Thursday, JULY 12 - JULY 18, 2012
A zusa B eacon Community News, Arts & Opinions Since 1996
IndyMac Antonovich Calls U.S. Forest Service Failure Leaders to to Approve Aerial Firefighting Policies ‘Stupid’ Settle Class-Action Suit Leaders of the failed IndyMac Bancorp which was headquarted in Pasadena have agreed to settle a classaction lawsuit for $6 Million according to a report from the Associated Press. Michael W. Perry, the former CEO of the Pasadena-based bank, and Scott Keys, the former chief financial officer, are named as co- defendants. IndyMac collapsed in July 2008, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over the mortgage lender in a flurry of failed banking businesses. IndyMac was one of the largest mortgage originators in the United States, and its collapse was indeed one of the biggest bank failures in U.S. history. Massive protests outside IndyMac banks drew public attention to the thousnads who lost their life’s savings four years ago. The payment will be made in exchange for a dismissal of the claims against the defendant, according to federal court papers filed last week.
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Volume XVII, No. XXVIII
National Weather Service Issues Hot Weather Alert Hot Temperatures Bring Elevated Fire Risk
ommends the Forest Service utilize nighttime air attacks to prevent future catastrophes as well as procedural changes, tougher brush clearance requirements and the use of mechanized firefighting equipment. Antonovich also noted that Congressional hearings and the Government Ac-
A strong upper level high pressure system centered over the great basin will bring hot weather to interior portions of southwest California through much of this week. Triple digit heat can be expected across the antelope valley with high temperatures near or slightly above 100 degrees in the warmest locations in the mountains the Santa Clarita Valley northern and western portions of the San Fernando Valley and the Ojai valley. The hot temperatures combined with very low humidity will bring elevated
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The Station Fire was an example of how air support at night could have made crucial contributions to controlling the massive fire much earlier. Supervisor Antonovich is not happy with the Forest Service’s decision making process. -Photo by Terry Miller
In the attached letter to the United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich expressed his disappointment in the 3-year delay by U. S. Forest Service to change its ban on nighttime water-dropping flights to combat wildfires. “It has been nearly three years since the Station Fire devastated most of the Ange-
les National Forest and killed two Los Angeles County firefighters, and the U. S. Forest service continues to ignore experts’ recommendations to change its nighttime aerial firefighting policy,” Antonovich said. Recently, Tom Harbor, the Forest Service’s National Director of Fire and Aviation Management, said that his agency was revaluating a
policy change to determine if it would be “the right kind of investment” for taxpayers. “This delay is stupid and making it worse as we are on the brink of the fire season and another potential for catastrophic losses,” Antonovich added. In the letter, Antonovich refers to the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Station Fire report that rec-
Monrovia Sierra Madre Council Monrovia Couple to Celebrate 72 Years Council Puts Kensington on of Wedded Bliss Saturday - June 14 Accused of Course for Voter Approval BY TERRY MILLER Although Mildred ( BY JIM E. WINBURN Milly) Lapson and Herb Brown Act The Sierra Madre City ment, which allows no more Stevens are celebrating their Council made surprising 13 dwelling units per 72nd Wedding Anniversary, Violation progress with the Kensington than acre downtown. Fountain they’ve actually know each BY SUSAN MOTANDER
The Monrovia City Council has been accused of violated the Brown Act, the law that requires open, notice meetings. A group called Californians Aware has ac-
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IT’S TIME TO
project on Tuesday, moving the assisted living facility within sight of a Measure V vote. The council’s greatest concern was over the ballot language needed for voters to decide on whether to permit an assisted living facility project as an exception to the Measure V density require-
Square Development West is proposing 75 units at the 1.84acre property at 225-245 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard. Working from the ballot language proposed by developer Billy Shields, the council directed City Attorney Te-
other more than 75 years – and they still are talking to one another and making each other laugh. Not many can say that! Quite an impressive figure, by anyone’s computation. In fact, I know of very
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IN OUR ANNUAL
Herb Stevens and Milly Lapson at their Monrovia home. -Photo by Terry Miller
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