Riverside Independent_2/6/2023

Corona City Council extends permitting deadlines for cannabis businesses

PG 24

Riverside spotlights local African Americans as Black History Month begins PG

Crackdown on sex trafficking nets 31 arrests in Riverside County

By City News Service

Aseries of law enforcementoperations throughout Riverside County targeting suspects seeking or engaged in illicit sexual services netted 31 arrests, authorities said Wednesday.

The county’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force joined other agencies statewide in “Operation Reclaim & Rebuild,” with the goal of

cracking down on individuals allegedly involved in prostitution rings and escort services, most of them based online, as well as rescuing the victims.

The effort ran Jan. 23-28 in Riverside County, with identical sweeps taking place in numerous other jurisdictions across California, according to Sgt. Jeff Hammond of the Riverside

County Sheriff’s Department.

“The operation targeted online prostitution and those whose demand for these unlawful activities fuels an illicit underground economy, both locally, as well as across the state,” Hammond said. “Often, individuals engaging in acts of prostitution are being forced to commit sexual acts against their will.”

Arrests were made in Banning, Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Perris, Riverside, San Jacinto, Temecula and Wildomar.

Most of the individuals apprehended in the county operation were booked on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution, though one was additionally taken into custody for alleged pimping.

“Various services and

resources were provided and offered to seven rescued victims,” the sergeant said. He did not disclose whether any of the victims were minors.

Operation Reclaim & Rebuild netted a total of 368 arrests and 131 rescues statewide, according to Hammond.

“Prostitution is not a ‘victimless crime,’” he said. “Those victimized by

commercial sexual exploitation frequently have long histories of emotional, physical and sexual abuse.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimates 1 in 6 endangered runaways are likely victims of sex trafficking.”

The operation was conducted as part of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

| Photo by wosunan/Envato Elements

VISIT RIVERSIDEINDEPENDENT.COM

Riverside spotlights local African Americans as Black History Month begins

As the nation celebrates the achievements and history of African Americans during this 47th annual Black History Month, the city of Riverside took a deeper dive into the robust history, contributions and triumphs of several notable African American community members.

Rose Mayes: Since 1993, Mayes was instrumental in establishing equity in housing as the executive director of the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County. After more than 50 years since President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Federal Fair Housing Act, which aimed to end racial discrimination in housing, Mayes continues to dedicate her life to housing equity and preventing discrimination.

“In addition to her fight for justice in housing, Rose is a co-founder of the Riverside African American Historical Society, which has been a guiding force for the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California and the erection of the MLK statue Downtown in 1998,” according to a city statement.

For updates on Mayes’ latest project, visit www. inlandcivilrights.org/.

Dell Roberts: The city described Roberts as a “legendary youth advocate and community icon” who has worked for 38 years at the Riverside Unified School District as a football coach and campus supervisor as well as the assistant principal in charge of discipline at Poly High School from 1965-1989. Roberts was also as assistant administrator in charge of discipline and campus security for RUSD from 1989 until his retirement in 2003.

He founded the Black Students Union at local high schools in 1968, the Riverside Black History Committee in 1979 and the Black History Parade in 1980, according to the city of Riverside.

Roberts and his wife Carmen run the Adrian “Dell” & Carmen Roberts Foundation in Riverside, which plans and hosts cultural activities and events throughout the year.

Roberts was recently announced as the recipient of the Frank Miller Civic Achievement Award for 2022, and he will be honored May 19 during a ceremony and dinner at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa.

Charles Bibbs: “As one of the leaders in the African American art print market, acclaimed artist and Riverside resident, Charles Bibbs shares his perspective on the beauty of art and what it means to be an artist,” the city stated. Bibbs’ artwork combines African American and Native American themes that convey evocative crosscultural observations. His work has been featured in exhibitions at the Riverside Art Museum.

“In his quest to preserve and develop the visual arts, you can find Charles serving on boards of museums and art organizations to support the art community,” according to the city.

To learn more about Charles Bibbs and view his artwork, visit www.cbibbs. com/

Bobby Bonds: “Elizabeth and Robert Bonds Sr. moved to Riverside in 1957 with their four children,” the city stated. “Rosie was a 1964 Olympic Hurdler, Robert Jr. and David

By Staff

were also top athletes. Bobby was one of Riverside’s most famous athletes.”

As a professional baseball player, Bobby Bonds was best known for his power-hitting and speed. Bonds was the first MLP player to hit at least 30 home runs and steal at least 30 bases in a single season — a feat he repeated five times.

Bonds was also the first baseball player in the 20th century to hit a grand slam in his first professional game.

He was a three-time all-star who hit 332 career home runs, 1024 RBIs and 461 stolen bases. Other career highlights include playing in the 1971 National League Championship Series, his 1973 all-star MVP achievement and winning three Gold Gloves.

Bobby’s son Barry was a baseball legend in his own right — he became Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader with 762. Barry was born in Riverside while the family lived in the city in 1964.

Dusty Baker: Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker was born June 15, 1949, and grew up in Riverside’s Eastside neighborhood. Baker spent a lifetime in baseball, and after a productive 19-year career as an outfielder for four teams — the Atlanta Braves, LA Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics — he joined the managerial ranks and is currently skipper for the Houston Astros.

“Baker is the first manager to guide five franchises to a division title — having done so with the Giants, Cubs, Reds, Nationals, and Astros,” the city reported. “He is also the only three-time Major League Baseball Manager of

the Year in league history. In November 2009, the City of Riverside named the baseball fields at Andulka Park in honor of the MLB legend.”

Cheryl Miller: “Cheryl Miller took women’s basketball off the court and into the air above the rim,” the city stated. Some of her Southern California basketball highlights include a 105-point game against Norte Vista High School in 1982.

She led Riverside Polytechnic High School to a record of 132-4 and graduated high school both a fourtime state champion and four-time all-American.

Miller then competed at the collegiate level at the University of Southern California. There she was a four-time all-American, three-time Naismith College Player of the Year and led USC to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1983 and 1984.

Miller went on to win five Olympic gold medals “and is credited as a pioneer of women’s basketball,” according to the city of Riverside.

“She is also the first woman to dunk a basketball in a women’s basketball game and is the first female analyst to call a nationally televised NBA game (1996).”

Reggie Miller: “Cheryl’s younger brother, Reggie “Baby Ice” Miller cemented his legacy as one of the best all-around shooters in NBA history,” the city stated.

At UCLA, Reggie Miller ranked second on the school’s all-time scoring list. After graduating from UCLA, Miller was the 11th pick in the NBA draft and played 18 seasons all for the Indiana Pacers, breaking many NBA records during his playing years.

Upon his retirement, Miller held the NBA’s record for most three-pointers, netting 2,560 threes.

The Miller siblings are the only brother and sister pair to both be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Civil Rights Institute: The Civil Rights Institute, located at 3933 Mission Inn Ave. in the Raincross District of Downtown Riverside, is now open to the public. The institute “serves as a repository that will include exhibit and archival space for historical civil rights documents, artifacts, videos and audio recordings of all of the communities and regions surrounding Riverside County,” according to the city. To learn more about the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, go to www.inlandcivilrights. org/

The city also provide these local Black history facts:

-- Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, started in 1875 in the city of Riverside and is the oldest African American church in the county.

-- “Lincoln Park was the place to be on summer days and nights from the 1930s through the ’50s, when you could watch the all-black Dukes play baseball, hang out at John Allen’s popular Sweet Shop, learn to dance at the recreation center run by the Stratton family or swim at the city’s only pool for blacks during segregation.”

-- The first street named for after an African American in Riverside was Langston Place, which runs between 12th and 14th streets east of Victoria. The roadway was named for John Mercer Langston, former dean of Howard University’s Law School. He and his wife Alice were large property owners in Riverside.

A dog tale: ‘Poppy in the Wild’ selected for Riverside Reads 2023

“ Poppy in the Wild,” a true story by local New York Times best-selling author Teresa J. Rhyne about the search for a rescue beagle lost in the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Area, is the featured book for Riverside Reads 2023, the city of Riverside announced.

The book is a touching true account of the powerful bond between humans and animals, as well as Rhyne’s personal joy found in rescuing dogs.

Free copies of the book are available at all Riverside Public Library branches.

“The library has scheduled three author events, a pet journaling workshop, pet portrait painting opportuni-

ties, and other paw-some activities,” according to an announcement from the city of Riverside.

In addition to an event on Saturday at Ameal Moore Nature Center, two more events featuring Rhyne and her beagle friends will be held:

Wednesday, March 1, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Foster Army Animal Rescue, 3711 Central Ave.

Tuesday, March 7, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center, 6165 Industrial Ave.

This year’s Riverside Reads spotlights the importance of adopting pets and animal fostering, including a focus on animals that were adopted during the COVID-19 quaran-

By Staff

tine and were later abandoned or returned to overcrowded shelters after the quarantine was lifted.

“Rhyne shares her experience with rescue specialists, volunteers, psychics, a Native American who works with owls, helpful neighbors, decidedly unhelpful strangers, a howling woman, and the police,” according to the city’s announcement. “This network assisted in finding her lost rescue beagle named Poppy, who escaped from a potential foster family in the vast wilderness of the 1,500-acre Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Area.”

Rhyne is also wrote the no. 1 New York Times bestseller

“The Dog Lived (and So Will

I),” a surprisingly humorous memoir about her dog and Rhyne both surviving cancer. That book’s sequel, “The Dogs Were Rescued (and So Was I)” won the Pat Santi Memorial

Rose Mayes. | Photo courtesy of the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County

award from the

Teresa Rhyne and Poppy. | Photo courtesy of the city of Riverside

Editorial editorial@beaconmedianews.com editor@hlrmedia.com

Graphics/Production production@beaconmedianews.com production@hlrmedia.com

Advertising advertising@beaconmedianews.com advertising@hlrmedia.com

Legal Advertising legals@beaconmedianews.com legals@hlrmedia.com

Business accounting@beaconmedianews.com accounting@hlrmedia.com

BEACON MEDIA ADDRESS: 125 E. Chestnut Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 PHONE: (626) 301-1010 WEBSITE www.beaconmedianews.com

HLR MEDIA ADDRESS: 820 S. Myrtle Ave. Monrovia, CA 91016 PHONE: (626) 301-1010 www.HLRmedia.com

PRESS RELEASE SUBMISSIONS editor@beaconmedianews.com editor@hlrmedia.com

Santa Monica-based Activision to pay $35M to settle SEC case

By City News Service

The Arcadia Weeklyhas been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number GS 004333 for the City of Arcadia, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Monrovia Weeklyhas been adjudicated as a newspaper of General Circulation in Court Case GS 004759 City of Monrovia, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Temple City Tribunehas been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number GS 012440 City of Temple City, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The El Monte Examinerhas been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number KS 015872 City of El Monte, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Azusa Beaconhas been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number KS 015970 City of Azusa, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The San Gabriel Sunhas been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number GS 013808 City of San Gabriel, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Duarte Dispatchhas been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number GS 013893 City of Duarte, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Rosemead Readerhas been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number GS 048894 City of Rosemead, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Alhambra Press has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number ES016581 City of Alhambra, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Baldwin Park Press has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number KS017174 City of Baldwin Park, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Burbank Independent has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number ES016728 City of Burbank, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Glendale Independent has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number ES016579 City of Glendale, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Monterey Park Press has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number ES016580 City of Monterey Park, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The West Covina Press has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number KS017304 City of West Covina, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The San Bernardino Press has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number CIVDS 1506881 City of San Bernardino, County of San Bernardino, State of California.

The Riverside Independent has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number RIC1505351 City of Riverside, County of Riverside, State of California.

The Pasadena Press has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number ES018815 City of Pasadena, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Belmont Beacon has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number NSO30275 City of Long Beach, County of Los Angeles, State of California.

The Anaheim Press has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number 30-2017-00942735-CU-PT-CJC City of Anaheim, County of Orange, State of California.

The Ontario News Press has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in court case number CIVDS 1506881 City of Ontario, County of San Bernardino, State of California.

number

Santa Monica video game developer Activision Blizzard has agreed to pay $35 million to settle allegations that the company violated federal whistleblower protections and failed to maintain adequate disclosure standards, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Friday.

The SEC claimed Activision -- maker of

such blockbuster games as “Call of Duty” and “World of Warcraft” -- failed to implement controls to collect and review employee complaints about workplace misconduct, which left the company without the means to determine whether larger issues existed that needed to be disclosed to investors.

“Moreover, taking action to impede former employ-

ees from communicating directly with the Commission staff about a possible securities law violation is not only bad corporate governance, it is illegal,” Jason Burt, director of the SEC’s Denver regional office, said in a statement.

Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, Activision agreed to a ceaseand-desist order and to pay the $35 million penalty.

The company settled an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission probe in March for $18 million over related claims of retaliation.

In December, the Federal Trade Commission moved to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision, alleging that the deal would violate federal antitrust laws.

Initiative seeking voter approval for raising taxes qualifies for ballot

By City News Service

An initiative that would make it harder to raise taxes approval has qualified for the November 2024 ballot, Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced Wednesday. What supporters have dubbed “The Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act,” would require voter approval for new

or increased taxes enacted by the Legislature and increase the threshold for voter approval of local special taxes to two-thirds.

The initiative would also eliminate voters’ ability to advise how to spend revenues from a proposed general tax on the same ballot as the proposed tax. It would also expand the definition of taxes

to include certain regulatory fees, broadening the application of tax approval requirements.

If approved by voters, the initiative would result in lower annual state and local revenues, potentially substantially lower, depending on future actions of the Legislature, local governing bodies, voters and the courts, accord-

ing to an analysis by Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek and state Director of Finance Joe Stephenshaw.

Valid signatures from 997,139 registered voters — 8% of the total votes cast for governor in the 2018 general election — were required to qualify the measure for the November 2024 ballot, Weber said in a statement.

Activision headquarters in Santa Monica. | Photo courtesy of Coolcaesar/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

| Courtesy photo

SoCalGas says natural gas prices to decrease in February

By City News Service

There’s good news Tuesday for residents who were hit with shockingly high natural gas bills.

Southern California Gas Co. says the natural gas commodity price will drop by 68% this month compared to January’s record-high prices, translating to dramatically reduced bills.

SoCalGas projects that if a customer received a $300 bill in January, that same usage would result in a bill of about $135 in February. However, prices in the western region are still higher than last year, when the average residential bill for February

was $99, according to the company.

“While we’re relieved that prices have dropped significantly since last month, they remain higher than usual for this time of year,” Gillian Wright, SoCalGas senior vice president and chief customer officer, said in a statement.

“We know that many of our customers are feeling the impacts of high prices, and we hear their concerns. More than ever, we urge customers to take advantage of conservation tips, programs, and financial assistance that may be available for eligible applicants to provide

some relief.”

According to the utility, the drop in consumer gas prices is primarily due to a corresponding drop in the wholesale price SoCalGas will pay for gas in February compared to January.

February’s core procurement rate will be about $1.11 per therm, compared to $3.45 per therm in January. However, February’s procurement rate is still more than 80% higher than it was a year ago, the company said.

The core procurement rate reflects the price SoCalGas pays for natural gas for residential and business customers. That rate changes each month,

based on national and regional markets. According to SoCalGas, the utility bills customers for the gas with no markup and does not profit from the movement of gas commodity prices.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson announced this week that the City Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to “establish a financial assistance fund for seniors and families struggling to make ends meet.”

SoCalGas recommends the following tips to reduce energy usage:

-- Lowering the thermostat by 3 to 5 degrees -if health permits -- which

can save up to 10% on heating costs;

-- Installing proper caulking and weatherstripping to save roughly 10% to 15% on heating and cooling bills;

-- Washing clothes in cold water to save up to 10% on water heating costs;

-- Considering turning down the temperature on water heaters; and

-- Limiting use of nonessential natural gas appliances such as spas and fireplaces.

SoCalGas customers can also use the free Ways to Save tool that could identify ways of cutting gas bills. Ways to Save can

be found at socalgas.com/ WaysToSave.

Customers can also sign up for weekly Bill Tracker Alerts to monitor natural gas consumption, take steps to reduce usage, and avoid bill surprises.

Rising western region gas prices were caused by several events occurring simultaneously at this point in the season: widespread, below-normal temperatures, high natural gas consumption, reduced natural gas supplies to the West Coast from Canada and the Rocky Mountains, pipeline constraints, and low natural gas storage levels on the West Coast, officials said.

A natural gas heater. | Photo by Lemnaouer/Envato Elements

Mother’s boyfriend admits to disciplining 10-year-old boy who was allegedly murdered in 2018

By City News Service

Aman who is charged along with his live-in girlfriend in her 10-year-old son’s death acknowledged to investigators in an audio-recorded interview played Thursday in court that he had disciplined the boy by hitting him with a belt, slapping him and pushing him to the floor in their Lancaster apartment.

Kareem Ernesto Leiva, 37, and Heather Maxine Barron, 33, are charged with one count each of murder and torture involving Anthony Avalos’ June 2018 death, along with two counts of child abuse involving two of the boy’s half-siblings, identified in court only as “Destiny O.” and “Rafael O.”

The murder count includes the special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture. Over the objection of Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office dropped its bid for the death penalty against the two after the 2020 election of District Attorney George Gascón, who issued a directive that “a sentence of death is never an appropriate resolution in any case.”

Barron and Leiva now face a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole if they are convicted as charged.

During a three-hour interview with Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives in June 2018, Leiva said he pushed the boy on one occasion and “he just fell.” He said he believed the boy struck his head.

“O.K., is there any doubt in your mind that there is nobody else that is causing that bleeding to his brain in the house?” sheriff’s Detective Scott Mitchell asked Leiva.

“No, that was, that was nobody but me,” the defendant told investigators.

When asked if he believed whether the discipline that involved pushing caused the bleeding to the brain, he responded, “Yeah.”

“I didn’t do it to hurt him. I did it to get him to act right,” he told investigators. “I didn’t have no intent of making him pass out ...”

Leiva also acknowledged that he would “whoop” Anthony on the butt with a belt. He said

he had also slapped the boy on the cheeks because “he was misbehaving,” but maintained that he didn’t do it “as hard as I can.”

“Was there anything that was seen or heard that would lead you to believe that any of those bruises were from anybody else but you? The bottom line is did you put those bruises on his body?” the detective asked.

“Yeah,” Leiva responded.

When asked if he really knew why “all of this had happened,” the defendant responded, “Maybe I need help ... And I can’t blame anybody but myself because I’m the one, you know. It’s my fault. Everything is just my fault.”

Leiva said the boy and his two half-siblings had also been subjected to punishment in which they were forced to kneel on uncooked rice.

In her first two interviews with police, Anthony’s mother denied any knowledge of alleged abuse of her children, but told investigators shortly before her arrest that she was afraid of Leiva -- whom she said had abused her - - and that he had punished her children, according to sheriff’s Detective Adam Kirste.

The boy’s two halfsiblings testified Wednesday that they had seen their mother’s boyfriend repeatedly dropping Anthony on the bedroom floor shortly before his death.

Destiny, now 13 years old, testified that Anthony had been forced to undergo a series of punishments the night before her mother called 911 to report that he was not breathing, including Leiva picking him up and dropping him “probably 10 (times) or a little more.”

“I think it was giving him brain damage,” she said, noting that the boy was “saying weird things.”

“Where was mommy?” the prosecutor asked.

“She was watching,” the seventh-grader testified.

She said her mother subsequently directed her and Rafael not to say anything to the police when they were called to the house the next day.

Rafael, who is now 12, said he saw Anthony being dropped by Leiva about 20 times the night before his mother called 911 to report that his half-brother wasn’t breathing. He said his mother “didn’t try to

protect Anthony.”

He acknowledged that he didn’t initially tell police about what had happened because he was trying to protect his mother, but testified that he didn’t want to cover it up any longer “now that I see what she did.”

In testimony Thursday, another of Anthony’s siblings broke down in tears when asked if he liked living with his mother and her boyfriend.

The 10-year-old boy, identified in court as Angel G., told the judge “they would constantly hit us.”

In interviews with Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives after Anthony was taken first to Antelope Valley Hospital and then to UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, Barron maintained that she “didn’t do nothing.”

“He has been throwing himself. He has. I promise you ... He has been throwing himself around,” Barron told investigators, maintaining that the boy had been “acting up and he threw himself (on the floor) because he didn’t want to eat.”

“I know you guys are coming at me like, like I’m Gabriel’s mom,” she said, in an apparent reference to the case against Pearl Fernandez, who was convicted along with her boyfriend of murdering her 8-year-old son. “And it was nothing like that. I promise I did not hurt my son. I did not let nobody hurt my son. I promise you to God. You can give me a lie detector test. I did not do this.”

In a second interview with detectives, Barron acknowledged that she hadn’t initially told them that Leiva had been at the house because she was “scared” and didn’t want to go to jail.

She maintained that Leiva “didn’t touch Anthony” and said that “no one did anything to him,” but said Leiva wasn’t supposed to be at her apartment because it is a low-income facility and had been threatened by the managers that she would be kicked out if anybody kept coming over.

When asked by Deputy District Attorney Saeed Teymouri about Barron appearing to be “hysterical” and “stuttering” at times during the audiotaped interviews with

detectives, sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Wilkinson said, “It appeared that she was trying, in my opinion, to fake an emotion. I never saw any tears.”

Several first responders testified Tuesday that the woman was not crying or hysterical as they tried to revive her son.

Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Vanarsdale testified that emergency personnel who were treating the boy appeared to be more upset than his mother was.

In his opening statement of the trial, Teymouri told the judge that Barron and Leiva tortured and abused Anthony for two weeks before his death, while an attorney for Leiva countered that his client should be acquitted of murder.

“Anthony Avalos graduated the fourth grade on June 7th, 2018, and for two consecutive weeks he was abused and tortured every single day culminating to when the first responders found his lifeless body on June 20th,” Teymouri said.

The boy died early the next morning.

Teymouri told the judge that there had been multiple contacts with the county’s Department of Children and Family Services dating back to 2014.

“She’s been torturing her kids for a long period of time, and once defendant Leiva came into the picture it turned deadly,” he said.

The prosecutor said the boy was “already brain

dead” and had been lying on the floor in the family’s townhouse “for at least a day, possibly more” when Barron called 911 to seek assistance for the boy, and that the two “concocted a story that Anthony Avalos had injured himself.”

The boy had “new and old injuries — literally from head to toe,” the deputy district attorney said, showing a photo of the boy while he was alive and then in a video from the hospital in which some of his injuries were depicted.

Leiva subsequently acknowledged that he had the boy kneel on uncooked rice and admitted that he had rendered him unconscious for about five minutes just days earlier, according to the prosecutor.

Leiva’s attorney countered that the evidence would demonstrate that there is “reasonable doubt” involving the murder charge against his client.

Dan Chambers said the two major issues will be “a lack of intent to kill” and the issues of “causation.”

The defense lawyer questioned the accounts of the boy’s half-siblings, whose testimony he said has changed over time.

Chambers told the judge that many of the statements by the children are “inconsistent,” saying that their initial statements “showed a lack of any actions on behalf of Mr. Leiva with respect to the treatment of Anthony” and that “Mr. Leiva’s conduct allegedly grew worse” as the children underwent further ques-

tioning.

“Those inconsistencies in the evidence will be apparent and once we demonstrate that it will show that what the children claim they say Mr. Leiva doing is inconsistent with the medical evidence,” the defense attorney said.

“This case is a case of severe abuse, but as to Mr. Leiva, it is not a murder,” the defense lawyer told the judge.

Barron’s attorneys reserved their right to make an opening statement when the defense begins its portion of the case.

Barron and Leiva were charged in June 2018 with the boy’s killing and were subsequently indicted by a Los Angeles County grand jury in October 2018. They remain jailed without bail.

Last October, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors formally approved a $32 million settlement of a lawsuit filed by the boy’s relatives -- two of whom testified last week that they notified the county’s Department of Children and Family Services about the alleged abuse. The lawsuit contended that multiple social workers failed to properly respond to reports of abuse of Anthony and his siblings.

The lawsuit cited other high-profile deaths of children who were also being monitored by the DCFS — 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez and 4-yearold Noah Cuatro, both of Palmdale — to allege “systemic failures” in the agency.

| Courtesy photo

This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

It’s been decades since the intersection of forensic science and criminal justice first became a pop culture phenomenon, popularized by countless TV shows, movies and books. But the public’s growing awareness of forensic techniques obscures a far more complex field that’s chock full of bogus science — and the people who champion it, often for profit.

For years, ProPublica has reported on these dubious techniques as they’ve wormed their way into every corner of our real-life criminal justice system.

So, what’s legitimate forensic science and what’s junk? Let’s start with the basics.

What Is Junk Science?

Junk science refers to any theory or method presented as scientific fact without sufficient research or evidence to support it. Some types of junk science have virtually no supporting evidence, while others are oversimplifications of real but complex science findings.

Adding to the risk they pose to the justice system, many forms of junk science are very subjective and depend highly on individual interpretation.

How to Spot Junk Science in Forensics

When ProPublica has reported on junk science, we’ve found many common traits. They could include:

- It has limited or no scientific evidence or research supporting it.

- It is presented as absolutely certain or conclusive, with no mention of error rates.

- It relies on subjective criteria or interpretation.

- It oversimplifies a complex science.

- It takes just a few days to become an “expert.”

Examples of Junk Science in Forensics and Law Enforcement

Tracing the spread of junk science through the criminal justice system can be difficult. But ProPublica has followed forensic junk science in various forms for years.

911 Call Analysis

Is it forensics or is it junk science?

By Sophia Kovatch, Pamela Colloff and Brett Murphy, and ProPublica

Police and prosecutors trained in 911 call analysis are taught they can spot a murderer on the phone by analyzing speech patterns, tone, pauses, word choice and even the grammar used during emergency calls. These are known as “guilty indicators,” according to the tenets of the program. A misplaced word, too long of a pause or a phrase of politeness could reveal a killer.

Analysis of 911 calls appears in the criminal justice system in lots of different ways. Some detectives say it’s a tool to help build a case or prepare to interrogate a suspect. They have used it to help extract confessions. Others present their analyses to prosecutors or enlist Tracy Harpster, the program’s creator and a retired deputy police chief from Ohio, to consult on cases.

During Harpster’s career, he had almost no homicide investigation experience or scientific background. He developed the 911 call analysis technique based on a small study for his master’s thesis in 2006. After teaming up with the FBI to promote his findings nationwide, there was enough demand from law enforcement to create a full-fledged training curriculum.

Since the technique’s development, 911 call analysis has been used in investigations across the country. ProPublica documented more than 100 cases in 26 states where Harpster’s methods played a role in arrests, prosecutions and convictions — likely a fraction of the actual figure. In addition, Harpster says he has personally consulted in more than 1,500 homicide investigations nationwide.

Despite the seeming pervasiveness of the technique, researchers who have studied 911 calls have not been able to corroborate Harpster’s claims. A 2020 study from the FBI warned against using 911 call analysis to bring actual cases. A separate FBI study in 2022 said applying 911 analysis may actually increase bias. And academic studies from researchers at Villanova and James Madison universities came to similar conclusions.

Ultimately, five studies have not been able to find scientific evidence that 911 call analysis works.

In a 2022 interview, Harpster defended his program and noted that he has also helped defense attorneys argue for suspects’ innocence. He maintained that critics don’t understand the research or how to appropriately use it, a position he has repeated in correspondence with law enforcement officials for years. “The research is designed to find the truth wherever it goes,” Harpster said.

Example: ProPublica chronicled how 911 call analysis was used in the case of Jessica Logan, who was convicted of killing her baby after a detective trained by Harpster analyzed her call and then testified about it during trial.

Bloodstain-Pattern Analysis

Bloodstain-pattern analysis is a forensic discipline whose practitioners regard the drops, spatters and trails of blood at a crime scene as clues that can sometimes be used to reconstruct and even reverse-engineer the crime itself.

The reliability of bloodstain-pattern analysis has never been definitively proven or quantified, but largely due to the testimony of criminalist Herbert MacDonell, it was steadily admitted in court after court around the country in the 1970s and ’80s. MacDonell spent his career teaching weeklong “institutes” in bloodstainpattern analysis at police departments around the country, training hundreds of officers who, in turn, trained hundreds more.

While there is no index that lists cases in which bloodstain-pattern analysis played a role, state appellate court rulings show that the technique has played a factor in felony cases across the country. Additionally, it has helped send innocent people to prison. From Oregon to Texas to New York, convictions that hinged on the testimony of a bloodstain-pattern analyst have been overturned and the defendants acquitted or the charges dropped.

In 2009, a watershed report commissioned by the National Academy of Sciences cast doubt on the discipline, finding that “the uncertainties associated with bloodstain-pattern analysis are enormous,” and

that experts’ opinions were generally “more subjective than scientific.” More than a decade later, few peer-reviewed studies exist, and research that might determine the accuracy of analysts’ findings is close to nonexistent.

When MacDonell, who died in 2019, was asked whether he ever considered changing his course structure or certification process after seeing students give faulty testimony, MacDonell answered in the negative. “You can’t control someone else’s thinking,” he said. “The only thing you can do is go in and testify to the contrary.”

Example: ProPublica has also reported on how bloodstain-pattern analysis was used to convict Joe Bryan of killing his wife, Mickey.

Other Junk Science Examples

ProPublica’s reporting on junk science in forensics goes beyond bloodstainpattern analysis and 911 call analysis. We’ve also covered: The pervasiveness of Scientific Content Analysis, or SCAN, a means of dissecting written suspect statements while looking for markers of deception.

How the FBI used unproven photo analysis in its investigations for years.

Why police and prosecutors kept using roadside drug tests with known high rates of false positives.

How Does Junk Science Spread in Forensics?

Junk science can spread a lot of different ways, but there are some common

patterns in how it spreads across forensics and law enforcement.

Often, junk science originates when an individual devises a forensic technique based on minimal or narrow experience and data. For example, the original 911 call analysis training curriculum was based on a study of just 100 emergency calls, most of which came from a single state.

The creators of these techniques then put together curriculums and workshops targeting law enforcement at every level around the country. As more police officers take these courses, these techniques are employed more often in investigating crimes and interrogating suspects. When officers testify in court, the impact of junk forensic techniques makes its way into the justice system.

Other times, prosecutors call the creators and trainees of these forensic methods as expert witnesses, as was common with bloodstain-pattern analysis.

In the courtroom, it’s up to the judge to decide whether certain evidence is admissible. While judges are experts in the law, they aren’t necessarily experts in the scientific disciplines that make up forensics.

Once a type of junk science is admitted in a case, other prosecutors and judges can use that as precedent to allow it in future cases too. In this way, new junk science methods like 911 call analysis can spread quickly through the justice system.

How Long Has Junk Science Been a Problem in Criminal Justice?

Forensic science has had a junk science problem for decades. In the 1980s and ’90s, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies used faulty microscopic hair comparison in hundreds of cases, only formally acknowledging the problematic science in 2015. Since at least the 1990s, law enforcement has used a written content analysis tool with no scientific backing to interpret witness and suspect statements.

The 2009 report from the National Academy of Sciences, which reviewed the state of forensic science in the United States, found that a lot of forensic evidence “was admitted into criminal trials without any meaningful scientific validation, determination of error rates, or reliability testing to explain the limits of the discipline.” A 2016 report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology found that despite efforts to fund forensic science research, there was still a major gap in understanding the scientific validity of many forensic methods.

In 2017, the Trump administration allowed the charter for the National Commission on Forensic Science to expire, further limiting the progress on validating forensic science methods. Since then, many forensic professionals have critiqued the junk science problems rampant in forensics and criminal justice.

Photo by cottonbro studio

Arcadia City Notices CITY OF ARCADIA NOTICE INVITING BIDS

The City of Arcadia (“City”) will receive in a sealed envelope plainly marked on the outside “SEALED BID FOR Water Main Replacement Project / Project No. 65720523 - DO NOT OPEN WITH REGULAR MAIL” at the office of the City Clerk, located at 240 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007, no later than Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 11:00 A.M., at which time or thereafter said Bids will be opened and read aloud. Bids received after this time will be returned unopened. Bids shall be valid for sixty (60) calendar days after the Bid opening date.

Bids must be submitted to the City on the City’s Contract Bid Forms Prospective Bidders may obtain Bid Documents only from the ArcadiaCA.gov. Please contact the Public Works Services Department at (626) 254-2720 for more information, including availability of Bid Documents. One or more Pre-Bid Conference and Site Walks will be held on the date(s), at the time(s) and under the conditions indicated in the Bid Documents. Bidder SHOULD attend.

All Bids must be addressed, sealed in an envelope and received by the office of the City Clerk no later than 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. All bids will be publicly opened, examined and read aloud at the City’s Clerk’s office at that time. Bids shall be valid for 60 days after the bid opening date. Bids must be accompanied by cash, a certified or cashier’s check, or a Bid Bond in favor of the City in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the submitted Total Bid Price. The successful Bidder will be required to furnish the City with a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each equal to 100% of the successful Bid, prior to execution of the Contract. All bonds are to be secured from a surety that meets all of the State of California bonding requirements, as defined in Code of Civil Procedure Section 995.120, and is admitted by the State of California.

Each Bidder shall be a licensed contractor pursuant to the Business and Professions Code and shall be licensed in the following appropriate classification(s) of contractor’s license(s), for the work Bid upon, and must maintain the license(s) throughout the duration of the Contract: Class A or C-34.

Bidders are advised that this Contract is a public work for purposes of the California Labor Code, which requires payment of prevailing wages. City has obtained from the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations the general prevailing rates, and will place them on file at the City’s office and make them available to any interested party upon request.

Pursuant to Labor Code sections 1725.5 and 1771.1, all contractors and subcontractors that wish to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or enter into a contract to perform public work must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations. No bid will be accepted nor any contract entered into without proof of the contractor’s and subcontractors’ current registration with the Department of Industrial Relations to perform public work.

City reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to waive any informality or irregularity in any Bid received, and to be the sole judge of the merits of the respective Bids received.

CITY OF ARCADIA

Publish February 6, 13, 2023

ARCADIA WEEKLY

NOTICE INVITING PROPOSALS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Arcadia is accepting proposals for Arcadia Police Department Gun Range Maintenance Services. Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “Proposal for Arcadia Police Department Gun Range Maintenance Services” and shall be sent to the City Clerk of the City of Arcadia, 240 W. Huntington Drive, P.O. Box 60021, Arcadia, California, 91066-6021. Proposals are due no later than 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at which time said proposals shall be publicly opened and the names of the proposers shall be read Copies of the proposal may be obtained from the Purchasing Office, City of Arcadia, 240 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, California, 91007, or by emailing Amber Abeyta, Management Analyst, at aabeyta@ArcadiaCA.gov. Said specifications and proposal forms are hereby referred to and incorporated herein and made a part by reference and all proposals must comply therewith.

The City of Arcadia reserves the right to accept in whole or part or reject any and all proposals and to waive any informalities in the proposal process, and all proposals are binding for a period of ninety (90) days after the proposal opening and may be retained by the City for examination and comparison, as specified in the proposal documents. The award of this contract shall be made by the Arcadia City Council.

CITY OF ARCADIA

PURCHASING OFFICE

/s/ Linda Rodriguez

Assistant City Clerk

Dated: February 1, 2023

Publish: February 6 and February 9

ARCADIA WEEKLY

El Monte City Notices

CITY OF EL MONTE NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR A PROPOSED SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT #2

TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AND SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT #1 TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN FOR PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY HUD

Hearing Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Place: Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting may do so in one of the following ways:

1. Attend the City Council meeting at 11333 Valley Blvd., El Mon te, CA 91731

2. Turn your TV to Channel 3; or

3. City’s website at http://www.elmonteca.gov/378/Council-Meet ing-Videos.

Description: Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of El Monte (the “City”) will consider Substantial Amendment #2 to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022 Annual Action Plan (AAP) and Substantial Amendment #1 to the FY 2022-2023 AAP. The Annual Action Plan sets forth specific activities and expenditures using funds received through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

When a substantial change (i.e. adding an activity, canceling an activity, or redirecting funds) is proposed to the City’s AAP, the City requires that the public be notified and a Public Hearing be held to allow the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed substantial changes.

The City is proposing Substantial Amendment #2 for the FY 20212022 AAP and Substantial Amendment #1 for the FY 2022-2023 AAP to reallocate $3,787,951.94 in CDBG funds. The City Council will conduct a public hearing to consider the modification in activity funding levels for programs. The following programs may be added, increased, reduced, or eliminated at the discretion of the City Council:

City Council’s approval of the agenda, if possible. The City Council shall be under no obligation to recognize a speaker who submits a speaker card on a particular agenda item after the City Council has completed its handling of the agenda item and has moved on to the next item of business on the agenda. Persons wishing to comment on closed session matters must submit their speaker card before the City Council goes into closed session. As members of the public are now free to attend City Council meetings in person, the City Council will no longer receive public comment by telephone.

(2) By submitting written comments, provided such written comments are received by the City Clerk at least 30 minutes prior to the posted meeting time. Written comments may be submitted via electronic mail at: cityclerk@elmonteca.gov. Written comments will be provided to members of the City Council and will be entered into the record of the proceedings to the extent they relate to matters listed on the posted agenda or otherwise address matters/issues within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council. Persons submitting written comments are encouraged to identify the specific item(s) on the agenda their comment(s) relate to or whether they relate to non-agendized matters. Written comments will not be read aloud.

Accessibility: It is the intention of the City of El Monte to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in all respects. The City of El Monte will attempt to accommodate attendees in every reasonable manner. Please contact the City at least 72 hours prior to the above scheduled public hearing to establish need and to determine if additional accommodation is feasible.

For more information, contact Stephanie Fender, Senior Housing Program Analyst for the City of El Monte Community and Economic Development Department at (626) 258-8624 or via e-mail at sfender@elmonteca.gov.

Published: Monday, February 6, 2023

Gabriel Ramirez, City Clerk City of El Monte

EL MONTE EXAMINER

Rosemead City Notices

City of Rosemead Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

Inviting Applications for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for Fiscal Year 2023-2024

APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 6, 2023

The Federal Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, provides Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to the City of Rosemead for projects that promote the development of viable urban communities by providing decent housing, suitable living environments, and expanded economic opportunities, particularly for low- and moderate-income persons. The City anticipates receiving an allocation of approximately $750,000 and may use up to 15% ($112,500) of the allocation to provide public services.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Rosemead is currently accepting applications from non-profit organizations requesting funds to provide public services to low- and moderate-income residents. Prioritization will be given to organizations that demonstrate the capacity to implement the program in accordance with the requirements established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and whose services will help revitalize neighborhoods, promote economic development, and improve community facilities and services in Rosemead.

Grand Total $3,787,951.94

$3,787,951.94

Availability of Document for Public Comment: The City of El Monte encourages citizen participation in the planning process. A Public Review and Public Hearing are required when a substantial amendment to the AAP is proposed. The Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.

Availability of Document for Public Comment: The City of El Monte encourages citizen participation in the planning process. A Public Review and Public Hearing are required when a substantial amendment to the AAP is proposed The Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.

A copy of the Plan is on file and available for public review at the City of El Monte Community and Economic Development webpage at https://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us/547/News-Notices

A copy of the Plan is on file and available for public review at the City of El Monte Community and Economic Development webpage at https://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us/547/News-Notices.

ELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS: Applications must demonstrate that the service to be provided will principally benefit persons of low- and moderate-income (households earning less than 80% of Los Angeles median income). Examples of eligible services include housing and/or support programs for victims of domestic violence, abused children/youth, the disabled, seniors, or the homeless. Additionally, services addressing unemployment, inadequate healthcare, crime prevention, or substance abuse rehabilitation are eligible. Again, all programs must benefit persons of low and moderate incomes. Applications will also be accepted from organizations seeking to provide fair housing and landlord-tenant services in accordance with HUD requirements.

Persons wishing to offer public comment for this meeting may do so in one of the following ways:

Persons wishing to offer public comment for this meeting may do so in one of the following ways:

Availability of Document for Public Comment: The City of El Monte encourages citizen participation in the planning process. A Public Review and Public Hearing are required when a substantial amendment to the AAP is proposed The Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.

(1) By directly addressing the City Council in person at the time(s) allotted on the agenda for such comment. Persons wishing to address the City Council in person are asked to fill-out a blue speaker card providing their name and indicating the specific agenda item(s) they wish to comment on or if they wish to speak during the portion of the agenda designated for comment on non-agendized matters. Speaker cards should be handed to the City Clerk or the Sergeant at Arms (a uniformed El Monte Police officer) before the City Council’s approval of the agenda, if possible. The City Council shall be under no obligation to recognize a speaker who submits a speaker card on a particular agenda item after the

DEADLINE: All interested applicants must complete and submit an application, available at www.cityofrosemead.org. Applications will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. on Monday, March 6, 2023, at the City of Rosemead, City Manager’s Office, located at 8838 East Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, CA 91770.

A copy of the Plan is on file and available for public review at the City of El Monte Community and Economic Development webpage at https://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us/547/News-Notices

Questions regarding this NOFA should be directed to Charlotte Cabeza, Management Analyst, at (626) 569-2153 or at HousingDivision@cityofrosemead.org.

Persons wishing to offer public comment for this meeting may do so in one of the following ways:

(1) By directly addressing the City Council in person at the time(s) allotted on the agenda for such comment. Persons wishing to address the City Council in person are asked to fill-out a blue speaker card providing their name and indicating the specific agenda item(s) they wish to comment on or if they wish to speak during the portion of the agenda designated for comment on non-agendized matters. Speaker cards should be handed to the City Clerk or the Sergeant at Arms (a uniformed El Monte Police officer) before the

Notice and Publication Date: February 6, 2023

ROSEMEAD READER

(1) By directly addressing the City Council in person at the time(s) allotted on the agenda for such comment. Persons wishing to address the City Council in person are asked to fill-out a blue speaker card providing their name and indicating the specific agenda item(s) they wish to comment on or if they wish to speak during the portion of the agenda designated

PASADENA CA 91106

Starting a new business? Go to filedba.com

Glendale City Notices

NOTICE INVITING BIDS

NOTICE is hereby given that the City of Glendale (“City”) will receive sealed Bids, before the Bid Deadline established below for the following work of improvement: BRAND PARK MOTORWAY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT SPECIFICATION NO. 3940

Bid Deadline: Submit before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 (“the Bid Deadline”)

Original Bid to be submitted to: Office of City Clerk 613 E. Broadway, Room 110 Glendale, CA 91206

Bid Opening: 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 City Council Chambers 613 E. Broadway, 2nd Floor Glendale, CA 91206 NO LATE BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Bidding Documents Available: January 30, 2023, at the Public Works Engineering Department 633 E. Broadway, Room 205, City of Glendale, CA 91206

Bidding documents are also available to view and download online at: https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/finance/purchasing/rfp-rfq- page/-fsiteid-1

Additional Bid Document 1. Bid America (951) 677-4819

Procurement Locations:

I SqFt Plan Room (800) 364-2059

3. McGraw Hill Blueprint Express (626) 471-9021

4. Reed Construction Data (800)876-4045

5. Construction Bid Board (559)325-7054

City of Glendale Contact Person: Mr. Armen Avazian, Project Manager Phone: 818-548-3945

Fax: 818-242-7087

E-mail: AAvazian@Glendaleca.gov

Mandatory Qualifications for Bidder and Designated Subcontractors:

A Bid may be rejected as non-responsive if the Bid fails to document that Bidder meets the essential requirements for qualification. As part of the Bidder’s Statement of Qualifications, each Bid must provide satisfactory evidence that:

Bidder satisfactorily completed as a prime contractor or subcontractor at least three (3) prevailing wage public contracts in California; each comparable in scope and scale to this Project, within Five (5) years prior to the Bid Deadline and with a dollar value in excess of the Bid submitted for this Project.

General Scope of Work:

Contractor shall furnish labor, materials, equipment, services, and specialized skills to perform work involved in the Project. The Work included in the Bid is defined in accordance with Specification No. 3940 and Plan No. 1-3111. The work generally includes: clean-up of existing rockfall; removal of existing rockfall debris and scaling of hillside slopes in the affected area and installation of high-strength steel mesh system anchored to the slope face; as shown on the project plans and specifications, Standard Plans for Public Works Construction (SPPWC 2021 Edition), and the Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction (2021 Edition), including all supplements thereto issued prior to bid opening date.

Other Bidding Information: Number of Contract Working Days: 40 Working Days Amount of Liquidated Damages: $1,000 per Calendar Day

Other Bidding Information:

1. Bidding Documents: Bids must be made on the Bidder’s Proposal form contained herein. Bidding Documents may be obtained in the Public Works Engineering Department, 633 E. Broadway, Room 205, Glendale, CA 91206 where they may be examined. Electronic copies of bidding documents can be obtained at no cost from: https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/finance/purchasing/rfp-rfq-page/-fsiteid-1. Future addenda, if any, will be available for download on the same page as the bidding documents. The city will not mail/deliver the addenda to the prospective bidders. It is the bidders’ sole responsibility to check the website to obtain future addenda to this bid document. Prospective bidders shall acknowledge the receipt of the addenda in the bid forms.

2. Engineer’s Estimate. The preliminary cost of construction of this Work has been prepared. The estimate is in the range of $ 1,200,000 to $ 1,400,000.

3. Completion: This Work must be completed within Forty (40) Working days from the Date of Commencement as established by the City’s written Notice to Proceed.

4. Acceptance or Rejection of Bids. The City reserves the right to reject any and all Bids, to award all or any individual part/item of the Bid, and to waive any informalities, irregularities or technical defects in such Bids and determine the lowest responsible Bidder, whichever may be in the best interests of the City. No late Bids will be accepted, nor will any oral, facsimile or electronic Bids be accepted by the City.

5. Contractor License. At the time of the Bid Deadline and at all times during performance of the Work, including full completion of all corrective work during the Correction Period, the Contractor must possess a California contractor license or licenses, current and active, of the classification required for the Work, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 9, Division 3, Section 7000 et seq. of the Business and Professions Code. In compliance with Public Contract Code Section 3300, the City has determined that the Bidder must possess the following license(s):

a. Pursuant to Section 3300, of the Public Contract Code, the classification of the bidder’s Contractor’s License shall be “Class A” For sewer cleaning and video, use Class A, C-36, C-42, or D-38). Failure of a bidder to obtain adequate licensing at the time the contract is awarded shall constitute a failure to execute the Contract and shall result in the forfeiture of the Bidder ’s Bond. b. For federally funded projects, the Contractor shall be properly licensed at the time of award.

The successful Bidder will not receive a Contract award if the successful Bidder is unlicensed, does not have all of the required licenses, or one or more of the licenses are not current and active. If the City discovers after the Contract’s award that the Contractor is unlicensed, does not have all of the required licenses, or one or more of the licenses are not current and active, the City may cancel the award, reject the Bid, declare the Bid Bond as forfeited, keep the Bid Bond’s proceeds, and exercise any one or more of the remedies in the Contract Documents.

6. Subcontractors’ Licenses and Listing. At the time of the Bid Deadline and at all times during performance of the Work, each listed Subcontractor must possess a current and active California contractor license or licenses appropriate for the portion of the Work listed for such Subcontractor and shall hold all specialty certifications required for such Work. When the Bidder submits its Bid to the City, the Bidder must list each Subcontractor whom the Bidder must disclose under Public Contract Code Section 4104 (Subcontractor Listing Law), and the Bidder must provide all of the Subcontractor information that Section 4104 requires (name, the location (address) of the Subcontractor’s place of business, California Contractor license number, California Department of Industrial Relations contractor registration number, and portion of the Work). In addition, the City requires that the Bidder list the dollar value of each Subcontractor’s labor or services. The City’s disqualification of a Subcontractor does not disqualify a Bidder. However, prior to and as a condition to award of the Contract, the successful Bidder shall substitute a properly

licensed and qualified Subcontractor— without an adjustment of the Bid Amount.

7. Permits, Inspections, Plan Checks, Governmental Approvals, Utility Fees and Similar Authorizations: The City has applied and paid for the following Governmental Approvals and Utility Fees ( None).

All other Governmental Approvals and Utility Fees shall be obtained and paid for by Contractor and will be reimbursed based on Contractor’s actual direct cost without markup.

See Instructions to Bidders Paragraph 14, and General Conditions Paragraph 1.01 for definitions and Paragraph 1.03 for Contractor responsibilities.

8. Bid Forms and Bid Security: Each Bid must be made on the Bid Forms obtainable from the City’s Bidding website listed in the paragraph 1 above. Each Bid shall be accompanied by a cashier’s check or certified check drawn on a solvent bank, payable to “City of Glendale,” for an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the total maximum amount of the Bid. Alternatively, a satisfactory corporate surety Bid Bond for an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the total maximum amount of the Bid may accompany the Bid. Said security shall serve as a guarantee that the successful Bidder, within fourteen (14) calendar days after the City’s Notice of Award of the Contract, will enter into a valid contract with the City for said Work in accordance with the Contract Documents.

9. Bid Irrevocability. Bids shall remain open and valid for ninety (90) calendar days after the Bid Deadline.

10. Substitution of Securities. Pursuant to California Public Contract Code Section 22300, substitution of securities for withheld funds is permitted in accordance therewith.

11. Prevailing Wage Resolution. Bidders are hereby notified that in accordance with the provisions of the Labor Code of the State of California, the City Council of the City has ascertained and determined by Resolution No. 18,626 (as amended), the general prevailing rate of per diem wages of a similar character in the locality in which the Work is performed and the general prevailing rate for legal holiday and overtime Work for each craft or type of worker needed in the execution of agreements with the City. Said resolution is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and is hereby incorporated and made a part hereof by the same as though fully set forth herein. Copies of said resolution may be obtained at the Office of the City Clerk.

12. Prevailing Wages. This Project is subject to the provisions of California Labor Code Section 1720. Contractor awarded this Contract and all Subcontractors of any tier shall not pay less than the minimum prevailing rate of per diem wages for each craft, classification, or type of worker needed to perform the Work. The Director of Industrial Relations of the State of California, pursuant to the California Labor Code, and the United States Secretary of Labor, pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act, have determined the general prevailing rates of wages in the locality in which the Work is to be performed. The rates determined by the California Director of Industrial Relations are available online at www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR/PWD/. Davis-Bacon wage rates are available online at www.wdol.gov/. To the extent that there are any differences in the federal and state prevailing wage rates for similar classifications of labor, Contractor and its Subcontractors shall pay the highest wage rate.

13. California Department of Industrial Relations ― Public Works Contractor Registration.

Beginning July 1, 2014, under the Public Works Contractor Registration Law (California Senate Bill No. 854 - See Labor Code Section 1725.5), contractors must register and meet requirements using the online application https://efiling.dir.ca.gov/PWCR/ActionServlet?a ction=displayPWCRegistrationForm before bidding on public works contracts in California. The application also provides agencies that administer public works programs with a searchable database of qualified contractors. Application and renewal are completed online with a non-refundable fee of $300. More information is available at the following links: http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSE/PublicWorks/SB854FactSheet_6.30.14.pdf http://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/PublicWorks.html

Beginning April 1, 2015, the City must award public works projects only to contractors and subcontractors who comply with the Public Works Contractor Registration Law.

Notice to Bidders and Subcontractors:

No contractor or subcontractor may be listed on a Bid proposal for a public works project (submitted on or after March 1, 2015) unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5 [with limited exceptions from this requirement for bid purposes only under Labor Code Section 1771.1(a)].

No contractor or subcontractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public works project (awarded on or after April 1, 2015) unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5. This Project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations. The prime contractor must post job site notices prescribed by regulation. (See 8 Calif. Code Reg. Section 16451(d) for the notice that previously was required for projects monitored by the DIR Compliance Monitoring Unit.)

Furnishing of Electronic Certified Payroll Records to Labor Commissioner. For all new projects awarded on or after April 1, 2015, contractors and subcontractors must furnish electronic certified payroll records directly to the Labor Commissioner (aka Division of Labor Standards Enforcement).

Dated this 13th day of December , 2022, City of Glendale, California. Suzie Abajian, PhD., City Clerk of the City of Glendale

Publish February 2 & February 6, 2023

GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

Probate Notices

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF BEATRICE VITERI

Case No. 23STPB00285

To all heirs, beneficiaries, cred-itors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of BEATRICE VITERI A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Walter Michael Viteri and Diana Viteri Perez in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Walter Michael Viteri and Diana Viteri Perez be appointed as personal representative to ad-minister the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administra-tion authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objec-tion to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on Feb. 17, 2023 at 8:30 AM

in Dept. No. 9 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your ap-pearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowl-edgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner:

CN993623 VITERI

Jan 30, Feb 2,6, 2023

BURBANK INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

PAMELA HEPWORTH WALTON

CASE NO. 23STPB00613

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of PAMELA HEPWORTH WALTON.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by DAWN REBECCA WALTON in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that DAWN REBECCA WALTON be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 02/24/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 29 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner ANNA VALIENTE GOMEZ - SBN 246661 LAW OFFICE OF ANNA VALLENTE GOMEZ 2146 BONITA AVENUE LA VERNE CA 91750

BSC 222792

1/30, 2/2, 2/6/23

CNS-3663504#

WEST COVINA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: ROBERT GEORGE HAND

CASE NO. 22STPB10100

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of ROBERT GEORGE HAND.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by ROBERT GENE HAND in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that ROBERT GENE HAND be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court

approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 03/01/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 29 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner ADAM M. MILLER - SBN 277939 MILLER LAW OFFICE, PC 25000 AVE STANFORD, STE 172 VALENCIA CA 91355

1/30, 2/2, 2/6/23

CNS-3664595#

GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

NICOLA BIASE

CASE NO. 23STPB00307

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of NICOLA BIASE.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by NICHOLAS BIASE in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that NICHOLAS BIASE be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 02/16/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 4 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in

California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner

PENGPENG JI - SBN 337770 LO & LO LLP

506 N. GARFIELD AVE. STE 280 ALHAMBRA CA 91801

1/30, 2/2, 2/6/23

CNS-3664621# ALHAMBRA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

F. ROBERT C. HO AKA

FAIRCHILD ROBERT CADIZ

HO AKA F. ROBERT HO

CASE NO. 23STPB00783

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of F. ROBERT C. HO AKA FAIRCHILD

ROBERT CADIZ HO AKA F. ROBERT HO.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by FITZGERALD C. HO in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that FITZGERALD C. HO be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 03/03/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 44 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner

ANTHONY J. VULIN - SBN 86676

ATTORNEY AT LAW

624 W. 9TH ST., STE 201 SAN PEDRO CA 90731 2/2, 2/6, 2/9/23

CNS-3665116#

BURBANK INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

JOHN RICHARD ADAMS, JR.

AKA JOHN R. ADAMS, JR.

CASE NO. 23STPB00789

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of JOHN

RICHARD ADAMS, JR. AKA JOHN R. ADAMS, JR..

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by KELLY MARIE WILLIAMSON in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that KELLY MARIE WILLIAMSON be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 03/01/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 2D located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner JASON L. GAUDY - SBN 228975 GAUDY LAW, INC.

267 D STREET UPLAND CA 91786

2/2, 2/6, 2/9/23

CNS-3664752# PASADENA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

DANIEL WEBSTER WILLIAMS JR.

CASE NO. 23STPB00883

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of DANIEL WEBSTER WILLIAMS JR..

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by EBONY LOEB in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that EBONY LOEB be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

In Pro Per Petitioner EBONY LOEB 20271 CASE ST CORONA CA 92881 2/6, 2/9, 2/13/23 CNS-3666306# BURBANK INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: LUCIE HUYBRECHTS CASE NO. 23STPB01093

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of LUCIE HUYBRECHTS.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by YOLANDA FORTIER in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that YOLANDA FORTIER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 03/08/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 5 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: ROSALIE ANN DUFRENNE CASE NO. PRRI2300156

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of ROSALIE ANN DUFRENNE.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by MATTHEW DUFRENNE AND MICHELLE FOWLER in the Superior Court of California, County of RIVERSIDE.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that MATTHEW DUFRENNE AND MICHELLE FOWLER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 03/22/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 8 located at 4050 MAIN STREET, RIVERSIDE, CA 92501

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner NICOLE A. VETTRAINO - SBN 240297 27201 PUERTA REAL, #300 MISSION VIEJO CA 92691 2/6, 2/9, 2/13/23 CNS-3666683# CORONA NEWS PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

BARBARA JO KNIPE AKA

BARBARA J. KNIPE AKA

BARBARA KNIPE

CASE NO. 23STPB00880

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of BAR-

BARA JO KNIPE AKA BARBARA J. KNIPE AKA BARBARA KNIPE.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by GARY KNIPE in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that GARY KNIPE be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration au-

thority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 03/03/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 9 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner

NEIL W. KNUPPEL, ESQ. - SBN 86256

NEIL W. KNUPPEL, A PROF. LAW CORP. 1300 QUAIL STREET, STE 101 NEWPORT BEACH CA 92660

BSC 222832

2/6, 2/9, 2/13/23

CNS-3666949#

PASADENA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF ERNEST MICHAEL RUGGIERO

Case No. PRRI2300067

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of Ernest Michael Ruggiero

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Duska Ruggiero in the Superior Court of California, County of RIVERSIDE.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Duska Ruggiero be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on March 22, 2023 at 8:30 AM in Dept. 11. located at 4050 Main Street, Riverside, Ca 92501.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file

with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for petitioner:

R. SAME PRICE, ESQ SBN 208603 PRICE LAW FIRM, APC 300 E. STATE STREET SUITE 620 REDLANDS, CA 92373 (909) 328-7000 FEBRUARY 6, 9, 13, 2023 CORONA NEWS PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF WILLIAM JEROME WILEY CASE NO. 23STPB00685

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: WILLIAM JEROME WILEY

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by JULIE WUNDER in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that JULIE WUNDER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act with full authority . (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on 2/27/2023 at 8:30am in Dept. 4 located at 111 N. HILL ST. LOS ANGELES CA 90012 STANLEY MOSK COURTHOUSE.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: Brittany Britton SBN:303084 2312 W. Olive Ave Suite D Burbank, CA 91506, Telephone: (626) 390-5953 2/6, 2/9, 2/13/23 CNS-3667195# BALDWIN PARK PRESS

Public Notices

to Proposed name Ashley Michele Gianni 2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reason for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hear-

Mas suspected of hitting basketball players, pointing gun at students in Corona arrested

Aconvictedfelon suspected of punching several female athletes during an altercation at a Corona high school basketball game and later threatening other students with a gun was behind bars Friday.

Thaddis Lamont Brooks, 39, of Perris was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside Thursday on suspicion of child abuse, battery, making

terrorist threats, brandishing a firearm not in self defense and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Brooks is being held on $350,000 bail.

According to Corona police Sgt. Jason Waldon, on the evening of Jan. 24, the suspect attended a game at Centennial High School, where the Huskies were taking on the Santiago High School Sharks.

By City News Service

Waldon said that a fight erupted between two players, prompting Brooks to jump out of his seat and enter the fray. He “punched several female athletes before being restrained,” the sergeant said.

He alleged that Brooks then headed out of the gymnasium, stating that he intended to get a gun.

“The suspect walked to the parking lot and retrieved

a handgun from his vehicle,” Waldon said. “While in the parking lot, the suspect pointed the handgun at several students and threatened to shoot them. The suspect fled the area just before officers arrived at the school.”

Detectives followed up with witnesses and obtained additional evidence pointing to Brooks as the alleged assailant, according to

Waldon.

He said that a search warrant was obtained and served at the suspect’s residence on Chamberlain Creek Way, where officers took Brooks into custody without incident and discovered over 40 dogs on his property, showing signs of alleged mistreatment.

“The city of Perris Animal Control Services responded to the residence

to investigate the animals’ welfare and determined there were animal cruelty factors present due to the conditions of the residence,” Waldon sNo firearm was located at the property, he said.

Animal control officers impounded the canines. Information on Brooks’ prior convictions, which occurred in another jurisdiction, was unavailable.

Corona City Council extends permitting deadlines for cannabis businesses

Some cannabis entrepreneurs in Corona will have more time to obtain permits for their new businesses after a city employee provided incorrect information about permitting deadlines.

The Corona City Council on Wednesday approved an extension, which applies to retail storefront operations and other cannabis businesses, of up to 60 days to receive building, fire and occupancy permits.

By Joe Taglieri

Initially cannabis business owners applying for permits had 180 days to obtain them.

In June “City staff mistakenly advised certain storefront retail applicants that the City Manager could extend the deadline by 180 days,”

according to a staff report. As a result, officials recommended “updates to the Cannabis Rules and Regs to permit extensions for storefront retail applicants impacted by this inaccuracy and to authorize the City Manager

to extend the deadline for all other non-storefront applicants.”

Officials further defined “non-storefront” businesses as “distributors, testing laboratories, and microbusinesses.”

The more flexible deadline extensions apply to city-permit applicants who obtained state business licenses prior to Nov. 23, which was when officials notified applicants of the incorrect extension time frame.

Officials celebrate $5.5M project in front of Riverside County Fair

By City News Service

Aribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday to celebrate the $5.5 million project to fix and beautify the roads in front of the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival in Indio.

The free event began at around 10 a.m. near the gate one entrance, 82-503 Highway 111, to celebrate the improve-

ments and to preview the upcoming festival, which is set to begin Feb. 17, according to a statement from Supervisor V. Manuel Perez’s office.

Perez was joined by officials from the county’s Facilities Management Department, the sheriff’s department, Granite Construction Company, Albert A. Webb Associates and the city of Indio.

“It’s a beautiful project with new repaved streets, medians, lighting, sidewalks and curbs,” Perez in a Facebook post. “These improvements are just the beginning, with more to come at our Fairgrounds!”

The project repaired Highway 111 from Arabia Street to Smurr Street, and Oasis Street from Highway 111 to the county parking

structure on Plaza Avenue, according to Perez. Upgrades on Highway 111 include new paving, new street lighting, sidewalk upgrades, new curbs and gutters, accessible ramps, new striping, an addition of a right turn lane and more.

The project began in April 2022, led by the county’s Facilities Management Department, with construc-

tion performed by the Granite Construction Company, and civil engineering done by Albert A. Webb Associates, Perez said.

“This was a major county investment to revitalize Highway 111 and Oasis Street, improving access to downtown Indio, the justice center complex, and the main corridor leading to

the Riverside County Fairgrounds,” said Perez. “We thank the community for their patience during the construction and we are now glad to have smoother roads that look very nice and improve travel to the National Date Festival and to all the local businesses, offices and facilities along this corridor.”

Riverside County seeks volunteers for animal rescue service

By City News Service

Riverside County residents able to volunteer their time and resources helping save animals during wildfires, floods and other disasters are being asked to consider joining the Riverside Emergency Animal Rescue System, which starts its next academy in February.

The nonprofit REARS is operated by the county’s Department of Animal Services, which will be holding a daylong orientation and training session for prospective team members on Feb. 25 in the Western Riverside County Animal Shelter, 6851 Van Buren Blvd., according to agency spokesman John Welsh.

Animal Services Commander Josh Sisler said the group is often instrumental in relieving fire department personnel from the task of taking care of domesticated animals during a large-scale emergency.

“For more than 15 years, these dedicated volunteers have been an amazing resource for us — and county residents — during crisis events,” Sisler said. “We are very fortunate to work with so many generous people.”

He said good Samaritans regularly come forward to offer assistance with animal rescues during emergencies, but the department can only call on trained REARS

volunteers.

“Our REARS volunteers are always ready to help when emergency situations occur,” Department of Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said. “We are grateful for the hours they’ve donated and incurring personal costs when responding with their rigs and trailers.”

There are currently about 60 volunteers, some of whom include retired animal control officers, officials said.

Most of the volunteers are accustomed to handling large animals because they’re equine enthusiasts, but the program does not mandate that volunteers

have prior experience with livestock to join.

Once volunteers receive their orientation and

training, they are certified to respond to the county’s calls for assistance.

Information on the

program and its requirements, as well as applications to join, can be found at www.rcrears.com.

| Photo by Wavebreakmedia/Envato Elements