Riverside Independent_5/29/2023

Drunk driver who struck, severely injured Border Patrol agent sentenced

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Officials name 2 more Riverside County Teachers of the Year

By Staff

Anaward-winning playwright, and a teacher whose own school experience included overcoming struggles with dyslexia, were named 2024 Riverside County Teachers of the Year in surprise visits Wednesday from the superintendent of schools, officials announced.

James Waedekin is an English teacher at New Horizon School in Banning Unified School District, and during his 17 years at the school district he has also taught drama and theatre production courses at Banning High School, according to the Riverside County Office of Education. Waedekin has also written a children’s book and several award-winning scripts for theater productions staged in festivals and events worldwide.

Lindsay Hill is a fourth grade teacher at Sundance Elementary School in the Beaumont Unified School District with 15 years of teaching experience.

“Hill brings life to California history lessons, focuses on reading intervention, and has published and illustrated children’s books,” officials said in a statement.

“Both Ms. Hill and Mr. Waedekin are published authors and accomplished educators whose vast expertise and experience take center stage in their classrooms every day to foster a love of literacy, the arts, and all subjects, so that students can see the endless possibilities for their own lives as they write their own success stories,” Gomez said in a statement.

Waedekin and Hill will join Lorena Morales from

the Alvord Unified School District in representing the county in the 2024 California State Teacher of the Year

competition this fall. One final 2024 Riverside County Teacher of the Year will be revealed in an upcoming

surprise visit by Gomez.

“We are a family here in Banning, and for the last 17 years, I’ve grown as a teacher and feel more a part of the community each year,” Waedekin said in a statement, reportedly after receiving his award while surrounded by colleagues from his school and Banning USD officials. “I’m blown away by this, and I’m ready for another 17 years.”

In front of her classroom full of students, her own children, her parents, her grandparents and co-workers from Sundance Elementary School and Beaumont USD officials, Hill reportedly said, “Thank you for this award, this is beyond my dream come true.”

Waedekin’s aspiration is to assist students to “become the voices of their generation,” officials said.

Waedekin said he believes that “working in alternative education is transforming for teachers, and our classrooms are transforming for students.”

Inside the classroom, he engages students with improvisation exercises and creative writing assignments. Outside the classroom, Waedekin serves as the school’s yearbook adviser, is on multiple school site teams and is the school’s Positive Behavior Intervention System coordinator.

“When he was younger, Mr. Waedekin toured in drama therapy plays performed at teen shelters, alternative high schools, drug rehabilitation centers, and has grown his career as an

See Teachers of the Year Page 28

Young

man convicted

of

murdering partygoer in ambush outside MoVal home

By City News Service

Ayoung man who gunned down an 18-year-old partygoer in an ambush outside a Moreno Valley home where the defendant lured the victim outside on the pretext of fighting him was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder and other offenses. A Riverside jury deliberated roughly three days before finding 22-year-old Darren Peter Zesk guilty of the 2020 killing of Massai Jevon Cole of Inglewood.

Along with the murder count, the panel found true a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, as well as convicted Zesk of sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. However, jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on a special circumstance allegation that the slaying was part of a hate crime, and Riverside County Superior Court Judge Bernard Schwartz declared them hung on that charge.

With the lying in wait allegation, Zesk is still facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Schwartz scheduled a sentencing hearing for Aug. 25 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The defendant is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

The prosecution and defense delivered closing arguments Monday, and the jury went behind closed doors that afternoon to begin deliberations. The panel informed Schwartz before the afternoon lunch break Thursday that a verdict had been reached.

Deputy District Attorney Kevin Beecham told jurors that when Zesk “lured” Cole out of the house at 16512 Century St., he intended to “ambush” the victim, “fulfilling a promise” that he’d made to his cousin, 21-year-old Jared Lee Zesk, to get back at those who had

Legendary Memorial Day motorcycle ride set for Monday

By City News Service

Acelebrated motorcycle ride through Riverside and surrounding locations that’s intended to honor members of the U.S. Armed Services will return Monday for a Memorial Day salute that went on hiatus for three years, beginning with the COVID public health lockdowns.

West Coast Thunder is slated roar to life at 9 a.m. Monday — the first ride since Memorial Day 2019.

Riverside Harley-Davidson hosts the events, which began in 2000 when the dealership belonged to Skip Fordyce and operated under that banner.

More than 7,500 motorcycle enthusiasts are expected to take part in the ride, according to event coordinator Jackson Dodd.

“A lot of the riders are excited to be back,” Dodd told City News Service. “Everyone has expressed positive feelings. We missed not doing it those three years.”

The 2020 ride was nixed due to Riverside County’s and the state’s COVID-driven prohibitions on mass public gatherings, and ongoing concerns about exposure risks led to cancellations in 2021 and 2022.

This year’s event will get underway at Riverside Harley-Davison on Indiana Avenue, with motorcyclists bearing American flags leaving the dealership at 9:11 a.m. and proceeding up Alessandro Boulevard to south Riverside, transitioning to Van Buren Boulevard, where some participants will peel off to Riverside National Cemetery to pay their respects, while other riders will continue onto Interstate 215.

Riverside parks department recognized for at-risk youth programs

Lindsay Hill and Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Office of Education

Over 20 cooling centers to open in Riverside County starting June 1

By City News Service

IID warns customers of illegal scam calls

By City News Service

Daytime and overnight cooling centers will soon be open in areas including Idyllwild, the Coachella Valley, Desert Center and Blythe, officials announced Wednesday.

The Community Action Partnership of Riverside County will coordinate with community organizations to provide 20 daytime cooling centers that will open starting June 1, according to Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. The centers will be a place for residents to cool off, be safe and to reduce their home utility costs while conserving energy.

“Our vulnerable lowincome residents, such as the elderly, disabled and families with infants and young children living in disadvantaged communities, and people experiencing homelessness should not have to suffer and risk the dangers of extreme heat,” Perez said in a statement.

The daytime centers are set to open in Idyllwild, Coachella Valley cities, the Blythe community and Desert Center, according to Perez. A directory of cooling centers will be available later this week at capriverside.org.

Additionally, Martha’s Village and Kitchen will begin to operate an overnight cooling center with capacity for 25 beds that will run until Sept. 30 at the Palm Springs Access Center, 225 E. Cielo Road, Perez

said. This will be the fifth straight summer that county funding has been secured to provide the center for homeless residents to sleep out of the heat, Perez said. The Riverside County Housing and Workforce Solutions Department worked with the Coachella Valley Rescue

Mission to fund 15 additional beds.

“We appreciate the partnership with the city of Palm Springs and Martha’s Village & Kitchen to operate the overnight shelter in Palm Springs, and also grateful to CVRM for stepping up to support more residents this summer,” Perez said.

The Imperial Irrigation District advised customers Wednesday about how to help stop a recent rise in fraudulent callers in the Imperial and Coachella valleys.

“We’ve recently had a number of reports from customers of suspicious callers who are threatening to disconnect the customer’s electricity if immediate payment isn’t made,” IID Energy Department Manager Jamie Asbury said in a statement. “So, we’re asking for the public’s help in stopping these fraud attempts.”

The district doesn’t call residential customers directly to demand immediate payment, it notifies them by email, door hangers or through its automated courtesy-alert phone system, according to IID officials. It also doesn’t insist on a specific payment method.

Customers who are contacted in a threatening manner are encouraged to call the utility directly at 800-303-7756 so an IID representative can verify if the district was attempting to contact them, according to the utility.

Scammers have attempted to mask the IID’s real number, making it look like the utility is calling customers, so the customers were advised to not rely on caller identification and to not redial the number.

“If customers act quickly enough, it can make a difference,” IID officials said in a statement. “In the past, IID was able to help authorities shut down two fraudulent 1-800 numbers. This was only possible because of the quick response of customers in notifying IID.”

Drunk driver who struck, severely injured Border Patrol agent sentenced

By City News Service

Adrunk driver who struck and severely injured a U.S. Border Patrol agent staffing a checkpoint on Interstate 15 near Temecula was bound for state prison Wednesday to serve a sentence of four years, four months.

Jaime Alejandro Garcia, 31, of San Bernardino pleaded guilty in March to hit-and-run resulting in great bodily injury, driving under the influence causing great bodily injury and DUI with an excessive blood-alcohol level.

Garcia’s plea was made directly to Riverside County Superior Court Judge Thomas Kelly, without input from the District Attorney’s Office.

During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Tuesday, Kelly imposed the sentence he had stipulated after accepting the defendant’s admissions in March.

The judge has since signed the order authorizing the transfer of Garcia to the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He had been free on bail, but was remanded to the custody of sheriff’s deputies Tuesday.

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Lassig, at about 2:20 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2021, Border Patrol agents from the USBP Murrieta station were operating the checkpoint located on

northbound I-15 at Rainbow Valley Boulevard, along the boundary separating Riverside and San Diego counties.

Lassig said the victim, whose identity was not released, was standing within the checkpoint stop zone, in the middle of the No. 2 lane, when Garcia proceeded into the zone at 60 mph in his 2013 Mini Cooper, never slowing down.

The agent was hit and “propelled up and over the Mini Cooper (and) landed on I-15 traffic lanes,” Lassig said.

“(Garcia) continued to drive his vehicle northbound on I-15,” the CHP spokesman said. “USBP agents caught up

to the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop approximately one mile from the collision scene.”

The defendant was taken into custody without incident and immediately determined by CHP officers to be under the influence. Blood tests later confirmed his bloodalcohol was double the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle, according to court records.

The injured Border Patrolman was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar with life-threatening injuries and was hospitalized for an unspecified period before being released. Prosecutors said he recovered

from his injuries but continues to receive treatment for regular pain directly attributable to the nearly fatal hit-

and-run.

Garcia had no documented prior convictions in Riverside County.

| Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Cooling center at Martha’s Village and Kitchen in Indio.

| Photo courtesy of City of Indio

| Photo by MargJohnsonVA/Envato Elements

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Entertainment world mourns loss of Rock & Roll Queen Tina Turner

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.

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Icons of music and entertainment, as well as presidents past and present, mourned the loss Wednesday of dynamic singer/dancer/ actress Tina Turner, the undisputed Queen of Rock ‘n Roll who died in Switzerland at age 83 following a long illness.

“I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner,” Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger wrote on his Twitter page. “She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.”

Jagger was said to have developed his energetic stage presence by watching Turner’s high-octane performances.

Singer Gloria Gaynor called Turner an “iconic legend who paved the way for so many women in rock music, Black and white.”

“She did with great dignity and success what very few would even have dared to do in her time and in that genre of music,” Gaynor said.

Turner was a two-time inductee into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, first as part of a duo with husband Ike Turner then later as a solo artist.

“Two-time inductee Tina Turner worked hard to reimagine the role of a Black woman in rock & roll — one that was firmly placed front and center,” according to a statement from The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “During her time in the duo Ike and Tina Turner (inducted in 1991), her electric onstage presence forever raised the bar for live performance.

“Their hits ‘River DeepMountain High’ and ‘Proud Mary’ endure to this day. But this Queen of Rock & Roll went on to make music history again with her solo career (for which she was inducted again in 2021) and with her bravery in sharing her life story as a book, film, and Broadway musical. There was nothing her deep, robust voice couldn’t do, as displayed on her solo hits like ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It’ and ‘Private Dancer.’”

Musician Bryan Adams wrote on Twitter, “I’ll be forever grateful for the time we spent together on tour, in the studio and as friends. Thank you for being the inspiration to millions of people around the world for speaking your truth and giving us the gift of your

voice.”

Turner’s longtime friend Dionne Warwick said in a statement that “not only will I miss that eternal ball of energy named Tina Turner but the entire world will also find this void in their lives. My condolences to her husband and other members of her family. Rest in Peace my friend!”

Singer Ciara wrote, “Heaven has gained an angel. Rest in Paradise, Tina Turner. Thank you for the inspiration you gave us all.”

Mariah Carey added, “The words legendary, iconic, diva and superstar are often overused and yet Tina Turner embodies them all and so many more — an incredible performer, musician and trailblazer. To me, she will always be a survivor and an inspiration to women everywhere.”

Lakers legend Magic Johnson posted a photo with Turner on his Twitter page, noting that she gave “one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen.”

“Tina would have so much energy during her performances and was a true entertainer,” Johnson said. “She created the blueprint for other great entertainers like Janet Jackson and Beyoncé and her legacy will continue on through all high-energy performing artists. Cookie and I are praying for her husband and all of her friends and family.”

President Joe Biden and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama expressed their sadness as well.

“In addition to being a once-in-a-generation talent that changed American music forever, Tina’s personal strength was

remarkable,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House. “Overcoming adversity, and even abuse, she built a career for the ages and a life and legacy that were entirely hers.

“(First lady) Jill (Biden) and I send our love and prayers to her husband Erwin, the rest of the Turner family, and fans around the world who are mourning today for the woman they agree was ‘simply the best.’”

In a tweet, Clinton said, “I loved Tina Turner and will never forget meeting her when she came to Little Rock for (a) concert after releasing Private Dancer in 1984. We met again on her 67th birthday in St. Petersburg, where she and Elton John sang for a charity event. She still had it — talent, style, energy, and authenticity — a priceless gift to music lovers everywhere. May she rest in peace.”

The office of Barack and Michelle Obama released a statement saying, “Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself — speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy. Today we join fans around the world in honoring the Queen of Rock and Roll, and a star whose light will never fade.”

Flowers were placed on Turner’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Wednesday afternoon. She received the star in front of the Capitol Records building in 1986.

In addition to her singing career, Turner occasionally showed up on the big screen, most notably portraying The Acid Queen in the 1975 film version of The Who’s

rock musical “Tommy.” She also appeared in the Beatles musical “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” played a mayor in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film “Last Action Hero” and portrayed the leader of a post-apocalyptic wasteland city in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.”

“The world lost a legend today,” the SAG-AFTRA union said in a statement, noting that Turner was a member of the union since 1961. “Tina Turner was a genre-defying powerhouse singer, dancer, actress and author who rightfully earned the title of rock ‘n roll queen. She broke down barriers for generations of artists to come.”

Angela Bassett, who earned an Oscar nomination for portraying Turner in the biopic “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” said the singer “owned her pain and trauma and used it as a means to help change the world.”

“Through her courage in telling her story, her commitment to stay the course in her life, no matter the sacrifice, and her determination to carve out a space in rock and roll for herself and for others who look like her, Tina Turner showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion and freedom should look like,” Bassett wrote on her Instagram page. “Her final words to me — for me — were `You never mimicked me. Instead you reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world.’

“I shall hold those words close to my heart for the rest of my days. I am honored to have known Tina Turner. I am humbled to have helped show her to the world.”

Tina Turner performs in 2009. | Photo courtesy of Philip Spittle/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Family of Tom Petty looks to halt memorabilia auction, claims items are stolen

By City News Service

SoCalGas: $3M in grant funds still available to assist with bills

By City News Service

The family of rocker Tom Petty, who died in 2017 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Malibu home, announced Wednesday it is pursuing legal action against a Boston-based auction house to halt its planned sale of Petty memorabilia the family believes was stolen.

The items being offered by RR Auction in its “Marvels of Modern Music” sale include jackets, T-shirts, sweaters, hats, pants, shoes, autographed albums, photos and concert posters.

In a statement Wednesday, the Petty family contends the items of personal property were “outright stolen from a secured archive.”

“The family is pursuing all available legal action for the immediate return of these items, and they ask that fans and collectors refrain from participating in this auction until the matter is settled to avoid getting further involved in this legal action,” according to the family.

A representative for RR Auction did not immedi-

ately respond to a request for comment.

The Petty family contends the auction house “will not disclose the cosigner who has provided these items or how they were acquired. But they are clearly stolen, there

is no other word for it.”

“These items have irreplaceable sentimental and educational value for the family and legacy of Tom Petty and we look forward to their safe return,” according to the family.

Roughly $3 million in grant funds remain available for eligible customers struggling to pay their natural gas bills, and eligibility for the program has been expanded, Southern California Gas Co. announced Wednesday.

The utility originally allotted $6 million for the Gas Assistance Fund, which provides one-time grants of up to $500 to help low-income customers pay their bills. More than 10,000 customers have received grant funding this year, according to SoCalGas. But about half of the money still remains available.

“To reach more customers who might need assistance with paying their bills, we expanded the eligibility requirements and encourage customers to visit our website to see if they now qualify,” said Gillian Wright, SoCalGas senior vice president and chief customer officer. “We also offer useful resources on energy conservation, assistance programs to manage energy consumption, and make energy-efficient home improvements to help lower customer bills.”

According to the utility, the average grant amount awarded to customers is $300, although grants of up to $500 are available. Information about eligibility is available online at socalgas. com/GAF.

The grants are awarded through a partnership between SoCalGas and United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Tom Petty. | Photo courtesy of Davidwbaker/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo by KWON JUNHO on Unsplash

Caltrans receives $7M federal grant for mobility wallet project

Powerball jackpot declared winner seeks to quash summons of challenger’s lawsuit

By City News Service By City News Service

The declared winner of the record-breaking November $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot says in new court papers that a process server for a man who sued him, insisting the prize is his, wrongly presented a summons and copy of the suit to the defendant’s father, whose name is identical except for the middle initial.

Caltrans will receive more than $7 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for its Southern California Mobility Wallet project in Los Angeles County, it was announced Thursday.

It is part of $52 million in grants from the Federal Highway Administration from the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation, or ATTAIN, program. The Mobility Wallet project is to create openloop payments technology to offer seamless payment to highway and transit services. The $7,722,948 project will

provide services in areas of persistent poverty and disadvantaged communities.

“Your ZIP code shouldn’t determine whether you have access to safe, affordable transportation,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

“With President Biden’s investments in innovative technology, we’re helping communities make transportation safer and more efficient, particularly in places that haven’t received enough resources in the past.”

The grants are meant to fund technology-based solutions that improve the travel

experience for millions of Americans who use highway and transit systems.

“These grants will help deliver a more leadingedge transportation system designed to reach everyone and to work for everyone, especially those in communities that have lacked access to efficient transportation,” Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said.

“Whether we’re addressing climate change, or making roads safer, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is bringing critical solutions to the communities we serve.”

State officials have denied plaintiff Jose Rivera’s claim in his Alhambra Superior Court lawsuit against the California State Lottery Commission that he is the lottery winner, insisting that Edwin G. Castro, also a defendant in the suit, is the proper winner as announced on Feb. 14.

In court papers filed Thursday, Edwin G. Castro’s attorney says the person served with Rivera’s complaint was actually Castro’s father, Edwin H. Castro, and that the father is not authorized to receive such papers on his son’s behalf.

Edwin H. Castro says in a sworn declaration that a process server came to his Altadena home on April 25 to present the summons and the lawsuit.

“I told the process server that he was serving the wrong Edwin Castro, but he

Former employee of Ye company drops back wages suit

By City News Service

Aformer director for one of Ye’s company’s has dropped her lawsuit against the rapper formerly known as Kanye West in which she alleged she was owed back wages.

An attorney for plaintiff Dora Szilagyi filed court papers on Tuesday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Timothy

Patrick Dillon asking that her case be dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled. The court papers do not state whether a settlement was reached or if the plaintiff is not pursuing the case for other reasons.

Szilagyi was hired by Ye’s company, Yeezy LLC, in June 2021 as director of

product innovation, allegedly being promised she would be paid $275,000 in severance if she were fired without cause after Sept. 1, 2021.

However, the plaintiff maintained that Ye and Yeezy balked at the agreement even though she was not fired until mid-December 2021. She alleged La

Palma-based Yeezy owed her at least $275,000 in wages and/or contract damages, including attorneys’ fees and costs.

The suit was filed March 30, alleging breach of contract, failure to pay wages, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and violations of the state Labor Code.

displayed little concern,” the elder Castro says.

Edwin G. Gastro says in a separate sworn statement that he won the Nov. 7 jackpot, that he lives in Los Angeles and that he “never personally received a copy of the summons and complaint from a process server.”

In his suit brought Feb. 22, Rivera maintains he bought the victorious ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena the day before the Nov. 8 drawing, but that it was stolen by someone identified only as “Reggie,” a co-defendant in the suit, on the same day.

In subsequent court papers, Rivera’s lawyers identified “Reggie” as Urachi F. Romero, who could not be reached for comment.

Rivera asked Romero numerous times to return the ticket, but he refused, telling that plaintiff among other things that the two could split the winnings if he found the ticket, according to the suit, which further states that Rivera refused to be blackmailed and reported the alleged theft to the commission and to law enforcement.

But in his court papers, Edwin G. Castro’s attorney says there are no details in the lawsuit as to how his client allegedly obtained the winning Powerball ticket from anyone named Reggie.

A hearing on Edwin G. Castro’s motion to quash the service of the summons and complaint is scheduled July 19 before Judge William A. Crowfoot.

| Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Transportation

| Photo courtesy of Scott Mindeaux/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. | Photo courtesy of Cosmopolitan UK/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

On a family trip to the Jersey Shore in the summer of 2021, Sophia’s go-to meal was the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich. The buns were toasty, the chicken was crispy and the fries didn’t spill from the bag.

Sophia was entering her sophomore year in prep school, but her parents were already thinking ahead to college. They paid to enroll her in an online service called Scholar Launch, whose programs start at $3,500. Scholar Launch, which started in 2019, connects high school students with mentors who work with them on research papers that can be published and enhance their college applications.

Publication “is the objective,” Scholar Launch says on its website. “We have numerous publication partners, all are peerreviewed journals.”

The prospect appealed to Sophia. “Nowadays, having a publication is kind of a given” for college applicants, she said. “If you don’t have one, you’re going to have to make it up in some other aspect of your application.”

Sophia said she chose marketing as her field because it “sounded interesting.” She attended weekly group sessions with a Scholar Launch mentor, a marketing executive who also taught at an Ivy League business school, before working one-onone with a teaching assistant. Assigned to analyze a company’s marketing strategy, she selected Chick-fil-A.

Sophia’s paper offered a glowing assessment. She credited Chick-fil-A as “responsible for the popularity of the chicken sandwich,” praised its fare as healthier than fastfood burgers, saluted its “humorous yet honest” slogan (a cow saying, “Eat mor chikin”) and admired its “family-friendly” attitude and “traditional beliefs,” exemplified by closing its restaurants on Sundays. Parts of her paper sounded like a customer endorsement (and she acknowledged to ProPublica that her marketing

The newest college admissions ploy: Paying to make your teen a ‘peer-reviewed’ author

By Daniel Golden, ProPublica, and Kunal Purohit

“You’re teaching students to be cynical about research,” said Kent Anderson, past president of the Society for Scholarly Publishing and former publishing director of the New England Journal of Medicine. “That’s the really corrosive part. ‘I can hire someone to do it. We can get it done, we can get it published, what’s the big deal?’”

The research services brag about how many of their alumni get into premier U.S. universities. Lumiere Education, for example, has served 1,500 students, half of them international, since its inception in the summer of 2020. In a survey of its alumni, it found that 9.8% who applied to an Ivy League university or to Stanford last year were accepted. That’s considerably higher than the overall acceptance rates at those schools.

analysis could’ve been stronger). Neither too dry nor too juicy, the company’s signature sandwich “is the perfect blend to have me wanting more after every bite,” she wrote. “Just from the taste,” Chick-fil-A “is destined for success.”

Her heartfelt tribute to the chicken chain appeared on the website of a new online journal for high school research, the Scholarly Review. The publication touts its “thorough process of review” by “highly accomplished professors and academics,” but it also displays what are known as preprints. They aren’t publications “in the traditional sense” and aren’t vetted by Scholarly Review’s editorial board, according to Roger Worthington, its chair.

That preprint platform is where Sophia’s paper appeared. Now a 17-yearold high school junior, she said she wasn’t aware of the difference between the journal and the preprint platform, and she didn’t think the less prestigious placement would hurt her college chances: “It’s just important that there’s a link out there.”

Sophia is preparing to apply to college at a time when the criteria for gaining entry are in flux. The Supreme Court appears poised to curtail race-conscious affirmative action. Grade infla -

tion makes it harder to pick students based on GPA, since so many have A averages. And the SAT and ACT tests, long criticized for favoring white and wealthy students, have fallen out of fashion at many universities, which have made them optional or dropped them entirely.

As these differentiators recede and the number of applications soars, colleges are grappling with the latest pay-to-play maneuver that gives the rich an edge: published research papers. A new industry is extracting fees from well-heeled families to enable their teenage children to conduct and publish research that colleges may regard as a credential.

At least 20 online research programs for high schoolers have sprung up in the U.S. and abroad in recent years, along with a bevy of journals that publish the work. This growth was aided by the pandemic, which normalized online education and stymied opportunities for in-person research.

The consequence has been a profusion of published research papers by high school students. According to four months of reporting by ProPublica, online student journals now present work that ranges from serious inquiry by young scholars to dubious papers whose main qualifi-

cation seems to be that the authors’ parents are willing to pay, directly or indirectly, to have them published. Usually, the projects are closely directed by graduate students or professors who are paid to be mentors. College admissions staff, besieged by applicants proffering links to their studies, verify that a paper was published but are often at a loss to evaluate its quality.

Moreover, ProPublica’s reporting shows that purveyors of online research sometimes engage in questionable practices. Some services portray affiliated publications as independent journals. Others have inflated their academic mentors’ credentials or offered freebies to college admissions consultants who could provide referrals. When asked about these practices by ProPublica, several services responded by reversing course on them.

The business of churning out high school research is a “fast-growing epidemic,” said one longtime Ivy League admissions officer, who requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak for his university. “The number of outfits doing that has trebled or quadrupled in the past few years.

“There are very few actual prodigies. There are a lot of precocious kids

who are working hard and doing advanced things. A sophomore in high school is not going to be doing highlevel neuroscience. And yet, a very high number of kids are including this” in their applications.

The programs serve at least 12,000 students a year worldwide. Most families are paying between $2,500 and $10,000 to improve their odds of getting into U.S. universities that accept as few as 1 in every 25 applicants. Some of the biggest services are located in China, and international students abound even in several U.S.-based programs.

The services pair high schoolers with academic mentors for 10-15 weeks to produce research papers. Online services typically shape the topic, direction and duration of the project, and urge students to complete and publish a paper regardless of how fruitful the exploration has been. “Publication specialists” then help steer the papers into a dizzying array of online journals and preprint platforms. Almost any high school paper can find an outlet. Alongside hardcore science papers are ones with titles like “The Willingness of Humans to Settle on Mars, and the Factors that Affect it,” “Social Media; Blessing Or Curse” and “Is Bitcoin A Blessing Or A Curse?”

Such statistics don’t prove that the students were admitted because of their research. Still, research can influence admissions decisions. At Harvard, “evidence of substantial scholarship” can elevate an applicant, according to a university filing in a lawsuit challenging its use of affirmative action in admissions. The University of Pennsylvania’s admissions dean, Whitney Soule, boasted last year that nearly one-third of accepted students “engaged in academic research” in high school, including some who “co-authored publications included in leading journals.” A Penn spokesperson declined to identify the journals. Yale, Columbia and Brown, among others, encourage applicants to send research.

One admissions dean acknowledged that conferring an advantage on those who submit published papers benefits affluent applicants. “Research is one of these activities that we’re very aware they’re not offered equitably,” Stuart Schmill of MIT said. Nevertheless, MIT invites applicants to submit research and inquires whether and where it was published.

Admissions officers often lack the time and expertise to evaluate this research. The first reader of each application typically takes 10 minutes or less to go through it, which means

This story was originally publishedbyProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prizewinning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

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noting the existence of the published paper without actually reading it. If the applicant is on the cusp, a second staffer more versed in the subject area may read their file. The first reader “is very young and in almost all cases majored in humanities or social sciences,” said Jon Reider, a former admissions officer at Stanford. “They can’t tell if a paper in the sciences means anything or is new at all.”

As a result, admissions staff may rely on outside opinions. Schmill said that MIT pays more attention to the mentor’s recommendation than the actual research. Academic mentors, even when paid, “do a pretty good job being honest and objective,” he said. The longtime Ivy League admissions officer was more skeptical, likening the mentors to expert witnesses in a trial.

Brown admissions dean Logan Powell described faculty as “invaluable partners” in reviewing research. But many professors would rather not be bothered. “Our faculty don’t want to spend all their time reading research projects from 17- and 18-year-olds,” the veteran Ivy League admissions officer said.

Also complicating the admissions office’s ability to assess the papers is staffers’ unfamiliarity with the byzantine world of online publications favored by the research services. Several have confusingly similar names: the Journal of Student Research, the Journal of Research High School, the International Journal of High School Research. Selective outlets like the Journal of Student Research and the Scholarly Review also post preprints, making it hard to determine what, if any, standards a manuscript was held to.

Some also hide ties to research services. Scholarly Review doesn’t tell readers that it’s founded and funded by Scholar Launch. The lack of transparency was “not a conscious decision,” Scholar Launch co-founder Joel Butterly said. “Our intent is to keep it as separate as possible from Scholar Launch.”

The companies are intertwined in at least two respects. Worthington, who chairs the Scholarly Review’s editorial board, also works as a mentor for Scholar Launch and InGenius Prep, a college admissions counseling

service co-founded by Butterly. Three of the seven articles in the Scholarly Review’s inaugural issue were written by students who Worthington advised, possibly enhancing their college prospects.

“Editors selecting papers they were involved in is a no-no,” said Anderson, the former New England Journal of Medicine publishing director.

Worthington told ProPublica that he had recused himself from discussing those manuscripts. Then Scholar Launch changed its policy. “For future issues,” Worthington said in a subsequent email, “the company will disclose mentoring arrangements in advance to make doubly sure that nobody will be reviewing work by a former student.” Worthington also said, after ProPublica raised questions, that Scholarly Review would make it “more obvious” that the editorial board is “not responsible” for articles on its preprint platform. (During ProPublica’s reporting process, Sophia’s Chick-fil-A paper was removed from the site.) The platform, which is managed by Scholar Launch and InGenius Prep, has been given a separate section on the Scholarly Review website, and further changes are likely, he said.

Online research services are an offshoot of the booming college-admissions-advising industry. They draw many of their students from the same affluent population that hires private counselors. Many families that are already paying thousands or tens of thousands of dollars for advice on essay writing and extracurricular activities pay thousands more for research help. Scholar Launch charges $3,500 for “junior” research programs and between $4,500 and $8,800 for advanced research, according to its website.

Polygence, one of the largest online high school research programs in the U.S., cultivates college counselors. The service, which was founded in 2019 and worked with more than 2,000 students last year, has developed relationships with counselors whose clients receive a discount for using Polygence.

Polygence proclaimed April to be Independent Educational Consultants Appreciation Month. It planned to raffle off prizes including “an all-expenses paid roundtrip to a college campus tour of your choice”

— it suggested the University of Hawaii — and “2 free pro bono Polygence research projects.”

Such perks appear to brush up against ethics codes of two college counseling associations, which prohibit members from accepting substantial compensation for student referrals. Asked about these rules, Polygence co-founder Jin Chow said the event celebrates all counselors, “regardless of whether or not they have partnered with us or sent us students.” Polygence then dropped the tour prize and added two more free research projects.

Then there’s the question of credentials. Lumiere Education’s website has routinely identified mentors as Ph.D.s even when they don’t have a doctorate and described itself as “founded by Oxford and Harvard PhDs,” even though its founders, Dhruva Bhat and Stephen Turban, are pursuing doctorates. It’s “shorthand,” Turban said. “We’re not trying to deceive anyone.” After ProPublica questioned the practice, Lumiere changed mentors’ credentials on its website from “PhD” to “PhD student.”

Paid “mentors,” who are frequently doctoral students, play key roles in the process of generating papers by high schoolers. The job is “one of the most lucrative side hustles for graduate students,” as one Columbia Ph.D. candidate in political science put it. Another Ph.D. candidate, who mentored for two services, said that one paid her $200 an hour, and the other paid $150 — far more than the $25 an hour she earned as a teaching assistant in an Ivy League graduate course.

In some instances, the mentors seem to function as something more than advisers. Since high schoolers generally don’t arrive with a research topic, the mentor helps them choose it, and then may pitch in with writing, editing and scientific analysis.

A former consultant at Athena Education, a service in India, recalled that a client thanked her for his admission to a world-famous university. Admissions interviewers had praised his paper, which she had heavily revised. The university “was tricked,” the consultant said, adding that other students who were academically stronger went to second-tier universities.

The Cornell Under-

graduate Economic Review, which accepts about 10% of submissions, published its first-ever paper by a high school student in 2021. Its editor-in-chief was impressed that the author, a Lumiere client in the Boston area, had used advanced econometrics to demonstrate that a reduced federal income tax subsidy for electric vehicles had caused sales to plummet.

But another editor, Andres Aradillas Fernandez, said he wondered whether the high-level work “was not at least partially” attributable to the mentor, a Ph.D. candidate in economics at an Ivy League university. He also felt uneasy that access to services like Lumiere is largely based on wealth. After Aradillas Fernandez became editor-in-chief last year and Lumiere clients submitted weaker papers, he notified Lumiere that the journal would no longer publish high school research.

The Boston-area Lumiere client declined comment. Turban, Lumiere’s co-founder, said the paper was “100 percent” the student’s work. The mentor said he showed the high schooler which mathematical formulas to use, but the student was “very motivated” and did the calculations himself. “I have to spoon feed him a bit on what to read and sometimes how to do it,” the mentor said.

The oldest online research mentorship program for high schoolers, Pioneer Academics, founded in 2012, has maintained relatively rigorous standards. It accepted 37% of its 4,765 applicants last year, and 13% of its students received full scholarships based on need. Pioneer “never promises academic journal publication,” according to its website.

“The push for publication leads young scholars astray,” Pioneer co-founder Matthew Jaskol said. “The message is that looking like a champion is more important than training to be a great athlete.”

Oberlin College gives credits to students for passing Pioneer courses. The college’s annual reviews have found that research done for Pioneer “far exceeded” what would be expected to earn credit, said Michael Parkin, an associate dean of arts and sciences at Oberlin and a former Pioneer mentor, who oversees the

collaboration. Pioneer pays Oberlin a small fee for each nonscholarship student given credit.

At Pioneer and other services, the most fulfilling projects are often impelled by the student’s curiosity, and gaining an edge in college admissions is a byproduct rather than the raison d’etre. Alaa Aboelkhair, the daughter of a government worker in Egypt, was fascinated as a child by how the stars constantly change their position in the sky. Googling in 2021, before her senior year of high school, she came across Lumiere, which gave her a scholarship. “The fact that we only know 5% of the universe drove me to study more,” she said. “That is my passion.”

At the suggestion of her Lumiere mentor, Christian Ferko, Alaa examined whether hypothetical particles known as axions could be detected by converting them into light. Lumiere was paying Ferko for weekly sessions, but he talked with Alaa several times a week. He emailed some textbooks to her and she found other sources on her own, working late into the night to finish her paper.

Since she chose not to submit her ACT score, the paper and Ferko’s recommendation were vital to her college applications. In March 2022, a Princeton admissions officer called Ferko to ask about Alaa. Ferko compared her to a first-year graduate student and said she showed the potential to make new discoveries. “My impression is this is something colleges do when they’re right on the fence of whether to admit the student,” Ferko said. “I did my best to advocate for her, without overstating.”

Princeton admitted only 3.3% of international applicants to the class of 2026, including Alaa. She said she received a full scholarship. (“Optional submissions are one factor among many in our holistic review process,” Princeton spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss said.)

A short walk from India’s first Trump Tower, in an upscale neighborhood known for luxury homes and gourmet restaurants, is the Mumbai office of Athena Education, a startup that promises to help students “join the ranks of Ivy League admits.” An attendant in a white uniform waits at

a standing desk to greet visitors in a lounge lined with paintings and featuring a coffee bar and a glass facade with a stunning view of the downtown skyline.

“We all strive to get things done while sipping Italian coffee brewed in-house,” a recent Athena ad read.

Co-founded in 2014 by two Princeton graduates, Athena has served more than 2,000 students. At least 80 clients have been admitted to elite universities, and 87% have gotten into top-50 U.S. colleges, according to its website. One client said that Athena charges more than a million rupees, or $12,200 a year, six times India’s annual per capita income. Athena declined comment for this story.

Around 2020, Athena expanded its research program and started emphasizing publication. Athena and similar services in South Korea and China cater to international students whose odds of getting accepted at a U.S. college are even longer than those American students face. MIT, for instance, accepted 1.4% of international applicants last year, compared with 5% of domestic applicants.

A former consultant said Athena told her that its students were the “creme de la creme.” Instead, she estimated, 7 out of 10 needed “hand-holding.”

For publication, Athena students have a readily available option: Questioz, an online outlet founded by an Athena client and run by high schoolers. Former Editor-in-Chief Eesha Garimella said that a mentor at Athena “guides us on the paper editing and publication process.” Garimella said Questioz publishes 75%-80% of submissions.

Athena students also place their work in the Houston-based Journal of Student Research. Founded in 2012 to publish undergraduate and graduate work, in 2017 the journal began running high school papers, which now make up 85% of its articles, co-founders Mir Alikhan and Daharsh Rana wrote in an email.

Last June, a special edition of the journal presented research by 19 Athena students. They tested noise-reduction algorithms and used computer vision to compare the stances of professional and amateur golfers. A

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survey of Hong Kong residents concluded that people who grew up near the ocean are more likely to value its conservation. Athena’s then-head of research was listed as a co-author on 10 of the projects.

Publication in JSR was “pretty simple,” said former Athena student Anjani Nanda, who surveyed 103 people about their awareness of female genital mutilation and found that they were poorly informed. “I never got any edits or suggested changes from their side.”

As Nanda’s experience suggests, virtual journals dedicated to high school research tend to be less choosy than traditional publications. They reflect a larger shift in academic publishing. Print journals typically accept a small percentage of submissions and depend on subscription revenue. Online publications tend to be free for the reader but charge a fee to the author — incentivizing the publications to boost revenue by accepting many articles.

The Journal of Student Research exemplifies this turnabout. It describes itself as peer-reviewed, the gold standard of traditional academic publishing. It relies on more than 90 reviewers at colleges across the U.S., and the typical review takes 12-24 weeks, according to its website.

In reality, it may not be so stringent. Four of eight reviewers whom ProPublica contacted said the journal has never asked them to evaluate a manuscript. (Some academics agreed to review for JSR but forgot over time, Alikhan and Rana said; others specialize in fields where the journal has received few submissions.)

And while authors pay an “article process -

ing charge” of $50 at submission and $200 at acceptance, for an extra $300 they can expedite “fast-track” review in four to five weeks. One Athena client who fast-tracked his manuscript so that it could be published in time for his college application said JSR accepted it without changes. He was admitted to a top-10 U.S. university. “I think it was important,” said the student. “I didn’t have much leadership in school so [I] needed other ways to get better extracurriculars.”

In “The Ultimate Guide to the Journal of Student Research,” a Lumiere “publication strategy associate” described JSR as a “safety” option that accepts 65% of submissions from Lumiere clients. “In our experience, we have noticed that JSR nearly never gives edits, and students always just advance straight to being accepted,” the Lumiere associate wrote.

Alikhan and Rana defended the journal’s standards. They said that many papers, which are submitted with the guidance of top mentors, hardly need editing: “Honestly, it is not the journal’s fault if their advisors working closely with students produce outstanding manuscripts.”

The journals are deluged with submissions. Founded in 2019, the International Journal of High School Research has expanded from four to six issues a year and may add more, said executive producer Fehmi Damkaci. “There is a greater demand than we envisioned,” he said, adding that the journal has become more selective.

As the pandemic closed labs and restricted fieldwork, forcing students to collect data and conduct interviews online, the Journal of Student Research “received an increased

volume of submissions,” Alikhan and Rana said. Polygence complained that several students who wanted to cite publications in their college applications hadn’t heard back from JSR for months. The papers were eventually published. Preprint platforms don’t even bother with peer review. The usual justification for preprints is that they quickly disseminate vital research, such as new information about vaccines or medical treatments. High school projects are rarely so urgent. Still, Polygence started a preprint platform last fall.

“The idea is for students to showcase their work and have them be judged by the scientific/peer/ college community for their merits,” co-founder Janos Perczel wrote to ProPublica.

The Journal of Student Research hosts preprints by clients of Scholar Launch and two other services. One preprint only listed the author’s first name, Nitya. Leaving out the last name is a small mistake, but one that hints at the frenzy to publish quickly.

Online research programs could end up victimized by their own success. College admissions consultant Jillian Nataupsky estimated that one-third of her clients undertake virtual research. “For students trying to find ways to differentiate themselves in this crazy competitive landscape, this has risen as a really great option,” she said. But “it’s becoming a little more commonplace. I can see it becoming completely overinundated in the next few years.”

Then the search can begin for the next leg up in college admissions. Republished with Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

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Pub. Monrovia Weekly 05/29/2023, 06/05/2023, 06/12/2023, 06/19/2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023108373 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as LA FAMOSA ESTRELLA RESTAURANT, 330 E Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on May 2023. Signed: Jorge Salvador Garcia, 641 Garfield Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 16, 2023. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 05/29/2023, 06/05/2023, 06/12/2023, 06/19/2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023114243

NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as 4 THOUSAND WEEKS LLC, 2345 Atlantic Blvd #1128, Monterey Park, CA 91754. Mailing Address, 5320 Repetto Ave, East Los Angeles, CA 90022. This business is conducted by a limited liability company (llc). Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on May 2023. Signed: 4 Thousand Weeks LLC (CA-92-1447251), 5320 Repetto Ave, East Los Angeles, CA 90022; Frances Pardo, CEO. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 24, 2023. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 05/29/2023, 06/05/2023, 06/12/2023, 06/19/2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023115286

NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as HELLODISCOUNTSTORE, 7065 Paramount Blvd, Pico Rivera, CA 90660. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. Signed: BEECRAZEE, INC (CA262775953), 7065 Paramount Blvd,

Pico Rivera, CA 90660; WON S LEE, PRESIDENT. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 24, 2023. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 05/29/2023, 06/05/2023, 06/12/2023, 06/19/2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023115131 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as ORRERY PRESS, 121 N Greenwood Ave, Pasadena, CA 91107. Mailing Address, PO Box 90043, Pasadena, CA 91109. This business is conducted by a married couple. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. Signed: (1). Anthony John Cook, 121 N Greenwood Ave, Pasadena, CA 91107 (2). Sonia Asuncion Alaras Cook, 121 N Greenwood Ave, Pasadena, CA 91107 (Husband). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 24, 2023. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 05/29/2023, 06/05/2023, 06/12/2023, 06/19/2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

FILE NO. 2023114653

STATEMENT

NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as KIMASH METAL WORKS, 1409 Virginia Ave Suit J, Baldwin Park, CA 91706. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on May 2018. Signed: Alvaro Olvera Palacios, 1275 San Gabriel Ave Apt #20, Azusa, CA 91702 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 24, 2023. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 05/29/2023, 06/05/2023, 06/12/2023, 06/19/2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023114153 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as FASHION ART CONNOISSEUR, 13330 Palos Grande Dr, Victorville, CA 92395. Mailing Address, 6963 SVL Box, VICTORVILLE, CA 92395. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on May 2023. Signed: LaToya Lewis, 13330 Palos Grande Dr, Victorville, CA 92395 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 23, 2023.

NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 05/29/2023, 06/05/2023, 06/12/2023, 06/19/2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023115298

NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as ANIROLLZ, 7065 Paramount Blvd, Pico Rivera, CA 90660. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. Signed: WSLICENSING, INC (CA-460750179), 7065 Paramount Blvd, Pico Rivera, CA 90660; WON S LEE, PRESIDENT. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on May 24, 2023. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 05/29/2023, 06/05/2023, 06/12/2023, 06/19/2023

Glendale City Notices

NOTICE OF PLANNING HEARING OFFICER HEARING

VARIANCE CASE NO. PVAR 1923322

LOCATION: 318 BROCKMONT DRIVE

APPLICANT: George Avetisyan

ZONE: “R1R” – Restricted Residential - FAR District II

LEGAL DESCRIPTION/APN: Lot 5, Block 6, Tract No. 8280 (APN: 5632-011-012)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The applicant is requesting approval to construct a new 2,305 square feet, two-story, single-family residence with an attached two-car garage. A previous house located on the site was damaged by fire and subsequently demolished down to the foundation. The applicant is requesting four variances to allow the reconstruction of the residence. The variances include:

Standard variance to allow development of a residence on a lot less than 7,500 square feet; Standard variance to allow a driveway length of 1-ft., 3-in.; Setback variance to allow a 1-ft., 3-in. street front setback; and • Setback variance to allow 6-ft., 6-in and 3-ft., 8-in interior setbacks.

ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION

The project is exempt from CEQA review as a Class 3 “New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures” exemption pursuant to Section 15303 of the State CEQA Guidelines because the project is the construction of a new single-family house. The property does not appear eligible for historic designation at the federal, state or local levels and is, therefore, not considered a historic resource under the California Environmental Quality Act.

PUBLIC HEARING

The Planning Hearing officer will conduct a public hearing regarding the above project at 633 E. BROADWAY (MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING) ROOM 105, GLENDALE, CA 91206, ON JUNE 7, 2023, AT 9:30 AM or as soon thereafter as possible. The purpose of the hearing is to hear comments from the public with respect to zoning concerns. The hearing will be held in accordance with Glendale Municipal Code, Title 30, Chapter 30.43. and 30.44.

The meeting can be viewed on Charter Cable Channel 6 or streamed online at: https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/management-services/gtv6/livevideo-stream . For public comments and questions during the meeting call 818-937-8100. City staff will be submitting these questions and comments in real time to the appropriate person during the Planning Hearing Officer Hearing. You may also testify in person at the hearing if you wish to do so.

If the final decision is challenged in court, testimony may be limited to issues raised before or at the public hearing.

The staff report and case materials will be available a week before the hearing date at www.glendaleca.gov/agendas.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: If you desire more information on the proposal, please contact the case planner Roger Kiesel in the Planning Division at RKiesel@glendaleca. gov, or (818) 937-8152, or (818) 548-2140. The staff report and case materials will be available before the hearing date at www.glendaleca.gov/agendas.

Any person having an interest in the subject project may participate in the hearing, by phone as outlined above, and may be heard in support of his/her opinion. Any person protesting may file a duly signed and acknowledged written protest with the Director of Community Development not later than the hour set for public hearing before the Hearing Officer. "Acknowledged" shall mean a declaration of property ownership (or occupant if not owner) under penalty of perjury. If you challenge the decision of this project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Glendale, at or prior to the public hearing. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, please notify the Community Development Department at least 48 hours (or two business days) for requests regarding sign language translation and Braille transcription services.

When a final decision is rendered, a decision letter will be posted online at www.glendaleca.gov/planning/decisions. An appeal may be filed within 15 days of the final decision date appearing on the decision letter. Appeal forms are available at https://www.glendaleca.gov/ home/showdocument?id=11926

Dr. S. Abajian

The City Clerk of the City of Glendale

Publish May 29, 2023

GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

Probate Notices

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

BARBARA ANN KREPS CARTER

CASE NO. PROSB2300569

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

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by JON TAYLOR CARTER in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN BERNARDINO. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that JON TAYLOR CARTER 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: 06/21/23 at 9:00AM in Dept. S37

located at 247 W. THIRD STREET, SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415

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 JON TAYLOR CARTER 63211 BLACK POWDER LANE BEND OR 97701 5/22, 5/25, 5/29/23 CNS-3702613# ONTARIO NEWS PRESS

LEGALS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

CARL ROBERT HENRY FRIESEN

CASE NO. 23STPB05359

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

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

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that JOHN VILLAREAL 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: 06/21/23 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 E. THOMAS CHAVEZ - SBN 123017, LAW OFFICE OF E. THOMAS CHAVEZ 301 E. COLORADO BLVD., STE. 611 PASADENA CA 91101 5/25, 5/29, 6/1/23

CNS-3703296#

GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: LEAH RAE ANDERSON CASE NO. 23STPB05355

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

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by RONALD LEE ANDERSON in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that RONALD LEE ANDERSON 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 limited 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 in this court as follows: 06/28/23 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

LISA WEINMANN - SBN 320109, PROBATE CALIFORNIA

17765 CALLE GRANADA MORGAN HILL CA 95037 5/25, 5/29, 6/1/23

CNS-3703492# BURBANK INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF JOHN DALE HUMPHREYS

Case No. 23STPB02897

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

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

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Jessica Lancaster 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.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on July 20, 2023 at 8:30 AM in Dept. 79. 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.

Petitioner: JESSICA LANCASTER

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF PATRICIA JEAN BILLINGS

Case No. 23STPB02178

To all heirs, beneficiaries, cred-itors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of PATRICIA JEAN BILLINGS

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Ana Maria Jimenez in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Ana Maria Jimenez 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 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 June 13, 2023 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 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 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 issu-ance 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:

RANDOLPH M SHARON ESQ

SBN 118607

LAW OFFICES OF RANDOLPH M SHARON APC

3125 OLD CONEJO RD THOUSAND OAKS CA 91320 CN997091 BILLINGS May 25,29, Jun 1, 2023 WEST COVINA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

RUBEN R. MARTINEZ

CASE NO. 23STPB05032

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of RUBEN R. MARTINEZ. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by RUBEN G. MARTINEZ in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that RUBEN G. MARTINEZ 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:

06/14/23 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 JASON A. FETCHIK - SBN 227832, DRISKELL, GORDON & FETCHIK 180 N. GLENDORA AVENUE, SUITE 201 GLENDORA CA 91741 5/25, 5/29, 6/1/23

CNS-3703780# WEST COVINA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: CHARLOTTE WAMPLER CASE NO. 23STPB05413

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

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

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that SHOUSHAN MOVSESIAN 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:

06/23/23 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.

Attorney for Petitioner

KAREN KNUTSON - SBN 216066, LAW OFFICES OF KAREN KNUTSON 11965 VENICE BLVD., SUITE 404 LOS ANGELES CA 90066 5/25, 5/29, 6/1/23

CNS-3703983#

PASADENA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: BRIJDEEP CHAWLA

CASE NO. 23STPB01702

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

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by OMAR CHAWLA in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that OMAR CHAWLA 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: 07/28/23 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

ROZSA GYENE, ESQ. - SBN

208356

LAW OFFICE OF ROZSA GYENE

450 N. BRAND BLVD., STE 623 GLENDALE CA 91203

5/25, 5/29, 6/1/23

CNS-3704495#

GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

changing names as follows: PRESENT

NAME Christina Soon Choi PROPOSED

NAME Soon Yi Choi. 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 reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice Of Hearing Date: 06/28/2023 Time: 8:30am Dept. D100. REMOTE HEARING

The address of the court is Central Justice Center 700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Anaheim Press Date: May 3, 2023 Layne H Melzer Judge of the Superior Court Pub Dates: May 8, 15, 22, 29, 2023 ANAHEIM PRESS

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME PETITION OF Thi Oanh Do FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: 23PSCP00187 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, Ca 91766, East Judicial District TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioner Thi Oanh Do filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name a. OF Thi Oanh Do to Proposed name Krystine Oanh Do 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 hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 07/07/2023 Time: 8:30AM Dept: L. 5th Floor The address of the court is same as noted above. 3. a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the day set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Baldwin Park Press DATED: April 26, 2023 Wesley L. Hsu JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT Pub. May 8, 15, 22, 29 , 2023 BALDWIN PARK PRESS

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME PETITION OF Michael Lederer Kellner FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: 23AHCP00194 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 150 W Commonwealth Ave, Alhambra Ca 90801, Northeast Judicial District TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

1. Petitioner Michael Lederer Kellner filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name a. OF Michael Lederer Kellner to Proposed name Michael Durant Kellner 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 hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 06/30/2023 Time: 8:30AM Dept: X. Room: 405 The address of the court is same as noted above. 3. a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the day set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Alhambra Press DATED: May 4, 2023 Robin Miller Sloan JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT Pub. May 8, 15, 22, 29, 2023 ALHAMBRA PRESS

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME PETITION OF Marian Aucamp, a minor by and through Anna Aucamp, her mother FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: 23CHCP00201 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 9425 Penfield Ave, Chatsworth, Ca 91311, North Valley Judicial District TO

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioner Anna Maria Aucamp filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name a. OF Marian Annette Aucamp to Proposed name Annette Marian Aucamp 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 hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing NOTICE OF HEARING a.

Date: 07/11/2023

Time: 8:30AM Dept: F51. The address of the court is same as noted above. 3. a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the day set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Pasadena Press

DATED: May 9, 2023 David B. Gelfound

Three juniors at Hillcrest High School took top honors in a Riverside Public Utilities essay contest that queried local youth for their ideas on sustainable home design, officials announced Thursday.

Students were asked to write an essay between 800 and 1,500 words in length that included a design idea incorporating either water or energy conservation. The contest was open to individual students in grades 9-12 living in or attending public or private school in Riverside Public Utilities’ service area.

“The students’ essays show a real depth of knowledge and understanding

Hillcrest High School students take top awards in essay contest on sustainable home design

By Staff

of the issues facing our local utility and California overall,” RPU Board Chair Gil Oceguera said in a statement. “We are fortunate to have such bright young people as part of our effort to build a more sustainable city, state and nation.”

First place went to James To, whose essay “The Importance of Sustainable Home Design” dealt with the use of environmentally friendly building materials to reduce carbon emissions as well as prefab housing, which uses fewer materials, requires less labor saving time and money and often produces less building waste.

Jacob Lattig won second place with his essay “An Attainable Sustainable

Motorcycle ride

Home Design,” which focused on water conservation techniques in new home builds, siting for optimum

indoor lighting and new developments in solar technology, such as replacing windows with clear glass

solar panels.

Third place went to Giselle Flores, whose essay “Water Conservation: Motion-Sensored Faucets” focused on saving water through the use of bathroom faucets equipped with motion sensors — which is especially useful for small children.

RPU employees judged the essays. Judges, who included engineers from a variety of engineering disciplines, relied on a set of criteria to determine the winners: effectiveness in communicating ideas fully, demonstrating understanding of sustainable living, accuracy of research, incorporation of technical information to support ideas,

creativity, originality in content selection, grammar, spelling and mechanics.

“Sustainability and climate change are two of the biggest issues facing our industry,” RPU General Manager Todd Corbin said in a statement. “These students demonstrated a real understanding of those challenges, and they have bright futures ahead of them.”

Monetary prizes totaled $600 for first, $400 for second and $200 for third, officials said.

More information on the 2022 and earlier essay contests is available at https://riversideca.gov/utilities/about-rpu/educationprograms/essay-contest.

Riverside parks department recognized for at-risk youth programs

By Staff

The ride will run southbound on I-215 into Murrieta, then swing northbound onto I-15, ending at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore. A car show and concert are planned at the stadium, wrapping up by late Monday afternoon.

Dodd said that last week’s natural gas explosion at the stadium will not impact the West Coast Thunder program because the damage was to a building under construction, not the facilities that will be used by the WCT crowd.

A large share of proceeds raised from the rides and musical shows are donated to the Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee, which relies on contributions to build monuments and make other improvements at the hallowed grounds, where more than 250,000 U.S. military veterans, police officers, firefighters and others are interred.

More than $1 million has been generated over the past two decades, and even when the rides weren’t held, the West Coast Thunder Foundation continued with donation drives to support the cemetery, with $25,000 going to the American Indian Veterans Memorial in 2021.

More information about the rides is available at https://www.westcoastthunder.com.

The city of Riverside’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department has received the 2022 Creating Community Award of Excellence by the California Parks and Recreation Society, the city announced.

The award highlights the city’s “equitable and inclusive programming in music and the arts for at-risk youth,” officials said in a statement. Programs spotlighted for recognition included the Recreational Arts Program, or RAP, at Bobby Bonds Park; the Friendly Stars at La Sierra Campus; and the Project Building Resources for the Intervention and Deterrence of Gang Engagement, or Project BRIDGE, at the Youth Opportunity Center.

“Our team has worked diligently and hard to bring much needed resources that are of value to Riverside,” PRCS Director Pamela Galera said in a statement. “This is a huge win not just for our department, but also for the City as we push forward with the Envision Riverside 2025 strategic plan.”

The award recognizes the department’s efforts to encourage diversity, equity and inclusion —DEI — as well as the strategic plan’s interweaving threads of “Community Trust, Sustainability & Resiliency, Innovation, Equity

and Fiscal Responsibility,” according to the city of Riverside.

The California Parks and Recreation Society works to promote the evolution and advancement of the parks and recreation profession “through education,

networking, resources and advocacy, officials said. “The awards program recognizes outstanding achievement in the areas of facility design, park planning, marketing and communications, and community improvement and programming.”

A West Coast Thunder ride. | Photo courtesy of West Coast Thunder

A plaque from the California Parks and Recreation Society recognizes Riverside’s parks department for its at-risk youth programs. | Photo courtesy of the city of Riverside

| Image courtesy of the city of Riverside

award-winning author and playwright,” officials said. “In his application, Mr. Waedekin shared that he believes he is here to ‘create stories, to share stories, and to inspire others to create and to share their stories.’”

A project in Waedekin’s classroom, “Book About Me,” begins with a blank 24-page book that serves as a self-reflection tool for kids

Teachers of the Year

teenage bullying and suicide, and has had over 30 productions staged nationwide,” officials said. Waedekin also recently published his first children’s book, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Finkle.”

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, he earned a fine arts master’s degree in theatrical writing from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his teaching credential is from Loyola Marymount University.

like a ship captain, Ms. Hill strives to create an immersive and authentic learning experience that not only brings the standards to life, but establishes creativity as a foundation to drive learning,” officials said.

In her application, Hill said, “Teaching and working with children is my passion and creating a family classroom culture where students are unconditionally cared for is the foundation.”

Bernardino,” officials said. “She completed a master’s degree in the art of teaching from San Diego Christian College in 2023.”

A total of four Teachers of the Year will represent Riverside County in the 2024 California Teacher of the Year competition, where at least one county teacher has been selected as a California Teacher of the Year in eight of the last 10 years:

Middle School, Romoland School District; 2016 — Michelle Cherland, Carrillo Ranch Elementary School, Desert Sands USD; 2014 — Jessica Pack, James Workman Middle School, Palm Springs USD Riverside-area Teachers of the Year are chosen from approximately 20,000 educators in the county.

roughed him up at the party house.

According to testimony, the defendant and his cousin joined dozens of others at the location, and as the excitement continued into the predawn hours of Feb. 2, 2020, there were confrontations, including one involving Jared Zesk and several other people, resulting in Zesk taking a few thumps before he was pushed out the door.

Beecham said Darren Zesk was infuriated over his cousin’s treatment, and before leaving the premises, he openly vowed to “come back and shoot up the party.”

“He went and got guns for him and his cousin, and he returned to the house with a handgun hidden in his waistband,” the prosecutor

to document their lives as a student as well as their goals as a graduating young adult. His work has appeared at UCLA, West Coast Theatre Ensemble, the Chicago Playwrights Center, Manhattan Theatre Club, the York Theatre and other venues, according to the Office of Education.

Waedekin’s play “The Invisible J. Michael Hess” explores “the problems of

Within the four walls of Lindsay Hill’s fourth-grade classroom, “students experience the colors, customs, cultures, history, and geography of California,” officials said. “Floor-to-ceiling painted classroom murals display the major regions of the Golden State — alongside family photos from trips that students and families take throughout the year that serve as realia,” which are things from everyday life that are used as teaching aids.

“By incorporating the class mascot, Bigfoot, constructing Native American totem poles, and dressing up and talking

Office of Education officials noted that Hill’s passion for student achievement partially stems from surmounting the challenges of dyslexia when she was in school. Hill’s commitment to promoting literacy manifests with her service as a reading intervention specialist. In this role she supports the school’s Read-aThon, launching the school’s Reading Lab and writing a children’s book series called “Catching Twilight.”

“After graduating from California State University, Fullerton, Ms. Hill earned her teaching credential from California State University, San

Murder proposal

said.

The young Riverside man went in and out of the house multiple times, leaving his cousin near his car parked a short distance away, according to Beecham. Zesk got Cole’s attention, in what the prosecutor said was a specific effort to single out a Black person, but what defense attorney Darryl Exum countered was his client’s desire to engage anyone he felt had shown disrespect to him and his cousin.

“He was there with a gun because he got disrespected,” Exum told jurors. “He wanted to get revenge. But it wasn’t against anybody in particular. There is no evidence that he picked out Mr. Cole.”

Beecham said that because the defendant

had posted “a song about killing Black people” and had used the N-word on various occasions, including in text messages, there was evidence the killing had been racially motivated.

Cole followed Zesk to the side of the party house, as the defendant loudly repeated several times, “We’re going to fight,” Beecham told jurors, adding that the defendant used the “N” word at least once.

Exum dismissed the idea that the imprecation suggested Zesk’s actions were fueled by racial animosity. He played videos from the party in which an unidentified man is heard repeating the “N” word numerous times, referring to his “boys,” without eliciting anger from anyone around him.

The attorney also pointed out that Zesk had “pages and pages and pages of Black artists,” listing his favorites on social media sites.

According to Exum, his client was “under intense emotion” when he returned to the party armed, and when he attacked Cole, “he shot from the hip,” not bothering to take aim because he was motivated only to shoot, not to kill. The attorney contended it was an act of voluntary manslaughter.

“He shot Massai in the back, chest and elbow,” Beecham said. “He drew that weapon, pointed it and pulled the trigger.”

After the shooting, the cousins fled to Riverside. Cole died at the scene. Witnesses immediately

At least one teacher from Riverside County has been selected as a California Teacher of the Year in eight of the last 10 years:

2022 — Nichi Aviña, Cielo Vista Charter School, Palm Springs USD; 2021 — Keisa Brown, University Heights Middle School, Riverside USD, and Allison Cyr, Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School, Desert Sands USD; 2020 — Brenda Chavez-Barreras, Good Hope Elementary School, Perris ESD; 2019 — Dr. Angel Mejico, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD; 2018 — Brian McDaniel, Painted Hills Middle School, Palm Springs USD; 2017 —

Shaun Bunn, Ethan A. Chase

“The application process requires candidates to spend time reflecting on, and carefully defining, their teaching philosophy,” according to the Office of Education. “The county teachers of the year are selected on the basis of nominations by teachers, principals, and school district administrators throughout the county. Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where a selection committee reviews the applications on each district candidate and selects semi-finalists. The selection committee then conducts interviews and site visits to select the final four candidates before the county superintendent announces the honorees.”

identified the Zesks as the perpetrators, and they were arrested soon afterward.

Jared Zesk pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter

and was sentenced last June to 11 years in state prison. Neither defendant had documented prior felony convictions.

Darren Peter Zesk. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

James Waedekin, left, and Edwin Gomez, superintendent of schools. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Office of Education