HEWS MEDIA GROUP
"I love Thanksgiving because it's a holiday that is centered around food and family." ~Marcus Samuelsson
Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2018.
Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities • November 19, 2021 • Vol. 36, No. 3 • loscerritosnews.net
Four Lakewood City Councilmembers Choose District Voting Map Nobody Wanted Allegations of back room deals, Brown Act violations mar the process. One new district won't vote until 2024. By Brian Hews
GROCERY TECHNOLOGY INVADES CERRITOS AREA RESIDENTS can now enjoy Amazon Fresh, which opened in Cerritos yesterday. The technology allow shoppers to enter the store, grab their groceries and leave without Amazon employee interaction.
Amazon Fresh Opens in Cerritos, Store Uses 'Just Walk Out' Technology By Brian Hews Amazon Fresh opened in Cerritos, unveiling their ‘just walk out’ technology – a first for California. Shoppers who opt for Just Walk Out shopping can enter the store in three ways: by scanning the QR code in their Amazon app, using Amazon One to scan their palm or inserting a credit or debit card linked to their Amazon account. Each option will open the Just Walk Out gates. Once inside the store, any products shoppers take off the shelf is automatically added to their virtual cart, and anything they put back on the shelf comes out of their virtual cart. When finished, customers shopping with the Just Walk Out experience scan or insert their entry method again to exit. Shoppers not yet comfortable with the sci-fi-meetssupermarket experience have other payment options. Staffed checkout lanes are available to pay with cash, credit or debit card, Amazon One, the In-Store code in the Amazon App, or SNAP EBT. It all makes for a digital,
hands-free shopping experience. But Amazon officials stress that employees will still be on hand for customers who want to shop the traditional way with a live checkout clerk. Some are concerned about job loss. In a 2020 statement, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union described the technology as “part of a ruthless strategy to eliminate as many good jobs as possible.” “Let there be no doubt that Amazon represents a direct threat to 16 million American retail jobs and is part of a ruthless strategy to eliminate as many good jobs as possible. This so-called cashier-less technology is nothing but a trojan horse that will let Amazon control and monopolize competing retailers and give Jeff Bezos direct access to their customer data. It is time for regulators and our elected leaders to act before Amazon does lasting damage to our already-fragile economy.” Others think it will allow stores to be more competitive and add jobs elsewhere in the store. The new market is located at 11340 South St. in Landmark Square.
Pico Rivera Survey Shows Residents Happy With City Residents want to see additional revitalization, business districts and dining and shopping options. By Brian Hews In June 2019, Pico Rivera began the process of formulating a strategic plan, spearheaded by the City Council and the City Manager. The city retained the consulting firm of McIntyre & St. Clair who facilitated several planning sessions As a result of the sessions, a Strategic Working Group (SWG) was formed comprised of different City Staff members with diverse backgrounds and experience. Under the direction of City Manager Steve Carmona, the SWG drafted a Community Outreach & Engagement Plan, a comprehensive survey of the city’s residential population. The city retained True North Research, Inc. (True North) to develop and conduct a commu-
See PICO RIVERA page 12
A few months ago, Lakewood decided to establish voting districts after a CVRA lawsuit was threatened by a local attorney. The city set up guidelines and procedures to draw the maps. No matter, after months of
public hearings, local gerrymandering has hit the Southwest Los Angeles County city with a vengeance. In a series of well-attended meetings, residents, otherwise known as constituents, gave their input on which maps they thought were fair. But that apparently did not concern the Lakewood City Council, who is twisted and turned its way to a map no one wanted, led by Vice-Mayor Croft along with Councilmen Ariel Pe and Todd Rogers, and newly appointed Councilwoman Vickie Stuckey.
See LAKEWOOD page 12
Employee Mandate, Not for Riders
Hahn Wants Law Agencies That Contract With Metro to Enforce Vaccine Mandate By Brian Hews Yesterday, the Los Angeles Metro Board of Directors Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn which requires law enforcement agencies that contract with Metro to
enforce a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for their employees. The motion was adopted as an amendment to an item that would extend Metro’s contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and
See METRO page 12
La Mirada Rotary Provides Food to Needy
MEMBERS of the La Mirada Rotary buy groceries at their local Grocery Mart. The Club was shopping for food items to donate to Good Sam Pantry for Thanksgiving to give out to the underprivileged in La Mirada.