EL MONTE NEWS:
USCIS Proudly Welcomes Legendary Dodger Fernando Valenzuela as a New U.S. Citizen Pg. 12
ENTERTAINMENT:
EDUCATION:
‘9 to 5’: Sweet Revenge for the Working Woman
Pg. 20
Saint Mark’s Welcomes New Head of School
Pg. 9
elmonteexaminer.com
Your Voice, Your Community Since 1996
Thursday, July 23, 2015 - July 29, 2015
COMPLIMENTARY COPY VOLUME 19, NO. 30
Pasadena and Area Cities Give Rousing Reception to Special Olympians BY JOYCE PENG AND TERRY MILLER
The Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 will take place on Saturday, July 25, in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the only venue in the world to host two Olympiads (1932 and 1984), two Super Bowls (I and VII) and one World Series (1959). The star-studded show will celebrate the true stars of the Games - the athletes of Special Olympics with exciting entertainment, the Parade of Athletes and the culmination of the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron. Broadcast internationally by ESPN, fans around the world will be able to participate in this memorable start to the World Games! On Wednesday morning Pasadena hosted Special Olympics delegations, including athletes and coaches, from Namibia, Tanzania, and Singapore as part of the Special Olympics World Games
Host Town Program. In the days before the World Games begin Saturday, these delegations will be among more than 7,000 athletes from 177 countries that will be welcomed by Pasadena and surrounding communities. The delegations arrived at Occidental College on Tuesday evening, July 21, after going through a final health check at Loyola Marymount University. The athletes will be sleeping at Occidental College where they will also train in the mornings through July 24, before departing to their assigned athletic villages at USC and UCLA. Host Town Pasadena arranged the city celebration as The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics arrived in Pasadena on Wednesday, July 22. The Pasadena Unified School District Special Education Department/LEARNS provided
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Special Olympics Athlete Graziano Carrozzo, who represented Italy in the 2007 and 2011 games carries the torch into Pasadena Wednesday morning along with Kristine Krishtal who has served with the North Attleboro PD in Massachusetts – Thousands turned out to greet the athletes on the final leg. – Photo by Terry Miller
El Monte Searches for New City Manager Activists at Covina Council Meeting Warn of ‘Executive Trash’
BY NICK KIPLEY The citizens of El Monte are no strangers as to how executive recruiting agencies can prove to be an expensive stopgap that allow public officials the luxury of outsourcing their own duties. Earlier this year, Police Chief Danny McBride was appointed by such an agency on behalf of then-City Manager Raul Godinez II. Within two weeks of his appointment, however, Chief McBride resigned the role due to mounting public pressure over the would-be
top cop’s stance on immigration. This not only made the public distrust the administration, but it resulted in the brief yet expensive tenure of Interim Chief of Police Roger Johnson who, rumor has it, sent a series of letters that resulted in the scaling-back of the EMPD’s Air Support program. When the political dominos ceased to fall, Godinez resigned his position, and El Monte’s assistant city manager, Jesus Gomez, took his SEE PG. 12
Jesus Gomez.
- Courtesy Photo
Mountain View School District Offers Fun Summertime Family Excursions Providing fun and enriching family engagement opportunities is continuing this summer for students and families in the Mountain View School District (MVSD). Recently 100 Maxson Elementary School students and family members traveled to the Los Angeles Arboretum in Arcadia to attend the Pasadena Pops Concert. A trip recommended by the school’s Parent Action Team/School Site Council as one way to utilize Maxson’s LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan) funds for family engagement. The SEE PG. 13
Families from Maxson School had a great time at the Pasadena Pops Concert at the L.A. Arboretum. – Courtesy Photo