Industry pulls land in Chino Hills, Diamond Bar off market

City of Industry’s new city council has suspended the potential sale of Tres Hermanos Ranch until it examines all the major policy challenges it faces.

New city manager Paul Philips told the Champion Wednesday that the successor agency to the city’s former redevelopment agency owns the land and will decide in 60 to 90 days what should be done with it.

The successor agency consists of the City of Industry city council.

The decision will go before the oversight board, and then to the State Department of Finance for approval.

Mr. Philips said although a broker was selected to market the property, the contract was not signed. “There was never a listing,” he said.

The broker, selected by the oversight board, was The Hoffman Co., based in Irvine.

“I told the broker to go on hold until a determination is made,” Mr. Philips said. “The process has been suspended pending direction from the new council.”

Tres Hermanos consists of 2,400 acres of open grassland, oaks and sycamores straddling both sides of Grand Avenue, including 1,700 acres in Chino Hills and 720 acres in Diamond Bar.

Mr. Philips said the previous city council was serious about selling the land, but the new council has yet to decide.

The June election yielded three new council members. Mr. Philips was hired June 25.

The Hoffman Co. had begun its marketing efforts by visiting the community development departments of both Chino Hills and Diamond Bar.

A grass-roots group called “Save Tres Hermanos” formed to oppose residential development.

Mr. Philips said he made a commitment to the city council that City of Industry would be open, transparent and a good neighbor. “That’s the way I like to operate,” he said.

Mr. Philips is a former city manager for Covina, Artesia and others. His most recent position was deputy director for California Contract Cities Association in Downey, which advocates for cities that contract for municipal services.

The 12.5-square-mile City of Industry has a population of just 469 and 69,040 jobs, mainly in manufacturing and wholesale, according to a 2015 profile prepared by Southern California Association of Governments.

Tres Hermanos Ranch was purchased by the City of Industry’s redevelopment agency in 1978. In 2012, the state dissolved all redevelopment agencies and Tres Hermanos was transferred to the “successor agency,” which is governed by an “oversight board” made up of three county employees, two school district employees, and two council members from City of Industry.

Boy Reported Missing From Walnut, Located Kayne Doughty Jr. had been reported missing after telling his parents that he had a cross country team meeting at Walnut High School.

A missing 14-year-old Walnut boy was found safe Thursday in Whittier, according to a broadcast report.

Kayne Doughty Jr. had been reported missing after telling his parents that he had a cross country team meeting at Walnut High School. He wasn’t there when his parents went to pick him up and it’s unclear if there was a meeting.

The teen was found Thursday at a restaurant in Whittier, his family told CBS2.

The freshman cross country runner’s lunch container was found this morning in a creek along some running trails, family members told reporters at the scene. His cellphone battery was dead, according to news reports.

The teen’s parents said it was not like him to run away or remain out of contact and although a sheriff’s helicopter and search dogs were deployed earlier in an effort to locate the boy, foul play was not suspected and the matter was being treated as a voluntary missing person case, said Lt. John Saleeby, watch commander at the sheriff’s Walnut Station.

When reached tonight, Saleeby said investigators were trying to confirm reports that the boy had been found.

What Haggen’s lawsuit against Albertsons means for the grocery chain’s problems

Haggen Food & Pharmacy stores are to experience layoffs and cutbacks including this location on Diamond Bar Boulevard in Diamond Bar, Calif. July 24, 2015. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb/San Gabriel Valley Tribune) 

Haggen’s entry into Southern California’s grocery industry has widely been viewed as a failure.

Earlier this year, the Bellingham, Wash-based supermarket chain acquired 146 stores that previously had operated as Vons or Albertsons. But shortly thereafter, the company began cutting employee hours and laying off workers. Supermarkets that had been bustling in their previous incarnation were now virtually empty. Prices were high, shoppers said, and advertising appeared to be minimal.

Haggen’s rapid expansion from 18 stores to 164 locations appeared to be imploding — rapidly.

HAGGEN’S LAWSUIT AGAINST ALBERTSONS

But things changed Tuesday when Haggen filed a lawsuit against Albertsons that accuses the company of “coordinated and systematic efforts” to sabotage its expansion in five states by engaging in “an illegal campaign” against Haggen including “premeditated acts of unfair and anti-competitive conduct.”

The lawsuit alleges Albertsons provided Haggen with “false, misleading and incomplete retail pricing data, causing Haggen stores to unknowingly inflate prices.” The action additionally claims that Albertsons diverted customers from Haggen stores by illegally accessing Haggen’s confidential data to gain an unfair competitive advantage.

Albertsons released a brief statement on Tuesday that said the allegations were “without merit.”

But the company expanded that statement on Wednesday.

ALBERTSONS’ RESPONSE

“The allegations contained in the Haggen complaint are completely without merit and we will vigorously defend ourselves in court,” Albertsons said. “Albertsons has not engaged in anti-competitive or inappropriate practices as alleged by Haggen. The divesture of stores to Haggen followed the process determined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) order.”

Albertsons said it has satisfied its obligations and worked to ensure the success of the transition of the divested stores to Haggen and several other companies.

“Recently, Albertsons was forced to sue Haggen for an amount in excess of $40 million for unpaid inventory,” statement added. “Rather than paying the amounts owing, Haggen responded by filing this lawsuit against us in an attempt to deflect attention from their failure to comply with basic contractual obligations.”

As with any lawsuit, the allegations have yet to be proven. But they do raise the possibility that Haggen’s wounds might not necessarily be self-inflicted.

Diamond Bar burglary suspect prompts freeway chase, underground search in Pico Rivera

Law enforcement officers search a storm drain on Esperanza Avenue for a burglary suspect after a pursuit that ended near the San Gabriel River and Whittier Boulevard on Wednesday September 2, 2015. (Photo by Keith Durflinger/Whittier Daily News) 

PICO RIVERA >> A SWAT team launched a subterranean search after a burglary suspect led deputies on a pursuit from Diamond Bar to the Whittier area, then abandoned his SUV and fled into the storm drain system along the San Gabriel Riverbed, authorities said.

The incident began about 12:15 p.m. with a report of a burglary in the 800 block of Pantera Drive in Diamond Bar, where a man was seen in one of the houses, according to Lt. John Saleeby of the sheriff’s Walnut-Diamond Bar station.

He said deputies later spotted the suspect’s sport utility vehicle and chased the suspect.

The driver exited the 605 Freeway and drove through the riverbed in Pico Rivera, officials said. Deputies said the suspect ran from the SUV south of Whittier Boulevard and ran into a nearby drainage pipe.

Deputies cordoned off the area and summoned a SWAT team to assist in the search, sheriff’s Sgt. Andrew Serrano said. Aerial footage from the scene showed the SWAT team arriving via helicopter.

Aided by public works officials, deputies checked manhole covers as they worked to determine where the drainage pipes lead, and where the fleeing suspect had gone. The area is surrounded by residential neighborhoods.

The suspect had not been seen with a weapon, Serrano said. A detailed suspect description was not available.

— Staff writer Brian Day contributed to this report.

Haggen Announces Steps to Streamline and Improve Operations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact

Deborah Pleva

deb@weinsteinpr.com

(503) 908-4250

Haggen Announces Steps to Streamline and Improve Operations

Bellingham, Wash. (August 14, 2015) – Haggen, the West Coast regional grocer, today announced that in order to continue to improve its business and strengthen its competitive position, it has decided to close or sell a number of locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Most of the stores being closed or sold were acquired as part of the transaction in which Albertsons LLC and Safeway divested 146 stores. Additional stores will be sold or closed in the future as part of Haggen’s right-sizing strategy. The company has not determined how many jobs will be affected as a result of the closures and sales.

“Haggen’s goal going forward is to ensure a stable, healthy company that will benefit our customers, associates, vendors, creditors, stakeholders as well as the communities we serve,” said Haggen CEO Pacific Southwest, Bill Shaner. “By making the tough choice to close and sell some stores, we will be able to invest in stores that have the potential to thrive under the Haggen banner.”

Through the acquisition, Haggen expanded from 18 stores with 16 pharmacies and 2,000 employees in the Pacific Northwest to 164 stores and 106 pharmacies employing more than 10,000 people in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona. Haggen’s original stores continue to perform well. 

John Clougher, Haggen CEO Pacific Northwest, added, “Though Haggen has grown substantially, we remain committed to our core values and to support regional farms, ranches and food producers and strengthen the communities around our stores.”

Clougher and Shaner continued:

“We’re grateful to have an outstanding team along with the support of our vendor partners, financial backers and friends in the community as we take our next steps forward. Looking ahead, we will work hard every single day to earn the trust and business of our guests. We will continue to support community events and donate to schools. We will offer our customers the freshest and most local products we can find and the genuine service they deserve. And we will engage in lively discussions about how we can improve. We will remain actively involved in making our communities even better, and we will stay committed to the values that have always guided Haggen.”

Click here for the list of stores  slated for closure.

About Haggen

Founded in 1933 in Bellingham, Washington, Haggen has built its business on providing guests the freshest and most local products with genuine service, while supporting the communities it serves. In the first half of 2015, Haggen made an acquisition expanding from a Pacific Northwest company with locations in Oregon and Washington to a regional grocery chain with locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona. Throughout its eight decades in business, the company has supported regional farms, ranches, fisheries and other businesses, creating a lasting and sustainable local food economy. The company remains focused on its core values as it expands. For more information about what’s happening at Haggen, visit haggen.com, and get social with Haggen Northwest Fresh at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and Haggen Southwest at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

###

DEBORAH T. PLEVA

Associate, Weinstein PR

503-908-4250

weinsteinpr.com

Member

PR Boutiques International

LA Raiders, Chargers a Certainty, Lawyer Says

A former football executive spearheading the Carson stadium projects said he is “absolutely certain” the teams will play in LA by 2019.

The former football executive spearheading efforts by the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders to jointly build a stadium in Carson said today he is “absolutely certain” the teams will be based in the Southland by 2019.

Carmen Policy, a lawyer who was president and CEO of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s and 90s, told reporters outside a meeting of National Football League team owners in Chicago that the Carson project would be “shovel ready” as soon as approval is given for the teams to move from their respective cities.

According to a Twitter post from the NFL network, Policy said, “We are absolutely certain that we will be in the stadium and playing football for the 2019 season.”

He said 2018 was too early to expect the proposed Carson stadium to be ready.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which is covering the meetings because that city’s Rams are also eyeing a move to the lucrative Los Angeles market, reported that Chargers Chairman Dean Spanos and Raiders owner Mark Davis also made brief remarks to their colleagues.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke was also scheduled to discuss his planned stadium project at the former Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood.

Returning a team to Los Angeles is a major priority for the NFL. The Los Angeles area has not had an NFL team since 1995, when the Rams moved to St. Louis and the Raiders returned to Oakland.

The office of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who is trying to keep the Chargers from moving, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, city and county of San Diego stadium negotiators met with a small group of team owners to discuss a proposal to replace Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley. They unveiled renderings of a design concept by the firm Populous and a proposed financing package, under which the city and county would pay about one-third of the total construction cost.

The financing proposal calls for the Chargers to contribute $362.5 million and the NFL $200 million, and for $187.5 million in personal seat licenses to be sold, with the county and city making a combined $350 million contribution. The proposal does not rely on income from other development on the site, like shops and office buildings.

Also made public on Monday was a 6,000-page environmental impact report, which is now available for public comment. Chargers officials have objected to the study’s expedited time line.

Team special counsel Mark Fabiani said that never in California’s history had a controversial billion-dollar project relied on environmental review documents prepared in just three weeks. Environmental studies usually take 12-18 months.

City officials maintain that the EIR will hold up to scrutiny because the project is merely replacing one stadium with a similar and smaller, facility, so the impacts are already largely known.

The efforts to keep the Chargers in San Diego come years after the local NFL franchise began asking for a replacement for aging Qualcomm Stadium, where, long before it acquired its current name, the first game was played in August 1967.

City News Service

This Blew My Mind

A young man went to seek an important position at a large printing company. He passed the initial interview and was going to meet the director for the final interview. The director saw his resume, it was excellent. And asked, '
- Have you received a scholarship for school?' The boy replied, " No '.
-' It was your father who paid for your studies? '
-' Yes.'- He replied.
-' Where does your father work? '
-' My father is a Blacksmith'
The Director asked the young man to show him his hands.
The young man showed a pair of hands soft and perfect.
-' Have you ever helped your parents at their job? '
-' Never, my parents always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, he can do the job better than me.
The director said:
-' I have got a request: When you go home today, go and wash the hands of your father and then come see me tomorrow morning.'

The young man felt his chance to get the job was high.
When he returned to his house he asked his father if he would allow him to wash their hands.
His father felt strange, happy, but with mixed feelings and showed their hands to his son. The young man washed his hands, little by little. It was the first time that he noticed his father's hands were wrinkled and they had so many scars. Some bruises were so painful that his skin shuddered when he touched them.
This was the first time that the young man recognized what it meant for this pair of hands to work every day to be able to pay for his study. The bruises on the hands were the price that he payed for their education, his school activities and his future.
After cleaning his father's hands the young man stood in silence and began to tidy and clean up the workshop. That night, father and son talked for a long time.

The next morning, the young man went to the office of the director.
The Director noticed the tears in the eyes of the young man when He asked him: -' Can you tell me what you did and what you learned yesterday at your house?'
The boy replied: -' I washed my father's hands and when I finished I stayed and cleaned his workshop '
-' Now I know what it is to appreciate and recognize that without my parents , I would not be who I am today . By helping my father I now realize how difficult and hard it is to do something on my own. I have come to appreciate the importance and the value in helping the family.

The director said, "This is what I look for in my people. I want to hire someone who can appreciate the help of others , a person who knows the hardship of others to do things, and a person who does not put money as his only goal in life". ' You are hired '.

A child that has been coddled, Protected and usually given him what he wants, develops a mentality of " I have the right ' and will always put himself first, ignoring the efforts of their parents. If we are this type of protective parent are we really showing love or are we destroying our children?
You can give your child a big house , good food , computer classes , watch on a big screen TV . But when you're washing the floor or painting a wall , please let him experience that too.
After eating have them wash the dishes with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you have no money to hire someone to do this it's because you want to love them the right way . No matter how rich you are, you want them to understand. One day your hair will have gray hair, like the father of this young man.
The most important thing is that your child learns to appreciate the effort and to experience the difficulties and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.