Recently in Baldwin Park Category
San Gabriel Valley Tribune Staff Writer Thomas Himes is a finalist in the public service category for a statewide journalism contest for his reports on legally questionable police checkpoints and vehicle seizures in the Los Angeles suburb of Baldwin Park.
The California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) notified the Tribune Friday that Himes was selected as a finalist in the 2010 Better Newspapers Contest. The first place winner will be announced at CNPA's annual banquet April 16 in Los Angeles.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune is one of 21 newspapers in the 25,001 to 100,000 daily circulation division, Contest Coordinator Terri Vanderveer said.
The Baldwin Park City Council suspended police checkpoints last year and drafted more lenient vehicle impound policies after Himes wrote a series of articles on the checkpoints and the $1.2 million police netted in vehicle impounds.
The Bassett Unified School District announced it plans to honor Staff Writer Thomas Himes at the district's Cesar Chavez celebration on March 31.
School Board President Laura Santos said Himes was selected to receive a local hero award for his work reporting on police checkpoints and vehicle impounds in Baldwin Park.
The Baldwin Park City Council suspended police checkpoints earlier this year and drafted new policies governing their use after Himes wrote a series of articles on the checkpoints and constitutionally questionable practices.
I fear I am going to hog some of the links today, but my ego has actually grown very little.
You may have seen Sunday's package in the newspaper regarding city car allowances. Two web links for you on that story. The more specific story about El Monte's car allowances and an overall picture of the Valley.
Then there is another story out of Rio Hondo's Police Academy. This one follows up on claims of ammunition abuse at the school while addressing some other issues at the academy.
Here is one to wet your appetite: Food trucks are gathering at SpeedZone in Industry.
Fran Delach, Azusa City Manager, called redevelopment funds "city life blood." Gov. Jerry Brown may pull the plug.
Those concerned about autism should take a look at today's display. A new study links freeways to autism. That story is coupled with the recent news that having children close together may increase the risk of autism. This also follows recent headlines debunking the doctor who is known for promoting a link between autism and vaccines.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Irwindale is drafting a new Environmental Impact Report for a material recovery facility planned for a site on the city's border, but Baldwin Park officials are adamantly opposed to the project, they said.
"We're going to do whatever we can both at our level, the state level and the federal level to prevent this pollution factory from being built adjacent to to Baldwin Park," Baldwin Park Mayor Manuel Lozano said. "Irwindale has plenty of spaces in their area and they should consider that."
A draft EIR for the project was completed in 2009, but a consultant hired by Baldwin Park to review the document said the report was inadequate and should be rewritten and redistributed.
"We're in the process of drafting and recirculating the EIR, addressing the concerns of the stakeholders in the area," said Irwindale Interim City Manager Sol Benudiz. "We want to make sure it's as comprehensive as humanly possible."
Trash hauler Athens Services would use the 17-acre site at Live Oak Avenue and Arrow Highway in Irwindale to sort recyclables from garbage before sending the remaining trash to a landfill.
Baldwin Park officials are concerned about the environmental implications, including air quality issues, that the facility may present for its residents.
Bernudiz was unsure about when the EIR would be completed, he said.
(Via reporter Maritza Velazquez)
Here is a quick look at the cost of Azusa's environmental impact report for the recently approved Azusa Rock Quarry project.
A recent survey shows SGV school districts pay superintendents an average of $185,000 annually.
Advocates against police checkpoints say a new video shows an illegal checkpoint run by the Baldwin Park Police Department. A local expert agrees.
And look, someone won $150,000 from a winning lottery ticket sold in Covina. Who's happy for him/her? That's right, nobody because we are all bitter we didn't win that cash (and it was SO close!)
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
I am asking for trouble writing about this, so here is a warning:
This post is Vulcan related.
The first speaker was Margaret Finlay, mayor of Duarte, who compared the issue of the dispensary to that of her city's battle against Vulcan Materials Co.'s Azusa Rock Quarry mining plan.
"People that are for this are those who are doing to make money off of it," Finlay said of the mining plan. "I think this (dispensary plan) is a similar situation."
Leon San Blas, the applicant for the dispensary, said he was opening the business not to make money, but out of the goodness of his heart. San Blas, wheel chair bound himself, uses medical marijuana to relief pain.
I don't think too many people bought the "it's marijuana to help the community" business plan.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Did you enjoy those three long days off? So did I. Although, the catch-22 is that it always makes that first day back that much more difficult.
Anyway, if you are struggling to get into that work mode, here are a few stories from the weekend to pass the time (oh, and make you a better, informed citizen of the republic and all that).
Reporter Thomas Himes did a long researched piece on city attorney fees that showed cities with their own police departments often pay more in legal fees, according to city documents and records for the last fiscal year.
Covina's police chief made his position known on the a proposition to legalize marijuana. (SPOILER: He is not a fan)
Well, despite a huge push this year for the Census - including hundreds of millions of dollars spent - it looks like national participation is down. The good news? San Gabriel Valley participation is better than the national average. The bad news? It also dipped below 2000 Census totals.
Finally, as a recent post alluded too, Glendora goes for the trifecta in asking the Supreme Court to hear its case after the county won two court cases regarding a redevelopment area designation.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
The county assessor's office put out its 2010 Annual Report you can read for yourself.
But if you are busy with work, the kids, or are just being lazy reading about lazy, slacker movie characters wearing hoodies played by Michael Cera, then here are some highlights of the report.
What stood out to me and others in the newsroom is the considerable drop in overall value for Azusa properties - a whopping -8.5 percent. That is compared to a -1.5 percent drop in Baldwin Park, a -2.1 percent decline in El Monte, -0.3 percent in neighboring Duarte, and for opposite side neighbor (the right side for the map viewing audience) Glendora a -0.8 percent drop.
Other notable drops was -6.8 percent for Inglewood (also pronounced IngleWOOD), -14.4 percent for Lancaster, -12 percent for Palmdale, -7.8 percent for Downey and an uptick of 4.4 percent for Arcadia.
Overall there was a $18.5 billion decline (Holy crap, I think i just swallowed my tongue. Wait...yep, I swallowed my tongue) which computes to about -1.7 percent (oh, well that doesn't seem so bad if you say it that way. I am feeling more sprite. Maybe I'll go running. Oh yeah, it is 270 degrees outside).
UPDATE: I realize some of you might be a wee bit confused or at least not up to date on your property tax/value laws and meanings. If you need some background reading to understand the significance of the report, go here.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
The last time we looked at how many cities posted their salaries online in the wake of the Bell salary scandal and state government officials calling for more transparency, we had just a few that had fallen in line.
As the days have worn on, more cities are jumping on board. To date, here is a list of San Gabriel Valley cities who post salaries online and links to those pages.
Walnut
Diamond Bar
San Dimas
La Verne
West Covina
Baldwin Park
Pasadena
Monrovia
Arcadia
Sierra Madre
Whittier
La Mirada
UPDATED: Lucky 13 is San Marino
UPDATED: Monterey Park joins in. (Note: I couldn't get some of the files to download. Let me know if you can.)
UPDATED: Karen Herrera, Assistant City Manager in Duarte, left me a message while I was away informing me that some city salaries were posted online here.
Only cities with a quick link on the city's homepage directly to a city salary page or document have been included in this list.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
I'm convinced bed bugs are trying to take over the world.
OK, my general fear of bugs mixed with the paranoia I have had about bedbugs for the last four years probably contributes to my earlier exaggeration. They aren't out for world domination. Just our blood. That's not so bad, blood is only MY LIFE FORCE!
Seriously though, the bedbug problem seems to be getting out of hand. Ben Baeder's story today say calls about bedbugs have ballooned and that the bugs have become immune to certain pesticides.
One expert went as far as to say it is an "epidemic" of bugs. I won't sleep for a week.
Let's switch to a happy hero story. Remember Carl Harstine, the WWII veteran who had his American Flag stolen twice? Well, following that initial story, the community rallied behind Harstine.
An event at his home turned into a community block party. Seriously, it was like something out of a Disney film. People walked out of their homes, children rode their skateboards, people generally flocked to see Harstine presented with new flags and a pole for an overall tribute to the man. It was awe-inspiring.
Also over the weekend, we continued to look at how cities pay their executives, this time at city councils.
No councils are making outlandish pay, generally speaking. But many do receive benefits that are more common with executives: $600 car allowance, executive health benefits, reimbursement stipends.
Finally, everyone should take the time to read Rebecca Kimitch's two-part series about how a doctor shortage could cause a health care crisis. Read the first part here and the second part here.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
We are keeping track of the cities that are starting to post city employee salaries online after Gov. Schwarzenegger and the State Controller called for more transparency from local governments. Also, various news outlets (the Tribune) have made numerous public record requests from cities in recent weeks.
We already have Monrovia and Diamond Bar on the list of cities that have put the salaries online.
We can now add Baldwin Park to that list.
Know any other cities that have posted their city salaries online? Let me know.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
I can hardly believe the recent events in Baldwin Park.
Last night the council unanimously agreed to suspect all DUI checkpoints due to protesting residents who felt local police were abusing their power.
This is unheard of (by me) to see a council suspend DUI checkpoints and for such protesting to occur.
DUI checkpoints, for most people, have just become a fact of life. Busy weekends, neighborhoods with bars, etc. all bring on the checkpoints proposed to help prevent or catch drunk drivers. Most of the checkpoints are run by local police departments, but are funded by the state through a grant program from the Office of Traffic Safety.
But the reality is most checkpoints don't catch drunk drivers and while they are hailed as a deterrent, there really is no empirical data to support that assertion.
Opponents often look at the checkpoints as more of a "papers" check, a place where police can happen upon unlicensed, uninsured, unregistered drivers, parolees, people with warrants for arrest, etc.
In fact, most people arrested or that have their cars impounded at checkpoints are of that variety than of the drunk driving group. Vastly.
Here is an editorial from a police Lieutenant defending checkpoints that makes a similar point that even without much DUI arrests, checkpoints serve the health and safety of society.
But is it constitutional?
At a recent Baldwin Park checkpoint leading up to the suspension, 150 cars were impounded but a source said the majority were unrelated to issues of sobriety.
Prior to that, Tom Himes reported about a woman suing the Baldwin Park Police Department for unlawfully impounding her car.
In El Monte last month, police checked more than 2,000 cars, impounded 27 vehicles and made one arrest for driving under the influence.
Those numbers are contradictory to the purpose of checkpoints. In 2005, the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals decision in Miranda v. City of Cornelius established that many impounds are "unreasonable seizures" that don't jive with the Fourth Amendment.
Still, police departments don't seem to be listening too closely to the appeals court decision, but this newspaper is.
Editor Frank Girardot took the practice to task in his column here.
The paper's editorial board also took a stance against the checkpoint structure and system.
More background on the issues in Baldwin Park here.
I think it is safe to say, that in Los Angeles Courty, a system of checkpoints that worked relatively under the radar without critique or oversight is finally getting a dash of its medicine.
What are your thoughts? Is using sobriety as a reason for checkpoints misleading? Should they no longer use the guise of DUI deterrent if they continue checkpoints? Are police officers stepping on the rights of citizens? Or, despite the contradiction between their name and the outcome, do the results of the checkpoints, (i.e. arrests of wanted individuals, impounding vehicles of unlicensed drivers, etc.) outweigh the potential infringement of the Fourth amendment?
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Tonight is the night you can become a super hero!
That might be an exaggeration. Would you go for just a regular hero?
All right, probably just neighborhood watch member or an active community member ready to have some barbecue in an effort to combat crime community style. (I prefer Mutant Teenage Ninja Turtle style, but that's not cool anymore or something)
Tonight is National Night Out, where local departments host anti-crime events at parks and block parties.
For those looking to get involved, here is a list of participating cities. Contact your local police department for more information.
San Gabriel Valley cities participating in National Night Out:
Alhambra, Arcadia, Baldwin Park, Duarte, El Monte, Glendora, La Verne, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Rosemead, San Gabriel, Sierra Madre, West Covina, Whittier
For more information call your local city police departments.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
After a survey of city manager salaries across the San Gabriel Valley, Pasadena and Whittier areas (coverage area for our three newspapers) none are making Bell type salaries, but no one is going hungry (or without a six figure salary) either.
And yet another story that shows what goes around, probably came around because of Bell.
Amid revelations that Bell city officials skirted state salary limits by becoming a charter city, Covina council members are shying away from the idea, which was up for their consideration.
UPDATED: Local FYI: Azusa has gone dark, that is to say, they canceled their council meetings in August. La Verne canceled tonight's council meeting, but will be meeting again on Aug. 16.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
I am not sure what news could overtake the bittersweet emotions of the Angels losing three out of four to the Rangers, moving to seven games out of first place, and trading 8-year Angel veteran Joe Saunders while getting a great pitcher (and hometown hero?) Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Haren went to Bishop Amat High School and owns a home in West Covina, so in a way, he heads home by being traded to the Angels and can become something of a hometown favorite with them.
And in a similar twist of fate, Saunders is traded to Arizona where he owns a home in Phoenix. If that is solace to Saunders who fell just short of tears when speaking to reporters is unknown.
As for the remainder of the weekend news from the Tribune, look no further than the links below. (Actually, if you browse the website for a bit you will find many tales of lore and city road construction projects. These are just some highlights.)
As for the week ahead, special council meeting in Azusa tonight at 6:30 pm. at the Azusa Light and Water Conference Room, 729 N. Azusa Ave., will discuss purchasing a new police vehicle and a new contract with the Azusa Chamber of Commerce.
Glendora's council meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at City Hall, 116 E. Foothill Blvd., will look at, among other items, fees for city services.
Also Tuesday, San Dimas City Council will consider a request for the Five Cities 10K run on Nov. 6.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
The reporting staff here at the Tribune came together like the A Team ... no wait ... The Justice League (way more fitting) to check in on local cities to see what the City Managers and City Councils are making in the wake of news reports about the city of Bell's City Manager making something like $800,000.
Here is the rundown. (Note: most of us had this information on hand as we regularly check on these things. In cases we didn't, the city handed over the information readily)
Glendora City Manager Chris Jeffers makes $201,816 annually.
La Verne's (soon to be retired) City Manager Martin Lomeli makes $194,580 annually. (Side note: La Verne City Council just passed an ordinance for City Manager pay with $160,600 as the base pay with $195,000 at the peak)
San Dimas City Manager Blaine Michaelis makes $196,452 a year.
Azusa City Manager Fran Delach is paid $212,483 annually. (He got a 5 percent raise at the beginning of this year)
Rosemead City Manager Jeffrey Allred gets $175,000 a year.
El Monte City Manager Rene Bobadilla makes $170,000 a year.
South El Monte City Manager Tony Ybarra takes in $120,000 a year.
Covina's Daryl Parrish's annual salary is $199,500.
West Covina's Andrew Pasmant gets $223,656 a year. (UPDATE: Councilman Mike Touhey called to tell me that Pasmant took the equivalent of a 5-percent pay cut on his deferred comp. That saves the city about $11,000, Touhey said.)
Walnut's Rob Wishner is paid $196,650 a year.
La Puente's Josi Kenline gets $160,000 a year.
Industry City Manager Kevin Radecki takes in $158,133 a year.
Diamond Bar's James DeStefano's salary is about $194,000 a year.
Baldwin Park's Chief Executive Officer made $152,000 a year in 2006, up to $800 a month in lodging, $1,200 a month in health and dental - reimbursed in cash if not all spent - and $300 a month in vehicle expenses or a city car.
As for City Council stipends, San Dimas councilmen make $620 a month while Mayor Curt Morris earns $830 a month.
In La Verne, the city council brings in $519 a month and is entitled to the same benefits as executive management employees. Council woman Robin Carder and Mayor Don Kendrick waived those benefits. In addition, the redevelopment agency pays $30 per meeting. City Clerk Evelyn Clark said they meet about four time per year.
Glendora council members bring in $700 a month.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Some early reporting from the Baldwin Park race:
Incumbent Manuel Lozano led in early election returns Tuesday night against former Councilman Ricardo Pacheco in the race for mayor.
Meanwhile, in the City Council election, City Clerk Susan Rubio appeared to headed toward an upset win over incumbent Anthony Bejarano, according to early voting results.
"I'm definitely happy, but these are very preliminary," Lozano said. "Obviously, we have to wait and see what transpires when all precincts report."
If elected, this will mark Lozano's sixth term as mayor. He was first elected in 1999 and ran unopposed in 2007. There are no term limits in Baldwin Park.
Lozano said he was not concerned about where the figures would fall for write-in candidate Greg Tuttle because, "he's not on the ballot and he's not a resident."
Figures for Tuttle were not available Tuesday night. His nomination papers were initially rejected by the City Clerk because he was not registered to vote in Baldwin Park at the time.
He later qualified as a write-in candidate, although his name did not appear on ballot information mailed to voters.
Tuttle, who owns Tuttle's Parts Exchange on Ramona Boulevard, has been a vocal critic of the City Council and was a strong opponent of the city's failed downtown development project with developer Bob Bisno.
Although they were running against one another, Tuttle still supported Councilman Pacheco in the mayor's race. Pacheco's current term doesn't expire until 2011. Because he hasn't relinquished his seat, Pacheco will continue to serve on the council if he loses the mayor's race.
In the City Council race, Rubio and Garcia took an early lead against incumbent Anthony Bejarano and candidates Cruz Baca Sembello and Henry Huang, respectively.
"I'm not focusing on Anthony or anybody else right now, I just really want to speak for people who do not have a voice," Rubio said. "I'm super excited about the possibility of serving the people of Baldwin Park."
Despite their early leads, Rubio and Garcia cautioned against calling the race before ballots were counted.
"It's early ... right now," Garcia said. "We always think (absentees) are kind of a mixed bag."
Garcia -- who was "optimistic about her candidacy -- said it appeared that more voters had turned out for this election than in years past. She believed that larger turnout would help her in the race.
As for the city clerk's seat, Christina Berumen led over Alejandra Avila and Brandie Rivera Woods, respectively.
City Treasurer Maria Contreras ran unopposed for her seat.
I wrote a story about a week ago about construction starting on a 2.2-mile stretch of the 10 Freeway in Baldwin Park, where Caltrans is building a carpool lane on either side of the highway.
This construction -- between the 605 interchange and Puente Avenue -- is actually part of a larger, three-phase project aimed at creating carpool lanes on each side of the interstate from Los Angeles to the San Bernardino County line.
Baldwin Park officials were pretty excited about the start of construction, because they say that portion of the freeway is heavily traveled and often bottlenecks.
But it seems they're not the only ones who have been looking forward to the expansion. Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, Assemblyman Mike Eng, and several other dignitaries from Baldwin Park, the CHP and MTA will be meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday -- yup, Election Day -- for a groundbreaking ceremony.
Don't fret, it won't be on the freeway. It'll be near it, in the parking lot area of Guadalajara Grill Restaurant, 14610 Garvey Ave. in Baldwin Park.
Baldwin Park businessman Greg Tuttle is apparently back in the running for Baldwin Park mayor.Tuttle's candidate filing was initially rejected a few months back by the City Clerk because he was not a registered voter in Baldwin Park when he pulled his candidate forms on July 22.
But he's since qualified as a write-in candidate with the county Registrar-Recorder.
So you won't see him on ballot information mailed to voters, but he will be eligible to run as a write-in candidate come Nov. 3
A lot of questions have been brought up about whether Tuttle really lives in Baldwin Park.
The owner of Tuttle's Parts Exchange on Ramona Boulevard used to live in Pomona and said he's now renting a room in a house across the street from Mayor Manuel Lozano's home.
Tuttle's not ready to show anyone his humble abode just yet, but he says if he wins the race for mayor, he'll buy a whole house just for himself in Baldwin Park.
We'll see if he gets that far.
Baldwin Park is keeping up its fight against a proposed trash sorting facility on the Irwindale border.
A draft environmental report was recently completed for the project -- a material recovery facility planned for a 17-acre site at Live Oak Avenue and Arrow Highway in Irwindale.
But a consultant hired by Baldwin Park to review the document believes the report, prepared by Irwindale, is inadequate and should be re-written and redistributed.
"It doesn't reveal all of the likely environmental impacts of the project, or it understates them," said Dan Sicular, a senior managing associate with the San Francisco-based environmental consulting firm ESA.
Irwindale officials are currently preparing responses to Baldwin Park's comments, and are also in negotiations with trash hauler Athens Services for a development agreement.
Athens wants to sort recyclables from garbage at the site, before sending the remaining trash to a landfill. They claim state-of-the-art facilities will mitigate any potential health risks to both MRF employees and nearby residents.
It should be pointed out Athens isn't the only one interested in the Irwindale site. Valley County Water District wants to purchase just under 2 acres of the land to build two water storage tanks.
The tanks -- which would hold an estimated 3 million gallons of water each -- would be built above ground on the land's southwest corner, said Brian Dickinson, the district's general manager.
He wouldn't comment on ongoing negotiations with Irwindale.
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