Covina

Thirty years ago, Denmark invaded America's homes and offices with a distinctive line of modern furniture and furnishings. Indeed, the sleek look in time became know as "Danish," even though it was soon being produced everywhere, Covina as well as Copenhagen. Now Denmark is invading America's playgrounds with an equally distinctive line of play equipment and structures. Imaginatively styled, brightly colored and well constructed with an emphasis on safety, the line known as Kompan is gaining rave reviews.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies are seeking the public's help in identifying a man suspected of attacking a pregnant woman in Covina early Sunday. The suspect attacked the victim from behind as she walked near the intersection of Cienega Avenue and Treanor Avenue about 8 a.m., said Sgt. Dave Buckner. “He punched her and kicked her,” Buckner said. The man fled when the woman yelled that she was pregnant. Buckner said the attack was the fourth such assault in the area over the last several months.

The City Council has voted 3-1 to send a letter to Los Angeles County officials expressing support for the expansion of Sunshine Canyon Landfill in Sylmar. At the current rate of use, the 1,600-acre landfill will be filled by 1991, said Leslie Bittenson, vice president of market development for Browning-Ferris Industries of California, which owns the landfill. If a 542-acre expansion is approved, the landfill can remain in operation until 2050, Bittenson said. Covina does not dispose of its refuse at Sunshine Canyon Landfill.

A man cut through his arms with saws at a Home Depot in West Covina, shocking employees and customers who saw the grisly scene play out at the busy store, police Wednesday night. The man calmly walked into the store on Azusa Avenue shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday and grabbed the handsaws, the West Covina Police Department said. "He just began sawing away," Cpl. Rudy Lopez told The Times. "He was pretty much intent on doing what he did. " The man cut both arms down to the bone as panicked people called 911 for help.

City Councilman Chris Lancaster is quitting as an administrative assistant for state Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) to open a consulting firm to help private businesses deal with local governments. Lancaster, who has worked in the senator's Industry district office since 1986, said his resignation will be effective June 15. Lancaster, 30, has not decided on a location or a name for the firm but said he might call it Lancaster Consulting. The company will guide developers through the permit process for construction projects, Lancaster said.

When it comes to political gain, it does not matter who or what is sacrificed. Such seems to be the case with Cody Cluff, Bill Mason and their ilk. Their libertarian approach to Covina does not care if the city is destroyed, just so they accomplish whatever power they can achieve. If their second, very wasteful and disruptive recall is successful, their bid for council seats would be a hollow victory indeed, as there would be no Covina to govern. Do not waste any more of your and my money on a recall to satisfy the desires of a few wanna-be politicians.

Assemblyman Bill Lancaster (R-Covina) announced that he will run for reelection next year rather than seek the office of retiring state Sen. H. L. (Bill) Richardson (R-Glendora). Lancaster's decision eliminates the possibility of a Republican primary contest for the seat between Lancaster and Assemblyman William Leonard (R-Redlands). Richardson last month endorsed Leonard as his successor and assailed Lancaster, who he said "hasn't made his presence felt" in the Legislature.

With a special City Council election looming as the result of the recent recall of three members of that body in Fullerton who voted to impose a measly 2% utilities tax, those who were so hellbent on that action would do well to heed the sorry fate of Covina. A year ago Covina residents recalled their entire City Council for imposing a 6% utility tax. The upshot? Those recall supporters who replaced the Covina council recently were forced to impose an 8% utility tax to meet a $2.8-million budget shortfall.

The Fullerton Recalls Committee strongly objects to (Carroll) Gewin's letter ("Fullerton Should Heed Covina's Fate," Oct. 2 ). In Covina, the Covina Recalls Committee did not have a platform for reform, as the Fullerton Recalls Committee does. Covina's recall proponents never proposed alternatives to the utility tax; in contrast, the platform of the Fullerton Recalls Committee does. In Covina, four of the five people elected to the council are public employees or spouses of public employees.

SACRAMENTO - Prosecutors have decided not to file domestic violence charges against state Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina), saying there is insufficient evidence to back a former girlfriend's allegations that he physically abused her. The decision by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office stems from an argument the couple had at the Lazy Dog Cafe in West Covina. The district attorney's report said Hernandez said during the argument that "he was going to call police about [the woman]

SACRAMENTO - State Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina) was sued Monday by a woman alleging that he physically abused her during a months-long relationship and that he used illegal drugs. The civil suit was filed on behalf of Carolina Taillon by attorney Gloria Allred and seeks unspecified damages against Hernandez over allegations of assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit was filed the day before Hernandez stands for reelection in a contest with Republican Joe Gardner, a retired police officer.

Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced plans to open a new 120,000-square-foot store in West Covina. The store, which is expected to open this year, will slide into a space once occupied by Mervyns at the Eastland Center shopping area. "When you look around at the surrounding area, local residents are always looking for affordable shopping options," Steven Restivo, Wal-Mart's director of community affairs, told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. "We think our store can be part of the solution for West Covina residents.

LONDON - It was a little like watching Willie Mays strike out in his last at-bat or Michael Jordan miss his final two field-goal attempts. Because Tony Gunawan, the greatest doubles badminton player of all time, didn't so much walk off the court for the final time Monday - he and partner Howard Bach were swept off it. The pair played three matches and six games in three days at the London Olympics and lost them all, stumbling over Japan's Naoki Kawamae...

A corn dog and a few drag queens were never meant to wreak such havoc. But there they were, captured in photos deemed inappropriate because of their "sexual content. " It was an August afternoon and Mitch Stein was asked to see the principal of Covina's Charter Oak High School, where he worked as an assistant water polo coach. Someone had anonymously dropped off printouts of Stein's Facebook and Myspace pages. The envelope included a photo of Stein wearing eyeliner and surrounded by men decked out in bustiers, wigs and makeup.

Peter Breck Actor on 'The Big Valley' Peter Breck, 82, an actor who played a son of ranch owner Barbara Stanwyck on the 1960s TV western "The Big Valley," died Monday in Vancouver after a long illness, his wife, Diane, announced on the website The Big Valley Writing Desk. Born March 13, 1929, in Rochester, N.Y., and raised in Haverhill, Mass., Breck began acting on the New York stage before landing parts in movies and television. He was best known for his role as hot-tempered rancher Nick Barkley on "The Big Valley," which aired from 1965 to 1969 on ABC. He was also a regular on the TV westerns "Maverick" and "Black Saddle.

It appears we have some unhappy campers in our midst and I'm not just sure what it is they want, besides Tom O'Leary's, Linda Sarver's and Tom Falls' hides (Sept. 22). A recall is not something to be proud of and yet these same people use this as a weapon to hold over the heads of this council and this city, knowing we do not have the money for such nonsense. Again they would pit neighbor against neighbor. It seems it must be their way or nothing at all. I find this very hard to understand.

7 TONIGHT WESTERN HIGH Western scored on six of its first seven possessions and rolled to a 42-3 victory over Buena Park in the opening round of the Division IX playoffs. Three Pioneer ballcarriers averaged better than 10 yards per carry: Rodney Eason eight carries for 81 yards, Chris Jackson six for 63 and Mike Hicks five for 54. Covina, runner-up in the Valle Vista League, features a big-play offense, which was on display in its 40-20 victory over Garden Grove in the first round.

Acne-fighting app — There are smartphone applications for just about everything, but one company went too far by claiming its app could clear up acne, the Federal Trade Commission said. The agency obtained a court order prohibiting AcneApp and AcnePwner from making acne-treatment claims. The apps were sold on Apple's iTunes store and the Android Market and claimed to treat acne with colored lights emitted from smartphones. The app sold for $1.99 on iTunes and 99 cents on the Android marketplace, the FTC said.

Three Covina men are behind bars after they allegedly stole a 30-pack of Tecate beer from a market but botched their escape. When their getaway car crashed and injured an employee who chased them, one of the men then ran through a car wash and another left behind his ID. Andy Huynh, Nicholas Kalscheuer and Nicholas Fiumetto, all 19, were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, according to...