrios said that he went out there around 10 a.m. and didn't smell a thing.

That's because the smells come out at night, Blackburn said.

The most exciting thing to hit the newsroom this morning: an emergency drill!

Looks like everybody's joining in on the preparedness effort, especially after the Chino Hills earthquake rocked the region last month.

Check out Metro Editor and Crime Scene blogger Frank Girardot in Caltrans.....er, orange emergency personnel gear.

Don't worry, we weren't standing out there for too long.

News doesn't wait.

This just in from reporter Bethania Palma:

DIAMOND BAR -- The City Council last night chose to do away with proposed changes to the city's dial-a-ride program and keep it as-is. The only change will be an expanded service area for medical facilities, from a 10-mile radius to a 20-mile radius.

Here's Palma's original story:

Ride changes protested
By Bethania Palma, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/01/2008 11:23:49 PM PDT

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2236

Look's like Sid Mousakian, owner of Chalet Gourmet in San Dimas, isn't going down without a fight.

If you're not familiar with the story, Mousakian recently applied for membership with the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce, but was denied entry.

Officials wouldn't really divulge their reasons for the rejection, but said that they couldn't understand why Mousakian would apply considering he has been a vocal critic of the chamber and the city.

Here's the previous story Brian Day wrote last week.

I was cc'd on the following e-mail Tuesday from Mousakian to the chamber:

Ted Powl & Board of Directors;

The family of Chalet Gourmet respectfully request the appeal process for the denial of our business.

Secondly, we would like to know the law firm that represents the Chamber of Commerce for the city of San Dimas for future contact.

For the record, we would like to know if we are the first and only business in the history of San Dimas who were denied membership into the Chamber of Commerce.

Lastly, the business and the family members of Chalet Gourmet want to know specific reasons as to why our family business was turned down to join the Chamber.

Please respond as soon as possible.

Please Cc this email to all Board of Directors.

Sid Maksoudian
Arax Maksoudian
Aline Maksoudian

Chalet Gourmet
120 W. Bonita Ave. Suite E
San Dimas, CA 91773
T: 909-592-7300
Email: chaletgourmet@gmail.com

Hours of Operation: 10am - 8pm Tuesday - Saturday

I have to say, I'd also be very interested to know whether the chamber has denied applicants before, considering each member pays hundreds of dollars in membership dues each year.

The Baldwin Park City Council is going to consider a 4.4 percent trash fee increase at tonight's meeting.

According to the staff report, Waste Management of the Pomona/San Gabriel Valley -- which contracts with the city for all refuse and solid waste management services -- originally proposed a 5.4 percent increase.

Cost of living increases and rising gas prices were attributed as the main culprits behind the request.

But it looks like city staff members were able to bring that original fee hike proposal down by one percent.

Lucky for taxpayers.

One interesting side note, the city could see an additional $26,000 to its coffers if the increase is approved, according to the staff report.

You know what they say about death and taxes...

Proposed sales tax hike in dispute
Article Launched: 08/05/2008 11:53:17 PM PDT

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 4451

That's right, according to reporter Jennifer McLain, an ordinance approved in El Monte Tuesday night will restrict registered sex offenders to move into only about 5 percent of the city.
The ordinance expands on state law, McLain reports, and basically further limits already strict provisions on exactly where sex offenders can lives:

El Monte tightens limits on sex offenders
Jennifer McLain, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/05/2008 11:53:24 PM PDT

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2477

My apologies for not updating the blog earlier today. Because today will be a late night -- I got in at 2 p.m. to cover the El Monte meeting -- I am just now getting into the daily grove.

For the reader concerned about our Gregg Industries coverage: It is my understanding that a reporter has been covering that and is still at the hearing. We will have an update when she returns.

And yes, chasing down dead ducks and chickens does cut into blogging and reporting time.

What's left when you take away the lies on water board Director Xavier Alvarez's bio?

Just his phone number, which is disconnected.

Alvarez is the director for Three Valleys Municipal Water District who was convicted for lying about having received the Medal of Honor.

Will Bigham reports Rees Lloyd, a member of the American Legion, protested Alvarez's claim in his biography that he is a Legion member, and requested that the information be removed from the director's bio. Here's what Bigham reports:

When Three Valleys board president Bob Kuhn was notified of Lloyd's letter Monday, he told district staff members to remove anything in Alvarez's biography that the district did not know to be true.

Alvarez's entire biography - except a listing for a now-disconnected phone number - was removed Monday.

"We know for a fact that he didn't go to school," Kuhn said Monday. "He started (the biography) with the fact that he was a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona. That by itself was enough to take the whole thing down.

"As a matter of fact, this was the easiest decision I've ever made," Kuhn continued. "I had a tougher time deciding what to eat for breakfast this morning."

(Photo found on Claremont Insider)

El Monte's City Council meeting is tonight.

On their agenda is a sex offender ordinance, as well as the consideration of lifting a moratorium on development in the northwest planning district.

Also, Councilman Barrios is asking to increase the number of minutes speakers have from three to four minutes.

Leftovers Column: Someone should be watching chambers
By Tania Chatila and Jennifer McLain, Staff Writers
Article Launched: 08/03/2008 11:14:59 PM PDT

Is it about business or about pleasure? Sometimes it's hard to tell what some of our area chambers of commerce are doing.

Last week it was all about the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce, where the board of directors rejected Sid

Maksoudian's application for admission.

Maksoudian - who owns Chalet Gourmet, an upscale liquor store on West Bonita Avenue - said he was denied entry because he's outspoken.

Nobody's denying Maksoudian's criticism of the chamber and the city, including chamber officials.

But chamber President Ted Powl also isn't giving a straight answer as to why the board rejected Maksoudian's application - only to say, "We just don't understand why he would apply, given the positions he's stated in the past."

In Baldwin Park, chamber officials there are mulling an audit of its finances after Councilwoman Marlen Garcia raised concerns about the way the chamber was being run.

And a few months back, a disgruntled former Rosemead Chamber of Commerce

member claimed the chamber was not reaching out to the Asian community, and also questioned the group's finances. The Chamber denied all claims and also denied all inquiries to look into its accounting books.

The interesting thing about chambers is that some are funded by city coffers, while others are not.

In Rosemead, despite being a privately owned organization, the chamber still receives about $45,000 a year in taxpayer funding.

But in Baldwin Park, the chamber receives no municipal subsidy, though the city did loan the chamber $10,000 once when it was strapped for cash. The money has been paid back. Funny thing is, in both cases the city has no oversight concerning chamber practices.

The mission of most chambers is to provide services and support to promote the business community. But with allegations of misappropriation of funds, rejection of bona fide business owners and claims of not reaching out to certain ethnic communities, are chambers of commerce really worth it?

Just this week an anonymous business owner called and said she withdrew her membership with the Baldwin Park Chamber of Commerce because she felt that chamber executives were more concerned with their own problems than with doing their jobs.

Business owners spend quite a chunk of change - sometimes upwards of $600 a year - to be part of these organizations. And as we've seen, cities sometimes spend even more to keep the operations running. With little to no oversight for most chambers, it is hard to tell whether cities or businesses get their money's worth.

That's not to say that municipalities should have complete jurisdiction over how chambers are being run. But shouldn't someone outside the agencies, especially if they receive city subsidies, be holding them accountable?

jennifer.mclain@sgvn.com

tania.chatila@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2477, 2109

This just in from reporter Claudia Palma....

EL MONTE - Employees, family and friends of Gregg Industries spoke to a neighborhood committee and governing air district members to discuss issues at Gregg Industries Thursday evening at City Hall.

Over 100 people attended a meeting of the Rio Vista Neighborhood Committee, which consists of members from the Mujeres de la Tierra - El Monte chapter, Amigos de los Rios and other community representatives, held inside council chambers.

"(Our committee) deals with issues in the community - schools, parks, (and Gregg)," said Maria Rosario Valdez of Mujeres de la Tierra.

Mayor Ernie Gutierrez and Councilwoman Pat Wallach sat in the audience as various Gregg representatives spoke on the work the plant has done to improve worker safety and mitigate odors that may be coming from the plant.

Gutierrez said Gregg's situation is almost identical to what he has been through in the last few weeks.

"What is being said has to be factual," he said, "it's too easy for people to get up and speak nonsense without facts."

Gutierrez expressed his concern for the children and residents in the community but wants to be sure there are documents stating facts of cancer or other health risks in the area.

Interesting that Gutierrez would use concerns over odors form an iron foundry to make parallels with allegations he was drunk and acted inappropriately at a city event.

A little far-fetched?

Our higher ups are testing out streaming video for use at trials and other events. So, we've got a camera set up in the newsroom today streaming everything we do live. (eek!)

There's about a 4- to 5-second lag, but it's the closest we've come to live TV here at the Tribune...