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Monday Edition of the
Monrovia Weekly ArcAdiA Weekly Monday, DECEMBER 17 - december 23, 2012 Volume xVIi, No. XXXXXI
Completion of Arcadia Gold Line Bridge Celebrated
Rosemead Postpones Hearing on Home Occupation Ordinance By Jim E. Winburn The Rosemead City Council on Tuesday deferred to its next meeting a public hearing for amending the city’s Municipal Code that addresses the licensing and operation of home occupations. The existing Rosemead Municipal Code currently does not contain provisions for home occupations, and the city said it has been receiving calls from residents who would like to set up a home business - and do it legally. The council’s next meeting date, which falls on Christmas Day, is cancelled, so the public hearing will be continued at the Tuesday, Jan. 8 meeting. The public hearing was postponed at the request of the City Council to provide additional time to review the proposed ordinance. Even though the council voted 5-0 to table any action on the Municipal Code amendment until the next meeting, Mayor Sandra ArPlease see page 2
El Monte Teams Up to Provide Winter Shelter for the Homeless Each year, as winter approaches and temperatures drop, people experiencing homelessness have a much higher risk of developing exposure-related conditions such as hypothermia and frostbite than the general Please see page 5
For commuters of the San Gabriel Valley, this freeway project could very well be the bridge of progress that many have longed for. Spanning 584 feet over the Foothill (210) Freeway, the Arcadia Gold Line bridge is the most visible
part of the 11.5-mile eastward extension project that leads through Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. Local media were treated to a tour and photo opportunity of this newly finished Gold Line bridge Wednesday morning from Newcastle Park in Arcadia.
El Monte Council Approves Contracts to Repair Damaged Sidewalks Build New ADA Ramps throughout the City The El Monte City Council authorized the award for construction of the 2012/2013 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) ADA Ramp & Sidewalk Project at a recent Council meeting. Currently there are numerous locations throughout the City with uplifted and damaged sidewalks, curb, and gutter sections and non-compliant ADA
pedestrian access ramps. Selected intersections will be upgraded with new ADA compliant pedestrian curb ramps, with staff estimating the project may include up to 186 new ADA ramps. The locations were identified in coordination with Public Works supervisors and surveyed by Engineering Division staff. Please see page 6
The $18.6-million bridge, completed on time and on budget, is only one element of the $1.2 billion extension project through the valley, according to Habib Balian, CEO of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority. And with full funding by Los Angeles County
Toys and Clothes Needed for Holiday Distribution to LowIncome Children
Measure R, Balian was quick to report that the civil project has been generous to the local economy. “Ninety-two percent of everything that is in this project is local,” said Balian. “It was not only big contractors, but small business.”
Foothill Unity Center’s Holiday Food Distribution and Angel Program has become a community tradition. Last year, almost 2,000 pre-qualified, lowincome families and 3,000 children received food, toys and clothes to help brighten the Holidays and stabilize the budgets of these families on the edge. On Sunday, December 16, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, the Center again will be distributing food, toys and clothes to almost 2,000 families and neighbors in need. But as food prices continue to go up and unemployment remains high, the Center is in urgent need of toy and clothing donations for the children we serve. Everyone is invited
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-Photo by Terry Miller
By Jim E. Winburn
FREE
Azusa Shootings Ruled Suicide
George Alva
Christine Alva
Barbara Alva
Three siblings found dead inside their burning home last week were facing eviction and apparently entered into a suicide pact following the death of their parentsaccording to authorities. George Alva, 53, Christine Alva, 47, and Barbara Alva, 49, all died after shooting themselves in the head, Los Angeles County
Department of Coroner’s confirmed. The bodies were discovered after an intense fire destroyed the home in which they lived. One man and two women, as well as two cats and two dogs, were found dead in Azusa after a fire was extinguished December 6. A variety of firearms was also discovered inside the home.
The fire occurred in a residential area of Azusa, just a few blocks away from City Hall, around 2:40 p.m. The Police Department received several 911 calls from neighbors reporting fire and the sound of popping noises, but no call from inside the house. By 3:15 p.m. access to Please see page 4