Montebello News

Five City Hall employees lost their jobs and a hundred more received furlough days as city officials struggled Monday with plans to close a budget deficit of several million dollars.

Mayor Bill Molinari said while part of the city's lingering budget problem stems from decreased revenue, a good deal of it can be attributed to poor fiscal management by the previous council majority.

Councilman Robert Urteaga said the previous council majority did its best to stave off the current fiscal crisis.

Narramore said he has to yet to calculate an exact amount, but said the budget deficit is several million dollars.

Polly's Pies will conduct a fundraiser for Three Angel's Children's Relief, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping Haitian children Tuesday at the following locations:MONTEBELLO: 1322 W. Beverly Blvd., 323-722-6324. Whittier: 14136 E. Whittier Blvd., 562-698-0551. La Habra: 1050 S. Beach Blvd., 562-266-1350.

In 1771, the first San Gabriel Mission washed away during a flood. It was the fourth mission constructed in California and the first to be located in the Los Angeles area.

The Montebello Police Officers Association's Political Action Committee mailed out a four page folder stating their case for recalling Kathy Salazar and Robert Urteaga.

The MPOA PAC states: "For the past 2 years, Kathy Salazar and Robert Urteaga have put their Special Interest friends ahead of the community and your protection....Salazar and Urteaga wasted your tax dollars on forgiveable loans, awarded city contracts without a fair and open bidding process, and gave away millions to political contributors....Salazar and Urteaga DO NOT SUPPORT all Policing Efforts as they claim....so we strongly urge a YES Vote to Recall Kathy Salazar and Robert Urteaga."

MPOA Board of Directors

Thursday, Feb. 11, from 5 to 7pm at the Quiet Cannon Country Club, voters will have a chance to hear from the seven candidates who want to replace Urteaga and Salazar, who as of press time Wednesday had not yet confirmed attendance at the forum being organized by the Montebello Chamber of Commerce and moderated by the League of Women Voters of Whittier.

(Kathy) Salazar circulated a letter to the League (of Women Voters) and local media on Monday declining her invitation to the forum unless the format is changed to better suit a “Special election for the purposes of possibly voting me out of office.” She said the accusations of “several unethical acts” against her should be “aired at the forum.”

A California lawmaker is proposing to require all marijuana growers and sellers to be licensed by the state as a way to increase sales tax revenue. State Sen. Ron Calderon, D - Montebello, said he plans to introduce a bill requiring all legal and illegal marijuana businesses to register with the Board of Equalization, the state agency that collects sales tax.

Sen. Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) agreed to pay $600 in fines for not reporting a $189 gift from Medtronic Inc., $250 in golf fees from the California Telecommunication Assn. and concert tickets worth $300 from Verizon.

The sight and sound of police cruisers ended a large brawl that broke out in the 500 block of N. Montebello Blvd Sunday night.

The current owner of the Montebello Hills Oilfield, PXP, has plans to develop much of its landholdings into tracts of housing which it would sell off at a total profit of about $800 million in California. To facilitate this business plan the oil company has entered into an agreement with its subsidiary, Cook Hill Properties, LLC, a real estate consulting firm that helps large corporate owners develop land.

From PXP's perspective, wouldn't it be fantastic if its housing developments were boosted in value because of their proximity to such large beautiful "ecological preserves" or state parks? In Montebello, an East LA neighborhood, PXP has pursued the same exact strategy with its 480 acre oil field, asking for political approval to build a suburban sprawl of condos and Mcmansions by promising to set aside part of the land as a park.

Calderon, D-Montebello said Friday that his new bill - introduced Thursday - would double the amount of money appropriated last year. He also plans to amend it to allow the credit to be used for for the purchase of all homes, not just newly built ones.

"SB 913 would add an additional $200 million, extend the tax credit to 2010 and thus stabilize the housing market," Calderon said. "The continuation of this tax credit will create thousands of jobs. We're estimating 60,000 jobs and $400 million in state revenue."

A city official said Tuesday talks to settle a $30 million discrimination lawsuit filed by police officers have stalled.

Councilmember Robert Urteaga has said former Montebello chief Garry Couso-Vasquez was offered the job as interim chief. Couso-Vasquez did not return calls for comment.

Tiffany Miranda is a handful. The 5-year-old with black braids sits in front of her "Little Nemo" puzzle, but it doesn't hold her attention for long.

A recent editorial in the Pasadena Star-News advocates for a planned eastside extension of the Gold Line that would push the light-rail close to San Bernardino County.

Authorities are asking the public's help in finding an autistic Montebello man who went missing more than a week ago.

The general manager of a regional water district Thursday proposed cutting costs on a proposed recycled water line from Pico Rivera to Vernon but also impose a surcharge three years earlier than planned.

The changes would give the phase one project - from Pico Rivera to Montebello - a positive cash flow, Aguilar said.

Police Chief Dan Weast abdicated his position as the City's top cop this week amid pressure from a new council majority and a discrimination lawsuit brought on behalf of the department's rank and file.

A man was shot and dropped off at a local hospital Wednesday, police said. The man was shot at about 7:38 p.m. in the 100 block of W. Madison Avenue and then driven to Beverly Hospital, police said.

A $20,000 diamond ring was stolen from a jewelry store at the Montebello Town Center Tuesday afternoon, police said Wednesday.

A Southern California meat-packing firm has recalled some 864,000 pounds of ground-beef that might be contaminated with E. coli.