October 8, 2021 La Mirada Lamplighter eNewspaper

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Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012- 2017.

WWW.LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM 6 ELIVERED TO OMES Every VERY Week EEK LA MIRADA, CA., NOVEMBER 22 , 2019 Serving La Mirada and ten other surrounding communities • October 8, 2021 • lmlamplighter.com Delivered to 10,000 Homes

CALTRANS REROUTED TRAFFIC WITHOUT INFORMING CERRITOS, ILLEGALAttended MOVE WILL THE CITY OVER $5 MILLION WhiteCOST Supremacist Meeting

BY BRIAN HEWS Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News has obtained a letter, dated September 6, 2019, addressed to Caltrans from the city of Cerritos that blasts the state agency for rerouting tractor-trailer traffic through the City due to I-5 construction projects. Shockingly, the rerouting was done without notifying the City.

The City is claiming that the rerouting has caused over $5 million in damage to the streets, increased pollution in the area, increased traffic noise, and increased the safety risk of residents. Further the letter states that Caltrans is in violation of the project’s final Environmental Impact Report which obligates the agency to coordinate with cities to minimize adverse impacts

during the construction period. “Caltrans has failed to coordinate thus far, and any further lack of communication or consultation with the City and its residents is unacceptable.” The City blasted Caltrans for establishing a detour route on southbound Carmenita between the I-5 and Artesia Blvd., and eastbound Artesia Blvd. between Carmenita and the I-5. “Neither stretch of Carmeni-

OCCC HELPING DURING THE PANDEMIC THE OC CONSERVATION CORPS proved instrumental in the lives of those impacted by COVID-19. One of the actions was delivering more than 6,000 COVID tests per day throughout the county.

OC Conservation Corp Members Overcome Redistricting Diversity While Serving Area Residents Commission Releases BY LAURIE HANSON employment, training and edu- Free Online Mapping cational programs designed to

onto arterial streets.” ABCUSD Board MemberflowsApodaca Calls The City then cited the nusafety hazards caused by the rerouting of traffic, concerns on Vice-President Soo merous Yoo to Resign that have been voiced by Cerri-

ta or Artesia is a city designated truck route, commercial vehicles over 6,000 pounds are strictly prohibited on the streets, per City Municipal Code.” The Caltrans rerouting of The Cerritos Republican trucks has caused severe damage and increased traffic Club refuses to releaseat peak hours, themeeting extensive video of thatdamage alone is estimated “to cost $5.2 shows Yoo saying very million to repair,” and the “avercontroversial statements. age daily traffic on said streets has significantly increased and BY BRIAN HEWS

tos residents in calls“our andchildren emails tendees, Yoo stated, to both HMG-LCCN andsomethe shouldn’t feel bad about thing City. that happened 200 years ago, we need to get overon that.” The rerouting Carmenita Another discussion ensued takes large trucks by two schools, about board member cooperaStowers Elementary and Carmetion, with Yoo’s subsequent statenita Middle school in addition ment violating ethics policies of the board. “ISee will even work CALTRANS pagewith 14 Democrats on the board to get things done.” The board is by statute, bipartisan, any mention of politics violates ethics policies and the member can be censured. But the most controversial action, jumping out of her car Seeand ABCUSD pagethe 12 grabbing the boy helping woman. She took them to Artesia High School, where they received medical assistance and were ultimately transported to the hospital. Because of her selfless actions, the City of Lakewood recently awarded Bridget with the Mayor’s Award at the city’s anBY BRIAN HEWS nual Awards of Valor ceremony. "I always wondered what I At their Tuesday meeting, would do when faced with a situthe Pico Rivera City Council, in ation like this one," said Perrizo. a unanimous vote, approved a "By the grace of God, I had the moratorium on smoke in courage to take action.shops I'm so the city for at least 45 days from glad that both the mom and son Tuesday, 28 so andhonored probably are okay, Sep. and I'm to longer, while city staff writes receive this award.” policies and procedures to regulate the shops. See HERO page 15 A smoke shop is a place that allots more than 15% of floor space to the sale of tobacco or tobacco products, smoking devices, electronic cigarettes, or drug paraphernalia, Carmona

ARTESIA HIGH STAFF-MEMBER RECEIVES AWARD OF VALOR FROM LAKEWOOD

Embattled ABCUSD VicePresident Soo Yoo was called on to resign by Board Member Dr. Chris Apodaca at the last board meeting for what many call racist and homophobic comments made BY THOM MARTIN by Yoo at a local meeting. The demand by Dr. Apodaca The City of Lakewood held stems from Yoo’s attendance at its annual Award of Valor luna highly controversial meeting cheon on Nov. 6 to thank the men at the Cerritos Library where the and women of the Los Angeles Cerritos Republican Club invited County Sheriff’s Department and white supremacist and Proud Boy Fire Department, as well as the supporter Gracey Van De Merke community volunteers who proto speak; the subject of the meettect and serve Lakewood. ing was Critical Race Theory. Bridget Perrizo, a staff memApparently, Yoo felt emboldber Artesia High was honored enedat by the right-wing attendwhen she helped twowith people ees and discussions Vanthat De was being by a dog. Merke, andattacked subsequently went on Bridget, was right-leaning racistheaded rant. back to work from lunch when she spotSources are telling HMG-CN ted a dog attacking a woman and that the Cerritos Republican Club young boy. The dog had knocked has a video of the meeting, but themnot to the ground were will release it toand the they public. screaming for help. Yoo started off by alleging immediately thatBridget Planned Parenthood “wastook after our kids. Right now, they can leave campus and get an abortion.” That is untrue, ABCUSD kids cannot leave campus without permission. A discussion about slavery surfaced, and, according to at-

Pico Rivera Places Moratorium on Smoke Shops

In times of trouble, the Or- build self-sufficiency. Recently ange County Conservation they’ve proven themselves in- Resident's can submit Corps (OCCC) is one nonprofit strumental in the lives of those input directly to the state of California’s official successfully serving the com- impacted by COVID-19. munity while members simul“Our organization is proud redistricting process. taneously overcome their own of the tremendous work effort our Corps members completed hardships. Located in Anaheim with as frontline workers during the BY TAMMYE MCDUFF satellite offices in Fullerton and height of the COVID-19 crisis,” Irvine, the organization serves said Chief Executive Officer This past Saturday, October the neediest and hardest to Katharyn O. Muñiz, who has 2, the 2020 California Citizens reach segment of youth ages 18 Redistricting Commission anTRASH piles upCounty at a condominium complex in Hawaiian City chose Waste Resources See CCCGardens. page 13 The to 26 in Orange through nounced the Statewide DataIncorporated as their new hauler, who said they would immediately begin trash pick up. Photo Brian Hews. base’s release of two free-to-use tools to help Californians submit their ideas regarding redistricting plans to the Commission. These are the only redistrictBY BRIAN HEWS and meaningful experiences.” ing applications through which BY BRIAN HEWS “Poor leadership, no foresight Metros' Board approved the included several default letters, users can submit their input dion the situation, typical of this Community college and K-12 program, which will be funded by which, under California’s Public See SMOKE page 12 rectly to the stateSection of California’s While rotting trashMetro is accumuCityBiden's Council,” Code 49000, students can now ride trains the ARP.former SchoolHawaiian districts Resource official redistricting process. lating in many parts of Hawaiian will Gardens Mayor Rodriguez starts the clock on termination. and buses for free. also pay a feeRey per student. “Thestaff Commission excited Gardens, Mayor Myra Maravilla told HMG-LCCN. City even wentisthe extra Starting this month, K-12 and The Los Angeles Times report- to share these free resources to and the City Council finally conThe staff report included in step and attempted to work with community college students in ed this week that the ABCUSDhelp people draw their own disducted a hearing, waiting an enlast week’s meeting presented CWS to cure the breaches and L.A. can now take unlimited Met- will not participate, citing "cost or trict maps,” stated Commission tire week, and allowing the trash clear evidence that CWS was in defaults starting in March of this ro bus and train rides for free. lack of students who ride public Chaireach Sara of Sadhwani. “TheCWS sucto accumulate even more, tocards once aviolation of its contract with the year, which gave Students will receive TAP transportation." cess of this decennial [occurring again discuss terminating CWS’ City, but Mayor Maravilla and the steps to resolve the defaults. from their schools this month. The Whenwere HMG-CN contract. will cost nearly $50 mil- Council In ten addition the default noapparentlycontacted afraid to every years]toprocess depends program ABC, officials said,trigger, "We leavwere tices, Under the Ralph M. Brown the City also attempted to pull the termination on the participation of all Calilion and run through June 2023. surprised that we were noted as Act,InMaravilla and the City Counarrange meetings with CWS but ing residents driving by stinky fornians. We want to hear from a joint statement, officials cil could out a wrote, notice not did not most meetpilesparticipating of trash forinthe the foreseeable L.A. Times CWS everyone and attend want to know if from L.A.have areasent schools and held a meeting within two ings. future. article that was published yesterour line drawing is heading in ARTESIA HIGH staff-member Bridget Perrizo received the Award of "Getting a free Metro TAP card days to address the situation. The voluminous staff report Valor from Lakewood for saving two in a dog attack. into the hands of every Los Ange- day as we have no record of being the right direction.” See TRASH page 15 The Statewide Database is HELP TO FIX POOL: Senator Bob Archuleta was joined by Pico les student will be a big help, it is asked to join the program. District unlimited not just for school, but staff is working to find out more proud to provide two map cre- Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona; Mayor Pro Tem Monica Sanchez and others to celebrate the budget win of $1M to repair the Olympicaccess to the city, intern jobs, ad- about the program and how it may ditional educational opportunities benefit our students." See REDISTRICT page 12 size swimming pool located at the Smith Park Aquatic Center.

Students CanFINALLY Now GetGET a Free Metro Pass TRASH WILL CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN GARDENS

Townhomes Open in La Mirada

Local officials and staff and owners from Warmington Home watch as La Mirada Mayor Ed Eng cuts the ribbon. Page 2.

Foundation Offering Free Hearing Aids

Kim Ortega, Au.D, (r) owner of the Whittier Hearing Center, with a patient who received free hearing aids. Page 6.

Lakewood Car Wash Will Hold Halloween Ghosts and ghouls will pop out throughout the wash, with additional surprises each night. Page 7.


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