Vol. 53, No.4
Serving the San Gabriel Valley Since 1966
January 28, 2015
Special Section
Local Events
Entertainment
Sports
Chamber
Temple City, San Gabriel, & ROSEMEAD PAGE 7
page 2, 3 Visit Car Culture at http://www.midvalleynews.com/
page 11
pages 8,9
page 4-5
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Shirpser School Mural Unveiling
by Arlene Bury El Monte
On a bright sunny morning Shirpser School students gathered to honor one of their own. Cynthia Facio, proud 6th grade winner of the mural competition, was all smiles as she and her family were honored at the unveiling of the mural she
helped to create. Principal Lorraine Torres served as the event coordinator. She introduced El Monte City School District Superintendent, Dr. Maribel Garcia, who reminded the audience of mostly fifth and sixth graders, along with parents and other community members, about the importance education.
Pictured: Students from Shirpser and a host of Officials Jessica Ancona, Maribel Garcia, Cathi Eredia, Roberto Cruz, Cynthia Facio, Roger Hernandez, Hilda Solis, Lorraine Torres, and Victoria Martinez. Courtesy photo provided
Dr. Garcia introduced guest speaker L.A. County Board Supervisor Hilda Solis. Solis, a resident of El Monte, explained to the students that the Board of Supervisors provides many services to the county that include health and education services and parks – specifically Mariposa Park. Solis presented Facio with a special recognition certificate and congratulated her on her mural accomplishment. El Monte City Councilmember Victoria Martinez also addressed the crowd. She spoke about the importance of the arts in education and how the mural was a good representation of that. Assemblymember Roger Hernandez, along with Shirpser School, served as host for the event. Hernandez visited the school last spring and shared his experiences of being a student there. He spoke to the stu-
dents about the importance of reading and education in his life. Hernandez asked students what they were proud of in their community and that sparked a lively discussion. He then explained to students that he wanted to give them a gift – this a mural. The theme of the mural contest was “Community Pride”. Each class submitted their top five entries and those were forwarded to the Assemblymember’s office. Hernandez selected nine honorees, and the winner, Cynthia Facio. He then commissioned muralist, Dolores Haro, to create the mural on the entrance wall of Shirpser School. At the mural unveiling, Hernandez recognized Facio along with nine other student honorees. He commented that many of the
mural entries included Mariposa Park, the Valley Mall, Guadalupe Church and the police department – all good representations of the “Community Pride” of El Monte. Other distinguished guests included EMCSD Board members Roberto Cruz, Cathi Eredia and Jessica Ancona. EMCSD Deputy Superintendent Kris Olafsson and Assistant Superintendant Mike Raymond were also in attendance. The event concluded with a ribbon cutting ceremony that included Facio, guest speakers and distinguished guests. Standing in front of the mural, they held an oversized pair of scissors, and cut the shiny green ribbon – a signal to all that the Shirpser mural is available for the community to enjoy.
Completion of Rail Crossing Underpass Celebrated
Past or Current Resident
by Paul Hubler El Monte
Officials gathered today to mark the completion of major construction on a fourlane roadway underpass and a two-track railroad bridge carrying freight trains over Baldwin Avenue, north of Valley Boulevard in the City of El Monte. “We appreciate the patience and support of the community as the Baldwin Avenue project was under construction,” said El Monte Councilwoman Norma Macias, Chair of the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) Construction Authority Board of Directors. “This project will eliminate crossing collisions and train horn noise and reduce vehicle congestion, queuing and emissions.” To construct the Baldwin Avenue grade separation project, workers used 1 million pounds of reinforcing steel, poured 12,000 cubic yards of concrete and excavated 93,000 cubic yards of dirt, enough to fill 11,600 dump trucks. The $76.7 million project was funded in partnership by Federal and state agencies, Los Angeles
County Metro and Union Pacific Railroad. Over two years of construction, 446 construction workers were employed, with 11% of construction costs subcontracted to small businesses. “The ACE projects are my top goods movement and safety priority and I am proud to champion them in Congress” said U.S. Representative Grace Napolitano, California’s senior-most member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Located on the transcontinental ACE Trade Corridor, the highway-rail grade separation is used daily by 18 freight trains, projected to increase to 40 trains by 2025 and to 59 trains if the route is double-tracked by the railroad. Once opened to traffic next month, the underpass will accommodate 28,000 vehicles a day. The Federal Railroad Administration has logged two train-vehicle collisions at the crossing over the last 10 years. “I am proud to support Federal investments in
projects like ACE. The jobs and improvements that come from increased infrastructure spending benefit our entire economy, which is why I support legislation that would establish a new National Freight Network Trust Fund for ACE and other freight infrastructure projects,” said U.S Representative Judy Chu.
Photo above: Officials join with the City of El Monte to celebrate the completion of major construction on the Baldwin Avenue Grade Separation Project. Photo to left: A train travels over the new Baldwin Avenue Grade Separation, a project completed by ACE under budget and ahead of schedule. The road is anticipated to be open to cars and pedestrians in the next few weeks.