Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, June 17, 2023

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 17, 2023 

DUARTE APPOINTS LARRY BRECEDA AS NEW 
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 
13, 2023, the Duarte City Council appointed 
current Public Safety Manager 
Larry Breceda as its new Director of Public 
Safety. 

In this role, Breceda will be heading up the 
Duarte Public Safety Department overseeing 
services such as animal control, code 
enforcement, homelessness programs, 
emergency preparedness and management, 
in addition to community safety 
programs such as Community Emergency 
Response Team (CERT) and Neighborhood 
Watch.

“After 21 years of service to Duarte, Larry 
Breceda has demonstrated his ability 
to make an excellent Director of Public 
Safety for the City of Duarte.” said former 
Director of Public Safety and current Duarte 
City Manager, Brian Villalobos. “He 
brings a wealth of knowledge, background and passion to this new position. He has 
helped build the public safety program and no doubt will continue to grow our great 
city.”

Breceda, born and raised in the City of Duarte, began his Duarte career in August 2002 
while earning his business degree at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. 
His degree in technology operations management with an emphasis in government 
helped him excel in statistics, service operations and utilizing technology to make the 
service industry of government more efficient.

In March 2013, Breceda began his role as Duarte’s Public Safety Manager. He has established 
his career on leveraging technology to make processes streamline for residents 
and staff. As Duarte’s Public Safety Manager for over a decade, Breceda found solutions 
by identifying inefficiencies with the department and created goals, making operations 
more fluid and natural in order to serve residents promptly. He has effectively managed 
department staff while maintaining a team environment, emphasizing team problem 
solving for the betterment of the community.

“I am standing on the shoulders of giants,” Breceda said. “My predecessor, Brian Villalobos, 
has done so much for this department and I want to continue the positive trend 
of community policing and community involvement. I want residents to feel connected 
to our department, personnel and officers to make it comfortable to share their feedback 
with us. When you have the recipe of success, you keep that formula and keep 
multiplying it.”

When Breceda is off duty, he serves as an executive board member of California Association 
of Code Enforcement Officers (CACEO) and has for 12 years. He also teaches 
Santiago Canyon College students about public safety, code enforcement, supervisory 
items and officer safety. Breceda has also spoken for multiple conferences about public 
safety policies and procedures.

97th AMERICAFEST NIXED

 


 
After hosting the AmericaFest fireworks show almost 
every Forth of July since 1927, the Rose Bowl stadium 
has given up the tradition this year in favor of hosting 
a sold-out soccer game. 

 Although the stadium’s website makes no mention 
of the 2023 AmericaFest cancellation, Rose Bowl 
General Manager Jens Weiden said, the reason is, that 
last year the 96th AmericaFest lost over $500,000, 
according to media reports. 

 The sold-out soccer game was announced tagged 
to the end of a city press statement Tuesday about 
fireworks, zero tolerance and police enforcement. 

 “Rose Bowl Stadium will be hosting a sold-out soccer 
game on July 4 at 7:30 p.m.,” the press statement reads. 
“Only ticket holders will be permitted to park in the 
area, and parking will be strictly enforced around the 
stadium,” 

 According to officials, in February the LA Galaxy’s 
Season Opener match against the Los Angeles 
Football Club (LAFC) was canceled due to safety 
considerations resulting from inclement weather. 

 The fireworks press statement sent Tuesday reads in 
part, “The city maintains a zero tolerance enforcement 
policy for fireworks, and Pasadena’s municipal code 
holds property owners and tenants responsible for 
permitting the possession, sale, usage or discharge of 
fireworks on their property. The ordinance allows for 
the prosecution of fireworks-related offenses and for 
the demand of payment for all costs associated with 
the safe disposal of confiscated fireworks. Any person 
who violates the ordinance or any state law regarding 
fireworks is subject to arrest; having their vehicles 
impounded; serving up to one year in county jail; and 
being fined up to $50,000.”

 The release also states that, “Pasadena police and 
firefighters are teaming up for special fireworks 
enforcement patrols before and during the Fourth 
of July holiday, and officers will seize fireworks in 
an effort to protect the public. Parking enforcement 
officers will ensure that vehicles illegally parked in 
Pasadena’s hillside areas on July 4 are impounded.”

 Last year, the Rose Bowl held a week long celebration 
that stared July 4 with the 96th AmericaFest and 
ended July 9 with the Palomino Festival, a country 
music event presented by Goldenvoice. Rose Bowl 
officials said that all those who purchased a Palomino 
Festival pass were given free AmericaFest tickets.

 Officials expect over 70,000 fans for the LA Galaxy’s 
Season Opener. 

 Pasadena Reinforces All Fireworks 
Are Illegal and Ordinance Will Be Strictly 
Enforced

MONROVIA AREA PARTNERSHIP RECEIVES 

NATIONAL AWARD AT THE NEIGHBORHOODS 
USA CONFERENCE

The Monrovia Area Partnership (MAP) earned 3rd Place for the Best Neighborhood Program at this year's 
conference in El Paso, Texas. The award is for the new MAPconnect initiative that launched last September 
as a way to recognize MAP Leaders for their volunteerism and help in the community. The MPA Team submitted 
a detailed application packet earlier this year to become finalists for the award. Then at the conference 
they presented alongside other finalists on why MAPconnect was the Best Neighborhood Program of 
the year. Several other cities in attendance asked the MAP Team to send them in formation on MAPconnect 
so they can implement the program in their communities. 

For more information, please visit the Home | MAP Website (monroviaareapartnership.com)


STEVE LOPEZ TO DISCUSS LATEST BOOK 
‘INDEPENDENCE DAY’

 
Four-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and longtime Los 
Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez will discuss 
his most recent book “Independence Day: What 
I Learned About Retirement from Some Who’ve 
Done It and Some Who Never Will” Wednesday, 
June 21, at 2 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center, 85 
E. Holly St. A book signing will follow. 

 As he grappled with his own decision of whether 
to retire in his 60s after a long and rewarding career 
in journalism, Lopez used his reporter skills while 
researching and writing “Independence Day” to 
look inward as well as interview famous people and 
average Americans to collect a variety of perspectives 
about retirement decisions. 

 He spoke to Mel Brooks, still working at 96, and 
Norman Lear who, at 100 years of age, vows to keep 
working until the very end, as well as people who have retired by choice and reinvented 
themselves outside the constraints of work and those who would like to retire but can’t 
because of financial issues. 

 A member of the Pasadena Senior Center, Lopez has written several other books, 
including “The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship and the Redemptive 
Power of Music” published in 2008 about his relationship with a sometimes homeless 
schizophrenic who attended The Juilliard School. It was made into a 2009 film titled 
“The Soloist” that starred Robert Downey Jr. as Lopez and Jamie Foxx as Ayers. 

To register or for more information, visit: pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on 
Activities & Events, then Special Events or call 626-795-4331. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com