Duarte Gold Line Station

Location Sign Unveiled Jan. 30

Elected officials from Duarte, Monrovia, Los Angeles, and others were joined by representatives from the City of Hope, Duarte Chamber of Commerce, and the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension to unveil the Gold Line Duarte Station location sign in Duarte's "golden" sunshine Saturday morning, January 30. The location is on the north side of Duarte Road, west of Highland Avenue, across the street from the City of Hope.

Azusa Planning Commission to Hold

Second Public Hearing on Vulcan

Mining Expansion Plan Feb. 3

The Azusa Planning Commission will be conducting its second public hearing regarding the 1,000 page Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on the Vulcan Material Company's request for a Revised Conditional Use Permit and Reclamation Plan on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m.

The Planning Commission has also set a public hearing on the Vulcan DEIR for Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. At that public hearing, the Planning Commission will make its final recommendation to the Azusa City Council. Both public hearings will be held in the Azusa City Council Chambers at 213 E. Foothill Blvd.

Approximately 100 persons including over 20 Duarte residents attended the first public hearing on January 27. Of the 22 persons who addressed the Commission, approximately 80% of those spoke out in opposition to the plan.

Duarte is urging its residents to participate in this process and let their feelings be known through a variety of methods. First, all concerned residents are encouraged to attend the public hearings on the expansion and publicly address the Commission. Additionally, the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is available for public review through Feb. 5. The public can find and download Vulcan's complete submittal, all technical attachments and draft Environmental Impact Report on the official City of Azusa website www.azusalw.com. The City of Azusa will be accepting comments on the document through Feb. 5. Comments may also be submitted in writing to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by mail to: Conal McNamara, City of Azusa, Department of Economic & Community Development, 213 E. Foothill Blvd., Azusa, CA 91702.

Duarte Public Access (DCTV) videotaped the Jan. 27 Planning Commission meeting. The presentation can be viewed on DCTV Channel 3 on Charter Cable in Duarte, or on DCTV on the Web, at www.dctvduarte.com.

The City of Duarte has been following the process closely to ensure that this extremely tight review schedule still provides for a comprehensive and accurate analysis.

The proposed revised mining plan would substitute 80 acres on the east side of the Vulcan mining area, which are acres currently approved for mining, with 80 acres on the west side of the property right on the border of Duarte. This area directly abuts the City of Duarte and is only 0.6 miles from our Fish Canyon residential neighborhood. Residents can review the City of Duarte's various responses to the project and Duarte's most recent correspondence on the DEIR review process on the www.accessduarte.com website.

In 2008, the Duarte City Council established a $700,000 fund entitled the "Fight Against Vulcan Expansion" fund (FAVE) in response to the anticipated expansion plans by Vulcan and its potential adverse impact on Duarte residents.

For more information about the City of Duarte's Fight Against Vulcan Expansion activities, call Duarte Deputy City Manager, Karen Herrera at (626) 357-7931, ext. 221.

Duarte Sets Community Meeting Feb. 2

to Update Residents on Gang Suppression,

Intervention, and Prevention Programs

Duarte has set the second in a planned series of Neighborhood Watch community meetings to keep the public up-to-date on what the City is doing to suppress, intervene and prevent gang violence. The next meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. at Maxwell School Cafeteria, 732 Euclid Ave. The public is welcome to attend.

Duarte Sheriff’s Sgt. Tony Haynes, Director of Public Safety, Brian Villalobos, and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department gang experts will discuss recent gang and criminal activities as well as successful, effective efforts to curb violence. They will also provide an overview of the gang suppression, intervention, and prevention programs that the City and law enforcement are utilizing to help keep Duarte neighborhoods safe.

“Our number one priority is ensuring the safety of our residents. Curbing street gang activity and locking up the bad guys are at the top of the list,” said Villalobos. Since Dec. 1, 2009, Sheriff’s deputies have made 41 arrests, among them 8 of the identified top 10 gang members.

Assistant Sheriff Paul Tanaka and Temple Station Captain Joseph F. Fennell have committed to the City to focus enforcement on both Duarte Eastside and Duroc Crips gangs.

To bolster the effort:

• Four Operation Safe Streets (OSS) detectives have been assigned to the Temple Station, whose jurisdiction includes Duarte. Sgt. Ron Hester has been assigned to oversee the OSS detail.
• Hard core and active Duarte Eastside and Duroc Crips gang members are identified and when appropriate gang enhancement charges are filed.
• Temple Station is working with both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an effort to pursue federal charges against gang members.
• Monthly probation and parole searches are coordinated
• Monthly Duarte and Monrovia Area Gang Enforcement (D.A.M.A.G.E.) operations are scheduled to foster cooperation and intelligence sharing between the Monrovia Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department.

On the intervention and prevention sides, OSS detectives and Duarte Special Assignment Deputies are working with Parole and Probation officers to closely monitor parolees and probationers in an effort to keep them from re-offending. The City of Duarte is working closely with the Foothill Workforce Investment Board (FWIB) to employ at-risk youth and young adults. Since last Summer, more than 55 Duarte youths and young adults have been trained and placed in jobs through both the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (Cal-GRIP) program and other youth employment programs.

The many preventive programs that Duarte has instituted include youth mentoring programs, volunteer programs for middle school and high students, and sports and recreation programs. The Duarte Teen Center offers anger management classes, narcotics counseling and teen parenthood classes, and the City has coordinated with the Los Angeles Office of Education to establish a Youth Leadership program for all Duarte youths.

Duarte has recently submitted a Cal-Grip Grant to hire a Gang Alternative and Prevention Program Deputy Probation Officer who would work with the Duarte Unified School District elementary schools to identify and work with at-risk youth from kindergarten to sixth grade.

“The importance of the community’s role in helping to keep Duarte a safe place to live and work is vital,” said Villalobos. “We need the community’s help. Every Duarte neighborhood should be involved in Neighborhood Watch. It’s a program that works. We also want the public to know that if they have information about a crime, but may be concerned about ‘getting involved’, Duarte Public Safety has an Anonymous Tip hotline where they can leave a detailed message.”

The hotline number is (626) 359-5671, ext. 462. For information about starting a Neighborhood Watch program, call Aida Torres, Duarte Crime Prevention Specialist at (626) 359-5671, ext. 316.

Proposed Duarte Ordinance Seeks to Further

Deter Bear Pillaging of Trash Containers

It’s been two years since Duarte, in an effort to control pillaging bears, imposed an ordinance modifying the permitted time that trash containers may be placed curbside by residents of the hillside Duarte Mesa area. While the restrictions have proved somewhat successful in deterring trash day bear activity on the Duarte Mesa, it hasn’t stopped the bears from wandering further down the Duarte hillsides to other residential areas in search of trash day goodies.

On Jan. 26, the Duarte City Council will vote on expanding the area covered by the ordinance to include portions of the Hearthstone and Fish Canyon neighborhoods. Residents of those neighborhoods would also be barred from placing their trash receptacles that do not exclusively contain recyclable materials to be placed on any street, alley, highway, or parkway prior to 6 a.m. on the day of the regularly scheduled collection.

“Bears are now present not only in the Mesa area, but bears are now seen regularly in portions of the Hearthstone and Fish Canyon neighborhoods. The further incursion of the bears into other residential areas as they search for food presents an increased threat to the public health, safety, and welfare because of actual and potential bear-human interactions,” said City Manager, Darrell George.

According to the State Department of Fish and Game, removal of food sources is the only permanent, long-term solution to bears in residential areas that abut bear habitat.

If adopted, the amended ordinance would apply to portions of the Fish Canyon area of the City, specifically the 200 Block of Greenbank Ave., 200 Block of Bettyhill Ave., 200-300 Block of Melcanyon Rd., 100-300 Block of Opal Canyon Rd., 3200-3400 Block Tannencrest Dr., 200 Block Mountaincrest Rd., 3200-3300 Block of Shady Lawn Dr., 2800 and 3100-3500 Blocks of Brookridge Rd., 3400 Block of Fallcreek Rd., 2900-3000 and 3300-3400 Blocks of Deerlane Dr.

Also portions of the Hearthstone area of the City, specifically: 400 Block of Woodbluff Ave., 2500 Block Westvale Court, 2600 Block Sunnydale Dr., 2500-2600 Blocks Starcrest Dr., 10-90 Block of Crestview Court, 60-100 Blocks of Cedarwood Ave., 2700 Block Briar Summit, 50-300 Blocks of Las Lomas Rd., 40-90 Blocks of Westvale Rd.

For more information, call the City of Duarte, (626) 357-7931.

Mayor Finlay Cuts Ribbon at Duarte's

Sonic - Now Open 6 a.m. to Midnight

Duarte Mayor Margaret Finlay and Councilmembers John Fasana and Tzeital Paras cut the ribbon to officially open Duarte's Sonic Drive-In at a private party on Jan. 17. Franchise owners, friends and car hops, who insured everyone had a super sonic time, joined in the fun.

Above are Jazmine Jenkins, 18, of Monrovia, Christina Hoover, 26, of Pasadena, and Philip Greer, 19, of Monrovia going through their carhop training at Duarte's soon-to-open Sonic Drive-In.

On the right are: Jenkins; Jessica Zamora, 17, Monrovia; and Greer.

The new 1,760 square foot Sonic Drive-In will provide customers with a unique outdoor dining experience. Sonic's distinctive use of drive-in stall speakers allows customers to place food orders without ever leaving their cars. Carhops personally deliver orders right to the customers' cars. The Duarte location will feature 22 drive-in stalls, outdoor patio dining, and a drive-through.

Sonic hired 130 crewmembers for the Duarte location including cooks and carhops. It will open at 6 a.m. Monday, January 18.

Duarte State of the City/School District Talks

at Duarte Chamber Luncheon Feb. 2

Duarte Mayor Margaret Finlay will present her assessment of the State of the City and Duarte Unified School Board President Ken Bell will report on the State of the School District at a luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 2, presented by the Duarte Chamber of Commerce. The luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the City of Hope Cooper Auditorium, 1500 Duarte Rd. Tickets to the luncheon are $20 per person.

The Presenting Sponsor for the State of the City/School District Luncheon is The Gas Company and a Corporate Sponsor is Rutan & Tucker, LLP. Lunch is being provided by Villa Italia Ristorante.

For more information and reservations, call the Duarte Chamber of Commerce at (626) 357-3333, or you can reserve online by clicking here.

City of Duarte / City of Hope

2010 Rose Parade Float Wins

Past President's Trophy in Parade

City of Duarte/City of Hope float makes its way along Colorado Blvd. in the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade. The float, "Harvesting Good Health - Community Garden" was awarded a trophy for best use of floral and non-floral materials. It was the 37th annual joint entry by City of Duarte and the City of Hope National Medical Center.

With millions watching, Duarte's Tournament of Roses float entry proudly made its way down Colorado Blvd. accompanied by a banner proclaiming it the winner of the Past President's Trophy.

"What a thrill and a wonderful way for Duarte to kick off 2010," said Mayor Margaret Finlay who watched the parade on the street with family and friends. We're so proud of our collaborative effort with the City of Hope. The kids on the float are great representatives for our city."

The float themed "Harvesting Good Health" was the 37th annual joint entry sponsored by the City of Duarte and City of Hope National Medical Center. The float brought to life a fun-filled "Community Garden" patch of oversized fruits and vegetables in a colorful and whimsical setting. Plump melons, crisp asparagus, wholesome corn and fresh peas and carrots are ready to harvest and eat. It was designed and built by leading Tournament of Roses float builder, Fiesta Parade Floats.

Gardens of yellow roses and gerbera set the backdrop for floral displays of purple larkspur, yellow and white daisy poms with design clusters of green bells of Ireland, purple liatris, white monte casino and yellow sunflowers.

The watermelon was decorated in dehydrated parsley flakes and crushed green split peas. Ears of fresh corn were created with shades of yellow and gold strawflower petals. Carrots were decorated in actual dehydrated carrot granules.

Five pediatric patients from the City of Hope rode on the float: Michael Miyamoto, 16, of Walnut, Kelsy Lopez, 14, of Pasadena, Jessica Mastan 14, of Pasadena, Carina Melchor, 17, of Anaheim, and Raphael Forbes, 15, of Upland. The young patients were accompanied by City of Hope nurse Awa Jones, RN, BSN, MSHCN.

Staff from City of Hope, one of the world's leading cancer centers, along with residents and volunteers from numerous community organizations in Duarte, participated in decorating the float built by leading float builder, Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale.

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