The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 163

Cities Trying to Save Animal Control Firm log 3ngcles dimes Southeast Edition Cracking peanuts isn't all that easy for 4- I year-olds, as Todd Moritz, above, can 1 verify. He and a group of other children I his age, right, were taught how to make I peanut butter at the Children's Center at fZZZ -m" I Artesia High School, led by Neat Ander- Jt i 1 son, right, assisted by Alice Matson. Caring -1 I for children of working parents and those I in job training, center offers workshops 'J I and field trips along with regular classes. -rj- I Times photo by Sieve Rice mw 1 TVv I MarkRo Moritz eotfimsh Advance of Cash Considered; Audit Begun of Records BY LARRY LANE Timet Staff Writer California Animal Control Inc. teetered on the verge of financial collapse Wednesday as a team of municipal finance experts began an audit of company records.

The fate of animal patrol and kennel services in five cities including Downey, Norwalk and Pico Rivera awaits the outcome of the fiscal review. A consortium of staff members from the three Southeast cities, as well as officials from Seal Beach and Manhattan Beach, is attempting to establish whether a collective investment of $28,000 or more will rescue CAC from its severe "cash flow" crisis. That decision may come as early as today. CAC attorney Mark Smith has already indicated that the firm "will be forced to cease all operations and file a petition of bankruptcy if a source of funds is not made available immediately." He says CAC has not met a $15,000 staff payroll due last week and has total liabilities somewhere between $60,000 and $70,000. "We hope we can work something out with CAC," says Norwalk City Administrator William Kraus, "otherwise I might end up as head dog-catcher here." (Last week, when El Monte refused to pay CAC $22,000 for two months of service, the firm dumped 37 dogs and seven cats on the City Hall lawn.) Officials in all five cities, although decrying CAC for its "unprofessional attitude" in the EI Monte incident and some general "public relations problems," have expressed positive feelings about the firm's services.

"If we didnt feel they were providing excellent service," says Downey City Manager Charles Thompson, "we wouldn't be trying to help them out" The city councils in Downey Norwalk ($12,000) and Pico Rivera ($6,000) have all authorized cash advances to CAC if an audit shows the firm is potentially solvent. "We really dont know until we look at their books," says Thompson, "whether this is just a 'cash flow' problem or if it goes deeper than that." Attorney Smith says CAC will cooperate with the cities "in any way we can" to help salvage the operation, including turning over complete control of the firm to the cities on an interim basis. In a rush of other recent developments, CAC Is scheduled to reappear in Superior Court Oct. 2 for further hearings into a 22-count civil suit filed by the District Attorney's Office last week over alleged mistreatment of animals at CACs Downey shelter. A DA spokesman says CAC faces a potential fine of $55,000 in the case.

Lost its contract with Huntington Beach for animal control services this week, effective in 60 days. Tuesday night, CAC announced it would cease all operations in Huntington Beach immediately. Has been hit with a series of resignations because of its failure to pay employes, and has had to transfer staff members from Huntington Beach to Downey to maintain its Southeast area operations. Attorney Smith and CAC President Dennis Smith say the next 30 days may be pivotal in the company's future because this is the time of year when license fees are collected from dog owners the prime source of revenue in CAC-city contracts. They note that had El Monte paid its bill, CAC would have met its payroll.

They add that Huntington Beach has retained more than $40,000 in funds due CAC because of a "political squabble" which involves, among other things, a city demand that CAC post a $50,000 performance bond. Please Turn to Page 6, Col. 1 Part VII THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1975 Compton Police Chief Reinstated; Tenure in Doubt Council May Call for Court Action Aimed at Overruling Board Order BY TOM GORMAN Timet Staff Writer COMPTON Thomas W. Cochee has been reinstated as police chief by the city's Personnel Board, though his tenure as head of the force still remains in question. The City Council may order City Atty.

Clarence Blair next week to seek a writ of mandamus in Los Angeles Superior Court to force Cochee out of the chiefs office. Blair's staff came within minutes of filing a writ Tuesday afternoon, but failed to meet a 2 p.m. deadline, "because we didn't have enough time to duplicate all the documents in the case" for the court's perusal, Blair told the council Tuesday night. Blair said he will now wait on further legal action until he receives council direction at its next meeting. The Personnel Board concluded about 20 hours of hearing into Cochee's firing early Sunday morning, and following an executive session voted unanimously to order Cochee's reinstatement as police chief, overturning the decision by acting City Manager Daniel Lim, who fired Cochee Aug.

20. The board declared five charges against Cochee were not substantiated in testimony, but upheld two charges against the chief; namely, that he "willfully made false statements in an unauthorized press conference" and that he "failed to accept an assignment" It added, however, that Cochee's dismissal "was too harsh a penalty for the alleged acts of an unauthorized press conference and a grumbling reassignment." Blair said he sought court action to overrule the board's order of reinstatement because its findings were "inconsistent." "I felt if the board sustained some of the charges, there was reason enough to sustain the city manager's decision to fire the chief," Blair said. The city attorney said he will "advise the members of the council why I feel a writ should be filed," but that he "will let them decide whether another writ should be filed" next week. Blair's decision to let the council make the next decison effectively places the controversial issue in thes-sue in the hands of the council members for the first time since Cochee was fired. Lim said his decision to fire Cochee was "unilateral" and made without any direction or advice from the council; Blair's decision earlier this week to seek a writ of mandamus Tuesday afternoon was also made without council input.

Though each member of the council except Mayor Doris Davis had offered Please Turn to Page 8, Col. 1 BELLFLOWER CULTURAL PROJECT High Cost Put on Refurbishing Theater BY PEYTON CANARY Timet StaH Writer BELLFLOWER The former Holiday Theater on midtown Bell-flower Blvd. is now the Mary E. Lewis Cultural Center a $100,000 bargain purchase by city reckoning. On the other hand, the theater could be nearly a $1 million problem, according to a utilization (use and rehabilitation) study done by David M.

Haber, Woodland Hills architectural firm. The estimated $973,210 rehabilitation figure presented in the 25-page study report is about four times what city officials in and outside City Hall estimate should be spent initially. "We dont need a great fancy production thing," says William T. Bristol, chairman of the city's Cultural Center Study Committee. The bare essentials to get the building in shape for production work should run about $250,000, he says.

Additional funding might be considered after a year's performance record, Bristol adds. City. Councilman Clyde M. Wilson, who was mayor when the building was purchased in March for $101,630, says: Tm totally opposed to spending $1 million to refurbish this building." The city bought the 49-year-old structure from Circle Theater Trust of Santa Ana after it had been operated for a year by Lee Chambers in a vain effort to revive family-type entertainment there. Chambers and his family performed all jobs from operating the twin 35-millimeter arc lamp projectors to cleanup, but still the theater didn't break even.

Although Chambers had strong support from the Chamber of Commerce and featured such attractions as free kiddie shows on Saturday, the big auditorium never was a fourth filled during the one-year try. So the once-popular movie house closed again and the city purchased the building and its land. Centrally located, it seemed a bargain, a natural site for events ranging from performances by the Bellflower Symphony directed by Geza Szabo to performances by local groups ranging from high school performances to possible revival of local little theater. The $4,500 Haber study estimates expenditures of $242,000 for architectural changes, $58,600 for structural improvements and $39,000 for mechanical changes. Another $153,800 is Please Turn to Page 2, Col.

3 Whittier Approves 220-Unit Cluster Homes Project BY KEITH TAKAHASHI Times StaH Writer WHITTIER Developers convinced the City Council this week that a proposed 220-unit condominium project will be a good neighbor to homes in North Friendly Hills and La Habra Heights. Councilmen affirmed the Planning Commission's recommendation for conditional approval of a precise plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) presented by Coast Construction Inc. of Santa Ana. Despite objections voiced by a parade of witnesses during a more than three-hour hearing, councilmen voted 4-1 in favor of the plan and EIR Councilman Jere McDonald voted no. In essence, preservation of the contour of the hills and the amount of grading for the five-phase project surfaced as the main points of argument.

Opponents to Coast Construction's plan said they did not necessarily oppose the concept of cluster housing. The 80-acre site, at the northernmost end of Mar Vista St. and north of Cer-quita Drive, was rezoned last year to PD to permit construction of homes in clusters. Average density, however, would be a maximum of one dwelling unit per 10,000 square feet. But groups such as Save Our Hills (SOH) and the La Habra Heights Improvement Assn.

said they opposed Coast's specific plan. Among their objections were: Please Turn to Page 7, Col. 1 Southeast News Notes CANDY DANIELSON KNOWS THE ROPES Politician's Wife Gives Campaign Tips BY MARY BARBER Timet Stall Writer reconstruction of deteriorated portions of curbs, gutters, sidewalks and driveway aprons, and for the resurfacing of the street, said Supervisor James Hayes. Child Dies of Injuries COMMERCE Stella Ochoa, age 2, was fatally injured late Tuesday when she dashed into the street in front of her home at 6317 Ferguson St, a Sheriff's Information Bureau spokesman said. The child, daughter of Mr.

and Mrs. Raymond Ochoa, was struck by a car, whose driver was neither cited nor held. DOWNEY Specifications and bid calls have been authorized by the City Council for two new pumper fire engines for this city. The units, rated at 1,250 gallons per minute pump capacity, are estimated to cost $70,000 each. They will replace two 17-year-old units which cost $22,000 each.

Delivery time on the custom built units is estimated between 12 and 18 months. Land Study Plan Vetoed BELLFLOWER The Board of Education has decided against naming a public ad hoc emmmittee to study possible use or disposition of the 18.5-acre surplus land at Allington Ave. in adjacent Lake-wood, once considered for a junior high school site. The board will hold a public discussion Dec. 9 on the issue and expects a decision by Jan.

15. The surplus land must be offered for recreational purposes first to the city, county or state agencies before other sale is considered. Artesia Corner Rezoned ARTESIA The northeast corner of Pioneer and Artesia Blvds. has been rezoned for "planned commercial development" use by the City Council. That property, totaling about 14 acres, was previously zoned for manufacturing and general commercial use, and is currently the subject of a building moratorium.

The new zoning strictly limits the types of developments that may be constructed there. Road Improvement Grant COMPTON A $111,210 county grant to Kelp pay for the improvement of Compton Blvd. between Central and Acacia Aves. has been awarded to the city. The funds are earmarked for the porarily halted by a preliminary injunction issued by Norwalk Superior Court.

The Committee to Save Horsemen's Park (CSHP) had filed for the injunction to require Pico Rivera to draft an EIR and amendment to the General Plan. But the project area is outside the city limits, city officials said, and it was believed that an environmental assessment was sufficient. The project area is now included in the land use element of the General Plan and is designated as open space. Among the allowable land uses are the Please Turn to Page 6, Col. 1 Pico Rivera Council Ads to Clear Park Project Snag BY KEITH TAKAHASHI Timet Stall Writer been the behind-the-scenes dynamo who may know more about how the system works and how to work it than her husband or anybody else in this area's politics.

She has seen him through 14 elections. He (they, she says), lost the first but since then the congressman has risen from the state Assembly in 1960 through state senator and into federal office, surviving redistricting and a host of opponents who offered a rich mixture of tactics and talents. Candy Danielson knows a lot, but nobody taught her like she's teaching others. They just plunged in 15 years ago, learned from that harshest of instructors, experience, and she developed one of her greatest assets a mind like a sponge. And she's one of those political wives who gets full partnership credits, because his life is hers out of choice.

Someone at ELAC knew that run-Please Turn to Page 9, Col. 1 You want somebody to teach you how to win an election so you go for a winner, right? Next step: You get the big man himself to spill it all out because he knows the system like nobody else. Wrong. You get his wife. At East Los Angeles College they figured this out and Candy Danielson, with all that moxie and savvy, stepped into the heretofore unheard-of role of teacher of political campaigning.

She is spilling it all out for three days this week in a special ELAC community services program called "Dynamics of Political Campaigning" for people who are considering running for office or volunteering on campaigns. Or just interested. While her husband, Rep. George E. Danielson (D-Monterey Park), is the visible winner of 13 successive campaigns, counting primaries as well as general elections, Mrs.

Danielson has wtv'iV- fir 4 lffJ v- I I 1 PICO RIVERA The City Council moved swiftly this week to clear the way for construction of recreational and Mexican equestrian facilities along Whittier Narrows Dam. This week's sparsely attended proceedings were in sharp contrast to a more than three-hour public hearing of a week ago. Councilmen this week quickly adopted an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the project and an amendment to the General Plan. The vote was unanimous. City and Army Corps of Engineers' plans to break ground for the project just north of the city limits were tem Candy Danielson Times photo I.