If you’ve been reading our paper for the last few weeks, you’ve probably noticed an increasing amount of local election stories.
Today is no different.
Alfred Lee wrote this piece about the Senate’s 21st District race, which Carol Liu is favored to win.
We also had this piece from Jennifer McLain about the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District.
This just in from reporter Amanda Baumfeld:
I found this to be pretty interesting…..
Councilwoman Mary Anne Saucedo-Rodriguez was set to discuss a possible limit on campaign contributions at an Oct. 8 meeting. It was an listed under her council oral but for whatever reason she opted not to discuss it.
The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting is out and I thought Saucedo-Rodriguez would have moved the item to this week. But it happens to be left off the agenda.
Perhaps the councilwoman gave the idea a second thought
Today I finally got around to a record’s request that La Puente Valley County Water District has kept for me for about a month now. The request was inspired after I received a series of anonymous calls asking me to look into RC Foster, a contracting company that Valley County and other water agencies in the SGV has used for several years to build water clean up facilities.
I don’t know whether there is a story there. I just asked for invoices, bid submittals, contracts and minutes, and still need to review the docs at one more agency.
Back to today. While going through the minutes, I came across a familiar name: La Puente Councilman Louie Lujan, who apparently got his start in politics on the La Puente Valley County Water District. I didn’t realize that until I came back to the office and checked out Lujan’s bio:
At the age of 23, he was the top vote getter among three candidates vying for two positions on the La Puente Valley County Water District in November of 1999.
In past stories about water districts, some have said that water boards are the springboard of political careers, while I’ve heard others say it is the landing pad. And then, there is that group that just get stuck there, and end up serving on the board for 20 years plus.
It seems that water politics is a mixture of both, although it would be an interesting story to see how the demographics, including age and gender, on our water boards, and city councils, have shifted today compared to 10 years ago.
Would you guys read that story?
The West Covina City Council meeting on Tuesday is cancelled because there is no scheduled business.
Being a reporter is often a thankless job. In fact, it is often one filled with things very different than thanks. In fact, it usually runs more with words that start with an h and sound like bait. Or other people think reporters “b-lame.”
But it is nice when something you do seems to have some sort of a positive impact, if one can be found.
At tonight’s Azusa City Council meeting, Mayor Joe Rocha will bring to the discussion the idea of a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case Pauline Squires.
Squires was killed in a hit and run four years ago, and her mother Yoshiko was disappointed that a reward was never offered. More can be found on this story here:
Who knows if the reward will catch the killer, but if this can bring some closure to the Squireses, I guess that is something.
In other city council notes, chalk another one up against Measure R.
The measure on November’s ballot would institute a half cent sales tax to benefit transportation, but has been widely opposed by a lot of cities in the San Gabriel Valley. Glendora opposed voted to oppose it last week, others have in the past, and now La Verne is getting in on the anti-Measure R party. A resolution to oppose the measure appears on tonight’s council meeting agenda.
Open forum: Are parking permits in West Covina a good idea?
The city is still looking into the price of parking permits, as well as the cost of the citations. At the city council meeting two weeks ago, there was an even number of people who spoke in favor and against having the parking permits. The council unanimously passed it.
New ordinance will require residents to get overnight parking permit
By Jennifer McLain, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/17/2008 11:41:15 PM PDT
WEST COVINA – Starting next year, drivers who leave their cars parked on city streets could get a ticket.
The West Covina City Council has unanimously approved a parking plan that requires drivers to get an overnight permit if they want to park on city streets between 2 and 6 a.m.
“We think it will be beneficial to public safety, and will improve the quality of life and aesthetics,” said Shannon Yauchzee, public works director.
The restrictions will apply to all West Covina streets. The ordinance is expected to be finalized at the Nov. 4 council meeting, where the council will also host a public hearing to discuss the proposed parking permit costs and fees.
West Covina is still preparing a cost analysis and has not decided on permit fees or parking violation costs.
In La Verne, a yearly parking permit is $50, and a temporary permit runs $3 a night. Tickets in other cities range from $40 to $100.
No one is ignoring the fact that Baldwin Park resident and attorney Victor Saldana likely won’t win his bid for the 57th Assembly District seat.
That’s cause he’s running against incumbent Ed Hernandez, who has serious ties to the San Gabriel Valley, has about $400,000 more in his campaign coffers and leads a district that is heavily Democratic.
But you can’t hate a man for trying…
Get the scoop on local politics at theLeftovers from City Hallblog
Political experts and local party members say a heavily-favored incumbent will run away with a victory in the 57th Assembly District race on Nov. 4.
Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, would serve a second term if re-elected. He faces Victor Saldana, a lawyer who unsuccessfully ran for Baldwin Park City Council in 2007.
As a strongly Democratic district “known to protect incumbency and party control,” Hernandez will be a tough candidate to beat, according to David Menefee-Libey, politics professor at Pomona College.
The 57th Assembly District represents several cities in the San Gabriel Valley, including Azusa, Covina, La Puente, West Covina, Industry and Baldwin Park.
Hernandez was first elected to office in 2006 and is chair of the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus.
“I have two years of experience and I’ve brought a significant amount of resources to the San Gabriel Valley,” said Hernandez, who lives in West Covina and runs two optometry practices in La Puente and Duarte with his wife.
Hernandez said he’s got a proven track record.
“The priorities are obviously transportation,” he said, adding that he helped secure about $74 million for improvements to the 10 Freeway and 605 Freeway interchange.
Hernandez also emphasized his interest in water issues,health
According to campaign finance statements filed with the secretaryof state, Hernandez has about $425,000 in his bank account – which includes contributions from a long list of Valley organizations and elected officials.
Among them is more than $4,000 from the Coalition for a Safe and Clean and Environment – which is headed up by La Puente Mayor Louie Lujan’s brother – and another $1,250 from Louie Lujan.
Baldwin Park Councilwoman Marlen Garcia donated $500, and Miller Brewery donated $3,600, according to documents from the state.
Saldana said he’s raised about $30,000 for his campaign. This is only the second time he has ever run for public office.
While experience is helpful, Saldana said it’s not the only quality of a good candidate.
“I think education is my strong suit,” Saldana said. “I’m a lawyer by profession. I’ve been advocating for people all my life. This position would be no different.”
Saldana is a long-time Baldwin Park resident who has a practice in Diamond Bar.
His biggest concern is the economy.
“Everybody is having a tough time making ends meet,” Saldana said. “I would really like to focus on easing burdens on California taxpayers by lowering taxes. I would like to ease the burden at the pump too, and I’d like to also cut wasteful government spending.”
Kathy Howard, vice chairman of the 57th Assembly District Republican Central Committee, called Saldana a “credible candidate,” but also spoke to the difficulty of winning in the district.
“(Saldana) wants very much to make a Republican presence even though he pretty much knows he’s not going to win,” Howard said. “But he’s going to try really hard.”
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2109
Baldwin Park Mayor Manuel Lozano says he wants to track down the citizen that turned in a parolee and teenager for allegedly vandalizing the Baldwin Park veterans memorial at Morgan Park.
Here’s some of a story reporter Brian Day wrote for Sunday’s paper:
Louis Andrew Lopez, 23, of Baldwin Park and a 16-year-old Baldwin Park boy were booked on suspicion of felony vandalism, Baldwin Park police Sgt. Chris Hofford said.
The two allegedly used an etching tool to scrawl gang graffiti into the marble war memorial and a nearby electrical box located at Morgan Park, 4100 Baldwin Park Blvd., Hofford said.
“It’s a sad thing we have people like that,” area resident, Korean War veteran and Silver Star recipient Al Cuen from the Baldwin Park Veterans of Foreign Wars post Saturday. “I’m definitely glad they caught them.”
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A citizen called police about 4 p.m. to report the vandalism, Hofford said, and pointed out the suspects to officers in the park’s community center.
Hofford added the arrest was made as the “direct result of the help of a citizen.”
“I would definitely like to recognize this person,” Lozano said.
I think I see a certificate presentation on the horizon at one of the next council meetings…..
Reporter Amanda Baumfeld wrote a very telling piece this weekend about the effects an exclusive trash contract with Athens Services in Montebello could mean for local independent trash haulers.
Apparently, the refuse business goes way back for many Montebello Armenian families:
The 15-year agreement, worth $7.8 million annually, grants Athens exclusive rights to all trash hauling in the city. It phases out contracts with the 13 independent haulers who currently collect trash in commercial areas.
The issue has divided many in the city with trash haulers fighting for a shot at bidding on the same contract that was granted to Athens.
The division stings because Athens’ owners, the Arakelian family, sprang from the same roots.
“This has turned out to be Athens verses these independent haulers,” said Musid Minasian, an Armenian resident. “None of these guys have disrespect towards Athens. Athens is trying to put themselves in front of the Armenian community and they are trying to take someone’s roots away from them.”
The Arakelians did not comment for this story.
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The Armenian community’s strong ties to the trash industry began in the early 20th century.
For example, Denise Hagopian, owner of Heavenly Choices, recalled how her grandfather immigrated to Los Angeles in 1906. He worked as a laborer and eventually became a farmer raising hogs and chickens.
“The first rubbish was picking up leftover food from a restaurant to feed to the cattle,” said Hagopian. “They would pick up all the leftovers, that’s how rubbish hauling started.”
Then packaged food began appearing in the early 1940s along with paper plates, plastic silverware and that created more rubbish, said Hagopian.
“Already having a route picking up rubbish, they picked up the next things,” Hagopian said. “It was just a natural progression of business.”
Petrosian, of Commercial Waste Services, says his family businesses started with raising hogs. As a fourth generation resident, he has formed many relationships in the city.
“Our social circle is in Montebello; that’s our community,” Petrosian said. “Me and the rest of the haulers, we all have relatives here and central ties in the city.”
Jack Topalian of Nasa Services said he believes Montebello’s entire economy will suffer if the traditional trash haulers no longer did business in town.
“Just the local business that we do,” Topalian said. “We do a lot with local auto shops, the fuel we purchase; there would definitely be a major trickle down effect that would happen.”
Despite the recent debate, many in the Armenian community remain hopeful that they will be able to stay close to their Montebello roots.
“It’s the most precious thing to the Armenians to maintain their culture,” Hagopian said. “But if you don’t have business in the city you have to move and you lose those bonds that are hundreds of years old. What a terrible thing to lose.”
Another week, another round of leftovers…
Sanderson also filed for a restraining order against Lamb, who pleaded no contest last month to making those calls.
Lamb’s next court date is scheduled in March, and police say they are investigating Lamb because they found “things” on her computer that “concern” them.
Urteaga was convicted in 1999 of one count of grand theft.
So why did this come out now?
Urteaga’s past is just another weapon for residents and independent trash haulers who are fighting the 15-year contract Montebello has with garbage company, Athens Services.
But whether they live up to it, well, that’s another story.