Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 8, 2011

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 8, 2011 

 From the desk of the City Manager Scott Ochoo

COUNCIL VOTES TO RELOCATE PROPOSED 
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT TO FUTURE TRANSIT 
ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT SITE

GRAND AVENUE PARK VANDALISM 

SPARKS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING

DUARTE, CA October 3, 2011 - The Duarte 
City Council at its September 27, 2011 meeting 
approved relocating a proposed affordable 
housing development from Huntington Drive 
to the future Transit Oriented Development 
adjacent to the City’s Gold Line Station at the 
intersection of Highland Ave. and Duarte Rd. 
Specifically, they passed two resolutions that 
would remove properties located at 1415, 1423 
– 1437 Huntington Drive from the list of sites 
to be rezoned for affordable housing and move 
the requirement for State required affordable 
housing. Reflecting Council consensus, 
Councilmember John Fasana said, “Abode, did 
bring a high quality project.” Adding, “However, 
I will also say I have spoken with a number of 
residents and haven’t found anybody who likes 
the proposed project and most want to move in 
another direction.” 

Staff was also instructed to bring back for 
consideration a process to develop a specific 
plan for the designated downtown Duarte area 
and the creation of an ad hoc committee. The 
committee will assist the Economic Development 
Commission by providing input during the 
specific planning process. “I want to keep a 
vision for downtown alive at that intersection,” 
said Mayor Tzeitel Paras-Caracci. 

“Council made this change in course based 
on new information received from state housing 
and community development, and new cost 
estimates that would require an added $2 
to $3 million in City subsidy due to project 
redesign. Additionally, input was received from 
business owners and neighbors living next to the 
proposed development regarding the affordable 
housing development,” noted Councilmember 
Margaret Finlay.

At a previous August meeting, the Duarte 
City Council had approved a Disposition and 
Development Agreement and conducted the 
first of two readings on ordinances for an 
affordable, 66-unit rental housing development 
on 2.3 acres entitled “Duarte Oaks” proposed 
by Abode Communities. The City of Duarte 
has participated in similar successful affordable 
housing projects in the past, working with 
Southern California Presbyterian Homes on its 
80 unit Andres Duarte Terrace that has already 
been completed and the soon to be built Andres 
Duarte Terrace West project approved for the 
southeast corner of Huntington Drive and Pops 
Road. 

Duarte, like all California cities, is required 
to address housing needs in its community for 
all levels of income. The property at the center 
of the Council discussion was one of four sites 
identified in the City’s General Plan Housing 
Element to address the City’s affordable housing 
shortfall. The units proposed for this development 
would have contributed toward the City’s unmet 
affordable housing needs as required under the 
City’s State mandated, Regional Housing Needs 
Assessment (RHNA). In addition to the regional 
housing needs requirements, the City must also 
provide funding for affordable housing as a part 
of its redevelopment requirements. Specifically, 
for all redevelopment funds that are collected, 
20% of the funds must be set-aside for affordable 
housing and spent within a time specific 
framework. 

For additional information on this project, 
contact the City’s Community Development 
Department at 626 357-7931.

Speaking of parks, we have been dealing with 
increased amounts of vandalism on the play 
equipment at Grand Avenue Park. Etching, 
tagging, burning the plastic surfaces of the play 
equipment, etc., have been observed over the 
last several weeks. Part of the problem at Grand 
Avenue Park is the lack of visibility from the 
street (the west side of the park drops off from 
Grand and is shielded by heavy foliage, while the 
east side is accessed by walkways stretching from 
Valle Vista Avenue). Though park rangers patrol 
the area on a daily basis, they have not been 
able to apprehend whoever is responsible for the 
damage.

In response, we need to get the neighbors 
involved in helping alert rangers and police when 
people are in the park at night or if individuals 
appear to be using the equipment in an unsafe 
and/or inappropriate manner. A Neighborhood 
Watch meeting is being scheduled and will be 
noticed at the Park, although the meeting itself 
may be held off-site (with the time change, it will 
be difficult to hold a meeting after folks return 
home from work; and folks’ weekends are always 
jam-packed with activities). We will keep you 
posted.

“MONROVIA CELEBRATES THE ARTS IN M.A.F.A’S 48TH 
ANNUAL JURIED FINE ARTS CELEBRATION HAPPENING 
OCTOBER 8TH & 9TH!”

Carol Curtis is honored as featured artist!

Monrovia Association of Fine Arts presents 
its 48th Annual Juried Fine Arts Exhibition 
“Celebrate the Arts Festival” in Old Town 
Monrovia on this coming Saturday & Sunday, 
October 8th and 9th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm 
at Monrovia Library Park, located at 321 South 
Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia, California. This year’s 
opening ceremony will include an introduction 
to the Marine Corp for the flag salute and Steve 
McCarthy will sing the Star Spangled Banner.

Every year, an artist is recognized for their 
important contributions to their art field and 
this year, Carol Curtis has received that honor 
for her work in photography. Carol Curtis 
has been making fine art photographs for 20 
years. She graduated from the University of 
California, Riverside with a degree in Fine Art – 
Photography in 1986. She participated in several 
group exhibits at UCR, won several grant awards 
and had work published in Photographer’s 
Forum magazine. Her portfolio, The Many 
Faces of Lisa, is part of the permanent collection 
at the California Museum of Photography. Most 
recently she has shown work in the Los Angeles 
County Fair and local MAFA events. To see 
some of Carol Curtis’ work, please visit her 
website www.carolcurtis.com or check out www.
monroviafinearts.org

Events featured by MAFA artists throughout 
the weekend at the Celebrate the Arts Fine Arts 
Festival will include local and regional fine 
artists, who will display, sell and demonstrate 
their artwork such as painting, collage, ceramics, 
photography, jewelry, and sculpture. There will 
be Hands-on art experiences for children, adults 
and family friendly activities available as well 
as Student Art Displays and a Silent Auction to 
benefit the MUSD. Also don’t forget to check out 
the Village Booth as well!

MAFA’s art events not only promote local 
and regional artists, but also help support arts 
education in public and private schools. In 
recent years, when budget cuts adversely affected 
schools, MAFA’s donations of more than $50,000 
have supported art education in after-school and 
in-school programs. MAFA has also funded 
schoolteachers through mini-grants in Monrovia, 
Sierra Madre, Duarte and Arcadia. Other local 
organizations and non-profit organizations 
supported by MAFA are Foothill Unity Center, 
Boys and Girls club of Monrovia and the YMCA. 
The public is invited to celebrate the fine arts! 
This event is FREE and OPEN to the public.

Local art is featured in a number of MAFA 
supported venues such as the PAINT N PLAY 
ART GALLERY located at (418 South Myrtle 
Avenue, Monrovia) and FIRST CITY FINE 
ARTS GALLERY (404 East Huntington Drive, 
Monrovia) as well as a number of additional 
supporting vendors who continue to create an 
inviting and nurturing environment for the 
artists and their arts. The Monrovia Association 
of Fine Arts is an all-volunteer organization 
with goals to enhance the lives of those within 
the community through interaction with the 
arts and to increase the opportunities of the 
children through art education. The Monrovia 
Association of Fine Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit 
organization. For more information, please 
contact Lisa Barrios at 626-802-7873 Or visit 
www.monroviafinearts.org 

Monrovia Police Blotter

During the last seven-day period, the Police 
Department handled 546 service events, resulting 
in 94 investigations. Following are the last week’s 
highlighted issues and events:

Theft from Vehicle

On September 22 at 9:08 a.m., a resident in the 
600 block of Vaquero reported a theft from his 
vehicle. The victim had parked his vehicle during 
the late night, leaving the vehicle unlocked. The 
resident returned to his vehicle in the morning 
and discovered his vehicle had been ransacked 
and his wallet was missing. The wallet contained 
credit cards and cash. No suspect(s) were seen or 
heard.

Petty Theft from Commercial Business

On September 22 at 10:47 a.m., a business in the 
1500 block of California reported three pressure 
washers stolen from the property. The pressure 
washers were being stored outside the building 
in the parking lot adjacent to Evergreen. The 
equipment was last seen at the close of business. 
When they opened in the morning, employees 
discovered the loss.

Injury Traffic Collision

On September 22 at 3:36 p.m., a Honda Civic 
was traveling west on Duarte Road. The driver fell 
asleep and collided head-on into a pickup truck, 
which was traveling east. Both drivers sustained 
injuries. The driver of the pickup truck had to be 
extracted from the vehicle by cutting the driver’s 
door with the “Jaws of Life.” Both drivers were 
taken to a hospital with moderate injuries.

Missing Person Located

On September 24 at 4:55 p.m., an officer 
on patrol in the area of Foothill and Canyon 
observed a vehicle impeding traffic. The officer 
stopped the driver. A check on the license plates 
returned a hit for a missing person, a 78-year-
old female out of Cathedral City, last seen two 
days prior. The female appeared disoriented and 
was brought to the police station. The woman 
had no family in the area. Cathedral City Police 
Department was contacted and took custody of 
the woman.

Spousal Battery - Suspect Arrested

On September 25 at 1 a.m., officers responded 
to a family disturbance in the 400 block of Genoa. 
When the officers knocked on the door, it was 
answered by the 14-year-old son, who appeared 
nervous. The son directed the officers to his 
parents’ bedroom, where they found the father 
hiding under the bed. A subsequent investigation 
revealed the father had battered his wife. He 
was arrested. When the suspect was placed in 
the backseat of the patrol vehicle, he began to 
bang his forehead against the Plexiglas divider. 
Officers had to restrict his movement to prevent 
him from harming himself. He was then taken 
to Monrovia Police Department without further 
incident. The suspect did not sustain any injuries.

Public Intoxication - Suspect Arrested

On September 25 at 2:15 a.m., officers were 
contacted by a citizen who reported three male 
subjects causing a disturbance in the 100 block of 
West Lemon. One of the subjects was punching 
street signs. Officers located and contacted the 
subjects. Two of the subjects were found to be 
intoxicated and unable to care for themselves and 
they were arrested. The third subject had been 
drinking, but was not found to be intoxicated. He 
was identified and released at the scene.

Commercial Burglary

On September 26 at 7:20 a.m., an officer went 
to a church in the 100 block of East Foothill 
regarding a burglary. The reporting party showed 
the officer a hinge louver window that had been 
left unlocked. This is where the suspects made 
entry. The suspect(s) then used a screwdriver 
or similar type of pry tool to force a number of 
interior doors open; however, according to the 
reporting party, nothing appears to have been 
taken.

Gang Vandalism

On September 26 at 8:30 a.m., an officer went 
to a business in the 900 block of South Myrtle 
regarding a vandalism report. The reporting 
party showed him the north wall of the building, 
which had gang graffiti written with green spray 
paint. The vandalism seems to have occurred 
between September 24 and 26.

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Violation 
of a Court Order

On September 26 at 5:10 p.m., officers saw 
a female subject sitting on the curb in front of 
a residence in the 200 block of East Cherry in 
violation of a court order. She was arrested. A 
pat down search revealed a small rock of “crack” 
cocaine in her pant’s coin pocket. She was 
arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto

On September 27 at 1:16 p.m., an officer was 
dispatched to the 1300 block of South Fifth 
regarding a stolen vehicle. The victim reported 
that her vehicle was stolen from the street 
sometime overnight. The vehicle was locked, but 
does not have an alarm. There was no broken 
glass on the ground where it was parked. The 
vehicle is a white, four-door, 1994 Honda Civic.

Death Report

On September 28 at 6:25 a.m., police responded 
to a residence in Hidden Valley. The caller 
reported her 61-year-old sister in the bathtub 
not breathing. Monrovia Fire Department 
paramedics responded and pronounced the 
woman deceased. Los Angeles County Coroner’s 
Office was contacted and responded to the scene.

Theft from Vehicle

On September 28 at 12:10 p.m., an officer 
was dispatched to a residence in the 100 block 
of North Mayflower. The reporting party had 
parked his vehicle off the alley by his garage in the 
evening, but left it unlocked. He returned to his 
vehicle at about 11 a.m. the next day and found 
his prescription glasses and GPS missing from 
the center console. Investigation continuing.

Child Molestation Suspect Sentenced to 155 
Tears

The suspect was arrested on December 15, 2009, 
for child molestation. The suspect, a registered 
sex offender, allegedly had repeatedly molested 
his live-in stepdaughter over an eight-year period, 
beginning when she was only four years of age. 
The case was assigned to a detective for further 
investigation and the District Attorney’s review. 
During the course of the detective’s investigation, 
he was able to locate a previous victim of the 
suspect, an ex-girlfriend’s daughter. She, too, was 
the victim of repeated sexual molestation by the 
suspect, which began when she was 6 years old. 
This case occurred in West Covina in 1995, while 
the suspect lived with the victim’s mother. Three 
felony charges were filed against the suspect for 
the Monrovia case by the Pasadena Superior 
Court and a jury trial began on August 10. On 
August 16, the case went to the jury, and in a 
short 60 minutes, they returned with a verdict 
of guilty on all counts. Each of the three counts 
holds a 25-year-to-life sentence, due to his prior 
felony sexual assault conviction. On September 
23, the suspect was sentenced to 155 years to life 
for molesting his stepdaughter. This case is a 
result of detailed investigative work by Monrovia 
Police Department detectives.

2011 MAP Neighborhood Leadership Classes Begin

The annual Monrovia Area Partnership’s 
Neighborhood Leadership Academy began on 
Thursday, September 29. A series of six weekly 
classes, the Academy is free to all Monrovia 
residents and covers everything from public 
speaking, leadership qualities, how to navigate 
and get the most from government, understanding 
the role of police and code enforcement and how 
to engage neighbors in building community. Over 
the last three years, there have been 60 leaders 
graduate from the program; several have gone 
on to become community advocates, frequent 
volunteers and appointed City commissioners. 
The 2011 Academy promises to be no different. 
Each class will be held on Thursday nights from 7 
to 9 p.m. at the Monrovia Community Center and 
is taught by various City Staff and community 
leaders. Participants in the Academy will graduate 
in front of City Council on November 15. To find 
out more about the Neighborhood Leadership 
Academy contact Neighborhood Services at (626) 
932-5584 or email CLOAKING .

Duarte Accepting Applications to Fill 

City Commissions

DUARTE, CA, October 5, 2011 – The City 
of Duarte will begin accepting applications 
on October 13, 2011, to fill 19 positions on its 
six commissions. The expiration of terms for 
current commissioners is as of December 31.

Duarte citizens interested in serving on a 
commission will have until November 30, 2011 
to apply. Applications must be received by the 
City Manager’s Office at Duarte City Hall, 1600 
Huntington Dr. by 6 p.m. Application forms 
will be available at City Hall, Public Safety, the 
Duarte Teen and Senior Centers, or on the City’s 
website: www.accessduarte.com. City Council 
members will interview applicants beginning 
at 4 p.m. on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. Appointments 
will be announced at the City Council meeting 
on Dec. 13, and the new commissioners will 
formally take their oath of office at the first 
meeting in January, 2012. 

Six commissions offer interested citizens 
a variety of opportunities to serve their 
community in an advisory capacity to the City 
Council. Positions are available on the Planning 
Commission (2), Public Safety Commission 
(4), Parks and Recreation Commission (4), 
Economic Development Commission (4), 
Traffic Safety Commission (2) and Public 
Services Commission (3). 

For more information about how to apply for 
a commission post or commissions in general, 
call the Duarte City Manager’s office at (626) 
357-7931, ext. 221.

Westminster Gardens to hold Duarte City Council, 
School Board Candidates’ Forum

Candidates for the Duarte City Council and 
School Board will speak at a Candidates’ Forum 
at Westminster Gardens at 3:30 p.m., Thurs., Oct. 
13. The community is invited to attend the event 
in Packard Hall at the “retirement oasis” located 
at 1420 Santo Domingo Ave., Duarte. Ample free 
parking is available. 

Candidates for the City Council in the 
upcoming Nov. 8 election, listed alphabetically, 
include Henry Baltazar Jr., John Fasana, Lois 
Gaston, Anil Gunaratne, and Liz Reilly.

Vying for the School Board positions are Rose 
Brooks-Mitchell, Francisco Figueroa, Dave Hall, 
Pamela S. Kawasaki, Dolores T. Ortiz, and Tom 
N. Reyes.

Each candidate will offer a brief statement of 
his or her platform. Time will be allowed for them 
to answer written questions.

Sponsoring the political presentation is the 
Public Policy Committee of the Westminster 
Gardens Residents’ Association.