2009_02_26_Monrovia Weekly

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By Susan Motander

Defending Champion Wins Amgen Tour of California for Third Consecutive Year

pez and his brother Frank. Colasuonno was charged with Grand Theft by embezzlement with an enhancement of the charges as more than $100,000 was alleged to have been stolen. Colasuonno has been arraigned and after a preliminary hearing, a Superior Court Judge found that

there was sufficient evidence to face trial. As a condition of his release without bail, Colasuonno was ordered not to prepare taxes or create another LLC. Ernie Algorrie, the attorney who represents Paige Lopez, and his client spoke of the case earlier this week. “We

believe in the presumption of innocence until an individual until proven guilty,” Algorrie said. “But we also believe in civil redress for wrongs.” Lopez said that Colasuonno, as the Tax Doctor, started preparing his tax returns in the late 1990s. After several years of working with

Colasuonno, Lopez said that in approximately 2003 he mentioned to Colasuonno that he might be coming into an inheritance from his uncle. Later Lopez and his brother Frank realized that they would receive a total of $350,000 from the estate of his Fallout on 12

Shooting Raises Questions of Pasadena Police Procedures

Two Million Fans Across California Turned Out to Watch After nine challenging and epic days of cycling through more than 750-miles of scenic California roads, and a thrilling fight to the finish, Levi Leipheimer (USA) of A st a na wa s crow ned champion of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, solidifying a three-peat for the California resident. With a week-long total time of 31 hours, 28 minutes and 21 seconds, Leipheimer accepted the highly coveted title of race champion in front of massive cheering crowds in Escondido, which brought the race total to 2 million fans along the race route from Sacramento to Escondido. In a nine-day battle against the best field -Photo By Terry Miller

O

n Monday, February 23 L os A nge les Count y Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau announced that they have filed murder charges in t wo separate murder cases that occurred in the City of Monrovia in early 2008. Uriel Garcia, 24 years, of Monrovia was arrested and charged for the murder of Brandon Lee who was shot and killed in the 500 block of Almond in Monrovia on January 29, 2008. He is being held in custody without bail pending the trial. Murder charges have been filed on two males in

Monrovia Returning $280,000 to Taxpayers

Ameka Edwards is consoled by a friend as tears run down her face outside Pasadena PD Monday. Edwards was the driver of the -Photo By Terry Miller car in which Leroy Barnes was shot 11 times by Pasadena Police last Thursday afternoon.

Residents, ACLU Call for Independent Investigation Citizens March on City Hall Demanding Answers On Thursday February 19, at approximately 4:20 p.m., a Pasadena police unit with two officers pulled over a vehicle on Mentone just south of Washington in Northwest

Pasadena. What exactly happened for the duration of that traffic stop and the events that unfolded shortly thereafter remain in question, shrouded in mystery and police silence due

to the ongoing investigation. Initially, eyewitness accounts said Barnes was shot at least 7 times, despite being unarmed. But Pasadena police say otherwise. One witness,

Brandon Gardner, 24, claims he saw the whole thing and was adamant that Barnes did not fire any kind of weapon which the police initially alShooting on 18

Debunking the “Los Angeles Sprawl” Myth By Sir Eric Maundry

Amgen on 16

Arrests Made in Two 2008 Monrovia Murder Cases

Murder on12

By Terry Miller

Pasadena was the site of Stage Seven where fans witnessed Lance Armstrong,left and Levi Leipheimer race side by side.

News, Arts, Opinions and Community Events Since 1996

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2009 VOLUME 14, NO. 17

Fallout: A Victim of Monrovia’s Mini Madoff Speaks Out Paige Lopez, one of the Tax Doctor’s first victims, has stepped forward to tell his story. Mark Colasuonno who did business here in Monrovia as the Tax Doctor, preparing tax returns and suggesting investments for his clients, was held to answer in Superior Court for his actions regarding Lo-

THURSDAY EDITION

There is a big old debate going on over at a blog called Freakonomics (The Hidden Side Of Everything), which is run by the New York Times. One of its contributors is Eric A. Morris, who

apparently is a writer who likes to take on some of the bigger shibboleths of these here days. And judging by the vehemence contained in some of the responses to his article debunking the myth of “Los Angeles Sprawl,” it would appear that Mr. Mor-

ris has struck something of a nerve. The myth of Los Angeles as a wasteful low density sprawl that consumes vast tracts of land for little real purpose is pretty much at the heart of any justification for high density development,

Myth on 3

Monrovia property owners will be getting a break on next year’s tax bill as a result of the City Council’s vote Tuesday night. T he C ou nc i l vot ed u n a n i mou s ly t o ret u r n $280,000 to property owners. The sum represents the amount saved during construction of Monrovia’s new Public Library. Monrovia voters approved a $16 million bond issue in 2006 to finance the new library, taxing themselves that amount over the next 30 years to pay for both the construction and the bonds themselves. Construction began just months later and the building is now nearing completion, on schedule and $280,000 under budget. Monrovia’s Council voted Tuesday, Feb. 17, to put the $280,000 toward paying off the $16 million in bonds, reducing the principal and making it possible to reduce Monrovia property tax bills for one year by about $18 per residential property. Vacant and commercial properties will also receive a one-year taxpayers on12


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