Lady Highlanders ready for season See Sports Page 16
La Habra’s Independent Community Newspaper
www.lahabrajournal.com
No. 95437
August 28, 2014
Cities deal with drought
Welcome Back CLASS
By Jay Seidel La Habra Journal
Jay Seidel/La Habra Journal
Who’s ready for the school year? Second grade teacher Denise Olynyk readies her students at Ladera Palma on the first day back to school on August 19. Lowell Joint Schools returned to classes August 13 and the high schools returned August 11.
Heights warned of home burglaries By Jay Seidel La Habra Journal
LA HABRA HEIGHTS
Residents of La Habra Heights are being warned by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department to be on guard about an increase in daytime home break ins in the area. The burglars are described as conducting the knock-knock” type robberies, according to the LASD. They described that one person knocks on a front door and if there is no answer, they kick down the door or break in a window. LASD said that the strangers may ask for directions or if some fictitious person lives there. According to La Habra Heights Councilman Kyle Miller, “there was
a break in on Solejar, La Riata, and a recent one on the corner of Reposado and Hacienda at a house for sale.” No injuries have been reported. However, the robbers have made off with cash, jewelry and other valuables from the homes. Miller and an LASD spokesperson said that burglaries like this are not just happening in the Heights, but also Hacienda Heights and other neighboring cities. LASD suggests to homeowners that if a stranger comes to your door, do not open the door but speak through the closed and locked door, ask them what they want. Call 911
and report it. Do not pretend you are not home. Miller added that residents should take notice of any unfamiliar cars parked on the street or driving up and down the street. Unfamiliar people behaving suspiciously should obviously be reported. Miller added that he recommends residents join an active neighborhood watch program like Heights Watch. The LASD has reasons to believe that the burglers are members of a Los Angeles-based gang. Residents are urged not to confront the buglers and instead to call 911 and report any activity.
It’s not a secret that California is experiencing one of the driest seasons in history. This has caused many residents to look closer at their water and their water consumption. Shocking photos showing decreased water levels from lakes and reservoirs where many California cities draw their water from are at 50 percent of capacity. Further, show show how the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is substantially smaller this year. These images display just how serious these conditions are and the importance of conservation. Over the last several years, La Habra has moved to decrease its dependency on importing its water from these locations and increased its usage of groundwater, which comes locally or from the San Gabriel Valley basin. Since 2007 the city has spent approximately $28 million on moving away from imported water and just using local groundwater. Approximately 45 percent of La Habra’s water comes from the city’s wells. Another 45 percent is provided by the Whittier-based California Domestic Water Company, which draws ground water from the San Gabriel Valley. The remaining 10 percent is brought in from the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County, which imports its water from the reservoirs. “Nearly all of the water used in La Habra is ground water,” said Elias Saykali, director of public works for La Habra. He added that last year the city did not use any water from MWDOC and estimated that it wouldn’t use any this year either.
WHAT ’ S INSIDE THIS ISSUE Boys and Girls Club members win Taco Bell award.
WCHS participates in ALS challenge, with a purpose
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Change Service Requested La Habra Boys & Girls Club Teens (from left to right)
Marco Ruiz (in sombrero), Vincent Avelar, Seffani Castillo, Brett Simmons, Izzy Rodriguez
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