A look at the numbers in a 2024 fiscal year spending blueprint that runs from July 1 through June 30, 2024 points out the mammoth transit agency’s priorities.

First, ridership on its seven rail systems is at 58% of the pre-pandemic level, while bus use is at 78% of the pre-pandemic level. As more remote workers return to the workplace, Metro wants to entice motorists with cleaner, more reliable service. “Demand for transit services has changed, especially on weekdays as L.A. County’s traditional employment centers have become less busy due to remote work,” CEO Stephanie Wiggins wrote in her budget letter to the board.

Another approach to attract riders is to enhance weekend ridership, which is rising as more L.A. County residents use Metro rail to and from sports and entertainment events.

Metro’s budget allocates $2.4 billion to operate its system, a modest 5% or $113 million increase over last year’s budget. It will provide 8.9 million hours of service — 9.6% more than pre-pandemic levels, and for rail, that comes to 27.5% more than pre-pandemic levels. It will increase investment in bus service by 6.6% over last year.

But the larger percentage increases address safety, homelessness and cleanliness:

– $13.5 million more for outreach to the homeless sleeping on trains and buses or encamping outside train station or at end-of-line neighborhoods in North Hollywood, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Downtown L.A. and Azusa. Another $10 million will go toward a new partnership with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health,  plus $1.8 million for short-term shelters. This represents a 65.6% increase from last year.

– A 43% increase in its in-house Metro Transit Security force which informs people they can’t smoke dope on the train or play loud music. Recently, the agency added to its list of conduct violations the selling of illegal drugs.

– The total cost of law enforcement contracts with Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Long Beach Police Department will grow 3.7%, from $169.5 million to $175.8 million.

– After hearing from the public at town hall meetings about dirty train cars, Metro responded. The budget includes a $23.6 million increase over last year to hire 24 more full-time custodians and 50 temporary cleaning workers for the B (Red) and D (Purple) Lines, which run through central L.A. and Hollywood. Instead of cleaning trains and buses only at the end of service, they will also be cleaned while in service, Metro reported.

“We know riders want our system to be cleaner — and that a cleaner system is a safer one,” said Metro in a prepared statement on the budget.

Bart Reed, executive director of The Transit Coalition, which keeps watch over Metro, said foremost on riders’ minds are the troubling sights, sounds, smells and actions, such as people doing drugs on platforms and train cars, and recent stabbings at B (Red) Line stations.

“The important thing is accountability,” he said on Thursday, May 4. “How will pouring more money to improve the system work, and how will we know?”

Last month, Wiggins said homeless outreach teams in March connected 1,093 people to services and of those, 15 were placed in permanent housing. A Metro survey counted 800 homeless sheltering on the Metro system on any given night.

Reed said the homeless problem, affecting all of L.A. County as well as transit systems in Philadelphia, Seattle and Portland, for example, is not unique to Metro, calling it “daunting.” But the presence of hundreds of the unhoused, as well as recent incidents of Metro-related crime that led the radio and TV newscasts, has kept away potential riders, he said.

“We do see the increase of funding toward mental health services and outreach as the right direction for Metro,” said Scarlet De Leon, campaigns director for ACT-LA, a coalition of 44 organizations focused on transit and housing justice. As far as attending to the homeless, she added: “If we want long-term results we have to connect them to housing.”

But De Leon objects to the large amount being spent on law enforcement. She pointed out that many Metro board members wanted more input on how police and sheriff deputies patrol the system but were voted down when the board approved extending the contracts. Some claimed that law enforcement officers just drive around a station and do not get out of their patrol cars.

“This is the most they’ve ever spent on law enforcement contracts and it is not getting them the result they want and need,” De Leon said on Friday, May 5. “Metro should look at root causes.”

ACT-LA has suggested Metro make physical improvements to stations that so riders feel safer, such as better lighting, and hiring elevator attendants to watch for illegal activity — something the BART system in Northern California is doing. She said the 6.6% increase in bus service is not enough, considering that up to 70% of all Metro riders take a bus.

“Bus service needs to be a priority in the budget. Some people are waiting 30 or 40 minutes for a bus to come,” De Leon said.

Rail costs are rising, as Metro operates new lines. In October, Metro opened the K (Crenshaw) Line in South L.A. and Inglewood. The downtown Regional Connector is set to open by the end of June, according to the budget document.

Metro continues to pay construction costs for the L (Gold) Line extension to Pomona, and the D (Purple) line extension to Westwood. Also, money is budgeted for improvements to the G (Orange) Line in the San Fernando Valley and for pre-construction work on the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project, a light-rail train to run along Van Nuys Boulevard.

While capital funds often come from federal and state grants, Metro also gets considerable dollars from four sales tax measures: Proposition A, Proposition C, Measure R and Measure M. Revenues have gone up $757 million, or about 16.3%, over last year.

Other revenues sources on the rise include:

• Fare revenues are estimated at $146.8 million, a nearly 38% increase from last year’s budget.

• ExpressLane tolls collected were estimated at $125 million net revenues, Metro reported last month. In next year’s budget, the revenues are estimated at $65.5 million.

• Federal grants are expected to increase by $766 million over last year’s budget.

Metro’s $1.3 billion from the Federal American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) has been exhausted. With the ending of COVID-19-related funding, the agency in 2025 will face operating deficits, according to the budget. That cloud hangs over the agency as it moves toward approval of the 2023-2024 budget in late May.

Metro Budget Facts

– The $9 billion budget is more than the 2022-2023 budget of $8.8 billion. It is available at: https://budget.metro.net

• A public hearing on the budget will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17. The meeting can be attended in person on the third floor of Metro headquarters, 1 Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles. It will be livestreamed at this site.

• Comments can be sent to budgetcomments@metro.net.

This year, the city focused on the collaborative efforts made to restore historic infrastructure, support local businesses through pandemic recovery and enhance existing city services.

“Ultimately, the story of Azusa is a testament to the human spirit,” Mayor Robert Gonzales said. “It is also the result of the hard work and efforts of countless individuals — some whose names we remember, and others we don’t.Many of you have heard the old adage that ‘it takes a village’ to raise a child. Well, the same is true for acommunity.”

For the first time, the mayoral speech, dubbed “Azusa — Better Together,” was accompanied by a video starring key city figures updating viewers on the city’s endeavors.

A feature highlight was the successful transport of the Old Schoolhouse from North Angeleno Avenue to its new home at Veterans Freedom Park on Foothill Boulevard.

The city purchased the schoolhouse from Azusa Unified School District . The architecturally significant, wood-framed schoolhouse is a leftover from race-based segregation policies — a space used to separate Mexican students in the early 1900s to teach English and “Americanization” classes.

State Sen. Susan Rubio and Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, D-West Covina, were instrumental in securing the $3 million used toward the project.

Susan Rubio dropped by the night’s address to celebrate the accomplishments with the community.

“Azusa will always be my second home and I’m really happy to be here today,” said the Azusa Pacific Alum.

Local businesses shared the spotlight with city officials, outlining how financial aid initiatives uplifted them in their times of need.

This was done a few ways:

• The city set aside half-a-million dollars and implemented a Small Business Support Grant Program for 10 local businesses trying to come back stronger following the pandemic.• The city also supported large-scale developments. OneLegacy opened its doors last year, along with The Orchard, and another key mixed-use development – the Lumia Project – which is under construction.• The city council directed departments to research how to “streamline” business licensing and permitting procedures.

Azusa Light & Water submitted designs with specifications for a new 4 million gallon steel reservoir to replace a 90+ year old deteriorating 2.5 million gallon concrete tank. The existing concrete South Reservoir is leaking and the replacement of this tank aligns with the City Council’s goal to sustain public infrastructure. Gonzalez commended help by Assemblymemer Rubio and Senator Rubio for securing $3 million in state funding.

Even though no design team or general contractor has been selected, the project is included in the city’s 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program, but there is no reported timeline for its completion.

Azusa was acknowledged for its fiscal stability, Gonzalez cited a strong credit rating and the anticipated reserves total to be $39.8 million by the end of the fiscal year.

For 2022, the city received certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting for the 7th Consecutive Year and well as Government Financial Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its second year.

“Azusa has a special place in my heart,”  Sen. Rubio said. “Just seeing the city grow since I was a ‘starving student’ to what it is now — I’m so impressed with the work.”

Just before 9 a.m., police were called to the home in the 200 block of south San Gabriel Ave. where a man had struck another man with a baseball bat and stabbed another, according to the Azusa Police Department. The man who was struck with the bat did not sustain any serious injuries but the stabbing victim later died in the hospital from his injuries.

The victim’s name was not released on Sunday, pending notification of family.

The suspect was arrested at the home and identified as 67-year-old Jeffrey Nestler, a resident of Azusa. He was booked on suspicion of murder and assault with a deadly weapon, police said. Information on the familial relationship between the victims and the suspect was not immediately available.

Anyone with information regarding the fatal dispute should contact Detective A. Avalos at 626-812-3223, or report information anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1(888) 222-TIPS.

Anyone experiencing or at risk of domestic violence can obtain help by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.

Andrew Williams, now 24, is facing a 25-year prison term in connection with the May 2018 attack on Julian Hamori-Andrade, with sentencing set Nov. 15 in a Los Angeles courtroom.

Williams pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter, three counts of kidnapping and seven counts of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. All of the charges involve the same victim.

Authorities charged five suspects in the case. Williams’ plea marks the third, with two other defendants still awaiting trial.

Francisco Amigon was sentenced to 11 years in prison and Jacob Hunter Elmendorf was ordered to serve six years behind bars after the two pleaded no contest in September 2021 to voluntary manslaughter.

A trial date is expected to be set next Friday for co-defendants Hercules Dimitrios Balaskas, 23, and Matthew Martin Capiendo, 26, who are charged with murder, kidnapping and robbery. They could face potential life prison sentences if convicted as charged.

The 20-year-old victim’s body was discovered May 30, 2018, in heavy brush about 30 feet down a hill alongside Highway 39 in Azusa Canyon, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Authorities said he was beaten at Capiendo’s home in the 6100 block of Goodway Drive in the unincorporated county area near Azusa, where authorities found a large pool of blood on the floor two days earlier. Hamori-Andrade was then driven to Azusa Canyon, where again he was beaten and thrown over the side of the road, according to investigators.

At the sentencing in 2021 for Amigon and Elmendorf, the victim’s mother thanked the two for admitting responsibility for their roles and said she had “no hate” for them.

“These have been three long years … Julian is gone forever,” Desiree Andrade said. “Please think about what you do in the future.”

The victim’s sister, Jasmine Hamori-Andrade, told Amigon and Elmendorf, “You guys have a future that my brother doesn’t have. Be smart.”

Testing the empty trains is the last step in an arduous construction process that began in 2014. Opening the line to the public is next. Although a January progress report cited April 21 as the date Metro would  allow paying riders, train watchers say that date will be missed and the underground subway that connects the L (Gold), A (Blue), E (Expo), B (Red) and D (Purple) lines will likely open this summer.

LA Metro will not give a time frame, but says this is a major step forward. Among other things, the line from Long Beach to Azusa will be the longest light-rail line in the world. “Metro expects to open the Regional Connector later this year. No new date has been announced,” wrote Patrick Chandler, spokesman, in an email on April 4.

The riderless trains are click-clacking on the new tracks late each night, as operators test the switches, signals, electric power, communications systems, as well as safety systems involving proper ventilation, smoke detectors and fire-alarm response times, Chandler said.

Testing on Regional Connector

Testing started in February, Chandler said, and has continued nearly every night since. Train watchers who have followed its progress since inception said testing a complex new line that involves melding with other lines will take several more months.

The testing has slowed the project and other delays were caused by tunneling issues and COVID disruptions, including supply-chain kinks that delayed delivery of materials, Metro reported.

The line’s construction began in late 2014 and is now three years beyond its opening date, and has grown in cost from $1.42 billion to $1.67 billion.

Gold Line from Atlantic Station enters the Regional Connector to Santa Monica pic.twitter.com/vRnnYLHQyp

— Austin (@multimodalLA) March 29, 2023

Reducing transfers and ride times

But the delays and cost overruns haven’t dampened the excitement of rail lovers. Some have posted videos of the ghost trains on the tracks and the new signage on trains and platforms, while others talk about the long-awaited connector as revolutionizing train travel in a car-centric region dominated by jammed freeways and car ownership.

“The reality is it is going to change rail transit in Los Angeles,” said Bart Reed, president of The Transit Coalition, a group that advocates for mass transit in Los Angeles County.

The Regional Connector is a 1.9-mile twin tunnel running under Downtown Los Angeles from Bunker Hill to Little Tokyo. It connects the A, E and L lines through downtown, providing quicker rides with fewer transfers in the heart of L.A. to the suburbs in Azusa, Pasadena, East Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Long Beach.

The new connector ties three existing lines together into two new rail lines, the A and the E lines. The new A Line runs north and south between Azusa and Long Beach — and eventually between Pomona and Long Beach once the eastern foothills segment now under construction reaches Pomona. The new E Line runs east and west between East Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

The line adds three new underground stations at Little Tokyo/Arts District, Historic Broadway and Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill.

Will it take cars off the roads?

“The regional connector is a transformative project,” said Eli Lipmen, executive director of Move LA, which advocated for the Regional Connector at its inception and promotes accessible mass transit with the goal of removing single-passenger cars from the roads.

“That new line, the one that will go from Long Beach to Azusa, will be the longest light-rail line in the entire world, which is pretty incredible considering Los Angeles is known as a car city,” Lipmen added.

He said commuters to the Westside from eastern sections of Los Angeles will be able to skip the drive on the 10 Freeway, helping reduce traffic. “This will be a one-seat ride from East L.A. to Santa Monica,” he said.

By 2035, average ridership is estimated at 100,000 trips each weekday, according to the January Metro report.

Reed says it could reduce cars on the 110 Freeway if commuters find it convenient to ride the line. “Instead of inching along (the 110) from Slauson into Downtown L.A. — a 30- or 40-minute trip by car — you will have a rail option,” he said.

“When you put more choices into the grid, you’ve exponentially increased transit choices,” he added.

Jerard Wright, government affairs director for the Greater Los Angeles Realtors, was working for the Sierra Club and The Transit Coalition 20 years ago in support of the Regional Connector. He said as a Long Beach resident, he’ll ride Metro rail into downtown L.A. and to Los Angeles Kings games at Crypto.com Arena.

The biggest changes are for suburban residents in eastern L.A. County and East Los Angeles thanks to the east-west rail connection in the new system. “It will revolutionize rail, especially for folks in Pasadena and the East L.A. area,” Wright said. “Without having to transfer, that cuts out waiting by 20 minutes.”

Some examples of how the connector will impact passengers include:

– On the L (Gold) Line, passengers from Azusa and East L.A. now must get off the train at Union Station, walk to the B (Red) Line, travel to another station and get off, and wait for the E (Expo) Line to go to the L.A. Coliseum, Exposition Park and/or Santa Monica. The connector will enable such riders to travel directly to DTLA, including the Disney Hall, Broad Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art. A rider will be able to catch the E Line at any DTLA connector station without taking escalators to upper platforms, cutting riding time by up to 20 minutes.

– On the A (Blue) from Long Beach, passengers can get a “one-seat ride” to Pasadena, Azusa and eventually, Pomona, once that phase of the extension is completed. The A Line will also take passengers into DTLA’s historic core without having to transfer.

Cost overruns and delays

But the cost of building underground rail service has some Metro watchers unhappy, arguing that Metro should spend more on buses than rail because the majority of Metro users ride the bus.

“We are calling for a moratorium on rail,” said Eric Mann, a co-chair of the Bus Riders Union, “and we are also calling for one million more bus hours” — positions he shares with co-chairs Barbara Lott-Holland and Channing Martinez.

The group obtained a court order and a consent decree from 1996-2006 that required Metro to provide additional bus service. Since then, Mann said that Metro has not supported its bus service and has favored rail systems. “Metro is not a transit agency. It is a rail construction agency,” he said. He argued  high rail costs should be paid with private funds.

What Metro found in underground

Digging under downtown Los Angeles caused many problems. Construction crews encountered foundations from old buildings, sewer pipes and old rail spurs. A seven-foot-long single streetcar rail was discovered 10 feet below the street, the Metro January report stated.

Shards of glass bottles dating back to 1906 and into the 1930s were part of a “refuse deposit” likely from the Wieland Brewery of that era, the report said.

Tunneling had to stop to remove the foundation of the former Union Ice Co. building, which in the early 20th Century was used for storing beer, possibly during Prohibition.

Metro had to pay a jury award of $5.6 million to the Japanese Village Plaza for disrupting the businesses in Little Tokyo in April 2017, according to the report.

Material costs rose during the past three years due to the COVID pandemic and supply chain disruptions, the report said. “Materials and equipment delivery delays and reduced testing progress are affecting Substantial Completion,” read the report.

There’s a discussion in the report indicating that the final cost is anticipated to reach $1.76 billion. Metro would not comment on delays or cost overruns.

“These rail projects are construction boondoggles,” Mann, at Bus Riders Union, said. “They are there to please every board member who wants a rail project in their district.”

Supporters contend that while costs are high the project is delivering on promises made in tax Measures R and M, which county residents supported in the hope that rail service would shorten commutes and provide convenient, stress-reducing trips that connect to where they live and work.

“We are starting to become a more connected city,” Wright said.

Crews cleared the area between March 6 and March 13, according to Army Corps officials, with much of the clearing around the former Puente Largo Railway Bridge, a 116-year-old bridge that was converted several years ago to a walk and bikeway spanning the riverbed.

The action came at the behest of local communities along the Azusa riverbed, who requested help in removing litter from abandoned homeless encampments on U. S. Army Corps-managed land.

It also came as an atmospheric river dumped record amounts of rain and snow before, during and immediately following the cleanup. The intense rain led to the rescue of eight people and eight dogs from the San Gabriel River on March 13 in Azusa. They had been swept away by fast-moving waters, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The 7-day cleanup spanned more than 68 acres, on which the Army Corps filled 18 40-cubic-yard dumpsters, totaling 144 tons of trash and debris, L.A. District project manager Trevor Snyder said in an announcement of the cleanup.

Much of the material collected included significant debris washed downstream from recent heavy rains. It included aerosol paint cans, propane tanks and gasoline cans. One item dragged out of the river was a soggy king-sized waterbed, officials said.

In announcing the cleanup, officials emphasized that any unhoused people living in the riverbed were given 72-hours notice before the work commenced. But they also cautioned that the lands for homeless encampments is prohibited by the agency’s regulations and Los Angeles County, “as it presents a health and safety hazard to homeless individuals, residents, the environment and wildlife.”

Representatives with the L.A. District’s Operations Division and the Corps’ L.A. District park rangers partnered with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Azusa Police Department and L.A. County Animal Care and Control’s Major Case Unit to conduct a final safety inspection, ensuring the encampment was unoccupied – including pets – and to document its remnants, Army Corps officials said.

“While the focus is on removing floatable debris from the flood-risk management project and decreasing associated fire risks that these camps bring to our local communities, it is important to note that illegally domiciling in a river is very dangerous,” Snyder said.

“We strive to protect the lives and safety of those homeless during these cleanups,”  he added.

The 58-mile San Gabriel River flows southward through Los Angeles and Orange counties – from the San Gabriel Mountains – before emptying into the Pacific Ocean between the cities of Long Beach and Seal Beach. The land along the river is maintained by the L.A. District for flood-risk management.

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  3-year-old Daniel Stoop gets a fist bump from Monterey Park firefighter Chase Henrich at a fundraiser for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  City officials attend a barbecue fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. Pictured from left are Councilmember Vinh Ngo, Mayor Pro Tem Thomas Wong, Councilmember Henry Lo and City Treasurer Amy Lee. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  3-year-old Daniel Stoop attends a fundraiser with his family for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  From left, Alex Ly and Wendy Lo of Monterey Park and Julianne Yelmamoto of Long Beach attend a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  Monterey Park officials attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. Pictured from left are Councilmember Vinh Ngo, Fire Department Capt. Dan Cline, City Treasurer Amy Lee and Councilmember Henry Lo. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  Los Angeles County firefighters attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The mayor of Alhambra, Adele Andrade-Stadler, shows her support for Monterey Park firefighters on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Monterey Park Fire Association hosts a barbecue to raise money for the Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  People attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  People attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  People attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  People attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  People attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  People attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  People attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  People attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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  People attend a fundraiser for the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund on Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

The clouds parted for a sunny Saturday afternoon that flowed into the perfect evening for a community barbecue — to continue a path toward healing, to recovery in Monterey Park.

Hosted by the city’s firefighters, the barbecue was in support of the Monterey Park Community Healing Fund.

A $5 donation secured a cheeseburger, chips, drink and cookie per guest, and in the bigger picture will go to a much bigger purpose — the fund.

It’s a fund that will support resources, such as emotional support efforts, that officials hope will restore a shattered sense of security after the Jan. 21 mass shooting that left 11 dead at Star Ballroom Dance Studio.

The barbecue was particularly poignant since it was first responders who organized it, their own department jolted by the emotions of responding to the tragedy.

Responders to the scene on Jan. 21 successfully transported surviving patients to the hospital, losing only one life after departure, officials said.

Fire Chief Matthew Hallock’s mantra has been to remember the lives saved thanks to the responder’s efforts.

But the toll the event took on his department prompted crisis response therapy, which was provided to the unit.

“It’s a good way to healing — talking and to try and look at better times,” said Daniel Cline, Executive Director of Monterey Park Firefighters.

While some on the fire department initially took a leave of absence without deadline to further process the event, as of this report, 17 of the 18 responders have returned to their duties. This positive prognosis is one the Fire Department hopes can happen for other community members affected by the tragedy.

In its second such rendezvous in the San Gabriel Valley, Hart House’s food truck parked on Azusa Pacific University’s west campus Friday, March 24, in Azusa to serve up its specialty for the university’s 2023 homecoming festivities: plant-based foods.

It was an effort to further gain a foothold in the 626, after Hart’s business storefront eatery opened in Monrovia late last year, to the delight of customers eager for more plant-based options. The first Hart House, in Westchester, opened in August.

The business showed further support as lead sponsor for the event, which included a block party followed by a concert on Friday night.

This, of course, was amid all the flavor of the college’s homecoming weekend, which includes a concert— “A Night of Worship,” with Mosaic MSC from Los Angeles and ONE&ALL from San Dimas — APU baseball, softball and tennis games and tailgates, breakfast with APU’s President Adam J. Morris, a “Support Local” Market on Cougar Walk, alumni class reunions, the Pacific Islanders Organization’s Lū’au, to list a few.

Morris said that the homecoming event is a meaningful moment for APU students, families, alum, staff and faculty to ring in the new semester.

And food – yes, even healthier food – is a vital part of the event.

“I think increasingly, we have students who have different dietary requirements,” Morris said. “It seems more so than in years and years past. I’ve been in higher ed for 30 years and we’re working very hard to meet the nutritional needs of our students.”

“We’re really excited about this partnership,” he added, referring to Hart House being in as sponsor.

Aaliyah Lambert, marketing associate at Hart House, explained that the food truck — which made its San Gabriel Valley debut in Old Town Monrovia earlier this month — is a call back to before there ever was a Hart House storefront.

She said that the truck allowed the business to break into the market and introduce plant forward cuisine to spaces that otherwise might not have access to the option.

So even with the permanent locations, Hart House values the reach street service can have.

“You can’t be ‘plant based for people,’ if you don’t know what they’re doing, what they’re going through, and you know, what’s happening in their lives,” said Lambert. “So a huge part of it is — ‘how can we help uplift and support the communities we’re coming into?”

“We want to be good neighbors,” she added.

Hart House’s menu features an entirely plant-based, fast-food-style cuisine with the promise of zero cholesterol, antibiotics, hormones, artificial colors, preservatives, corn syrup or trans fats.

The popularity for plant-based options is increasing, especially among folks who want to maintain lower serum cholesterol and lower blood pressure to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Additionally, the global production of meat has large environmental impacts – increasing greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural land and freshwater use.

“Some people are shocked because they’re finding out that they’re eating plant-based food and they realize that plant-based food can have this ‘can’t believe it’ flavor,” Lambert said.

A third Hart House is set to open in Hollywood.

The Gold Line (now L Line) 3.2-mile extension from Pomona into Montclair, budgeted at $798 million, and the misnamed West Santa Ana Branch line (WSAB), budgeted at $500 million, being planned from Artesia to downtown Los Angeles. lost out because the agency wanted to space out projects.

With the Gold Line its No. 2 priority and WSAB No. 3, they were part of a three-project application from L.A. Metro that apparently was too much to fund. If the agency had granted funding just to Metro’s first and second priority projects, that would’ve awarded Metro too much of the available rail construction pie that would’ve denied funding for projects in other counties, according to a document called the Internal Decision Framework.

Instead, the California State Transportation Agency funded two projects that “geographically balance” out county funding — but only one was from L.A. Metro, while the other was from Inglewood.

Listed by L.A. Metro as its first priority, the state awarded $600 million toward building the East San Fernando Valley light-rail. The second project funded was not from Metro. CalSTA granted the full, $407 million request for a people mover in Inglewood that would connect to football and basketball stadiums, as well as to Metro’s K Line light-rail, providing a no-car option to trek to  L.A. Rams and L.A. Chargers football games and other events at SoFi Stadium.

“Funding both of L.A. Metro’s top two priorities (ESFV line and Gold Line extension) would have consumed, and surpassed, the entire stated maximum SoCal investment capacity of $1.35 billion. This would have necessitated reducing the funding for new projects significantly, or necessitated the deletion of every other award recommendation, including the Inglewood Transit Connector Project and award recommendations in every other county in Southern California,” according to the internal document.

The document, which contains comments for those projects awarded state dollars and those denied, was part of a public records act request made by this newspaper on Feb. 14, 2023. An initial batch of documents did not contain pertinent information; this document was received on March 16 in a second release.

The agency awarded $2.5 billion to 16 transit projects in the state. Draft guidelines for how to prepare applications and project characteristics the agency was looking for were workshopped at public meetings last fall, said Marty Greenstein, CalSTA spokesman.

The ratings sheet also names other reasons why two of the three L.A. Metro projects were denied funding from this cycle of the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP).

A major funding factor was whether a project needed state funds to ensure promised federal funding, sometimes called matching funds. This was true for both the ESFV line and the Inglewood project. The state document said there was an urgency to rush state dollars to these two in order to keep the projects from losing Federal Transit Administration dollars.

In short, the state agency was working hand-in-glove with the FTA. The implication to some was that the state-valued dollars promised by the feds over money pored into project budgets by county taxpayers. In L.A. County, 2% of all sales tax goes to L.A. Metro for construction of rail and rapid bus transit in an effort to get cars off crowded freeways.

With the Gold Line, the internal document placed less value on the $1.23 billion raised from local tax sources. “The proportion of TIRCP dollars being used to leverage other funding is not as competitive,” read the document.

“It is wrong to punish a local population for spending a billion dollars of local funds to accelerate the beginning of a project and then say there are not enough local funds to justify the TIRCP investments to complete the project,” wrote Habib Balian, CEO of the Metro Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, in response to the document.

Montclair Mayor John Dutrey said the city adjusted its general plan to accommodate high-density housing near the Montclair TransCenter, where the L Line Station would be built. The Claremont and Montclair stations would add 8,000 daily boardings or about half of the line’s total ridership, the Authority reported.

Completion of the line to Montclair would take about 15,000 car trips off the roads each day and reduce 26.7 million vehicle miles travelled annually, studies show. Transportation planners, as well as San Gabriel Valley cities had hoped the project would be funded, so use of the light-rail train would lessen the traffic on the 210, 10 and 60 Freeways in Los Angeles County.

A comment from the ratings document said the project benefits San Bernardino County and that CalSTA awarded money to two other projects in San Bernardino County, to convert diesel train vehicles to zero-emission hydrogen-powered train vehicles on the Redlands Passenger Rail Project and build a 19-mile bus rapid transit project that connects Rancho Cucamonga with Ontario, Montclair, Pomona and the Ontario International Airport.

Dutrey said on Monday, March 20, that a light-rail line from L.A. into San Bernardino County benefits both counties by taking riders to the Claremont Colleges and downtown Claremont and commuters to Pasadena and L.A. It also will help with the state housing shortage. He said Montclair is doing its part but not being rewarded.

“I feel Sacramento doesn’t understand this,” he said.

Dutrey said the Authority and Metro’s failed multiple requests for gap funding will push the completion into the next decade or beyond: “Instead of going forward,” he sad, “we’re going backward.”

He blamed L.A. Metro for not making the what would be the first LA Metro project to reach into San Bernardino County a top priority. On Thursday, the Metro Board will consider making it a No. 1 priority so it would be in a stronger position for funding next year, he said.

Janice Hahn, Fourth District L.A. County Supervisor, chair of the Board and a member of the LA Metro Board, slammed Metro’s staff and its lobbyists in Sacramento. She was angry over the state skipping WSAB funding, a project that is still far from the $7.1 billion needed for the first phase.

“I am giving everybody an F grade on the West Santa Ana Branch. That is how I feel about your consultants,” she told the Metro staff in charge of pushing for TIRCP grants during the Executive Committee meeting of the Board on March 16.

Metro is working on other sources of funding for both Gold Line and WSAB. The staff is working with the governor’s office and key legislators to try to try to increase the funds available for transportation projects in the upcoming state budget.

Metro has prohibited the Gold Line Authority from preparing a federal project and for seeking federal dollars, something Montclair has pushed for, as has Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona. CalSTA favored projects with federal funding, and noted that the Gold Line extension application “included minimal discussion on ‘federalizing’ the project and pros/cons of this potential strategy.”

“If this project was federalized, it would’ve been awarded state fund in this cycle,” Dutrey said.

The document said the agency awarded the Inglewood people mover because it “showed geographic equity (that) benefits within Los Angeles County.” In its first two reasons, the document said it needed funding immediately. “Additional delays would have seriously impacted the ability to deliver the project before 2028 Olympics.”

But Inglewood Mayor James Butts, also a LA Metro board member, said he didn’t think the coming L.A.Olympic games that would include events at the Inglewood stadiums was a factor. Rather he emphasized connectivity to the K Line, which in a few years will connect to an automated train into LAX.

Butts said he and his consultants were not given further documentation on why the Inglewood project was chosen for funding. “Our consultant team was top notch. The city has developed a reputation for credibility and for bringing projects to fruition,” he said during an interview.

Dutrey had not seen the ratings document until it was shared with him by SCNG for comment. He said both CalSTA and L.A. Metro lacked transparency. “This was very political,” Dutrey said.

Greenstein said the process was open and feedback was given by transit agencies, which resulted in changes to the draft guidelines for project funding and posting of final guidelines on the CalSTA website.

“I think it was pretty transparent,” Greenstein said on Monday, March 20.

In cases filed in Los Angeles in recent weeks, the defendants were accused of exploiting children in person and on the Internet.

“Protecting our children from sexual exploitation is some of the most important work my office does,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement.

“For years, we have vigorously prosecuted child sexual predators, and we have only increased those efforts in recent times. To those who would seek to victimize our youth, let me be clear: We will use every tool in our arsenal to bring you to justice and thereby stop you from causing further irreparable harm to others.”

The defendants facing charges in Los Angeles federal court are:

— Ivan Lozano, 36, of Long Beach, who was charged with enticing a minor victim to commit sexual acts and possession of child pornography. Over the course of nearly two years, starting when the victim was 14, Lozano allegedly encouraged and enticed a girl living in Tanzania to repeatedly send him videos and photos of a sexual nature using the WhatsApp social media application. In October 2021, according to the complaint affidavit, Lozano traveled to Tanzania for the purpose of having sex with the girl, which he recorded on video. Lozano is currently a fugitive being sought by the FBI.

— Dustan David Sheehan, 45, of Hollywood, who surrendered Friday after being named in a criminal complaint that accuses him of distributing child pornography and possession of and access with intent to view child pornography. In an August 2020 conversation with an undercover agent on the Kik internet messaging platform, Sheehan allegedly discussed his desire to meet and sexually abuse the undercover’s fictitious 9-year-old daughter. Sheehan was also accused of sharing sexually explicit images with the undercover agent. During a subsequent search of Sheehan’s residence, FBI investigators identified about 2,919 child sexual abuse images and 21 similar videos on Sheehan’s digital devices, prosecutors say. During his initial court appearance Friday, Sheehan was released on a $100,000 bond and was ordered to reside at a residential rehabilitation center.

— Nathan Kicyla, 39, of Van Nuys, was accused of coercing a 10-year-old girl he encountered online to engage in sexually explicit conduct. An indictment charges Kicyla with sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction, enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and commission of a felony offense involving a minor. If convicted, he would face a mandatory minimum of 35 years in federal prison. He is currently in federal custody on a supervised release violation stemming from a 2007 conviction of sexually exploitation of minors in the Eastern District of California.

— Ian Nathanial Johnson, 36, of Santa Clarita, was arrested Friday after prosecutors filed a criminal complaint charging him with distribution and possession of child pornography. The investigation into Johnson was launched after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received information that Johnson had uploaded child pornography to a Dropbox account, prosecutors said. During a search, agents seized Johnson’s digital devices and discovered over 200 images of child pornography and chats on Telegram, several of which included images of prepubescent children and children in bondage, the affidavit states.

In a recently concluded case, Francisco Anthony Dorame, 41, of Echo Park, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Wednesday for using an online messenger app last year to attempt to sexually traffic two children — ages 7 and 9 — and for distributing sexually explicit images of children. Dorame was also sentenced to a lifetime period of supervised release and ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution to 11 victims. Dorame pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sex trafficking of a child under 14 years old and one count of distribution of child pornography.

In February, two men who were found guilty by a jury of receiving and possessing videos of sexual assaults of severely disabled children were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Miguel Bocardo, 23, of Baldwin Park, was sentenced by a federal judge in Santa Ana to 18 years in federal prison. Cyr Dino Banguguilan, 36, of Azusa, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Their co-defendant — Steve Rodriguez, 38, of Pomona — was accused of systematically raping at least three disabled children for years while working as a certified nursing assistant at a group home facility. Rodriguez filmed these repeated attacks and sent some of these child pornography films to others, including Bocardo and Banguguilan, according to prosecutors.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to eight child exploitation offenses and in January was sentenced to life in federal prison.