By Mona Raskin

Monterey Park’s annual Chinese New Year festival was celebrated on Feb. 2nd and 3rd on Garvey Avenue.  This year 220 booths were stretched along the avenue well into Garfield Avenue, Alhambra!  It apparently lured a huge turnout for the area became quite crowded.

The booths were filled with an assortment of items from clothing, jewelry, flowers and a variety of foods from chestnuts and other delicacies. A nearby children’s play area where there were several different rides for them to enjoy. The program also consisted of visual entertainment, with groups of singers and dancers!  Although it was an interesting way to spend an afternoon, it was exhausting, as well!

Well, it appears that Monterey Park will find itself quite busy again next month, for this is the city’s election year!  Our community has been in an uproar with the behavior of our city council members. On January 16th, our mayor complained that one of the new contenders for a council seat was unjustly criticized and with that statement, the mayor boycotted the city meeting!  If that was not enough, the vice mayor stood up, complained on a similar situation and also left, leaving the city without a quorum! Well our community has been fed up with the venomous rhetoric that has continuously has burned our ears!   Guess what, we can release the “snakes” from our city council!

We will have the opportunity to get out and vote for newcomers on March the 5th!  We want to elect future candidates that are honest, sincere and will focus only on serious city business from now on!