Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 10, 2011

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 10, 2011 

ABC7 sports anchor Rob Fukuzaki to emcee Foothill 
Unity Center Golden Plate Awards Sept. 22 

Nothing Good is Ever Easy 

by Scott Ochoa

As you may recall, the State of California 
eliminated redevelopment agencies in order to 
grab $1.7 billion from the agencies to balance 
its own budget. Amid a jobless recovery, the 
State cavalierly eliminated the only proven job- 
and investment-creating tool available to local 
governments. This move by the State, contained 
in budget bills AB X1 26 and 27, certainly flies 
in the face of protections overwhelmingly passed 
by California voters in recent elections. Given 
these constitutional protections, the State’s 
actions appear wholly unconstitutional and 
- given their lawyers’ nuanced and legalistic 
rationale - unethical, in the face of the voters’ 
will. Still, when you are $24 billion in the hole, 
such considerations become relative and perhaps 
unaffordable. 

In response to the State’s actions, two 
predictable things happened. First, many cities - 
including Monrovia - agreed to “play ball” with 
the State and adopt “Continuation Ordinances” 
signaling that they would pay the State’s ransom 
in order to keep their redevelopment agencies 
operating. This payment commitment was 
conditioned upon AB X1 26 and 27 being deemed 
constitutional; that is, if the laws were tossed 
out by a court, cities such as Monrovia would 
not have to pay. For Monrovia, this payment 
equaled more than $1 million dollars the first 
year, and a couple of hundred thousand for each 
year thereafter. The Monrovia City Council 
approved this Continuation Ordinance in late 
July, meaning that the Ordinance (and thus our 
redevelopment agency) would go into effect in 
the first week of September.

While such a massive payment is extremely 
distasteful, I do believe that cities were pragmatic 
enough to know that we all were going to have 
to do something to help the State climb out 
of this monumental budget hole. In this vein, 
cities’ and agencies’ primary complaint was 
how the State executed this plan - statutory 
extortion and ransom scheme (quite literally, 
the redevelopment agency is dead unless you 
make the payment), as opposed to the original 
compromise scenario that featured voluntary (if 
incentivized) payments by the agencies. Thus, 
the second predictable action was that the cities 
and agencies would sue the State.

The California Redevelopment Association 
(CRA) and the League of California Cities 
(LCC) indeed filed suit and asked the California 
Supreme Court to take “original jurisdiction” 
in this matter, meaning that the case would not 
have to go through traditional trial and appeals 
courts. In a positive move for the CRA and LCC, 
the Supreme Court agreed and stated that a 
ruling would be made by January 2012; however, 
the Court issued a stay in order to protect the 
State’s interests in the interim. Specifically, the 
stay barred agencies from doing anything lest 
they divest themselves of all of their assets during 
the case, leaving the State (should they win) with 
a hollow victory.

Even those cities that adopted the Continuation 
Ordinances (opting to make the payments) were 
barred from acting. What does this mean to 
Monrovia?

It means that the City Council/Agency Board’s 
consideration of the proposed land sale with 
the Gold Line Construction Authority (GLCA) 
is on hold. You may recall that, in late July, 
the GLCA approved the proposed purchase 
and sale agreement with Monrovia. All eyes 
were on Monrovia heading into September, as 
we could not consider the item until the full 
implementation of the Continuation Ordinance 
occurred in the first days of September. Well, 
the ordinance is now in effect...just in time to be 
stuck in the mud of the Supreme Court stay. 

So where are we now? The CRA and LCC 
have asked the Court to reconsider its ruling 
as it applies to cities/agencies that adopted the 
Continuation Ordinances. It would make sense 
to lift the stay on these cities, as there is no 
jeopardy to the State - we have already agreed 
to make the payment if the AB X1 26 and 27 are 
upheld; and if the laws are struck down, then 
the State had no claim to the money in the first 
place. It is worth noting that the State has filed an 
opposition motion to the CRA and LCC’s recent 
motion.

We are hopeful to learn of the Court’s ruling 
on this new motion this week. If the Court sees 
the wisdom in amending the stay, then Monrovia 
will be able to consider the proposed land sale 
sooner. If the Council approves the purchase and 
sale agreement, the GLCA can secure its primary 
construction funding from METRO. If the GLCA 
gets its funding, it can commence construction 
of the Phase 1A alignment in earnest. If it begins 
such construction, hundreds and hundreds of 
jobs will be created in this region. If...

Rob Fukuzaki, ABC7 Eyewitness 
News sports anchor and host of 
Sports Zone, will be the Master 
of Ceremonies for Foothill Unity 
Center’s annual Golden Plate 
Awards dinner on Thursday, 
September 22, at Santa Anita Park 
racetrack. 

The event, the Center’s only 
major fundraiser of the year, honors 
local businesses, organizations 
and individuals who have offered 
extraordinary support. Longtime 
Monrovia mayor Bob Bartlett and 
community hunger fighter Robin 
Salzer of Robin’s WoodFire BBQ in Pasadena 
will receive the Center’s 2011 Heart in Hand 
Humanitarian awards, presented to local people 
who have made an outstanding impact on the 
quality of life in their communities and beyond. 

Reservations for the event are $75 per 
person. They may be ordered online at www.
foothillunitycenter.org, or by mailing a check to 
Golden Plate Awards, Foothill Unity Center, 415 
West Chestnut Avenue, Monrovia CA 91016. For 
more information, contact Gerald at the Center, 
(626) 358-3486. 

About Rob Fukuzaki Born in Southern 
California and raised in Hawaii, Fukuzaki 
returned to the Southland to earn a degree in 
Broadcast Journalism from the University of 
LaVerne, which named him Broadcaster of the 
Year for three consecutive years. He has also won 
several awards from the Southern California 
Broadcast Journalism Society. When Fukuzaki 
came to ABC7 in 1994 from KITV in Honolulu, 
he was the first male Japanese-American TV 
anchor in Los Angeles local TV 
news. Rob is a dedicated supporter 
of worthwhile events in the local 
community. In 1997, he joined 
with friends and family to found 
the Heads Up Youth Foundation, 
of which he’s Chairman and 
President. The foundation’s goal 
is to help disadvantaged youths 
in the Southland participate in 
sports programs. Last month, Rob 
was honored at the Los Angeles 
County Department of Children 
and Family Services’ annual 
All for the Love of Kids event for 
his work with the foundation. About Foothill 
Unity Center Foothill Unity Center, Inc., has 
been serving low-income families and those in 
crisis for 31 years. Founded in 1980 in a church 
closet to provide food to a few hungry families, 
the Center has become the major source of 
food, health services and crisis assistance for 
over 4,000 low-income families in its service 
area: Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena, 
Arcadia, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Duarte, 
Azusa, Baldwin Park and Irwindale. In 1991, 
the organization was incorporated. In 2008, it 
was federally designated the Community Action 
Agency for the Foothill Area. The Center acts 
as a lifeline for very low income individuals and 
families who are struggling to survive. Clients 
are often unemployed, employed at wages too 
low to provide for their families, on welfare, or 
facing a temporary crisis. It also serves seniors, 
homeless, disabled, emancipated foster youth, 
victims of domestic violence, and students on 
limited incomes. 38% of its clients are children.


Photo courtesy of Foothill Gold Line Extension

Five Candidates to Vie for 

Two Duarte City Council Seats

DUARTE, CA, August 16, 2011 – A field of five 
candidates will vie for two Duarte City Council 
seats in the November 8, 2011 election. Deadline 
for filing nomination papers closed on Aug. 12 
and the County of Los Angeles has verified the 
nomination papers for all five candidates.

Incumbents Lois Gaston, a retired human 
resources district manager for AT&T, and 
John Fasana, a project manager for Southern 
California Edison, will be on the ballot. Other 
candidates are Henry Baltazar, a landscape 
contractor; Anil Gunaratne, an auditor; and Liz 
Reilly, an instructional aide.

The final day to register to vote in the 
November election is Oct. 24. Voter registration 
forms are available at Duarte City Hall and on 
the California Secretary of State website, http://
www.sos.ca.gov.

Free Home Energy Upgrade Workshop in Duarte, Sept. 28

DUARTE, CA, August 9, 2011 – Homeowners 
can learn how to receive up to $6,000 in rebates 
for energy efficiency improvements at a free 
Home Energy Upgrade workshop hosted by 
the City of Duarte and the San Gabriel Valley 
Council of Governments on Wednesday, Sept. 
28. The workshop will be held from 6 p.m. to 8:30 
p.m. at the City of Duarte Community Center, 
1600 Huntington Dr. 

Booths and displays will feature information 
about participating contractors, County and local 
utility rebates and incentives, including efficient 
landscaping, solar and other energy efficient 
options. Prizes will be given away to those who 
attend the event.

The Energy Upgrade California program 
rolled out in Los Angeles County earlier this year 
to provide homeowners who make energy-saving 
home improvements with rebates and incentives 
of up to $4,500 – in addition to savings on monthly 
utility bills. Now, for a limited time, homeowners 
can receive incentives of up to $6,000, funded by 
an increase of $1,500 in the incentives provided 
by Los Angeles County. Energy Upgrade home 
improvements that qualify for rebates and 
incentives include insulation sealing, HVAC 
upgrades, energy-efficient windows, tankless 
water heaters and other fixed improvements.

The Energy Upgrade California is a partnership 
of the County of Los Angeles, the California 
Energy Commission, the California Public 
Utilities Commission, investor-owned and 
municipal utilities, local governments, and other 
stakeholders to promote a uniform, statewide 
energy efficiency program.

To register for the Energy Upgrade California 
Homeowner workshop, visit www.sgvcog.org/
energyupgrade or call (626) 457-1800. For more 
information about the Energy Upgrade California 
program, visit www.EnergyUpgradeCA.org/
LACounty.

Monrovia Police Blotter

During the last seven-day period, the Police 
Department handled 517 service events, resulting in 98 
investigations. Following are the last week’s highlighted 
issues and events:

Disturbing Subjects / Possession of a Controlled 
Substance - Suspect Arrested

On August 26 at 8:47 p.m., officers responded to 
the area of Magnolia and Duarte regarding a female 
subject following a male subject who allegedly took 
something of hers while at the street fair. Officers 
located both parties and determined that no theft 
had occurred. The subjects are boyfriend/girlfriend 
and were arguing over drugs. Both subjects were 
patted down and checked for warrants. The male 
subject was found to be in possession of cocaine and 
was arrested.

Attempt Robbery - Suspect Arrested

On August 27 at 1:58 a.m., a suspect in the 300 
block of West Lemon reportedly simulated a gun 
under his shirt and demanded money from a male 
victim. The victim did not believe the suspect had a 
gun and fought with the suspect. The suspect fled 
south on Alta Vista empty handed. Officers arrived 
and met with the victim and a witness, and also 
began an area check for the suspect. A male subject 
matching the suspects description was seen running 
south on Magnolia and was detained. The victim 
positively identified the suspect and he was arrested 
and taken into custody. 

Hitand Run Incident - Suspect Arrested

On August 28 at 2:20 p.m., a male subject driving 
his vehicle east on Primrose drove through the 
cones blocking the roadway at Lime for the Sunday 
Farmer’s Market event. The coordinator for the 
event stopped the vehicle inside the event and told 
the driver the street was closed to vehicle traffic. 
The male subject became angry and yelled that 
he lived that way, pointing east. He was told one 
more time that the street was closed. The driver 
proceeded through, striking the event coordinator 
and running over his foot. He sustained a broken 
ankle. A witness followed the suspect into a parking 
lot nearby, where officers apprehended him. He was 
arrested without further incident.

Domestic Violence / Reckless Driving / Possession 
of Methamphetamine / Possession of Drug 
Paraphernalia / Child Endangerment - Suspects 
Arrested

On August 29 at 5:04 p.m., a caller reported a 
male subject battering a female subject inside a 
vehicle in the area of Colorado and Alta Vista. The 
caller followed the suspect vehicle as it drove away 
wrecklessly on the wrong side of the road, nearly 
colliding into numerous vehicles along the way. As 
an officer drove up behind the suspect vehicle, the 
driver looked back and discarded a small bag into 
the roadway and continued driving. The suspect 
then stopped for the officers a distance away from 
the area where he discarded the bag. The officers 
conducted a high-risk traffic stop and detained the 
male subject without further incident. The female 
did not have any injuries and denied being a victim 
of domestic violence. The subjects are husband and 
wife, and they had their two small children, ages one 
and two, in the backseat of the vehicle. The female 
was under the influence of a controlled substance 
and there was drug paraphernalia concealed where 
she had been sitting inside the vehicle. She was 
arrested for being under the influence of a controlled 
substance, possession of narcotics paraphernalia, 
and child endangerment. The bag discarded by the 
male suspect was recovered and found to contain 
methamphetamine and a drug smoking pipe. He 
was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, 
possession of drug paraphernalia, domestic battery, 
child endangerment, and wreckless driving. He was 
later found to have lied about his identity and was 
found to be on parole; a parole hold was obtained. 
The two small children were not harmed during 
the incident and were taken into protective custody. 
They were later released to a grandparent after 
being interviewed by the Department of Child and 
Family Services.

Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested

On August 31 at 4:51 p.m., a fast food restaurant 
in the 100 block of West Duarte Road reported a 
female in their drive-thru that was driving drunk. 
Officers responded and detained the female. 
An investigation was conducted and the female 
was subsequently arrested for driving under the 
influence. 

Strong-Arm Robbery - Suspect Arrested

On August 31 at 5:07 p.m., a business in the 300 
block of West Huntington reported a female subject 
had just taken merchandise out of the store without 
paying for it. An employee attempted to stop the 
female, and the female fought with the employee. 
Officers responded quickly and apprehended the 
suspect. She was arrested for strong-arm robbery 
and taken into custody.

Burglary

On August 31 at 9:33 a.m., an officer was 
dispatched to the 500 block of West Duarte Road on 
the report of a burglary. The victim reported that 
he locked his garage the night before at about 5:30 
p.m. and went in for the evening. When he walked 
out to the garage in the morning at 8:20 a.m., he saw 
one of the two doors open. He checked his garage 
and discovered a miter saw and some of his tools 
were missing. The garage doors had been secured 
with padlocks. It appears the suspect(s) cut the locks 
and took them, as they were not located at the scene. 
Investigation continuing.

Remembrance

In Loving Memory - 

A Special Tribute to a 

Special Man:

JOSEPH DANIEL 
VENEGAS

By Joan Schmidt

 This past Tuesday, I attended the funeral 
Mass for Joseph Daniel Venegas, Dec11, 
1951-August 29, 2011. Mr. Venegas was a respected 
and well-loved teacher and colleague at 
El Monte High School for over 30 years! He was 
known all over the community and had many 
friends including the Chief of Police. This was 
evident by the large turn-out at the Rosary the 
prior evening and the funeral.

 I knew Mr. Venegas on a different level. 
He was the son of Manuel and Felicitas Venegas, 
one of seven sons. During my Annunciation 
School years, I first taught Melissa, daughter of 
Joe’s brother Camilo and Donna. They are a loving 
family that also include Kristen, their older 
daughter. My next “Venegas” children were Jennifer 
and Joey, children of Joe and Cathy. This is 
how I knew Joe-not as a student of his-but at the 
teacher of his children. He was a devoted loving 
father and husband. He did discipline his children 
if necessary and guided them into becoming 
two fine adults. Some parents may slacken off, 
but none of my Venegas’ did. They were on top of 
everything and their children’s education were a 
top priority. 

 The last Venegas family was John, Manuel 
and Elena, the children of Joe’s brother John and 
his wife Beth. Another fine family. I say this because 
Joe leaves behind not only his wife Cathy, 
children, Jennifer and Joe, grandson, Joey, but 
also his brothers, Camilo , John and their families. 
There are two other surviving brothers, Ron 
and Mark who also deeply feel the loss.

 Pastor Alberto Villalobos presided. His 
words were so beautiful and comforting. He 
spoke of Joe’s vocation as a teacher, who “gave so 
much of himself”. Father Albert greatly admires 
teachers-“They spend so much time-preparing 
lessons, helping students, counseling them and 
Joe was no exception.” One of Joe’s former students 
had to attend services because “He taught 
me so much.” Father also felt that “No one stands 
so tall as a teacher helping a child. Joe stands tall 
today.”…”His colleagues and students won’t be the 
same, but Joe’s spirit will remain there.

 I sat with El Monte’s High School Principal 
and two officers from the El Monte Police 
Department.-Several had attended. There were 
so many who came out to celebrate the life of a n 
awesome man who helped so many students fulfill 
their dreams and who brought much love and 
happiness to his family and friends.


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