Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 13, 2010

5

 
Mountain Views News Saturday, November 13, 2010 

Brown Bag Lunch 

Noon - Nov. 18, 2010

Come hear “An Early History 
of Sierra Madre” at the 
Arcadia Historical Museum. 
Debbie R. Henderson, 
Associate Librarian, Archival 
Collections, Sierra Madre 
Public Library will be the 
guest speaker.

 The Arcadia Historical 
Museum is located at 380 
W. Huntington Drive, 
immediately behind the 
Community Center. The 
Museum is open Tuesday 
through Saturday from 10 a.m. 
to 4 p.m. Admission is always 
free. 

Over the coming months, Arcadia will 
lose several of its highly-regarded top 
administrators to retirement: Chief of 
Police Bob Sanderson, and the heads 
of the library/museum and Chamber 
of Commerce, Carolyn Garner-Reagan 
and Beth Costanza, respectively, as well 
as Deputy Fire Chief David Haney.

And next summer City Manager Don 
Penman plans to sit down with the City 
Council after the budget is adopted and 
discuss his plans.

 With the exception of Costanza, who 
has been on the job nearly 12 years 
and is the only one who is not a City 
employee, all the others have been in 
their City-paid posts only a few years — 
being appointed between 2005-2009.

The good news is that they are not 
exiting en masse as the result of any 
collective gripe, but rather a coincidental 
confluence of circumstances.

 Retiring per PERS

Sanderson, Garner-Reagan, and Haney 
are officially retiring at the end of the 
year next month, perhaps a little earlier 
than they might have were it not for 
the way the state’s Public Employees 
Retirement System (PERS) rules are set 
up.

In Garner-Reagan’s case, she was 
motivated to take retirement now due 
to the City’s PERS contract which only 
provides a spouse 50% of the employee’s 
benefits if the employee who was eligible 
to retire were to, God forbid, die while 
still employed, as opposed to 100% 
available to the spouse if the employee 
dies after retirement. That’s a bizarre 
incentive for employees to retire as soon 
as they are eligible.

 The same is true for Sanderson and 
Haney, though they can retire with full 
benefits at age 50, five years earlier than 
other City employees since they are 
employed in jobs involving public safety. 
Garner-Reagan, for example, is 61 and 
has 35 years of service under PERS.

 In another unusual aspect of the 
system, Garner-Reagan, Sanderson, and 
Haney will continue to essentially serve 
in their same capacity for as long as six 
months after their retirement as the City 
takes advantage of the opportunity to 
retain them on a temporary basis during 
the year following their retirement to 
assist with the transition to a successor. 
The maximum amount of hours they 
can be paid during a fiscal year — 960 
hours — works out to the equivalent of 
full-time employment for 6-months, so 
they will all bunch up their hours into 
the first six months of 2011, the last six 
months of fiscal year 2010-2011.

 Actually, this happens to work out well 
for all involved, as explained by Penman:

 City and taxpayers continue to benefit 
from their services and expertise, 
especially during this challenging fiscal 
environment as anticipated austere 
2011-12 budgets will need to be set 

Until a new department head is hired, 
the City and taxpayers save expenses on 
city-funded contributions to retirement 
as percentage of salary, which can range 
from 22% – 37% of salaries, which in 
these caases that range from $119,000 – 
. Once they are retired, their retirement 
payments come 
from a PERS 
account with funds 
already set aside. (In cases where the 
retired employee has accumulated 1000 
hours of unused sick time, the City 
would also pay the medical premium 
for them and their spouse until they are 
eligible for Medicare — the City does 
not pay out for unused sick leave as do 
some cities, but Arcadia does allow 
unused sick time to be credited to time 
served when an employee retires.) 

Allows time needed to find a replacement 
whom the retirees could help identify 
and possibly transition into their 
position 

City’s option to end payment of 
temporary help at any time 

Temporary work/pay will be completed 
in current fiscal year ending June 30, 
2011 Sanderson, Garner-Reagan, and 
Haney can get in a year’s worth of 
temporary help in six months. 

Changes made easier can work out

All of that will make the city’s loss a 
little easier to deal with. And, if history 
is a guide, we can take comfort that 
each department and organization is 
strong and will, as always, find an able 
successor.

 In fact, these leaders ascended through 
the ranks and capably filled the roles of 
their predecessors when their time came 
after years of service — Chief Sanderson 
in 2005; City Manager Penman in 2008; 
and Library and Museum Services 
Director Garner-Reagan in January 
2009.

There are good people with years of 
experience in the departments of each of 
these retiring City administrators. And 
where necessary, good successors will be 
brought in from outside the department 
or maybe even outside the city, as has 
been the case in recent years with people 
such as Recreation and Community 
Services Director Sara Somogyi and 
Administrative Services Director Hue 
Quach. As Penman pointed out, Arcadia 
attracts good people because it has such 
a strong professional reputation.

He also believes change and new ideas 
can be good, noting that over the past 
four or five years a new person has been 
appointed to head every department, 
“and I would say that this is the strongest 
management team I have worked with 
in my almost 13 years with the City.”

 Beth Costanza has served the longest 
of this group since becoming Executive 
Director of the Arcadia Chamber of 
Commerce in 1999. She is targeting 
April 2011 for her retirement. Although 
she is not a City employee, she also 
hopes to stay on in a marketing capacity 
to help with member recruitment.

 The Chamber’s board of directors will 
also surely find a worthy new executive 
director.

 But the confidence in a smooth 
transition to strong new leaders does 
not minimize the appreciation of the 
laudable work of each of these fine 
people. At least we can be glad that 
we have plenty of time to show our 
gratitude as each of them has embarked 
on their months-long farewell tour.

– By Scott Hettrick, Arcadia’s Best

ARCADIA TO LOOSE FOUR KEY PEOPLE

Owls Are 
Everywhere at 
the Arcadia 
Public Library!

Whoooo! Enjoy an 
afternoon of owl-related 
stories, songs, games, 
and crafts on Saturday, 
November 20; 2:30 p.m. 
Especially for children 
ages 14 and under.

The Arcadia Public Library 
is located at 20 W. Duarte 
Rd. Arcadia. For more 
information, please call 
(626) 821-5566.

Book to Movie: 
Take 3!

Friday, December 3 at 3:30 
p.m. all middle school 
students sixth through eighth 
grade are invited to join in on 
the fun with a book discussion 
of The Lightning Thief. Each 
month join us as we enjoy 
snacks, create themed crafts 
and have fun. 

The Arcadia Public Library 
is located at 20 W. Duarte 
Rd. Arcadia. For more 
information, please call (626) 
821-5566.

Guide Dogs open eyes at Camino Grove Elementary 

by Helen Simmons Conroy 

 With adorable brown eyes and downy-soft heads, two pups-in-training brought Guide Dogs of America 
to life for 4th graders at Camino Grove Elementary School in Arcadia. The pups were brought to the school 
on November 5 as part of an awareness campaign presented by their puppy raisers, Mary Monroe and Diana 
Snyder. At only 5 months old, the pups lay calmly on the floor of the school auditorium as if napping in their 
own living rooms, as Monroe presented students with information on the guide dog program. 

 Monroe highlighted the life-changing services that Guide Dogs of America provides free of charge to 
people with disabilities. In addition, she described her role as a puppy raiser, training pups from the time they 
are 7 weeks old until they are a year and a half. She discussed challenges involved in training, from teaching a 
puppy not to nibble on popcorn strewn on the floor at a movie theatre to refusing to move -- using “intelligent 
disobedience” in order to prevent a blind partner from facing dangers such as being bonked on the head by a 
low lying tree branch. Guide dog etiquette came next: never distract a guide dog in training or working guide 
dog; talk to the blind person, not the dog; and always ask permission to pet a guide dog. 

 Then Monroe talked about the Guide Dogs of America Training Center in Sylmar: its intensive training 
program; free tours; and need for puppy raisers. She mentioned that people with blindness are invited to speak 
at the center and shared one blind woman’s story. For years, the woman had used a white cane to get around. 
The woman disclosed an insightful observation, “When you can’t make eye contact, no one talks to you. But 
when I got my dog, my life changed. It became much less lonely -- people started talking to me because of my 
dog.” 

 As the assembly concluded, students lined up excitedly to pet Fagan, Diana Snyder’s pup-in-training. 
Rita, (Fagan’s sister), looked on shyly, not quite ready to be petted by so hands. Students then presented 
Monroe and Snyder with donations of blankets, towels, and durable dog toys, for the puppies and adult guide 
dogs in advanced training that reside at the Sylmar facility. 


STREET 
CLOSURES 
FOR 57TH 
ANNUAL 
FESTIVAL 
OF BANDS 
PARADE

The City of Arcadia is 
hosting the 57th Annual 
Festival of Bands Parade 
on Saturday, November 20, 
2010. Forty high school 
bands will compete in this 
prestigious event. There 
will be a number of street 
closures associated with 
the event that may affect 
vehicular travel. The 
parade will take place 
on Baldwin Avenue and 
Duarte Road in Arcadia 
on Saturday, November 20, 
2010. Street closures will 
be as follows: 

• Baldwin Avenue 
between Huntington 
Drive and Naomi Avenue 
– CLOSED for vehicular 
traffic from 8:00 AM to 
1:00 PM.

• Duarte Road 
between Golden West 
and El Monte Avenue – 
CLOSED of vehicular 
traffic from 8:00 AM to 
1:00 PM.

• Campus Drive 
between Santa Anita 
Avenue and Holly Avenue 
– CLOSED from 6:00 AM 
to 4:00 PM.

Residents living south of 
Huntington Drive, north 
of Duarte Road, east of 
Baldwin Ave, and west of 
Holly Ave are encouraged 
to use the intersection of 
La Cadena and Huntington 
Drive as the primary 
entrance and exit from 
the area. Other residents 
will be allowed into the 
surrounding areas with 
proof of residency. 

 Robert P. Sanderson, Chief 
of Police

 Photo (right): Camino Grove 4th graders present Guide Dogs of America puppy raisers and puppies-
in-training with donations for the puppies and adult guide dogs in advanced training that reside at the 
Sylmar facility. From left to right: top – Leigh-Ann Trajano, Cameron Slessor, Megan Lau, Titanium 
Wang; middle – Mirium Maldonado, Andrew Trujillo, Keith Wong, and Brian Miron; bottom – Guide 
Dogs of America puppy raisers, Mary Monroe and Diana Snyder, with their pups-in-training, Rita and 
Fagan.

Winter Holidays 
Around the 
World at the

Arcadia 
Historical 
Museum

On Saturday, December 
18 at 2:30 p.m., come see 
how people around the 
world celebrate the winter 
holidays! Enjoy an afternoon 
filled with activities and 
crafts including a puppet 
show! Get a henna tattoo 
and make a cheeky caroler! 
Seating is limited and 
families will be accepted in 
the order that they are in 
line.

 The Arcadia Historical 
Museum is located at 380 W. 
Huntington Drive, immediately 
behind the Community Center. 

 For more information, please 
call (626) 574-5440.


Arcadia Police Blotter

For the period of Sunday, October 31, through Saturday, November 6, the Police Department responded 
to 895 calls for service of which 141 required formal investigations. The following is a summary report 
of the major incidents handled by the Department during this period.

Sunday, October 31:

2. Around 11:40 p.m., units were called to In-N-Out, 420 North Santa Anita, regarding a male 
driver who had fallen asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle in the drive-thru area. A 33-year-
old Caucasian admitted to taking Valium, and a field sobriety test indicated that he was operating 
the vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance. The man was arrested at the scene 
without incident.

Monday, November 1:

3. A victim came to the station around 11:28 a.m. to file a forgery report. The victim was 
notified by his bank in reference to a forged signature on a balance transfer check for $3,895. The 
bank advised that the transaction was made at a rare coin company where three gold coins were 
purchased.

4. Around 3:20 p.m., a victim came to the station to report a theft that occurred between 5:00 
p.m. on October 30 and 2:00 p.m. on October 31. The victim had a Halloween party at his home on 
the evening of October 30 for about 35 guests. The next day, he discovered that someone had stolen 
his Rolex watch worth about $10,500 from the master bedroom.

Tuesday, November 2:

5. Shortly after midnight, units responded to the 200 block of West Woodruff in regards to a 
residential burglary in progress. Four male suspects were seen fleeing the scene, and a perimeter 
was established. With the help of outside agencies, a yard-to-yard search was conducted and all four 
Hispanic suspects were apprehended. The suspects, between 16 and 19 years of age, were charged 
with residential burglary, obstructing/resisting, conspiracy to commit crime, and petty theft.

6. A private person’s arrest was made at JC Penney around 2:26 p.m. An 18-year-old female 
Hispanic was taken into custody for petty theft after concealing merchandise while in a fitting room.

Wednesday, November 3:

7. Around 11:20 a.m., a 52-year-old male Caucasian was arrested for indecent exposure 
at Huntington and Santa Anita. The suspect dropped his pants and exposed himself to bystanders at 
a bus stop.

8. A victim came to the station around 8:05 p.m. to report a domestic violence incident that 
occurred in the 100 block of California. During an altercation, the suspect struck his wife in the face, 
choked her, and pushed her to the ground. A 36-year-old male Hispanic was subsequently arrested 
for inflicting corporal injury to spouse.

Thursday, November 4:

9. At approximately 11:43 a.m., officers received a Lojack alert of a possible stolen vehicle in 
the vicinity. An area check was conducted, and the stolen car was found at Westfield Mall and two 
subjects were seen exiting the car. A 20-year-old male Hispanic driver was taken into custody for 
vehicle theft; a 20-year-old female Caucasian was charged with possession of marijuana and she was 
later cited and released. Further investigation revealed that the driver had taken the car while his 
victim/mother was asleep, and she reported her car stolen to the Baldwin Park Police Department. 
The mother later refused to press charges, so the driver was released.

10. A traffic collision occurred at Second and Winnie around 4:40 p.m. A 48-year-old Caucasian 
male driver collided with several mailboxes, a telephone pole, and a vehicle. A record check of the 
subject indicated that he was a convicted felon, and a search of his vehicle revealed ammunition, 
swords, spring-loaded knives, butterfly knife, daggers, multi-bladed knives, and throwing stars. 
The man was arrested for felon in possession of ammunition, possession of prohibited/dangerous 
weapons, and possession of switchblade/spring loaded knives.

Friday, November 5:

11. Around 6:45 p.m., officers responded to the 1000 block of South Baldwin regarding an assault 
that just occurred. A victim was attacked by several male Asian suspects at the location. He was also 
stabbed in the torso and was transported to a hospital for treatment.

12. Shortly before 2:30 p.m., loss prevention personnel from JC Penney advised that they had 
detained a man for theft. The suspect took a manufactured bag that would avoid sensor detection to 
the store and concealed stolen merchandise inside the bag. A private person’s arrest was made, and 
an 18-year-old Vietnamese was taken into custody for commercial burglary.

Saturday, November 6:

13. Units were dispatched to Public Storage, 12340 Lower Azusa, around 9:30 a.m. in reference 
to several commercial burglaries that occurred between 11:30 a.m. on November 5 and 9:00 a.m. on 
November 6. Unknown suspects entered several storage units by going through the drywall.

14. Around 1:26 p.m., officers were sent to Gymboree located at Westfield Mall regarding a 
grand theft that occurred between 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on November 5. Unknown suspect(s) 
took 12 shirts and 25 pairs of jeans from a display table for a total reported loss of about $1,045.


APARTMENT 
FOR RENT

753D Arcadia Avenue 
- Arcadia

1 Bedroom Apartment

Refrigerator/Stove A/C

Carport

$1095 per month 

Call 626-893-0473