LOS CERRITOS
Winner of Nineteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2021 Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities since 1985 • August 7, 2026 • Vol. 41, No. 40 • LOSCERRITOSNEWS.NET
Exclusive: Campaign Finance Filings Reveal Coordinated Political Operation Behind Cerritos Recall and Water-Rate Repeal Efforts Campaign finance filings reveal more than $26,000 raised, nearly $50,000 spent with two Cerritos donors giving $5,000 each. By Brian Hews A review of Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) filings by Los Cerritos Community News has found that what had
$25,000 in unpaid obligations. The committee also contributed $2,000 each to two separate political committees—one formed to repeal the city’s water and sewer rate increases and another supporting the recall of Mayor Lynda P. Johnson and Councilman Frank Aurelio Yokoyama. Although California campaign finance law permits separate committees for different political purposes, the filings reveal extensive
ARTESIA MAYOR Rene Trevino, members of the City Council, L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and other first responders joined residents during Tuesday night’s National Night Out celebration. The annual event strengthens partnerships between law enforcement and the community while promoting neighborhood safety, crime prevention and stronger relationships through education, outreach and family-friendly activities.
Fire-Preventing Goats: California’s Four-Legged Firefighters Are Hard at Work Everywhere
Artesia Celebrates National Night Out With Community, Public Safety Partnerships Annual event brings residents, deputies and city leaders together to strengthen community partnerships. By Brian Hews
tional leader in using targeted goat grazing to reduce wildfire risk. From Orange County to the Sierra foothills, Napa Valley, the East Bay hills, Los Angeles County and San Diego County, public agencies, utilities, parks and private property owners increasingly rely on goats to clear dry grasses, weeds and dense brush before they become dangerous fuel during fire season. The concept is simple. Rather than sending crews with chainsaws, bulldozers or herbicides into steep or environmentally sensitive areas, trained grazing companies release carefully managed herds to eat virtually everything in their path. The goats excel on rugged hillsides and can safely reach places where heavy equipment is difficult—or impossible—to operate. The animals are kept within designated grazing areas using temporary electric fencing and are watched over by herders and livestock guardian dogs. Once the vegetation has been consumed,
Families from across Artesia gathered Tuesday evening for the city’s annual National Night Out, an event designed to strengthen relationships between residents, law enforcement and community organizations while promoting neighborhood safety. Held from 5 to 8 p.m., the family-friendly event featured Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department display vehicles, a sheriff’s helicopter, local vendors, live entertainment and free barbecue for residents who signed up for the city’s electronic newsletter or Flash Vote community survey. National Night Out is a nationwide community-building campaign that encourages partnerships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The annual event gives residents an opportunity to meet deputies, learn about public safety resources and build stronger neighborhood connections. Children and families had the opportunity to explore emergency vehicles, visit with deputies and representatives from community organizations, and enjoy an evening of music and activities. “National Night Out is one of my favorite community events because it brings our residents,
See GOATS, Page 8
See ARTESIA, Page 9
CLEARING: A herd of goats grazes a hillside near the intersection of Cannon Street and Serrano Avenue in Orange as part of a targeted vegetation management program. The animals naturally clear dry brush, grasses and weeds, helping reduce wildfire fuel while providing an environmentally friendly alternative to heavy equipment and herbicides. Photo by Brian Hews.
California’s four-legged firefighters quietly clear dangerous brush, helping prevent wildfires without chainsaws, bulldozers or chemical herbicides. By Brian Hews Driving near the intersection of Cannon Street and Serrano Avenue in Orange recently, I couldn’t help but smile. There, on a steep hillside, was a familiar sight I hadn’t seen in several years—a large herd of goats methodically chewing their way through thick brush. It was the same location where I’d photographed them years ago for Los Cerritos Community News, and watching them work was every bit as entertaining the second time around. While they may look like an unusual landscaping crew, the goats were actually performing an important public safety service. California has become a na-
been presented as separate grassroots campaigns to recall Cerritos Mayor Lynda P. Johnson and Councilman Frank Yokoyama and overturn the city’s controversial water and sewer rate increases is part of a well-coordinated political operation involving interconnected committees, shared leadership, common vendors, tens of thousands of dollars in campaign spending, a former Cerritos Mayor and Councilman, and legal representation by a former chairman of the Fair Political Practices Commission. At the center is Concerned Citizens of Cerritos, a political committee that functioned as the primary fundraising organization for the related political efforts. Campaign finance reports show the committee raised $26,644 during the reporting period, spent $49,372, and reported nearly
overlap among the organizations. Both the Repeal Cerritos Water & Sewer Rate Hikes committee and the Recall Cerritos Council Members Johnson and Yokoyama committee list Carla Gilhuys as principal officer and Theresa “Terry” Pedace as treasurer. The committees also share the same committee email address, operate from the same Cerritos mailing address, and utilize many of the same campaign vendors. Both committees also received identical $2,000 contributions from Concerned Citizens of Cerritos, according to the FPPC filings. The reports further show both committees received in-kind copying support from former Cerritos Mayor Grace Hu and made payments to Mars Printing or campaign materials. The filings also identify the campaign’s prin-
See RECALL, Page 6
Central Basin Board Ends $611,000 No-Bid Consulting Contract Following Years of Scrutiny By Brian Hews After more than two years and $611,125 in payments to a consultant originally hired under a $21,125 no-bid contract, the Central Basin Municipal Water District Board of Directors on Monday rejected a proposed fourth contract amendment, ending one of the District’s most controversial consulting agreements. The contract first came under public scrutiny after Los Cerritos Community News re-
ported on its expansion to more than $225,000 and questioned the District’s growing reliance on a no-bid consultant. Rather than approving another $169,000 increase, the Board voted to let the MV Cheng & Associates agreement expire and directed staff to move forward with recruiting a permanent Finance Director. The proposed amendment would have increased the contract from
See CONTRACT, Page 9