Recently in Diamond Bar Category
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
A lot of national news this weekend dominated the headlines including the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the defeat of the DREAM Act. While you were absorbing all that, here are some of the things you might have missed.
An ethics scandal may have ended former congressman Jay Kim's political career and marriage, but in failure he found a new love.
Everything you want to know about the new smart meters rolled out by Edison.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Diamond Bar planned the annual musical chairs with the mayor/mayor pro tem positions Tuesday.
The Diamond City Council on Tuesday night selected Steve Tye as mayor and Ling-Ling Chang as mayor pro tem.
Tye, who was first elected in November 2005 and re-elected in 2009, replaces Carol Herrera. This is his second term as mayor, first serving from 1997 to 1998.
Chang, first elected in November 2009, previously served on the Walnut Valley Water District Board of Directors and worked in the education field. This will be her first term serving as mayor pro tem.
Still on the council are Herrera, Ron Everett and Jack Tanaka.
The positions are largely honorary and many councils, such as Glendora and Duarte, exchange the positions on a yearly or biennial basis. For all intensive purposes, it is mostly done to choose a person who runs the council meetings. On a more nuanced basis, council members often turn to the mayor as a spokesperson for the city and the positions are used by some council members as a display of pride, leadership, or accomplishment.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
Before we get into week-in-review, I want to take this time to put Chargers' fans on blast.
I am not a Raiders fan by any means, nor am I am Charger's hater. In fact, nine times out of ten, I root for the Bolts over those norther demons. But this weekend all I heard from Chargers' fans was disrespect and comments about how Sunday's game was nothing more than a practice game. I can't say how happy it makes me when someone talks trash, takes a team lightly, and makes ludacris claims only to have them get beat. Best thing that happens in sports. You know that movie 'Little Giants'? Underdogs win sometimes, that is why they even have the word underdog. Let that be a lesson to those San Diegans who thought they had a stats padding day set up for them.
Here is the weekend news you missed, but should know about.
In Azusa, the potential affects of a Azusa Rock Quarry mining referendum are still being debated. Two attorney's involved in a Rosemead Wal-Mart referendum (one for and one against) take a look at the implications in Azusa.
Police, in an undercover venture, arrested eight people in Covina Tuesday night for illegal poker games.
This doesn't appear to just be some friendly mates deciding to sit down for a game of hold 'em at $10 a piece. It was in a bar, The Well, and there were multiple tables.
I wonder how long the police "played along" before locking their opponents up?
Scene*
Dealer: "That ends the betting. Show 'em what you got."
Cop: "I have three kings. Read 'em and weep."
Opposing player: "Check that. I have a flush."
Cop: (Drops badge on the table over the poker chips) "Can you beat that?"
*The depicted scene is a fictional scenario and does not represent any actual events or persons. Please don't give me any parking tickets.
Anyway, this isn't the first time The Well bar in Covina has made it into the news. It was also reported to be one of the Covina bars that Andrew Gallo, the man suspected of murder in the car crash death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, Diamond Bar resident Courtney Stewart, and Henry Pearson, was drinking at prior to the Fullerton crash..
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
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
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
Considering this is the LEFTOVERS from City Hall blog, I figured it might be appropriate to post the full interview I did with Diamond Bar man Harry Soo, a national barbecue champion.
The story ran online and in the paper Tuesday, but due to space constraints, it didn't run in full. Here is there full length interview. Happy grilling!
Harry Soo, a Diamond Bar resident who runs Slap Yo' Daddy BBQ, recently won their fifth grand championship of the year on July 3 in Stockton.
Soo and his company have rapidly become one of the most prodigious barbecue competitors nationwide. Soo is now teaching a barbecue class once a month to reveal some of his secrets and tips to prime barbecue.
Soo took the time to answer a few questions regarding barbecuing, give some tips and talk about some of his favorite things to cook.
What is the most common mistake people make when using the barbecue?
Most common beginner mistake is doing too much. One of my barbecue wisdom sayings is 'less is more.' That is, less rub, less smoke, less sauce, and less add-ons. For example, beginners very often over smoke their barbecue.
For beginners, what are some of the first things you recommend? What meat or recipes should they start with?
A very tasty and forgiving meat to start your barbecue journey is chicken. It's inexpensive and easy to prepare. Make a simple rub with something salty like kosher salt, something sweet like sugar, something with color like chili and paprika, and some spices. Sprinkle on your chicken pieces and put skin side up into a 275 degree oven or charcoal smoker or gas grill. Do not touch it and let it cook until internal temperature is 175 degrees. Brush on your favorite barbecue sauce, let set for 10 minutes, remove and enjoy.
On your web site, you say grilling and barbecuing are not the same thing. What's the difference?
Grilling is cooking directly over high heat, usually over 300 degrees. BBQ is cooking indirectly with lower heat, less than 300 degrees. Both are good depending on the meat you are cooking. Grilling is good for meat that is tender. In technical terms, tender meat contains strands of protein called collagen that are loose, examples include chicken and fish. Conversely, low and slow barbecue is good for meat that is not tender, which is attributable to very tightly coiled strands of collagen. Examples include pork ribs and beef brisket. Low heat for long periods will loosen the chewy collagen and transform the meat into a tender delicious state called gelatin.
Understanding this little bit of food science will put you on the right path to creating moist and tender barbecue.
If you were trying to convince someone to become more of a barbecue user, what would you tell them?
Simple, have them taste properly smoked low and slow authentic American barbecue. Once you have tasted good barbecue, you'll never go back to the steam grilled barbecue you find in those chain barbecue stores. No names mentioned but they rhyme with Rome. Barbecue is the only true authentic American food. We stole everything else -- the pizza, hotdog, hamburger, noodles, etc. -- from other countries. No other culture in the world cooks meat low and slow for up to 12 hours above ground. The Hawaiians cook for long periods too but it's below ground. Barbecue was borne out of necessity when the plantation owners would give the workers less cuts of meat and the workers learned to start a fire and cook it low and slow so supper would be ready when they returned home after sunset. I've had many folks sample my barbecue pork and they literally fall into a stupor called 'hog heaven' because the mini explosion of flavor in their mouth is like a symphony that evokes intense visceral emotion from the combination of smoke, meat, rub, sauce, and all the messy goodness.
One of the problems I always run into while barbecuing is flare-ups on the grill, how should I handle that and what can I do to prevent it?
Have a spray bottle with water and spritz the meat to put out the flare up. Also, you can move the meat to a cooler spot on your grill.
What is your favorite thing to barbecue?
Rib tips. They come from the top portion of a pork sparerib. When a sparerib is trimmed into a St. Louis rib, the top portion of the sparerib is removed. That piece is called the rib tip. More barbecue restaurants will have rib tips if you ask for them. There is no better eating barbecue than rib tips.
What makes cooking on the barbecue more enjoyable, and taste better, than other means?
Barbecue is just honest food. If cooked properly, it's amazingly delicious stuff. Pair it with some classic sides and you've got a plateful of authentic American food ala apple pie. The smoke, char, rub, sauce, and tender meat is a universally loved. That's why grilling and barbecue is found in every culture in the world. Meat plus smoke plus rib equals happiness.
What do you prefer in the age-old debate -- gas or charcoal grill?
Both are good if you know what you are doing. As I always say, it's the pitmaster, it's not the pit. We've proven that simple point while cooking on the competition circuit with a pair of Webers we bought off Amazon for $200 each and have beaten many teams countless of times who are brandishing $30,000 custom pits.
For more information or to register for one of Soo's classes, visit www.slapyodaddybbq.com.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
For those of you busy watching the World Cup over the weekend, I got your local news for you right here.
How the free environmental pass to the Industry Stadium is affecting others.
As for what's to come this week, San Dimas and Glendora both have city council meetings tomorrow.
On Glendora's agenda is a request to change the City Clerk's administrative assistant position to Deputy City Clerk and increasing the position's salary by about $11,000 a year. The city hopes this can help to innovate and better services from the department.
The San Dimas City Council and Planning Commission are having a joint meeting to discuss the ongoing City Hall renovation project and the potential NJD Project Development in the northern foothills.
Two final items of note. Congratulations to my all time favorite baseball player Tim Salmon. Salmon, who has the most career home runs at 299 without ever appearing in an All-Star game, was the MVP of the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game in Anaheim Sunday.
Secondly, for your viewing pleasure and to stay fresh on Internet lingo, this is so double rainbow.
Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune
From reporter James Wagner:
The City Council will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. tonight to tour a building it's considering for a relocation of its cramped city hall.
Council members will visit the building at 21810 Copley Drive, across the street from the current City Hall offices.
For ten years, Diamond Bar has rented space from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, officials said.
The council is then scheduled to hold a 6:15 p.m. closed session discussion with Behringer Harvard, a Texas-based real estate company that owns the property.
The meeting will be held at Room CC-8 of the AQMD/Government Center at 21865 Copley Drive.
The city hasn't decided if it will rent or buy the potential building, a city official said.
Welcome to the big leagues, Diamond Bar councilwoman Ling-Ling Chang.
You won a council seat in November and have occupied it a mere four weeks.
But you've already done something to irk some people.
Already, a group (or what appears to be one) is bent on keeping tabs on you.
A recent example: "Citizens Watching Councilmember Ling-Ling Chang" has been circulating e-mails about a recent Chang vote.
(We received a couple this week.)
At a Dec. 15 meeting, the city council approved the contract of a city consultant Gary Neely by a vote of 3-2 with Chang voting in favor.
The problem, however, the group alleges, is that Chang took $198 in contributions from Neely in her successful council run.
She did, according to her campaign finance statements. A review of the other Nov. city council candidates -- from current council members Steve Tye and Ron Everett to newcomers David T. Liu, Robert Velazquez, Lucy Huang and Shawn "S" Dhand -- didn't reveal any other Neely contributions.
The group didn't return two follow-up e-mails seeking comment and more importantly, questions of who they are.
But there is one telling paragraph in their e-mail to us that shows we likely won't be getting a response:
Unfortunately, we are not willing to disclose our names out of fear of political retaliation and rebuke by the New Diamond Bar Council Majority, because we will be ridiculed by the Councilmembers Herrera and Tye on the truth that we are trying to convey if anyone would listen and wake up!
Regular beat reporting has taken a back seat to ongoing fire coverage the past week, but here's a little tidbit out of the Diamond Bar City Council election:
S. Dhand is one of seven people running for two spots on the Diamond Bar City Council.
But don't expect to see a picture of him anytime soon.
The West Covina-based physician -- who has been practicing medicine for nearly three decades -- wasn't too keen on providing his photo when reporter James Wagner asked him for it.
Dhand told Wagner he didn't think it was appropriate.
The political newcomer has been a Diamond Bar resident for 28 years, and isn't affiliated with any political groups or leaders.
He'll face two incumbents in the Nov. 3 election.
Wonder what is campaign mailers will look like?
Regular beat reporting has taken a back seat to ongoing fire coverage the past week, but here's a little tidbit out of the Diamond Bar City Council election:
S. Dhand is one of seven people running for two spots on the Diamond Bar City Council.
But don't expect to see a picture of him anytime soon.
The West Covina-based physician -- who has been practicing medicine for nearly three decades -- wasn't too keen on providing his photo when reporter James Wagner asked him for it.
Dhand told Wagner he didn't think it was appropriate.
The political newcomer has been a Diamond Bar resident for 28 years, and isn't affiliated with any political groups or leaders.
He'll face two incumbents in the Nov. 3 election.
Wonder what is campaign mailers will look like?
Reporter James Wagner talks about plans for an NFL stadium in Industry on Papa Joe Chevalier's radio show on KNUU AM 970 in Las Vegas.
Diamond Bar is celebrating its 20th birthday, and during that time, politicians have been playing hard-ball, Bethania Palma Markus reports.
Former Councilwoman Eileen Ansari, who served on the council from 1993 to 2001, has first-hand experience, as do many who have run for City Council.
"They were saying I went to Pakistan and went to meet with al Qaeda," she said of a City Council election she lost eight yeas ago. "They go after people's kids. They go after everything."
I got this update from a Diamond Bar resident about the city's meeting last night. The hot topic: the NFL stadium.
Here's the letter:
"I attended my city council meeting in Diamond Bar.
The attendance was overwhelming and surprisingly filled with those IN SUPPORT of the Stadium project slated to be constructed in the City of Industry.
The council took two hours of comments under "public comments" portion of the meeting. All councilmembers took attentive notes with seriousness and appreciated the imput from the public. Then, several councilmembers reminded the public that they, city staff and others are acutely aware of the project's impact towards Diamond Bar.
The Fire Department and Sheriffs Department was present to maintain order. It was possible that the Fire Department was present due to the large flow of audience, which caused an overflow for concern of the capacity of those in the room.
Nevertheless, it was one of the most important meetings that the council had in years regarding the Stadium controversy. For those have been regulars at Diamond Bar City Council meetings concurred that they have never seen such meeting crowded, besides swearing-in new councilmembers or Mayor rotation. You were lucky to find a seat, if you arrived late, but several Sheriff Deputies were very helpful to coordinate by finding mpty seats for late arrivals.
Furthermore, it appeared that there were few official's from Majestic watching the meeting proceedings and thanked those for attending as the evening progressed."
Now that Barack Obama's stimulus plan has been signed into law, we may be seeing more and more cities signing on -- or reinstating -- contracts with lobbyists.
La Puente is one example: they recently approved a contract with Joe A. Gonsalves and Son for lobbying services through the end of the fiscal year at $3,000 a month. Officials say the service will help ensure La Puente's stake in stimulus money.
Joe A. Gonsalves and Son is one of the biggest lobbying firms in California, with a long list of San Gabriel Valley clients including, Irwindale, Industry, Diamond Bar, Glendora, Arcadia, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the San Gabriel Valley Water Association. They also represent the Willdan Group of Companies, parent company of Willdan Financial Services -- of which La Puente interim city manager Frank Tripepi is CEO and president.
This story I wrote for Tuesday's paper basically breaks down the debate on lobbyists: some argue they are a waste of money, while others argue lobbyists do work that local legislators can't always do.
Obviously, some SGV cities see the need because their paying big bucks for the service. For example, in 2005, state records show Industry paid $52,000 to Joe A. Gonsalves and Son, and Irwindale paid $57,200.
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