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la miraDa, ca., NovemBer 22 , 2019 Serving La Mirada and ten other surrounding communities • April 24, 2026 • Vol. 70, No. 27 • LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM
CALTRANS TRAFFIC WITHOUT INFORMING CERRITOS, ILLEGAL MOVE WILL COST THE CITY OVER $5 MILLION La Palma’s REROUTED Legal Troubles Mount as Second ta or Artesia is a city designated flows onto arterial streets.” BY BRIAN HEWS The City is claiming that the during the construction period. Lawsuit Follows $8.4rerouting Million The City then cited the nuhas Verdict caused over $5 “Caltrans has failed to coor- truck route, commercial vehicles
Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News has obSecond lawsuit widens tained a letter, dated September scrutiny beyond police, 6, 2019, addressed to Caltrans alleging wage violations, from the city of Cerritos that ignored blasts thecomplaints, state agency for reroutand a growing pattern ing tractor-trailer traffic through inside City the City dueHall. to I-5 construction projects. By Shockingly, Brian Hewsthe rerouting was done without notifying the City.
Just one week after Los Cerritos Community News first reported on the $8.4 million jury verdict against the City, a second lawsuit has surfaced—this time alleging wage theft, off-the-clock work, and systemic labor violations inside another City department. Filed April 8 in Orange County Superior Court, the complaint by former Recreation Specialist Misty Torres accuses the City of failing to pay for all hours worked, denying required meal and rest breaks, and issuing inaccurate wage statements over a nearly seven-year span. According to the filing, Torres was officially scheduled for
million in damage to the streets, four-hour shifts butinroutinely increased pollution the area, worked full-day schedules— increased traffic noise, and inoften from a.m. to 5 p.m.— creased the 7safety risk of resito keep the Tiny Tots prodents. gram running, while being Further the all letter states that capped at part-time hours. Caltrans is in violation of the The lawsuit claims City project’s final Environmental management knew about Impact Report which obligates the extra work but imposed the agency to coordinate with citstrict hour limits anyway, ies to minimize adverse impacts creating what the complaint describes as a “predictable and unlawful result”: either leave essential work undone or perform it off the clock. Torres alleges she performed roughly 15 hours of unpaid work per week, including overtime, and was frequently unable to take legally compliant meal or rest breaks due to staffing shortages—at times being left alone supervising up to 24 children. The financial exposure in the case is significant. The complaint seeks more than $48,000 in unpaid straight-time wages, over $50,000 in unpaid
dinate thus far, and any further lack of communication or consultation with the City and its residents is unacceptable.” The City blasted Caltrans for establishing a detour route on southbound Carmenita between the I-5 and Artesia Blvd., and eastbound Artesia Blvd. between Carmenita and the I-5. “Neither stretch of Carmeni-
over 6,000 pounds are strictly prohibited on the streets, per City Municipal Code.” The Caltrans rerouting of trucks has caused severe damage and increased traffic at peak hours, the extensive damage alone is estimated “to cost $5.2 million to repair,” and the “average daily traffic on said streets has significantly increased and
merous safety hazards caused by the rerouting of traffic, concerns that have been voiced by Cerritos residents in calls and emails to both HMG-LCCN and the City. The rerouting on Carmenita takes large trucks by two schools, Stowers Elementary and Carmenita Middle school in addition
See CALTRANS page 14
ARTESIA HIGH STAFF-MEMBER RECEIVES AWARD OF VALOR FROM LAKEWOOD BY THOM MARTIN
action, jumping out of her car grabbing the boy and helping the The City of Lakewood held From Dairy Valley Roots to Modernwoman. Cerritos City its annual Award of Valor lunShe took them to Artesia High DAIRY VALLEY: Los Angeles County Frank a featured at Dairy cheon onSupervisor Nov. 6 to thank theBonelli, men School, wherespeaker they received medValley City Hall’s groundbreaking, and is presented with a calf. Pictured with him are Dairy Valley City women of the Los Angeles ical assistance and were ultimateCouncilmembers (left to right) LouisCounty Struikman, JimDepartment Albers, Alex Moore, Joe Gonsalves, Leal, Sheriff’s and ly transported to theFrank hospital. and an unidentified calf handler. Courtesy City of Cerritos. Fire Department, as well as the Because of her selfless accommunity volunteers who pro- tions, the City of Lakewood retect and serve Lakewood. cently awarded Bridget with the Bridget Perrizo, a staff mem- Mayor’s Award at the city’s anber at Artesia High was honored nual Awards of Valor ceremony. See LA PALMA, Page 16 when she helped two people that "I always wondered what I was being attacked by a dog. would do when faced with a situBridget, was headed back to California ation like Fair this one," saidPracticPerrizo. Political Early recall activity shows By Brian Hews work from lunch when she spot- es"By the grace ofshow God,the I had the Commission comorganized spending, but ted a dog attacking a woman and mittee courage to takeonaction. I'm 1,so qualified February delayed reporting laws young boy. The dog hadkeep knocked 2026, glad after that both the mom and son surpassing the $2,000 E-bikes and scooters are evfinancial backers hidden them to the ground and they were threshold are okay,required and I'm to sobegin honored rais-to erywhere across Los Angeles publicfor view. screaming help. controlling the JPA’s opera- and Orange County, but a new from receive this award.” ing and spending funds. Theresa Army Corps outlines $735 tions, receiving bids, andGardens. man- The Bridget immediately took W. Pedace is listed as treasurer, studyCity shows theWaste injuriesResources are risTRASH pilesupgrades, up at a condominium complex in Hawaiian chose million dam See HERO page 15 By Brian Hews aging public business through with Carla D. Gilhuys as princiing just as fast—and they’re far Incorporated as their new hauler, who said they would immediately begin trash pick up. Photo Brian Hews. potential closures impacting his own private infrastructure, more serious than most riders pal officer. Pico Rivera parks and Garza erased the legal separa- think. Despite the lack of public fiCERRITOS — The political facilities. tion required between a public Researchers at NYU Lan- committee calling itself “Con- nancial disclosures, Los Cerritos agency and a private enterprise. gone Health analyzed 914 pa- cerned Citizens of Cerritos” has Community News can confirm By Brian Hews The investigation found that tients treated at a New York City already spent thousands of dollars the committee has already spent this private control, no combined center between 2018 and advancing the recall effort target- approximately $5,000 with this BY BRIAN HEWS “Poor leadership, foresight trauma included several default letters, with Garza’s repeated renewals newspaper—an adjudicated pub2023. What they found is hard to In November 2025, Los on the situation, typical of this which, under California’s Public ing Mayor Frank Yokoyama and of his now $6,000-per-month lication for legal notices in Cerignore: e-bikes and scooters now While rotting trash is accumuCerritos Community News City Council,” former Hawaiian Resource Code Section 49000, Mayor Pro Tem Lynda Johncontract as the JPA’s executive account for 6.9% of all traulating in many of Hawaiian son—yet has disclosed nothing ritos—to publish the required launched Highparts Stakes, Dirty Gardens Mayor Rey Rodriguez starts the clock on termination. director while simultaneously ma admissions. About 68% of Gardens, Mayor Myra Maravilla told HMG-LCCN. City staff even went the extra publicly about where the money Water, Red Flags, a multi-part elected Centralin those injured were hospitalized, and the City Council con- serving The as staffanreport included step and attempted to work with is coming from. investigative series finally revealing Basin director, placed his seat 30% needed intensive care, and ducted hearing, waiting en- last week’s meeting presented CWS to cure the breaches and Documents filed with the See RECALL, Page 7 that for ayears Central BasinanDison the Central Basin Muroughly half required surgery tire week, and allowing trict Four Director Juan the trash clear evidence that CWS was in defaults starting in March of this nicipal Water District or medical procedures. About to accumulate Garza quietly even oper-more, to once violation of its contract with the year, each of which gave CWS at risk of automatsuffered a traumatic againthe discuss terminating CWS’ City, but Mayor Maravilla and the one stepsintothree resolve the defaults. ated Califoric vacancy under brain injury. contract. Council were apparently afraid to In addition to the default nonia Cities for the state’s inThat’s trend—it’sto Under the Ralph M. Brown pull the termination trigger, leav- tices, the not Citya small also attempted Self-Reliance compatible a major category of trauma. Act, Maravilla Joint Powers and the City Coun- ing residents driving by stinky arrange meetings with CWS but office laws. Thedid biggest causemost of injury cil could have sent out a notice piles of trash for the foreseeable CWS not attend meetAuthority, decade. Hospitals identified as at Part One wasn’t falling off the bike. It was By Brian Hews held a meeting within two future. ings. aand taxpayARTESIA HIGH staff-member Bridget Perrizo receivedprofile: the Award risk share a common theyof documented getting hit by a car. Nearly half days to address the situation. The voluminous staff report er-fundValor from Lakewood for saving two in aheavily dog attack. rely on Medicaid reimhow Garza of all cases involved collisions See TRASH page 15 ed agency, bursements and have posted susused his per- with vehicles, with falls a distant through BellLOS ANGELES — The im- tained financial losses in recent sonal Six Heron second. The formula is simple: flower-based Six pact of sweeping federal health- years. That combination leaves email, compa- cars, faster bikes, and streets that Heron, his privately care cuts is no longer theoreti- little cushion as federal funding ny cellphone, and weren’t built for either. owned public-relations cal in California. New analysis declines. a Bellflower P.O. That setup is easy to spot and government-relations firm. shows the state is among the For California, the implicaBox as the JPA’s across Southeast L.A. County— The reporting detailed hardest hit, with 83 hospitals tions are significant. The state’s operational and riders weaving through traffic, how bids, contracts, and dayflagged as financially “at risk,” healthcare system is deeply inprocurement jumping onto sidewalks, and to-day operations were routplacing nearly one-third of Cal- tertwined with Medi-Cal, which pipeline, effec- cutting across busy interseced through Garza’s privately ifornia’s hospital system under serves millions of low-income tively turning a public agen- tions. The speed is higher, the owned firm, which for years potential strain. residents. Hospitals operating cy into a one-man operation. margins are tighter, and when was not licensed with the City The findings stem from a in that system often function on Part Two exposed how that something goes wrong, the injuof Bellflower, where he lived national dataset examining the narrow margins, balancing high private control collided directly ries are severe. and previously served as mayor, effects of the so-called “One Big patient demand with lower reimwith Garza’s elected authority The study also found someraising immediate red flags Beautiful Budget Act,” which bursement rates. Any disruption at the Central Basin Municipal thing unexpected: pedestrians under California law governincludes deep reductions in Water District, where he votes are often the ones who suffer ing procurement, transparency, Medicaid funding over the next See HOSPITALS, Page 15 See E-BIKES, Page 4 and conflicts of interest. By See REVIEW, Page 16
Study: E-Bikes Boom, and So Do Brain Injuries
Cerritos Water Rate Recall Already Spending Thousands—But Still No Donors Disclosed
Central Basin Board Reviews Garza’s Incompatible Office, Finds ‘Nothing’
TRASH WILL FINALLY GET CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN GARDENS
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