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westcovinapress.com
THURSDAY, JANUARY 1- JANUARY 7, 2015
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VOLUME 3, NO. 1
Rose Parade Float Sculptors Cast a Spell on Parade Watchers BY TERRY MILLER AND JENNIFER SCHLUETER Today, January 1, 2015 makes the 126th Rose Parade where floats of every shape, size, color and sponsorship vie for your attention as they go down Colorado Blvd. We’ve all seen them, every New Year Day since the 1800’s in Pasadena. Yes, those giant floats that seem to magically come alive at 8 AM and proceed almost seamlessly through the 5 ½ mile route. The process to make these floats is a little awe inspiring to some and downright impossible to imagine to others. It takes weeks, perhaps months of preparation before even the fabrication can begin. Enter Dennis Midyett float sculptor who has been doing this for over 40 years. Mr. Midyett has a passion for his craft
Dennis Midyett, 63, has worked for all major float builders in Pasadena for over 40 years as a float sculptor. The sculptor is perhaps the most unsung hero of every float that is seen around the world on January 1 – Photo by Terry Miller
of sculpting the steel, fabricating the design from conception to reality. The process takes months of meticulous and precise workmanship than few parade go-
ers ever see. In fact, the art itself seems to be attracting less young sculptors which worries Mr. Midyett. “I hope it’s not a lost art…” he said. “The number of major spon-
sors has dropped and subsequently there are far less floats than ever. The cost, of course, is a major factor,” Mr, Midyett added. The art of float
sculpting in fact has been barely recognized in recent Tournament publications including the pricey 2015 Rose Parade Please see page 3
LASD Sheriff ’s Online Report Tracking System In December 2014, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department proudly launched the first ever Sheriff’s Online Report Tracking System (SORTS). A web-based software system accessible by citizens and law enforcement administrators on any Internet-enabled PC or mobile device. The system allows members of the public to report property-related crimes that occurred in the jurisdiction of the LASD online. Once the report is reviewed, a copy of the approved report is emailed to the reporting party free of charge. The application is user friendly and easy to navigate. The following types of incidents can be reported online: • Lost or stolen cell phones Please see page 6
Leondra Kruger Becomes Governor Brown Appoints California’s New Paid Sick Youngest Supreme Court Judge Leave Law Three to Los Angeles in 100 Years Widely Misunderstood, County Superior Court Spells Trouble for Small Businesses
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. recently announced the appointment of Keith H. Borjón, John A. Slawson and Anthony A. Trendacosta to judgeships in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Borjón, 55, of Whittier, has served as a supervising Please see page 5
- Courtesy Photos
California’s new paid sick law goes into effect January 1, but many small businesses don’t understand the law or its impact for their operations. Lonnie Giamela – a partner at national labor and employment firm Fisher & Phillips LLP – is counseling his clients to educate themselves and prepare. “Small businesses are going to be the most heavily impacted by this new statute, something most don’t even realize,” said Giamela. “There’s a real lack of clarity, so many small businesses are ignoring the new statute.
That’s a big mistake.” Giamela is seeing three primary misconceptions: 1. “I don’t need to comply until July 1, 2015.” There is no time to waste. California employers must post a new poster and distribute a new Wage Theft Protection Act Notice by January 1, 2015. Failure to do so may subject the employer to unnecessary penalties. 2. “Small businesses aren’t covered by the statute.” This is just wrong. Please see page 4
BY JENNIFER SCHLUETER Last Monday, Leondra Kruger was unanimously approved as the youngest justice of the California Supreme Court in almost a century. The 38-year old had been nominated by Governor Jerry Brown in November, and will be sworn into office by him on January 5, along with Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, who was confirmed as justice in August. Cuellar will replace retiring Justice Marvin Baxtor and Kruger will fill Justice Joyce Kennard’s seat, who had retired in April. Kruger was appointed by California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye; Attorney General Kamala Harris;
and Joan Dempsey Klein, “presiding justice of the second appellate district division three,” who rated her “‘exceptionally well-qualified,’ [which is] the highest ranking a judicial candidate can receive,” according to Courthouse News. Patch. com quoted former Assistant U.S. Solicitor General Benjamin Horwich, who had worked with Kruger: “She listens, she thinks, she listens, she thinks and then she listens some more.” Please see page 5