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la miraDa, ca., NovemBer 222026 , 2019 Serving La Mirada and ten other surrounding communities • January 23, • Vol. 70, No. 1 • LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM
CALTRANS REROUTED TRAFFIC WITHOUT Central Basin Pressured to Fund CostlyINFORMING CERRITOS, ILLEGAL MOVE WILL COST THE CITY OVER $5 MILLION
the construction period. ta or Artesia is a city designated flows onto arterial streets.” The City is claiming Southeast Gateway Rail Pipeline Projectthat the during The City then cited the nurerouting has caused over $5 “Caltrans has failed to coor- truck route, commercial vehicles
BY BRIAN HEWS
Hews Media Group-Los CerInternal emails reveal ritos Community News has obrising costs, unresolved tained a letter, dated September alternatives, and mounting 6, 2019, addressed to Caltrans pressure on directors to from the city of Cerritos that approve long-term blasts the state agency for reroutrepayment despite ing tractor-trailer traffic through incomplete negotiations. the City due to I-5 construction projects. By Brian Hews Shockingly, the rerouting was done without notifying the City. A decision by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power [LADWP] has pushed Central Basin Municipal Water District [CB] toward a multimilliondollar financial exposure it did not create, stemming from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s [Metro] Southeast Gateway light rail project and its impact on a recycled water pipeline owned by CB. Reports obtained by Los
Cerritos Community show million in damage toNews the streets, that Metropollution initiallyinidentified increased the area, relocating CB’s recycled water increased traffic noise, and inpipeline into LADWP rightcreased the safety risk of resiof-way dents. as the least expensive option, but the later “eliminated” Further letter states that that alignment telling Caltrans is in after violation of CB the that LADWP “would not allow project’s final Environmental utilities its property.” Impact on Report which obligates internal email obtained the An agency to coordinate with citby LCCN, sent adverse this week by ies to minimize impacts CB Interim General Manager Elaine Jeng, outlined ongoing discussions with Metro over relocating CB’s recycled water pipeline. The message makes clear that the conversation has shifted away from whether CB should pay at all and toward how the District would finance repayment over decades. The CB Board last addressed
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
La Mirada Based Company Sets the Stage (Red Carpet) for the Oscars
BY THOM MARTIN action, jumping out of her car THE ICONIC RED CARPET—a 50,000-square-foot rug—will be installed by La Mirada-based grabbing the boy and helping the Event Carpet Pros, owned by Steve Olive. The carpet is manufactured in Georgia and dyed in a custom The City of Lakewood held woman. shade known as Academy Red, a color reserved exclusively for Hollywood’s biggest night. Olive grew its annual Award of Valor lunShe took them to Artesia High up in Cerritos. Courtesy Billboard Magazine. cheon on Nov. 6 to thank the men School, where they received med-
and women of the Los Angeles ical assistance and were ultimateCounty Sheriff’s Department and ly transported to the hospital. By Brian Hews Fire Department, as well as the Because of her selfless accommunity volunteers who pro- tions, the City of Lakewood reOn a recent weekday morntect and serve Lakewood. cently awarded Bridget with the ing in La Mirada, Steve Olive Bridget Perrizo, a staff mem- Mayor’s Award at the city’s anStreetoffrom Pioneer walked between towering stacks ber at Artesia High was honored Carson nual Awards Valor ceremony. By Brian Hews Boulevard to Norwalk Bouleof carpet rolls—red, green, lavwhen she helped two people that "I always wondered what I vard, and Pioneer Boulevard ender—inside his 36,000-squarewas being attacked by a dog. would do when faced with a situCity details expanded The Hawaiian Gardensback to from 221st foot warehouse just east of Bridget, was headed ationCarson like thisStreet one,"tosaid Perrizo. amenities, refined project City Council is set to advance Approval Alondra Boulevard and Valley work from lunch when she spot- Street. "By the grace ofwould God, Iallow had the scope, updated construction major street improvement city totobegin View Avenue. Stretched across ated a dog attacking a woman and the courage takeadvertising action. I'm so cost and confirms summer the floor was a 150-foot section young boy. The dog had knocked glad that both the mom and son 2026 opening. of carpet delivered days earlier them to the ground and they were are okay, and I'm so honored to from Georgia, dyed in a custom screaming for help. receive this award.” By Brian Hews shade known as Academy Red, Bridget immediately took TRASH piles up at a condominium complex in Hawaiian Gardens. The City chose Waste Resources See HERO page 15 colorpick reserved exclusively for Incorporated as their new hauler, who said they would immediately begina trash up. Photo Brian Hews. Hollywood’s biggest night. Santa Fe Springs has Olive, 58, may not be a released updated details for household name, but for nearPhase Two of improvements at ly three decades, some of the the Paul T. Nakamura Regional CONSTRUCTION progresses world’s most famous celebrities Aquatics Center, clarifying the at the Paul T. Nakamura Regional have walked across his work. scope of new amenities, the Aquatics BY BRIAN HEWS included several default letters, “Poor leadership, no foresight Center during Phase His company, Carpet Public Pros, project cost, and the anticipated Two on the situation, typical of this which, under Event California’s of the city’s $9.5 million supplies carpets for the Academy opening Whiletimeline. rotting trash is accumu- expansion City Council,” former Hawaiian Resource Code Section 49000, project. Awards, lating parts of Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Rey Rodriguez Awards, starts theGolden clock onGlobe termination. Thein many city first announced Grammy Awards, Primetime Gardens,Two Mayor City staff evenand went the extra Phase of Myra the Maravilla aquatics told HMG-LCCN. MAP SHOWING work on Carson St. from Pioneer Blvd. to Emmy Awards, along with preproject information, Phase and the City Council finally conThe staff report included in step and attempted to work with center expansion in October Norwalk Blvd., and Pioneer Blvd. from Carson St. to 221st St. forcure Disney, Marvel, and will add a newpresented splash mieres ducted outlining a hearing, plans waitingtoanadd en- Two last week’s meeting CWS to the breaches and 2025, and interactive tire week, and allowing the trash cleardesigned evidence as thatanCWS was in Warner defaultsBros., starting in major Marchevents of this family-oriented features and pad such as the Super Bowl. water feature for children to accumulate even more, to once improve visitor comfort. New violation of its contract with the year, each of which gave CWS project that will resurface key the project for public bids, a Over the years, Event Carprojectandalso again discuss terminating City,families. but MayorThe Maravilla the steps to resolve the defaults. materials released by theCWS’ city and roadways, upgrade sidewalks key step before construction has created expanded seating areasto pet Pros contract. a more detailed look includes Council were apparently afraid In addition to thehighly defaultcusno- and curbs, and add new biprovide can begin. shadetrigger, structures Under the Ralph Brown pull additional the termination leav- tomized tices, the designs, City also including attempted ato at what residents can M. expect as and cycle lanes along two major Planned work includes sunlitwith pool-themed Act, Maravilla and the City Coun- intended to improve comfort arrange meetings CWS but ing residents driving by stinky shimmering, construction moves forward. corridors. cil could have sent out a notice piles of trash for the foreseeable CWS did not attend most meetAccording to the updated The project focuses on [ See PROJECT, page 5 ] [ See NAKAMURA, page 4 ] ings. [ See CARPET PROS, page 4 ] and held a meeting within two future. ARTESIA HIGH staff-member Bridget Perrizo received the Award of days to address the situation. The voluminous staff report Valor from Lakewood for saving two in a dog attack.
Hawaiian Gardens to Move Forward With $1.5 Million Street Improvement Project
[ See PIPELINE, page 12 ]
Santa Fe Springs Updates Phase Two Plans for Paul T. Nakamura Regional Aquatics Center
TRASH WILL FINALLY GET CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN GARDENS
See TRASH page 15