Temple Tribune CITY
Thursday, AUGUST 2 - AUGUST 8 , 2012
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Community News, Arts & Opinions Since 1996
81st Year of Garden of Goodwill in Sierra Madre New Landscaping to Enhance the Garden
BY JIM E. WINBURN lot resolution on Tuesday’s agenda, asking to extend Measure GG taxes for another five years, received no enthusiasm from council members after sampling an overwhelming discontent with the sugary-soda ballot initiative through public comments. Please see page 11
Legislators Urge Enactment of Bill to Prevent Youth Boot Camp Abuse BY ARIANNA LOCATELL After graphic videos were released earlier this year depicting youth boot camp instructors mistreating adolescents by verbally abusing them, forcing them to consume water until vomiting and inducing excessive fatigue by forcing them to carry tires around their necks, the Pasadena Police Department Please see page 4
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Volume XVII, No. XXXI
El Monte Officials Struggle to Sell Residents on Soda Tax After voting last week to place the Sugar Sweetened Beverage Tax measure on the November ballot, the El Monte City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution for an advisory citizen oversight committee that would recommend how these revenues would be spent. But an additional bal-
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Anthony Portantino -Photo by Terry Miller
Pasadena Officer Accused of Extortion BY TERRY MILLER A new formal complaint alleges Officer Okamoto had “attempted to extort a bribe from an attorney” according to documents received by this newspaper. Attorney Michael Kraut sent a letter of complaint to Chief of Police Phillip Sanchez on July 30 citing allegations that Okamoto attempted to get bribes from a defense council, Attorney Jeffrey Voll. In the complaint, Attorney Michael Kraut says Voll saw Officer Okamono on Dec 9, 2010 and the officer approached Voll about re-arresting his client’s father from a previous case). Voll apparently asked Okamoto under what authority he had to facilitate such a re-arrest. Okamotos’ response was “Hawaii Tickets” In the sworn declaration on July 23, 2012, Voll said “Okamoto advised me that he had worked with private defense lawyers who Please see page 27
Monrovian Kim Rhode Strikes Gold in London nabe, multiple contractors who had been renovating the school’s infrastructure a few years “messed the place up” (courtesy of Measure T funds), and actually cemented over vital irrigation systems and essentially cut off water supplies to the Garden of Goodwill. At a cost of about $30,000, Watanabe , with
BY TERRY MILLER Kim Rhode became the first American to win a medal in five consecutive Olympic Games Sunday when she received a gold medal in women’s skeet shooting. While reports vary as to her city of residency ( some say El Monte, others Duarte ) it doesn’t matter much to those in San Gabriel Valley who are very proud to have such an Olympian in their
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Arturo Garcia works on a landscaping project at Sierra Madre Elementary School to enhance the East entrance to the Japanese Pond which is known as the Garden of Goodwill. -Photo by Terry Miller
BY TERRY MILLER Sierra Madre School will celebrate the 81st Anniversary of the Garden of Goodwill at Sierra Madre School when school starts in a few weeks. In preparation for the pupils returning, Principal Esther Salinas requested Lew Watanabe’s landscaping expertise for a project to complete the eastside
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entrance of the school near the Garden of Goodwill he so lovingly restored years ago. Arturo Garcia, Watanabe’s 20-year employee, and another man have been laying the foundation for the landscaping for the past few days and are about ready to plant a cornucopia of native plants to enhance the natural beauty of the school’s archway to the Japanese pond. According to Wata-
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