West Covina Press - 02/17/2020

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Two Alameda CorridorEast Grade Separation Projects Recognized For Engineering Excellence Page 3

Marijuana Cultivation Search Warrants Lead To Four Arrests In Riverside Page 4

Go to WestCovinaPress.com for West Covina Specific News MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17 - FEBRUARY 23, 2020 VOLUME 8, NO. 7

IT’S POLITICAL DENIGRATION SEASON IN SAN GABRIEL Local and nationaly, it’s getting truly nasty and noxious

Assault Victim Cleared of Murder Charges in Orange County The Orange County District Attorney has dismissed murder charges against a woman who was assaulted by the man she ended up killing. New evidence discovered during the course of the investigation into this case revealed Amber Angelovic had acted in self-defense. On March 14, 2017, 21-year-old Amber Angelovic was charged with one felony count of murder and an enhancement of the personal use of a weapon for killing 32-year-old Derek Valentine inside Valentine’s Costa Mesa home. On March 11, 2017, Ange-

lovic and Valentine took an Uber to Valentine’s home after a night of drinking at a Costa Mesa bar. The two had been on one date prior to that night. She called 9-1-1 from Valentine’s bedroom to report that Valentine prevented her from leaving and began hitting her in the face and throwing her down. Fearing that she would be raped or killed, Angelovic said she grabbed a knife which she carries for personal protection and engaged in a self-defense drill she learned in a self-

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San Bernardino Mayor Accused of Sexual Harassment The accusers also said the public official had made illegal financial transactions

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OPINION BY PHIL SPACE STORY & PHOTO

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t happens every four years…political bullying, name calling and childish behaviors that hope to intimidate and influence and sway your vote. What do you get when you mix politics, desperation, and vitriol? Mudslinging. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines mudslinging as “making malicious charges (often false or exaggerated) or otherwise attempting to discredit an opponent, as in a political campaign.” By this very definition, the actions of San Gabriel Mayor Pu and Vice Mayor Denise Menchaca could qualify. A group of political operatives in San Gabriel, including Pu and Menchaca, are seemingly unhappy that incumbent councilman John Harrington promoted his across the board support in a series of postcards. They have raked in a local ‘newspaper/blog’ in an attempt to help them anonymously sling their mud. The problem is they began their mudslinging campaign on Facebook before enlisting help on this blog. https://www.coloradoboulevard.net/what-does-thissan-gabriel-candidate-stand-for/ Council Member Harrington has earned bipartisan endorsements, including key endorsements from State Senator Susan Rubio and L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. Additionally, The BizFed Pac, the West San Gabriel Association of Realtors, the San Gabriel Police Officer’s

Association, San Gabriel Fire Management Group, and the San Gabriel Police Management Group. Since the race is non-partisan, but voters are not, Harrington advertised his broad-based support directly to his constituents through a series of mailers highlighting key elected official’s endorsements to voters from their respective parties. His Cardinal sin, according to Menchaca and Pu, was informing his Democratic constituents that he had Democrat support and to his Republican constituents that he has Republican support. After reviewing the mailers, we found no deception. Several of Harrington’s supporters had notified him of the ongoing mudslinging effort. They captured screenshots in case one later deleted the posts from her facebook page. Disturbing and alarming rhetoric towards Harrington, includes such childish hatred as ‘red neck, Nazi, skinhead, KKK member,’ among other defaming salutations. When asked to retract the posts, Menchaca apparently stated: “everyone has a right to express themselves.” On an interesting and not so coincidental note, one of the operatives, happens to write for the very blog that published the misinformation. The blogs’s unnamed “Editorial Board” never contacted Council Member Harrington for comment, he contacted them once it was published, the ‘Editorial Board’ of this small piece has yet to respond to Harrington’s request.

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San Bernardino Mayor John Valdivia denied two recent accusations of sexual harassment made by some of his former employees who claim he belittled and mistreated them, according to multiple reports including NBC television. “The accusations stem from Karen Cervantes, Valdivia's former assistant, and Mirna Cisneros, a former customer service

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Foothill Gold Line to Host Community Open Houses for Light Rail Project from Glendora to Montclair Ahead of major construction beginning on the Foothill Gold Line light rail project late this summer, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority invites all interested parties to attend the upcoming community open houses to learn the latest about the project, meet the recently hired

Kiewit-Parsons design-build team and understand how and when construction may impact the neighborhoods along the corridor. Each station artist/artist team will also be available to discuss the public artwork planned at their city-specific meetings.

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