Victor Sanchez’s home loan filings and residency claims conflict, pointing to a legal determination that threatens his City Council seat.
By Brian Hews
A Los Cerritos Community News investigation has found that Bellflower District 4 City Councilman
Victor Sanchez has created a serious residency conflict and exposed himself to potential mortgage, tax, and legal jeopardy after declaring a second home on Somerset in Bellflower City Council District 1 as owneroccupied while continuing to serve as the elected representative
for District 4.
Under California law, “owneroccupied” means the owner lives in that specific home as their primary, full-time residence. It is not a casual designation and it is not satisfied by occasional visits, mail delivery, or part-time use. It requires continuous, day-today living in the property. The classification carries legal weight because declaring a home as owner-occupied affects mortgage terms, tax assessments, and state reporting requirements. False or misleading owner-occupancy claims are treated as a serious matter under California law.
Sanchez ran for and won the District 4 seat while living at his Maple Street home inside District 4 boundaries. In January 2022, records show Sanchez and his wife were added to the title of a duplex, two connected
[ See BELLFLOWER, page 4 ]
Commerce Updates Billboard Rules to Modernize City Corridors and Boost Revenue
Commerce updates sign standards to guide digital billboards, improve aesthetics, and secure community benefit agreements.
By Brian Hews
The Commerce City Council has approved a major update to its billboard regulations, adopting Ordinance 824 to modernize long-standing sign rules and clear the way for new digital billboards along the city’s busiest gateways. According to the staff report, the changes were needed to replace outdated standards, reduce visual clutter, and give the city more control
over how billboards are placed, maintained, and negotiated.
Consultants hired by the city found more than forty-five aging static billboards along the I-5 and I-710 freeways, as well as additional boards on Washington Boulevard and Slauson Avenue. Many of these signs, the report noted, are faded, worn, or past their useful life. The new ordinance aims to improve Commerce’s appearance by phasing out old static billboards and allowing modern digital displays in strategic locations, but only under development agreements approved by the City Council.
City leaders have been
[ See COMMERCE, page 7 ]
HEART SCREENINGS KEEP YOUNG ATHLETES SAFE
IN MEMORY: Dino Ebel joined the nonprofit Who We Play For at La Mirada High School to provide free heart screenings for 50 baseball players. Using fast ECG technology from Cardiac Insight, clinicians checked students for hidden heart conditions. The program honors 15-year-old Rafe Maccarone, whose death inspired the nonprofit’s mission to protect young athletes.
WhoWePlayFor Brings Free Heart Screenings to La Mirada High
By Brian Hews
The national nonprofit Who We Play For, powered by Cardiac Insight, brought its life-saving mission to La Mirada High School this week, providing free heart screenings to 50 student athletes in the school’s baseball program. The group, joined by brand ambassador and longtime MLB coach Dino Ebel, spent the day testing players ages 10 to 25 for underlying cardiac conditions that often go undetected during standard physicals.
A team photo taken with Ebel in the middle captured the excitement of the event, but the purpose behind the program comes from a far more painful place. Who We Play For was founded after the sudden death of 15-year-old soccer player Rafe Maccarone. During practice, Rafe collapsed from an undetected heart condition and passed away the following day. His friends and teammates refused to accept that the tragedy was simply fate, and instead
[ See LA MIRADA, page 7 ]
Cerritos Deputies Demonstrate New Drone Program for Hawaiian Gardens
By Brian Hews
A Los Cerritos Community News review of a Hawaiian Gardens agenda packet shows that Cerritos Sheriff’s deputies recently conducted a drone demonstration for Hawaiian Gardens city staff, offering an up-close look at the deployment procedures and capabilities of
By Laurie Hanson
Youth today between the ages of 20 and 30 stand to be the generation facing the greatest challenges in finding employment. Some believe the reasons include misaligned expectations, having come of age during the COVID-19
the station’s new unmanned aircraft system. The presentation, which was not widely publicized, provided one of the clearest windows yet into how the Cerritos drone unit operates, how it was created, and what neighboring cities can expect when the technology is deployed during major incidents.
According to the document, the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station launched its drone program in March 2025 after receiving authorization from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Operations Division.
Why Young Adults Are Finding It Harder Than Ever to Get Hired
[ See DRONE, page 7 ]
pandemic, a lack of entry-level openings, and limited workplace experience. Below, several experts weigh in on why young adults are struggling to secure jobs, and what they can do to improve their prospects.
Susan Levine is the CEO and Founder of Career Group Companies in Los Angeles. She
[ See YOUTH, page 6 ]
Hawaiian Gardens agenda details the Cerritos Sheriff’s drone unit, which launched in March.
Victor Sanchez (Facebook)
Whittier Union Celebrates Start of $56M Performing Arts Center Cerritos Invites Residents to Support Local
WHITTIER – Whittier Union High School District is moving forward with its long-planned Performing Arts Center (PAC), marking the start of construction on a 450-seat theater with a community groundbreaking on Nov. 10. Construction is expected to begin shortly, with completion scheduled for fall 2027.
The PAC, designed to serve Whittier Union’s visual and performing arts (VAPA) students and programs, was created by Southern California-based LPA Design Studios. The firm worked closely with a broad group of stakeholders to shape a space that is functional, visually appealing, and reflective of Whittier Union’s VAPA community.
During the planning process, the District and LPA sought input from students, teachers, cabinet members, community members, maintenance staff, landscapers, and others. Their feedback
informed the design, including exterior artwork representing theater, dance, choir, and band, as well as interior corridors meant to capture the energy of performance.
At $56 million, the PAC is the largest project funded through the District’s $183.5 million Measure AA facilities bond, approved by voters in 2020. To be built on the northwest side of the United Sierra Education Center, the PAC will include a fly loft, a convertible orchestra pit, teaching and workshop spaces, and lobby and outdoor gathering areas. “Thank you to all the stakeholders who contributed to the PAC’s design,” Superintendent Dr. Monica Oviedo said. “The PAC will provide a place for students to perform, for teachers to support their growth, and for the community to gather around the arts. This is an important moment for Whittier Union.”
Virtual Deputy Meetings for Cerritos Residents and Business Owners
LCCN Staff Report
Cerritos residents and business owners can now schedule virtual meetings with a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy for nonemergency matters. The service allows community members to connect with safety personnel from a computer or smartphone at a time that works for them. It is available only to those within the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station jurisdiction. It is not intended for
emergencies or formal complaints. For urgent assistance, call 911 or contact the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station at (562) 860-0044.
The Virtual Deputy Meetings are intended to help manage wait times and allow emergency calls to be handled without delay.
Completion of the online form will determine whether a situation is appropriate for a virtual meeting. Responses will be reviewed to confirm eligibility.
Donation Drives
LCCN Staff Report
Cerritos is encouraging residents to help brighten the holidays for local families in need by participating in two longrunning community donation programs. The Salvation Army Angel Giving Tree and the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots drives will be accepting donations throughout November and early December at locations across the city.
The Salvation Army Angel Giving Tree program invites residents to pick up one or more gift tags at the Cerritos Senior Center from Wednesday, November 5 through Friday, December 5. Each tag includes the age, gender, clothing size, and toy request for a child ranging from infancy through age 12. Donors who choose a tag essentially “adopt” that child for the season, ensuring the gifts they purchase match the child’s specific needs and wishes. The Angel Tree program has become a holiday tradition in Cerritos, with many residents returning year after year to support the same cause. Senior Center staff report that the tags representing older children and pre-teens often go last, and they encourage donors to consider selecting those tags to help ensure every child receives a meaningful gift. All donated items should be returned unwrapped with the original tag to the Cerritos Senior Center, located at 12340 South Street in Cerritos. The donation deadline is Friday, December 12.
The U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program will also collect new, unwrapped toys beginning Wednesday, November 5 through Friday, December 12. Donations can be dropped off at Cerritos City Hall, Cerritos Library, the Cerritos Senior Center at Pat Nixon Park, Liberty Park, and Cerritos Park East. Toys for Tots is one of the nation’s largest and most recognizable holiday charitable programs, operated each year by Marine Corps Reserve units and relied upon heavily by families with limited financial means. Local coordinators say they typically see the greatest need for donations geared toward toddlers and early elementary-age children, though gifts for older youth and pre-teens are also welcomed and frequently in short supply. The program emphasizes that all toys must be new and unwrapped, allowing volunteers to sort and distribute them based on age groups and safety guidelines. Once collected, the toys are organized and delivered directly to families throughout the region, ensuring that thousands of children experience a brighter holiday season.
For more information about either program, residents may contact the Cerritos Community Services Division at (562) 865-8101.
LCCN Staff Report
ARTS CENTER: From left to right: Whittier Union Board Member Jaime López, Vice President Irma Rodríguez Moisa, and President Dr. Russell Castañeda Calleros commemorate the groundbreaking of the District’s Performing Arts Center during a ceremony on Nov. 10.
La Mirada City Council Recognizes Public Safety Poster Winners
The La Mirada City Council recognized the winners of the City’s annual Public Safety Poster Contest at its October 28 City Council meeting. The poster contest promotes safety awareness in La Mirada schools. More than 250 students submitted poster entries highlighting this year’s contest theme, “Safe Pace.” Public Safety Commissioners served as judges and selected first, second and third place winners in each grade category. Winners are as follow:
Kindergarten and First Grade
1st Place Mia Myint
Teacher: Rose Quiros St. Paul of the Cross 2nd Place Christian Franso
Teacher: Nancy Guerrero Beatitudes 3rd Place Joseph Huezo
Teacher: Kathy Jo Gutierrez La Pluma ES
Second and Third Grade
1st Place Gabriel Salazar
Teacher: Edwina Mier Beatitudes
2nd Place Noah Lazcano
Teacher:Julie Crockett Heights Christian
3rd Place Ava Dahdul
Teacher: Mike Craddock Dulles ES
Fourth and Fifth Grade
1st Place Alexi Vernon Cruz
Teacher: Mari Cruz Soto Beatitudes
2nd Place Adeline Brown
Teacher: Patricia Dwight Escalona ES
3rd Place Daria Sandu
Teacher: Patricia Dwight Escalona ES
Sixth through Eighth Grade
1st Place Maria Guadalupe Jurado
Teacher: Marlene Hernandez St. Paul 2nd Place Janelle Javier
Teacher: Mari Cruz Soto Beatitudes
3rd Place Emma Villegas
Teacher: Mari Cruz Soto Beatitudes
Ninth through Twelfth Grade
1st Place Ava Gonzalez
Teacher: Sylvana Calahorrano La Mirada High
2nd Place Santos Muniz
Teacher:Derek Wood La Mirada High
3rd Place Camilla Ombao Teacher:Derek Wood La Mirada High
Circus Vargas Brings Hollywood Magic to Lakewood Center
Circus Vargas is rolling out the red carpet in Lakewood this month, inviting families to step into the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown under the Big Top. The celebrated American circus arrives with its new production, “Hollywood Dreams,” running Nov. 14 through Dec. 1 at Lakewood Center.
The two-hour show is designed as
a tribute to the Golden Age of cinema, blending breathtaking stunts, dazzling aerial artistry and high-energy performances in a fast-paced, family-friendly format.
Ticket prices vary by performance date and seating location. Children under 2 receive free admission, and Circus Vargas offers senior and military discounts Tickets at circusvargas.com..
Cerritos Library Launches New Seed Library for Community Gardeners
LCCN Staff Report
The Cerritos Library is inviting patrons to check out more than books this season.
Visitors can now borrow from the Library’s new Seed Library, a free program offering packets of native California wildflowers, sunflowers, pollinator blends, vegetables, fruits and herbs.
The initiative encourages residents to grow their own gardens, support local pollinators and explore healthier, more sustainable lifestyles right at home.
The Seed Library is located near the Circulation Desk and is available during regular business hours. Patrons 13 and older may check out up to four packets per month. Unlike traditional library materials, the seeds do not need to be returned. Participants are free to plant them, experiment with new varieties and share their harvests with neighbors or community groups.
Library staff say the goal is to make gardening accessible to everyone, whether someone has a backyard, a balcony planter or just a sunny windowsill. The offerings range from edible staples like bok choy, corn, Roma tomatoes and Swiss chard, to vibrant marigolds and towering mammoth sunflowers, along with mixes designed to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Each seed listing includes a label with details and planting instructions to help gardeners get started.
The project is supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the California State Librarian. Staff members hope the Seed
Library will spark curiosity, encourage home gardening and strengthen community connections through shared growing experiences.
LA MIRADA MAYOR Ed Eng with first place winner from the second and third grade category, Gabriel Salazar. Courtesy city of La Mirada..
Da’ Hawaii Seniors 2026 Elected Officers and Honored Veterans
NEW BOARD: Pictured at Da’ Hawaii Seniors Club meeting on November 13, 2025, are the elected Board of Directors for 2026. Front row, left to right, Liberty Santiago, Carmelita Tiongson, and Rosaria “Loke” Manetta. Second row, Cesar Franco, Irina Soleymani, Susan McCormick, Larry Anduha, Malorette Gascon, Ken Matsuno, Annie Kelly, and Helen Limbo. Absent from the picture are Myrna Matsuno, Carrie Kumabe, and Ping Chen.
By Edna Ethington
Members of Da’ Hawaii Seniors Club elected their officers for 2026 and honored the club’s veterans at their general meeting on November 13, 2025, at the Cerritos Senior Center in Cerritos.
The following members were elected to serve as members of the Board of Directors for Da’ Hawaii Seniors Club in 2026: President, Carmelita Tiongson; 1st VP Programs, Rosaria “Loke” Manetta; 2nd VP Membership, Myrna Matsuno and Carrie Kumabe; 3rd VP, Performances, Irina Soleymani and Ping Chen; Secretary, Helen Limbo and Rotating Secretaries; Treasurer, Ken Matsuno; Ohana Care, Malorette Gascon and Annie Kelly; Audio Techs, Susan McCormick, Cesar Franco, Carrie Kumabe, Irina Soleymani, and Ping Chen.The club voted that members may bring their own refreshments to share at meetings.
The members who served on the 2025 Board of Directors were recognized including those who are continuing to serve
on her 2026 Board of Directors.
After refreshment time, Carmelita started a program in honor of Veterans Day. She showed a picture of past members who were veterans who served in the Armed Forces during past years. She introduced four veterans who “talked story” about their experiences as members of the Air Force, Army, and Navy. They were Elaine Lau, Larry Anduha, Pete Kahele, and Lucio Fonte. They were all proud veterans that fought for the United States of America to protect our freedoms!
Seven club members were introduced and shared information about their spouses who were veterans and posed with pictures about them. As part of the Veterans Day program, members of the Kupunawahine (elder women or grandmothers) danced two hulas to “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful.” The women were patriotically dressed in while dresses with red cloths draped over their left shoulders.
Story, photo, and cutline by Edna Ethington.
residences, on Somerset in Bellflower, a property located in District 1, not District 4. Half of the property was transferred to them as a gift from his parents.
Just days after the gift, a deed of trust securing a $421,000-plus mortgage was recorded against the Somerset property, listing four borrowers: Sanchez, his wife, and his parents.
The recorded deed of trust designates the Somerset property as an owneroccupied primary residence and includes the legally binding requirement that the borrower move in within 60 days and remain living there for at least one year. All four borrowers, including Sanchez, signed that declaration under penalty of perjury, and the document was notarized and recorded with the Los Angeles County Recorder’s Office.
The Somerset owner-occupied designation threatens Sanchez’s District 4 seat because California law requires councilmembers to live in the district they represent. By declaring Somerset as his owner-occupied home, Sanchez effectively placed his legal residence outside District 4, which can lead to removal under state election laws .
In addition, Bellflower’s City Ordinance 1302 requires that a councilmember elected from a district “must reside in that district.”
The ordinance states that “termination of residency in a district by a councilmember shall create an immediate vacancy” for that seat.
When LCCN asked about the Somerset transaction and his residency, Sanchez insisted he remains a District 4 resident.
“I live within District 4 and have always lived within District 4 while holding office,” he wrote. “This is my legal residence where I am registered to vote and where my family calls home.”
When pressed on the Somerset loan, Sanchez told LCCN he never moved into the duplex and never intended to live there. “The property that I own in part was occupied by one of the owners, but I never moved there and never had an intent to permanently live there,” he wrote.
If Sanchez “never had an intent to permanently live” at the Somerset property, as he now claims, then the statements he certified under penalty of perjury on the deed of trust and in the recorded documents cannot be reconciled with his own admission. That discrepancy doesn’t just deepen the residency dispute — it demonstrates that the legality of those filings is now in serious doubt and raises direct questions about whether the representations made to both the lender and the County Recorder were truthful, accurate, or lawful.
Sanchez went on to involve his parents in the situation, claiming that the occupancy requirement attached to the loan applied only to “an owner, not all owners.” “In this case, the property was correctly categorized as owner-occupied because my mother was the borrower who lived and intended to live in the home,” he told LCCN.
The public documents tell a different story.
The first document, the Somerset Grant Deed, records the gift-transfer from his parents to four joint tenants: his parents, Victor and his wife. As is standard, only the grantors [Sanchez’ parents] sign the deed; grantees do not. That deed, by itself, does not address occupancy.
trust, and a notary confirmed they appeared and signed it. There is no recorded rider or clause listing any of them as a nonoccupant. The document uses the word “borrower” in the singular, and it applies to everyone who signed.
When LCCN asked Sanchez to identify where in the recorded deed of trust it says that he is a non-occupant co-borrower or that the occupancy covenant applies only to his mother, he repeatedly referred to an “unrecorded loan application, lender guidelines and industry practice.”
But the public instrument is the controlling document.
Taken together, Sanchez’s statements to LCCN and the loan documents reveal several clear conflicts and will place his City Council seat in jeopardy.
Sanchez said he “never moved there and never had an intent to permanently live there,” yet he signed the same occupancy agreement as every other borrower on a loan that was recorded and treated as owner-occupied.
Sanchez also argued that the occupancy obligation applied only to his mother, but the recorded deed of trust contains no language limiting the covenant to a single borrower or exempting him. In public records, there is no such category as “partially owneroccupied by one borrower only.”
It is a paper trail that points in two different directions: campaign and voter records that say he lives in District 4, and a recorded deed of trust that says he claimed an owner-occupied residence in District 1. What Sanchez has done will have wideranging consequences that create major headaches for Bellflower and its residents. A residency fight will force the city to spend time and resources investigating whether Sanchez has been serving from outside his district. If his seat is declared vacant, the city could face a costly special election or an appointment battle that drags on for months. Past votes he participated in may be challenged, putting city decisions at risk of being reopened or questioned.
Separately, a resident, the district attorney, or the state Attorney General can pursue a quo warranto action against Sanchez in superior court. In that proceeding, a judge would decide whether Sanchez is lawfully entitled to the seat based on the Somerset public documents. If the court determines that Sanchez does not reside in the district, the seat is declared vacant by operation of law.
Separately, the Fair Political Practices Commission can review whether Sanchez accurately disclosed his real property interests, loans, and potential conflicts on required Form 700 statements.
The California Department of Real Estate can examine whether Sanchez, a licensed realtor, met professional standards on a real-estate-secured loan, particularly where owner-occupancy is concerned.
The questions raised by the Somerset filings now move beyond political disagreement and into the realm of legal verification. Whether through city action, state review, or a court challenge, the conflicting documents will require an authoritative determination of Sanchez’s true residence. And while that process must run its course, the recorded filings overwhelmingly indicate that his declared domicile lies outside District 4, a conclusion that, if affirmed, would legally compel his removal from the Bellflower City Council.
South St VI Pharmacy
12610 South Street WRD
4040 Paramount
The crucial instrument is the Somerset deed of trust recorded days later. That document lists the Somerset property as an owner-occupied home and uses that status to claim an exemption from a state recording fee. It also includes the occupancy rule saying the borrower will move in, make it their main residence within a set time, and continue living there for at least a year..
All four borrowers signed the deed of
On Bellflower resident did not mince words, “We saw all the occupancy cheating during the sub prime days of greed. It seems an industry insider and elected official cheated in Bellflower.”
Supporting documents can be found
Prop. 50 Likely to Stay Intact After Texas Gerrymander Tossed
By Thomas D. Elias
If anyone needed proof of how swiftly political change can arrive, this fall is probably Example A.
Just observe the last month. First, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was riding high after passage of Proposition 50 and its changes in California congressional district lines made him the most successful national Democrat in countering a key initiative by President Trump.
Barely a week later, Newsom’s former chief of staff was indicted on charges of political corruption and tax fraud and many began to write him off as a presidential candidate because of it.
Not even a week after that, Newsom was back in the catbird seat after a federal appeals court in Texas threw out that state’s gerrymandered congressional district plan – which earlier provided the motive for the Newsom-sponsored Prop. 50.
The Texas decision nixing the gerrymander there may be reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court, even though it was written by a Trump-appointed judge. Meanwhile the California proposition figures as more likely to survive its own court challenges, filed by the state Republican Party and the U.S. Justice Department.
That’s because Texas officials from Gov. Greg Abbott down were quite open about their effort to concentrate Houstonarea blacks into one district while giving five others to white Republicans. By contrast, there was little or no mention of race by either side in the Prop. 50 campaign, which was very explicitly motivated by pure politics.
Newsom created Prop. 50 specifically to counter the Texas gerrymander, which unlike California’s changes in district lines, was not adopted by a vote of the people. No race issue ever arose in that race until Republicans claimed after its resounding win that was what motivated it.
Nothing says the U.S. Supreme Court has to OK either the Texas court decision or Prop. 50, but if it tosses both gerrymanders, Newsom would still achieve his political goal of offsetting the Texas changes put in motion by a phone call from Trump to Abbott. If both efforts are thrown out, Newsom’s goal of regaining the prior balance after the Texas action would still have been reached.
Said one election law professor the
day of the Texas decision, “Most of the law around redistricting is up to the state, not federal law, and we (in California) just changed state law. There are not many grounds for a legal challenge against Prop. 50 to succeed.”
There remains the distinct possibility that both Prop. 50 and the Texas court decision tossing that state’s gerrymander will stand up in the Supreme Court. If that happens, Newsom would have achieved far more than his goal of balancing the Texas gerrymander with an exchange of five new California Democratic seats for five new Texas GOP ones. In that case, Newsom would have given Democrats a net gain of five seats in the House of Representatives.
If something like that couldn’t put Newsom in an early lead in the 2028 Democratic presidential sweepstakes, it’s hard to see what could. For a net gain of five seats would likely give Democrats control of the House, where almost all new Trump initiatives might die.
No wonder Newsom was gloating after the Texas court decision came down. In a post on X, he said, “Donald Trump and Greg Abbott played with fire, got burned, and democracy won.”
Translation: “I won big. Na, na, na, na. na.”
But even if Newsom proves correct, and the high court says it’s OK to gerrymander at midterm for political reasons, but not racial ones, he will still be a long way from winning the next Democratic nomination.
For Newsom took a turn toward the center in his bill signings this fall, favoring business in many of his decisions.
His fall efforts were clearly designed to stamp him as a moderate, but also an environmentalist with a tight financial fist.
This could leave him open to a challenge from the left by someone like New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has built a career around leading her party’s far-left wing.
That possibility gained credence from the New York mayoral win of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani and the subsequent upset win by fellow Democratic Socialist Katie Wilson and a slate of similarly-oriented candidates in Seattle. The bottom line: Newsom appears to be riding high today, but in a season of very speedy change, no one can know how long that will last.
From the Mayor’s Desk: November 21, 2025
By Cerritos Mayor Frank Aurelio Yokoyama
The holiday season is a great time for reflection and celebration among family, friends, and within the community. The City of Cerritos Strategic Plan prioritizes continued excellence in community programming and we’re excited for recent and upcoming shows and events to ring in the holidays. I first want to reflect on a successful Veterans Day Ceremony held on November 11.
Each year, we honor past, present, and future members of the United States Military with an event featuring patriotic musical selections, special remarks, and presentations. This year’s keynote speaker was Sergeant Major Beau J. Hancock of the United States Marine Corps., and Lance Corporal Connor T. Madsen was recognized as our Meritorious Marine. We were also treated to guest appearances and speeches from Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna, Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang, and Congressman Derek Tran. Thank you to the Valley Christian High School Madrigals and Cerritos College Community Band for providing musical entertainment at the event. The Veterans Day Ceremony recognitions, performances, and speeches are a testament to Cerritos’ unwavering commitment to honoring all who have served.
The Cerritos City Council is thankful to City staff for arranging quality events and memorable experiences for our
residents and visitors. On November 24, our annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony returns to the Cerritos Civic Center. The event will feature holiday music, entertainment, crafts, and fun for all ages. Santa will be available for visits following the tree lighting. Please join me and my City Council colleagues from 5 –7 p.m., with the tree lighting set for 6 p.m. Santa’s Sleigh Day at the CCPA is a new event in the City of Cerritos, taking place on Saturday, December 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests are invited to welcome Santa to the Theater aboard the Holiday Float at 11:15 a.m. They’ll also have the opportunity to engage with crafts, festive games, storytimes, and live holiday music. Please remember to bring a camera as photo opportunities with Santa Claus will be available. Light snacks and hot cocoa will be served while supplies last.
The CCPA is also a popular destination for holiday performances, beginning December 3 with “Brian McKnight: Season’s Greetings,” a night of holiday music from the multiple Grammy nominee and R&B artist. The popular “Merry-Achi Christmas” returns to the CCPA stage for three nights December 5 – 7. On December 11, Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan bring you their “Merry Gritsmas Tour.” Continuing in December, enjoy holiday-themed performances from pop-rock artists Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw, Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch, jazz musician Dave Koz, the Los Angeles Symphony, pianist Jim Brickman, and more. For a complete lineup of shows or to buy tickets, visit cerritoscenter.com. On behalf of the Cerritos City Council, we wish you a merry holiday season and hope to see you and your family at an upcoming event.
The Push to Dismantle the Department of Education Would Hit Local Schools Hard
By Dana Hartley
So now they want to eliminate/ move the U.S. Department of Education, return to “local control,” they say. But the consequences for cities like Cerritos, Lakewood, La Mirada, Norwalk and the rest of Southeast Los Angeles County would be immediate and deeply felt.
Let’s be honest: local school districts would not suddenly become freer or more innovative if the federal government simply walked away. What they would become is poorer.
Districts in our region rely on federal education dollars for the programs that most directly support the kids who need help the most. Tutoring programs, special education funding, federal grants for free breakfast and lunch programs. Tens of thousands of local students depend on. These are not theoretical benefits — they are lifelines that keep schools functioning in working-class communities.
Eliminating the Department of Education would also radically shift the burden to states, which are already struggling with budget shortfalls. In California, where school funding is notoriously fragile and tied to declining enrollment, districts would face immediate cuts. When that happens, support staff get reduced, class sizes rise, arts programs vanish and families feel the impact long before politicians in D.C. ever do.
Supporters of dismantling the
department like to argue that everything would run better if locals were left to decide. But here in Southeast L.A. County, local leaders are already deciding plenty — and they rely on consistent federal partnership to make those choices real. Pulling federal support isn’t empowerment; it’s abandonment.
The truth is simple: if the Department of Education disappears tomorrow, ABC Unified, Norwalk-La Mirada Unified, Bellflower Unified and surrounding districts will not magically fill the funding gap. They will cut. Students with disabilities will feel it first. Then low-income families. Then the teachers who already spend money out of their own pockets to keep classrooms running.
We should be talking about strengthening local schools, not stripping them of resources. If people want better outcomes for students, dismantling the one agency tasked with protecting educational equity is the wrong place to start.
Here in our local communities, where parents work two or three jobs, where families depend on public schools for stability and opportunity, talk of eliminating the Department of Education isn’t bold or visionary. It’s reckless. And it shifts the weight of political grandstanding directly onto the backs of children.
If lawmakers truly care about local control, they should support the districts that are already doing the work — not leave them to fend for themselves.
The opinions and views expressed in this section are those of the individual writers and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of Los Cerritos Community News, its staff, or its publisher. Submissions are published as a forum for community dialogue and are the sole responsibility of their authors. Email editor@cerritosnews.net or mail PO Box 788 Artesia Ca. , 90701.
believes many young people are having trouble finding work due to unrealistic or misaligned expectations.
“Many young professionals enter the workforce expecting to skip a few steps, such as wanting high pay, work-fromhome flexibility, and title growth before really proving themselves,” Levine explained. “They need to show reliability, strong communication, and a willingness to learn. Employers are happy to invest in potential, but they want to see effort and humility first.”
“The reality is, early in your career, nothing replaces being in an office — learning by example, building trust, and showing your value firsthand,” Levine said. “Flexibility comes with experience, not before it.”
According to Levine, this generation is tech-savvy, creative, and adaptable, but often less experienced in the everyday expectations of professional work.
“Things like in-person communication, accountability, and handling feedback still need to be developed,” she said. “That’s normal, but it can hold them back if they’re not aware of it.”
Levine’s best advice for young professionals is to show up with curiosity, not entitlement.
“Be the person who’s eager to learn and who makes things easier for the people around you,” she said. “You do not need to have all the answers, but you do need to be dependable, responsive, and engaged. Relationships matter as much as résumés.”
What is lacking most in this generation, Levine says, is not education but handson experience.
“College can’t always teach you professional instincts or people skills,” she said. “The most marketable qualities right now are problem-solving, communication, and the ability to use AI and digital tools effectively.” To gain those skills, she says experience is essential.
“Internships, freelancing, personal projects… anything that lets you build real-world skills is valuable,” Levine said. “Many employers care more about what you’ve done than what you’ve studied.”
She also warns against relying on mass applications. “Tailor your résumé, write thoughtful notes, and make real connections,” she said. “Use LinkedIn to reach out to key decision-makers and follow companies you admire. A little extra effort goes a long way when everyone else is clicking ‘apply all.’”
Two things make a candidate especially marketable, Levine says: reliability and follow-through.
“The most successful people I have seen are the ones who stay flexible and say yes to opportunities,” she said.
Anne Ryan, a speaker and career coach from Sarasota, Florida, believes traditional job-search methods are no longer sufficient.
“Networking is the number one way to find a job, but it’s also not as tangible as submitting 10 online applications a day,” Ryan said. “You might feel more better applying to roles online, but over the long term, creating a job-search strategy around networking is more effective.”
Ryan’s networking tips include attending networking events, following up with contacts, and asking alumni or professionals for brief interviews.
“Be specific,” she added. “Instead of saying ‘I’m looking for a job,’ say ‘I’m looking for an entry-level Project Manager role in the tech industry.’”
Ryan says professionals in their twenties stand out because they are highly adaptive, learn fast, and solve problems creatively. Their challenge is navigating a far more complex job market than their predecessors.
Her biggest piece of advice: marketing matters. “The number one mistake I see job seekers make is not taking enough time to set up their marketing correctly,” she said. “Write your résumé and LinkedIn profile like you already have the job you want. This way, you will see yourself in that role — and others will see you in this role.”
Hayley Brooks, Founder of Storyline and a resume writer and storytelling consultant says the entry-level landscape has changed dramatically.
“Remote work and AI tools have greatly reduced the number of traditional ‘starter’ jobs, and many companies now expect early-career candidates to have
hands-on experience that used to be gained on the job,” Brooks explained. She says many candidates struggle with confidence and professional presentation.
“They feel like imposters,” she said. “To beat imposter syndrome, Gen Z job seekers need to network.” Brooks emphasized the importance of preparing for interviews, including behavioral questions.
A common problem she sees is that young people don’t know how to articulate their value because many graduated during the pandemic or have held remote positions.
“I tell my clients that before we even begin their résumé, go out into the world,” Brooks said. “Reach out to a human being at that company and make a connection.”
Brooks encourages applicants to apply selectively and customize each résumé. “By applying selectively rather than broadly, applicants can emphasize quality over quantity,” she said.
She adds that young people should lead their résumés with skills, not age or experience level.
Brooks pointed out that some hiring managers view entry-level employees as a liability because they lack practical office experience, life skills, and workplace socialization.
“They did not get to sit in seminar settings in college. They did not get to intern in New York City,” she explained. “They are missing key social tentpole moments.”
However, she says what they lack socially, they make up for in digital fluency and online capability.
“A 20-something should be marketing these skills as assets they can bring to the table,” she said.
studying this issue for months, with the Planning Commission and council both receiving detailed presentations on industry standards, safety, lighting, and Caltrans rules. The council reached consensus that updated regulations were needed to keep Commerce competitive, reduce blight, and take advantage of new technology. Digital billboards, the report emphasized, offer cleaner design, better lighting control, and eliminate the constant replacement of vinyl faces.
Under the new rules, digital billboards may be installed in commercial and industrial areas immediately adjacent to the I-5 and I-710 freeways, and existing static billboards in those zones may be converted to digital formats. The ordinance increases allowable height to 75 feet, provides updated size and spacing standards, and requires new projects to integrate landscaping and meet strict lighting and safety guidelines. All new digital billboards will require a development agreement, giving the city the ability to negotiate public benefits such as revenue-sharing, community messaging time, or the removal of older signs.
The ordinance also prevents non-conforming static billboards from being altered or moved unless they are upgraded under the new digital conversion process. The goal, according to the report, is to steadily reduce the number of aging static structures while guiding new, better-designed installations into locations that enhance rather than detract from Commerce’s major travel corridors.
City officials said the update aligns with Commerce’s long-term economic and aesthetic goals by improving the look of freeway entrances, supporting
local business visibility, and securing future financial benefits for municipal services. By modernizing its rules and setting clear standards, Commerce positions itself to manage billboard development in a way that reflects the city’s image and strengthens its revenue base.
LA MIRADA from page 1
created a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring no other family experiences what his did. Their mission is built around a simple promise: screen student athletes so underlying conditions are caught before they turn deadly.
That mission was on full display at La Mirada High. Using fast, noninvasive ECG technology developed by Cardiac Insight, clinicians were able to check athletes in minutes for electrical or structural heart abnormalities that a basic physical would never catch. Many of the students screened had never received a detailed heart evaluation of any kind.
Dino Ebel, serving as the nonprofit’s brand ambassador, has helped raise awareness throughout Southern California by connecting the message to something athletes understand: the game stops instantly when a heart stops, and early detection is the key to keeping kids in the game and alive.
Families who participated in the La Mirada screening can request a digital copy of the group photo or order printed versions through the organization.
Who We Play For continues urging local schools to host screenings and ensure AEDs are readily available near athletic facilities. The nonprofit says the goal remains the same everywhere it goes: give every student athlete a chance to catch heart conditions early and prevent another tragedy like Rafe’s.
DRONE from page 1
Deputies selected for the unit underwent FAA certification and completed specialized LASD training that focuses on emergency-response aviation, evidence-gathering standards, and privacy protocols. Only after meeting those requirements were drones cleared for field use. The report states that Cerritos purchased two drones at approximately ten thousand dollars each, transferring ownership to LASD once the purchase was complete. That transfer allows the Sheriff’s Department to assume all liability and oversight for operations, ensuring that deployment decisions fall under LASD’s established rules, not local elected officials.
The Hawaiian Gardens packet includes a detailed list of approved uses for the drones, describing them as tools reserved for high-risk or high-urgency situations. Those include explosive-ordnance calls, barricaded suspects, active shooters, hazmat responses, fire-related emergencies, disaster relief, missing-person searches, and complex search-and-rescue
operations where aerial vantage points can save critical minutes. The document emphasizes that the drones are not intended for routine patrol but for incidents where aerial imagery can protect deputies or speed up emergency response.
During the meeting, Cerritos deputies provided a live demonstration, flying the drone above the Hawaiian Gardens municipal complex and showing staff how quickly the aircraft can be deployed, how its camera system functions, and how the pilot and observer teams coordinate from the ground. Public documentation shows that although Cerritos initiated the program in March, the city did not formally announce it until June 6, when a short press release was posted on the city’s website. That announcement made no reference to the earlier start date, the selection or training process, or the specific deployment parameters outlined in the Hawaiian Gardens packet. As a result, the Hawaiian Gardens briefing appears to be the most detailed public description to date of how the Cerritos drone program was developed.
CERRITOS SHERIFF’S Station Captain Dru Strong (pointing) visits with deputies to review drone technology. City of Cerritos.
By Loren Kopff @LorenKopff on X
There are high school football public address announcers, then there are high school P.A. announcers who do triple the work in a span of seven months. The latter applies to Valley Christian High’s Gene Bras, who doubles as the school’s football and girls volleyball P.A. announcer in the fall, then moves indoors during the winter season to announce the basketball games.
And while most schools announce starting lineups for the basketball, volleyball games, as well as senior night activities, Bras does it from beginning to end.
Bras grew up in the far northwestern Iowa town of Hospers, about an hour away from Sioux City, Iowa and 90 minutes away from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He graduated in a class of 32 students, but since then, his teenage alma mater was consolidated with a bigger school.
His love for sports began at an incredibly young age and admitted that he used to cry at high school games because he was so into them when he was five or six years old.
“I don’t know if that was a good thing or not, but I was very emotionally invested,” said Bras. “Because I’m a baseball junkie, when you live in Iowa at night, I would put the radio on and [because the landscape] is flat, I would get [the St. Louis Cardinals] with Jack Buck,” he later said. “I would get the [Chicago] White Sox. I would get the [Detroit] Tigers on WJR with Ernie Harwell. I would get the Texas Rangers; [Kansas City] Royals. I would get sometimes. I kind of listened to whoever was on.”
Bras went on to say that growing up in a small town in the nation’s heartland, the kids would always talk about a game from the night before at school; that they were always watching sports. In fact, occasionally, Bras could pick up the Utah Jazz games on the radio with Rodney Clark “Hot Rod” Hundley calling the games.
While in high school and even in his early days at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, Bras never thought about being a P.A. announcer because he was focused on being a two-sport athlete as a freshman and added that it was his first exposure to college athletics.
He played basketball, baseball and track and field in high school before going to Northwestern College, a NAIA institution which happens to be a pipeline for many V.C. student athletes. There, he played baseball and basketball but was approached by the women’s basketball coach who asked him if he would like to be an undergraduate assistant, which he did for three years.
When Bras was a sophomore, his roommate was into communications and Bras decided not to play basketball but instead broadcast football games with him for the campus station. Staying with the theme of announcing, Bras said he idolized Herb Carneal, who was the announcer of the Minnesota Twins from 1962 to 2007. The Twins was his team growing up as opposed to the Chicago Cubs or St. Louis Cardinals.
“Being an announcer and a public address announcer are two different things,” said Bras. “I think the first time I did P.A. announcing was when I was coaching the girls team. We would have these Christmas tournaments, and nobody was there; the people who usually worked were gone. So, I was trying to find a P.A. announcer and thought, well I could do it myself. I kind of enjoyed doing, and people [told me] I was pretty good at that.”
Bras would do that a few more times, then he got his first job as an athletic director at Northern Michigan Christian School in McBain, MI, which happens to be the same school where former V.C. superintendent Troy Stahl went to. The school had an enrollment of under 100 students, and Bras was also the head coach of the boys basketball team, the track and field team and did some teaching on the side.
Back then, the girls basketball season in Michigan was in the fall and volleyball
Valley Christian’s Football, Basketball, Volleyball Announcer is Simply ‘Top Bras’
was in the winter. And just like when he was at Northwestern College, Bras had a tough time finding a P.A. announcer. So, he took on that responsibility on top of everything else he had going on.
Bras made his way to Southern California through former V.C. basketball head coach Kurtis Korver, who also went to Northwestern College. Korver was already at V.C. when Bras was still teaching in Michigan and informed him that there was an opening at V.C. Korver was the boys basketball head coach until the 1999-2000 season, and asked Bras in January of 1996 if he could be the junior varsity coach.
The first coaching job he had at V.C. was helping former cross country head coach Denise Tamminga with her team for a couple of years. Ever since Bras arrived at V.C., he has held a number of hats. In addition to being the public address announcer, he has been the head coach for the softball team from 1997-2000, the head coach for the girls basketball team for the 2005-2006 and 2019-2020 seasons, an assistant baseball coach for 12 seasons, tennis head coach for three seasons, an assistant boys basketball coach when Byran Branderhorst was the head coach. Oh, he also teaches history.
But when it came to being the P.A. announcer for the football team, Bras went to former V.C. athletic director Harold DeBie and inquired about taking over for former P.A. announcer Bob Johnson when he was ready to leave.
“My first year of doing the P.A. for football was the fall of 1999,” Bras remembers. “I think it came pretty natural; I kind of wanted to follow what they wanted me to do. So back then, [Mike] Wunderly was our coach and Letty, his wife, would almost always write up a little script. I always read that; it was kind of about the history [of the teams], especially with our Olympic League teams. That was probably about a five minute read.”
Bras may not remember announcing milestone games, but the biggest game for him was when V.C. defeated Oaks Christian High 38-24 in the 2002 semifinal game.
“You could just tell there was a really high talent level, and they were really good,” said Bras. “It was just a great high school football game. I just remember being excited because we finally made it to the finals. It had been a while.”
Bras said one of the biggest things about being a P.A. announcer for a football game is that it can be such a community event; that he is part of so many different things that are happening.
It was in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s when Bras was approached about being the P.A. announcing for boys basketball when
Korver was still the head coach. That was around the time that Bras dove into girls volleyball and since then, he has become a fan favorite with the student body and the community.
Upon his arrival at V.C. Bras had never been a P.A. announcer for volleyball, which is a much faster pace than football. Bras remembers when V.C. was playing in the 1998 CIF-Southern Section Division IVAA finals, he would go just to listen to the P.A. announcers to hear what they said. He also went with some friends to a few beach volleyball matches at UCLA and paid attention to what was being said and how those matches were being announced.
“I kind of took some of that stuff, like saying the score every time, calling locations and hits and trying to use alliterations and trying to have fun with names,” said Bras. “That’s always the thing that makes it fun.”
It’s the alliterations and sayings that Bras uses which have become a fan favorite at the sporting events. Sometimes, it takes fans a few seconds to understand what he just said while other times, it’s immediately. A few of his favorites, stemming from the girls volleyball team, have been ‘winter season is closed’, referring to Chloe Winter (2013-2015) or ‘the mystery is solved’, referring to Madison Holmes (2014-2017). This past volleyball season when the Defenders hosted Village Christian High, Bras blurted out ‘Peoples voices a winner’ referring to a kill from senior outside hitter Aniyah Peoples. And in the football playoff game against Warren High, whenever junior defensive back Blake Butler made a tackle, Bras would say, ‘the Butler did it’.
“My thing is to always have fun, but never at the expense of the other team; try to be professional and courteous,” he said. “I think I bring a little extra juice for our school, but at the same time I try to bring some energy for the other school. I don’t ever want to be accused of being a homer.”
What makes Bras different from the other area P.A. announcers is that he’s been able to do three sports every year instead of only football. Mike Gaoghagen (Artesia High), Rene Trevino (Cerritos High), Richard Roper (Gahr High), David Higgins (John Glenn High) and Richard Drake (Norwalk High) are the other area P.A. announcers, and all have their own format of keeping the spectators entertained. Drake does basketball as well for the Lancers.
The biggest thing Bras has seen from the time he arrived at V.C. with the athletics is specialization, claiming it was starting to change when he got to the school.
“That’s how I grew up; I played three sports and there were probably some kids who played four sports because baseball was
in the summertime in Iowa,” said Bras. “I will say this, I think our student body is very supportive of one another, especially with football, I feel like since Covid happened that was such a discouraging, depressing thing.”
Bras plans on being the P.A. announcer as long as he is at V.C, maybe even longer, he hinted. He even added that if V.C. enjoys having Bras, he enjoys doing what he’s been doing for over two and half decades.
In addition to being a history teacher and P.A. announcer, Bras is a walking sports encyclopedia. Walk up to him and ask him any sports question, and most likely, he’ll answer it within a few seconds. It could be who won Game 4 of the 1967 World Series or who was the winning pitcher in the second game of the 1974 World Series.
“I can at least get close,” he chuckled. “My thing is I always know all the World Series winners and losers back to 1944. Growing up in Iowa, I was a huge Twins fan and maybe once or twice a year, there would be a regional game on NBC; the second game. I remember my cousin got married on a Saturday and it was one of the times the Twins were on T.V. When the playoffs came, it was must-see T.V.; Monday Night Football was must-see T.V., so there weren’t many games to watch whereas now, there are games every night.”
So, if you attend a V.C. basketball game or volleyball match, walk up to Bras during a timeout, between quarters or between sets and quiz him with a question or two.
And if being the P.A. announcer at V.C. wasn’t enough, Bras once auditioned to be the P.A. announcer for the San Diego Padres shortly after getting his Master’s degree at California State University, Fullerton in American Studies. He was driving home and listening to former San Diego radio personality John ‘the Coach’ Kentera when the guru of San Diego high school athletics was promoting open tryouts for the job.
“That was on a Thursday night in 1999, I think,” Bras recalled. “Scott Sandie was my principal, and he let me go; I took a personal day and drove down to Qualcomm [Stadium]. There were probably around 3,000 people there and I basically sat there [thinking] I drove a long way for about five minutes, [and] I had three things to read.
“This was about the time e-mail was starting and I really didn’t use e-mail that much,” he continued. “I was always kind of bummed about this: I was looking one day and there was this e-mail from the Padres, and it was probably about a week after they sent the e-mail telling me I was one of the finalists for the last 10 spots. [But] I was slow to the draw.”
Bras considered the opportunity to audition for the Padres P.A. gig a pipeline gig and never thought about how it would affect his V.C. obligations because it never got that close. He even inquired about being a P.A. announcer for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim when former P.A. personality David Courtney suddenly passed away in 2012. Bras recalls that the Angels told him they were looking for an established P.A. announcer to replace Courtney.
“I don’t know if could have even accepted [the Padres job] because how in the world would I be driving to San Diego back and forth,” said Bras. “I would have been a zombie. It was just fun to try and see what they had to say.”
Another side note is one night Bras had a brief encounter with former Los Angeles Lakers announcer Joel Meyers as he entered the V.C. gymnasium when the basketball team was hosting Campbell Hall High. He remembers telling Meyers, whose son J.J. played for Campbell Hall, he always thought about being a basketball play-byplay announcer, in which Meyers responded, “trust me, you’re in good spot here”.
But the V.C. community can relax as Bras will remain a fixture at the school for years to come. He considers the P.A. announcer a privilege; he loves the school, and anything he can do to add to the enjoyment of the community, he considers that a privilege.
VALLEY CHRISTIAN HIGH public address announcer Gene Bras at the Oct. 10 football game against Aquinas High. Photo by Loren Kopff.
Digital Passports at U.S. Airports as Apple, Google Expand ID
HOLIDAY TRAVELERS will soon see a big change at TSA: digital passports. Apple now lets U.S. passports be stored in iPhone Wallet for use at 250 domestic airports, though a physical passport or Real ID is still recommended.
By Brian Hews
As holiday travelers brace for crowded airports and long security lines, a major change is coming to the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint: digital passports.
Apple announced Nov. 12 that U.S. passports can now be stored in the Wallet app on iPhones. The digital version is accepted for domestic travel at 250 airports nationwide. It cannot be used for international travel, and passengers are still advised to carry a physical passport or Real ID in case the digital version fails.
Apple follows Google, which added a digital passport option to Android phones last year. Several states and Puerto Rico have already rolled out digital driver’s licenses as well.
To set up a digital passport, Android
users scan the chip inside their physical passport and complete a selfie-video identity check. Apple users scan the photo page, scan the chip and take a selfie while moving their head as prompted. Once verified, the passport can be shown digitally at TSA.
Digital driver’s licenses are also expanding. Twelve states, including California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland and Ohio, allow residents to store their licenses in Apple Wallet. Many of those states also support Google Wallet or Samsung Wallet. Other states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, New York, Utah and Virginia, have launched their own standalone ID apps.
Digital passports count as Real ID. Whether a digital driver’s license does depends on each state’s federal approval. TSA recommends carrying a physical ID regardless of which digital version you use.
CIF-SSDIVISION9FOOTBALLPLAYOFFS: Valley Christian’s Defense
By Loren Kopff
When Valley Christian High junior quarterback Graham Lunzer went down with a broken left fibula injury in the second quarter of his team’s 26-9 victory over Chino High in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 9 playoffs, head coach Brendan Chambers had to alter his game plan. Then after preparing for Warren High and noticing that there would be a great chance of inclement weather, he had to change his plans again.
As it turned out, with or without Lunzer or the weather, the Defenders relied on the one constant that has put them in this current position-their defense. On a soggy night in western Cerritos, V.C. limited Warren to half a dozen first downs and under 150 yards total offense as the Defenders (9-3) held on for a 10-7 win. V.C., the sixth-seeded team in the division, will travel to 10th-seeded San Dimas High on Friday in one semifinal game.
“We know our defense has played really well,” said Chambers. “Even when we’ve struggled offensively, [our defense] has come up huge for us these last five or six games. We knew the weather was going to be a factor, so we put in some different packages; we thought we would go heavy and try to move the ball. We kind of saw some film on Norwalk doing that and we thought we might be able to slip through a couple of tackles and just kind of keep that clock rolling.
“The offensive line and running backs did a great job,” he continued. “But really, hat’s off to the defense; they stepped up huge. I think the weather was a huge factor. You get those guys in a dry climate with those athletes, and it would have been a tougher game.”
Chambers was referring to the film from Warren’s 17-7 first round win over Norwalk High. But the other story line was on Lunzer, who won’t be able to walk for at least four weeks. Lunzer had passes
for over 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns and was V.C.’s leading rusher with 519 yards and 14 more touchdowns. He was replaced by junior Liam Sweeney, who completed six of 11 passes for 92 yards and threw two touchdowns against Chino. He also appeared in three regular season games, going 13 of 22 for 175 yards and a touchdown, and saw some action last season alongside Austin Abrahams.
Because of the elements and with Sweeney under center, Chambers put in a heavy set and a jumbo set and for the most part, the Defenders rode the legs of senior Cole Hefner as they tried to manage the clock throughout the game.
Early on, it worked as the hosts chewed up seven minutes on their second possession, which resulted in the drive being stalled at the Warren 26-yard line. But when a 17-yard loss on an attempted punt went against the third place representative from the Gateway League, V.C. was sitting pretty at the 11-yard line. Four plays later, Hefner tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Oliver Boateng on fourth and one. Hefner had gained two yards on a direct snap the previous play.
“We have a similar play where we run out of a bunch set,” said Chambers. “So, we put in that jumbo package where Cole goes to [a] wildcat [formation]; we have a couple of plays off him. One of them is we kind of just follow all the guys on the side where we have three guys behind the line. [Warren] kind of overloaded it because we just ran basically a stretch there. We lined up and we were going to run the same play; they shifted everyone over and I called a timeout. We just knew that getting Oliver in space would be tough for them to bring down. The shift was too far, and they only had two guys on the back side and Oliver did a great job getting around them. The one block we needed, we got, and it was just a big play for us.”
Junior linebacker Sam Melcher would then recover a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. However, the rain would wreak
Leaves Warren With an Unbearable Feeling
havoc as it was the first of three fumbles in the next five combined plays. Senior Isaac Morales would have the last of those fumbles which led to V.C.’s second longest drive of the game.
Starting at their own 48-yard line, the Defenders ran eight plays and moved to the two-yard line where a one-yard loss from Hefner on third down led to a 20yard field goal from senior Gavin Harper with 3:51 remaining in the first half.
“It was hard for me to send out the field goal unit,” said Chambers. “I thought we did a good job getting down there. I just felt like if we could up two scores the way they wanted to throw the football, and the wet conditions, that was the best move for us to get up two scores and then really play ball control.”
The Bears would run 22 plays in the half and gain 55 yards as they would cross midfield three times, not getting past the V.C. 48-yard line. Meanwhile, V.C. was one of eight on third down conversions, but the one came on a 30-yard keeper by Sweeney around the left side on the
drive that led to the field goal. It would be the longest run of the game by any V.C. player. In fact, the next longest run was of seven yards.
The second half would get off to an uneasy start for the Bears as quarterback Jordan Malikin threw seven straight incomplete passes and 12 of the team’s 14 plays in the third quarter. The Defenders, though, were content in controlling the clock as they had the ball for over nine minutes in the stanza.
Warren avoided the shutout six plays into the fourth quarter as Malikin threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Julian Padin. The next time it had the ball, Warren began at V.C.’s 37-yard line and got to the 13-yard line before a three-yard loss on third and two led to a 34-yard field goal attempt from Abraham Morales, which would fall short with 3:35 left in the game.
Five straight runs by Hefner would lead to the eighth punt from senior Dylan
[ See DIVISION 9, page 12 ]
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Valley Christian Pulls Away From Norwalk Late Behind Birthday Girl Burgoyne
By Loren Kopff @LorenKopff on X
A pair of area teams who haven’t faced each other much and are yearning to get back to the CIF-Southern Section playoffs, met this past Tuesday in a game that was close for the first 30 minutes. But a clutch three-pointer from Valley Christian High senior Gracie Verhoef with 1:42 remaining in the contest gave the hosts their biggest lead of the night over Norwalk High.
Freshman Ariel Martinez added an insurance basket 14 seconds later as the Defenders won their season opener, 4334. It was just the third meeting between the two teams in the past five seasons with the Defenders winning 54-40 in 2023 and the Lancers earning a 42-30 victory in 2021.
The first quarter saw a pair of ties and one lead change with neither team owning more than a three-point advantage. Both teams had problems shooting as they combined to go six for 25 from the field. But one constant in the V.C. lineup continued to feed off her stellar first two seasons with the team as junior Hannah Burgoyne, who celebrated her 17th birthday, scored the first five points of the second quarter to put the Defenders up 14-8. However,
the Lancers, who were clipped by Bolsa Grande High 44-43 the night before, regained the lead for the second time when sophomore Aleeah Lopez scored the second of her two baskets as part of an 8-0 run to put her team up 16-14 with 3:41 left in the first half.
“Obviously, I have a lot of girls who have been with me for a couple of years, so we were anticipating this,” said V.C. head coach Dan Leffler. “I think we were a little nervous in the first half; we didn’t play really comfortable and took brick shots. I expect that from Hannah because she’s going to get the bulk of our shots. But it really throws us off if we can’t get into a groove and get comfortable playing. That’s credit to Norwalk; I think we were a little flustered in the beginning. But it’s always good to start with a win and go from there.”
Douglas ended the final 83 seconds of the half with consecutive baskets. Burgoyne had a dozen first half points while Lopez (nine points) and sophomore Connie Esquival (seven points, eight rebounds) were pacing Norwalk.
“We were doing alright and maybe in the first half and third quarter, and then we just kind of broke down in the fourth quarter,” said Norwalk head coach Ashley Baclaan. “We’re not doing too bad in terms of our team, I feel. We just need to work on the little things.”
But Burgoyne and sophomore Molly
V.C. opened a fivepoint lead twice in the third quarter until the Lancers went on a 6-0 run to take a 25-24 lead after senior Carolina Gonzalez scored her lone basket of the game, and the only bench points from Norwalk, with 1:54 remaining in the stanza. But with 5:13 left in the game, Douglas sparked a 6-0 run for the Defenders and then with 3:10 remaining, she began a 7-2 run to end the game.
“I think we got antsy; we shied away from our gameplan,” said Baclaan of the fourth quarter. “Our execution started to break down and defensively, we were lagging on rotations.”
Lopez led Norwalk with 14 points and had three steals while Esquival added a dozen points and 17 rebounds
while the Burgoyne had a game-high 21 points, including five three-pointers, six rebounds and three steals. Martinez added eight points while senior Aniyah Peoples grabbed 10 rebounds. Douglas came off the bench to score all nine points from the non-starters, had four rebounds and a pair of steals.
“Molly has the experience, so when she came on the floor, she was already knowing what was anticipated in the moment,” said Leffler. “She hasn’t had a lot of practice, so I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, to be honest. Coming off volleyball, she had a bad back injury where she was down. She just got cleared two days ago to play.”
“Aleeah hit a couple of big shots for us today, so that was good,” said Baclaan. “She’s pretty set and in rhythm when doing it; I don’t mind that. Connie defensively, she’ll always be a presence. I’m looking forward to seeing them grow and expand their game.”
Norwalk will host Artesia High on Friday, travel to Montebello High on Monday and entertain Segerstrom High on Tuesday while V.C. welcomed Santa Ana High on Nov. 20 and will face Marymount High on Saturday in the Crown Classic Showcase hosted by Notre Dame Academy. That will be the last action for the Defenders until Dec. 1.
VALLEY CHRISTIAN HIGH senior Max Douglas (#28) paves the way for senior Isaac Morales to gain some of his 15 yards against Warren High in last Friday night’s 10-7 win in a CIF-Southern Section Division 9 quarterfinal game.
PHOTO BY STEVE FERICEAN.
CIF-SSDIVISION9FOOTBALLPLAYOFFSPREVIEW: Valley Christian Set to Face San Dimas In Division 9 Semifinals
By Loren Kopff @LorenKopff on X
With Cerritos High losing to Ramona High 48-22 last Friday in a CIF-Southern Section Division 9 quarterfinal game and Gahr High falling to Valley View High 28-21 in Division 11 action, Valley Christian High is the lone area football team alive in the postseason. That means that the HMG-Community News Game of the Week is V.C. at San Dimas High on Friday.
This game pits the sixth-seeded Defenders (9-3) against the 10th-seeded Saints (7-5). V.C. relied on its defense to get the program to its seventh semifinal appearance since 2001 after a hard fought 10-7 win over Warren High last Friday. Junior quarterback Liam Sweeney attempted only 11 passes, completing five of them for 39 yards while senior Cole Hefner rushed 35 times for 63 yards. Hefner also threw a two-yard touchdown pass to senior Oliver Boateng in the second quarter.
The Defenders have outscored their last three opponents 92-16 and have allowed single digits four times this season. Offensively, V.C. suffered a major blow in the first round playoff game against Chino Hills High when junior quarterback Graham Lunzer broke his left fibula. He was leading the team with 2,065 passing yards and 519 rushing yards while accounting for 23 touchdowns through the air and 14 on the ground.
That means Sweeney will have to patrol the offense and once again, the weather will dictate if the Defenders, the second place team from the Ironwood
League, use Hefner like they did last Friday, or if they will throw, which is more to their liking. Hefner has rushed 94 times for 365 yards this season but V.C. has half a dozen dependable receivers who have all either caught over 10 passes or have over 100 receiving yards.
Boateng leads the plethora of receivers with 54 catches, 923 yards and 13 touchdowns, followed by seniors Sean Bouma (33 receptions, 503 yards, three touchdowns), Hefner (27 receptions, 332 yards, three touchdowns), Max Douglas (16 receptions, 190 yards, two touchdowns), Dylan Teays (12 receptions, 126 yards, three touchdowns) and junior Byron Louis (14 receptions, 251 yards, three touchdowns).
On defense, Hefner’s three and a half sacks and junior linebacker Sam Melcher’s three sacks account for over half the team’s production in that category while Bouma and Louis have combined for five of the nine interceptions opposing quarterbacks have thrown.
San Dimas, the fourth place team from the Valley Vista League, eased past Riverside Poly High 28-9 last Friday, icing a close game with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns. Jacob Gallegos was nearly a one-man show, rushing 29 times for 248 yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns. Keenan Hoyt added 64 yards on 10 carries and scored the other two touchdowns as the Saints run the Wing-T offense.
“I watched a little bit of their film, and they run the Wing-T, which is a polar opposite of what we just saw where they’re 95 percent run and throwing the ball about five times,” said V.C. head coach Brendan Chambers. “[Gallegos] is a great player, but they have other
guys who can run the ball really, really well, which makes that offense difficult. When you can have multiple guys who can run the ball well, and they’re going this direction and pulling different people, it’s going to be a challenge for us defensively.”
Gallegos leads San Dimas with 1,253 yards and 13 touchdowns while Hoyt is second with 772 yards and six carries. However, the Saints have a pair of other running backs-Daniel Baeza and Liam Loyola, who have combined for 922 yards and six touchdowns. When quarterback Branson Meredith does pass, his favorite target is Gallegos (11 receptions, 308 yards, three touchdowns).
The irony about the matchup for V.C. is that Warren’s first round win was over Norwalk High, 17-7, and the Lancers pride themselves in running the double wing offense with a pair of 1,000-yard ground gainers. Had Norwalk defeated Warren, the Defenders, according to Chambers, would have had a tougher time given the inclement weather last Friday.
“I think the way the conditions were, I think Warren was a good matchup just because they were so pass heavy,” said Chambers. “Norwalk running that double wing, Wing-T stuff…that would have been right into their elements where they would pick up four yards a carry. Either way, it would have been a close one and it was going to come down to a touchdown, no matter who we played.”
San Dimas has scored over 30 points in four of their seven wins and over 20 in two others. The other win was an opening-season forfeit over Burbank High. The Saints went through a stretch where they lost five of seven games,
never scoring more than 20 points in those five setbacks. In fact, San Dimas has been held to single digits three times. V.C.’s offense has scored 100 more points than San Dimas and the defense has given up 52 fewer points than the Saints. The game will be won on the line, and the weather will play a huge factor in the outcome. As of the beginning of this week, there is a better than 35 percent chance of rain, but nothing like this past Friday.
“I think for our offense, they don’t look as big as Warren on film,” said Chambers. “I think it’s hard to be bigger than Warren…so, I think that’s going to help us out with our offensive line. If the rain goes away, we might be able to throw the ball a little bit and try to get Dylan and Oliver and Sean and Byron and Max involved in the passing game. It’s going to be a fun matchup. But with the way our defense has been playing, I do like our chances going on the road against them.”
A V.C. victory means it will either host 16th-seeded Ramona High or travel to fifth-seeded Hesperia for a postThanksgiving division championship game.
Prediction: V.C. 28, San Dimas 21 Last week’s predictions: 1-2 Season to date: 45-25
Teays, but with 35.6 seconds left to play and Warren beginning at their own 29yard line with no timeouts left, the Bears were subjected to four straight incomplete passes.
With the absence of Lunzer, Hefner was the ultimate workhorse, gaining a tough 63 yards on 35 carries. Three other ball carries would combine for 35 yards on 10 carries while Sweeney completed five of 11 passes for 39 yards.
“We knew that their [defensive backs] and linebackers were pretty good in the open field with tackles,” said Chambers of the running game. “So, we were pretty content just getting a couple of yards that we could and keeping that clock going. Especially once we got the early lead, we were just trying to slow the game down. We knew with the wet conditions, it was
going to be hard for them to chuck the ball. We knew that’s what they wanted to do.”
Junior defensive back Blake Butler had seven tackles, Hefner had five tackles and Boateng, Morales and senior lineman Jameson Miller all added four tackles as Malikin completed 11 of 35 passes for 106 yards. But Warren’s rushing attack would be stymied as five ground gainers combined for 57 yards on 15 rushes, not including the 17-yard loss on the punt attempt.
“The last two games, looking back from Chino and Warren, are probably the two best defensive performances that we’ve had,” said Chambers. “Both those teams were bigger than us up front, especially tonight; probably a little more athletic on the outside. But our DB’s just stepped up huge and contested every single throw.”
LEGAL NOTICES- YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW!
NOTICE AND SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 25-974
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARTESIA AMENDING VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 2 OF TITLE 9 OF THE ARTESIA MUNICIPAL CODE TO MODIFY BUSINESS ZONING DESIGNATIONS AND BUSINESS USES AS THEY PERTAIN TO TATTOO, BODY PIERCING, AND PERMANENT COSMETIC ESTABLISHMENTS
Notice is hereby given that on November 10, 2025, the City Council of the City of Artesia adopted Ordinance No.25-974 related to tattoo, body piercing, and permanent cosmetic establishments:
• Add tattoo, body piercing, and permanent cosmetic establishments in the Commercial/Single Family Residential (M-C-R) zones, Commercial General (CG) zones, Service and Professional (C-S-P) zones, and Commercial Planned Development (CPD) zones, as principally permitted uses
The Ordinance was adopted by the City Council by the following vote: Ayes: Councilmembers Ahir, Manalo, Ramoso, Trevino, Taj; Noes: None
Please note that the above is simply a summary of the Ordinance. To obtain a full understanding of the Ordinance it should be read in its entirety. A copy of the full text of the Ordinance is posted in the City Clerk’s office at 18747 Clarkdale Avenue, Artesia, California 90701.
PUBLISHED: November 21, 2025 Jennifer Alderete, City Clerk Published at Los Cerritos Community News 11/21/25
To play the Wonderword puzzle, find the hidden words in the grid by looking for them horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and backwards. Circle or highlight each letter of a found word and then cross it off your list. Once all the listed words are found, the remaining letters will spell out the solution, known as the “Wonderword”
on page 15
PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF PICO RIVERA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED ADOPTION OF NEW PARKING PENALTY
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held before the City Council of the City of Pico Rivera to consider the adoption of a new parking penalty related to California Assembly Bill (AB) 413, which prohibits stopping, standing, or parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk or intersection pursuant to California Vehicle Code §22500. The purpose of the proposed action is to enhance pedestrian and traffic safety by establishing a new penalty amount and incorporating it into the City’s Schedule of Parking Penalties.
WHEN: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Pico Rivera Senior Center 9200 Mines Avenue Pico Rivera, CA 90660
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the adoption of a parking penalty is not a project under CEQA pursuant to Section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines, as it is an administrative action that will not result in any direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical impacts on the environment. Therefore, no further environmental review is required.
Availability of Document for Public Review: The proposed Schedule of Parking Penalties and supporting documents will be available for public review beginning November 21, 2025 on the City’s website at: https://www.pico-rivera.org/parking-enforcement/
Pursuant to California Vehicle Code §40203.5(b), a public hearing is required before establishing or modifying a schedule of parking penalties. Notice of this hearing is provided in accordance with Government Code §6062(a), requiring publication once a week for two successive weeks.
PERSONS INTERESTED IN THIS MATTER wishing to observe the meeting may do so in the following ways:
(1) Turn on your TV to Channel 3;
(2) Visit the City’s website at https://bit.ly/picorivera-ctv3live;
(3) Email public comments to juliagonzalez@pico-rivera.org prior to 4:00pm on the day of the meeting.
(4) Attend the public hearing in person
For more information, call Julia Gonzalez, Deputy Director of Community & Economic Development Department at (562) 801-4447 or via e-mail at juliagonzalez@pico-rivera.org
If you challenge the consideration or adoption of the proposed applications in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or written correspondence delivered to the City of Pico Rivera City Clerk at, or prior to, the public hearing.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the City of Pico Rivera is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for a person with a disability. Please contact the City Clerk Office at (562) 801-4389 if special program accommodations are necessary and/or if program information is needed on an alternative format. Special requests must be made in a reasonable amount of time so that accommodations can be arranged.
NOTICE OF ADOPTED ORDINANCE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Cerritos City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1052, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CERRITOS
APPROVING DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT 2025-3, A REQUEST TO AMEND SECTION 22.40.730 OF THE CERRITOS MUNICIPAL CODE, REMOVING THE QUANTITY LIMITATION ON SELF-STORAGE FACILITIES
PERMITTED IN THE CITY OF CERRITOS. *Pursuant to Sections 15378(b)(5) and 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, this project is categorically exempt from CEQA review. City Attorney Summary: This adopted ordinance (DCA 20253) will remove the quantity limitation on self-storage facilities that are permitted in the City of Cerritos. Previously, the Cerritos Municipal Code restricted the number of self-storage facilities to a maximum of four (4) facilities. With the enactment of the ordinance, there will be no limitation on how many self-storage facilities will be permitted. The full text of this adopted Ordinance can be obtained at the Office of the City Clerk, 18125 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos, CA 90703. I, Cynthia Nava, City Clerk of the City of Cerritos, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 1052 was introduced for first reading on October 13, 2025. Thereafter, said Ordinance was duly approved and adopted at a regular meeting of the Cerritos City Council on November 13, 2025, by the following vote: AYES: Hong, Pulido, Tse, Johnson, Yokoyama; NOES: None. /s/Cynthia Nava
Published at Los Cerritos Community News 11/21/25
CITY OF CERRITOS, NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Project Identification: CONSTRUCTION OF CERRITOS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ROOF REPLACEMENT, PROJECT NO. 12706, BID NO. 1567-25. Project Description: The work or improvement to be performed generally consists of providing all labor, material tools, and equipment necessary to reroof the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Cerritos Center for Performing Arts is located at 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos, CA 90703. The roofing materials identified in the project specifications as City-supplied under CMAS Contract No. 4-20-56-0006B will be provided by the City of Cerritos. Contractors shall exclude these materials from their bid pricing. Mandatory, Pre Bid Conference: Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos, California The City will not review bids from Contractors who do not attend the Pre-Bid meeting. Bids will be opened: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Place of bid receipt: The bid submission must be received in the Office of the City Clerk, First Floor, 18125 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos, CA 90703. It is the responsibility of the bidder to ensure that the bid is received in the appropriate location by the deadline. Bids not received in the Office of the City Clerk by the deadline provided will not be considered. Bids must be marked: “BID – CONSTRUCTION OF CERRITOS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ROOF REPLACEMENT, PROJECT NO. 12706, BID NO. 1567-25DO NOT OPEN.” All Bids shall be made on the form furnished by the City and shall be opened and publicly read aloud at the above-stated time in the Office of the City Clerk of the City of Cerritos, City Hall. Any requests for information regarding opened bids shall be directed to the Office of the City Clerk via a formal Public Records Act request. The City has determined that opened bids are confidential and therefore the negotiations process outweighs the public interest in prematurely disclosing such records. (Gov. Code § 7922.000). Obtaining Contract Documents: A set of Contract Documents, including plans and specifications can be obtained by e-mailing Cerritos Engineering Division at: Aerdelji@cerritos.gov. Any questions, please contact 562916-1219. Each bid shall be accompanied by a bid security referred to in the Contract Documents and by a list of proposed subcontractors. Evidence of current City Business License (applies to contractor and all subcontractors), insurance, a Performance Bond, a Labor and Material Payment Bond, and Warranty Bond, as specified in the Contract Documents, will be required prior to execution of the contract. In accordance with Public Contract Code Section 22300, the bidder who is awarded the contract may substitute securities for retention money withheld by a public agency to ensure performance under the contract. The procedure and requirements for substituting said securities are set forth in Public Contract Code Section 22300, which is incorporated by this reference. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or portions thereof, or to waive any informality or irregularity in a bid to the extent allowed by law. No bid will be accepted from a contractor who has not been licensed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 9, Division III of the California Business and Professions Code. The contractor must possess a license of the following classification at the time the contract is awarded (and must maintain this license classification through completion of the project): “A” and/or “B” and “C-39.” The bidder’s attention is also directed to Section 7028.15 of the Business and Professions Code for further reference, as set forth herein. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or portions thereof, or to waive any informality or irregularity in a bid to the extent allowed by law. Only a contractor or subcontractor who currently is registered with the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) to bid on public works contracts in California, pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5, shall be permitted to submit or be listed on a bid. No bid shall be accepted, nor any contract or subcontract entered into, without proof of the contractor or subcontractor’s current registration to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 1770, et seq., of the California Labor Code, the DIR has determined the general prevailing rate of wages and employer payments for health and welfare, vacations, pensions and similar purposes applicable to the work to be done. These rates shall be the minimum rates for this project. Copies of the prevailing wage rates are on file at City Hall, located at 18125 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos, California, 90703, and shall be available to any interested party upon request. In addition, rates may be obtained by visiting http://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/pwd/, calling the DIR, Division of Labor Statistics and Research’s Prevailing Wage Unit at (415) 703-4774, faxing the Prevailing Wage Unit at (415) 703-4771 or writing to DIR, Division of Labor Statistics and Research, Prevailing Wage Unit, P.O. Box 420603, San Francisco, CA, 94142. The contractor to whom the contract is awarded, and the subcontractors under him, must pay not less than these rates for this area to all workers employed in the execution of the contract. The bidder’s attention is further directed to Section 9204 of the Public Contract Code regarding the claims resolution process for all public works projects. Any dispute or claim against the City under a public works project shall be processed in accordance with Section 9204 of the Public Contract Code and any other applicable law. On March 4, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-6-22 (EO) regarding sanctions in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine. The EO is located at https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/3.4.22Russia-Ukraine-Executive-Order.pdf. All contractors shall comply with economic sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s action’s in Ukraine, per this order and other federal executive orders identified by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Failure to comply with these orders shall result in the termination of contract. By order of the City of Cerritos.
at Los Cerritos Community News 11/21/25
ORDINANCE NUMBER 2026-01
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ARTESIA CEMETERY DISTRICT INCREASING THE TRUSTEES’ COMPENSATION FOR ATTENDING BOARD MEETINGS
WHEREAS, Health & Safety Code Section 9031 (a) provides that trustees may receive compensation in an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) for attending each board meeting, up to four meetings a month; and
WHEREAS, board meetings include, but is not limited to, regular meetings, special meetings, closed sessions, emergency meetings, board field trips, district public hearings, or meetings of a committee of the board. (H&S Code Section 9031 (e).) Incidentally, trustees are not entitled to traveling and incidental expenses for attending board meetings; and
WHEREAS, Health & Safety Code Section 9031 (b) provides that trustees by ordinance adopted pursuant to Water Code Section 20200, et seq. may increase the amount of compensation received for attending board meetings; and
WHEREAS, the amount of compensation per board meeting may be increased above one hundred dollars ($100) per board meeting, provided the increase does not exceed five (5) percent for each calendar year following the operative date of the last adjustment; and WHEREAS, the proposed ordinance was introduced on December 11, 2025, and a public hearing was conducted by the Board of Trustees, on January 12, 2023. Notice of the public hearing was published in The Los Cerritos Community Newspaper pursuant to Government Code Section 6066.
NOW THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ARTESIA CEMETERY DISTRICT ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. RECITALS
That the above recitals are true and correct and are incorporated as though fully set forth herein.
Section 2. BOARD MEETING COMPENSATION
That upon the effective date of this ordinance, each trustee shall be entitled to receive One Hundred and Twenty-Seven Dollars and Sixty-Three Cents ($127.63) as compensation for attending each board meeting, up to a maximum of four meeting per month.
Section 3 SEVERABILITY
That the Board of Trustees declares that, should any provision, section, paragraph, sentence or word of this ordinance be rendered or declared invalid by any final court action in a court of competent jurisdiction or by reason of any preemptive legislation, the remaining provisions, sections, paragraphs, sentences or words of this ordinance as hereby adopted shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 4 REPEAL OF CONFLICTING PROVISIONS
All the provisions of any resolution or ordinance as heretofore adopted by the Board of Trustees that are in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section 5 EFFECTIVE DATE
This ordinance shall take effect 60 days after its adoption.
Section 6 CERTIFICATION
The Secretary of the Board of Trustees shall certify to the passage of this ordinance.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Trustees of the Artesia Cemetery District at a regular meeting duly held on the 11th day of December 2025, by the following vote:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
ATTEST:
APPROVED:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Carlos Campos, General Counsel
Published at Los Cerritos Community News 11/21/25
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF BULK SALE
(Division 6 of the Commercial Code) Escrow No. NB-L-12736-25
(1) Notice is hereby given to creditors of the within named Seller(s) that a bulk sale is about to be made on personal property hereinafter described (2) The name and business addresses of the seller are: DRK ENTERPRISES, LLC EEYORE HOSE LLC, HYDRAULIC HOSE OF ORANGE COUNTY LLC AND HEREWEGOHOSE, LLC., 307 CALLE PESCADOR, SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672; 1710 PALMYRITA AVE. #14, RIVERSIDE, CA 92507; 2261 ATLANTIC BLVD., COMMERCE, CA 90040; 909 S. CUCAMONGA AVE. #101, ONTARIO, CA 91761
(3) The location in California of the chief executive office of the Seller is: SAME AS ABOVE
(4) The names and business address of the Buyer(s) are: JPJW VENTURES LLC, 24992 PAM COURT, LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA 92677
(5) The location and general description of the assets to be sold are: FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT, GOODWILL, TRADE NAME of that certain business located at: 307 CALLE PESCADOR, SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672; 1710 PALMYRITA AVE. #14, RIVERSIDE, CA 92507; 2261 ATLANTIC BLVD., COMMERCE, CA 90040; 909 S. CUCAMONGA AVE. #101, ONTARIO, CA 91761
(6) The business name used by the seller(s) at said location is: PIRTEK (7) The anticipated date of the bulk sale is DECEMBER 11, 2025 at the office of: PORTFOLIO
Antonio Mendoza, Secretary Mike Wada, Chair
NOTICE INVITING SEALED BIDS FOR CARUTHERS PARK DOG PARK FENCING PROJECT IN THE CITY OF BELLFLOWER CITY PROJECT NO. 47240A
The City of Bellflower is accepting sealed bids in the City Clerk’s office, 16600 Civic Center Drive, Bellflower, CA 90706, until 11:00 a.m. on:
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2025
at which time they will be publicly opened. Bids will not be accepted after that time. Each bid must be accompanied by a certified or cashier’s check or bidder’s bond payable to the order of the City of Bellflower or cash for an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the bid price submitted, and the check, bond, or cash deposit of the successful bidder shall be forfeited to the City if such bidder fails to enter into the contract to perform the work within ten (10) days after written notice of award.
As described in the Bidding Documents, the bids are for a public works project (“Project”) which consists of an Click here to enter the project description and related work, including providing all necessary equipment, materials, transportation and labor for the project as shown on the plans on file with the City’s Public Works Department. The Engineer’s Estimate of cost is $ $130,000. Bids will be publicly opened on Wednesday, December 17th, 2025 at 11:00 AM.
The contractor shall possess a Class B Contractor’s License. No bid will be accepted from a contractor who has not been licensed in accordance with the Provisions of Chapter 9, Division III, of the Business and Professions Code of the State of California at the time the bid is submitted.
Following the issuance of the Notice to Proceed, the contractor shall have thirty (30) calendar days to complete the work.
Work on the Project must be performed in strict conformity with Specification No. 47240A, which is filed with the City’s Public Works Department. Copies of these specifications may be obtained by prospective bidders from the Public Works Department, 9944 Flora Vista Street, Bellflower, CA 90706 for a non-refundable fee of $17.00. Specifications can be mailed for an additional non-refundable fee of $10.00 per set.
A mandatory jobsite walk will be held on Wednesday December 3rd, 2025, at 10:00 AM, at Caruthers Park, 10500 Flora Vista Street, Bellflower, CA 90706. Prospective bidders will have opportunity to examine the project site and are encouraged to raise any questions associated with the project and site. Attendance of the jobsite walk is mandatory for parties wishing to submit a bid as the Prime Contractor.
The terms and conditions for bidding on the Project are described in the attached Bidding Instructions.
This project requires payment of State prevailing rates of wages for Los Angeles County. The contractor must post copies of the prevailing schedule at each job site. Copies of these rates of wages are available from the State of California Department of Industrial Relations Prevailing Wage Unit, Telephone No. (415) 703-4774. The website for this agency is currently located at www.dir.ca.gov
Note that the Project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the California Department of Industrial Relations. Pursuant to California law, the City must find bids failing to comply with all applicable Labor Code requirements including, without limitation, Labor Code §§ 1725.5 and 1771.4, to be nonresponsive.
Five percent (5%) will be deducted from each progress payment and retained by the City. The remainder less the amount of all previous payments will be paid to the Contractor. Pursuant to Public Contracts Code (“PCC”) § 22300, the Contractor may substitute securities for retention monies held by the City or request that the City place such monies into an escrow account. The Contractor is notified, pursuant to PCC § 22300, any such election will be at the Contractor own expense and will include costs incurred by the City to accommodate the Contractor’s request.
DATED this 20th day of October 2025.
CITY OF BELLFLOWER, CALIFORNIA
Published at Los Cerritos Community News11/21/28
CITY OF HAWAIIAN GARDENS
SUMMARY OF ADOPTED ORDINANCE NO. 2025-621
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAWAIIAN GARDENS, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AMENDING TITLE 15 OF THE HAWAIIAN GARDENS MUNICIPAL CODE BY REPEALING TITLE 15 CHAPTERS 15.04, 15.06, 15.08, 15.10, 15.12, 15.14 AND ADDING IN LIEU THEREOF NEW CHAPTERS 15.04, 15.06, 15.08, 15.10 15.12, 15.14 TO TITLE 15 OF THE HAWAIIAN GARDENS MUNICIPAL CODE, ADOPTING BY REFERENCE AND AMENDING THE 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING, ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, AND RESIDENTIAL CODES
On November 12, 2025, the City Council of the City of Hawaiian Gardens adopted Ordinance No. 2025-621, the 2025 California Building Standards Code. Every three years, the California Building Standards Commission updates the California Building Standards Code. The 2025 edition becomes effective statewide on January 1, 2026.
Cities may adopt local amendments to the California Building Standards Code, which are either administrative or required by the city’s unique geological, climatic, and/or topographical conditions. The City adopted the following minor amendments to the California Codes, most of which are administrative in nature: Administration of Building Codes: Establishes uniform permitting, fee, expiration, refund, and enforcement provisions consistent with current practices; Local Amendments: Reflect regional seismic hazards and clarify design professional requirements for multi-story woodframe structures in Seismic Design Categories D0–E; Uniform Enforcement: Aligns penalty, severability, and conflict clauses across all technical codes for consistency and clarity; No Entitlement Creation: Clarifies that adoption of technical codes does not override zoning or land use restrictions in the Municipal Code.
The City Council passed and adopted Ordinance No. 2025-621, by the following vote:
AYES: FARFAN, ROA, DEL RIO, DE PAULA
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: VARGAS
ABSTAIN: NONE
Any interested person may obtain a copy of the ordinance from the City Clerk’s Office, cityclerk@hgcity.org or by calling City Hall at (562) 420-2641. Also, a copy of the full text of the Ordinance is available on the City’s website at www.hgcity.org.
Pablo Rubio, City Clerk
Published: November 21, 2025 Los Cerritos Community News
Published at Los Cerritos Community News11/21/28 P U B L I C H E A R I N G N O T I C E
BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING PUBLIC HEARING
Thursday, December 11th, 2025 – 4:00 p.m.
Proposed Ordinance Increasing Trustee
Compensation for Board Meeting Attendance
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the Board of Trustees of the Artesia Cemetery District to consider increasing the compensation for attending a Board meeting from $110.25 per Board meeting to $127.63 per Board meeting.
THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 4:00 p.m., in the Board Room located at 11142 Artesia Blvd., Cerritos, California. The staff report, ordinance and other related information will be made available at our business office at least 72 hours in advance of the Public Hearing.
INTERESTED PERSONS MAY appear and be heard, or written comments may be sent to the Board of Trustees prior to the public hearing. Written comments may be mailed to: Antonio Mendoza, General Manager, Artesia Cemetery District, 11142 Artesia Blvd., Cerritos, California, CA 90703, or delivered to the General Manager at the same address.
QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES may be addressed to Antonio Mendoza, General Manager at (562) 865-6300 or via email to antonio@artesiacemetery.com
Published at Los Cerritos Community News 11/21, 11/28, 12/5/25
County of Los Angeles Department of Treasurer and Tax Collector
Notice of Divided Publication
Pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code (R&TC) Sections 3702, 3381, and 3382, the Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector is publishing in divided distribution, the Notice of Online Sealed Bid Auction of Tax-Defaulted Property Subject to the Tax Collector's Power to Sell in and for the County of Los Angeles, State of California, to various newspapers of general circulation published in the County. A portion of the list appears in each of such newspapers.
Notice of Online Sealed Bid Auction Tax-Defaulted Property Subject to the Tax Collector's Power to Sell (Sale No. 2025C)
Whereas, on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles, State of California, directed the County of Los Angeles Treasurer and Tax Collector (TTC), to sell certain tax-defaulted properties at the online sealed bid auction.
TTC does hereby give public notice, that unless said properties are redeemed, prior to the close of business on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, the last business day prior to the first day of the online sealed bid auction, TTC will offer for sale and sell said properties on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, through Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, to the highest bidder, for not less than the minimum bid, at online sealed bid auction at https:// www.govease.com/los-angeles.
Free computer access is available at public libraries located throughout Los Angeles County. The County and its employees are not liable for the failure of any electronic equipment that may prevent a person from participating in an online auction.
The only persons that are eligible to submit bids are owners of contiguous parcels or a holder of record of either a predominant easement or right-of-way easement.
Bidders are required to pre-register at https://www.govease.com/ los-angeles and submit a deposit of $250.00, or 10 percent of the spend limit that is set by each registered bidder, whichever is greater. Bid deposits must be in the form of a wire transfer, cashier's check, bank-issued money order, or electronic check (eCheck) at the time of registration. Registration will begin on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time and end on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
Pursuant to R&TC Section 3692.3, TTC sells all properties ``as is`` and the County and its employees are not liable for any known or unknown conditions of the properties, including, but not limited to, errors in the records of the Office of the Assessor (Assessor) pertaining to improvement of the property.
If TTC sells a property, parties of interest, as defined by R&TC
Section 4675, have a right to file a claim with the County for any proceeds from the sale, which are in excess of the liens and costs required to be paid from the proceeds. If there are any excess proceeds after the application of the minimum bid, TTC will send notice to all parties of interest, pursuant to State law.
Please direct requests for information concerning redemption of tax-defaulted property to the Treasurer and Tax Collector, at 225 North Hill Street, Room 130, Los Angeles, California 90012. Phone calls can be directed to (213) 974-2045, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, visit TTC's website at ttc.lacounty.gov and emails can be directed to auction@ttc. lacounty.gov.
The Assessor's Identification Numbers (AIN) in this publication refers to the Assessor's Map Book, the Map Page, and the individual Parcel Number on the Map Page. If a change in the AIN occurred, the publication will show both prior and current AINs. An explanation of the parcel numbering system and the referenced maps are available at the Office of the Assessor located at 500 West Temple Street, Room 225, Los Angeles, California 90012, or at assessor.lacounty.gov.
I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed at Los Angeles, California, on October 17, 2025.
ELIZABETH BUENROSTRO GINSBERG Treasurer and Tax Collector County of Los Angeles State of California
The real property that is subject to this notice is situated in the County of Los Angeles, State of California, and is described as follows: PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE OF SALE OF TAX-DEFAULTED PROPERTY SUBJECT TO THE POWER OF SALE(SALE NO. 2025C) 2203 AIN 7068-018-034 SHARP,LUANGELA LOCATION CITY-HAWAII GDNS $250.00 2208 AIN 7069-010-020 LADD,ROBERT A LOCATION CITYHAWAII
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File Number 2025217302. THE FOLLOWING PERSON(S) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: EASEL & PIXEL, 8501 ROSEMEAD BLVD., PICO RIVERA, CA 90660, LOS ANGELES COUNTY; Articles of Incorporation Number: N/A. Registered Owner: NELSON LEAL, 8501 ROSEMEAD BLVD., PICO RIVERA, CA 90660. THIS BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED AS AN INDIVIDUAL. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 10/2025. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) /S/ EASEL & PIXEL; Owner; NELSON LEAL. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 11/10/2025. In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the of notice of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. Effective January 1, 2014, the Fictitious Business Name Statement must be accompanied by the affidavit of identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State or Common Law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). LCCN 11/14, 11/21, 11/28, 12/5/25
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:
PAUL NORMAN STUTZKE
CASE NO. 25STPB12473
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of PAUL
NORMAN STUTZKE.
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by CAITLIN STUTZKE in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that CAITLIN STUTZKE be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.
THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)
The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 12/11/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 11 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012
IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.
IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:
RICHARD L. ZAVALA AKA RICHARD LOPEZ ZAVALA
CASE NO. 25STPB12086
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of RICHARD L. ZAVALA AKA RICHARD LOPEZ ZAVALA.
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by FRANK ANTHONY ZAVALA in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.
THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that FRANK ANTHONY ZAVALA be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.
THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.
THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 12/04/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 44 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012
IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.
IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.
YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner SUE C. SWISHER - SBN 243310 LAW OFFICE OF SUE C. SWISHER20955 PATHFINDER ROAD, SUITE 100, DIAMOND BAR CA 91765, Telephone (909) 843-6490, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21/25, CNS-3983186#, LA MIRADA LAMPLIGHTER
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at location indicated. 10753 Artesia Blvd., Cerritos, CA 90703 on 12/03/2025 at 11:30 a.m.
Robert Hernandez
Raymond Vazquez
Martin Ramos
Christina Bernal
Anthony Mondragon
Carlos Mendoza
The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Published at LCCN 11/21/25
County of Los Angeles Department of Treasurer and Tax Collector Notice of Divided Publication
Pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code (R&TC) Sections 3702, 3381, and 3382, the Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector is publishing in divided distribution, the Notice of Online Sealed Bid Auction of Tax-Defaulted Property Subject to the Tax Collector's Power to Sell in and for the County of Los Angeles, State of California, to various newspapers of general circulation published in the County. A portion of the list appears in each of such newspapers.
Notice of Online Sealed Bid Auction Tax-Defaulted Property Subject to the Tax Collector's Power to Sell (Sale No. 2025C) Whereas, on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles, State of California, directed the County of Los Angeles Treasurer and Tax Collector (TTC), to sell certain tax-defaulted properties at the online sealed bid auction.
TTC does hereby give public notice, that unless said properties are redeemed, prior to the close of business on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, the last business day prior to the first day of the online sealed bid auction, TTC will offer for sale and sell said properties on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, through Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, to the highest bidder, for not less than the minimum bid, at online sealed bid auction at https:// www.govease.com/los-angeles.
Free computer access is available at public libraries located throughout Los Angeles County. The County and its employees are not liable for the failure of any electronic equipment that may prevent a person from participating in an online auction.
The only persons that are eligible to submit bids are owners of contiguous parcels or a holder of record of either a predominant easement or right-of-way easement.
Bidders are required to pre-register at https://www.govease.com/ los-angeles and submit a deposit of $250.00, or 10 percent of the spend limit that is set by each registered bidder, whichever is greater. Bid deposits must be in the form of a wire transfer, cashier's check, bank-issued money order, or electronic check (eCheck) at the time of registration. Registration will begin on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time and end on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
Pursuant to R&TC Section 3692.3, TTC sells all properties ``as is`` and the County and its employees are not liable for any known or unknown conditions of the properties, including, but not limited to, errors in the records of the Office of the Assessor (Assessor) pertaining to improvement of the property. If TTC sells a property, parties of interest, as defined by R&TC Section 4675, have a right to file a claim with
required to be paid from the proceeds. If there are any excess proceeds after the application of the minimum bid, TTC will send notice to all parties of interest, pursuant to State law.
Please direct requests for information concerning redemption of tax-defaulted property to the Treasurer and Tax Collector, at 225 North Hill Street, Room 130, Los Angeles, California 90012. Phone calls can be directed to (213) 974-2045, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, visit TTC's website at ttc.lacounty.gov and emails can be directed to auction@ttc. lacounty.gov.
The Assessor's Identification Numbers (AIN) in this publication refers to the Assessor's Map Book, the Map Page, and the individual Parcel Number on the Map Page. If a change in the AIN occurred, the publication will show both prior and current AINs. An explanation of the parcel numbering system and the referenced maps are available at the Office of the Assessor located at 500 West Temple Street, Room 225, Los Angeles, California 90012, or at assessor.lacounty.gov.
I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed at Los Angeles, California, on October 17, 2025.
ELIZABETH BUENROSTRO GINSBERG Treasurer and Tax Collector County of Los Angeles State of California
The real property that is subject to this notice is situated in the County of Los Angeles, State of California, and is described as follows:
PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE OF SALE OF TAX-DEFAULTED PROPERTY SUBJECT TO THE POWER OF SALE(SALE NO.
2025C)
2188 AIN 6390-014-042 RANCHO DOWNEY LOCATION
CITY-DOWNEY $250.00
2189 AIN 6390-014-043 RANCHO DOWNEY LOCATION
CITY-DOWNEY $250.00
2191 AIN 7016-014-026 PERRY,BRIAN LOCATION COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES $250.00
2193 AIN 7016-020-057 POMONA MINORS CO TR BK
MADAN FAMILY TRUST AND MADAN,SAWAN LOCATION
CITY-CERRITOS $250.00
2274 AIN 8018-003-031 SUTTLES,SHARON LOCATION
CITY-NORWALK $250.00
2275 AIN 8018-016-007 ROZELLE,DONALD L LOCATION
CITY-NORWALK $250.00
2276 AIN 8022-019-030 SILVERBURG,SHIRLEY ET AL
BRODY,HELEN LOCATION CITY-NORWALK $250.00
2549 AIN 8016-025-033 LE,HANH LOCATION CITY-
NORWALK $250.00
2550 AIN 8078-010-018 NAVARRETE,JOSE R LOCATION
CITY-NORWALK $250.00 CN122174 607 Nov 21,28, Dec 5, 2025
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMERCE CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE COMMERCE MUNICIPAL CODE BY MODIFYING TITLE 15 THEREOF ADOPTING BY REFERENCE THE 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, MECHANICAL, AND RESIDENTIAL CODES WITH CERTAIN AMENDMENTS, ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS THERETO AND ADDING A CHAPTER FOR AN EXPEDITED, STREAMLINED PERMITTING PROCESS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: the City of Commerce City Council will conduct a public hearing on a request from the Community Development Department to the City Council to consider a second reading to amend the Commerce Municipal Code (“CMC”) by amending Chapters 15.07, 15.08, 15.09, 15.10, 15.11, 15.12, 15.13 of Title 15 in their entirety to add a chapter establishing an electric vehicle charging station permitting process and adopt by reference the following codes:
1. 2025 California Building Code, Title 24 Part 2 of California Code of Regulations, Chapter 1, Division II through Chapter 35 and Appendices C, F, H, I, J, O, P and Q;
2. 2025 California Residential Code, Title 24 Part 2.5 of California Code of Regulations, Chapter 1, Division II through Chapter 10, Chapter 44 and Appendix AH, AJ, AQ, and AS;
3. 2025 California Electrical Code, Title 24 Part 3 of California Code of Regulations, Article 89, Article 90, Chapters 1 through 9, and Annexes A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I and J;
4. 2025 California Mechanical Code, Title 24 Part 4 of California Code of Regulations, Chapter 1, Division II through Chapter 17 and Appendices B, C and D; and
5. 2025 California Plumbing Code, Title 24 Part 5 of California Code of Regulations, Chapter 1, Division II through Chapter 17 and Appendices A, B, D, H, I and J (“Ordinance”).
At its meeting held on October 28, 2025, the City Council introduced first reading of this Ordinance. Copies of the proposed Ordinance are available for review at the Commerce City Hall with the City Clerk and on our website at: https://www.commerceca.gov/city-hall/ economic-development-and-planning/planning/planning-environmental-documents-forreview.
PURSUANT to the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code §§ 21000 et seq., “CEQA”) and the CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 15000 et seq.), the proposed Ordinance is exempt from CEQA because it is a code amendment to adopt the latest and updated versions of the all relevant construction codes, which will not have a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment and does not qualify as a “project” under CEQA because it will not make physical changes to the environment pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5). In addition, the Ordinance is also exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15061(b)(3) - Common Sense Exemption where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment and CEQA Guidelines Sections § 15301 and § 15303. All future construction will require their own environmental review as outlined by CEQA guidelines.
Said public hearing will be held before the City Council of the City of Commerce in the Council Chambers, 5655 Jillson Street, Commerce, CA, 90040, on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 6:30 p.m., at which time proponents and opponents of the Ordinance will be heard. Any comments, objections, or other information may be offered in person at the time of the hearing or in writing, prior to the hearing. We encourage submittal of written comments supporting, opposing, or otherwise commenting on an agenda item, for distribution to the City Council prior to the meeting. Send emails to cityclerk@ commerceca.gov; written correspondence may be sent to: City of Commerce - 2535 Commerce Way Commerce, California 90040; Phone: (323) 722-4805.
If you challenge this Ordinance, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing.
Melanie Park
Melanie Park
Deputy City Clerk
Published at Los Cerritos Community News11/21/28
NOTICE AND SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 25-975
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARTESIA ADOPTING BY REFERENCE TITLE 26 OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CODE, INCORPORATING AND AMENDING THE 2023 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE; TITLE 27 OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CODE, INCORPORATING AND AMENDING THE 2023 CALIFORNIA ELECTRICAL CODE; TITLE 28 OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CODE, INCORPORATING AND AMENDING THE 2023 CALIFORNIA PLUMBING CODE; TITLE 29 OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CODE, INCORPORATING AND AMENDING THE 2023 CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE; TITLE 30 OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CODE, INCORPORATING AND AMENDING THE 2023 CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL CODE; TITLE 31 OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CODE, INCORPORATING AND AMENDING THE 2023 CALIFORNIA GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS CODE; TITLE 33 OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CODE, INCORPORATING AND AMENDING THE 2023 CALIFORNIA EXISTING BUILDING CODE; AND THE 2022 CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE; TOGETHER WITH CERTAIN AMENDMENTS, DELETIONS AND ADDITIONS, INCLUDING FINDINGS, FEES AND PENALTIES; AND AMENDING THE ARTESIA MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 1 OF TITLE 8.
Notice is hereby given that on November 10, 2025, the City Council of the City of Artesia adopted Ordinance No 25-975 making certain amendments and additions to the Artesia Municipal Code related to the Building Code, Electrical Code, Mechanical Code, Fire Code, and Green Building Code. The following is a summary of the proposed Ordinance: • Amendments to the building codes by reference
The Ordinance was adopted by the City Council by the following vote: Ayes: Councilmembers Ahir, Manalo, Ramoso, Trevino, Taj; Noes: None
Please note that the above is simply a summary of the Ordinance. To obtain a full understanding of the Ordinance it should be read in its entirety. A copy of the full text of the Ordinance is posted in the City Clerk’s office at 18747 Clarkdale Avenue, Artesia, California 90701.
PUBLISHED: November 21, 2025 Jennifer Alderete, City Clerk
