Issuu

SEE PAGE 2 for identity theft crew arrested

ANAHEIM PRESS

MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 - AUGUST 3, 2014

anaheimpress.com

California water waste fees trump homeowner association fees by Vickie Vértiz

Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Monday, July 24, that protects Californians who do not water their lawns during a drought from incurring fees from homeowner associations in cities such as Anaheim. The bill, AB 2100, forbids homeowner associations from imposing additional fines on people who stop watering their lawns to conserve water in serious droughts such as the one the state is in currently. “We can’t be sending mixed messages about the importance of conserving water during this drought,” said Assemblywoman Nora Campos (D-San Jose), the author of the bill. She added that, “Fines for wasting water make sense. Fines for not watering your lawn don’t. We shouldn’t punish people who are doing the right thing. We need every drop of water.” The Governor had asked

Please see page 4

Please see page 2

by Jennifer schlueter

schools. Full-contact practices will be limited to twice a week, and completely banned during offseason. Furthermore, if a head injury is suspected, players cannot return to the game at all or before gaining approval from a medical professional. These regulations aim to prevent and reduce severe concussions in young football players. The rules, supported by the California Interscholastic Federation and sponsored by Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), will be enforced start-

City Council approves bonds for Convention Center expansion

ing January 1, 2015. California will then be one out of 20 states to prohibit off-seasonal full-contact practices. The CIF additionally voted on limiting weekly practice hours to 18 per week. According to the LA Times, Cooley said: “AB 2127’s practice guidelines will reassure parents that their kids can learn football safely through three hours of fullcontact practice … to maximize conditioning and skill development while minimizing concus-

es Control Board released the report earlier in July. “California is in the worst drought we’ve seen in our grandparents’ generation or beyond,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the water

California approves bill to minimize concussion risk for youth footballers With more and more football players suing the National Football League because of severe head injuries and the increasing awareness of the public about the tragic aftermath of such concussions, the NFL and college leagues reacted by limiting full-contact practices, which has already proven to reduce concussions. Last Monday, Governor Jerry Brown signed the AB2127 law, which will prohibit full-contact practices taking longer than 90 minutes a day in middle and high

VOLUME 1, NO. 13

On July 22, the Anaheim City Council authorized the Anaheim Housing and Public Improvements Authority to issue bonds for expanding the Anaheim Convention Center to meet current and future needs of Anaheim’s convention and tradeshow industry. Since opening in 1967, revenues generated by the Anaheim Convention Center and related activities have consistently supported overall City services, thereby improving the quality of life for Anaheim’s residents. The proposed Anaheim Convention Center expansion project encompasses the addition of 200,000 square feet of flexible meeting space for hosting concurrent events, capturing new meeting groups and retaining the large annual events, plus the replacement of Car Park 1. The current Anaheim Convention Center has limited meeting space opportunities and limits the ability to accommodate concurrent events. It is conservatively estimated that the City’s General Fund would be better off by $115 million over the next decade and $320 million over a 30-year period by expanding, as determined by an outside consultant (Crossroads Consulting Services). Each year the City generates millions of dollars due to the large annual events booked at the Anaheim Convention Center. Attendance over the past five years averages nearly 1.1 million guests at Convention Center events alone.

Because of the drought, there will be no more fines if you do not water your (partially) brown lawns in Anaheim -Photo by Terry Miller

Californians in January to cut water use by 20 percent, but a new state survey showed that average water use rose by one percent this year, compared to the average 2011-2013. The culprits for increased water usage were in Southern California. The State Water Resourc-

SEE PAGE 3 for largest food distribution company sued

2 | JULY 28, 2014 - AUGUST 3, 2014

Identity theft crew targeting Southern California arrested in Lomita On July 17, 2014, Arnulfo Rodarte, resident of San Pedro and Sylvester Curameng, resident of Torrance were arrested for burglary, identity theft and possession of personal profiles belonging to over twenty victims in numerous cities across Southern California. Andrea Serrao, resident of San Pedro, was also arrested. Serrao was arrested for embezzlement. On July 6, 2014, Rodarte and Curameng used a victim’s stolen credit card to make purchases at a Target store in San

Pedro. They were captured on video committing the crime. The credit card was found to be stolen from an unlocked vehicle in Rancho Palos Verdes and deemed a vehicle burglary because the car was parked in a subterranean parking structure. On July 17, 2014, Lomita Station detectives were viewing video footage of the crime. The detectives immediately recognized one of the suspects as Arnulfo Rodarte, who they had arrested in the past. Lomita de-

Convention Center expansion Continued from page 1

This translates to hotel room stays, dining, shopping and entertainment for those guests, many of whom use the opportunity to plan a family vacation or extend their stay to enjoy Anaheim and Orange County’s many amenities. In 2010, the City Council, by Resolution, established the Anaheim Tourism Improvement District (ATID) for the promotion of local tourism and conventionrelated programs. Hoteliers in the Anaheim Resort agreed to self-assess 2% of hotel room rent within the ATID boundaries for projects in the Anaheim Resort. The creation of the ATID relieved the City’s General Fund of $6 mil-

lion annually, beginning in 2010, and directed these dollars to pay for this Anaheim Convention Center expansion project. Assuming TOT revenues would grow at a conservative estimate of 3%, it is estimated that the value of the ATID would be approximately $450 million, and is greater than estimated lease payments on the bond issuance. To ensure that the incremental new revenues would be available for General Fund programs, the City Council approved a financing plan that keeps the General Fund’s annual lease payment obligations for capital improvements where they are today.

tectives immediately obtained a search warrant targeting Rodarte. During the execution of the search warrant, detectives arrested Rodarte and were able to identify his crime partner, Sylvester Curameng, who they believed was the second suspect captured on video. The detectives also found numerous pieces of mail and a notebook containing identifying information belonging to over twenty victims from the cities of Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, Alhambra, Arcadia, Carson, Cerritos, Chino Hills, Diamond Bar, El Monte, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Harbor City, Long Beach, La Puente, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Ontario, Pacoima, Palos Verdes Estates, Pasadena, Rancho Cordova, Rosemead, San Pedro, San Dimas, Torrance, West Covina and Whittier. Many of these victims were

already confirmed victims of identity theft. Also during the service of the search warrant, Andrea Serrao was arrested for embezzlement. She was a named suspect in a vehicle embezzlement case out of Los Angeles Police Department, Pacific Division. It is alleged that Serrao rented a 2013 Mercedes Benz C250 from Enterprise Rental Car and never returned it. It is believed she obtained the vehicle for Rodarte and Curameng, who used the Mercedes to commit their crimes. Curameng and Rodarte are being held at the Inmate Reception Center with a bail set at $20,000, and Serrao is being held at the Century Regional Detection Facility with a bail set at $25,000. All three are due in Torrance Court on July 21, 2014, where they will be arraigned on the above charges.

No more fines for not watering brown lawns Continued from page 1

board. “Fields are going fallow. Thousands of people are going to be out of work. There are communities that are out of water — they’re bathing out of buckets and water trucks are coming in to help them.” The law bans washing cars without a nozzle, watering driveways or sidewalks, using drinkable water in decorative fountains, and over-watering yards so much that the water runs off into roads. Recycled water is excluded. Some people have reduced their water usage. However, when one couple in Glendora stopped watering their lawn every day and dropped down to twice a week, a letter from the city code enforcement unit warned them to water their grass or receive $100 to $500 in fines and possible criminal action, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported. The letter said it recognized the need to

conserve water, but wished “to remind you that limited watering is still required to keep landscaping looking healthy and green.” People in Anaheim also received these kinds of warnings from the city. Our state remains in a severe drought of three years, with no end in sight. Evidently, even cities had not understood how grave our water situation has become. “But many parts of California don’t seem to realize how bad it is,” said Marcus, “because they are so far away from their source of water. We are all in this together, and this is not a time to waste water.” But the game has changed. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that, under the new law, any agency or city that does not impose mandatory water conservation could be subject to state fines of up to $10,000 a day.

JULY 28, 2014 - AUGUST 3, 2014 | 3

hlr media EDITORIAL

editor@anaheimpress.com

Editor

Jennifer Schlueter

Publisher HLR Media

Advertising

advertising@hlrmedia.com

Submissions:

Please send all press releases to: editor@anaheimpress.com HLR Media, LLC .All contents herein are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily that of the management and staff at HLR Media, LLC

950 N Tustin Ave Anaheim CA 92807

Phone: (626) 386-3457 Fax: (626) 600-4452

Alhambra PRESS

Baldwin Park

INDEPENDENT

Largest US food distribution company sued for holding perishable food in unrefrigerated sheds The nation’s largest food distribution company, Sysco Corporation, will pay nearly $20 million dollars in a consumer protection settlement for illegally holding perishable foods, such as seafood, milk and raw meat, in unrefrigerated, unprotected storage sheds. This is the largest settlement of a food safety prosecution in California history. This case was investigated by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and prosecuted by The California Food, Drug and Medical Device task force, made up of the District Attorney’s Offices of Orange, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and Shasta Counties. The case was filed in Santa Clara County. Deputy District Attorney Tracy Hughes of the Consumer Protection Unit prosecuted this case for the Orange County District Attorney. Circumstances of the Case: Sysco is the largest food distribution company in the nation and among the largest worldwide. California law requires food distribution companies to register all vehicles and sites used to transport or store food with CDPH, which regulates food distribution and storage of perishable items to protect consumers from unsanitary conditions and food-borne illness. Beginning in or after 2010, Sysco used unregistered storage facilities and vehicles to store and transport smaller food shipments to commercial restaurants, schools and hospitals. Sysco trucks routinely delivered food orders to unrefrigerated mini-storage units, the same type in which people store extra furniture and other household items. Most of these units had no refrigeration and some were unsanitary. The shipments included products such as seafood, pork, beef and dairy products, all of which are extremely perishable. These smaller orders were dropped secretly at these unreg-

istered locations for employees to transport later to commercial customers. Sales representatives transported these smaller shipments in personal, unrefrigerated vehicles, also in violation of California law. The practice was uncovered by a reporter in Northern California. State inspectors subsequently found that Sysco had used at least 22 unregistered storage sites throughout California. Food coming through these sites reached commercial customers, and ultimately consumers, throughout the state. Furthermore, Sysco engaged in misleading advertising, falsely claiming to use only “state of the art distribution warehouses,” and

go “above and beyond government regulations.” Sysco trucks also bear the slogan, “Quality Assured.” Sysco has agreed to strict injunctive terms to cease the unlawful and unsafe practices. As terms of the settlement, they will be required to pay $15 million in civil penalties, $3.3 million to fund a food inspection program administered by the CDPH, Food Safety Division, and to implement a company-wide food safety and food safety education program. Sysco will also provide $1 million worth of fresh food to California food banks to be distributed based on need. Approximately $55,000 of fresh food will go to Orange County food banks.

Long Beach Office 3780 Kilroy Airport Way Suite 360 Long Beach, CA 90806 Ph. (562) 472-0071 Fx. (562) 689-0071 Los Angeles Office 5701 South Eastern Avenue Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90040 Ph. (323) 727-1144 Fx. (323) 727-9198 www.heger-industrial.com Lic. #00814086

4 | JULY 28, 2014 - AUGUST 3, 2014

President signs executive order banning discrimination against LGBT workers Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), vice chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus (Equality Caucus), released the following statement after President signed an executive order last week prohibiting federal contractors and agencies from discriminating against employees on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity: “With Republicans still unwilling to bring up the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the House – despite bipartisan support during passage in the Senate – the President was right to act to protect LGBT workers in the federal government from being discriminated against. We should be using every avenue available to fight discrimination – it’s just the right thing to do. “Nevertheless, this does not free Congress from the responsi-

bility to pass ENDA and protect all workers from discrimination and we must continue to call for such action, and work to narrow the exemption granted to religious organizations.” Schiff earlier led an effort urging President Obama to issue such an Executive Order. The announcement is an important step towards ending discrimination against LGBT employees and ensuring that they are judged based on the quality of their work and not because of who they are or who they love. The executive order, when implemented, will only protect employees of federal contractors and federal agencies. Schiff is an original co-sponsor of the bipartisan Employment NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA), which passed the U.S. Senate in November 2013. ENDA currently has 205

President Obama signed executive order protecting LGBT government employees and contractors from discrimination -Courtesy Photo

cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act would establish basic protections in the workplace to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. There are currently only 18 states (including California) and the District of Columbia that prohibit discrimination on bases of sexual orientation and

gender identity, and an additional 3 states that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. ENDA would provide a basic level of protection against workplace discrimination in a manner modeled closely on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and would apply to private employers as well as local, state, and federal government employers.

California approves bill to minimize concussion risk for youth footballers Continued from page 1

sion risk.” A study by Dawn Levine, a clinical neuropsychologist and assistant director of the Youth Sports Concussion Program for Kaiser Permanente, demonstrates that one-third of the average 600 hits to a high school player’s head occur during practice. Former New Orleans Saints executive Terry O’Neil estimates that per season, high schoolers endure 100,000

concussions - 60-75 percent of them during practice, The Sports Legacy Institute claims. Levine agrees with the bill, because less full-contact practices will reduce the number of injuries, and thus, the “risk of any long-term damage,” the LA Times reports. According to the same LA Times article, Sen. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) and Sen. Joel Anderson (R-San Diego) voted

against the bill. In Knight’s opinion, the law makes California high schoolers less competitive for college scholarships, whereas Anderson believes that legislature should not interfere with sports practices. LA Roosevelt High School football coach Javier Cid said in an interview with the Times that full-contact practices are necessary to determine starters. “Concussion can change a kid’s life,” Cooley told Reuters. “Viewed through that lens, this bill is not crazy. It’s good for kids and it’s good for parents.” For the assemblyman, the players’ health and the concerns of their families are more important than a possible impact on football practices: “I anticipate other states will follow our lead as they consider the interests of kids and families,” he said in a press release. “We have a multitude of evidence that this does not just affect professional athletes, but that younger kids who are still developing are just as susceptible and the effects of impacts. Research has shown hits

don’t have to produce a concussion to have long-lasting effects.” In 2006, Zackary Lystedt, a middle school football player, had suffered severe head injury from a game. After a three month coma, and despite several therapies, Lystedt “still walks with a cane and has limited speaking abilities,” said the Washington post. Together with his parents, he fights for stronger regulations of football practices and awareness of concussions and their consequences. According to the LA Times, Loyola High School in Los Angeles has already taken an exceptional step to detect concussions. Principal Frank Kozakowski demands every single one of his students at the all-boy Catholic school to participate in a baseline test to assess “the student’s balance and brain functions [with the help of memory and problem solving skills] so it can be used and compared with a similar exam if the student is suspected of having a concussion.”