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LA Press Club ~Senate AwardsMinority from Leader Mitch McConnell 20122017. after being asked about
WWW.LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM 6 DELIVERED TO 10,000 HOMES EVERY WEEK LA MIRADA, CA., NOVEMBER 22 , 2019 surrounding communities • January 21, 2022, • lmlamplighter.com elivered to omes very eek Serving La Mirada and ten other
Republican voter supression.
CALTRANS REROUTED TRAFFIC WITHOUT INFORMING CERRITOS, ILLEGAL Metro MOVE Board WILL COST THE Route CITY OVER $5 MILLION to Select and Terminus for
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 CarmeniPhoto by Brian Hews Photo from city of Cerritos.
HOUSING AT IRONWOOD? An aerial view of Ironwood nine golf course. Asm. Garcia has been carrying a bill to allow golf courses like Ironwood to be converted to housing developments.
Asm. Garcia Wants to Turn Muni Golf Courses Into Housing By Tom White Special to HMG-CN
Last February, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell) introduced a bill that would strip municipal golf courses statewide of their protections as public parks and pave the way for their conversion into housing developments for lowincome families. Almost a year later, the bill is
still working its way through the assembly. It targets golf courses in high-density areas with few parks, and the bill would render them exempt from the Public Park Preservation Act and the California Environmental Quality Act. The bill, formally known as AB 672, was introduced Garcia, who argues that municipal golf courses are an inefficient use of government funds.
“In my district, the City of Bell Gardens, one of the most densely populated and park poor cities in LA County, is expected to build hundreds of new housing units in the near future,” said Garcia. “AB 672 is a sensible and creative public policy answer to the housing and open space crisis and puts our tax dollars to better use in communities like mine.”
See GARCIA page 12
Stormwater Project Completion Opens Mayfair Park LASD: Homicides Jump LA County TRASH piles up at a condominium complex in Hawaiian Gardens. The City94% choseinWaste Resources Incorporated as their new hauler, who said they would immediately begin trash pick up. Photo Brian Hews. By Brian Hews
Homicides and auto thefts TRASH WILL FINALLY GET CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN jumped duringGARDENS a two-year peBY BRIAN HEWS
“Poor leadership, no foresight on the situation, typical of this While rotting trash is accumu- City Council,” former Hawaiian lating in many parts of Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Rey Rodriguez Gardens, Mayor Myra Maravilla told HMG-LCCN. and the City Council finally conThe staff report included in ducted a hearing, waiting an en- last week’s meeting presented tire week, andLOBS: allowingThe the Lakewood trash clear evidence CWS was in OPEN FOR Council is that all smiles at the to accumulate even more, to once violation of its contract with the ribbon cutting celebrating the opening of Mayfair Park. again discuss terminating CWS’ City, but Mayor Maravilla and the contract. Council were apparently afraid to innovative trigger, project leavwill By Brian Under Hews the Ralph M. Brown pullThe the termination the state towards Act, Maravilla and the City Coun- help ing residents driving its by stormstinky capture goals, the City cil Mayfair could have sentisout a notice Park now fully water piles of trash for the so foreseeable and held after a meeting within two secured future. total funding for the reopened its tennis courts days to address situation. The from voluminous staff report California. and ball fieldsthe were closed project A large underground reserto build an environmentallyfriendly stormwater capture voir has been installed underproject and underground reser- neath Mayfair Park. It will store voir. See MAYFAIR page 12
riod in areas patrolled by the included several defaultSheriff's letters, Los Angeles County which, under California’s Department, according to Public SherResource Code Section 49000, iff Villanueva. starts the clock on termination. Villanueva said Wednesday City staff even went the extra during a news conference that step and attempted work with from 2019 to 2021,to homicides CWS to cure breaches and increased aboutthe 94% and grand defaults starting in March of this theft auto increased 59%. year, eachsheriff of which The saysgave partCWS of steps to resolve the defaults. the dramatic increase in crime In addition to the default nostems from the pandemic. tices, the City also attempted to Villanueva said the approxiarrange meetings with CWS but mately 94% increase in homiCWS did not attend most meetcides ings. is "unique to Los Angeles County - I think throughout the entire United States it'spage probSee TRASH 15 ably one of the biggest jumps ever."
See CRIME page 7
Light Rail Line in Southeast L.A. County
ta or Artesia is a city designated flows onto arterial streets.” truck route, commercial vehicles The City then cited the nuover 6,000 pounds are strictly merous safety hazards caused by the Slauson-to-Union Station By Brian Hews prohibited on the streets, per the rerouting of traffic, concerns segment to identify and refine havethat been by CerriCityMetro Municipal Code.”a new light that a route is voiced cost effective to is planning of tos in calls and emails rail The line Caltrans that will rerouting run between helpresidents accelerate delivery of the both HMG-LCCN and the trucks has caused severe damproject. Southeast L.A. County and to age and increased traffic at peak City.The Board considered this downtown Los Angeles known hours, the Santa extensive damage itemThe on Carmenita firstrerouting in the Metro Board’s as the West Ana Rail. alone estimated “to of costDirec$5.2 takes large trucks two schools, Planning and byProgramming Theis Metro Board Elementary and 19 Carmemillion to repair,” and “avertors is scheduled this the month to Stowers Committee on January next age daily traffic streets school in addition is theMiddle full Board meeting at 10 select a route for on the said initial seg- nita has increased mentsignificantly — between the city of and Ar- a.m. on January 27. SeetoCALTRANS page 14 In a letter the board Certesia and the A Line’s Slauson Station . ritos indicated that, even though The initial segment would Bruce Barrows rejected the idea include nine WSAB stations and years ago, they want a Cerritos a new C Line (Green) station at station to be located between I-105 where riders can transfer Gridley Road and Studebaker. The city indicated Alternato and from the C Line (Green). Riders will be able to transfer to tive One, Design Option Two, BY THOM MARTIN action, jumping out of her car the A Line (Blue) — which rid- but Metro is looking at the Slaugrabbing the boy and helping the ers can take to and from down- son to Union which cuts Cerritos The City of Lakewood held woman. town L.A. Metro staff is also out. its annual Award of Valor lunShe took them to Artesia High recommending further study of Seethey LIGHTreceived RAIL page 12 cheon on Nov. 6 to thank the men School, where medand women of the Los Angeles ical assistance and were ultimateCITY CountyWATCHDOG Sheriff’s Department and ly transported to the hospital. Fire Department, as well as the Because of her selfless accommunity volunteers who pro- tions, the City of Lakewood retect and serve Lakewood. cently awarded Bridget with the five offices, the closBy Brian BridgetHews Perrizo, a staff mem- antuono Mayor’s has Award at the city’s anto of Cerritos is in Pasaber at Artesia High was honored est nualoffice Awards Valor ceremony. specializes Ansheexamination by Hews when helped two people that dena. "I Colantuono always wondered what inI local Media Group-Community News representing was being attacked by a dog. would do when facedgovernments with a situa number areas similar to of Cerritos’ paidback in DeBridget, legal was fees headed to in ation like thisofone," said Perrizo. Rutan. cember shows thatwhen the city used Abram work from lunch she spot"By theand grace of God, I had the The toTustin-based of five high-powered ted adifferent dog attacking a woman law and courage take action. firm I'm so and Cabrill took in firms a staggering youngand boy.paid Thethem dog had knocked Hartzog glad that both the mom and son for December; Hartzog total themof to $184,000. the ground and they were $10,000 are okay, and I'm so honored to specializes in traffic engineerThe City screaming foralso help.paid two conreceive this award.” ing; maybe the city is sulting firms $40,000 in Bridget immediately took HERO page 15 talkingSeeabout taking December. out the traffic islands. The Irvine-based Finally, CerRutan and Tucker ritos’ former law was the big winner firm, Aleshire and for December, paid Wynder, was paid nearly $120,000. $8,000, a far cry from HMG-CN cannot exthe city’s new law firm, amine actual billings Rutan and Tucker. due to a California SuTwo consulting firms took preme Court ruling a few years in a total of $40,000, HMG-CN ago. Rutan and Tucker is the firm does not know if the firm are rethat refused to fulfill HMG- tained. The City paid $30,000 to R-3 CN’s request for Cerritos Mayor Pro Tem Chuong Vo’s texts and Consulting Group to talk trash; emails related to the Torrance R-3 is a solid waste management Police’s text scandal, declaring consulting firm. No word if the that the request was too burden- city could have talked to its current trash hauler, CalMet, for some. The next law firm, Abram free. West Hollywood-based Cerand Roy, was paid $33,000 in ARTESIA HIGH staff-member Bridget Perrizo received the Award of December; Abram and Roy spe- rel was paid $10,000 to talk Valor from Lakewood for saving two in a dog attack. cialize in real estate transactions, about choo-choos, specifically the West Santa Ana Light Rail but so does Rutan and Tucker. The third firm to step up project running from Artesia to to the trough was Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC. ColSee CERRITOS page 7
ARTESIA HIGH STAFF-MEMBER RECEIVES AWARD OF VALOR FROM LAKEWOOD
Cerritos Spent $184,000 on Legal Fees in December