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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2014 - DECEMBER 24, 2014
Arcadia Council Deals a Blow to Builders
Community News, Arts & Opinions Since 1996
Congressman Schiff Announces Federal Funding for Earthquake Early Warning System BY TERRY MILLER
BY LYNNE CURRY In a unanimous vote, the Arcadia City Council backed irate homeowners and dealt a blow to builders in the city seeking to tear down existing houses and replace them with enormous mansions. At a public hearing in its moderately filled chamber, the City Council agreed with the Planning Commission’s decision to uphold the ruling of the Highlands Homeowners’ Association (HOA) and rejected the developer’s appeal. The Highlands HOA’s Architectural Review Board Please see page 20
Moratoria Extended in Monrovia BY SUSAN MOTANDER
Volume 20, No. 50
azusabeacon.com
Sarah Culberson Fears for Family in Sierra Leone Ebola Region BY JENNIFER SCHLUETER
Congressman Adam Schiff (D¬Burbank) announced that Congress has included $5 million in funds this year towards the Earthquake Early Warning System during a press conference at Caltech Monday morning. – Photo by Terry Miller
On Monday morning Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) announced that Congress has included $5 million in FY 2015 funding bill, also known as the CROmnibus, for a West Coast Earthquake Early Warning
System, the first time Congress has ever provided funding specifically for the system. A limited system developed by Caltech, UCBerkeley and University of Washington, in conjunction with the United State Geological Survey (USGS), has already been deployed
Storms Bring Power Outages, Light Rainfall BY TERRY MILLER
At its regular meeting on Tuesday, December 16, the Monrovia City Council voted to extend its moratoria (correct plural of moratorium) on demolition and building permits through November of 2015. This extension of the original 45-day moratoria will enable the city to hold forums Dave Kelty digs out his driveway in Monrovia. – Photo by Terry Miller and other public meetings Dave Kelty, a retired land Street in Monrovia on revising the building Alhambra Firefighter, digs after last Thursday night’s codes for the city. Last month the coun- away; trying to get mud out rains on Dec.11. of his driveway on HighPlease see page 20 Please see page 17
and has proven that the early warning technology is sound. This $5 million in funding will allow those developing the statewide system to begin purchasing and installing additional sensors, build new stations, speed up the ShakeAlert system, and come closer to
deploying comprehensive early earthquake warning coverage throughout earthquake prone regions of the West Coast. "An earthquake earlywarning system is essential to save lives, reduce propPlease see page 17
Judy Chu Chastised for Interfering in House Ethics Investigation Concluding a probe it launched in March 2012 into allegations that Rep. Judy Chu tasked her official staff with campaign work while they were on the clock, the House Ethics Committee rebuked the California Democrat Thursday for interfering with its investigation, according to Roll Call, Capitol Hill’s daily newspaper. “Investigators learned a staffer had drafted a
“Everyone is at risk and more than 300 death cases! We are all scared,” Hindo ends his email from Sierra Leone to his sister Sarah Culberson in California. He had sent the email at the end of July asking Sarah for support so he could educate the people in his district and thus prevent the dangerous virus from spreading. In November alone, there have been more than 1,500 new cases in Sierra Leone. Before Ebola suddenly blew up on the news, Sarah Culberson, founder of the Kposowa Foundation (which builds schools in Sierra Leone) didn’t believe that it would become such a widespread, dangerous epidemic. She
memo for an August 2011 fundraising lunch at the direction of Chu’s legislative director. They also discovered a second staffer spent several hours sifting through emails to Chu’s campaign account that were sent in response to a 'military hazing' email.” That committee later determined Chu didn’t know about the improper work, and therefore had
A villager holds a bucket - a simple hand washing station - supplied by Hindo. - Photo by Hindo Kposowa
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