Business owners in Monterey Park are not happy with plans to cut their normally two-day Chinese New Year celebration to four hours.

Several community members at Wednesday’s City Council meeting voiced concerns over a recommendation that would reduce the two-day festival to a four-hour event.

At the meeting, Assistant City Attorney Adrian Guerra requested more time for staff to review YES’s proposal and make a recommendation.

Today, reporter Rebecca Kimitch wrote a story about Rosemead considering a requirement that would require its recreation centers to teach in English.

This story was printed in 1985, yet the issues are very similar to what we may see happening in Rosemead.

MONTEREY PARK TO VOTE ON ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
San Jose Mercury News (CA) – Wednesday, November 13, 1985
Author/Byline: Associated Press
Edition: Stock Final
Section: California News
Page: 4B

A proposal to make English the official language in a city where people of Asian ancestry make up almost half the population has lost one round but is heading to a test of the voters.

” Monterey Park is turning into another Chinatown,” photographer Frank Arcuri, who spearheaded the English – only drive, said Tuesday.

Chinese-language signs throughout the city upset him, he said.

”What bothers Americans about this? The fact that they feel left out,” Arcuri said, adding that he plans to work to get his English – only proposal passed into law.

But the City Council didn’t go along with that plan Tuesday night as a standing-room- only crowd of about 200 people packed council chambers. The council accepted petitions bearing 3,500 signatures of voters who want an English – only measure approved. The petitions were given to the city clerk for verification, City Manager Lloyd DeLlamas said.

Instead of putting that measure on next April’s ballot, the council voted 4-1 to place another proposal before the voters at that election: one that directly opposes establishing English as the city’s official language.

That ballot measure was presented by the Coalition for Harmony in Monterey Park , which calls for a “multiethnic and multicultural heritage” for the city. If Arcuri succeeds in his bid to get the English – only measure on the ballot through the petitions, residents would cast votes on both measures next spring. Michael Eng, a spokesman for the Coalition for Harmony group, said the issue was dividing the city.

”If we want a civil war, the likes of which no one has ever seen, which pits neighbor against neighbor, citizen against immigrant and race against race . . . vote for English only ,” he told the council.

City officials estimate 40 percent of Monterey Park ‘s 60,000 residents are Asian, while 37 percent are Hispanic and 22 percent white.

In Los Altos, the city council on Tuesday night decided that it will consider making English the official language of the city.

Dinesh Desai, a naturalized citizen born in India, asked the council to pass a resolution making English the official language.

”Some of you may wonder why it’s even necessary to make a formal resolution . . . but the need to protect our language grows stronger every day,” said Desai, an investment adviser.

Councilman Roger Eng told Desai he is “favorably inclined to this but not without a public hearing.”

The council voted unanimously to put the issue on a future agenda, but didn’t say when.

This just in from reporter Amanda Baumfeld:

So I called Monterey Park Friday to ask the City Manager June Yotsuya questions about a story I am working on. My storying is about the Athens Trash controversy in Montebello and how it is beginning to spill in other cities.

Monterey Park has started an audit on their contract with Athens. I wanted to confirm this information with Yotsuya and she refused to take my phone call. Her secretary, Laura just said “she has no comment.”

The city manager did not even know the questions I was going to ask her and she refused to talk to me.

Oh but it gets better.

When I called City Clerk Dave Barron, an elected official, he said he has not been following the Athens issue.

What city clerk does not know the issues that are happening in their city? Especially a city clerk that residents voted for.

The only conclusion I can come up with is that Monterey Park must have something to hide.

I just got this from intern Thomas Himes about today’s press conference at the Monterey Park assemblyman’s El Monte office:

Mike Eng talking about the Governor’s proposed wage cut of state workers:

“This is a draconian measure to use state workers as hostages.”

“Our democratic proposal is a actually a long term solution to the budget problem as where the Governor’s is a one month fix”

“I will not allow the budget deficit to be balanced on the back of people that need our protection the most.”

Like we had suspected, Eng came to the support of the workers. But is it just me or is the word “hostage” a little strong?

Melissa Pamer reports that Monterey Park developer Jason Chung has a laundry list of things to do to get his condo project up and running.

MONTEREY PARK – A developer who wants to build luxury condominiums along a busy, commercial stretch of Atlantic Boulevard plans to go into overdrive marketing his project to investors in time to meet a new, city-imposed January construction deadline.

Jason Chung has a lot to accomplish before then – including raising the necessary cash, getting approval for his building plan, demolishing the property’s existing structure and grading the lot.

“You think he’s going to be able to get all that done in seven months? I don’t think so,” city Director of Development Services Adolfo Reta said Thursday.

On Wednesday, Monterey Park City Council members approved a permit extension for Chung on a 3-2 vote that followed two hours of heated debate and public comment.

This letter, written by South El Monte Mayor Blanca Figueroa, ran today in our paper. I wonder if this is foreshadowing any redevelopment efforts by the city of trailer parks, as has been done in Monterey Park. There are also talks on the table of developing former trailer park land in Rosemead.

Keep up trailer parks

It is unfortunate how some of our mobile home/trailer property owners treat renters, not only in South El Monte but in other surrounding cities.

First of all, the upkeep is deplorable and can sometimes be a health and safety issue. These owners make enough off of these people, most of which are on a fixed income, usually seniors or single parents.

Many of these homes are too old to move, so relocation is out of the question. Simply by paving the area where these homes are located, adding sufficient lighting and adding shrubs and plants can help an area look a thousand times better. People have the right to live in a nice, upkept place that they call home.

I want to thank all other owners who have pride and respect for their renters. Others can learn from you. Your places are very nicely kept up.

Blanca M. Figueroa
Mayor
South EL Monte

Another example of why government jobs are the way to go:

Council to vote on city manager

By Melissa Pamer, Staff Writer

 

MONTEREY PARK – Following months of acrimony over the search for a permanent city manager, the City Council is scheduled to vote tonight on a final candidate.

If her contract is approved, June Yotsuya will begin work April 28 and will earn approximately $186,000 per year.

The city reached an agreement with her Friday, after five weeks of negotiations that began following a 3-2 council vote Feb. 6. Yotsuya did not return calls for comment.

Yotsuya’s three-year contract specifies a compensation level 5 percent above the highest possible pay for the police chief – which is currently about $177,000, city officials said. Yotsuya will also get 12 months of severance pay if fired and will have five weeks of vacation – plus sick and administrative leave – per year. Read more.

But then again, if you’ve ever seen Monterey Park City Council members is action, you could see how this amount could be justified.