/2016 06 Alhambra selects Mark Yokoyama as City Manager he Alhambra City work ethic will be of added Council announced benefit to continue to evolve that Alhambra Chief the City of Alhambra.” Tof Police Mark Yokoyama Mr. Yokoyama was selected became City Manager on to lead the Alhambra Police May 24, following the Department as Alhambra’s retirement of City Manager Chief of Police on June 6, Mary Swink. 2011. As Chief of Police, Mr. Police Chief Mark Yokoyama has been The City Council began Yokoyama has been credited selected by the Alhambra City Council to its search in January by hiring with enhancing Commu- succeed Mary Swink as city manager. Bob Murray and Associates to nity Oriented Policing and conduct a statewide recruit- community engagement in a ment search for the next City culturally diverse community technology in an effort to build better Manager. through various community police community relations. Evike Chang, evike.com, will be installed as president of the Alhambra “We received and inter- programs and innovative Mr. Yokoyama holds an Associate of Chamber Board of Directors at the Chamber’s 113th Installation viewed a number of highly outreach initiatives. Arts degree from Golden West College in Dinner on June 17. qualified candidates and During this time, the de- police administration, a Bachelor of Arts believe Mr. Yokoyama is the partment has received awards degree in public administration from best person for the job,” said and national and internation- the University of La Verne, a Masters Mayor Barbara Messina. “His al accolades for its progressive of Arts degree in behavioral science Chamber to induct capable and approachable and contemporary use of from Cal State Dominguez Hills, and a new directors at 113th >> see ALHAMBRA’S NEW CITY MANAGER Page 10A Installation Dinner vike Chang, owner Friday, June 17, at Almansor of evike.com, will be Court, 700 S. Almansor St. Alhambra High School seniors installed as Chamber The installation will honor Epresident at the Alhambra 2015 President Robert Fukui, Chamber of Commerce’s the Chamber board of direc- 113th Installation Dinner on tors, and new officers. create award-winning video BY ANTONIO GONZALES >> see CHAMBER INSTALLATION DINNER Page 12A trio of Alhambra High School seniors has been awarded high honors forA their success in a nationwide filmmaking contest. Andy Chan, Aaqil Khan, and Shannon Kha took CITY NEWS PAGE 2A second place in the west division for their participation in CSPAN’s Stu- CHAMBER NEWS PAGE 11A dentCam, which is geared toward students taking on the nation’s most COMMUNITY NEWS PAGE 14A polarizing social and political issues in a short, documentary-style film. ACADEMIC NEWS PAGE 22A This year’s contest topic was “Road to the White House,” where students were instructed to create a 5- to 7-minute video based around the question “What is the issue you want candidates to discuss most during the 2016 presidential campaign?” The three Alhambra students chose to make their video on the topic of Social Security. Alhambra High School seniors receive high honors in the west division Titled A Sense of Security, this video for their participation in CSPAN’s StudentCam for their video A discussed the demographic changes Sense of Security. From left are U.S. Rep. Judy Chu and students that have affected Social Security Shannon Kha, Aaqil Khan, and Andy Chan. >> see AHS STUDENT VIDEO AWARD Page 22A 2A CITY NEWS AROUND ALHAMBRA 06/2016 Mayor’s Corner Incredible young people in community doing amazing things BY MAYOR BARBARA MESSINA One of the most exciting opportunities I have as Mayor is going to events that I normally would not go to, and meeting people I, otherwise, would not have. We have some incredible young people doing amazing things in our community. In March, I attended Cal State LA’s EcoCar 3 team unveiling of their 2016 advanced vehicle technology competition. These students are participating in a competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of En- ergy and General Motors and have worked incredibly hard to transform a Chevrolet Camaro into a hybrid-electric vehicle that is safe and high performing while reducing their environmental impact. Their intent is for police vehicles to improve our fleet of Mayor Barbara Messina police cars. At the May City Council meeting, I presented students from Alhambra High State Fullerton. In 2014, she became the School a certificate for their award winning youth basketball director after receiving her video project for C-SPAN’s Student Cam Bachelor of Arts degree in kinesthesiology. Documentary Competition. Their doc- She has been a “Y” kid since the first grade umentary won second place among over and said “it is an amazing feeling to give 6,000 participants worldwide. back to the community and watch these One Saturday, I attended the “Healthy young aspiring athletes.”Another example Kids Day” at the “Y” and met an amaz- of young people giving back to the com- ing volunteer team that Valarie, YMCA munity is George Young, the aquatics executive director, put together for the instructor at the YMCA. He started summer program. Many of the volunteer swimming as a youth, became a lifeguard coaches started out as “Y” kids, like Sydney instructor for the American Red Cross, and Huynh, who after working the front desk now has come full circle to the YMCA by volunteered as a coach for two years while instructing and certifying all YMCA staff in doing her undergraduate degree at Cal CPR and First Aid. >> see MAYOR’S CORNER Page 5A 06/2016 AROUND ALHAMBRA 3A 4A CITY NEWS AROUND ALHAMBRA 06/2016 Innovation can help is a monthly publication with a total circulation of 40,000. It is mailed to every business and residence in deliver 710 tunnel the city of Alhambra. Around Alhambra is also mailed to all interested local, state and county officials. BY THE 710 COALITION engineers, and investors. This P3 tive for the P3 team to build a safe, The decades-long battle to com- team would be responsible for the high-quality project. We welcome comments, press releases and community interest stories and will make every plete the 710 freeway continues to be design, construction, operation, and The P3 approach has been success- effort to include all appropriate information. a high priority for cities and residents maintenance of the tunnel over a fully used for transportation projects throughout the San Gabriel Valley. fixed period of time, typically many all across the U.S. The Las Vegas For advertising rates and other information, contact Support for the 710 tunnel is strong decades. P3 teams also bring money Monorail Project, the San Diego Alhambra Chamber of Commerce 104 S. First St., Alhambra, CA 91801 and growing despite the grousing by a to the table, investing millions or even South Bay Expressway, and the Foley Tel: 626 282-8481 Fax: 626 282-5596 small, yet vocal, group of opponents. billions of dollars. Public funding Beach Expressway in Alabama are all www.alhambrachamber.org The 710 freeway must be completed, frequently is combined with investor examples of successful transportation and the data shows that a tunnel is money to pay for the project. For the P3s. the best solution. Unfortunately, 710 tunnel, this means at least $780 A P3 approach can help pay for the opposition chooses to ignore the million of Measure R sales tax funds the 710 tunnel and shift financial project’s overall environmental bene- approved by Los Angeles County risk to the private sector. This is smart fits and the reduction in cut-through voters in 2008. and one of the options Metro will traffic in cities like Alhambra. The P3 team would be responsible consider to close the missing link in Like all major public works proj- for building and maintaining the 710 our regional freeway system. Voters Executive Committee ects, the 710 tunnel will not be inex- tunnel within a fixed budget. This were promised this project when they President: pensive. This is especially true since protects taxpayers from potential cost approved the Measure R sales tax, Robert Fukui, High Point Marketing a surface freeway is no longer being overruns. In exchange, Metro would and the 710 tunnel is essential to the Vice President: considered. But one innovative fund- agree to pay the P3 team a fixed fee future of the San Gabriel Valley. Evike Chang, Evike.com ing strategy that holds a lot of promise each year so long as the tunnel is Please stay informed and engaged Immediate Past President: is a “public private partnership,” also operational and maintained in a safe as the 710 tunnel continues to get Lee Lieberg, Landz Real Estate At-Large members: referred to as P3 or PPP. way. The fee would only be paid if ready for construction. For all the lat- Frank Chen, Law Offices of Frank W. Chen A 710 tunnel P3 could be built the tunnel is available for use by the est on the project,t go to www.metro. Valarie Gomez, West San Gabriel Valley YMCA by a consortium of contractors, public, providing a very strong incen- net/projects/sr-710-conversations/. Megan Moloughney, The Ratkovich Co./The Alhambra Mark Paulson, Anthony Venti Realtors Board of Directors Nickie Chan, LifeWave Farmers Market adds Iris Lai, Alhambra Hospital Medical Center Rafael Garcia , Republic Services Joe Pavon, Al’s Towing Todd Sakamoto, The Mailbox Shop Thursdays to its schedule Helen Romero-Shaw, So. California Gas Company Lorraine Simpson, Credit Union of Southern California The Alhambra Certified hambra Certified Farmers Dr. David Snyder, Optometrist Farmers Market recently Market will celebrate its Walter Tang, Superior Scientific announced it is expanding 32nd anniversary with free Joanna Vargas, The Fit Factor Studio the market by opening punch and cake, free arts Ambassadors from 5 p.m.