Montebello Reporter

01/11/2025

Happy Halloween from the Montebello Reporter! 👻🎃

Wicked stories, warm smiles, and community spirit. Stay safe and enjoy the treats!

🕸️📰

29/10/2025

🌼✨ Celebrate Día de los Muertos with us at the Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe Museum! ✨🌼

Join the community in honoring loved ones and celebrating life at our Community Altar Display — open October 30 through November 2, from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

📍 Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe Museum
🎶 Live Mariachi by Mariachi Nueva Luna
🎨 Arts & Crafts
☕ Free Conchas & Champurrado (while supplies last)
👨‍👩‍👧 All ages | Free | No registration required

Bring photos to add to the community altar and help us create a beautiful tribute to those we hold in our hearts. 💛

23/10/2025

Sweet Giveback! 🎃🧁
FRIDAY, OCT 31 | ALL DAY
Rotary Club of Montebello Benefit Day

Visit Nothing Bundt Cakes for a delicious day that does good!

➡️ 20% of ALL SALES will be donated to the Rotary Club of Montebello

Event location:
Nothing Bundt Cakes – Montebello
2545 W. Via Campo, Montebello, CA

How you can help:

-Stop by anytime on Friday, Oct 31
-Grab your favorite Bundtlets, Bundtinis, or a full-sized cake
-Share this post to spread the word!

Huge thanks to Nothing Bundt Cakes – Montebello for partnering with Montebello Rotary. Treat yourself and help us do more good in our community. See you on Halloween! 🧡

21/10/2025

🔥 Strengthening Montebello’s Wildfire Response! 🔥

The City of Montebello is proud to announce $1.5 million in state funding—secured by Senator Bob Archuleta—to support the construction of a new wildland fire station in the Montebello Hills area.

This new fire station will help protect our residents, homes, and businesses from growing wildfire risks. It will feature modern firefighting equipment, including a brush engine, water tender, and paramedic squad.

🏗️ The station will be strategically located within a high fire hazard zone, ensuring faster response times and enhanced safety for our community.

👨‍🚒 The City of Montebello and the Montebello Fire Department thank Senator Archuleta for his leadership and commitment to keeping Montebello safe.

🔥 Together, we’re building a more resilient, prepared, and protected Montebello.

21/10/2025

Breast Cancer Awareness Walk - A Night of Hope, Strength, & Community

Join the Montebello Service Clubs for a Night of Hope, Strength, and Community

Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 6! The Montebello Service Clubs are hosting a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk starting and finishing at the Montebello Woman’s Club. This family-friendly evening walk is a chance to honor survivors, remember loved ones, and support those currently fighting all while uniting the community in pink.

Event details:
- Date: Thursday, November 6
- Location: Montebello Woman’s Club (start and finish)
201 S Park Ave in Montebello
-Meet at 5:30 PM walk begins at 6:30 PM
- Feel free to bring signs, photos, and lots of love.

All ages welcome. Invite family, friends, and neighbors—let’s fill the night with hope.

Brought to you by:
Soroptimist International of Montebello, Montebello Lions Club &
The Rotary Club of Montebello

Share this event to help spread the word. Together, we walk for awareness, support, and a future free from breast cancer.

17/10/2025

GRATEFUL PATIENT JOURNEY: FROM PATIENT TO PHILANTHROPIST

When Isabel Guillen first felt the lump in her breast, she was 31 years old, nursing her youngest daughter, and certain something was wrong. But for nearly nine months, her concerns were brushed aside. “Everyone told me I was too young for breast cancer,” she recalls. “I wanted to believe them, but deep down I knew something wasn’t right.”

By the time she pushed herself to the emergency room in December 2019, her left breast had doubled in size. The diagnosis confirmed her fears: Stage III breast cancer. “The day I was told, I honestly almost gave up,” she says. “I thought about my daughters — the graduations, quinceañeras, weddings I might never see. I didn’t want to leave them motherless.”

Her healing began at Adventist Health White Memorial’s Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center. A nurse practitioner named Kathy quickly recognized the urgency, moving mountains to get Isabel the care she needed, despite her lack of insurance. “She literally took care of everything,” Isabel says. “Within two weeks, I had my surgery scheduled. They moved fast because they knew time was critical.”

Over the next months, Isabel underwent a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation under the care of Dr. Raymundo Romero and the Cancer Center team. It wasn’t just medical skill that sustained her — it was the compassion she felt every time she walked through the doors. “They treated me with love and respect,” she says. “I wasn’t just another appointment. I felt cared for as a person.”

A Shared Personal Journey

Three months after Isabel’s cancer diagnosis, her own father was also diagnosed, but she knew exactly where to take him. “I wanted him to have the same care I had,” she says. Dr. Romero again became their doctor, guiding her father through treatments, infusions, and the emotional toll of the disease. When insurance wouldn’t cover certain medications, the Cancer Center stepped in.

“They made his last days so comfortable,” Isabel remembers. “We couldn’t have asked for more. White Memorial didn’t just care for my father — they cared for our family.”

Living Beyond Cancer

Nearly 15 years after finishing her treatments, Isabel is thriving. She has watched her daughters grow into strong women, celebrated their graduations and milestones, and embraced her role as a grandmother — a blessing she once feared she’d never experience.

Her survival has given her a mission: helping others find hope in their darkest moments. “Follow your gut,” she urges women. “Push for the tests. Advocate for yourself, because no one else will do it for you.”

Chavelyta’s Pink Hood Foundation – Honoring a Legacy

To honor her father’s memory and the community that lifted her up, Isabel founded the Chavelyta’s Pink Hood Foundation, headquartered in Montebello. The nonprofit supports women battling cancer and serves underserved neighborhoods.

Isabell has hosted makeovers for patients at Adventist Health White Memorial’s Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center to give them hope and encouragement. “They come scared and quiet,” she says. “But they leave smiling, taking pictures, feeling beautiful again. That’s the impact I want to have — to show there’s life beyond cancer.”

Being a Force for Good

This October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Isabel’s story stands as a testament to resilience, faith, and the power of compassionate care.

“I’m here because White Memorial fought for me when others didn’t,” Isabel says. “They gave my father dignity in his final days and gave me the chance to live mine to the fullest. Now it’s my turn to fight for others.”

16/10/2025

14/10/2025

CALIFORNIA LAW PROTECTS CONSUMERS FROM NEGATIVE MEDICAL DEBT REPORTING

by Gia L. Pacheco, Esq.
The Law Offices of
George B. Pacheco & Associates

Effective July 1, 2025, California’s Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act amendment took effect. Consumer credit reporting agencies are prohibited from making a consumer credit report or an investigative consumer report containing information about medical debt, as defined. Additionally, the bill would prohibit a person who uses a consumer credit report in connection with a credit transaction from using medical debt listed on the report as a negative factor when making a credit decision. The bill would prohibit a person from furnishing information regarding a medical debt to a consumer credit reporting agency, make a medical debt void and unenforceable if a person knowingly violates this provision by furnishing information regarding the medical debt to a consumer credit reporting agency, require a contract creating a medical debt entered into on or after July 1, 2025, to include a term describing these requirements, as specified, and make a violation of these provisions by a person holding a license or permit issued by the state to be deemed to be a violation of the law governing that license or permit. By providing that a violation of these provisions is deemed a violation of a licensing statute, and because the violation of some licensing statutes is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The following disclosure should be included in a contract for medical services. If omitted, the contract may be considered void and unenforceable.

NOTICE TO CA CONSUMER: A holder of this medical debt contract is prohibited by Section 1785.27 of the Civil Code from furnishing any information related to this debt to a consumer credit reporting agency. In addition to any other penalties allowed by law, if a person knowingly violates that section by furnishing information regarding this debt to a consumer credit reporting agency, the debt shall be void and unenforceable.

The bill does not prohibit health care workers from using collection agencies for payment.

Disclaimer: This article is offered only for general informational and educational purposes. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ. You should not act or rely on any information contained in this article without first seeking the advice of an attorney. The statements are the expression of author, not The Montebello Reporter, and have not been evaluated by The Montebello Reporter for accuracy, completeness, or changes in the law.

13/10/2025

Organica is Turning 1! Celebrate with Them on Saturday October 18th - All Day!

A SEASON OF RENEWEL: CELEBRATE YOUR NEXT CHAPTER

October is a season of transition. Just as trees shed their leaves to prepare for new growth, we too are invited to release what no longer serves us. Letting go is not loss, it’s preparation for renewal.

We all carry invisible baggage such as old fears or failures that linger in the nervous system. The mind may know we’ve survived, yet the body whispers: “What if it happens again?” To truly evolve, we must retrain the body, mind, and spirit together.

Start small:

• Three-Breath Reset – Inhale 4, hold 2, exhale 6, three times daily.
• Spark Journal – Write three small joys each night. For me, that might be happy moments with my kids, customers-turned-friends, or my cats.
• Mantra – Repeat: “I am safe. I am provided for. I am free to receive.”

These rituals gently rewire the nervous system from stress to calm, helping you step into new patterns of trust and growth.

Autumn also reminds us that release is part of the rhythm of life. The trees do not cling to their leaves; they trust the cycle. In the same way, when we let go of old fears or patterns, we create space for what is new and nourishing to enter. Renewal is about opening the door to possibility.

Over this past year, I’ve watched not just our juice bar grow, but a community movement. Many of you have shared your wellness stories — from trying your first cleanse, to bringing in friends and family, to finding joy in daily rituals of health. These stories inspire us to keep growing and remind us that Organica is more than a juice bar, it’s a shared journey of healing and empowerment.

This October, the theme of renewal feels personal. Organica Juice Bar is celebrating its first-year anniversary — the first organic juice bar in Montebello! When we opened, I wasn’t sure how the community would receive us as we introduced new health concepts and ingredients. I carried both excitement and fear. To my joy, you embraced our mission and made Organica a favorite place for wellness.

You’re invited! Please join us for our 1-Year Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, October 18 from 10am–2pm. We’ll have juice samples, photos, giveaways, raffles, 15% off all day, and anniversary specials. Stop by and share your story of wellness and your own milestone as we step into year two together.

Like the trees in autumn, Organica is shedding the old and beginning anew. Year two is a new chapter. One of even deeper commitment to health, healing from the inside out, and helping all of us feel our very best. Cheers to renewal, to Organica’s journey, and to your own new chapter ahead.

13/10/2025

🎃👻 Annual Trunk or Treat Community Event! 👻🎃

Brought to you by local car clubs partnering with the YMCA. Free for the
community!

📅 Saturday, Oct 18
🕒 Time: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
🚗 Amazing cars, people in costumes, contests, and MUCH more
🎶 DJ spinning fun tunes
🍬 Candy handed out starting at 5:00 PM

Bring the whole family for a Halloween celebration you won’t forget. See you there! 🧡🖤

10/10/2025

Revisiting September Events:
Montebello Honors 24th Anniversary of September 11 with Community Ceremony

Montebello came together Wednesday morning at City Hall to mark the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The ceremony began at 10 a.m. with community members gathering to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day.

City Manager Alvarez opened the event by thanking attendees for joining the important remembrance. Mayor Salvador Melendez then welcomed the crowd and called for a moment to honor not just the victims but also the brave first responders who rushed to help on that tragic day.

The ceremony featured traditional elements that bring communities together during times of remembrance. American Legion Post 272 presented the colors and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. A bagpiper performed the National Anthem, adding a moving musical tribute to the morning.

Senior Pastor Jason Ashimoto from Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles delivered an invocation to start the formal program. The religious blessing helped set a respectful tone for the ceremony.

Mayor Melendez spoke about how September 11, 2001 changed the nation forever. He reminded the crowd that while it was a day of terrible loss, it also showed amazing courage and brought people together. He talked about how ordinary citizens became heroes when they were needed most.

Councilmember Romero shared thoughts about passing down the lessons of that day to younger generations. She pointed out that some people today only know about September 11 through history books. The councilmember stressed how important it is for those who lived through it to share their memories and the lessons learned.

Both Police Chief Luis Lopez and Fire Chief Fernando Pelaez addressed the crowd, representing the first responders who serve the community every day. Their departments have special connections to the courage shown by firefighters, police officers, and paramedics who responded to the attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.

The ceremony concluded with the playing of Taps by American Legion Post 272. The haunting bugle call served as a final tribute to those who died and a reminder of the ongoing impact of that September day.

The annual remembrance ceremony helps ensure that Montebello residents never forget the events of September 11, 2001. It brings the community together to honor the victims while celebrating the strength and unity that emerged from tragedy.

10/10/2025

Nothing Bundt Cakes Now Open in Montebello with Grand Opening Festivities

Just six months ago, Ingrid Kuo opened her third Nothing Bundt Cakes in Monrovia. She is now expanding closer to the city in Montebello. Kuo has lived in Monterey Park for seven years and has long wanted a spot in Montebello. “Not only have I had my eye on Montebello but, for many years, this exact plaza!” Kuo said. “We are expanding our triangle of Pasadena, Rosemead and Monrovia to now include Montebello, and it just feels so right.” The bakery is set to open on September 26, with grand opening festivities from October 28 to November 1.

Grand Opening Events will run from Tuesday through Thursday, October 28 to 30, with Community Appreciation Days offering 20% off in-bakery cake purchases on the designated day: Tuesday for First Responders and Military, Wednesday for Healthcare Workers, and Thursday for City Employees, Teachers and School Staff. On Thursday, October 30, at 12 p.m., there will be a Ribbon Cutting with the Montebello Chamber of Commerce. Friday, October 31, brings Rotary Club of Montebello Benefit Day, where 20% of sales will be donated to this local nonprofit that supports leadership and community service. The celebration continues on Saturday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a Family Fun Event featuring a magician, face painting, and free Confetti Bundtlets (one per family while supplies last).

Nothing Bundt Cakes is located at 2545 West Via Campo. The store hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The shop bakes daily using real eggs, butter and cream cheese, and offers 40 unique designs in 10 delicious flavors.

Founded in 1997 in Dallas, Nothing Bundt Cakes is now the nation’s largest specialty cake company with more than 700 franchised and corporate bakeries in 40-plus states and Canada. The bakeries bring the joy by offering handcrafted Bundt Cakes for pickup or delivery in a range of flavors and sizes, including Bundtinis (the brand’s cupcake-sized Bundt Cakes), personal-sized Bundtlets, and 8- and 10-inch Bundt Cakes, along with decorations and gift options for everyday moments and special celebrations. The brand was named America’s No. 1 Favorite Brand in Technomic’s America’s Favorite Chains survey in 2024 and has earned recognition from Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 and Franchise Business Review’s Franchise Hall of Fame.