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Downtown L.A.'s largest commercial real estate portfolio is about to get substantially smaller.

New York investment firm Charlestown Capital Advisors, which is expected to assume control this month of Meruelo Maddux Properties Inc., is planning to sell off nearly half of the downtown company's 35 properties.

The sales are an integral part of Charlestown's approved plan to revitalize the publicly traded real estate firm after more than two years in Chapter 11. It would leave the reorganized company with a slimmer portfolio of prime development lots and some marquee properties, including a huge warehouse complex that houses American Apparel Inc.

"It's probably a good move," said Tom Gilmore, a pioneer downtown developer who heads Tom Gilmore & Associates. "In order for significant development to occur, some properties need to change hands and fresh capital needs to enter the market."

Last month, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Victoria Kaufman tentatively approved a reorganization plan put forward by Charlestown and partner Hartland Asset Management, minority investors that own about 2 percent of Meruelo Maddux shares in total.

The plan, expected to receive final approval within the next few weeks, won out over a competing reorganization crafted by secured lender Legendary Investors Group and company founder Richard Meruelo, who is leaving his post as chief executive. His stake would be diluted from nearly 45 percent of outstanding shares to less than one-quarter under Charlestown's plan. President John Maddux also will depart.

Charlestown and Hartland, as well as two other investors, plan to pump $38 million into Meruelo Maddux, including $17 million to purchase 55 percent of the shares and $15 million for operating expenses. The company will be run by two interim executives until the board selects new leadership.

The company is the biggest nongovernmental owner of acreage downtown, mostly industrial and warehouse properties on the east side. It filed for bankruptcy in March 2009 after announcing it couldn't make payments on $266 million in debt amid the sharp downturn in the commercial real estate market. The bankruptcy followed the company's initial public offering by just two years.

Charlestown founder Raj Maheshwari and Legendary Chief Executive Dilip Bhavani declined comment.

Meruelo and Maddux declined to comment through a spokesman.

Excerpt from Article. Read more here  

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The Hacienda Heights 4th of July Parade takes place on July 4th at 9:00 am in Hacienda Heights, CA on Stimson Avenue starting at Colima Road and ends at Steinmetz Park. The Parade consists of bands, floats, equestrian, drill teams, VIPs, local school and church groups.

STC Center, with over 100 people in the parade group, will be join the parade this year.  The team comprises of the Dance Impression Dance Production with Anne Ma, Chinese Wushu School with Master Gao, and STC Management with family and friends. 

A highlight of the Parade is a Grand Marshal and a 4th of July Queen and her Court. The Parade is a real major local event with post parade activities in Steinmetz Park. Local organizations have booths set up and trophies are given out for the best parade entries.

The Parade seeks to draw the attention of all Americans to the real meaning of the holiday. It is a patriotic, flag waving, red white and blue celebration of America's birthday!

For more information, please click here  

Last Year's Hacienda Heights 4th of July Parade

 Honored Guests:

Grand Marshall: Mary Ann King

Honorary Grand Marshall: Janet Dovidio

Miss 4th of July: Jessica Larez Brault

Miss 4th of July Princesses: Melissa Garcia and Lubina Kim 

七月四日(星期一)上午在哈崗市的一場國慶大遊行，將吸引上千民眾到場。

許多民衆一大清早就有備而來，帶著陽傘及涼椅，在遊行路線的史汀森大道(Stimson Ave.)沿線等待一年一度的哈崗國慶日遊行活動。遊行路線從柯裡馬路沿著從史汀森大道抵達史坦曼茲公園(Steinmetz Park)，全長約1.5英裡。

哈崗市一年一度的國慶大遊行從1988年至今，今年已是第二十四屆。

今年將會有近百個遊行隊伍參加。華人團體除了去年的西來寺和台灣小姐，今年加入了STC Center(東區第一會館) 將近一百多人的大隊伍，更增添許多色彩。隊員包跨馬淑芬老師的舞印舞團，高家旺老師的中國武術學院，及STC 資產管理的團隊，和親友的支持者。

要知道更多資訊，請按這裡 

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羅蘭知友社籌辦

Sponsored by Rowland Heights Seniors Club

退休養老財務規劃講座

Retirement Financial, Income Planning Seminar

(地點: Pathfinder Park 活動中心本會場, 座位有限, 請踴躍參與!)

在極低利息(低於1%)下, 如何妥善處理退休財務, 請聽專家意見!

7月6日,    週三 10:30 - 12:00 (Benson Liao主講)

7月20日,  週三 10:30 - 12:00 (Jacob Shen主講)

敬請鄉親朋友, 歡迎參加!

Charles Liu

羅蘭知友社

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The Youth Science Center is offering a 5-week summer program starting June 27 at Wedgeworth Elementary School in Hacienda Heights.   Students in grades K - 8 may choose from a wide variety of classes in science and computers.  Classes are 1 week long and last 90 minutes and 3 hours.   

For more information phone 626 854-9825.   A schedule is available at www.youthsciencecenter.org 

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人在不知不覺中擁有很多東西，但同時也在不知不覺中失去了很多東西。有些東西可以去換來，有些東西失去了也就失去了。比如說智慧，健康與愛。

 說不清哪些東西是最重要的，哪些先，哪些後，但人所記下的每一個字符都是人類所擁有獨一無二的智慧的產物。在生命的延續中，智慧使人知道了什麼是健康，什麼是愛。愛，健康與人的生活經歷不斷地將人類的智慧昇華，以至於愛心得以傳播，道德得以肯定，疾病得以醫治，健康得以保持。不同時期，不同的人，智慧也不盡相同。沒有健康的人，他依舊可以擁有智慧和愛心；沒有愛心的人他也可以聰明絕頂身強體健；但當智慧消失的那一刻，人會知道什麼是健康，又懂得什麼是愛嗎？

孩童並不一定真正明白什麼是健康，青年人多將健康視為拼搏的資本，什麼時候健康才被視為首位了呢？人只有當生病的時候才知道健康是多麼重要，只有見到不幸的人才明白健康有多麼美好，只有意識到生命的盡頭的時候，才意識到健康是珍貴到用任何東西都無法換取的。然而人們對保健的意識也與時俱進，與日俱增，憑藉人們的智慧將病患防範於未然。這讓我不禁想起古人曾說，"良醫者，常治無病之病，故無病；聖人者，常治無患之患，故無患"。 《鶡冠子》中有一個故事：魏文王問名醫扁鵲，你們家兄弟三人，到底哪一位醫術最好呢？扁鵲回答，大哥最好，二哥次之，我最差。文王問，那為什麼你最出名呢？扁鵲說，我大哥治病，是治病於未發之前。由於一般人不知道他事先能剷除病因，所以他的名氣無法傳出去。我二哥治病，是治病於初起之時。一般人以為他只能治輕微的小病，所以他的名氣只傳於鄉里。而我治病，是在病情嚴重之時，所以大家認為我的醫術高明，名氣因此響遍全國。 （重病對人的身體有損傷）

健康不僅是身體上的健康，更重要的是心理上的健康， 若心理上不健康，再強健的體魄也早已敗絮其中。

愛心是人與人相互依賴，相互聯繫，相互信任橋樑和紐帶。愛心伴隨著每一個人從嬰兒落地前到百年之後度過那長而短的一生。有和父母的愛，親人的愛，朋友的愛，熟人的愛，生人的愛，素不相識的人的愛，動物的愛，花草的愛，及對生活的愛。愛將不同的人事物連接在一起，再通過人事物將愛傳播出去。去溫暖更多的人，幫助更多的人。什麼是愛呢？在聖經中有這樣一段話倍感貼切："愛是恆久忍耐、又有恩慈．愛是不嫉妒．愛是不自誇．不張狂．不作害羞的事．不求自己的益處．不輕易發怒．不計算人的惡．不喜歡不義．只喜歡真理．凡事包容．凡事相信．凡事盼望．凡事忍耐．愛是永不止息．"（哥林多前書13章4－8節）

健康需要愛心，因為那是時刻願與人同甘共苦卻常常被忽略的朋友。愛心需要健康，因為這世界需要你我把冷漠變成愛。智慧卻隨著人的閱歷而不斷增加，將智慧的結晶相聚在一起就產生了人類的文明。願智慧，愛心，健康--你有，我有他有。 

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