2013 10 03 rosemead reader

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Rosemead Reader

Thursday, OCTOBER 03 - OCTOBER 09, 2013

Community News, Arts & Opinions Since 1996

rosemeadreader.com

Former Bomb threats at Temple City Schools result in Arcadia cop arrest of TCHS student in North San Gabriel District seeking $97,000 in emergency aid attendance revenue from state busted for embezzlement of POA funds On Tuesday, September 24, 2013, investigators from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office obtained a felony arrest warrant for former Arcadia Police Officer Christian Blesch, 36, charging Grand Theft. The warrant was the result of an on-going criminal investigation into allegations that Blesch, a six-year employee of the department, feloniously stole money from the Arcadia Police Officers’ Association over a period of several months. Arcadia Police Department command staff became aware of the allegations in March of this year, and soon thereafter relieved Blesch of duty, placing him on paid, administrative leave – pending the outcome of the L.A. County DA’s investigation into the thefts. As of September 24, 2013, Blesch was no longer employed by the Arcadia Police Department. The District Attorney’s Office arranged with Blesch to voluntarily turn himself in upon issuance of the warrant and he surrendered to the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 2, 2013.

Sierra Madre looking at double-digit water rate increase

Volume 18, No. 40

Very warm and dry conditions will bring elevated fire danger to L.A. County Thurs.-Sat. Gusty Santa Ana winds predicted

Chief Business Officer for the district. The process could take 2-3 weeks, he said. The latest threats were called in as a bomb threats targeting two schools in Temple City on Friday morning. However, the

Very warm and dry conditions will bring elevated fire danger to So Cal. Single digit humidity readings observed, according to the National Weather Service On Thursday October 3, a strong upper level trough of low pressure will move southward into the Great Basin as an upper ridge builds off the West Coast. Dry northerly winds will begin to impact San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties Thursday afternoon and evening. As the surface high builds into Nevada, the flow will shift to northeast and

Please see page 19

Please see page 11

Deputies with a bomb sniffing dog search the campus of TCHS Friday morning. A 17-year-old student at the school was later arrested. The school district says it lost $97,000 in attendance revenue due to the threats which resulted in school closures. -Photo by Andrea Olivas

BY ANDREA OLIVAS & TERRY MILLER In recent weeks the collective nerves of parents of school aged children have been on edge as many threats of violence have been received to which much needed law enforcement

officers have to respond, taking them away regular duties. In those threats a suspect was arrested and is now awaiting arraignment on multiple charges of threatening to shoot students and police officers with an AK47 at schools in Duarte,

California is open for business

Government shutdown does not affect those seeking health care options

Monrovia and Arcadia. Additionally, Superintendent Chelsea Kang-Smith has requested $97,000 ( based on $32 per day per student) from the state Department of Education for an allowance of attendance for emergencies waiver, according to David Jaymes,

Museum education center breaks ceremonial ground Sunday BY TERRY MILLER

BY SHEL SEGAL Water rates are going up in the city of Sierra Madre. Just how much and how fast are still up for debate. As the City Council is looking at multiple plans – all proposing multiple double-digit increases – to shore up the city’s water Please see page 18

We consulted the White House website for details and this image appears on our screen. Image courtesy The White House

Members of City Council and the Education Center Foundation don hard hats Sunday evening for the time honored tradition of turning some earth signifying the beginning of the construction process. –Photos by Terry Miller

Tuesday was the day Covered California went into effect. At 8am Oct 1, the marketplace opened for

Arcadia City Council and the Arcadia Historical Museum Foundation performed a ceremonial

enrollment, more than threeand-a-half years after passage Please see page 12

ground breaking Sunday evening on the construction of a new Museum Education Center to be built between

the Arcadia Community Center and the Gilb Museum Please see page 10


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