Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012- 2017.
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la miraDa, ca., NovemBer , 2019 Serving La Mirada and ten other surrounding communities • February 6,22 2026 • Vol. 70, No. 16 • LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM
CALTRANS REROUTED TRAFFIC WITHOUT INFORMING CERRITOS, ILLEGAL MOVE WILLCity COSTCouncil THE CITYApproves OVER $5 MILLION Cerritos New BY BRIAN HEWS
Water and Sewer Rate Schedules
during the construction period. ta or Artesia is a city designated flows onto arterial streets.” The City then cited the nu“Caltrans has failed to coor- truck route, commercial vehicles dinate thus far, and any further over 6,000 pounds are strictly merous safety hazards caused by Hews Media Group-Los Cerhike. of traffic, concerns lack of communication or con- By prohibited on the streets, per the therate rerouting ritos Community News has obBrian Hews A total of 36 residents that have been voiced by Cerritained a letter, dated September sultation with the City and its City Municipal Code.” addressed the council during residents is unacceptable.” The Caltrans rerouting of tos residents in calls and emails 6, 2019, addressed to Caltrans the hearing. Of those, 31 spoke The City blasted Caltrans for trucks has of caused severecrowd dam- to both HMG-LCCN and the from the city of Cerritos that In front a raucous against the proposed increases, and increased traffic peak City. blasts the state agency for reroutestablishing a detour route on ofageresidents that filled theatCity three spoke in support, and rerouting on Carmenita southbound Carmenita between Council hours, the extensive damage two The ing tractor-trailer traffic through chamber and spilled offered mixed or neutral the I-5 and Artesia Blvd., and into alonetheis estimated “to cost $5.2 comments. takes large trucks by two schools, the City due to I-5 construction hallway, the Cerritos Several speakers million to repair,” and the “aver- accused Stowersthe Elementary and Carmeprojects. eastbound Artesia Blvd. between City Council approved a water city of inadequate nita Middle school in addition Shockingly, the rerouting was Carmenita and the I-5. agesewer daily rate traffic on said streets outreach, and increase Monday questioned the legality “Neither stretch of Carmeni- night. has significantly and of including long-term capital done without notifying the City. After Frankincreased Yokoyama CALTRANS pageof14 opened the agenda item, city projects in theSeerates, warned staff delivered a presentation financial hardship for seniors and outlining what they described as fixed-income households, and aging water infrastructure needs threatened political consequences. and the city’s outreach efforts One speaker criticized local media related to the proposed increases. coverage, claiming residents were Following the staff presentation, not adequately warned, a claim opened the public contradicted by prior reporting on THE MANNING BEEF facility in Pico Rivera is headed to a court-supervised sale following the company’s Yokoyama BY THOM MARTIN action, jumping out of her car proposed increases. bankruptcy filing, triggering a pivotal moment for the future of the long-controversial site. City officials have hearing, prompting a lengthy thegrabbing the boy and helping the During council comments, heated round of public announced plans to participate in the sale process in an effort to block any return of slaughter operations, and often The City of Lakewood held woman. the overwhelming citing years of community concern, protests, and regulatory scrutiny. The outcome of the sale will determine comment, its annualwith Award of Valor lunShe took them to Artesia High majority of speakers opposing whether the property is acquired by the city or repurposed by a new owner under strict limitations. [ See they RATES, pagemed7] cheon on Nov. 6 to thank the men School, where received The City is claiming that the rerouting has caused over $5 million in damage to the streets, increased pollution in the area, increased traffic noise, and increased the safety risk of residents. Further the letter states that Caltrans is in violation of the project’s final Environmental Impact Report which obligates the agency to coordinate with cities to minimize adverse impacts
Pico Rivera Moves to Block Slaughterhouse’s Return in Court Sale
ARTESIA HIGH STAFF-MEMBER RECEIVES AWARD OF VALOR FROM LAKEWOOD
and women of the Los Angeles ical assistance and were ultimateCounty Sheriff’s Department and ly transported to the hospital. Community Sports: Fire Department, as well as the Because of her selfless accommunity volunteers who pro- tions, the City of Lakewood rePico Rivera announced this tect and serve Lakewood. cently awarded Bridget with the week it will participate in the Bridget Perrizo, a staff mem- pays Mayor’s at for the each city’senanprivateAward insurers court-supervised sale of the By HewsHigh was honored rollee berBrian at Artesia nual under Awards Valor ceremony. theofMedicare Advanwhen she helped two people that tage system "I always wonderedbywhat league was formed, Chinen and long-controversial Manning Beef administered the I By Loren Kopff was being attacked by a dog. would do when faced with a situWatanabe have won a league title slaughterhouse property, with city Affiliates of Kaiser Permawas headed in the same season three times, officials making clear the objec- nenteBridget, have agreed to pay back $556to ation like this one," said Perrizo. tive is to permanently prevent the million work from lunch when she spot- "By the grace of God, I had the including this season. The other to resolve federal allegaIn athletics at any level, the site from ever resuming slaughter two came in the 2019-2020 and ted a dog attacking a woman and courage to take action. I'm so tions that they submitted impropword family is used constantly, operations. 2023-2024 seasons. young boy. The dog had knocked glad that both the mom and son er diagnosis information to inflate but at Cerritos High, it literally The city said it is exploring Chinen’s father, Lawrence, them to the ground and they were are okay, and I'm so honored to payments from the Medicare Adis a family affair when it comes whether it can acquire the properand Watanabe’s mother, Margo, screaming for help. receive this award.” vantage program, according to to the boys and girls basketball grew up on the island of Oahu. ty outright. If the site is ultimately Bridget immediately took the U.S. Department of Justice. programs. Not only areaboys head TRASH piles up at condominium complex in Hawaiian Gardens. The City chose Waste Resources See HERO page 15 They out immediately to Southernbegin purchased party, Hews. Pico Announced January 14, 2026, the coach Jonathan Watanabe and who Incorporated as their new hauler, said moved they would trash pickbyup.another Photo Brian girls head coach Marcus Chinen California, and when the house Rivera said it will ensure the facil- settlement is the largest Mediamong the most prolific mentors next door to the Chinens went up ity does not reopen as a slaughter- care Advantage fraud settlement Centers for Medicare and Medichouse. reached to date under the False aid Services. The Justice Department said “This moment presents a rare Claims Act. the practices resulted in hundreds Federal prosecutors alleged opportunity for Pico Rivera to of thousands of questionable dithat from 2009 through 2018, reimagine the future BY BRIAN HEWS “Poor leadership, no foresight thoughtfully included several default letters, agnoses and generated hundreds Kaiser entities encouraged the ada long-standing industrial site in under California’s Public on the situation, typical of this ofwhich, of millions of dollars in overpaydition of unsupported diagnoses heart of our community,” MayWhile rotting trash is accumu- City Council,” former Hawaiian the Resource Code Section 49000, ments. The settlement resolves to patient medical records, often lating in many parts of Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Rey Rodriguez orstarts the clock on termination. Gustavo Camacho said. “Our civil allegations involving Kaithrough addenda entered months Gardens, Mayor Myra Maravilla told HMG-LCCN. Cityis staff even that wentwhatever the extra priority to ensure ser Foundation Health Plan Inc., or even years after office visits. and the City Council finally conThe staff report included in comes step and to work with nextattempted truly benefits our resducted a hearing, waiting an en- last week’s meeting presented idents, CWS protects to cure public the breaches and Those diagnoses increased pa- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of health, and tire week, and allowing the trash clear evidence that CWS was in aligns defaults in March of this tients’ risk scores, which directly withstarting our values as a City.” [ See KAISER, page 5 ] to accumulate even more, to once violation of its contract with the year, each of which CWS determine how much Medicare Camacho added thatgave the city’s again discuss terminating CWS’ City, but Mayor Maravilla and the involvement steps to resolve defaults. in thethe sale is intended contract. Council were apparently afraid to to permanently In additionclose to thethedefault nodoor on Under the Ralph M. Brown pull the termination trigger, leav- the tices, the City also attempted to site’s past use. Act, Maravilla and the City Coun- ing residents driving by stinky arrange meetings with CWS but Officials said future uses under cil could have sent out a notice piles of trash for the foreseeable consideration CWS did notinclude attend most meetaffordable and held a meeting within two future. ings. ARTESIA HIGH staff-member Bridget Perrizo received the Award of housing, public open space, or public safety, and meaningful days to address the situation. The voluminous staff report Valor fromHews Lakewood for saving two in a dog attack. COUSINS: Marcus Chinen (left) and Johnathan Watanabe have plant-based food or sustainabili- By Brian improvements to the everyday See TRASH page 15 been keeping the Cerritos High basketball programs among the ty-focused development, though lives of working families across Congresswoman Linda T. our district.” strongest in the CIF-Southern Section. Photo by Loren Kopff. any redevelopment would depend on the outcome of the bankruptcy Sánchez announced that she Projects benefiting cities secured more than $11.7 million in covered by LCCN include: sale and available funding. In Pico Rivera, $850,000 was City Manager Steve Carmo- federal funding for 15 community in the area, as well as the CIF- for sale, Lawrence called Margo projects securing investments secured for the Durfee Avenue to try to purchase it. They bought na described the bankruptcy as a Southern Section, they are family the house and to this day, the rare opening for the city to exert in water infrastructure, public Community Center. The funding members. influence over a property that has safety, transportation, parks, and will support the design and The two successful coaches families are still neighbors. Watanabe has been the head drawn years of controversy and broadband access. construction of a new community are cousins and have combined “I fought hard to secure center, converting a long-vacant coach of the Dons since the for nearly 600 victories since protest. Whether through direct funding for all 15 of my requested former Veterans of Foreign Wars the 2001-2002 season. Watanabe 2001-2002 season, except for ownership or coordination with community projects because building into a usable public has produced 40 percent of the 2021-2002 season when a future buyer, Carmona said the our communities deserve real facility. the wins amongst the seven Lance Convento took over the city’s goal is straightforward: enresults,” Sánchez said. “This In Downey, $250,000 was head coaches in school history varsity team. Watanabe is in his sure the Manning Beef site never funding will bring safer drinking allocated for the Water Treatment 24th season as the head coach, and was the first 605 League again operates as a slaughterhouse water, better transportation champion at the conclusion of and is instead converted into a and infrastructure, stronger the 2018-2019 season. Since the [ See FAMILY, page 11 ] community asset. [ See SANCHEZ, page 4 ]
By Brian Hews
Success in Cerritos Basketball Programs Lies Within the Family
Kaiser Slammed With a $556 Million Medicare Settlement, Medicare Advantage Under Scrutiny
TRASH WILL FINALLY GET CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN GARDENS
Rep. Sánchez Secures $11.7 Million for Community Projects Across Southeast L.A. County