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Montebello E-News

  September 15, 2009

The genius of a good leader is to leave behind him a situation which common sense, without the grace of genius, can deal with successfully.  Walter Lippman

I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.  Thomas Jefferson

 (Interesting.  Compare the apparently two different approaches to democracy.)

1.  Announcements

2.  Suffer the Mammoni

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

Busy, busy.  There is so much going on at our library.  You can pick up a monthly calendar there.  (Ah, if we only had an online calendar!)  Toddler and preschool story time every Wednesday at 10 a.m.  Friends of the Library meeting, Monday, September 14, 2009 at 6 p.m.  Tuesday, September 15, “Fiesta in Mexico ”, 6:30 p.m., while there will be a flamenco dancer at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 19.  For teens:  Wednesday, September 16;  Wednesday, September 23;  Saturday, September 26.  Family story time, Saturday, September 19, 10:30 a.m.  Montebello Stamping Mavens, Monday, September 21, 5:30 p.m.  For more information, 323.722.6551.

“Recycle Your ‘Electronic Waste’”.  In order to create a cleaner environment for our community, the Montebello Chamber of Commerce is hosting an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling collection event on Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20 in the parking lot of Taylor Ranch Park, 737 North Montebello boulevard, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The event is a free service to city residents and businesses, allowing them to properly dispose of their old computers, and at the same time, help reduce improper and illegal dumping in our city and landfills.  More importantly, the event helps protect our planet from various toxic materials polluting our soil and environment. …  From Spotlight on Montebello , August, 2009.  For more information, contact Salvatrice Cummo at the Montebello Chamber of Commerce, 323.721.1153.

Meeting about our hills.  The Save Montebello Hills Task Force will meet at Carrow’s Restaurant, 2501 Via Campo, Montebello, at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16, 2009.

For seniors.  ... L.A. Care Health Plan and Family Care Specialist Medical Group will be facilitating a series of presentations at the City of Montebello Senior Citizen Center ... Medicare/Medi-Cal classes, Tuesday, September 15, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and Tuesday, September 22, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. …  For more information, contact the Montebello Senior Center, 323.887.4547.

Around town.  For the ninth year running, Ford of Montebello owner Jim Ross and his staff hosted their annual scholarship essay contest at the Quiet Cannon…  The seven students receiving $1,000 scholarship checks were Emily Baeza, Sadiya Hashem, and Yester Sabondzhyan, Montebello High School;  Luis Preciado, Bell Gardens High School;  Rebecca Robles, El Rancho High School;  Jonathan Nogales, Schurr High School ;  and Joshua Rodriguez, Garfield High School.  All [twenty-three] participants in the contest received a $25 gift card for Office Depot. ...  On June 27, Heart of Compassion Distribution volunteers distributed food at Holifield Park in Montebello.  More than 3,000 received approximately 200,000 pounds of fresh produce, fruit, food and essential items. … For more information, please call 323.727.7997. ... Recently, Pastor Eric Tietze received the Clara Barton Spirit of the Red Cross Hero award for his work feeding those in need.  Formed by Pastor Eric in 1993, Heart of Compassion began as a community breakfast for people in the neighborhood. ...  Margaret Matlack, R.N., C.N.O.R., has worked at Beverly Hospital for 45 years.  But what’s ironic is that in May of 1949, Margaret’s father, Dr. John Higgins, was one of 18 founding physicians of Beverly Hospital.  She probably never imagined that one day she would become a skilled nurse, and play such an active role in safe-guarding the legacy of the hospital. ...  The Montebello Fire Department created the Junior Fire Academy in 2001 to provide fire safety education to our youth.  It also encourages team work and helps develop self esteem.  More than a thousand young girls and boys have participated in this popular summer program. ...   The City of Montebello honored its military veterans May 22 with a walk from city hall to City Park.  The walk also served as the kickoff for the city’s Hometown Heroes program, which recognizes Montebello residents currently serving in the military with a pole banner. ...   From Spotlight on Montebello .

We mean well, honest.  A couple in Montebello won the 2009 Montebello Beautiful Residential Award for switching from a grass lawn to synthetic turf.  That water was saved was great, “when regional water supplies are at historic lows”, but synthetic turf!!!  How is that supposed to help us, all of us, in the fight to mitigate climate change?  Should we give our city points for getting the solution half right?

More graffiti removal.  …Starting July 1, Nationwide Services will provide all graffiti removal service in the city.  The contract will be in effect for one year. … The new agreement will provide citywide graffiti removal six days a week, Monday through Saturday, with 24-hour response to all requests for removal.  … For graffiti removal, call 877-444-6044.  From Spotlight on Montebello.

Positive behavior modification—something from which we all can learn.   …“Operation Chill was developed by 7-Eleven to positively reward and encourage good behavior by kids during the hot summer months when there is often an increase in crime and graffiti and to support law enforcement agencies’ community relations projects,” said 7-eleven loss prevention specialist Stephen Kellison.  “The success and popularity of the program has resulted in its being extended beyond the summer months a  year-round tool for local law enforcement.”  This summer, as Montebello police officers come upon kids engaged in positive behavior such as wearing a helmet when riding a bike, properly disposing of litter, participating in positive community activities or lending a hand, they will be rewarded with a coupon for a free 7-Eleven Slurpee. ...  From Spotlight on Montebello.

Bookmark this.  Our city now has an excellent calendar of city meetings and events.  www.cityofmontebello.com/cals/default.asp.  One thing missing is for our community organizations to come together, obtain the calendar design from the city, and agree among themselves to faithfully maintain, for the public, a separate master community calendar on the Internet.

The singular of mammoni is mammone, who is a “mommy’s boy”, which includes somebody who lives at home with his mother.  Our American culture fiercely believes in independence and looks down on mammoni.  However, mammoni have an important role, as I have learned from living at my parents’ house.  

All the mail with official-looking letterhead, asking for money.  The applications which ask for social-security numbers.  The telemarketers and infomercials.  The endless nonprofit solicitations.  The strangers at the door selling, querying.  The thick, useless books from health-care plans explaining what they offer.  The notices from the United Auto Workers about changes in health benefits because General Motors is not what it used to be.  Confusing?  Definitely.  I have noticed how useful it is to be around as my parents, eighty-six and seventy-nine, are confronted with decisions for which they are ill prepared.