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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2014 - MARCH 2, 2014 - VOLUME 3, NO. 8
Governor Brown, legislative leaders announce emergency drought legislation With California experiencing its worst water shortage crisis in modern history, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. last Wednesday joined Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez to announce legislation to immediately help communities deal with the devastating dry conditions affecting our state and provide funding to increase local water supplies. “This is a call to action. We must all do our part to conserve in this drought,” said Governor Brown. “The state is doing its part by providing immediate funding for drinking water, food, housing and assistance for water-conserving technologies,” said Governor Brown. The legislation provides $687.4 million to support drought relief, including money for housing and food for workers directly impacted by the drought, bond funds for projects to help local communities more efficiently capture and manage water and funding for securing emergency drinking water supplies for drought-impacted communities. In addition, the legislation increases funding for state and local conservation Please see page 5
Suspect charged in fatal shooting in Pasadena The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office formally charged JonJon Crummie with two felony criminal counts Wednesday resulting from the February 16, 2014 fatal shooting of Crummie’s girlfriend, Irais Acosta, female/Hispanic-19. The homicide occurred in the 1500 block of N. Raymond Avenue in the City of Pasadena. He allegedly shot Please see page 5
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San Gabriel man gets 26 years to life for stabbing Burbank man A judge sentenced a San Gabriel man to 26 years to life in prison Wednesday for stabbing a man more than 30 times near his Burbank home according to court reports. Jorge Ernesto Villalobos, 47, received his sentence from Pasadena Superior Court Judge Suzette Clover. A jury convicted him
Dec. 19 of the first-degree murder of 47-year-old Glenn Giles, which took place Feb. 26, 2008, near Giles’ home in the 3000 block of Joaqin Drive in Burbank, officials said. Giles was stabbed 32 times, officials said. Villalobos was additionally ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution.
Bill introduced to recognize Native American Day as State Holiday Assemblymember Roger Hernández (D – West Covina) announced Thursday the introduction of Assembly Bill 1973. AB
1973 elevates the recognition of Native American Day from a proclamation Please see page 5
Jazz Del Corazon starts fundraising gigs for musicians in need In southern California we are 8 inches below normal rainfall for this time of year prompting Gov. Brown declare a drought emergency. -Photo by Terry Miller
Metro’s Regional Connector Project receives full funding grant from the Federal Transit Administration Metro joined federal, state and local elected officials Thursday to announce the receipt of a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) from the Federal Transit Administration in the amount of $670 million to fund the $1.37 billion Regional Connector Project. “This agreement from the federal government to provided critical funding for this important gap in the regional system paves the way for major construction to begin later this year on the Regional Connector project,” said Metro Board Chair and Lakewood Councilmember
Diane DuBois. “This is an extremely important project that will benefit the entire region by connecting the Blue and Gold Lines through downtown Los Angeles offering passengers a one-seat ride from Pasadena to Long Beach and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica.” The Regional Connector Project completes a 1.9mile gap between the Metro Blue Line and the Metro Gold Line by providing a direct connection with three new stations planned for 1st Street/Central Avenue, 2nd Street/Broadway and 2nd Place/Hope Street in down-
town Los Angeles. “I was pleased to lead the charge earlier this year to ensure that Congress provided $130 million for the Regional Connector and the Purple Line Extension to the Westside. These funds are part of a longer-term financial agreement to bring $670 million in federal grants and a $160 million low-interest federal TIFIA loan to Los Angeles Metro,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein (DCalif.) “I would also like to acknowledge the voters of Los Angeles County who Please see page 2
The first recipient is Jerry Monteros, a local Pasadena sax and woodwinds player, who recently underwent a heart transplant procedure at Cedars Sinai. -Courtesy Photo
“I truly feel that we need to reach out to help our fellow musicians/singers. A lot of the time, musicians, who follow their passion, and do
not have a “day gig” to sustain themselves, struggle and some do not have insurPlease see page 3