91 NOVEMBER Profile

PROFILE
Vol. 40 · No. 10 NOVEMBER 2013
CITY COUNCIL
Mayor Gustavo V. Camacho
Mayor Pro Tem Brent A. Tercero
Councilmembers Bob J. Archuleta · David W. Armenta · Gregory Salcido
RIO VISTA PARK REOPENED
T
he new and improved Rio Vista Park made its public debut during a Grand
Opening ceremony held late last month. Residents are invited to stop
by the park and take a look at the new facility, which is located at 8752
Coffman and Pico Road.
Community members who attended the ceremony were quite pleased with
the renovations, which include five new age-appropriate softball fields with
bleachers and dugouts, sports field lighting, new scoreboards, a park wide P.A.
system, a new concession stand, restroom facility and storage building, new
accessible playground, and picnic facilities.
The park has been closed for several months behind construction fences as
workers made $5 million worth of improvements to the facility as part of the
City’s Parks Master Plan.
“We appreciate the patience of the residents during the closure,” said City
Manager Ron Bates. “Now that the park is open and ready for use, I think
the residents will be happy with not only the new look of the park, but the
enhanced amenities it has to offer.”
Bates also noted that because the parks belong to the community, the City
made extensive efforts to make sure the renovations reflect the needs of the
community.
SMITH PARK REOPENS
Ron Bates. “As the public gets the
opportunity to use the rest of the
park, I think everyone will be pleased
with the enhancements we made to
the Smith Park facilities,” said Public
Works Director Art Cervantes.
The completion of the Smith Park
renovations will mark the end of the
City’s multi-year $24 million Parks
S
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
mith Park Playground will be
opened early this month with
a Ribbon Cutting ceremony,
though the park’s new football/
soccer stadium has been hosting
local youth sports teams for more
than a month.
The new stadium is just one part
of the $9-million park renovation
project. In addition to the stadium’s
artificial turf sports field with markings for both football and soccer, two
soccer practice areas, bleachers,
lights and a scoreboard, the park was
WELCOME
MONUMENTS
Seven new signs greet
visitors and residents
into City.
p2
upgraded with four new age-appropriate baseball fields with bleachers, dugouts, scoreboards and bullpens, soccer fields, a park wide P.A.
system, new accessible playground,
restroom and storage building, picnic
facilities, and an expanded parking
lot.
Residents and sports groups are
giving the new facility rave reviews.
“The general consensus we are
hearing so far is that we scored a
touchdown with the new football/
soccer stadium,” said City Manager
UPCOMING EVENTS
ON THE CALENDAR
Parks and Recreation offers
a multitude of opportunities
for Holiday fun.
p3
Master Plan, an effort to make muchneeded improvement to a number
of parks and recreational facilities
throughout the City.
Bates added that while it was
inconvenient to shut down parks for
a long period of time to make the
renovations, the City wanted to take
advantage of this unique opportunity to renovate its aging parks and
meet the recreational needs of the
community.
RIVERA LIBRARY
TURNS 100!
Read up on this amazing
milestone and see what it’s
like to be a century old.
PROFILE
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 2244
SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA
P. O. Box 1016 · 6615 Passons Blvd. ·
Pico Rivera, CA · 90660-1016
POSTAL PATRON
PICO RIVERA, CA 90660
p4
Distributed to Pico Rivera residents and businesses as an educational service. For information, contact Public Information
at 562.801.4217.
Holiday Operating Schedule
City Hall and other facilities will be closed periodically
during the upcoming Holiday season beginning with the
Thanksgiving Holiday. Below is the schedule of holiday
and furlough day closures for the months of November
and December 2013, and January 2014.
Thursday, Nov. 28
Thanksgiving Day. ALL CITY FACILITIES Closed.
Friday, Nov. 29
ALL CITY FACILITIES Closed.
Friday, Dec. 6 Regular Off Friday. City Hall and Parks and Recreation
Office Closed.
Friday, Dec. 20 Regular Off Friday. City Hall and Parks and Recreation
Office Closed.
Monday-Friday, Dec. 23-27
NEW SIGNS
OFFER
FRIENDLY
WELCOME
ALL CITY FACILITIES Closed.
Seven new City entrance monuments, similar to
those on Beverly Boulevard, have been installed
on Slauson Avenue, Washington Boulevard, Whittier Boulevard and Rosemead Boulevard. The
monuments help define the City’s borders as well
as welcome everyone with a new “friendly” look.
Chamber of Commerce
The Pico Rivera
Chamber of
Commerce will be
hosting a Chamber
Holiday Luncheon
at Clearman’s
Steak ‘n Stein Inn
Restaurant, 9545
Whittier Boulevard
on Thursday,
December 5 starting at
11:30 a.m. The luncheon is open to members and
non-members at $30.00 per person.
To RSVP for this luncheon, call the Chamber at
562.949.2473.
Editor
Mike Matsumoto
Layout & Design
Gabriel Daigle
Staff Writers
Gabriel Castorena
Michael Maxfield
Photographer
Oscar Castillo
New Year’s Day. ALL CITY FACILITIES Closed.
Friday, January 3
Regular Off Friday. City Hall and Parks and Recreation
Office Closed.
For information on the Pico Rivera Golf Course, call
562.692.9933.
Residents who have a Public Works emergency when
City offices are closed can call the after-hours number
at 800.873.2880. For customers of Pico Rivera Water
who have an emergency, the after-hours number to call
is 800.759.5569.
City Hall and the Parks and Recreation office will
return to a regular operating schedule on Monday,
January 6, 2014 at 7:30 a.m.
For more information on the Holiday operating
schedule, call City Hall at 562.942.2000 or the Parks
and Recreation office at 562.801.4430.
St. Hilary’s conducts
first Blue Mass
Residents, visitors and commuters traveling into
Pico Rivera are being greeted to town by a series
of new entrance signs.
PROFILE
Wednesday, January 1
Free youth wrestling
program offered
Elementary and middle school students interested in
competitive wrestling are invited to attend a free wrestling program every Monday and Wednesday evening.
Sessions are held in the wrestling room at El Rancho
High School, 6501 Passons Boulevard, from 6:00 to
7:30 p.m.
This ongoing program is hosted by the Los Angeles
County Sheriff ’s Department in partnership with Beat
the Streets Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization that
strives to cultivate and support youth development
programs throughout the Los Angeles area. The group
utilizes the sport of wrestling to develop and encourage
a desire for excellence, respect for peers, fair play, leadership and perseverance.
For more information about the wrestling program,
you can contact Beat the Streets Los Angeles via email
at info@beatthes­treet-la.org or log on to their website
at www.beatthestreets.org.
City Hall Closed:
Fri., Nov. 8, 22 & 29; Mon., Nov. 11 and Th, Nov. 28
Upcoming City Hall Meetings
City Council Meeting - Tu, November 12, 6 p.m.
Planning Commission - Mon, November 4 & 18, 6 p.m.
Sister City Commission - Mon, November 18, 6 p.m.
To honor those who “Protect and Serve,” St.
Hilary Church of Perpetual Adoration in Pico
Rivera recently hosted a special “Blue Mass”
honoring law enforcement and fire department
personnel.
The service, a joint effort between three local
Catholic parishes, was spearheaded by Saint
Hilary Liturgical Coordinator Joseph Shephard
with support from Saint Hilary’s Pastor, Father
Joshua Lee.
Mr. Shephard, moved by the outpouring of
public support following the recent death of
19 firefighters battling wildfires in Arizona, felt
it was important to recognize, thank and celebrate those who lay their lives on the line for the
community while they are still with us, and not
only after they die in the line of duty. The special
service was a way to tell these heroes how much
they are appreciated while praying for their
protection, leadership and blessed interaction
with others.
The Mass was well attended by the community
and included approximately 150 persons from a
variety of first responder and public safety agencies. Father Lee began the service before turning
it over to Los Angeles Police Department Chaplain Reverend Michael McCullough. Also participating in the ceremony was Father Nabor Rios of
St. Francis Xavier parish.
The service ended with a standing ovation for
the public safety officials in attendance.
This month on CTV3
Check out this month’s movie offering “Good
News.” Catch the Los Angeles County News, The
Vintage Vehicle Show and this month’s CTV3
News. Also in November, California’s Gold covers
“A Tale of Two Carriers - USS Midway. Finally,
watch live coverage of the Pico Rivera City Council meetings on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6:00 p.m.
Complete schedule at www.pico-rivera.org.
The Pico Rivera Profile is produced by the City of Pico
Rivera and is distributed to Pico Rivera residents and
businesses as an educational service. For information
about the Pico Rivera Profile contact Public Information at 562.801.4217.
Parks & Recreation Commission - Th, November 14,
6 p.m. at Parks and Recreation Building, 6767 Passons Blvd.
Sign up for City e-mails
Now you can receive important City news, information and updates directly by email by subscribing to the City’s e-newsletter service. The e-newsletter service is designed
to keep you up to speed on all city events, activities and issues with special email messages and alerts. To subscribe, simply email us at gcastorena@pico-rivera.org.
Page 2 November 2013 PROFILE
Time Warner Cable, Channel 3*
Verizon FioS, Channel 33
AT&T U-Verse, Channel 99
Holiday Festival and
Tree Lighting Ceremony Jr. Chef’s Camp
Enter the Annual Holiday
Decorating Contest
Residents and business owners are encouraged
to get into the holiday spirit by decorating the
exterior of your home, apartment, mobile home
or business. Not only does it help create a festive
holiday atmosphere around town, it might also
earn you an award in the City’s annual Holiday
Decorating Contest.
The Holiday Decorating Contest is open to all
houses, apartments, mobile homes, businesses
and retirement living facilities in Pico Rivera.
Entry forms are now available at all City facilities and on the Parks and Recreation web page
located at www.pico-rivera.org.
Deadline to submit an application is Friday,
December 6. Judging will take place on the
evening of Thursday, December 12. Winners of
the 2013 Holiday Decorating Contest will receive
indentifying lawn signs.
For more information, call Parks and Recreation Department at 562.801.4430.
Pico Rivera City Hall is being transformed into a
snow covered Winter Wonderland for the City’s
annual Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting Ceremony,
which takes place Saturday, December 7, from noon
to 5:00 p.m.
The Fall Dance Recital, featuring performances by
participants in the City’s Fall session dance programs,
kicks off this year’s event. Following the recital,
there will be a full range of holiday activities including music from the always popular El Rancho High
School Choraleers, holiday arts and crafts, food and
a visit from Santa. Santa will be available to pose for
pictures with children and take their Santa letters.
The evening will close out with the traditional lighting of the Holiday Tree in front of Pico Rivera City
Hall.
Admission to the Holiday Festival is free, but there
is a nominal fee for the food. City Hall is located at
6615 Passons Boulevard.
For more information, call 562.801.4430 or log on
to the City’s website at www.pico-rivera.org.
The Parks and Recreation Department will be
hosting a “Jr. Chefs” Fall-Mini Camp program at
Pico Park, 9528 Beverly Boulevard, for children in
Kindergarten through 8th grade during the Thanksgiving Break Monday, November 25 through
Wednesday, November 27.
From 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., campers will create
fun and easy snacks that are fun to eat and healthy.
Campers will also participate in indoor and outdoor
activities, sports and arts & crafts. Morning and
afternoon snack are provided, campers must bring a
sack lunch daily.
The fee for the Jr. Chef ’s Camp is $59. Campers must wear a t-shirt daily, t-shirts are available for
purchase for $6. Walk-in registrations are currently
being accepted at the Parks and Recreation Office,
6767 Passons Boulevard. Registration packets are
available at all park sites and the Parks and Recreation office.
For more information about the Jr. Chef ’s Camp,
call 562.801.4430.
Senior Center Crafts Boutique
Be a Rock Star at
Winter Camp
Looking for a special, one-of-a-kind gift? Then come
to the Pico Rivera Senior Center for its popular Crafts
Boutique on Thursday, November 14, from 9:00 a.m.
to noon.
Vendors will be offering a wide variety of handcrafted gift items, including jewelry, clothing, and other
unique items.
The Pico Rivera Senior Center is located at
9200 Mines Avenue. For more information, call
562.948.4844.
Christmas Baskets Registration
Pico Rivera families interested in receiving a Christmas Basket this year are reminded they must preregister at one of the following locations during the month of November.
Below are the remaining registration dates and locations. Applicants are asked to bring photo identification, identification for all children, proof of income and proof of Pico Rivera residency.
Registration to receive a holiday basket is taking place at the following locations:
November 7 & 21
St. Francis Church, 4245 S. Acacia Ave.
9 a.m. - noon
November 8, 9 & 22
Senior Center, 9200 Mines Ave.
9 a.m. - noon
November 12 & 14
Rio Hondo Park, 8421 San Luis Potosi Pl.
9 a.m. - noon
November 13
St. Hilary Church, 5465 Citronell Ave.
9 a.m. - noon
November 15
Rivera Park, 9530 Shade Lane
9 a.m. - noon
November 18
Montebello Gardens Elementary, 4700 Pine St.
8 - 11 a.m.
November 19
Pico Park, 9528 Beverly Blvd.
9 a.m. - noon
November 20
Smith Park, 6016 Rosemead Blvd.
9 a.m. - noon
Families interested in receiving a basket must pre-register at one of the registration locations, be residents of Pico Rivera and meet income requirements. To qualify, families with one to four persons can
not have more than $2,000 per month in income, while families of five or more must have a monthly
income of $2,500 or less.
For more information, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 562.801.4430.
Capital Improvement
Program
The City of Pico Rivera has an aggressive Capital Improvement
Program (CIP), one that is aimed at enhancing the quality of life
for local residents and businesses. The CIP is a multi-year plan
that identifies future public infrastructure and facility improvements within the city and provides information concerning needs,
timing, costs, and funding sources. The City just released the Public
Works CIP Report that is available on line for viewing. Log on to
www.pico-rivera.org and click on CIP Report on the news feed.
Kids are invited to “rock out” this winter break
at the City’s upcoming Winter Rock Star Camp.
Campers will enjoy fun-filled days of exciting activities including musical lessons, instrument making,
music appreciation and more. As a bonus, kids will
also explore recreational activities such as indoor and
outdoor games, sports, and arts and crafts.
Camp is held during the El Rancho school district’s
winter break, Monday, December 16, 2013 through
Friday, January 3, 2014. The camp operates from
7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Pico Park Community
Center, 9528 Beverly Blvd.
Fee for the camp is $89 and includes morning
and afternoon snacks. Campers must bring a sack
lunch and wear a camp T-shirt daily. T-shirts may be
purchased for $6 each.
Registration packets are available at the Department of Parks and Recreation, 6767 Passons Blvd.,
all park sites, and online at www.pico-rivera.org.
Walk-in registration begins Monday, November 18.
For more information on the Winter Rock Star
Camp, call 562.801.4470.
City Offers New
Volleyball Clinic
Volleyball players ages 9 to 15 can hone their skills
and have fun doing it at the Fall Co-ed Volleyball
Clinic. This new offering from the Department of
Parks and Recreation meets Mondays and Wednesdays beginning November 4 and continuing through
November 27.
The clinic is designed for both beginner and experienced players to get in some recreational playing
time while learning techniques to improve their
game. Staff will emphasize fundamental volleyball
skills such as setting, passing and serving.
The Clinic will be held at the Rivera Park Gymnasium, 9530 Shade Lane, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Fee for the clinic is $55, with Pico Rivera residents
receiving a $10 discount.
For more information on these and other City
sports programs, call 562.801.4454 or log onto
www.pico-rivera.org.
PROFILE
November 2013 Page 3
Calling All Veterans; We Want to Hear Your Story
City to participate in National Veterans History Project
Rivera Library
A Century of Service
Even though the current Rivera Library, located at the corner of Serapis and Burke Street,
is just a little more than 40 years old, this
December marks the branch’s 100th anniversary of library service to the community.
The Rivera Library first opened in December 1913 as one of the original 43 branches of
the Los Angeles Country library system. Serving the unincorporated community of Rivera,
the library was originally located in the faculty lounge of the Rivera Grammar School. The
library started out with just 130 books but
after just one year of service, their collection
had grown to 504 books with a total circulation of 1,697 among the library’s 123 registered cardholders. This was also the year the
library moved to the Rivera’s Woman’s Club.
During the library’s early years, the Rivera
community was an agricultural area with a
fairly stable population, so the small library
facility was sufficient to meet local needs.
During the late 1940’s, however, many growers began to sell their land for housing subdivisions and schools began to see a spike in
student enrollment, growing from an original enrollment of 200 pupils to a student
population of 1,000. The resulting increase in
demand for library services made relocation
to a larger library facility a top priority.
In July of 1952, the library moved to 7710
South Serapis Avenue, where it remained
for 18 years until the move to its current
7,000-square-foot building in 1970. The
library’s current collection boasts 3,627 books
with a total circulation of 22,376 among the
branch’s 1,277 cardholders. What a difference
a century makes!
In honor of the brave individuals who risked their
lives during wartime, the Pico Rivera Department of Parks and Recreation is documenting the
personal war accounts of Pico Rivera veterans.
The effort is part of the Veterans History Project, a program of the Library of Congress focused
on preserving veterans’ war stories. The Library
is using a nationwide network of organizations
and individuals to collect video and audio recordings, personal memoirs, and visual materials
which will become part of a permanent collection
at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
By looking closely at the personal experiences
of men and women who were actively involved in
supporting our nation’s war efforts over the past
75 years, the project will help future generations
better understand the realities of war.
The primary focus of Pico Rivera’s efforts is
conducting video interviews to record first-hand
accounts of U.S. veterans and U.S. citizen civilians, including war industry workers, USO workers, medical volunteers, etc. In addition, the
Department of Parks and Recreation will publish
the interviews, presented with photos, military
memorabilia, maps and notes on the veterans’
experiences. The publication is scheduled to be
available next summer.
Residents interested in contributing to this
special project are asked to contact Carmela
Garcia with the Department of Parks and Recreation at 562.801.4430. Submissions for this project will be accepted until Friday, February 28,
2014.
Veterans Day Ceremony
Scheduled at Monument
The public is invited to honor our local Veterans when the Pico
Rivera Veterans Council hosts its annual Veterans Day Ceremony
on Monday, November 11. The event, which begins at 10:00 a.m.,
will be held at the veterans’ monument on Mines Avenue between
Rosemead Boulevard and Lindsey Avenue.
Federal, state and local officials will be in attendance along with
members of Pico Rivera’s Veterans of Foreign Wars and American
Legion posts. Refreshments will be provided by local veterans’
organizations. A public reception will be held after the ceremony at
American Legion Post 341, 4909 Durfee Avenue.
Those unable to attend the ceremony in person will be able to
watch a recording of the event on the City’s cable TV channel,
CTV3. Broadcast dates and times will be posted on CTV3 and the
City’s website. For more information, call the Post at 562.695.1558.
FAREWELL TO
TEMPORARY HOME
Pico Rivera Express Library Librarians Oscar Villagomez
(left) and Steven Cano wave goodbye to their temporary
home for the past year and a half as it will close its door
on Saturday, November 23. The closure will make way
for the grand opening of the new Pico Rivera library set
to open in mid-December. Check out the City’s website
for updates on the grand opening of the new Pico Rivera
Library. For more information, call 562.801.4388.
O RIVERA GOING GREEN
PICO RIVERA GOING GREEN
Upcoming Hazardous Waste Collection Events
The City of Pico Rivera is teaming up with the
County of Los Angeles to support several upcoming
Household Hazardous Waste and E-Waste collection
events. These events are excellent opportunities to
properly dispose of hazardous waste from around your
home.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is any leftover product labeled toxic, poison, corrosive, flammable, combustible or irritant. E-Waste includes items
such as batteries, computer equipment, phones and
other electronic equipment. Proper disposal of these
products protects the safety of our sanitation workers
and the health of our community.
There is a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds of
hazardous waste per trip when bringing your HHW/Ewaste to collec­tion events for disposal. Hazardous and
electronic waste from businesses is not accepted at
these events.
Collection events will take place rain or shine on the
dates and locations listed below:
Whittier HHW/E Waste Collection Event
Saturday, November 16, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.,
LA County Sheriff ’s Department,
11515 South Colima Road, Whittier 90604
Monterey Park HHW/E Waste Collection Event
Saturday, November 23, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.,
East Los Angeles College, Stadium Parking Lot,
Bleakwood Avenue & Floral Drive, Monterey Park,
91754
For more information, call 562.801.4388.
City to Mark America Recycles Day
Recycle - It just makes sense
Friday, November 15 is America Recycles Day, a day for educating and motivating
your co-workers, friends and loved ones to recycle every day.
Check out the City’s website at www.pico-rivera.org to see what can be recycled,
as well as places where you can take and sell recyclables. Additional information
about recycling is available at www.earth911.org and www.calrecycle.ca.gov.
Page 4 November 2013 PROFILE
TRIPS & TOURS
Headed to Tamale Festival
The City’s Trips and Tours program is visiting the
21st Annual Indio Tamale Festival on Sunday,
December 8 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The festival features a tamale-eating contest,
tamale-judging, folklorico-dancing and other live
entertainment. There are also carnival rides,
games and a petting zoo for the children to enjoy.
All ages are welcome. Cost for the trip is $20.
Register online at www.pico-rivera.org, at the
Parks and Recreation Office at 6767 Passons
Boulevard, or any City park site.
This tour fills up quickly, so register before
Saturday, November 23 to be sure you get a seat
on the bus. We will be departing from the Pico
Rivera Senior Center, 9200 Mines Avenue, at
8:00 a.m. sharp.
For more information, call 562.801.4430.