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County 'Clerical Errors' Nix Azusa Pet License Renewal Notices
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CITY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2015 - FEBRUARY 15, 2015 - VOLUME 2, NO. 6
Train Testing Underway Through Summer Along the Foothill Gold Line
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Arcadia Council Approves Highlands Land Projects BY JOE TAGLIERI
BY JOE TAGLIERI The "vast majority" of Azusa's 4,000 registered dog owners have not received annual license renewal notices because of an "IT error" by the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control Department, according to documents and officials at the Azusa City Council meeting on Monday. The aforementioned clerical error turned out to be the Animal Care and Control IT division's failure to include Azusa's zip code on the list for renewal notice mailings, which are supposed to go out five or six weeks in advance of license expiration. "The Animal Care Please see page 7
Arcadia Students Secure Spot in Science Bowl Finals U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz Monday announced that a team of high school students from Arcadia, won their regional competition for the 2015 National Science Bowl® (NSB) this past weekend and is advancing to compete at the National Finals in Washington, D.C., in April. This year marks the 25th time the national competition has been held. Please see page 5
- Photo by Terry Miller
p.m. near homes. Train testing will be conducted on the railroad tracks in Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. Foothill Gold Line rail corridor, in the cities of Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. During testing, construction will need to periodically take place during extended hours, from 3:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Operations that generate excessive noise will conclude by
9:00 p.m. near homes. As trains are active on the Foothill Gold Line corridor, remember the following to stay safe around trains: •Never walk on the train tracks •Never go around lowered gates •Obey all warning signs •Watch for trains from both directions For more information, visit www.foothillgoldline.org.
The Gold Line trains will be testing throughout San Gabriel Valley through the summer
Train testing for the 11.5-mile Foothill Gold Line light rail project from Pasadena to Azusa has started in earnest this month and will continue thru Summer 2015. Testing is currently taking place in the city of Duarte and portions of Irwindale, and will expand to the cities of Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia and Azusa over the next several months. As a result of the train testing, some construction activities will need to be
done during a second shift when trains are not occupying the tracks. Second shifts will be necessary periodically and will take place throughout the corridor. Second shifts will start at 3:30 p.m. and conclude by 11:00 p.m. All sound walls are now installed and the activities that will be performed during the second shift will generally be of low impact to the surrounding communities. Operations that generate excessive noise will conclude by 9:00
33rd Annual Black History Parade and Festival, Feb. 21 Celebrate black history, culture and achievements at Pasadena’s 33rd annual Black History Parade and Festival from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. The festive celebration includes one of the biggest and longestrunning Black History parades in California. Bring family and friends to enjoy upbeat parade performances and plenty of free post-parade fun and en-
tertainment. This year’s theme is “Our Heritage: The Bridge to the Future.” The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Charles White Park, Fair Oaks Avenue and Ventura Street in Altadena; then heads south on Fair Oaks Avenue before ending at Pasadena’s Robinson Park, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., where the festival takes place from 12-4:30 p.m. on the north side of the park on Ham-
mond Street. More than 70 entries will be featured in the parade, including the Wilson Middle School Marching Band, New Buffalo Soldiers, local dance and drill teams, car and motorcycle clubs, musicians, community dignitaries and City officials. Celebrity Grand Marshals are award-winning Please see page 7
The Buffalo Soldiers -Photo by Terry Miller
The Arcadia City Council on Tuesday voted to approve two controversial land development projects in the Highlands neighborhood. Members voted 4-1 and 3-2 respectively for the construction of larger single-family homes at 29 E. Orange Grove Ave. and 1600 Highland Oaks Drive that will replace existing homes built in the mid20th century. Mayor Pro Tem Gary Kovacic dissented twice, and Council Member Tom Beck joined him in voting against the Highland Oaks Drive project. Though a tad less emotionally charged than the council's last meeting on this issue Jan. 20, Tuesday's public hearing was equally packed with residents who aired their views about the city's priorities regarding residential land development. As the familiar theme for real estate debates in Arcadia and nationwide goes, the primary bone of contention came down to whether or not property owners' rights to maximize their investment and exercise freedom to build as they see fit should prevail over homeowner associations and residents concerned with maintaining a neighborhood's traditional aesthetic character while protecting neighboring properties' scenic views and privacy. This shaped the character of council members' remarks as they explained the reasoning behind their votes. "I see the structure at 1600 [Highland Oaks Drive] completely different Please see page 4