April 2015 Section A - Alhambra Chamber of Commerce

Transcription

04/2015
SR-710 North Study Draft EIS/EIR
released with announcement of
public hearings this month
T
Alhambra’s downtown economic revitalization continues at a rapid pace, with
visible progress being made at each of the three construction sites — Alhambra
Place, Alhambra Pacific Plaza, and Casita de Zen.
Five new businesses
coming to
Downtown Alhambra
A
lhambra’s downtown
economic
revitalization
continues
at a rapid pace, with visible
progress being made at each
of the three construction sites
— Alhambra Place, Alhambra Pacific Plaza, and Casita
de Zen.
The city is waiting and
watching as the new commercial buildings take shape at Alhambra Place, which should be
open by the holidays. Among
the establishments opening at
Alhambra Place, the Chamber
has learned, will be two casual
restaurants: The Habit Burger
Grill and Blaze Pizza.
The Habit is destined to
become a family-favorite ritual
with its menu of fresh chargrilled Habit Charburgers,
grilled fresh albacore, marinated
tri-tip, and chicken sandwiches.
The restaurant also offers salads,
shakes, crispy fries, and onion
rings.
Blaze Pizza provides a twist
to the traditional pizza joint —
both in terms of taste and atmosphere. Pizza dough at Blaze
is made by hand and is allowed
to rise for 24 hours before being
he City of Alhambra, long
a supporter of improved
transportation and better air
quality for the region, announced that
after more than 30 years in the making, Caltrans and Metro have released
the Draft Environmental Report and
Environmental Study (EIR/EIS) for
the State Route SR-710 North. While the Report
consists of thousands of pages and appendices,
the City’s initial analysis of the preliminary information clearly supports the primary alternative to
build a tunnel. The tunnel will close the regionally
frustrating GAP in the 710 freeway between the
I-10 and the I-210 freeways.
The SR-710 tunnel GAP closure is by far the best
of the five alternatives exhaustively studied in the
EIR/EIS. The five alternatives studied are:
•“No Build” alternative would leave traffic
conditions as they are today.
•“Traffic Management System”
project (TMS) would upgrade and
synchronize signals and improvements
to local streets and intersections.
•“Bus Rapid Transit” project
(BRT) would feature high-frequency
service, minimal stops, and potentially
dedicated bus lanes.
• “Light Rail Transit” project (LRT) would move
passengers on fixed rail between East Los Angeles/
Pasadena.
• “Freeway Tunnel” would extend the SR-710
by means of a single-bore tunnel or dual-bore tunnel
design.
In the first review, the Freeway tunnel Alternative
comes closest to reaching the dominant regional
goal of improving regional transportation efficiency,
while none of the other alternatives even come close.
>> see SR-710 REPORT Page 11A
>> see NEW BUSINESSES Page 19A
CITY NEWS PAGE 2A
CHAMBER NEWS
PAGE 15A
COMMUNITY NEWS
PAGE 20A
ACADEMIC NEWS
PAGE 27A
San Gabriel High School students who placed in the top 10 in their FBLA events at the Mission Valley Section Conference on
Feb. 28 in Valencia.
San Gabriel High School wins first
place in FBLA Chapter Sweepstakes;
Monterey Highlands wins first in FBLA
Middle-Level Chapter Sweepstakes
W
hile many were
asleep at 5:30 a.m.
on Feb. 28, San
Gabriel students were already
up to attend the annual Future
Business Leaders of America
(FBLA) competition in Valencia. As they dressed in their finest business attire and prepared
to fulfill a day they have trained
for all school year, none of the
students could have predicted
the many accolades they would
win. San Gabriel High School
with 102 students competing
>> see AUSD SCHOOLS WIN FBLA Page 31A
2A
ChickensWelcome.com
CITY NEWS AROUND ALHAMBRA04/2015
Alhambra Dental
Mayor
explains city government
(888)
398-1377
Granada
students
100 South FirsttoStreet
• Alhambra,
CA 91801
How to Contact
Your Representatives
CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS
626-570-5010
Mayor Gary Yamauchi
Vice Mayor Luis Ayala
Councilmember Barbara Messina
Councilmember Dr. Steven Placido
Councilmember Stephen Sham
By Mayor Gary Yamauchi
Experience the Difference in One Visit
I was honored to be asked to speak
to the children at Granada Elementary
School recently, and as always when addressing a group of kids, it was so much
President of the United States
fun. “Do you like being the Mayor?”
Barack Obama (D)
I was asked, and my response was, “I
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C. 20500
am really enjoying my job as Mayor.”
U.S. Senator
Next question: “Do you like being
Dianne Feinstein (D)
the Mayor?” “It has been a lot of fun.”
11111 Santa Monica Blvd. #915, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Another question: “Do you like being
310-914-7300
the Mayor?” “I really like it because it is
Washington D.C. 202-224-3841
the highest level of community service
in our City of Alhambra,” I replied.
U.S. Senator
“How much money do you make?”
Barbara Boxer (D)
is a question we are often asked, so I
312 N. Spring St., #1748, Los Angeles, CA 90012
asked the students to tell me what they
213-894-5000
thought was my monthly salary. By their
Washington D.C. 202-224-3553
estimates, I am making around $50,000
U.S. Rep. 27th District
per month as the highest guess and about
Judy Chu (D)
$5,000 per month as the lowest. So, as
527 S. Lake Ave, Suite 106, Pasadena, CA 91101
When you become Mayor, there is
I met with other friends and told them
626-304-0110
not
a book, guide, outline, or any other
about the estimates, I was surprised to
Washington D.C. 202-225-5464This example shows how Dr. John Chao saved a hopelessly
instruction
as to what
your
are as
loose
tooth
induties
ONE
discover how many people know very
[email protected]
Mayor.
This
is
all
up
to
the
individual
little about
how the
City at
Council
works, of the cost of implants!
EASY COMFORTABLE
VISIT
and
a fraction
www.chu.house.gov
what we
do,
and
what
compensation
we with, of course, the support of our City
(individual results vary).
receive. By the way, our Council salary is Manager Mary Swink, and the remainGovernor
der of the Council. Our main function
around $875 per month.
Jerry Brown (D)
There are five City Council mem- is to be in charge of the City Council
C/O State Capitol, Suite 1173, Sacramento, CA 95814
510-628-0202
bers, each representing their respective meetings that are held on the second
“districts.” I represent District #3, which and fourth Monday of each month.
State Senator 22nd District
is near Alhambra Park bordered by Fre- The Mayor is also the first to receive
Dr. Ed Hernandez (D)
mont on the West, South Pasadena to any important news, good or bad, so
West Covina 626-430-2499
the North, and Valley Boulevard on the that he/she will have the information
East Los Angeles 323-981-3320
south side. When election time comes, first because the media usually starts by
Sacramento 916-651-4022
candidates running for council seats calling the Mayor and asking, “What
must reside in the district for which they happened?”
State Assembly 49th District
I can remember the first time I
are running. When my final term ends
Ed Chau (D)
became
Mayor back in about 2006.
in 2016, I will be replaced by a new City
1255 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 306, Monterey Park, CA 91754
Not
knowing
what I wanted to do, my
Council person, but he/she must reside
323-264-4949 Fax 323-264-4916
term
was
rather
bleak, as I only created
Sacramento 916-319-2049
within District #3. After submitting a
a
“Sister
City”
in Japan, Kirishima
[email protected]
request to become a candidate, the elec(formerly
Kagoshima),
and I started
asmdc.org/members/a49
tion becomes city-wide, and registered
Alhambra
Dodger
Night,
raising
voters can then vote for whomever they
County Supervisor 5th District
enough
money
to
send
all
the
Little
choose to represent the entire City.
Michael D. Antonovich
Leaguers
to
a
Dodger
game
at
no
cost
Once the Council is established, we
215 N. Marengo Ave., #120, Pasadena, CA 91101
to
them.
But
to
be
honest,
after
my
are put through some pretty rigorous
626-356-5407
10-month
term,
I
looked
back
and
This
example
shows
how
Dr.
John
Chao
saved
a
severely
neglected
tooth
in
training sessions composed of meetings
Los Angeles 213-974-5555
to the
myself,
Mayorship was
with every department
withinatthe
City said of
VISIT and
a fraction
cost“My
of implants!
[email protected] ONE EASY COMFORTABLE
nothing,”
and
I
vowed
that when I
to see (individual
how each one operates
to
www.antonovich.com
resultsandvary)
became
Mayor
again
it
would
be much
meet the respective department head.
different.
And
it
was.
State Board of Equalization District #4
One of the Councilmembers becomes
So the next time around, I staged
Jerome E. Horton, Vice Chair
the Mayor and thereafter, the MayorAlhambra
Dodger Night again but in
2361 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 450
ship rotates with everyone receiving
El Segundo, CA 90245
addition,
I
put together a City-wide
their turn as Mayor. Since there are five
Ph. 310-297-5201, Fax 310-536-4460
Health
Fair
with the help from Mr.
Councilmembers and our term lasts for
[email protected]
Raymond
Poon,
the USC School of
four years, we each spend about 10-11
www.boe.ca.gov
Pharmacy,
First
Baptist
Church, and
months as Mayor before we rotate out
Alhambra
Hospital.
I
also
shared a
of office.”
LOOSE TEETH
Before
In One Visit
TOOTH SAVED
NEGLECTED TEETH
Before
In One Visit
TEETH RESTORED
DON’T SUFFER A DAY LONGER!
Chamber of Commerce Mixer
with Republic Services, and we
held a city-wide square dance in
the parking lot at my warehouse,
which was a real fun event. Last,
I sponsored a cupcake cooking
contest with contestants coming
from our local high schools. Former French Chef of the Year, Akira
Hirose from Maison Akira, was
our celebrity chef and performed
the final judging. Many students
received some very nice prizes
donated by businesses in the community, and my select judges had
to taste no less than 108 cupcakes
on the night of the judging. Some
are still not talking to me.
Though some of our recent
improvements are taking place,
most of them are City inspired
and I cannot take any credit:
extended hours of our 4th of July
day in the park and fireworks
show; the EGGSTAVAGANZA
to be held on April 4 (an Easter
celebration); the 5K pumpkin run
with a City-wide health fair; Music
in the Park every Friday night in
August; an expanded Veterans
Day celebration combined with a
community picnic; being a Host
City for the Special Olympics; and
other events involving the Chamber of Commerce, Police and Fire
departments, and the Alhambra
Civic Library. Then there are the
Eco Fair, the Alhambra High
School alumnae parade, creation
of our Community Coordinating
Council, and other miscellaneous
events.
I am always honored to represent the City of Alhambra and
especially so during my term as
Mayor. Thanks to you all for your
continued support for the last 11
years. It has been a lot of work, but
there has been a lot of fun attached
to all the things we do. We are all
fortunate that we have a very compassionate City staff that continues
to works for each and every one of
us to make out lives more enjoyable
and to make the City of Alhambra
a great place to live. Everything
keeps getting better in Alhambra.
Until next month …
SAVE TIME, SAVE MONEY and SAVE YOUR TEETH, call
John Chao, DDS, MAGD*
USC School of Dentistry,
Faculty, Anxiety Management
*Master, Academy of General Dentistry
“Less than 2% of General Dentists
in the United States are Masters,”
according to the
Academy of General Dentistry
CHICKENSWELCOME.COM
Alhambra Dental
(888) 398-1377
SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
04/2015
CITY NEWS AROUND ALHAMBRA
3A
4A
Alhambra looks to community for support
of Special Olympics Host Town Program
Host Town
Alhambra
Supporter
Your Name Here
The countdown is on to Special
Olympics LA 2015 — now less than five
months away. The cities of Alhambra
and Monterey Park, serving as co-hosts,
are busy making welcoming plans to
accommodate the needs, as well as ensure
the health and safety and enjoyment of
the 100 delegates who will arrive from
Germany to Southern California. The
guests will stay at Cal State L.A. during
the three days prior to the actual games,
which will take place July 25 through
Aug. 2.
A planned community activity
currently involves a carnival-type social
event at Alhambra Park to which the
public will be invited. The City will provide the delegates with breakfast, lunch,
and dinner for one full day on July 22
and will co-sponsor a Farewell Rally with
Monterey Park on July 24 at Cal State
L.A., the final day of their stay before the
start of the actual games.
The Alhambra Coordinating Council,
working with the Alhambra Chamber of
Commerce, is the lead organization from
Alhambra and is charged with coordinating and securing funds to accommodate
the delegates during their stay. This includes everything from buying essentials,
such as pillows, to providing meals and
entertainment.
The public’s support is needed to
help provide the best experience for
the delegates during their stay. The cost
to provide food and lodging requires a
budget of about $100 per day for each
delegate. To help support the program,
community donations are gladly accepted. Contributions can be made by
visiting the Host Town section (under
Community Life) on the City’s Web site
at www.cityofalhambra.org, or phone
626-570-5090 for more information.
Another means of supporting Host
Town activities is by purchasing a personalized banner that that will be hung
from May through July throughout the
City. The banner design features the
official Alhambra Host Town logo with
the supporter’s name personalized on
the bottom of the banner. Time is of
the essence, though, as the application
form and payment must be mailed in by
Friday, April 17.
Volunteering is another great way to
take part in the Host Town program,
both behind the scenes and working
directly with the delegates. A Host Town
Volunteer application is available on the
City’s Web site in the same section as
noted above.
The City encourages everyone to do
all they can to make the delegation’s visit
a memorable one.
Registration deadline nears for basketball, volleyball teams
The deadline is near for the beginning of the City of Alhambra Adult Basketball League, beginning Tuesday, May
5, and the City of Alhambra Co-Ed Volleyball League,
beginning Monday, May 4.
Participants should register their teams for league play
this month. Teams are accepted on a first-come, firstserved basis.
The Adult Basketball fee is $460 per team, which includes officiating. The fee is payable upon registration. All
games will be played at the Almansor Park Gymnasium:
C Division (no height limit) teams on Tuesdays; 6’2” and
under teams on Saturdays.
The Co-Ed Volleyball fee is $230 per team, which does
not include officiating, and is payable upon registration.
All games will be played at the Almansor Park Gymnasium
on Mondays and Wednesdays.
At season’s end, individual awards will be presented to
members of first and second place finishing teams.
For full details of registration procedures, please contact the City of Alhambra Recreation Services Office at
626-570-5081.
04/2015
5A
is a monthly publication with a total circulation of
40,000. It is mailed to every business and residence in
the city of Alhambra. Around Alhambra is also mailed
to all interested local, state and county officials.
We welcome comments, press releases and
community interest stories and will make every
effort to include all appropriate information.
Zelda Weiss served the country in the U.S.
Marines during World War II.
Zelda Weiss, a valued Alhambra resident for more than 50 years, was recognized and
commended for her service to the nation.
For advertising rates and other information, contact
Alhambra Chamber of Commerce
104 S. First St., Alhambra, CA 91801
Tel: 626 282-8481 Fax: 626 282-5596
www.alhambrachamber.org
Recent City Council actions
The following are highlights from
the Feb. 23 and March 9 City Council
meetings.
Recognition
Zelda Weiss, a valued Alhambra
resident for more than 50 years, was
recognized and commended for her
service to the nation. A courageous
woman who honorably served the
country in the U.S. Marines during
World War II, Ms. Weiss was placed
in only the second group of women
allowed to enlist. She trained as a
quartermaster and performed bookkeeping tasks at Lakehurst, New
Jersey, and operated a laundry/dry
cleaning service at Camp Pendleton.
Her four years of admirable service
helped to free up men for overseas
duty which ultimately helped lead to
our victory in World War II.
The San Gabriel Valley New Generation Rotary Club was recognized
and thanked for a $2,500 donation
that will be used to help support the
Special Olympics LA2015 “Host
Town” Program, during which time
the City of Alhambra and City of
Monterey Park will serve as co-hosts
to approximately 100 Special Olympic delegates who will arrive from
Germany (see related article on page
4A).
Contract/grant awards
A traffic signal and highway safety
lighting system will be installed at the
intersection of New Avenue and Shorb
Street following a contract award with
Steiny and Company, Inc.
The City’s annual Fourth of July
show will go on with a contract award
to Zambelli Fireworks Manufacturing
Corporation.
A heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) project at the
Almansor Park Gym will be provided
by Southwest Mechanical Inc., while
gym equipment at the Granada Park
Gym will be installed by California
Facility Specialties.
Property rehabilitation services of a
home located at 2037 S. Fifth St. will be
undertaken by DHI Construction Inc.
PublicStuff, Inc. will design a
smartphone application to provide
citizens with convenient access to city
services. The City Request for Services application will include service
request and non-emergency problem
reports with picture attachments;
GPS location services; user map view
and list view of all reported issues, internal routing protocol and extensive
workflow management to separate
service requests into multiple steps
among different departments and
staff; tracking citywide trends through
map filters and data isolation; and
feedback and notifications for reports
from citizens.
A new closed circuit television
system (CCTV) will be installed at
the Police Department by Am-Tec
Security. The project will consist of
the replacement and installation of 35
new cameras, accompanying equipment installation and maintenance
inside the Police Facility to provide
comprehensive CCTV coverage to
the Detective Bureau, all interior
and exterior entrances/exits, patrol/
employee parking areas, exterior pe-
rimeter of the facility, public areas and
adjacent employee courtyard. Another
APD contract award, for the purchase
of two Automated License Plate
Readers (ALPR), was provided to Advanced Electrics, Inc. The award was
made possible through a grant award
provided by the FY 2014 Urban Area
Strategic Security Initiative (UASI).
A contract amendment was provided to Scientia Consulting Group for
professional information technology
and support services for the Police
Department, which has acquired
additional technology products since
approval of the original agreement
— all of which require additional
professional information and support
services to maintain.
The City of Alhambra and Southern California Edison (SCE) have
entered into an agreement for the removal and underground replacement
of a power pole at 20 N. Stoneman
Ave. The location of the existing
power pole in the center of an alley
makes it difficult for vehicles to pass.
The City will use Lease Revenue
Bonds to pay for the project.
The Alhambra Fire Department
has been awarded a FY 2014 Urban
Area Strategic Security Initiative Grant
which it plans to use to purchase
Urban Search and Rescue (US&R)
equipment, training, backfill, and
supplies.
2016 Tournament of Roses Float
The City Arts Fund will be used to
pay for the Sponsor Fee for the City’s
2016 Tournament of Roses Parade
float.
Alhambra residents invited to
‘Coffee With a Cop’ April 21
“Coffee with a Cop,”
a unique and successful
national program supported by the United States
Department of Justice, is
coming to Alhambra.
Alhambra Police Department officers invite
Alhambra residents to have
a cup of coffee — and
talk — from 8 a.m. to 10
a.m. Tuesday, April 21,
at Twohey’s Restaurant,
1224 N. Atlantic Blvd., at
Huntington Drive.
Most contact between
police officers and community members occurs
during times of stress:
community emergencies
and in highly emotional
situations.
Coffee with a Cop is an
extension of the concept
of Community Oriented
Policing — a collaboration
between the police and the
community that identifies
and solves community
problems, with community members taking an
active role in the process of
problem-solving.
The chats are scheduled
for a comfortable location,
on an informal basis, and
perfect for sharing information about the community.
Community
participants are free to ask questions, bring up concerns,
or simply to get to better
know the men and women
in blue who serve the
community.
“These
interactions
are the foundation of
community partnerships,”
said Alhambra Police Chief
Mark Yokoyama.”Working
together, with mutual
understanding, can only
improve this important
relationship between the
police department and the
community.”
Executive Committee
President:
Lee Lieberg, Landz Real Estate
Vice President:
Robert Fukui, High Point Marketing
Immediate Past President:
Frank Chen, Law Offices of Frank W. Chen
At-Large members:
Evike Chang, Evike.com
Valarie Gomez, West San Gabriel Valley YMCA
Mark Paulson, Anthony Venti Realtors
Board of Directors
Oriana Chan, Wells Fargo Bank
Iris Lai, Alhambra Hospital Medical Center
Elizabeth Martinez, Republic Services
Megan Moloughney, The Ratkovich Co./The Alhambra
Joe Pavon, Al’s Towing
Todd Sakamoto, The Mailbox Shop
Marissa Castro-Salvati, So. California Edison
Helen Romero-Shaw, So. California Gas Company
Lorraine Simpson, Credit Union of Southern California
Dr. David Snyder, Optometrist
Walter Tang, Superior Scientific
Joanna Vargas, The Fit Factor Studio
Staff
Executive Director: Sharon Gibbs
Membership/Advertising Sales: Stan Yonemoto
Legislative Affairs: Owen Guenthard
Office Manager: Irma Hernandez
Editor: Dulcy Jenkins
Writers: William Kinman and Sarah Grear
Office Assistant: Rosemarie Valerio
Published by: Alhambra Chamber of Commerce
AROUND ALHAMBRA is not responsible nor liable for any claims or offerings,
nor responsible for product availability that may be advertised. Opinions
expressed in columns, letters and guest editorials are those of the authors.
All rights reserved. Reproductions in whole or in part without permission is
prohibited.
To
Advertise in
Around Alhambra
call
626-282-8481
6A
Special programs, story
times highlight April at library
101 S. First St., Alhambra, CA 91801
626-570-5008
www.alhambralibrary.org
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
11 am - 9 pm
10 am - 9 pm
10 am - 9 pm
10 am - 5 pm
10 am - 5 pm
10 am - 5 pm
1 pm - 5 pm
National Library Week takes place
April 12 – 18 at the Alhambra Civic
Center Library, 101 S. First St., to encourage children’s interest in learning
and visiting the library.
In celebration of National Library
Week, the library will host the Abbit
the Average comedy and magic show
at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 18, in Reese
Hall. No registration is required. It’s a
special family afternoon, especially for
children 3 to 12 years of age, offering
lots of magic served with an ample
Library needs Summer
Reading Program volunteers
The Summer Reading Program will
begin soon at the Alhambra Civic Center
Library, and volunteers, ages 14 and older,
are needed.
The Summer Reading Program is
designed for children, teens, and adults. It
has grown dramatically in recent years, necessitating additional volunteer assistance
in day-to-day operations.
Volunteers register participants, provide
program information, and distribute prizes
and incentives during two-hour shifts
throughout all open library hours in Summer Reading Central HQ, known during
the school year as the Homework Center.
The 2015 Summer Reading Program
runs from June 1 through July 26. Volunteers are trained in May. The annual theme
for adults and teens is Escape the Ordinary
and for children the theme is Every Hero
Has a Story.
Volunteer application forms are available at the first-floor Teen Desk and at the
second-floor Reference Desk. Completed
forms may be returned to those same sites.
For additional information concerning
Summer Reading Program volunteers,
please contact Lisa Perez, volunteer
coordinator, at 626-570-5008, extension
5651.
Visit the library online at www.alhambralibrary.org.
helping of laughs.
Additional April children’s programming includes:
Alina Celeste’s family music program
follows at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 25, in
Reese Hall. No registration is required. It’s
a morning of singing and dancing along
with a special musical guest for children
ages 3 to 12.
Homework Help is an ongoing
program through Wednesday, April 29 —
the last day of Homework Help for the
2014-15 school year — assisting children
ages 5 to 12 with their daily homework
assignments. No registration is required.
High school volunteers provide assistance
on a first-come, first-served basis.
Children’s Story Times
Family Story Time is offered at 7 p.m.
Wednesdays in the Story Time Room for
children ages 5 to 12 years old. This program includes stories, puppets, and other
activities.
Early Literacy Story Times, for children ages 0 to 5, are offered in a series of
six-week sessions. Participants must register for each session and will be selected on a
first-come, first-served basis, with priority
given to Alhambra residents.
Registration forms must be filled out
in person in the Children’s Room by the
child’s parent, who must have a valid
Alhambra Civic Center Library card. Children may only be registered for one Story
Time each session, and they must meet the
age requirement before the first program in
the session. Due to space limitations, each
registered child must be accompanied by
one adult only at each Story Time program.
Spring Early Literacy Story Time
session #2 runs from April 23 to May 29:
Baby Story Time, 0-12 months, 10:15
a.m. Thursdays.
Toddler Story Time, 1-2 years, 11:15
a.m. Thursdays.
Toddler Story Time, 1-2 years, 10:15
a.m. Fridays.
Preschool Story Time, 3-5 years, 11:15
a.m. Fridays.
Alhambra resident registration is
scheduled for Saturday, April 11, and
Sunday, April 12. Non-Alhambra resident
registration is scheduled for Monday, April
13, through Sunday, April 19, or until all
available spaces have been filled.
Looking ahead to next month, children
3 to 12 years old, and their parents, can look
forward to an early May treat: a “Pigeon
Story Time” at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9,
in Reese Hall. No registration is required.
Hide the buses, puppies, cookies, and hot
dogs as the library celebrates “Children’s
Book Week” with a special story time
program featuring author Mo Willems’
favorite book character: The Pigeon.
Please note that children 12 years old
and younger must be accompanied in the
library at all times by an adult.
For more information, please contact
the Children’s Room at 626-570-3215.
National Library Week is
April 12 through April 18
Behind every great community is a great library
National Library Week comes to Alhambra this month — April 12 through
April 18 — celebrating the importance
of the library in the community and
throughout the nation.
The Alhambra Civic Center Library,
101 S. First St., will help teach library card
holders how to access the library’s ever-expanding e-book collection from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. Thursday, April 16.
The service is free and easy to use.
Library staff in Reese Hall will work with
participants to help them get acquainted
with their tablet, laptop, or other device,
easing them into this new age.
Also, the library will show Cher’s Academy Award-winning performance in the
romantic comedy Moonstruck at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 21, in Reese Hall.
Stop by the library during National
Library week and see what the celebration
is all about.
04/2015
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Go green at Eco Fair 2015
Enjoy the artistic talents of Wen L. Wang and Lifeng C. Su at the City Hall Art Gallery in April.
City Hall features artists
Wen L. Wang,
Lifeng C. Su in April
Each month, the art of local artists is
displayed in the City Hall lobby.
In April, enjoy the artistic talents of
Wen L. Wang and Lifeng C. Su during
City Hall open hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday and Monday
evenings when either the City Council or
Planning Commission is in session.
Mr. Wang, a member of the Taiwanese
American Art Association, trained as a civil
engineer and took watercolor classes and
attended numerous art workshops for more
than 30 years.
His subjects include landscapes, seascapes, still life, portraits, and flowers in a
style he has called “realistic impressionism,”
using a limited number of colors to produce his art works.
Ms. Su said she has been drawing for
as long as she can remember. She received
training in Chinese painting and calligraphy, resulting in her first prize in a Taiwan
Telecommunication Administration art
show.
A member of the Taiwanese American
Art Association, she has pursued her
lifelong passion for art since joining the
Chuck Hammond Portrait Workshop at
the Los Alamitos Community Center.
City Hall is located at 111 S. First St.
The City of Alhambra’s fifth annual Eco
Fair will take place from noon to 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 2, at Alhambra Park, 500 N.
Palm Ave. The fair offers fun and games for
the kids; stage entertainment; raffle prizes,
including a 32” TV from Goudy Honda
and a BMW i Urban Mega Shopper from
New Century BMW; a picnic in the park
with home-prepared goodies or food truck
delights; and the latest information to help
residents live a greener life, save personal
funds, and protect the environment.
Attendees may participate in green-related workshops presented from the Alhambra Park Bandshell by representatives
from Home Depot and Tree People. There
will be information booths in which local
businesses and agencies demonstrate money-saving products and services.
There will be dance performances featuring participants from City of Alhambra
Leisure Dance Classes, led by instructors
from Alhambra’s Jayvee Dance Studio: a
jazz routine performed by students ages
6 to 9 and a Baby Ballet enacted by 4- to
6-year-olds.
Chat with regular Eco Fair VIPs, including the H2O Owl, the mascot of Eco
Fair’s co-sponsor; the San Gabriel Valley
Municipal Water District, who loves to
spout off with water-saving tips; as well
as Allied Waste’s MRFy (pronounced
Murphy), the recycling robot who is made
with recyclables and who is full of recycling
information.
The Bandshell stage will feature Water
Awareness posters created by Alhambra
youngsters. The winning posters and artists
will be announced.
Eco Fair participants:
• Allied Waste
• Calverde / Reusable Energy
• Clean Rays Energy
• County of Los Angeles Public Works
Department, Environmental Programs Division
• The Energy Network
• Geo Promotions
• Goudy Honda
• Home Depot
• New Century BMW
• San Gabriel Valley Municipal
Water District
• Solar City
• Southern California Gas Company
• Sungreen Systems
• Tree People
• Water Wise Now
• West Coast Arborist
• Wondries Toyota
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The Main Street Collection, 410 W. Main St., was completed in 2014, with 8,200 square feet of retail space,
with two current restaurant occupants, Nancy’s Pizza, Al’s Beef, and 86 eco-friendly residential condominiums,
including town homes, flats, and shopkeeper and life/work lofts—all of which quickly sold out.
A look back at the West Main
Street Corridor – and look
ahead to future development
Completion of the West Main Street
Corridor is now in the final stretch — a
process that began 10 years ago with
the Alhambra Redevelopment Agency
and origination of the West Main Street
Corridor Master Plan. Following the completion of the Alhambra Renaissance Plaza
entertainment complex at Garfield and
Main, a plan was developed to revitalize
Main Street from Atlantic to Garfield that
would link the corridor with previously
redeveloped stretches of Main Street. The
area was referred to as the West Main Street
Corridor. Its purpose was to enhance the
area and provide residential opportunities
that would increase pedestrian activity with
the addition of new downtown restaurants,
retail, and professional office and entertainment venues.
Today, three sites are completed or soon
to be completed. The community knows
them as the “Main Street Collection,”
southwest corner of Fourth and Main;
“Casita De Zen,” northeast corner of
Third and Main; and “Alhambra Plaza,”
southwest corner of Third and Main.
Together they represent a combined value
of $103.6 million and are in addition to
previously completed projects — Alhambra
Regency Plaza and Plaza on Main. In the
10 years following the creation of the West
Main Street Corridor, the most important
commercial construction projects completed were New Century BMW; Alhambra
Volkswagen; the Fresh & Easy/Howard’s
Appliances development; and Gateway at
Alhambra County facility.
As the West Main Street Corridor flourishes with the ability to “stand on its own,”
the City is looking to the revitalization of
East Main Street. The topic of revitalization
resulted in a brief discussion at a recent
City Council study session about the establishment of a new East Main Corridor
Commercial District to promote focused
revitalization and preservation from Chapel
Avenue east to the city limits. The proposed
changes to be considered could include
eliminating mixed-use type developments
(housing would not be allowed) since most
properties in this area are much smaller and
not suitable to large-scale developments.
As with the West Main Street Corridor
Master Plan, the establishment of an East
Main Corridor Commercial District will
include public hearings at future Planning
Commission and City Council meetings.
Look for much more about the development of the East Main Corridor Commercial District in the months to come, and
plan to attend any meetings intended for
this purpose. The public’s input is imperative to this process and residents’ ultimate
enjoyment of an exemplary quality of life.
Toilet exchange
scheduled for May 16
Alhambra residents are eligible to
receive a ProFlo High Efficiency Toilet at
the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water
District-sponsored toilet exchange from 9
a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 16, at the
Alhambra City Yard,
900 S. New Ave., at
Adams Avenue.
Apartment dwellers should phone
800-366-6995
for
eligibility details.
The
installation
of this new low-flow
toilet, using 20% less
water than standard
low-consumption
toilets, will immediately provide savings
on water bills and, as
a bonus, lower water consumption in this
drought-challenged area.
Old, replaced toilets must be returned to
the same site from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 6.
There are no exceptions. Residents will be
charged for the toilet if the old one is not
returned.
The exchange is a drive-through event,
at which residents will show evidence of
their eligibility (current driver’s license
or military I.D. and a copy of the current
water bill) and fill out an application form
that will be distributed upon arrival. After
the paperwork has been processed, the new
toilets will be loaded into the resident’s car
or truck.
Residents are responsible for installation
of the toilets.
For
more
information,
phone
800-366-6995.
04/2015
11A
This graph depicts the Freeway Tunnel Alternative. The alignment for the Freeway Tunnel Alternative
would start at the existing southern stub of the SR-710 in Alhambra, north of the I-10, and connect to the
existing northern stub of the SR-710, south of the I-210/SR-134 interchange in Pasadena. Short segments
of cut-and-cover tunnels would be located at the south and north termini to provide access via portals
to the bored tunnels. The portal at the southern terminus would be located south of Valley Boulevard.
The portal at the northern terminus would be located north of Del Mar Boulevard. No intermediate
interchanges are planned for the tunnel.
SR-710 REPORT From Page 1A
The following are some initial points that
can be stated at this time, subject to more
analysis.
The tunnel alternative (1) offers the
greatest improvement in travel times and
a substantial reduction in the percent of
long distance trips using local arterials,
such as Rosemead Boulevard, Fremont
Avenue, compared to all the other alternatives; (2) offers the greatest increase
of job opportunities in the region; (3)
decreases morning and evening regional
vehicle hours traveled; (4) significantly
relieves congestion on the I-5 — the
most congested freeway in the State of
California, as well as other connecting
freeway and arterial highways (the only
alternative that would achieve this goal);
and (5) the tunnel would not result in
any significant displacements or affect
the character or cohesion of any of the
communities under which the tunnel
will be constructed.
The Light Rail Transit (LRT) project
would be constructed in part with a tunnel and in part above ground — in the
air — over the neighborhood of East Los
Angeles, displacing 15 local businesses
and causing serious blight. The EIR/EIS
states: “The LRT alternative adversely
impacts the community character and
cohesion of this part of East Los Angeles,” thereby reducing the quality of life
of those who live in the neighborhood.
It would also not solve existing traffic
congestion or the current foul air quality
in any way better than the Tunnel GAP
Closure.
And in terms of the cost of the tunnel,
consider that passengers who use LRT
pay a fare to ride in rail cars from one
fixed location to another, unlike vehicles,
and transfer from one station to another.
Vehicles go everywhere. This alternative
rail service will be subsidized by taxpayers. LRT users pay a fare which does not
amount to enough to both build and
maintain the rail system. Taxpayers pay
an enormous amount in subsidies to
maintain LRT, much less build it.
Compare: Tunnel users (driving vehicles) can drive in the tunnel without any
subsidy paid by the taxpayers. LRT users
pay a fare, just as the user of the tunnel
may also pay a fare. No determination has
been made about how the tunnel will be
funded. But if the Tunnel is constructed
and maintained by a private construction
company, the cost of the tunnel will be
paid for by the fares paid by users of the
tunnel. If it is determined that private
funds will pay for the construction and
maintenance of the tunnel, the taxpayers
will pay no subsidy of any kind to close
the GAP. Measure R was approved by
voters in Los Angeles County in 2008.
Measure R required that $780 million
shall be allocated to construction of the
Tunnel Gap Closure. In other words,
under this type of an innovative funding
mechanism the taxpayers have already
voted to fund the initial dollars necessary
for building and maintaining the tunnel,
while users of the tunnel will be responsible for the rest of the cost.
Contrast: The total estimated cost of
the LRT alternative is estimated to cost
$2.4 billion largely paid for by taxpayers
and will take six years to construct.
The estimated cost of the GAP Closure
Tunnel is between $3.8 and $5.6 billion,
depending on whether the tunnel is a
single bore or dual bore, all of which has
been allocated by Measure R and is projected to be paid for by the users of the
tunnel and not the taxpayers. The tunnel
will take five years to construct.
Although the Gap Closure Tunnel
alternative now appears to trump all
the other five alternatives in terms of
being able to achieve the regional goal of
improving traffic efficiency, no decisions
have been made on whether or not the
Gap Closure Tunnel or any of the other
four alternatives will be selected for
construction. The Draft EIR/EIS is now
public. A 120-day public comment period
began with the document’s release and
will end on July 6. After that, some time
will pass until the EIR/EIS becomes final.
A decision on construction will be made
based on the final EIS/EIR. The community is invited to review the documents
linked from the home page of the City’s
Web site: www.cityofalhambra.org.
The community is encouraged to make
comments on the EIR/EIS in writing either online and/or in person by attending
the public hearings offered this month.
The first will take place Saturday, April 11,
at the Roscoe C. Ingalls Auditorium on
the campus of East Los Angeles College.
A map viewing will be from 10 a.m. to 11
a.m. and public hearing from 11 a.m. to 4
p.m. A second hearing will be on Tuesday,
April 14, at the Pasadena Convention
Center. A map viewing will be from 5
p.m. to 6 p.m., and a public hearing will
be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A third public
hearing will be scheduled with date, time,
and place to be determined.
Community feedback, as noted by
Caltrans District 7 Director Carrie Bowen,
is a vital part of the project development
process and will be helpful as decisions are
to be made on whether or not the GAP
closure tunnel will be constructed. The
Alhambra City Council urges the entire
community to become engaged in the
debate, saying it’s our larger valley region
and our hometown quality of life — now
and in the future — that’s at stake.
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04/2015
Know a WWII veteran
who lives in Alhambra?
Every community in America has a
heritage of service from the World War
II era. America lost 405,399 men and
women in WWII, including 78,979
MIA. Although nearly 90% of the
more than 16 million who served have
passed on, a national celebration, that
was unanimously voted upon by Congress, is being staged to commemorate
the end of WWII and the legacy of
service of the WWII generation. The
City of Alhambra is making plans to
join the celebratory efforts and is in
the process of developing a roster of
World War II veterans who are still
living in Alhambra so they can be
recognized in conjunction with the
national celebration.
“This may be the last time America
can come together to say thank you
to the men and women of the WWII
generation who did so much to assure
a better future for their children and
their children’s children,” said Warren
Hegg, national programs director of
“Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive,”(www.
Spiritof45.org), a non-profit grassroots
coalition of organizations that are
planning 70th anniversary events and
activities.
As noted by Tom Brokaw in his
book, The Greatest Generation, much
of the freedom and affluence that
Americans enjoy today is attributable
to the WWII era generation.“They
have given the succeeding generations
the opportunity to accumulate great
economic wealth, political muscle, and
the freedom from foreign oppression
to make whatever choices they like,” he wrote.
The national celebration marking the end
of WWII, to conclude on the weekend of Aug.
14-16, was kicked off earlier this year with the
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade honoring
Louis Zamperini, hero of “Unbroken,” and legendary Japanese American WWII veterans who
were being honored on the City of Alhambra’s
float. The celebration will conclude with media
events in Times Square/San Diego; WWII aircraft flyovers; a cross country convoy of WWII
military vehicles; wreath-laying ceremonies, and
“Spiritfest” events in Las Vegas, Queen Mary,
etc.
Veterans, or those who know a veteran who
was enlisted during the War and who currently
lives in Alhambra, please phone 626-570-5090,
or e-mail [email protected].
Superstars, Basketball
Sports Camp registration
begins April 20
Summer and sports go together, and
the City of Alhambra Recreation Division
has two programs specifically designed for
children, providing them with the opportunity to hone their sports skills, develop
sportsmanship and teamwork, and learn
the value of hard work.
The Superstars Club, for youngsters 5 to
8 years old, is an eight-week introduction to
eight separate sports, with weekly concentration on one sport. Sessions are scheduled
from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays at both Almansor
Park and Granada Park. Participants will
learn the rules and skills for kickball, field
hockey, flag football, baseball, dodge ball,
soccer, Frisbee, and basketball.
Registration is on a first-come, firstserved basis and will be open from Monday,
April 20, through Friday, May 29, or until
each Superstars Club site roster is full. Registration for the eight-week experience is
$30 and includes a free Superstars T-shirt.
The Superstars will begin their training
on June 1 and complete it on July 24.
The Basketball Sports Camp, for 7- to
13-year-olds, is divided into two separate
sessions: Session I is Beginning Basketball,
running from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. June
29 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Fridays at the Almansor Park Gymnasium
and ending on July 10. Session II is Intermediate Basketball, running the same time,
same days, and same location, beginning
July 13 and ending July 24.
That’s a total of four weeks of basketball concentration, focusing not just on
ball-handling, dribbling, and defense, but
also — more importantly — on lessons
that involve self-esteem, teamwork, and
hard work.
Registration for Basketball Sports
Camp, on a first-come, first-served basis,
also begins on Monday, April 20, but
continues until July 17, or until the Camp
roster is full. The registration fee is $30 per
session, which includes a free Sports Camp
T-Shirt.
Registration for both the Superstars
Club and the Basketball Sports Camp
may be completed online at www.cityofalhambra.org; in person at the Recreation
Division Office at Almansor Park, 800 S.
Almansor St.; or by phone at 626-5705081. In-person and phone registrations
may be completed weekdays between 8
a.m. and 5 p.m.
04/2015
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Reduce risks associated with
storing Household Hazardous
Waste Products at home
Take items to a County-sponsored collection event
The nearest County-sponsored Household Hazardous Waste collection event
this month will be offered from 9 a.m. to
3 p.m., Saturday, April 18, at El Monte
Airport, 4233 N. Santa Anita Ave., El
Monte 91731. For other dates, refer to the
County’s Household Hazardous Waste
calendar at www.CleanLA.com.
Leftover bags of lawn chemicals, used
motor oil, or paint and paint remover
from the last remodeling project are products that are harmful to humans, animals,
and the environment. There is always
the risk of injury and poisoning, as well
as spills,that can result in fire danger and
explosions if they continue to be stored at
home.
The City of Alhambra recommends
disposing of household hazardous waste
at a free Household Hazard Waste Collection (HHW) event sponsored by the Los
Angeles County Department of Public
Works for L.A. County residents. HHW
should never be placed in a trash bin,
discarded on the ground, or poured down
the sink or a storm drain.
All residents of Los Angeles County are
encouraged to dispose up to 15 gallons
or 125 pounds of household hazardous
waste free of charge at one of the County’s
monthly mobile collection events. Attendants will pull the items from your trunk
— no need to even get out of the car.
Items to pack up include adhesive, aerosol
cans, antifreeze, auto fluids, batteries,
fluorescent lights, combustible fluids,
herbicides, pesticides, pool chemicals, and
oil-based paints and stains, etc.
The Taste of Alhambra event
will not be offered anymore.
Thanks to the community for all of the support!
For more information, phone the
Chamber at 626-282-8481
Volunteers and residents spent a day cleaning up in the area of Emery Park last February.
The event was a success with the collection of more than 11 tons of trash.
Residents, volunteers team up for
first Neighborhood Clean-up Day
The City’s first Neighborhood Cleanup event to make and keep Alhambra
beautiful was a shining success with a
strong showing of city pride. Hosted in
late February by the Alhambra Code
Enforcement Division, the free massive
community clean-up effort, in the area
of Emery Park between Commonwealth
and Concord, brought together 121
volunteers, including Alhambra churches
and service organizations and Emery Park
residents.
What could be better than a day of free
helping hands to assist with a burdensome
project or accumulated trash; free dumpsters to dispose of unwanted furniture, appliances, tree trimmings, trash, junk, and
debris; free e-waste pickup — as well as
free informational workshops on property
maintenance and home improvements;
low-cost pet clinic; and opportunity for
neighbors to get acquainted with their
neighbors.
In a selected area of 300 homes in the
Emery Park area, 70 houses participated
in receiving clean-up services, thereby
making positive and visible neighborhood
changes. At day’s end, residents and
volunteers had collected and disposed of
11.59 tons of trash equaling five 40-yard
roll-off bins.
Special thanks are owed to the many
volunteer groups who came out to help
fellow neighbors on a cold winter morning. They were The Church of Jesus Christ
Latter-Day Saints, The San Gabriel Valley
New Generation Rotary, Alhambra High
School Key Club, Alhambra First Baptist
Church, and employees of The Home
Depot. Also to be recognized for their services are employees of the Alhambra Code
Enforcement Division, Alhambra Police
Department, and Development Services
Housing Division; the Housing Rights
Center; Republic Services; and Society for
California Veterinary Vaccine Care.
The contributions of Clean-up Day
sponsors also helped make the event a great
success. Sponsors from local businesses
included Republic Services, US Storage
Centers, Huerta Produce, Smart & Final,
Shakey’s Pizza, Vittoria Pizza, Albertsons,
PetSmart, Starbucks, and Costco.
The City of Alhambra is committed to
the enjoyment of clean and safe neighborhoods where people live, work, and play.
With the success of this first event, additional events are in the planning stage.
Residents who think their neighborhood
could use some sprucing up and cleaning
up or companies looking to sponsor an
event are urged to contact Rafael Perez,
Code Enforcement supervisor, at 626570-3230; [email protected].
Thanks again to all who helped make
a difference.
Have You Heard?
Since the beginning, Around
Alhambra has strived to provide the
community with news of what is happening around town, programs being
offered by the City, the School District,
and businesses and organizations.
However, individual readers might be
interested in more, or may have heard
something from a neighbor, hairdresser,
or at church. This new column seeks to
answer questions that are on the minds
of Alhambrans.
Is it true that Ralph’s Market on
Main Street is going out of business?
Yes, Ralphs chose not to renew its lease
and is closing in early April. While the
City is sorry to see Ralphs leave Alhambra, it welcomes 99 Ranch Market to
Alhambra. With company-owned store
locations in California, Nevada, Texas,
and Washington State, the 99 Ranch
Market offers high-quality produce,
meat and poultry, seafood, and bakery
items at competitive prices.
Has Alhambra’s population been
increasing over the past 20 years?
U.S. Census data indicates that Alhambra’s population, from 1980 to 1990,
sustained a 27% increase, but only
4.5% increase from 1990 to 2000. In
the most recent Census taken in 2010,
there was actually a decrease of 3.1%.
The biggest boost of all took place between 1960 and 1990, when the City’s
population increased from 54,807 to
82,106, respectively.
It sure seems traffic has increased
in Alhambra with the construction of
all the mixed-use and other developments. Is this really the case? When
comparing traffic flow maps of 1999,
2009, and 2014, which provide traffic
volume data over a 24-hour period,
there is a notable decrease in traffic flow
in some parts of the city. For example,
along Fremont Avenue from the southern city limit to the 10 Freeway, traffic
flow was less in 2014 than in both 1999
and 2009. On Main Street, there has
been a noticeable decrease. At Main
and Atlantic, comparative counts decreased from 26,200 in 2009 to 23,030
in 2014, and at Main and Garfield,
they decreased from 26,900 in 2009 to
22,997 in 2014. Thus, it would appear
that the impression of additional traffic
on our streets is not correct.
Is it true that a dog park may
be coming to Alhambra? There is a
proposal, but the project is still in the
preliminary stages of development with
no specific action taken to authorize
the project. The southeastern corner of
New Avenue and Ramona Street has
been identified by staff as a possible
dog park location after many residents
have expressed an interest in having
a dog park. After staff presented the
proposal at a recent City Council study
session, City Council directed them to
gather additional construction details
and to report their findingsto the Parks
& Recreation Commission. Interested
dog owners and residents are invited to
the Parks & Recreation Commission
meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 2, at
Joslyn Center, 210 N. Chapel Ave. Staff
will present a preliminary concept for
the proposed dog park. Attendees will
be invited to address the commission
in regards to their questions, support,
or opposition. Finally, the City Council
will consider the project at its meeting
at 7 p.m. Monday, April 27.
ChickensWelc
Alhambra
Municipal
Code modified,Alhambra
approved D
To have neighborhoods that are
attractive, vibrant, and well-maintained
requires the cooperation of all individual
property owners and tenants. While
most residents work hard to keep Alhambra beautiful, issues of non-compliance are still all too common. From July
1, 2012 to June 30, 2014, Alhambra
Code Enforcement Officers investigated
approximately 7,000 cases of code
violations.
With only three full-time officers, the
work load is intense. Code enforcement
officers are on duty seven days a week,
and there is a 24-hour Code Enforcement hotline. As the last amendment
to the City’s public nuisance code was
made in 1986, it was determined that
the existing code was sometimes ambiguous and in need of greater clarification.
Earlier this year, Chapter 6.26 of the
Alhambra Municipal Code was modified
and approved, thereby strengthening the
(888) 398City’s ability to enforce and minimize
deteriorated and unsafe conditions. The
new code revisions, which deal with
both aging properties as well as new
developments, are intended to make it
easier for property owners and occupants to maintain their properties and
allow for easier understanding of what
entails a prohibited nuisance condition.
The newly revised code is intentionally broad to give code enforcement staff,
with direction from the Police Department, the ability to address many different problem properties, as in the case of
dance halls, nightclubs, pool halls, bars,
party houses, and boarding houses, to
name a few, and intended to promote
the effective use of administrative citation remedies, abatement of nuisances
by City personnel using administrative
remedies, criminal remedy, and civil/
injunctive remedy—while still ensuring
due process to any responsible party.
100 South First Street • Alh
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14A
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Neighborhood Watch Works! To join Neighborhood Watch, or for more crime
prevention information and safety tips, contact the Alhambra Police Department
Crime Prevention Office at 626-570-5177.
500 S. Westmont
District One
District Two
700 S. Orange Grove
Burglary (2)
Burglary (2)
900 S. Fremont
100 S. Chapel
1000 S. Granada
Grand Theft Auto (3)
600 N. Hidalgo
1800 S. Fifth
1100 W. Commonwealth
Theft/Burglary from
Theft/Burglary from
1700 W. Pepper
Vehicle (12)
Vehicle (2)
600 S. Westminster
10 E. Commonwealth(x2)
1800 S. Sierra Vista
Robbery (0)
500 S. Granada
700 W. San Marino
300 N. Atlantic
District Four
200 W. Grand
1000 S. Granada
Burglary (5)
700 N. Monterey
400 W. Ramona
1400 W. Hellman
10 S. First
800 W. Ramona
2300 S. Hathaway
400 S. Cordova
Robbery (1)
2400 S. El Paseo
200 E. Bay State
1000 S. Sixth
2800 W. Ramona
300 N. Stoneman
2900 W. Hellman
10 N. Fifth
District Three
Theft Burglary from
100 S. Chapel
Burglary (1)
Vehicle (4)
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04/2015
CHAMBER NEWS AROUND ALHAMBRA
15A
Alhambra Chamber board
takes action opposing
costly Double Overtime Bill
AB 67 by Gonzales
BY OWEN GUENTHARD, LEGISLATIVE
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Alhambra Chamber of Commerce
President Lee Lieberg, Landz Real Estate,
announced that the Chamber Board of
Directors recently voted to join with the
California State Chamber of Commerce
and a number of other prominent chambers in opposing the “Double Pay On The
Holiday Act of 2015” by State Assemblymember Lorena Gonzales. The bill would
provide that employers pay no less than
twice the employee’s regular compensation
on a family holiday defined as “December
25 and the fourth Thursday of each year,”
commonly defined as Christmas and
Thanksgiving.
Those opposing the bill feel that AB
67 could violate the employer’s right to
religious freedom and that the Legislature
should not mandate certain days as more
significant based upon religious or cultural
beliefs that may not be maintained by
everyone. The other significant reason for
opposing the bill is the fact that it will
cause an unavoidable increase in the cost
of doing business for those employers with
a business model that does not allow them
to close their business to avoid the added
expense for the double pay such as hospitals, medical facilities, or even lodging
accommodations. Only those businesses
with a physical presence in California will
be disadvantaged by AB 67 while competing with online companies or out of state
companies that would not be subject to
these added costs.
OUR
It is also important to understand that
AB 67 is not explicitly limited to hourly
paid employees and therefore includes
exempt and salaried employees. Under
AB 67, no matter how long the exempt
employee actually worked on the “family
holiday,” that employee would be entitled
to double compensation for the entire day.
The mandate would obviously create a
windfall for exempt employees who may
only work an hour or two on a “family
holiday.”
Another criticism of the bill is that
process of establishing the regular rate of
pay could cause a great deal of confusion
in that it is a complicated calculation that
goes beyond just the employee’s hourly
pay. Regular rate of pay may include different kinds of remunerations such as hourly
earnings, salary, piecework earnings, and
commissions. Calculation errors on the
regular rate of pay or failure to comply with
other provisions of this mandate could add
another threat of litigation against California employers.
“For these reasons, the Alhambra
Chamber of Commerce is opposed to AB
67 by Assemblymember Gonzales,” said
Mr. Lieberg. “We recommend that you
contact our Assemblyman Ed Chau and
recommend that he oppose this bill as
well.”
Assemblymember Chau’s local office
can be reached by phoning 626-264-4949,
or writing to Honorable Edwin Chau,
Assembly District 49, 1255 Corporate
Center Drive, Monterey Park, CA 91754.
WELCOME
CHAMBER MEMBERS!
New
Brookdale Alhambra
1 E. Commonwealth Ave.
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-289-3871
www.brookdale.com
Brookdale’s offerings for seniors
fall into four main categories with
increasing levels of care: independent
living, assisted living, dementia care,
and skilled nursing, with therapy,
home health, and hospice services.
Likie Fashion and Technology
College is a private fashion school
founded in 1992 to provide a
college-level education for students
seeking careers in the fashion and
computer industries. Located in Los
Angeles, Likie College has become
a leading technology and fashion
school in Southern California.
MacVaugh & Company
87 N. Raymond Ave. #320
Cricket Wireless
Alhambra, CA 91103
214 W. Main St.
626-583-8400
Alhambra, CA 91801
www.macvaugh.com
626-607-0223
MacVaugh & Company was
www.cricketwireless.com
established in Pasadena in
Cricket Wireless offers prepaid phone 1994. The company maintains
service. There are no contracts.
a proprietary database of the
Customers pay month to month, and commercial real estate information
taxes and fees are included in the
that covers the “210 Corridor,”
monthly bills so customers can easily or San Gabriel Mountain foothill
plan and budget their phone expenses. cities from Pasadena to Rialto
(Altadena, Arcadia, Irwindale,
Global Times
Glendora, Monrovia, San Marino,
801 S. Garfield Ave., Suite 218
South Pasadena, etc.). The company
Alhambra, CA 91801
has access to all real estate ownership
626-457-7570
information in its area of expertise.
www.globaltimes.com
The Global Times launched its U.S. New Century Insurance
edition on Feb. 20, 2013. It is the
Services, Inc.
first daily newspaper from China to 16 N. Second St.
launch a U.S. edition simultaneously Alhambra, CA 91801
in Chinese and English.
626-300-9000
www.usnci.com
Likie Fashion and
New Century Insurance Services,
Technical College
Inc., is a midsize, independently
1000 S. Fremont Ave., Unit 46
owned insurance agency that was
founded in 1988 by Subert Wong
Building A10, Suite 10425
and Simon Heng. The three offices
Alhambra, CA 91803
626-572-8506
in Alhambra, Diamond Bar, and
www.likiecollege.org
Irvine are strategically
located to service the greater
Los Angeles, Orange, and
San Bernardino Counties.
A-1 Self Storage, 2300 Poplar Blvd., Alhambra, had its grand opening and ribbon
cutting on March 10. A-1 Self Storage provides secure, affordable self storage to
businesses and residents in the western San Gabriel Valley, including Alhambra,
Monterey Park, South Pasadena, and San Gabriel. The state-of-the-art facility features
convenient online bill payment and 24-hour surveillance cameras. From left: Chamber
Ambassador Cecilia Garcia; Alhambra Councilmember Steven Placido, D.D.S.; A1Self Storage employees Kevin Walker and Evelyn La; and Past Alhambra Chamber
President Frank Chen.
The Alhambra Chamber of Commerce
thanks these members for renewing their memberships
and for their continued support:
28 West
28 W. Main St.
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-281-1777
Member since 2013
Industrial and Commercial
Bank of China
388 E. Valley Blvd. #118
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-300-8888
Member since 2013
Seidner’s Collision Center
15 N. Curtis
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-300-0006
Member since 1994
Shakey’s Pizza
Advanced Promotional Products
2234 W. Valley Blvd.
Kind and Total Health System
2818 W. Main St.
Alhambra, CA 91803
409 W. Main St.
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-576-7851
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-282-7001
Member since 2007
626-382-1263
Member since 2009
Member since 2008
Soroptimist Intn’l/Alh./SG/SM
Allstate Insurance Company
P.O. Box 343
Marie Callender’s Restaurant
820 W. Las Tunas Drive
Alhambra, CA 91802
220 S. Atlantic Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
626-287-0401
Monterey Park, CA 91754
626-576-5780
Member since 1993
626-281-9548
Member since 1989
Member since 2011
Total Educational Solutions
Central Health Plan of California
625 S. Fair Oaks, Suite #200
Pacific Medical Imaging
806 S. Garfield Ave.
South Pasadena, CA 91030
& Oncology Center
Alhambra, CA 91801
323-341-5580
707 S. Garfield Ave., Suite B-001
626-388-2300
Member since 2008
Alhambra, CA 91801
Member since 2013
626-227-2727
Tri Omega Realty
Member since 2008
Emmaus Lutheran
955 S. Meridian Ave.
Church & School
Alhambra, CA 91803
Primerica Financial
840 S. Almansor St.
626-457-2010
Services-Sam Yue
Alhambra, CA 91801
Member since 2001
626-289-3664
626-230-7192
Member since 2005
United Site Service
Member since 2008
4511 Rowland Ave.
Farmer’s Insurance
El Monte, CA 91731
San Gabriel Mission
Group-Jeffrey Owen
626-698-3057
428 S. Mission Drive
2540 Huntington Drive #107
Member since 2013
San Marino, CA 91108
626-457-3035
626-614-9409
To renew your membership
Member since 2011
Member since 1991
with a credit card,
please phone the Chamber
at 626-282-8481.
Planet Fitness
610 E. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA 91801
310-740-0075
www.planetfitness.com
Take advantage of Planet
Fitness’ unlimited fitness
training programs or
customers can work
out their own way.
It’s all about networking
Plumbing Wholesale
Outlet, Inc.
17 N. First St.
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-281-7600
Plumbing
This month’s Business After Hours mixer
will take place
Wednesday, April 22
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Hosted by the Twohey’s Restaurant
1224 N. Atlantic Blvd., Alhambra
Union Bank-San Gabriel
835 E. Las Tunas Drive
626-237-3303
www.unionbank.com
Commitments to community
service and diversity are core
values of Union Bank and
are reflected in its programs,
products, and services.
Join the Chamber for an informal social where business people get together,
exchange ideas, and develop new relationships. These monthly networking
programs are sponsored by and hosted at Chamber member establishments.
Networking is one of the most affordable means of marketing resulting in invaluable
personal referrals and word-of-mouth advertising.
So, don’t hesitate. Bring plenty of business cards and a winning handshake to the
next Business After Hours and develop a synergistic group of business contacts.
Twohey’s opened in 1943 when owner Jack Twohey opened his first
restaurant on Arroyo Boulevard in Pasadena. At the time, the restaurant had
37 seats and quickly became known as the premier hamburger place for
the finest hamburgers, onion rings, and hand-dipped fountain specialties.
The present location featured drive-up carhop service from the 1950s
to the mid 1970s. The Little Stink-O clothes pin and tear logo was
trademarked by Mr. Twohey in 1943. It originated when he overheard a
woman patron of the restaurant exclaim, “Oh-stink-O,” when a gentleman
next to her was served a hamburger generously garnished with onions.
Cost: $10 for members
$15 for non-members
For more information about the
Business After Hours Mixers, phone
the Chamber at 626-282-8481.
16A
CHAMBER NEWS AROUND ALHAMBRA04/2015
04/2015
17A
18A
CHAMBER NEWS AROUND ALHAMBRA04/2015
58 Facets owner Rick
Fonger attends jewelers
national conference
Rick Fonger of 58 Facets Jewelry, 36 W.
Main St., Alhambra, attended the National
Association of Jewelry Appraisers’ 43rd
ACE Annual Winter Conference in Tucson,
Ariz., on Feb. 1 and 2.
The Association, consisting of national
and international membership, is dedicated
to the maintenance of professional standards, professional ethics, and education in
the field of jewelry appraising. All members
must adhere to the professional Code of
Ethics of the Association, and all appraisal
assignments must be performed under the
constraints of this code.
This year’s conference focused on several
exotic gemstones that confront appraisers on
a daily basis and updating their knowledge
to keep them current. Lectures were given
on CVD diamonds, contemporary intaglios,
and pink and blue opals. Diamond cutting,
appraising ivory, indigenous beads, designer
jewelry, and measurement and calibration
of gemological tools were featured.
Actors from top, left to right, down: Zack Guzman, Erickson Erise, Maia Villa, Gabby Boyd, Jordan Don, Catrina
58 Facets Jewelry performs a variety of Marchant, Anthony Suarez, Jack Swift, Greg Langner, Bryana Pickford in The Shop Around The Corner.
appraisals and appraisal related services.
Among those performed are gemstone
identification of jewelry purchased online,
as well as appraisals for estates, divorces, or
reselling jewelry.
More information on 58 Facets Jewelry
and the National Association of Jewelry
Appraisers can be found on the Web at
http://www.58-facets.com, or phone
626-569-7289.
“The Ultimate No Holds Barred Guide to Selling and
Buying a Home in Alhambra and the San Gabriel Valley”
Presented by Rudy Kusuma, Re/Max Titanium
Thursday, April 16 • Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Alhambra Chamber of Commerce Board Room
104 S. First St.
This Chamber program, offered on the third Thursday of each month, provides informative
and educational seminars pertinent to small businesses.
The cost of the program is free to Chamber members. There is a $15 charge for non-members.
Lunch is included.
To make reservations, or for more information about the Chamber’s Lunch & Learn program,
contact Irma Hernandez, Alhambra Chamber of Commerce, at 626-282-8481 or ihernandez@
alhambrachamber.org.
The John L. Raya Insurance Group hosted the Chamber’s Lunch & Learn March
19. The topic was “Profit or Loss? How to Identify and Manage the Risks of Doing
Business.” The program included a checklist to help identify the obvious and not-soobvious hazards that can result in lost property, lost income, and lost sleep. Jeanne
Raya was the speaker. John L. Raya Insurance, 401 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel,
offers one-stop shopping for a full range of products, including home, renters, auto,
business, life, health, and retirement plans.
Cathay Bank, 43 E. Valley Blvd., Alhambra, hosted the Chamber’s Mixer on Feb. 25.
Cast of Ain’t She Suite by Jay Parker. Actors: Greg Langner, Anthony Suarez, Cameron Parker, Gabby Boyd,
Zack Guzman.
Mosaic Lizard Theater
focuses on performing arts
The Mosaic Lizard Theater opened on
Main Street in Alhambra in 2011. In the
theater’s original location, it was a comedy
and performance art group called the Subterranean Lizard.
“It’s a small space in Alhambra on Main
Street with a lizard marquee; we focus on
the performing arts,” said Alhambra resident and Director, Jay Parker. “We see the
space as a service to enrich the culture in
the community.”
He chose Alhambra to build the theater
because he lives here and he knew there was
an interest in establishing a live theater in
the community. That’s when he changed
the theater’s logo to go with the Mosaic
theme of Downtown Alhambra and renamed it as the Mosaic Lizard Theater.
“What makes Mosaic Lizard Theater
different is we don’t typically rent it out,”
said Mr. Parker. “This keeps the theater in
really good shape, and we have been told
that we are the “nicest little theater in L.A.’”
Mr. Parker has had a theatrical background as an actor and playwright since he
was 15 years old. Right out of high school,
he went to East Los Angeles College to study
repertory theater and received a lot of education from schools and real life experience.
Some of his career highlights include
writing productions and publishing plays.
He has performed in some shows in the
Lizard Theater, as well as in Studio City and
Hollywood. He also worked at Universal
Studios for nine years creating and writing
characters.
The Mosaic Lizard Theater does not
have employees, but instead has 60 – 70
volunteers, including actors who have supported the theater over the years. A lot of
students who have volunteered have gone
on to attend college.
The theater’s mission is to be a safe
haven for actors with no membership dues.
A lot of young actors come to them because
they don’t charge, but they do require an
extensive screening with those who want to
join them.
Some of the most popular shows
include Barton, which was the first play at
the theater; Madame Butterfly, a Japanese
play done in English; a Murder Mystery;
and Spiderman and Batman satires done by
Cameron Parker, son of Mr. Parker.
Admission prices are lower than any
theater because they want to make the live
theater experience accessible to everyone in
the community.
“We work with a lot of kids serious
about acting but who can’t afford to pay for
workshops or classes, so we make scholarships available to them and allow them to
work around the theater,” said Mr. Parker.
They are currently working on bringing
the live theater experience to the deaf
community.
“Anyone interested in getting involved
is welcome to come see a show or get
involved in a workshop,” said Mr. Parker.
“We are always accepting donations to keep
this project going. It’s exciting to see people
who have embraced us keep coming back
and bringing friends with them.”
Upcoming special plays will be a musical
adaptation of Robin Hood in April. At the
end of April, there will be an encore performance from 2014 of Testament during
Easter weekend and Shakespeare’s Tempest
by Greg Langmer.
General admission tickets are available
for April shows, and there are discounts for
students and seniors. There is something
going on every night at the Mosaic Lizard
Theater, 112 W. Main St.
For information about upcoming
shows, phone 626-202-2859. The audience is welcome to talk to the staff after a
performance.
The Web site is www.lizardtheater.com.
“Like” them at facebook/mosaictheater.
04/2015
Alhambra Golf Course is known for having the best greens in San Gabriel Valley, which draws a lot of visitors.
Most recently they replaced their fleet of 70 golf cars, installed GPS to enhance the experience, and added
amenities normally found at large resorts.
19A
Alhambra Golf Course offers several community clubs. Some of the club options include the Men’s Club, Ladies
club, Seniors club, and an active group of Junior golfers.
Heritage
Alhambra Golf Course celebrates 60 years serving community
Alhambra Golf Course opened in 1955.
Originally named Almansor Golf Course,
it opened as a nine-hole executive course,
shorter than a regulation golf course.
In the late 1970s, the course was
expanded to an 18-hole course when the
Alhambra railroad was moved underground and reopened in 1983. It was
renamed Alhambra Golf Course. In 1986,
the Clubhouse and the Almansor Banquet
Hall were added. The three-tier structured
driving range was built and opened in
1991. Today some still refer to the course
as Almansor Golf course.
Alhambra Golf Course is a 100-acre
facility with a banquet hall, driving range,
and clubhouse. It is managed by Director
Jerry Wisz of Golf Wisz Corp. and was built
and is owned by the City of Alhambra.
“We offer a full service shop and are
dedicated to bringing our customers the
best deals,” said Mr. Wisz. “People enjoy
coming into the golf shop, and I’m proud
to say we continue to offer the shop to our
customers.”
Mr. Wisz handles the operations for
the golf course, which include Golf Shop
merchandise, lessons, rentals, golf carts,
an electric golf fleet, and driving range
operations. As a contractor for the city of
Alhambra, he acts as an agent to collect fees
for the city and help establish policy for the
course.
Almansor Court is contracted to handle
food and beverage operations, and Valley
Crest is contracted to handle golf course
maintenance.
The 800-square-foot store is a full service golf shop that offers clubs and bags,
soft goods and shoes, along with personalized service, custom fittings, and other
merchandise.
The community clubs are some of the
core supporters of the golf course. They
play every weekend and fill a good portion
of Saturday and Sundays. There are monthly tournaments and general meetings that
take place the first Thursdays of every
month, which include a Pro report of the
golf course. The community clubs are
always evolving, and the public is welcome
to join.
Some of the club options include the
Men’s Club, Ladies Club, Seniors Club,
Cathay Bank, 43 E. Valley Blvd., Alhambra, hosted the Chamber’s Mixer on Feb. 25.
In 1962, Cathay Bank opened for business with the mission of providing financial
services to the growing Chinese-American community in the greater Los Angeles area,
thus becoming the first Chinese-American bank in Southern California. Recognizing
that the community it served was part of a more diverse one, Cathay Bank adopted
the motto “An Open Door for All.” Its rapid expansion was fueled by successive waves
of immigration, burgeoning trade between America and Asia, and the economic
development of the surrounding community. From left are Frank Chen, Chamber
immediate past president; Valarie Gomez, CEO of West San Gabriel YMCA; Hsiao
Ing Lin, vice president/assistant regional manager; Jennifer Do, vice president/branch
manager; Howard Tung, vice president/mortgage sales manager; Wilson Tang, senior
vice president/district administrator, So. Cal; Ross Chung, first vice president/regional
sales & service officer; and Lee Lieberg, Alhambra Chamber president.
and a group of Junior Golfers. The City
of Alhambra is happy to be involved
with a Southern California Golf Association “Youth On Course,” which offers
discounts for Junior Golfers and hosts an
annual drive chip and putt competition for
Juniors.
The City of Alhambra Partners with the
Chamber of Commerce for an annual golf
tournament by donating the course for one
afternoon in an effort to raise funds for
youth programs, including the Junior Golf
program.
“We are a fun and family friendly golf
course,” said Mr. Wisz.“I love playing here
because I am still challenged by the course
even after all these years.”
Alhambra Golf Course is known for
having the best greens in the San Gabriel
Valley, which draws a lot of visitors. Most
recently, the golf course replaced its fleet of
70 golf cars, installed GPS to enhance the
experience, and added amenities normally
found at large resorts.
The Golf Shop hours are 5:30 a.m. to 7
p.m. Monday through Friday and 5 a.m.
to 7 p.m. weekends. Driving range hours
open at daylight and remain open until
11 p.m. in the winter. From May 1 to the
end of October, they remain open until
midnight.
The golf course is located at 630
S. Almansor St. The phone number is
626-570-5059. The Web site is www.alhambragolf.com. Like them on Facebook.
comAlhambra-Golf-Course.
NEW BUSINESSES From Page 1A
baked in a blazing-hot stone hearth. Fresh
pizza toppings are offered assembly line
style, much like customers would find
at a Chipotle or Subway restaurant. The
chain’s architecture has a sleek, modern,
urban feel with lots of stainless steel and
wood making. It a pleasure to come with
friends or family.
Two more reasons to look forward to
the future of Downtown Alhambra, but
that’s not all.
The Alhambra Pacific Plaza is also edging toward completion and the launch
of LOHAS Market and 85° Bakery in
Alhambra.
LOHAS, which is an acronym for
Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability, will
offer a new concept in grocery shopping
for “natural foods,” by being committed
to putting healthier foods into the hands
of consumers with products that are better for people and the planet — such as
non-GMO, organic, Fair Trade/Fair for
Life, vegetarian, raw, paleo, natural and
organic products, and green eco products
from paper to sustainable clothing and
apparel. LOHAS also plans to host cooking classes that will teach the community
how to cook easier, simpler, and healthier.
In addition to LOHAS, the internationally renowned 85° Bakery will
open at the Alhambra Pacific Plaza. This
Taiwanese-style bakery, which provides
five-star quality coffee, cakes, and breads
at not so five-star prices, currently has
more than 800 stores in Taiwan, China,
Australia, Hong Kong, and the U.S.A.
Its nearest location to Alhambra is in
Old Town Pasadena. There are also other
locations in Buena Park, Cerritos, Chino
Hills, Fullerton, Gardena, Garden Grove,
Hacienda Heights, Irvine, Torrance, and
West Covina.
One last piece of news: the 99 Ranch
Market will replace Ralphs with a tentative late summer or early fall opening.
Based in Buena Park, the market has
more than 30 stores and offers a great
selection of fresh seafood and vegetables,
as well as specialty items.
So, there are five new businesses to
look forward to. Stay tuned to Around
Alhambra as more details are revealed
about even more new businesses coming
to Downtown Alhambra in the very near
future.
20A
COMMUNITY NEWS AROUND ALHAMBRA
04/2015
Camp Ramona, on the grounds of Ramona Convent Secondary School, is a summer day camp for boys and girls
entering first through sixth grades. Swimming, biking, board games, basketball, volleyball, tennis, a talent show,
dance classes, barbecues, weekly themes and activities, and field trips will be offered from June 22 to July 24.
Camp Ramona Day Camp
offers summer activities for
ﬁrst- through sixth-graders
Camp Ramona, a summer day camp
for boys and girls entering first through
sixth grades, will be offered from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. June 22 to July 24 on the beautiful
grounds of Ramona Convent Secondary School, 1701 W. Ramona Road,
Alhambra.
Children learn and play in a safe and serene setting, with picnic areas, swimming
pool, gymnasium, tennis courts, biking
and hiking trails, gentle hills, and lots of
trees. Unlike other local summer camps
that take place in a public park setting,
Camp Ramona is located on a private
school campus, completely surrounded by
gates. There are also security guards.
The camp offers swimming, biking,
board games, basketball, volleyball, tennis,
a talent show, dance classes, barbecues,
weekly themes and activities, and field
trips. The counselors, who are energetic
young adults, supervise and organize the
activities for the campers and are planning
to continue on a career of their own working with children. All Camp Ramona staff
members are First Aid certified.
The camp also offers part-time and
half-week programs.
For more information, go to www.
campramona.org.
“Send in your registration soon,” said
camp Director Alma Garcia. “We tend to
sell out every summer, so don’t get left out
on all the fun!”
04/2015
21A
Register for AEF’s Summer
High School, K-8 Summer
Academy programs
Ramona Convent Secondary School students help on the farm at Ramona Convent. Junior Danielle
Valenzuela, front, helps trim the trees, and junior Ileana Vasquez helps clear brush.
Ramona Convent’s farm
builds sustainable living
Ramona Convent now has a farm that
brings fresh, non-processed produce that
will allow Ramona students to appreciate
the natural food so often take for granted.
Ramona Convent hopes that building a
farm may influence the community to
make at least one choice each day a healthy
choice.
As a student, it can seem difficult to
find time to prepare a healthful meal when
juggling AP classes and extra-curricular
activities. Now, the students will have the
opportunity to get these foods straight from
their campus. The farm will provide nutritional food that is also free from pesticides.
As the celebration of Ramona Convent’s
125th anniversary continues, they recall
among all the events of Ramona’s history
that it was once home to an orange grove
and olive garden. They are bringing back
a part of Ramona’s history, while providing
an environmentally friendly method of
acquiring organic, energy packed foods.
Many members of the Ramona Convent community have offered money,
equipment, and time to this project. Kay
Paietta, a member of the board of trustees,
has donated money in order to secure tools
and other gardening supplies. Gil Vargas
(Josephine Vargas ‘18) has donated his time
and equipment assisting in rehabilitating
the land located behind the pool and gym.
Jessica Franco ‘15 and Kendall Alvarez
‘16 have volunteered their leadership.
Eighty-seven students have signed up for
the new agriculture club, and many faculty
and staff have volunteered their time in
order to help the farm project get off the
ground.
Ramona Convent’s president, Sr. Kathleen Callaway, SNJM, and the school’s
Principal Mary E. Mansell have given advice, mentorship, and enthusiasm. Aulikki
Flagan has contributed her grant-writing
abilities in order to secure much needed
funding.
To volunteer or find out more information, please contact Mr. Laborie via e-mail
at [email protected].
Article submitted by Jessica Franco ‘15,
farm manager, and Francois Laborie, retreat
coordinator and theology teacher.
Alhambra Educational Foundation
(AEF) will register K-12 students for its
popular Summer High School and K-8
Summer Academy programs, which will
be offered from June 8 through July 16.
AEF’s Summer High School program, an
accredited program by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, will take
place at Alhambra High School. The K-8
Summer Academy will again be offered at
Ynez Elementary in Monterey Park.
Incoming ninth-through 12th-grade
students from all private and public schools
are in invited to enroll in courses, which include core academic courses such as algebra
II, trig/pre-calc, biology, chemistry, U.S.
history, and world history, and enrichment
and elective coursework, including expository writing, speech and debate, robotics
and engineering, and SAT test preparation
class.
“The AEF High School Summer program is proud to be accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges,
and we look forward to providing a quality
educational program for all students, both
within the District and those from adjacent
communities,” said Steve Perry, AEF board
president.
Early bird registration is Saturday,
April 11, at the Alhambra High School
Cafeteria, 101 S. Second St. Juniors and
seniors register from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30
a.m.; sophomores and freshmen register
from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. All students
can register from 1 to 2 p.m. Everyone is
encouraged to take advantage of the lowest
tuition rate on this date.
There is no registration from April 13 to
April 21. Registration resumes on April 22
through May 14 at the Alhambra Educational Foundation Office, 1515 W. Mission
Road, Marengo building, first floor, 9 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Late registration is offered May 18 through
May 28 for additional tuition cost. Onsite registration is June 8 and 9 if space is
available.
For K-8 students, AEF’s Summer Academy offers a blend of academic courses
and fun enrichment classes. Elementary
students have a wide variety of courses to
choose from this year, including Under the
Sea: Marine Biology, Literature Through
Movies, Theatre Arts/Drama, Beginning
Journalism, and Essay & Expository
Writing. The K-8 Summer Academy will
again be offered at Ynez Elementary School
in Monterey Park, with the elementary art,
culinary art classes and the popular Basketball Camp just a bus ride away at Mark
Keppel High School. The School of Rock
and Culinary Arts extended day courses are
also available for incoming sixth- through
eighth-grade students from 3:30 to 5:30
p.m. at Mark Keppel High School.
AEF’s K-8 Summer Academy classes
focus on preparing students academically
for the coming school year, in a fun, stressfree environment. Courses such as Getting
Ready for Kindergarten, Bridge to First
Grade, the science and math classes for
grades four through eight, and the popular
music classes help students think creatively,
become problem-solvers, learn new social
skills, and get a jump on curriculum for the
coming school year.
For more information, please go to
www.aef4kids.com and follow AEF on
Facebook.
22A
04/2015
Rotary Clubs to sponsor Radioactive Charity
annual Heart Walk
Fashion & Dance Show to
The Rotary Club of Alhambra and
SGV New Generation will host the annual
Joseph “Peppy” Sciarra Heart Walk on
Saturday, April 11. The walk will take place
at Almansor Park, 800 S. Almansor St.
Registration will be at the Alhambra
Golf Course – Birdies Grill. Registration
opens at 9:30 a.m. The walk starts at
10 a.m. A barbecue lunch provided by
Almansor Court will be served at 11 a.m.
Proceeds from the Walk will benefit the
Cardiac Care Unit at Children’s Hospital
Los Angeles.
Over the years, the Walk has raised
more than $100,000. “The community
has been very generous in their support to
Children’s Hospital,” said Peppy Sciarra,
chairman of the event.
The entry fee is $50. Checks can be
mailed to Alhambra Rotary Charites
Foundation, P.O. 142, Alhambra, CA
91802.
For additional information, please
phone 626-282-8481.
be presented April 11
QueenVee
Entertainment
will present its fifth annual charity fashion and dance showcase,
“Radioactive Charity Fashion &
Dance Show,” in collaboration
with Dance for Peace Charity
and Jayvee Dance Center at
7 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at
Throop Hall in Pasadena.
“Featuring more than 10
local vendor booths, gourmet
food truck, live auction, and an
electrifying cast of fashion and
dance entertainment, this is a
celebration you don’t want to
miss,” said Jayvee Studio Manager Tu DeVera. “The stylists are
ready, and Jayvee’s Adult Class
dancers can’t wait to show you
the hot moves they’ve learned
this season.”
The event is also a chance to
support aspiring young artists in
the community. Proceeds from
Radioactive will contribute to
Dance for Peace Charity, which
will fund scholarships to students at Jayvee Dance Center to
inspire dancers to develop their
talents.
“In case any of the glorious
2014 scholarship recipients, from left: Breana Minjares, Alyssa
Muniz, and Isabella Macias.
fashions catch your eye,
the labels will be set up for
purchase for you to peruse
at your pleasure,” said Ms.
DeVera. “Remember to
dress to impress for your
red carpet entrance.”
This event is for adults
18 years and older only.
For more information,
phone 626-310-0624.
Get tickets at www.
RadioactiveCharityShow.eventbrite.
com
and
fb.com/
DanceForPeaceCharity.
04/2015
23A
Sen. Ed Hernandez honors
student Cecilia Nunez
as Woman of Achievement,
Emerging Leader
The Alhambra/Monterey Park AYSO Girls U14 Soccer Team won the Section 1 Southern California League
Championship on March 1. From left are Madeline Godinez, Leonor Corona, Manami Hayashi, Briana
“Bebe” Cabadas, Nicole “Nikki” Hernandez, Alyssa Torres, Amanda Ramirez, Ameyalli Hill, Sabrina
Vasquez, Jade Gamez, and Kysa Hayashi.
Alhambra/Monterey Park
AYSO Girls U14 Soccer Team
wins League Championship
The Alhambra/Monterey Park AYSO
Girls U14 Soccer Team won the Section
1 Southern California League Championship on March 1 in Riverside. As the
Section1 Southern California Champs,
the team advanced to play the Western
State Championship on March 21 and
came in first place out of 1,400 teams.
The team’s journey started in the fall of
2014. The girls represented the Alhambra/
Monterey Park Region in the San Gabriel
Valley Area 1C League Play Thru Championship, and the team won first place. Then
the team qualified and advanced to play in
the Section 1 Championship. There were
five games played for each championship,
with focus on one game at a time.
‘Many of the games, some played in
bad weather, were played short of players
and without substitute players,’ said Coach
Abel Hernandez. “The competition was
tough and the games intense, but the girls
played extremely well together with pride
and determination. It’s been an excellent
display of teamwork.”
Coach Hernandez’s direction for the
girls is to have fun rather than focusing on
winning. “Team 3,” as the team refers to
itself, consists of members Briana “Bebe”
Cabadas, Nicole “Nikki” Hernandez,
Sammie Gonzalez, Leonor Corona,
Madeline Godinez, Ameyalli Hill, Jade
Gamez, Skye Blue Juarez, Alyssa Torres,
Amanda Ramirez, Kysa Hayashi, Manami
Hayashi, Sabrina Vasquez, and Erica
Gallegos.
Ramona Convent Junior Cecilia
Andrea Jennings Nunez has been selected
by the office of Sen. Ed Hernandez as
the recipient for the 2015 Women of
Achievement Awards in the category of
Emerging Leader.
Cecilia is recognized for her work as
a tutor, trainer for tutors, and student
board member for Project Neo, an
after-school educational organization for
at-risk youth in the San Gabriel Valley.
Project Neo also mentors volunteers in
developing strong leadership skills. Cecilia has provided guidance and support
to the students in the program and has
shown great leadership in encouraging
and training her Ramona classmates as
tutors for Project Neo.
Upon entrance to Ramona Convent,
Cecilia received Honors at Entrance
with Merit and has been a member of
the California Scholarship Federation,
National Honor Society, Key Club,
and she is currently serving as Junior
Class Treasurer. This school year, Cecilia
co-founded the Women United Club, a
student group on campus that invokes
women’s rights and discusses the societal
issues surrounding gender-based inequalities. Her goal is to offer an assembly on
campus about female empowerment and
help her fellow school mates change the
societal beauty standard to which young
women are held.
Cecilia hopes to attend Brown University and pursue a career in politics and
economics. Prior to the 2015 Women of
Ramona Convent Junior Cecilia Andrea Jennings Nunez
has been selected by the office of Senator Ed Hernandez
as the recipient for the 2015 Women of Achievement
Awards in the category of Emerging Leader.
Achievement Awards, Cecilia will be installed
this month by Trustee Mike Eng of the Los
Angeles Community College District Board
of Trustees as the newly elected president of
the Project NEO Student Leaders Board.
Ramona Convent, guided by the core
values of the Sisters of the Holy Names of
Jesus and Mary, offers its students numerous
opportunities for growth that empower them
to become leaders who make a difference for
good in their community and world. Cecilia
has embraced the spirit of Ramona, which
this year is celebrating 125 years of Academic
Excellence, Spiritual Depth, and Dynamic
Leadership to young women in grades 9 – 12.
Come to Tea for Tails fashion doggie show April 26
The shelter will offer its
fourth annual Tea for Tails
high fashion doggie show
on April 26 at the Westfield Santa Anita mall in
Arcadia. Join special guests
Warren Eckstein, the host
of the nationally syndicated radio show The Pet
Show, and Garth Kemp,
Eyewitness News Weather
Anchor of KABC TV, for
a Taste of Westfield and
enjoy treats from favorite
restaurants. Contact the
shelter for more information: 626-286-1159.
This month, the San
Gabriel Valley Humane
Society recognizes its senior
animals for their wisdom,
experience, adaptability,
willingness to learn new
tricks, and for easily loving
and bonding with people.
Please consider adopting one of the three featured pets. They would be
eternally thankful and loyal
to their new owners. They
have earned a comfortable
retirement home. Know of
anyone?
To inquire about these
adoptable animals, contact
the San Gabriel Valley
Humane Society at 626286-1159, or visit at 851
E. Grand Ave., San Gabriel. Adoption hours are 10
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
through Sunday. The shelter is closed on Mondays.
Directions and photos of
many more dogs and cats
can be found online at
www.sgvhumane.org.
The adoption fee for
cats is $99, which includes
spay/neuter, vaccinations,
de-worming, FIV/FELV/
heartworm testing, and
microchip. A $120-$135
dog adoption fee includes
microchip, vaccinations,
spay/neuter surgery, and
de-worming, as well as a
free health check-up at a
participating vet (some
breeds slightly higher).
Labrador retriever mix • senior •
female • large • ID #13808
Chihuahua • senior • male •
small • ID #8054
Domestic short hair mix • senior •
female • medium • ID #5117
Stella is a beautiful chocolate labrador
retriever mix with lots of energy. She loves
to run and play, is eager to please, and she
is a quick learner. She is strong and would
make a good walking or running companion.
Like most labs, she loves the water and eagerly
jumps into the shelter’s wading pool on hot
days. She has a smooth brown coat that
just needs an occasional bath and brushing
to help her look like a lovely lady. Stop by to
meet her. She will greet guests with a happy
dance, big smile, and a wagging tail.
Peso is an adorable Chihuahua boy about 8
years old and 8 pounds. He is a sweet boy
who enjoys his walks to the park. He is goodnatured and willing to please. He is happy to
be petted and enjoys some quality lap time
after an outing. He has a short coat that
doesn’t require much grooming other than
bathing and brushing on occasion. Although
he is well cared for by the staff and volunteers,
he would be grateful for a nice soft warm bed
at night in a quiet, loving home with his
people. He is not demanding and would give
much love in return.
Diamond is a sweet and friendly girl who can
be a bit shy until she gets to know someone,
but gaining her trust is just a brush away.
She loves getting brushed and will show her
belly for a scratch. She has a playful nature
that comes out when her favorite fluffy ball
toy rolls quickly by. She enjoys her nap time
snuggled up on a wood perch. Stop by to
meet this charming girl who will make a
great companion.
Take advantage of the new cat
adoption program to celebrate
kitten season. The “Me and My
Shadow” companion adoption
program allows pet adopters to have
“twice the fun at a third of the cost.”
When adopters take a second kitty,
who must be “black like a shadow,”
the cost is only $29.
Save money with the Buddy
Program. Adopt two pets at the same
time for a reduced fee.
The Senior for Senior Program
offers pets for $39 each.
24A
04/2015
Spring cleaning your
credit in three simple steps
BY SANDY WALIA, WELLS FARGO GREATER
SAN GABRIEL AREA PRESIDENT
Now that spring has arrived, so has
spring-cleaning. While you may have started thinking about cleaning your closets,
garage, windows, or other parts of your
home, have you thought about shaping up
your personal finances?
This spring, don’t just tackle the “dust
monsters” in your home but dedicate some
additional TLC to your finances and credit.
Here are three simple steps that can help
you get started:
1. Check your credit report
Experts recommend checking your
credit report at least once a year. Your
credit report contains details of your credit
history, including balances, credit limit,
and payment status. Lenders, apartment
managers, and some employers may check
your credit report to see how responsible
you are with money.
When you check your report, make
sure it contains current and accurate
information. If you find errors, correct
them as soon as possible because they may
negatively impact your credit score and
even indicate possible identity theft.
You can request a free copy of your
credit report from each of three major
credit reporting agencies — Equifax®,
Experian®, and TransUnion® — once each
year at AnnualCreditReport.com, or phone
toll-free 877-322-8228.
2. Pay your bills on time
Life happens, and you may find yourself
forgetting to pay a bill on time. Because
your payment history is one of the biggest
factors in your credit score, it’s important
that you stay organized and keep track of
all your bills. This applies to more than just
credit card bills, but also when it comes
to your rent, utilities, and cell phone
payments.
Using free online tools, often available
through your financial institution’s online
banking, can help you develop a budget and
create an automatic bill payment schedule.
Many financial institutions also allow you
to change your payment due dates for one
that is convenient for you. If it helps, you
can organize all your payments to be due
on the same day of the month.
3. Make a budget and stick to it
One of the best ways to make sure you
are able to keep up with your bills is to
closely monitor your spending. Creating
a budget can help you decide when to use
credit and when to hold off on a purchase.
Keeping a budget is also helpful because
lenders look at the amount of debt a consumer has compared to their income.
As an important rule of thumb, keep
debt at no more than 35% of your income
or lower. This will tell lenders that your
debt is at a manageable level relative to your
income, and you are likely to have money
left over for saving or spending after you
pay your bills.
In addition to these tips, many banks
will offer free resources that can help consumers build and maintain strong credit. A
good example is Wells Fargo’s new interactive Web site, Path to Good Credit, www.
wellsfargo.com/buildcredit, which offers
free videos, tips, quizzes, and resources that
illustrate how good credit can help you
succeed financially.
The Boys and Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley and the East Valley Boys and Girls Club both received
$30,000 from the Office of Justice for Juvenile Delinquency Prevention. From left: Executive Director JR
Dzubak, board President Selina Chi, Congresswoman Judy Chu, and BGCA representative Kelly Reynolds.
The Boys and Girls Clubs
of West San Gabriel Valley,
East Valley receive
$30,000 from OJP Fund
Funds will go toward mentorship to prevent juvenile delinquency
The Boys and Girls Club of West San
Gabriel Valley and the East Valley Boys
and Girls Club both received $30,000
from the Office of Justice for Juvenile
Delinquency Prevention. As the need to
prevent delinquent behavior and gangs is
so important, The Boys and Girls Club of
West San Gabriel Valley and East Valley
will make critical improvements to ensure
the Club remains a safe and inviting place
for the youth who need it most.
“We are truly grateful for the OJP support in enabling us to continue to make
this a positive place for kids to be,” said
JR Dzubak, executive director. “Our Club
provides many valuable services to local
youth, and this gift helps us continue to
provide safe and engaging places where
our members can grow and develop the
necessary skills needed to achieve great
futures.”
The OJP fund is passed across Boys and
Girls Clubs nationally, donating around
$28 million. There are 4,100 clubs and
800 facilities nationally. The Clubs depend
on it for mentoring programs to alternately
keep kids off the streets and in The Club.
The check was presented at a ceremony.
Among the guests in attendance were
Congresswoman Judy Chu, Boys and
Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley
Board President Selina Chi, as well as Club
officials and staff.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of West
San Gabriel Valley
For 42 years, the Boys & Girls Club of
West San Gabriel Valley has provided the
youth of Monterey Park, Alhambra, and
the surrounding areas a safe and structured
environment where they can learn and
grow through access to high quality programs that enhance their lives and shape
their futures. With a diverse membership
of more than 2,100 people ages 6-18, the
Club’s mission is “to enable all young people, especially those who need us the most,
to reach their full potential as productive,
caring, and responsible citizens.”
The Club offers programs in five core
areas of Education and Career, Character
and Leadership, Health and Life Skills, the
Arts, and Sports, Fitness and Recreation.
Membership fees are kept low, and no
child is turned away due to an inability
to pay. To learn more, visit http://www.
wsgvbgc.org/
SAVE TIME, SAVE MONEY and S
04/2015
25A
CHICK
Alh
according to the
Marshall Riedel on the receiving end of his familiar “needling” from longtime friend and former editor
of the Alhambra Post-Advocate, the late Warner Jenkins.
Alhambra Golf Course fixture Marshall Riedel dies
Longtime local businessman and
resident Marshall W. Riedel died
on Feb. 22. Mr. Riedel was born in
South Dakota on July 2, 1921, and
served in World War II in the Navy.
He married Alice Seeley in Illinois
on Sept. 28, 1944. Like many vets at
that time, he remained on the West
Coast and settled in the San Gabriel
Valley in the 1950s.
Mr. Riedel graduated from USC
in 1957. In 1961, he established and
maintained a successful scientific instruments business in Alhambra. He
was very involved in both the Alhambra and San Gabriel communities. In
addition to his civic interests, he had
a love for the game of golf and was
involved in the San Gabriel Country
Club and more recently the Alhambra Golf Course and Men’s Club.
“Marshall was a very gregarious
person who loved to “needle” his golf
friends,” said Jerry Wisz, PGA direc-
tor of golf at Alhambra Golf Course
“He was also a very caring and generous person. He will be greatly missed
by his many friends who remember
his outgoing personality and wit.”
Graveside services took place at
the San Gabriel Cemetery in San
Gabriel.
April 27 – Monday
May 13 – Wednesday
Community Calendar of Events
April
April 2 – Thursday
Parks and Recreation Commission
7 p.m., Joslyn Center, Story Park
210 N. Chapel Ave.
April 4 – Saturday
Eggstravaganza
9 to 11 a.m.
Almansor Park, 800 S. Almansor St.
Admission is free-$5 suggested donation
Egg hunt, pancake breakfast, appearance by the
Easter Bunny
April 6 – Monday
Planning Commission
7 p.m., City Hall, council chambers
111 S. First St.
April 7 – Tuesday
•
•
Alhambra Chamber Executive Committee
8:30 a.m. Alhambra Chamber, 104 S. First St.
HUD - Housing Committee
7 p.m. - City Hall, conference room
111 S. First St.
April 13 – Monday
City Council, 7 p.m.
City Hall, 111 S. First St.
April 14 – Tuesday
•
•
•
•
Alhambra Chamber Board of Directors
8:30 a.m., Alhambra Chamber, 104 S. First St.
Library Board of Trustees
6 p.m., library boardroom, 101 S. First St.
Youth Commission
6 p.m., library boardroom, 101 S. First St..
Design Review Board
7:30 p.m., City Hall, conference room
111 S. First St.
April 15 – Wednesday
•
•
•
Alhambra Community Coordinating Council
6:30 p.m., Alhambra Library, Reese Hall
101 S. First St.
Arts & Cultural Events Committee
7p.m., City Hall, conference room
111 S. First St.
Survivors of Murdered Children, SGV Chapter
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Third Wednesday of each month
Alhambra Police Department
211 S. First St., room EDC on second floor
Contact Tina Yamashiro at 626-298-9054 or
[email protected]
April 16 – Thursday
Chamber Lunch & Learn Program
Noon to 1: 30 p.m.
Alhambra Chamber of Commerce, 104 S. First St.
Presentations by local business leaders who
address important issues related to small
business success. Lunch is provided.
April presentation by Rudy Kusuma of Re/Max
Titanium: “The Ultimate No Holds Barred Guide
to Selling & Buying a Home in Alhambra and the
San Gabriel Valley.”
Chamber members free
Non-members $15
Phone the Chamber to make reservations:
626-282-8481
April 18 – Saturday
Alhambra Educational Foundation Dinner
6 p.m.
Hilton Los Angeles/San Gabriel on Valley
Boulevard in San Gabriel
Planning Commission
7 p.m., City Hall, council chambers
111 S. First St.
April 22 – Wednesday
Business After Hours Mixer
Hosted by Twohey’s
1224 N. Atlantic Blvd., Alhambra
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
$10 members, $15 non-members
City Council, 7 p.m.
•
•
Government Affairs Committee
9 a.m., Chamber, 104 S. First St.
Design Review Board
7:30 p.m., City Hall, conference room, 111 S.
First St.
May
May 2 – Saturday
Eco Fair – Embrace a greener lifestyle
Noon to 4 p.m.
Alhambra Park, 500 N. Palm Ave.
May 4 – Monday
Planning Commission
7 p.m., City Hall, council chambers, 111 S. First St.
May 5 – Tuesday
•
•
Alhambra Chamber Executive Committee
8:30 a.m. Alhambra Chamber, 104 S. First St.
HUD - Housing Committee
7 p.m. - City Hall, conference room
111 S. First St.
May 11 – Monday
Alhambra City Council, 7 p.m.
May 12 – Tuesday
•
•
•
•
Alhambra Chamber Board of Directors
8:30 a.m., Alhambra Chamber, 104 S. First St.
Library Board of Trustees
Youth Commission
Design Review Board
111 S. First St.
•
•
Alhambra Community Coordinating Council
6:30 p.m., Alhambra Library, Reese Hall
101 S. First St.
Transportation Committee
7 p.m., City Hall, conference room
111 S. First St.
May 18 – Monday
Planning Commission
7 p.m., City Hall, council chambers, 111 S. First St.
Arts & Cultural Events Committee
7 p.m., City Hall, conference room
111 S. First St.
May 21 – Thursday
Chamber Lunch & Learn Program
Noon to 1: 30 p.m.
Alhambra Chamber of Commerce, 104 S. First St.
Presentations by local business leaders who
address important issues related to small
business success. Lunch is provided.
May presentation by Geoffrey Noonan, special
agent with the United States Secret Service:
“Securing Sales In Retail: Safeguarding Your
Point-Of-Sale System”
Chamber members free
Non-members $15
Phone the Chamber to make reservations:
626-282-8481
May 25 – Monday
Alhambra City Council, 7 p.m.
May 26 – Tuesday
•
•
Government Affairs Committee
9 a.m., Chamber, 104 S. First St.
Design Review Board
111 S. First St.
Business After Hours Mixer
Hosted by Bob Wondries Ford
400 S. Atlantic Blvd., Alhambra
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
$10 members, $15 non-members
Alhambra Service Clubs and Organizations
Tuesday: The Exchange Club meets at 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday at Almansor Court, 700 S. Almansor St., Alhambra. The Rotary Club and Soroptimist Club meet at noon every Tuesday at Almansor Court. The
Civitan Club meets at noon every first and third Tuesdays at Azteca Restaurant, 717 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel. The Kiwanis Club of Alhambra meets at 5 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays at noon at Denny’s
Restaurant, 369 W. Main St., Alhambra (for information, phone 626-943-2542).
Wednesday: The Alhambra Historical Society presents its program meetings at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of January, March, May, September, and November (November meeting takes place after
Thanksgiving) at the Masonic Center, 9 W. Woodward Ave. The Alhambra Woman’s Club meets at noon on the first Wednesday each month (except for June through Sept.), at the Masonic Center, 9 W. Woodward
Ave. Toastmasters meets from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays each month at the Colonial Kitchen Restaurant, 1110 Huntington Drive, San Marino. The League of Women Voters meets on
the third Wednesday each month (626-798-0965 for info.). The Lions Club meets at 6:15 p.m. on the third Wednesday each month at the Regent Café, 1411 S. Garfield Ave., Alhambra.
Thursday: American Legion Post 139 meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday each month at the Legion Hall, 24 N. Stoneman Ave., Alhambra. San Gabriel Valley New Generation Rotary Club meets from 6:30 p.m.
to 8 p.m. every Thursday at Fronteras Mexican Grill & Cantina, 118 W. Main St., Alhambra.
26A
04/2015
The 7th annual Heart of the Community Event and fundraiser took place at Almansor Court on March
5 honoring those who have supported the YMCA through donations, fundraisers, and grants. Heart of The
Community Award Recipients are, from left, Alhambra Fire Chief Bill Walker; Phyllis Murphy, former
YMCA executive director; Soroptimist President Josephine Yang; Tom Berge, president of the West San Gabriel
Valley Realtor Association; Congresswoman Judy Chu; Assemblymember Ed Chau, 49th District, California
Legislature; Dr. Kenneth Sim, chairman of Allied Pacific Independent Physician Association; Dr. Thomas
Lam, chief administrative and financial officer Allied Pacific Independent Physician Association; and Valarie
Gomez, CEO of West San Gabriel Valley YMCA.
YMCA’s Heart of Community
Event honors supporters
The 7th annual Heart of the Community Event and fundraiser took place at Almansor Court on March 5 honoring those
who have supported the YMCA through
donations, fundraisers, and grants. More
than 200 guests attended.
“The YMCA is The Heart of the Community,” said Assemblymember Ed Chau.
“They are here to help young men and women reach higher goals. I’m very impressed
by that, and very humbled. I admire the Y
for what they do and the leadership from
Valarie Gomez. I’m flattered and humbled
to be a recipient of this prestigious award.”
YMCA President Bill Walker, who is
also Alhambra’s fire chief, was the emcee
and expressed his thanks to individuals and
groups in the community who made the
event happen. Mr. Walker impressed the
importance of the YMCA’s integral contributions to the community and the impact
of those who provide support making the Y
programming possible.
“I am delighted to participate in the
efforts to enhance the wellbeing of the
San Gabriel Valley area,” said Chairman of
Allied Pacific Independent Physician Association Dr. Kenneth Sim. “We are here to
support giving young people an alternative
of a healthy lifestyle in a group setting and
enhance the interaction with each other,
and I’m very proud to be part of this whole
enterprise.”
Honoree and President of the West San
Gabriel Valley Realtor Association Tom
Berge was also a recipient of the Heart of
the Community award. “We will continue
to support the YMCA in all of their efforts,”
said Mr. Berge. “They are an integral part in
the health of our community.”
As Chief Financial Officer for Allied
Pacific Independent Physician Association
and Heart of the Community award recipient, Dr. Thomas Lam shared his gratitude
for the Y. “I am thankful and appreciative
for what the Y stands for in our community,” he said. “The young generation has an
opportunity to participate in formal programs such as basketball, swimming, and
other activities that they can truly enjoy.”
Phyllis Murphy, former YMCA executive director, was also awarded and her message to the community was to get involved
and support the Y because it is important
to give back. “We want children, families
and the rest of the community to have an
opportunity to take advantage of what the
Y offers,” said Mrs. Murphy.
“We’re nothing without the support that
everyone has given to the YMCA,” said
CEO Valarie Gomez. “We are so grateful
for each and every individual who chose
to show up and support our community
wholeheartedly today.”
Music and entertainment was provided
by Marini Music.
Alhambra - Not all real estate agents are
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Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers
currently under contract. Copyright © 2012
10 Questions to Ask Before
You Hire a Real Estate Agent
04/2015
ACADEMIC NEWS AROUND ALHAMBRA
Rotary Club members receive certificates of appreciation from the Board of Education for their Teacher MiniGrants program. From left: Dr. David Snyder, chairman and past president; Lorraine Simpson, president;
Linda Wong, member; Adele Andrade-Stadler, board president; and Chris Paulson, New Generation Rotary.
27A
Alhambra High School teacher Jayson Pineda displays his Rotary Teacher Mini-Grant award that will fund
mixed media and glass mosaic projects.
Rotary Club of Alhambra awards teacher mini-grants for 23rd year
The Rotary Club of Alhambra
awarded 40 Alhambra Unified
School District teachers with
mini-grants at the Feb. 17 school
board meeting. The Rotary’s
Teacher Mini-Grants program,
now in its 23rd year, provides
cash grants up to $200 for innovative classroom projects that
are not paid for by the District.
Applications are judged on a
competitive basis with 64 teachers applying this year.
Since receiving their award
checks, the teachers have gone
shopping for their projects. “I just
purchased eight sets of K’NEX:
Intro to Bridges for my students,” said Monterey Highlands
first-grade teacher Gary Ho, a
first-time grant winner. “My
students are so excited to begin
the project of building and investigating what makes each bridge
successful. They are currently
building the seven different types
of bridges using the instructions
given. Their challenge after the
first build will be to successfully
design and build a bridge on
their own based on what they
discovered from the first build as
being good designs. The groups
have been working out great, and
the students are using the 4C’s
(communication, collaboration,
critical thinking, and creativity),
which we focus on in Common
Core. It will be exciting to see the
students’ own bridge designs at
the end.” Mr. Ho is grateful to
the Rotary for this opportunity
given to his first-graders as well as
future first-graders.
An egg incubator was purchased by Stacy Yoshida, Monterey Highlands second-grade
teacher, to show students the
beginning of the life cycle of a
chicken. “Students will be able to
see chickens growing inside their
eggs as well as hatching. They will
get to hold and care for the baby
chicks,” Ms. Yoshida, a first-time
winner, said. “This grant is a
wonderful asset for teachers.”
Nichole Doggett, Granada
second-grade teacher, purchased
several small Lego sets. “I wanted
to do a project to help students
learn how to read and follow
directions, which is a skill that
many of my students have
struggled with and is a vital skill
to be successful in the future. The
students will read the directions
and build the sets, and then they
will create their own directions to
build an original creation. I am
very grateful to the Rotary for
supporting this project and giving my students this opportunity
to learn in a way that is outside
of traditional learning methods,”
Ms. Doggett, another first-time
winner, said.
Board President Adele Andrade-Stadler and the Board of
Education recognized members
of the Rotary Club of Alhambra
>> see TEACHER MINI-GRANTS Page 28A
Summer Academy and Camp
June 8 - Aug�st 7
All New Summer Excitement!
check it out at
www.emmauslutheranchurch.org
28A
04/2015
Front row, from left: Asst. Supt. Dr. Gary Gonzales; Supt. Dr. Laura Tellez-Gagliano; ELAC Mascot; board
President Adele Andrade-Stadler; ELAC President Marvin Martinez; Alhambra Councilmembers Barbara
Messina and Steven Placido, D.D.S.; Professor Julie Benavides; Career Tech Coordinator Judy Huffaker;
Lynn Wood; and Reyna Avina-Hernandez.
Back row: ELAC Vice President Dr. Richard Moya; Northrup Principal Stacie Colman-Hsu; Director Brad
Walsh; Director Michelle Yamarone; Student Ambassador Luis Ponce; Asst. Principal Janet Perales; and
ELAC Support Staff.
Northrup Instructional Specialist Dr. Ana Escobedo and the ELAC Husky meet students to take them to the
new GO Northrup College and Career Readiness Center.
Northup School opens ﬁrst College
and Career Readiness Center
At its Annual 8th Grade Parent and
Student Information Night on Jan. 21,
Northrup School presented guest speaker
Principal Duane Russell of Alhambra High
School. Mr. Russell spoke to the eighthgrade class of 2015 about how to connect
to school in order to strive for success.
Northrup eighth-grade teachers Angel Hong, Audrey Martin, and Phillip
Vi had students generate questions
they had about high school. Questions
ranged from campus logistics to co-curricular sports and activities.
Northrup School Site Council
Chairperson and eighth-grade parent
Mrs. Susan Chau appreciated the event
and said: “Meeting and hearing from
Principal Russell at Northrup was especially helpful to people who are intimidated by the large crowd in a huge high
school auditorium. It was comforting
to hear positive encouragement from
the person who we entrust our children
with daily for the next four years.”
Northrup will continue to offer this
annual meeting in an effort to further
bridge student and their families to the
high school.
TEACHER MINI-GRANTS From Page 27A
and the Rotary Club of San Gabriel
Valley New Generation with certificates
of appreciation at the board meeting.
This year $7,310 in mini-grants were
awarded, making the total donated to
the District more than $182,000 since
the program’s inception.
The funds for the mini grants were
provided by the Rotary Club of Alhambra, Rotary Club of San Gabriel
Valley New Generation, The Alhambra,
Republic Services, Trans Tech Engineers, Denis Kerechuk, and Beggxis H.
Lieberg, D.D.S
Congratulations to the following
2015 Mini-Grant awardees:
I. Tran, Rose Jong, Nichole Doggett,
Stephanie Cohen, Kristina Esau, Lisa
Vuong, Stacy Yoshida, Pam Wong,
Kassondra Larsen, Gary Ho, Khanh
Nguyen, James Hamilton, Lisa Jones,
Dave Batti, Phillip Vi, Cristina Diaz,
Maria Gonzales, Miami Yang, Jose
Sanchez, Nicole Hasenbein, Carlos
Sanchez, Daniel Hyke, Steve Gewecke,
Shelly Gee-Ryan, Jayson Pineda, Mayela
Del Rio, Ana Dacaret, Mindy Schofield,
Jeron Carr, Fazeelat Dhala, John Mason,
Robert Johnson, Joan Lee, Huong
Tran, Katy Burkhart, Nicolas Nguyen,
Jennifer Wright, John Martin Ulloa,
Angie Juarez, Kathleen Doyle, Bonita
Sharma-Ngan, and Jennifer Quan.
04/2015
29A
School registration for the
2015-16 school year now open
The Alhambra School District announced that registration for the 201516 school year is now open. Registration
packets are available at school sites or on
the district Web site at www.ausd.us.
Parents and guardians are required to
bring original documents to verify the
San Gabriel freshman Iris Zhou uses her team’s prosthetic arm in the “relocation task” to move objects on the
table to the bin during the MESA Day preliminaries at CSULA.
The San Gabriel MESA team with their haul of awards from the MESA Day preliminaries, which took place
March 7 at CSULA.
San Gabriel dominates at
Mathematics Engineering Science
Achievement Day preliminaries
The 59 competitors from San Gabriel
High School shuffled onto the bus early
in the morning on March 7, careful not
to damage their projects. They never
imagined that they would be taking home
most of the awards later that day. Fifty-five
medals and 20 ribbons were earned by San
Gabriel students at the Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Day
preliminaries that took place at CSULA.
San Gabriel, competing with more than 20
schools, placed first or swept first, second,
and third in almost every category.
San Gabriel received 21 medals in the
math portion of the competition. The categories were algebra I, algebra II, geometry,
trigonometry/pre-calculus, and calculus.
There were also teammath events in which
the school excelled.
“The team worked hard all year long,”
adviser Nicolas Nguyen said. “The results
showed the effort that San Gabriel MESA
brought in this year.”
One of the defining successes of this
year’s MESA day was the EggXpress event.
The project requires students to make a safe
domain for eggs to be dropped into from a
five-story building; the objective is to have
as many unbroken eggs as possible. San
Gabriel’s MESA club had not placed in this
event in the past four years. However, two
teams took second and third place this year.
Freshman Cindy Chau and her partner
sophomore Aaron Ly placed second.
“My partner and I were really surprised;
I’m glad that our hard work paid off,”
Cindy said.
The prosthetic arm is another event
among the seven project competitions,
in which students construct a prosthetic
arm with a budget of $40. The team must
present an academic poster and complete
a series of challenges with their arm; these
challenges include moving objects from
one area to another and screwing in nuts
and bolts in the preliminary round. Of
the five teams that San Gabriel brought to
the competition, three made it to the top
three. The team consisting of senior Janette
Nguyen, Lu Yue Wang, and Lillian Zhou
placed first overall. “We were overwhelmed;
I didn’t think that we would win,” Lu Yue
said.”Hard work and team work helped us
get [first place].”
Ribbons were also awarded; six were
given to San Gabriel for creative mousetrap
car design and 14 in the prosthetic arm
category for their academic poster and
the device’s performance. All competitors
who placed will advance to the regional
competition at the University of Southern
California on April 25. If one of the three
prosthetic arm teams that San Gabriel will
be sending receives first place at regionals,
the team will then advance to state.
This article was written by Carolina Garcia, junior, Opinions Editor, The Matador,
San Gabriel High School.
parent or guardian identification, the
residence address, the student’s birthdate,
and proof of immunizations.
The Transitional Kindergarten program is available for any child who will be
5 years old between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2.
30A
04/2015
Celebrated conductor
visits Alhambra Honor
String Orchestra
April 30, 2015
Renowned conductor and violinist Dr.
Yvette Devereaux visited the Alhambra
Middle School Honor String Orchestra
in February and conducted a clinic for
the student musicians, bringing her own
compositions and arrangements. Her
conducting career is widespread and
includes appearances at Carnegie Hall, the
Conductors Guild Institute, Juilliard, and
the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with the
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
“The students greatly benefitted from
her presence and experience as an outstanding violinist, performer, educator,
and conductor, who is devoted to helping
young people develop their talents and
gain exposure to the arts,” said Janet Jones,
director of the orchestra.
As a violinist, Dr. Devereaux has
performed and recorded in both jazz and
classical groups, as well as with prominent
pop artists. She was a regular member of
the Gerald Wilson Jazz Orchestra and performed and recorded with Nancy Wilson,
Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Natalie
Cole, John Clayton, Celine Dion, Aretha
Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Alicia
Keys, among others. Dr. Devereaux is also
an active advocate for music education and
contributes much of her time to helping
students in underprivileged communities,
as well as throughout the United States, to
gain musical exposure and experience.
Dr. Devereaux earned a masters degree
in music from the Peabody Conservatory of
Music (John Hopkins University) and her
bachelor’s degree from Chapman University. She holds a doctorate in Philosophy from
Felton University. Dr. Devereaux teaches
private students and classes at the South
Pasadena Music Center & Conservatory.
The Alhambra Middle School Honor
String Orchestra is composed of dedicated
Dr. Yvette Devereaux has conducted at Carnegie
Hall, Juilliard, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
string students from the 13 elementary/
middle schools in the Alhambra Unified
School District, who meet as an ensemble
once a week. These students have been
playing their instruments from two to five
years or more. They will perform a concert
in the spring at Alhambra High School
auditorium, along with the Middle School
Honor Band, directed by Dave Batti, and
the Alhambra High School Stage Jazz band,
directed by Mark Trulson. This year the
spring concert will be at 7 p.m. Thursday,
May 7.
“We were indeed honored to have Dr.
Devereaux visit our Honor Orchestra and
offer her time, expertise, and music. Since
we also enjoy learning and playing a variety
of musical styles, including jazz and improvisation, she was appreciated both as a jazz
and classical violin virtuoso. It was a fun
day for music,” Director Jones said.
Dr. Yvette Devereaux conducts a clinic for the Alhambra Middle School Honor String Orchestra in February.
From left: Dr. Yvette Devereaux, Orchestra Director Janet Jones, AHS students Lavinia Chen and Adam
Russell. Lavinia and Adam help Director Jones with the orchestra.
04/2015
31A
Alhambra Latino Association to honor Supt. Laura Tellez-Gagliano
The Alhambra Latino
Association’s
Annual
Scholarship Fundraiser
Dinner and Dance will
take place May 1 at Al-
mansor Court. This year,
Supt. Laura Tellez-Gagilano, Ed.D, will be honored
along with five scholarship
recipients from Alhambra
Unified School District
high schools.
Tickets are $50 per
guest; RSVP by April 24.
After April 24, tickets will
be $60.
Please make checks
payable to the Alhambra
Latino Association, C/O
Helen Padilla, Granada
Mark Keppel High School’s FBLA contingent before the awards ceremony at the Mission Valley Section Conference.
AUSD SCHOOLS WIN FBLA From Page 1A
won 77 plaques in 30 events, ultimately taking first place in sweepstakes
with a lead of 32 plaques over second
place winner Gabrielino High School.
Sweepstakes awards are based on points
for each event won.
“[Our chapter] did extremely well this
year, since we took first against two-time
champion Gabrielino High School,”
adviser Qui Nguy said. “I think this is the
first year [we’ve ever] taken first place in
sweepstakes and in the Alhambra Unified
School District in general.”
The Mission Valley Section Conference took place at Magic Mountain
with 450 participants from 15 high
schools and two middle schools. The
students spent all day attending intense
workshops and fiercely competing in
30 individual and team events, with
topics ranging from Insurance and Risk
Management to Job Interview, to qualify
for the State Leadership Conference in
Santa Clara on April 9-12. Forty-three
San Gabriel FBLA members successfully
advanced to state where they will get a
second opportunity to represent San
Gabriel and the district.
Other AUSD high schools also
competed: Mark Keppel placed fourth
School, 100 S. Granada
Ave, Alhambra 91801.
Phone 626-308-2419
for information.
Scholarship applica-
tions are available on
www.alhambralatinoassociation.com and are due
March 6.
The Monterey Highlands FBLA team with their awards from the Mission Valley Section
Conference.
and Alhambra placed eighth in Chapter
Sweepstakes. Mark Keppel took a team
of 25 students and brought home a
combined 18 top 10 awards, advancing
17 students to the State Leadership
Conference. FBLA advisers, Gladys
Baca and Cynthia Fillpot, were proud to
accompany the students and witness their
accomplishments.
During the months prior to competition, the students prepared by attending
mandatory study sessions after school and
learning the material through self-study,
a practice they will continue till the State
Leadership Conference.
As a younger entrant, Monterey
Highlands Elementary School attended
the conference and competed against the
high schools and another middle school,
garnering a number of awards and winning first place in Middle-Level Chapter
Sweepstakes.
Monterey Highlands students won 12
individual awards and eight students will
be competing in the FBLA’s state conference in April. Monterey Highlands will
also be recognized at the April conference
for completing the FBLA’s Government
Awareness Project, Adoption Project, and
Go Green Project.
TOOTH SAVED
This example shows how Dr. John Chao saved a hopelessly
EASY COMFORTABLE VISIT and at a fraction of the
(individual results vary).
NEGLECTED TEET
Before
In On
TEETH RESTORED
This example shows how Dr. John Chao saved a severely
ONE EASY COMFORTABLE VISIT and at a fraction of th
(individual results vary)
DON’T SUFFER A DAY LO
SAVE TIME, SAVE MONEY and SAVE
according to the
CHICKENSW
Alham
(88

April 2015 Section A - Alhambra Chamber of Commerce

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