Caltech Engineers HIV-Fighting Antibodies P. 4 Thursday, February 19 2015 - February 25, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Kranz Career Day 2015 P. 16
elmonteexaminer.com Community News, Arts & Opinions Since 1996
New Bill May Require All Bicycle Riders to Wear Helmets BY TERRY MILLER
C
Adult School Holds ESL Graduation P. 17
SPORTS
Sierra Vista Montview League Legaue Champions over Duarte P. 17
Antonio Zavala Wins National Silver Gloves Championship Medal P. 17
ENTERTAINMENT Pasadena International Film Festival P. 11 Local Horn Players Join “The Four Tops” P. 12
While most cyclists on the road are very safety conscious, not everyone is happy with Senator Liu’s proposal that would mandate helmets for adults when cycling on city streets. - Photo by Terry Miller
New El Monte Police Chief McBride Quits Suddenly
Business Profile: Massage Envy Monrovia P. 19
IRS Criticized for Seizing Small Business Bank Accounts P. 20
EDUCATION
Westridge’s Summer Opportunities Fair P. 21
Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall Visits Arcadia High School P. 26
The City of El Monte announced Tuesday that the search for a new police chief is once again on, following the decision by Eric McBride to remove himself from the top cop position. Why? Only last week the city issued the following statement “We believe Mr. McBride’s experience, talents and public service record make him a perfect choice to lead the department,” said City Manager Raul Godinez II, who led the City’s search efforts. “Our interview committee not only was impressed by his qualifications and prior experience, but also by his community-focus, thoughtful insights, reputation for integrity and leadership style. It was this combination of traits that made him our top choice for the job.” The sudden about face was the result of quick thinking and alert community members voicSEE PG. 14
alifornia could become the first state in the nation to require all adults wear a helmet while bicycling, under a bill introduced last week. The approach by a local senator has already caused considerable controversy. Many who opposed additional legislation say it’s the wrong approach to bike safety-“We don’t support mandating helmet use because the name of the game (to promote bike safety) is increasing bicycling. And this type of legislation has been shown to do just the opposite,” the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition said. “We encourage helmet use but we’re not in favor of mandates,” it concluded. The California Bicycle Coalition opposes a helmet mandate for similar reasons. SEE PG. 27
Torch Academy Fires Up Kids
BY TERRY MILLER
BUSINESS
VOLUME 19, NO. 8
BY NICK KIPLEY
- Courtesy Photo
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“We don’t give up on these kids. They [eventually] have to. … Their pride gets torn down, but [we] build it back up.” Rather than this being a condensed swatch of dialogue from the Oscar Nominated film “Whiplash,” this nugget of dialogue comes from Sergeant Alex Martinez of the El Monte Police Department. And what he’s talking about isn’t teaching kids how to smash drums like Buddy Rich; Sgt. Martinez is describing an El Monte program whose strategies are aimed at helping teens to crush the indomitable pressures that come with growing up.
SEE PG. 15