Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 30, 2011

7

 
Mountain Views News Saturday, July 30, 2011 

CRA/League File Lawsuit Against State

Duarte and Best Jobs Magazine to Help

Professionals “Get Back to Work Now” 

with Aug. 16 Event

On Tuesday, the California Redevelopment 
Association and the League of California 
Cities filed a lawsuit petitioning the California 
Supreme Court to overturn AB 1X 26 and AB 
1X 27, commonly referred as the redevelopment 
“elimination and extortion” bills contained in the 
recently adopted State budget. The lawsuit also 
requests the Court issue a stay to prevent the 
legislation from going into effect until a ruling 
can be made on the merits of the case.Essentially, 
the suit challenges the constitutionality of AB 1X 
26 and AB 1X 27. These bills violate Proposition 
22, the constitutional amendment passed last 
November by 61% of the voters. Prop 22 explicitly 
prohibits the “seizing, diverting, shifting, 
borrowing, transferring, suspending, or otherwise 
taking or interfering with” revenue dedicated 
to local government, including redevelopment 
funds. The State believes that, in eliminating 
the redevelopment agencies (AB 1X 26), it can 
eliminate the obligation to fund them and/or is 
free to divert their funding; and with AB 1X 27, 
the State’s position is that for those agencies that 
“volunteer” to make payments to the State, that 
gets Sacramento around Prop 22’s protections. 
However, even the State’s own legislative counsel 
has acknowledged that eliminating the agencies 
does not give free reign to the State to abscond 
with the money. Those funds are dedicated toward 
local governments, not the State. The frightening 
aspect in all of this is that the State Legislature 
seems overcome with a need to control the 
entire apparatus of government in California. 
They appear to be desirous of making policy 
at every level, for every level. Today, the State 
effectively controls school districts and counties. 
Cities and municipal agencies have historically 
been independent. Yet, with this assault on 
redevelopment as well as the Legislature’s push 
to un-incorporate the troubled City of Vernon, 
it appears that the State is becoming increasingly 
aggressive. What is incomprehensible, to me at 
least, is that the State government is not a well-
oiled machine; it is not a paragon of public sector 
efficiency. To be sure, cities such as Vernon or Bell 
or Maywood have their significant problems; but 
to presume that the answer to Vernon’s problems 
rests in the State Capitol is as arrogant as it is 
absurd. We already have a District Attorney, an 
Attorney General and a judicial system, and the 
election process to address matters of public 
corruption and/or gross incompetence. Perhaps 
the Legislature can stick to its knitting; after all, 
it is pretty evident that the whole budget problem 
is pretty much kicking them in the rear.2. Police 
Blotter - Box the National Night Out

From the Desk of the City Manager 

- Scott Ochoa

DUARTE, CA, July 25, 2011 -- The City of 
Duarte and Duarte Chamber of Commerce will 
partner with Best Jobs Magazine on Tuesday, 
Aug. 16 to host “Get Back to Work,” an event” to 
help professionals connect with employers. Open 
to the general public and free of charge, the event 
will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the 
Duarte Community Center, 1600 Huntington Dr.

“According to May 2011 figures released June 
17 by the California Economic Development 
Department, the unemployment rate in Duarte 
is at 8.3%. Although lower than the 12% 
unemployment rate for Los Angeles County, 900 
employable people out of work in our community 
is a major concern for our City Council. By 
hosting this event, we hope to give our residents 
who want to be gainfully employed opportunities 
and resources to get back to work,” said Deputy 
City Manager, Karen Herrera.

Unlike traditional job fairs, in addition to 
meeting with employers, job seekers will be able 
to network with employment resources such as 
Goodwill Industries and Workforce Investment 
Board, meet with job search assistants, apply for 
jobs by proxy, and attend a workshop from 1:30 
p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to sharpen their job searching 
skills and focus.

The “By Proxy” application process showcases 
open positions for employers who do not typically 
attend job fairs or are unable to exhibit at the event, 
yet are hiring. A job seeker’s resume is forwarded 
directly to a hiring manager as opposed to a 
general mailbox. Best Jobs Magazine territory 
managers canvass the host city and surrounding 
areas each month to uncover available jobs. They 
confirm the validity of the positions, identify the 
hiring manager’s contact information, and then 
showcase the positions in the By Proxy section of 
the Get Back to Work Now event.

Best Jobs Magazine Territory Manager, John 
Davis, Jr. said the event will feature some 15 to 25 
employers with 100 to 300 job openings in a wide 
range of employment sectors including customer 
service, sales, and entry level management. 

For more information, call Karen Herrera at 
the City of Duarte at (626) 357-7931, ext. 221, or 
the Duarte Chamber of Commerce at (626) 357-
3333. 

Thousands of Duarte Residents to Participate

in National Night Out Against Crime

Economic Development Strategy 

A Path to Bolster Duarte’s Economic Future

DUARTE, CA., July 24, 2011 —Beware 
criminals, Duarte neighborhoods are planning 
to arm themselves with ice cream sodas, hot 
dogs and pie for the City’s 28th annual National 
Night Out Against Crime. Thousands of Duarte 
residents are expected to gather at block parties, 
cookouts and ice cream socials on Tuesday, Aug. 2 
to celebrate a going away party for crime. Duarte 
will join citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic 
groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations 
and local officials from over 10,000 communities. 
In all, more than 37 million people are expected 
to participate in National Night Out 2011, 
sponsored by the National Association of Town 
Watch. The crime drug and violence prevention 
program is designed to send a message to 
criminals that neighborhoods are organized 
against crime and fighting back. 

“The community’s active involvement in crime 
prevention efforts is essential to fighting crime, 
protecting property, and ensuring neighborhoods 
remain safe,” said Duarte Public Safety Director, 
Brian Villalobos in encouraging residents to join 
in the National Night Out celebration. “National 
Night Out is the best way to get your neighbors 
involved and revitalize Neighborhood Watch,” he 
said.

Neighborhood Watch area coordinators 
and block captains, with the support of Duarte 
Public Safety and Duarte Sheriffs, are helping to 
coordinate the activities. Residents can contact 
the Public Safety Office to gather ideas, event 
flyers, and to schedule a Deputy to visit their 
block party. Duarte deputies, firefighters, and 
city officials will visit each gathering to pass out 
emergency preparedness information, coloring 
books to kids, and other goodies provided by 
official local sponsor, Target. Residents are 
invited to bring donations of canned goods to 
the neighborhood gatherings. Members of the 
Duarte Community Service Council and Duarte 
Public Safety Department will stop by to collect 
the donations that will benefit the community’s 
needy.

For more information on how to host a National 
Night Out gathering, contact the Duarte Public 
Safety Department, call Aida Torres at Duarte 
Public Safety (626) 359-5671, ext. 316, or visit 
www.accessduarte.com/public safety/nno.

 

DUARTE, CA, July 25, 2011 – Duarte City 
Council has given final approval to an Economic 
Development Strategy document that will 
provide a path and work program for the City’s 
economic development from 2011 to 2015.

Los Angeles County Economic Development 
Commission (LAEDC) was contracted by the 
City to develop the document which provides an 
overview of the City’s demographic conditions 
and sets out objectives and tasks under five major 
goals to bolster Duarte’s economic future. 

“The document was specifically designed to 
address local tasks that can be achieved by the 
City. There may be many regional efforts related 
to economic development that the City will 
also want to be involved in, but this document 
provides manageable tasks that can be done,” 
noted Community Development Director, Craig 
Hensley. 

To reach the five goals of Duarte’s Economic 
Development Strategy there are 46 tasks:

Prepare an Educated Workforce — Connect 
schools to communities by linking local 
community organizations, non-profits, 
businesses and corporate leaders with schools 
through formal partnerships; help address 
existing and projected future workforce gaps by 
facilitating more opportunities for public-private 
collaboration between individual businesses, 
community colleges and universities. 

Create a Business-Friendly Environment — 
“Duarte has excelled in the creation of a business-
friendly environment,” notes the LAEDC, which 
named Duarte one of the most business-friendly 
cities in L.A. County in 2010. Cited were the 
City’s one-stop permit center, hands-on City 
Council in regular contact with businesses, active 
redevelopment agency, and free seminars. To 
further improve, the City needs to retain and 
expand the existing job base while proactively 
attracting new businesses, industries, jobs 
and investment; and leverage the research and 
development activities to the City of Hope for 
the commercialization of research, technology, 
and similar opportunities. Specific tasks include: 
Promote the development of medical research 
space for researchers at City of Hope. Explore the 
possible creation of an incubator for researchers 
seeking to commercialize their work. Maintain 
and update a database of all businesses in the City 
and continue to survey them to establish their 
needs and identify firms at risk of leaving.

Enhance Duarte’s Quality of Life — 
Ensure public safety; improve mobility and 
reduce traffic congestion; encourage transit-
oriented development; promote healthy living; 
encourage and expand cultural and artistic 
amenities available to the public; and revitalize 
low income communities.

Implement Smart Land Use — Ensure that 
the prime industrial area adjacent to City of 
Hope between Duarte Rd. and the 210 Freeway 
is protected from encroachment by incompatible 
uses. Encourage the creation of an incubator for 
medical research technology and similar uses 
tied to the City of Hope. Develop a specific plan 
for the development of a city center/town center 
at Huntington Dr. and Buena Vista. Adding 
medium and high density housing along this 
corridor could form the basis of a walkable 
town center while preserving single family home 
neighborhoods.

Build 21 Century Infrastructure — Engage 
in dialogue. Duarte should make an effort to 
be included in regional planning discussions, 
and should add its voice to regional efforts to 
persuade the state and federal governments to 
support regional initiatives and return a fair share 
of public infrastructure dollars to the region. 
Expand community-side programs promoting 
waste-reduction, recycling, composting, water 
conservation and other green strategies. Develop 
a ridership program to connect the planned 
Metro Gold Line station to local employers.

In terms of population, Duarte ranks 63rd 
of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County by total 
population with 24,000 people and almost 7,000 
households. Of the total population, 57% are 
working-age adults 20-64; 26.3% are juveniles 
under 18. The City’s poverty rate is roughly half 
that of L.A. County with 7.4% living below the 
poverty line.

Duarte had over $365 million in taxable sale 
transactions in 2008, translating to per capita 
sales of $16,000, comparing favorably to the 
countywide figure of $12,800. Home ownership 
in the City of Duarte is much higher than in 
L.A. County, 72.4% are owner-occupied versus 
48.9% in the county. The City of Hope and 
related medical industry establishments employ 
3,551 people which accounts for 38% of the 
total employment in Duarte. Manufacturing and 
retail trade are also strong employers in the area 
for 2010, with 1,117 jobs in manufacturing and 
1,139 jobs in retail. The recent recession affected 
employment in the City, which fell from 11,700 
in January 2007 to 10,100 in January 2010. 

A copy of the complete City of Duarte 
Economic Strategy document is available on 
the City’s website at www.accessduarte.com. 
For more information, call City Hall at (626) 
357-7931.

Duarte Businesses Collect Batteries 

Making Recycling Easier 

DUARTE, CA, July 28, 2011 - Two businesses 
in the City of Duarte are part of 38 establishments 
in the San Gabriel Valley participating in a pilot 
program that aims to increase battery recycling 
within the City and throughout the Valley. The 
state of California banned batteries from disposal 
in landfills in 2006 in an effort to recycle more 
metals and to reduce groundwater contamination 
caused by the presence of batteries in landfills. The 
following locations are participating in Duarte as 
battery take-back sites:

Frontier Hardware

2137 Huntington Dr.

Route 66 Car Wash

2110 E. Huntington Dr.

Residents can conveniently bring any household 
batteries (rechargeable or alkaline that weigh less 
than 11 lbs.) and cell phones to the take-back 
locations. This means that old lithium-ion cell 
phone and camera batteries along with traditional 
AAA-D batteries can be brought to the same 
convenient take-back location. Signs on store 
windows identify take-back locations. Customers 
can turn in their batteries at the marked battery 
recycling boxes inside the store. Simple instructions 
on how to safely recycle batteries are located on 
each take-back box. Full boxes of batteries are 
mailed to recycling facilities at no charge to the 
participating businesses. 

Thanks to an approximate $396,000 grant from 
the Department of Resources Recycling and 
Recovery (CalRecycle), the San Gabriel Valley 
Council of Governments (SGVCOG) has been 
able to facilitate a pilot-recycling program for 
household batteries. The SGVCOG is working 
to make battery recycling more convenient by 
partnering with local businesses to become 
battery take-back locations. The Call2Recycle® 
program is paying for all disposal costs associated 
with the battery recycling. This take-back process 
reduces costs to the public because battery 
producers pay for the shipping and recycling. 
Furthermore, recycling is more convenient for 
consumers because local retailers throughout the 
San Gabriel Valley host collection locations. 

For more information about the battery-recycling 
program or to find a take-back location near you go 
to www.SGVCOG.org/batteryrecycling or contact 
Nicholas Conway, SGVCOG Executive Director 
at (626) 457-1800. For more information about 
CalRecycle go to www.calrecycle.ca.gov.


Monrovia Police Blotter

During the last seven-day period, the Police 
Department handled 572 service events, resulting 
in105 investigations. Following are the last week’s 
highlighted issues and events:

Driving Under the Influence / Traffic Collision 
- Suspect Arrested

On July 14 at 10:49 p.m., a driver was traveling 
east in the 400 block of West Foothill. She reached 
down to adjust the car stereo, drifted toward 
the right side of the lane, and collided with a 
parked vehicle. During the investigation, it was 
determined the driver was under the influence 
and she was arrested. 

Public Drunkenness - Suspect Arrested

On July 17 at 8:49 p.m., police received a report of 
a disturbing subject, possibly intoxicated, at a park 
in the 300 block of South Myrtle, where a summer 
concert was being held. An officer responded and 
located the subject in question on Palm Avenue. 
After assessing the subject, the officer determined 
that she was unable to adequately care for herself. 
She was arrested for public drunkenness and later 
released after sobering. 

Grand Theft

On July 18 at 2:32 p.m., an officer was 
dispatched to the 300 block of Parkrose regarding 
a theft. A gardening crew working in the area left 
two lawnmowers in two different yards while 
they took a break in the backyard of a house. 
When they returned to the front of the house, the 
lawnmowers were missing. The lawnmowers are 
valued at approximately $1,700 each. Investigation 
continuing.

Grand Theft Auto

On July 19 at 9:30 a.m., a white, 1986 Toyota 
truck was stolen from a parking lot in the 3300 
block of South Peck Road. The vehicle was entered 
into the stolen vehicle system.

Grand Theft Auto

On July 19 at 5:27 p.m., a victim discovered his 
blue, 2004 Chevrolet Silverado truck had been 
stolen out of a parking lot in the 700 block of 
East Huntington. An officer viewed surveillance 
videotape and saw the suspects commit the theft. 
Two male subjects drove into the lot in a white, 
Chevrolet Silverado truck, broke into the victim’s 
truck and drove away. Investigation continuing.

Residential Burglary

On July 19 at 5:32 p.m., a male subject returned 
to his home in the 900 block of West Hillcrest and 
discovered his front door was unlocked and his 
dog was out. Further investigation revealed forced 
entry had been made through the rear glass door. 
The suspect entered through the rear yard gate. 
The suspect stole jewelry and cash. Investigation 
continuing. 

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