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Incompatible Office: AG Rules Against Central Basin’s

Gary Mendez

Attorney General clears lawsuit to oust Mendez, deepening Central Basin’s corruption crisis with four tainted directors.

By Brian Hews

Los Cerritos Community News has been sounding the alarm on Central Basin for years, and the rot just keeps spreading. What was once billed as an emerging regional water agency building reserves while serving millions has now sunk deeper into scandal, with four of its directors under clouds of illegitimacy, corruption, or both. From tax liens and illegal board seats to revoked nonprofits and incompatible offices, the district’s ruling majority is defined less by public service than by self-preservation.

LCCN has exclusively learned that California Attorney General Rob Bonta has granted the Whittier Union High School District permission to sue Trustee Gary Mendez in quo warranto, clearing the way for a Superior Court case that could remove him

from office. Mendez is also VP on the Central Basin Board.

In a formal opinion issued September 11, 2025, Bonta’s office concluded that Mendez’s dual service as a Whittier Union trustee, a position he won in 2022, and as a Central Basin Municipal Water District director, elected in 2024, is incompatible under Government Code §1099. The law requires forfeiture of the first office when a public official assumes a second, incompatible one.

The Attorney General’s analysis was blunt: even the possibility of a “significant clash of duties or loyalties” between the offices is enough to make them legally incompatible. Central Basin supplies water to retailers who then sell it to Whittier Union schools. Both districts also hold powers over water, sanitation, and even eminent domain, creating an unavoidable overlap of authority.

Citing decades of precedent, including a 2002 opinion that found the very same offices incompatible, the ruling emphasized that public officials must avoid divided loyalties. “Only

[ See MENDEZ, page 11 ]

State and Artesia Reach Agreement on Housing Compliance

State settlement forces

Artesia to zone 1,069 homes, with steep fines and builder’s remedy risk.

By Brian Hews

The State of California has reached a binding settlement with the City of Artesia over its Housing Element, putting the City under strict deadlines to zone for and build more than 1,000 homes.

By Laurie Hanson

A powerful blend of history, culture, and politics came together at the Cerritos Library Skyline Room during a special Women’s Equality Day readers theatre performance entitled “Organize, Agitate and Educate.”

The event, held September 13, featured 22 readers, including Congressman Derek Tran (CA45), who represents Cerritos, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens, part of Lakewood, and several Orange County cities. The theatrical program narrated the 72-year struggle of American women to win the right to vote, a battle that culminated in the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.

ABC School Board Votes to Close Two Elementary Schools, Postpones Ferguson Decision

By Brian Hews

ABC Unified School District trustees voted late Tuesday night to approve a sweeping consolidation and reconfiguration plan after months of debate, emotional testimony, and repeated delays. The decision came as the district faces what administrators describe as a “tsunami” of declining enrollment, falling by more than 3,300 students in the last decade with another 2,000 projected to leave by 2029.

According to the official

agenda report, ABCUSD enrollment peaked at 20,863 students in 2015–16 but had dropped to 17,501 by February 2025. By the fall of 2029, enrollment is projected to shrink to roughly 15,542 — a 26 percent decline from 2015 levels. Seven of the district’s 19 elementary schools and two of its five middle schools already serve 400 or fewer students.

Consultants warned that without consolidations, declining enrollment will hollow out programs, create more combination

[ See ABCUSD, page 11 ]

Unhoused Number Declines Sharply in Pico Rivera

Under the agreement, the City must plan for 1,069 new homes, with 608 designated for very low-, low-, and moderate-income households.

California law requires cities to adopt and maintain a Housing Element as part of their general

Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced on September 9 that a stipulated judgment had been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court requiring Artesia to revise its 2021-2029 Housing Element.

[ See ARTESIA, page 12 ]

Since 1973, Women’s Equality Day has been commemorated every August 26, marking the date Congress ratified women’s suffrage. The narrative traced the suffragists’ long fight from 1848 to 1920, recounting how activists endured ridicule, arrests, hard labor, torture, and even force-feeding while demanding the vote. It also highlighted their relentless organizing efforts, from rallies and automobile speaking tours to “soap box” speeches, banners, buttons, and the first sustained protest at the White House from 1917 to 1919.

A slide show of vintage photographs accompanied the readings, featuring Susan B. Anthony,

[ See EQUALITY, page 11 ]

By Brian Hews

Pico Rivera has seen a dramatic drop in homelessness, according to new data from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Results from the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, released last month, show a 61 percent decrease in the number of unhoused individuals living in the city. In 2024, community volunteers working with LAHSA counted 95 people experiencing homelessness in Pico Rivera.

This year, canvassing the same areas, that number dropped to 37.

City officials said the reduction reflects ongoing partnerships between the City of Pico Rivera, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Pico Rivera Station, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, and local outreach providers.

“This is what’s possible when a community comes together with purpose and compassion,” City Manager Steve Carmona said. “While we re-

[ See PICO RIVERA, page 11 ]

ORGANIZE, AGITATE, EDUCATE: Cerritos Mayor Frank Yokoyama (far left), Cerritos College Trustee

Dr. Shin Liu, Councilman Mark Pulido (3rd from left back row), and Congressman Derek Tran (D-45, center back) joined the Hubert Humphrey Democratic Club at Cerritos Library for Women’s Equality Day.

Women’s Equality Day Celebrated at Cerritos Library

Cerritos Student Earns Runner-Up Honors in City of STEM Challenge La Palma City Council Appoints

New City Manager

LA PALMA, Calif. – After a comprehensive nationwide recruitment, the La Palma City Council unanimously appointed Peter L. Kim as its next City Manager during its meeting on September 2, 2025. Kim will assume the role on October 27, 2025.

SOLUTION: Aaryan Balani’s (center) project “Envio Drone,” uses drone technology to identify streets that require cleaning, helping cities improve sanitation efforts and reduce wasted resources. Seen here is Umesh Balani, father; Aaryan; Manuja Verma, mother; and Kamal Verma, grandpa.

Cerritos middle school student Aaryan Balani was named runner-up in the 2025 Los Angeles City of STEM Innovation Challenge, a competition that drew more than 700 entries from across Los Angeles and Orange Counties. His project, “Envio Drone,” uses drone technology to identify streets that require cleaning, helping cities improve sanitation efforts and reduce wasted resources.

Presented as a solo entry, the 13-year-old’s project was recognized for its creativity, research, and practical application. ABC Unified School District praised his effort, noting, “Great job representing ABCUSD.”

At the awards fair, professionals from the Los Angeles Sanitation Depart-

ment and the defense engineering sector expressed interest in how the project might be applied. Visitors from various backgrounds also asked questions about its potential uses.

“I am so proud of my son,” said his mother, Manuja. “He answered every question with confidence and professionalism.”

Balani received support from his school principal and science department head throughout the competition. Though he did not place first, finishing among the top three as an individual entry was a notable achievement in a year with a record number of submissions.

The City of STEM Innovation Challenge continues to showcase student-led solutions to real-world issues, and Balani’s Envio Drone project reflected Cerritos’ strong presence in the regional competition.

Cerritos Paper Shredding and Composting Event

The City of Cerritos is offering a paper shredding and compost event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, September 27. The event will be held in the parking lot of the Cerritos Senior Center at Pat Nixon Park located at 12340 South Street.

Cerritos residents may bring up to two banker-sized (12” wide, 15” long and 9.5” deep) boxes of paper documents to be shredded at no charge. Staples and paper clips may be left on documents, but paperwork should not contain any binder clips or three-ring binders.

Documents will be shredded on-site at

the program. This is a secure way to dispose of paperwork that contains private information.

Each participating resident also will have the option to obtain free fresh compost. Residents must bring their own rigid container, no larger than 35 gallons, to hold the compost. Staff will be on-site to assist residents in obtaining compost material.

Events are first-come, first-served and will end when the truck capacity is reached.

For more information, please call the Community Services Division at (562) 865-8101.

A longtime La Palma resident, Kim currently serves as Chief Communications Officer for the California State Board of Equalization, where he leads and manages communications and public affairs. With nearly 20 years of public sector experience, he has also served in various roles with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration and the California State Board of Equalization, as well as a Chief of Staff in the California State Assembly.

Kim has deep connections to La Palma, having graduated from Walker Junior High School and John F. Kennedy High School. He has previously volunteered with many La Palma civic organizations and served on the La Palma City Council. Between 2012 to 2020, Kim served as Director of the Orange County Sanitation District. He graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in Political Science and is certified in Korean by the Los Angeles Unified School District Bilingual Testing Service.

Mayor Mark Waldman expressed the City Council’s excitement in welcoming Kim back to La Palma.

“Peter has a terrific record of success in his prior employment and exceptional ratings from those he has worked alongside,” said Waldman. “For our City, he possesses important skills that can take La Palma to the next level, and the entire Council looks forward to welcoming him back to the community.”

“I am incredibly grateful and humbled by the City Council’s appointment to serve as La Palma’s next City Manager,” said Kim. “As many are aware, I’m no stranger to La Palma, and it is especially meaningful that I will be able to serve my hometown once again. I look forward to partnering with the City Council, working alongside the amazing and professional City staff, and engaging with the community members I know and those I have not yet met.”

La Palma City Manager Peter Kim

LCCN Staff Report

Food Banks Stretched Thin as Costs Soar

By Laurie Hanson

Food insecurity remains a growing challenge in Los Angeles and Orange counties, driven by inflation, high housing costs, and cuts to federal assistance programs.

Jeff Le, Managing Principal of 100 Mile Strategies LLC and Visiting Fellow at George Mason University’s National Security Institute, said hunger in the United States reflects both policy and market failures. “More than 47 million Americans face some aspect of food insecurity, and one in five children do not have access to healthy food and nutrition,” Le said. “There is no silver bullet to these challenges, especially with decreased federal funding and disinvestment in the social safety net.”

The official poverty rate in 2023 was over 11 percent - 37 million people living in poverty. During that same period, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 remained unchanged since 2009, while the U.S. dollar weakened to its lowest level in decades.

Le noted that inflation, unemployment, housing shortages, and limited access to healthcare have only intensified the problem. Post-pandemic spikes in food costs and supply chain disruptions have pushed grocery bills up by as much as 20 percent, disproportionately affecting communities already living in food deserts. “Growing trade tensions and labor shortages in agriculture have also reduced supply and increased costs,” Le explained.

Federal budget changes are expected to further strain families. The most recent bill reduced food assistance programs, including SNAP, by nearly $190 billion over 10 years. Expanded work requirements for adults aged 54 to 64, veterans, and people experiencing homelessness will likely remove millions from coverage, Le said.

According to Feeding America, more

ACCORDING to Feeding America, more than 5 million Californians—including one in six children—face food insecurity. Now food banks are facing cuts as a result of the latest bill.

than 5 million Californians—including one in six children—face food insecurity. In Los Angeles County, a 2023 USC Dornsife study found more than two in five families struggling to afford food. Orange County has seen a similar rise, with food insecurity reaching almost 14 percent.

Michael Flood, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said the county’s food insecurity rate is among the highest in the nation, with one in four residents affected. Wildfires earlier this year added pressure by displacing families and disrupting local economies. “The Food Bank has reached more than 1 million people every month since January,” Flood said.

“We expect demand to remain high.”

Flood emphasized that high housing and childcare costs, coupled with stagnant wages, force families into impossible choices between rent, healthcare, and food. Seniors and children are especially at risk, with older adults choosing between medication and meals and children struggling academically without consistent nutrition.

In Orange County, Claudia Bonilla Keller, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank,

said hunger is growing faster than the state average. “Without consistent access to nutritious food, children and teens cannot focus in school, and older adults may face serious health impacts,” she said. Almost one in nine county residents—and one in eight children—are food insecure.

Second Harvest serves an average of 459,000 people each month, nearly double pre-pandemic levels. Keller said funding cuts and rising demand are forcing food banks to adapt. One solution has been Harvest Solutions Farm, a 40-acre partnership with UC’s South Coast Research & Extension Center, which produced more than 2 million pounds of fresh food last year. “We are striving to diversify our sources, from grocery rescue to growing our own produce,” Keller said.

Both Flood and Keller stressed that donations and volunteers remain critical. “Regardless of what happens, the L.A. Regional Food Bank stands strong in the fight against hunger,” Flood said. Keller echoed the sentiment, adding that creative partnerships are vital to meeting rising needs.

The 2025 Assessment Roll, Cerritos

By Jeff Prang Los Angeles County Assessor

It’s that time of year again when my Office undertakes its most important function of the fiscal year that lays the groundwork for the very property taxes that pay for our vital public services: The Assessment Roll. In fact, it’s a Constitutional mandate.

The Roll for 2025 has been closed as of June 30 and it reflects growth for Cerritos as well as the rest of the County.

First off, let me say this comprehensive tally values more than 2.5 million real estate parcels in Los Angeles County and results in the very tax dollars that goes to pay for vital public services, such as healthcare, police, fire, schools, and even librarians, to name just a few. As I mentioned, I am constitutionally mandated to close the Roll by the end of the Fiscal Year on June 30. As a point of reference, my Fiscal Year runs from July 1 to June 30.

I am pleased to announce that the 2025 Assessment Roll has a total net value of $2.176 trillion, indicating the 15th year of consecutive growth. The 2025 Roll also grew by $516.34 million (or 3.91%) over 2024. That value places about $20 billion to be used for those public services I just mentioned.

Locally, Cerritos for 2025 came in at $13.03 billion for taxable values, which is a 4.1% increase over last year’s numbers. That includes 15,277 single-family homes, 24 apartment complexes, 625 commercial-industrial parcels for a grand total of 15,926 taxable properties. Yes, it’s a solid growth at $516.34 million.

Some basics: The Roll, as it is known,

contains the assessed value of all real estate and business personal property in the County’s 88 cities along with the unincorporated areas. It also breaks down the number of single-family residential homes, apartments and commercialindustrial parcels.

This year’s Roll comprises 2,398,007 million real estate parcels as well as business assessments countywide. That includes 1,897,905 million single-family homes, 251,236 thousand apartment complexes, 248,866 thousand commercial and industrial properties and more than 160,367 thousand business property assessments.

Since the Roll is the inventory for all taxable property in the County, it can provide some insight into the health of the real estate market. The Roll is also driven in large measure by real property sales, which added $51 billion to the 2025 Roll as compared with 2024; the CPI adjustment mandated by Prop. 13 added an additional $41 billion; and new construction added $8 billion.

Finally, to say this has been a challenging year is an understatement (just think of the wildfires in January) and the fact that property values continue to grow is certainly good news and testament to the viability of the region. A full list of assessment growth amounts and parcel counts for cities and unincorporated areas is available here. Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang leads the largest local public property assessment agency in the nation. His office of about 1,400 appraisers and support staff is dedicated to creating an accurate and timely property Assessment Roll. This year, the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office conducted more than 2.5 million real estate and business assessments valued at just over $2 trillion. Assessor Prang serves as the 2025 President of the California Assessors Association.

Forest Service Must Do More to Protect Wildland Firefighters, Lifting Mask Ban Is Not Enough

Editor’s Note: This letter was submitted by Keanna Elisaldez of Whittier, as part of an undergraduate communications course assignment at Cal State LA.

Dear Editor,

I wanted to bring to your attention an important development in the U.S. Forest Service. For decades, the Forest Service banned wildland firefighters from wearing masks to protect from smoke, citing heat exhaustion as the cause. Recently, this ban has been lifted and the Forest Service is providing about 80,000 N95 masks for its firefighters. I was shocked to learn that this grievous oversight was allowed to persist for so long. I agree with Timothy Ingalsbee’s (the executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology) claim that the Forest Service had kept the ban for so long because it not only costs them money to provide said masks, but their very existence would mean admitting to the dangerous health risks that fighting fires entail. Many U.S. urban firefighters have been encouraged to wear masks to protect their health, and it has not shown an uptick in heat exhaustion, which was the reasoning the Forest Service gave for

From the Mayor’s Desk: September 19, 2025

A strong business climate helps to shape the fabric of the City of Cerritos.

We are continually exploring ways to encourage new business growth and development, which aligns with Strategic Plan Goal Four: Strengthen Economic Development.

In recent weeks, City officials were pleased to join partners and celebrate milestones at two of our long-time businesses.

On August 27, my City Council colleagues and I attended the grand re-opening and 40th anniversary celebration for Golden Star Technology, Inc. (GST).

GST started in 1985 and has been operating in Cerritos since 1992. The company’s mission is to help its clients stay ahead of the technology curve, connecting them to advanced end-to-end tools and audio/video solutions and services tailored to meet their needs.

The anniversary celebration also highlighted recent facility updates, including new warehouse space and employee amenities.

On August 28, the Cerritos City Council also took part in a ribbon cutting and grand re-opening for the Alliance of Schools for Cooperative Insurance Pro grams (ASCIP).

headquarters at 12610 Park Plaza Drive, which allows for enhanced operations and member services.

program, the ASCIP became a risk-shar

ing pool in 1985.

The nonprofit public agency and joint powers authority (JPA) provides liability, workers’ compensation, health benefits, and school construction insurance to education organizations and subsidiary JPAs throughout the state of California.

There are more exciting developments on the horizon in our restaurant sector.

Later this month, we’ll celebrate the grand opening of Chubby Cattle, a Wagyu barbeque establishment, at Plaza 183. I previewed Chubby Cattle during my State of the City address in June.

At that time, I also announced plans for a number of other new restaurants and retail establishments coming to Cerritos. This includes Tokyo Central/Marukai, a Japanese market at the former Pacific Sales in the Cerritos Towne Center.

The market will open next year, expanding Cerritos’ already strong international-based stores and restaurants.

These new and renovated businesses come as the City’s Economic Development Commission officially restarted earlier this month.

Reviving the five-member commission was one of the first priorities of the new City Council upon our seating in late March.

The Economic Development Commission serves as an advisory body to the City Council on the needs of exist ing businesses and the availability of economic opportunities and resources. This work directly aligns with Strategic Goal Four. We look forward to ideas and ers and continuous feedback from our broader community as we build upon our

not providing masks sooner. It is appalling to see firefighters, who risk their lives to keep people safe, being overlooked in such a way. This should only be the beginning of reform to offer more protection to firefighters. In a time where climate change is causing a great deal of wildfires, the recent anniversary of 9/11, and President Trump’s administration halting cancer research, protecting firefighters should be a salient concern for all Americans. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s nearly $10 million project to study smoke exposure and cancer risk is a smart political move on his part. With the 2025 California fires still fresh in people’s minds, many Californians are especially appreciative of the firefighters who risked their lives both in the fires and with the health hazards of inhaling smoke. Sticking our heads in the sand about the health hazards of smoke inhalation is no way to show our gratefulness to those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe. While this lift on mask bans has shown a step in the right direction, it is not nearly enough. Acknowledging a problem is the least the U.S. government could do for these firefighters. And since when is the least we can do ever enough?

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

LA County Assessor Jeff Prang

By Kassandra Lopez

Talon Marks Staff Writer

Downey locals and their four-legged friends packed the streets of Downtown Downey on Aug. 28 for Dog Day at the Night Market, an event celebrating community, small businesses, and canine companions.

The evening featured rows of vendors, live music, food booths, and themed activities designed to welcome both people and pets. Among the most popular businesses was Pretty Kitty Pet Accessories, owned by Cintia Saravia. “We sell pet apparel and accessories, for example, we have fun hats, whimsical crochet hats, a lot of like dresses, tank tops, and goggles as well,” Saravia said. Her bestsellers include cowboy hats and culturally themed designs.

Another standout vendor was Pup Gang Bakery, a student-run shop founded by seventh-grader Anahí Cuellar. She offered ponchos, doggy mandiles, cakes, and treats. “The ponchos and cakes… all started back in Mexico,” she explained, adding that her business began after she baked a birthday cake for her own dog, Tyson.

Local resident Ruth Sandoval attended with her dogs Gigi, Cece, and Cowboy, while many other guests lined up for caricature portraits with their pets. Event organizer Danny Rivas said the theme was meant to provide “an open space for dogs and their owners,” complete with giveaways and pet-focused activities. The laughter of children, the sound of paws on the pavement, and the aroma of fresh food made the night feel like a neighborhood

Downey Goes to the Dogs — Finally, Politics Take a Night Off

DOWNEY RESIDENTS and their furry friends packed the streets on Aug. 28 for Dog Day at the Downtown Downey Night Market. The evening featured rows of vendors, live music, and dog-themed activities alongside plenty of food, giveaways, and shopping. Families enjoyed everything from tacos de papa and agua frescas to custom wallets, pet ponchos, and cowboy hats for dogs. The lively atmosphere turned Downtown Downey into a festive block party that welcomed both people and pups.

block party with a canine twist.

Not every booth catered to dogs, but non-pet vendors still drew crowds. Kai Chen of Trend Into Things showcased custom wallets, while Daisy of DSY Lifestyle sold embroidered hats with cheeky sayings like “I’m sorry I’m late, but I didn’t want to come.”

Families also enjoyed the wide food selection. Roxy Carrillo, who attended

with her two children, said, “My favorites had to be the tacos de papa and the agua frescas, and for dessert, we had mini pancakes, highly recommended.”

With music, laughter, and plenty of wagging tails, Dog Day brought the community together in celebration. The Downtown Downey Night Market is held every second and fourth Thursday of the month.

Downey Councilman’s Post Sparks Political Firestorm

LCCN Staff Report

DOWNEY — The Downey City Council voted Wednesday to formally censure Councilman Mario Trujillo following controversy over one of his recent social media posts.

Trujillo, who joined the council in 2020, faced swift criticism after sharing an Instagram Story on Sept. 10, shortly after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University. His post read, “No one mourns the wicked,” which many interpreted was Kirk.

Residents and commentators denounced the remark as inappropriate given the circumstances. By the following day, Trujillo issued a statement. “I want to be absolutely clear: I do not condone any form of violence, whether political or otherwise,” he wrote. “Free speech –a cornerstone of our democracy – should never, under any circumstances, lead to someone’s death. I stand united in condemning violence.”

A censure does not carry legal penalties, but it is considered one of the strongest rebukes a council can deliver to a sitting member. The meeting drew public attention both in chambers and online, with residents voicing strong opinions. An informal poll conducted by Los Cerritos Community News recorded 197 votes: 169 in favor of censure (86 percent) and 28 against (14 percent).

By Melinda Myers

This fall plant an array of spring flowering bulbs to brighten your garden and bouquets. There are plenty of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and alliums that will delight with an assortment of flower colors and sizes that will bloom throughout the spring. Include animal resistant double, bicolor, and split cup daffodils that provide unique beauty and impact in floral arrangements. Create a simple bouquet with just a few stems of daffodils or an elegant arrangement of single and double flowered varieties. Harvest daffodils when the buds show color and are perpendicular to the stem like a goose’s neck. Don’t worry about the sap daffodils exude, shortening the life of the other cut flowers in the arrangement. Properly conditioning the daffodils will eliminate the risk to your other spring favorites. Consider wearing gloves as some people report itching or rashes when handling these plants. Use your hands to harvest daffodils for the longest stems possible and to reduce sap released from the stem. Reach into the base of the flower stem, thumb pointed down and pull up. Cut the stems of freshly picked daffodils to the desired length for conditioning. Place them in a clean container of cool water and floral preservative. Leave them in the water

Plant This Fall for Beautiful Spring Bouquets

for three to six hours when the sap stops flowing. Do not recut the stems before adding them to mixed flower arrangements. Tulips have long been a favorite of gardeners and floral arrangers. Grow some taller varieties like Finola, Foxtrot, Silver Parrot Tulips and Negrita Double (longfield-gardens. com). Gardeners growing tulips strictly for cutting will plant the bulbs in trenches and treat them as annuals. The first-year bloom is always the biggest, but you can enjoy them cut and try for a second and third year of flowers. Just cut the stems short and leave at least two to three leaves on the plant to create

and store energy for next year’s bloom.

Harvest tulips when the buds are just starting to show color for the longest vase life. Wait for double and parrot type tulip buds to be fully colored but not yet open. Remove the whole plant, bulb and all, if you do not plan on saving the plants for the following year. Store the tulips upright with the bulbs attached. Cut and rehydrate the stems in water just before arranging. Wrap the stems in brown paper if they are cut in the garden or when you rehydrate the stems and set them in several inches of cool water for 12 to 18 hours. Keep in mind

Alliums’ long and sturdy stems make them easy to harvest and arrange. Purple Sensation, Mount Everest, drumstick allium and Allium atropurpureum make excellent additions for floral bouquets. They also provide architectural interest in the garden, with seed heads that can be dried and used for later arrangements.

tulips continue to grow after cut so plan for this when creating your arrangements. Harvest hyacinths for cutting as you did tulips. Pull the whole plant, bulb and all, out of the ground if you are growing them as annuals for cutting. Otherwise, cut only the stem and leave all the leaves behind if you want the bulbs to bloom again next year. Their strong fragrance can fill an entire room, so just a few stems go a long way indoors. Plant a mix of colors for variety or repeat a single shade for a striking monochromatic bouquet. Include a variety of alliums in your planting plans this fall.

Cutting and arranging flowers is a wonderful way to bring the beauty of your garden indoors. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and you’ll soon be sharing your flowers with friends, neighbors, family, coworkers, and everyone who stops by to admire your gardens. Planting bulbs now ensures you’ll be rewarded with armloads of blooms in the months ahead, turning a gray winter into the promise of a colorful, fragrant spring.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Longfield Gardens for her expertise to write this article. Her website is www.MelindaMyers.com

PLANT SPRING COLOR now. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and alliums planted in fall will provide vibrant blooms for spring bouquets, adding beauty indoors and out.

WEEK THREE FOOTBALL

Pair of Winning, Losing Streaks End as Valley Christian Stymies Cerritos Again

By Loren Kopff @LorenKopff on X

The big question for the Cerritos High football team was how it was going to end a four-game losing streak against Valley Christian High dating back to 2013 and extend its 2025 two-game winning streak. The bigger question for V.C. was how it was going to snap its two-game skid without the services of its leading rusher, one of its two quarterbacks and one of its top receivers.

Junior quarterback Graham Lunzer answered the latter question as the transfer from St. John Bosco High accounted for all six touchdowns as the Defenders blitzed Cerritos once again, this time in a 42-23 victory last Friday night at Dr. Hanford Rants Stadium.

Last season, V.C. doubled up the Dons 28-14 on the other side of the 605 freeway in the first meeting between the city schools since 2015. In the five games between the two programs, V.C. has won by an average of 40-17.

“I think part of it is we get really hyped for this game,” said V.C. head coach Brendan Chambers. “One thing we talked about is we want to try to be the best team in Cerritos. We beat Gahr [earlier this season] and we had the chance to beat Cerritos both years in a row. Last year we came out firing on all cylinders; got a lead and was able to hold that lead. Tonight, it was a battle. When we got down [early], I thought uh oh, what’s going to happen here? But our seniors responded well and just put four quarters of football together.”

Watching the game on the V.C. sideline and unavailable to play were senior running back Lucas Witt (72 yards on 25 carries), senior wide receiver Dylan Teays (nine receptions, 45 yards and a touchdown) and junior quarterback Liam Sweeney (11 completions for 161 yards and a touchdown).

With a depleted rushing attack and missing one of his favorite targets, Lunzer silenced any doubters by completing 23 of 34 passes for 275 yards and a pair of scores and adding 36 yards on 11 carries with four touchdowns.

“Graham played a heck of a game tonight,” said Chambers. “So, we kind of switched to a no huddle [offense] to kind of allow what the Cerritos defense was in; try to get the best call available. He’s doing a great job, making sure the protection is set the right way, reading the defense and

CERRITOS HIGH senior running back Labrenton Wilson is tackled by senior linebacker Cole Hefner (32) and junior linebacker Sam Melcher (11) of Valley Christian High midway through the second quarter in last Friday night’s game at Dr. Hanford Rants Stadium. V.C. defeated Cerritos 42-23. Photo by Steve Fericean.

knowing when to scramble. He had some big runs for us. We tried to limit that just because our other quarterback is down. But when he does scramble, he does a great job of it.”

“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t know he threw the ball so well,” said Cerritos head coach Demel Franklin. “Like, he threw the ball very, very well. On film, I didn’t see it. But he was as good as they say he is. And he can run.”

After holding the Defenders on downs to begin the game, Cerritos opened the scoring when senior quarterback Justin Sagun found senior wide receiver Labrenton Wilson for 36 yards and a 7-0 lead five minutes into the game. Four plays later, on the ensuing drive, Lunzer scored from seven yards out to tie the game.

On the second play of that drive, Lunzer was sacked by senior Bailey Crawford for a six-yard loss. But he immediately responded by finding senior wide receiver Oliver Boateng for a 34-yard connection leading to the touchdown.

Both teams traded punts and when Cerritos got the ball back for the third time in the quarter, Wilson busted loose for a 42yard touchdown run. But the Defenders answered back for the second straight time and ended a 12-play, 33-yard drive with a Lunzer two-yard score. The Dons (2-2) hurt themselves with a roughing the passer call at their own 30-yard line and later an offsides infraction on fourth and four from the nine-yard line.

Cerritos bounced back and took its third lead with 4:11 left in the half when senior Mateo Arancibia booted a 30-yard field goal after two straight incomplete passes from Sagun. At this point, the hosts were up 21-17, having gained 170 yards on 21 plays. But that’s as good as it would get for Cerritos as Lunzer took his team from the 32-yard line and immediately found senior wide receiver Max Douglas for an 18yard pass play. Then on third and seven, he found senior Cole Hefner for 19 yards, and following a personal foul penalty on Cerritos, the Defenders (2-2) took the lead for good when Lunzer tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Tyson McNeese with 59 seconds left in the half.

“We were able to run the ball,” said Franklin of the half. “We had big plays, the holes were there, and Wilson was there. In the second half, it seemed like [V.C.] was sending everybody. I got pass happy and threw too much. I should have kept running the ball. That’s 100,000 percent on me. I should have kept to what we were doing.”

The late touchdown in the half proved to be the turning point in the game because the Defenders would recover an onside kick to begin the second half, drive 46 yards on nine plays and get a 10-yard touchdown run from Lunzer with exactly four minutes gone. Cerritos bounced back to end a 10-play, 50-yard drive with a 26yard uncontested run from Sagun on fourth and one, making it 28-23 with 3:11 remain-

ing in the third quarter. The play was designed to be a sneak, but the offensive line opened enough of a hole for Sagun to break through.

“That was a huge momentum [swing] because we were already licking our wounds, getting one yard and figuring out how to manufacture points,” said Franklin. “So, the fact that he slid through the opening and ran it in was enormous, absolutely enormous.”

But the fourth quarter would be all V.C. and it began on the first play with Boateng hauling in a 42-yard pass from Lunzer to increase the lead to 35-23. The Dons would then gain one yard on nine plays as Sagun was incomplete on five of seven passes on the drive. That led to the Defenders taking 6:42 off the clock, rushing eight times and passing twice and gaining 54 yards on the drive, which ended with a Lunzer two-yard sneak. To add insult to injury, and with reserves in the game for the Dons, senior safety Sean Bouma had an interception with 20 seconds left in the game.

Lunzer found six different targets with Boateng hauling in eight receptions for 108 yards while junior wide receiver Byron Louis and Douglas each caught four passes for 59 and 56 yards, respectively.

“Oh, he’s been huge for us, both sides of the football playing outside safety and playing the receiver for us,” said Chambers of Boateng. “The progression he’s made from his junior year to his senior year is drastic. We’re trying to get the football to him on the offensive side of the ball; trying to call plays designed for him.”

Hefner led V.C. with 10 tackles while senior linemen Teddy Dobmeier and Isaac Morales each had four tackles.

“Overall, it was just a great performance,” said Chambers. “The receivers caught all the passes that were near [Lunzer], which was huge for us as well. If you would have told me we were going to score that many points against Cerritos, I would have called you crazy before the game. But this was a heck of a job by the team overall.”

Sagun completed half of his 14 passes for 75 yards and rushed eight times for 77 yards while Wilson gained 76 yards on nine rushes and caught three passes for 52 yards. Senior Tyler Ky led the defense with seven tackles while four other players all had half a dozen tackles.

Both teams had games played on Sept. 18 with Cerritos facing Canyon High at Fred Kelly Stadium on the El Modena High campus while V.C. went to Clark Field in Lakewood to play St. Anthony High.

Norwalk Bounces Back From Sluggish First Set, Takes Next Three Against La Mirada

By Loren Kopff

A recurring theme for the Norwalk High girls volleyball team resurfaced last Thursday when the Lancers visited La Mirada High in the Gateway League opener. Junior middle blocker Addison Tufaga began the match serving eight straight points, five of which were aces.

That prompted Norwalk head coach Paola Nava to call a rare timeout that early in a match.

“Just making sure they were understanding what was going on and the reason behind the 8-0 [deficit] was our errors… and making sure they need to make a switch in their energy because we’re going more sets; the match is not finished,” said Nava. “[And] understanding that if we can flip this game around, we can go into the second set with the momentum on our side.”

The Lancers responded with six straight points and although they lost the set, junior outside hitter/middle blocker Mirei Sanchez dominated the next two sets and Norwalk came away with a 22-25, 25-12, 2515, 25-20 against a La Mirada squad that is struggling with a new head coach and four returning players from last season’s team that graduated nine members.

Norwalk would take a one-point lead at 11-10 on an ace from senior opposite hitter Giselle Salazar. But a minute later, the Matadores reeled off seven straight points, thanks to the serving of junior outside hitter Keliana Gonzalez, who added three aces.

But the momentum shifted briefly to Norwalk as junior outside hitter Nataly Felix had her first kill, then freshman middle blocker Lailanee Cano had three straight aces followed by another kill from Felix.

“It was just sloppy plays on our end

and staying undisciplined on defense,” said Nava of the set. “Our big thing in our philosophy is controlling the controllables; making sure that there are balls [in action] during serving and limit the errors. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do that in the first set. We couldn’t control what we were doing.”

“Throughout the entire game, I was just excited to see…for us, it’s more about the growth over the wins and how the girls are developing as a team considering they’re all playing at this high level for the first time,” said La Mirada first-year head coach Kayla Long, formerly of Price High. “We had a lot of seniors last year, so having all of them come up from junior varsity and playing travel for the first time last year… has been interesting to see and exciting.”

But the Matadores had just enough to hold on for the three-point win. After that, it was all Norwalk, which bolted out to a 10-1 lead in the second set as sophomore defensive specialist Antoinette Espina

reeled off nine consecutive points, and led by as many as 14 points. Sanchez, who had four kills in the opening set, added six in the second set with Salazar pitching in with four kills and senior opposite hitter Jeina Lapena her first three kills of the match.

“We rely on her heavy back there on the end line,” said Nava of Espina. “I think she’s one of our stronger servers. Her consistency today was pretty well.”

It was nearly the same in the third set, in which the hosts never led as Sanchez had three straight kills to snap an early 1-1 tie. Then with Norwalk up 5-3, Cano had her second kill, followed by six straight points served by Sanchez, including two more aces.

The Matadores, though, had one more push in them as Gonzalez served six straight points with four aces and a kill and

La Mirada, Sans Transfer Quarterback, Gets Throttled by Western

By Loren Kopff @LorenKopff on X

One of the reasons for the early success of the La Mirada High football team has been the play of sophomore transfer quarterback Ace Faagata from Desert Pines High in Las Vegas. Until he got injured in the second quarter against Tesoro High on Sept. 5, Faagata was 24 of 39 for 250 yards in 10 quarters of action as he was splitting time with junior Isaac Cuevas.

Without Faagata, the Matadores were unable to generate much offense in a 5414 loss to Western High last Thursday at Handel Stadium. It was La Mirada’s worst loss since falling to Servite High 60-14 on Sept. 1, 2023.

According to La Mirada head coach Lucas Mealy, Faagata has some muscle and tissue damage to his lower calf which occurred in the 17-5 loss to Tesoro. He will be out of action for two to three weeks and Mealy hopes to have him back for the Gateway League opener against Warren High on Oct. 3.

The Pioneers scored twice within their first nine plays of the first quarter to build a 13-0 lead. Then midway through the opening quarter, the Matadores put together their best drive of the game, aided by a trio of 15-yard penalties by Western. Cuevas engineered a 19-play, 82-yard drive that lasted just over six minutes and ended when he tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Kaiden Wardlow with eight seconds left in the stanza.

“There were blimps of encouragement,” said Mealy. “We did some things well, but overall we did not do a lot of things well, and that’s on me as a coach. I need to prepare better. We’ll get it fixed and get ready for La Habra.”

The second quarter would prove to be disastrous for the Matadores as Western scored on the first play, complements of a 75-yard connection from Chance Thomas to Ernest Nunley. Cuevas would be intercepted three times in the quarter, all leading to touchdowns including a 90-yard return from Ayden Payne.

With the halftime score 48-7, both coaches agreed to play the entire second half under running clock conditions. Thomas would throw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Payne in the third quarter before sophomore running back Noah Lendo concluded the game’s scoring with a 19yard run late in the game.

“Oh, it was me; I didn’t prepare the guys,” said Mealy of the downfall of the game. “It’s as simple as that. It’s not the kid’s fault, it’s on me. I have to have them prepared and I have to have them ready to go, and I did not have them prepared or ready to go. We have to come back as a group, and I have to do a better job as a coach and get these guys ready for the next game.”

Cuevas completed 10 passes for 80 yards and added 26 yards on five carries while junior running back Josiah Fregoso added 55 yards on nine rushes. Western outgained La Mirada 420-257 but in allpurpose yards, it was a 589-332 advantage thanks to a pair of interception returns and a 60-yard kickoff return from Maxwell Young.

La Mirada (2-2) will wrap up the non-league portion of its schedule on Friday when its hosts La Habra High. The Matadores fell to the Highlanders 48-21 last season in the first meeting between the schools in 10 seasons. Since 2009, La Habra has defeated La Mirada five times in seven meetings.

The Highlanders were edged by Mira Costa High 35-33 last Friday for their first loss in four games this season. La Habra opened the scoring before Mira Costa answered with two straight touchdowns to take a 14-6 lead into the second quarter.

La Habra regained the lead at 27-21 with the only score of the third quarter and added its last touchdown, with a two-point conversion late in the contest.

This season, quarterback D.J. Mitchell passed for 729 yards and eight touchdowns to nine different players with Bryce Johnson (20 receptions, 314 yards, three touchdowns) and Blaze Rogers (14 receptions, 272 yards, three touchdowns) the top targets. Kevika Mata’Utia-Martinez leads the rushing attack with 299 yards on 43 carries and five touchdowns while Mitchell has added 212 yards on 34 carries and five touchdowns. On defense, the Highlanders have eight sacks from eight different players and seven interceptions from five different players.

Prediction: La Habra 35, La Mirada 17

Artesia High (2-2) @ San Gabriel High (4-0)-The last time Artesia was shutout, it was two seasons ago on its homecoming game, a 12-0 setback to Viewpoint High, and the previous season, the Pioneers did not score in half the games. Last Friday. Artesia was blanked by Buena Park High 14-0 as the red and black was held to 103 rushing yards and 80 passing yards from senior Joey Peck.

Elias Chavez gave the Coyotes a 7-0 lead with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter on a 34-yard run and Jimmy Bautista added a three-yard score early in the fourth quarter.

Peck has thrown for 264 yards and a touchdown splitting time with sophomore Jorge Velazquez, who is 11 of 16 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Those two have also combined for 330 yards on the ground and four touchdowns while senior Elijah Johnson has caught six passes for 174 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Artesia will have its hands full with a San Gabriel squad that has allowed 55 points and defeated Carpinteria High 32-7 last Friday. In the first three games this season, quarterback Ricky Garcia has passed for 629 yards and nine touchdowns while Louie Navarro leads the ground game with 378 yards on 52 carries and two touchdowns.

This is the first meeting between the programs in at least 28 seasons.

Prediction: San Gabriel 31, Artesia 14

Cerritos High (2-2) @ Canyon High (2-2)-This game was played on Sept. 18 at Fred Kelly Stadium at El Modena High, Cerritos saw its brief two-game winning streak snapped by Valley Christian High last Friday, 42-23 as the Dons were held to 86 yards and six points in the second half. In the first three games, Cerritos scored at least 14 points after halftime.

The Dons face a team that led Sunny Hills High 35-26 after three quarters last Friday before falling 49-42. In the two victories by the Comanches, they outscored their opponents 66-36. But in the two losses, Canyon has been outscored 91-70.

The Cerritos pass defense will need to be on their toes as Canyon quarterback Alexander Lundsberg has already thrown for nearly 1,500 yards with a dozen touchdowns. He is completing 69 percent of his passes, and three of his six targets already have over 400 receiving yards. In addition, Canyon has close to 2,000 allpurpose yards.

This is the first meeting between the programs in at least 28 seasons.

Prediction: Canyon 31, Cerritos 21

Gahr High (1-2) @ Los Altos High (30)-This game was played on Sept. 18. The bye week following two blowout losses worked in Gahr’s favor as the Gladiators picked up a 33-21 win over Trinity Classical Academy last Friday. Senior quarterback Roman Acosta completed 13 of 20 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns while senior running back Jaidyn Backus carried

the ball 17 times, gained 100 yards and scored twice. Sophomore wide receiver De’Mir Cunningham caught six passes for 171 yards.

However, Los Altos is a different cat as the Conquerors have defeated Wilson High out of Hacienda Heights 62-15, West Covina High 21-7 and most recently, Burroughs High out of Burbank 52-7. The combined record of those three teams are 3-7.

Diego Castillo has thrown for 640 yards and seven touchdowns and has gained 102 yards on the ground with three touchdowns while Evan Rojas has rushed for 153 yards with four touchdowns.

Los Altos knocked off Gahr 43-26 last season in the only other meeting between the two programs in at least 28 seasons. Gahr had more all-purpose yards (503-425) and Acosta threw for 148 yards but was picked off twice while the Conquerors rushed for 225 yards and scored five touchdowns.

Prediction: Los Altos 35, Gahr 10

John Glenn High (2-2) @ La Quinta High (1-1-1)-Things are slowly turning around for Glenn, which defeated Compton Early College 48-13 last Friday for its second straight win. It’s the most points the Eagles have scored since blasting Mark Keppel High 64-8 on Sept. 15, 2023 when the program went 6-4.

Glenn bolted out to a 21-0 first quarter against Compton Early College and got touchdowns from six players, including runs of 31 and 30 yards from senior running back Okaro Lee, a 38-yard interception return from freshman defensive back Kellen Huckleberry and an eight-yard punt return from sophomore lineman Jayden Chavarin.

La Quinta, which lost to Mountain View High 19-8 last Friday, has played in three low-scoring games, scoring 35 points while allowing 25 points.

These two teams should be familiar with each other as both have played Mountain View with Glenn losing 47-21 in the season opener, and since 1999, Glenn has an 8-3 series lead over La Quinta. In last season's game, the Aztecs prevailed 32-12 and snapped a four-game losing streak to Glenn.

Prediction: Glenn 28, La Quinta 7

Paramount High (3-1) @ Norwalk High (4-0)-The area’s lone remaining undefeated team edged Venice High 28-27 last Friday in the closest win of the season. Now, the Lancers take on defending MidCities League champion Paramount in the HMG-Community News Game of the Week.

It was status quo for the Lancers against Venice as senior running backs Diego Cerritos (29 carries, 131 yards, two touchdowns) and Daron Walker (26 carries, 123 yards, one touchdown) were nearly all the offense the purple and yellow needed. Senior quarterback Axel Bustamante was true on all three of his pass attempts, throwing for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Cerritos and Walker are already closing in on 700 yards each and the Lancers have allowed just six points in the first quarter as they prepare for their bye week after Friday.

Paramount lost to Orange High 44-0 last Friday after scoring 90 points in the first three games. in the three victories, Paramount quarterbacks Zechariah Moreno and Nicko Hernandez have combined for 404 yards and seven touchdowns while Serafin Solis was leading the team on the ground with 149 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Pirates have averaged three sacks through the first three games.

Last season, Paramount was in the Mid-Cities League and defeated Norwalk

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28-7 in the first meeting between the teams since 2014. It was Norwalk’s lone league loss as the Pirates moved up to the Gateway League.

Prediction: Norwalk 34, Paramount 28

Valley Christian (2-2) @ St. Anthony High (0-3)-This game was played on Sept. 18 at Clark Field. One of the best ways to snap a two-game losing streak in which you had a halftime lead was to silence any doubters that V.C. could beat Cerritos without three key starters. But after the Defenders knocked off the Dons 42-23 last Friday, it’s apparent that junior quarterback Graham Lunzer is making the most of his first season at V.C.

The St. John Bosco High transfer completed 23 of 34 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns and gained 36 yards on 11 carries while scoring twice. For the season, Lunzer

St. Anthony fell to Summit High 21-0 last Friday as the SkyHawks gained 415 all-purpose yards as the Saints have been outscored 101-21 this season. This is the first meeting between the schools since 2019 when the Saints posted a 47-6 win. V.C. had taken the previous two meetings in 2016 (46-35) and 2017 (35-28).

Prediction: V.C. 35, St. Anthony 7

Last week’s predictions: 4-2 Season to date: 14-10

CROSS COUNTRY

The first 605 League cluster meet took place at Clark Park on Sept. 10 with Whitney High winning both varsity races. The girls picked up 32 points as the Wildcats had four runners place in the top seven. However, it was Cerritos senior Dani Romero claiming the top overall spot with a time of 19:59. Nearly a minute later was Whitney junior Katherine Low while Cerritos junior Kalana Nguyen was third with a time of 21:52.

After Oxford Academy’s Trina So came in fourth place (22:13), Whitney had the next three runners-senior Raphaela Flores (22:40), sophomore Madison Lee (23:20) and senior Emma Vincencio (23:28).

The Dons picked up 47 team points while Oxford Academy had 61 team points while for the boys. It was Whitney with 23 points, followed by Oxford Academy (52 points) and Cerritos (58 points).

Whitney senior Cristian Ishiki was the overall winner with a time of 17:04 and after Oxford Academy’s Hara Seyoum was next at 17:11, the next five runners came from area schools-Cerritos sophomore Vincent Valenzuela (17:17) and Whitney sophomore Ryan Perry (17:27), seniors Brendan Chen (17:27) and Avery Chen (17:30) and junior Eric Sillas (17:39).

block from Tufaga. But they were unable to get to within a point the rest of the way.

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The fourth set would feature three ties and a lead change in the first rotation with La Mirada leading 9-6 after an ace from junior opposite hitter Khari Julio. Moments later, junior setter Isabel Fimbers served an ace for an 11-7 lead before the Lancers strung together seven straight points. The final one was a power slam by Sanchez, prompting Long to call a timeout.

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Julio’s only kill of the match tied the set at 16-16 before kills from sophomore setter Mahalia Urriza and Cano, followed by consecutive aces from Sanchez gave the Lancers the extra cushion they needed.

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Sanchez led all players with 21 kills, had four aces and a pair of blocks while Salazar was next with nine kills, three aces and a block. Six other players combined for 18 kills while senior libero Nayeli Sanchez led the Lancers with eight aces. Urriza had 27 assists and as a team, Norwalk had 27 aces.

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“She does really well,” said Nava of Mirei Sanchez, her 6’1” veteran offensive leader. “When her team supports her and has her back, she can do whatever she wants. She’s not perfect; not saying that any of our players are perfect. She does have her faults; we all do. But when she’s on, she’s on and it’s unstoppable and she just gets excited. Her energy kind of lifts up the spirits of the team.”

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La Mirada (1-14) was paced by Gonzalez (10 kills, nine aces), junior outside hitter Ahri Grayson (seven kills) and Tufaga (six aces, one block, one kill).

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“She’s one of our captains and she’s definitely someone we lean on when we’re in a bit of a rut,” said Long of Gonzalez, one of the four returning players. “The entire team counts on her, and mentally and physically, she’s always there to pick up her teammates. She’s just an overall great athlete and teammate.”

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Norwalk (7-6) hosted Downey High this past Tuesday and welcomed Warren High on Sept. 18 before visiting Mayfair High on Thursday to end the first round of league play. La Mirada went to Mayfair this past Tuesday and will travel to Downey on Tuesday.

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“We look ahead a lot; our girls try to look ahead a lot,” said Nava. “Our mentality after the Whittier Tournament was worry about today. Worry about today and tomorrow, you can worry about tomorrow and so on and so forth. I think that’s going to be our mentality going forward. We can worry about Downey on Tuesday, and I think doing that takes a really good grip on their mental, and it kind of keeps them in control of what they’re doing and not putting that pressure on them ahead of time.”

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“As tough as the season has been record-wise, we always talk about how there have been moments of growth of what we’ve been really working on and focusing on in practice,” said Long. “Each game, they’re improving on specific aspects of what we have been working on. As a coach, that’s all you can really ask for.”

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Public Notice is hereby given that the City of Hawaiian Gardens invites sealed bids pertaining to the item(s) listed below:

BIDS MUST BE RECEIVED BY: Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

BIDS WILL BE OPENED ON: Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

PLACE OF BID RECEIPT: Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 21815 Pioneer Boulevard Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716

The City of Hawaiian Gardens invites sealed bids for the SCAG STBG Street Rehabilitation, Project 121- STPL-5387 (017), and will receive such bids in the office of the City Clerk, 21815 Pioneer Boulevard, Hawaiian Gardens, California 90716, up to the hour of 11:00 a.m., on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at which time they will be publicly opened. The general items of work include Traffic control, removal and reconstruction of concrete sidewalks, curbs and gutters, driveway approaches, curb ramps, and parkway drains; cold milling existing AC pavement, ARHM overlay; adjusting manhole and cover to finish grade, installation of traffic signal loop detectors, traffic striping, signing, and marking as shown on the plans and all other items not mentioned but indicated in the Plans and Specifications. The project duration for construction shall be forty (40) working days.

Electronic copies of the Plans, Specifications, and Contract Documents are available from the City of Hawaiian Gardens and PlanetBids.com website. Bidders must submit their request to receive the Bid Package via email to Neema Ghanbari, PE, Public Works Manager at nghanbari@hgcity.org. Should you have any questions regarding the project, please contact the City of Hawaiian Gardens Engineering Division at (562)420-2641 ext. 206.

Published at Los Cerritos Community Newspaper 9/19/25

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Cerritos City Council will consider the item listed below at a regular meeting on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.: Waive full reading of and adopt Ordinance No. 1051, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CERRITOS AMENDING SECTION 2.04.010 OF THE CERRITOS MUNICIPAL CODE TO MODIFY THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE. City Attorney Summary: Current State and City law provides that the City Council regular meeting schedule be adopted by ordinance or resolution. As established by ordinance under Section 2.04.010 of the Cerritos Municipal Code, the current City Council regular meeting schedule is the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. This proposed ordinance would amend Section 2.04.010 of the Cerritos Municipal Code to change the City Council regular meeting schedule to the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m., commencing January 1, 2026. Upon adoption of the proposed ordinance, the first City Council regular meeting under the new regular meeting schedule will be held at 7:00 p.m., on Monday, January 12, 2026.

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A copy of the full text of this proposed Ordinance can be viewed or obtained by contacting the Office of the City Clerk during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., weekends and observed holidays excepted) at 18125 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos, CA 90703, city_clerk@cerritos.gov, or (562) 916-1248. This meeting will be conducted in person in the Cerritos City Council Chamber, 18125 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos, California, 90703. The meeting will also air live on Cerritos TV3 and will be streamed over the City of Cerritos website at cerritos.gov. A copy of the related agenda report will be available for download from the website on the Friday prior to the public meeting. Public comments can be provided during the meeting or via email to city_clerk@ cerritos.gov or by hard copy to the Office of the City Clerk no later than 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Please identify the agenda item number in the subject line of the email or hard copy document. All written correspondence received by the 3:00 p.m. deadline will be distributed to the legislative body prior to the meeting and retained with the official meeting record. Any person interested in this matter may contact the Office of the City Clerk at (562) 916-1248 for additional information and/or appear at the meeting in person or by agent and be heard. /s/Cynthia Nava, City Clerk

Published at Los Cerritos Community Newspaper 9/19/25

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Cerritos Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing at a regular meeting on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. on the following matter: Review and consideration to waive full reading of and adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING THAT THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL APPROVE 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 Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, this project is categorically exempt from CEQA review. This public hearing will be conducted in person in the Cerritos City Council Chamber, 18125 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos, California, 90703. The public hearing will also air live on Cerritos TV3 and will be streamed over the City of Cerritos website at www.cerritos.gov. A copy of the related agenda report will be available for download from the website on the Friday prior to the public hearing. Public comments can be provided during the meeting or via email to planning@cerritos.gov or by hard copy to the Department of Community Development no later than 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Please identify the agenda item number in the subject line of the email or hard copy document. All written correspondence received by the 3:00 p.m. deadline will be distributed to the legislative body prior to the meeting and the document(s) will be retained with the public record of the meeting. If you challenge the above-mentioned item and related actions 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 in written correspondence emailed to the Department of Community Development by the submission deadline, prior to the public hearing. Any person interested in this matter may contact the Department of Community Development at (562) 916-1201 for additional information and/or appear at the hearing in person or by agent and be heard. /s/Kristin Aguila, Director of Community Development

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classes, and stretch district budgets further.

The SchoolWorks plan, first presented in June, restructures the district as follows: reconfigure all middle schools to serve grades 6 through 8; expand Whitney High School to include sixth grade; and consolidate four elementary schools — Aloha, Juarez, Ferguson, and Stowers — in two phases between 2026 and 2028. The district estimates $3.4 million in annual savings once the plan is fully implemented.

Phase one directs staff to prepare Aloha, Juarez, and Ferguson for closure after the 2025–26 school year, with students and staff moved to receiving campuses in 2026–27. Phase two schedules Stowers’ closure and the districtwide sixth-grade transition to middle schools, including Whitney, for 2027–28.

But trustees did not adopt the plan unchanged. After hours of public testimony and late-night board debate, the board voted unanimously to amend the timeline by moving Ferguson out of phase one and into phase two, delaying any action on the Hawaiian Gardens campus until 2027–28. The move gives Ferguson an additional year to spend down grant funds, complete a literacy-coach initiative, and allow new marketing efforts a chance to stabilize enrollment.

The reversal followed a chaotic sequence. At about 11 p.m., trustees initially voted 4–3, (with Trustees Rios, Mendoza and Noyola voting no) to approve the full plan, closing all four schools and reconfiguring middle grades. Minutes later, the board realized that a procedural motion to end debate required a two-thirds majority, which had not been met. They then voted 6–1 (Pres. Nishii voting no) to reconsider, reopening the issue. An amendment to remove both Ferguson and Stowers failed, 3–4, (with Trustees Rios, Mendoza and Noyola voting no). A subsequent amendment to remove only Ferguson failed as well. Finally, President Ernie Nishii proposed the compromise to shift Ferguson to phase two. That motion carried 7–0.

Parents and teachers delivered some of the most emotional testimony in years. “Achieving equity means recognizing and addressing disparities by providing tailored support,” said Ferguson parent Jennet Ortiz. “When you close schools like ours, you’re targeting the children who have the most needs.” One Ferguson student, Lily Rico, told trustees that dual immersion gave her the ability to read, write, and speak Spanish with pride, pleading with the board not to “end this program and our trust.” Veteran Ferguson teacher Heather Montgomery said, “Teaching here is not just a job—it’s a calling. When we jump at the chance to close a school like Ferguson, we are not recognizing our

own privilege.” Hawaiian Gardens Council Member Ernie Vargas warned trustees, “Years from now, you won’t sit on these boards, but closing Ferguson will have a lasting effect on our community.”

Several Stowers parents said removing IB or Mandarin would collapse enrollment projections. “The math doesn’t add up,” one parent said, pointing to 168 out-ofdistrict permits tied to the program. Parent Michelle Peralta asked, “Why are we so quick to close our only IB elementary—a school that’s actually growing?”

Board remarks underscored the divide. Vice President Francisco Noyola said he saw “a powerful alliance forming with our dual-immersion families” and promised to pursue amendments protecting those programs. Clerk Tatiana Bui urged courage but also more time for Ferguson’s grant-funded literacy work. Trustee McHattten said the district had delayed too long and must follow the consultant’s framework. Trustee Leticia Mendoza grew emotional, saying she was “ashamed to sit here” as Latino neighborhoods bore the brunt of closures. “You can’t move a community. You can’t move a culture,” Mendoza said.

The sharpest exchange came between Trustees Dr. Olga Rios and Soo Yoo over whether to spare Ferguson immediately or delay action. Rios moved to remove Ferguson outright, citing access burdens in Hawaiian Gardens. Yoo pushed back, saying site-by-site changes from the dais risked “chaos” and argued that savings had to be measured across the district. Nishii brokered the eventual compromise, moving Ferguson to phase two instead of cutting it altogether. Rios accepted the delay but insisted the district will face the same equity concerns when the issue returns in two years.

Finances loomed large. Trustees adopted the 2024–25 unaudited actuals showing the district spent down about $30 million—$11.3 million unrestricted and $18.7 million restricted—leaving a $72 million balance. County officials have asked for further stabilization plans. Trustees also approved, 7–0, a $100,000 billboard marketing campaign with Outfront Media and a contract with Target River (not with LCCN) to recruit new students.

With Ferguson delayed to phase two, the plan now closes Aloha and Juarez in 2026–27, reconfigures Whitney and all middle schools for sixth grade, and sets Stowers and Ferguson for potential closure in 2027–28. Trustees pledged regular updates and said new enrollment, fiscal, and program data could alter future decisions.

Families and city leaders from Cerritos and Hawaiian Gardens vowed to continue pressing for protection of dual-immersion and IB programs.

rebuild

one potential significant clash of duties or loyalties is necessary,” the opinion noted.

LCCN had repeatedly called out Mendez for holding incompatible offices and openly called for his removal. Shortly afterward, Whittier Union filed its case in Superior Court to enforce what state law already dictates—that Mendez forfeited his trustee seat the moment he took office at Central Basin.

The ruling affirms what LCCN has reported for more than a year: Mendez’s position on the Whittier Union board is unlawful, and his ongoing service deepens the corruption already plaguing Central Basin.

LCCN has also spent the past two years documenting the rot inside Central Basin. Director Juan Garza took on La Luz del Mundo as a client even as its leader was tried and convicted for child abuse in a scandal likened to Jeffrey Epstein. Garza was also hit with a $50,000 tax lien, which he mysteriously paid off within a year (and won’t answer LCCN questions on how he paid it off), and he operated his Bellflower business without a license for three years, one year as Mayor of Bellflower. President Nem Ochoa, who also serves as a GM at Golden State Water, and Director Joanna Moreno, an engineer with the City of Industry, continue to illegally occupy their appointed positions despite both terming out in November 2024, while General Manager Elaine Jeng and General Counsel Victor Ponto shamelessly run interference.

Now, Gary Mendez joins the corruption pool. LCCN exposed him for operating a revoked nonprofit and, as confirmed by the Attorney General’s opinion, he faces removal from his Whittier Union seat for holding incompatible offices.

That makes four Central Basin directors—the very voting majority—tainted. A majority built not on public trust, but on corruption. And yet, despite LCCN delivering the evidence directly to local law enforcement and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, nothing has been done. Their inaction has allowed this corruption to fester, proving once again that when it comes to Central Basin, accountability is always someone else’s problem.

main steadfast in protecting the safety and well-being of our neighborhoods, we also recognize that addressing homelessness requires more than enforcement. It requires empathy, coordination, and long-term commitment to helping people

lives.”

The encouraging local trend mirrors countywide results. LAHSA reported that homelessness across Los Angeles County decreased for the second consecutive year, with unsheltered homelessness down by 9.5 percent. Officials attributed much of that progress to encampment resolution programs such as Inside Safe and Pathway Home, which have moved more than 6,300 people into interim housing and permanently housed nearly 1,500.

Despite the progress, city leaders emphasized that work remains. Staff will use the new data to guide services and resources, while continuing to coordinate with county and regional partners to maintain a compassionate and effective response.

Residents in need of assistance can visit lahsa.org for available resources.

EQUALITY

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Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Tye Leung Shulze, Maria Guadalupe Evangelina de Lopez, Alice Paul, President Woodrow Wilson, and other figures from the suffrage movement. Readers underscored the multicultural roots of the struggle by wearing traditional cultural attire, while Tran and others donned sashes with the slogans “Women Win the Vote” and “Vote for Women.”

The program served as a fundraiser for Congressman Tran’s re-election campaign and was co-sponsored by the Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic Club and Janet Keo’s campaign for Orange County Assessor. Following the performance, attendees enjoyed a Mexican dinner catered by Mr. Rosewood Restaurant of Norwalk.

PICO RIVERA from page

MENDEZ from page 1

their

ARTESIA

plan every eight years.

8758 La Entrada Ave. Whittier Ca 90604

ing needs, identify available land, and establish policies and programs to ensure housing opportunities at all income levels. Artesia missed its October 2021 deadline and has been out of compliance ever since, despite multiple notices from HCD that its draft plans fell short of state standards.

The new agreement sets a February 2, 2026, deadline for Artesia to adopt a fully compliant Housing Element. The City must also update its zoning code and general plan to accommodate the required housing units.

Failure to meet those obligations will trigger penalties, including fines of $10,000 per month.

In addition, until the Housing Element is certified, Artesia will be subject to the state’s “builder’s remedy,” which allows developers to bypass local restrictions on projects that include affordable housing.

opportunities for working families, seniors, and residents who are being priced out.”

Artesia officials, however, have pushed back against suggestions that the City has willfully ignored state law. In a statement, Mayor Ali Sajjad Taj wrote, “The City of Artesia understands the importance of planning for housing needs across the State of California, and continues to work diligently towards gaining certification for the 6th Cycle Housing Element. Artesia’s delay in achieving an approved Housing Element is not a result of intentional delay or wasted time and money, and it would be a mischaracterization to attribute it to deliberate stalling. Instead, the delay has been caused by the harsh realities of being a small, 1.62 square mile city with minimal resources, trying to keep up with constantly changing housing laws. Despite these challenges, Artesia has been able to

that the City will stay on track to get the Housing Element approved by our self-imposed January 2026 deadline. Further, the City has worked diligently to put in place the mechanisms that are necessary to implement the Housing Element once it is approved. In July 2025, the City approved a Mixed-Use Overlay Ordinance, which enables more density and affordable housing to be allowed in the City to meet the growing housing needs. In August 2025, the City Council adopted the Artesia Downtown Specific Plan, which provides additional development opportunities to provide housing surrounding the new Southeast Gateway Line transit stop. This ensures long-term planning tools are in place before the station becomes operational. “While the Housing Element has been delayed, the actions taken by the City over the last 18 months, including the ap-

proval of 179 new housing units, prove thatmitted to doing our part in addressing the

The Artesia agreement is the latest in a series of enforcement actions by the Newsom administration against cities that fall short on housing law. In recent years, the state has sued jurisdictions from Southern California to the Bay Area, arguing that local resistance is worsening California’s housing crisis.

Housing advocates say the Artesia case underscores the stakes for smaller cities. “This isn’t about politics,” said one advocate. “It’s about whether teachers, nurses, and young families can afford to live in the communities they serve. Every City, big or small, has to step up.”

If Artesia meets its obligations, nearly 1,100 new homes will be planned over the coming years, bringing much-needed affordable units to Southeast Los Angeles County. If not, the City faces escalating fines, lawsuits, and the loss of local control over housing development.