Horse owners protest closure plan for stables
PICO RIVERA — About 20 horse owners and their supporters gathered Sunday outside a Weinerschnitzel restaurant here to object to the city trying to close a horse stable near the Pico Rivera Sports Arena.Members of the Pico Rivera Equestrian Boarders Association and Pico Rivera Community For Truth in Politics held a noisy rally with bullhorns and banners outside the Wienerschnitzel at Rosemead and Washington boulevards owned by City Councilman Ron Bielke.Bielke and Mayor Pete Ramirez could not immediately be reached to comment.City officials say the Equestrian Center, which has 168 stalls near Bicentennial Park and the Sports Arena in the extreme northeast part of the city, are a financial drain on the city and pose an environmental hazard, according to Raul Murga of the Community for Truth in Politics.The city announced plans to close the stables Friday, but Murga said the boarders will not leave.“We’ll dig in and see what happens then,” he said.Boarders who pay to house their horses in the stables generate $300,000 a year in net revenue, and blame the city for subleasing the site for far less, which has deprived the city of more than $2 million over the past three years, Murga said.Further, Murga said the city has offered no proof that environmental contamination is being caused by the horses in the stables.“They cannot produce a document that says [the stables are] out of compliance,” he said. “It’s all conjecture that they could be out of compliance [with environmental regulations].”The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began leasing the land to the city in 1976, Murga said. The 50-year lease mandates that the city develop and maintain recreational venues on the site for the benefit of the community and Pico Rivera residents.The city created a park, the stables and the arena which plays host to concerts by Mexican recording artists, but has failed to oversee the management company leasing the stables, Murga said. He also blamed the Corps of Engineers for failing to ensure that the city maintain the stables.“Why do they want to put the people out?” Murga asked. “Basically, this makes the horses homeless.”He said there are no other stables in the area.
June 28, 2006
Compliments of Los Angeles Wave (City News Service)
On the Net: http://www.wavenewspapers.com/
PICO RIVERA — About 20 horse owners and their supporters gathered Sunday outside a Weinerschnitzel restaurant here to object to the city trying to close a horse stable near the Pico Rivera Sports Arena.Members of the Pico Rivera Equestrian Boarders Association and Pico Rivera Community For Truth in Politics held a noisy rally with bullhorns and banners outside the Wienerschnitzel at Rosemead and Washington boulevards owned by City Councilman Ron Bielke.Bielke and Mayor Pete Ramirez could not immediately be reached to comment.City officials say the Equestrian Center, which has 168 stalls near Bicentennial Park and the Sports Arena in the extreme northeast part of the city, are a financial drain on the city and pose an environmental hazard, according to Raul Murga of the Community for Truth in Politics.The city announced plans to close the stables Friday, but Murga said the boarders will not leave.“We’ll dig in and see what happens then,” he said.Boarders who pay to house their horses in the stables generate $300,000 a year in net revenue, and blame the city for subleasing the site for far less, which has deprived the city of more than $2 million over the past three years, Murga said.Further, Murga said the city has offered no proof that environmental contamination is being caused by the horses in the stables.“They cannot produce a document that says [the stables are] out of compliance,” he said. “It’s all conjecture that they could be out of compliance [with environmental regulations].”The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began leasing the land to the city in 1976, Murga said. The 50-year lease mandates that the city develop and maintain recreational venues on the site for the benefit of the community and Pico Rivera residents.The city created a park, the stables and the arena which plays host to concerts by Mexican recording artists, but has failed to oversee the management company leasing the stables, Murga said. He also blamed the Corps of Engineers for failing to ensure that the city maintain the stables.“Why do they want to put the people out?” Murga asked. “Basically, this makes the horses homeless.”He said there are no other stables in the area.
June 28, 2006
Compliments of Los Angeles Wave (City News Service)
On the Net: http://www.wavenewspapers.com/
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