Help us campaign today for a better tomorrow!
Help us campaign today for a better tomorrow!
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
My name is Karsen Johann Luthi (age 67), and I am a candidate for Alhambra City Council in District 4.
Please allow me to introduce myself and tell you a bit about my goals for Alhambra.
My parents were immigrants, so I understand many of the challenges for newcomers. My parents did not speak English when they arrived; they spoke French and German, and they didn't have much money. Even though I was born in Los Angeles (the oldest of four children), English wasn't my first language. Our clothes were purchased at local swap meets and thrift stores. I had to do some hard work and study - and this beautiful country provided some great opportunities.
I attended California State University at Los Angeles (CSULA) after graduation from Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra (class of 1975); my wife, Joanie, (Alhambra High School class of 1976), is also a CSULA alum. Joanie and I met at CSULA.
After college, I worked for the County of Los Angeles in various departments - analyzing census data, arranging direct deposit payments for retirees, and clerking in the Superior Court. I then administered attorney disciplinary hearings for the State Bar of California. After that, I moved into the private sector and eventually owned and sold a profitable business in the graphic arts industry.
I now volunteer my time. In Alhambra, I have served on the Board of Directors of the Downtown Alhambra Business Association (DABA) and Alhambra Committee for Arts and Cultural Events.
Joanie is a Registered Nurse. We married in 1983, bought our home in Alhambra 35 years ago, and have three wonderful children; all attended Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) elementary schools. Andrew (36) graduated from CSULA and owns his own business, Ohana Brewing Company, with a tasting room in Alhambra and a production facility in Los Angeles. Kara (33) graduated with a Masters Degree from the University of Southern California (USC) and works in behavioral health. Christine (29) graduated from USC (undergraduate), The University of the Pacific (UOP) (graduate school), and is a dentist.
Over the past decade, I've mentored and trained more than half a dozen young men who went on to full-time careers in the brewing industry, and one, like my son, even opened his own brewery.
I'm a zymurgist, typically associated with being a brewmaster, but it also involves the study and practical application of fermenting yeast and bacteria species to wine making, fermenting milk (and making cheese!), fermenting coffee beans, and many other fermented foods. I bake some great sourdough bread for my family, friends and neighbors!
As your councilmember --
I will respect every member of the community I meet, recognizing their value, worth, and dignity, and ---
I will listen to the community and work to improve the quality of life in our city.
My priorities include:
· Maintaining a balanced budget: Ensuring fiscal responsibility while promoting growth.
· Encouraging business development: Revitalizing Downtown Alhambra and the Valley Blvd. corridor.
· Addressing homelessness: Implementing strategies to reduce the homeless population.
· Increasing affordable housing: Developing more affordable housing options and expanding rental assistance for working families.
· Ensuring public safety: Recruiting top talent for our police and fire departments and maintaining competitive pay to keep Alhambra safe.
My specific goals are:
· Increase permanent supportive housing units for families with children, reduce housing costs, and expand rental assistance.
· Recruit top talent for our police and fire departments, and ensure competitive pay to retain skilled professionals.
· Attract new small businesses and developments by working with local entrepreneurs and developers.
· Expand partnerships with our school district to attract students and support great schools that build great communities.
I am committed to aggressively pursuing these goals and delivering quality programs for our residents and their families.
As I previously mentioned, my son owns Ohana Brewing Company. I assist him with his business operations. We take sustainability and organics recycling seriously. I'd like to tell you a bit about our "going green" program.
At the tasting room in Alhambra (the production brewery is in Los Angeles), we moved from plastic cups for snack items to eco-friendly "no-tree" compostable cups. We replaced single-use plastic cups for beverage service with glassware that can be washed, rinsed, sanitized and reused. Instead of paper towels, we use white cloth towels which can be washed with a biodegradable detergent and germicidal bleach, dried and reused.
At the brewery, brewing operations produce a significant amount of "spent grain". Spent grain is grain (milled malted barley, wheat or rye, along with flaked corn, oats, barley, or wheat) that is left after the grain has been steeped in hot water at a certain temperature for a specified period of time to allow the natural enzymes to convert the starches to sugars, and the sweet fermentable liquid (wort) has been drawn off; in other words, it's normally a "food waste" byproduct of the brewing industry. But we don't "waste" it. All of our spent grain is picked up by a farmer to feed livestock or use for compost.
That's sustainability in action!
Chris Yang is one of the top chefs in Los Angeles. His namesake restaurant, Yang's Kitchen in Alhambra, has been on the Los Angeles Times' Top 100 Restaurants list for years. I'm delighted to have his support!
The date is approaching fast and we’re making preparations. Don’t miss out!
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paid for by luthi for city council 2024
FPPC # 1470585
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