Sierra
Madre
Thursday, January 22 - January 28, 2009 Volume 14, No. 4
WEEKLY
A Publication of Beacon Media, Inc: Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, Pasadena Independent, & Sierra Madre Weekly
www.beaconmedianews
.com
• 44TH •
Honoring Obama Report: Tapes Seized in Bribery Case
ANOTHER BIG EMPTY BOX By John Stephens
Just a few mont hs ago, on June 26th of last year, business-minded Monrovians celebrated the arrival of the town's newest big box store, the Circuit City on Huntington Dr. Now, a market crash and a Madoff later, the national electronics retailer decided on Friday to shutter all 567 of its stores nationwide. That translates into 34,000 jobs lost across the country - nearly 5,000 of those coming from the retailer's 75 California-based locations. At first, Circuit City had
By John Stephens
According to a story printed a recent edition of the Pasadena Star-News, Los Angeles County prosecutors have subpoenaed tape recorded phone calls from Piazza Developer Randy Wang which allegedly support his claims that Temple City City Council members solicited bribes and campaign contributions from him in exchange for cooperation on the troubled Piazza mall project. Beacon Media made contact with David Demerjian, head of the Public Integrity Division of the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office; however he had no comment at the time. When asked if that meant that the StarNews story was erroneous, Demerjian replied, “I didn’t say that”. Also, calls to the District Attorney’s office were met not with a refusal to comment, but with an insistence that they were “unable” to comment. Patrick J. Duffy, a senior partner in Monteleone & McCrory and the attorney
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Local Celebrations Honor Barack Obama's Historic Inauguration
THAT'S NEWS!
By Terry Miller Photos By Terry Miller
CONTROLLER ANNOUNCES PAYMENT DELAYS TO MANAGE CASH CRISIS
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estimated one million people attended Barack Obama’s Inauguration at the National Mall and along the inaugural parade route Tuesday to celebrate the swearing-in of the nation’s first black president in what was one of the largest-ever events in the nation’s capital. The Associated Press estimate of the crowd’s size was
If you've already abandoned your New Year's get fit resolution, then you'll have no use for our Healthy Living Section this week. Then again, if you've already abandoned your get fit resolution, you've got bigger fish to fry. Mmmm, fried fish....
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based on crowd photographs and comparisons with past events. On the National Mall, the crowd stretched nearly two miles — from the Capitol to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. On the local front, the crowds were not quite as large, but the mood was equally enthusiastic and emotional. Melody Soul Food on Washington in Pasadena hosted an all day party as well as All Saints Church who also marked this day with special events. At Melody Soul Food in Pasadena, owner Krikor Kalbakcian threw a huge party for guests complete with live music from JazzZone Network and two flat screen televisions to which most patrons were glued all morning watching the festivities in Washington DC. A buffet with all the trimmings
and images of Obama everywhere complemented the decor at Melody. Jeannette Owens, originally from Pasadena, said she just had to be at her favorite restaurant for this historic event. Now living in Palm Springs, Owens sported a number of Obama buttons as well as her Obama baseball hat while she enjoyed slight of hand performed by Danzure (also known as Magic) at her table. Danzure, appropriately enough, specializes in “Unreal Realities” at Hollywood’s Magic Castle, to which the illusionist compared the election of the first black American to the highest office in the land. His sent iments were echoed throughout the restaurant while guests feasted on some traditional soul food in honor of Barack Obama’s inauguration. In between replays on CNN, one guest, Rich Wallace, President of the Southern Cali-
fornia Black Chamber of Commerce popped in to celebrate with his Pasadena chapter. Wallace said, “I Hope people give him a chance and give it a little time. I hope people will be patient with all the promises made during the campaign. Luckily, Barack Obama was never too specific on what he would be doing. Nonetheless, people are expecting a great deal from one man. We need to be patient as a nation,” He concluded. While some were watching the reruns of the historic inauguration, Kimi Rhochelle, publisher of Urban Lifestyles Magazine in Palm Springs was looking for some Obama wear to take home. Local resident Carl Crosby stepped into the restaurant for lunch and found himself mesmerized by a Photoshop enhanced Abe Lincoln portrait with Barack Obama’s head
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State Controller John Chiang on Friday announced cash shortages expected in February will force him to delay some critical payments next month in order to preserve cash flow and protect payments the
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PORTANTINO REAPPOINTED AS CHAIR OF ASSEMBLY HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE Assemblymember Anthony J. Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) was recently reappointed by the
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MORTGAGE FRAUD JUMPS BY 45% Reported incidents of mortgage fraud in the U.S. increased by 45 percent on fewer loan applications
IRWINDALE’S READY PAC ISSUES PRODUCT RECALL
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After receiving notification from one of its suppliers, Ready Pac
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