Here is Sanchez and her husband, Jim Sullivan, holding their baby, also taken Monday.
And here are Sullivan's sons, from left, Brendan, age 11, Jack, age 10, and Seamus (front), age 6, visiting their new baby brother in the hospital on May 14.
In Saturday's paper, we'll have stories about La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs and Whittier approving their budgets. You could say that it's tough times for all of them. At least La Mirada has a surplus, but City Manager Tom Robinson can't be happy watching it shrink to practically nothing over the last two months. Santa Fe Springs has a $300,000 deficit, but its officials hope its city employees will help make that up with salary give-backs. Whittier will just dip into its reserves for about $700,000.
You can just say it's a sign of the times.
It's part of the horse's first birthday to be celebrated at the Parnell Park Storybook Zoo, 15390 Lambert Road.
The winning name will be revealed from dozens of entries in the "Name the Mini Horse Contest."
The event is free.
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For La Habra Heights and La Mirada officials, their budgets are balanced, but just barely. On the other hand, Whittier's general fund budget projects a $1.2 million deficit that will be made up with the use of reserves. La Habra Heights City Council will study its city budget at a special 6 p.m. Monday meeting. La Mirada and Whittier city councils are expected to approve their budgets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday meetings.
The last time the council had an opening, it appointed Eduardo Hernandez on a 3-2 vote.
Mayor Bob Henderson and Council members Owen Newcomer and Cathy Warner supported Hernandez. Santa Fe Springs business owner Jeanette Fasone, who had run unsuccessfully in 2008 for the City Council, received the other two votes from Councilmen Greg Nordbak and Joe Vinatieri.
Fasone is one of four applicants scheduled to be interviewed tonight. However, only three are expected to show. Attorney John Olvera is expected to be a no-show. The other two candidates are banker Charles Claver, who also is vice president of the Whittier Conservancy.
A third is Robert Apon, manager of a South Whittier company.
While nothing is certain, look for Councilwoman Cathy Warner to be the swing vote. If you want to watch the proceedings, you will have to show up because this meeting will not be on television. The council will meet in their conference room. It is open to the public.
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"I just want to say to our community that to see Sgt. Rowe's Blue Star in front of El Pollo Loco turn into a gold star is a very sad thing," Vinatieri said. "I hope the city of Whittier has no more of these.
The city has a Blue Star Program to honor Whittier residents serving in the military. It becomes a Gold Star should the family member die. The Blue Star Program originated during World War I with families displaying a flag in the front window of their homes to indicating that a child was serving in the military. Residents residents with members of their immediate family serving receive a Blue Star Service kit including Blue Star Service flag, lapel pin and window decal from the city. Whittier has given out 60 Blue Stars.
Vinatieri also encouraged members of the community to drop the Rowes a note and let them know you're praying for them. "I'm hopeful our community can come together and put together some kind of assessment of needs for the family," he said. "I want to wish the family the best."
Washington, DC - Rep. Linda Sánchez today spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today in honor of U.S. Army First Sgt. Blue C. Rowe, of Whittier, CA, who was killed in action in Afghanistan. To view Rep. Sánchez' speech visit: www.youtube.com/user/LindaTSanchez.
Statement for the Record - Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (CA-39)
on the Death of US Army First Sgt. Blue Rowe of Whittier, CA in Afghanistan
Monday, June 08, 2009
Madam Speaker,
It is with great sadness that I rise to pay tribute to U.S. Army First Sgt. Blue C. Rowe. Sgt. Rowe, a devoted husband and father, was a constituent of mine from Whittier, California. This brave American was killed in action in Afghanistan on May 26, 2009, on the 15th anniversary of his service in the military.
Sgt. Rowe was killed by an improvised explosive device. The thirty-three year-old Rowe leaves behind his seven year-old son Andrew and his wife, Cindy.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Cindy and Andrew. I hope that they can find some solace in the gratitude that our nation owes to Sgt. Rowe for his honorable service to his countrymen.
Sgt. Rowe spent his entire adult life serving our country. He joined the Army in 1994 and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Last July, he mobilized again for duty in Afghanistan.
He and his family have made the greatest sacrifice that one can make, and we are forever in his debt.
Sgt. Rowe, whose life embodied the meaning of the word "patriot," will be missed by family, friends, and colleagues, but his honorable deeds will not be forgotten.
]]>Leon will be buried at Rose Hillls Memorial Park and Mortuary, according to family members.
The 15-year-old La Serna High sophomore died last Thursday from injuries he sustained in an April 21 head-on collision.
Leon was a passenger in a Nissan Altima hit by a pickup truck that was heading the wrong way on Leffingwell Road.
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Here is Sanchez and her husband, Jim Sullivan, holding their baby, also taken Monday.
And here are Sullivan's sons, from left, Brendan, age 11, Jack, age 10, and Seamus (front), age 6, visiting their new baby brother in the hospital on May 14.
Asked on Tuesday about what it's like to agree with three council members, he laughed loudly. "I don't know what to say," he said. "They're accidentally right."
During his speech Monday, Marsico drew in comparisons to Communist China and multi-million dollar corporations. He asserted that Mao Zedong got rid of all of the opium shops and dealers. "He put them on a ship and then sank the ship," Marsico said. "That's how the Chinese people got the message that (drugs) were no good."
Marsico also alleged that large companies were behind the movement for medical marijuana dispensaries. "Why can't people, who need it, get it on their own?" he asked. "If this was a free country, then you should bed able to make your own whiskey and beer and drink it. And you should be able to plant marijuana) and use it.
A resident at 15228 Youngwood Drive doesn't want the city remove a white birch tree he had planted in the parkway area without permission. He appealed to the Parks and Recreation Commission but was turned down because birch is not an approved tree for the area.
Councilman Greg Nordbak asked for the appeal.
Here's the basic scenario. The City Council voted 3-2 this week to direct staff to prepare an ordinance to prepare such businesses. But meanwhile, a Pico Rivera-based nonprofit group wants to open one and is revising its application. Since there's no ban, city staff is continuing to help the group. So if the ban becomes effective before the group gets its city approval, the medical marijuana dispensary goes into existence. But if the ban gets done first, the group is out of luck.
Right now, it looks like a train wreck could be on its way -- using the same analogy -- because Jeff Collier, director of community development, said both could go to the Planning Commission in June for hearings. Wouldn't it be interesting if the ban and the conditional use permit request were on the same agendas. Won't that be interesting?
Here's the one to the Wall Street Journal story: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124096173407165939.html#articleTabs%3Dcomments
Thanks to Gary Scott for putting us on to the WSJ story.
http://reporter-g.blogspot.com/
The issue for medical marijuana is whether to scrap the city's ordinance that allows them in limited locations and ban the dispensaries. This comes as a Pico Rivera woman is applying to the city to open a business. Another issue will be just what kind of non-fireworks celebration the council might want to have. Councilwoman Cathy Warner is bringing this back. But there remains a question on whether she can get three votes to do anything.
Warner also has asked to review the historical heritage commission and its role. And the council will look at a proposal to eliminate the Design Review Board.
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The Whittier man's trial was continued to June 2 at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana. The trial was supposed to start April 28.
The FBI alleges Cantu is the "Polite Bandit" who apologized to tellers during the armed robberies.
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