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Montebello E-News

  October 15, 2009

Things ain't what they used to be and never were.  Will Rogers

(Is he saying that we glamorize the past, that we neither know—nor wish to know—the facts of history?)

1.  Announcements

2. Can This Happen in Montebello?

3.  About Montebello E-News and “My Montebello”

Everyone thinks Italian.  The Montebello Historical Society will host its annual "Evening in Italy" at the Montebello Senior Center on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 6:00 pm. Tickets will be available for a $20.00 contribution, which will provide you a complete Italian dinner. There will be door prizes and an authorized raffle. For further information and tickets call the Adobe at (323) 887-4592, or better yet drop by the Adobe any Saturday between 1:00 to 4:00 PM.

Events at our library.   Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 4:00 p.m.  Teens, have no ideas for a Halloween costume yet? Come to the Montebello Library and make your own masquerade mask to hide your identity.  All materials will be provided. For grades 6-12.  //  Thursday, October 22, 2009, 4:00 p.m.  Are you a Yu-Gi-Oh enthusiast?  Bring your deck and your friends to join other duelers. There will be a prize for the winner and refreshments for all. For grades 6-12.  // For more information about these events, contact Nora Chen at (323) 722-6551.

How about food in exchange for work?  I have wondered why our service clubs and, now, Heart of Compassion are ready to provide meals to the less fortunate, but are unwilling to provide “thank you” meals for community service.  Certainly, some people are not able to do community service, but others are.  Why not invite those who are less fortunate but able-bodied to “thank you” meals in exchange for their help to benefit Montebello?  Anyway, Heart of Compassion will be distributing food to low-income residents every Wednesday through August, 2010.  Applications for the program can be obtained from Calvary Chapel, Montebello Foursquare, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Park Avenue Christian Church, Praise Chapel, and St. Benedict Parish Church and School.

Ditto gifts for children.  Same thought as in the preceding announcement.  On August 29, Montebello service clubs partnered in a back-to-school shopping spree—the ninth annual—this time at Wal-Mart, Pico Rivera.  Each child, accompanied by a chaperone, received a $100 gift card for shoes and apparel... The children were selected by the Montebello Unified School District . ... From Spotlight on Montebello, October, 2009.

Honoring those who serve.  Montebello Mayor Rosemarie Vasquez, along with the city council, honored presidents of several local service organizations and recognized the work of their members at last week’s city council meeting. ... Declaring “community service night,” Vasquez handed out proclamations and gave each president an opportunity to tell the audience about his or her organization and the projects they are currently involved in. Club presidents then asked their members to stand and be recognized. ... By Anne Donofrio-Holter, as printed in Spotlight on Montebello , October, 2009.

Either you get ready or you get a gun.  (If you are not prepared for the coming big earthquake, the only way to ensure that you survive would be to force yourself upon others;  but because that would engender hostility, if not violence, it would be much better to be prepared.)  At 10:15 a.m. on October 15th join millions of Californians and participate in the largest earthquake drill ever! Why? To practice how to protect ourselves during earthquakes, and to get prepared at work, school, and home. Register now at http://www.shakeout.org/register/.

Must-see documentary.  I saw “Split Estate” on October 1 in Whittier.  The movie will be airing on Planet Green on Saturday, October 17, 2009.  It will re-air on Planet Green on October 18, 22, and 23. This documentary is highly relevant to the possible development of the Montebello Hills.  I would be interested in learning how the documentary might be flawed.  And if it is not—our whole city council show see it before voting on our hills.

This gets quite interesting.  While there might or might not be a serious health problem associated with the development of the Montebello Hills, there might be much economic benefit from development of the hills.  Cook Hill Properties hosted a “meet-and-greet” breakfast at the Quiet Cannon for chamber board members, business leaders and local city officials regarding their project for the Montebello Hills.  Eager business leaders were prompt to hear how to the project would enhance the business community.  From Spotlight on Montebello, October, 2009.  Just as we should not be quick to embrace the documentary, we should not be quick to embrace the forecast of Cook Hill Properties.

What is our city (not) telling us?  Our city has contracted for graffiti removal.  There is a hotline, 877.444.6044.  That is good.  But I keep wondering why the city feels that residents could not get meaningfully involved in surveillance, which could be done without danger to residents.

Going to the candidates’ debate?  On Wednesday, October 21, the Montebello Chamber of Commerce will host a forum featuring Montebello city council candidates.  The event will be held at the Quiet Cannon from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.  The League of Women Voters will facilitate the event.  Audience members will have the opportunity to submit questions to the candidates. ... For more information, please contact the Montebello Chamber of Commerce at (323) 721-1153.  From Spotlight on Montebello, October, 2009.

Gold Line extension.   As you might know, government is considering whether to run the Gold Line through Montebello.  The Gold Line is public transit by train.  There will be a meeting which you may attend and voice your opinion.  Tuesday, October 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Camino Conference Room at the Montebello Golf Course, 901 Via San Clemente.  For more information, Yesenia Arias, 909.627.2974.

The season has begun.  For the 10^th year in a row, the Uniroyal Soccer Program is supporting soccer communities across the country.  Montebello Tire Pros will donate funds and equipment to the Montebello AYSO Region 1065.  Beginning October 1, players will receive a certificate that can be redeemed for a free soccer ball at Montebello Tire Pros while supplies last.  Uniroyal Tire and Montebello Tire Pros will also donate $2 for every Uniroyal tire sold during the 30-day program ...  To learn more about the Uniroyal Soccer Program, visit the brand’s Web site at www.uniroyaltires.com. ... From Spotlight on Montebello, October, 2009.

On October 1, there was a showing of “Split Estate” at a church in Whittier.  The theme was that, if the US government had mineral rights to land which you owned, the government could sell or lease those rights to third parties, which then could come on your land to extract minerals.  Examples were given from Colorado and New Mexico.  Apart from the question of infringing on the beauty of the land, mineral extraction raised concern about the effect on people’s health, from asthma to cancer.  I was concerned at the failure of government to respond to complaints by people, and wondered why people were passive, either suffering, at times dying, from the toxins or moving away without a fight.  (It was stated that some people received settlements from oil and gas companies, with the stipulation that their cases not be told publicly.)  Somebody from Montebello brought a map showing where we used to have oil wells in our community.  There apparently used to be quite a number, and not just in the hills.  The question arose that toxins might enter the air which we breathed even after a well had been capped.  This led to the thought that the short-term boon from developing the Montebello Hills might have irreversible, regrettable long-term consequences, no matter how much assurance given by the property owner and developer.