Category Archives: Weekly News Top Stories

City of Industry: Brutal Arson Death Investigation

STAFF REPORTSicon.crime.weekly.news

City of Industry – Somewhere there are answers to the questions surrounding the heartbreaking events that led to a man, naked, reportedly beaten, bound and set on fire; a man who had the fortitude to somehow crawl up an embankment trail to the 605 freeway.

In a news release issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau and Arson Explosive Detail, an adult male was found on the northbound 605 Freeway, just north of the 60 Freeway at about 1:49 p.m. on Tues, April 15. Multiple motorists called in the incident.

Reports say that detectives believe the victim appears to have come from the wash area below the freeway. His arms and legs were partially bound, and he had severe burns to his face and body. Detectives are looking for evidence of a fire in the vicinity.

The man, who was reportedly in his 30s, has not yet been identified. He succumbed to his injuries on Wed., April 16 at USC Medical Center. No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tipsters may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, text “TIPLA” plus the tip to 274637, or use the website at http://lacrimestoppers.org.

Walnut: City Council Swears in Pacheco and Su

BY RAYMOND MENDOZA

mary.su.walnut.city.council.2014

Mary Su being sworn into office in front of more than 100 attendees. (Photo Courtesy: Raymond Mendoza

Walnut City Hall was the site of much celebrating, with council members Bob Pacheco and Mary Su being sworn into office in front of more than 100 City Council attendees, after months of campaigning.

 

“To Walnut residents, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your tireless encouragement,” Su said. “I knew this race was going to be nasty and ugly, but in the end most Walnut residents voted and cared about the important issues.”

 

bob.pacheco.walnut.city.council

Bob Pacheco sworn in after months of campaigning.

Pacheco thanked the Walnut residents for their support and thanked his wife, Gayle, and his daughter, Cristina, for all of their help during the election.

 

Both Pacheco and Su said that while the election campaign was an arduous task, they were both ready to serve the residents of Walnut for another four year term on the Walnut City Council.

“I’m going to keep my toes to the fire and do all the things I said I would do during my campaign,” Pacheco said. “Walnut will be the shining star of the San Gabriel Valley.”

 

After a brief recess, the City Council members then approved the minutes of the joint meeting of the City Council and Sheriff on March 5, and a special City Council election on March 10.

 

Council members then approved Item 4 on the agenda, concerning the community development block grant three year cooperation agreement between the City and the County of Los Angeles from 2015-2017.

 

The Council then approved Items 5 and 8 regarding the resolution of the City of Walnut allowing certain claims and demands in the amount of $1,058,090.76 and a ratification of various commission appointments for the City’s parks and recreation and senior commissions.

 

Council member Nancy Tragarz pulled Items 6 and 7 on the consent calendar, concerning a salary adjustment to include a cost of living adjustment retroactive to Jan. 1 and the signing of a contract amendment for the City Manager’s agreement. Tragarz stated that the two items felt “incomplete” and City Council members did not have all the information available to make an accurate decision, and asked to move the items to a different City Council meeting. Following a slew of comments from City Council members, the two items were then moved to be discussed at a later date.

After the Council’s meeting items were completed, the Housing Authority approved a resolution concerning the Walnut Housing Authority allowing certain claims and demands in the amount of $20, 319.25 before entering a closed session concerning a negotiation of real property for Richard and Nancy McDonald.

 

The meeting was adjourned with the next City Council meeting scheduled for Wed., May 7 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 21201 La Puente Road.

WALNUT: Aquarium on Wheels Visits Collegewood

Collegewood first graders got a close-up look at life-size inflatable great white shark during the Aquarium of the Pacific education assembly. Photo Credit: Kelli Gile

Collegewood first graders got a close-up look at life-size inflatable great white shark during the Aquarium of the Pacific education assembly.
Photo Credit: Kelli Gile

By Kelli Gile

Walnut – Collegewood Elementary first graders experienced Pacific Journeys during an educational assembly presented by the Aquarium of the Pacific on April 11.

Students traveled the globe during the interactive presentation to learn about ocean inhabitants and their unique adaptations for survival in a watery world. Following the program, they experienced a hands-on opportunity to touch local marine life in the aquarium on wheels parked in front of the school.

“The program addresses sea life and how it connects to our world, perfect for our Common Core curriculum,” said teacher Jane Dyer-Smith.

The group of over 60 students squealed as a life-size elephant seal and 22-foot great white shark inflated right before their eyes. “The biggest great white was almost 8,000 lbs.,” said Aquarium educator, Nick Stong.

After the presentation, the youngsters went outside to the traveling aquarium for a close-up look at sea life. In groups of four, the children entered the ocean on wheels, keeping quiet so they wouldn’t scare the animals. They used two fingers to gently touch sea stars, sea anemones, sea urchins, starfish, and swell sharks kept in specialized touch tanks. It was an amazing interactive experience that the children really enjoyed.

Diamond Bar: Council Corner – Gridlock Fix

Diamond Bar City HallBY ARIEL CARMONA JR.

Diamond Bar – On their meeting April 1, the Diamond Bar City Council heard an update from City staff on a $256 million multi-phase project designed to improve the existing 57/60 freeway interchange bottleneck, and also received an update on the Grand Avenue Beautification project, estimated at more than $1 million.

According to information provided by City staff, the 2.5 mile interchange stretch where the 57 and 60 freeways meet, ranks as the third most congested in California, and seventh worst in the nation. With funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the City of Industry, the project will be completed in three phases based upon the results of a feasibility study completed in 2008 to evaluate fixes and improvements.

The first phase consists of construction of a $16. 6 million westbound on-ramp at Grand Avenue, estimated to start in November 2015. Phase 2A consists of a fully funded $14 million street widening improvement in the vicinity of Grand Avenue and Golden Springs Drive.  Phase 2B is the construction of a $20 million westbound freeway off-ramp and an auxiliary lane to Grand Avenue.  And the final phase consists of freeway mainline improvements and bypass connectors valued at more than $200 million, with an environmental impact report certified last December.

According to a presentation by City staff, because the freeways were built in the early 70s, the forced merging of the two major freeways was made necessary by the valley shaped terrain dividing the area. At present, hundreds of thousands of drivers struggle through the confluence every day struggling to deal with all the lane merging required by a design that is almost 40 years old.

The presentation also stated that the results are “unacceptable levels of congestion, accidents and air pollution.  The 57/60 confluence is a vital link in Southern California’s transportation network. Every year more than 100 million commercial and private vehicles pass through, as does $375 billion worth of goods going through to the Los Angeles area. However, almost 80 percent of those goods are consumed outside of Southern California which means that the problems caused by this stretch of roadway impact not just local and regional tax payers and businesses, but also interstate commerce on a state and national level.”

According to a report made public by David Liu, Director of Public Works, the cost of missing components to the project include freeway connectors, and High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) connectors totaling more than $500 million, which are contingent on additional resources and funds. To date, staff has secured a $100,000 grant from Caltrans and other partners to fund an updated feasibility study valued between $300,000 and $400,000.

Members of the Council and City staff met with U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, and other dignitaries on March 21 to personally inspect the area and to make the federal government aware of the problem.

“We are trying to stress to the representatives across the nation, that this isn’t just a Diamond Bar problem, a San Gabriel Valley problem, or a California problem; this is a problem for the rest of the nation.  The longer it (goods) gets held up here in this choke point, the longer it takes to get to its destination and the more expensive the goods will be.  They understand that and hopefully the funding will come soon and we can get to work on fixing it,” said Mayor Carol Herrera.

In other matters, the Council heard a presentation regarding an update on the Grand Avenue Beautification project, which among other improvements to the City, will include streetscape enhancements to the intersections at Grand Avenue, Diamond Bar Boulevard, and Longview Drive.

On March 19, the City conducted an Open House for the community of residents and local business owners to learn more about the project. According to the presentation, a total of 53 attendees, including 40 residents, participated to provide input on the design concepts.

Residents surveyed voted for the inclusion of decorative street lights and traffic signal lights, and also requested pedestrian safety improvements at crosswalks including upgraded pedestrian crossing signage with countdown indicators and audio enhancements for the visually impaired, and more landscape improvements. Construction for the project is expected to be completed by December of this year.

During the City Manager’s report portion of the meeting, the Council heard a presentation on cyber crime by Mark Stevens from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department warning residents to be aware of the various types of cyber crime including hacking, identity theft and medical ID theft, among others.

The Council also voted 5-0 to approve a packed consent calendar which included their Treasurer’s statement from the Finance Department, and an authorization for City Manager, James DeStefano, to extend vendor services for entertainment related activities in an amount not to exceed $30,000 for the City’s 25th Birthday Party, scheduled for April 12.

The next meeting of the Diamond Bar City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15, 6:30 p.m., at the AQMD/Government Center Auditorium, 21865 Copley Drive.

 

Walnut: Voters Flooded With Attack Ads Prior To City Election

By Michael Armijo

Walnut – With the Walnut City Council race nearing Election Day this coming Tuesday, April 8, the registered voters of Walnut are being flooded with not only the usual political advertising from the candidates, but also attack ads that are targeting the three candidates found on the ballot – Councilwoman Mary Su, Councilman Bob Pacheco and challenger Betty Tang.

Two political organizations are sponsoring these attack ads.  One of the organizations is Citizens to Protect Walnut, led by long-time Walnut resident, Phillip Bennett.  Bennett’s organization has been active in the last three Walnut City Council races.   The second group mailing out political “hit pieces” calls itself, “Taxpayers for Quality Leadership.”

According to their information on the Fair Political Practices Commission website (FPPC.ca.gov), Taxpayers for Quality Leadership (FPPC ID1361185) was established on October 7, 2013 and is controlled by Lisa Buchanan of Elk Grove, a suburb in Sacramento.  The PAC’s Treasurer is lawyer Gary Crummitt, who has an office in Long Beach.  Telephone messages left for Buchanan and Crummitt by our staff, asking why their political action committee was interested in the Walnut City Council election, have gone unanswered.

The campaign literature being distributed by Citizens to Protect Walnut has specialized in negative literature targeting candidate Tang, but it has also been sending out rebuttals to the attacks on Council Member Mary Su that have been sponsored by Taxpayers for Quality Leadership.  When asked why he was so involved in this year’s Walnut City Council race, Bennett replied,  “I think Mary Su and Bob Pacheco are doing a fine job, and for some reason there seems to be a lot of outside money involved in this year’s election.  I want to make sure Walnut remains in the hands of people who actually live here.”

Attack ads distributed by Taxpayers for Quality Leadership have so far only targeted Council Member Su, despite the fact that Su and Pacheco are sharing a campaign office and made it clear they are running as a team.  Asked why she felt she is the only incumbent councilmember being attacked by Taxpayers for Quality Leadership, Su said, “I can only assume there is someone with access to lots of money who is determined to remove me from office for their own political reasons, but that person is afraid to be openly associated with it.  If my enemy is from the Chinese community they know very well that most of the Chinese community will immediately turn on them if their identity becomes known.”

And a lot of money it appears to be. According to the City of Walnut website, Betty Tang’s campaign contributions are now up to $96,937. This is the current total even after Tang returned five campaign contributions she received illegally (see www.anapr.com for related stories). But interestingly enough, Tang loaned her campaign $15,000, which leaves $81,000 worth of contributions. Of that $81,000, almost 80% are from addresses outside of Walnut. In addition to the $81,000, the outside group, Taxpayers for Quality Leadership, has contributed almost $11,000 in spending against Tang’s opponents.

Other interesting tidbits about Taxpayers for Quality Leadership: According to the FPPC, the committee also filed two 462 “Verification of Independent Expenditures” reports on Oct. 22, 2013, citing their support/opposition for candidates. In the first report, Michael Lewis signed both documents stating “in support of Margaret Finlay, Tzeitel Paras-Caracci, and Sheryl Lefmann for City Council Member for the City of Duarte,” and “in opposition of Phil Reyes,” for the same November 2013 election. The report also states “in support of Cary C. Chen and Lynne Ebenkamp for Board Member for Roland Unified School District,” (http://fppc.ca.gov/form462/2013/city/1361185_10222013.pdf). Why this group has an interest in Walnut remains unanswered.

Election Day is this Tuesday, April 8.  Be sure to make an educated decision and vote for those who you feel would best represent you as a resident.

Voluntary Water Supply Reduction for WV Water District

Staff Reports

Walnut – Despite rainstorms a few weeks ago, California is still experiencing record drought conditions. Governor Brown has called for a statewide reduction in water use, and in response, the Walnut Valley Water District’s Board of Directors has adopted a resolution requesting a 20% voluntary reduction in water usage by all District’s customers.

When asked about the District’s adoption of the voluntary water conservation effort, Board President, Barbara Carrera, stated , “With the ongoing lack of rain and snowfall throughout the state, the Walnut Valley Water District is stepping up our response to the drought and recommending that all of our customers continue to do their part in conserving water.” Director Carrera went on to state, “The good news is the Walnut Valley Water District expects to have adequate water supplies for 2014 as the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), the District’s regional water supplier, has announced no water restrictions for this year.”

Mike Holmes, Walnut Valley Water District General Manager indicated, “The reason for this water supply assurance is that MWD, along with many other water agencies, including our District, have been very active in preparing for droughts by capturing and storing imported supplies in “wet years” in order to maintain a reliable system during the dry cycles such as this year.” “Further”, he stated, “In addition to the District’s extensive water education and conservation programs for District customers, over the last 30 years, our District also has invested millions of customers’ dollars in a recycled water system that currently offsets our potable water usage by approximately 10% of our total water purchases. Our customers have also been averaging a 15% reduction in their water use, so this along with our recycled water system, shows we are conserving water.”

President Carrera concluded her remarks by stating, “On behalf of the District’s Board of Directors, I would personally like to thank all of our customers for their on-going water conservation efforts over the years. This resolution is to officially request our good customers to also respond to the Governor’s call to voluntarily increase their conservation efforts and to continue to “Use Water Wisely.”

For further information on ways to conserve, rebate programs available, or general information about the drought, visit the District’s website at http://www.wvwd.com or call the District’s customer service staff at (909) 595-1268

Walnut: Allegations of Yard Sign Theft Continue

By Raymond Mendoza

Walnut – As Walnut’s April 8 municipal election approaches, allegations of campaign sign thefts among Council Member Mary Su, Council Member Bob Pacheco and candidate Betty Tang have escalated to the level of formal complaints filed with the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Station, as well as public statements by campaign members.

According to De’Andre Valencia, Mary Su’s campaign manager, an official theft complaint was filed with the Sheriff’s Department on Saturday, March 22, after an anonymous source called Su’s office to say he was driving behind two individuals traveling in a grey/silver Volkswagen Jetta, who were stopping along the road to allegedly steal Su’s campaign signs.

“We filed a police report and we’re leaving it at that,” Valencia said. “We’re just hoping Tang’s workers stop being ridiculous. We’re focusing on the campaign right now and not letting these thefts distract us.”

Captain Jeff Scroggin of the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Station said no arrests have been made, but the responding Deputy did discover six of Mary Su’s campaign signs in a dumpster immediately behind Tang’s campaign office located on Valley Boulevard.  However, Scroggin said there was insufficient evidence linking the thefts to Tang’s campaign crew to make an arrest.

Samuel Liu, Tang’s campaign manager, said he was fed up with the allegations of stolen signs and that Su’s campaign crew is attempting to lead citizens away from the politics of the campaign and instead focusing on campaign tactics to distract Walnut residents.

“We don’t know anything about missing yard signs and we have our own police reports we filed for missing signs,” Liu said. “When we filed our police report, which was for a hundred yard signs, they [the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Station] never followed up. Then when some of Mary Su’s yard signs go missing, a Deputy Sheriff comes to our office, and so we feel like some candidates are getting favoritism.”

Liu said Tang’s campaign also filed a report on Sunday, March 23 for more missing signs, the day after Su’s complaint was filed.  Liu did not explain how Mary Su’s yard signs ended up in the dumpster immediately behind Tang’s campaign office.

Meanwhile, at Wednesday evening’s City Council meeting, several Walnut citizens showed up to complain about individuals trespassing on their property to place Tang campaign signs on their lawn without permission (see this story at www.anapr.com).

The Walnut election will be held on Tuesday, April 8.

Diamond Bar: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Officially Banned

Closed Dispensary

Photo Courtesy: Google Images

BY ARIEL CARMONA, JR.

Diamond Bar – At their March 18 meeting, the Diamond Bar City Council unanimously approved an ordinance repealing and replacing a chapter of the municipal code, thereby prohibiting the operation and establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries.

The Council was introduced to the ordinance at a previous meeting and heard a second reading on the proposed ordinance at Tuesday night’s meeting, where City Manager, James DeStefano, and City staff recommended approval.

“While the use of medical marijuana is no longer a crime in California, the establishment and operation of retail medical marijuana dispensaries remains illegal under both state and federal law. To manage this conflict and retain local control, the City Council approved the first reading of Ordinance 04(2014), which permanently prohibits dispensaries from operating in Diamond Bar,” wrote Ryan McLean, Deputy City Manager, in a report prepared for the Council.

The Ordinance, however, was opposed by at least one group, who wrote to City Hall protesting the passage of the law on environmental grounds, and that enactment would prevent local medical marijuana patients from attaining their treatment without having to travel greater distances.

“The ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment and the City has failed to mitigate these impacts as required under CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act),” wrote James Shaw, Executive Director of the Union of Medical Marijuana Patients (UMMP) in his letter to the City, dated March 3.

According to Shaw’s letter, UMMP is a not-for-profit civil rights organization that is devoted to defending and asserting the rights of medical cannabis patients. The non-profit also impugned City officials for committing to a particular approach toward regulating medical marijuana, stating it is, “…an extremely restrictive approach that, among other things, requires thousands of patients to drive outside the City to obtain their medicine because medical dispensaries are not allowed in the City.”

Shaw’s arguments were reputed in a memorandum made public by City Attorney, David DeBerry, dated March 10. DeBerry addressed the Shaw letter’s contention that an estimated 1,127 medical marijuana patients would have to drive to Pico Rivera, which is 22.6 miles away, and allegedly the nearest dispensary. This would result in more than 2.6 million miles of additional travel and generation of tons of additional greenhouse gas emissions.

DeBerry wrote that outside the fact that the environmental effects alleged in the letter “are highly speculative” and the fact that a quick search on the Internet discovered two medical marijuana dispensaries in the adjacent city of Pomona, DeBerry writes that the primary problem with the Shaw letter analysis is a misunderstanding of the effects of the ordinance in relation to CEQA.

“If anything, the Shaw letter is evidence that permitting a medical marijuana dispensary to open in the City could have significant environmental impacts when measured against the existing environmental setting and should the City permit a medical marijuana dispensary, it suggests a CEQA analysis be required,” DeBerry wrote.

Shaw’s letter also addressed mobile dispensaries, which are illegal in Diamond Bar. “It is reasonably foreseeable that mobile medical marijuana dispensaries currently operating in the City may cease to operate and patients may travel to visit…dispensaries or cultivate their own medicine in their homes; cultivation of medical marijuana, an inherently agricultural activity, especially in a residential setting, is and of itself contemplates environmental impacts which the City has failed to analyze,” wrote Shaw.

The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting is to be held on April 1, 6:30 p.m., in the AQMD/Government Center Auditorium, at 21865 Copley Drive.

Chino: CVUSD Non-Teaching Employees To Receive 3% Pay Raise

Chino Valley Unified School District

(Photo Courtesy: Google Images)

Staff Reports

Chino Valley – The Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) non-teaching employees will receive a three percent raise this year and a two percent raise next year, under a tentative agreement approved by the Union and the District on March 18.

Under this tentative agreement, a three percent raise for the 2013-14 school year will be retroactive to July 1, 2013. The additional two percent increase will become effective for this fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014. As part of this proposal, there will be an increase in the annual cap for District employees’ health benefits by 10 percent. This will increase the amount the district pays for health benefits to $9,422, up from $8,565.

The Classified School Employees Association (CSEA) is expected to vote on this agreement on March 26. Members from CHAMP (a group representing management employees) have also agreed to the tentative contract.

These pay raises for the non-teaching CVUSD employees come on the heels of many California teachers finally beginning to see pay raises, bonuses, and benefits in contract negations, due to the fruits of voter-approved school funding increases. With $6.1 billion in new funds headed for California Schools this year due to Proposition 30 (a temporary income and sales tax hike), many school officials have rescinded layoffs and added days back to the school calendars.

School Districts such as Montebello Unified were able to give teachers a five percent pay increase and about $2,400 more per person for health insurance. Depending on whether the district actually receives all of the funds it expects, part of the salary increase will continue into next year as well.

However, while this issue seems to move forward and many school districts continue to raise teachers’ pay, negotiations between the Teachers Union, Associated Chino Teachers (ACT) and the District have stalled, after an impasse in negations was declared by Todd Hancock, ACT President, on March 5.

Walnut: Annual Family Science Night

Chocolate

Discover the Sweet Science of Chocolate (photo courtesy: Google Images)

PRESS RELEASE

FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT in WALNUT

“SWEET SCIENCE”

WALNUT, Calif.— The City of Walnut Community Services Department is hosting its Annual Family Science Night on Friday, March 28, 2014 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Walnut Senior Center. Come and explore the exciting world of chocolates, sodas, and candies with sweet hands-on experiments that are fun for the entire family. Participants will also have an opportunity to view a live, “Chemical Reactions,” demonstration from our friends at Mad Science. So come and discover the wonders and science behind everyone’s favorite treats!

Pre-sale registration is available now for only $10.00 per family (four people per family within the same immediate family) and $12.00 on the day of the event.

Family Science Night is located at the Walnut Senior Center at 21215 La Puente Road, Walnut, California 91789. For more information, please contact the Walnut Senior Center at 909-598-6200.

 

Diamond Bar: City Council Corner

City of Diamond Bar

Photo Courtesy: Google Images

BY ARIEL CARMONA, JR.

Diamond Bar – The City Council had their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 19. Mayor Herrera, Mayor Pro-Tem Tye, and Council members Chang, Lyons and Tanaka were present. The invocation was given by Monsignor James Loughnane from St. Denis Catholic Church.

A main focus of the meeting was the ordinance to repeal and replace a chapter of the municipal code prohibiting the operation and establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries, which was unanimously approved by the Council. For details on the ordinance, please see the article on this page.

In other Council actions, a public hearing was held on a resolution to approve the subdivision of a 21-unit office condominium, and to modify the exterior façade of an existing two-story professional office building located at 1470 Valley Vista Drive.

The Council also discussed the Open House held on March 19, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Windmill Community Room, addressing the Grand Avenue Beautification Project. The City has collected more than $1 million in resources for the project, including a $700,000 grant.

The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the AQMD/Government Center Auditorium, at 21865 Copley Drive.

Walnut: Complaints About Tang Signs Reach Walnut City Hall and Sheriff Station

Staff Reports

Walnut – With the Walnut City Council campaigns drawing closer to Election Day on April 8, the past week saw numerous complaints filed at Walnut City Hall and the Walnut Sheriff’s Station about supporters of Betty Tang trespassing on private property and placing their political signs on private lawns without permission.
Walnut resident Gary Lin reports that Tang came to his home in February to personally ask permission to display her sign on his lawn next to the existing signs for Bob Pacheco and Mary Su. Lin, who lives on Avenida Amadis near Vons on Lemon Avenue, said he declined because he was voting for Pacheco and Su. Afterwards, Lin says his neighbor notified him that someone had placed a Tang sign on the side of his yard.
Lin says another sign appeared on the side of his yard two weeks later after he refused to accept a Tang sign from individuals walking through his neighborhood. Finally, on March 16, someone placed a Tang sign on Lin’s front yard without his permission. “These people do not respect us and our private property rights,” Lin said. “They just do whatever they want. It has happened to other people, not just me. A lot of people are having the same problem.”
Lin says the most recent act of trespassing on his property prompted him to call the Walnut Sheriff’s Station to file a formal complaint about Tang’s supporters illegally placing signs.
Walnut resident Phil Bennett reports he witnessed two individuals placing Tang signs on every yard along Loyalton Drive around 10 p.m. on March 14. “It was well after dark. I just happened to be walking through my kitchen and saw two people on my front yard,” Bennett said. “I have signs for Su and Pacheco and I thought they might have been taking the signs down. I walked out and they were putting signs up for Tang in my yard and on my neighbor’s yard across the street.” Bennett said he went down to Tang’s campaign office on Valley Boulevard the next day to confront Tang and her campaign crew, telling them it was a “shame” they were placing their signs on private property without consent of the homeowners.
Other Walnut residents known to have complained to City Hall or the Sheriff’s Station about Tang signs being place on their property without permission include Arcel Punsalang, Rhonda and Jim Melton, and Keith Walton. Another citizen photographed a Tang sign that had been placed directly in front of the fire hydrant at Carrey Road and Commerce Way.
Samuel Liu, Tang’s campaign manager, denied the allegations of any improperly placed signs and said he would not stand for any “shenanigans” involving poor campaign tactics.
Liu said he was unaware of who was improperly placing Tang’s signs and that a large number of their campaign signs had been moved onto city property without his permission.
Liu said he knows that someone is stealing and moving their signs because one of Tang’s friends woke up to find 15 campaign signs on her front lawn. Liu claims that the “sign wars” in Walnut are nothing more than a smokescreen for the real policy issues in the City Council campaign. (Michael Armijo and Raymond Mendoza contributed to this story)

Complaints About Tang Signs Reach City Hall and Sheriff Station

Staff Reports

Walnut – With the Walnut City Council campaigns drawing closer to Election Day on April 8, the past week saw numerous complaints filed at Walnut City Hall and the Walnut Sheriff’s Station about supporters of Betty Tang trespassing on private property and placing their political signs on private lawns without permission.
Walnut resident Gary Lin reports that Tang came to his home in February to personally ask permission to display her sign on his lawn next to the existing signs for Bob Pacheco and Mary Su. Lin, who lives on Avenida Amadis near Vons on Lemon Avenue, said he declined because he was voting for Pacheco and Su. Afterwards, Lin says his neighbor notified him that someone had placed a Tang sign on the side of his yard.
Lin says another sign appeared on the side of his yard two weeks later after he refused to accept a Tang sign from individuals walking through his neighborhood. Finally, on March 16, someone placed a Tang sign on Lin’s front yard without his permission. “These people do not respect us and our private property rights,” Lin said. “They just do whatever they want. It has happened to other people, not just me. A lot of people are having the same problem.”
Lin says the most recent act of trespassing on his property prompted him to call the Walnut Sheriff’s Station to file a formal complaint about Tang’s supporters illegally placing signs.
Walnut resident Phil Bennett reports he witnessed two individuals placing Tang signs on every yard along Loyalton Drive around 10 p.m. on March 14. “It was well after dark. I just happened to be walking through my kitchen and saw two people on my front yard,” Bennett said. “I have signs for Su and Pacheco and I thought they might have been taking the signs down. I walked out and they were putting signs up for Tang in my yard and on my neighbor’s yard across the street.” Bennett said he went down to Tang’s campaign office on Valley Boulevard the next day to confront Tang and her campaign crew, telling them it was a “shame” they were placing their signs on private property without consent of the homeowners.
Other Walnut residents known to have complained to City Hall or the Sheriff’s Station about Tang signs being place on their property without permission include Arcel Punsalang, Rhonda and Jim Melton, and Keith Walton. Another citizen photographed a Tang sign that had been placed directly in front of the fire hydrant at Carrey Road and Commerce Way.
Samuel Liu, Tang’s campaign manager, denied the allegations of any improperly placed signs and said he would not stand for any “shenanigans” involving poor campaign tactics.
Liu said he was unaware of who was improperly placing Tang’s signs and that a large number of their campaign signs had been moved onto city property without his permission.
Liu said he knows that someone is stealing and moving their signs because one of Tang’s friends woke up to find 15 campaign signs on her front lawn. Liu claims that the “sign wars” in Walnut are nothing more than a smokescreen for the real policy issues in the City Council campaign. (Michael Armijo and Raymond Mendoza contributed to this story)

Walnut: Tang Accused of State, Federal Campaign Law Violations

BY MICHAEL ARMIJO

Betty Tang (Courtesy of Betty Tang- Walnut City Council)

Betty Tang (Courtesy of Betty Tang- Walnut City Council)

Walnut –- An organization of Walnut residents, “Citizens to Protect Walnut” announced yesterday that they filed legal complaints against Walnut City Council candidate, Betty Tang, with California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), California’s Attorney General and with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS).   The residents claim Tang has illegally received and reported political campaign contributions from at least two tax-exempt charitable organizations, and they cite the City of Walnut’s website for the proof.

Walnut resident, Phil Bennett, speaking on behalf of Citizens to Protect Walnut, said that since the Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Confucius Chinese Language School of Walnut are organized as nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations, they are completely prohibited from participating “in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.”  The Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra is organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization, and the Confucius Chinese Language School is organized as a 170(b)(1)(a)(ii) tax-exempt charitable organization.

When asked for proof of these violations of the law, Bennett said the evidence was “right there in black and white, on the current websites of the City of Walnut, the Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Confucius Chinese Language School  of Walnut.”

“Campaign contributions are political activity.  And if you look at Betty Tang’s Campaign Statement filed with the City of Walnut on February 25, 2014, she reports that she received a $1,000 campaign contribution from the Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra on February 18, 2014 and a $500 campaign contribution from the Confucius Chinese Language School on February 16, 2014,” he said. He also noted that if you go on the websites of these two organizations, they both show that they are classified by the IRS as tax-exempt charitable organizations.  “That’s all you need to know to establish that there has been a violation of the law,” Bennett said.

Bennett said what made Tang’s violation of campaign contribution laws particularly bad was the fact that she is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra, as she states on her campaign literature.

“First, as a Board Member, she has actually participated in steering her organization’s charitable funds into this illegal political activity, and she has placed this entire organization at legal and financial risk.  I can’t believe she is that ignorant about what tax-exempt charitable organizations are allowed to do.  I wonder what contributors to this organization will think about this diversion of their money into political activity?”

Bennett said he was displeased that a City Council candidate is violating state and federal campaign laws and engaging in unfair political activity.

“I think Walnut citizens would expect their candidates to be aware of the campaign laws before they decide to run for elective office and then to respect these laws.  I don’t want anyone on our City Council who got there illegally and unethically.”

Bennett said he hoped the complaints he has filed on behalf of Citizens to Protect Walnut with the FPPC, California Attorney General and IRS will not only result in fines for these violations of the law, but also trigger a wider investigation into other possible violations of contribution laws by Tang’s campaign.

Tang’s office did not return a call regarding the allegations.

Tang Accused of State, Federal Campaign Law Violations

 

By Michael Armijo
 
Walnut – An organization of Walnut residents, “Citizens to Protect Walnut” announced yesterday that they filed legal complaints against Walnut City Council candidate Betty Tang with California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), California’s Attorney General and with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS).   The residents claim Tang has illegally received and reported political campaign contributions from at least two tax-exempt charitable organizations, and they cite the City of Walnut’s website for the proof.
Walnut resident Phil Bennett, speaking on behalf of Citizens to Protect Walnut, said that since the Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Confucius Chinese Language School of Walnut are organized as nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations, they are completely prohibited from participating “in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.”  The Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra is organized as a 501(c)(3) tax tax-exempt charitable organization, and the Confucius Chinese Language School is organized as a 170(b)(1)(a)(ii) tax-exempt charitable organization.
When asked for proof of these violations of the law, Bennett said the evidence was “right there in black and white, on the current websites of the City of Walnut, the Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Confucius Chinese Language School  of Walnut.”
“Campaign contributions are political activity.  And if you look at Betty Tang’s Campaign Statement filed with the City of Walnut on February 25, 2014, she reports that she received a $1,000 campaign contribution from the Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra on February 18, 2014 and a $500 campaign contribution from the Confucius Chinese Language School on February 16, 2014,” he said. He also noted that if you go on the websites of these two organizations, they both show that they are classified by the IRS as tax-exempt charitable organizations.  “That’s all you need to know to establish that there has a violation of the law,” Bennett said.
Bennett said what made Tang’s violation of campaign contribution laws particularly bad was the fact that she is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Diamond Youth Symphony Orchestra, as she states on her campaign literature. 
“First, as a Board Member she has actually participated in steering her organization’s charitable funds into this illegal political activity, and she has placed this entire organization at legal and financial risk.  I can’t believe she is that ignorant about what tax-exempt charitable organizations are allowed to do.  I wonder what contributors to this organization will think about this diversion of their money into political activity?”
Bennett said he was unpleased that a City Council candidate is violating state and federal campaign laws and engaging in unfair political activity. 
“I think Walnut citizens would expect their candidates to be aware of the campaign laws before they decide to run for elective office and then to respect these laws.  I don’t want anyone on our City Council who got there illegally and unethically.” 
Bennett said he hoped the complaints he has filed on behalf of Citizens to Protect Walnut with the FPPC, California Attorney General and IRS will not only result in fines for these violations of the law but also trigger a wider investigation into other possible violations of contribution laws by Tang’s campaign. Tang’s office did not return communications regarding the allegations.

Diamond Bar: Grand Avenue Beautification

Diamond Bar – The City of Diamond Bar is hosting an Open House on Wednesday, March 19, to share information about a project that will improve the aesthetic character of Grand Avenue through a variety of streetscape elements concentrated near the intersections of Diamond Bar Boulevard and Longview Drive.

Diamond Bar City Hall

Diamond Bar City Hall
(Photo Courtesy: Google Images)

The Open House will be held at Diamond Bar City Hall, Windmill Community Room, 21810 Copley Drive, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Residents and businesses are encouraged to drop by between these hours to weigh in on the various design concepts proposed for beautifying Grand Avenue. Translation services will be available during the open house in Chinese and Korean.

Along with a sneak peek at the proposed conceptual streetscape renderings, attendees will obtain information about project milestones and potential traffic impacts once construction gets underway later this year.

The greater part of the funding for the Grand Avenue Beautification Project comes from a Federal Grant secured by the City under the SAFETEA-LU transportation bill for the restricted purpose of improving public rights of way along Grand Avenue. The intersections of Diamond Bar Boulevard and Longview Drive were selected for beautification because they serve as primary gateways to the City.

Concurrent with this beautification effort, the City is working on developing Citywide Streetscape Design Guidelines aimed at providing a unified, cohesive look through consistent, visually-appealing streetscape and pedestrian features in the public rights of way.

For more information on the project, streetscape guidelines, or the March 19 Open House event, visit http://www.diamondbarca.gov/grand, or call (909) 839-7040.

Ontario: Town Square Public Art Project

STAFF REPORTS

Ontario — The City of Ontario issued a Request for Proposal on Jan. 15, 2014 to solicit mural designs for the new Ontario Town Square. Artists can submit designs in various forms of media, such as drawing, painting, or photography. The artist whose design is selected will be paid a flat fee of $5,000 for their services, and will have their work featured onto the back wall of the band shell that is being constructed for the Ontario Town Square.

In order to have proposals considered, artists must first have attended one of two informational meetings that were held on Feb. 6 and 8 at the Museum of History and Art in Ontario. Prospective artists must also provide a statement describing their approach to their design that is no more than one page in length, a list of references from both past and current clients within the last five years, and five to ten images of the artist’s previous work. Proposals must be submitted online by Mar. 7 at 4:00 p.m., using the online Bid Portal on the City Website.

Submitted proposals will be judged on the quality and creativity of each artist’s previous work, and their recommendations or references. The designs submitted must be able to convey the character and identity of the City of Ontario, and demonstrate an obvious aesthetic quality. Finally, the designs will be judged on the reproducible quality of the artwork at the full scale of 6’ x 24’, as the winning design will have to be enlarged and printed onto 8 inch tiles before being installed in the Town Square. The final proposal will be selected on Mar. 14, 2014.

For more information on the Ontario Town Square’s Public Art Project, contact the Ontario Purchasing Department at (909) 395-2012.

The City of Ontario has another public art project planned for later this year. The theme is said to be related to conservation and recycling, and will involve the creation and installation of a sculpture.

Chino Hills: Edison Tower Removal Continues

BY JENNIFER MADRIGAL

Chino Hills – Many Chino and Chino Hills residents have cause to celebrate as they see construction signs around the area, where Southern California Edison are continuing the dismantling of lattice towers and poles that were built as part of the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) reversed its decision in July and Edison was ordered to remove the 200 foot towers and re-route the 3.5 mile project underground throughout the city. According to Edison Project Manager, Jennifer Wolfe, once all the towers are down, they will be disassembled, bundled, stored and reused, while the tubular towers will be shipped to Edison’s salvage yard to be recycled.

The undergrounding of the power lines will start at an Edison easement located at Pipeline Avenue and the 71 freeway, and will continue west through the residential areas of the city. Each tower takes about two days to remove, and about three days to remove the foundation located almost 60 feet below ground. There have been some delays due to high winds, but completion is expected to take approximately three months.

The Public Utilities Commission has authorized $224 million for the whole undergrounding project, with $4 million of that amount used for the demolition of the towers. However, Edison predicts that the total cost will exceed $300 million, due to the cost of voltage control equipment.

Walnut: Tang A No Show At Candidates’ Forum for City Council

Bob Pacheco and Mary Su participated in a candidates’ forum

Walnut City Council candidates Bob Pacheco and Mary Su participated in a candidates’ forum this week, but third candidate, Betty Tang, did not show up.

Caption:
BY RAYMOND MENDOZA

Walnut – In preparation for Walnut’s general municipal election on April 8, City Council members Bob Pacheco and Mary Su participated in a candidates’ forum on Feb. 24 at the Walnut Senior Center that was organized by the League of Women Voters of East San Gabriel Valley for the purpose of helping Walnut voters ask questions of their City Council candidates.

Betty Tang, the third Council candidate invited by the League to participate in the candidates’ forum, did not show up for the candidates forum, did not send a representative in her place, and did not present written comments for the audience. When the Weekly News Editor in Chief, Michael Armijo, left a message for Tang at her campaign office requesting an explanation for her failure to attend the candidate’s forum, Tang failed to return the call. He then left a public message on her website, but there was no response as of press time. Tang’s campaign manager, Samuel Lee, claimed that Tang “had another appointment that evening”, but refused to say what that appointment was.

During the candidates’ forum, Pacheco said in his opening statement that his main focus for his next possible term would be to increase tax revenue to the city, bring in more businesses, and adding an additional volunteer sheriff to the Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff Station.

During the event, Pacheco said he plans on creating a city swimming pool and an amphitheater for outdoor arts performances that would make Walnut a destination for performing arts.
Su, who served as Walnut’s Mayor in 2009 and 2012-2013, said her priorities were preserving Walnut’s rural atmosphere, maintaining the city’s low crime rate, and retaining and attracting high-quality businesses.

One of the first questions of the evening concerned filling vacant storefronts in the City, notably the former Albertsons building at the corner of Nogales Street and Amar Road. Both candidates said they were already taking steps to fill the vacancy.

Su said she had tried to bring a Trader Joe’s Market to Walnut while she was Mayor because she enjoys its products. However, Trader Joe’s informed her at that time that the population of Walnut was not considered to be large enough to fulfill the requirements of the supermarket chain.
Su said she has been actively working with the property manager of the former Albertsons store to attract a suitable business to fill the vacancy.

Pacheco mentioned his recommendations to bring a 99 Ranch Market, Walmart or Northgate Market to the former Albertsons lot. “(City Council members) have to be proactive in how we go out to look for these markets,” Pacheco said. “So I’ve actually taken it upon myself to make special calls (to businesses) to welcome them to the city. I spoke to the owners and representatives of 99 Ranch Market … and they’re a good market.”

When asked about their views on the city’s budget, Pacheco said that Walnut has maintained a balanced City budget by adopting a cautious spending plan that stayed away from high cost and high risk projects. He also said that he would push for more property development since property taxes were essential to maintaining the city’s revenue growth and ability to pay for the City’s outstanding public services.
Su said that eliminating some city jobs, such as Assistant City Manager, had allowed the City to have a financial surplus for the past two years, and she estimated that Walnut might have as much as a $600,000 surplus at the end of the current fiscal year.

While most attendees of the forum appeared to be satisfied with Su’s and Pacheco’s answers, several Walnut residents were left questioning Tang’s chances of being elected to the Council when she ignored such an important chance to talk to Walnut citizens about her plans for the City.
“To be honest, I was very disappointed that Betty Tang did not come,” Walnut resident Karen Breitkreutz said. “Because she’s the one candidate that we’re not familiar with and because she’s never been on the City Council.”

Breitkreutz also said that she had thought she might vote for Tang, but after Tang’s failure to appear at the candidate’s forum, she was more likely to re-elect Su and Pacheco.
Joe Hahn, Walnut resident and former City Mayor, also said that he had been looking forward to learning more about Tang at the forum, since he was uncertain about her views on the issues Walnut is facing, but he was also disappointed that Tang did not choose to show up.

Walnut residents will have the opportunity to vote for the two available City Council positions on Tuesday, April 8.

Chino: Death of Boy May Be Linked To Local Wholesaler

BY GLENN FREEMAN

Aidan Pankey

Aidan Pankey, 10, of San Diego, died in June 2013 after contracting what coroner officials say was Rat-Bite Fever. (Photo Courtesy: Gomez Trials Attorney)

Chino — The death of a 10-year old San Diego boy, who died from a bacterial infection, has been linked to a pet rat purchased at a Petco, whose supplier is said to be a wholesaler based in Chino. The family of the boy has filed a lawsuit against Petco, saying they hope to bring awareness to the potential risks.

According to the lawsuit filed Monday against Petco, Aidan Pankey died in June 2013 after contracting what San Diego Coroner officials determined in December as being a streptobacillus moniliformis infection, commonly known as Rat-Bite Fever. The infection can come from exposure to an infected rat, and not necessarily from a bite.

The family says their son’s death came about two weeks after his grandmother bought him the pet rat from a Petco location in San Diego. A Petco employee said their rats are supplied by Barney’s Pet Products, an animal wholesaler based in Chino, according to a report by 10 News.

Barney's Pet Products chino

View of Barney’s Pet Products, located in a Chino distribution center. (Photo Courtesy: Glenn Freeman)

Officials with Barney’s did not a return phone call and could not be reached for comment. According to the company’s website, the company has been a wholesaler and breeder of pets and birds for over 25 years, and is one of the largest suppliers in the United States. The website highlights the company’s “strict enforcement” of its Best Care policy of “pre-screening, daily requirements, and safe transportation procedures” that “keeps the animals healthy and safe.”

Pankey family attorney, John Gomez, told The Associated Press that his firm filed the lawsuit on Feb. 24 in San Diego County, seeking an unspecified amount for the suffering endured by the Pankey family.
“He was a bright, energetic, friendly, happy kid who actually had a prior rat, who was a female, and he had this idea in his young head of having his female rat get married,” Gomez told The Associated Press.

According to news reports, Gomez says the boy’s family is suing Petco for “strict liability and negligence and will be seeking compensatory and punitive damages … it’s a means to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” referring to the lawsuit. “Apparently there was some breakdown in procedures. They want tighter controls.”

The family has said the rat was purchased as a mate for a pet rat Aidan already had. It was deemed as a “summer science project,” the family told ABC News.

In a statement released by Petco, the company expressed its condolences. “We’re saddened by the Pankey family’s tragic loss,” the statement said. “We follow what we believe are the industry’s strongest standards for companion animal health and welfare … We require our live animal suppliers to meet or exceed USDA requirements for the care and treatment of animals … We leave specific testing protocols to be determined by our vendors unless we identify a reason for concern.”

On their website, Petco makes available “care sheets” with information and precautions on how to prevent spread of infections, including Rat-Bite Fever. The company warns that all rats are potential carriers and that people with weakened immune systems, children under the age of five, and pregnant women “should avoid contact with rodents” and consider not having them as pets.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Rat-Bite Fever can be contracted from bites or scratches from infected rodents, such as rats, mice and gerbils. Transmission can also occur by handling an animal with the disease or by consuming food or drink contaminated with the bacteria. The agency recommends those who handle rodents wear gloves, wash their hands thoroughly, and avoid touching their mouths with their hands after contact. The CDC website says antibiotics, such as penicillin, are highly effective at treating Rat-Bite Fever, saying it is rarely fatal and not spread from person to person.