Groundbreaking for new Duarte soundwall - Chamber Organizer

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JULY-AUGUST 2010 

Duarte View 

A bi-monthly community publication of the Duarte Chamber of Commerce, in its 90th year of service to the community. 

Groundbreaking 

for new Duarte 

soundwall 

From Mt. Everest to Route 66 

13 year-old mountaineer 

Jordan Romero named 

Route 66 Grand Marshal 

Duarte City and School District officials, along 

with Metro and Caltrans representatives, break ground for 

the long awaited soundwall on the north side of the 210 

freeway. 

Part two of the Duarte soundwall 

project on the north side of 

the 210 freeway broke ground 

on July 26 in a public ceremony 

on the Northview Intermediate 

School Field, 1401 Highland Ave. 

The long awaited sound wall has 

been needed since the freeway 

was extended to provide noise 

relief to adjacent Duarte schools 

and neighborhoods. 

The approximate half-mile 

project funded by Metro and constructed 

by Caltrans is slated to be 

completed including landscaping 

installation by Spring 2011. The 

14-foot high freeway wall will 

run between Highland Ave. and 

approximately 40-feet past the 

Duncannon bridge structure at a 

cost of about $2.3 million. The 

Duarte Chamber of Commerce 

P.O. Box 1438 

Duarte, CA 91009-4438 

firm of O’Donnell Construction 

Inc. of San Dimas has been 

selected as the project’s general 

contractor. 

In 2001, Caltrans completed a 

total of 6,381 feet of sound walls 

along 1.4 miles of the 210 freeway 

between Bradbury Ave. to Highland 

Ave. and from Bradbourne 

Ave. to Duncannon Ave. including 

a distinctive 140 foot poured-inplace 

concrete mural. 

What’s next after one has 

climbed to the summits of six of 

the highest peaks on the world’s 

seven continents? 

Jordan Romero, the 13 yearold 

mountaineer whose most 

recent conquest was Mt. Everest, 

will serve as Grand Marshal of 

the 15th annual Duarte’s Salute to 

Route 66 Parade on Sept. 18. 

“We’re thrilled that Jordan 

has agreed that his next climb 

will be onto the seat of a fabulous 

classic car to lead our Route 66 

Parade. Route 66 heralds the spirit 

of adventure which this young 

man embodies. He has followed 

his dreams to the highest peaks 

and his accomplishments are an 

inspiration to us all,” said Parade 

Chair, Lisa Magno, in making the 

announcement. 

Before he was 12, Romero 

had climbed five of the world’s 

highest mountains. He was only 

10 years and 12 days old when 

he stood on the summit of Mt. 

Kilimanjaro, in Africa, the first 

mountain in his quest to climb the 

highest peaks on all continents. 

Next came Mt. Kosciuszko in 

Australia; followed by Mt. El- 

Duarte’s entire 

Huntington Drive 

Street Pavement 

Project begins July 19 

Duarte’s Huntington Drive is in line for a major overhaul 

this summer. Repaving of the full length of the City’s main 

east-west corridor will begin on July 19 and is scheduled to 

be completed at the end of August. 

The $1.4 million project is being funded with $679,000 

from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the 

remainder with Proposition C and Proposition 1B funds. Silvia 

Construction, Inc. of Rancho Cucamonga, low bidder on the 

project at $1,418,381.28, will do the work. 

This is the most extensive street project for Duarte in years 

and a long delayed rehabilitation for Huntington Dr. which was 

last repaved 20 years ago. 

The work consists of the removal of 3.5 inches of the 

existing pavement surface, to be replaced with 1.5 inches of 

conventional hot mix asphalt and a cap of 2 inches of asphalt 

rubber hot mix. 

Work also includes the adjustment of the sewer manholes 

and water valve covers, the replacement of the traffic signal 

loop detectors, and the reestablishment of the painted striping, 

markings, and raised pavement markers. 

For more information on the Huntington Drive street rehabilitation 

project, call Engineering Division Manager Steve 

Esbenshade at (626) 357-7931, ext. 233. 

Jordan Romero, the 13-year mountaineer/adventurer 

who last May became the youngest climber to conquer Mt. 

Everest, the world’s highest peak, will be Grand Marshal 

of the 15th Annual Duarte’s Salute to Route 66 Parade on 

Sept. 18. 

brus, Russia; Aconcagua, South 

America; Mt. McKinley (Denali), 

Alaska; Carstenz Pyramid (Puncak 

Jaya), Oceana; and Mt. Everest 

last May, the highest mountain 

in the world at 29,035 feet. Only 

one mountain remains, Vinson 

Massif in Antarctica, for Jordan 

to reach his goal. Jordan’s team is 

scheduled to leave for Antarctica 

in December. 

“Rockin’ and Rollin’ Down 

Route 66” is the theme of this 

year’s parade. The celebration in 

honor of the historic Mother Road 

will feature antique and classic 

cars, marching bands, equestrian 

units, and hundreds of parading 

participants representing local 

schools, churches and community 

organizations. 

Heading the list of parade 

sponsors are the City of Duarte, 

City of Hope, Home Depot, and 

Sonic. Other sponsors include 

Duarte Elks Lodge, Frontier 

Hardware, Joe’s Place, Store 

America, and Wal-Mart. 

Following the parade, which 

starts at 10 a.m., the community 

is invited to attend the City’s 53rd 

Anniversary Picnic and Route 

66 Vintage Car Show at Royal 

Oaks Park, where among many 

other activities, people will be 

able to meet and talk with Grand 

Marshal, Jordan Romero. 

For more information, visit 

the parade website at www.duarteroute66parade.com 

or call (626) 

260-0993. 

www.DuarteChamber.com 

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• Duarte View Community NEWS 

July-August 2010 

Duarte High Interact Club 

providing summer service 

By Jasmine Castro, President of 

Interact, and Mario Contreras, 

Vice President of Interact 

The Duarte High Interact 

Club is a Rotary funded volunteer 

service club for students between 

the ages of 12 through 18 and is 

widely known throughout Duarte 

for their volunteer services. 

Our tenacious club usually 

runs between the fiscal school 

year, but this year we decided 

to take Interact to a whole other 

level. 

Why does volunteer service 

have to be confined to a specific 

time period? 

This summer we have participated 

in a variety of events within 

the Duarte community. 

We had the pleasure to be 

part of the 60th anniversary of 

Westminster Gardens and the 

installation of the new chamber 

board members for Duarte. 

We have also had the privilege 

to be involved in a new essential 

program that will help put Duarte 

back on the map. This program 

was inspired by a senior class at 

Alverno High School, but had a 

strong impact on one of its seniors, 

Chelsea Bond. 

Chelsea decided to take it 

upon herself and try to do something. 

She teamed up with Mike 

Kinney, fellow Duarte Rotarian 

and President of the Sierra Madre 

Fire Safe Council, resulting in the 

creation of a program called the 

Personal Emergency Response 

Team Ambassador Corps, or 

PERTAC. 

PERTAC is specifically designed 

to target and educate teenagers 

on emergency preparedness 

and above all, how to take leadership 

roles in a crisis. It is backed 

up by the Pasadena fire department, 

Caltech University, Alverno 

High School, and students from 

five co-ed high schools including 

Duarte High. 

The PERTAC summer class 

consists of classes Mondays, 

Wednesdays, and Fridays for 

about an hour and a half. 

We also participated in the 

first ever Pasadena Fire Department’s 

Teen Boot Camp Event 

which took place at the Pasadena 

Rose Bowl. This event teaches 

you Disaster Preparedness, Disaster 

Medical, Fire Suppression, 

and Light Search and Rescue, all 

of which are necessary skills that 

require training and experience. 

Following that event we received 

a CPR class which allows 

you to become CPR certified for 

one year. 

The following day, the students 

involved in the PERTAC 

classes also took part of First Aid 

training with the American Red 

Cross and received certificates 

that allow them to help in case of 

emergency for 3 years. 

We know that many people 

believe that a situation so severe 

will not occur in their lifetime. It 

may not, but what if it does? 

Southern California, itself, is 

home to hundreds of faults that 

will eventually cause the tension 

of the San Andreas fault to exert 

itself. 

This summer two Duarte 

members assisted this PERTAC 

program - Jasmine Castro, president 

of Interact, along with 

Mario Contreras, vice president 

of Interact. We entered the class 

one afternoon, not knowing what 

to expect. We thought the class 

would be pure lecture and, to be 

completely honest, boring. 

However, we were surprised 

by what we found. This class 

engaged us in such a way that it 

made us realize that we have to 

be prepared and that it is up to us 

to help others in an emergency 

situation. It also teaches you not 

to be afraid and to be ready to 

lead your family and friends to 

survival. 

We cannot express our gratitude 

for being able to attend and 

push this phenomenal program 

into writing a Student Handbook, 

which will hopefully serve as the 

base of a Summer class, taught 

here in Duarte. The lessons 

learned are priceless because in 

the long run, we can help save a 

life if a crisis does occur. 

As Margaret Vinci, man- 

ager of the Caltech Seismological 

Laboratory, said about the 

predicted big earthquake, “It is 

not IF it happens, it is WHEN it 

happens.” 

We must all be ready and 

prepared to face the obstacles that 

are in front of us. 

And as you read this you can 

do two things – disregard this article 

or take action and help make 

your future an easier one.


Hook’d ’n Book’d 

On Wednesday, April 21, at 

approximately noon, Deputies 

responded to a house on Random 

Lane near Maynard Drive 

regarding a possible burglary 

in progress. A neighbor had 

called Temple Station to report 

that two male Hispanics (15-20 

years in age) had gone into their 

neighbor’s backyard and that another 

male Hispanic was parked 

out front in a silver SUV. 

As Deputies responded to the 

call and approached the home 

the driver of the SUV sped off 

and managed to avoid capture. 

Meanwhile, City of Duarte Code 

Enforcement Officers had set 

up in the area to be an extra set 

of eyes; they spotted two male 

Hispanics running from the area 

of the potential burglary and into 

a house on Fairlee Avenue. 

Deputies contained the area 

and found one of the suspects (a 

juvenile who had an outstanding 

warrant and an open charge for 

possession for sales of methamphetamine) 

hiding in a rear backyard 

near Central Avenue. The 

other suspect (Male Hispanic 18 

After a nearly a two year 

delay, the result of grant funds 

being frozen by the state – and 

now released, work has finally 

begun on the City of Duarte’s 

Encanto Nature Walk Bioswale 

and Outdoor Nature Classroom 

project at Encanto Park. 

In 2008, the San Gabriel and 

Lower Los Angeles Rivers and 

Mountain Conservancy (RMC) 

granted $507,990 to Duarte for 

the project, following a planning 

grant of $150,000 in 2006. 

In addition to the ecological 

benefits of the bioswale, the 

nature walk and outdoor nature 

classroom will open up educational 

and recreational opportunities 

for visitors to the park and the 

adjacent San Gabriel River. 

“We’re very excited to be 

partnering with the Rivers and 

Mountains Conservancy. The 

Encanto Nature Walk is destined 

to be one of the jewels in the regional 

Emerald Necklace Project. 

The bioswale will filter the surface 

water from the park before 

it reaches the San Gabriel River. 

years old with a violent criminal 

history and recently arrested for 

vehicle theft and possession of 

methamphetamine) was detained 

inside of his house on Fairlee 

Avenue. 

Both suspects were booked 

for Residential Burglary. We, 

also, believe that these suspects 

are responsible for vehicle 

thefts, vehicle burglaries and 

residential burglaries in Duarte 

over the past few months. Both 

suspects were identified as Duarte 

Eastside gang members. 

Neighborhood Watch Works! If 

you see something, Say something. 

Please report all suspicious 

activity. 

For immediate Deputy assistance 

and dispatch call 

Temple Sheriff Station at (626) 

285-7171. To report suspicious 

activity to Duarte Sergeant 

Tony Haynes (626) 359-5671 

ext. 304. If you would like to 

leave an Anonymous Tip call 

our hotline at (626) 359-5671 

ext. 462. Please be ready to leave 

a detailed message. In English 

or Spanish. 

The entire project will serve as 

a valuable educational feature 

for one of Duarte’s most popular 

parks,” said Duarte Engineering 

Development Manager Steve 

Esbenshade. 

The 1,000 foot bioswale being 

constructed along the southern 

and western perimeter of the 

park will include interpretive 

signage, native landscaping and a 

small infiltration basin to manage 

storm runoff from the park. 

The project will also include: 

• A small outdoor nature 

center with interpretive displays 

and an outdoor classroom located 

at the south end of Encanto Park 

funded with $100,000 from 

Proposition A funds from Los 

Angeles County Supervisor 

Michael D. Antonovich. The 

City also contributed $20,000 in 

matching funds. 

• Nature trail with interpretive 

exhibits leading from the nature 

center along the west bank of the 

San Gabriel River to a view point 

located at the end of a berm which 

community NEWS 


Executive Committee 

Sandi Mejia • Ranchero Mexican Restaurant........................... Chairman 

Maggie Pezeshkian, DC • Duarte Family Chiropractic.. Chairman-Elect 

Bob Cruz • The Gas Co..............................................Past Chairman 

Elizabeth Bagwell • City of Hope...............................Vice Chairman 

Chet Beeton • Specialty Promotions, LLC.......................Vice Chairman 

Elisa Clifford • Southern California Edison Co..................Vice Chairman 

Debbie Gewertz • Old Town Sign Co............................Vice Chairman 

Board of Directors 

Leo Cabrera.........................................Cabrera’s Mexican Cuisine 

Ruben Cesena............................. RCS Heating & Air Conditioning 

Bernadette Chang....................................... Westminster Gardens 

Henry Custodia....................................................... Delafield Corp. 

Dan Lien....................................................Inland Community Bank 

Rona Lunde.................................... Jan’s Towing Service Co., Inc. 

Pat Miller.................................................. New York Life Insurance 

Lisa Montanez........................................................OneWest Bank 

Steve Nicholson............................................ Performance Nissan 

Anupama Shetty............................Dr. Shetty Golden State Dental 

Ronald Smith............................................... State Farm Insurance 

Staff 

Jim Kirchner...........................................................President/CEO 

Diana Burckhard................Director of Membership and Marketing 

Emely Carrillo...........................................Administrative Assistant 

Duarte View 

Volume XXVIII • July-August 2010 • No. 4 

Jim Kirchner......................................................................... Editor 

Diana Burckhard........................................................... Advertising 

The Duarte View is an official publication of the Duarte Chamber of 

Commerce. It has a bi-monthly circulation of 10,000 and is mailed 

to all residents and businesses of Duarte, Bradbury, and portions of 

surrounding areas. No portion of this publication may be reproduced 

without the expressed written permission of the Duarte Chamber of 

Commerce. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. Articles 

deemed of community interested and printed herein are received 

from many sources and do not necessarily represent the views of 

the Duarte Chamber of Commerce. 

For advertising information and rates, please call the Chamber. 

Deadline for articles and ads for the Sept.-Oct. issue is Aug. 26, 2010. 


P.O. Box 1438 • 1105 Oak Ave., Duarte, CA 91009-4438 

(626) 357-3333 • FAX (626) 357-3645 

www.DuarteChamber.com • Jim@DuarteChamber.com 

Duarte View • 

Priest, who has dedicated his life 

to rehabilitating gang members, to 

speak at Duarte Festival of Authors 

Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, 

the largest gang intervention agency in the country, and 

author of “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless 

Compassion” will be a featured speaker at the 8th annual 

Duarte Festival of Authors on Sat., Oct. 2. 

Los Angeles County is home to 1,100 gangs with nearly 

86,000 members. And once a gang member – or homie 

– decides he or she’s done with that life, they go to Greg. 

Homeboy Industries, started by Fr. Boyle in 1986 and now 

a national model, serves 8,000 gang members from 700 

different gangs. He has given his life to heal the wounds 

of former gang members, cool the violence and make jobs, 

not jail the goal. His love for the people he works with is 

palpable in his vivid stories of life in the barrio. “Tattoos 

on the Heart” is a treatise on the sacredness of each life, 

an astounding rebuttal to the idea that any one life matters 

more than another. 

The Duarte Festival of Authors, held annually on the 

beautiful grounds of Westminster Gardens, will feature 

more than 40 authors in talks, panels and book signings. The 

Festival is presented by the Friends of the Duarte Library. 

The event is open to the public and admission is free. 

For more information, call (626) 357-4151. Or, if interested 

in participating as an author, contact Pat De Rose 

at (626) 359-6413. 

Work begins on Encanto Nature Walk Bioswale Project funded 

with $507,990 grant from Rivers and Mountain Conservancy 

projects into the river channel. A 

principal objective of the project 

will be to enhance connections 

between the park and the river. 

The City was able to get a 

head start on the river portion 

of the project last year utilizing 

$150,000 in Proposition A funds 

provided by Los Angeles County 

Supervisor Gloria Molina. 

Funds were used to remove 

a chain link fence and screen of 

non-native plants that had previously 

isolated visitors from the 

attractive river environment. The 

City involved at-risk youth in 

the project by contracting with 

the Los Angeles Conservation 

Corps. 

The Conservation Corps 

workers will also be employed 

to construct the river trail and 

viewpoint. 

America West Landscape, Inc. 

has been contracted by the City to 

construct the bioswale, 

nature center and outdoor 

classroom at a 

cost of $431,244.90. 

The entire project 

Father Gregory Boyle 

is expected to be completed this 

fall. Duarte’s street maintenance 

staff will provide long term maintenance 

for the project and will 

receive training for native landscape 

maintenance from Amigos 

de los Rios. 

For more information, call the 

City of Duarte (626) 357-7931, 

ext 221.

• Duarte View COMMUNITY NEWS 


Burrtec to now provide 

Duarte street sweeping 

The Duarte City Council 

approved Amendment No. 4 

to the Municipal Solid Waste 

Agreement with Burrtec Waste 

Industries on June 8 to add 

street sweeping to the list of 

services that they provide and to 

increase the City’s trash impact 

fee (“franchise fee”) to 12% for 

residential and 15% for commercial 

users. 

This amendment was the direct 

result of the City’s May 4th 

budget workshop and June 8th 

budget adoption, which looked 

to find cost savings and revenue 

enhancements aimed at reducing 

the City’s operating deficit. 

Having the street sweeping 

handled by the City’s franchised 

waste hauler will allow 

for more efficient coordination 

between the trash pickup and 

street sweeping schedules, as 

well as reduce the City’s General 

Fund deficit by approximately 

$74,000. 

The City’s increased franchise 

fees will generate approximately 

$130,000 in new revenue 

to the City yet Duarte’s trash 

rates will continue to remain the 

third lowest in the area. 

According to Burrtec representatives, 

the average Duarte 

resident or business will now 

see street sweeping services 

as part of their Burrtec billing 

statements and they anticipate 

an increase of approximately 

$1.35 per month for residential 

and $2.61 for commercial customers. 

There will be no change in 

Anthony Nevarez, Duarte Youth Council, National MR. 

LULAC with Bobby Ramirez, Stockton Youth Council, Man 

of the Year Award, parents, Enrique and Toni Cervantes. 

Duarte Council 3033 on the Convention floor. 

the sweeping service schedule 

with residential blocks being 

swept every other week and 

business areas weekly. 

The City is confident 

Burrtec’s “We’ll take care of it” 

philosophy in providing quality 

refuse and recyclables collection 

services to our residents since 

1996 will translate smoothly into 

keeping the streets clean. 

The City’s franchise fee 

had not been adjusted since the 

contract between the City and 

Burrtec was initiated in the mid 

90’s. 

Based on a survey of surrounding 

communities, revealing 

fees ranging from 6% to 

25%, Duarte was able to increase 

this fee and still remain on the 

lower end of the spectrum. 

For additional information 

on street sweeping services 

or refuse collection, contact 

Burrtec Waste Services at (800) 

325-9417. 

LULAC National Convention 

The League of United Latin 

American Citizens (LULAC) 

Duarte Council participated in the 

recent National Convention held 

in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

The six-day event was attended by 

seven members of the council. 

They heard speakers that included 

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, 

Secretary of the Interior Ken 

Salazar, Governor Richardson 

and Congressman Joe Baca. 

They learned about the many 

educational and employment opportunities 

available. 

Wal-Mart store was the diamond 

sponsor of the convention. 

LULAC Duarte Youth member 

Anthony Nevarez attended the 

3 day pre-conference leadership 

training institute held on the University 

of New Mexico campus 

which included community service 

at a local food bank. 

He was California’s candidate 

for the national Mr. LULAC title 

which was awarded to him at the 

Thursday banquet. This prestigious 

award was based on LU- 

LAC participation, community 

volunteerism and extra-curricular 

school activities. 

Anthony invites Duarte Youth 

to join the local youth council 

which meets monthly on the 

third Monday at the Duarte Youth 

Center. 

Work begins to 

upgrade Edison 

electrical system in 

parts of Duarte 

Southern California Edison has awarded a contract to Arizona 

Pipeline Company and work has begun on a project to upgrade the 

electrical system on Royal Oaks Drive and in the Fish Canyon area 

of the City of Duarte. 

The first leg of the project is on Las Lomas Rd. from Royal Oaks 

Dr. to Conata St. The second phase will take place on Royal Oaks Dr. 

from Las Lomas Rd. to Mel Canyon and from Mel Canyon to Fish 

Canyon. The third section of the project will take place on Central 

Ave., from Buena Vista St. to Saw Pit Wash. Construction is expected 

to continue through July 2. 

During construction there will be temporary “No Parking” signs 

posted periodically in certain areas, but residents will have access to 

their properties at all times. 

For further information, contact: Daniel Bouma, project foreman, 

at (909) 208-3903 or Scott Humphrey, superintendent at (909) 

208-3914. 

Anthony Nevarez, Duarte Youth Council, National 

MR. LULAC 2010, with his mother, Toni Cervantes. 

LULAC 

Duarte 

Chapter 

The League of United Latin 

American Citizens, Duarte Council, 

awarded 12 scholarships in 

June 2010 to both Duarte and 

Mount Olive High School students. 

The Duarte high school 

recipients include: Gonzalo 

Lozano, Jesus Rodriquez, Sergio 

Esparza, Joshua Miller, Cindy 

Oliver, Ariana Montanez, Lauren 

Cristiansen, and Erica Christiansen. 

The awards at Mount Olive 

high school were: Karla Alvarez, 

Edgar Zuniga, Maria Perez, and 

Faith Franco. We look forward to 

their continued success. 

These scholarships are made 

possible by the generous community 

support of the fireworks stand 

located in the Wal-Mart parking 

lot and the tireless 24/7 effort of 

LULAC members and other community 

volunteers. 

Eight members of the Council 

will be attending the LULAC National 

Convention in Albuquerque 

in July 11-18 where new national 

officers will be elected.


Moonlight basketball 

Saturday nights at Duarte 

High School gym 

COMMUNITY NEWS 

If it’s Saturday night, it’s Moonlight Basketball in Duarte, a program that has been 

growing more popular with local teens and young adults for more than a year. 

The community is invited to participate in Moonlight Basketball every Saturday from 

8 p.m. to midnight at the Duarte High School Gym, 1565 Central Ave. 

Moonlight Basketball program is targeted to young adults ages 17 to 25, but is open 

to anyone who would like to use the facility for fitness training, pick-up games, or to 

test their skill level against other players. 

Long time community youth advocate Tim Rhambo has been named to supervise the 

program under the direction of Duarte Parks and Recreation Department. The program 

was initiated in March 2009 by Rodney Jefferson who stepped down from the post in 

May. 

Further expansion of the program is underway with plans to incorporate two 3 on 3 

basketball tournaments during the year with Moonlight Basketball participants and bring 

in college coaches throughout the year to provide volunteer skills clinics. 

Moonlight Basketball is sponsored by the City of Duarte, and the Duarte Unified 

School District. For more information, call (626) 303-0863. 

Your Local Real 

Estate Agent... 

“Live & Work in 

your 

Neighborhood” 

*Mention this ad get 

$500 credit at Closing 

Alex Romo Automotive Repair 

Service 

Botanica Florist 

Buena Vista Chiropractic 

Burrtec Waste Services 

Cabrera’s Mexican Cuisine 

California American Water 

Church of the Foothills 

Complete Care Medical Clinic 

Delafield Corporation 

Dickson Podley Realtors / 

Rana Madain 

Duarte Cleaners 

Duarte Elks Lodge 

Duarte Tile & Stone 

Hayden Child Care 

Jan’s Towing Services 

Jasmine Cleaners 


Draft Development 

Code and Zoning Map 

available for public 

review and comment 

The City of Duarte has now completed a draft of its new Development Code 

replacing the current Zoning Code, originally adopted in 1965 and last updated in 

1991. 

At the June 7 and June 21 Planning Commission meetings the Commission 

reviewed the draft provisions for proposed zone districts, permitted uses, development 

and design standards and administration and implementation. 

A public workshop, at which the Planning Commission will be asked to make 

a recommendation to the City Council, is anticipated in July. 

Duarte citizens are invited to review the draft code and zoning map and share 

their comments. 

In 2008, the City of Duarte initiated an update to the City’s Zoning and Subdivision 

sections of the Duarte Municipal Code (Titles 19 and 18, respectively). 

The Zoning and Subdivision ordinances have not been comprehensively updated 

in more than 40 years. 

As a result of piecemeal changes and fixes over the years, these ordinances are 

difficult to use, lacking in flexibility, confusing to both the public and staff, and 

internally inconsistent. 

The current update process is intended to create a modern, streamlined development 

regulation that will attract economic development, result in high-quality 

construction, and serve as a functional tool. 

To assist with the process, the City hired the consulting firm of Hogle-Ireland. 

Since project start-up, at least nine workshops and community meetings have been 

held, including workshops on zone districts, hillside, parking, residential uses and 

sign related issues. 

Community input from these workshops has been incorporated into the new code. 

The Draft Development Code is presented as nine parts, referred to as “Articles”, 

and Draft Zoning Map. 

Copies of the draft Development Code and Zoning Map are available for public 

review at the City Planning and Building counter, as well as the City of Duarte 

public library. 

The accompanying draft Zoning Map reflects land uses and vision established 

by the 2008 General Plan. The draft document may also be viewed on-line 

from this link – http://www.accessduarte.com/GeneralInformation/latestnews. 

asp?NewsPage=454. 

For further information, please contact the Community Development Department 

at 1600 E. Huntington Drive, Duarte, CA, Monday through Thursday between the 

hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. 

This Duarte View issue is brought to you 

by these advertisers . . . 

Little Scholars Montessori 

Preschool 

Maryvale Day Care Center 

New Life Assembly of God 

New York Life / Patrick Miller 

Performance Nissan 

Ranchero Mexican Restaurant 

Royal Oaks Manor 

Rudy’s Plumbing 

Santa Anita Family YMCA 

Santa Inez Medical Clinic 

SCE Federal Credit Union 

Southern California Edison 

Senor Fish 

Sierra Autocars Inc. 

StorAmerica 

Westminster Gardens 

YBPC Medical Clinic

• Duarte View COMMUNITY NEWS 


The good fight: Azusa Rock’s 

layers of ambiguities 

By Neil Earle 

Just after midnight in the 

morning of July 7, 2010 the Azusa 

City Council reversed a June 21 

decision voting 4-1 to approve the 

Azusa Rock Quarry expansion. 

This project has heavily exercised 

citizens of Duarte and Azusa since 

December, 2009. 

It was a historic – if not 

ominous – decision for the City 

of Duarte as well as a defining 

moment for the careers of the 

present Azusa City Council. 

Azusa Councilman Keith Hanks 

made this clear by the dramatic 

tones with which he publically 

clarified his own decision. “This 

council is going to be chiseling its 

name in stone for a project we are 

going to have to live with,” Hanks 

opined. “We are going to own this 

one way or another.” 

The lone dissenting vote was 

cast by Azusa Mayor Joe Rocha 

who said he was “heartbroken” 

by the inability to preserve Van 

Tassel Ridge which towers over 

the Fish Canyon area of Duarte. 

Mayor Rocha, a former school 

principal in Azusa, has stated 

publically on more than one occasion 

that when he began his career 

only a few children suffered from 

asthma; when he retired most of 

them had it. In the end he stuck to 

his convictions and his campaign 

promises to live by the adage that 

common sense is often way ahead 

of science. 

The owner of Azusa Rock 

since 1999, Vulcan Materials, 

Inc., has contended throughout 

this seven-month discussion that 

“the project meets both state and 

federal air quality standards.” 

Perhaps. By some measurements 

at least. But here we run 

into Ambiguity Number Two. 

Ambiguity Number One is the 

claim by Vulcan that this latest 

development does not increase 

mining in the Foothills. Number 

Two is the well-documented 

spread of children’s asthma across 

the Foothills of the San Gabriel 

Mountains. 

“Worst Air in the Nation” 

Duarteans didn’t have to 

hear from the co-chairman of 

the Southern California Air 

Quality Management District 

(SCAQMD) on April 8 that they 

breathed the worst air in the nation. 

Anyone having to wipe the 

dust off their TV screens or their 

household appliances regularly 

already knows that. We live on 

the edge of a desert. Ward Archer 

of Azusa has testified relentlessly 

at each hearing that he has lived 

in Azusa for 63 years and only in 

the last 20 years has he not been 

able to recognize the color of his 

car in the mornings. Two Duarte 

City Council members have close 

family members suffering from 

asthma and respiratory related 

illness. 

But is this evidence only 

anecdotal? 

It turns out that there has been 

scientific data available to lend 

credence to the above claims. A 

retired Professor of Pathology 

from USC living in Duarte has 

authored a letter reporting on 

a massive study of 6000 (now 

8000) children living in twelve 

Southland communities over an 

eight year period going back by 

some counts as early as 1993. 

The nearest of these cities was 

San Dimas just down the 210 

Highway., the study conducted 

by the University of Southern 

California and the Air Resources 

Board of the California Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) 

has been available at 1-800-END 

SMOG (www.arb.ca.gov). A free 

DVD titled “A Breath of Air: 

What Pollution is Doing to our 

Children” is in line with what 

dozens of citizens have testified 

to these past seven months: 

* significant deficits in lung 

functions of children studied 

* exacerbation of asthma 

conditions and new onsets of 

asthma 

* great concerns about a rise 

in silicosis 

The USC’s retired Doctor of 

Pathology summarized that we 

are living in “a very complex environmental 

pollution situation with 

many physical and health-related 

unknown factors in play.” 

Concerned Duarte mothers 

such as Brenda Vanderloo and 

Marsha Johnson raised such issues 

time and again before the 

AQMD and the City of Azusa. Another 

Duartean testified on April 

8 that “federal air standards have 

not been changed in 37 years.” 

There is nothing ambiguous about 

the fact that Southland air is sick 

indeed and slowly getting worse. 

Perhaps the question should be: 

How will the Azusa Rock expansion 

help improve the health of 

Azusa-Duarte children? 

Sierra Club Weighs In 

Dr. Ian McMillan of AQMD 

– an attentive observer at these 

last two months of hearings-- 

confirmed the “landmark” nature 

of the EPA study, cited by 

his boss, Dr. Barry Wallerstein. 

Enter the Sierra Club. On July 6 

David Czamanske of the Angeles 

Chapter greeted some of the improvements 

made in the revised 

CUP but stood by Sierra Club’s 

five-fold recommendations of 

June 21: 

1. All mining to stop at Van 

Tassel Ridge and above Mountain 

Cove 

2. A management plan to be 

enacted for the protection of Fish 

Canyon 

3. Access to streamside trails 

improved 

4. All requirements of AQMD 

to be met—including on-site 

monitoring 

5. A fair demonstration to be 

made in advance of micro-benching 

on the east side. 

Running up to July 6, then, the 

AQMD was watchful; a doctor 

of pathology was concerned; the 

Sierra Club was nervous. Ambiguity 

Number Three was alluded 

to by Czamanske on the June 

21 meeting, an overtime protest 

which later earned a reprimand 

from Azusa Council. Czamanske 

challenged the very propriety of 

having this follow-up discussion 

of the project. “You cannot reconsider 

something you’ve already 

considered.” This may or may not 

be true (ambiguity within ambiguity) 

but the Sierra Club spokesman 

brought up an issue that City of 

Duarte attorney Jeff Melching 

feels is highly significant: the very 

speed of such a reconsideration of 

a proposal that was defeated by a 

3-2 vote on May 18. 

Right About Face 

Here is an issue that may 

well interest future historians 

of what is essentially an important 

environmental battle. The 

Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 

defeated on May 18 was resurrected 

as an issue by Councilman 

Uriel Macias at an interim 

meeting of Azusa Council which 

set a renewed public hearing for 

June21. Why did those who voted 

against CUP allow this proposal 

to be reconsidered so quickly? 

Duarte citizens and their allies 

at Azusa’s SaveOurCanyon.org 

felt “snookered.” At the June 

21 meeting Councilman Macias 

reported he had been in discussion 

with the Vulcan CEO at 

Birmingham, Alabama as well as 

their local officials. He estimated 

the CUP could be granted if it 

met his 14 amendments. These 

later became expanded to 16 and 

then 18. Duarte officials studied 

them as intensely as they could 

in the time allotted for significant 

rebuttals. 

Some of Macias’ concerns 

were: 

1. Moving from 40% to 100% 

micro-benching 

2. Mining to totally cease 

after 2038 

3. Proximity air quality monitoring 

on site 

4. Any environmental concerns 

mean Vulcan has to stop 

5. Preserving Van Tassel 

Ridge 

6. Need to consult with City 

of Duarte and Save Our Canyon 

Some of the eventual 18 conditions 

at least appeared to be 

met by the July 6 meeting, many 

did not. This matter was raised in 

writing by Duarte officials. One 

attendee at the meeting was heard 

to mutter under his breath: “God 

gave us Ten Commandments and 

we broke those; we’ll have to 

see about the 18 conditions.” A 

Duarte official opined that these 

fine details get lost once any 

project is up and running. Future 

students of this major environmental 

decision for the Foothills 

– and the subject is rife for future 

PhD projects, books, articles and 

investigative journalists – will 

perhaps wonder at the speed of 

the reversal, the surprising quickness 

of the Azusa City staff to be 

ready to come up with adjustments 

and compromises in “real 

time” at Council meetings while 

the audience cooled their heels. 

This is not to suggest illegalities. 

The central point of this July 6 

decision is that the one “make or 

break” issue in the mind of most 

Duarte participants – the preservation 

of Van Tassel Ridge – was 

not conceded by Azusa Rock. Nor 

did Duarte officials feel invited 

into the process. No ambiguity 

on those scores. 

Questions, Questions 

The City of Azusa is approving 

a project that has raised concerns 

from entities as diverse as the 

SCAQMD, the Sierra Club, Congresswoman 

Judy Chu, County 

Supervisor Mike Antonovich, 

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, 

the City of Duarte, Save our 

Canyon and Mayor Rocha himself 

plus a host of doctors, engineers, 

experts, geologists and educated 

citizens in Azusa and Duarte. The 

blunt truth is that this significant 

body of opinion has felt so elbowed 

out of the process. There 

has never been a sit-down series 

of meeting between the principals 

in the good old American style 

of compromise and negotiation. 

It is almost as if only two parties 

exist. 

How stunning, in retrospect, 

the comment by a visiting Vulcan 

executive at the May 18 meeting 

that “there seems to be an issue of 

trust” here. Yea, verily! Duarte’s 

mayor has alluded to the fact that 

this has not been a good decade 

for corporations. From Enron to 

BP and the mine disaster in West 

Virginia--the issue of corporate 

trust seems a large part of the 

background no one wants to 

discuss. 

During his often Hamlet-like 

utterances on the proposal, Councilman 

Hanks did at least illuminate 

the real issues with stunning 

candor. It was not so much the fact 

of the $67 million in community 

fees the City of Azusa stands to 

gain that remains in this reporter’s 

mind as the lingering residue of 

suspicion – like 5 o’clock smog 

clinging to these Foothills – it is 

that no one is exactly sure what 

Vulcan will do if thwarted on 

issues that really matter to them. 

Mr. Hanks said it bluntly on June 

21 and reaffirmed on July 6: If 

Azusa doesn’t let them “go west” 

to Duarte then they will turn east 

and scrape the hills over Mountain 

Cove as bare as a rock. 

No ambiguity here at least. 

As of this writing, there is 

a definite sense that no one has 

heard the end of this issue yet. 

Duarteans are well advised to stay 

interested and at least keep their 

AQMD number handy. That’s 

1-800-288-7664.


Azusa City Council 

approves new plan for 

Azusa Rock Project 

Media Release From 

Vulcan Materials Company, 

Western Division 

July 7, 2010 (AZUSA, CA) 

–Vulcan Materials announced 

that the Azusa City Council has 

approved the company’s Revised 

Conditional Use Permit, Reclamation 

Plan and Development 

Agreement for Azusa Rock. The 

new operating permit is the result 

of collaborative input from 

the City, community leaders and 

Vulcan Materials. 

“We are pleased that the City 

Council approved the new plan 

for Azusa Rock,” said Todd Priest, 

Vulcan Materials spokesperson. 

“Our company has a proven track 

record of working collaboratively 

with city officials, residents and 

civic leaders in the communities 

in which we operate. The plan 

approved by the City Council received 

broad support throughout 

the community.” 

Today’s decision by the Azusa 

City Council, combined with 

their decision on May 17 to approve 

the project’s Environmental 

Impact Report (EIR), allows the 

project to move forward. The 

approval of the EIR certified that 

the project identified, evaluated 

and addressed all potential environmental 

impacts. 

“The Azusa City Council has 

charted a new future for Azusa 

Rock. No longer will there be 

large benches that can be seen 

throughout Azusa and portions 

of the San Gabriel Valley,” said 

Priest. “The approved plan guarantees 

that no additional acres 

will be mined beyond our current 

permit, while ensuring extensive 

revegetation of the property and 

permanent access to Fish Canyon.” 

In a letter dated July 1, the 

State of California Department 

of Conservation, Office of Mining 

Reclamation, confirmed these 

project enhancements stating that 

this plan is “well thought out” and 

will provide “an environmentally 

superior alternative.” 

The 270-acre Azusa Rock 

site is located within the City 

of Azusa. The plan exchanges 

80 acres of mining rights on the 

east side of the property for 80 

acres of mining rights on the 

west side. Significantly enhancing 

the appearance of Azusa 

Rock, the project requires Vulcan 

Materials to replace the existing 

large benches with 12 to 24 inch 

benches that blend closely with 

the natural landscape. Additionally, 

the plan requires these small 

benches to be revegetated equal to 

100% of the native plant coverage 

that currently exists on nearby 

un-mined slopes. 

About Vulcan Materials 

Company 

Vulcan Materials Company, 

a member of the S&P 500 index, 

is the nation’s foremost producer 

of construction aggregates and a 

major producer of other construction 

materials. The company’s 

Western Division, which was 

formed when Vulcan acquired 

CalMat Co. in 1999, has more 

than 70 facilities in Arizona, 

California and New Mexico and 

approximately 1,800 employees. 

For additional information about 

Vulcan Materials Company, see 

www.vulcanmaterials.com. 


Media Release From 

the City of Duarte 

The Duarte City Council 

unanimously voted to commence 

litigation against the City of 

Azusa and Vulcan Materials Company. 

The vote was taken during a 

closed session of the Duarte City 

Council on July 22. The litigation 

will challenge the environmental 

review and entitlement approval 

process utilized for the Vulcan 

mine expansion project. The 

lawsuit also pertains to certain 

Brown Act violations by the City 

of Azusa. The City of Azusa gave 

its final approval to the project 

on July 19. It permits Vulcan to 

expand mining operations from a 

currently approved and partially 

mined 80 acres on the east side of 

its 270 acre property to pristine 

Van Tassel Ridge above Duarte 

homes and schools. 

Following the closed session, 

Duarte City Manager Darrell 

George read the following statement: 

City Manager’s Statement 

on Initiating Lawsuit 

to Challenge Azusa’s 

Approval of the Vulcan 

Mining Expansion Plan 

July 22, 2010 

For years, the City of Duarte 

has attempted to work with both 

Vulcan Materials Company and 

the City of Azusa to create a mining 

strategy for the Azusa Rock 

Quarry that benefits the citizens of 

the San Gabriel Valley. Well before 

the December 23, 2009, date when 

the DEIR was released, the City 

was monitoring the potential for 

an expansion project. In fact, the 

initial attempt by Vulcan to submit a 

project to Azusa was questioned by 

Duarte and thus rejected outright 

almost four years ago. Going back 

to a joint meeting with the Azusa 

City Council on January 29, 2008, 

and the establishment of the FAVE 

(Fight Against Vulcan Expansion) 

fund in July 2008 in the amount 

of $700,000, the City of Duarte 

has been refuting all aspects of 

the proposed expansion. In the last 

year alone, several hundred hours 

of time have been spent by experts, 

staff, and concerned citizens to 

review and comment on the Development 

Agreement, CUP, and EIR. 

Town Hall meetings have been held 

with AQMD, and attended by legislative 

representatives from the State, 

County, and Federal levels, along 

with the City of Hope. The City’s 

webpage alone has posted upwards 

of 60 documents from just the past 

year associated with opposition to 

the mining expansion. When Vulcan 

and Azusa officials have asked to 

meet with Duarte officials, Duarte 

has always obliged. One such time 

was earlier in January, when in 

response to their request, the City 

of Duarte made a proposal asking 

for jurisdictional control of adjacent 

property to protect against future 

expansion, as well as compensation 

for damages and financial guarantees 

to Duarte to assure delivery 

of the promised reclamation, as 

part of an overall settlement. This 

too was refused by Vulcan and the 

City of Azusa. Duarte hoped that 

its concerns could be addressed 

through those discussions. 

Duarte’s concerns are significant, 

but simple: 

• Develop a Mining Plan That 

Protects All Residents of the San 

Gabriel Valley: For years, Duarte 

has advocated a plan to save the 

Van Tassel Ridge. Unfortunately, 

Duarte’s plan was dismissed without 

any meaningful analysis. 

• Environmental Protections 

for San Gabriel Valley Citizens: 

Duarte urged Vulcan and Azusa to 

install on-site air quality monitoring 

stations at the Vulcan facility. 

That basic mitigation and monitoring 

strategy was rejected without 

meaningful discussion. 

• Preparation of a Complete 

and Adequate Environmental 

Impact Report: Duarte submitted 

literally hundreds of comments 

concerning the many flaws in the 

environmental analysis of the 

Vulcan EIR. Those comments have 

been dismissed or ignored. 

• Conduct a Legal Public Process: 

Duarte warned Azusa that 

its “reconsideration” of Vulcan’s 

mining entitlements and development 

agreement violated the Brown 

Act’s agenda and noticing requirements. 

Again, Duarte’s warnings 

were ignored. 

These efforts, and many others, 

were designed to avoid litigation 

with Azusa and Vulcan. In fact, 

Duarte hired its own geotechnical 

consultants to generate the “Good 

Neighbor Plan” and to independently 

analyze the volume of aggregate 

on the site. Those efforts centered 

on finding a solution for all parties. 

Duarte also allowed its own legal 

team to review Azusa’s development 

agreement for the purpose of 

making it better, so that all of the 

Citizens of the San Gabriel Valley 

would have more assurances that 

the “benefits” promised by Vulcan 

would actually be delivered. 

It is frequently reported to 

the public that Duarte put aside 

$700,000 to fight the Vulcan mining 

plan. But a closer look at how 

that money has been spent so far 


Duarte Council unanimously votes 

to commence litigation against City 

of Azusa, Vulcan Materials Co. 

shows that Duarte has used its 

resources to improve upon the 

profoundly flawed plan generated 

by Vulcan and approved by Azusa. 

The simple reality is that litigation 

was, and always has been, a 

last resort. Duarte sought, first 

and foremost, to have Vulcan and 

Azusa address Duarte’s legitimate 

concerns about the significant, 

adverse, and long term impacts of 

Vulcan’s mining plan. 

Despite its best efforts, Duarte 

is simply out of options. Litigation 

is a measure of last resort, and 

Duarte finds litigation against a 

neighboring city particularly distasteful. 

Unfortunately, because all 

of Duarte’s other efforts have been 

ignored, and because the Vulcan 

Mining Plan poses unnecessary and 

substantial threats to the safety, 

desirability, and beauty of the San 

Gabriel Valley, Duarte must resort 

to the courts to protect its rights 

and the rights of the broader San 

Gabriel Valley community. To that 

end, the Duarte City Council has 

authorized the commencement of 

litigation against the City of Azusa 

and Vulcan, challenging the environmental 

review and entitlement 

approval process utilized for the 

Vulcan mine expansion project. 

Duarte Mayor Margaret Finlay 

said she hopes the citizens of 

Duarte understand that the decision 

to proceed with litigation was 

not taken lightly. 

“This is something that is going 

to go way beyond my lifetime 

in the impact that it is going to 

have on this valley. When mining 

started in the 1920’s there were 

less than 100,000 people that lived 

in the San Gabriel Valley and it 

was pick ax and shovel. And today 

to think of blowing 600 to 800 feet 

off the top of a mountain when 

you have more than 2 million 

people that live in this valley that 

is unconscionable. There are other 

places to mine aggregate. You can 

look at a federal land swap, there 

are a lot of things that we can look 

at but Vulcan never wanted to do 

it. This is a last resort for us. This 

is something we have to do. We 

have to take a stand because this 

is for people who will be here long 

after I’m here. They are going to 

have to take a look at that lousy 

looking hillside and in between 

now and then we’re going to be 

sucking a whole lot of dust.” 

Duarte isn’t alone in the 

ongoing fight over the mining 

expansion plan. A coalition of 

Azusa residents, Azusans Against 

Mining Expansion, have begun 

circulating a petition for a referendum 

to put the decision into 

the hands of Azusa voters. The 

group will need to collect about 

1,660 signatures of Azusa voters 

by Aug. 19 for the issue to qualify 

for a special election. The website 

for Azusans Against Mining Expansion 

is: www.nominingexpansion.org. 

For more information about 

Duarte’s Fight Against Vulcan 

Expansion, call Deputy City 

Manager, Karen Herrera at (626) 

357-7931, ext. 223.

• Duarte View COMMUNITY summer NEWS 

July-August 2010


Christian recording 

artists to perform at 

Unity and Peace Concert 

in Duarte Aug. 28 

Unity and Peace will be 

at the heart of a concert to be 

held Saturday, Aug. 28, at the 

Duarte Performing Arts Center, 

1401 Highland Ave., Duarte. 

The concert, co-sponsored by 

the City of Duarte, will feature 

a host of Christian recording 

artists representing a variety of 

musical genres. Doors will open 

at 6:30 p.m. 

Headlining the list of entertainers 

will be singer/songwriter/ 

producer Little Willie G, who 

began his career in the 60s as the 

lead singer for “Thee Midniters,” 

the legendary R&B group from 

East Los Angeles. Singer/songwriter/actor 

Javen Campbell, 

whose hit single “One Step” is 

featured in the film, “The Cross,” 

and who has a supporting role in 

the film, “Preacher’s Kid,” will 

also perform. Other scheduled 

performers include rap artist Joe 

“The 4th Man,” Rosalyn Jordan- 

Mills, Jacob G, Ray Torres & The 

Mercy, and David Castanon Jr. 

The concert is sponsored by 

the Covina-based Man-E Moreno 

Foundation, an organization dedicated 

to the healing of those that 

have lost a love one to a violent 

crime. The organization offers 

financial support for the physical 

needs and emotional support 

for the spirit. Tickets are $10. 

Call 1-800-246-8575. For more 

information, visit: www.manefoundation.org. 

Get a Kit, Make a 

Plan, Be Informed 

and Get Involved! 

Taking 3 simple steps can make a big difference in ensuring your 

safety and well-being in the event of an emergency. 

GET A KIT 

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. Always 

have your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity 

to last for at least 3 days (7-10 days are now recommended. Relief 

workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach 

everyone immediately, it can take hours, or it might take days. Basic 

services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones 

may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer. 

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency 

Supply Kit: 

- Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three 

days, for drinking and sanitation 

- Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food 

- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather 

Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both 

- Flashlight and extra batteries 

- First aid kit 

- Whistle to signal for help 

- Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting 

and duct tape to shelter-in-place 

- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal 

sanitation 

- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities 

- Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food) Local maps 

- Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger 

MAKE A PLAN 

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important 

to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you 

will get back together; and what you will do in different situations. 

Family Emergency Plan 

Identify an out-of town contact. It may be easier to make a 

long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-oftown 

contact may be in a better position to communicate among 

separated family members. 

Be sure every member of your family knows the phone 

number and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to 

call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that 

person(s) as “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you 

are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE 

listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to 

tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency 

contacts. 

Teach family members how to use text messaging (also knows 

as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get 

around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to 

get through. 

Emergency Information 

Find out what kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, are 

most likely to occur in your area and how you will be notified. Methods 

of getting your attention vary from community to community. 

One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV 

broadcasts. You might hear a special siren, or get a telephone call, 

or emergency workers may go door-to-door. 

BE INFORMED 

There are important differences among potential emergencies 

that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you 

take. Earthquake preparedness is no longer the sole concern we 

must now account for man-made disasters as well. Knowing 

what to do during an emergency is an important part of being 

prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count. 

For more information visit www.ready.gov. 



Awarded 

$76,000 

for Brush 

Clearance 

The City of Duarte was only 

one of two cities in Los Angeles 

County that recently received a 

$75,500 grant for brush clearance 

awarded by the California Fire 

Safe Grants Clearinghouse. 

The effort, entitled the Duarte 

Foothills Fire Protection Program, 

will kick-off this fall and 

consist of approximately 25 acres 

of clearance. 

As in the past, the City will 

utilize a combination of goat and 

mechanical removal techniques to 

remove the dense brush. 

The project will focus on several 

areas of the community along 

both the urban interface and along 

undeveloped hillsides. 

Goats will be used in areas 

where vegetation consists primarily 

of annual grasses and low 

shrubs. 

In other areas, where vegetation 

consists primarily of trees 

and heavier foliage, mechanical 

means are very effective. 

The City of Duarte competed 

amongst 316 grant proposals 

statewide with requests totaling 

over $40 million. The Clearinghouse 

selected 75 proposals 

valuing $7.6 million. 

The City of Duarte previously 

received a $56,000 grant award 

back in 2008 to clear 12 acres of 

brush primarily in the Mesa area 

of the City. 

For additional information 

on the City’s brush clearance 

program, contact Field Services 

at (626) 357-7931, ext. 205. 

OK, bears, try to get into this 

trash barrel. 

Burrtec Waste Services, the 

contracted waste hauler for the 

City of Duarte, has introduced a 

“new and improved” wildlife deterrent 

trash barrel that the company 

notes was developed with the 

help of customers’ feedback on 

a previous model. The new container 

features a steel-reinforced 

lid and rim with additional metal 

security latches. Two metal clips 

attach to reinforcement brackets 

and a secured closure bar. 

“It isn’t the sole solution to 

bears going into the garbage cans. 

It is a deterrent if households and 

residents are properly disposing 

of some of the attractants to bears 

such as the smelly, tasty garbage 

and utilizing our container. 

We hope that it would provide 

some part of the solution to the 

problem,” said Burrtec Director 

of Municipal Services Richard 

Nino. 

The wildlife deterrent barrels 

are available to Duarte customers 

for an additional $6 a month. 

Some 30 customers are already 

using the barrel and response has 

been positive from the people, not 

the bears, said Nino. 

Garbage pillaging bears have 

been the bane of hillside residents 

in Duarte and other foothill communities. 

Two years ago, in an 

effort to control the problem, 

Burrtec offered residents the 

choice of the first version of a 

wildlife resistant container and 

the City imposed an ordinance 

modifying the permitted time 

that trash containers may be 

City of Duarte Contacts 

1600 Huntington Drive, Duarte, CA 91010 • (626) 357-7931 

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. 

www.AccessDuarte.com 

CITY COUNCIL 

Margaret Finlay, Mayor 

Tzeitel Paras-Caracci, Mayor Pro Tem 

Councilmembers: 

John Fasana • Lois Gaston • Phil Reyes 

STAFF 

Darrell George, City Manager 

Kristen Petersen, Assistant City Manager 

Karen Herrera, Deputy City Manager 

Marla Akana, City Clerk • Dan Slater, City Attorney 

Brian Villalobos, Director of Public Safety 

Craig Hensley, Director of Community Development 

Donna Georgino, Director of Parks & Recreation 


Burrtec unveils new 

“wildlife deterrent” trash 

barrels now available to 

Duarte residents 

placed curbside by residents of 

the hillside Duarte Mesa area. 

While the restrictions have proved 

somewhat successful it hasn’t 

solved the problem completely. 

In search of trash day goodies, 

the bears have widened their pillaging 

activities to include other 

residential neighborhoods further 

down the hillside. 

“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. 

Duarte and neighboring foothill 

cities with similar bear problems 

have formed a Bear Task 

Force that meets regularly to discuss 

bear issues and develop a unified 

approach to the problem. One 

option the City is researching and 

will take to the Bear Task Force 

is a program modeled after one in 

San Diego County in which the 

county contracts with the United 

States Department of Agriculture 

Wildlife Services for depredation 

services on a shared cost basis. 

Depredation is only used in cases 

where a bear has lost its natural 

fear of humans and poses a threat 

to public safety. Because USDA 

Wildlife Services only contracts 

with counties, the Bear Task Force 

cities would need to approach the 

County as a group and ask for the 

program to be instituted in Los 

Angeles County. 

Continuing to educate residents 

on how to live peaceably 

and safely with bears is crucial. 

Springtime and summer means 

prime bear season is approaching. 

Duarte Public Safety Director, 

Brian Villalobos said the City is 

working to have the Department 

of Fish and Game do assembly 

programs for children at Valley 

View and Royal Oaks elementary 

schools where bears are often 

seen. The City is also preparing 

flyers to distribute to residents 

all along the Duarte foothills to 

educate them about eliminating 

the food source to reduce contact 

with bears. For more information, 

call the Duarte Public Safety Department 

at (626) 357-7938.

10 • Duarte View SCHOOL news 


From the desk 

of the Superintendent 

Dr. Dean Conklin, Superintendent, 

Duarte Unified School District 

There has always been a mad dash to get in line for the schools 

that offer the most opportunities for students to ‘get ahead’ of 

the game in education. Whether this 

is for purely personal fulfillment or 

gain or simply a secret yen to compete 

with the best….every spring 

the quest starts anew. Parents have 

traditionally been the front runners 

of this search; seeking out the best of 

the best for their children. However, 

with budget impacts taking their toll 

on the amount of college acceptances 

being awarded the stakes have risen, 

and students are searching for every 

available resource that will render 

them a cut above the others and provide 

them with an edge. 

Duarte High School is no different 

DR. DEAN CONKLIN 

than any other comprehensive high school in the area in wanting 

to provide its students with all available options. Thanks to 

a collaborative effort between key personnel at Citrus College 

and our own Eric Barba, Principal of Duarte High School, and 

Terry Nichols, former Assistant Superintendent of Instructional 

Services, a rewarding partnership was formed. From strategizing 

to formulation this group of individuals devised an ‘Early 

College Program’ for our high school students, in fact, the only 

high school in the San Gabriel Valley to offer such a pilot. Our 

first cohort of 39, 11th grade students, were indoctrinated during 

the 2009–2010 school year. 

The Early College Program has students taking classes in 

Earth Science 115 (Planetary Astronomy), Anthropology 212 

(Introduction to Physical Anthropology), History 107 (Political 

and Social History of the United States), History 108 (Political 

and Social History of the United States), Economics 100, Political 

Science 103 (Government of the United States), Counseling 160 

(Strategies for College Success), Speech 101 (Public Address), 

Music 113 (History of Rock and Roll), and Art 100 (Art History 

and Appreciation), and provides college credit after a successful 

completion of each session. These courses are taught by Citrus 

College professors on our own Duarte High School campus. 

Students have concurrent enrollment, meaning that not only are 

they taking the Citrus classes, but also filtered into their day are 

other core classes needed to meet a student’s graduation and A- 

G requirements. At the completion of their senior year in high 

school, these students will have acquired enough college credit 

(31 units) to satisfy one (1) full year of college at a university or 

community college. 

The class of 2011 will see this first cohort graduating with 

an enviable advantage over other similar students. Enrolled for 

the 2010-2011 school term is our second cohort of 40 students. 

We are justifiably proud of this endeavor and the students who 

have taken part. As for our partnership with Citrus College, a 

special thanks for all that they have done and for all our future 

endeavors together… 

The Duarte Unified School District is always looking for ways 

to partner with our local businesses and surrounding colleges. At 

a recent joint meeting at Cal Tech, DUSD personnel along with 

individuals from Pasadena City College, City of Hope and Oak 

Crest Institute gathered to exchange information and strategies 

for participating in, and the enhancement of, STEM education 

(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). STEM 

education places strong emphasis in the fields of Science and 

Technology, all done with an eye to preparing our students for 

a future work force that will create innovative scientists and 

engineers. 

At the Beckman Research Center located in the City of Hope 

facilities, we are always searching out ways to strengthen our ties. 

Their summer internship program has been a source of invaluable 

training and direction for some of our science minded students 

throughout the years. Some of these students have furthered their 

studies by continuing on to study molecular biology, genetics, etc., 

at higher institutions. Other collaborations are being discussed 

with City of Hope personnel, and we hope to offer even more 

exciting opportunities in the very near future. 

With an eye to the future, and the hopes of building foundations 

that will develop and educate our students for a 21st century 

knowledge-based economy, our goal is to continually search out 

those initiatives and partnerships that will further enhance student 

math and science learning en mass, as well as developing the 

student as an individual. 

Andres 


By Joilyn Campitiello, Principal 

Andres Duarte is looking forward 

to another successful year. 

Students and teachers are focused 

on learning and excited about doing 

our best. We welcome Mrs. 

Denise Cooley as the new Cougar 

PSSA President. Mrs. Cooley has 

three children in Duarte schools 

including two sons at Andres 

Duarte and a daughter entering 

her first year at Northview. Mrs. 

Cooley led many successful family 

events at HeadStart last year 

and we look forward to her leadership 

in the Cougar PSSA. 

Andres Duarte is updating our 

computer lab to accommodate 32 

students at one time. Teachers will 

use the lab to teach students to 

word process, create PowerPoint 

presentations, do research and 

access educational software that 

supports reading comprehension, 

math and language arts 

standards. 

Valley 

View 

By Robin Nelson, Principal 

As the 2009-2010 school 

comes to an end, I am, as always, 

amazed that the year flies by so 

quickly. We had an exceptional 

year celebrating our students, our 

academic achievements and ending 

the year with fun activities. 

Our promotion ceremony 

was a huge success; we had a 

full house! Our cafeteria was 

jam-packed with proud families, 

colorful balloons, beautiful flowers, 

lots of laughter and some 

tears. The theme of our ceremony 

was “Yes, We Can”. The students 

were honored for their academic 

achievements and service contributions 

to the school. 

Thanks to Zoe Chapjian and 

PTA support for creating a fun 

environment for our promotion 

ceremony and dance. Zoe created 

a dvd of 6th grade memories for 

each child; I know they will treasure 

those fond memories. 

We had some exciting and fun 

end of year activities. Manpower 

Day was an enormous triumph; 

we had over 120 men on campus 

to support our kids. 

The PTA and staff had some 

VALLEY VIEW STUDENTS participating in a “Raise the 

Flag” ceremony to celebrate receiving the California Distinguished 

School Award. 

wonderful activities for our visitors 

starting with our Student of 

the Month Ceremony, the Annual 

Sixth Grade vs. Staff Softball 

Game (the kids won, Woo-Hoo), 

Donuts for Dads and our elective 

classes. We are grateful to Shauna 

Pierce and Laura Silverman for 

making this a delightful day. 

Play Day and the Family Picnic 

were awesome as always! We 

started the morning with over 20 

stations of fun for the children. It 

was wet and wild. 

Thanks to Meredith Clark, 

Bernice Ledesma, and lots of 

parent volunteers. A good time 

Beardslee School 

The last month of school kept 

us very busy as we celebrated our 

students’ success, honored a retiring 

staff member, and thanked our 

many volunteers for their dedication 

and hard work. 

We began the celebrations 

with our Beardslee Parent Staff 

Association honoring more than 

fifty volunteers at a lovely dinner 

at the Spaghetti Factory. These 

volunteers have served our school 

by volunteering in classrooms, 

selling snacks on Friday, and 

attending field trips with our 

students. Our BPSA President, 

Lupe Mendoza, thanked all of the 

volunteers for their commitment 

to the Beardslee students. Each 

volunteer was honored with a 

special gift and a certificate recognizing 

them for their hard work. 

These volunteers are greatly 

appreciated by the staff and the 

families at Beardslee, and this 

dinner was just one small way to 

say thank you for their dedication 

to our school. 

Another way to rejoice in all 

our hard work is to play hard! 

This is exactly what we did on 

Play Day. We ran races, got wet, 

and most assuredly, laughed a 

great deal! Following Play Day, 

our traditional Family Picnic was 

held. Members of the Beardslee 

community joined us for fellowship 

and food on the lawn of the 

school. It was a perfect day to 

spend time outside having fun 

together as a school family. 

Other end of the year celebrations 

included our 3rd trimester 

awards assemblies. Students in 

kindergarten through grade 5 were 

recognized for their academic 

achievement, perfect attendance 

Karate classes at Andres 

Duarte will continue in the fall 

and will move across the street 

to the new Duarte Karate dojo 

on Central Avenue across from 

Otis Gordon Park. Students are 

excited about taking classes at the 

dojo. Andres Duarte had numerous 

students earn their stripes and 

move on to their first belt. 

We look forward to welcoming 

back our students and meeting 

our new kindergartners and their 

families when school begins on 

Tuesday, September 7. 

and citizenship during these assemblies. 

Our 6th grade accomplishments 

were celebrated during 

their promotion ceremony on 

the last day of school. The awards 

for our 6th graders included special 

recognition with the Burns 

Scholarship Award in reading 

given to Athena Marden and Vanessa 

Gonzalez and in math given 

to Andrew Orellana and Melanie 

Cardenas. The American Legion 

Awards for citizenship went to 

Eric Loera and Luz Elena Diaz de 

Leon Reyes. The Duarte Unified 

Education Association awards for 

citizenship went to Cameron Colon 

and Jonathan Castaneda. The 

President’s Academic Excellence 

Awards went to Cameron Colon, 

Vanessa Hernandez, Mariana 

Lopez, Athena Marden, Andrew 

Orellana, Dianna Roman, Mayra 

Tamayo, Jessica Covarrubias, Luz 

Elena Diaz de Leon Reyes, Dominic 

Jimenez, Zachary Lozano, 

Cristina Roman, Anne Marie 

Starr, and Adrian Casillas. The 

President’s Academic Achievement 

Awards were given to 

Lorence Meraz, Favian Moreno, 

Peter Munoz, Alice Barrera, Cecilia 

Castillo, Anayeli Gervacio, 

Victoria Gomez, Melanie Cardenas, 

Jonathan Castaneda, Vanessa 

Gonzalez, Alyssa Heitman, and 

Stephanie Paredes. The Beardslee 

staff recognized Jessica Covarrubias 

and Cristina Roman with a 

special citizenship award, also. 

Finally, we were pleased to honor 

five students who had perfect 

attendance for the entire school 

year (Cecilia Castillo, Victoria 

Gomez, Stephanie Paredes, and 

Dianna Roman) and to celebrate 

with Victoria Gomez who has 

had perfect attendance since she 

began attending Beardslee in 1st 

grade! We are very proud of all 

of our students and wish our 6th 

graders good fortune as they move 

to Northview next year! 

Finally, it was with mixed 

emotions that we said good-bye to 

one of our bilingual instructional 

aides, Ana Dupont, who will be 

retiring from the school district 

after 31 years of service to the 

students in Duarte. While we will 

miss her greatly, we wish her all 

the best as she moves into the next 

phase of her life! 

was had by one and all. 

We had a “Raise the Flag” Ceremony 

to celebrate our California 

Distinguished School Award. 

Student shared their excitement 

and pride in our school. 

The 6th grade Class of 2010 

donated a banner for the cafeteria 

and a traveling banner to 

our school to commemorate our 

award. It was a fantastic note to 

end the school year. 

Over the summer, we will 

be preparing for the 2010-2011 

school year. We look forward to 

all the excitement of starting a 

new year. See you in September. 

Aparicio 

Play Day at 

Royal Oaks 

School 

By Janice Kolodinski 

Play Day at Royal Oaks, 

dedicated to former teacher Paula 

Aparicio was huge a success as 

usual, largely due to the amazing 

volunteer efforts of faithful parents 

and loyal volunteers. 

Royal Oaks has established 

the tradition of naming Play Day 

after Paula Aparicio. She taught 

at Royal Oaks and passed away 

after battling cancer. 

Play day was always a favorite 

of Ms. Aparicio and she was a 

vital part of the leadership and 

coordination during her years at 

Royal Oaks. 

Led by faithful community 

friend (and health clerk) Kim 

Clark, over 30 parents and volunteers 

pulled their efforts together 

to make the day a huge success. 

Students rotated from station 

to station in mixed-age groups. 

Some of the favorites were the 

wet sponge toss, balloon toss and 

sidewalk chalk drawing. 

The staff and PTA would like 

to thank the following volunteers 

for giving their time and enthusiasm 

to the students and staff at 

Royal Oaks: 

Sylvia Auzenne, Ana Baker, 

Mary Anne Cheraz, Courtney 

Clark, Kim Clark, Tom Clark, 

Maribel Duran, Sean Gatlin, 

Pam Gomez, Christine Gosdanian, 

Theresa Guerrero, Heather 

Heimbruck, Taylor Herrer, Jennifer 

Hoyt, Stephan Jones, Joe 

Khouzam, Mohammad Khaladjzadeh, 

Andrew Kolodinski, 

Roxana Mency, Mike and Angie 

Michalopoulos, Mark and Jamie 

Michopoulos, Dolores Ortiz, 

Irene Osalla, Diana Parseghian, 

Claudia Pelaez, Gale Peoples, 

Theresa Perez, Danny Peterson, 

Jokebed Quintero, Patti Quinteros, 

Andy Richards, Lettie 

Segovia, Gabriela Stelzer, Nina 

Thompson, Tierney Thompson, 

Kim Valdez, Juan Velasco, and 

Anthony Vicencio.


Northview Intermediate 

“Summer fun…” 

By Miriam Fox, Principal 

As we wind our way into 

summer, our students are happily 

thinking about all of the fun they 

will have during the next three 

months. 

Severe cuts in the state’s 

educational budget has been 

devastating for our schools, so 

much so that our summer school 

program has been reduced to a 

bare minimum. 

Few students will have the 

opportunity to attend four to five 

weeks of instruction that we normally 

offer, however that does not 

mean that learning can’t go on! 

How about coupling fun with 

learning? As parents we often 

spend many hard earned dollars 

to entertain our children at 

expensive amusement parks. I 

certainly do not want to “suck 

the fun” out of their summer, but 

there are other options, including 

many that are cheaper and also 

educational. 

For example, have you ever 

taken your son/daughter for a 

nature walk out in our local San 

Gabriel riverbed? 

Did you know that it is a wild 

bird sanctuary full of a variety of 

species including Mallard Ducks, 

Cranes, Herons and a variety of 

other waterfowl? 

Not to mention that one of our 

state standards for life science at 

both the elementary and secondary 

levels deals with life cycles 

and the river provides plenty of 

opportunities to see this in person 

and up close. 

Walk your student along the 

edge of some of the small ponds 

located in the river bed and they 

are sure to see tadpoles, both tiny 

and large growing legs and turning 

into frogs. 

The last time it rained we saw 

an elusive blood red salamander 

slinking from one water hole 

to another. If you take them on 

a hike in our local mountains 

around dusk you are likely to see 

coyotes (no, they won’t eat you, 

but watch out for your small pets) 

or brown foxes that abound in our 

foothills. 

One lucky day up by the 

Encanto stables that are nestled 

above the Fish Canyon residential 

area, I even spotted a small bobcat 

carrying home his dinner. 

If the ocean is of greater interest 

to your youngsters than our 

mountains or riverbed take a drive 

to the beach, pack a picnic and 

go and check out the tide pools 

at Cabrillo Beach. 

The warm weather certainly 

makes us think about being 

outside, so what about an early 

morning or early evening bike 

ride down to Santa Fe Dam Recreational 

Park? 

Does your son/daughter know 

how to fish? If not teach them or 

learn together at Santa Fe Dam or 

Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, 

you can fish off of the shore or 

rent a small dingy to go out onto 

the lake. 

And…please don’t forget 

about our local library. A visit 

together can allow you to share 

some of your favorite books or to 

select new books that you would 

both want to read. 

As I reflect back on happy 

summers spent with my son, Peter, 

I know that there were times 

when we had great adventures on 

expensive vacations that maybe 

we really couldn’t even afford at 

the time. However, I don’t necessarily 

remember that they were 

our happiest moments. Some of 

our most memorable moments occurred 

walking in the shallows of 

the San Gabriel River, our shoes 

and clothes wet and maybe a bit 

slimy, while we tried to capture 

tadpoles to raise at home and 

bring back to the riverbed when 

they had turned into frogs. 

Fun and education does not 

always mean we have to spend 

money. The best fun and memories 

can be created simply by 

doing goofy things with people 

we love and who love us. 

My father taught me this 

lesson long ago, when as a little 

girl, he walked me out to the 

same riverbed I am encouraging 

you to visit and he showed me 

the plant that produces castor oil 

seeds and showed me all of the 

beautiful wild birds that make 

their home there. 

I also remember one hot summer 

afternoon, when I was about 

seven and we lived in a small, 

rented apartment with no air conditioner. 

We were sweltering, so 

my Dad suggested that we take a 

blanket and a couple of pillows 

and we go and relax across the 

street at our local park. 

So off we trudged to the park, 

without anything to entertain us 

but our imaginations. We set up 

our small camp under some giant 

pines and there under and around 

our blanket were thousands of 

long pine needles. That day my 

father taught me how to braid using 

those pine needles and for the 

first time the next day I proudly 

braided my own hair. 

Interesting how more than 

40 years later I remember those 

simple fun moments, but I can’t 

honestly say I remember details 

about my many trips to Disneyland. 

Thanks Papi for those 

lessons…. 

school NEWS 

Maxwell Elementary School 

is fortunate indeed to have many 

members in our community volunteering 

their time to make a difference 

in our students’ lives. Mr. 

Jesus Gil, our fifth grade teacher, 

has demonstrated his willingness 

to go above and beyond to provide 

athletic opportunities for our 

Maxwell students. 

I had the opportunity to watch 

Mr. Gil in action one Saturday 

afternoon in May. Maxwell’s 5th 

grade girls’ team was playing 

Maxwell’s 6th grade girls team 

for first place in the Duarte Parks 

and Recreation league. 

As I observed Mr. Gil coaching 

his teams it had to be a unique 

moment in a coach’s life. You see, 

it’s not often that a coach has to 

coach against himself! 

Mr. Gil, in a very few moments 

at half-time, coached the 

5th grade girls about how to step 

up their play in order to win the 

game, and then had to turn and 

coach the 6th grade girls about 

how to step up their game. 

Soccer is a popular sport at 

Maxwell and it is Mr. Gil’s willingness 

to donate his time twice a 

week for soccer practices as well 

as all afternoon for 7 Saturdays 

that allowed our students the 

opportunity to participate with 

the rest of the Duarte elementary 

students. The City of Duarte has 

provided the organization needed 

for this soccer league to exist and 

has graciously allowed Maxwell 

students, who reside in the county 

area, to participate. 

The challenge that emerges 

is in providing the services of a 

coach for the Maxwell students in 

the same way coaches are provided 

for all of the other schools. 

Enter Mr. Jesus Gil to the res- 

What a Great Place 

to Learn and Grow! 

By Kevin Morris, Principal 

With the 2009-10 school years 

behind us, Mt. Olive ended the 

months of May and June on a high 

note. May was kicked-off by the 

Duarte and Mt. Olive High School 

Senior Prom in Long Beach at 

the Hilton. Then we eased into 

June with The SHARE (Stop 

Hate And Respect Everyone) 

Program sponsored by the L.A. 

County Sheriff’s Dept. SHARE 

was coupled with Mt. Olive’s 5th 

Annual Man Power Day BBQ, 

a huge success, as always. The 

menu featured BBQ ribs, hot 

links, chicken, green salad, fruit 

salad, and fruit punch all prepared 

by the Duarte Food Services Dept. 

and Mark Smith, our school security 

officer. This was a wonderful 

time had by students, parents, 

staff, and the community. 

We wound down the school 

year with our Senior Scholarship 

Luncheon at the Monrovian Restaurant. 

Mt. Olive students attending 

college received over $6,500 

in money from local community 

organizations like LULAC, Citrus 

College, Kiwanis, and many others. 

Thanks for all of your support. 

Many of our graduates will 

be attending Citrus, Rio Hondo, 

Pasadena, Mt. San Antonio Colleges 

in the fall. June also hosted 

our wonderful commencement 

ceremony at the Performing Arts 

Center, featuring a huge turn-out 

with standing room only. We 

ended the year with our Senior 

Grad-Night to Disneyland, the 

final event for our graduates. 

The 2010-2011 school years 

will continue in the same positive 

direction with an emphasis 

Duarte View • 11 

Maxwell Elementary School 

on academic achievement, postsecondary 

educational opportunities, 

student development, and 

community involvement. We 

will continue with our annual 

participation in the Walk for Hope 

to Cure Breast Cancer, donating 

blood platelets to the City of 

Hope, and volunteer work in our 

local elementary schools. We will 

also continue to participate in 

the Continuation Sports League, 

which includes Temple City, 

Canyon Oaks, and Del Mar school 

and our Senior Citizen softball 

scrimmages with the Duarte 66ers 

and the Duarte “D” Crew. Thanks 

again Duarte 66ers and “D” Crew 

for the fun times we shared. This 

was a great opportunity for our 

students’ to bond with more great 

people in the community who care 

about their success. 

On the curriculum side of 

things, we are adding an environmental 

studies science class 

to our schedule. This class will 

provide students with the training 

and skills to compete for the 

new green jobs on the horizon. 

We will continue to publish our 

Mt. Olive Parent Handbook, our 

monthly newsletter, and promote 

monthly social events for our 

students, their families, and the 

community. We will also continue 

to develop new opportunities for 

parents to become more involved 

in their students’ education at 

Mount Olive. 

We need the help of parents 

and the community to ensure that 

Mt. Olive continues the move 

from “GOOD to GREAT!” Have 

a wonderful summer and see you 

in September! 

cue. He has volunteered to coach 

our 5th and 6th grade boys and our 

5th and 6th grade girls teams as a 

volunteer this past year, and the 

countless hours have paid off. Our 

students have benefited greatly by 

having this wonderful opportunity 

to grow in their athletic skills and 

personal character. 

Many coaches are measured 

by their “win/loss” records. In Mr. 

Gil’s case, every game is a win 

regardless of the score because 

it means our Maxwell students 

get to participate in a game they 

love to play. 

Important August 

Registration Dates 

Duarte High School 

1565 E. Central Ave., Duarte, CA 91010 

Contact: Chris Frye at (626) 599-5713 

August 24....12th grade (8 a.m.-11 a.m.) 



August 27.... 9th grade (8 a.m.-11 a.m.) 

August 30.... Make-ups and new enrollees 

August 31.... Make-ups and new enrollees 

Northview Intermediate 

1401 Highland Ave., Duarte, CA 91010 

Contact: Ms. Bullock at (626) 599-5624 

August 24....7th grade – Cardinal College (7th 

graders only - 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.) 

August 25....8th grade (8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.) 

August 25....Make-ups (5 p.m.- 6 p.m.)

12 • Duarte View TEEN / community NEWS 


Duarte Teen Center 

The Duarte Teen Center has 

a lot of great activities happening 

this summer! The Center 

is located at 1400 Buena Vista 

Street in Duarte. Summer Hours 

of operation are Monday through 

Friday, 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. through 

August 6 and 3-7 p.m. the rest of 

the summer. 

All Duarte teens’ grades 9 

through 12 with school ID are 

welcome. Participation is free, but 

Teen Center Registration packets 

must be filled out and returned. 

For more information, please 

call (626) 303-0863. 

Upcoming Events! 

Club Duarte (Middle 

School Students) 

Friday, August 27, 7:30-10 

p.m. Fee: $3 

The Duarte Teen Center will 

be transformed into the rocking 

hot spot for middle school youth. 

Live DJ, dancing, food and game 

room activities. 

Summer Theme Weeks 

Start! 

Aloha Hawaii Week! 

July 12-16, 2-5 p.m. 

A traditional island theme 

week, games, decorations, music, 

limbo contest and more! The week 

ends with a fabulous Luau! 

Splash Madness Week! 

July 26-30, 2-5 p.m. Fee: 

Free 

Come hang out at the center 

and join us for water games all 

week, contest, super soaker fun 

and more! End the week with 

excursion to Knott Soak City! 

Knott’s Soak City Trip 

July 30, Fee: $25 

Amazing Acts Week! 

August 16-20, 2-5 p.m. Fee: 

Free 

A week of theatre arts, skits, 

poetry jam and the week will end 

with a talent contest for prizes. 

DUARTE YOUTH BOXING 

SHOW! 

Saturday, August 14, 1 p.m. 

Fee: Admission: $5 (Children 11 

years & under $3, Children 3 years 

& under free) 

Location: Duarte High School 

Gym, 1565 E. Central Avenue 

Attention all boxing fans! 

The Duarte Youth Boxing Club is 

proud to announce the presentation 

of the Duarte Youth Boxing 

Show. This will be an exciting day 

for fans and supporters of amateur 

youth boxing in Duarte and surrounding 

communities. 

Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. 

First bout begins at 1 p.m. 

Championship trophies will 

be awarded! Special guest appearances 

featuring former boxing 

champions and a delicious snack 

bar will be on site. 

Hip Hop Dance Camp 

August 16-20, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 

Fee: $10 

Come spend a week, learning 

the latest dance moves, meeting 

new friends and at the end of the 

one-week camp, show case your 

talents! 

Computer Lab 

The Computer Lab located in 

the Duarte Teen Center is open 

Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. 

to 6:30 p.m. The lab is equipped 

with 12 computers and is a great 

place to enhance computer skills, 

learn new programs, chat on the 

Internet, do school work, and 

play various games. There is also 

a scanner and printer available 

for use. 

Tournaments 

Pool Kings Tournament 

Thursday, August 12, 3 p.m. 

Fee: Free 

Duarte Teen Center will host 

other city’s teen centers in a POOL 

KINGS tournament! Come represent 

the Duarte Teen Center with 

the best hot shots you got! Prizes 

awarded to the top winners! 

3 Point Shoot Out 

Contest! 

Friday. July 9, 3 p.m. Fee: 

Free 

Come and “wet” the hoop in 

the Duarte Teen Center 3 point 

shoot out contest! Each contestant 

will get 1 minute to shoot as many 

3 point shots for a total score, top 

winners will receive prizes! Come 

and get ya hoop on! 

On-Going Activities 

Birthday Tuesday 

On the first Tuesday of each 

month we’ll celebrate the birthdays 

of all the teens registered at 

the Teen Center for that month. A 

small gift will be given to the teen 

and there will be cake for all. 

Movie Mondays 

Check out a movie at the Teen 

Center July 12 & 26 and August 9 

& 23. Movies will begin at 3:30 

p.m. There is no charge for viewing. 

Refreshments will be sold. 

Nutrition/Cooking Class 

Wednesdays, 3:30-5 p.m. Fee: 

$2 per class 

Learn to make quick and easy 

nutritious meals, while having fun 

with friends! 

Drama Club 

Thursdays, 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. 

Fee: Membership Fee $5 every 

6 months 

Club members will participate 

in poetry jams, oratory, skits, and 

improvisations. 

Teen Book Club 

First Friday of each month, 

4:30-6 p.m. 

Come join the Teen Book 

Club! Discuss various books 

from a designated reading list. 

Meet new friends and find new 

adventures in the world of good 

books. Book purchase may be 

required. 

Girls Night Out! 

Tuesdays, July 6 & 20 and 

August 3 & 17, 3:30-5 p.m. 

This program is for girls 

grades 9-12. Participants discuss 

various topics ranging from peer 

pressure, goals, self-esteem, relationships 

and much more 

Youth Boxing Program 

Boys and girls ages 8-18 

years old are welcome to join the 

fun and excitement with Duarte 

Boxing Program at the Duarte 

Teen Center! You will gain flexibility, 

stamina, and coordination 

as well as make new friends. Our 

knowledgeable trainers provide a 

safe and stimulating learning environment 

for all levels of youth. 

You can train for fun and physical 

activity or for a chance to compete 

against other youth in the United 

States and at our annual Boxing 

Show. The Duarte Teen Center 

Gym is open Monday through 

Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

and Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

There is a $10 monthly fee for 

each participant. Non-residents 

are welcome for $20 per month. 

Register now at the Duarte Teen 

Center. Call 303-0863 for more 

information or just stop by to see 

if you are interested. 

Join the Duarte 

Chamber of Commerce. 

It’s Good for Business! 

Monrovia Kiwanis donates $5,000 to 

SAFYMCA Youth Alliance Program 

For a kid it can take just one 

person who believes in you to 

make a difference in your life. 

The more than 100 kids and 

teens involved in Santa Anita 

Family YMCA’s Youth Alliance 

Program are learning there are 

lots of people in the community 

who believe in them, including 

the Monrovia Kiwanis Club that 

recently donated $5,000 to the 

Youth Alliance Program. 

The relationship between the 

Youth Alliance and the Monrovia 

Kiwanis Club is one that has 

been growing over the past year, 

said Kiwanis President, Ryan 

Garcia. 

“We’ve gotten to know the 

kids as they have volunteered and 

played a key part in several Kiwanis 

events. The Youth Alliance 

program is touching many young 

lives in a very positive way. Our 

club’s donation is an investment 

in helping the program to grow so 

that it can impact even more kids 

and families in our community,” 

said Garcia. 

The Monrovia Kiwanis Club presented Santa Anita Family YMCA’s Youth Alliance Program 

with a $5,000 donation in an oversized check to the excitement of the kids and teens in 

the program. Standing behind the kids are, from left: Kiwanis Past President Les Peterson, 

Youth Alliance Program Coordinator Ulises Gutierrez, Kiwanis member Chris Shevlin, Kiwanis 

President Ryan Garcia, Kiwanis Vice President Alfredo Mejia, and Kiwanis member/ SAFYMCA 

SH-6680 LAYOUT 3/20/07 2:49 PM Page 1 

Development Director Cheryl Reynolds. 

The only high-rises 

you’ll see are the trees. 

Come check out what remarkable retirement 

living is all about at Westminster Gardens 

in Duarte, where the lifestyle is as inviting 

as the surroundings. You’ll find a 32-acre 

neighborhood of exceptional one and 

two bedroom homes, cozy apartments, 

and assisted living accommodations. 

“Our kids were thrilled to 

have the Kiwanis members come 

out to share a Friday night dinner 

with them at the Y, and especially 

excited to see the oversize check 

that they brought with them. The 

Santa Anita Family YMCA is 

very grateful for the support of 

the Monrovia Kiwanis Club,” 

said Youth Alliance Coordinator, 

Ulises Gutierrez. 

Also in attendance at the dinner 

and presentation were Monrovia 

Mayor Mary Ann Lutz and 

Councilwoman Becky Shevlin. 

The SAFYMCA Youth Alliance 

is a comprehensive personal 

development program for at-risk 

middle school and high school 

students. 

The program is designed to 

develop the tools and behavior 

required for teens to fulfill their 

dreams. 

Each developmental plan 

has three categories: Spiritual, 

Mental, and Physical and starts 

with identifying the strengths and 

interests of the youth. 

Goals are established and 

obstacles identified. The youth 

is then connected with people 

and resources to help him or her 

overcome the obstacles and reach 

their goals. 

Tutoring, homework help, 

bible study, counseling, fitness 

activities, a 24-hour Teen Support 

Talk Line, leadership development 

seminars, group discussions, and 

Friday night family-style dinners 

are some of the many components 

of the program, all provided at no 

cost to the participants. 

In 2009, the Youth Alliance 

provided 7,161 tutoring sessions; 

676 teen-based rehabilitation 

sessions, and 13,817 transportations 

for tutoring classes, Friday 

night programs at the SAFYMCA 

and teen-based rehabilitation 

programs. 

The SAFYMCA is located at 

501 S. Mountain Ave. in Monrovia. 

For more information about 

the SAFYMCA Youth Alliance, 

call (626) 359-9244 or visit www. 

safymca.org. 

Attain the highest level of physical, mental 

and spiritual well-being – all at a price you 

can afford. Call and reserve your space 

today, while there are still availabilities. 

Come to Westminster Gardens and 

experience a retirement full of high 

hopes, not high-rises. 

A Retirement Oasis 

1420 Santo Domingo Avenue, Duarte, CA 91010 (626) 358-2569 ext.151 www.WestGardens.org 

Westminster Gardens is an affiliate of Southern California Presbyterian Homes, a non-sectarian, not-for-profit company serving seniors 

through quality retirement housing since 1950. DSS License #197605591 CCRC #205

City of Duarte 

() 


hursday, 

ber 30, 2010 

6:30 p.m. 

Visit George, 

City of Hope Pet Therapist 

City of Hope 

Community Health Fair 

ADMISSION 

Community 

community NEWS 

Health Fair 


Visit George, 

City of Hope 

Co-sponsored by Platt Conference Center 

Duarte Chamber of Commerce 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 

City of Hope 


Free Health Information 

LULAC () 

Platt Conference Center 

1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 

al Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center 

Thursday, 

September 30, 2010 

Thursday, 


3 to 6:30 p.m. 

FREE ADMISSION 

Co-sponsored by 



City of Hope 

LULAC () 

City of Hope 

Community Health Fair 

A National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center 

Thursday, 

Co-sponsored by 


3 to 6:30 p.m. 

Mini-Lectures 


Nutrition and Exercise 

City 

Exhibits 

of Duarte 

Ask the Pharmacist Booth 

LULAC () 

FREE ADMISSION 


Free Health Information 

 

Mini-Lectures 3 to 6:30 p.m. 

KKGO-FM Radio Van 

City of Hope 

Visit Nutrition George, and Exercise Exhibits 

Cooking Demonstrations and Samples 


FREE ADMISSION Thursday, 


Refreshments and Giveaways 


 

DOOR PRIZES 

September 30, 

City of Hope 

1500 2010 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 

KKGO-FM Radio A National Van Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive For directions, Cancer Center 


3 to 6:30 

visit www.cityofhope.org. 


p.m. Free Health Information 

For more information, call 626-930-5489. 


1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 

Mini-Lectures 

Visit George, 

DOOR PRIZES 

FREE ADMISSIONNutrition and Exercise Exhibits 

City of Hope Pet Free Therapist Health Information 

Mini-Lectures 

For directions, visit www.cityofhope.org. Nutrition and Exercise Exhibits 



 

 




DOOR PRIZES 

A National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center 


 

City of Hope KKGO-FM Radio Van 

A National Cancer Institute-Designated Cooking Demonstrations Comprehensive Cancer and Samples Center 

Platt Conference Refreshments Center and Giveaways 

1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, DOOR CA PRIZES 

MED 91010 

10527 7/10 

Free Health For directions, Information visit www.cityofhope.org. 

For Mini-Lectures 

more information, call 626-930-5489. 

Nutrition and Exercise Exhibits 


 



For directions, visit www.cityofhope.org. 


 

 

MED 10527 7/10 

MED 10527 7/10 


DOOR PRIZES 

For directions, visit www.cityofhope.org. 


 

MED 10527 7/10 

MED 10527 7/10

14 • Duarte View COMMUNITY NEWS 


24-hour See-Saw-a-Thon 

Ja’nyah Clowney of Monrovia delights in her participation in the Santa 

Anita Family YMCA’s 24-hour See-Saw-a-Thon on June 26 as Monrovia Mayor 

Mary Ann Lutz looks on. The event, a fund raiser for the SAFYMCA’s Youth Alliance 

raised $8,100 for the comprehensive personal development program that 

provides at-risk middle school and high school students with educational guidance, 

homework help, counseling, leadership training, and spiritual support.


NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS 


The Pasadena Mexican 

American History 

Association 

THE PASADENA MEXICAN AMERICAN 

HISTORY ASSOCIATION 

P.O. Box 5142, Pasadena 

(626) 272-3424 

www.pmaha.org 

The Pasadena Mexican American History Association was founded in 1996 and 

incorporated in May of 2006. Thanks to our loyal members and supporters, our organization 

is experiencing growth and an expanded interest from our community. 

MISSION: To preserve the history of Mexican-Americans in the City of Pasadena 

and educate generations on our heritage and the contributions made by individuals in 

our community. 

VISION: To invite future generations to participate in and preserve our history 

through a cooperative effort. 

VALUES: To promote our mission and educate our youth through pride and history. 

Currently we are collecting memorabilia to preserve the history of our community. 

Your participation and contributions are welcome. 

METRO PCS 

Rosemary Gavida / Rebecca Gavida 

1110 Huntington Drive, Duarte 

(626) 471-3460 

www.metropcs.com 

We are a full service Metro PCS location & warranty center. We provide international 

calling services such as plans, calling cards and payments on international calling plans. 

We provide bill paying services for all 611 phone providers including Boost Mobile, 

Sprint PCS, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, provide prepaid pins, and offer a place 

where major cities can be processed. 

COMPLETE CARE MEDICAL CLINIC 

Dr. Jonathan Ashby 


(626) 303-4651 

www.completecaremedicalclinic.com 

Dr. Jonathan Ashby graduated with a BS in Biological Sciences from the University 

of Southern California in 1980, he realized he could not afford the cost of medical school 

just yet. In order to collect money to attend Med School, he took a job as English teacher 

at the American University of Cairo in Egypt. Jonathan returned to the U.S to attended 

Martin Luther King Jr. Medical School and became a Physician Assistant and trained 

at Monte Fiore- Albert Einstein, Medical Center in the Bronx, in N.Y. 

During his P.A. career, he worked at County U.S.C., Huntington Memorial Hospital 

and Kaiser Permanente medical facilities doing orthopedic surgery. 

In 1994 he jumped at the opportunity to work overseas on a humanitarian project 

funded by the U.S. State Department. January of this year, he was offered Kind Care, 

a Family Medicine, Urgent Care and Weight Management Clinic, which he purchased 

with much trepidation. He decided to purchase this clinic as this would free up some of 

the driving time, and let him spend more time with his children. In addition, working 

locally gives him the opportunity of giving back to the community. 

Urgent Care “ Family Medicine” 

• In House X-Ray & Labs & RX 

• Weight Management Program 

• Sports & Work Physicals 

SUBWAY 

Godrej Bandrawala 


(626) 303-2320 • Fax: (626) 303-2325 

www.subway.com 

Happy to be in Duarte! 

• Fundraising Opportunities 

• Catering for private parties, business meetings 

• Open from 7 a.m. for breakfast, serve coffee 

• We deliver

16 • Duarte View July-August 2010 

HATS OFF 2010 PICTURE REVIEW 

Foothill Workforce Investment Board 

presents 

2010 

in Review 

The Duarte Chamber of Commerce thanks all our business and 

restaurant participants, and our Sponsors: 

Town Sheriff - Performance Nissan; 

County Marshals - Royal Oaks Manor and Wells Fargo, Duarte; 

Sheriff Deputies - SCE Federal Credit Union, Old Town Sign Co., 

Southern California Edison, Burrtec Waste Services, and OneWest Bank; 

Entertainment - The Gas Company; Tickets - Frontier Hardware


Senior Center Activities 

SENIOR / business NEWS 


The Duarte Senior Center is located at 1610 Huntington 

Drive. The Senior Center is open Monday through 

Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to all residents 55 years of age 

and older and offers a variety of services and programs. 

The phone number is (626) 357-3513. 

Cookbooks for Sale 

The Duarte Senior Center has published its own 

cookbook! The Center has the best cooks that you can 

find anywhere. This is one book you do not want to be 

without. Pick up your copy at the Senior Center, $8 for 

one or $15 for two. 

Hot Lunches 

The Senior Center serves hot lunches Monday through 

Friday to individuals over age 60 or the spouse of someone 

over age 60. Reservations are requested by calling Senior 

Center at (626) 357-3513. The suggested donation is $2. 

Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and you must be signed in by 

11:45 a.m. 

Meals on Wheels 

Eligible seniors can receive a hot lunch and cold dinner 

plate delivered each weekday, or seven frozen meals delivered 

once a week by YWCA Intervale Senior Services. 

For more information on either of these programs, please 

contact the Senior Center (626) 357-3513 or Intervale at 

(626) 858-8382. 

Meals On Wheels Volunteer Drivers 

Needed! 

If you possess a current CA driver’s license, have 

access to a personal vehicle, and proof of insurance, 

you are eligible to volunteer to pick up meals from a local 

retirement home and deliver to homebound seniors. 

(Meals are delivered Monday-Friday between 11 a.m. 

and 1 p.m.) 

No special training is required, just a compassionate 

individual who will brighten the days of the recipient. 

To become a volunteer please contact Intervale at (626) 

616-9982. 

Access Transportation 

Transportation is provided for individuals with disabilities. 

For eligibility or more information, please call 

(800) 827-0829. 

Commodity Supplemental Food 

Program 

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program sponsored 

by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank provides 

food to low-income elderly, 60 years and older who 

qualify. This program is held at the Duarte Senior Center 

on the 4th Thursday of every month from 2 p.m. to 3:30 

p.m. 

FREE Legal Seminar 

Sara Polinsky, Attorney at Law, will present two seminars. 

Estate Planning 101: The Basics of Wills & Trusts 

on Tuesday, August 17 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. 

What is the difference between a will and a trust and 

which is right for you? 

Other topics will include probate, powers of attorney, 

health care directives, joint tenancy, and tax considerations. 

Understanding Medi-Cal Long Term Care on Tuesday, 

August 31 from 10-11:30 a.m. Learn how to qualify for 

State Medi-Cal benefits to pay for long-term care while 

legally protecting your home, savings, and assets. 

Reservations requested by calling (626) 357-3513. 

Methodist Hospital Presents: “Truth 

VS. Fiction” Real Strategies for 

Cancer Prevention and a Lifetime of 

Wellness 

Tuesday, September 21 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. get the facts 

about how diet and exercise can keep you healthy 

Participants enjoy the great outdoors on 

a recent excursion. 

• Debunk cancer myths 

• Make sense of current cancer screening 

recommendations 

• Learn how to assess your personal risk 

The panel of experts for this program will 

include: City of Hope Cancer Center – Kimlin 

Ashing- Giwa, PhD, Professor/Director, 

Methodist Hospital – Victoria Pacheco, MS, 

RD; Laura Garland, PT, Clinical Specialist; 

and Louise Wong, RN, MSN, FNP, Oncology 

Manager Call (626) 357-3513 for a 

reservation. 

How to Make Medicare Work 

for You! 

Every 2nd Thursday and 4th Friday, from 

9 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Duarte Senior Center by 

appointment the Health Insurance Counseling 

and Advocacy Program (HICAP) counselor 

provides unbiased information, counseling 

and assistance on Medicare and related health 

care coverage including: Medicare Part D, 

“Extra Help” for Medicare Part D, Medicare 

HMOs, Medicare PPOs, Medicare Supplement 

(Medigap) Insurance, Long Term Care, 

Medi-Cal & Medicare Savings Programs. 

Dinner With Us 

The Duarte Parks and Recreation Department 

partners with many local restaurants to 

provide an evening meal at the Duarte Senior 

Center. Participants have an opportunity to 

experiment with different restaurant menus 

while dining at the Center. 

The cost is $7 per person. Senior citizens 

and their adult family members are welcome 

to participate. For more information, call the 

Center at (626) 357-3513. 

Trips 

The City of Duarte is currently taking registration 

for the following excursions: Olives, 

Wine, and Wool Adventure in 

Temecula with lunch on your 

own on Thursday, July 1, 7:30 

a.m.-6:15 p.m., $49; Adamson 

House in Malibu with 

lunch on your own on Tuesday, 

August 10, 8 a.m.-4:30 

p.m., $27; Mystery Trip with 

lunch included on Thursday, 

Aug. 26 from 9:15 a.m.-5:15 

p.m., $54; San Diego’s Little 

Italy and Cooking Demonstration 

with lunch included 

on Wednesday, September 8 

from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., $50. 

NO REFUNDS: In the 

event of a participant cancellation, 

an attempt will be 

made to fill the spot from the 

waiting list. If successful, 

the participant will receive 

a gift certificate equal to the 

amount of the trip minus a 

$10 service charge. For any 

further questions please call 

(626) 357-3513. 

Classes 

All classes are for adults 

55 years and older. 

Ongoing Classes: 

Art appreciation, Ceramics, 

Cross fit, English as a 

Second Language, Exercise 

with Shelly, Guitar, How to 

write your own story, Knitting, 

Music Appreciation, 

Spanish Level I, Spanish 

Level II, and Tai Chi. 

AARP 

The Duarte Senior Center, 

in cooperation with AARP, 

will be offering an AARP 

Driver Safety Class for persons 

55 and older on Tuesday, 

July 13, and Thursday, July 

15, from l p.m. to 5 p.m. This 

eight-hour class, split up in 

two four-hour sessions, is a 

comprehensive classroom 

driver re-training course 

geared to the specific needs of 

older motorists. Attendance is 

required at both sessions. The 

cost is $12 for members; $14 

for non-members and reservations 

is required. 

For more information, 

please call the Duarte Senior 

Center at (626) 357-3513.

18 • Duarte View COMMUNITY NEWS 


Duarte Library and Friends 

of the Duarte Library 

Appreciation 

Reception 

July 15, 4 p.m. Duarte 

Library 

Teen Scape will be the place. 

The Teen Advisory Board, Reed 

Strege and the Duarte Library 

Staff will say thank you to Lois 

Gaston for the over 100 books 

from California Contract Cities 

Members in tribute to Lois when 

she retired as the president of the 

organization. 

Lois is known for her passion 

for youths and education and her 

dedication to community service. 

This contribution of books to the 

Duarte Library exemplifies Lois 

Gaston, Duarte City Councilmember. 

Thank You. 

8th Duarte Festival of 

Authors 

This year promises to be our 

best. Save the date! Sat., Oct. 2, 

10 to 5, Westminster Gardens, 

1420 Santo Domingo, across the 

street from Cabrera’s. 

Friends of the Duarte 

Library Scholarship 

Recipients 2010 

FDL Scholarship Recipients; 

Jackeline Garcia, DHS and Edgar 

Zuniga, Mt. Olive Alternative 

School, joined the Gas Co. 

Scholarship Recipients from 

DHS Gonzalo Lozano will be off 

to UC Berkeley and Isaac Guzman 

will attend Citrus College. 

These students and their parents 

were honored at the Friends of 

the Duarte Library Recognition 

Dinner held at Royal Oaks 

Manor. They were surrounded 

by DUSD,educators, School 

Board members; Mayor Margaret 

Finlay, John Fasana City Council 

member, Margaret Donnellan 

Todd, the LA County Librarian, 

Donna Banos East San Gabriel 

Library Regional Office, Reed 

Strege Duarte Library Manager 

and friends. Also receiving recognition 

was Joilyn Campitiello, 

Principal, Andres Duarte Elementary 

School. 

During Joilyn’s tenure, Andres 

Duarte School gained 265 

points on the state’s Academic 

Performance Index. 

B-Man’s to 

open soon 

in Duarte 

Homemade recipes combined 

with the finest natural ingredients 

are just a few of the taste tempting 

treats awaiting our residents at 

Duarte’s soon-to-open B-Man’s 

Teriyaki and Burgers. The formal 

public grand opening for its 

newest location at Mountain Ave. 

conveniently located in the Best 

Buy Center is expected to be in 

August. The chain currently has 

two other popular locations in 

Azusa and Pasadena. 

The new 1,400 square foot 

Duarte location will provide 

customers with both indoor and 

outdoor dining experience in a 

relaxed, modern decor. B-Man’s 

personal recipe collection featuring 

its famous teriyaki avocado 

cheeseburger, rice bowls and tofu 

skewers are just a few examples 

of its quality, fairly priced menu. 

Approximately 20 crew-members 

for the Duarte location including 

cooks and counter servers will be 

hired. Applications are currently 

available by stopping by the new 

store. 

During her 24 years of leadership 

in education she like others at 

DUSD is committed to providing 

a quality education in every classroom. 

Joilyn was acknowledged 

with the Excellence in Education 

award. 

FDL awarded Ashlie Yetka, 

a certificate of Appreciation for 

her creative artwork Teen Scape 

. Her sign designates a specific 

area in the library designed for the 

comfort of teens to gather. 

Ashlie noted her best memories 

of DHS are the hours she 

spent in art class. She is looking 

forward to art classes at Citrus 

College. 

Opera singer Beda Spindola 

also a recent DHS grad shared her 

beautiful voice as the opening for 

the evening program. Beda has 

enrolled at Mt. Sac then plans to 

go to Cal State Long Beach in 

their music school of opera. 

We thank you Ashlie and Beda 

for sharing your very special 

talents in art and music; we will 

remember. 

Guest Speakers were: Dr. Dean 

Conklin, Superintendent DUSD, 

Margaret Donnellan Todd, the 

LA County Librarian and Lupe 

Valerio, Supervisor Duarte Parks 

& Rec.; they spoke of education, 

libraries and reading. Scholarship 

Recipients were applauded 

for their accomplishments and 

encouraged to be diligent and 

stay the course to achieve their 

personal goals. 

Gift items for the drawing 

from local businesses will help 

to fund these scholarships. An 

excellent Prime rib Dinner was 

served by Manuel Robles, Executive 

Chef, and enjoyed by many. 

The Scholarship Recognition 

Dinner is one of the highlights 

of the year for the Friends of the 

Duarte Library, thank you for 

joining us in celebrating these 

worthy students. 

Book Sales are on going at 

the library and provide substantial 

funding for the FDL commitment 

of $7,000 or approximately 500 

new books, periodicals, & special 

programs to the library, to better 

serve you. 

Come meet us at 

*Sounds of Summer Concerts 

– Jul. 14, 28 & Aug. 11, Duarte 

Park 

*Summer Reading Program 

Carnival Aug. 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 

Duarte Library 

*Rt 66 Parade & City Picnic 

Sep. 18 

*Casino Royale Night, Sep 

11, Duarte Senior Center, 6-11p. 

m. $25 pp. 

Summer 2010 at the 

Duarte Library 

Teens! Ages 12-18 “Make 

Waves” Reading Programs, 

Get a Chance to Win A Laptop 

& Other Cool Prizes, contact 

Eileen Penson, (626) 358-1865. 

There’s still time: 

July 7 @ 2 p.m. – Ice Cream 

Personality Quiz-find out your ice 

cream preference while watching 

a movie. 

July 14 @ 2 p.m. – Learn how 

to use an e-book for reading. 

July 15 @ 4 p.m. – Open 

House Reception your chance to 

meet and talk with Duarte City 

Council members. 

July 19 @ 2 p.m. – Don’t 

just Google it, learn the hidden 

Treasurers in the many library 

databases to do research! 

July 26 @ 2 p.m. – Newspaper 

speed reading activity-Read and 

Summarize a newspaper in 15 

minutes flat. 

Summer Reading Program 

has begun and there’s still room 

for you and a friend at the Special 

programs: Tues. & Fri. @ 3. Arts 

& Crafts, Movie Day, Back Yard 

Bugs, Blue Submarine, Ronald 

McDonald, the Magic Workshop 

and more thru Aug. 28. Contact 

Kay Pearlman, 626-358-1865. 

Carnival Sat. Aug. 7 in the library 

parking lot. 

25 Volunteens are working 

for their community service hours 

and will help all Summer Reading 

Program members. Kay Pearlman 

is already planning a party for 

them Aug. 5 at noon her traditional 

“thank you” celebration. 

Adult computer 

Classes 

Given by Reed Strege, Library 

Manager; 

Computer Basics – Sat. 7/31, 

9-10:30 a.m. 

Word Processing – Sat. 8/7, 

9-10:30 a.m. 

The Internet – Sat. 8/14, 9- 

10:30 a.m. Space is limited, sign 

up now! Contact Reed Strege, 

(626) 358-1865 

The Santa Anita Family YMCA netted a butterfly garden 

and a refurbished patio thanks to the efforts of 17 year-old 

Steven Taylor, who took on the project to earn his Eagle 

Scout merit badge. Admiring the work is Y Executive Director 

Damon Colaluca. 

Teen’s Eagle Scout Project 

nets SAFYMCA a butterfly 

garden, refurbished patio 

When Boy Scouts see a need, 

they figure out a way to help. The 

patio at the Santa Anita Family 

YMCA in Monrovia was looking 

a bit neglected. 

Weeds and roots had taken 

over the garden area and paint 

was beginning to peel on the 

benches. 

Seeing that, 17 year-old Steven 

Taylor realized he had stumbled 

on the perfect project to earn his 

Eagle Scout merit badge. 

He rounded up 25 volunteers 

and solicited $300 in donations 

to help purchase paint, plants 

and other supplies. Then his team 

swung into action. 

With all the help, the project 

took just one day of hard work. 

The result is a pretty, new butterfly 

garden and freshly painted patio 

benches where Y members can sit 

and take a break, eat lunch, or just 

relax after working out. 

“It really makes a difference. 

We are very grateful for all the 

work that Steven and his crew did. 

The patio is much more inviting 

now,” said Executive Director, 

Damon Colaluca. 

Steven’s mother is also grate- 

ful and proud of her son’s effort 

on behalf the Y. 

Kathryn Taylor happens to 

the president and chief volunteer 

officer of the SAFYMCA’s board 

of directors. 

For his part, Steven said he 

really enjoyed helping to improve 

the look of the patio. “I’ve 

practically grown up at the Y, 

swimming, attending summer 

camp, and working part time last 

summer. So it was good to be able 

to help in this way.” 

The Loyola High School student 

started in the Boy Scouts in 

the 5th grade and has earned 21 

merit badges over the years, not 

including the Eagle Scout badge 

he soon hopes to add to his collection. 

He also volunteers at Annunciation 

Church, where he serves 

as a lector. 

“A reputation once broken may 

possibly be repaired, but the world 

will always keep their eyes on the 

spot where the crack was.” 

– Joseph Hall, 

philosopher, satirist


SHOP DUARTE AND ALL DUARTE CHAMBER MEMBERS 


SHOP DUARTE 

and all Duarte Chamber members 

Your Ad belongs 

here 

Call (626) 357-3333 

Next issue is September-October 2010

20 • Duarte View July-August 2010 


Duarte Church Celebrates 60th Anniversary 

Church of the Foothills–United 

Methodist 

to mark 60th anniversary 

with food, fellowship, 

music, speeches 

and time capsule 

Church of the 

Foothills in Duarte is 

more than a small, local 

church. It serves 

as a place to worship, 

an integral part of the 

community, and a local 

landmark. A long-lived 

part of the Duarte community, 

the Church of 

the Foothills will mark 

its 60th anniversary 

with a special celebration 

on October 24 on 

the church grounds at 

1014 Highland Ave. 

Free and open to the 

public, the event will begin with 

an anniversary church service, 

held in the sanctuary from 10- 

11:15 a.m. The service will be 

followed by a special luncheon 

in the fellowship hall to include 

greetings from former members 

and local dignitaries as well as 

musical performances. Items 

from the 50th anniversary time 

capsule as well as new items for 

the 60th anniversary time capsule 

will be on display. 

“This church is a special place, 

full of warm and friendly people 

who are part of a vibrant and 

Ground Breaking Celebration for Gold Line Extension 

Duarte and Monrovia mayors and council 

members take their turn with the golden shovels 

at the historic ground breaking event June 26 in 

Arcadia celebrating the start of construction of 

the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension project. 

From left: Duarte Mayor Margaret Finlay, Duarte 

Council member and Metro Board member John 

Fasana, Monrovia Council member Joe Garcia, 

Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, and Monrovia 

Council member Becky Shevlin. Completion is 

expected in 2014 with stations in Arcadia, Monrovia, 

Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. 

active community,” said current 

pastor, Rev Timothy Cheh-huat 

Ting. “We welcome the entire 

community to share in our joyful 

celebration of faith and fellowship”. 

Questions may be directed 

to the church office at (626) 

357-2616. 

Surrounded by family and 

friends, Duarte Youth Boxing 

Club head trainer, Victor Valenzuela 

was inducted into the 

California Boxing Hall of Fame 

in a ceremony on June 26 at the 

Sportsman’s Lodge in Studio 

City. 

“It’s incredible, truly an honor,” 

said Valenzuela who admitted 

he was shocked when his brother, 

Louie, an assistant trainer at the 

Duarte Youth Boxing Club, first 

sprung the news of the impending 

honor at a family gathering 

last Christmas. “I said, ‘that’s for 

famous people’.” 

Everyone who knows Valenzuela 

knows that he is not one 

to chase the limelight. Humble 

is the word that most comes to 

mind when Victor’s name is 

mentioned. But deserving of the 

honor? Absolutely. 

For the years he has devoted 

to the sport he learned from his 

father beginning at the age of nine, 

to his amateur boxing career of 

more than 80 fights. But most of 

Commemorating a History Making Event. 

At the historic ground breaking ceremony in Arcadia 

for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension 

project, Duarte City Councilman John Fasana 

happily signs his name on a commemorative 

map showing the route that will continue the 

Gold Line from its current Pasadena terminus to 

Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. 

Councilman Fasana is also a member of the Los 

Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation 

Authority. 

Victor Valenzuela inducted 

into California Boxing HOF 

Victor Valenzuela 

all for his more than 30 years as a 

trainer of pro and amateur boxers, 

including for the past five years, 

building a highly competitive 

boxing program in the town where 

he grew up and where members 

of his family have lived for nearly 

100 years. 

“It’s the best job in the world 

helping kids here. I’m so glad 

the city gave me the opportunity 

to start the program,” said Valenzuela. 

“There couldn’t have been a 

better choice or better fit for our 

boxing program,” said Duarte 

Councilman Phil Reyes. “Victor 

has a heart for the kids. He has the 

knowledge and experience, but 

beyond the skills, he is instilling 

in them the values of sportsmanship, 

responsibility, hard work 

and dedication.” 

Dedication is another word 

synonymous with Valenzuela. 

Being head trainer at the Duarte 

boxing club is what Valenzuela 

does after a full day’s work at 

City of Hope where he has run 

the print shop for years. He then 

drives about a half-mile to the 

Duarte Teen Center and spends 

the next several hours or more 

working with some of the more 

than 50 youngsters ages 8 to 20 

currently enrolled in the boxing 

program. 

On many weekends he travels 

with them to boxing shows where 

they get to match their skills and 

training against young boxers 

from throughout the state, and 

nation. 

“What we’re doing here is 

training and developing them 

to be boxers, helping give them 

a place to work out and stay off 

the streets. We want to teach these 

kids to box at a high level. They 

have to be willing to work hard. 

It demands a lot of them, a lot of 

dedication,” he said. 

If Valenzuela shows any hint 

of pride, it is for what his young 

boxers have accomplished inside 

and outside of the ring. “Some of 

these kids have really turned their 

lives around,” he said. 

One recent success story is 18 

year-old Faith Franco, a graduate 

of Mt. Olive High School in Duarte, 

who in June fought her way 

to become the Women’s Golden 

Gloves National Champion in the 

novice category in Hollywood, 

Florida. Franco will start Rio 

Hondo College in the fall. Another 

is junior welterweight, Aris Ambriz 

who is currently 13-1-1 as a 

professional. 

Among those who were glad 

to see Valenzuela given his due 

with the Hall of Fame honor was 

former WBC Super Bantamweight 

Champ, Paul Banke, 46. 

Banke trained for six years with 

Valenzuela as an amateur beginning 

at the age of 14. The two have 

remained close over the years.

Community 


News 

Summer 2010 

Published Quarterly For Residents & Businesses in Duarte 

Duarte Approves 2010-11 Budget 

T 

he Duarte City Council/Redevelopment Agency 

unanimously voted on June 8th to adopt a 

combined $29,336,300 budget for 2010 - 2011. 

Challenged by a continuing recession, increasing 

unemployment rates, and relatively flat revenues, the 

budget included a General Fund operating budget 

of $11,754,300 resulting in a $548,200 deficit that will 

be covered by funds from the City’s reserves. 

The approved budget illustrates the mixed financial 

times many localities are facing. Specifically it has a 

2% decrease from the previous year General Fund 

budget, and the lowest deficit the City has had over 

the past three years. The City will also be maintaining 

a $4.8 million dollar reserve, keeping approximately 

41% of its operating budget in savings. 

However, just as fast as the Council brings costs in line 

locally, the recession, compounded by the State’s 

historic and ongoing budget crisis (currently 

estimated at a $20 billion dollar shortfall), creates 

long-term fiscal problems. In late July 2009, the State 

Budget was approved and included a $300,000 

borrowing of City property taxes and a $2.7 million 

taking of Redevelopment funds. The Community 

Redevelopment Association (CRA) on behalf of all 

agencies filed a lawsuit against the State, 

challenging this taking. Unfortunately, 

Redevelopment Agencies lost this lawsuit 

this past May and Duarte has been forced 

to pay these dollars. In terms of the 

recession, some economists have seen 

small signs of improvement. 

However, many of the City’s major revenue 

sources continue to drop or have no 

increase. Even if it is a true recovery, 

revenues are expected to improve slowly 

and the City cannot responsibly continue 

to run deficits long into the future. As a 

result, staff recommended several cuts in 

conjunction with moderate revenue 

increases in this year’s and in future 

budgets. 

Property tax revenues are projected to 

drop again this year based on LA County’s 

projected values. This year’s reduction is estimated 

at 2% as compared to last year which dropped by 

3%. Sales tax projections anticipate slightly better 

sales for both autos and general consumer goods. 

This, in conjunction with the opening of the new Best 

Buy store, has resulted in a small projected sales tax 

increase for the first time in over four years. Even with 

this improvement, this revenue source is still 

substantially lower than in past years. 

“With sales taxes and property taxes down and 

public safety, health care, and utility costs up, the 

Council determined that the time is now to absorb 

this deficit through our reserve account,” said City 

Manager Darrell George. Adding, “However, next 

year, we do anticipate that City expenses may need 

to be brought further in line with what is being called 

the new ‘normal’ revenue stream.” 

Green Action Tips! 

Use pesticides safely! Reduce or 

eliminate where possible. 

Learn about composting, Try it out! 

Learn about 'Greenscaping'! Try it out at 

home and promote it in your community. 

Azusa Approves Vulcan Revised 

Mining and Reclamation Plan 

F 

ollowing months of meetings, public 

input and controversy, the Azusa City 

Council voted 4 to 1 to allow Vulcan 

Materials Company to expand its mining 

operations from a currently approved 

and partially mined 80 acres on the east 

side of its 270-acre property to a pristine 

mountain ridge above Duarte homes 

and schools. The council also voted 4 to 

1 to give first reading approval to a 

development deal, expected to 

generate in excess of $67 million in 

advance mining fees, additional 

extraction surcharges, and other 

financial incentives for the City of Azusa over 

the life of the agreement to extend to 2038. The 

deal is also expected to generate hundreds of 

millions of dollars for the Birmingham, Alabama, 

based Vulcan. 

Only Azusa Mayor Joe Rocha, who said he had 

done a lot of “soul searching, ”voted against the 

Vulcan Revised Conditional Use Permit, Revised 

Reclamation and accompanying development 

agreement. Mayor Rocha expressed three 

gnawing 

concerns, one of 

which was the mining of Van 

Tassel Ridge. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.” 

He also again questioned Vulcan’s real motives for 

wanting to move its mining operations to an area 

with one million less tons of available aggregate, 

and said he was bothered by the fact that “if it 

was the right thing to do” why Vulcan would only 

agree to the purported superior micro-benching 

reclamation only if the 80-acre switch was 

approved. But he was alone. 

Duarte and Monrovia mayors and 

council members take their turn 

with the golden shovels at the 

historic ground breaking event June 

26 in Arcadia celebrating the start 

of construction of the Metro Gold 

Line Foothill Extension project. From 

left: Duarte Mayor Margaret Finlay; 

Duarte Councilmember and Metro 

Board member John Fasana; 

Monrovia Councilmember Joe 

Garcia; Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann 

Lutz, and Monrovia Councilmember 

Becky Shevlin. The Gold Line 

Extension is expected to be 

completed in 2014 with stations in 

Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, 

Irwindale, and Azusa. 

More than 150 

members of the public 

attended the nearly six -hour Council meeting that 

ended shortly after midnight. A few residents of 

Mountain Cove, an expensive, newer Azusa 

community of homes that would be in the line sight 

of continued mining on the east if the revised plan 

failed, asked the council to do the right thing by 

them. But a majority of the 35 speakers, many from 

Duarte as well as Duarte public officials, 

representatives of Congressmember Judy Chu, 

Supervisor Michael Antonovich, the Azusa-based 

Save Our Canyon group, and the Sierra Club 

urged the Council to vote against the plan. 

Duarte City Manager Darrell George said Duarte is 

extremely disappointed in the Azusa City Council’s 

actions, adding that the City of Duarte plans to 

“take some time and look at all the options we 

have to continue to fight this decision, including 

litigation on CEQA and Brown Act violations.” 

For its part, Save Our Canyon 

(www.saveourcanyon.org), which has been 

fighting mining expansion plans by Vulcan for the 

past five years, is gearing up for a referendum. The 

group would have to collect about 1,400 Azusa 

voter signatures to qualify the issue to go to a 

special election. They would have 30 days from 

the time of the second reading of the 

development agreement ordinance to gather the 

signatures. 

“History continues to repeat itself in Azusa. Bad 

decisions were made by political leaders in the 

1920’s to allow rock mining to destroy the 

landscape, and bad decisions were repeated by 

Azusa Councils in the ‘50s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and here we 

are again. A sad legacy,” said George. 

Published by the City of Duarte, Duarte 

Community News contains information on 

City issues, policies, events, and programs. 

It is published and mailed quarterly to all 

residents and businesses in Duarte. For 

more information, contact the City 

Manager’s office at (626) 357-7931. 

City Council 

Mayor .......................................... Margaret Finlay 

Mayor Pro Tem .................. Tzeitel Paras-Caracci 

Councilmember .............................. John Fasana 

Councilmember ................................ Lois Gaston 

Councilmember ................................... Phil Reyes 

City Staff 

City Manager ............................... Darrell George 

Assistant City Manager .............. Kristen Petersen 

Community Development ........... Craig Hensley 

Parks and Recreation .............. Donna Georgino 

Public Safety ............................... Brian Villalobos 

Deputy City Manager ................... Karen Herrera 

City Clerk ........................................ Marla Akana

Welcome Deputy Joe Morales 

T 

he Public Safety Department welcomes Field 

Training Deputy Joe Morales to the City of Duarte. 

Deputy Morales has nine years of experience as an 

officer. He worked as a Custody Deputy in the Twin 

Towers Correctional Facility located in Los Angeles 

for five and half years, and completed his patrol 

training in the cities of San Gabriel and El Monte. 

After completion of his training, Deputy Morales was 

assigned to the Monrovia-Duarte Gang Task Force 

where he utilized his gang and narcotics suppression 

training for 

nine months. 

He later 

worked with 

parole, 

probation, 

and the District 

Attorney’s 

Office in the 

Operation 

Safe Street 

Bureau, a 

specialized 

gang task 

force that targets violent 

gangs in the San Gabriel 

Valley area. 

Deputy Morales obtained a Bachelor in Political 

Science from Cal Poly Pomona University, and a 

Master in Organizational Management from the 

University of Phoenix. 

More than delighted to work in the City of Duarte, 

Deputy Morales encourages the community to 

report any crime activity or tips to the Public Safety 

Department at (626) 357-7938 or call the crime tips 

hotline at (626) 359-5671, ext. 462. 

Celebrate Duarte’s Route 66 Parade 

and Picnic 

V 

intage cars, marching bands, and equestrian 

units will be “Rockin & Rollin Down Route 66”, on 

September 18th at Duarte’s 15th Annual Route 66 

Parade. The celebration will begin at 10:00 a.m. sharp 

on Huntington Drive, Duarte’s historic Route 66. 

After viewing the parade, the Duarte Parks and 

Recreation Department invites you to continue the 

fun and celebration at Royal Oaks Park located at 

2627 Royal Oaks Drive by attending the annual City 

picnic celebrating Duarte’s 53rd year of incorporation. 

This incredibly entertaining event, with 

something for the whole family, will feature a special 

presentation area to introduce residents to Duarte’s 

long awaited “Youth and Family Master Plan.” For 

more information or to register for the parade, please 

visit the parade committee website 

www.duarteroute66parade.com. To participate in 

the City picnic, contact the City of Duarte at 

(626) 357-7931. 

Sign Up for the Public Safety 

E-mail Alerts! 

L 

earn of the latest crime trends in Duarte 

via e-mail! This Alert System will connect you 

with the latest crime information and 

community events that are occurring in your 

neighborhood. To begin receiving e-mail alerts, 

simply email us at DuarteCrimeTips@lasd.org with 

the following information: name, home address, 

phone number, and email address. 

Hearing on Draft Development Code 

and Zoning Map Set for July 19th 

T 

he City of Duarte Planning Commission will 

hold a public hearing on July 19, 2010, for the 

Comprehensive Citywide Development Code, 

which replaces the current Subdivision and Zoning 

Codes that were originally adopted in 1962 and 

last updated in 1991. The Development Code 

regulates the physical development of land, which 

affects people both 

living and working 

in Duarte. 

The new 

Development 

Code includes 

modifications to 

development 

standards and 

permitted land 

uses, and includes 

new sustainability 

and conservation 

standards. Minor 

changes to the 

zoning map will 

also be considered. 

In 2008, the City of 

Duarte initiated an 

update to the City’s Zoning 

and Subdivision sections of the Duarte Municipal 

Code. 

With the assistance from consultant Hogle-Ireland, 

the proposed Comprehensive Development Code 

is intended to create a modern, streamlined set of 

development regulations that will attract 

economic development, result in high-quality 

construction, and serve as a functional tool. 

Since 2008, 11 community workshops have been 

held to discuss various sections of the proposed 

Code, such as zoning districts, hillside 

development, parking, residential uses, and sign 

related issues. Community input from these 

workshops has been incorporated into the new 

Code. The Code is now ready for deliberation by 

the Planning Commission, which will also consider 

a recommendation to the City Council for final 

approval. 

To provide input and to learn about the 

Development Code and how it may affect your 

property, please attend the Planning Commission 

public hearing on Monday, July 19, 2010, at 7:00 

p.m. in the Council Chambers, 1600 Huntington 

Drive, Duarte, California. 

Copies of the draft Development Code and 

Zoning Map are available for public review at the 

City Community Development counter, as well as 

the City of Duarte public library. The draft Zoning 

Map reflects land uses and vision established by 

the approved 2007 General Plan. 

We encourage you to contact the City of Duarte 

Community Development Department prior to the 

Planning Commission meeting or visit our website 

at www.accessduarte.com, to learn more about 

the proposed changes or to arrange to review the 

Draft Development Code. 

For further information, please contact the 

Community Development Department at 

(626)-357-7931, ext. 230 or 235. 

D.A.R.T. Class of 2010; 

A Personal Reflection... 

Gonzalo Lozano 

D 

uring this time of year, in which school is almost 

over, one cannot help but reflect and reminisce 

on the experiences lived. As a graduating senior at 

Duarte High School who will attend UC Berkeley in 

the fall, I cannot avoid mentioning the role the 

Duarte Area Resource Team, D.A.R.T., has played in 

my many accomplishments. This program, which 

consists of more than 

eighty members and is 

committed to aid the 

community, has served as 

a foundation in which my 

leadership and many 

other skills were formed. 

Being committed to the 

mission and friendships 

built during my involvement 

in D.A.R.T. has 

enabled me to hold 

community service as a 

priority in life. 

I am not the only 

individual in the 

organization who has decided to pursue 

a higher education. Our D.A.R.T Class of 2010 has 

twelve active senior members who have been 

accepted to higher learning institutions such as 

Arizona State University, UC Riverside, UC Irvine, CAL 

State L.A, Glendale Community College, Citrus 

Community College, Mount St. Mary's College, and 

San Diego State University. D.A.R.T. advocates 

higher education by hosting college tours, offering 

tutoring, and through workshops which aid 

members with the financial aid and application 

process. D.A.R.T. is impacting Duarte youth 

positively and the high acceptance rate on 

college admission within the organization proves 

that advocating higher education does work. 

I am proud to have served an organization which 

holds community service, grades, friendships, and 

fun excursions in high regard. The Duarte Area 

Resource Team will be awarded money from the 

recent CAL GRIP grant given to the Public Safety 

Department. These funds will serve to adequately 

serve the community and the members of this 

organization and further the programs already 

provided. We are thankful for generous donations 

from our Duarte Unified School Board member Pam 

Kawasaki and other local organizations, such as 

Rancheros Restaurant, who are always happy to 

help us in any way they can. It has been a good 

year for D.A.R.T. and the future looks bright. To learn 

more about the program, contact program advisor 

Crime Prevention Specialist Aida Torres or Deputy 

Robert MacLean at (626) 357-7938. 

Recycling Program for Multi-Family 

Housing Coming Soon 

T 

he City of Duarte was 

recently awarded a 

$57,000 state grant that will 

help fund the 

implementation of recycling 

programs throughout the 

City’s multi-family sector. 

Properties that qualify for the new program include 

apartments, condos, and town homes in which 

residents share a common refuse bin. Currently 

there are 67 such properties in the City. Successful 

multi-family recycling programs are a challenge in 

many communities given the high rate of tenant 

turnover, contamination of materials, scavenging, 

space constraints, and other factors. 

Within the next several months, the City will work in 

partnership with Burrtec Waste Services to solicit the 

participation of multi-family properties. Each 

participating property will be provided with a 

specialized recycling bin for the collection of all 

paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, and metal 

products. Ongoing resident education, as well as 

program monitoring, will be provided to encourage 

all City multi-family properties to participate in this 

important program. Help conserve natural 

resources, and reduce your trash bill! Interested 

property owners may contact the City at 

(626)357-7931, ext. 221 for further information. 

Duarte Community News 2 

Summer 2010

Duarte Fitness Center Pool Open 

T 

he City of Duarte Fitness Center swimming pools are now open for a variety of aquatic activities. 

Lap swim is offered for adults 6:30 – 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:00 - 

9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday; and 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on weekends. Recreational swim is 

available for all ages 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. weekdays and 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. on weekends. This cost is only 

50¢ for children 12 and under, and $1 for adults and teens. Water aerobics is held Tuesdays and 

Thursdays from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. at a cost of $4 per class. 

The Duarte Fitness Center Pool offers swimming lessons for all ages and skill levels. 

Lessons are offered mornings and evenings Monday through Thursday by 

experienced Red Cross certified instructors. The cost of a 2-week session is only 

$25. There are a limited number of class times and spaces. Registration begins at 

6 a.m. for Duarte residents and 8 a.m. for non-residents one week prior to the 

beginning of each session. Sessions are: August 9 – August 19, August 23 – 

September 2 and September 13 – September 23. For more information call the 

Fitness Center at (626) 357-6118. 

Green Home Winners Announced 

T 

he Mayor and City Council would like to 

congratulate Duarte residents that were selected 

as winners in Duarte’s 2010 Green Home Awards 

program. Duarte homeowners who maintained the 

beauty of their homes while thinking “Green” were 

the focus of the recently concluded competition. This 

program, offered to the entire community, 

recognized its environmentally conscious winners 

during the May 25th Duarte City Council meeting. 

Winners received gift cards, a beautiful plant, and a 

signed certificate from Mayor Margaret Finlay. 

Co-sponsored by Cal American Water, with 

donations by Arbor Nursery Plus, Duarte “Green 

Home” award winners were recognized for such 

“Green” endeavors as switching to drip irrigation 

systems, and incorporating drought tolerant plants 

into existing landscaping, while still maintaining their 

home’s exterior beauty. The winning homeowners 

were creative with their new landscaping including 

such features as dry functional riverbeds, rain gutter 

rainwater traps and the use of decomposed granite 

and gravel as lawn replacements. 

This year’s winners were Bill Raheb from 1736 Royal 

Oaks Drive, Richard E. and Dorothy Evans from 186 

Las Lomas Road, Marian Anderson and Toni Caylor 

from 83 Westvale Road, and Lee and Judi Garcia 

from 2660 Sunnydale Drive. 

For more information on entering next year’s 

program, please call the Duarte Parks & Recreation 

Department at (626) 357-7931, ext. 203. 

Duarte’s Youth and Family Master Plan is Coming Soon! 

O 

n August 12, Duarte’s Youth and Family Master Plan Advisory Committee will unveil the final document 

to the Duarte City Council and the Duarte Unified School District Board of Education at a joint meeting 

to be held at the Duarte Community Center. 

Free Summer Lunch Program 

T 

he USDA, the Duarte Unified School District, and the Duarte Parks and Recreation Department are 

offering a free summer lunch program for children ages 18 years and under. There are no limits to the 

number of lunches served. Lunches are offered Monday through Friday at Beardslee School 12:00 – 

12:45 p.m., Andres Duarte School 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., and the Duarte Teen Center 12:00 p.m. – 

1:00 p.m. The program will conclude August 27. For more information, please call 

(626) 357-7931. 

Caring, Helping, Youth, Leading, in Life (C.H.Y.L.L.) 

T 

The Advisory Committee, made up of 26 community members appointed by the 

Duarte City Council, has been working diligently since the fall of 2009 to familiarize 

its members with important community issues and gather input from residents. At 

a retreat held in early June, the Advisory Committee, led by co-chairs Doug 

Edwards of Westminster Gardens and Dr. Vincent Castro of Maryvale, formulated 

strategies to improve services and programs for youth and families. 

The master plan will be implemented over the next 5-10 years. For further 

information, please contact Donna Georgino, Director of Parks and Recreation at 

(626) 357-7931. 

he Duarte C.H.Y.L.L. program is a community service organization that connects middle 

school students with their community. This connection provides them with the opportunity 

to serve the Duarte community by participating in community service events and developing 

their leadership, work and social skills. 

As the C.H.Y.L.L. program moves into its second year, it has transitioned from the Duarte Public 

Safety Department to operate out of the Duarte Teen Center. Youth meet monthly at the 

Duarte Teen Center and work closely with the Duarte Public Safety Sheriffs Satellite Station. In 

order to maintain eligibility, the participant must commit to maintain at least a “C” average in 

school and be willing to positively impact the community. Youth will also be rewarded with the 

opportunities to participate in recreational activities and excursions with their friends. 

Applications are now being accepted for C.H.Y.L.L participation. Program membership is free, 

and limited to 40 participants. Upcoming events for C.H.Y.L.L. include a new membership and 

recognition barbecue for graduating members on Wednesday July 21, from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at 

the Duarte Teen Center. Members will also be participating in the AIM program, a leadership 

program offered through the Foothill Family Services. For more information or applications, or 

to request participation from C.H.Y.L.L. at your event, please contact the Duarte Teen Center 

(626) 303-0863. 

Otis Gordon Sports Park Playground Equipment Unveiled 

O 

tis Gordon Sports Park, one of the City of Duarte’s most popular parks since its opening in 

1995, will receive much needed, new park playground equipment thanks in part to a 

$220,000 State grant received by the City of Duarte. The 5-acre facility, used by senior citizen 

softball leagues, the Recreation Department for its summer t-ball, spring youth mini soccer, 

and adult softball programs, plus many outside groups including DYAC and the Hawks, will 

see this improvement by late July 2010. 

The former equipment was the oldest in the City and did not meet many of the State and 

Federal guidelines for safety and accessibility. The new playground equipment consisting of 

swings, slides, climbing walls, and shade canopies will be installed at the adjoining Andres 

Duarte Satellite Park at an approximate cost of $50,000, $130,000 for restrooms, and $40,000 

for additional repairs that will include new energy efficient light controls. 

Funding for the project was made available through a grant from the State of California 

2002 Resources Bond Act. The guaranteed application process also does not require a 

match of City funds, creating no impact to the City’s General Fund. For additional 

information on this upcoming capital project, contact the City’s Parks and Recreation 

Department at (626) 357-7931. 

Get In Shape at the Duarte Fitness Center 

T 

he Duarte Fitness Center, located next to City Hall at 

1600 Huntington Drive, offers a variety of ways for you to get in 

shape. Life Fitness strength equipment is available including a Chest 

Press, Lat Pulldown, Arm Curl, Seated Dip, Shoulder Press, Seated Leg 

Press, Leg Extension, Seated Leg Curl, Hip Abductor, and Hip Adductor. 

The Fitness Center also has a variety of cardiovascular equipment to 

choose from. Other Fitness Center activities include racquetball, 

wallyball, aerobic classes, and swimming. 

Fitness Center membership prices can’t be beat! 

Regular yearly membership fees for Duarte residents: 

$125 – Aquatics/Exercise/Aerobics; $150 – 

Racquetball/Exercise/Aerobics; $200 – Total Facility/ 

Individual; $300 – Total Facility/Family; non resident 

fees: $175 – Aquatics/Exercise/Aerobics; $200 – 

Racquetball/Exercise/Aerobics, $275 – Total Facility/ 

Individual; $400 – Total Facility/Family. 

The Fitness Center has several membership sales a year 

offering a 20% discount! The next membership sale will be September 

1st – 8th. Corporate membership discount rates are also available. Call 

the Duarte Fitness Center at (626) 357-6118 for more information. 

Duarte Community News 3 

Summer 2010

July 2010 

Summer Upcoming Events! 

August 2010 

September 2010 

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*Additional events, information, and commission meetings are available at (626) 357-7931 or www.accessduarte.com 

City Hall will be closed on the beige highlighted days due to the Holidays. 

Promise Fellow Recruitment 

D 

uarte Promise; The Alliance for Youth announces its annual recruitment for AmeriCorp Promise Fellows 

beginning in late June 2010. The position offers a wonderful opportunity to develop leadership, 

community organizing, and youth work skills. 

Requirements will be a full time, one-year commitment with a minimum of 1700 hours that may include 

evenings and weekends. In order to qualify, you must be at least 17 years of age, clear a criminal 

background check, obtain CPR certification, and be able work well with others on a team. Recruitment closes 

on July 22nd at 6:00 p.m. Applications are available at City Hall or www.accessduarte.com. 

For additional information please contact Karen Herrera, Duarte’s Promise Site Manager at 

(626) 357-7931, ext. 221. 

Sounds of Summer 

O 

n July 14, The Chico Band takes the Duarte 

Park stage with its diverse repertoire of big 

band, salsa, meringue, cha-cha, cumbias, Tex- 

Mex, oldies, and rock. This concert is the second 

in the series of four that will be held on 

Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

at Duarte Park, 1344 Bloomdale Ave., just east of 

Buena Vista St. 

Next up will be the beach inspired sounds of The 

Hodads cooling the warm summer evening of 

July 28. Closing out the summer concert series 

will be Mariachi Latino on Aug. 11. 

Major sponsors of the 

series are Rutan & Tucker, 

LLP, California American 

Water, Los Angeles County 

Supervisor Michael D. 

Antonovich, Duarte 

Soccer League, Foothill 

Transit, Performance 

Nissan and Burrtec Waste 

Services. 

The Duarte summer 

concert series offers a fun 

and stress-free way to 

enjoy a warm summer 

evening in the company 

of family and friends. 

Concert-goers are invited 

to bring along a lawn 

chair or blanket and pack 

a picnic dinner, or enjoy 

something good to eat from one of 

several food booths that will be open for business 

beginning at 6:00 p.m. 

Free bus transportation to and from the park is 

available by Duarte Transit. The park also offers 

convenient parking, a large picnic area, 

children’s playground, and basketball courts. For 

more information, call Duarte Parks and 

Recreation at (626) 357-7931. 

Home Energy Performance Workshop 

Slated For Duarte 

D 

uarte residents are invited to attend a free 

workshop featuring money saving solutions 

ranging from quick energy-efficient fixes to green 

retrofitting options showcasing the latest 

technology, rebates, and tax credit information on 

August 23rd at the Duarte Community Center. 

Starting at 6:00 p.m., the three-hour workshop will 

feature experts from Design Build, an architecture 

and construction firm based in the San Gabriel 

Valley addressing a variety of “green" topics. There 

will also be information presented by the Los 

Angeles County energy-efficiency and solar home 

improvement 

project loan 

program and 

Southern California 

Edison's Whole 

House Retrofit 

rebate program. 

Additional topics of 

discussion will touch 

on affordable 

weatherization 

measures, solar 

panels, and other 

ideal ways to 

achieve many 

energy and money 

saving projects in 

your home. 

Participants will also receive a reusable 

grocery bag filled with energy efficiency 

information. You can register for this free event 

online at www.sgvenergywise.org or call 

(626) 564-9702. Space is limited. 

Workshop details: 

Date: Monday, August 23, 2010 

Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. 

Location: City of Duarte 

Community Center 

1600 Huntington Dr. 

Duarte, CA 91010 

Calendar Key* 

College Fair 

5:30 - 7:00 p.m. 

Duarte High School 

Quad 

Community Health 

Fair 

3:00 p.m. 

City of Hope 

Council Meeting 

7:00 p.m. 


Economic 

Development 

Commission 

Meeting 

7:00 p.m. 


Home Energy 

Performance 

Workshop 

6:00 - 9:00 p.m. 


Job Fair 

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 

p.m. 

Monrovia 


Mayor’s Youth 

Council Meeting 

6:30 p.m. 

Teen Center 

Moonlight 

Basketball 

8:00 p.m. - 12:00 

a.m. 

D.H.S. Gym 

National Night Out! 

Various Locations 

College Fair Returns 

D 

Parks and 

Recreation 

Commission 

Meeting 

7:30 p.m. 


Planning 

Commission 

Meeting 

7:00 p.m. 


Public Safety 

Commission 

Meeting 

7:30 p.m. 


Public Services 

Commission 

7:00 p.m. 


Route 66 Parade & 

Picnic/ 10:00 a.m. 

Royal Oaks Park 

School Board 

Meeting 

7:00 p.m. 


School Starts! 

Summer Concert 

Series 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Duarte Park 

Traffic Safety 

Commission 

Meeting 

7:30 p.m. 


Unity and Peace 

Concert 

5:30 p.m. 

Performing Arts 

Center 

uarte’s Promise will host its ninth annual Foothill 

Cities College Fair on Tuesday, September 21, 

from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Duarte High School 

Quad located at 1565 Central Ave. in Duarte. 

Held in conjunction with “Back to School” night, the 

fair allows students and their parents to compare 

the programs and opportunities offered by more 

than 40 colleges and universities from throughout 

California and the United States. Admission is free. 

Some of the colleges will also offer on-site 

registration opportunities. 

For additional information, please contact Karen 

Herrera, Duarte’s Promise Site Manager at 

(626) 357-7931, ext. 221 or by email at 

herrerakaren@accessduarte.com 

The City of Duarte wants your feedback on our publication. This publication is prepared by City employees to inform residents and businesses of our 

latest news. Please contact the City's Public Information Officer at (626)357-7931, ext. 221 or by email at herrerakaren@accessduarte.com with your 

comments, ideas, and/or photos! Please consider the environment and recycle. 

Creative Designer: Roxanne Breceda 

Duarte Community News Summer 2010 

4

Groundbreaking for new Duarte soundwall - Chamber Organizer

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