Covina hires new City Manager

Jennifer McLain just posted this bit of information on our Web site:

COVINA – Ten months after the firing of the city’s top executive, elected leaders have finally decided on a new City Manager.

Daryl Parrish, who for the past eight years has served as Colton city manager, will serve as Covina’s city manager effective June 1.

“I am very, very excited about taking the reign of a city that has tremendous assets, a vibrant downtown, a staff that is talented, and a City Council that works hard and likes to move things forward,” Parrish said Thursday.

Parrish accepted the $199,500 contract on Wednesday, and informed Colton council members on Thursday that he accepted the position in Covina, Mayor Walt Allen said.

His first day on the job in Covina is June 1.

“I am very excited and I think that it he will be a good fit for the city,” Allen said. “And the council unanimously believes that, too.”

Covina hospital could get second chance

It looks like there is hope after all for the expansion of a psychiatric hospital — although the residents who have been fighting Aurora Charter Oak Hospital sure won’t be happy to hear that.

Last month, the Covina City Council voted 4-1 to deny a 39-bed expansion to Aurora Charter Oak Hospital. But now city staff seem to be urging the council to reconsider their vote, and send the issue back to the Planning Commission for further modifcations.

The council will discuss this at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Covina City Hall, 125 East College St.

No permanent city manager in Covina, yet

Covina officials held a meeting earlier today to discuss the appointment of a full-time city manager. Nothing was finalized, though Mayor Walter Allen said he hoped to “come to a conclusion by Monday or Tuesday.”

“We’re still in deliberation,” he said. “We had a positive meeting today on this issue and we hope to have something as early as the beginning of this coming week.”

The position is temporarily being filled by former Pasadena City Manager Cynthia Kurtz.

Covina updates

The Covina City Council tonight is meeting Tuesday night with Aurora Charter Oak Hospital to discuss the possible expansion. Resident Brad Tombow is expecting a heavy turnout at the meeting on Tuesday.

“Oh, it’s going to be packed. I guarantee you it will be standing room only,” Tombow said Monday.

Also out of Covina, there will be the State of the City address on Wednesday at 7 a.m. Here is the info about the State of the City, which will be at Brunsiwck Covina Bowl. Read more.

Add another name to the hat

Another candidate for Solis’ former seat:

David Truax for Congress Post Office Box 5082
Covina, CA 91723
Contact: David Truax, Candidate

PRESS RELEASE

David Truax to run for 32nd District congressional seat.

David Truax, community volunteer and former Mayor of Covina, has announced that he will be running in the special election for the U. S. House of Representatives, 32nd District of California.

David moved to the San Gabriel Valley with his family in 1962. He grew up in Covina, attended schools in the Charter Oak and Covina Valley Unified School Districts, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Management from Cal Poly Pomona, served six years of active duty in the United States Navy, and founded a small electrical design business that he has owned and operated for the last twenty-six years.

David is a Republican and has been a community activist and volunteer for the past thirty-eight years. In 1999, David was elected to the Covina City Council, serving his last two years as the Mayor of Covina. He continues to serve as a volunteer police chaplain for the Covina Police Department.

“The best way to stimulate the economy is to return tax dollars to the people who pay taxes”, says Truax. He strongly advocates returning congress to the six basic responsibilities of the United States Constitution as outlined in the preamble. Truax says, “Congress has particularly fallen short of their assigned goals of forming a more perfect union and of securing the blessings of liberty.”

Married for almost twenty-nine years, David has three children. He attends Faith Community Church in West Covina where he is a founding member.

“The most important need of the 32nd District today”, according to David, “is the need to send a trusted, discerning, hard working representative to Washington, one who is connected to the community and who will fight for the needs of all of the people in the district.”

Bragging is in order

I know it is Monday and a little past due (not to mention this will be two posts in a row from me without a word of city politics/issues) but I had to take a minute to gloat.

55-54. SunDevils win. SunDevils win. SunDevils win.

Did I not say in a previous post that some late game heroics might be in store? And look at what happened!

The SunDevils now move on to face Sonora High School tomorrow night.

I bet my old English teacher Pat Schlosser, now AVHS principal, is feeling pretty good right now about his sports program. I know I am.

Go SUNDEVILS!

Before I leave for the weekend, I just wanted to leave everyone with one very meaningful, sentimental and powerful message:

GO APPLE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SUNDEVILS!!

My alma mater is playing Charter Oak High School tonight in the second round of CIF Basketball playoffs after they creamed Cerritos Wednesday 90 to 76.

I was born and raised in Apple Valley and was the editor of my school newspaper there, The SunDial.

I was the sports editor there as a sophomore and I can remember that year covering an early CIF game when our boys team hit a buzzer beater to win the game. The crowd rushed the court and I shoved through to get a quote from the player who hit the game winning 3-pointer. I was so excited myself that I could hardly think of a question to ask, and as a young reporter mixed up in the furry I asked the question that many reporters often do in those situations (much to my chagrin now).

“How do you feel?”

Besides that, it was one of my favorite moments as a reporter in high school.

I hope for similar heroics tonight versus Charter Oak.

Movie madness with Rosie Fabian

Covina City Council hopeful Rosie Fabian is trying to rock the youth vote. And what better way to do it then by letting them democratically chose what to watch when she hosts movie night next week.

Fabian along with two other council candidates came in Tuesday to have a meeting with our editorial board. She’s apparently trying to engage young voters in Covina.

“I have prepared to assume the role of a Councilwomen by becoming heavily involved in public policy issues in the San Gabriel Valley through my responsibilities as the President of the League of Women Voters of the area. I am keenly aware of the issues that come before the Council and have often contemplated on how I vote on agenda items as the discussion takes place.”

Here’s her flyer for movie night next Thursday.

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