BALLOTS ARE HERE! PAGE 2 elmonteexaminer.com
Monrovia WEEKLY Temple MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014 - JUNE 29, 2014 VOLUME 19, NO. 25
Monday Edition of the
Business groups urge Metro to include Azusa to Claremont in Foothill Gold Line In a letter sent to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority today, the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership and thirteen chambers of commerce and organizations across the region urged the Metro Board to amend the Short Range Transportation Plan to include the Azusa to Claremont leg of the Gold Line Foothill Extension. The letter outlined the importance of an effective transportation network to the vitality of the San Gabriel region, citing the alleviation of traffic congestion and affordable travel alternatives for local residents as benefits of extending the Gold Line. “We are concerned that the Metro will not keep its promise to voters who approved Measure R to complete the Gold Line to Claremont,” commented Cynthia Kurtz, President and CEO of San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, “The completion of this project is vital to this region where nearly onefifth of Los Angeles County residents reside.” The letter indicates that the Azusa to Claremont extension is environmentally cleared and ready for design and build in 2017. The extension has the potential to be completed by 2022, a
BY SHEL SEGAL The Rosemead City Council will be deciding if it should ban the picking up and dropping off of passengers from city streets by tour and casino buses, according to a published report. This is because the city has been getting complaints regarding trash, safety issues and lack of parking, according to that report. If the council approves Please see page 3
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HSI’s rapid response team deployed to aid in search as for missing Arcadia firefighter intensifies Special agents assigned to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Rapid Response Team deployed Thursday morning to aid in the ongoing search for the firefighter missing in the Los Padres National Forest since
Friday. The 11 HSI special agents arrived at the search command post for Thursday morning’s initial briefing before being transported by chopper into the backcountry where the search effort is Please see page 8
El Monte police believe more victims could come forward in molestation case
Please see page 7
Rosemead considers tour bus ban
CITY
-Photo by Terry Miller
Police officers investigating the case believe there may be additional child molestation victims of a 20-yearold El Monte man charged with 14 criminal counts. Johnny Beserra III was arrested May 24 in connection with an investigation in which five alleged victims had been identified, according to a news release issued by the El Monte Police Department. He was charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office with 14 counts of lewd acts with a child, sodomy and oral copulation, according to police.
-Courtesy Photo
The alleged crimes took place at the United Pentecostal Church, where Beserra was a volunteer, or at El Monte Christian Academy.
135 Sarah Culberson returns as special guest for California Marijuana Philharmonic’s season opener John Williams & friends California Philharmonic tion, will introduce director plants found welcomes special guest Sar- Steven Spielberg’s powerah Culberson for its 2014 ful reenactment of an 1839 in Arcadia summer season opener John shipboard slave rebellion. Williams & Friends, which The score, composed by home takes place June 28 At Santa Williams, was nominated for ICE puts immigration hold on Arcadia resident arrested Arcadia Police Officers were dispatched to the 500 Please see page 9
Anita Race Track and June 29 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Culberson's gripping reading of ‘Dry Your Tears – Afrika’ from the epic film Amistad, in both the original Mende (a major language in Sierra Leone, and the native language of both Culberson’s African ancestors and many, if not all, of the captured slaves aboard the original ship Amistad) and the English transla-
both the Academy Award and Grammy for Best Original Score. “We are thrilled that Sarah Culberson is joining California Philharmonic for ‘Dry Your Tears, Afrika’ during our season opener,” said California Philharmonic Maestro Victor Vener, who idea it was to incorporate Sarah into the performance in order to make an even Please see page 4
-Photo by Terry Miller