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Report of gun on campus leads to lockdown at San Gabriel High, no weapon found

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San Gabriel High School went on lockdown Friday after a student reported seeing a gun in someone’s bag on campus.

Officers didn’t find a weapon, according to Alhambra police Sgt. Dany Fuentes.

“All students are safe,” he said. He added that the school at 801 S. Ramona St. in San Gabriel was placed on lockdown as a precaution.

Alhambra Unified School District spokeswoman Toby Gilbert said the student later said she might have been mistaken. She thinks the student’s fears were heightened by Friday morning’s news of a school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. Ten people were killed and 10 others were wounded in the Santa Fe High shooting. Authorities arrested a 17-year-old student.

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The lockdown at San Gabriel High School began around 10:30 a.m.

Gilbert said school staff worked with police to review security camera footage, account for student and staff whereabouts and talked several times with the student who made the report.

“There was no gun. (There was) no sound of a gun,” Gilbert said. She added that the lockdown was lifted shortly after 11 a.m.

San Gabriel High School is home to 2,875 students.

 

 

 


Threats made to San Gabriel, Pomona schools lead to increased police presence

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Officers conducted extra patrols and showed up at Gabrielino High School in San Gabriel on Wednesday while deputies did the same thing at Diamond Ranch High School in Pomona because of threats that surfaced on social media.

Authorities said the unrelated threats were unfounded and that the increased police presence is for precaution.

San Gabriel police Lt. Riki Nakamura said a student on Tuesday overheard other students talking about a possible school shooting happening on Friday. He said that student told someone else who posted on social media about the alleged threat. He thinks it appeared on Twitter.

“That’s how the school found out,” Nakamura said.

In a statement posted on the Gabrielino High School website, principal Sharron Heinrich said the administration was made aware of the threat Tuesday night and it was concerning enough to warrant involvement from the police department.

“The administration and SGPD have worked throughout the night to determine the validity of the claim. At this time there is no evidence that the school is in danger,” she said in the statement. “To calm nerves and ensure safety, San Gabriel PD will be a presence on and around campus for the next three days.”

Classes went on as usual at the school located at 1327 S San Gabriel Blvd. in San Gabriel.

Lt. Nakamura said police will continue to do extra patrols of the school until Friday.

Deputies from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Walnut/Diamond Bar station were visible Wednesday at Diamond Ranch High School after a message that there will be a shooting on the campus at 100 Diamond Ranch Drive in Pomona turned up in one of the restroom stalls.

Someone saw the message on Tuesday, told school officials who then notified the sheriff’s station, according to Oliver Unaka, public information officer for Pomona Unified School District.

Unaka said deputies came to the school, conducted an investigation and found the threat not credible. Testing, which was scheduled today, went on as planned, according to Unaka.

Twitter users posted a photo of the message: “School shooting tmrw here at 9 a.m.”

Richard Martinez, superintendent at Pomona Unified, said in a statement that the message found in the restroom circulated on social media and was identified as an isolated incident at Diamond Ranch. He said Lt. Yolanda Figueroa gave the all-clear and her team assured the district they feel there is no credible danger to students or staff.

“However, in an abundance of caution, we added more security at Diamond Ranch High School today in a manner that will not disrupt the learning environment,” Martinez said.

Deputy Charles Moore, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, said they have increased patrols in the area to maintain high visibility and presence.

“In addition, we have dedicated personnel that will remain on the Diamond Ranch High School campus for the duration of the school day,” he said.

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Curl up with a bowl of menudo and learn some local history

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Nicolas Jose had a Spanish name and Native American blood. He was 26 when Father Pablo Joseph de Mugartegui baptized him at the San Gabriel Mission.

For a long time, Nicolas was able to reconcile his life in the mission with his identity as a member of the Kizh/Gabrieleño tribe. He even served as the mission’s first alcalde. That ended in 1785, when Nicolas led a failed rebellion against the Spanish. He was banished to the Presidio in San Francisco.

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Today, his descendant, great-great-great grandson, Ernest Perez Teutimez Salas, serves as the chief and spiritual leader of the Kizh/Gabrieleño tribe. (“Kizh” is pronounced “Keech.”)

“Many people believe the Indians are gone in California, but we are still here,” said tribe member Lucy Pedregon of Hacienda Heights. And the group is still celebrating the melding of their Native American culture with the Spanish ranchero history that came after.

The tribe will play host to a menudo breakfast from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 10 at the Grapevine Arbor on the San Gabriel Mission grounds, 324 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel. Admission is free, but the cost for the menudo breakfast is $10 per person. It will be served with coffee and pan dulce.

Proceeds will benefit a fund that helps local youth pay for summer camp.

Pedregon said at the start of California’s Mission history, many of the Kizh/Gabrieleño were enslaved and massacred. Later, to survive, they worked on the large rancheros in the Valley, later assimilating into the Mexican way of life and even claiming Spanish surnames.

“Menudo is a traditional Mexican family soup and often served on special occasions,” Pedregon said. “In the times of the Mexican rancheros, people truly lived off the land. There were a few basic food courses, such as cattle, chili peppers, onions, cacti and corn. Nothing went to waste.”

Thus, menudo used tripe, or the lining of the cow’s stomach, to which was added “patas,” or beef tendons and pig bones. After hours of cooking in water, the liquid is replaced with seasoned broth made up of fresh onions, garlic, salt, pepper, hominy and red chili pepper paste or powder. Regional variations of menudo includes using garbanzo beans instead of hominy, or replacing red chili peppers with green jalapenos.

Today, the tribe is recognized by the state of California as the aboriginal tribe of the Los Angeles basin, Pedregon said. Members are led by a council which includes Andrew Salas, chairman; Nadine Salas, vice chairwoman; Christina Swindall Martinez, secretary; Albert Perez and Martha Gonzalez Lemos, treasurers; and Richard Gradias, chairman of the Council of Elders.

They speak of ancient Kizh cooking using acorn, which they soaked for days to remove its toxins. But they also celebrate long-held family recipes for chia pudding and nopales, or Mexican cactus salad. It is a reflection of the rich cultural and culinary history of the Kizh/Gabrieleño tribe. Long may they prosper.

For more information, call Lucy at 626-675-1701 or Liz at 562-665-7315. The tribe’s web site is at www.gabrielenoindians.com.

Anissa V. Rivera is a columnist for the Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, Azusa Herald, Glendora Press and West Covina Highlander, San Dimas/La Verne Highlander, Southern California News Group, 605 E. Huntington Drive, Suite 100, Monrovia CA 91016, 626-301-1461.

Plumbing issues, warm tofu egg close Pasadena vegan cafe briefly and other health inspector reports in the San Gabriel Valley

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A health inspector shut down a vegan restaurant in Old Pasadena after finding some irregularities with the plumbing.

An inspector with the Pasadena Public Health Department visited Sage Vegan Bistro on May 17 and discovered that there weren’t any air gaps between equipment — between the bar dish machine drain line and the floor sink and between the main dish machine drain line and the floor sink.

The inspector also noted that food had been leftover in the cooling drawer overnight, but the food wasn’t chilled enough. Discarded were tempeh sausage, tofu egg, jackfruit taco and jackfruit tuna.

The eatery was given a score of 63 and closed down. It was allowed to reopen later that same day.

Facilities are graded with a number and letter score much like school report cards. If a food facility is closed for a cockroach, rodent or fly infestation, sewage problems or for not having any water running, the facility loses an additional seven points on top of the four points deducted for major health violations. Any time two major health hazards, such as unsafe food temperatures, are observed, the facility loses an additional three points in its inspection score.

Restaurants and markets whose permits are suspended must close until another inspection determines the problems have been fixed. Closures can occur during routine and owner-initiated inspections, complaint investigations and reinspections.

Here are other food facilities that were temporarily closed between May 14 through May 19. Unless otherwise noted, the grades listed for the facilities were received on the same day they were closed.

Garage Kitchen

Location: 140 W. Valley Blvd., No. 108, San Gabriel

Date closed: May 17

Date reopened: May 22

Reason for closure: Cockroach

Score: 83 (B)

The Shave Shack

Location: 2085 S. Atlantic Blvd., Suite J, Monterey Park

Date closed: May 16

Date reopened: May 18

Reason for closure: Cockroach

Score: 84 (B)

Dhaka Liquor & Retail

Location: 10944 Imperial Highway, Norwalk

Date closed: May 16

Date reopened: May 18

Reason for closure: Cockroach and rodent droppings

Score: 82 (B)

Spicy City

Location: 140 W. Valley Blvd., No. #208, San Gabriel

Date closed: May 16

Date reopened: Still closed as of publication

Reason for closure: Cockroach

Score: 82 (B)

With graduation days away, four San Gabriel High students vie for valedictorian

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It could have been the bitterest of rivalries.

Four San Gabriel High School seniors, all contenders for valedictorian, were separated by one-tenth of a grade point of each other with finals approaching at the end of last week and graduation on Thursday.

However, what that culmination of high school academics revealed was not a rivalry. Instead, it showed students of different backgrounds finding paths to success, each on their own trajectories into the future.

  • Britney Ting, 17, and three other students are vying to be San Gabriel High School’s valedictorian, seen here at San Gabriel High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. Ting is planning on attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Fall. (Correspondent photo by Trevor Stamp)

    Britney Ting, 17, and three other students are vying to be San Gabriel High School’s valedictorian, seen here at San Gabriel High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. Ting is planning on attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Fall. (Correspondent photo by Trevor Stamp)

  • Carlos Carrillo, 17, and three other students are vying to be San Gabriel High School’s valedictorian, seen here at San Gabriel High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. Carrillo is planning on attending Yale in the Fall.   (Correspondent photo by Trevor Stamp)

    Carlos Carrillo, 17, and three other students are vying to be San Gabriel High School’s valedictorian, seen here at San Gabriel High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. Carrillo is planning on attending Yale in the Fall. (Correspondent photo by Trevor Stamp)

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  • Britney Ting (Right) , 17,  and Carlos Carrillo 17, along with two other students are vying to be San Gabriel High School’s valedictorian, seen here at San Gabriel High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. San Gabriel’s graduation is set for May 31 at East Los Angeles College. (Correspondent photo by Trevor Stamp)

    Britney Ting (Right) , 17, and Carlos Carrillo 17, along with two other students are vying to be San Gabriel High School’s valedictorian, seen here at San Gabriel High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. San Gabriel’s graduation is set for May 31 at East Los Angeles College. (Correspondent photo by Trevor Stamp)

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For Britney Ting, the title of valedictorian is unimportant. What mattered in school was getting the best grades to get into the best college — she’ll be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall — so she can get a high-paying job and move her parents out of Alhambra.

“They’ve been living here for 30 years,” Ting said. “They want to try living somewhere else, but we’re not super well-off financially.”

While Ting — a member of the school’s robotics team — will begin college majoring in computer science, she said she expects to change that before the end of her college career.

“I know I want to go into a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) field, but I’m not sure exactly what I want to do,” Ting said. “I want to take classes and figure it out.”

Ting’s favorite high school classes include calculus and chemistry. Her least favorite was history.

While Ting spent her life excelling in academics, her peer Carlos Carrillo was shocked to find he was among the top students after reaching high school.

Carrillo said he was just an average student in middle school, so he was surprised to find himself among the top students in his freshman year.

“It gave me a huge boost of confidence,” Carrillo said. “I was like, ‘I can actually do this.’”

Unlike Ting, Carrillo loves history and plans to major in both political science and a STEM field once he begins at Yale University this fall.

In addition to his love for history, Carrillo’s passion for political science is fueled by the various places he’s lived — he was born in Washington D.C. and lived in both Mexico and North Carolina before moving to the San Gabriel Valley six years ago.  Plus, his father works for the Consulate General of Mexico, he said.

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Carrillo doesn’t expect to be named top student. He’s been told to expect a B grade in English, the result of him having more fun in the latter half of his senior year.

Instead of focusing on his studies, he focused more on the school newspaper, The Matador, of which he is co-editor-in-chief. His last year at San Gabriel High, he’s had more fun with friends than ever before.

“At this point, I know the rank and grades aren’t reflective of my intelligence,” Carrillo said. “I’m a bit regretful — I know if I had worked a little harder, I’d have kept my grades up, but I had fun.”

Carrillo said he hopes to use his political science, STEM education and investigative journalism skills in his future career.

The remaining two students vying for valedictorian declined to comment for this report.

Principal Debbie Stone said it isn’t unusual for so many San Gabriel High students to be so close to the top — of the top six ranking students, four were admitted to MIT. What is unusual is that they all chose divergent paths and and aspire to different career goals.

“Not one path is better, not one is worse, they’re just different,” Stone said. “I give credit to the teachers, who go above and beyond and give the students opportunities to excel in many areas.”

Ting said that while she won’t necessarily miss high school’s academic rigors, she will miss the club activities in which she and her friends used to participate.

Carrillo said he would miss his friends and the San Gabriel Valley, his home of six years.

“I love it here,” Carrillo said. “I’m kind of sad I’m leaving — it’s a nice little bubble, but at the same time, it’s a bubble, so I’m glad to get out and see more of the world.”

Where to see classic films in historic Southern California movie theaters in June

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Nearly 100 years ago, ornate movie theaters around Southern California were the places to see films and be seen.

Many of the historic buildings are no longer the hot movie venues they once were, except for once a year every summer when they return to life as part of Last Remaining Seats series.

Organized by the Los Angeles Conservancy, the 32nd annual series screens classic and newer films June 2-23 at a handful of historic movie palaces.

“I think the theaters we put these films in are as beautiful and as relevant as ever,” said Sarah Lann, director of education for the Conservancy.

“There are so many film series you can go to, particularly in the summer in L.A., but there’s nothing like these particular settings,” she said.

Most of the theaters are located in downtown Los Angeles along the Broadway corridor.

But this year the series expands to San Gabriel for its closing night with a film at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, which was built in 1927.

“We’re really planting our flag in San Gabriel and saying, ‘Hey, we really have to show people how beautiful this (venue) really is,’ ” Lann said.

The opening night for the series will be pretty significant as well since it takes place at the State Theatre, built in 1921, which was rented to a church and had been off-limits to the Conservancy for about two decades.

But with the church no longer in the theater, the venue is open for films again.

“It’s been a long time since people got in to see it and it’s really a pretty unique theater that people should be excited to go back and see,” Lann said.

The films, meanwhile push the boundaries on what a classic movie means, Lann said.

There are some films this year that people will recognize, like Alfred Hitchcock’s 1965 classic thriller “The Birds,” as well as films that may not be household names but still have some relevance today.

Lann pointed to the 1985 movie “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” which follows a trans-woman (William Hurt) and a freedom fighter (Raul Julia), who are cellmates in a Buenos Aires prison, as one such film in the 2018 series that touches on important modern issues.

“We specifically picked it to play over Pride week because of its LGBTQ themes,” she said. “In so many ways it was a film ahead of its time.”

Here’s a look at all the films and venues in the 2018 Last Remaining Seats series:

For the first time in about two decades the State Theatre in downtown Los Angeles will be open to the public for films as part of the Las Remaining Seats series. Photo courtesy Los Angeles Conservancy.
For the first time in about two decades the State Theatre in downtown Los Angeles will be open to the public for films as part of the Las Remaining Seats series. Photo courtesy Los Angeles Conservancy.

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939)

When: 8 p.m. June 2

Where: State Theatre (1921), 703 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.

“Kiss of the Spider Woman” (1985)

When: 8 p.m. June 9

Where: Million Dollar Theatre (1918), 307 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.

“In the Heat of the Night” (1967)

When: 8 p.m. June 13

Where: The Theatre at Ace Hotel (1927), 929 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)

When: 2 p.m. June 16

Where: Los Angeles Theatre (1931), 615 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.

“The Birds” (1965)

When: 8 p.m. June 16

Where: Los Angeles Theatre (1931), 615 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.

“Steamboat Bill Jr.” (1928)

When: 8 p.m. June 20

Where: Orpheum Theatre (1926), 842 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.

The 1927 San Gabriel Mission Playhouse will be part of the Last Remaining Seats series for the first time this year. (Photo courtesy Los Angeles Conservancy)
The 1927 San Gabriel Mission Playhouse will be part of the Last Remaining Seats series for the first time this year. (Photo courtesy Los Angeles Conservancy)

“The Joy Luck Club” (1993)

When: 6 p.m. June 23

Where: San Gabriel Mission Playhouse (1927), 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel.

If You Go:

When: June 2-23

Tickets: $22 for general public, $18 for Conservancy members and $16 for 17 and younger.

Information: www.laconservancy.org

While homelessness is down in LA County, it’s up in the San Gabriel Valley

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The homeless services fair and mobile shower in the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in South El Monte was relatively quiet Thursday afternoon.

Most weeks the fair sees more than 100 people, but quiet still means about 80 people coming to shower, eat lunch and connect with different agencies and organizations offering services for the homeless.

That’s why news that the San Gabriel Valley’s homeless population had increased from 2017 to 2018 didn’t faze Jacqueline Herrera, CEO of Operation Healthy Hearts, the nonprofit organization that plans the homeless service fairs.

“We can see the increase,” Herrera said. “We still have new people coming, so it’s clear we haven’t seen all the people we possibly could see.”

Released Thursday, data from the 2018 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count showed that the homeless population living in the San Gabriel Valley increased close to 3 percent in the past year.

RELATED STORYHomeless numbers fall in LA County, but in San Fernando, San Gabriel valleys and South Bay, it’s a different story

Between people living on the street, in vehicles and in shelters, last year’s count found 3,519 people experiencing homelessness in the San Gabriel Valley. This year’s count found 3,615, a 2.7 percent increase, according to data.

Of those 3,615, 235 people were military veterans, 458 were part of homeless family units, 275 of whom were children under age 18.

In addition, 1,231 people said they had experienced domestic violence, 370 of whom said they were homeless as a direct result.

One night each year, county and local officials work with volunteers and law enforcement to count the homeless across Los Angeles County.

Overall, homelessness decreased across the county by 3 percent, with a total of 53,195 people experiencing homelessness on the night of Jan. 23.

However, areas other than the San Gabriel Valley also saw increases, including in the San Fernando Valley, the South Bay and East Los Angeles County, at 6 percent, 3 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

News of the increase was disappointing, said Ryan Izell, chief program officer for the region’s largest homeless services provider, Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena.

“We’re continuing to ramp up Measure H programing — bringing more resources to our communities and to those in need,” Izell said in a statement. “Through our partnership with San Gabriel Valley service providers, we’re assisting more people than ever before with accessing permanent housing, thereby exiting homelessness.”

The San Gabriel Valley’s homeless population saw an even sharper increase from 2016 to 2017, increasing 36 percent.

San Gabriel High School’s valedictorian was the one who least expected it

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After a tight, four-student race for valedictorian at San Gabriel High School, Carlos Carrillo — who had predicted his decision to have fun for once took him out of the race — learned he earned the distinction Wednesday.

The senior class had an assembly before cap and gown pickup Wednesday morning. Carrillo said he wasn’t paying a great deal of attention until he heard his name called. Once up on stage, he was presented the valedictorian medal.

“I was pretty surprised but pleased,” Carrillo said.

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Carrillo expected to and did receive a B grade in English Literature, which he believed took him out of the running for valedictorian. He said his parents were disappointed that he had chosen to spend time with friends and work on the school newspaper, The Matador, instead of using that time to work toward an A in the class.

“At this point, I know the rank and grades aren’t reflective of my intelligence,” Carrillo said last week. “I’m a bit regretful — I know if I had worked a little harder, I’d have kept my grades up, but I had fun.”

Carlos Carrillo was named San Gabriel High School's valedictorian Wednesday. (Courtesy of Katherine Huang/The Matador)
Carlos Carrillo was named San Gabriel High School’s valedictorian Wednesday. (Courtesy of Katherine Huang/The Matador)

As a result, he said his parents were just as shocked when he presented the medal to them when he got home.

“They were pretty happy,” Carrillo said. “I think it validated all their hard work over the years.”

Carrillo loves history and plans to major in both political science and a STEM field once he begins at Yale University this fall.

In addition to his love for history, Carrillo’s passion for political science is fueled by the various places he’s lived — he was born in Washington D.C. and lived in both Mexico and North Carolina before moving to the San Gabriel Valley six years ago.  Plus, his father works for the Consulate General of Mexico, he said.

Britney Ting, another valedictorian candidate who spoke with this news organization last week, was named one of two salutatorians. She had previously said the title of valedictorian was unimportant to her, and she’ll be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall.

The high school celebrated its graduation Thursday.

See photos of more Pasadena-area valedictorians for the Class of 2018


What is forest bathing? A not-so-new way to reduce stress that’s spreading in Southern California

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Whichever way you look at it, Americans are stressed out.

The rise in the constant checking of texts, emails and social media accounts is associated with higher stress levels, says the American Psychological Association’s most recent “Stress in America Survey.” The Centers for Disease Control’s June 7 report on spiking suicide rates attributed the growth to, among other reasons, physical health declines and job and housing stress.

And doctors say stress can cause high blood pressure and heart attacks.

To help reduce stress, more people are turning to nature for creative ways to help heal the mind and body.  In Southern California, thousands are finding the best balm for a wounded, jittery psyche and a weak circulatory system can be found in the forest.

Forest bathing

The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter, the environmental/outdoors group’s largest chapter, launched its first forest bathing hike Saturday, June 9 on Mt. Wilson in response to requests from its members.

The ancient Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, which literally translates to “bathing in the forest,” is about taking in nature’s sights, sounds and smells in a purposeful way. The result, say true believers, is a restorative effect that reboots the brain and boosts the body’s immune system.

  • Amanda Stemen, Will McWhinney and Mary Richardson, from left, check out a pine tree during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Amanda Stemen, Will McWhinney and Mary Richardson, from left, check out a pine tree during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, points out the different peaks of the San Gabriel Mountain range with Mt. Baldy, center, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, points out the different peaks of the San Gabriel Mountain range with Mt. Baldy, center, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

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  • Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, discusses plants during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, discusses plants during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Amanda Stemen, co-leader of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike, takes in the sights and sounds of the forest during a quiet time after lunch, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Amanda Stemen, co-leader of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike, takes in the sights and sounds of the forest during a quiet time after lunch, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Participants of a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike take in the view of the San Gabriel Mountain range, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Participants of a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike take in the view of the San Gabriel Mountain range, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, discusses lichen and moss on a rock during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, discusses lichen and moss on a rock during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Marina Batzke walks through the forest during the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Marina Batzke walks through the forest during the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Participants of a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike by a solar camera tower at Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Participants of a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike by a solar camera tower at Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Participants of a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike look at a burnt tree near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Participants of a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike look at a burnt tree near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Marina Batzke smells a pine tree during a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Marina Batzke smells a pine tree during a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Mary Richardson feels the texture of a pine tree during a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Mary Richardson feels the texture of a pine tree during a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, center, holds a stick with a wasp nest during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, center, holds a stick with a wasp nest during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, left, talks about the trees during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, left, talks about the trees during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, center, points out plants during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, center, points out plants during a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Acorns from oak trees at a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Acorns from oak trees at a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, leads a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, leads a “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Amanda Stemen, co-leader of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike, talks with participants before a hike at Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Amanda Stemen, co-leader of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike, talks with participants before a hike at Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, talks with participants before a “Forest Bathing” hike at Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, talks with participants before a “Forest Bathing” hike at Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, talks with participants at a meeting spot in La Canada before a “Forest Bathing” hike at Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Will McWhinney, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group leader, right, talks with participants at a meeting spot in La Canada before a “Forest Bathing” hike at Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

  • Angela Van Delft looks at the view of the San Gabriel Valley during a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

    Angela Van Delft looks at the view of the San Gabriel Valley during a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter “Forest Bathing” hike near Mt. Wilson, Saturday, June 9, 2018. “Forest Bathing” or Shinrin-yoku began in Japan and is gaining in popularity in America. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

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Forest bathing differs from straight hiking. Group hikes are slowed way down and distances are smaller, with no particular destination. There’s meditation and monastic walking in silence.  A guide and/or therapist will point out a plant, bird or insect for reflection, refraining from typical questions such as “How does that make you feel?”

“The forest itself is the therapist. The guide helps people open their senses and makes it possible for the forest to do its healing work,” explained Amos Clifford, author of “Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature” and founder of The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs.

“Many people say it is transformative,” he said.

Into the woods

On Saturday a group of nine walked deliberately along the Cliff Trail, then the Rim Trail of the Angeles National Forest, part of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The sun’s rays dappled through the tree canopy, flickering like a strobe on the trails.

“I can feel when I’m walking on the dirt, I get a little energy. I feel more supported,” said Siu Chung of Los Angeles. “It is a special sensation. It is almost like a connection to Mother Earth.”

The group took direction from Amanda Stemen, a licensed clinical social worker based in Los Angeles who often practices outdoor therapy in Griffith Park and the Kenneth Hahn Recreation area in Baldwin Hills.

Along the way, she asked them to touch rocks, small plants and trees, smell the forest aroma and listen to the crunch of acorns at their feet.

Even re-hydrating had an added purpose.

“As we take sips of water, we experience what it is to swallow the water,” she reminded the group.

Angela Van Delft, an ESL teacher from Sherman Oaks and New York City native, had just joined the Sierra Club as a way to get back in touch with nature and de-stress from her job.

She bent down and ran her fingers through the jagged leaves of a scrub oak bush.

“I thought it would be prickly but it is not,” she said. “It just looks scary.”

Nature heals

Why is it therapeutic to use touch, smell and other senses during forest bathing?

“It puts us in the moment because a lot of times we are not,” Stemen said.

Being present is a common instruction for anxiety sufferers.  It means not being distracted by those bills you have to pay or what to cook for dinner.

“The urban environment causes stress, anxiety, even depression,” Stemen said.  “When we are in our urban environment, we use directed attention and too much directed attention causes stress.

“In nature, you don’t use as much directed attention. Instead, it puts you in the moment and it literally heals brain damage.”

As the group passed a tall ponderosa pine, Stemen and Will McWhinney, the Sierra Club Central Group guide who was along for his first-ever forest bathing hike, said many people can smell pineapple or butterscotch.

“One of the aspects of forest bathing is not just the sounds and smells but there are chemicals in the air released from the trees. Some believe these aromatic terpenes have a beneficial effect on humans,” McWhinney told the group.

The science

Stemen’s statements about directed attention and the restorative power of nature are backed by Dr. Stephen Kaplan’s 1995 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, which concluded that “experience in natural environments can not only help mitigate stress; it can also prevent it.”

Study after study says taking in wilderness is beneficial for an overactive brain. For example, a 2010 study from scientists at Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute in Montana and the University of Iowa found most who took a day hike or longer felt “substantial stress reduction and mental rejuvenation.”

The claim that terpenes can infiltrate the body and restore and boost the immune system may be more questionable. Terpenes are used in making food, cosmetics and natural pest control products and there’s just not enough study to understand their effect on passers-by in the forest, experts say.

“All plants put out chemicals in the air. Whether it affects us or not is an individual thing. It is a complicated matter,” said Ann Croissant, a botanist specializing in plant physiology, founder of the San Gabriel Mountains Regional Conservancy and former professor at Cal Poly Pomona and Azusa Pacific University.

Also, people who have an aversion to nature — often those without a childhood experience — can find it foreboding, she said.

“I’ve taken college students into the wilderness for field classes and some had a hard time sleeping overnight. Some actually had to sleep in their cars,” Croissant said.

She advocates counseling agencies use nature as a tool to acquaint people with the outdoor environment.

Shinrin-yoku in the U.S.

Only in the last 35 years has the practice of Shinrin-yoku moved into the United States.

Most of the credit goes to Clifford, 63, who has trained forest bathing guides in 28 countries on six continents. His experience practicing Buddhist philosophy and Zen meditation for 20 years paved the way for his involvement.

A Sonoma resident and psychotherapist, he founded the Sky Creek Dharma Center in Chico.

“It is totally taking off,” he said.

McWhinney said Saturday was the first time the Sierra Club hosted a forest bathing hike.

“The topic of forest bathing or mindfulness hiking has been a trending topic. It is not the usual thing,” he said.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia hosts forest bathing walks using certified guides and trainers. Their last one in April ended with a cup of tea made from plants foraged from the arboretum.

“The emphasis is on building one’s relationship with the forest,” Clifford said. “We need to get back into our relationship with nature if we are to stop harming the species.”

Why it’s important that a bill declaring Route 66 a National Historic Trail cleared the House of Representatives

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Route 66 is one step closer to National Historic Trail status thanks to a bill that passed the House of Representatives on June 5 by a unanimous vote, a month after it cleared the House Natural Resources subcommittee.

The potential status change carries tremendous significance for supporters, historians, cities and proprietors along the 2,400-mile roadway from Chicago to Los Angeles, dubbed the “Main Street of America.”

Gaining historic trail status would mark the first, full-length national designation of the road that passes through eight states, and could open a permanent pathway to federal dollars for preservation, promotion and rehabilitation.

Co-authored by local Rep. Grace Napolitano, a Democrat from El Monte and Rep. Darin LaHood, a Republican from Illinois, the bipartisan bill  making Route 66 the nation’s 20th historical trail was introduced last year.

After advancing out of the House, the bill was referred to the U.S. Senate Transportation Committee and the subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Without the bill, the highway would lose funding from a temporary corridors preservation program funneled through the National Park Service that ends in September 2019, said Bill Thomas, chairman of an eight-state collaborative called the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership.

Road to fame

Route 66 was made famous in the song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” by American songwriter Bobby Troup.

It featured in countless Hollywood movies including “The Grapes of Wrath (1940)” starring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad leading his family out of economic ruin into sunny California.

The route was commissioned in 1926 as part of the first federal highway system but was supplanted by major freeways and interstates built in the 1950s. In 1985, it was decommissioned as a federal highway.

“H.R. 801 is very important to the future of Route 66. It is what will guarantee a federal level focus on Route 66 forever,” said Thomas, whose office overlooks the town of Atlanta, Ill., population 1,649, one of many small towns connected to bigger cities by the route.

route-66-map

Formed in November 2013 at a Route 66 convention in Anaheim, the group is pushing trail status for its permanent revenue source, as well as a second bill co-authored by Napolitano that establishes a centennial commission. He hopes the commission would throw a huge party in celebration of the road’s 100th year anniversary in 2026.

TownSanBernSldr2-800x450
Route 66 makes a right turn here onto 5th Street in San Bernardino, which turns into Foothill Boulevard.(photo courtesy the California Historic Route 66 Association)

 

Revitalization

The group’s goal is preservation with prosperity.

More federal dollars could revitalize route cities, including those in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties: Needles, Barstow, Amboy, Daggett, Oro Grande, Victorville, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Azusa, Glendora, Arcadia, Duarte, Pasadena, Highland Park and Los Angeles.

For example, since 2009 when his town began promotions centered on Route 66 as a tourist stopover, sales tax revenues climbed 43 percent, Thomas said.

In 2008, the sleepy town was visited by four tourist buses; last year the town had 53 bus tours stop.

“They do exactly what you want tourist to do: Buy gas, eat at cafes and shop at your stores,” Thomas said.

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Tourists spend $38 million a year in communities along the route, according to a 2012 economic study from Rutgers University.

Claudia Heller, a Duarte proponent of more local Route 66 signs and co-author of “Life on Route 66: Personal Accounts Along the Mother Road to California,” had just returned from a Route 66 vacation with her husband, Alan, co-author and photographer.

They said it’s cherished by more foreigners than Americans. Along the way, they met tourists from China, Europe and South America exploring the road in California, Arizona and New Mexico.

“It is more popular than it ever was,” said Claudia. “Did you know there is an Amsterdam Route 66 organization? They come every year.”

SoCal signage

Scott Piotrowski, author of “Finding the End of the Mother Road: Route 66 in Los Angeles County,” said at the very least the bills will help erect more consistent signage, especially in L.A. County where the road zigzags from Foothill Boulevard and Huntington Drive in the east, to Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, the site of the annual Rose Parade.

In Los Angeles, the road originally ended at Broadway and 7th Street but was extended to Santa Monica in 1936 and ends at Lincoln and Olympic boulevards.

FeaturedSantaMonica
(photo courtesy the California Historic Route 66 Association.)

In an upcoming talk Saturday at the Cahuenga Branch Library in East Hollywood, Piotrowski will emphasize using social media and mass transit to experience Route 66.

Part of the modern day journey is spotting the “Muffler Men” statues made of discarded car parts, or chowing down at some of the best doughnut shops in Los Angeles County. The road that defined LA car culture can be a less polluting, more energy efficient experience, he said.

“I am changing that mindset (as car culture). In L.A., we have more people getting out of their cars. This is a new way to do that — to expose more people to Route 66,” he said.

 

 

 

 

Chinese seafood is a delight in San Gabriel at Boston Lobster

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Boston Lobster isn’t in Boston, and it doesn’t serve the seafood of Boston. There’s no chowdah on the menu, no fried clam bellies.

I’d say that naming a Chinese seafood house Boston Lobster was a true oddity. Except that not far away from Boston Lobster, there’s Newport Seafood, which is not in Newport; it’s in San Gabriel, as is Boston Lobster. And where Newport Seafood is the best known Cantonese fish house in San Gabriel, those in the know speak rapturously of Boston Lobster — which is smaller, more casual, with less arduous crowds to hack your way through.

Clams with basil at Boston Lobster (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
Clams with basil at Boston Lobster (Photo by Merrill Shindler)

And it’s more than good enough to have recently impressed a table of New York Food Snobs, who wanted to see what the fabled Chinese food of the San Gabriel Valley is all about.

They arrived, ready to tut-tut and pooh-pooh our local eateries — and left declaring it one of the best Chinese meals they’d ever had — and at such a reasonable price. Boston Lobster more than satisfies.

And a post-dinner visit to the massive Asian supermarket across the street was pure maraschino. They left with baskets filled with sauces, dried things — and at least one durian.

They do not take reservations at Boston Lobster, which sits in a busy mini-mall at the intersection of Valley and San Gabriel boulevards. But, if you call when you’re reasonably close, the affable staff will put you on the waiting list, shortening your time spent gazing at the locals heading into the adjacent branch of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen, or waiting for a taco from the truck parked across the street; our local ethnic diversity almost always dazzles.

The menu, with 127 dishes, and seven pre-set meals, is shorter than some, but certainly long enough. Dishes are listed in Chinese, English and Vietnamese, a further reminder of our multi-ethnicity.

And though this isn’t a Vietnamese restaurant, there are Vietnamese dishes — the Vietnamese-style shrimp and catfish with hot and sour soup. But mostly, there’s the Hong Kong style seafood we’ve come to know and virtually worship over the years, the dishes we ate before Szechuan became all the rage. It still satisfies, and then some.

Since the restaurant is Boston Lobster, ordering a lobster seems essential, even if it can easily cost as much as the rest of your meal combined. And really, it is, available in a variety of sizes, served steamed, with black bean sauce, with ginger and green onion, with salt and pepper, and “special style,” which seems to be spicier than the others.

For $6 extra, it’s served over garlic noodles, which absorb the juices and flavors of the lobster — they’re worth every penny.

But then, although you could easily get nothing but the lobster at Boston Lobster, it would mean passing on so many other really wonderful dishes.

There are 11 shrimp dishes. But as has long been true, none make me as happy as the fried whole shrimp with salt and pepper. The shrimp are crispy, perfectly so — so crispy that biting off the head and chewing on it, and devouring the crunchy tail, is akin to devouring a shrimp flavored potato chip, salt and pepper flavored, of course.

There were people at my table who didn’t eat the heads. They passed theirs on to me. It may be strange to have a meal of fried shrimp heads. But no stranger, really, than some of the dishes served across the parking lot at Popeye’s.

We had clams with basil sauce, lots of them, every one packed with a rich, juicy clam, no empties in this batch. We had sole in salt and pepper as a counterpoint to the fried shrimp. I didn’t expect the sole to be deep-fried, like the world’s best fish ’n’ chips, but without the chips; I didn’t notice the absence. And really, since one must have their vegetables, for the goodness that’s in them, the Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, and the sautéed pea sprouts were a fine addition. Ditto the fried noodles with yet more shrimp. And the crabmeat fried rice.

For dessert, we headed over to Fosselman’s, because that’s what you do after too much Chinese seafood. Chocolate ice cream tastes so good after a sodium overload. It’s part of the ritual. That…and scrubbing your finger when you get home, to make them smell less like lobster. It rarely works.

Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Send him email at mreats@aol.com.

Boston Lobster

Rating: 3 stars

Address: 727 E. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel

Information: 626-288-4388

Cuisine: Chinese Seafood

When: Lunch and dinner, every day

Details: Beer and wine; no reservations

Atmosphere: Mini-mall Chinese seafood house, without dim sum during the day, dedicated to seafood all the time, with a sizable local following, willing to risk the No Reservation policy in exchange for a large menu of much fish and shellfish, considered by some to be the best in the SG Valley.

Prices: About $24 per person.

Suggested dishes: 11 Soups ($12.98-$18.98), 5 Lobster Dishes and 7 Crab Dishes (“Seasonal Price”), 8 Shellfish Dishes ($11.98-“Seasonal Price”), 5 Sizzling Plates ($14.98), 11 Shrimp Dishes ($13.98-$15.98), 9 Squid Dishes ($11.98), 10 Fish Dishes ($12.98-“Seasonal Price”), 10 Noodle Dishes ($8.98-$11.98), 15 Meat Dishes ($11.98-$13.98), 8 Chicken Dishes ($11.98), 12 Vegetable Dishes ($10.98-$15.98), 12 Rice Dishes ($8.98-$9.98)

Cards: MC, V

Driver denies killing passenger in Christmas Day crash in Rosemead

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Justin Hansen, 25, of El Monte was killed Dec. 25, 2017 when the car he was riding crashed into a tree in Rosemead. Authorities last month filed a murder charge against the driver, Adam Chacon, 34, of San Gabriel.
Justin Hansen, 25, of El Monte was killed Dec. 25, 2017 when the car he was riding crashed into a tree in Rosemead. Authorities last month filed a murder charge against the driver, Adam Chacon, 34, of San Gabriel.

A San Gabriel man pleaded not guilty Friday to killing his passenger when he crashed into a tree in Rosemead Christmas day.

Sarah Ardalani, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, said Adam Chacon, 34, was arraigned on one count of murder at Pomona Superior Court. She said his bail was set at $2 million.

If convicted, she said Chacon faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

The prosecution alleged that Chacon was driving near Valley Boulevard and Brookline Avenue in Rosemead on Dec. 25 when he made an unsafe turn and crashed into a tree.

Chacon and his passenger, Justin Hansen, were taken to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center. The 25-year-old Hansen died from traumatic injuries, according to the coroner’s office.

The coroner’s office had identified Hansen as a Covina resident. His mother, Yvonne Barajas, said he lived in El Monte.

The DA’s Office filed a case against Chacon on May 10. Deputies arrested him two days later.

“My motto right now is Justice for Justin,” Barajas said. “We have been to every court date. We are his voice and he is missed tremendously.”

Chacon returns to court July 17 for a hearing. He is being held at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.

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San Gabriel may add police substation south of Valley Boulevard

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San Gabriel police are looking to add a home for its traffic bureau south of Valley Boulevard.

The San Gabriel City Council is set to decide at its meeting Tuesday whether or not to approve a police substation in one of the unused buildings at the former John Marshall Elementary School campus.

Currently, the San Gabriel Police Department traffic bureau operates out of a trailer at police headquarters, 625 S. Del Mar Ave. However, the trailer must be moved to make way for construction of the city’s new police facility, according to a staff report from police Chief Eugene Harris.

No police officers will operate full-time out of the substation, but Harris said all officers and staff will have 24-hour access to it.

“The essence is to place our resources in the area to ensure the most robust and positive interactions,” Harris said in a statement.

While the substation will not offer a full police service counter, members of the public can walk in during normal business hours to receive information or be directed to the right people by traffic bureau staff members or other personnel on site, according to the report.

“The Marshall Community Police Substation is designed to position police department resources in the area to ensure more consistent community engagement with the residents and patrons of the neighborhood,” Harris said in the statement.

At the beginning of the year, the city celebrated the opening of the long-awaited Marshall Park on another portion of the school site. Harris said the new substation is only possible because of an agreement — similar to the one that allowed the city to build the park — with the Garvey School District to use the site.

If approved, the traffic bureau would take over a building formerly used as a day care center.

The San Gabriel City Council meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Council Chambers at City Hall, 425 S. Mission Drive.

Pet(s) of the week are a twofur (get it???)

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Sisters and best friends, Sally and Connie came in together and their perfect home will keep them together.

Sisters Connie and Sally are available for adoption from the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society. (Courtesy photo)
Sisters Connie and Sally are available for adoption from the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society. (Courtesy photo)

With tortoiseshell coats of black with orange highlights, these girls are 11 and have calm temperaments. Sometimes Sally and Connie will stretch out in their individual beds, but they also often will want to share one bed and snuggle together. When they curl up, it’s hard to tell who is who. (Sally can be identified by a dramatic blaze of orange on her face and

she’s a tad bit larger than Connie.)

Sally and Connie’s adoption fee is $99 each, which includes spay surgery, a microchip, first vaccinations and a free wellness check-up at a participating veterinarian. Meet Sally and Connie at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society, 851 E. Grand Ave., San Gabriel. Adoption hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays. Website: www.sgvhumane.org.

Spunky lap dog available

Oscar is a 3-year-old male terrier mix available from spcaLA's Pico Rivera location. (Courtesy photo)
Oscar is a 3-year-old male terrier mix available from spcaLA’s Pico Rivera location. (Courtesy photo)

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles’s Pico Rivera pet of the week is 3-year-old Oscar.

Oscar, No. 18-04748, is a 3-year-old, male terrier mix. He’s available at the PetSmart Charities Everyday Adoption Center by spcaLA, 8852 Washington Blvd., Pico Rivera.

Oscar is a total lap dog with a spunky personality. For more information, call 562-566-4029 ext. 5 or go to https://spcala.com/adoptable/pet/?ss=18-04748.

Stray found in Monrovia up for adoption

Abbey (No. A456125) is a 3-month-old domestic shorthair cat looking for a new home. She was found as a stray in Monrovia about a month ago and has been looking for the right people to come along to take her home.

Abbey is a 3-month-old kitten found in Monrovia and now available for adoption at the Pasadena Humane Society. (Courtesy photo)
Abbey is a 3-month-old kitten found in Monrovia and now available for adoption at the Pasadena Humane Society. (Courtesy photo)

She currently has two roommates whom she likes to cuddle and play with. She is a bit timid, but enjoys ear and face rubs. Come visit Abbey and her kitten friends today at the Pasadena Humane Society.

The adoption fee for cats is $75. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before being adopted. New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.

View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

This one will grow to be gorgeous

Meet Lifeline for Pets’ youngest: Krissy, 3 months old. She’s an adorable dilute calico, and is going to grow up to be gorgeous.

Krissy, a longhaired 3-month-old cat is available for adoption through Lifeline for Pets. (Courtesy photo)
Krissy, a longhaired 3-month-old cat is available for adoption through Lifeline for Pets. (Courtesy photo)

A longhaired, fluffy little girl, she has been fostered with other cats and dogs. Don’t miss her video, at https://youtu.be/jmsphfjQcMM.  Krissy will come spayed, current on vaccines, and microchipped. Call 626-355-7672 or email us at info@lifelineforpets.org for more information.

See more pictures of Krissy at http://www.lifelineforpets.org/young-cats.html.

 

 

3,100 marijuana plants, 932 pounds of processed pot seized in San Bernardino County

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San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies, serving search warrants on three properties in Phelan and Pinon Hills, confiscated more than 3,100 marijuana plants and 932 pounds of processed marijuana on Thursday, June 21.

The cultivations violated California’s Medical and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act and/or the county ordinance prohibiting commercial cannabis activity, a news release said.

Investigators said they did not believe the operations were connected.

Arrested in the 13900 block of Pacific Road in Phelan where 2,853 plants were found were Zhixue Fan, 62, of China; Guoxo Yang, 48, of San Gabriel; and Jia Zhi Shi, 39, of Canada.

Arrested in the 13600 block of Wilson Ranch Road in Phelan where 190 plants were found were Dave Torres, 28, of Mexico; and Ramon Orozco, 28, of Mexico.

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Arrested in the 12400 block of Mountain Road in Pinon Hills where 85 plants were found were Santos Valdez, 21, of Rohnert Park; Patricio Medina, 43, of Pinon Hills; David Torres, 31, of Perris; Felix Galanza, 22, of Homeland; Jose Sanchez, 37, of Pinon Hills; Rey Garcia, 22, of Patterson; Rolando Garcia, 22, of Perris; Gilberto Villa, 32, of Hawthorne; Jose Garcia, 30, of Patterson; and Salome Garcia, 32, of Patterson.

Property owners who are growing marijuana, or are aware their tenants are growing marijuana on their properties in violation of the state law and local ordinances, may also be subject to civil or criminal sanctions, the Sheriff’s Department said.

 


Power restored to most in San Gabriel after overnight outage

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Crews from Southern California Edison worked Monday in San Gabriel to repair equipment that caused an outage that affected about 3,600 customers at one point.

The outage was reported about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Edison spokeswoman Mary Ann Milbourn said. It first affected about 3,000 customers, then re-routing increased the outage to 3,600 and it was reduced as low as 1,900 customers before going back to 2,978 Monday, she said.

Edison spokesman Paul Netter said there were 10 customers still affected as of Monday morning. He estimated power to be restored by mid-afternoon.

He said a bad underground cable led to the outage.

The outage area was bounded by Worthington Drive on the north, Acacia Street on the south, Encinita Avenue on the east and San Marino Avenue on the west, according to Milbourn.

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Teen bicyclist struck by car in San Gabriel

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A bicyclist suffered serious injuries after a car hit him over the weekend in San Gabriel.

Lt. Brian Kott said the San Gabriel teen is expected to survive.

The crash was reported to police at 9:24 p.m. Saturday. Kott said it appears the bicyclist was northbound on San Gabriel Boulevard and tried to make a left turn to Broadway. A car heading south on San Gabriel Boulevard struck the bicyclist, he added.

Kott said the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police. She was not injured, according to Kott.

Paramedics took the bicyclist to a hospital.

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San Gabriel’s very first Starbucks is now open, could it mean more national chains are coming?

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Yes, there was a Southern California city without a Starbucks.

Was.

San Gabriel finally has its own Starbucks. Its heretofore absence was long a thorny subject for locals.

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Located at 303 E. Valley Blvd., inside the new Sheraton Los Angeles San Gabriel hotel, the popular coffeehouse can be accessed from the street. It’s open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and features tall ceilings and large windows. It first opened in May, but celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.

Manager Marigine Batuhan said the new location has attracted a lot of business from San Gabriel residents.

“When we first opened, people would stop and turn their heads because they were so shocked that Starbucks was here,” Batuhan said. “We’ve become a place for people to always come in and hang out. We (already) have regular customers who come here everyday and love that we are here.”

  • The interior of San Gabriel’s first Starbucks store features large windows and tall ceilings. (Photo by Kayiu Wong)

    The interior of San Gabriel’s first Starbucks store features large windows and tall ceilings. (Photo by Kayiu Wong)

  • The Starbucks store in San Gabriel is one of the few hundred select stores in the country that has drafts exclusively for cold brew coffee. (Photo by Kayiu Wong)

    The Starbucks store in San Gabriel is one of the few hundred select stores in the country that has drafts exclusively for cold brew coffee. (Photo by Kayiu Wong)

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  • The entrance to San Gabriel’s first Starbucks can be found on the corner of East Valley Blvd. and Palm Ave. (Photo by Kayiu Wong)

    The entrance to San Gabriel’s first Starbucks can be found on the corner of East Valley Blvd. and Palm Ave. (Photo by Kayiu Wong)

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National chains’ arrival in San Gabriel is “overdue,” said Frank Kokash, director of sales and marketing at the Sheraton. Offering the city’s first Starbucks gives him a sense of “a lot of pride.”

“Adding this to the experience of this neighborhood puts the city ahead another notch,” Kokash said. “San Gabriel is craving more western chains since everywhere around us has them. So I definitely think this is a sign that the city is working to be part of that development.”

For years, naysayers have used the lack of a Starbucks as proof that San Gabriel cannot attract major chains.

However, Angelica Frausto-Lupo, the city’s economic development director, said there are bigger problems at play than the city’s geographic appeal.

“It’s absolutely a myth city of San Gabriel can’t attract national tenants,” Frausto-Lupo said. “A big component of our economic development division is attending conventions to get in front of national retailers. They know San Gabriel, they know our demographics, they like it, but it goes back to the fact that they just can’t find the right sites.”

Most development projects in San Gabriel are “mixed-use,” meaning they’re on properties that feature a combination of residential, commercial or entertainment purposes, Frausto-Lupo said.

“National retailers are a little hesitant about coming into that type of project,” Frausto-Lupo said. “Retailers don’t see San Gabriel as highly urbanized enough to make a mixed-use project viable here.”

Nonetheless, the city remains hopeful that it can get more chains to open in San Gabriel.

“For economic development, it’s about getting in front of retailers, reaching out, reminding them we’re here,” Frausto-Lupo said. “In our opinion, we have the right fit and sites that can possibly work. Honestly, I think it’s just a matter of time ’til we see more and more national retailers in the city.”

Police say they nabbed bank robber when he returned his getaway car – a rental

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San Gabriel police arrested a man suspected of wearing a skeleton mask and brandishing a handgun during a robbery of a busy bank Friday when he showed up in City of Industry to return the rental car they say he used as a getaway vehicle.

Detectives surveilling the Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Industry took 51-year-old Hubert Sing Chung into custody when he arrived at around 9:40 a.m. on Saturday, June 30 to bring back the silver Toyota Corolla identified by witnesses who were at the bank during the robbery.

Shortly after the arrest, San Gabriel police served search warrants at Chung’s primary residence in Rowland Heights and his second home in Montebello, said Lt. Riki Nakamura.

At the Rowland Heights home, Nakamura said, police found a stash of weapons, including nine rifles and several handguns, as well as ammunition cartridges and “numerous” rounds of ammunition. He said police believe they found the handgun used during the robbery during this search.

They also found the clothes Chung was believed to have been wearing — the skeleton mask, as well as a black jacket and blue jeans — during the robbery on Friday, he said.

At the second home in Montebello, he said, police also found several more handguns. Between the two homes, they found 21 handguns total.

The arrest and home searches came less than a day after the robbery of the Citibank in the 500 block of Valley Boulevard.

The crime occurred on Friday at 2:40 p.m., when the bank was busy with about 20 people inside, Nakamura said. After parking the Toyota outside, a suspect entered the bank wearing the mask. Surveillance footage viewed by detectives showed the suspect calmly passing by several exiting customers.

The suspect walked up to the counter, then pointed a black handgun at a bank teller and demanded money. While the teller was collecting the cash, the suspect turned around and pointed the handgun at nearby customers; it wasn’t clear what the man said to them, but Nakamura said he believed he told them to move away.

After receiving several thousand dollars worth of cash, the suspect fled to the Toyota outside, police said, then drove away.

Nakamura said officers who arrived got the license plate number of the vehicle from witnesses. When the license plate came back as a rental car, detectives contacted Enterprise and discovered the contract for the vehicle would expire Saturday morning.

Nakamura said San Gabriel investigators contacted the FBI to see if the suspect was connected to any other robberies in the area, but none came back with someone with the same description or behavior as their suspect.

Despite the presence of so many weapons found in the homes, Nakamura said the use of a rental car and the decision to rob the bank at a busy time of day led detectives to believe that the man hadn’t done this before.

“My gut feeling on this is that this is his first robbery,” Nakamura said.

Chung has no criminal record, Nakamura said.

He was booked at the Alhambra Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Alhambra Superior Court on Tuesday.

This dog is so sweet, she’s named after a fruit, and she’s available for adoption

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Honey Dew was picked up as a stray in San Gabriel and brought to the shelter for her safety. No one has come to claim her and she is now available for adoption.

Honey Dew is a beautiful girl with classic German Shepherd good looks and intelligence. She will roll over on her back for a belly rub and share kisses. Honey Dew is a strong girl, but she is easy to harness and she is very manageable on leash. She loves to explore her surroundings.

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This beauty is so smart, she would thrive with some consistent training. German Shepherds are known for their intelligence and loyalty. Her adoption fee is $145 and includes spay surgery, vaccinations, microchip and a free wellness exam at a participating veterinarian.

Contact the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society at 626-286-1159 for more information. Website: www.sgvhumane.org.

Simon says, adopt him

Simon is a 5-year-old tabby available for adoption at Lifeline for Pets. (Courtesy photo)

Lifeline for Pets presents Simon, age 5, a brown tabby. He’s loving and loves to play. He needs an active family for lots of play, or could use a good buddy to rough-house with.

Come and meet this long-haired beauty, who resembles a Maine Coon. He is being housed at The Cats Pajamas in Pasadena, where you can call to make an appointment to meet Simon by calling 626-449-1717. Simon will come current on vaccines, neutered, and chipped for $100. Adoption info at www.lifelineforpets.org.

Good news: Cheetos has been adopted.

Shepherd-lab mix was being trained as service dog

Bubba Shep is a handsome German shepherd/Labrador mix who is 3-4 years old and weighs between 50 and 60 pounds. He was being trained as the service dog of a woman until she passed away.  Because of this, Bubba Shep knows a lot of commands, has a very nice disposition, and is house-trained.

Bubba Shep is part German shepherd, part Labrador retriever who knows a lot of commands. He is available for adoption through Beagles & Buddies. (Courtesy photo)

This energetic boy needs a big yard or space with high, secure fencing so he can get all the exercise he needs. A friendly guy, Bubba Shep is very good with people, and children and great with all other medium and large dogs — but not good with cats.

As with all the dogs at Beagles & Buddies, Bubba Shep is neutered and fully vaccinated, wormed, bathed, socialized, walked daily and much loved. Each adoptee leaves with all medical records.

Beagles & Buddies rehabilitates, and finds loving homes for homeless dogs. An adoption donation of a minimum of $250 for each is requested to help care for all the other dogs at the Apple Valley Sanctuary, who have a home for as long as they need it.

Photos of dogs available for adoption are posted on the organization’s website, beaglesandbuddies.org, which is updated daily.  For more information about Bubba Shep, call 626-444-9664, or send an email to beagles@beaglesandbud dies.org. B&B is always at the Apple Valley Sanctuary, 23430 CA-18, Apple Valley, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and weekdays by appointment.

Rhonda says, ‘help me’

Rhonda is a female boxer mix available for adoption in Pico Rivera. (Courtesy photo).

Rhonda, No. 18-03767, is a female, 7-year-old boxer mix available at the PetSmart Charities Everyday Adoption Center by spcaLA, 8852 Washington Blvd., Pico Rivera.

‘She has been  a beautiful Boxer mix looking for my forever family. I have been learning so much while I wait for my new home, I know sit and am working on down. My adoption fee is sponsored by The Urban Sidekick.

Contact 562-566-4029, ext. 5 or go to https://spcala.com/adoptable/pet/?ss=18-03767 for more information.

Ollie is black and white and read all over

Ollie (No. A460442) is a 2-month-old black and white domestic shorthair cat looking for a new home. He is a very curious kitten who comes right up to the kennel door when someone enters the room. He was transferred from the ASPCA and has enjoyed his time here, cuddling and playing with his kennelmates.

Ollie (No. No. A460442) is a 2-month-old domestic shorthair kitten available for adoption from the Pasadena Humane Society. (Courtesy photo)

The adoption fee for cats is $75. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before being adopted.

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for their pets.

View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

 

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