HEWS MEDIA GROUP
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right." ~Mark Twain
Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2018.
Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities • December 3, 2021 • Vol. 36, No. 3 • loscerritosnews.net
Associate of Supremacist Invited to Cerritos Library Pushing Extremist Agenda on ABCUSD
Rogue Water Director
An associate of known white supremacist Gracey Van Der Mark contacted the ABCUSD Board. Did Soo Yoo and Mike Eugenio invite her? By Brian Hews
HELPING SENIORS DURING THANKSGIVING AREA RESIDENTS helped served meals to seniors. Mayor Jennifer Perez, Councilmember Ana Valencia, City Manager Jesus Gomez, City Staff, the Sheriff's Department and volunteers delivered 160 warm meals to very thankful older adults.
Norwalk Served Over 160 Meals to Senior Residents, Continuing the Vernola Tradition By Tammye McDuff There was one thing lucky residents could count on in Norwalk every Thanksgiving, former Mayor Luigi Vernola, who passed away this year, and his family handing out turkey dinners and toys to underprivileged families. Vernola himself would go down to Los Angeles warehouses, buy hundreds of toys for the children, and hand the toys and turkeys out before Thanksgiving. Now the family has continued the tradition. The City of Norwalk cares deeply for the well-being of senior residents. Mayor Jennifer Perez, Councilmember Ana Valencia, City Manager Jesus Gomez, City Staff, the Sheriff's Department and volunteers delivered 160 warm meals, in just a little over two hours, to seniors in the community last week. "Thank you to all the sponsors, partners, staff, and volunteers for making the Thanksgiving lunch deliveries possible," said Perez, "the program ensures Norwalk seniors have a delicious Thanksgiving meal. A
very special thanks to the Vernola Family and Vernola Towing for their generous support and continuing the legacy of Luigi Vernola through their giving back to the community." The Thanksgiving meals were prepared by SoCal Pizza that included a traditional turkey dinner with stuffing and mashed potatoes; the Senior Center added pumpkin pie and sparkling apple cider to complete the donation. A team of employee volunteers came in at 9:00 am to pack bags and deliver door-to-door to those homebound senior citizens. The Norwalk Senior Center offers a variety of social services to assist the older adult population, who are seeking solutions to their current situations. Supportive services are available to Norwalk residents age 60 years and older. These services assist clients with daily in-home assistance to help preserve and maintain their quality of life and to remain independent living in their home. For more information or questions send an email to seniorcenter@norwalkca.gov .
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n September of this year, Gracey Van Der Mark, a politician who has been accused of being affiliated with white supremacists while at the same time being accused of racist social media posts, spoke at the Cerritos Library. A flyer was circulated on so-
Artesia Holds First Town Hall Meeting Since Pandemic
COMMUNITY POLICING
By Tammye McDuff
By Brian Hews
Artesia City Council held a long-awaited Town Hall Meeting in the City Council Chambers Monday evening. The meeting gave residents the opportunity to address the City Council on matters of interest and receive updates on current city projects and events. The major talking points were cannabis, public safety, crossing guards, land use development, and how grant monies were spent. Mayor Rene Trevino said that he ran for City Council to make changes. "As I drive down the street, I would like to change the way Artesians see the city. I want us to work on the simple things in everyday life, such as public safety. Can we get to zero crime? No, but we can reduce it. Reducing the crime rate means bringing in new technology, increasing the detectives and neighborhood watch programs." Another topic of discussion was senior residents, some are isolated and do not have family
Public safety is something that the Pico Rivera Sheriff's Department's deputies take very seriously with personnel always looking for innovative ways to increase patrols around the City. Last month, the Station added
See ARTESIA page 4
cial media under the Cerritos Republican Club logo who sponsored the event. The flyer was also seen on the right-wing Republican-leaning Facebook page, Cerritos Press One, which has blocked HMGCN from joining. The flyer promoting Van Der Mark's appearance at the library was entitled What are your kids learning? "Join the non-partisan, no-cost, educational conversation on our children's education. Critical Race Theory is being taught to our students without our consent and we must engage together for the future of our kids." Sources told HMG-CN that
See EXTREMIST page 12
PICO RIVERA USING SHERIFF'S BIKE PATROLS TO HELP FIGHT CRIME one more patrolling tool to their tool box: Bicycles. The Sheriff's Department trained patrol Deputies, Reserve Deputies, and Volunteers to take part in the new patrolling efforts. Bicycle patrols in cities have returned to the forefront of polic-
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HELLO! Deputy Monica Grana and Deputy Brandon Longoria patrol Pico Rivera streets. The patrols have proven to be very effective in fighting crime, in other cities bike patrol officers arrest many more unsuspecting criminals than car patrols.