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Ex-YMCA Employee Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Molestation
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INDEPENDENT THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11 - DECEMBER 17, 2014
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VOLUME 2, NO. 49
United States Air Force Thunderbirds to Headline 2015 Los Angeles County Air Show Air Show Announces Headliner, USAF Thunderbirds Jet Demonstration Team, Show Dates and Discount Ticket Sales
Hold on to your holiday hats! Air Show organizers announced today that the United States Air Force Thunderbirds Jet Demonstration Team will thunder across the skies of Southern California as the headlining act of the 2015 Los Angeles County Air Show. The Thunderbirds, along with an exciting array of thrilling jets, world-renowned aerobatic performers, and historic aircraft, will captivate fans and inspire both young and old March 2122, 2015 at Fox Airfield. Discount tickets are on sale now! Need a stocking stuffer or unique gift for that ‘hard to buy for’ person? Look no further - General Admission tickets are now available online and can be easily purchased via the Air Show website. Pur-
A 31-year-old former YMCA employee convicted of sexually molesting two young girls was sentenced today to state prison, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced. Matthew Aidan Pooley (dob 6/5/83) of San Pedro pleaded no contest today to two felony counts of lewd act upon a child in case YA090848. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark S. Arnold immediately sentenced Pooley to 10 years in state prison. Additionally, the judge ordered the defendant to register as a sex offender for life. Deputy District Attorney Sam Ahmadpour, who Please see page 7
- Courtesy Photo
Trainspotting in Arcadia – First Tests of Light Rail Between Pasadena and Azusa Start BY TERRY MILLER On Monday morning, Metro conducted the first of many clearance tests involving an actual Metro Gold Line train from Sierra Madre Villa to Azusa. The light rail project recently held a track completion ceremony in Azusa and this, now, is the next necessary step to propel the Gold Line towards Azusa next year.
Scores of people assembled at the corner of First and Santa Clara starting around 9AM to witness a historic moment in Arcadia’s history, the first time a train has been seen in Arcadia for decades. Due to several delays, the train didn’t actually arrive until around 1:30PM. Metro crews carefully inched the vehicle from Si-
-Photo by Terry Miller
erra Madre Villa to check for clearance at various spots using Styrofoam connected with duct tape to assess the clearance, particularly at station platforms. According to Doug Tesselor, Metro Chairman, the next 10 months will be devoted to testing the trains, next time under their own power. Monday’s test was unpowered and required the use of a semi-truck to pull the Gold Line train through Arcadia, Monrovia and into Azusa. The long and lengthy process is highly technical and requires a very large crew of men and women to assure that all stages of the rail line are secure, free of obstacles and most of all safe. The vehicle, a $4 milPlease see page 5
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Female Inmates Housed at Twin Towers Sew Blankets for 999 for Kids Program The holiday season is traditionally thought of as a time of charity and goodwill. With so many families and children in need, it’s challenging at times to find an adequate number of volunteering hands. That is, unless you take a peek into the blanket workshop at the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department Twin Towers Correctional Facility (TTCF). The female inmates housed at TTCF have been quite busy preparing for the 2014 Season. The Blanket Project came about in 2010 by Inmate Services Bureau Inmate Programs staff, in an effort to continue pro-
viding holiday gifts to children in need. Personnel realized children’s blankets would be an ideal gift; they can be fun and warm for kids to snuggle, as well as provide feelings of security and hope. At a time when inmates are likely missing Please see page 4
Obama Selects Los Angles Institute to Improve Access to Local Foods in Low Income Communities On Dec 4, on behalf of the White House Rural Council, six federal agencies joined to announce 26 communities selected to participate in “Local Foods, Local Places,” a federal initiative providing technical support to integrate local food systems into community economic action plans. The Youth Policy Institute in Los Angeles was one of the select-
ed communities that will receive technical funding to create a communitysupported agriculture program that can improve the health of low-income residents by increasing access to local foods, boost economic opportunities for farmers and producers in the region, and help revitalize distressed neighborhoods. Over the next two
years, the project will aim to increase access to locally grown, healthy fruits and vegetables for residents while boosting economic opportunity for farmers/producers in various neighborhoods in central Los Angeles such as Boyle Heights, Central City, El Sereno, Downtown LA and Monterey Hills. The Please see page 6