Monrovia WEEKLY monroviaweekly.com
Thursday, AUGUST 8 - AUGUST 14, 2013
Arcadia residents strive to recall 3 school board members BY TERRY MILLER In the wake of the firing of coach O’Brien at Arcadia High School, twelve alumnus , students and parents have joined forces in an intensive effort to recall AUSD Board members Kasy Kinsler, Cung Nguyen and Lori Phillipi. Heading the group who recently filed a “notice of intention to circulate recall petition” with the city of Arcadia August 6, is headed by Alumni Esmond Wei. Wei told the Arcadia Weekly that he believes the AUSD has been operating as a “closed door” operation for far too long and deems the board doesn’t listen to community members’ desires and is not acting in good faith. Wei said that he and scores of people in Arcadia feel strongly about the unsubstantiated allegations about Coach O’Brien which date back considerably. One issue at hand is a list of O’Biren’s alleged CIF violations that Arcadia High School formally sent to CIF Please see page 23
Marine reservist killed in Old Pasadena bar brawl 3 arrested for murder On August 5, 2013 at approximately 0050, Pasadena Police Officers responded to the 100 block of East ColoPlease see page 17
Volume 18, No. 32
Community News, Arts & Opinions Since 1996
Sierra Madre water issue is ‘perfect storm’
Sierra Madre’s Mira Monte Reservoir is expected to last at least 75 years. –Photo by Terry Miller
BY SHEL SEGAL With new water conservation regulations in place, water consumption by Sierra Madre residents dropped in the month of June by 18 percent, city officials said. City officials recently put in place water conservation rules along with new water rates for city customers to deal with the city’s water
shortage. Sierra Madre City Manager Elaine Aguilar said that while the rate and the conservation issues are separate, they have hit Sierra Madre at the same time. “It’s a perfect storm,” she said. “There’s water conservation and the need for water conservation. The second piece would be the water rate study that we’re in the process of drafting. Each
Sierra Madre water – What’s it all about? BY TERRY MILLER In an ongoing series, the in comes to Water rates and Sierra Madre Weekly is hop- the new restrictions? ing to get some answers to I haven't had much feedsome tough questions regard- back regarding water rates, ing the water rates, conserva- we have yet to complete the tion efforts and separate fact water rate study and thus from fiction. haven't made any proposIn an effort to do this, we als regarding new rates, so it asked every council person hasn't come up very often as some tough questions: Thus a topic in conversations with far, only John Capoccia has my constituents. I imagine responded: The following are that our citizens will be upset Capoccia’s responses to our that rates are increasing again, questions. no one ever likes increasing We will publish the other rates. You've heard some of comments as they arrive. City the things that people are upManager’s comments hope- set about. Here's a short list: fully will come later in the Bond debt - Why is are week. debt so high? What are people REALPlease see page 13 LY mad about in town when,
of the sessions is a different topic. That will pertain mainly to water rates, but conservation will be a part of that.” Aguilar added most people do not think of where their water comes from. “When it comes to water conservation I think that a lot of folks take it for granted,” she said. “There’s not a lot of thought where the water comes from when it comes
out. It’s automatic. We’re used to that. Our goal is to keep that, so when you go to your facet or to take a shower or cook dinner you’ve got water coming out of your tap.” In addition, Aguilar said the city of Sierra Madre is in a unique situation from the get-go. “Sierra Madre gets 90 percent of its water from groundwater, from aquifers
that lie underneath the city,” Aguilar said. “It’s not so common in this area to be so heavily dependent on groundwater. Other cities have more than one source of water. We have primarily one source of water.” She added surrounding cities have several ways in which they get water. “These other cities Please see page 9
Local agencies conduct ‘active shooter’ training at Pasadena school This week the Pasadena Police Department and Pasadena Fire Department in conjunction with the Pasadena Unified School District, have been conducting Active Shooter training at Washington Middle School in Pasadena. First Responders worked through mock active shooter scenarios that simulate the real problems associated with emergency response and the management of these high risk and dynamic situations such as a shooter in a school. Scores of police officers, firefighters, paramedics and PUSD officials wearing bullet proof vests initiated searches Please see page 7
-Photo by Terry Miller