July 12, 2007

Around the Valley
La Puente won't get traffic camera

LA PUENTE - The City Council on Tuesday night voted against a traffic study to bring red light cameras to city intersections.

The study would have analyzed what, if any, locations in La Puente would have been suitable for a red light camera system. The cameras take photos of drivers who run red lights and are then ticketed later.

But in a 4-0 vote, council members agreed that they did not see the need for such a system in the city.

"The two officers we pay \ ... what more beyond that do we need?" Mayor Lou Perez said.

Councilman John Solis was absent.

Azusa offering cooling centers

AZUSA - City officials announced the locations of three "cooling centers" to help residents stave off expected stifling heat. The Azusa Senior Center, the City Library and Memorial Park have been designated, said city spokesman Martin Quiroz.

The Senior Center, 740 N. Dalton Ave., will be open for cooling from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday. Memorial Park, 320 N. Orange Ave. will be open from 7 a.m. till the late evenings. The library, 729 N. Dalton Ave., will be open for cooling during its normal operating hours.

For more

Cancer charity run set for weekend

WEST COVINA - The American Cancer Society will have its Relay for Life fundraiser this weekend at Edgewood Middle School, 1625 W. Durness St.

The event starts 9 a.m. Saturday and ends 9 a.m. Sunday. Participants walk or run laps around a track to raise money for the American Cancer Society. At 9 p.m. Saturday there will be a luminaria ceremony to honor those touched by cancer.

For more information, call Vince McCauley at (626) 422-2812, Susan Heppner at (213) 368-8524 or the American Cancer Society office at

(626) 966-9994, option 3.

Supervisor selects district director

Montebello native Erica Jacquez-Santos began serving Monday in county Supervisor Gloria Molina's top level team of advisers as the 1st District field director.

Jacquez-Santos is Molina's main community liaison and oversees the satellite offices in the San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles.

Jacquez-Santos previously represented the Southern California Gas Co. as public affairs manager.

Prior to that, she served for six years as a field representative and district director to state Sen. Martha Escutia.

Jacquez-Santos is an alumna of Harvard University's executive leadership program as well as the Center for Creative Leadership.

She also holds a master's degree in public administration and a certificate in political management from USC, which she attained after having first received her bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice from Cal State Fullerton.

She and her husband, Eugene, live in Lakewood.

Citrus College's semesters shrink

GLENDORA - Semesters are getting shorter at Citrus College.

Fall will mark the college's transition to a shorter "compressed calendar." With this new calendar, fall and spring semester length will shorten from 18 to 16 weeks. In addition, a six-week winter intersession and an eight-week summer session will be made available.

Historically, the fall semester at Citrus College has started mid-August. Now, the semester will begin after the Labor Day holiday. This year, classes are scheduled to begin Sept. 4, a week after every other community college in the region, and will end Dec. 22.

Continuing student registration will be 6 a.m. to midnight July 30 through Sept. 3. New and former student registration will be 6 a.m. to midnight

Aug. 13 through Sept. 6.

Citrus College's fall class schedule is being mailed, at no cost, to district residents and continuing students. Class schedule information and applications can be found online at www.citruscollege.edu.

- From staff reports