Baldwin Park Ca Government Officials

He's the local boy made good, thrust into the national spotlight in Time and Newsweek magazines, on CNN and as a White House guest. But for Fidel Vargas, the 26-year-old, baby-faced mayor of Baldwin Park--and one of the youngest mayors in the country--the attention the national acclaim has brought him continues to take a back seat to his growing family. He and his wife, Melissa, are expecting their third child in February.

Baldwin Park's top redevelopment official has quit his job after being accused of assaulting a former resident and intimidating a city employee. Steve Cervantes, the city's community development director, resigned Thursday after a closed-door performance review in which city officials requested his departure.

Contending that they received bad legal advice on a hotel deal, Baldwin Park and its redevelopment agency have filed a legal malpractice lawsuit for more than $3.6 million against former City Atty. Robert Flandrick and two law firms. Originally the Baldwin Park Hilton and now the San Gabriel Valley Hilton, the 196-room hotel was built after the city agreed to underwrite losses and share in profits.

An attempt by Mayor Bette Lowes to remove Dolores Holquin from the Planning Commission because of what she called rude conduct has failed to win support from the City Council majority. Lowes made a motion at Wednesday's City Council meeting to remove the Holquin from the commission. The council rejected the move on a 3-2 vote. Councilman Bill Van Cleave supported Lowes, with council members Teri Muse, Manuel Lozano and Ricardo Pacheco in opposition.

Baldwin Park City Councilman Herschel Keyser was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after he refused to take a test to determine the amount of alcohol in his blood, authorities said. Arresting Baldwin Park officers also seized Keyser's driver's license. Refusing to take a chemical test is grounds for license suspension, pending a Department of Motor Vehicles hearing. Lt.

Officials of the South Coast Air Quality Management District broke ground this week in Diamond Bar for a new $46-million headquarters that chairman Norton Younglove promised will be "environmentally sensitive." Also this week, Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) reappointed USC political science professor and clean air activist Larry L. Berg to the AQMD governing board.

Baldwin Park's top redevelopment official has quit his job after being accused of assaulting a former resident and intimidating a city employee. Steve Cervantes, the city's community development director, resigned Thursday after a closed-door performance review in which city officials requested his departure.

The Baldwin Park City Council on Monday fired Police Chief Richard A. Hoskin, saying that his his management philosophy was incompatible with that of the council. The Police Department had been troubled by low morale and a protracted labor dispute that left officers in the 70-member police union without a contract for part of last summer. Hoskin, 43, had been on administrative leave since Oct. 5. He joined the city as a police officer in 1968, and was named chief in December, 1986. Capt.

Citing stress and family health problems during an emotional and teary announcement, Baldwin Park Mayor Leo W. King resigned at a City Council meeting this week. King, 61, who had served on the council for 17 years, including two stints as mayor, said he and his wife, Mary Ann, planned to move to Oklahoma to be closer to their children.

The body of a South Gate man was found in the cab of his pickup truck parked in a Santa Ana neighborhood, authorities said Saturday. Police said they are investigating the death of William E. Rodriguez, 30, whose body was found about 8:30 p.m. Friday, as a homicide. But they have few clues, Lt. Bob Chavez said. An officer discovered the body in the red Nissan truck after responding to a call that the truck had been parked for hours in front of a house in the 2300 block of North Rosewood Avenue.

The body of a South Gate man was found in the cab of his pickup truck parked in a Santa Ana neighborhood, authorities said Saturday. Police said they are investigating the death of William E. Rodriguez, 30, whose body was found about 8:30 p.m. Friday, as a homicide. But they have few clues, Lt. Bob Chavez said. An officer discovered the body in the red Nissan truck after responding to a call that the truck had been parked for hours in front of a house in the 2300 block of North Rosewood Avenue.

He's the local boy made good, thrust into the national spotlight in Time and Newsweek magazines, on CNN and as a White House guest. But for Fidel Vargas, the 26-year-old, baby-faced mayor of Baldwin Park--and one of the youngest mayors in the country--the attention the national acclaim has brought him continues to take a back seat to his growing family. He and his wife, Melissa, are expecting their third child in February.

The kid knows how to pack a room. For two hours now, one of the youngest mayors in the country has been hearing from his constituents, many of them old enough to be his parents. First up is Teresa Filner, mother of two boys. Her hair is pulled under her uniform cap, her right hand raised to take an oath, as she stands in front of 26-year-old Fidel A. Vargas.

Steve Napolitano, who became a city councilman last month at age 26, still lives at home with his parents in Manhattan Beach. Fidel Vargas, 23, just took over as Baldwin Park's mayor by beating out rivals who were closer to his grandparents' age. And South Gate's new councilman, 26-year-old Albert Robles, says he is still not used to having older folks all of a sudden call him "Mr. Robles."

A Baldwin Park city councilman who allegedly told police he hoped they would "get shot and killed" pleaded innocent Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of drunk driving and interfering with officers. Herschel Keyser, 60, was arrested the night of Jan. 25 after a security guard at the Landmark Restaurant called police to report that a man was sitting in his pickup truck. Police arrived and told the councilman to stay put, but he started the engine and tried to drive away, said Deputy Dist. Atty.

Baldwin Park City Councilman Herschel Keyser was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after he refused to take a test to determine the amount of alcohol in his blood, authorities said. Arresting Baldwin Park officers also seized Keyser's driver's license. Refusing to take a chemical test is grounds for license suspension, pending a Department of Motor Vehicles hearing. Lt.

A Baldwin Park city councilman who allegedly told police he hoped they would "get shot and killed" pleaded innocent Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of drunk driving and interfering with officers. Herschel Keyser, 60, was arrested the night of Jan. 25 after a security guard at the Landmark Restaurant called police to report that a man was sitting in his pickup truck. Police arrived and told the councilman to stay put, but he started the engine and tried to drive away, said Deputy Dist. Atty.

Baldwin Park's police chief, fired Monday by the City Council, knowingly presented false statistics about a gang prevention program that won his department state and national honors, city officials said Tuesday. Richard A. Hoskin, who had been chief for the last three years, stated in applications to several awards committees that from fiscal year 1986-87 to 1987-88 his department reduced the number of gang incidents in the city by 53%.

Contending that they received bad legal advice on a hotel deal, Baldwin Park and its redevelopment agency have filed a legal malpractice lawsuit for more than $3.6 million against former City Atty. Robert Flandrick and two law firms. Originally the Baldwin Park Hilton and now the San Gabriel Valley Hilton, the 196-room hotel was built after the city agreed to underwrite losses and share in profits.

Officials of the South Coast Air Quality Management District broke ground this week in Diamond Bar for a new $46-million headquarters that chairman Norton Younglove promised will be "environmentally sensitive." Also this week, Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) reappointed USC political science professor and clean air activist Larry L. Berg to the AQMD governing board.