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Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2018.
Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities • December 17, 2021 • Vol. 36, No. 3 • loscerritosnews.net
Long Beach YMCA Celebrates Giving to Aloha ES Students
NORWALK
Council Approves Development Agreement for ‘Heart of Norwalk’ Plan By Brian Hews On July 6, 2021, the Norwalk City Council adopted The Heart of Norwalk Vision Plan, a vision for the future of San Antonio Village and the Firestone Corridor, two key neighborhoods in the center of the City. San Antonio Village and the Firestone Corridor encompass the oldest sections of Norwalk. This area is where the City began, and it remains its very heart. Today it lies midway between the Metrolink train station and the Metro Green Line rail terminus, and many of
See NORWALK page 12
CPUC Considering Disincentivizing Solar Purchases and Crushing Customers
By Myra Maravilla Hawaiian Gardens Councilmember YOU GET A BIKE! ABC Superintendent Dr. Sieu (far left) celebrates with Aloha third-grade students, 55 bikes were donated by the YMCA Bikes for Kids program. The entire third grade class at Aloha Health Medical Academy (Elementary School) received a big surprise this holiday season in the form of new bikes from the YMCA of Greater Long Beach's Bikes for Kids program. All of the school's third-graders gathered in the multi-purpose room, thinking that only winners of an essay contest would each receive a bike. The winners were announced, and a
curtain was pulled down, revealing bikes for all 55 students. "We are so thrilled that our partners, the YMCA of Greater Long Beach, helped our students during this holiday season," said Principal Danielle Saldavia Pouncey. "We serve a population of students and families experiencing difficult times due to the pandemic, and this is such a
See YMCA page 12
Dr. Monica Sánchez Sworn in as Pico Rivera Mayor
By Brian Hews
See SOLAR page 12
Hawaiian Gardens’ Political Representation Sunk by Redistricting Commission Proposal places Hawaiian Gardens with Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley and Cypress among others.
Proposing a $57 per month penalty, cutting residential export credits by 80%, most are calling it a utility profit grab.
This week, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) released a proposed decision on "net metering," the policy that is responsible for the growth of solar in California. The CPUC proposal would add a $57 per month solar penalty fee for the average residential solar system. A $15 per month credit for the first 10 years would only partially offset the fee, but California would still have the highest solar penalty fees in the country. Low-income ratepayers and commercial customers would not pay the monthly fee. In addition, the commission proposed slashing export credits to approximately 5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) on all solar users, including schools and churches. This is an 80% reduction from the 2030 cents per kWh credited today for residential customers. Further, the commission reduced the
Commentary
REORGANIZATION: Newly appointed Pico Rivera Mayor Dr. Monica Sanchez, center, with, from (l-r), Councilman Raul Elias, Mayor pro tem Erik Lutz, and Councilmen Andrew Lara and Gustavo Camacho.
By Brian Hews This week, Dr. Monica Sánchez and Councilmember Erik Lutz were appointed Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem respectively during the weekly meeting of the City Council. This is only the fourth time that a woman has served as mayor of the City. "I am honored and privileged to have
Norwalk Unveils First Battery Electric Buses
The buses use a regenerative braking system that helps it reach a travel range of up to 150 miles on a single charge. Page 2.
been elected by my colleagues to serve as Mayor of Pico Rivera," said Dr. Sanchez. "I look forward to continuing to build on the success of my predecessors in serving the residents of Pico Rivera.” Dr. Sánchez is currently a Board Member for the Southeast Area Social Services Funding Authority (SASSFA). This public agency provides social services
Cerritos Chamber Awards 'Taste Of Best Of'
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Reporter Tammye McDuff went with Cerritos Chamber ED May Peitszch to hand out awards for Taste of the Region. Page 8.
On December 8, 2021, the California Redistricting Commission drew a draft map of the Orange County congressional districts. They included the City of Hawaiian Gardens with the Coastal Orange County district, which includes White and affluent cities like Huntington Beach that do not share our demographics nor interests. As of December 10, the City of Hawaiian Gardens has been moved to a new congressional district, grouped with Orange County communities like Fountain Valley, Westminster, and Garden Grove under the name of SAVANAANA. According to the racial makeup of this draft congressional district, it is made up of only 23% Latino. Staying in the SAVANAANA congressional district would dilute the level of representation that Hawaiian Gardens will have in Congress. Access to bilingual resources and topics that matter most to our community like affordable healthcare, immigration reform, and more may become nonexistent. Although the commission has slightly improved in removing us from the Coastal Orange County district, we are not satisfied with being grouped with the congressional district of SAVANAANA. Instead, being grouped with the LBNORTH congressional district would best serve the people and businesses of Hawaiian Gardens, which includes the friendly communities we frequent. LBNORTH includes a part of Long Beach, Lakewood, Bellflower, Downey, Bell Gardens, Bell, and Huntington Park, and is made up of 51.2% Latino, which is more aligned with our Hawaiian Gardens racial makeup, which is over 78% Latino. Like the new congressional draft maps, the new assembly district we have been grouped with, Assembly District
See COMMENTARY page 12
Artesia Girls Basketball Takes CIF Division
The school raised the Division 5AA championship banner, then rolled over Compton Early College. Page 10.