p7, v5.34 — Monrovia – Duarte — Mountain Views News

Monrovia – Duarte

Mountain Views News Saturday, August 20, 2011

MVNews this week: Page 7

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 20, 2011

Wilderness Preserve EIR Comment Period Under Way

DUARTE’S CHOICE: Injunction or No Injunction

Last week, the Department of Community
Services posted for public review and comment
the much-anticipated draft Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) for the future use of the
Wilderness Preserve.

Monrovia had previously put forth the
“Minimalist Plan” that essentially revolved
around folks accessing and using the Preserve
as they have for many, many years for passive
recreational uses (hiking, biking, nature studies,
etc.). As this plan was extremely limited in its scope
and, because the City wanted to demonstrate its
good faith in not over-utilizing the Preserve, a
Mitigated Negative Declaration was employed
as the environmental documentation for the
accompanying Wilderness Preserve and Hillside
Recreation Resource Management Plan (RMP).

Unfortunately, the City was sued by a property
owner who lives within the boundaries of the
Wilderness Preserve who demanded that the
City complete a full-blown EIR. Thus, the City
went back to the drawing board and built upon
the Mitigated Negative Declaration to complete
a full EIR.

The EIR is a lengthy and comprehensive
document that studies the impacts of the range of
allowable uses, beginning with the “Minimalist
Plan” that was previously put forth, all the way
through to the maximum usage that would be
allowed under the zoning definitions contained
in the voter-approved Measures A and B. If
you recall the push to save the hillsides from
development a decade ago, Measure A was the
land-use zoning question which established the
range of use for the property and Measure B was
the funding mechanism (a city-wide parcel tax)
to acquire much of the land. The balance of the
funding came from State of California matching
grants that require some reasonable public use.

The public review and input process on the EIR
will be considerable, lasting nearly six months.
The 60-day review and comment period is
currently under way. During this period of time,
we will have a community open house in late
August (please scroll down to the Community
Services section of this report for more details)
where folks can come and ask questions of the
staff and consultants. Following the close of the
comment period on September 29, the City’s
consultants will provide written responses to
all submitted comments. In November, the
Planning Commission will consider the EIR
and the public will again have the opportunity
to comment. In December, the Community
Services Commission will consider the Resource
Management Plan and the public will again have
the opportunity to comment. Finally, in January,
the City Council will consider both the EIR
and RMP and, again, the public will have the
opportunity to comment.

By Joan Schmidt Clayton

Several months ago, the City of Duarte was
given the choice of having a gang injunction or
not. All five city council members voted against
it and quite frankly, I was surprised and thought
they were wrong,

Shortly after the Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte
formed, back in 1993, I received a call from
Sergeant Dan Rosenberg from the Sheriff’s
Department. He wanted to run a program by
me, Civil Gang Abatement, which he felt which
help end the gang violence. I agreed it would be
beneficial; then Sgt. Rosenberg met with the
other Town Council members, who realized the
positive ramifications the program would bring.

Back then, Pamela Park was a VERY dangerous
area. A former Monrovia Policeman said he
wouldn’t go down that street without a bazooka!
Things are quite different now in the Pamela
Park area and on Goodall. The cooperation of
many officers, those from Operation Safe Street,
Captain Sams and members of the SEB(Special
Enforcement Bureau), personnel from Temple’s
Gang and Drug units and our patrol officers
worked together in the goal of “cleaning up
the area”. The county even put the barricade on
Goodall. Previously, there were several different
outlets-no wonder the deputies had trouble
catching the bad guys! There also were joint efforts
between Monrovia and the Sheriff’s Department.
Their current Chief, Jim Hunt headed their SET
Program and worked with Sergeant Steve Biagini
and deputies. This Civil Gang Abatement is an
injunction in which certain gang members may
not hang out together. Things have been relatively
quiet lately. There have been arrests in the past
and the injunction has aided in that procedure.

When I spoke with Chief Hunt a few weeks
back, he told me that the City of Monrovia had
the injunction and he was glad of it. Chief Hunt
feels the injunction is a good tool to clean up the
area, and he believes that it’s beneficial to utilize
as many avenues as possible to keep that peace.
Back in 2009, Monrovia got its gang injunction
because there was a murderous feud between two
rival gangs, the African American Duroc Crips
and their rival, the Hispanic Nuevo Varrio. It has
been relatively quiet, the last 18 months.

Lately, there has been a string of violence in
Baldwin Park. Their Council Member, Monica
Garcia wants to do something about it. She has
been looking at various cities who utilize the
injunction. First on her list was Monrovia and she
has met with Chief Hunt. Council Member Garcia
wanted to know how the city implemented an
injunction, what was successful and what was not
successful. Also the price. Monrovia paid close to
$250,000 in legal fees and other costs associated
with the action. Monrovia’s City Manager, Scott
Ochoa mentioned the community’s effort in
this endeavor. This is very true. The Sheriff’s
Department accomplished much, but there are
the Civilian Advisory Committee and other
groups that help.

The question remains: Should Duarte adopt the
injunction? I now understand their reluctance.
The bottom line is how bad things are in the city
and can they afford it? El Monte chose not to. So
perhaps Duarte’s decision was the right one for
the City of Duarte.

CHIEF JIM HUNT WILL LEAD THE

MONROVIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

On Tuesday, we released the news that Jim
Hunt would be the new Chief of Police for the
City of Monrovia. Chief Hunt is a 20-year veteran
of the Department, and served as interim chief
over the last thee months. In addition to holding
nearly every position and assignment at one time
or another in the Police Department, Jim also is
a graduate of the California Law Enforcement
Command College and the FBI’s National
Academy. Under the mentorship of retired chief
Roger Johnson, Jim has also become expert in the
budgetary, managerial and executive functions of
the Department.

We attracted a great deal of talented law
enforcement professionals through this
recruitment process. Among the finalists, it was
an ironic circumstance that the decision was
both difficult (considering the impressive skills
and resumes of the respective applicants) and
easy (I really don’t think we could have made a
mistake with any of the finalists). At the end of
the day, however, Chief Hunt’s knowledge of
the Department, personnel and community, his
vision of the future of public safety in Monrovia,
his proven leadership over the years, and his
engaging management style earned him the job.
Truly, as I have been asked about this hiring
process over the last few days, I am proud to
say that Chief Jim Hunt did not get this job
because he didn’t make a mistake in the various
interviews and screenings; he got the job because
he seized the opportunity. Jim epitomized the
skills we seek in all our of organization’s leaders
- he is a Five Tool Player: he Thinks, he Leads, he
Communicates, he knows our Operations, and
he is a dedicated Public Servant.

Congratulations, Chief Hunt on your newest
challenge. And congratulations to Monrovia - our
tradition of excellent Police Chiefs continues.

Monrovia Police Blotter

During the last seven-day period, the Police
Department handled 534 service events, resulting
in 79 investigations. Following are the last week’s
highlighted issues and events:

Robbery

On August 4 at 0:22 a.m., officers responded
to the 800 block of West Huntington regarding
a male transient reporting three male suspects
took him inside the restroom in the 700 block of
East Lemon and beat him up. The suspects then
took his shoes and wallet and fled in an unknown
direction. The victim walked to the 800 block
of West Huntington and called police to report
the incident. There were no suspects found.
Investigation continuing.

Mail Tampering

On August 5 at 4:02 a.m., an officer responded
to a call in the 500 block of Valmont regarding two
male subjects seen tampering with two mailboxes
in the area. An area check was conducted but
the suspects were not located. Investigation
continuing.

Robbery

On August 6 at 9:03 p.m., officers responded
to the 200 block of West Huntington regarding
a robbery that had just occurred. Officers were
advised that a male suspect wearing dark clothing
entered the business through the front door and
proceeded to the take-out counter. The suspect
pointed a silver revolver at the female employee
and demanded the money. The victim handed
money to the suspect who fled out the front door
and out of sight. Investigation continuing.

Burglary

On August 7 at 3:52 p.m., officers responded to
a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain
regarding a burglary. On August 5, a male suspect
committed an unreported theft where he stuffed
a backpack full of merchandise, then fled prior to
being caught. On August 7, the same suspect re-
entered the store and immediately began cutting
off security sensors from tools using a cutting
tool. The property was valued at more than
$2,000. The suspect began stuffing his backpack
and was detained to prevent him from fleeing the
store again. The suspect was arrested and taken
into custody.

Domestic Violence

On August 8 at 11:52, an officer responded to
the 800 Block of West Olive regarding a domestic
disturbance. A male suspect became intoxicated
and began to argue with his live-in girlfriend. The
argument escalated and he assaulted her several
times, causing visible injury. He was arrested for
domestic violence and placed in the sobering
cell until he could be booked. An emergency
protective order was obtained on behalf of the
victim.

Vehicle Burglaries

On August 8, dispatch received reports of two
window-smash auto burglaries. The first occurred
in the 400 block of South Alta Vista between the
hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.; the loss was an empty
purse. The second occurred in the 100 block of
North Mayflower between the hours of 4 p.m.
and 5:30 a.m.; the loss was a black briefcase
with cash, a telescope and a camera. There is no
suspect information at this time. Investigation
continuing.

Grand Theft Auto

On August 9 at 6:55 a.m., an officer responded
to the 500 block of Fano regarding a stolen vehicle
report. The victim told the officer he parked
his vehicle on the street in front of the location
and left the keys on the seat. He did not lock the
vehicle and did not have an alarm. The victim
went inside the residence and returned an hour
later to discover the vehicle missing. The vehicle
is a white 1991 Honda Accord. Investigation
continuing.

Stolen Vehicle

On August 9 at 11:45 a.m., an officer responded
to the 400 block of West Walnut regarding a
stolen vehicle. The victim told him she parked
and locked her vehicle on the street in front of the
location at 1 a.m. She returned to her vehicle at 4
a.m., and it was missing. All keys were accounted
for and there was no glass on the ground where
it was parked. The vehicle is a green, 1991 Honda
Accord. Investigation continuing.

Burglary

On August 10 at 7:45 a.m. an officer responded
to a business in the 700 block of West Huntington.
The reporting party was a contracted electrician
who is working at the location. The suspect(s)
apparently forced open (by pushing in) a sheet
of plywood covering a dock door on the north
side of the building. Once inside, the suspect(s)
removed approximately 100 feet of one-inch
copper wire and pushed a metal tool box out of
the dock door opening. It appears, due to scrapes
on the concrete floor, that the suspect(s) backed
up a truck and loaded the metal tool box into it,
and left undetected. Investigation continuing.

Attempt Vehicle Burglary

On August 10 at 11:40 a.m., an officer responded
to 100 block of West Pomona regarding an
attempt vehicle burglary. The reporting party
reported that someone tried breaking into one of
their vehicles, a Ford F-350 Van. The suspect(s)
damaged the rear door lock of the van; however,
no entry was made. Investigation continuing.

Duarte’s End of the Summer Movie Night

Set for Sept. 2

DUARTE, CA, August 18, 2011 – Summer
may be coming to a close, but not the end of
fun for Duarte families who are invited to enjoy
an under-the-stars “End of Summer Movie
Night” on Friday, Sept. 2 at Otis Gordon Park,
featuring everybody’s favorite Toys. Hosted by
Duarte Public Safety, the evening will offer a
complimentary BBQ dinner from 6 p.m. to 7:30
p.m., followed by the movie and free popcorn
at 7:30 p.m. Otis Gordon Park is located at
2351 Central Ave., adjacent to Andres Duarte
Elementary School.

Community non-profit organization, Marvell
West will be grilling up ribs, hot links, and hot
dogs for dinner. Before the movie starts, mingle
with Mayor Tzeitel Paras-Caracci, Duarte City
Council members and staff, Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Deputies, and members of non-profit
organizations and business owners that serve the
community.

Duarte Summer Movie Nights are made
possible through the sponsorship of THINK
Together, SCE Federal Credit Union, Riviera
Finance, Rojas Communications, and LA County
Parks & Recreation, and the Santa Anita Family
YMCA.

For more information, contact Aida Torres at
a2torres@lasd.org, or call (626) 359-5671, ext. 316.

DUARTE, CA, The City of
Duarte filed an appeal (Aug.
5) with the State Court of
Appeals in the ongoing battle
to save Van Tassel Ridge
from being destroyed by a
massive Vulcan Materials
Company mining expansion
project approved by the City
of Azusa. Duarte’s lawsuit,
originally filed in August
2010 and first heard in late
March of this year, was denied
by the Superior Court
on May 9.

“The City of Duarte continues
to feel that the Environmental
Impact Report
prepared for the Vulcan Expansion
Project was flawed
in many areas. Namely, the
lack of analysis of air quality
impacts from blasting
and trucking activities, consideration
of potential seismic
slippage, ignoring the
AQMD direction on location
and number of air monitoring
stations, and lack of
mitigation measures for potential
liquefaction impacts.
Through the appeal process,
we hope a panel of judges
recognizes this and rules in
the City of Duarte's favor,”
said City Manager, Darrell
George.

The appeal process starts a
new review by a three-judge
panel located in Los Angeles
at the State Court of Appeal.
The process, comparable to
the initial lawsuit, will involve
preparation of an administrative
record, the filing
of approximately three
briefs, a hearing and eventual
ruling. It could take anywhere
from nine to fifteen
months to complete.

Duarte’s lawsuit focuses on
the Azusa City Council’s
violations of the California
Environmental Quality Act
and seeks to overturn its certification
of the Final Environment
Impact Report and
related entitlements for the
mine expansion project. It
also raises numerous points
including insufficient analysis
of air quality impacts
from blasting and trucking
activities; ignoring South
Coast Air Quality recommendations
on the location
and number of air monitoring
stations; and Azusa’s failure
to impose any mitigation
measures for potential liquefaction
impacts.

As approved by the Azusa
City Council, the Vulcan
mining expansion project
is poised to destroy
Van Tassel Ridge as Vulcan
plans to extract 105.6
million tons of aggregate
from the mountain
between now and 2038.
Over that same period,
the City of Azusa stands
to make more than $65
million in mining fees
and incentives from Vulcan
at the expense of its
neighbors in Duarte.

DUARTE FILES APPEAL OF AZUSA/VULCAN MATERIALS

LAWSUIT DENIAL

FIGHTING THE FLU

Free Brown Bag Workshop Sponsored by Friends of the Monrovia Public Library

The Monrovia Public Library will host this timely workshop on Tuesday, September 13
from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the Community Room. The Library is located at 321 S.
Myrtle Avenue, in Old Town Monrovia’s Library Park.

Bring your lunch and join Stuart Lee, Walgreens pharmacy manager, for a talk about flu,
pneumonia, and whooping cough vaccines.

He will give expert information on who should receive the vaccines, why they should receive
the vaccines, what vaccines do, how they work, where to get them, and answer other
questions.

Registration is encouraged. Stop by the Adult Reference Desk, call 626-256-8274, or visit
www.monroviapubliclibrary.org and click on the calendar icon on the top right of the page.
Find DATE, click on the event and sign up. Walk-ins welcome.

Tuesday September 13

Library Community Room

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

What’s On YOUR Mind? What D0 YOU Think?

We’d like to hear from you!