INDEPENDENT glendaleindependent.com
Los Angeles Blaze Calls Building Codes into Question The fire that ruined buildings and snarled traffic in downtown Los Angeles last week may not have happened ten years ago. However, loosening of the building codes and the increasing importance on low-cost construction is putting Los Angeles and other areas at risk. “Taller and larger wood buildings are part of trend to relax fire protection provisions in building design and construction to reduce costs,” says Stephen S. Szoke, PCA senior director of codes and standards. “It saves on initial costs by using cheaper building construction than traditional non-combustible materials such as concrete, masonry or steel and puts buildings under construction at a greater risk of fire.” The model building code used as the basis for most city and state building codes is the International Code Council International Building Code (IBC). The 2012 edition of the IBC, limits the height of load-bearing combustible construction to four stories for residential construction. A building using loadbearing walls of combustible wood construction can have a total height of five stories if the building has sprinklers and at least the first floor is constructed of fire resistance rated noncombustible construction, such as concrete or masonry. But, a sprinkler requirement cannot protect the building and structures around if a fire breaks out during construction. Structures built with non-combustible materials prevent the spread of fire, even when a sprinkler system fails - as can Please see page 3
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2014 - DECEMBER 21, 2014 - VOLUME 3, NO. 50
Trainspotting in Arcadia – First Tests of Light Rail between Pasadena and Azusa Start
-Photo by Terry Miller
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 Sierra Madre Villa to check for clearance at various spots using Styrofoam connected with duct tape to assess the clearance, particularly at Please see page 5
Hillsides Holiday Adopt- North Hollywood Man Charged A-Family Program Aims to With Making Criminal Threats, Help 80 Families Killing Roommate’s Pet Rabbit Last May, the Galvan* family lost its apartment and was homeless for months. Mom Mary, a single mother, works at a minimum wage job to support her three daughters, ages 6, 10, and 12. The family never has enough
for basics, such as sturdy shoes for the long 2.5 mile walk home from school each day. The youngest daughter, Alexandra, suffers from anxiety, and finds comfort playing “pretend” Please see page 3
A 46-year-old man has been charged with killing his female roommate’s pet rabbit and threatening to do the same to her, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today. Deputy District Attorney Lou Holtz said Dimitri Diatchenko (dob 4/11/68) of North Hollywood is facing one felony count each of cruelty to an animal with a use of knife allegation and criminal threats. Case LA079901 was filed late yesterday. Arraignment is scheduled at 8:30 am on Dec. 30 in Department 100 of the Los Angeles County Su-
Domestic Violence Charges Filed Against TV Reporter Prosecutors have filed felony charges against a television reporter allegedly involved in two separate domestic altercations, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today. Deputy District Attorney Lou Holtz said Carlos Zapata (dob 7/23/63) of Sherman Oaks is facing two counts of injuring a spouse. Case LA079898, which was filed yesterday, also alleges one of the felony counts resulted in great bodily injury. Arraignment is scheduled at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 24 in Department 100 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Van Nuys Branch. Zapata, a local reporter for MundoFox 22, threw a flower pot at his wife’s head causing serious injuriesduring an argument on Dec. 3, the prosecutor said. After the defendant was arrested, the victimreported a Nov. 4 attack, which was the result of another argument, the prosecutor added. Please see page 3
Attorney Pleads to Smuggling Drugs into Jail
perior Court, Van Nuys Branch. Diatchenko killed the rabbit and made the threat on Dec. 7, after the victim said they should no longer be roommates, the prosecutor said. They had been living together for some time after their romantic relationship had ended. While the victim was out of the house, Diatchenko skinned the pet, cooked it and ate half of it while sending her step-by-step pictures of what he did, the prosecutor added. When she returned the defendant allegedly told her he would
An attorney pleaded today to smuggling $30,000 worth of heroin inside a greeting card he delivered to one his clients incarcerated in county jail, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today. Stephen Beecher, 63, returns to court on Jan. 27 for sentencing before Superior Court Judge Craig Veals in BA409719. The Sherman Oaks resident is expected to receive two years in custody in exchange for today’s no
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